Religion and Filipino Mothers Essay

Rizal’s Reminders on Equality, Self – Respect and True Spirit of Religion 1. The tyranny of some is possible only through cowardice and negligence on the part of others. 2. What makes one contemptible is lack of dignity and abject fear of one who holds one in contempt. 3. Ignorance is servitude, because as a man thinks, so he is; a man who does not think for himself and allows himself to be guided by the thought of another is like a beast led by a halter, 4. He who loves his independence must first aid his fellowman, because he who refuses protection to others will find himself without it. 5. If the Filipina will not change her mode of being, let her rear no more children, let her merely give birth to them. She must cease to be the mistress of the home, otherwise she will unconsciously betray husband, child, native, land and all. 6. All men are born equal, naked, without bonds. God did not create man to be a slave; nor did he endow him with intelligence to have him hoodwinked or adorn him with reason to have deceived by others. 7. Consider well what kind of religion they are teaching you. See whether it is the will of God or according to the teachings of Christ that the poor be succored and those who suffer alleviated. In summary, Rizal ‘s Letter To the Young Women of Malolos focused on five major points (Zaide & Zaide, 1999) 1. Filipino mothers should teach their children love of God, country and fellowman. 2. Filipino mothers should be glad and honored, like Spartan mothers to offer their sons in defense of their country. 3. Filipino women should know how to protect their dignity and honor. 4. Filipino women should educate themselves aside from retaining their good radical values. 5. Faith is not merely reciting prayers and wearing religious pictures. It is living the real Christian way with good morals and manners.

GAAP for zero-interest-bearing note Essay

Wie Company has been operating for just 2 years, producing specialty golf equipment for women golfers. To date, the company has been able to finance its successful operations with investments from its principal owner, Michelle Wie, and cash flows from operations. However, current expansion plans will require some borrowing to expand the company’s production line. As part of the expansion plan, Wie will acquire some used equipment by signing a zero-interest-bearing note. The note has a maturity value of $50,000 and matures in 5 years. A reliable fair value measure for the equipment is not available, given the age and specialty nature of the equipment. As a result, Wie’s accounting staff is unable to determine an established exchange price for recording the equipment (nor the interest rate to be used to record interest expense on the long-term note). They have asked you to conduct some account research on this topic. (a) Identify the authoritative literature that provides guidance on the zero-interest-bearing note. Use some of the examples to explain how the standard applies in this setting.†¨(b) How is present value determined when an established exchange price is not determinable and a note has no ready market? What is the resulting interest rate often called?†¨(c) Where should a discount or premium appear in the financial statements? What about issue costs? ———————————————————————————— This work requires that you consider the fair value of the note on the seller’s books (note receivable). Portion of the codification are cut and pasted into the document for you. There are two pieces of purchasing an asset with a note. The asset value and the value of the note. Here, the asset value is not known. Below it discusses that if you don’t know the value of the asset, you use the value of what was exchanged for it. Quotes from Codification†¨360 Assets†¨845 Nonmonetary Transactions†¨10 Overall†¨30 Initial Measurement 30-8 Fair value should be regarded as not determinable within reasonable limits if major uncertainties exist about the realizability of the value that would be assigned to an asset received in a nonmonetary transaction accounted for at fair value. An exchange involving parties with essentially opposing interests is not considered a prerequisite  to determining a fair value of a nonmonetary asset transferred; nor does an exchan ge ensure that a fair value for accounting purposes can be ascertained within reasonable limits. If neither the fair value of a nonmonetary asset transferred nor the fair value of a nonmonetary asset received in exchange is determinable within reasonable limits, the recorded amount of the nonmonetary asset transferred from the entity may be the only available measure of the transaction.†¨310 Receivables†¨10 Overall†¨30 Initial Measurement†¨Certain Receivables 30-1 The following provides initial measurement guidance for certain notes receivable, specifically those exchanged for cash and those exchanged for property, goods, or services. Such notes may be originated by an entity or purchased from a third party. 30-3 As indicated in paragraph 835-30-25-8, notes exchanged for property, goods, or services are valued and accounted for at the present value of the consideration exchanged between the contracting parties at the date of the transaction in a manner similar to that followed for a cash transaction. 30-5 As indicated in paragraph 835-30-25-10, in circumstances where interest is not stated, the stated amount is unreasonable, or the stated face amount of the note is materially different from the current cash sales price for the same or similar items or from the market value of the note at the date of the transaction, the note, the sales price, and the cost of the property, goods, or services exchanged for the note shall be recorded at the fair value of the property, goods, or services or at an amount that reasonably approximates the market value of the note, whichever is the more clearly determinable. 30-6 Paragraph 835-30-25-11 explains that, in the absence of established exchange prices for the related property, goods, or services or evidence of the market value of the note (as described in paragraph 835-30-25-2), the present value of a note that stipulates either no interest or a rate of interest that is clearly unreasonable shall be determined by discounting all future payments on the notes using an imputed rate of interest as described in Subtopic 835-30. Paragraph 835-30-25-11 explains that this determination shall be made at the time the note is acquired; any subsequent changes in prevailing interest rates shall be ignored.†¨Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€ Now, to your questions†¦ Wie Company has been operating for just 2 years, producing specialty golf  equipment for women golfers. To date, the company has been able to finance its successful operations with investments from its principal owner, Michelle Wie, and cash flows from operations. However, current expansion plans will require some borrowing to expand the company’s production line. As part of the expansion plan, Wie will acquire some used equipment by signing a zero-interest-bearing note. The note has a maturity value of $50,000 and matures in 5 years. A reliable fair value measure for the equipment is not available, given the age and specialty nature of the equipment. As a result, Wie’s accounting staff is unable to determine an established exchange price for recording the equipment (nor the interest rate to be used to record interest expense on the long-term note). They have asked you to conduct some account research on this topic. (a) Identify the authoritative literature that provi des guidance on the zero-interest-bearing note. Use some of the examples to explain how the standard applies in this setting. The literature says that you value assets acquired by the value of that asset. If you don’t know it, you are supposed to figure it out, if possible, by looking at the cash price you could have paid (but didn’t). Or, if there is just no way to figure it out reasonably, then you look at the fair value of the item traded, in this case the note. So, you see if there is a market value for the note. Is it traded? Does it bear an interest rate so you can get the present value of it? No! The value of this note isn’t immediately apparent because you don’t have an interest rate to use to discount it back to the present value. So, you have to impute an interest rate (whole other section in the codification!). Another example of difficulty valuing an asset exchange would be when a firm leases, rather than sells, their inventory. What is the selling price? The present value of the minimum future rentals are used to establish a likely selling price for the purpose of re cording the sale and the gross profit from the sale. Another example of difficulty valuing an asset exchange is when assets are traded and there is no cash price or cash exchange. You would use the value of whichever asset is more readily determined, such as the price of the stock on actively traded exchanges. (b) How is present value determined when an established exchange price is not determinable and a note has no ready market? What is the resulting interest rate often called? You have to discern an interest rate by looking at the prevailing interest rates for  similar instruments with firms of similar credit status to this one. This is called the imputed interest rate. (c) Where should a discount or premium appear in the financial statements? What about issue costs? The discount or premium is a contra account to the note receivable on the issuer’s books (reduces assets in the balance sheet). Cost to issue should be spread over the life of the note (capitalized as asset in the balance sheet and amortized over life of note).

CRJ 422 Week 5 paper Term Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

CRJ 422 Week 5 - Term Paper Example sed on the institutions that allow people to live fulfilling lives and be active contributors to the well-being of the society (Carlisle, Jackson, & George, 2006). The concept of social justice can be traced to the ancient western civilization through the work of philosophers and majorly centered on the work of Plato. In his writings, Plato acknowledges that for a well functional and operational state, all members of the community must be assigned specific tasks and duties in accordance with the classes where they belong. The essence of social justice in this ancient era was to ensure that all members of the society contribute significantly to the well-being of the community. Assigning of tasks and duties to all members of the society in the form of employment ensures that everyone was economically stable thus reducing incidences of crimes and injustice in the society. Aristotle on the other hand conceived the notion of distributive justice. According to Aristotle, distributive justice required that assets and services within a society were to be distributed to all members of the society based on merit and without discrimination in relation to creed, race or gender. In the American society, the concept of social justice took a significant role in the 20the century particularly in the fields of politics and philosophy. During the 20th century, some of the principle concerns of social justice were the action of the Supreme Court to strike down state passed legislation on eight hour a day work and the right to join a trade union. The action of the justice system was thus seen to be targeting the disadvantaged in the society by oppressing the poor workers. In this era, most of the employees in industries where black Americans thus inhibiting the employees to join trade unions was equally an aspect of discrimination especially against the black America ns (Cambron-McCabe, 2005). Social injustice in the American society has been pointed to be on the rise thus leading

Revenue Recognition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Revenue Recognition - Essay Example Although it may initially seem counterintuitive to adopt the practices for revenue recognition stated in EITF 00-21,it is clearly the next step in establishing the company as a leader not only in the aircraft transport field but as a pioneer in the adoption of enhanced accounting guidelines is concerned. One must understand that although accounting revenues and profit will decrease, the company’s financial position is not affected. Although the recognized revenue for the current year and the subsequent restatement of the previous financial statements will result in a decrease of our stated revenues and profit, under the astute eye of the investment community it will clearly be perceived as an act that further solidifies the company as a leader in the industry. Additionally a lot of our current year revenue losses will be offset by additional revenue being recognized from contracts obtained during the previous four years of operations. Under our current accounting methods the fractional interest contracts are immediately recognized as revenue in its totality for the current accounting period. The monthly management revenue stream and the hourly usage incomes are both recognized as well as related expenses as they are incurred. In the industry, a lot of different revenue recognition practices are utilized. For example just like our current accounting practices, some companies record revenue on initial sale of fractional interest at the time of sale. There are other companies that account the revenue from programs similar to operating leases whereas other companies spread the income over the term of the agreement. As a result, the following three options were being analyzed by management: A) Revenue attributable to the initial sale of the fractional interest should be recognized at the time of sale. The other attributes of the program, namely the

