Vietnam, Watergate, Iran and the 1970s

Is There A Future For The Police Canine - 965 Words

Is there a future for the police canine? â€Å"In the wake of social, technological, environmental, economic and political changes, the future law enforcement executive must carefully consider if there is a future role for police K-9 programs. will the impact of technology eliminate the need for K-9 programs? Will the use of the police dog become more of a liability than an asset?† (Zwicky ii ) Modern law enforcement is not what it used to be 100 years ago. In most aspects everythings changed except a few things, one being Dogs, dogs have and will be an important aspect for years to come. Thoe there are those who say that dogs have no place in law enforcement, that they are unreliable and no longer needed for the job. In this paper i will argue the importance of dogs in law enforcement and that their use should not be underlooked, for these police dogs are used for everything from finding drugs and bombs to locating missing children and escaped convicts. Modern law enforcement has changed drastically due to advancements such as, untraceable cell phones, cyber attacks, illegal weapon trade, terrorist attacks and drug trafficking, for police trying to uphold the law in a time that is so chaotic and uncertain even they need some help. Dogs have been used by man for centuries, dating as far back as drawings on cave walls, early man saw the use of canines and used them for hunting and tracking down game. It was not soon after the formation of large cities that man saw the use of theShow MoreRelatedLaw Enforcement Agencies And Its Effects On The United States999 Words   |  4 Pagesagencies across the country have tried to balance the ever explosive decision of using force on a suspect who flees. Continually battling public concerns that seem to favor the suspect over the officer, many departments have changed their policy on the canine units that they employ. K-9 officers are more than tools to their handlers, they are their companions, and partners. Now, g roups like the ACLU have targeted the use of K-9’s in the apprehension of suspects and to prove their point they have even broughtRead MoreOur Society Compared to the Dystopian Society of Ray Bradbury ´s Book Fahrenheit 461669 Words   |  3 PagesBradbury, the intuitive author of Fahrenheit 451, describes the future of our society to be quite aberrant. He satirizes many aspects of society and displays the various atrocious examples we are setting for the future. One social institution being satirized in Bradbury’s novel is law enforcement. Law enforcement refers to a system in which people act in an appropriate manner to punish people who violate rules and norms of society. Though this definition is shown to be inaccurate in the dystopianRead MorePolice Brutality : Should Police Officers Keep Their Guns At All Times?1570 Words   |  7 PagesPolice Brutality – Should Police Officers keep their guns at all times? (Police Training.) Police brutality has been a very controversial matter these past few months, with citizens supporting those who claim to be victims, and others who don’t. Though most people have been supporting the victims, some people who don’t can agree that police having guns with them in a simple investigation is a little over done. There are many instances where an officer can be seen, from a citizen’s camera, approachingRead MoreAdc Essay1336 Words   |  6 Pagesof the ADC certification process. Training for the dogs start when a certain trait is recognized, this trait being odor recognition. The USFA states this fact because not all dogs are fit to be ADCs some have other traits that are better used as a police K-9. The scent recognition trait is important because if the doge does not have that trait then the dogs will not have the expected performance. All ADCs are trained using the food reward method, which is when a reward is given for each wanted behaviorRead MoreE thical Issues in Criminal Justice Essay647 Words   |  3 PagesJustice field today. If the police force condoned unethical behavior, there would be very little, if any, justice being served. Official police misconduct is any â€Å"objectionable actions taken by police officers in connection with their official duties, which can lead to a miscarriage of justice†. (wikipedia.com). However, â€Å"police misconduct may include a broader range of misconduct, reflecting the high standards that we expect of police officers. Unlike official misconduct, police misconduct can apply toRead MoreThe Police Service Dog Unit966 Words   |  4 PagesAs the City of Thornton and the Police Department expands in population, further develops, and calls for service increase, it is critical that we continue to improve one of our most valuable assets; the Police Service Dog Unit. In my experience and having researched this topic extensively, I have found that the key to success within the unit is a quality training program lead by a core handler/trainer. Historically, our agency has relied on an Arvada Police Department K9 Trainer Bill Delay to fulfillRead MoreIs Dogs And The Human Beings?1998 Words   |  8 Pagesyoung) and hunting the same type of prey it was a natural fit for both the canines and the humans to work together. They were once fierce hunter in the wild now wanting a belly scratch and doing whatever it takes to please its owner. They have done many things to benefit humans to make lives better and help in today’s society. They are eyes for the blind, search and rescue with their keen nose and ears, and even police K9s with their incredible tracking skills and stamina. However their originRead MoreThe Man s Best Friend1985 Words   |  8 PagesThey are eyes for the blind, search and rescue with their keen nose and ears, and even police K9s with their incredible tracking skills and stamina. However their origin story has been shrouded in mystery and controversy among scientist for years. With the advancement o f technology however, they have begun to unravel the story of our most faithful companion. For example â€Å"We sequenced the second exon  of  the canine  MHC  gene DLA-DRB1  from  128 Asian  dogs  and compared our data (Niskanen 1). By being ableRead MoreCommunity Policing Is A Fast Growing Necessity For The Future1052 Words   |  5 Pagesfearless crime fighters who are in daily high speed chases and shoot outs. While these crimes may be possible, it is not likely on a daily basis. So, just what do police officers respond too then? They deal with many various types of service calls each month and year including little disruptions and civil arguments or disputes. Police officers today need to be in different places for all different types of complaints and issues. Because many agencies do not have the capability or manpower for theRead MoreWhat Violates The Fourth Amendment?1194 Words   |  5 Pagesconstitution on December 15, 1791, citizens have questioned poli ce action. The case of United States vs. Jacobsen states that â€Å"A seizure of property occurs when the government meaningfully interferes with a person’s possessory interest.† With this great debate in effect, a theory was introduced called the â€Å"mosaic theory†. This theory states that searches can be evaluated as a common sequence of steps rather than as individual searches. Police actions are evaluated over time as a collective mosaic of

Big Day Essay Research Paper My alarm free essay sample

Large Day Essay, Research Paper My dismay rang excess loud that twenty-four hours. The combination of the overly high dB degree and the changeless repeat was adequate to do me leap right out of bed and turn the damn thing off. I was non traveling to drowse today. Nope, non today, today was a large twenty-four hours. A few hours subsequently I would be going to Yale to vie in the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference Ice Hockey Championship game. Immediately after rousing I gave the sunglassess on my Windowss a jerk and sent them gyrating back up the window. It was a beautiful twenty-four hours. The suns beams glistened down on everything below every bit if to run the snow and stop winter forever. The sound of birds peeping and the air current blowing through the trees was a certain mark that everything was in its right topographic point. # 8220 ; John! , # 8221 ; called my female parent, # 8220 ; Breakfast! . # 8221 ; The sweet aroma of Belgian waffles pervading through the house shortly reached my room, and I was so ready for it. # 8220 ; How do you experience? # 8221 ; asked my male parent. I stretched my weaponries, yawned and replied, ? confident. ? I truly didn? t feel like stating much more unless it was about the game. The old twelvemonth we knocked this squad out of the playoffs early in a dramatic, come-from-behind, underdog triumph. As I sat at the kitchen tabular array indulgence in breakfast I thought about how severely our oppositions wanted their retaliation. I imagined myself being in the place of sucess and failure after the game. The idea of losing made me experience empty and alone indoors, as if person had removed my tummy. The trembles ran down my spinal column and I shook them off like a wet Canis familiaris drying itself. Victory, on the other manus, would be something that I would ever be able to look back on, smiling, and relive the memories of. Like a hapless adult male on Jeopardy, I wanted to win so severely. I had to fix. The repast was make fulling, it was the encouragement of energy I needed to get down my twenty-four hours. I scraped the staying pieces of waffle and bacon into the refuse, rinsed my dirty dishes, placed them in the dish washer, and headed to the soundless confines of my room. My bed was unmade and waiting for me to creep back in. Alternatively I sat unsloped, pulled my sympathizer over my legs and began to imitate to game over in my head. I had to cognize in front of clip what I was traveling to make all possible state of affairss. I thought to myself, what travel do I do when my guardian attempts to play the organic structure? Look for a linemate film editing across the ice or call for a bead base on balls. How will I keep postion in forepart of the end for a possible recoil? Bend my articulatio genuss, stay low, maintain my stick on the ice, and one skate behind my adversary? s. With every thump of the clock I felt more set back. ? Welcome ladies and gentelman to tonights Connecticut State Championship game between the Greenwich Cardinals and the Jesuits of Fairfeld Prepera tory School! ? The talkers were loud and the crowd roared in strength. The game had yet to get down and both parties of crowds were holding heartening wars. The edifice was inflated with energy and so was I. I was ready to put on the line going a quadraplegic in order to blare that gum elastic biscuit through the dorsum of the net. I was focused. The official threw the Puck at the bluish point in the centre of the ice. Slap! I carved my skate aggressively into the ice directing a spatter of white flakes across the ice. The conflict was on. For thrity proceedingss of ordinance drama, crossing a continuance of two hours, both squads were at war. Each participants desire to get rid of the rival squad could be seen through their attempts of playing at twirling velocities optimising their public presentations to their extremes. The sounds of plastic snap against each other and Pucks pealing off of the end stations made the sphere an intensifying topographic point to be. Throughout the full match-up our squad poured theirs Black Marias and souls into acheiving a title. With thrity seconds left on the clock our coached, in despair for a tieing mark, hollored for our goalkeeper to come to bench. ? Dig deep! , ? he yelled to us seeking to trip some interior desires. We had our opportunity to win the game with a close recoil, but we failed. ? Hanger! , ? screamed my manager. Our squad, so consentrated on discourtesy, had allowed a adult male to stay idely waiting for an up-ice base on balls to direct him on a interruption off. Equally shortly as his teammate whisked the glistening black Puck over and above our caputs to the tape of his stick, my whole tummy fell. I skated every bit speedy as I could, delving the interior and outside borders of my blades through the ice. It was the most frustrating feeling, working so difficult towards something unevitable. The opposition gracefully skated straight towards the fold and coolly slid the Puck to the dorsum o f the net. It was over. It was eventually over. The loss was a heartbreaker. On the coach drive place I sat with my caput pressing against the place in forepart of me. The hr long bus drive place started off in silence. I was a senior, I would neer play high school hockey once more. My teammates were disquieted. We had a aureate oppurtunity right in the thenar of our custodies and we let it steal off. Gentle susurrations began to distribute throughout the coach. We began to reminice about all the good times we had shared that season as teammates and close friends. Players caputs were lifted and rejuvinated in the optimism that they were apart of something great. It was a long and agonising twenty-four hours and I was tired. Equally shortly as I got place I headed heterosexual for room. I sat on my bed unsloped and thought about what a great bond our squad had that season. I looked over my clock to look into the clip. It was midnight already. I yawned and thought to myself. I wasn? T traveling to put the dismay clock tonight.

