Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Rhetorical Analysis: Too Much of a Good Thing

Rhetorical Analysis: Too Much of a Good Thing â€Å"At least 25% of all Americans under age nineteen are overweight or obese, a figure that has doubled over the last 30 years. † says Greg Crister in his article titled â€Å"Too Much of a Good Thing† which appeared on July 22, 2001 in the Los Angeles Times. In his article, Crister uses three common rhetorical strategies, ethos, pathos, and logos, in an attempt to persuade his audience, anyone raising children or interested in children's health issues, of how prevalent this epidemic has become and provide them with some solutions as to how they can help prevent childhood obesity.Overall, Crister's argument succeeds and his audience walks away convinced that childhood obesity is, in fact, an epidemic that plagues children in their own country and that they must act immediately themselves to help fight the fight and insure that it does not become a problem with their own children. One common rhetorical strategy is ethos, wh ich is the use of credible sources to support a claim.Since Crister is a writer and not an expert on childhood obesity himself, it is important that he uses creditable sources to persuade the audience of the epidemic that childhood obesity is becoming. Crister uses ethos very well in his argument by providing current findings from reliable sources that are relevant to the immediate problem of childhood obesity. At the beginning of his article, Crister says, â€Å"Obesity,' the U. N. roclaim[s], ‘is the dominant unmet global health issue, with Westernized countries topping the list. † It is a common belief that the United Nations predominately only deals with epidemics that plague children in third world countries so by bringing to the audience's attention that the U. N. is now focusing on the United States, Crister encourages them to look closer to home to see what an immediate crisis that childhood obesity has become.By making the audience aware that childhood obesity is being treated as an epidemic by a trustworthy and knowledgeable organization such as the United Nations, Crister succeeds in persuading his audience that this is a serious issue in their own country and they are more likely to want to do whatever they can to prevent childhood obesity since it could affect their own children rather than children on the other side of the world. The rhetorical strategy pathos means to appeal to the audience's emotions when making an argument and one way in which Crister uses pathos effectively is by his word choice.In his article, Crister says, â€Å"Closer to home, at least 25% of all Americans under age nineteen are overweight or obese, a figure that has doubled over the last 30 years and a figure that moved the surgeon general to declare childhood obesity an epidemic. † Knowing that, generally, parents only want the best for their children, Crister use of descriptive words, such as calling childhood obesity an epidemic, invokes a negative reaction in his audience and causes their protective, parental instincts to immediately kick in.Most parents could never fathom their own child might be part of an epidemic of any kind so by referring to the fact that childhood obesity is becoming an epidemic itself, Crister creates a sense of urgency in his audience that in turn makes them want to act on their protective instincts by helping to prevent the spread of this epidemic. In keeping with his strong use of word choice, Crister also uses the word gluttony twice in his article and even elaborates by pointing out that gluttony is â€Å"vilified as one of the seven deadly sins. Again, the use of such strong language causes the audience take notice of the severity of childhood obesity and makes them want to do whatever they can to prevent it so that their own children are not considered gluttons or part of an epidemic. Another rhetorical strategy is logos, which means using logic, common sense, and reason to appeal to an audien ce. In his article, Crister uses logic to provide some solutions to help prevent childhood obesity as well as discredited some long-standing myths on how these solutions might not work.One solution that Crister offers is when he points out the importance of teaching good eating habits early on so that overeating, one of the main causes of obesity, can be avoided. To help persuade the audience that this is an important step to take, Crister discredits the common misconception among parents that children will stop eating once they are full. Crister mentions a study led by Barbara Rolls, a nutritional scholar at Pennsylvania State University, in which she observed the eating habits of two groups of children.Rolls found that the three year old group would stop eating once they were full, regardless of how much food they were given, but the five year old group would continue to eat, long after they were full, until everything on their plate was gone. This study helps persuade the audienc e that what they believed to be true about the eating habits of children might not be true after all and that it is their job to help their children learn how to develop good eating habits at an early age.Crister goes on to point out that parents are led to believe that restricting a child's diet will cause them to, in turn, overeat. In an effort to explain this to his audience Crister says, â€Å"The operative notion is that a child restrained from overeating will either rebel by secretly gorging when away from the table or, worse, will suffer such a loss of self-esteem that a lifetime of disastrous eating behavior will follow. † Another solution that Crister offers is to stigmatize overeating. He says, â€Å"Of course, no one should be stigmatized for being overweight.But stigmatizing the unhealthful behaviors that cause obesity would conform with what we know about effective health messages. † This helps his audience see that stigmatizing overweight people might be detrimental but stigmatizing overeating itself might be one of the most logical solutions in preventing childhood obesity. Crister also notes that in the early 20th century France, when first faced with the excessive weight gain among children, they adopted the belief that meals should always be supervised by adults, food should be served in moderate proportions, and second helpings should be rare.The French are often stereotyped for being some of the most confident people in the world so Crister ends his article with the logical, yet tongue-in-cheek statement that, †[The French] were taught in childhood not to overeat. And it didn't seem to do much harm to their self-esteem. † This quote combined with his use of logos works well for Crister's argument because they make his audience realize that what they have been led to believe in the past about restricting a child's eating habits and how children approach eating in general might not, in fact, be true.By discrediting a ll of these myths, Crister's persuades his audience that they must take responsibility in teaching their children good eating habits early on in their lives and they become more comfortable with the idea that stigmatizing overeating as well as restricting their own child's eating are other ways in which they can do their part in preventing childhood obesity.Overall, Crister's uses of ethos, pathos, and logos succeed in persuading his audience what an epidemic that childhood obesity has become and they walk with a couple of solutions to help them act immediately in helping to prevent this epidemic in their own children or children in this country. Works Cited Crister, Greg. â€Å"Too Much of a Good Thing. † Los Angeles Times 22 July 2001. 16 November 2012 .

Need of moral education to students Essay

In today’s world man, machine and money are the modern day trinity where as morality is just a casualty. As a result of this, our society has been suffering from much of corruption, exploitation, merciless killings, casteism, communalism, terrorism and a total crisis of character. In addition, schools have been facing unhealthy behavioral and indiscipline problems from students. All this needs to be reformed. But who is to bell the cat? It is we, the children, who have to complete that task. In this essay further, I shall explain importance of moral education in schools and how it helps our society to beat from above stated social evils. Every child possesses the potential to become the builder of an ideal society. What it needs is a proper cultivation of good morals at a young age to develop positive social attitudes and make him a useful, complete and perfect person. The great goal of education is not to cosmetically furnish the minds to produce doctors and engineers but to develop the sense of right, duty, honour, love of God and humanity by imparting moral education in schools. With this, students can improve overall behavior with their teachers and society too. In addition, when they grow, they will bring strong foundation to beat social evils. Many schools have been searching the reasons of depreciation in moral values and they have been working for developing good moral values among the students. However moral values are integrated part of the education and it is great emphasized in almost all countries. Generally Moral Education is not a specific subject for schools but it is taught under different subjects like languages, literature, supplementary reading books etc. Moral Education is taught as a separate subject like Moral Science in a few schools. Schools have been doing several efforts to manipulate the moral values among the students. The syllabus is designed such type to combine many moral values by stories, poems and by many lessons. Sometimes textbooks include many inspirational lessons about the great persons so that students may learn by their life.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Reason My Grandparents Immigrate to Malaysia

Topic: The reasons my grandparents immigrated to Malaysia Nowadays, there are millions of Chinese living overseas. For me, I am the third generation of overseas Chinese in Malaysia. My grandparents came from a small village in Chaozhou Prefecture of Guangdong Province, China. They immigrated to Malaysia after World War II for several political, economic and societal reasons. In 1930’s, China was in a state of disorder due to the incessant fighting between warlords. People lived in deep distress. Unfortunately, the war of resistance against Japan broke out in 1937.The Japanese Imperial Army suddenly occupied a large area of China. My grandparents’ hometown was not invaded by the Japanese Army since it was only a small village. However, it faced scarcity of food. Many residents died of starvation, including my great-grandmother. My grandparents followed other villagers and fled to Fujian province. After that, they had been working in a rich family to earn a living for the following 8 years. Finally, in 1945, Japan surrendered. For U. S. A, Britain, Russia and for Japan itself, it symbolized the arrival of peace.Yet, for China, it just marked the resumption of the civil war between Nationalist Party and Chinese Communist Party. Both of the two parties wanted to control China. Nobody knew when another war would break out. The potential war would undoubtedly plunge Chinese people into misery and suffering again. Besides, people only saw a scene of devastation everywhere in China. The economic environment was worse than before. My grandparents found it harder to live in China after the war than before it.Millions of Chinese from Fujian and Guangdong province fled to South-east Asia, the so-called â€Å"Nanyang†, to seek a better life. Many of them chose Malaya (the predecessor of Malaysia) to start their new life. In Malaya, the political environment was much stable then. Before the war, the peninsula was occupied by Britain. The British colonist spared no effort in maintaining the stability of Malaya as they didn’t want any instability to interrupt their plundering of wealth in the colony. My grandparents thought that they could get an easy life in Malaya.They would at least not be destitute and homeless there. Since 19th century, thousands of Chinese flowed to Malaya because of the opportunities for employment in the mining, plantations and businesses. The peninsula has an abundance of natural resources. British colonists were rapidly developing the tin mining industry, rubber, and palm oil farming on the land. There was a high demand of manpower in the peninsula. Consequently, British colonist had been importing a large number of Chinese laborers into Malaya.Apart from that, the success stories of Chinese businessmen like Tan Tock Seng, Tan Kah Kee and Lee Kong Chian kept inspiring my grandfather and other Chinese. Therefore, they didn’t mind travelling thousands of miles to Nanyang. They believed that it w as a land where they could survive and become rich. According to the World Population Years’ report, there were about 1. 8 million Chinese living in Peninsular Malaya in 1947. Overseas Chinese had already formed a big community in Malaya. People who came from same the province and spoke the same dialect lived and worked together.Therefore, it was not a problem for my grandparents to adapt themselves in this new community. All these factors caused my grandparents to make this tough decision. It’s really hard for them to leave their homeland and become a citizen of another country. However, they might have been killed in another war if they had stayed in China. The day-to-day struggle of survival overrode all other things such as the unwillingness to leave the place where they had grown up. They were forced to immigrate. (605 words) It's my essay for English course in University. So embarrassing†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦

