Compromises and the Articles of Confederation free essay sample

The Articles of Confederation caused numerous issues for our establishing fathers. There were numerous significant elements that were relinquished so as to run a useful country. A portion of the issues were: no administrative armed force, no national money, the central government couldn't burden, there were no concentrated courts for interstate violations, and it was amazingly hard to pass a law and practically difficult to pass a change. Fortunate for us our establishing fathers met in Philadelphia and examined how they can endorse on the Confederation. In the long run they concocted the Constitution of Independence and the Bill of Rights. Before the Constitution was made there was a great deal of belligerence and trading off done. Without bargain it is difficult to make the Constitution. The main issue that must be understood to make the new government was to have a bureaucratic armed force. The bigger issue with that was the government had no force and the states had all the force. Each state had their own little military or local army. One of the colossal defining moments for the choice of having a government armed force was Shays’ Rebellion where ranchers in Massachusetts got tired of the charges passed on by their state and framed a horde (A1 Pg. 64). The horde continued for a few hours before the Massachusetts state army put them down. After this occurrence congressmen concluded that a solid government was important for disobedience and universal treats also. The explanation that numerous states didn't need an administrative armed force was on the grounds that they didn't need a solid government and they accepted that by giving them a military it gave them more force. Another serious issue with the Article was there was no national cash. Each state had begat their own cash and each states coins were worth distinctive worth. Much of the time store and merchants would not take cash from an alternate state. This was an enormous issue for some reasons. After the war we had a gigantic obligation to France since they had given us a huge amount of cash and warriors to help us. So as to give them cash we need cash. There was no administrative mint and the government couldn't burden (another difficult inside and out). The other issue they had without a national cash was numerous individuals were bringing in fake cash from various states since it was so basic. The purpose behind the absence of administrative money was again a dread of the government turning out to be to amazing and each state getting equivalent. Since the establishing fathers didn't need an oppression in their new country they gave the government an extremely minute measure of intensity. The intensity of the national government was restricted to such an extent that they could neither expense the individuals of the United States, nor the states themselves. This turned into a tremendous issue was the US needed to take care of their obligation to France since they had no cash since they couldn't burden. The other explanation it was incredibly vital for the legislature to hand down expenses was to store and bolster a national armed force. During the Articles of Confederation the government was just permitted to demand for charges and not request. Just 25% of the expenses recommended were paid. After the Constitution the central government had the ability to lay and gather charges, obligations, imposts, and extract. (D2 Pg. 175) While the United Sates were under the Articles of Confederation an issue with the legal framework happened. The issue was there was no government legal framework, no brought together courts. That implied it you carry out a wrongdoing in one state and cross state visitors the following day your most probable going to pull off the wrongdoing you submitted. This was incredibly risky for the country on the grounds that numerous wrongdoings were being dedicated and nobody was being indicted. Another issue with not having a concentrated court was there was no preeminent court where enormous cases including different states could be held. Another issue with the Articles of Confederation was it was incredibly hard to pass a law and it was close to difficult to pass a revision. out of the 13 states needed to concur on it under the watchful eye of the law was passed and each of the 13 states needed to consent to pass a change and that once in a while occurred because of the contrasts between the North and South. That is the reason there were numerous trade offs during this time. The most well known of the trade offs was the Great trade off. The Great Compromise took both the Virgi nia and New Jersey Plans and compromised. This was the beginning of the constitution and our new government plan. The contention was between enormous states and little states. The huge states needed to base agents by populace while the shopping center states needed all portrayal to be equivalent between states. In the long run James Madison with Benjamin Franklin’s help would think of the Virginia Plan. The Virginia Plan expressed that we were to have a bicameral government that comprised of the House of Representatives, that depended on populace (what the huge satiates needed), and the Senate, where all states had a similar number of delegates. (What the little needed. ) with this bicameral government and the House of Representatives there comes another issue, how would we tally slaves? Since the measure of delegates a state was given depended on their populace any state with slaves clearly needed captives to tally towards their populace and any express that didn’t have slaves didn’t need them to check towards the populace. The different sides in this contention were the North and the South. The South were the ones that needed to have slaves tally towards the populace and the North didn't. The contention continued for quite a while and nearly caused a common war, which would have part the country, and in the event that that were the situation, at that point we would probably still be a British settlement. In 1787 agents James Wilson and roger Sherman proposed the three-fifths Compromise. The trade off straightforward expressed that each 5 slaves meant 3 individuals of the populace. After this proposition both the North and the South concurred this was reasonable and there was no respectful war. To finish up, the Article of confederation caused numerous issues for the early United States since it debilitated the government so much that the states didn't feel joined together and rather than one nation it was 13 conditions of their own. After numerous trade offs and shows our establishing fathers thought of an administrative arrangement that we despite everything use today, the Constitution of Independence. The Constitution gave us a bicameral council with three parts of government that all investigated each other in a framework called balanced governance. We should all be exceptionally appreciative for bargains in light of the fact that without them we probably won't be the country we are today since it would have been difficult to make the Constitution.

The American Family Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The American Family - Essay Example The lady turned into a working being who seen the family unit as an abusive organization. The improvement of present day innovation, contraceptives and premature birth permitted ladies to have dynamic sexual lives without stressing over pregnancy and childbearing. Boden (2005) affirms that more ladies have joined the common laborers and single parenthood is on the ascent. Therefore, guardians have minimal leisure time with their youngsters, which is unfortunate. Prior on, the men worked while ladies remained at home as full time house spouses, and marriage concentrated more on friendship and multiplication as opposed to sentiment and sex (Popenoe, 2003). Popenoe (2003) further contends that there is a call to resuscitate the American family unit by stressing the significance of monogamy. This can be accomplished through countering the sexual insurgency, advancing marriage and restoring a social spotlight on kids. Unexpectedly, Coontz (2003) accepts that numerous American families are in an ideal situation today than in the past where ladies were not permitted to work, baby mortality was high and scarcely any kids moved on from school. Today, the two people have a bigger number of decisions than before. For example, since the lady spends a larger number of hours at work than in the house, families have less youngsters. This implies kids get individualized consideration from the guardians. This was not so previously. In addition, individuals not just have the opportunity to wed from the equivalent or other gender or even stay unmarried, yet additionally nobody is feeling the squeeze to remain in a miserable marriage. Men are not, at this point the fundamental providers in their families except if by decision. Besides, as per Coontz (2003), guardians have figured out how to adjust between family needs and industrialization. After a careful investigation of the two articles, the advanced structure of the family unit is additionally engaging. In spite of the fact that marriage is essential, it is not, at this point the establishment of a decent family. A sound family is comprised of a parent or guardians and