Is Mental Health Determined by Nature or Nurture free essay sample

Is Our Mental Health Determined By Nature or Nurture Nature vs. nurture is an age old argument, hereditary or environment. The argument basically debates if genetic makeup or environment predetermines certain things about the human development. In my paper I am going to discuss the argument of nature as well as the argument of nurture and how it affects the mental health of a child. I am also going discuss the argument that both nature and nurture determines our mental health. I am going to first discuss the argument for nature. Many believe our fates predetermined.The psychology dictionary describes the nature theory as â€Å"humans being born with certain traits and the will be manifested regardless of environment. † While discussing the nature theory, I will go into views of famous scientist psychologist such as Arnold Gesell, Alexander Thomas, Stella Chess, and Thomas Bouchard as well as the views of famous thinkers such as Plato and Socrates. We will write a custom essay sample on Is Mental Health Determined by Nature or Nurture or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I will first discuss the studies of Thomas Bouchard. Thomas Bouchard is for the argument of nature. Bouchard often studied adoptions and twins, by doing this Bouchard he says our outcome is determined by genes.In a from the Smithsonian titled â€Å"The Jim Twins† it describes a study how a set of twins were separated at 3 weeks of age by adoption and then was reunited at the age of 39. In the article it states that growing up, both of the boys were names Jim by their adoptive parents, one named Jim Lewis and one named Jim Springer. Both of the boys had an interest in math and carpentry and children. As they grew up, one was a security guard and the other was a sheriff. They both married women name Linda, and then divorced and then they both remarried women named Betty.It goes so far as when they both had baby boys, one named the child James Alan Lewis, and the other one named the child James Allan Lewis. The article then goes on to say that Bouchard flew the twins to Minnesota very soon after the meeting because he wanted to do some testing before the twins had too much time together, Bouchard looked at that as the evidence being contaminated. Bouchard noticed many similarities in these twins who had no contact with each other for thirty nine years. The twins stated they both felt a sense if emptiness. Bouchard stated that the differences these twins did have come from being raised in different places.Dr. Bouchard states in one of the personality test, the twins test were so similar that it was compared to a person taking the same test twice. This goes to support Dr. Bouchard’s view of nature. I am next going to write about Arnold Gesell. Arnold Gesell also argues the point of nature. Gesell is a responsible for the â€Å"Growth and Development Theory†. Gesell studied children form the preschool until the age of sixteen. Gesell focused his studies on children at natural play without disturbing them. He studied things such as motor skills, expression, interpersonal relations, play, ethical sense and pastimes. Gesell believes or fates or predetermined so he believes parents should raise children with reasonable guidance, not to strictly and not too freely. Children should be allowed to make mistakes to grow from them. In the 1940’s and the 1950’s Gesell was looked at as an authority in the rearing and development of children, but his work was criticized because his study group was small and bias, It consist of a small group of middle class white children. I am next going to write about Alexander Thomas and his wife Stella Chess. Thomas and Chess started the New York Longitudinal Study of Child Temperament, along with Herbert Birch.This study is classic study which studies personalities and temperament traits in young children. This is still an ongoing study. The reason they started this study is because in their own practice, they were seeing good parents with extra temperamental children, as well as children who have terrible parents but are resourceful enough to come out of that situation as successful adults. In this study they also noted how children who are raised in the same household in the same environment with the same parents can come out totally different, they can have different temperaments.Chess and Thomas thought that each child has different capabilities, and we cannot compare one child to another. They thought pushing a child pass its capabilities, or setting the expectations to high would be stressors and would cause the child to act out. In this study Chess and Thomas comes to the conclusion that temperament is biological which puts them for nature in the nature vs. nurture argument. Plato and Socrates were both great thinkers, Plato was Socrates’ student, they were both for the argument of nature. Socrates teachings were not popular in their time.Socrates thought that intelligence was a gift from the god and could not be learned in a learning institution or from the environment. In fact Socrates was tried and sentenced to death because of him questioning the gods. To add to the argument of nature, there is a Gene called the monoamine oxidase gene, also known as the MAOA gene. This gene is located adjacent a gene that is on the opposite chromosome X. If there is a mutation of this gene, it results in a monoamine oxidase deficiency; which may cause certain mental issues.A recent study mentioned in EYE on DNA stated that women with this gene variation were more likely to become alcoholics after child abuse or a sexual assault. This is just adding to the nature part of the argument. I will now get into the nurture part of the argument. Nurture is considered environment or non-genetic factors. Jawaharlal Nehru states, â€Å"Life is a game of cards. The hand that is dealt represents determinism; the way you play it is free will. † I will be discussing the beliefs and studies of scientist and thinkers such as Ivan Pavlov, B. F. Skinner, William Greeno, John Broadus Watson and Stanley Turecki.I will first discuss Ivan Pavlov. Pavlov was known for his Classical Conditioning theory. Classical is defined as â€Å"a reflective or automatic type of learning in which a stimulus acquires the capacity to evoke a response that was originally evoked by another stimulus. Pavlov salivating dog is the experiment he is most known for. In this experiment, Pavlov Noticed how the dogs would produce extra saliva when the food servers would come with the meat powder, then Pavlov would ring a bell along with the food servers, soon, the dogs would salivate with this the sound of the bell because they would associate bell with being time to be fed.The bell was a neutral response until it was associated with the food. This was a learned behavior, or achieved by nurture. I am now going to discuss Skinner‘s view of operant conditioning. Skinner is known as the father of operant conditioning. He is also known for coming up with the Law of Effect-Reinforcement. Skinner believes with proper reinforcement, any outcome is possible. It is a sort of cause and effect theory that our behavior is shaped by reinforces or punishers. Reinforcers increases the possibility of the behavior being repeated and punishers decreases the likelihood of the behavior being repeated. It’s like the example of a child being touches a hot stove, although we repeatedly told the child not to touch it because it was hot, the child still wants to touch the stove, but if the child touches the stove and burns its fingers, the child will learn not to touch the hot stove because it was burned. That is an example of punishers, a learned behavior because of a negative result. An example of positive reinforcement is, if one is trying to potty train a child, when the child uses the potty they are rewarded. The child then looks forward to this ward and thus this helps motivates the child to use the potty. This is positive reinforcement helps promote a learned behavior. Classical and operant conditionings are both examples of the nurture argument, learned behavior. Stanley Turecki is another psychiatrist who is for the nurture theory. Turecki works with children, adolescents, adults and families. His beliefs are that every child is different and should be nurtured accordingly, he believes that more children may required more guidance and attention than another child in the same household.Turecki does believe in administering medication to children but he is a little more conservative with it. If he must prescribe medication, he gives it at a lower dosage than most of his counter parts; he believes medication should be a last resort. Turecki believes that a lot of mental issues come from personal conflicts and not from chemical imbalances, and personal conflicts cannot be cured or corrected with medication. As mentioned, Turecki says that all children are different and to be an â€Å"expert parent† the parent needs to understand the child and accept the child from who they are and not the child you wish you had.He states that each child will meet milestones at their own schedule and we should not compare on e child to another, this can be damaging to the child’s progress. Stanley Turecki is another psychiatrist who is for the nurture theory. Turecki works with children, adolescents, adults and families. His beliefs are that every child is different and should be nurtured accordingly, he believes that more children may required more guidance and attention than another child in the same household. Turecki does believe in administering medication to children but he is a little more conservative with it.If he must prescribe medication, he gives it at a lower dosage than most of his counter parts; he believes medication should be a last resort. Turecki believes that a lot of mental issues come from personal conflicts and not from chemical imbalances, and personal conflicts cannot be cured or corrected with medication. As mentioned, Turecki says that all children are different and to be an â€Å"expert parent† the parent needs to understand the child and accept the child from who they are and not the child you wish you had. He states that each child will meet milestones at their own schedule and we should not compare one child to another, this can be damaging to the child’s progress. John Broadus Watson is considered the father of behaviorism, he is a component of nurture and differences are a result of learned behavior. Watson is against mentalist concepts and used contiguity to explain learning. Watson believed that emotion was another form of classical conditioning. He did not believe people had individual differences. He felt that behavior comes from identifiable events.

Why Do Students Cheat free essay sample

The competitive high school environment has constant pressure to succeed; therefore, thus, many students depend on cheating in order to receive the grades that he or she desires. Because cheating has become an ordinary resolution for many students, more and more students do so every day, mimicking the acuon of their peers. nfortunately, the eighty-five percent of students who cheat ould prefer a higher score than the chance to grow as a learner. All of the cheating boils down to one simple concept: college acceptances. To begin, students cheat in order to get accepted to the college of their choice. As Kolker explains, students believe that, College, more than ever, determines success. As a high school student In 2013, one will constantly hear other students saying, l need to get Into a top college, my whole future depends on it! and Oh man, I didnt do well on that test, now I am not going to get into college. We will write a custom essay sample on Why Do Students Cheat? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In this day and age, teenagers have a mind- et that they only attend high school in order to be accepted Into a prestigious college, rather than learning and developing as a student. These students only think about what they must do in order for top colleges to choose them; thus, if cheating is the answer, they will cheat to receive the better grade. Andermans research discovered that, The most impulsive cheaters cheated less often when they believed the point of the test was to help them master the material, not Just get a score. This concept is seen in an AP Calculus class of high school juniors and seniors. The eacher has a policy that quizzes are not factored into the students grade; however, tests are a very Important factor for the students grade. The quizzes are designed to help the students learn, while the tests are designed to test the students abilities by receiving a score. In this situation, when there Is an upcoming quiz, many students are very lackadaisical and rarely study for the assessment. Conversely, on a test day, the calculus students run around frantically trying to receive questions and answers from students who have already taken the same test, a prime example of cheating Thus, this proves that students cheat in order to receive a high grade, as they dont cheat for a quiz that does not determine their final grade. The next criminal in this cheating era is the SAT. Eshagoff, a student who participated in the Long Island SAT scandal. stated, By giving him an amazing score, I totally give him a new lease on life, proving that students view the SAT as determining their future. Evidentially, something In this system Is corrupt when one test Is what determines whether or not a boy receives a new lease on life. It is this Idea that causes drastic cheating rings. Students believe that their entire life is predestined to failure if they do not succeed on major tests; therefore, they resort to cheating. This OF2 relates to Andermans tneory tnat, T everytnlng Is always nlgn-staKes, youre going to create an environment conducive to cheating. It is very tempting for a student with awful grades to cheat because he or she knows that he or she has an opportunity to receive an exemplary score on the SAT. This student would consider the fact that without cheating, he or she would most likely go to a below average college which ome students view as unacceptable in this college dominating culture, where everyone links the rest of their life to the college they attend. This is why the vast cheating rings occur, such as the Long Island SAT scandal: to enhance ones chances of going toa better college. Unfortunately, cheating will continue as long as it is the social norm. Dan Airley, a Duke social scientist, explains that students are more likely to cheat if everyone else is cheating as well. He explains, There is right and wrong, and there is what people around us tell us is right and wrong. The people around us re often more powerful. If many students are clearly cheating while taking a test, the chances that other students will cheat too increase greatly. This is demonstrated through the Carnegie Mellon experiment, where actors were hired to portray cheating students to see how the actual students would respond. The variable was that in one room, the actor was wearing University of Pittsburgh apparel. However, in the other room, the actor was wearing Carnegie Mellon apparel. The study resulted in more students cheating in the room with the University of Pittsburgh actor than in he room with the Carnegie Mellon actor. This is due to Airleys idea that, The people around us are often more powerful. The Carnegie Mellon students are apart of a community with the Carnegie Mellon student who cheated; consequently, they viewed it as acceptable to cheat because their fellow classmate was cheating. Yet, the University of Pittsburgh student is an outsider and as a result, the other students do not associate themselves with him; thus, fewer students follow his academic dishonest actions. Airley used an excellent analogy to relate this scenario wi th speeding on the road. He states, Theres a speed limit, but you see people around you driving at a certain speed, and you get used to it pretty quickly. As Airley explains, it is significantly easier to do something that is obviously immoral when everyone else is participating too. The pressure to succeed in high school in order to attend a prestigious university produces an environment where cheating is somewhat acceptable, enough that eighty-five percent of students have admitted to cheating before. This is a never-ending chain, as cheating becomes tolerable to students once everyone else is participating in this unjust act. The preconceived notion that all that matters in a teenagers life is the colleges they are accepted to has developed a culture in which being academically dishonest has become the standard. Whether it is creating a texting group to distribute test questions and answers, asking friends for help on a test that they already took, or having someone else take the SAT for you, cheating has become an everyday part of high school life. In American culture, a college acceptance letter is far more important to a student than his or her dignity and honesty, something that must change within our society.