Health and Safety 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Health and Safety 4 - Essay Example The conditions outlined above may not originally be there, but may happen during work being carried out. These situations may include grinders giving off dust, welding causing fumes, or escape becoming difficult due to equipment already installed within the space, making escape in case of an emergency difficult. a) Risk assessments that require specialist knowledge. In terms of a construction project, different levels of skill are required to carry out different complexities of tasks. This hierarchy of complexities extend to risk assessment as well as subsequent mitigation as well. In large and complex projects, the CDM coordinator himself has to have the relevant skills and experience to judge where professionals and experts with specialized knowledge would need to be called in to assess the possible vulnerabilities of a particular task, and to help in reducing risks associated with it. For example, electrical risks, mining risks, financial risks in large projects, all require experts in those fields to help the project steer through the potential problems caused by lapses. Specialist knowledge allows these experts to design the risk management procedures to specifically deal potential problems in tasks related to their fields. It also recommended to have these experts on board while these tasks are being carried out, to make sure of the best decision making capabilities in the field if required in times of

TopDog Software Case Analysis Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

TopDog Software Case Analysis - Article Example The head of sales Samantha Jenkins ha learnt of new outfit known as FastData, which is located in Norway that proves to be a great competitor in the market. In addition, FastData has launched it globalization and releases news brief to the media on its aspiration of expanding to the international hence globalization. Thus, TopDog should go international as well since stiff competition is evident amidst companies offering products similar to theirs. Top Dog would be in a better position to compete if they have a global presence with a strategy of establishing a remarkable competitive approach in the global market not only in the United States as is the situation at the moment. 2- If TopDog does decide to go international should it open its own offices, take on foreign partners, license its products to foreign distributors, or follow some other method? Answer: If TopDog does decide to go international, licensing its products to foreign distributors would be the most appropriate option, which would give the company an opportunity to build brand identity and a large clientele at a friendly cost hence the company’s finances would be strained. W.L. Gore & Associates Integrative Case Study 3-How will Gore’s culture affect the virtual global teams? Gore’s business culture will positively affect the global teams as they strive to maintain a family like coordination. In addition, the global team will have a cohesive working framework in decision making according to Gore’s culture. This will make Gore distinguishable globally with a family-like business culture.

Miami International Airport Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Miami International Airport - Research Paper Example The airport has three terminals, North, Central, and South. Both the Central and South terminals handle international travelers. Although public transportation from MIA is difficult, taxis, shuttles, and rental cars are available. The Miami International Airport Hotel is located right inside the airport at Concourse E. The airport has over 80 airlines providing flights to over 150 destinations around the world. It occupies 3230 acres of land in downtown Miami with its terminal undergoing an expansion of more than seven million square feet through a capital improvement program to be completed in 2014 (MIA, 2013). The Miami international airport serves other aviation facilities such as the Kendall-Tamaini Executive airport. This airport is 15 minutes away from the business center of south Miami-Dade. The airport’s proximity to Biscayne national park, Florida Keys, and Everglades’s national park makes it the perfect destination for eco-tourism. Its primary business is recr eation and private flights serving as to relieve to MIA. MIA’s general aviation center managed by the Miami-Dade aviation department offers flights round the clock, every day. Its services are minor like telephones, public lounge with vending area and restrooms (Mobile Reference, 2010). It houses the US customs and border protection that clears arriving international flights including charter, cargo, and private. Another executive airport that closely relates with MIA is the Opa-Locka Executive airport that is located just 7 miles away from MIA. It is the largest of the general Miami -Dade county airports that handle private, cargo and business flights as a relief to MIA (FAA, 2013). Chapter 2: MIA’s Airside The Division Director of  Airside Operations is a 30-year veteran Lonny Craven. He ensures the safe day-to-day operations of MIA's airfield. He also ensures Part 139 Compliance with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations. Above all, he is also responsi ble for all Airside Operations at MIA, including aircraft gate and apron control, the security and safety of aircraft , airside motor vehicle decal program, construction, cargo, aircraft parking, ramp, passenger loading bridges, access (FAA, 2013), Flight Information Display System (FIDS) and, motor vehicles and pedestrian traffic on the Aircraft Operations Area (AOA). The Airfield Operations Division of the Miami-Dade Aviation Department is divided into three different sections. These sections include Ramp Control, Aircraft Gate Control, and Access Control. Each of these Airside sections has a common goal but with distinct responsibilities and a staff reporting to the Division Director, Airside Operations. The three section's principal role is to promote the safe, secure, and efficient operating environment for passenger airlines, cargo airlines, a large General Aviation component, and all the ramp employees. The Ramp Control Section of Airside Operations ensures the safe operation of aircraft on the airfield. It also maintains the Airport's Certification; it reviews all runways, taxiways, and airport surface conditions for compliance with Federal Aviation Regulations, part 139. Ramp Control personnel  also monitor all construction activity in the Aircraft Operating Area (AOA) to ensure compliance with the Department's safety requirements. The Access Control Section monitors the access and movement of vehicles within the restricted areas. Access Control also administers the AOA decal

Substance use and mental health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Substance use and mental health - Essay Example The list of substances that are abused is broad and the method and route of administration also vary. The problem with abusing substances however is not present only in young population but is more diffusely distributed in all ages and social groups. Most common substance abuse found in the same statistical analysis in the general population ranging between age of 16 and 74, that was reported by the participants themselves was cannabis (in 24 %), amphetamines were tried or used by 7 % of the cohort group, 5% ever in their life used magic mushrooms, about 4 % of the cohort population ever in their life used or are still using ecstasy, cocaine, LSD, tranquilizers were used by 3% of the population, other volatile substances and gases were used in 1% of the population and other substances like crack, heroin, steroids were also present in about 1%. There are also other substances that were used but are not listed in this text. Also we must have in mind that this study was based on the sel f-report of the participants so there is a possibility for even larger prevalence of these substances if we consider the population that didn’t report abuse of substances. ... iew Schedule CIS-R, where score above 12 is considered a sign of high probability for neurotic disorder in one person and in participants with score above 18 is considered that psychiatric treatment is necessary (Lewis et al, 1992). They also tested for disorders in the personality of the participants using the SCID-II (Semi-structured interview for making DSM-IV Axis II: Personality Disorder diagnoses). It is a set of questions that are completed by the participants in order to assess the personality disorder based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental  Disorders,  Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). They also used Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry manual to asses for psychosis or more severe psychiatric disorder in the participants. Based on these examinations it was found that abuse of substances was more common in participants who tested positive in some of the screening tests that were used. It was found that 12 % of the people who scored 12 or above on the CIS-R scale (some type of neurosis) had abused substances in the last month before the survey compared to 5% of the other population. Among the specific neuroses it was found that participants with suspicion for obsessive-compulsive disorder had the higher incidence of substance abuse in the previous month (15%). Most significantly it was found that 32% of the participants that were suspected for presence of anti-social personality disorder was found that were abusing some substance in the previous month before the survey. In the group of participants that were diagnosed with psychosis or other major psychiatric disorder no significance in incidence of abusing substances was found. Based on this study we can conclude that neurosis, antisocial personality disorder, obsessive-compulsive

Difference between a School and University Essay Example for Free

Difference between a School and University Essay There are many inevitable changes and transformations that a person can experience all throughout his/her life. Having a really good education is one of the greatest gifts that parents can give to their children. Moreover, entering a university is already an opportunity these days. In my case, I have given the chance to enter a university that helped me practiced my academic freedom and at the same, understanding my needs. There are many differences that occur during a high school education and a college education. I came from a private high school that mostly speaks Spanish. All of my classes are in Spanish and majority of the students came from the same culture. There is almost no diversity in terms of people, culture and language. But more than that, a very distinct rule that was implemented in our high school is regarding the grading system. Teachers and parents have a very strong relationship that is why, they were able to control over school time and the way classes should be handled and if a student misses on any of her assignments, she can easily have a make up exam. Since the school was private, there was an air of exclusivity amongst the school grounds and it was regarded dearly. When I entered the university, there were many changes that took place. It was very shocking at first but I have to cope up with it. First of all, the university that I attended to was public and all the classes were taught in English. Moreover, in high school, the student body does not partake in more important matters about the school whereas in college, the student body does not take part in school matters but it is also highly respected. And since it is a public university, it was filled with different people from various cultures and places. Another difference that I experienced in college is the fact that parents do not have a strong authority over the school so they are not involved in the management of classes and time. Because of this situation, they cannot just access the grades of the students and if they want to, they still have to ask permission from the student. Lastly, missed exams are hard to get so you really have to manage your time and study very hard. Along with the decision to go into a public university are the transformations and changes that I was obliged to adapt to. In high school, I was highly dependent on my parents for my primary needs but since stepping into college, I was made to watch over me. I am no longer dependent on my parents for my needs; I should now work for them. But the real challenge that I faced was handling my time between being a wife and a mother and being a student. It is a very time consuming and tiring responsibility but I am happy to say that I am handling it very well. The changes and challenges that I faced from high school through college is one of the most memorable experiences in my entire life. Admittedly, it was really shocking at first but I learned to cope up with it. The fact that I am now in an environment that is filled with very different people means that I should learn to have a hard face in dealing with their moods and personalities. Moreover, since I am now a family person, the biggest challenge that life posted on me was how to balance my time so that I will excel in both aspects. With this realization in mind, I learned to manage my time very well and at the same time, keeping track of my family. I learned to become a different woman. I discovered new talents and potentials that I never thought I had. Going to college opened my eyes to different views and opportunities in life. More than that, I consider this to be a great achievement because there are only few people who can excel in academics and at the same time, a full woman.