What Debt Collectors Can and Cant Do

What Debt Collectors Can and Can’t Do What Debt Collectors Can and Can’t Do What Debt Collectors Can and Can’t DoIf you’re applying for a loanâ€"any loanâ€"it’s important that you figure out whether you can afford to make your payments. Because if you can’t, you’re going to end up dealing with a debt collector.Sometimes these collectors work for the lender that gave you the loan, but many times they are actually a second company. The lender sells the debt at a discount to a debt collection agency, who then starts contacting you to try and collect on the money that you owe.While there are many, many debt collectors that do everything above board, there are also companies that try to bend the rules in order to get people to pay. If you’re past due on a debt and dealing with a debt collector, it’s good to know what rights you have.“The main statute on debt collection is the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA),” says Braden Perry (@bradenmperry), a regulatory and government investigations attorney with Kennyhertz Perry, LLC.Perry says, â €œIt’s important to remember that FDCPA applies to only 3rd  party collection firms, and not first parties collecting on their own behalf. But many companies don’t know that even if you are collecting first party, you are subject generally to the same fundamentals of the FDCPA through the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) via unlawful, deceptive and abusive acts and practices.Keeping that in mind, here’s a quick guide to what debt collectors can and can’t do.They Can: Contact you by phone, mail, email and text message“According to the FDCPA, a debt collector can contact you by phone, or postal mail,” says business author Michelle Dunn (@DunnMich). “Some debt collectors also contact using cell phones, email or text, though the law does not cover that.”The reason that the law does not cover cell phones, email, and text, is because it was written in 1978. The ways that people communicate have changed a lot since then.   And if you prefer to communicate with a debt collector through email, it’s a good idea to use your personal email address.The reason for this is because your work email is usually not confidential. Your employer can search through your email at any time. Since your correspondence with a debt collector is supposed to be confidential, this can make your work email a no-go.They Can’t: Contact you any time or placeThe FDCPA clearly states that a debt collector cannot contact you before 8 A.M in the morning or after 9 p.m. at night.Of course, if you’re someone who works a non-traditional schedule, those late nights and early mornings might actually be the most convenient times for you. In cases like that, you can request that the debt collector contact you outside those standard hours. They simply require your permission in order to do so.Debt collectors also cannot call you at work if you have told them that you’re not allowed to discuss this issue while at your job. If you tell a debt collector that you cannot speak to them at work and they continue to contact you there, that’s a sign that you should be wary.They Can: Call people other than youAccording to Dunn, debt collectors are allowed to contact your spouse and speak to them about your debt. If you have an attorney who is representing you regarding the debt, the collector is also allowed to speak to them.Other than that, debt collectors cannot talk to anyone else about your debt. (Remember when we said that these communications were confidential?) However, they can speak to other people in order to obtain your contact information, phone number, address, etc.A debt collector can call your employer to verify that you work there and to find the best way to reach you. But if a debt collector calls your employer and tells them about the debt, they are breaking the law.1They Can’t: Threaten or harass youThis is a big one. And while it does not happen a lot, it’s one of the practices that have led to debt collectors having a not-so-great re putation.Plainly put, a debt collector cannot threaten or harass you in any way, shape, or form in order to get you to pay your debt.These practices include:Threatening to harm your reputationThreatening to make your debt publicThreatening violence or physical harmUsing obscene or profane languageCalling you repeatedly to annoy youThreatening to garnish your wages or seize your property without a court orderThreatening legal action if they do not intend to do soThreatening to add false information to your credit reportTelling you that you will be arrested if you don’t pay2As Dunn puts it, “threatening to put someone in jail is different than asking someone to pay in full or by a certain date.”They Can: Take you to courtAccording to Dunn, a debt collector can actually sue you and go to court to collect your debt at any time.“They can take you to court immediately,” she says, “but most try to collect the debt by traditional means before going to court.   No one wants to go to court, so hopefully the debtor pays before that action has to be taken.”This makes sense, as taking someone to court can be expensive and time-consuming. But if you are unresponsive to a debt collector or refuse to acknowledge that you owe them a debt, most of them will sue you in order to recoup what you owe.Do your best to settle your debt before it gets to that. If the collector sues you and wins their case, the court will issue a judgment authorizing a garnishment. This means that the debt collector can take part of your wages out of every paycheck until the debt is fully repaid.They Can’t: Lie and pretend they’re someone elseIf a debt collector calls you and pretends that they are someone else, that is illegal. Full stop.The reason collectors do this is because it can make debtors seem like they are in more trouble than they actually are. A call from the government saying that you owe money, for example, is going to freak you out a bit more than a call from a regular debt collector.Some debt collectors will claim that they are attorneys or representatives from a credit bureau. Others will send what appear to be official-looking documents that seem like they are from a court or government agency.No matter what, any debt collector who claims they are anything other than a debt collector is breaking the law.If you have a debt collector that is using illegal methods to try and collect on your debt, you should contact one or all of the following:The office for your state’s Attorney GeneralThe Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)The Federal Trade Commission (FTC)Note: Some people think that taking out a payday loan wont hurt their credit. And while payday lenders dont report your information to the credit bureaus, debt collection agencies do. Failing to pay back your payday loan and having it sent to collections will end up hurting your credit even further. The easiest solution is also the best: Never take out a payday loan!To learn more abou t debt collection, check out this article from the FTC.About the Contributors:Michelle Dunn, has worked in the credit and debt collections industry for over 30 years.   She started and ran her own third party collection agency and eventually sold her business in order to write full time.   Michelle is the author of many books on the topic of credit, debt collection and starting a collection agency.   Michelle is now a consultant and presenter for the credit and collections industry.Braden Perry, is a regulatory and government investigations attorney with Kansas City-based Kennyhertz Perry, LLC. Mr. Perry has the unique tripartite experience of a white-collar criminal-defense-and-government-compliance, investigations attorney at a national law firm; a senior enforcement attorney at a federal regulatory agency; and the Chief Compliance Officer of a global  financial institution.References:1 “Can debt collectors call my employer and tell them they are calling about my debts?” Consu mer Financial Protection Bureau. Accessed February 20, 2017 from https://www.consumerfinance.gov/askcfpb/337/can-debt-collectors-call-my-employer-and-tell-them-they-are-calling-about-my-debts.html2 “Debt Collection.” Federal Trade Commission: Consumer Information. Accessed February 20, 2017 from https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0149-debt-collection