How to Reference an Ebook with Oxford Referencing Style

How to Reference an Ebook with Oxford Referencing Style How to Reference an Ebook with the Oxford Referencing Style When you reference an ebook using the Oxford referencing style, you must cite your source clearly so your reader can access it. Oxford referencing uses a note and bibliography system, so make sure to include full information in both footnotes and at the end of your document. Footnotes When citing a source in Oxford style referencing, indicate this using superscript numbers in the main body of your text (e.g., 1, 2, 3). Each number corresponds to a citation in a footnote. In the first citation of a source, you should provide full publication information. For an ebook, this will include where and when you accessed the source: n. Author Initial(s). Surname, Title, Publisher, City of Publication, Year, Page(s), Name of Database/URL, accessed date. For example: 1. R. Kelsall, I. Hamley and M. Geoghegan, Nanoscale Science and Technology, John Wiley Sons Ltd., Chichester, 2005, p. 26, The E-Book Library [online database, accessed 16 February 2013. If you cite the same source again, the footnote can be shortened to either just the author name and page numbers (for consecutive citations) or the author, a shortened title and page numbers for non-consecutive citations: 1. R. Kelsall, I. Hamley and M. Geoghegan, Nanoscale Science and Technology, John Wiley Sons Ltd., Chichester, 2005, p. 26, The E-Book Library [online database], accessed 16 February 2013. 2. Kelsall, Hamley and Geoghegan, pp. 32-34. 3. A. Nonymous, Another Book, Penguin, New York, 2002, p. 12. 4. Kelsall, Hamley Geoghegan, Nanoscale Science, p. 2. Bibliography In an Oxford referencing bibliography, the entry for an ebook requires the same information as in the first footnote, but without the page number(s). The other important difference is that the first-listed authors surname and initial are inverted so that you can order entries alphabetically by author surname: Author Surname, Initial(s)., Title, Publisher, City of Publication, Year, Name of Database/URL, accessed date. As such, the example given above would appear in the reference list as: Kelsall, R., I. Hamley and M. Geoghegan, Nanoscale Science and Technology, John Wiley Sons Ltd., Chichester, 2005, The E-Book Library [online database], accessed 16 February 2013. Of course, Proofed can help you with your references if you want to be double sure your work is correct. Upload your document today!

Toys R Us Company Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Toys R Us Company - Research Paper Example The Toys â€Å"R† Us firm went public during 1978 and started to branch out its products (Brohan, par 3). In the 1980’s Toys â€Å"R† Us stretched out into global markets as well as expanded its brand line to encompass children’s clothing. In the 1990’s, Toys â€Å"R† Us further grew into the baby product marketplace with Babies â€Å"R† Us (Lombardi, par 4). Additionally, Toys â€Å"R† Us assimilated the renowned New York toy store FAO Schwarz together with its online websites during 2009. Items from this New York high-end shop are now in Toys â€Å"R† Us stores too (Brohan, par 4). Toys â€Å"R† Us Inc. runs more than eight hundred and seventy five Babies â€Å"R† Us and Toys â€Å"R† Us shops within the U.S., more than six hundred and twenty five worldwide stores as well as over one hundred and forty licensed shops within 35 nations as well as its jurisdictions. Toys â€Å"R† Us board of dir ectors is comprised of nine members with Gerald Storch as the Chairman as well as the Chief Executive officer (Brohan, par 6). In an ever developing online retailing marketplace, Toys â€Å"R† Us has also developed itself as a virtual retailer. Toys â€Å"R† Us operates many online retail websites. Babiesrus.com and toysrus.com have various international websites and are among the highly visited websites for clients looking for kids’ products (Lombardi, par 5). ... During 2012 Toys â€Å"R† Us sales of toys went down by a percentage of 3.5 to 20.47 billion dollars within the U.S, the global major toy market, rendering to a research company NPD Group. Previously, Toys â€Å"R† Us articulated that its same-stores sales within the US had gone down by 4.5% within the 9 weeks from 28th October to 29th December, a crucial time for toys’ sales (Brohan, par 8). Toys â€Å"R† Us total sales of toys went down by 4.7% in that period. Toys â€Å"R† Us Inc. has not stated toys’ sales results for its current fiscal year. During the year that concluded during 2012, January, same-store sales went down at home as well as within the global business, whereas total sales rocketed from 45 million dollars to 13.9 billion dollars (Lombardi, par). From this analysis, the Toys â€Å"R† Us Inc. is feasible to venture into emerging markets such as India. Despite the toy sales drop, Toys â€Å"R† Us total sales incre ment shows that the company can afford to venture new markets or emerging markets, which can boost its toy sales and generate more returns for the company (Brohan, par 5). India’s economic development was grounded upon socialist-inspired policies following the independence. It encompassed state-ownership of numerous sectors, regulations as well as red tape that was referred to as ‘License Raj’ in addition to safeguarding from the global markets. India’s political economy has rapidly transmuted with the economy’s liberalization during the 1990s (Maps of India, par 1). India has currently moved into a market-based structure and it is the global second speediest growing quintessential economy following China. India documented the highest gross domestic product rate of 9 percent in 2007. India’s growth has currently reached 7.5

Information System Briefing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Information System Briefing - Essay Example It is crucial to involve the stakeholders in selecting and acquiring the planned information system to ensure participative decision-making. We intend to engage in an intensive planning before we embark on the purchasing process. Planning will involve searching for information concerning the anticipated information system, assigning the purchase tasks to the team concerned with the implementation, setting task priorities and putting in place reminders of the project duration. The planning involves an analysis of information and workflows that are critical to the development of system architectures necessary to meet the needs of the business (Evelyn, 2010). Our organization wants to purchase the best system for enhancing quality of service delivery. The process of selecting will require results from properly conducted research. All nurses and caregivers will be required to contribute to the selection process; our organization performs duties on the foundations of democracy to prevent negative reactions from the users. After selection, the system will be purchased from the vendor who wins the tender. The installation of the new system will follow the parallel implementation conversion strategy. According to (Evelyn, 2010), there is usually an overlap period where both the old and the new information systems will need to run concurrently. Parallel implementation means operating the new and old systems side by side until the new systems confirms reliability (Hovenga, 2010); this is when the old system will be discontinued. Evaluating the information system will involve an ongoing process of testing the performance of the information and determine whether it meets the predetermined standards. The information collected will provide a foundation for collecting the performance requirements, creating performance testing

The Role of Nurse Practitioners Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Role of Nurse Practitioners - Term Paper Example Education The minimum educational requirements for admission into PA programs are at least two years of undergraduate coursework in the basic and behavioral sciences. PA programs must be accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant. On average, an institution consists of 27 months of instructional and clinical content focusing on the care of patients over the lifespan (Ponte & O’Neill, 2013). Over the years â€Å"PA training has evolved into an advanced competency-based and accredited educational program, with the broad core curriculum content resembling that of medical school training† (Atwater et al, 2008, p. ...   involves inpatient and outpatient rotations in various settings including family and internal medicine, pediatrics, gynecology and obstetrics, general surgery, psychiatry, and emergency medicine (Atwater et al, 2008, p. 729).Contingent on the program, the PA student has conferred a Master’s, Bachelor’s, Associate’s, or Certificate degree. To attain licensure, all PA students take the same certifying exam administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (Ponte & O’Neill, 2013). NP programs, graduate programs based on the nursing model, are approved by the state board of nursing and are accredited by a national nursing accreditation body such as the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2013; Ponte & O’Neill, 2013). Dependent on the NP program, the average minimum requirement for admission is a baccalaureate degree in nursing or a baccalaureate degree in another fie ld (Ponte & O’Neill, 2013). In either case, to begin the program, a student must first obtain a registered nursing (RN) license in the state the school operates. Additionally, a majority of NP programs require the student to have at least one year of experience as an RN. Programs include two years of classroom instruction and clinical rotations; additionally, students must undergo a minimum of 500 clinical hours to complete requirements (Atwater et al, 2008; Cross, Boukus, Samuel & Yee, 2013).Moreover, unlike the PAs, NPs choose an area of specialization.

Monitoring Risk in Project Management

Monitoring Risk in Project Management Risk identification and analysis lies in the hands of the owner who is the first participant in any type of project. When they are identified earlier, then there is a plan on how to manage them. If this task is to be given to any other personnel, then he/she should have the skills to interpret those risks. Although the owner may fail to identify all the risks, then there should be an integrated project team who will assisting this. Any plan that is designed for the project should have the risk identification part. In a certain flower farm, the owner saw it appropriate to test a certain variety of flower and see how it would perform in the ecological zone he was in. Before doing anything else, he contacted each and every employee to tell them about his idea. Most of them were very willing to help in anything they could. One of the ways he started doing is to group we as employees into groups that would work as a team to achieve this. He could also call upon some of us in a face-to-face interaction and this improved on trust of all of us. He could also contact specialists in the sector in question, not because we could not do it by ourselves but because he wanted a variable number if ideas. Team members also needed to play their roles effectively. They needed to actively involve themselves by giving ideas and nobody was permitted to criticize. On the same note, each of the identified risk would be recorded whether relevant or not. All this would help to identify all the risks possible with the help of missions, strategies and goals of the project, cost estimate, procurement, and execution and financing plan, projects Environmental Impact Assessment among others. This process was repeated several times before the outcomes were realized. We as teams then took the challenge to rank these identified risks in the order in which they could be severe. The lowest rank held those risks that were less severe and we categorized them as negligible. Marginal, critical and catastrophic were among the more severe. This ranking was based on value in other words number of dollars and indicated that there will be minimal environment damage. On top of this was the marginal risks where we indicated that there will be imitable environmental damage and that there will be restoration activities that will take place. On and on until we got to the catastrophic ones where we showed that there would be irreversible environmental damage and that the business would be closed. We went ahead and ranked them on the basis of likelihood where we ranked them as certain, likely, possible, unlikely or rare. The rare ones were those that were unlikely to occur although they were possible. The unlikely are those that could reasonably expected to occur. Those that are possible are those that will occur severally while the likely will occur frequently. The certain ones are those that will continually be experienced. Monitoring the risks was also the mandate of the teams. We had identify all new risks and take action in managing them. We also examined and documented the effectiveness of risks responses. We also could measure the technical performance of the risks. Before all this, we could first evaluate the risks whether all our assumptions were still valid, whether the risks have changed from the prior state, whether the proper measures for are being followed or whether they needed to be modified in line with the aim of the project. On top of all this, the owner had an idea of purchasing a new car that he would use to convey the flowers when they will be ready to the market. What motivated him was that he had enough money to purchase it cash. He would get the car of his choice as well as the one that will be suitable to carry out the function. He was sure enough that the value of this expected car will be covered by the expected sales of the flowers. REFERENCES Wardlaw, C. Wardlaw, C. (2017). 8 Important Decisions to Make Before Buying a New Car. NY Daily News. Retrieved 13 March 2017, from http://www.nydailynews.com/autos/street-smarts/8-important-decisions-buying-new-car-article-1.2558671 Reincke, K. (2017). Monitor Control Project Work myPmps. Mypmps.net. Retrieved 13 March 2017, from http://www.mypmps.net/en/mypmps/knowledgeareas/integration/monitor-control-project-work.html Ranking Risks: Rare to Certain, Negligible to Catastrophic. (2017). Project Smart. Retrieved 13 March 2017, from https://www.projectsmart.co.uk/ranking-risks-rare-to-certain-negligible-to-catastrophic.php