Give examples to support your views Essay Example for Free

Give examples to support your views Essay Develop the above points and also explain why you think science fiction films are commercial successful? Give examples to support your views. Science fiction films are commercially successful because they have a high production value. This allows Sci-Fi’s to follow the uses and gratifications theory through creating an escapist environment using cgi, props, costumes and Special FX. The high production value enables the codes and conventions of a sci-fi to remain consistent (lasers, futuristic outfits, bright light) in the environments and costumes of the Mise en scene. Furthermore, The cliche’s in the mise en scene allow the target audiences to quickly recognise with sci-fi films because they are familiar to the various references of brought through the advanced cgi, costumes, special FX and props in the Mise En Scene that would be used in a typical sci-fi. Star wars: the force awakening has used familiar cliche’s within their narrative to provide escapist entertainment of which target audience can recognize. Star wars: the force awakened has used high budget of $300 million to create the different Alien species, props, costumes and environment transferring the audience into a realistic work of the protagonists. Because of this, the force awakens was able to achieve a box office of 2 billion dollars to be one of the most successful science fiction films till date. Science fictions films hybridise with other genres. This means that Science fiction films can reach a larger demographic of audiences which would enable more box office revenue to be generated from a science fiction films. Sci-Fi’s often hybridise with the family, crime or comedy genres as these genres attract the largest amount of different demographics. For example, Mars Attacks! Hybridised with the family and comedy genre. This enabled the target demographic to expand further form the stereotypical sci-fi intelligent and intellectual enthusiasts. It enabled ‘Mars Attacks! ’ to generate a revenue of 100 million dollars as parents could now experience a sci-fi with comedic value with their children. Similarly Sci-Fi’s hybridising enable a change in the iconography which would allow the visuals of a sci-fi to furthermore attract a larger audience. An example of this is in Chappie where the relationship between Chappie and the female protagonist is a representation of a mother figure targeting a female demographic. Science fictions film have an existing loyal fan base. A science fiction’s film fan base consumes Sci-Fi’s on mobile phones, laptops, consoles, PC and webpage these allow Sci-Fi’s to be commercially successful as a sci-fi film would now have a variety of methods to inform their target audience whether it be by making games (e. g. Star wars battlefront), posters or webpages that may promote a Sci-Fi’s narrative. ‘Monster’s vs aliens’ have used viral marketing, a website and teaser trailers in order to reach their fan base. Through this they were able to inform their target audience (children age 7-14) by creating interactive webpages that information of the protagonists and sharing links to their website and teaser trailers on social media platforms. Sci-fi films who have used this are successful as the intuitions were able to reach their target demographics by the how much the target audience uses each platform. Science fiction films are commercially successful because they hybridise with other genres, have high production values and have an existing fan base that consume sci-fi on various media. This is because the hybridisation allows science fictions films to target a larger demographic whilst the high production value engrosses the audience into the narrative. Additionally, the existing fan base that consume on various media enables Science fiction films to advertise to various devices ensuring that the target audience would be informed about the Sci-fi film. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Audience and Production Analysis section.

Development of Independence From Colonialism

Development of Independence From Colonialism Ghana was the first country in black Africa to achieve independence, on March 6, 1957. It showed the way to the rest of Africa to free themselves from the colonization which was spread everywhere on the continent. Kwame Nkrumah was the one who inspired by India’s independence came out with the Convention People’s Party (CPP) and brought imperial Britain to leave the Gold Coast (Ghana before the independence) only thanks to political means. After this victory, Kwame Nkrumah became the symbol of a generation as the anti-colonialist struggle, recognized by the most as the first real African activist victorious over the colonialism. The independence of Gold Coast had a magnitude all over the continent and was at the basis of the many nationalist actions realized afterward. After the independence of Ghana : No one doubted about the bright economic future of Ghana as it is the first cocoa exporter worldwide and was producing big quantity of gold (about one tenth of the world’s production). Ghana was also full with crops, forests and even gemstones.Finally, many in Ghana were well-educated and a quarter of Ghana ’s population was literate. Besides, Nkruhmah was becoming more and more appreciated by people thanks to the inspiration he provided to them. He got the heavy responsibility of rebuilding again this country, to unit its habitants although they shared very few things in common and still, the colonization ended up recently. Indeed, in this year, many groups still remain hostiles toward each other from the hundreds of years of wars and of slave trade. Tensions were still present as Ghana was trying to change its face. The country wasn’t stable yet, the population could have been influenced by others therefore Nkrumah decided that all the political parties whether regional or tribal oriented were forbidden in order to prevent any internal problems caused by feelings of nationalism. 1958 was a dark year for Ghana which was no longer the world’s largest cocoa supplier. Unfortunately, the country was facing an economic downturn which created a social crisis. Nkrumah’s government lost its popularity toward the mass and the rural population. The government’s response makes the situation even worse: Indeed, Nkrumah became dictatorial and took many hard measures against the manifestations and to anyone who disliked his government. While, he said once: â€Å"If we get self-government, we will transform the Gold Coast ( Ghana ) into a paradise in 10 years†[1] Strikes were considered illegal and severely punished. He implemented of a law which without trial allowed to arrest anyone suspected being against the state for five years which turned to be ten years later on. All political parties were prohibited. As a result: Nkrumah declared himself president for life; Ghana as a one-party state and finally achieved to turn his country as hell on earth for Ghana ’s workers. In 1960, Nkrumah is designated president of republic. The president had high expectancy for Ghana and started many expensive and ambitious projects without unfortunately getting profit from them. As a matter of fact, Nkrumah wanted to use the resources of Ghana to promote the industry development and the economic growth for the country. Ghana had a lot of bauxite and that could assure a good rise of the sector especially thanks to the manufacture of aluminum, by exporting worldwide. However to start these projects, the need for electricity became a necessity. As a consequence, the process of industrialization began, leading to the Volta Dam project. The project was only half successful as many others Nkrumah had run but nobody could doubt the good intentions behind them. The agricultural sector remained unheeded whereas it represents the basis for a developing country and overall for Ghana as it disposes of a lot of natural resources. As a consequence, the economy started to turn bad and Ghana contracted a debt which was increasing highly. The positive mood in the recent past years which tend to stay confident in Ghana ’s development ended and provoked a big change in the political climate. Later on, in 1962, the economic situation evolved so badly that all foreign investors and industry were in the obligation by law to invest again more than 60 percent of their gains within Ghana . The president had no choice than to force his investors as he did with the population to continue providing money to its system that no one else believed in any more. As if the fall was endless, in 1964, one year after W.E.B died; (he was the first African American who graduated at Harvard and to earn a doctorate. He was also known as an activist against racism and the segregation. After the independence of Ghana , he was invited by Nkrumah to live in Ghana ); the president Nkrumah suspended the constitution and therefore the democracy. Ghana was finally officially recognized as a one-party state ruled by a dictator. Again, the West reacted after realizing to what situation Ghana fell after the Independence . Criticised by western societies, Nkrumah began to work with communist countries such as principally the Soviet Union . At that time, Ghana ’s economics’ crisis has reached its climax: The country is out of control and the people keep getting poorer. The dictator is totally unpopular because of its previous actions against his people. The economy is out of control and the population is getting poorer. Nkrumah is no longer a popular leader as he hits hard on demonstrations and arrests anyone in opposition. The first coup On the 24thof February, 1966: A military takeover occurred in Ghana, it didn’t make any big losses as it was planned to happen while Nkrumah was away from the country visiting his friend President Sà ©kou Tourà © in Guinea. The military coup was realized by British-trained officers who had the ambition to stop the hard rule of Nkrumah and his government. Therefore, while the president was away every of its statues in Accra were taken down by the people. The new military government called itself the National Liberation Council (NLC). They declared that their intention was to fight off corruption and to make some change in the constitution so that Ghana could come back one more time to a democratic system. Unofficially, Britain was intervening in Ghana because of the orientation the country was undertaking during the last years of Nkrumah’s dictatorship towards the communist countries. Indeed, it was the cold war, the world was divided in two and the tentatives to attra ct countries to one side or the other weren’t rare; overall in these underdeveloped countries. As a consequence, the NLC’s council tended to be rather more conservative than socialist and therefore, it kept under a strict control all politicians and ideologues whether they were either socialists or communists. All connections to the Soviet Union were broken and technicians from USSR and China were expelled in order to get rid of any influences that could lead Ghana to communism. Ghanawas having his chance another time, to the eyes of the West, Ghana was taking a new way, a proper one to democracy and self-sustainability. After three years of provisional leading: The NLC legalized another time the participation of multiples political parties. Finally, new elections were announced for September 1969 which marked the beginning of the second republic. A new civilian government is created by Dr. Kofi Busia and the Progress Party. His party got a good start as the national economy regained strength thanks to the high prices on the cocoa market. Very quickly, prices drop again, the economic situation of Ghana go from bad to worst in 1971. Indeed, a political decision has been made to devaluate the Cedi which led to higher prices and to demonstrations, conflicts with violence by the population. In 1972, Kwame Nkrumah dies, despite his political failure, African masses still see in him a brave activist, the symbol of the struggle anti-colonialist and as the founder of Ghana . On the 13thof January, 1972: Once again a coup occurred, realized by forces of the army, for a change of government. This time, The National Redemption Council decided to impose a leader for Ghana . So, they chose Colonel Ignatius Acheampong to rule the state. However, the head of the state doesn’t have enough experience in any domains whether they are political or economical. A lack of vision from Acheampong led to a rise of corruption from the basis to the top of the society and the government. As a consequence, big strikes are organised by the youth in the country to claim their disappointment toward the critical situation the country was conducted. One year later, the economy was almost falling to pieces and no agreement could have been found with NRC-government.Acheampong took the initiative to put an end to the government and implemented the Supreme Military Council (SMC) constituted of a little group of seven persons chose by himself. The SMC ruled the country in a very roughly way: Any opposing to the regime was victim of multiples persecutions and even jailing without any sentence. On the 5thof July, 1978, Acheampong was in the obligation to resign while the general William Akuffo was taking the command of the â€Å"Supreme Military Council II†. He engaged himself to reform a civilian government, to allow for another time the political parties in Ghana . Finally he declared that he would set a date for new elections. Later on, on the 4thof June in 1979, after a first failed coup in the same year, Jerry John Rawlings a flight Lieutenant planned a takeover some days before the planned election. He was finally victorious, the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council achieved to take power. His ideas were principally inspired by socialism whether they are political or economical. His goal was to find an issue to corruption and the economical situation in which the country remained. Rawlings’ intention was to settle democratic elections but in a first time to stop the generals of the â€Å"Supreme Military Council II† from running away wealthy whereas they turned the country in chaos. Two weeks later, Dr. Hilla Limann leading the People’s National Party succeeded the election. As a result, the party got only 71 of the 140 seats in parliament making them a bit powerless to undertake decisions to free the country from the problems it faced until now. Rawlings understood that the PNP couldn’t rule properly Ghana as long as corruption, order and justice are not restored. In this sense, he strongly encouraged and helped the AFRC to put an end to all these problems before letting Ghana coming back to democracy. Finally, in the same year, thanks to the AFRC, all the persons linked to the SMC government and who were accused of corruption was tried. As a result: Hundreds of businessmen are sent to prison as well as government officials and the leader of this former government: Acheampong, Akuffo and Arifa were sentenced to death. The third republic In September 1979, the AFRC gives power to Hilla Limann. Rawlings and his soldiers came back to the army. Unfortunately, this news government didn’t help Ghana to solve its economical problems. During two years, the PNP have been trying but without any success: They haven’t been able to leave the country from the economic stagnation. Indeed, many economic reforms haven’t been applied or the government renounced to them in order to avoid a new takeover. Indeed, all economic changes proposed by the PNP’s government presented hard terms for Ghana ’s people but they were declared as necessary for the rise of the country. In 1980, the corruption came back and brought many violent conflicts in the country which put a definitive end to the PNP’s government. At the end of 1981, on the 31st of December. Rawlings took again the command of Ghana thanks to the military, he took over the country. He formed the Provisional National Defence Council of which he became the chairman. This time, Rawlings established that the country would be a one-party state for a temporary time, to make of Ghana a stable country and to ensure in the long-run a real democracy.