Yeats Through A Modernist Lens. The Modernist View Of Poetry

Yeats through a Modernist Lens The modernist view of poetry is most often compounded through depictions of unparalleled chaos, fragmentation, and disjuncture from the poetic self and society as a whole. In William Butler Yeats’ poetry, he embodies these defining perspectives by his representation of society within concepts of decay. More specifically, Yeats’ poems â€Å"Leda and the Swan† and â€Å"The Second Coming† epitomize the poetic techniques that define modernist views of poetry. In essence, these two poems compile deviations from previously established poetic ideals and, in their place, create a disseverance between the poet, speaker, society, and audience. In â€Å"Leda and the Swan†, Yeats compounds the oppositional elements of modernism into†¦show more content†¦In contrast, Yeats’ inverted modernist version of the standing tradition invokes a sense of terror and disgust. For example, where in Shakespeare’s sonnet 18, the poet uses diction such as â€Å"lovely† and â€Å"darling†, Yeats’ â€Å"Leda and the Swan† incorporates terms like â€Å"terrified†, â€Å"brute† and â€Å"staggering†. This explicit opposition points to Yeats as a modernist figure; that is, Yeats’ use of form as a means to create conflicts within the poem highlights the most basic depictions of modernism, conveying a sense of fragmentation of society. Also in â€Å"Leda and the Swan† Yeats conveys a sense of modernism through a connection between the the concept of denaturalization of language and imagery. Denaturalization of language is the idea in the modernist period that words are no longer effective in expressing the intended meaning; language, instead of revealing meaning, only further conceals it. In this way, words no longer mean what they originally meant, which essentially aimed to disassemble previous poetic techniques that mirror the breakdown of society following the first World War. In stanza one, the swan’s â€Å"great wings† are â€Å"beating still†. Already, a certain ambiguity is introduced into the poem’s atmosphere. â€Å"Beating† seems to suggest movement, whereas â€Å"still† suggests the exact opposite. This paradoxical juxtaposition sets an eerie and distressing tone for the rest of the poem. It creates a precedent of

Impact Of Technology On The Music Industry - 1414 Words

Developments within the music industry are seemingly frequent and numerous due to diversity and the various issues faced. For a sector that consistently adapts to demand, it was logical to decipher a development which not only alters significant factors within the industry, but also a development which endures (and even encourages) smaller advancements. The increase in readily available technology has had a significant effect on the music industry. Unlike other developments, advancing technology is constant and boundless. As technology advances, as does the equipment and processes used in the music industry. There are various arguments on whether advancements are beneficial or unfavourable. In such an adaptable and flexible industry, perhaps technological advancement was always inevitable. It pushes figures in the industry to explore new methods of distribution, possibly expanding even further. Technology affects every single person in the music industry from musicians to consumers. It changes the way music is created and the way it is received. The Transition from Physical to Digital There is no doubt that the recent advancements in technology have granted further possibilities as entrepreneurs adapt to new concepts. The introduction of the internet was possibly the propelling factor that paved the way for new and competitive thinking. Today, millions of people are accustomed to using the web; it is very much a part of everyday life. â€Å"More than 70 per cent ofShow MoreRelatedTechnology And Its Impact On The Music Industry Essay2573 Words   |  11 Pages Technology and Its Impact on the Music Industry Name College Technology and its Impact on the Music Industry Introduction The creation of musical works has always been culminated by several different processes and usually involves many people. The process takes a lot of time delaying the release of music. Advancement in technology has played a significant role in the music production by lowering the length of time it takes to produce recorded material. Artists usually sign a contractRead MoreImpact Of Technology On The Music Industry1933 Words   |  8 PagesOver the years, music has become portable, starting with the transistor to a set of headphones. Technology has allowed us to create a diverse musical culture. Music will always have an effect on one’s culture, and it has definitely mad a huge impact on the use of technology. Cultural diversity is about bringing people closer together though the World Wide Web. Many music publishers are the key to cultural diversity when it comes to publishing all genres. They will increasingly continue to play aRead MoreThe Impact Of Technology On The Musi c Industry Essay2587 Words   |  11 PagesTechnology: The Significant Impacts on the Music Industry It’s intriguing how the music industry has significantly changed throughout the years due to the constant increase of technology. There are many different reasons to show how technology has made a huge impact whether positive or negative on this phenomenal industry. Music cultivates so much meaning to the world, and speaks volumes on the behalf of individuals when they don’t know what to physically say. That being said, whether it’s listeningRead MoreThe Impact Of Technology On The Music Industry1845 Words   |  8 Pagestoday’s music is trash. It’s repetitive and oversimplified, and all because of this new music technology constantly being developed. A listener rarely hears a piece of music that has not been touched by technology, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. 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Net Neutrality Paper Free Essays