Explore How Arthur Miller Portrays John Proctor Essay

John Proctor is the protagonist in the Crucible. The story revolves around him and shows how one man battle with his own self conscience. It is set in Salem with a strong puritan community surrounding the story throughout and gives puritan views on every scenario shown. The story was true and closely researched by Arthur Miller including factual characters. The episode set between February 1692 and May 1693 has been used as a vivid cautionary tale about the dangers of religious extremism, false accusations, governmental intrusion and false pretences. However to help the story appeal to a wider audience Arthur added a love affair into the plot. This was the biggest change from the original story and added another genre to it creating a more interesting and in depth version of a factual set of events. The overall feel to the plot is closely linked to the House Committee of Un-American Activities (HUAC) in which McCarthyism, the politically motivated practice of making accusations of disloyalty, subversion or treason without proper regard for evidence was used. It started in the late 1940’s and was characterized by heightened fears of communist influence on American institutions and espionage by Soviet agents. It died down in the late 1950’s but inter twines throughout the plot of The Crucible and uses real scenarios from history. The title of the story sums up the conclusion of John Proctors life on a whole. A crucible is a pot used to burn impure objects, as they come out clean and pure once heated. This is a metaphor for the whole village of Salem as after the event they see the error of there ways and act like puritans again. This can also be seen throughout the story as John Proctor has the impurities of his affair with Abigail and then is relieved of this sin at the end when he chooses to be truthful and accepts to do what everyone who likes him wants. This is also what his wife wants as she would prefer him to be dead and forgiven than live and be living a lie. John Proctor was not a typical puritan. He had a sharp and biting way with hypocrites and was a man who stuck to his guns. His outspoken mannerisms could some times cause friction, for example with Putnam as he tells â€Å"I seen none children dying, this society will not be a bag to swing around your head†. This is a prime example of what Proctor is best at. Taking a look at all the evidence and then making a clear and clever conclusion from it and choosing who to blame. If you were stupid he enhanced your stupidity further by making you feel small. Arthur tells us in his notes that if a character told a stupid or blatantly obvious fact then Proctor would make them seem stupid by pointing out errors or miss judgements. This was a characteristic that won a lot of respect for John Proctor, but also made him a lot of enemies. Another reason why John is not a stereotypical puritan is the affair with Abigail. Abigail was made to be shown as a young, nasty, malicious girl who had once had an affair with Proctor but had never let it go. She uses her cunning words to tempt John back to her and reminds him of the times spent together. Miller uses warm heat imagery here and later on in the play when Proctor is with Abbie, yet again linking back to hell and religion. She tells him of how she remembers â€Å"clutching my back behind your house and sweating like a stallion whenever I come near. Or did I just dream that? I saw your face when she put me out, and you loved me then and you do now! † This lets John reminisce about the times he had with her and the fun that occurred. She then goes on to tell and contrast heat imagery with him burning in loneliness while with Elizabeth and that â€Å"he is no wintry man†. This section is the start of the tragic hero genre for Proctor as the readers and viewers see he’s not so perfect and has deep dark secrets of his own. The audience in this time period would have been shocked with the adultery theme being added, and as a result would have been more interested. The next main event involving John in the story has to be the biggest turning point. As he is in the court he exclaims loudly to everyone as the pressure has built up that he has known Abigail. As mentioned earlier this would have stunned the audience and sent them into shock and horror. Adding an adult theme into the story showed more depth and emotion in Arthurs writing, enhancing Proctors darker side and opening him up to the village. On the other hand this only furthers John’s many talents by giving him the courage to admit it. During this scene John’s wife plays a vital and negative role on his life by adding his downfall. To the contrast of Abigail, Arthur uses cold and shallow heat imagery when describing John’s time with her. â€Å"Its winter in here yet† has to fully describe the relationship between proctor and Elizabeth. The quick, blunt and emotionless dialogue between them proves this as well as the stage directions of Elizabeth receiving a kiss from Proctor, almost as if it was a chore. The cold heat imagery here is in total contrast compared to Abigail. As if because she’s younger and more tempting then the hot heat represents Hell and the temptation. While the cold heat represents the dead relationship with Elizabeth. Before Elizabeth enters, John tells the court of how she would never lie and is a good, pure puritan. She then enters, lies to the court not knowing the consequences and digs a hole for John. This is one of the rare cases of Irony throughout the play and varies the methods Arthur used to keep it interesting. Once the court case has been shown the next main predicament is what John is to do. He has been given the opportunity to tell the Court of who has been lying in exchange for his life much like the HUAC cases. This only adds to the dilemma’s John is facing and turns to his wife. Here they are shown to have there first proper emotional, loving conversation. It is in contrast to the short, blunt, snappy conversation in Act 4 and lets them become closer. If anything this is the only positive to come out of John’s death penalty and can be looked upon with happiness. In then end he doesn’t sign the others names and shows that he can be a loyal puritan and a loyal friend. Most people see this as a selfless thing but he also does it to stay respected and not let others see he has lied. Elizabeth is then happy and I believe this is the reason she spoke to him with such depth. She knew what he was going to do and so respected him for it. His puritan lifestyle comes full circle as he dies pure and Elizabeth would of rather he died pure than lived falsely. What I believe the summary and the main plot for the Crucible to be is one mans inner struggle with his conscience and guilt. When first reading through it I thought the main focus was on witchcraft and judgement, but after reading and looking through key points several times I now have different thoughts. John Proctor is a tragic hero towards the start but in the end is loved as a hero. He made his choice and his wife stood by him. This was all that mattered and completed him. I think Millers intent upon this was to show us all that even though mistakes have been made in a life, it doesn’t ruin the life itself and instead enhances the options we can take to correct it.

Green mountain Essay

Green Mountain Coffee Roaster and Keurig have teamed up together to provide consumers the freshly roasted coffee of Starbucks in an easy to use one pack Keurig coffee. The company Green Mountain Coffee Roaster started in Vermont and currently employees about 5,800 people. After the acquiring of Keurig Green Mountain the company has reported the working of three major operating systems known as the specialty coffee business, the Keurig coffee business, and the Canadian coffee business, these forms of business have helped evolve the firm into the super coffee giant it is today. The forms of business that Green Mountain has incorporated allows for brewing at home and away from home and involves not just coffee but other forms of beverages including hot chocolate. With the current fiscal year ending Green Mountain has reported sales of $3,859. 2 million dollars. This report shows the increase in earnings just within the business segment, showing a profit of 46 percent compared to the previous years earnings. SWOT ANALYSIS Green Mountain Strengths: Strong company imagine with a loyal customer base. Flexibility with Keurig coffee single servings and units being sold. An Established name brand. Strategic partnerships with other coffee brands and beverages to provide an array of options. Weakness Only one source of manufacturer located in China. High level of dependence on certain retailers in order to provide certain beverages to their consumers. Opportunities Ability to partner with new vendors in order to increase profitability. With Keurig units being sold new types of beverages open the doors to future Keurig single servings to be sold. Threats: Higher competition of coffee shops such as Dunkin Donuts who also offer a take home coffee blend. High competition with other coffee makers including instantaneous coffee. High cost of Keurig Unit and single serving cups. Impact of the economy on Keurig considered a luxury compared to more affordable options. ANALYSIS VIA PORTER’S FIVE FORCES MODEL Taking a look at the business model that Green Mountain offers, their main consumer base that have bought Keurig units allow them to use the K-cups single servings for different kinds of coffee blends. The Company also has the advantage that more than half of the adults in the U. S and Canada drink coffee; however the dependency on specialty coffee and the cost of Keurig could post a problem depending on the recovery of the economy and the cost of the K-cups. Lastly the risk of new completion such as current coffee retailers and instant coffee can pose a problem in regards to price compared to Keurig; however Green Mountain does provide an online website which allows consumers to purchase products such as K-cups and Keurig Units at a discounted price. Because of this online availability Green Mountain holds some grounds for its livelihood in the world of coffee. STRATEGY USED The Strategy that Green Mountain is using and the methods of their company that they stand by today is to offer an environment friendly way of making and distributing quality coffee. Green Mountain has lived on the notion that you don’t have to go to a coffee store to get quality coffee. By allowing consumers to pick and choose their favorite blends of coffee, Green Mountain has allowed the ability of quality coffee to be brewed in the luxury of your own home. By incorporating the use of the internet, Green Mountain has eliminated the need of a store front by allowing consumers to purchase their products directly on-line. However Green Mountain has also partnered with outside vendors allowing their products to be sold indirectly, once again allowing the consumer an array of options to choose from. The major issues and challenges that face this organization is the manufacturing being solely based and manufactured in China. If the manufacturer one day decides to up the cost of the work being performed Green Mountain would take a significant loss or be forced to find manufacturing partners elsewhere. Another huge issue is the dependency on specialty coffee and price. If the economy once gain falls as it recently did, Green Mountain Keurig would be considered more of a luxury when so many different affordable alternatives exist. If I was in the position of the company looking to gain the competitive advantage I would start offering the Keurig Unit for free or at least at a lower price, instead of charging consumers close to a hundred dollars and up making it hard to make that decision, especially for the average family on a fixed budget. Secondly when taking into consideration how to retain existing customers and bring in new customers, discounting the Keurig unit will result in consumers automatically buying the K-cups at the store or online since they already have the unit. At the end of the day you want to have a sticky but yet affordable product, one that will be hard to leave once you have experienced it. OPINION I liked the case study it allowed me to examine what a company goes through and what great things separate companies from one another. It also helped me create a solution for improving the profitability of a company. In the end, this case study really made you think of all the options available to the company and the best route they should take in order to ensure their livelihood in the business world.

Case Study Review Essays - Health, Confidentiality, Secrecy, Source

Case Study Review Essays - Health, Confidentiality, Secrecy, Source Case Study Review Laura Rubio BSHS/335 March 30, 2015 Stephanie Chupein Case Study Review In case study 9, the case talks about Physician Access to Information as a Noncustodial Parent. In this case it talks about a 14-year-old boy by the name of Rajiv who was recently treated in the Emergency Department. Rajiv's mother has sole custody of him, and Dr. Singh who is his father does not have visitation rights of him. Due to circumstances of his divorce, Rajiv's mother was able to provide documentation for inclusion in his health records stating that under no circumstances would Dr. Singh would be allowed to access Rajiv's health information. Rajiv's father Dr. Singh ran into Mrs. Singh's neighbor in the grocery store, and that is when the neighbor had asked about his recovery. That is when Dr. Singh said that he was unaware of any issues concerning Rajiv's health, prompting the neighbor Mr. Smith to fill him in on the details. Mr. Smith was unaware of the custody arrangements and details of the divorce. The next morning, Dr. Singh went to the Health Information Services department requesting a copy of his son's records for review. Thanks to talking with the neighbor, Dr. Singh was able to provide a date and circumstances of his son's medical treatment to the Release of Information clerk pulled Rajiv's chart, as she was getting ready to copy the record she noticed a note prohibiting Dr. Singh from accessing Rajiv's records. Dr. Singh who knew that this clerk did not like confrontation with physicians, he simply told her that he was trying to assist Rajiv's mother in getting a copy of his records to take to a specialist that was she did not have to come and get them herself. Even after Dr. Singh telling her that the clerk, defended the confidential nature of Rajiv's records and she refused to copy the records. Dr. Singh then became loud and abrupt with the file clerk to the point that Jane, the Director of Health Information Services, came out of her office to determine what the pr oblem was. Jane reminded Dr. Singh of the confidential nature of all patient health records and the privacy and security issues presented through the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act. Dr. Singh then said that he understood and respected that regulations must be followed. About a half hour later, Dr. Singh presented to the Physician Record Assistant's desk. This is when he requested his incomplete records so that he could sign and dictate outstanding reports. He also requested for them to pull Rajiv Jones' chart for him to review. She had some difficulty locating Rajiv's chart, she went to other areas of the Health Information Services department to see if anybody else had the chart. When the Release of Information Clerk was approached about the record, she was informed the Physician Record Assistant that Dr. Singh was not allowed access to Rajiv's records. She then informed Dr. Singh that she could not give him Rajiv's chart, and if he has any questions, he should talk with Jane. Then he apologized for any inconvenience, completed his incomplete records, and then went to the nursing units to do his rounds. That is where he has developed a relationship of respect with the nurses on the unit and made another attempt at requesting his son's records while on his morning rounds. He had asked Betty, a nurse on the orthopedic unit, if she could call and have the chart sent up for him, she promptly called Health Information Services, simply stating that a physician needs the chart. That is when Betty was asked which doctor was requesting the chart and Betty said that it was Dr. Singh. She was then told that he was not able to have access to the records. That is when Betty responded by demanding that if a physician requests records, that physician's intentions should not be questioned. The Release of Information Clerk finally transferred Betty to Jane, who continued to protect the confidentiality of the records. Finally Dr. Singh went to visit the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the facility Charles to make arrangements for their weekly golfing outing. Dr. Singh reported that he was having problems getting