McCarthyism versus The Crucible by Arthur Miller Essay -- Compare Cont

"Reasonable doubt" was all that was necessary to accuse and sometimes convict someone of un-American activities in the late 1940's, early 1950's. This period of time was known for McCarthyism--a time of extreme anticommunism, lead by Senator Joseph McCarthy (McCarthyism). The United States pledged to contain the spread of communism globally, as well as locally, and did what it could to keep this promise. Americans began to fear that communism was leaking into the media, government, arts, schools, and other areas. This was called the "Red Scare" (Brinkley). One writer that used this era as a basis for his play, The Crucible, was Arthur Miller. He was able to capture the panic and mere insanity of many Americans in an allegorical way. The "crusade against subversion" played a significant role in the following: the actions and tactics of McCarthy, the reasons why Miller and other artists were targets of McCarthyism, and the relationship of his play The Crucible to the events of the late 1940's to the early 1950's (Brinkley). Senator Joseph McCarthy used many tactics to persuade Americans to oppose communism and indict those who supported it. Communism had tangible shape, and Americans were worried that people in the U.S. would start leaning to the far left like several other countries such as the USSR and China (Schrecker). In order to prevent this, the Congressional House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) was founded. The Committee's purpose was to investigate those organizations and individuals it deemed "un-American." They first went to Hollywood because the movie industry was considered "corrupted". Ten individuals, called the Hollywood Ten, were asked to testify against other Hollywood residents who were questionable com... ...C_Rise_AntiCommun.html>. "McCarthyism". 22 Nov 2006. Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia. 23 Nov 2006. . "Miller and McCarthyism". Anglia Campus. 10 Nov 2006. . Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. Elements of Literature: Fifth Course. Eds. Kylene Beers and Lee Odell. Orlando: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2007. Miller, Arthur. "Why I Wrote The Crucible." Elements of Literature: Fifth Course. Eds. Kylene Beers and Lee Odell. Orlando: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2007. "Salem witch trials". 19 Nov 2006. Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia. 20 Nov 2006. . Schrecker, Ellen. "Blacklists and Other Economic Sanctions". 02 Aug 2004. 20 Nov 2006. . McCarthyism versus The Crucible by Arthur Miller Essay -- Compare Cont "Reasonable doubt" was all that was necessary to accuse and sometimes convict someone of un-American activities in the late 1940's, early 1950's. This period of time was known for McCarthyism--a time of extreme anticommunism, lead by Senator Joseph McCarthy (McCarthyism). The United States pledged to contain the spread of communism globally, as well as locally, and did what it could to keep this promise. Americans began to fear that communism was leaking into the media, government, arts, schools, and other areas. This was called the "Red Scare" (Brinkley). One writer that used this era as a basis for his play, The Crucible, was Arthur Miller. He was able to capture the panic and mere insanity of many Americans in an allegorical way. The "crusade against subversion" played a significant role in the following: the actions and tactics of McCarthy, the reasons why Miller and other artists were targets of McCarthyism, and the relationship of his play The Crucible to the events of the late 1940's to the early 1950's (Brinkley). Senator Joseph McCarthy used many tactics to persuade Americans to oppose communism and indict those who supported it. Communism had tangible shape, and Americans were worried that people in the U.S. would start leaning to the far left like several other countries such as the USSR and China (Schrecker). In order to prevent this, the Congressional House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) was founded. The Committee's purpose was to investigate those organizations and individuals it deemed "un-American." They first went to Hollywood because the movie industry was considered "corrupted". Ten individuals, called the Hollywood Ten, were asked to testify against other Hollywood residents who were questionable com... ...C_Rise_AntiCommun.html>. "McCarthyism". 22 Nov 2006. Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia. 23 Nov 2006. . "Miller and McCarthyism". Anglia Campus. 10 Nov 2006. . Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. Elements of Literature: Fifth Course. Eds. Kylene Beers and Lee Odell. Orlando: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2007. Miller, Arthur. "Why I Wrote The Crucible." Elements of Literature: Fifth Course. Eds. Kylene Beers and Lee Odell. Orlando: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2007. "Salem witch trials". 19 Nov 2006. Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia. 20 Nov 2006. . Schrecker, Ellen. "Blacklists and Other Economic Sanctions". 02 Aug 2004. 20 Nov 2006. .

How American are American Samoans? :: History Samoans Samoan Essays

How American are American Samoans? Since the 19th century, historians have defined three major waves of American immigration particularly from countries in Europe, Asia, and Latin America. In the case of American Samoans, the native population of the United States Territory of American Samoa, emigration from these islands began in the 1950’s. However, unlike other ethnic groups, like the Mexicans and Chinese, who were also arriving in the U.S. around the same period, American Samoa was already part of the union for nearly 50 years, yet, the natives’ desire to migrate to Hawai’i and the mainland seemed to surface slowly. Although explanations for this delay in the movement of American Samoans are complex, historians have argued that besides the growth in curiosity and adventure of the outside world, American Samoans were forced to leave their homes because they simply had no other alternative to choose from. With the involvement of the United States, especially that of the U.S. Navy, the Samoan s grew dependent on the resources, protection, and economic prosperity that the American foreigners introduced and continued to provide from the time of the cession of the islands in 1900. When the U.S. naval base, which was established in Pago Pago, the current capital city, was relocated to Hawai’i in the early 1950’s, work in American Samoa was limited and the natives were not willing nor prepared to return to farm and agricultural work. As migration to the "mainland" became more appealing to the islanders, their American Samoan status as U.S. Nationals was, (and continues to be to this day), confusing and somewhat contradictory to the policies of American citizenship. As American Samoans have discovered, U.S. Nationals are granted "privileges" such as entrance to the United States. However, American citizenship is not part of the package, which greatly limits the political voice of these natives. To understand the disrupted social, political, and economic state in which the American government left American Samoa with the closing of its naval base, a brief historical overview of the Samoan archipelago is necessary, which will discuss the appeal of the islands and its location to foreign powers, U.S. diplomacy, and the push and pull for migration to the U.S. mainland. Samoan people are known for their rich culture and heritage, but the history of their islands is virtually unknown. From 1870 to 1914, countries like Germany, France, the U.