Capitalism is an economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods, by investments that are determined by private decision, and by prices, production, and the distribution of goods that are determined mainly by competition in a free market. (Merriam-Webster Online, 2010) The United States of America is considered a â€Å"free market†, in some cases. Internet Seen,’ice Providers own the tangible cables and pipes providing the service of connectivity to the internet. We will write a custom essay sample on Net Neutrality Paper or any similar topic only for you Order Now They are the bridge. They own the bridge. In a free market, they can regulate heir bridge how they see fit, within the parameters of the law. This same model is expressed by cell phone companies in the communication industry as well as cable companies in the television industry. Cellular phone companies own all the variables that make up their network. They then sell you service to connect to their network based off of their interpretation of what the market will allow. They dictate what you pay, how much usage you are allowed and what types of usages are allowed. Cable companies evolved in the same manner. Once a free entertainment source is now a billion dollar year industry marked with the footprints of capitalism. Cable companies put forth the ground work to make the cable experience what it is today. In return, they profit from their investments to do so. They also dictate what we pay and what types of usage we are allowed. These cable and cellular communication companies have thrived in our free market mentality but in the same instance have been regulated by government when it applies to the internet. In the same way they own the physical cables, the pipes underground, the satellites and the air space, they are providing the bridge. Without their bridges, the consumer cannot access the internet. In a free market society, we tell companies to manage their business according to what the market will allow. The market has allowed the cell phone industry to operate without regulation. The cable companies have thrived without regulation under the allowance of the market. The internet is no different. Property is any physical or intangible entity that is owned or possessed by a person or jointly by a group of people. Property is synonymous with ownership. Ownership is the exclusive right to possess and dispose of what oh own. â€Å"When you pull out the government, you take out socialism, and when you remove the rights of ownership and place the benefits broadly on the least able to pay for them, you have communism. It isn’t yet clear if socialism will work in the U. S. , and it is doubly doubtful that communism (aka â€Å"Net neutrality†) will ever work. † (Ender, 2010) In economic terms, calculability is the ability to exclude others from use of a good. Rivalry is when one person’s use of a good diminishes another’s ability to use that good. When you have a resource that doesn’t have calculability but does display rivalry you have what is known as ‘Tragedy of the Commons† which is an overused, under maintained resource (aka â€Å"the free-rider problem†). In Africa arose the possibility of the elephant becoming extinct from humans killing them for their hides and tusks. Two countries decided to act against this problem, Kenya and Rhodesia. Kenya took the approach of placing a ban on elephant poaching while Rhodesia gave property owners Private Property Rights to the elephants with incentives for elephant maintenance. Jenny’s elephant population decreased while Rhodesia increased dramatically. The conclusion of when property rights are given, ownership of property motivates protection and care for the property more efficiently than federal regulations. In economic terms the internet would be classified as an Clubbable resource. The classification of rival or non-rival is debatable due to bandwidth. However if we look at this example from the rival standpoint, it bears identical resemblance of the private goods industry. When property rights are given with incentives, the elephant will prosper. If ownership is revoked and regulations are implemented by government, we have Tragedy of the commons. Sip’s currently don’t have incentives to make broadband bandwidth accessible in all parts of our country due to lack of profitability. Therefore our elephant population (internet) will decrease. This is a simple example of how capitalism is a great model for economical success. It is the same model that has molded our country for over two centuries. Why the model is continually changing I do not know. The Internet is not public property. Telecommunications companies have spent billions Of dollars on network infrastructure all over the world. They did so in the hope of selling communications services to customers willing to pay for them. The government has no right to effectively nationalize Sip’s by telling them how run their networks. Proponents of net neutrality love to invent hypothetical scenarios of ways companies could abuse customers. It is true that a free society gives people the freedom to be stupid, wrong, and even malicious. The great thing about capitalism is that it also gives people the freedom to decide whom they want to do business with. A socialized Internet takes away that freedom and turns it over to politicians and lobbyists. Why do â€Å"net neutrality’ advocates ridicule politicians for impairing the Internet to a â€Å"series of tubes,† and then trust them to regulate it? (vessels, 2007) The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has the ability to regulate wireless network providers by reclassifying them as Title II common carrier services, essentially equating them with cable and phone companies. That type of regulation would allow the FCC to impose traffic equality laws on all carriers, where under Washman’s proposal wireless providers would have been exempt. Verizon, AT and wireless association ACTA have opposed the PC’s measures, while Google, Faceable and Keep, among various public interest groups strongly supported them. (Prism, 2010) Phone and cable companies have argued that increased regulation of Internet practices could have a detrimental effect on the industry. They argue that tough regulations could deter network investments and hinder the expansion of broadband infrastructure. The free-speech objection to net neutrality has also gained some ground recently. The National Cable Telecommunications Association (NCAA) and ATT began citing First Amendment objections to net neutrality in public discussions and in filings with the FCC this year. The free-speech argument states that, by interfering with how phone and cable companies deliver Internet traffic the government would be manipulating the free-speech rights of providers such as ATT, Verizon and Compass. Jerome, 201 0) The Federal Communications Commission first established rules in 1 965 for cable systems which received signals by microwave antennas. In March 1 966, the Commission established rules for all cable systems (whether or not served by microwave). The Supreme Court affirmed the Commission’s jurisdiction over cable in United States v. Southwestern Cable Co. , 392 US. 157 (1968). The Court ruled that â€Å"the Commission has reasonably concluded that regulatory authority over CATV is imper ative if it is to perform with appropriate effectiveness certain of its responsibilities. The Court found the Commission needed authority over cable systems to assure the preservation of local broadcast service and to effect an equitable distribution of broadcast services among the various regions of the country. In March 1 972, new rules regarding cable television became effective. These rules required cable television operators to obtain a certificate Of compliance from the Commission prior to operating a cable elevation system or adding a television broadcast signal. The rules applicable to cable operators fell into several broad subject areas franchise standards, signal carriage, network program non-duplication and syndicated program exclusivity, non-broadcast or cable casting services, cross-ownership, equal employment opportunity, and technical standards. Cable television operators who originated programming were subject to equal time, Fairness Doctrine, sponsorship identification and other provisions similar to rules applicable to broadcasters. Cable operators were also required to maintain certain records ND to file annual reports with the Commission concerning general statistics, employment and finances. In succeeding years, the Commission modified or eliminated many of the rules. Among the more significant actions, the Commission deleted most of the franchise standards in 1 977, substituted a registration process for the certificate of compliance application process in 1978, and eliminated the distant signal carriage restrictions and syndicated program exclusivity rules in 1980. In 1 983, the Commission deleted its requirement that cable operators file financial information. In addition, court actions led to the deletion of the pay cable programming rules in 1977. In October 1 984, the U. S. Congress amended the Communications Act of 1 934 by adopting the Cable Communications policy Act of 1984. The 1 984 Cable Act established policies in the areas of ownership, channel usage, franchise provisions and renewals, subscriber rates and privacy, obscenity and lockers, unauthorized reception of services, equal employment opportunity, and pole attachments. The new law also defined jurisdictional boundaries among federal, state and local authorities for regulating cable elevation systems. Following the 1984 Cable Act, the number of households subscribing to cable television systems increased, as did the channel capacity of many cable systems. However, competition among distributors of cable services did not increase, and, in many communities, the rates for cable services far outpaced inflation. Responding to these problems, Congress enacted the Cable Television Consumer protection and Competition Act of 1992. The 1 992 Cable Act mandated a number of changes in the manner in which cable television is regulated. In adopting the 1 992 Cable Act, Congress dated that it wanted to promote the availability of diverse views and information, to rely on the marketplace to the maximum extent possible to achieve that availability, to ensure cable operators continue to expand their capacity and program offerings, to ensure cable operators do not have undue market power, and to ensure consumer interests are protected in the receipt of cable service. The Commission has adopted regulations to implement these goals. In adopting the Telecommunications Act of 1996, Congress noted that it wanted to provide a pro-competitive, De-regulatory national policy ramekin designed to accelerate rapidly private sector deployment of advanced telecommunications and information technologies and services to all Americans by opening all telecommunications markets to competition. The Commission has adopted regulations to implement the requirements of the 1996 Act and the intent of Congress. General Cable Television Industry and Regulation Information Fact Sheet, 2000) In the end life contains complex decision making decisions that come from those with opposing opinions. If we take positive economic results from the past and try to replicate them today, it might begin with clear and concise repertory rights pertaining to the internet. Let the free and open market drive competition to fuel creativity and innovation. How to cite Net Neutrality Paper, Papers