Monte Alban - Capital City of the Zapotec Civilization

Monte Alban - Capital City of the Zapotec Civilization Monte Albn is the name of the ruins of an ancient capital city, located in a strange place: on the summit and shoulders of a very high, very steep hill in the middle of the semiarid valley of Oaxaca, in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. One of the most well-studied archaeological sites in the Americas, Monte Alban was the capital of the Zapotec culture from 500 B.C.E. to 700 C.E., reaching a peak population of over 16,500 between 300–500 C.E. The Zapotecs were maize farmers, and made distinctive pottery vessels; they traded with other civilizations in Mesoamerica including Teotihuacan and the Mixtec culture, and perhaps the classic period Maya civilization. They had a market system, for the distribution of goods into the cities, and like many Mesoamerican civilizations, built ball courts for playing ritual games with rubber balls. Chronology 900–1300 C.E. (Epiclassic/Early Postclassic, Monte Albn IV), Monte Alban collapses about 900 C.E., Oaxaca Valley with a more dispersed settlement500–900 C.E. (Late Classic, Monte Albn IIIB), slow decline of Monte Alban, as it and other cities are established as independent city-states, influx of Mixtec groups into the valley250–500 C.E. (Early Classic period, Monte Albn IIIA), Golden Age of Monte Alban, architecture in the main plaza formalized; Oaxaca barrio established at Teotihuacan150 B.C.E.–250 C.E. (Terminal Formative, Monte Albn II), unrest in the valley, rise of the Zapotec state with the center at Monte Albn, city covered about 416 hectares (1,027 acres), with a population of 14,500500–150 B.C.E. (Late Formative, Monte Alban I), Oaxaca valley integrated as a single political entity, city increased to 442 ha (1,092 ac), and population of 17,000, well beyond its ability to feed itself500 B.C.E. (Middle Formative), Monte Alban founded by param ount rulers from San Jose Mogote and others in the Etla valley, site covers about 324 ha (800 ac), population of about 5,000 people The earliest city associated with the Zapotec culture was San Josà © Mogotà ©, in the Etla arm of the Oaxaca Valley and founded about 1600-1400 B.C.E. Archaeological evidence suggests that conflicts arose in San Josà © Mogotà © and other communities in the Etla valley, and that city was abandoned about 500 B.C.E., at the same time that Monte Albn was founded. Founding Monte Alban The Zapotecs built their new capital city in a strange place, probably partly as a defensive move resulting from unrest in the valley. The location in the valley of Oaxaca is on the top of a tall mountain far above and in the middle of three populous valley arms. Monte Alban was far from the nearest water, 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) away and 400 meters (1,300 feet) above, as well as any agricultural fields that would have supported it. Chances are that Monte Albans residential population was not permanently located here.   A city located so far away from the major population it serves is called a disembedded capital, and Monte Albn is one of very few disembedded capitals known in the ancient world. The reason the founders of San Jose moved their city to the top of the hill may have included defense, but perhaps also a bit of public relations- its structures can be seen in many places from the valley arms. Rise and Fall Monte Albans golden age corresponds with the Maya Classic period, when the city grew,  and maintained trade and political relationships with many regional and coastal territories. Expansionist trade relationships included Teotihuacan, where people born in the Oaxaca valley took up residence in a neighborhood, one of several ethnic barrios in that city. Zapotec cultural influences have been noted in Early Classic Puebla sites east of modern-day Mexico City and as far as the gulf coast state of Veracruz, although direct evidence for Oaxacan people living in those locations has not as yet been identified. The power centralization at Monte Alban decreased during the Classic period when an influx of Mixtec populations arrived. Several regional centers such as Lambityeco, Jalieza, Mitla, and Dainzà º-Macuilxà ³chitl rose to become independent city-states by the Late Classic/Early Postclassic periods. None of these matched Monte Albans size at its height. Monumental Architecture at Monte Alban The site of Monte Albn has several memorable extant architectural features, including pyramids, thousands of agricultural terraces, and long deep stone staircases. Also still to be seen today are Los Danzantes, over 300 stone slabs carved between 350–200 B.C.E., featuring life-sized figures which appear to be portraits of slain war captives. Building J, interpreted by some scholars as an astronomical observatory, is a very odd structure indeed, with no right angles on the exterior building- its shape may have been intended to represent an arrowpoint- and a maze of narrow tunnels in the interior. Monte Albns Excavators and Visitors Excavations at Monte Albn have been conducted by Mexican archaeologists Jorge Acosta, Alfonso Caso, and Ignacio Bernal, supplemented by surveys of the Valley of Oaxaca by US archaeologists Kent Flannery, Richard Blanton, Stephen Kowalewski, Gary Feinman, Laura Finsten, and Linda Nicholas. Recent studies include bioarchaeological analysis of skeletal materials, as well as an emphasis on the collapse of Monte Alban and the Late Classic reorganization of the Oaxaca Valley into independent city-states. Today the site awes visitors, with its enormous rectangular plaza with pyramid platforms on the east and west sides. Massive pyramid structures mark the north and south sides of the plaza, and the mysterious Building J lies near its center. Monte Alban was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987.   Sources: Cucina A, Edgar H, and Ragsdale C. 2017. Oaxaca and its neighbors in Prehispanic times: Population movements from the perspective of dental morphological traits. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 13:751-758. ï » ¿Faulseit RK. 2012. State collapse and household resilience in the Oaxaca Valley of Mexico. Latin American Antiquity 23(4):401-425. Feinman G, and Nicholas LM. 2015. After Monte Alban in the Central Valleys of Oaxaca: A reassessment. In: Faulseit RK, editor. Beyond Collapse: Archaeological Perspectives on Resilience, Revitalization, and Transformation in Complex Societies. Carbondale: Southern Illinios University Press. p 43-69. Higelin Ponce de Leà ³n R, and Hepp GD. 2017. Talking with the dead from southern Mexico: Tracing bioarchaeological foundations and new perspectives in Oaxaca. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 13:697-702. Redmond EM, and Spencer CS. 2012. Chiefdoms at the threshold: The competitive origins of the primary state. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 31(1):22-37.

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 315

Assignment Example The company has accomplished and executed the four factors of corporate social responsibility through taking part in a cause-marketing case such as Project (RED). By donating their revenue for a life-saving operations, the business organization is presented in a good light. The company also generates its turnover in a legal and ethical manner, which forms its sustainable business development. I am of the opinion that corporations, which are socially involved, achieve better financial results, since they concentrate on worldwide social issues and regard this as a possibility to bring more business for the company. 2) Corporate Social Responsibility or CSR, generally being defines as a business concern of the welfare or wellbeing of the society, and run their business activities and operations in lawful and legally accepted manner to generate profit for the company. The four components of corporate social responsibility are Economic responsibilities by being profitable to the company, Legal responsibilities by obeying the law or playing by the rule, Ethical responsibilities by being ethical in carrying business and Philanthropic responsibilities by being a good corporate citizen and also by improving the quality and standard of living of the community and society. Economic performance is important as the foundation of the other three responsibilities, because if it does not achieve good performance, the other three responsibilities will be questionable. CSR stands for Corporate Social Responsibility and is defined by how much a business organization is concerned about the prosperity of the society. Corporations which implement social responsibility run their affairs in a lawfully abiding way in order to turn a profit. There are four factors of corporate social responsibility. The first one is the economic responsibility to generate revenue for the company. The second is the responsibility to obey the law and act according to

Criminal Justice Policy Processes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Criminal Justice Policy Processes - Essay Example This article aims to highlight various criminal justice policy processes and the significance of implementing justice as its significant part. Important ideas throughout the article revolve around the contribution of the various stakeholders such as special interest groups and individual policy makers within the court jurisdiction. Introduction The criminal justice system is composed of three major stages: first, the creation of laws; second, adjudication implemented by the courts; and third, corrections. Corrections take place in confinement facilities such as jails, probation and parole units as well as in prisons. In a functional system of criminal justice, these distinct organizations work in tandem with regard to the legal provisions guiding the process and under the tradition of keeping the sanctity of law within a population. The implementation of criminal justice begins with policing: the first contact a suspected criminal has with the system is normally the law enforcement a gencies. Police probe a suspected offense and initiate an arrest. The suspect is then taken to court where all incriminating evidence is tabled to enable the judges to make an informed decision on whether or not the suspect is culpable of the criminal accusations leveled against him or her. The court may acquit the individual or rule that he/she is to be taken to correction facility in case he or she is guilty. Participants in the Criminal Justice System The police act as the first department of the criminal justice system, which apprehends and investigates suspects for their suspected criminal actions. If needed, law enforcement agencies are authorized to use any means of legal force to implement order in society. The second department, courts play the role of a place where criminal suspects are proven guilty or otherwise – the venue of administration of justice. In light of the criminal justice, numerous individuals play pivotal roles in any courtroom. These important peopl e are called the courtroom work group. The team is comprised of both specialized staff and non-professional persons. These encompass the jury, prosecutor, and the defense lawyer. The jury is made up of judges or magistrates. For one to qualify for the post, he or she should be proficient in the law. An arbitrator is normally elected or nominated to impartially oversee the trial process and recommend a final verdict to conclude a case (Max, 2010). The Process of Criminal Justice McDonnell (2011) indicates that the criminal justice is a compound process, encompassing an array of stages opening with a criminal inquiry and up to the discharge of an individual who has completed his or her jail term. Throughout the process, regulations and drawing conclusion are the major tenets of this process. In view of this, these structures must come from somewhere. Such areas include the legal statutes containing Bill of Rights, the state code, court verdicts, federal policies of criminal processes, the state regulations of criminal process, jurisdiction and agency traditions. For instance, in the United States, the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure dictate the course of all criminal trials in the country’s courts. Stages in the administration of criminal justice First: Probe of an offense by the law enforcers. The need for investigation into a criminal activity involves the gathering of proof to corner a

Dialogue between Two Women Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Dialogue between Two Women - Essay Example One major difference between the two centuries is the industrial revolution that changed the whole social dynamics of the world. Flora: But it has changed. Nowadays seeking a profession for a woman is not taboo. But most of the professions that women get areas housemaids or if they are good at reading and writing, they can be teachers or they can become novelists like me. Jane: Well, that sounds nice, even though your century seems more open, but still women are not equal to men in social dynamics. I don’t know about the specific roles in your society but here in the eighteenth century, we women, usually after the age of 23, wait for their prince charming to knock at their doorstep. We have to show shyness and have to act delicate, that attracts men and we can get married. Flora: I understand but here in my century, times have slightly changed. Many women professionals (mostly artists) are stepping up to the challenge. We don’t necessarily have to get married and think about children only. A woman who now seeks a career and lives life on their own terms are now looked upon by many women. You were born in the romantic era, where the romance was in full swing, the typical romance where the man takes the initiative and takes the lead. I am born in the Victorian era where women rulers are looked upon. Jane: Even though women’s roles in your time are more liberal but I would cling to the modesty of my 18th century. There are no restrictions on women in choosing the profession and earning a living for themselves but the Victorian era makes them the ruler which is somewhat of an unknown territory. At times it does feel alluring but I have my reservations. Flora: I enjoy the liberty and choices my century has given me. We are more independent and are more involved in the social dynamics.