Bullying on the Bus Essay

By putting cameras and audio equipment in places where children congregate, schools can protect children from bullying and solve the problem. It is our responsibility to keep our children safe even if it is from other children. Bullying happens every day it happens in school, on the school bus, on the way home from school, in the bathrooms, in the hallways, even in the classrooms under the teachers noses. People may think that this is someone else’s problem that it is not their concern but it is everyone’s problem. While doing the research for this paper I came across this story written in a book by (Cheryl E. Sanders; Gary D. Phye) in the Kaplan Library. It was around February of 2003, it was about a 13 year old girl who was attending a middle school in a Denver suburb, she had to change schools for concern of her life (Kirksey, 2003). That wasn’t the first time she believed she was going to die. At the age of 9-years-old, she lost one of her legs to cancer. If that wasn’t a big enough scare for a child her age. As a young amputee, she should have made friends easily and obtained compassion from her peers, but in its place she faced bullying. An ‘‘under- ground’’ group of several girls used vocal hostility to terrorize her. Directing blasphemous and frightening messages such as ‘‘die, bitch, die’’ and ‘‘you better watch your back’’ via a website on the Internet as well as corresponding with her at school were the major settings for the bullying. After 5 months of living amidst this horror, she (with her mother’s reassurance) elected to depart the community middle school and register at another school. They wished to find a pleasing atmosphere where she could thrive, learn, and feel secure. Regrettably, statistics designate that this young girl and others like her are liable to encounter the identical antagonism at a fresh school (Beale & Scott, 2001). Bullying in School and on the Bus Intimidation is no longer considered a ‘rite of passage’ or ‘what kids do’ but instead has turn out to be an progressively life-threatening hindrance that can have lethal penalties. Youths all over the United States withstand harassment on a daily basis. Children who are targets need adult direction, counseling and a place to seek sanctuary. A better familiarity of mistreatment will help not only recognize the victims and bullies but also facilitate understanding of what it is, where it occurs and why it is happening. Terrorizing is described as recurrent acts of antagonism against an individual in which the perpetrator deliberately and constantly harms another entity who is frailer than themselves (Olweus, 1993; Nansel et al, 2001). The culprit’s intention is to cause anguish to their sufferers over time verbally, physically or both (Nansel et al, 2001; Olweus, 1993). According to the US Department of Justice (nd) bullying is defined as: ‘repeated harmful acts and an imbalance of power. It involves repeated physical, verbal or psychological attacks or intimidation directed against a victim who cannot properly defend him or herself because of size or strength, or because the victim is outnumbered or less psychologically resilient’. The types of belligerent comportments that terrorized children undergo vary according to the length and extent of suffer vary according to the length and extent of are possibly the most well-known methods of harassment and include: hitting, punching, kicking, tripping, taking or destructive belongings (Archer and Coyne, 2005; Lamb et al, 2009; Selekmanand Vessey, 2004). Verbal acts can be more subtle and include insults, name calling, and verbal threats (Juvonen, Graham, and Schuster, 2003). Another type of peer viciousness is known as interpersonal or indirect bullying. Relational bullying may include spreading rumors shunning or excluding, gesturing, Bullying in School and on the Bus facial expressions and pitting one child against another (Archer and Coyne, 2005; Lamb et al, 2008). ‘ Intimidation by substitution ‘ involves influencing others to badger the victim by having someone from the group pick on the victim on behalf of the tormenter. ‘Online’ bullying or ‘cyberbullying’ is another well-liked form of harassment. In this method, a bully uses the Internet or other forms of digital communication such as text messaging to insult or intimidate their victim (Juvonen and Gross, 2008; Lamb et al, 2009). There is not one universally accepted definition of cyberbullying however there are common themes. Cyberbullying can be defined as the use of information and communication technologies such as, the internet, cell phones and other devices that are used to send pictures or message; to hurt, embarrass and harass deliberately and repeatedly an individual (Bauman, 2010; Campbell, 2005; Shariff, 2005; Vandebosch and Cleemput, 2009). Cyberbullying can be done alone or in groups. What I learned about myself as a writer is I hate writing and I am no good at it. I have no problem with what to think about what to write its getting it down on paper and it sounding interesting. That there are a lot of aspect that go into writing and I would never be able to write a book. I learned how to write a thesis statement. That they were a lot smarter then I was when it came to writing. I am not sure if I did it correctly so I have no idea.

Monday Morning Leadership: 8 Mentoring Sessions You Can’t Afford to Miss Essay

Monday Morning Leadership Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For any business to thrive there ought to be a stable management. Jeff, a business manager is experiencing numerous problems at his institution since things seem to be falling apart; hence, the company is at the brink of collapsing (Cottrell 9). In order to maintain his business, Jeff decides to seek the assistance of Tony who not only a mentor but also a speaker who is sought by many people. Tony agrees to help him but only after agreeing with certain conditions. Apart from spending a period of eight weeks with him, Tony also asks Jeff to share the information he will acquire in the problem. This is because Jeff’s problems are not tailor-made, hence, other people can also learn from these insights. For instance, in the first Monday, Jeff was asked to always tell the truth in addition to trying something different as well as starting and finishing all tasks on time (Cottrell 17). The study intends to address Tony’s Monday Mor ning Leadership skills in addition to lessons learnt and how they benefit me individually. The First Monday   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On this day, Jeff starts by lamenting some of the problems he is undergoing in his place of work. According to Jeff, business was getting tougher every single day. Although most of his team was intact, there are many issues being ignored and this is directly affecting performance. After hearing this lament, Tony states that challenges are inevitable. However, in order to overcome challenges, it is essential that one seek the assistance from third parties. According to Tony, advice from professionals is essential since they â€Å"†¦help us look at situations from a different perspective†¦ (Cottrell 19)† On this particular day, Tony comes up with a number of lessons for Jeff. For instance, managers need to create good relation with their teams not by free dinners and drinks but through maintaining fairness, consistency and empathy. Similarly, in order to maintain good leadership skills, it is essential that one takes the lea d by being the driver and not a passenger. According to Tony, by taking the role of a driver, managers have no option but to lose some of the freedoms that they used to enjoy in the past (Cottrell 21).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to Jeff, although he was spending many hours working, business indicators were always showing signs of collapse. This resulted to lots of frustrations for not only the business but also his team members who were always looking up to him for guidance and moral support. These lessons have been quite beneficial to Jeff and his role as a manager. This is because they have enabled him change the manner in which he treats his employees. For instance, instead of free dinners, he ought to maintain fairness and consistency. These lessons have been quite influential to me since they have enabled me reevaluate myself on the manner in which I ought to conduct myself in order to a achieve business success. Just like, Jeff, my business was at the brink of collapsing. However, through Tony’s insights, I have been able to reevaluate the manner in which to manage my business. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the first lesson, Tony starts by claiming that challenges are inevitable in any business. However, the only way to embrace these challenges is by seeking the assistance of third parties. These third parties ought to be professionals who are skilled with issues related to business management. Advice from professionals is important since it results to business improvement. This is because professionals help us in observing situations from different perspectives. These lessons have been beneficial to me as well since through them I have been able to improve my business management skills. These skills are essential not only at present time but also in the future. References Cottrell, David. Monday Morning Leadership: 8 Mentoring Sessions You Can’t Afford to Miss. Dallas, Tex: CornerStone Leadership Institute, 2002. Print. Source document

Narrowing Down of Gender Biased Disparities in US Federal and Civil services Essay