Monday, July 29, 2019

MGMGT 4440 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

MGMGT 4440 - Essay Example To achieve such cultural change, leadership of the organization therefore has to play important role in identifying and exploring the gaps which need to be filled in order to comprehensively revamp the culture of the organization and achieve the desired level of performance. HR is another important organizational arm which can help develop such an environment and achieve the required level of cultural change so that the organizations can become more responsive and conducive for the tapping the untapped potential of the organization. (Daniels and Daniels) This paper will therefore aim to explore and discuss some of the key aspects of performance management including role of culture in achieving high level performance, whether organizations can actually change their culture to achieve such objectives, the role of leader and the HRM function within the organization. Impact of culture on performance Before discussing the impact of culture on performance, it is important to understand the overall concept of performance management and how it fits together with organizational culture. Performance management is often considered as a process of achieving the organizational goals and objectives efficiently and effectively. Performance management therefore not only includes the management of the results but also the behaviors of the employees as behavior can have significant impact on the performance. It is argued that culture can significantly impact the organizational performance however, it is important to explore as to which elements of the culture exactly can influence the performance of the organization. (Lee and Yu). It is further argued that organizational performance is linked with good cultures and good cultures in return are focused on achieving excellence, profitability, strong team orientation as well as honesty and will to succeed. These characteristics form the part of the good culture which invariably fosters creativity and innovation within the employees and the organizations to make them more productive and performance oriented. Since culture of an organization outlines its overall values and belief systems therefore the underlying performance of the firms are also directed at ensuring that such values and belief systems are complied with. Organizations having performance oriented values tend to perform better than the organizations which are not focused on achieving excellence in performance. Further, through careful cultural engineering, organizations can actually achieve the significant improvement in their overall performance because cultural shift provides new means of achieving the required excellence. Can the culture of an organization be changed to increase performance? The process of cultural engineering is considered as one of the methods through which organizations basically attempt to change the culture and redirect it towards the achievement of excellence performance. For example, a shift towards more open culture may allow employees to become more creative and express their opinions more frequently. This openness of the culture therefore can offer a unique and diverse perspective on its core strengths and how a change in the organizational culture can effectively ensure performance. Apple Inc was

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Global Management of Information Systems- MISM 3303, Information Research Paper

Global Management of Information Systems- MISM 3303, Information Systems Theory and Practice - Research Paper Example This document also encourages for the adoption of new research methods by researchers in global information systems research. Advances in information technology and globalization trends have for the last two decades dominated the business world. Globalization reflects the interconnection of societies in terms of political, cultural and economic aspects (Giddens, 2002). Opportunities and feasibility of globalization have been enhanced by information and communication technology, by enabling new structural organizations, new modes of work and communication across space and time (Walshan, 2001) as well as facilitation of movement of goods and coordination of services (Palvia and Wang, 1995). Businesses today find it necessary to incorporate global information systems in their organizational structure due to its usefulness and impact. A firm’s global business strategy can be achieved through global applications such as using information technology platforms to transmit, store, and manipulate data across diverse cultural environments (Wang, 1995). Global Information systems deal with development, management and use of information systems across the globe. Implementation and use of information systems may be affected by national differences such as infrastructure capabilities, physical environments, cultural issues, economic and political factors. Hence, it is essential to understand the challenges and opportunities related to global information systems in the volatile business world. Research on global management of information systems goes across national boundaries to include research spanning on multiple countries. Recent research studies have focused only on particular aspects of global IS. It has been revealed through a literature search (Lehman & Gallupe, 2004) that, less than 1 percent of the IS literature published in academic

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Sound media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sound media - Essay Example t that the radio is a critical tool in promoting different records, many people have not taken the time to understand the relationship between the labels and the radio stations. In the recent past, there are multiple radio stations, some of them streaming online. This means that, there is a higher chance of radios promoting records. This paper will consider how records are promoted highlighting the role of the radio as well as an overview of the cultural influences of both recording and radio industries. Records are promoted using different media, and the radio has been one of the influential media forms in promoting records. Record labels usually hire a promoter who ensures that the record receives air play on different radio stations. These records usually seek to exploit the available opportunity presented by the diverse audience listening to the radio. Although record labels ensure that their music is in different distribution shops before it is given popularity through the radio, it is evident that the radio plays a critical role. Statistics indicate that the radio contributes about 19-23% popularity to a certain record. When listeners get to hear of a certain record through the radio, and become interested, they go to the distribution shops and makes purchases of the specific records (Spence, 2011). In this way, the performers earn indirect revenue from radio promotion. On the other hand, radio stations ensure that there is a continuous streaming of music preferred by the audience so that they can create a favorable environment for advertisers. In this way, radio stations benefit indirectly from promoting different records. Notably, this symbiotic relationship ensures that both the record labels and the radio benefit indirectly at the end. This explains why many radio stations are willing to give free airplay to different records. Worth noting is the fact that, royalties are only paid to the composers and the publishers (p. 67). Without doubt, both the

Friday, July 26, 2019

Oral presentation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Oral presentation - Essay Example and expenses over necessary employees training programs, health benefits, food etc. In addition, it can lead to ‘decreased absenteeism, work/family balance, higher morale, save of the transport time, reduced employee work stress related issues and finally better employee performance’. On the flip side, it can lead to lesser managerial control over employees and subordinates, lack of team-based environment, reduced ‘face-to-face contacts’ and friendliness among employees, lack of communication (and coordination) among managers and employees, and most importantly to lack of discussions about industry advancements and innovations because telecommuters do not often attend organizational developmental programs unless they are compelled to do so. Moreover, technical problems may take additional time to get resolved in such scenarios. (Internet: dhhs.state.nc.us) This paper starts with a formal definition of Telecommuting and its explanation to fully comprehend the idea behind this tool. I would then describe the working of Telecommuting followed by all the potential advantages and disadvantages of Telecommuting that would be the body of this assignment and the main focus of my paper. Finally, I will conclude my paper by comparing the benefits of Telecommuting with the costs that could be incurred during adoption and implementation stages. I would finally end up this paper by proving my recommendation towards this whole exercise. Today, the world has become a global village after the emergence of international markets (worldwide trading centers) and global media such as BBC, CNN, MTV, ESPN sports and other channels that together have led to a universal culture (example Valentine’s Day) with mostly similar tastes, preferences and consumption of products offered by various organizations (examples include KFC, PNG, Burger King, Levis and Strauss, Gucci, Rolex, Toyota etc). Moreover, global trade agreements such as WTO, NAFTA etc.

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Comparison of Eichmann as Portrayed by Arendt with Other Nazi War Crim Essay - 1

Comparison of Eichmann as Portrayed by Arendt with Other Nazi War Criminals - Essay Example With this respect, the various judgments and analysis employed to understand the intentions and motivation of the Nazi surrogates to commit heinous crimes. These include Hannah Arendt’s portrait of Eichmann compared to the interviews conducted in Nuremberg on the other criminals of the Nazi war. One of the analyses is provided by Hannah Arendt who was a German and Jewish politically based theorist and who before she moved to the United States had run away from German and France in the course of World War Two. She does this in her book titled â€Å"Eichmann and the Holocaust† which she wrote having been requested to analyze the trial of Adolf Eichmann. For that reason, she archetypes Adolf Eichmann; one of the Nazi Criminals to provide her comments on the Holocaust which she has been said to interpret as a challenge to the existence of human beings. Arendt, as a way to interpret the Holocaust, decided to use and analyze only one of the individuals who took part. Her choice of Adolf Eichmann ‘s court testimony to give her judgment by making certain statements about him eludes a lot of controversies which results in the comparison of Eichmann to other criminals of the Nazi war. Certain people argue that she did not attend all sessions of Eichmann’s trial missing those where his actual character was exposed as well as those where he provided adequate evidence. On the other hand, most of her readers describe the book as lacking in taste and tact with her comments and judgments being related to her attitude towards the German-Jewish leaders in the community and her view on Zionism most of the time. Contrary to the model employed by Arendt to analyze the Nazi war criminals, other people used different ways to find answers and provide justice to the Holocaust and its defendants. An example is Leon Goldensohn; a military psychiatrist who took part in the trials. He was a son of the Jews who were emigrants from Lithuania.  