History of Pinkerton Detectives Essay Example for Free

History of Pinkerton Detectives Essay Allan Pinkerton was born in Glasgow, Scotland, on August 25, 1819. He was born into poverty to a police man who could no longer work due to injuries he had sustained from the job. To support his family Allan worked as a cooper or barrel maker in his native land. Allan ran afoul of local authorities over the membership in a chartist movement. This was a political movement that was dedicated to universal suffrage and better working conditions for the poor. A price was laid on his head and Allan and his young bride Joan fled for their lives. This landed them in the United States and settled near Chicago in 1842. He was a very hard working man who had realized working for himself would be the best thing for him and his family. After some time he move to Dundee a town he realized it was in need of cooper. There he quickly gained control of the market due to his good quality of barrels and low prices. The desire he had to expand his business is what led him to the path of being a detective. Allan Pinkerton realized that good quality raw materials for his barrel were easily obtained on Small Island close to town. Through a business mind he decided instead of paying others to provide him with the materials he should instead travel to the place to get the materials. Pinkerton was an abolitionist and soon his shop acted as a station for escaping slaves to freedom to the north through the Underground Railroad (John, 2005). When Pinkerton got to the island, there were signs of habitation. Having in mind that there were some counterfeiters in the area, he concluded that could be their hiding place. He teamed up with the local sheriff to venture out the camp and this led to the arrest of the band. His superiority began in detective and the local townspeople turned to him to help them in arresting the ringleader of the band. The natural abilities in Allan Pinkerton eventually allowed him to track and bring down the counterfeiters to justice. One day while Pinkerton was gathering wood he discovered a gang that was making coins in the area. Allan assisted in arresting these men. This discovery and arrest of the counterfeiters led to his appointment as a country sheriff in 1846. In 1850 Allan was appointed as the first city detective in Chicago police force and in the same year he established a private detective agency. In 1850 by Pinkerton Allan along with Chicago attorney general Edward Rucker founded the north western police agency. In 1843, Allan’s brother Robert had formed his own business called Pinkerton company which was originally established as railroad contractors, but along the line he began to work as a railroad detective. This business was growing very rapidly that he hired several men as detectives and guards. When Allan and Rucker’s business dissolved a year after its formation; Allan joined his brother in the already established company and the name changed to Pinkerton National Detective Agency (John, 2005). The Pinkerton detective agency It is believed to be founded by Allan Pinkerton in the 1850s. He selected a logo of an open eye with the tagline â€Å"we never sleep†. This is what led the Pinkerton men and later to private eyes. Pinkerton provided a wide range of private detective services and specialized in the capture of train robbers and counterfeiters. Their clients included banks, railroads, and government and they provided stable business for the firm. They were hired by railroad companies to investigate crimes against them and the activities of labor movements. Pinkerton was a solution to the growing labor unrest. Many businesses wanted muscular enforcers available at the factories and mines to watch their employees closely (Geringer, 2008). In 1861, when he was investigating a railway case he discovered an assassination plot against Abraham Lincoln. The conspirators were intended to kill Lincoln during a stop at Baltimore on the way to his inauguration. Pinkerton warned Lincoln of the threat and he passed through that city at night secretly. Lincoln soon hired Pinkerton to organize a secret service to gather military information during the civil war in the southern states. During this time he hired escaped slaves as spies to the confederates. During the time of the civil war Pinkerton headed a group that was aiding the government with information about their rivals. He also at times acted as Lincoln’s body guard. During the years between 1867 and 1875 he was the head of American secret service during the civil war and he led to the pursuit for frank and Jessie James American outlaws in the state of Missouri (John, 2005). After the civil war Pinkerton went back to the management of his detective agency. When Robert Pinkerton died in 1868 Allan Pinkerton took over the whole management of the detective agency. However a year later he suffered a paralyzing stroke which nearly killed him. He recovered later and went on with the management of the Pinkerton detective agency. Between the year 1873 and 1876, one of his agents managed to obtain the secured evidences that had led to the breaking up of the coal miners’ organization in Pennsylvania who were thought to engage in terrorism. This led to the execution of twenty people members by the court. In 1877 they went on strikes that led to much criticism of the Pinkerton detective agency harsh policies towards the labor unions. The criticism was done in circles though Pinkerton was assertive that he was helping workers by opposing the labor unions. Allan Pinkerton died in 1884, and the agency was taken over by his sons William and Robert who continued the agency’s movement from detective work to security and protection. Improved police departments and other private agencies at this time had begun to impinge on Pinkerton’s business. Allan’s sons continued with the company’s expansion, investigations of mafia activities, unions, robberies and insurance claims. They also provided protection to various public events. During the labor unrests he hired guards to keep strikers and their unionists away from the factories. Most noted was the 1892 homestead strike where the Pinkerton agents ended up killing several people. The Pinkerton Detective agency often supplied men to break strikes. During this year 1892, the amalgamated iron and steel workers union invited its members at a homestead plant owned by Andrew and Henry. The strikers were waiting for them and they had a battle all the day long which resulted to the death of seven Pinkerton’s agents and nine workers. This gave the agency a bad publicity (Gale, 2000). Allan Pinkerton II gained control of the company in 1923. He continued with the expansion of the business due to increasing bank robberies which was facilitated by automobile. In 1930 he also died and Robert Pinkerton II took control of the agency. In 1937 when the Wagner Act by the congress was passed it made the investigation of the labor activities illegal. To make up for this loss of the business the Pinkerton Agency focused more on investigation of gambling, especially the horse racing circuit. The 1940s through to 1960s was a time for change for the Pinkerton National detective agency. Their primary service changed to guarding of property. This can be linked partly to the services they offered during the World War II; guarding the war supply plants. In 1965 it was renamed Pinkerton’s incorporated to reflect this shift away from investigation services. In 1967 Edward J. Bednarz became the first non- family member to be a president of the agency. In 1983 Americans Brands purchased the Pinkerton for $162 million. The chairman who took over Robert McGuire had the objective to improve the agency service and increases revenue. His efforts resulted to $11 million loss in sales by 1987. This loss could be partly blamed on the competition by other over 1000 security agencies that had sprung up over the years (Gale, 2000). Thomas Wathen purchased the company from the American Brands in 1988 for $95 million. His goal was to revitalize this firm having revitalized the California Plant Protection to gain its former position of a multi purpose investigation firm. He actively sought the company’s growth through acquisitions. After duration of two years, Pinkerton’s inc. had combined revenue of $605 million. Wathen also expanded the agency reach to other countries including Mexico, Canada and Portugal. In 1991, Pinkerton acquired Business Risk International, a respected investigation, a respected investigation, consulting and business agency. This move brought Pinkerton back into business as a full service security provider. The firm continued to expand throughout the late 1990s, and solidified its position as the world’s biggest security solutions firm (Gale, 2000). In conclusion the Pinkerton detective agency may not have been founded to run this far but the ambitions of the people who ran the company contributed to this sustainability of the company. The good work offered by the company was also needed by many and the target groups who received the services were also well chosen. The natural abilities of Pinkerton were also a great and important aspect of his mission. The choosy way of recruiting the agents contributed a great deal to the success of the company. All these reasons combined with the excellent services they offered made them more successful. Pinkerton was a great man in searching for up coming opportunity which helped him in expanding his businesses and also gain superiority. References Gale Group, (2000): Pinkerton National Detective Agency. Retrieved on 16th Jan, 2009 from: http://www. accessmylibrary. com/coms2/summary_0193-13350_ITM Geringer J. , (2008): Allan Pinkerton and His Detective Agency: We Never Sleep. Retrieved on 16th Jan, 2009 from: http://www. trutv. com/library/crime/gangsters_outlaws/cops_others/pinkerton/1. html John L. Hoh, Jr. (2005): Allan Pinkerton and his Secret Role in the Underground Railroad. Retrieved on 16th Jan, 2009 from: http://www. suite101. com/article. cfm/the_underground_railroad/114256

Intellectual Property and Copyrights Issues in China Essay -- Software

Intellectual Property and Copyrights Issues in China 1. Introduction China had made great improvement in deregulation and had complied with its obligations to follow rules and agreements such as Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) as a new member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) since 2001. TRIPS introduced intellectual property rules into the multilateral trading system. It ensures that computer programs will be protected as literary works under the Berne Convention and outlines how databases should be protected under copyright section. As the rush to riches continues to gain pace, people's legal right to own private property is protected by a law. However, Intellectual property and copyrights still remained inadequate to control over its booming internet population in China. Before we get into copyright status in China and ethical issues, clarification of terminology will help us to understand copyrights issues in software and differentiated other issues involving intellectual properties. 1) Classification of software  ·Commercial  ·Shareware  ·Freeware  ·Public Domain In terms of restrictions and limitations, each classification is different. Commercial software can be purchased from software publishers, computer stores, etc. When you buy software, you acquire a license from the company that owns the copyright to use it not own it. Although one archival copy of the software can be made, the backup copy cannot be used except when the original package fails or is destroyed. Shareware has same restriction as commercial software except that the copyright holders allows you to make copies of the software, but you must pay if you adopt it for use after testin... ...ies put effort to enhance confidence of foreign investors to protect intellectual property rights and recognizes illegal piracy actions. 5. References 1)Mark Alfino, Intellectual Property and Copyright Ethics, Business and Professional Ethics Journal, Vol.10 No.85, p 85-109 http://guweb2.gonzaga.edu/faculty/alfino/dossier/Papers/COPYRIGH.htm 2)Wang Xiaodong, Editor, Strategy and Management, China and the World (Zhongguo yu shijie), November 1999 http://www.uscc.gov/researchreports/2000_2003/pdfs/itisri.pdf 3)Tech Support at University of Chicago, Using Software, February 1995 http://courses.cs.vt.edu/~cs3604/lib/WorldCodes/EDUCOM.software.html 4)World Trade Organization, http://www.wto.org/ 5)BBC NEWS, http://www.bbc.com/ 6)Bill Thomson, From code war to Cold War, BBC NEWS, March 2004, http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/l/hi/technology/3537165.stm