Narrowing Down of Gender Biased Disparities in US Federal and Civil Services The early 1970s witnessed a male dominant workforce in all departments of civil and federal services in the United States. Authoritative positions were held mainly by men. ‘Sex Based Glass Ceilings in the US State Level Bureaucracies 1987-1997’ written by Margaret Reed et al. (2004) has relevant data from the US Government offices. The authors analyzed the data and concluded that this gap has narrowed down significantly with women breaking the impediments in the glass ceilings prevalent in administrative positions. According to him, the glass ceiling is not that pervasive in distributive and regulatory agencies but very less pervasive in the services of redistributive agency which will be discussed later in this paper. Mani (2004) in his ‘Women in the Federal Civil Service’, analyses more about the influence of veterans preference to see if it stands as an impediment to women’s career in the federal civil services. Lewis and Oh (2008) exclusively discuss about the male-female pay differences in their paper ‘A Major Difference? ’ They deal effectively with pay disparities. For this, they makes an in depth study of different major subjects in colleges that brings a change in salary and administrative positions. He uses samples of different races, whites and blacks, and Hispanics in his analysis and proves that there is no disparity among races in terms of salary or status. All the three papers propose a common positive trend in women’s education level, salary, status, higher positions in civil and federal workforce. Each paper is exclusive in describing a unique sub-topic with significance and data analysis. Women are close to men in almost all departments thereby bridging the gender gap between 1990 and 2000. All the three papers with data show the disparities and gender differences between 1970 and 1990 that gradually reduced and the percentage variation is insignificant in the year 2000. Reed et al. ’s (2004) paper can be considered as a main discussion of the topic where he touches upon women’s employment, pay disparities and impediments to glass ceilings. Reed (2004) brings about the discussion on glass ceiling and glass wall that existed in three different agencies. The other two papers: ‘A Major Difference? ’ and ‘Women in the Federal Civil Service’ can be considered as a supportive or additional research without much contradictory opinions though each paper touches upon distinctive subtopics distinctively. The data analysis in all the three papers almost arrive at the same percentage of variation between men and women in salary, education in civil and federal workforce. All the three essays borrowed data from government offices like U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission EEOC national (data set for Sex Based Glass Ceilings in the US State Level Bureaucracies 1987-1997’), US Office of Personnel Management (data set for ‘ Major Difference’) and US Office of Personnel Management (data set for ‘Women in the Federal Services’) This data is useful in performing analysis of employees by job category, functional policy areas, salary levels, sex, number of male-female veterans, and male-female non-veterans. This data is not available in the open. It has been provided to the authors on request by the respective universities. This data helps to conduct Significance Test, Logistic Regression tests, Chi-square test and t test to come up with statistical evidence supporting their statements. Reed et al. (2004) use this data to arrive at ceiling ratios while discussing about pay disparities between male and female. When we discuss about gender disparities, or women’s impediments to acquire managerial positions, a common opinion is cited as a drawback in women: they are lack of commitment to affirmative action, lack of developmental assignments, gender biased organization cultures and stereotypes, outright discrimination, assuming leadership roles and welfare composition (Reed et al. 2004). Mani (2004) is also of the same view when he discusses about the reason for gender wage gap. According to him, sex discrimination in hiring and promotions, shortcomings in public policies and social changes played a major role between 1970 and 1990. While discussing pay disparities and acquiring higher positions that remain in disfavor of women, we need to consider that women were in the habit of selecting arts and social subjects in colleges that relatively fetched lower salary and lower administrative positions compared to men who were in the habit of selecting computer science, business and other professional studies. The second factor is that women are mostly connected with familial tie-ups and involved in childbearing, preferring to travel less, etc. automatically kept them away from competing with men for parity in pay or the highest positions in administrative levels. In 1990s, the above-said factors did not stand in the way of women to keep them away from competition. Many women started choosing professional colleges and decided to work in areas where men alone where dominant. Education played a major role in bridging the gap between men and women in pay disparities and higher positions in administrative levels. However, reaching top most authoritative levels was decided on various other factors that led to the disappointment of women. The percentage of gap un-bridged can be considered as due to the shortcomings in public policies and social changes as suggested by Mani (2004). Lewis and Oh (2008) in his exclusive study on pay differences, also attributes the unexplainable gaps in pay disparities to sexual discrimination and difference in government treatment of apparently compatible men and women. All three studies agree that this kind of partial treatment to women has reduced significantly and women are well placed in terms of education, pay, and administrative positions in the late 1990s. The percentage of development in every decade from 1970 is shown through analysis of data. Mani (2004) analyzes the influence of veterans in the civil life to see if it stands as an impediment to women’s opportunity of becoming a top level managers. Earlier in 1970s and 1980s there was considerable reason to believe that veterans had the advantage in federal civil service over non-veterans. The case started reversing in the 1990s with non- veterans getting more salaries and more job advantages. This is because, the women came stronger in studies in all departments. The growing number of women in public and their demands were heeded and respected by the government. The impediments came to a halt with the implementation of Equal Pay Act. Besides, George Bush signed Civil Rights acts of 1991 which allowed women to challenge unfavorable decisions in the bureaucracy and in the courts. Mani (2004) has ultimately concluded his views on veterans and their changing state is in the civil society with time. He proves with the empirical data that veterans no longer remain as an impediment for women in obtaining success in the civil and federal positions. Reed (2004) raises the question of women and their under representation as institutionalized democratic practices when it comes to high level positions. He used two models (i) socio-psychological model that emphasizes the importance of organizational culture that exclude women, and (ii) the systemic model that focuses on the distribution of power and opportunities available to women. Unlike Lewis and Oh (2008), and Mani et al. (2004), Reed (2004) gets into details of three different agencies and the opportunities and positions held by women in them. Regulatory agencies such as police are considered to be a male dominant workforces. Obviously, the presence of glass ceilings is more visible here. The redistributive agency includes management of public welfare programs, rehabilitation, public health services etc that involve more service related jobs where women are appointed traditionally at various levels. The glass ceilings are less pervasive in top administrative positions in redistributive agency. These disparities stated by Reed (2004) are narrowed down in 1990s. Distributive agencies involve construction, repair and administration of bridges, community development, etc in which men use to be dominant. The authors clearly observe the presence of glass wall and an impervious glass ceiling to get into top level management positions. Lewis and Oh (2008) do not segregate in detail, the three agencies via regulatory, distributive and redistributive agencies and so failed to categorize women where their representation, for example departments like police protection, fire, dept, etc was minimum. Without these information, one does not get to know that women are doing fairly well to reach management positions in redistributive agencies. From all the three papers, we understand that there is an increase in percentage of women in all positions of workforce. The empirical data suggests that the percentage increase is gradual from 1970 through the years and in 1995, women were earning about 89% of salary compared to men. Women too started obtaining higher degrees from colleges. Their presence was seen in many upper management positions. However women have not advanced into the highest and most prestigious positions in organizations. According to Reed (2004), the government is becoming creative in implementing strategies to reduce the gender gap but these efforts are not uniformly distributed in all the states. Many women, about 3 million, as teachers, are not included in the data considered for analysis. This is a significant population that chose teaching profession for convenience and so the percentage of variation in disparities between men and women could have been improved if this work force is distributed in other civilian jobs. The proportion of women in various jobs determines various other factors. Mani (2004) has disclosed the veterans and their status in the civil services after the post Vietnam war. His paper helps to understand how the early veterans without much education levels happened to claim up the ladder in civilian positions. We also come know of the rigorous training the veterans possessed to meet the requirements once they come out to the civil life. However, at a later stage, the non-veterans had the advantage over veterans by virtue of their higher education, experience in civil environment and the change of law that preferred veterans in selection procedures. The transition is shown with the help of data available from the U. S. Office of Personal Management Central Personal Data File (OPM CPDF). Comparison among male veterans, male non-veterans, female veterans, female non-veterans with and without considering sex aspect give a clear picture of preferences and impediments over the decades. The scenario in 1995 shows that the disparities among all the four groups have been settled in such a way that one group does not hinder the prospect of the other group while competing for civilian jobs and in promotions. There was a significant difference in salary between men and women after all the analysis conducted by Mani (2004). Like in other papers, Mani (2004) too agrees with sex discrimination, the shortcomings in the public policies and social changes that impact women’s career. But his opinion is slightly different compared to the other two: after 1998, there was still occupational segregation and salary disparities between men and women. The other two papers showed that much of the gender gap is narrowed down around 1999, whereas Mani (2004) still shows differences that requires rectification from the government side. All the three papers with data and analysis reveal the changes in social and cultural changes through the history of United States. All the three papers used more or less the similar data borrowed from the government departments. This can be considered as a major drawback in the results obtained. If each paper used a different data from different sources to conduct statistical analysis, it would have been more appealing. All the three papers do not consider or omit a few factors evenly while doing the analysis. For example, the 3 million teachers (Reed, 2004) avoided in one paper is a wise decision which is not found in the case of other two papers. All the three papers are trying to arrive at showing the percentage of gap narrowing down in disparities between male and female without considering similar factors in the analysis. This cannot be taken strongly for absolute results. However, the data from the government sources and its utilization in analyzing the subject to provide with statistics at various levels certainly convince the readers that there is improvement in lessening of glass walls and ceilings, equality in pay and acquiring top level management positions in the civil and federal workforce. References Lewis, B. & Oh, S. S. , (2008). A Major Difference? Fields of Study and Male–Female Pay Differences in Federal Employment. Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University, Atlanta. Mani, B. G. (2004). Women in the Federal Civil Service: Career Advancement, Veterans’ Preference, and Education. Reid, M. (2004). Sex-based Glass Ceilings in US State-Level Bureacracies, 1987-1991. Administration and Society.

Motivations to become police officers Essay

An individual’s motivational reason for wanting to become a police officer does not really differ from person to person. According to a survey given to male and female officers asking what drove them towards a career in law enforcement, they all had similar responses. The majority of the answers these officers gave were the ability to help people, fight crime, have and exciting job, and job security. Contrary to belief, officers have little or no interest in joining just to cause harm or use excessive force on citizens. (Walker, 2011, Pg 128) One of the top reasons an individual wants to become a police officer is the high level of job security the job offers. Officers are rarely fired from their jobs because of the civil service rules and union contracts. If an officer faces termination from unjust reasons they are given the opportunity to appeal the situation and possibly save their job. Perform the Internet Exercise on page 184. Answer the questions posed. Out of the options given, I chose to look up NLPOA and IAWP. The NLPOA stands for National Latino Peace Officers Association. They represent Latin American officers in the police force. They work to promote equality and professionalism in law enforcement. The NLPOA works closely with communities to prove citizenship programs, mentor programs, elementary school reading programs and training programs for people interested in careers in law enforcement. IAWP stands for International Association of Women Police. They represent women in law enforcement. Their mission is to strengthen, unite and raise the profile of women in criminal justice. They vision women’s lives to be free from discrimination, that they are valued for their contribution, and treated with respect and dignity. They work towards embracing diversity and improving women’s ability to excel in the criminal justice field. Describe the relationship between a police officer’s attitudes and behaviors. The relationship between a police officer’s attitude and their behavior differs greatly. It is believed that officers who make raciest statements or any prejudice remarks will automatically treat those people different and use excessive force. This is not the case. Officers’ actions are strictly observed, and the way an officer acts during an arrest can make or break his case against the individual. If an officer uses force when no force was needed a few things will most likely happen. The case itself can be thrown out due to improper actions and lack of evidence, and the citizen in question could press charges on the officer and department. This adds negative attention to the officer and department, often leading to the officer being fired.