Innovation and Continuous Improvement for Operational System

Question: Dicsuss about theInnovation and Continuous Improvement for Operational System. Answer: Review performance and sustainability Describing key systems and processes of AC Gilbert Supply chain- The supply chain process used in AC Gilbert is a quality and solidly crafted materials that helped the company to remain popular in the market. The sales team take order from the customers; arrange delivery of materials to the customers with the help of retailers. Operational system- The operational system of AC Gilbert was a systematic approach to designing, planning, purchasing, manufacturing and distribution. The focus was on manufacturing educational toys for children and long-lasting toys for the children. Product/service delivery- The products of AC Gilbert were sold directly to the end users. The sales team received orders from the customers and arrange direct delivery of products to the customers by using transportation medium. Analysing three key systems and process After analysing the key systems and processes it can be seen that the managers of AC Gilbert focus more on interacting with the customers directly. This helped the company to understand the demands and needs of the customers. The new manager of the company developed 50 new toy lines and spends more on packaging the materials. According to Parmenter (2015), one of the main ways to improve the performance of an employee is to analyse and evaluate the performance using performance appraisal methods. Service level agreement between the customers is made directly hence, terms and conditions made with the customers represent the value of the company. Describing ways to monitor performance In order to maintain the performance of the company, it was imperative that AC Gilbert maintained and analysed the profits made per year. From the report it has been seen that the company suffered huge loss in the last few years of its existence (Tibballs, 1999). In this regard, it can be said that the use of benchmarking could have helped the company to gain a competitive advantage over its rivals such as Lego and Mattel. The review strategy that could have been used by the management is the 360 degree appraisal technique. This is effective in order to get the feedback of every employee in the organisation. Analysing variances from plans and targets of the KRAs From the report, it has been seen that up till 1966, the company had witnessed various changes in the activities that are essential for the success of a company. For example, changes in promotional activities helped the company to reach out to its customers. Despite this the sales of the company fell due to lack of ability to meet the expectations of the customers. The change in management saw the loss of many top level managers. The profit fluctuated and every year, the company began to suffer loss (Tibballs, 1999). These situations led to the shutting down of the company in 1967. Discussing trends relevant to the organisation According to Chen Chan (2014), trends in business are important in order to maintain a competitive advantage in the market. In the case of AC Gilbert, prior to 1960, the company had been able to innovate the quality of toys that it manufactured. The reputation of the company was not enough to earn them profits. This resulted in the falling standards of the company. However, the appointment of a new manager also changed the fortunes of the company. The opportunist business decisions made by Jack Wrather helped the company to remain stable in the market. Discussing possible use of advice from specialists Martin, Schiuma Healy (2014) stated that consultation with the internal as well as the external stakeholders can help a company make the right decisions. The specialists that were on board with the working of AC Gilbert could have advised the company to cut down the cost of the prices of the product. This could have helped the company to remain competitive in the market. Consultation with marketing and advertising consultants was also required. Costs incurred from promoting the company using television could have been cut down had the company promoted its product by other sources such as newspaper. Develop options for continuous improvement Developing performance improvement strategy In order to improve the performance of the employees of AC Gilbert in the modern world, it is necessary to delegate tasks to the employees based on the skills. Job satisfaction of the employees is important in order to maintain the efficiency of the workers (Hastings, 2010). Apart from this training and development of employees can increase the skill of the employees. The development of a proper communication model can help the employees and managers maintain communication with one another. Such strategies can be incorporated with the team members along with the managers by conducting meetings. Preparing minute management team briefing The management team can be briefed on the performance improvement strategies. This can be done by conducting a meeting in which the advantages and disadvantages of the strategies can be discussed. Some of the advantages of the strategies include providing employees with the task that suits their ability. This can help in meeting the goals of the organisation (Modarres, Kaminskiy Krivtsov, 2016). Communication can help in discussing every event and decisions that are taken in the organisation. However, on the downside, training and development of employees require time and money. This can prove a loss for the company. Hence, improvement in this department can be applied by providing on-job training. Lead sessions After analysing the possible performance improvement strategies, further options can be discussed with team members. These options need to come from gathering suggestions from the group and create ideas that are unique. For example, the implication of communication method can be done with the help of emails. This can help the employees, as well as the managers, maintain records in the organisation. However, there may be issues with the application of all the strategies. The training and development of the employees require the company to have good finances. Summarising results of the session After the end of the session, it was seen that the groups were divided into segments. One group were in favour of the changes that needed to be made in the organisation. According to Montibeller Winterfeldt (2015), changes in an organisation help in its improvement. Thus, encouraging the employees to change its method of productivity can help in improving the organisation. However, other groups were of the opinion that the traditional method of approaching organisational success is more effective than incorporating the improvement strategies. The manager of the company needs to provide approval for amending the strategy related to training and development. Hence, due to the varied decision provided by the team, the incorporation of the strategies is necessary. Incorporating results of session Korschun