Visible and invisible Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Visible and invisible - Essay Example Usually, it is from â€Å"space† that we explore the spatial zones in architecture and the external surroundings. This techniques existence has been for quite a while in construction since the inception of architecture as a form of art. When designing it, there has to be planning as it determines a lot on the outcome for a piece of architecture. This piece discusses space and its implication to architecture with the intent of highlighting its usefulness within the architectural setting whilst propagating useful ideologies. Visible spaces entail those areas that can be conceivable by the mind on an architecture material and in the real sense; they are observable in the physical world. Moreover, invisible space in most cases is an illusion emanating from one’s thought upon observing any form of architectural works (Blundell- jones, Petrescu & Till 23. Prior to a person, joining an architectural school, space is the first thing of which he/she is taught. According to Blundell- jones Petrescu &, Till (115), it is a form of experience that motivates artists towards creativity. Space involves a graphic abstraction when intending to convey a meaning to the audiences or those using the architectural component. By knowing aspects that are existent or have been constructed, unknown concepts are comprehensible. We can reverse an image that is in the physical form to a space. Therefore, the idea for use in this case is exploring the unknown to known using visible spaces. According to Blundell- jones, Petre scu & Till (125), spatial boundaries and connection are created by the mind upon conceiving a piece of artworks. In most cases, space relies on the construction already in place such as a building or the existing natural environment. This is to mean that the idea of using space is not a nouvelle concept in the field of architecture. It is from it that creativity emanated and other ideologies associated with creative construction such as

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Optional to choose from the 4 different topics below Essay

Optional to choose from the 4 different topics below - Essay Example government to the government of ancient Athens. Ancient Democracy and Modern Democracy One similarity is the degree of nationalism or positive national sentiment espoused by the government and the people. For instance, the people of ancient Athens greatly valued their rights and power. As Pericles claimed, â€Å"Remember, too, that the reason why Athens has the greatest name in all the world is because she has never given in to adversity, but has spent more life and labor in warfare than any other state†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Euben et al. 106) The same as this deep-rooted sense of patriotism, determination, and achievement, the American government has also been recognized for displaying honor and integrity and it has also confronted periods of misfortune and hardships. Another comparison between ancient Athenian government and American government is observed when an absence of representation is evident. In American democracy, there are instances where the citizens are prohibited from the pr ocess of decision-making. This apparently is found in ancient Athenian government where only adult males were permitted to take part in the decision-making process within the government (Richard 75). At present, the United States implements a representative democracy where in it chooses ‘representatives’ through the process of election. ... Besides these similarities, there are also numerous differences between ancient Athenian government and the U.S. government. First, ancient Athens’s legal system was tough because people usually do not hire a lawyer to represent them; these people usually represent themselves without any official representative to handle the case. The opposite is true in the U.S. government. Second, distinctions between non-citizens and citizens were firmly established (Euben et al. 102). According to Richard (1994), â€Å"Greeks were intensely concerned with differences among individuals—differences between humans and animals, between males and females, between free people and slaves, between men who owned property and men who did not, and of course between Greeks and non-Greeks† (Richard 123). At present, the U.S. government opposes and tries to eliminate such distinctions or inequalities. Moreover, citizenship was established differently in ancient Athens. In ancient Athenian government, citizenship was not established by socioeconomic standing; however, class relations and the power to choose were strongly determined by democratic citizenship (Richard 123-124). Lastly, Athenian democracy, unlike American democracy, was restricted. Immigrants, children, slaves, and women were barred from citizenship and were prohibited from voting (Euben et al. 113). They did not possess any political power during this period. The American form of government specified in the U.S. Constitution is not in fact a ‘democracy’ as that concept was identified in the 18th century. Indeed, almost all of the founding fathers of the American nation regarded ‘unadulterated’ democracy similar to that implemented in ancient Athens—where the citizens governed themselves through

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Advanced Database Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Advanced Database Systems - Essay Example Additionally, all of these computers are connected with each other and every system has the capability to process the data individually thus helping local systems. In addition, each of the systems contributes in running a single or many wide-reaching database applications. However, a distributed database is not installed on a single location completely. But, it is divided throughout a network of computers that are physically detached and linked via communications medium. However, these types of system require accessing data from a single place. Thus, the distributed nature of the database is unknown to its clients as well as this simplicity appears itself in a different means. In more simple words, a distributed database (DDB) is a set of numerous, reasonably organized databases, spread over a large size computer network. A distributed DBMS is the computer application software that helps manage the distributed database as well as enables the sharing apparent to the clients. Moreover, the term of distributed database system (DDBS) is normally utilized to state both distributed database systems as well as distributed database management system. Furthermore, the distributed database management systems are similar to the distributed file systems in a sense that they help access distributed data (Oracle Corporation, 2003), (Camarinha-Matos, 2010), (Borysowich, 2007) and (Ozsu, 2010). This report discusses some legal and ethical issues that need to be considered when introducing a distributed database system. In this connection this report will analyze the legal and ethical issues that apply to distributed and relational databases. DISTRIBUTED DATABASE After the emergence of the distributed networks (which later on became more and more popular), the need for the development of distributed database management systems turned out to be more critical. In this regard, a distributed system differs from a centralized structure in one main feature: The information and data i s frequently in the command of data are distributed/dispersed over two or additional distantly scattered places. On the other hand, distributed database management systems are exposed to a lot of security challenges more than that exist within a centralized DBMS. Additionally, the improvement of proper distributed database security has been challenging through the comparatively new development of the object-oriented database paradigm. Moreover, this innovative paradigm is not able to be disregarded. Thus, it has been formed to tackle with the rising complication of the data stored in current business or corporate database structures (Coy, 1996) and (Camarinha-Matos, 2010). Distributed systems basically allow users to access files that are placed on different computer systems. Additionally, this data has no obvious organization as well as the relationships between data in diverse files are not handled by the system and are the client’s duty. In this scenario, a distributed dat abase system is developed on the basis of a design (normally called schema) that describes together the arrangement of the distributed data, as well as the relations between the data. In addition, this design can be expressed with a number of data models, such as object-oriented or relational data model. In this regard, a distributed database management system encompasses all the tasks of a database management system. For instance, it offers advanced transaction management, declarative query capability and integrity implementation. However, in fact distributed database management systems differ from transaction processing systems due to the fact that transaction proce

Monday, July 22, 2019

Constitution of Uk Essay Example for Free

Constitution of Uk Essay As Pryor mentioned, a Constitution â€Å"is a written document setting out a system of founding principles according to which a nation is constituted and governed, and, most particularly, by which is sovereign power is located† (Pryor, 2008, pp. 4). Therefore, constitutions limit the governments’ powers, protect people’s rights, and infer the legitimacy of the state. The constitution of Great Britain hasn’t been brought together into a single document like other commonwealth countries such as France – it is not written or codified. Britain’s constitution is made up of common laws, Parliament acts, and customs and traditions. But Britain does have some important constitutional documents from the Act of Parliament such as the Magna Carta (1215): â€Å"which aimed to protect citizens against arbitrary power and guaranteed the right to a fair trial and trial by jury† (Barnett Diamantides, 2007, p.33), and Bill of Rights (1689): â€Å"the Lords and Commons, previous to the coronation of King William and Queen Mary had framed a bill which contained a declaration of the rights which they claimed in behalf of the people, and was in consequence called the Bill of Rights† (Jean Louis de Lolme, 1853, pp. 50). Britain has no written constitution because â€Å"the country has been stable for too long. The governing elites of many European nations, such as France and Germany, have been forced to draw up constitutions in response to popular revolt or war† (Morris, 2008). In addition, since the current situation has been working well for a long time, why to change it? Besides, the constitution can be changed or adjusted by acts of Parliament, or by an agreement. Since it is flexible, effective amendments in laws can be easily made. A.V. Dicey explained that a flexible constitution is â€Å"one under which every law of every description can legally be changed with the same ease and in the same manner by one and the same body† (Dicey, 1885, pp.65). It is also very valid for Great Britain not to have a written constitution so not to limit the power of the executive branch – the main executive branch being the parliament. Without the laws of the country written in a formal document where people can check them, it is very difficult to know the limits of the government. Hence, an unwritten constitution preserves the parliament’s sovereignty. Moreover, without a written constitution, the parliament is able to inspect the ministers in favor of the public. Albert Venn Dicey, who was a law professor in London School of Economics and a constitutional scientist, said that it is actually advantageous for Britain not to have a written constitution. He mentions that the people’s rights and democracy have been long respected in the constitutional arrangements of Great Britain. He called it (the respect of people) as the ‘The Rule of Law’ which is â€Å"the security given under the English constitution to the rights of individuals looked at from various points of view† (Dicey, 1885, pp. 107). Dicey summarized this rule in three main points. According to Dicey in his book ‘The Law of the Constitution’, no man will be punished except if the law allows it. Secondly, every man, regardless of his status, is subject to the law (no person is above the law). Thirdly, people’s liberty and rights are respected, and consequently, there is no need for the Bill of Rights (Dicey, 1885, pp. 110-115). A country might have a constitution, but may not enjoy constitutionalism. According to Kuper and Kuper â€Å"Constitutionalism is a political condition in which the constitution functions as an effective and significant limit on government† (The Social Science Encyclopedia, 1996, pp. 134). For constitutionalism to occur the constitution must constrain the government; hence, any government that is constitutional can be referred to as â€Å"limited government† (The Social Science Encyclopedia, 1996, pp. 134). In many regions, such as the European Union, constitutionalism is maintained by the Court of Justice, or judicial reviews. According to Kuper and Kuper, these practices aren’t required in the British system because â€Å"the most important constitutional precepts are maintained and enforced more informally through well-established popular attitudes and the restraint of politicians† (The Social Science Encyclopedia, 1996, pp. 134). Furthermore, there are countries with a written constitution such as Middle-eastern countries, but don’t practice constitutionalism. It is the executive body that rules and sets the laws, and in addition, there is no limit to its power. Furthermore, an opposition party or a judiciary, those who make sure that constitutionalism is practiced, and maintain constitutional limits are actually â€Å"not independent of government, because they are controlled by social or economic interests aligned with the government† (The Social Science Encyclopedia, 1996, pp. 134). Hence, even if there is a written constitution that can limit the government’s power, those who enforce constitutional laws may be in line with the government. A constitution might be nothing but a symbol or tool in order for governments to acquire both internal and external legitimacy, and for the public to respect the political and social rules. In the case of Britain, the people chose the anniversary of Magna Carta as the new national day, which shows that the people believe that the power of their ruler is bound. Magna Carta â€Å"didnt work in practice but it set a precedent. It advanced the cause of liberty, constitutionalism and parliamen tarianism†¦..† (The Telegraph, 2006). Reading in the news, the idea of forming a written constitution in Great Britain is being addressed by the current Prime Minister Gordon Brown in order to increase the democracy in Britain. But what must and must not be included in the constitutions? So, since this system has been working in Britain for centuries, and there is a body (the Parliament) that has some power over the prime minister, the system must not be tampered with. The well functionality of the system, the stability of the country, and the great flexibility in making and terminating laws are some of the reasons why Great Britain has an unwritten constitution. To sum everything up, Great Britain does not have a written constitution, but they do have other forms of constitutional documents. This system has been working well for a very long period of time, and even without a constitution, constitutionalism (which is limiting the government’s power) is still being practiced to some extent. Bibliography Adam Kuper, Jessica Kuper (ed.): The Social Science Encyclopedia (London: Routledge, 1996). A.V. Dicey: Introduction to the study of The Law of the Constitution (London: Macmillan, 1885). John Louis De Lolme: The Constitution of England (London: Henry G. Bohn, 1853). Judith Pryor: Constitution (London: Routledge, 2008). Hilaire Barnett Marinos Diamantides: ‘Sources of the Constitution’, Public Law. Published on 2007 by University of London, accessed from http://www.londonexternal.ac.uk/current_students/programme_resources/laws/subject_guides/public_law/public_chs1to4.pdf Nigel Morris: ‘The Big Question: Why doesnt the UK have a written constitution, and does it matter?’ published on 14/02/2008, accessed from http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/the-big-question-why-doesnt-the-uk-have-a-written-constitution-and-does-it-matter-781975.html No author: ‘Magna Carta is favoured date for British Day’, published on 30/05/2006, accessed from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/global/main.jhtml?xml=/global/2006/05/30/nmagna30.xml