Bloodlines Chapter Thirteen

I answered and found Eddie on the other end of the line. â€Å"I’m downstairs,† he said. â€Å"Ready to practice some self-defense before it gets too hot.† â€Å"You’re going to have to do it without me,† I said. I had a feeling Eddie was taking his promise to Clarence about training us very seriously. I felt no such obligation. â€Å"I’ve got a ton of homework to do. That, and I’m sure Ms. Terwilliger’s going to make me do a coffee run today.† â€Å"Well, then send Jill down,† said Eddie. I glanced over to the cocoon of blankets on her bed. â€Å"That might be easier said than done.† Surprisingly, she managed to rouse herself enough to brush her teeth, take aspirin for a headache, and throw on some workout clothes. She bid me farewell, and I promised to check on them later. Not long after that, Ms. Terwilliger called with her coffee demand, and I prepared myself for another day of trying to fit in my own work with hers. I drove over to Spencer’s and didn’t even notice Trey until I was standing right in front of him. â€Å"Ms. Terwilliger’s?† he asked, pointing to the caramel sauce cappuccino. â€Å"Huh?† I looked up. Trey was my cashier. â€Å"You work here?† He nodded. â€Å"Gotta make spending money somehow.† I handed him some cash, noting that he’d charged me half price. â€Å"Don’t take this the wrong way, but you don’t look so great,† I told him. He looked tired and worn out around the edges. Closer inspection showed bruises and cuts as well. â€Å"Yeah, well, I had kind of a rough day yesterday.† I hesitated. That was a leading comment, but there was no one in line behind me. â€Å"What happened?† I asked, knowing it was expected. Trey scowled. â€Å"That asshole Greg Slade wreaked havoc in football tryouts yesterday. I mean, the results aren’t up yet, but it’s pretty obvious he’s going to get quarterback. He was like a machine, just plowing guys over.† He extended his left hand, which had some bandage-wrapped fingers. â€Å"He stepped on my hand too.† I winced, remembering Slade’s out-of-control athleticism in PE. The politics of high school football and who was quarterback weren’t that important to me. True, I felt sorry for Trey, but it was the source behind the tattoos that intrigued me. Keith’s warnings about not causing trouble rang back to me, but I was unable to stop myself. â€Å"I know about the tattoos,† I said. â€Å"Julia and Kristin told me about them. And I get now why you were suspicious of mine – but it’s not what you think. Really.† â€Å"That’s not what I’ve heard. Most people think you’re just saying that because you don’t want to tell where you got it.† I was a little taken aback by that. I was pretty sure Julia and Kristin had believed me. Were they actually spreading around the opposite? â€Å"I had no idea.† He shrugged, a small smile on his lips. â€Å"Don’t worry. I believe you. There’s something kind of naively charming about you. You don’t seem like the cheating type.† â€Å"Hey,† I scolded. â€Å"I’m not naive.† â€Å"It was a compliment.† â€Å"How long have these tattoos been around?† I asked, deciding it was best to move in. â€Å"I heard since last year.† He handed me my coffee, thinking. â€Å"Yeah, but it was the end of last year. School year, I mean.† â€Å"And they come from a placed called Nevermore?† â€Å"As far as I know.† Trey eyed me suspiciously. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Just curious,† I said sweetly. A couple of college kids dressed like rich hobos got in line behind me and regarded us impatiently. â€Å"Can we get some service here?† Trey gave them a stiff smile and then rolled his eyes at me as I moved away. â€Å"See you around, Melbourne.† I headed back to Amberwood and delivered Ms. Terwilliger’s coffee. I wasn’t in the mood to stay leashed to her all day, so I asked if I could go elsewhere if I kept my cell phone handy. She agreed. The library had too much activity and – ironically – noise for me today. I wanted the solitude of my room. As I was cutting across the lawn to catch the shuttle, I spotted some familiar figures behind a cluster of trees. I changed direction and found Jill and Eddie squaring off in a small clearing. Micah sat cross-legged on the ground, watching avidly. He waved at me as I approached. â€Å"I didn’t realize your brother was a kung-fu master,† he remarked. â€Å"It’s not kung fu,† said Eddie gruffly, never taking his eyes off Jill. â€Å"Same difference,† said Micah. â€Å"It’s still pretty badass.† Eddie feinted, like he was going to strike at Jill’s side. She responded fairly quickly with a block, though not quite fast enough to match him. Had he been serious, he would have hit her. Still, he seemed pleased with her response time. â€Å"Good. That would deflect part of a hit, though you’d still feel it. Best is if you can duck and dodge altogether, but that takes a little more work.† Jill nodded obediently. â€Å"When can we work on that?† Eddie regarded her with pride. That expression softened after a few moments of study. â€Å"Not today. Too much sun.† Jill started to protest and then stopped herself. She had that worn-out-from-the-light look again and was sweating heavily. She glanced up at the sky for a moment, as though begging it to give us some cloud cover. It remained unresponsive, so she nodded at Eddie. â€Å"All right. But we’re doing this tomorrow at the same time? Or earlier maybe. Or maybe tonight! Could we do both? Practice tonight when the sun’s going down and then again in the morning? Would you mind?† Eddie grinned, amused at her enthusiasm. â€Å"Whatever you want.† Smiling back, Jill sat down beside me, getting into as much shade as possible. Eddie regarded me expectantly. â€Å"What?† I asked. â€Å"Aren’t you supposed to learn to throw a punch?† I scoffed. â€Å"No. When would I ever need to do that?† Jill nudged me. â€Å"Do it, Sydney!† Reluctantly, I allowed Eddie to give me a quick lesson on throwing a punch without injuring my hand in the process. I barely paid attention and felt like I was mostly providing entertainment for the others. When Eddie finished with me, Micah asked, â€Å"Hey, would you mind showing me some ninja moves too?† â€Å"They have nothing to do with ninjas,† protested Eddie, still smiling. â€Å"Come on up.† Micah leapt to his feet, and Eddie walked him through some rudimentary steps. More than anything, it seemed like Eddie was sizing up Micah and his capabilities. After a while, Eddie grew comfortable and let Micah practice some offensive moves to get rid of an attacker. â€Å"Hey,† protested Jill when Eddie landed a kick on Micah. Micah shrugged it off in a guy kind of way. â€Å"No fair. You wouldn’t hit me when we were practicing.† Eddie was caught off guard enough that Micah actually got a hit in. Eddie gave him a look of grudging respect and then said to Jill, â€Å"That was different.† â€Å"Because I’m a girl?† she demanded. â€Å"You never held back with Rose.† â€Å"Who’s Rose?† asked Micah. â€Å"Another friend,† explained Eddie. To Jill, he said: â€Å"And Rose has had years more experience than you.† â€Å"She’s had more than Micah too. You were going easy on me.† Eddie flushed and kept his eyes on Micah. â€Å"Was not,† he said. â€Å"Were too,† she muttered. As the boys sparred again, she said quietly to me, â€Å"How am I ever going to learn if he’s afraid of breaking me?† I watched the guys, analyzing what I knew of Eddie so far. â€Å"I think it’s more complicated than that. I think he also just believes you shouldn’t have to take the risk – that if he’s doing a good enough job, you shouldn’t have to defend yourself.† â€Å"He’s doing a great job. You should have seen him at the attack.† Her face got that haunted look it did whenever the attack that had driven her into hiding was mentioned. â€Å"But I still need to learn.† She lowered her voice even more. â€Å"I really want to learn to use my magic to fight too, not that I’ll get much practice in this desert.† I shuddered, recalling her display from the night before. â€Å"There’ll be time,† I said vaguely. I stood up, saying I had to go get some work done. Micah asked Eddie and Jill if they wanted to get lunch. Eddie said yes immediately. Jill looked to me for help. â€Å"It’s just lunch,† said Eddie meaningfully. I knew he still thought Micah was harmless. I didn’t know, but after seeing how infatuated Jill was with Lee, I figured Micah would have to make some pretty aggressive moves to get anywhere. â€Å"I’m sure it’s fine,† I said. Jill looked relieved, and the group headed off. I spent the day finishing off that miserable book for Ms. Terwilliger. I still thought having to copy the archaic spells and rituals verbatim was a waste of time. The only point I could see for it was that if she ever did need to reference them for her research, she would have an easy computer file to check and not risk damage to the ancient book. It was evening by the time I finished that and my other homework. Jill still wasn’t back, and I decided to use the opportunity to check on something that had been bothering me. Earlier in the day, Jill had mentioned Eddie defending her in the attack. I’d felt from the beginning that there was something strange about that initial attack, something that they weren’t telling me. So, I logged onto the Alchemists’ network and pulled up everything we had on the Moroi rebels. Naturally, it was all documented. We had to keep track of important events among the Moroi, and this ranked pretty high. Somehow, the Alchemists had gotten pictures of the Moroi Court, with protesters lined up outside one of the administrative buildings. Dhampir guardians were easy to pick out as they mingled and kept order. To my surprise, I recognized Dimitri Belikov – Rose’s boyfriend – among those doing crowd control. He was easy to spot since he was almost always taller than everyone around him. Dhampirs look very human, and even I could admit that he was pretty good-looking. There was a rugged handsomeness to him, and even in a still photograph, I could see a fierceness as he watched the crowd. Other protest pictures confirmed what I knew. By far, most people supported the young queen. Those against her were a minority – but a loud and dangerous one. A video from a human news show in Denver showed two Moroi guys nearly getting in a bar fight. They were shouting about queens and justice, most of which wouldn’t make sense to a human observer. What made this video special was that the guy who’d filmed it – some random human with a cell phone camera – claimed he’d seen fangs on both men in the argument. The videographer had submitted his recording claiming he’d witnessed a vampire fight, but no one gave it much credibility. It was too grainy for anything to show up. Still, it was a reminder of what could happen if the Moroi situation spun out of control. A status check showed me that Queen Vasilisa was indeed trying to get a law passed so that her rule was no longer dependent on there being at least one other person in her royal family. Alchemist experts guessed it would take three months, which was about what Rose had said. The number loomed in my head like a ticking time bomb. We needed to keep Jill safe for three months. And for three months, Vasilisa’s enemies would be trying harder than ever to get to Jill. If Jill died, Vasilisa’s rule would end – along with her attempts to fix the system. Yet none of this was what had really driven me to research. I wanted to know about Jill’s initial attack, the one that no one talked about. What I found wasn’t much help. No Alchemists had been there at the time, of course, so our information was based on what Moroi sources had reported. All we knew was that â€Å"the queen’s sister had been viciously and severely attacked – but had made a full recovery.† From what I’d observed, that was certainly true. Jill showed no signs of injury, and the attack had occurred a week before she came to Palm Springs. Was that enough time to heal from a â€Å"vicious and severe† attack? And was an attack like that enough to make her wake screaming? I didn’t know but still couldn’t shake my suspicions. When Jill came home later, she was in such a good mood that I couldn’t bear to interrogate her. I also remembered too late that I’d meant to research the case of Clarence’s niece and her bizarre death by throat-slitting. Jill’s situation had distracted me. I let the matter go and called it an early night. Tomorrow, I thought drowsily. I’ll do it all tomorrow. Tomorrow came much more quickly than I expected. I was woken out of a heavy sleep by someone shaking me, and for a split second, the old nightmare was there, the one about Alchemists carrying me away in the night. Recognizing Jill, I just barely stopped myself from screaming. â€Å"Hey, hey,† I scolded. There was light outside, but it was purplish. Barely after sunrise. â€Å"What’s going on? What’s the matter?† Jill looked at me, face grim and eyes wide with fear. â€Å"It’s Adrian. You have to rescue him.