Swain (2014) stated that incorporating the results of the session can help AC Gilbert improve the method of performance in the organisation. The only change that was made by the group was to disallow the training of the employees. The training and development of the employees can be done while teaching them the art to manufacture toys and provide the best quality of packaging the products. The incorporation of this method can help the employees gain a first-hand experience of the job. The expectations from the employees can be improved and it can also help in enhancing the skills. However, it is also important for the managers to develop a risk analysis strategy in order to mitigate unseen errors. Developing risk analysis strategy Analysing the possibilities of risk in an organisation is important for every manager to consider (Aven, 2015). This is mainly because of the fact that the risk analysis can help in mitigating any disaster in a company. In the case of AC Gilbert, the risk analysis can be in the form of finance and stability of the employees. The financial stability needs to be such the mangers does not invest in extra production and advertising of the products. In return, it is necessary to focus on ways to motivate the employees by providing monetary and non-monetary incentives for the work done. This can help to retain employees in the organisation. Developing cost-benefit analysis strategy Keeping in mind the possibility of risk that can befall the company in terms of financial stability, it is necessary to develop the cost-effective strategy. Cost-effective strategy helps in marketing a company in terms of providing the cheapest goods and services (Nas, 2016). In the case of AC Gilbert, the company can minimise the cost that is incurred due to excess wastage of materials. These costs can be used for the betterment of the society as well as the organisation. Implement innovative processes Examining process to be implemented According to Mishan (2015), the changes incorporated in an organisation need to be implemented in order to analyse the results. In the case of AC Gilbert, the goal of the production manager is to increase productivity with minimum wastage. They also aim to improve the sustainability of the product by reducing the errors in the production line. The projected cost for the implementation of these strategies is over $2 million. In this regard, the benefits of the implementation of the production line are the faster completion of work. Developing action plans Activities Objectives Measures (KPI) Timeframes Promotional activities Reduce negative impact Implementing changes by motivating employees To improve the efficiency of the employees Identification of success can be done by monitoring the performance daily 2-3 weeks Promotion can be done proving knowledge to the employees regarding the benefits of change The negative impact can be reduced by following systematic change Table 1: Transition (Source: Created by author) Activities Objectives Measures (KPI) Timeframes Promotional activities Reduce negative impact Implement modern communicating devices To improve the relationship between employee and employer Success can be identified by allowing employees make direct communication to the managers 1 week Demonstration regarding meetings can be made about the benefits of communication Proper technical expertise is required to reduce negative impact Table 2: Communication (Source: Created by author) Developing two contingency plans Contingency plans include a backup plan in case the primary strategy of the managers fail in certain ways (Drucker, 2017). In the case of AC Gilbert, the contingency plans include the application of change management theory and providing a benchmark in order to promote the work of other organisations. Examining implementation issues and failures The implementation of the new plans may develop certain issues. These issues include lack of sufficient training of the employees. The new machines that were installed were complicated and as a result longer shifts were required to make them understand the new product. The failure caused due to the implementation of the new process can have a negative impact on the employees. The health of the employees is jeopardised due to unstable working hours. This violates the laws set in the OHS standard (Coates, 2014). Amending action plans and contingency plans In order to address the failures of the implementation, it is necessary that the action plan and the contingency plan need to be changed. The changes applied in these plans include the motivation of the employees. After bringing about major changes in the organisation, it is necessary to motivate the employees, in terms of accepting the changes. It has been seen that due to lack of training, employees are incapable of using the machines. Hence, according to Fayol (2016), training of the employees is a contingency plan that needs to be implemented. Developing a schedule for evaluation Evaluation of the changes and continuous improvement can be done after monitoring the performance every week. This includes the activities that are repeated continuously by the employees. These activities include proper learning of the skills of the employees. The skill and development of the employees need to be incorporated into the learning activities that may help the organisation to be more productivity. In order to analyse the improvement, evaluation needs to be done after every week. Reference Aven, T. (2015).Risk analysis. John Wiley Sons. Chen, A. P., Chan, A. P. (2014). Key performance indicators for measuring construction success.Benchmarking: an international journal,11(2), 203-221. Coates IV, J. C. (2014). Cost-Benefit Analysis of Financial Regulation: Case Studies and Implications.Yale LJ,124, 882. Drucker, P. F. (2017).What Makes an Effective Executive (Harvard Business Review Classics). Harvard Business Review Press. Fayol, H. (2016).General and industrial management. Ravenio Books. Hastings, N. A. (2010). Key performance indicators.Physical asset management, 319-322. Korschun, D., Swain, S. D. (2014). Corporate social responsibility, customer orientation, and the job performance of frontline employees.Journal of Marketing,78(3), 20-37. Martin, B., Schiuma, G., Healy, A. (2014). Intellectual capitaldefining key performance indicators for organizational knowledge assets.Business Process Management Journal,10(5), 551-569. Mishan, E. J. (2015).Elements of Cost-Benefit Analysis (Routledge Revivals). Routledge. Modarres, M., Kaminskiy, M. P., Krivtsov, V. (2016).Reliability engineering and risk analysis: a practical guide. CRC press. Montibeller, G., Winterfeldt, D. (2015). Cognitive and motivational biases in decision and risk analysis.Risk Analysis,35(7), 1230-1251. Nas, T. F. (2016).Cost-benefit analysis: Theory and application. Lexington Books. Parmenter, D. (2015).Key performance indicators: developing, implementing, and using winning KPIs. John Wiley Sons. Tibballs, G., 1999, Business blunders, A. C. Gilbert: Toy Story, Robinson Publishing Ltd, pp. 43.