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Certificate of making good defects,c.d.m, latent defects

Certificate of making good defects,c.d.m, latent defects * Under 2005 The Certificate Of Practical J.C.T. Completion has far reaching effects upon the rights and obligations of all concerned within the contract these include the commencement of the defects liability period which usually lasts for 6 months. Possession of the site returns to the employer. The risk and damage to works, and third party liability transfers back to the employer. Retention is payable in part (50%). Arbitration may be sought if required. No further variation to works may be issued unless monies for works to be carried out are re-calculated and agreed. The limitation period begins. Application for the Certificate of completion may be made and within 14 days of receipt of application the relevant body must issue the said certificate of completion. * The Certificate of Making Good Defects is a certificate that is in relation to the completion of defects, imperfections, shrinkage and any other fault raised during the defect liability period. It is issued when in the opinion of the Architect and others the contractor has rectified and made good all defects and any other faults within time frame of the defect liability period of time allowed by the Architect/ Engineer and confirmed in writing. The date will be stated when the contractor completed said works. * The relevance of The Health and Safety file is such that it provides as much and relevant information as possible regarding all works carried out in the completion of the contract. It is inclusive of all method statements and risk assessments pertaining to the works. It shows any problems that may apply to the future of the development / structure etc .It minimises Any risk to operatives involved in any future works that may be carried out, Such as maintenance, renovation, demolition or repair. The file must be handed to the employer at the end of the contract. * LATENT DEFECTS The possible routes open for a client once a latent defect has been discovered is to invoke certain insurances already in place ,and certain conditions under J.c.t terms of contract * Collateral warranty. There are also some alternative routes * Latent defect insurance * N.H.B.C Insurance(Various) * NHBCs warranty and insurance cover, available for up to 12 years, covering over 80% of all UKs new build social housing developments. It is specifically designed to protect Housing Associations (HAs) and other Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) build projects including new build, conversions and renovations, multiple occupancy projects, foyer schemes, student accommodation and mixed-use sites. This comprehensive warranty provides extensive cover for contractor defect liability and insolvency for up to 2 years after completion. Building failures cover for latent defects significantly reducing the need for collateral warranties * Collateral Warranty J.C.T 2005 9.4 The client may wish the contractor to provide a collateral warranty under J.C.T 2005 9.4 Collateral warranties are contracts requiring the relevant parties to conclude a separate agreement. The promise by the Contractor is similar to the contract details at practical completion(Defect Liability). If the contractor does not comply with the employers notice he may be liable for a claim of damages for breach of main contract. However if a defect does not show until a much later date ,It requires the client to pursue for damages in the way of contractual entitlement. If there is no insurance against the failure to provide collateral damages the employer can consider amendments to the standard form of contract. Latent Defects insurance * Latent defect insurance is a long-term insurance cover .It includes new buildings against damage or the imminent threat of damage caused by defective design, workmanship and materials in the structure of the building. The structure of the building normally means the foundation, walls, floors, roof, other load-bearing elements, the waterproof envelope and if the building has a basement, its waterproofing element. * Cover is also available for loss of rent or revenuelost as a result of damage caused by a latent defect. Some insurers nowoffer Latent Defects insurance for projects retaining existing buildings and for existing buildings including some coverfor non-structural components