Succubus Shadows Chapter 6

I awoke to the smell of eggs and bacon. For a moment, I had the strangest sense of d? ¦j? ¤ vu. When Seth and I were first getting to know each other, I'd crashed at his place after too much to drink. When I had woken up, I'd discovered a full breakfast spread in his kitchen. A few moments later, reality sunk in. There was no desk or bulletin board of book notes, no teddy bear in a University of Chicago shirt. It was my own dresser that looked back at me, my own tangled pale blue sheets wrapped around my legs. With a sigh, I clambered out of bed and walked out to the kitchen, wondering what was going on. To my astonishment, it was Roman playing chef at my stove, both cats sitting at his feet – no doubt hoping for a bit of dropped bacon. â€Å"You cook?† I asked, pouring a cup of coffee. â€Å"I cook all the time. You just don't notice.† â€Å"I notice you heating up a lot of frozen food. What's all this?† He shrugged. â€Å"I'm starving. You don't get a lot of time to eat when you're on stalking duty.† I eyed the eggs, bacon, and pancakes. â€Å"Well, I think you'll be good to go for the rest of the day. Maybe the next two days. You sure did make a lot,† I added hopefully. â€Å"No need to be coy,† he said, trying to hide a smile. â€Å"You can have some.† This was the best news I'd heard all day. Of course, I'd only been up for five minutes. Then, last night's events came slamming into me. â€Å"Oh, shit.† Roman glanced up from where he was flipping a pancake. â€Å"Hmm?† â€Å"A funny thing happened last night†¦.† I frowned. â€Å"Well, not so funny†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I explained that mystery force's reappearance last night, as well as my unexpected swim from the other day. Roman listened quietly, the earlier levity rapidly disappearing from his face. When I finished, he dumped his skillet of eggs into a bowl so hard that the bowl shattered. I took an uneasy step back. â€Å"Son of a bitch,† he growled. â€Å"Whoa, hey,† I said. An angry nephilim was nothing I wanted around. â€Å"That's part of a matched set.† He glared at me, but I knew the anger wasn't toward me, exactly. â€Å"Three times, Georgina. This has happened three fucking times, and I wasn't around.† â€Å"Why should you be?† I asked in surprise. My surprise then took an odd turn into outrage. â€Å"You aren't my keeper.† â€Å"No, but some entity is invading my home.† I decided not to point out that it was my home. â€Å"I should be dealing with that, not chasing some boring succubus for Jerome.† â€Å"Ask, and ye shall receive,† a familiar voice suddenly said. Jerome's aura washed over us as he materialized by the kitchen table. â€Å"About time,† snapped Roman, that dark look still on his face. â€Å"I've been waiting forever for you to show up.† Jerome arched an eyebrow and lit a cigarette. â€Å"Forever, huh? It hasn't even been a week.† â€Å"Feels like it,† said Roman. He handed me a plate of food, and I sat quietly at the table, deciding I should wait for this status report to unfold before delivering my latest problems to Jerome. â€Å"You guys should add following Simone to your list of punishments for the eternally damned.† Jerome smiled and flicked his ashes into a vase of gerbera daisies on my table. I wasn't thrilled about that, but at least it wasn't on my floor. â€Å"I take it you've seen no noteworthy activities? Mei reported the same thing.† Roman sat down beside me with his own food, setting the plate down with more force than he needed. I winced, but it didn't break. â€Å"She's done nothing but shop and take victims. Oh, and hit on Mortensen.† Both of Jerome's eyebrows rose this time. â€Å"Seth Mortensen?† I started to ask how many Mortensens he knew, but Roman's next words cut me off. â€Å"Yeah, she's shown up a couple times, attempting some sort of lame seduction.† My anger started to kindle again and then – â€Å"Wait. A couple times?† I exclaimed. â€Å"More than the coffee shop?† Roman looked at me, a brief glint of apology showing through his angry expression. â€Å"Yeah, I didn't have a chance to tell you. She came to the bookstore while you were out with Maddie yesterday. Very nicely timed with your absence.† I slammed my fork down on my plate. Really, it was a wonder I had any dishes left. â€Å"Why the hell didn't you tell me?† â€Å"Because I kind of didn't have the chance, seeing as we had bigger problems!† Jerome had stiffened when Roman mentioned Simone attempting to seduce Seth. The reaction was weird, like he'd been caught by surprise. That was rare for a demon, rarer still for one to show it. Several moments later, he regained his composure, turning his attention to Roman's comment. â€Å"Bigger problems?† â€Å"Georgina's being stalked,† declared Roman. â€Å"Georgina's always being stalked.† Jerome sighed. â€Å"What is it this time?† He kept his features neutral, but as we explained the situation, I saw something spark in his eyes†¦some sort of interest. At the very least, speculation. Silence fell when Roman and I finished our story. I glanced at him, both of us waiting for my overlord to offer some sort of explanation. â€Å"Your job with Simone is done,† Jerome said at last. â€Å"Thank God,† said Roman. â€Å"You're going to follow Georgie instead.† â€Å"What?† Roman and I exclaimed in unison. â€Å"Same deal,† added Jerome. â€Å"Invisible, no signature. Except when you're here, of course. Most know you two are roommates. It'd be odd if you disappeared off the face of the earth.† The last couple times that siren song had shown up, I'd desperately wanted Roman. I should have been glad to have him now, which is why the outrage that followed next was completely irrational. â€Å"But he needs to follow Simone!† â€Å"Oh?† asked Jerome. â€Å"Pray tell why? She's made no contact with anyone from Hell. Either she is here for innocent reasons, or she's too good at hiding her reports.† â€Å"But†¦but†¦she's following Seth. We need to figure out why!† â€Å"I don't think it takes a genius to deduce why,† said Jerome dryly. â€Å"We have to stop her, though.† The demon snorted. â€Å"Georgina, do you have any idea how much I don't care about your ex-boyfriend? There's more in this universe than your absurd love life – or lack of one.† I flinched. â€Å"Especially since he's sleeping with someone else now. If he's so in love with her now, Simone shouldn't be an issue. And don't glare at me like that,† he added. â€Å"You already screwed his soul over when you fucked him last spring. Simone won't make any difference.† I gritted my teeth. â€Å"I still don't think – â€Å" â€Å"No.† Jerome's voice was hard, and he was using that tone you didn't argue with. He turned his attention to Roman. â€Å"You're done with Simone. You're with Georgie now. Understood?† Roman nodded, not sharing my outrage. â€Å"Understood. Do you know what this is? What's happening to Georgina?† â€Å"I've got a few ideas,† Jerome growled. And like that, he vanished. â€Å"Son of a bitch,† I said. Roman swallowed a bite of egg and looked remarkably relaxed, compared to his earlier state. â€Å"Was that a general statement of frustration or a slander on Jerome?† â€Å"Both. Why do you look so pleased all of a sudden? You were ready to go on a rampage earlier.† â€Å"Because I'm done with Simone. And I get to chase better prey now.† â€Å"And because you don't care about Seth at all.† â€Å"That too.† I stared at my food without really seeing it. My appetite was gone. â€Å"I need to see him. I need to see her and find out if she's following him.† â€Å"No good can come of that,† warned Roman. I didn't answer. My mood had crashed. I was grateful for Roman's protection now, but in a lot of ways†¦well, I wanted to put Seth before myself. I wanted to defend him from†¦what? Having his life shortened by a succubus? Having his soul further darkened? Or were my motives more selfish†¦did I just not want him to sleep with another woman? Accepting him and Maddie was hard enough†¦and yet, if Simone did woo him, would that break up the impending marriage? No, I decided, Seth would stay true to Maddie. He wouldn't cheat on her. Wouldn't he? a nasty voice in my head asked. He cheated with you†¦. â€Å"Damn it. I wish you wouldn't look like that.† I glanced up at Roman. â€Å"Huh?† â€Å"That pathetic look on your face is killing me.† He turned his gaze downward, moving eggs around his plate. With a sigh, he looked back up. â€Å"I know where Seth will be today. But I don't know if Simone will be there.† My eyes widened. â€Å"Where?† Roman hesitated only a moment later. â€Å"The art museum. He mentioned it to Maddie yesterday†¦. Some exhibit he wanted to see that she doesn't. He was going to swing by there today. I'm not sure of the time, but Simone might have overheard. If so, it'd be the perfect time.† I stood up, and my appearance instantly shifted, ready to go. Hair styled long and wavy. Jeans and a T-shirt. Makeup perfect. â€Å"Well, let's go. We need to stake the place out.† â€Å"Whoa there, speedy. Some of us can't get ready that fast. And some of us aren't done eating.† I sat back down, not bothering to hide my impatience. He ate on, pointedly ignoring me and chewing every bite with care. A thought popped up. â€Å"Can you hide my signature? I'll go invisible. Lure her in.† Roman shook his head in exasperation. â€Å"I was hoping you wouldn't think of that.† I expected him to refuse me, but to my surprise, he did indeed hide my immortal signature when we finally set out to the museum. After shifting invisible, I was as incognito as he was by my side. It was a pretty day to be out in downtown Seattle. The morning clouds had burned off, and the sun had nothing to hold it back. It was deceptive, though. The sky was a clear radiant blue, but fall's chill was starting to finally take its grip. So while the weather looked gorgeous through windows, a coat was required once outside. The Seattle Art Museum – or, as it was affectionately know by locals, SAM – was massive, and its regular collection held exhibits from every place and period imaginable. Roman had told me the exhibit Seth wanted to see was a special one, only in town for a few weeks. It was a display of Late Antiquity jewelry, and I would have wagered good money that Seth was there to do research for Cady and O'Neill. But when we arrived, there was no sign of Seth. Plenty of tourists – even on a weekday – filled the place, wandering aimlessly and pausing to study or read about the pieces. This period of time was near and dear to me, and I couldn't help feeling a little uneasy. It was the era I'd grown up in, the era I'd spent my mortal days in. Seeing those items – rings, bracelets, and necklaces – was surreal. Many were from the Mediterranean region of the Roman Empire. Sometimes, when I thought about my past, it would make my heart burn. Other times, I felt removed, like I was watching a movie about someone else's life. I'd been studying each piece in detail, intrigued at how some had been polished to brightness and others were corroded with time. A gentle nudge at my shoulder made me look up. I saw no one near me and realized it had been Roman. Turning around, I surveyed the gallery and found what – or rather who – he'd spotted. Seth stood on the opposite side of the room, face thoughtful and inquisitive as he studied one of the cases. A notebook and pen were in his hands. He'd come for research, as I suspected. I studied him with equal fascination. As far as I was concerned, he was as rare and precious to me as any of the jewelry surrounding us. Shit, I thought. I was an idiot if I thought I was over him. Just standing there in the same room, I felt more drawn to him than ever. I backed up to a wall near me, staying out of the way of patrons and simply keeping an eye on Seth, wondering if Simone would show her traitorous face. After a half-hour went by, my impatience grew. It was stupid, I knew. Seth would likely be here all afternoon, and she might arrive later. But†¦suddenly, talking to him seemed more important. I knew it was foolish, knew it was wrong†¦but, well, I'd done more idiotic things in the past. I stepped out of the gallery and into a stairwell that was momentarily empty. It only took a second to go visible again. In my ear, I heard Roman's voice hiss, â€Å"Are you crazy?† â€Å"Keep my signature hidden,† I snapped back. â€Å"If she shows, we'll sense her before she sees me.† An elderly couple came down the stairs just as I finished my words, giving me an odd look. I smiled winningly and held the door open for them. They scurried through. Seth was at a display of Byzantine diadems when I touched his arm. He flinched and turned around, though his shock immediately turned to pleasure when he saw me. Shit, I thought again. Far better if he'd looked dismayed. â€Å"Let me guess,† I said. â€Å"You're planning the perfect heist for Cady and O'Neill.† He smiled. â€Å"They're the good guys.† â€Å"They've been known to break the law,† I pointed out. â€Å"I like to think of it as bending the law. What are you doing here?† I gestured around. â€Å"Revisiting my youth – or what's left of it. The sands of time bury most things, but a few remain.† â€Å"I never thought of that,† said Seth, clearly intrigued. â€Å"This is your era. I should have been coming to you for research.† A vision of us having private study sessions came to mind. I immediately squashed it. â€Å"Better visual aids here. Anything catch your eye?† He pointed at the case of diadems beside him. â€Å"I like these. It's a shame we don't wear stuff like this anymore.† I followed his gaze. â€Å"Not enough bling in the hair nowadays?† He gave me one of those half-smiles. â€Å"No. There's just†¦I don't know. There's a beauty and skill we don't use. Look at that.