abotion essays

abotion essays For the last couple of decades women have had the right to choose whether or not abortion was the right decision in their life for their own individual reason. The only way to get an abortion in the United States, at the time, was through a surgical abortion where the doctor removes the egg. Through the advancement of technology over years, doctors have come up with an abortion pill, yet the United States has not made the pill widely available. The abortion pill should be made available in the U.S. because it is the womens choice, the pill is safe, and it has good regulations. One main reason the abortion pill should be made available in the United States is because it is the womens own choice. All abortions should be individualized and no one should choose for the women whether they should have an abortion or not. They all have different reasons: too young, to old, not married, just married, financially unprepared, and mentally unprepared. Its the mothers decision on whether or not the abortion is right for her and not the moral committees decision. The women know what is best for themselves and best for their lives. Also, the first right in the bill of rights is that to the right of freedom. Women have the right to choose for themselves, which is the better option for them. And certainly some women had said its more private and gave them more control over the process. (Fehr-Snyder). If she prefers having a more private abortion then the pill provides that privacy because they are only a mediator while the abortion is taking place. In the U.S. we already have the medical abortion, so the next best thing is abortion by the pill. The right of choice is one of the big reasons the abortion pill should be made more available. Another reason why the abortion pill should be made available in the U.S. is because the pill is safe. The pill is safe if used correctly and within ...

Sauropods - The Biggest Dinosaurs

Sauropods - The Biggest Dinosaurs Think of the word dinosaur, and two images are likely to come to mind: a snarling Velociraptor hunting for grub, or a giant, gentle, long-necked Brachiosaurus lazily plucking the leaves off the tops of trees. In many ways, the sauropods (of which Brachiosaurus was a prominent example) are more fascinating than famous predators like Tyrannosaurus Rex or Spinosaurus. By far the largest terrestrial creatures ever to roam the earth, sauropods branched into numerous genera and species over the course of 100 million years, and their remains have been dug up on every continent, including Antarctica. (See a gallery of sauropod pictures and profiles.) So what, exactly, is a sauropod? Some technical details aside, paleontologists use this word to describe large, four-legged, plant-eating dinosaurs possessing bloated trunks, long necks and tails, and tiny heads with comparably small brains (in fact, sauropods may have been the dumbest of all the dinosaurs, with a smaller encephalization quotient than even stegosaurs or ankylosaurs). The name sauropod itself is Greek for lizard foot, which oddly enough counted among these dinosaurs least intuitive traits. As with any broad definition, though, there are some important buts and howevers. Not all sauropods had long necks (witness the oddly truncated Brachytrachelopan), and not all were the size of houses (one recently discovered genus, Europasaurus, seems to have only been about the size of a large ox). On the whole, though, most of the classical sauropodsfamiliar beasts like Diplodocus and Apatosaurus (the dinosaur previously known as Brontosaurus)followed the sauropod body plan to the Mesozoic letter. Sauropod Evolution As far as we know, the first true sauropods (such as Vulcanodon and Barapasaurus) arose about 200 million years ago, during the early to middle Jurassic period. Preceding, but not directly related to, these plus-sized beasts were smaller, occasionally bipedal prosauropods (before the sauropods) like Anchisaurus and Massospondylus, which were themselves related to the earliest dinosaurs. (In 2010, paleontologists unearthed the intact skeleton, complete with skull, of one of the earliest true sauropods, Yizhousaurus, and another candidate from Asia, Isanosaurus, straddles the Triassic/Jurassic boundary.) Sauropods reached the peak of their eminence toward the end of the Jurassic period, 150 million years ago. Fully grown adults had a relatively easy ride, since these 25- or 50-ton behemoths would have been virtually immune to predation (although its possible that packs of Allosaurus might have ganged up on an adult Diplodocus), and the steamy, vegetation-choked jungles covering most of the Jurassic continents provided a steady supply of food. (Newborn and juvenile sauropods, as well as sick or aged individuals, would of course have made prime pickings for hungry theropod dinosaurs.) The Cretaceous period saw a slow slide in sauropod fortunes; by the time the dinosaurs as a whole went extinct 65 million years ago, only lightly armored but equally gigantic titanosaurs (such as Titanosaurus and Rapetosaurus) were left to speak for the sauropod family. Frustratingly, while paleontologists have identified dozens of titanosaur genera from around the world, the lack of fully articulated fossils and the rarity of intact skulls means that much about these beasts is still shrouded in mystery. We do know, however, that many titanosaurs possessed rudimentary armor platingclearly an evolutionary adaptation to predation by large carnivorous dinosaursand that the biggest titanosaurs, like Argentinosaurus, were even bigger than the biggest sauropods. Sauropod Behavior and Physiology As befitting their size, sauropods were eating machines: adults had to scarf down hundreds of pounds of plants and leaves every day in order to fuel their enormous bulk. Depending on their diets, sauropods came equipped with two basic kinds of teeth: either flat and spoon-shaped (as in Camarasaurus and Brachiosaurus), or thin and peglike (as in Diplodocus). Presumably, spoon-toothed sauropods subsisted on tougher vegetation that required more powerful methods of grinding and chewing. Reasoning by analogy with modern giraffes, most paleontologists believe sauropods evolved their ultra-long necks in order to reach the high leaves of trees. However, this raises as many questions as it answers  since pumping blood to a height of 30 or 40 feet would strain even the biggest, most robust heart. One maverick paleontologist has even suggested that the necks of some sauropods contained strings of auxiliary hearts, kind of like a Mesozoic bucket brigade, but lacking solid fossil evidence, few experts are convinced. This brings us to the question of whether sauropods were warm-blooded, or cold-blooded like modern reptiles. Generally, even the most ardent advocates of warm-blooded dinosaurs back off when it comes to sauropods  since simulations show that these oversized animals would have baked themselves from the inside, like potatoes, if they generated too much internal metabolic energy. Today, the prevalence of opinion is that sauropods were cold-blooded homeothermsthat is, they managed to maintain a near-constant body temperature because they warmed up very slowly during the day and cooled off equally slowly at night. Sauropod Paleontology Its one of the paradoxes of modern paleontology that the largest animals that ever lived have left the most incomplete skeletons. While bite-sized dinosaurs like Microraptor tend to fossilize all in one piece, complete sauropod skeletons are rare on the ground. Further complicating matters, sauropod fossils are often found without their heads, because of an anatomical quirk in how these dinosaurs skulls were attached to their necks (their skeletons were also easily disarticulated, that is, trampled to pieces by living dinosaurs or shaken apart by geological activity). The jigsaw-puzzle-like nature of sauropod fossils has tempted paleontologists into a fair number of blind alleys. Often, a gigantic tibia will be advertised as belonging to an entirely new genus of sauropod, until its determined (based on more complete analysis) to belong to a plain old Cetiosaurus. (This is the reason the sauropod once known as Brontosaurus is today called Apatosaurus: Apatosaurus was named first, and the dinosaur subsequently called Brontosaurus turned out to be a, well, you know.) Even today, some sauropods linger under a cloud of suspicion; many experts believe that Seismosaurus was really an unusually large Diplodocus, and proposed genera like Ultrasauros have been pretty much discredited altogether. This confusion about sauropod fossils has also resulted in some famous confusion about sauropod behavior. When the first sauropod bones were discovered, well over one hundred years ago, paleontologists believed they belonged to ancient whalesand for a few decades, it was fashionable to picture Brachiosaurus as a semi-aquatic creature that roved lake bottoms and stuck its head out of the surface of the water to breathe! (an image that has helped fuel pseudo-scientific speculation about the true provenance of the Loch Ness Monster).