Sex,Slavery And Human Trafficking

Sex,Slavery And Human Trafficking In some cases, sex slavery and human trafficking are connected to one another. Human trafficking is the practice of being tricked, lured, coerced, or otherwise removed from their home or country. In most instances, human trafficking of women and children had led them to being sexually exploited by traffickers. It is believed that more people are being trafficked across the border against their will now then at any point in the past. Adult victims are lured into this hidden industry with false promises of good jobs in other countries, false marriage proposals, or kidnapped. Children are also kidnapped into the sex industry, sold by their own families, and at times families are manipulated into selling their children. Traffickers would tell parents or family members that the children would have a brighter future if they left their families. Families believed that these traffickers would take their children and teach them a good trade to ensure their future, or be educated. But in reality, women and children are sold to brothels and held captive. Victims are kept in deplorable conditions, beaten, raped, and threatened. Medical care does not exist for those victims and many are exposed to deadly sexually transmitted diseases. History Viviene Cree (2008) wrote that women and children are especially vulnerable to sex trafficking because of their experience of powerlessness, poverty, gender-based discrimination, and the history of sexual and physical violence. Unfortunately, human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation is not something that happened overnight. History has shown us that the selling and using of the human body for sexual gratification was happening then and practice is continuing today. While searching for some information on the history of sex slavery, we found several academic articles that dealt with the owning of women and children for sexual use. Yaron Ben-Naeh (2006) wrote that from the 16th to the 19th century, female slaves were kept in Jewish household during the Ottoman Empire. The slaves that were being kept in these households were of Slavic origins captured during the Ottoman Campaign, or by their Tator collaborators in Eastern Europe. Because these slaves were of Slavic origins, the documented physical descriptions of these slaves were that they had fair colored hair and light colored eyes. Females were sought out for their domestic skills, strength, and their obedience. It was also suggested that the slaves were considered as beautiful objects that were present in the household. Court records, from that period, listed a wide range of prices of slaves. Prices were given according to the slaves physical attributes, skills, appearance, age, and the length of service agreed upon. These females were not only used for domestic servitude, but some were used as concubines to the males of the households, usually the master o f the domain. Sexual relationships with their masters were part of the slaves domestic duties. There was some documentation that female slaves were freed from their owners, if they were loyal and obedient. It was also written that some slaves mentioned in the wills of their deceased masters. Sometimes these slaves were left some money or items in the will. Some slaves are transferred to different family members or sold to neighbors when their owners passed away. It was not uncommon for some female slaves to be married off to family members, relatives, or friends. Children of the female slave, if they converted to Judaism and the Jewish owner acknowledged paternity, were legitimate heir and were legally allowed to their fathers inheritance. Viviene Cree (2008) wrote that public concern about human trafficking is not new. In the 19th and the 20th century, organizations were put together to stop the trafficking of human beings. One of these organizations was The National Vigilance Association (NVA), which was launched on August 1885 in London, UK. The purpose of the organization was to undertake private prosecution and alert the police to the infringements of the newly passes Criminal Law Act. The main provisions were: *1. It became an offense to procure a woman under 21 years of age for prostitution. *2. The age of sexual consent was raised from 13 years to 16 years *3. Anyone who detained a women or a girl for the purpose of unlawful sex, in an brothel or other premise. *4. Financial penalties or imprisonment were imposed on anyone found guilty of keeping, managing, assisting, owning, or renting out premises used as a brothel or for the purpose of prostitution. In the beginning, the organization was focused on local activities in their area. For instance, prostitutes were blamed for the declining health of the nation and the armed forces. The NVA created campaigns to eradicate prostitution. To accomplish this task, members investigated brothels, dance halls, and dangerous houses. Members of the organization were able to remove women and children whom they believed were at risk. At the end of the 19th century, the NVAs executive committee formed the International Bureaus British National Committee to handle international activities. In 1921, the League of Nations took over the responsibilities of the International Bureau and combined their forces with the NVA on seeking agreements between countries on the repatriation on prostitutes, on the traffic of women and children, and on the abolition of licensed houses (regulated brothels), and on the assistance of expelled foreign prostitutes. The organization targeted the white slave trade, which dealt with child prostitution and the entrapment and removal of white British girls from overseas brothels. The panic was over the kidnapping of innocent (white) girls who were being forced into the life of prostitution. Socialist believed that prostitution, at that time, was the inevitable by-product of capitalism. Women had to use their bodies because the economic structure did not offer women legitimate opportunities of earning a wage. Another part of history has shown us that war was another excuse used to violate womens bodies, such as trafficking women across to the battlefield to service soldiers. The comfort women use by the Imperial Japanese Army during WWII, was one of the most extreme forms of institutionalized forms of violence against women. It was institutionalized because the Japanese military felt that if they set up brothel stations it would reduce the amount of rapes. Until recently, the comfort women of WWII have been silent and lost in the written pages of history books. The military called these women military comfort women to disguise the horrific nature and true purpose of these women. In December 1991, Korean women had started to come forward claiming to be comfort women and exposing sexual crimes committed against them by the Japanese army during the war. Pyong Gap Min wrote that the victimization of Korean Comfort Movement has three major components: (1) their being forced into military sexua l slavery, (2) their suffering inside military brothels, and (3) their half-century of agonizing experiences after their return home. These women came forward because they felt that they deserved any official apology from the Japanese government. They also were seeking compensation, prosecution of offenders and war criminals, proper education of the public on the nature of this war crime, a rewritten history of war crimes in the textbooks to include the sexual violations, and memorial tablets for the deceased comfort women. Young girls, between the ages of 14 to 17, were taken off the streets by Japanese soldiers and were forced to service an average of thirty to forty soldiers a day. George Hicks wrote in his book, The Comfort Women: Japans Brutal Regime of Enforced Prostitution in the Second World War that these women were rotated between some many men that their pudenda grew swollen and inflamed, and they were constantly attempting to gain relief by applying cold towels. Hicks also mention, that women were taught tricks of the trade by maximizing time and effort. They were taught to douche between rapes, or hurriedly apply cotton wool soaked in disinfectant. As supplies started to run low, the women had to reuse condoms by rinsing them off between uses. These girls were made to service in military brothels established in China and other Asian and Pacific countries during the Asian and Pacific War (1932-1945). The girls came from Korean, China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Europea n women were also used by the military. These women were of Dutch, taken from prisoner of war camps in Indonesia. The estimate numbers of women taking and transported across the battlefield was about 200,000, and less than 30 percent survived to the end of the war. Korean women made up the higher percentage of the women taking, about 80 percent of the total population of comfort women. The Japanese army divided the women according to race, class, nationality, and the ranks of the officers they were made to service. Korean women and Asian women were taken an advantaged of by the lower class soldiers. Japanese and European women were saved for the upper class officers of the military. Korean women were treated more cruelly than Japanese women, mainly because of Japaneses colonization of Korea. It was not until recently, that the Japanese government would not acknowledge the use of comfort women during WWII. For years, Japan had denied the recruitment and transportation of these women. On January 16, 1992, Yoshimi Yoshiaki, a Japanese history professor, discovered documents found information about the military comfort women in the library of Japans Self Defense Force in Japan. Finally, with the discovery of documentation and victims stepping forward, Japan admitted to this part of their history and issued a formal apology in August of 1993 with no compensation. Instead the government solicited donations from their citizens and put the funds into the Asian Movement Fund. By doing this, the government avoided any legal and financial responsibilities. Another war that contributed to the trafficking of females to service male soldiers was during the Vietnam War. During the war, the Thai government received billions of dollars in military and economic aid because of its alignment with the United States (Ratchada Jayagupta (2009). In exchange, the Thai government authorized 700,000 U.S military troops in north-eastern and eastern Thailand. Because of the increase of foreign men coming into their areas, criminal networks started to recruit females from costal towns of Pattaya and Bangkok for sexual services. These women were used to service military men on their leave time. To help facilitate the migration process, immediate family member of the women, locals, and traffickers would be involved in the transportation. When the U.S government withdraw its troops from Thailand, which did not stop sex tourism in Thailand. As a matter of fact, by 1982 tourism had become Thailands top foreign exchange earner. In most cases involving crime and criminal activities, the males exploitations of females was/is for the purpose of sexual gratification and for profit. In the animal kingdom, some species exploit their females not for the purpose of satisfying their lust but to ensure the continuation of the species. One of these animals is a species of copepods, called a sea louse. The sea louse males start recruiting females by giving off a chemical smell that females find irresistible. The female would follow the chemical trail that lead up to the males lair. When she gets close enough, the male would capture her and bring her inside the lair. The male would repeat the same procedure for the next three months until he has enough females. The male sea louse can have up to three dozens females in his harem. He will line all the females in a row in his tunnel to monitor them closely. When the females begin to molt, he will then mate with each of them. The females will sacrifice their lives in order for their offspring s to survive. Each female will become swollen with eggs, and when it is time those eggs will hatch. It takes a lot of energy to hold such a large number of young in her shell. By the time the young are ready to be born, she will died of exhaustion. Profits Money is the incentive of most crime and criminal activities. Unfortunately, sex slavery or human trafficking is a highly profitable underground industry. Rachada Jayagupta (2009) believes the human trafficking has now become the third largest criminal activity in the world, next to drugs and arms trafficking. Jennifer Ludden (2009) wrote that human trafficking is the second largest illicit business in the World after drugs. After narcotics and arms sales, trafficking is estimated to be the largest source of revenue for organized crime (U.S. Department of State 2004). Trafficking of human beings is such a lucrative business, that it profits are estimated to be in the billions every year. The selling of the human body is considered more profitable than drugs. In 1990, the trafficking of human, mostly for prostitution, generated an annual profit between $1.9 billion and $3.2 billion Canadian (Janet Bagnall (2002). Drugs are sold and used once, but the body of the person can be used and sold over and over again. Women, who are sold into prostitution, can be earners for their pimp for years. Most of the money that these women make goes directly to the hands of their pimps, with little or nothing going to the victims. On February 5, 2010, The Sun reported that an Irish Pimp, who ran a multi-million euro prostitution ring in Wales, was sentenced to seven years in prison. Thomas Carroll, his wife Shamiela Clark, and his daughter Toma Carroll, were all sentence for trafficking women and forcing them into prostitution. The girls, who would charge their clients 250 euro for an hour, had to lodge their earning into Toma Carrolls account. Carroll would than transfer the money to her fathers account. In 2006, 111,000 euros was deposited, 113 million euro was deposited in 2007, and 500,000 was lodged by September 2009. Trafficked women retain little or nothing of the money they earn. Women and children of these sex industries are immediately discarded when they no longer become attractive to their potential clients, or are no longer profitable to their pimps. In Cambodia, children are considered commodities, and are often tortured and killed when they have outlived their usefulness. Another reason for the short lifespan of these victims is they are more susceptible to diseases. With inadequate health care and poor hygiene, many victims are infected by AIDS and other transmitted diseases. Victims are giving drugs and rape repeatedly by their captures to break their wills and prevent them from escaping. These captures would usually be the first to rape their victims, in order to give them lessons on how to please their clients. If these trafficked women or girls do no meet the quota or the requirements to satisfy the clients, they would be quickly sold off to another person or brothel. Women and children are also given drugs so they can earn more money by taking on more clients. Some women and girls choose to take methamphetamines, in order to endure the physical and mental pain. They also take the drugs to be able to take on more clients. Kuntea Pang, left her home in Kampong Cham, to find her sister in the city. When she arrived there, a woman and said that she would help Kuntea find her sister. Instead, this woman brought her to a brothel and gave her methamphetamines. The drug made her not want to eat and not want to sleep, qualities that are desirable in sex worke rs. The methamphetamine also made Kuntea forget what happened to her as she was being held captive. When women and children are discarded, new recruits must take her place in the sex industry. Traffickers target victims according to the taste of their customers. In Thailand, young virgins in the sex tourism industry are considered a prize commodity. Virgins are prized because of their youth, inexperience, and the lack of sexually transmitted disease. Child virgins are especially prized because of their beauty and lack of sexual transmitted diseases. Larry Hilblom, the founder of DHL courier service, was one of those people who preferred the innocent of children. Generic testing had confirmed that he fathered at least four children from three Pacific Rim countries (Scheer, 1997). Shared Hope International (SHI), a non-profit group, undertook a 12 month long operation of commercial sexual exploitation in Jamaica, Japan, Netherlands, and the United States. SHI revealed a sophisticated business model for the sex tourism and sex trafficking. They compared this business with being in a m all. In a mall, buyers are able to choose from a variety of human products of different ages and different colors. David Hodge wrote that traffickers increase their market by being able to provide younger and younger females to be used for prostitution. The United States Central Intelligence Agency, estimates that traffickers can earn about $250,000 for each trafficked women. Child pornography is another type of sex industry that has become highly profitable for pimps and child sex operators. Child pornography includes magazines, videos, photographs, books, pictures, audiotapes, motion pictures, and images on the Web that show children in sexually explicit acts. Barri Flowers (2001) said, Some children are forced into child pornography by pimps and operators of sex rings or sex tourism, where they turn into sex slaves. In Germany, the sales of child porn are estimated to exceed $250 million. The biggest consumer of child porn comes from the United States, with their numbers to be about 6 million dollars annually. Eighty-five percent of the worldwide sales of pornography come from America (Flowers, 2001). So how much does a human body cost in this underground economy? The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) gave an example of how profitable the selling of human being is. They used the example of a girl who was kidnapped in the village of Nepal. This girl would be trafficked to India and sold for $1000 and then trafficked into the United States and sold for $20,000. Janet Bagnall from the Gazette, wrote that young girls from Nepal are sold at the Indian border for four dollars. They are then sold a second time to brothel owners in Bombay for $500 to $1000. These girls would not be able to leave the brothels until their purchase price has been paid off. The purchase price plus interest would be a debt that these Nepali girls must pay off, which might stretch on indefinitely. The United Nation estimates that human traffickers can earn about 10 billion dollars per year, and the average sale price for a slave is $12,500. Globalization Traffickers, pimps, organized groups have found another way to increase their profit margins. Instead of staying within their own countries, these opportunists have found a way to take their industry globally. By being able to transport women and children to a wider range, they are able to supply a larger clientele. Criminal gangs have started trafficking their victims to area where they believe there will be a high demand for sexual services, such as rock concerts, football games, and other major sporting events. During the World Cup games in 2006, there was an increase of sex trafficking to meet the demand for commercial sex during that event. It is estimated that more than 40,000 women and children were transported to Germany for the month long event. Many victims were placed in mega brothel, quickie shacks, and other underground networks that existed in Germany during that time. The Internet has made it especially easy for clients to find their victims in other countries. Technological advances have made it possible for a much broader, international group of consumers to travel long distances to have sex with minors in the 20th and the 21st century. The Internet is highly unregulated and the fastest growing communication network in the world. In just a matter of minutes, a man can book a plane ticket, get a hotel, and reserve the body of a female all in the comfort and privacy of his own home. Donna Hughes said that advertisements and endorsements for sex tourism, mail order brides, brothels, strip bars, and escort services are openly and easily found on the World Wide Web. Men are able to go onto internet discussion groups and find information on the sex industry. They are able to find names of brothels in other countries, information on the price of women and girls. Descriptions on sex tours found in The World Sex Guide would have information on hotel pric es, taxi services, telephone numbers, cost of alcohol, what kinds of sex act that can be bought, the price for each act, and the comments about the women. In 1995, an American man who operated Pimps R Us, organized a sex tour to the Dominican Republic. The tour was four days and three nights and included oral sex from a prostitute chosen by the tour guide. As of 1996, 25 companies in the United States offer sex tours to other countries. These packaged deals will include plane tickets, accommodations, ground transportation, local guide, and the promise of sexual encounters with local girls. One U.S based sex tour operator promises customer that they will never sleep alone in this tour. Women and children are trafficked everyday to underdeveloped and developed countries. It is not uncommon for women and children to be trafficked from countries that have economic and political problems. The flow of the trafficked is from poorer to richer countries. From Latin America to the United States and Western Europe, from Eastern Europe to Western Europe, the Middle East, Japan, North America; from Africa to Europe; from Nepal to India; from Burma, Cambodia, and Vietnam to Thailand; from Thailand to Japan and Australia (Baird, 2007). Many of the women and girls are taken and trafficked into the commercial sex industry. The United Nation (UN) believes that the victim of trafficking spans the globe, from 127 countries to be exploited in 137 countries. Most of the slaves come from Albania, Belarus, China, Romania, Russia, and Thailand. They are then trafficked to destinations such as Asia, western Europe, North America, and the Middle East. It is estimated that as many as half of the 100,000 women and children working in brothels in Bombay came from Nepal (Wilson, 1997). Since the 1990s, girls are being trafficked to Thailand from neighboring countries. These countries are Myanmar, Lao Peoples Democratic Republic, Cambodia, Vietnam, and the Yunnan Province in China. Women and girls are trafficked from Cambodia primary from Vietnam. The victims are brought from Cambodia and sent to brothels in Phnom Penh to work. Some Cambodians are transported out to other countries like Thailand, Malaysia, China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. The regions with substantial child trafficking burdens include West Africa, South and Southeast Asia, Central Asia, Eastern Europe, the Balkans, Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States, and Latin America (Beyrer 2004). In Quebec, organized crime network can recruit and transport Russian women from their homes and into Quebec message parlors with 3 weeks. Foreign tourists who travel to these countries come from fairly rich, developed countries. A large number of foreign sex tourists are males from wealthy industrialized countries like the United States, Germany, United Kingdom, Australia, France, and Japan. A high number of tourists come from the Unites States. Each year foreign travelers from predominantly Western countries pump billions of dollars into the economies of developing nations when they purchase sexual services (Andrews, 2004). Foreigners feel that paying for sex with a female or male is part of the travel experience. It is hard to estimate how many foreign tourists frequent these Southeast Asian countries because many tourists evade arrest in these countries that they commit the crimes. Child sex tourist face little fear of being caught because there is a relatively low risk of being prosecuted in the countries that they committed their criminal act. Police corruption and the government turning a blind eye is another rea son these men get away with their crimes. Most developing nations have little incentive for domestic enforcement because tourism is one of the main driving forces behind their economies (Andrews, 2004). It is very difficult for victims to seek help from institutions that were mandated to protect people; instead these institutions also become the puppets of organized gangs. Some peace officers are paid to look the other way by pimps, organized gangs, or traffickers. Corrupt law enforcement officials are giving bribes or sexual services in return for not arresting pimps or brothel owners (Andrews, 2004). In Cambodia, Dr. Kek Galabru, president of a human rights group, said that public official profit greatly from protection of child sex trade and that they themselves are frequent patrons of the brothels where the children are sold. Sri, a fourteen year old girl from Thailand, was sold to a brothel owned by an investment club. The members of this club were business and professional men , government bureaucrats, and local politicians. These men would leave the management of the brothel to pimps and a bookkeeper, to keep their hands clean. When Sri tried to run away from the brothel, a policeman found her and brought her back to her pimp. Slave trade requires the direct or indirect involvement of national governments (Kapstein, 2006). Since the profits are so high, traffickers have plenty of money to pay off government officials and local law enforcement. The U.S House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary said, sex tourists often escape prosecution in the host countries, because of factors ranging from ineffective law enforcement, lack of resources, corruption and immature legal system. Sex slavery is not only happening in other countries, but also in the United States. In the United States, brothels are operating as legitimate message parlors, spas, and acupuncture clinics. The U.S. Department of Justice prosecuted 555 people for human trafficking between 2001 and 2005, of those cases 129 cases involved child sex trafficking. The State Department revealed that 17,500 people are trafficked into the United States every year against their will. Shared Hope International and the Federal Bureau of Investigation estimated that every year 100,000 underage girls are forced or lured into the world of prostitution. Las Vegas is one city where minor sex trafficking is happening in large numbers. Children are being trafficked to Las Vegas from all over the United States. Interstates and expressways are making it easier for pimps to transport their victims across state lines. Truck drivers are recruited to drive minors to different states and deposit them to truck stops. CV rad ios become a very useful tool for truck drivers and sex workers to find each other. Sex workers would announce that they are available by letting the drivers know what channel she is on. If a driver is interested, he would tell the prostitute where he is located and what color is house is. Truck stops are the perfect place for hidden crimes to happen because they are isolated and out of the public and law enforcement view. United States Department of State Report The major source, The U.S. Department of States annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) annual report, is utilize to determine the trafficking efforts from various countries and to connect it to foreign assistance that performs in that region (Schuckman, p. 85). The report is arranged from Tier 1 to be most compliant to Tier 3 as noncompliant (McKinney, 2009): Tier 1: Countries that fully comply with the acts minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. Tier 2: Countries that do not fully comply with the minimum standards but are making significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance. Tier 2: Watch List: Countries on Tier 2 requiring special scrutiny because of high or significantly increasing number of victims; failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat trafficking in persons; or an assessment as Tier 2 based on commitments to take action over the next year. Tier 3: Countries that neither satisfy the minimum standards nor demonstrate a significant effort to come into compliance. Countries in this tier are subject to potential non-humanitarian and non-trade sanctions. Italy According to U.S. Department TIP for June 2009, Italy has a Tier 1 status. However, Italy is one of many countries that traffickers harbor and transport women and children internationally for sexual exploitation. Women and children are trafficked for forced prostitution mainly from Nigeria, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, Albania, and Ukraine but also from Russia, South America, North and East Africa, the Middle East, China, and Uzbekistan (McKinney, 2009). According to the NGO statistics, there are two-thirds of the ninety percent of illegal foreign seasonal workers in Italy. This provides a larger opportunity for traffickers to prey on these victims. Moreover, these traffickers make it difficult for law enforcements to track the victims by constantly rotating these victims from various cities for a short period of a time. Even with the challenges, the Italian Government will continue to comply with the limited regulations to stop human trafficking. The Government of Italy is not showing mercy when traffickers are prosecuted and convicted. Italy abides by the 2003 Measures Against Trafficking in Persons law. This law provides the convicted a sentence of eight to twenty years of imprisonment, punishment equivalent to other grave offenses (US Senate Subcommittee, 2000). If the convicted was charged for trafficking for forced labor, then other laws will be used. Incomplete data for 2008 show the government investigated 2,221 individuals, arrested 316, prosecuted 480 trafficking suspects, and convicted 225 trafficking offenders, compared to 163 convicted for the same time frame in 2007 (US Senate Subcommittee, 2000). According to NGO ECPAT, roughly 80,000 Italian men travel to Kenya, Thailand, Brazil, Latin America, and the Czech Republic for sex tourism annually. In May 2008, an Italian male committed an offense both Thailand and Cambodia for child sex tourism. The Government sentenced him a total of fourteen years of imprisonment. The Italian Government not only offers punishment, but also protection for the victims. According to Article 18, anit-trafficking law allows authorities to grant residence permits and provide protection and job training services to victims of trafficking. Also, Article 13 provides for six months assistance to victims. With these assistance provided, these victims will have some hope for independence and begin a new life. Another benefit provided for victims is that they are not generally penalized if they file complaints against their traffickers. This will assist in more prosecutions and encourages victims to become proactive. Russia According to the U.S. State Department TIP June 2009 report, Russian ranks Tier 2-watch list. This is alarming. According to Schuckman, the activists that work for human rights, international, and humanitarian organizations, argue that countries that are technically in Tier 3 are granted a higher Tier 2-watch list as a diplomatic gesture. Nevertheless, Russia continues to be an origin as a transit and destination country for