† He gestured toward one diadem, meant to resemble a crown of gold coins. Little strings of small gold circles hung down, draping through the hair. â€Å"Look at the imperfections. That was handmade, each one of those.† â€Å"Some would call that flawed.† I loved it when Seth got caught up in these philosophical musings. â€Å"That's what makes it great. And anyway, I kind of like the idea of adorning women in crowns and jewels. Call me sexist, but I think the fair sex should be worshipped.† He paused. â€Å"And perfectly entitled to all the rights and opportunities of men.† I laughed and stepped away so that others could approach the case. â€Å"I think you're romantic, not sexist.† A troubling thought came to me, recalling how Maddie had admired pearl tiaras and headbands at the bridal stores yesterday. Modern-day diadems. Would Seth like that? â€Å"Call it what you want,† he said, â€Å"but I just think our civilization has declined when scrunchies have become the prevalent form of hair ornamentation.† We wandered around the exhibits after that, commenting on and analyzing them. I tried not to overthink the situation. I didn't delude myself about whether we could be friends. I didn't wallow in guilt over carrying a torch. I just tried to enjoy the moment. During none of our time together did I feel Simone. Since Roman's senses were stronger, I had to assume he hadn't either. I also suspected he was rolling his eyes over my time with Seth. Seth and I finally reached the last of the exhibit: Byzantine wedding rings. When I saw them, the warm, comfortable feelings that had wrapped around me suddenly turned to ice. I felt the change in Seth too. Most of the rings were of similar design, with a flat circle lying on top of the ring, the circle surface then engraved with some image. My troubled feelings had nothing to do with weddings or any other associations with Maddie. Last Christmas, Seth had had a ring made for me in this style. He hadn't intended it as a wedding or engagement ring. He'd just done it as a gift, knowing the style was part of my past. It was beautiful, and I still had it. It was locked away in a box of treasures I'd kept over the centuries – items too precious to throw out and too painful to look at. Neither of us said anything, and I wondered what he thought about. Was it just the awkward discomfort from memories of an ex-girlfriend? Was it stirring bittersweet feelings similar to the ones churning in me? When he and Maddie had gotten involved, I'd been convinced he'd moved on. Then, after our brief affair in the spring, I'd reconsidered. There were too many times now that he looked at me strangely, too many times that reminded me of when I was his girlfriend and the times he told me he loved me. But his wedding was still moving forward, with no sign of doubt on his part. I didn't know what to think. I'm not sure how long we stood in silence, but Seth broke it. â€Å"Well†¦I guess that's it for the exhibit, huh?† I glanced around as though attempting to determine if we'd seen it all. I already knew we had. â€Å"Yeah, I guess that's it.† He wouldn't meet my eyes, and his whole body radiated nervousness. â€Å"Thanks for the research help. I should get back to the store and put this to good use.† â€Å"Good luck.† His eyes lifted, and I offered a small smile that he returned. â€Å"Thanks.† We parted, and I left the museum, not sure where I was going – only that I had to go someplace where he wasn't. For an hour or so, I'd played make-believe with him, keeping that familiar depression away and allowing myself a small joy. Now, that darkness descended on me†¦and uneasily, I recalled how that mystery force always showed up when I was troubled. That was its lure: comfort when I felt desperate and alone. Roman might be my offense, but I decided then to go for a good defense. I needed distraction. â€Å"You aren't going to like this,† I murmured, assuming Roman was close enough to hear. Distraction wasn't the only thing I needed. I needed a good energy fix. I was sleeping with enough men regularly that I had a pretty consistent supply of energy. Still, being at full power, so to speak, would keep my strength up – which hopefully would increase my mental resolve. Not that sleeping with random men was always cheering. I was in no mood to go hunting for victims in a bar. I needed something slightly easier, something a little less sleazy. Normally those two were mutually exclusive, but I'd come up with an idea while driving home that might accomplish both. There was a twenty-something guy named Gavin who lived in a condo down the hall from me. He was nice enough and had a serious crush on me. He never said or did anything overtly, but it was obvious. He alternated between nervousness and poorly done jokes whenever I was around. He always seemed unwilling to part when we ran into each other in the garage or lobby or whatever. His gaze also spent more time on my cleavage than my eyes. The beauty of it all was that he also had a girlfriend. I didn't know if he'd cheated on her before or just wanted to. That wasn't important at the moment. What was important was that when I showed up at his door after the museum, his girlfriend wasn't around. â€Å"Georgina,† he said, taken aback. â€Å"How†¦how's it going?† â€Å"Not great,† I said, forcing distress into my voice. â€Å"I got locked out of my place and have to wait for my friend to show up with a spare set of keys. Can I wait here for her? I'm afraid if I go outside, it'll rain again.† It was then that Gavin seemed to notice my drenched state, particularly the now transparent white sundress I'd shape-shifted into without a bra. His eyes bugged out, and then he glanced quickly behind him before turning back to the wet, clinging fabric encasing my breasts and their hardened nipples. â€Å"It†¦it rained? But it's so nice out.† That brisk fall sunshine was pouring in through his windows. â€Å"I know,† I said glibly. â€Å"I was kind of surprised too. It was this really fast freak thing that came out of nowhere.† This was apparently so unbelievable that Gavin actually managed to tear himself away from me to once more scrutinize the brilliantly blue sky outside. Finally, deciding not to fight this, he beckoned for me to come in. â€Å"Do you have a T-shirt or anything I can wear?† I asked sweetly. â€Å"I'm freezing in this.† His scrutiny had shifted from my breasts to the very noticeable black thong underneath the dress. I think changing out of the dress was a huge disappointment for him, but he wasn't so socially inept as to refuse me. â€Å"Sure, come on.† I followed him to his bedroom where he dug out an oversized Seattle Mariners T-shirt and a pair of green flannel boxers. He handed them over. â€Å"See if these work,† he said, backing out of the room to give me privacy. â€Å"Thanks,† I said, giving him a winning smile. He managed a nervous one in return just before shutting the door. I crossed my arms and waited a minute, during which an invisible Roman said: â€Å"This is ridiculous. You should have just shown up as a pizza delivery girl.† â€Å"Hey, the wet dress technique is tried and true. Works every time.† Roman sighed. â€Å"Wait in the other room then,† I said. â€Å"This shouldn't take long.† I opened the door and shouted down the hall, â€Å"Hey, Gavin? Can you come help me?† He popped back in, and I couldn't help but notice his dark brown hair was a lot neater than it had been earlier. He'd probably dashed off to the bathroom in a quick grooming attempt to impress me. â€Å"What's wrong?† he asked. I turned around and pushed my hair over one shoulder, showing where the straps of my dress's halter top were tied behind my neck. â€Å"There's a knot here I can't get undone. Can you give it a shot?† He hesitated for only a moment before moving forward to assist. I'd shape-shifted a pretty good knot, and it took him some time to work through it, during which I backed up against him as close as I could. At last, he managed to undo it, pulling the straps apart and releasing them so that I could grab them. I missed, of course, and as the straps fell, so did most of the dress. It went against the laws of physics, seeing as how clingy that wet fabric had been. I caught the dress in a weak attempt at modesty, but not before it almost entirely fell off. Nearby, I heard another exasperated sigh from Roman. I turned to face Gavin, holding the dress against me in a way that completely exposed my chest. His eyes were naturally fixed on it, and I glanced down too, as though trying to figure out what he was looking at. â€Å"Oh, man. I'm wet all over. Do you have a towel? I don't want to get the shirt wet.† â€Å"Uh†¦what? Yeah†¦Ã¢â‚¬  In record speed, he raced to the bathroom and returned with a small hand towel. I decided then not to bother with any more convenient excuses and simply stepped forward, hoping he was smart enough to accept the invitation. He was. Hesitant at first, he slowly ran the towel over my breasts, lingering when it was obvious they were dry. He moved down to my stomach – which he dried pretty quickly – and then to my hips and thighs. I'd long since let my soggy dress fall to the floor and helpfully pulled off my thong so that he could reach every part. He had to kneel to do my inner thighs, and I heard him mutter, â€Å"Oh my God.† I wasn't sure if that was simply because of the situation he was in or because his girlfriend hadn't gone Brazilian. â€Å"You have great hands,† I purred. â€Å"Th-thanks,† he said inanely. He'd just finished my legs and stood up. I took the towel and tossed it on the bed. Catching hold of his hand, I gently stroked it and brought it between my thighs. â€Å"Really great,† I said in an even lower voice. â€Å"Long fingers†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I guided a couple of those fingers into me, and I swear, he gasped louder than I did. After a little more urging, he no longer needed my assistance and began rapidly thrusting his fingers on his own. I pressed to him, moaning as though it were the most amazing experience of my life. I was wetter on the inside than out, and the only resistance he encountered was in how tight I'd made myself. Reaching around his arm, I unfastened his pants and pulled them off in one motion. His erection pointed out at me long and hard and ready. It had probably been that way the moment I showed up at the door. Gripping his shirt I pulled him toward the bed. â€Å"The rest,† I gasped, spreading myself in front of him. â€Å"Let me see how the rest feels.† The hand that had been in me left as he laid himself on top of me. He pushed my thighs apart and thrust in with a force that contradicted his earlier shyness. In fact, his face showed no nervousness whatsoever anymore. He was all eagerness and desire, emitting small grunts each time he shoved himself into me. â€Å"Harder,† I told him, giving him big, passionate eyes. â€Å"I want it harder.† He obliged, increasing the speed and force. After about a minute of this, he shifted up so that he was kneeling. Holding my thighs just below my knees, he spread my legs far apart and leaned in. The new position allowed him to get deeper, and I exclaimed my approval, urging him again to do it harder and harder. Steadily, I felt his life energy begin to flow into me. It was a decent amount, and it felt glorious, spreading through my being and reinvigorating me. With it came his thoughts and feelings, at which point I learned he never had actually cheated on his girlfriend before – but, oh, he'd wanted to plenty of times. She barely crossed his mind at the moment. He was too consumed by me to feel much guilt. The only brief concern he had was that he should have used a condom. That was a regret, but it wasn't strong enough for him to stop, not when I felt this good. I let my cries escalate into small screams and felt him grow closer and closer to coming. My head was getting dangerously close to the headboard, but the roughness of it all was really turning him on. He'd never had the opportunity to just go so wild. Harder and harder he went, thrusting himself in all the way each time. The energy increased by leaps and bounds, and just before the big moment came, I decided to drive home the guilt a little. It made me feel some guilt in return, but at the end of the day, guilt marked the soul, and that was what Hell employed me for. â€Å"Can she do this?† I panted. He was half a second from coming. â€Å"Can your girlfriend take it like this?† The orgasm exploded – and so did he. He pulled out at the last second, not because of what I'd said but because this was his solution to the condom problem. Withdrawal was a horrible safe sex method, but whatever. His body spasmed and he came on my stomach. It was warm against my flesh, and he watched with a perverse fascination. Yet, just before it had happened, I'd felt my dagger hit. He'd been so consumed by lust that he'd been able to block his girlfriend out earlier. My comment had pushed her to the fore-front, but there had been no way he could stop what he was doing by that point. I'd felt the spike of guilt, just as the last burst of life energy sparkled through me. He fell back against the covers, gasping and exhausted. Losing some of your life will do that to you. Whatever thoughts of guilt or satisfaction he felt now were his alone. The towel was still conveniently on the bed, and I used it to clean myself up. I stood up and walked over to the window while he still tried to catch his breath. He'd probably fall asleep in a few minutes. â€Å"Oh, hey,† I said cheerfully. â€Å"My friend's out there with the key.† I picked up the sodden dress and headed for the door. â€Å"Thanks for letting me hang out.†