† Bloodlines Chapter Thirteen I answered and found Eddie on the other end of the line. â€Å"I’m downstairs,† he said. â€Å"Ready to practice some self-defense before it gets too hot.† â€Å"You’re going to have to do it without me,† I said. I had a feeling Eddie was taking his promise to Clarence about training us very seriously. I felt no such obligation. â€Å"I’ve got a ton of homework to do. That, and I’m sure Ms. Terwilliger’s going to make me do a coffee run today.† â€Å"Well, then send Jill down,† said Eddie. I glanced over to the cocoon of blankets on her bed. â€Å"That might be easier said than done.† Surprisingly, she managed to rouse herself enough to brush her teeth, take aspirin for a headache, and throw on some workout clothes. She bid me farewell, and I promised to check on them later. Not long after that, Ms. Terwilliger called with her coffee demand, and I prepared myself for another day of trying to fit in my own work with hers. I drove over to Spencer’s and didn’t even notice Trey until I was standing right in front of him. â€Å"Ms. Terwilliger’s?† he asked, pointing to the caramel sauce cappuccino. â€Å"Huh?† I looked up. Trey was my cashier. â€Å"You work here?† He nodded. â€Å"Gotta make spending money somehow.† I handed him some cash, noting that he’d charged me half price. â€Å"Don’t take this the wrong way, but you don’t look so great,† I told him. He looked tired and worn out around the edges. Closer inspection showed bruises and cuts as well. â€Å"Yeah, well, I had kind of a rough day yesterday.† I hesitated. That was a leading comment, but there was no one in line behind me. â€Å"What happened?† I asked, knowing it was expected. Trey scowled. â€Å"That asshole Greg Slade wreaked havoc in football tryouts yesterday. I mean, the results aren’t up yet, but it’s pretty obvious he’s going to get quarterback. He was like a machine, just plowing guys over.† He extended his left hand, which had some bandage-wrapped fingers. â€Å"He stepped on my hand too.† I winced, remembering Slade’s out-of-control athleticism in PE. The politics of high school football and who was quarterback weren’t that important to me. True, I felt sorry for Trey, but it was the source behind the tattoos that intrigued me. Keith’s warnings about not causing trouble rang back to me, but I was unable to stop myself. â€Å"I know about the tattoos,† I said. â€Å"Julia and Kristin told me about them. And I get now why you were suspicious of mine – but it’s not what you think. Really.† â€Å"That’s not what I’ve heard. Most people think you’re just saying that because you don’t want to tell where you got it.† I was a little taken aback by that. I was pretty sure Julia and Kristin had believed me. Were they actually spreading around the opposite? â€Å"I had no idea.† He shrugged, a small smile on his lips. â€Å"Don’t worry. I believe you. There’s something kind of naively charming about you. You don’t seem like the cheating type.† â€Å"Hey,† I scolded. â€Å"I’m not naive.† â€Å"It was a compliment.† â€Å"How long have these tattoos been around?† I asked, deciding it was best to move in. â€Å"I heard since last year.† He handed me my coffee, thinking. â€Å"Yeah, but it was the end of last year. School year, I mean.† â€Å"And they come from a placed called Nevermore?† â€Å"As far as I know.† Trey eyed me suspiciously. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Just curious,† I said sweetly. A couple of college kids dressed like rich hobos got in line behind me and regarded us impatiently. â€Å"Can we get some service here?† Trey gave them a stiff smile and then rolled his eyes at me as I moved away. â€Å"See you around, Melbourne.† I headed back to Amberwood and delivered Ms. Terwilliger’s coffee. I wasn’t in the mood to stay leashed to her all day, so I asked if I could go elsewhere if I kept my cell phone handy. She agreed. The library had too much activity and – ironically – noise for me today. I wanted the solitude of my room. As I was cutting across the lawn to catch the shuttle, I spotted some familiar figures behind a cluster of trees. I changed direction and found Jill and Eddie squaring off in a small clearing. Micah sat cross-legged on the ground, watching avidly. He waved at me as I approached. â€Å"I didn’t realize your brother was a kung-fu master,† he remarked. â€Å"It’s not kung fu,† said Eddie gruffly, never taking his eyes off Jill. â€Å"Same difference,† said Micah. â€Å"It’s still pretty badass.† Eddie feinted, like he was going to strike at Jill’s side. She responded fairly quickly with a block, though not quite fast enough to match him. Had he been serious, he would have hit her. Still, he seemed pleased with her response time. â€Å"Good. That would deflect part of a hit, though you’d still feel it. Best is if you can duck and dodge altogether, but that takes a little more work.† Jill nodded obediently. â€Å"When can we work on that?† Eddie regarded her with pride. That expression softened after a few moments of study. â€Å"Not today. Too much sun.† Jill started to protest and then stopped herself. She had that worn-out-from-the-light look again and was sweating heavily. She glanced up at the sky for a moment, as though begging it to give us some cloud cover. It remained unresponsive, so she nodded at Eddie. â€Å"All right. But we’re doing this tomorrow at the same time? Or earlier maybe. Or maybe tonight! Could we do both? Practice tonight when the sun’s going down and then again in the morning? Would you mind?† Eddie grinned, amused at her enthusiasm. â€Å"Whatever you want.† Smiling back, Jill sat down beside me, getting into as much shade as possible. Eddie regarded me expectantly. â€Å"What?† I asked. â€Å"Aren’t you supposed to learn to throw a punch?† I scoffed. â€Å"No. When would I ever need to do that?† Jill nudged me. â€Å"Do it, Sydney!† Reluctantly, I allowed Eddie to give me a quick lesson on throwing a punch without injuring my hand in the process. I barely paid attention and felt like I was mostly providing entertainment for the others. When Eddie finished with me, Micah asked, â€Å"Hey, would you mind showing me some ninja moves too?† â€Å"They have nothing to do with ninjas,† protested Eddie, still smiling. â€Å"Come on up.† Micah leapt to his feet, and Eddie walked him through some rudimentary steps. More than anything, it seemed like Eddie was sizing up Micah and his capabilities. After a while, Eddie grew comfortable and let Micah practice some offensive moves to get rid of an attacker. â€Å"Hey,† protested Jill when Eddie landed a kick on Micah. Micah shrugged it off in a guy kind of way. â€Å"No fair. You wouldn’t hit me when we were practicing.† Eddie was caught off guard enough that Micah actually got a hit in. Eddie gave him a look of grudging respect and then said to Jill, â€Å"That was different.† â€Å"Because I’m a girl?† she demanded. â€Å"You never held back with Rose.† â€Å"Who’s Rose?† asked Micah. â€Å"Another friend,† explained Eddie. To Jill, he said: â€Å"And Rose has had years more experience than you.† â€Å"She’s had more than Micah too. You were going easy on me.† Eddie flushed and kept his eyes on Micah. â€Å"Was not,† he said. â€Å"Were too,† she muttered. As the boys sparred again, she said quietly to me, â€Å"How am I ever going to learn if he’s afraid of breaking me?† I watched the guys, analyzing what I knew of Eddie so far. â€Å"I think it’s more complicated than that. I think he also just believes you shouldn’t have to take the risk – that if he’s doing a good enough job, you shouldn’t have to defend yourself.† â€Å"He’s doing a great job. You should have seen him at the attack.† Her face got that haunted look it did whenever the attack that had driven her into hiding was mentioned. â€Å"But I still need to learn.† She lowered her voice even more. â€Å"I really want to learn to use my magic to fight too, not that I’ll get much practice in this desert.† I shuddered, recalling her display from the night before. â€Å"There’ll be time,† I said vaguely. I stood up, saying I had to go get some work done. Micah asked Eddie and Jill if they wanted to get lunch. Eddie said yes immediately. Jill looked to me for help. â€Å"It’s just lunch,† said Eddie meaningfully. I knew he still thought Micah was harmless. I didn’t know, but after seeing how infatuated Jill was with Lee, I figured Micah would have to make some pretty aggressive moves to get anywhere. â€Å"I’m sure it’s fine,† I said. Jill looked relieved, and the group headed off. I spent the day finishing off that miserable book for Ms. Terwilliger. I still thought having to copy the archaic spells and rituals verbatim was a waste of time. The only point I could see for it was that if she ever did need to reference them for her research, she would have an easy computer file to check and not risk damage to the ancient book. It was evening by the time I finished that and my other homework. Jill still wasn’t back, and I decided to use the opportunity to check on something that had been bothering me. Earlier in the day, Jill had mentioned Eddie defending her in the attack. I’d felt from the beginning that there was something strange about that initial attack, something that they weren’t telling me. So, I logged onto the Alchemists’ network and pulled up everything we had on the Moroi rebels. Naturally, it was all documented. We had to keep track of important events among the Moroi, and this ranked pretty high. Somehow, the Alchemists had gotten pictures of the Moroi Court, with protesters lined up outside one of the administrative buildings. Dhampir guardians were easy to pick out as they mingled and kept order. To my surprise, I recognized Dimitri Belikov – Rose’s boyfriend – among those doing crowd control. He was easy to spot since he was almost always taller than everyone around him. Dhampirs look very human, and even I could admit that he was pretty good-looking. There was a rugged handsomeness to him, and even in a still photograph, I could see a fierceness as he watched the crowd. Other protest pictures confirmed what I knew. By far, most people supported the young queen. Those against her were a minority – but a loud and dangerous one. A video from a human news show in Denver showed two Moroi guys nearly getting in a bar fight. They were shouting about queens and justice, most of which wouldn’t make sense to a human observer. What made this video special was that the guy who’d filmed it – some random human with a cell phone camera – claimed he’d seen fangs on both men in the argument. The videographer had submitted his recording claiming he’d witnessed a vampire fight, but no one gave it much credibility. It was too grainy for anything to show up. Still, it was a reminder of what could happen if the Moroi situation spun out of control. A status check showed me that Queen Vasilisa was indeed trying to get a law passed so that her rule was no longer dependent on there being at least one other person in her royal family. Alchemist experts guessed it would take three months, which was about what Rose had said. The number loomed in my head like a ticking time bomb. We needed to keep Jill safe for three months. And for three months, Vasilisa’s enemies would be trying harder than ever to get to Jill. If Jill died, Vasilisa’s rule would end – along with her attempts to fix the system. Yet none of this was what had really driven me to research. I wanted to know about Jill’s initial attack, the one that no one talked about. What I found wasn’t much help. No Alchemists had been there at the time, of course, so our information was based on what Moroi sources had reported. All we knew was that â€Å"the queen’s sister had been viciously and severely attacked – but had made a full recovery.† From what I’d observed, that was certainly true. Jill showed no signs of injury, and the attack had occurred a week before she came to Palm Springs. Was that enough time to heal from a â€Å"vicious and severe† attack? And was an attack like that enough to make her wake screaming? I didn’t know but still couldn’t shake my suspicions. When Jill came home later, she was in such a good mood that I couldn’t bear to interrogate her. I also remembered too late that I’d meant to research the case of Clarence’s niece and her bizarre death by throat-slitting. Jill’s situation had distracted me. I let the matter go and called it an early night. Tomorrow, I thought drowsily. I’ll do it all tomorrow. Tomorrow came much more quickly than I expected. I was woken out of a heavy sleep by someone shaking me, and for a split second, the old nightmare was there, the one about Alchemists carrying me away in the night. Recognizing Jill, I just barely stopped myself from screaming. â€Å"Hey, hey,† I scolded. There was light outside, but it was purplish. Barely after sunrise. â€Å"What’s going on? What’s the matter?† Jill looked at me, face grim and eyes wide with fear. â€Å"It’s Adrian. You have to rescue him.†