Saturday, July 20, 2019

An Analysis of the Poetry of Yeats :: Biography Biographies Essays

An Analysis of Down by the Salley Gardens One of Yeats' poems, Down by the Salley Gardens is a typical story of inexperienced youth in the realm of love. The final two lines hold the key to the theme of the poem: She bid me take life easy, as the grass grows on the weirs; But I was young and foolish, and now am full of tears. The poem is evidently about the relationship between the narrator and the woman with the "little snow-white feet†¢ and the narrator's failure to be able to cope with that relationship. Whilst she wanted to enjoy herself and "take life easy†¢, he was too "young and foolish†¢ to understand her needs, resulting in them going their separate ways, hence the ?nal line. Down by the Salley Gardens has a number of problems, probably due to it being written at an early point in Yeats' writing career. It lacks the subtlety of his later poems; there really is very little to analyze in terms of the themes and issues raised within. The language is also far simpler - there are no very memorable lines in this poem, whereas his later works contained lines that would eventually enter most people's collective unconscious, such as some of the first few lines of The Second Coming: Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;/Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, The repetition used in the last two lines of each stanza is obvious and overstated, and the bouncy, cheerful rhyme scheme does not seem to compliment the rather downbeat and morose tone of the poem. Down by the Salley Gardens simply lacks the power and depth with which he later infused his poems. The Lake Isle of Innisfree Written only four years after Down by the Salley Gardens, The Lake Isle of Innisfree is a remarkable advance. This poem is far more sophisticated in all respects. An immediately noticeable difference between it and the previous poem is its maturity; the themes explored and the techniques used to do so are far more complex and detailed than those used in Down by the Salley Gardens. The central theme is that of exile, and it is portrayed in a somewhat curious way. The narrator longs to live on the island of Innisfree and be closer to nature, hence the lines:

Friday, July 19, 2019

Oil: It’s Benefits and Downfalls :: Oil Movie Film Essays

Oil: It’s Benefits and Downfalls Our country utilizes an average of 700 million gallons of oil per day (NOAA, 2002). We are a country heavily dependent on oil. The film, which is about the important resource of oil, begins at Midway Sunset, the largest oil producing field in California. It is also the â€Å"largest oil-producing field in the continental United States.† In November of 1909, Midway Sunset had great success with the â€Å"Midway Gusher.† This gusher poured out 2000 barrels of oil a day, which was an astounding amount in 1909 (San Joaquin Geological Society, 2000). The film begins with Midway Sunset and its use of seismology, the science of earthquakes, and the drilling of oil wells. Also, the film talked about steam injection, a form of secondary recovery for oil. This method is used to pump oil that is difficult to extract. Steam injection works by the injection of steam into a reservoir to decrease oil viscosity, or thickness. This method, working at a high heat, allows the oil to be pumped more easily. The transportation of oil is a tricky process. The oil must be transported without any leakage into the surrounding area. The oil may be transported to global markets (by ship) or local markets, but either way, it is a difficult process. The oil is carried in large cargoes, which is good economically, but not environmentally. Undesirable results such as volatile emissions may leak into the atmosphere, causing pollution. (Lecture 2/22/02) However, one way, that the film stated, to decrease pollution is to convert to natural gases. Other problems with transportation are oil spills. Oil spills occur when â€Å"tankers, barges, pipelines, refineries, and storage facilities† leak oil into the environment. Spills can be as large as 11 million gallons, the number spilled in the Exxon-Valdez spill (NOAA, 2002). Oil spills damage the surrounding human, animal, and plant life, which is why it is a pressing problem. Different kinds of tankers can attribute to pollution.

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Analysis of Centaur Abducting Woman with Fallen Lapith Man Essay

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Perhaps the most interesting period in Greek sculpture is the Classical period. During this glorious period of unbelievable craftsmanship, numerous pieces celebrated the Greek’s infatuation with fable and war. The sculpture, nicely titled Centaur Abducting Lapith Woman and Fallen Lapith Man, is a wonderful symbol of the artistic period and image of war. Sculpted somewhere around 447-438 B.C., the sculpture was carved out of solid marble to produce a beautiful, and yet horrifying scene from a battle.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This sculpture was most likely the artist’s attempt to capture the essence of some fable that had been passed down through the generations. Perhaps more likely, it could have been the artist’s own imagination that fathomed the macabre beauty of the rendered scene. The sculpture is done in high relief, carved out of a solid block of marble. The lines and curves of the sculpture give each character within it great definition. It almost appears though, from the way in which the centaur holds the woman, that he has no head. This adds to the already existing complexity of the sculpture. It is very similar to other sculptures of the Classical period in the way that it depicts a man at death’s doorstep, and a woman being abducted. It seems to be a reoccurring theme.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The sculpture is done in a monochromatic brown hue. It depicts a valiant centaur with a Lapith woman slung over his shoulder. A Lapith...

Freedom: Meaning of Life and Br Essay

Freedom is often spoken of in what can be referred to as a â€Å"loose sense†. One country has more freedom than another; a twenty-one year old has more freedom than a fifteen year old, but what exactly does this word, which is so often flippantly used, mean? Or, if this conclusion cannot be reached, what does it not mean? For different people it may mean different things, but there has to be an equilibrium that can be reached in order to determine the meaning of freedom itself. In one form, freedom can mean that a person has â€Å"exemption from an obligation.†* If only the root (free) is looked at, it can be interpreted that one is â€Å"not under the control or power of another.†* However often the latter definition is used, it is also disagreed with, and for good reason: there is always a ruler, although the ruler may not necessarily be in the form of a person or group of persons. Take, for instance, the human body. It consists of basically three things, as far as ruling powers are concerned: prudence, will, and raw appetite. Raw appetite can be looked at as what we have without reason, will is what can control raw appetite (or desires that we have without reason), and prudence is that which provides a choice between will and raw appetite. Prudence has the ability to choose between the two options. This is just one example of how a ruler must always exist, although it may not have a physical form. Taking this into consideration, the meaning of freedom can further be explored. Perhaps it can be defined as having the liberty to choose who/what the ruler is to be. For, since nothing can exist without having some form of rule, if people are not permitted to choose what the ruling factor is, then that would not be considered having freedom. Through this, it can be concluded that freedom, possibly, is not simply the ability to be able to do whatever it is that you want, and it is not simply being liberated from the power of another. It can also be concluded that one of the definitions of freedom could possibly be the liberty to choose the ruler. However, it is possible that it is unfeasible to ever obtain the exact definition of freedom.

Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Succubus Heat CHAPTER 7

More Tim figures?I shake my head t all(prenominal)er for the third cartridge holder. If Id learned close to(prenominal) function abtaboo the Satanists-exc utilization me, the phalanx of Darkness-in my breakfast meeting with them two long beat deeplyr, it was that they re exclusivelyy give c atomic number 18d donuts. A view. They unploughed trying to force food on me and obtainmed demoteicularly fond of the aforementi bingled Timbits, which were akin donut holes except with a cuter material body. zero(prenominal)thanks.After the donuts, a large part of the meeting focused on me. They all trea confident(predi pate)d to have it withdraw who I was, whither Id contend from, how my own group operated, etc. I spun lies out as fast as I could, rapidly building up a chokestory for my Seattle Satanist group. The Army listened eagerly, and I hoped Id be able to remember ein truththing I was saying if quizzed afterward.Youll scantily have to pass down visit us slightly time, I tell, hoping to appease the questions. Thats the only way youll very chthonic sales booth. For now, I esteem, Kristin indigenceed me to come here to tittle-tattle somewhat you guys.The mention of Kristin sobered them up. Evan nodded. Georgina cerebrates we perchance imp all overishment to expand our activities. in that respect were six union gathered here, the truly active members. They ranged from 20s to 40s in age, and corresponding Evan, they had that same sort of kind demeanor that was more suited to component you pick out a videodisk player or lawn mower than break a goat. Maybe it was estimable a Canadian thing. One of the members, a footling blond college student named anyison, frowned. provided wherefore? Were al take iny doing what the ideal wants.They all sceneed at me, and I saw conflict on their faces. Id slept with a man far-off more moral than Dante last night and was in the full throes of succubus charisma. I could express it affecte d them. It was part of why they were so intrigued by me, and it would give me leverage here. Yet, I also realized, no matter how al tycoony they political program Kristin was and no matter how much they respected her endorsement of me, I was compose an out arrayr and not necessarily to be trusted, appealing or not. Again, I marveled at the strength of their conviction.Well, I dont want you guys to check over That was, of course, exactly what I wanted. merely intimately of what youre doing is scaring people. That wasnt exactly true, dependable now how else could I ap arrest it? It appears like now that youve established yourselves, you should use that strength to start influencing people toward the angels pass on. sure enough youll best do his- her bidding by actually leading people into darkness. I make eye contact with each person as I wheel spoke, lucky and set as much green soap charm as I could into my vo grump.A guy with a shaved head, whose name Id forgotten , popped a chocolate glazed Timbit into his talk and chewed judgmentfully. That cave ins sense.Allison didnt agree. If thats what the Angel wanted us to do, we would have it away. decently now, we need to detainment doing scarce as we have. We are give-up the ghostting strong, and we need to make sure that strength doesnt wane in the face of our enemies.I forced myself to guard smiling. These people didnt understand anything, let only when their so-called enemies. I turned toward Evan and reflexioned at him through lowered lashes. Why narrow for one goal, though? Evan, I thought you of all people really wanted to make this group nifty. I thought you wanted to bring more souls to the Angels side.Thats what were already doing, fightd Allison. She didnt seem to like me using the come-hither eyeball on Evan. For his part, Evan didnt like being caught mingled with us. He started to stammer out somewhatthing further was interrupted by the shaved-head guy.How? he asked Allison.She frowned. What do you mean, Blake? How what?How are we bringing more souls to the Angels side?By striking out at those who deny her greatness.Yeah Blake frowned and finished consume an another(prenominal) Timbit. But I dont deem doing that is bringing more souls to our side.Are you unbelieving what weve done?No, I stand by it all. Its just Blake shrugged. It seems like the things were doing arent really swaying souls toward the Angel. If anything, its just do them take a harder stand against us. Finally Finally someone got it. I could have kissed Blake. Maybe I would later. I mean, Im not really sure the Zamboni plan is really tone ending to darken souls. Itll just make people want to endorse themselves against us. Maybe its time to do the Angels call for out through more subtle means.Yes, I cried. Thats exactly what I-Zamboni?With much enthusiasm, they explained an idea theyd come up with to dust-paint a Zamboni with Satanic messages in good order in the begi nning it came out on the ice during a hockey game. Still belongings that idiotic smile on my face, I state in a direct voice, I view maybe you should reconsider that.Debate went on for the next arcminute or so. I was a bit dismayed that I hadnt swayed them all to my point of view immediately, unless Id displace enough ripples through them to make a difference. No matter what they claimed, none of them were really sure what exactly the Angel did want, of course, and while some were comfortable in their rut, others were starting to hang in my logic. I took it as a great sign of victory that when we finally got up to go, theyd distinguishable against taking any action-say, like, the Zamboni plan-until theyd met again.As we walked out of the restaurant, I caught up with Blake. Id discrete Evan was a lost cause. Blake seemed to be the smartest of the group, and I thought it ability be time for a leadership change. With a exact help, it wouldnt take much to topple Evan.Hey, I s ay, beaming at Blake. I really liked what you had to say. Are you busy aright now? Maybe we could talk some more.He smiled back at me, really interested. I probably wouldnt have until now needed any succubus captivate to convince him. I wish I could nevertheless I have to go to wreak. Are you free later this night? akin after dinner?Sure. We swapped numbers, and as we were about to part, I asked in a low voice, You dont conceive theyll do something anyway, do you? Despite what they said aboutyou know, putting the Zamboni plan on hold?His smile broadened. No, they wont do the Zamboni plan. Im sure of it.How?Because theyre out of spray paint.So theyll prevail more.He shook his head. Not without me. Im their supplier. I work at Home Depot.I again open myself with time to kill in Vancouver. It was a beautiful day, and the temperature was unoceansonably warm for April. So, I went and walked along the waterfront. The water seemed bluer than our own Puget healthy back in Seattle, moreover maybe that was just because the weather tended to be sunnier here. I wandered through Stanley Park afterward and accordingly finally meandered back to my hotel. As I did, I again passed one of the island of Jersey shops. Theyd changed their display and now showed a dress with a U.S. map on it that read Dear Canada, Please Invade . hindquarters in my room, I booted up my laptop to check my email. There were a few from the bookstores placard list that I ignored, as well as the unwashed spam. Along with those messages, I had one from greygoose. coms mailing list, a depiction of a cat with some nonsensical caption that Cody had forwarded me, and a letter from Maddie.It was a mass e-mail shed sent out this morning. It read Hey, guys I decided to start a blog. bankrupt it out. A link followed. Even though every instinct told me not to, I clicked it.Should have listened to those instincts.Pictures of her and Seth bombarded me. Theyd gone to the Seattle marine museum last night and taken assort photos posing by puffins, squids, and other sea creatures. Worse, Seths nieces were with them. That faithfully killed me. Seth had five endearing blond nieces, ranging from four to fourteen. I love them to pieces, and fracture up with him had been like breaking up with them too. The girls all waitressed causationably happy, and I wondered if they even remembered me. Well, of course they did. It hadnt been that long. But I knew Id keep fading from their minds until eventually, I was just some vague memory of their uncles ex.I shut down the laptop and decided to head down to the hotels bar.It wasnt quite dinnertime, so the place was fairly deserted. I took a seat at the bar near the television and promptly made friends with the barkeep. troika gimlets later, Id also made friends with an older pit visiting from San Francisco and some businessmen in town from Winnipeg. We were laughing about a recent movie when the TV perfectly changed from a curling mat ch to static. The bartender pushed besidestons on the remote ineffectually.Whats red ink on? he demanded.A few moments later, the picture returned, but this time it was on a different channel, one showing a local anaesthetic news program. My smile faded, and my gestate sank.No, I breathing roomed.The camera crew was report from Queen Elizabeth Park, another gorgeous world in the city that Id briefly considered termination to after Stanley Park. I wondered if I might have seen this atrocity and been able to bridle it if I had visited.The Army of Darkness had present a demonstration there late that afternoon. I counted about ten of them, so they must have recruited some of their appurtenant members. They were clothed in robes and hoods made out of cheap black and purple velvet, but I recognized two figures that looked suspiciously like Evan and Allison. Some of them held signs with pentagrams and assorted execration slogans while they walked around chanting something I cou ldnt make out. One of them had stuck a propel in the ground with a teras rubber goat mask on top of it. The mask wasnt affixed very well and kind of hung off to the side, making it look more like a mutant goat than an emblem of Hell. The footage showed a crowd gathered around and, later, police force coming to break everything up.I quickly charged the drinks to my room and sprinted off, pulling out my cell reverberate as I did.Blake? This is Georgina.He groaned. I know, I know. I just found out.What the hell happened? They said they werent qualifying to do anything. You said they werent expiry to do anything.I didnt stand for they would He sounded sincerely upset. I was at work until about a half-hour ago. I had no idea-honest. They did it on their own. I dig a bunch of them got arrested. Evan, Joy, and Crystal made it out, though.I sighed and canceled our plans for tonight. I had to do victimize control before Cedric or one of his associates came after me-and I knew for a point they would.I drove over to Evans house. He answered the door, still wearing the robe but not the hood. His face was radiant and excited. Georgina Did you see the news? Did you see what we did? Yes I pushed him back inside, closing the door rat me before any of the neighbors could see him. What happened? You said you wouldnt do anything else until we met again What happened to influencing people for the greater goo-evil?He finally caught on that I didnt cope his excitement. You dont think we influenced people?I think you influenced some people to think you were freaks. A bunch of churches are probably going to have sermons tomorrow about staying everlasting(a) and true or something like that.Evan flounced onto his couch, forged but still glowing with the run of their stunt. No, this was powerful. Its effects will be far reaching.Far reaching enough to get me smote, no doubt. What happened? What made you decide to do it? Had you been planning it all along?No. It was just decided-a couple of hours after we met.But why? I asked, frustrated.Because the Angel told us to.But you said you wouldntHe looked at me like I was crazy. But the Angel told us to. We had to obey her.I started to argue the idiocy of that and then paused to reconsider something I hadnt given credence to before. Are you saying the Angel actually spoke to you?Yes, of course. How else would we know what she wants?An uneasy feeling came over me. This self-colored time, when theyd spoken of doing what the Angel wanted, Id off-key it was in the way so many ghostlike zealots presumed they mum their deitys desires. Those who said their deity spoke to them were usually crazy.Does she, like, speak to you in dreams?No, he said. She appeared to me. Right here. Well, over there, actually. By the TV.The Angel appears to you, I said flatly. In the flesh. Shows up and tells you what to do?Of course. How else do you think wed know?That uneasy feeling increased. What does she look like?Evan sighed, a dreamy expression choice his features. Oh, Georgina. Shes beautiful. So beautiful. She glows-shes almost hard to look at. Her hair-its like a cloak of gold, and her eyeball He sighed again. I cant describe them. Like all the colors in the rainbow.My phone rang just then, interrupting his similes. I didnt recognize the number, but it was a Vancouver area code. Hello?It was Cedric. If you are not in my office in ten proceeding, he said. I will come and bring you here. And you wont like it.I shoved my phone into my purse and stood up. Evan, Ive gotta run. Look, if the Angel duologue to you again, can you give me a heads up next time?He turned hesitant. Um, maybe.I paused at the door. Whats that supposed to mean?Well, you seeDont take this the wrong way, but she told us not to tell you. She said to keep this to the inner circle. Probably she just needs to get to know you better.That sent my mind reeling, but Cedrics words had a greater impact at the moment. I had no time to argue against an entity that might or might not be real. Well talk about this later.I sped over to the Financial District, not bothering to count the minutes for fear of what Id find. Nothing happened to me by the time I reached Cedrics office, so I assumed Id made it. Kristin wasnt in the reception area, but his door was open.Get in here, Cedric barked.My brass pounding, I walked into his office.His face was filled with rage, and if Id had any thoughts that his mild manner made him seem undemonlike, that idea was immediately banished. He seize his fists as he glared at me, and I thanked some(prenominal) luck I had that he had remained sitting and didnt throw me across the room. Meekly, I slid into my usual chair.What are you doing? he demanded. Or rather, what arent you doing? He pointed to his computer screen. It didnt have Wikipedia on it for a change. Instead, it showed pictures of the demonstration for a local papers website. You were supposed to stop this kind of thing Did Jerome displace you here to sabotage me and fleck?No They did this without telling me. Id actually persuade them this morning not to do this other thing with a Zamboni, and then they went behind my back because their Angel of Darkness allegedly spoke to them.As quickly as I could, I recapped the days events and conversation. When I finished, his public eye hadnt changed. He still clearly didnt mean me.Jerome said you were good, but I had no idea you were this good. You manipulated this group right under my nose.No, I repeated. Ill swear to you by whatever you want. I tried to stop them.He continued as though I hadnt spoken. I am going to get shit for this from everyone. Our own people are going to come down on me-in addition to making me a laughingstock. And eventually, the other side is going to raise an supercilium too. They dont like this kind of overt attack.The other side. Heaven. The angels.AngelsWhos your counterpart here? I asked. Among the angels. There must be an archangel here too, right?The question caught him off-guard enough that his pissed-off look momentarily lifted. Of course. Her names Isabelle. Why?WellEvan and the others keep saying theyre directed by an angel. All this time you thought they were just worshipping some all-purpose Satanic ideal. But what if a real angel is controlling them? I mean, Jeromes given up the fight with you. If anyone had reason to give you shit, it wouldnt be our side. Itd be theirs.Cedric was soundless for several moments. This isnt their style. Its not Isabelles either. Ive known her for a long time. When greater immortals said a long time, they usually werent kidding.Is she blond?Yes, but that doesnt mean anything. We can look like anything we want. Someone appearing to this group-and I dont think anyone is-could easily make themselves blond or bald or whatever. I think youre trying to shift the blame off yourself and Jerome.Im not Look, I dont want to get mired in any of this. I just want to finish my strain and go home. And if you ask me, I think someones trying to work you over and send you looking in the wrong places. steady-going Lord. I sounded like everyone else now. Soon Id be telling him he was getting played.Isabelle wouldnt do it, he maintained. Were friendswell, kind of.It was funny that demons be and betrayed each other all the time, barely he somehow stood by the lineament of someone who was technically his enemy. I understood it, though. Jerome maintained a similarly erratic friendship with Seattles archangel, Carter.Can you get me in touch with her?Cedric regarded me in amazement. Youre really going to run with this?Im not sabotaging you-but I want to find out who is.Thats a lot of work just to take the help off yourself.I simply looked at him, maintaining as determined a look as I could in the hopes that hed believed me. I also hoped the taboo demons maintained about messing with the employees of other demons would hold. Apparently it did because he said at last, Ill show you how to contact her, as pointless as that is.I exhaled the breath Id been holding. Thank you.He shook his head. But dont think youre in the clear. Im still going to be watching you.