Critically assess the proposition that Muslims have become the main Essay

Critically assess the proposition that Muslims have become the main focus of official efforts to exclude Others from the s - Essay Example 5 Muslim communities of the 20th/21st centuries based on three typologies†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 6 Multiculturalism†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 6 Differential exclusion / guest worker system†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 7 Assimilation†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 8 Terrorism as usually associated with Muslim people†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 8 Social exclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚ ¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 10 Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 13 Introduction Islam is the religion for more than 2 billion people on the earth. Only in Western Europe there are about 10 million Muslims, who are considered to be the largest religious minority in the region and the third largest religion overall growing much faster than traditionally dominant Catholic and Protestant religions. As a result, Islam became a significant religious and social force in the Western European countries, including France, Germany, United Kingdom, and others. In Great Britain, for example, Muslims are the second largest faith group after Christians. More than half of them were born in the United Kingdom having such ethnic backgrounds as Turkish, Arab, Indian, Asian, Kurdish, and Pakistani. Muslims coming to live in France are usually from francophone countries such as Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria and Morocco (Castles and Miller, 2003). Finally, Germany has many Muslims with Turkish and Kurdish origin. Since the number of Muslims living in Western Europe and the United States continue to grow and more and more people become converted into Islam religion, anti-Muslim sentiments and movements started growing across Europe when Muslims have become the main focus of official efforts to exclude them as â€Å"others† from the states of Europe. The main reason for such actions is the fear of a ‘Muslim invasion’ when European national identities can be threatened by the ongoing processes of European integration and immigration from the developing countries (Ferrera, 2005). While in the past immigration rules were less restricted for certain countries, they became tougher recently due to the increased number of immigrants living on the unemployment compensation from the government, which raises concerns and complaints from the citizens who work hard and pay taxes. Even if immigrants find a job, the employers pay much less salaries and wages for them than for national citizens. So, it shifts preferences for employment toward immigrants. In such a way, socially excluded â€Å"national† citizens compete with socially excluded ethnic minorities or immigrant ‘others’ for limited national resources of welfare (Castles and Miller, 2003). Such current situation in the Western European countries can be associated with a â€Å"social regression† or a â€Å"social crisis† in addition to a growing political and cultural crisis based on the established national identities. In such a way, recently there is a strong tendency to exclude Muslim immigrant â€Å"others† out of the European countries to make it â€Å"nationally pure† again. Syncretism Syncretism, which means "combining", is the att empt to reconcile contrary

FAMILY LAW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

FAMILY LAW - Essay Example Under the MCA, a lump sum order can be made to enable the payee to comply with pre-existing liabilities and expenses already incurred such as the outstanding mortgage payments in the current scenario; or alternatively it could be used to enable a spouse to take training as Ann has indicated. In such cases, an order can only be made if Timothy has the appropriate capital5. Section 25A requires courts to consider the desirability of promoting cessation of financial obligations between the parties. In ancillary relief applications, there is a mandatory judicial obligation to consider a clean break or impose a time limit on financial obligations. However, as highlighted in SRJ v DWJ,6there is no judicial presumption towards a clean break. It is further evident from the decision in Miller and Mcfarlane7, that the courts favour wives of wealthier spouses in divorce, which places Ann at an advantage8. Nevertheless, the overriding sentiment of the MCA is to encourage spouses to become independent and the courts will follow the section 25 guidelines9. With regard to the judicial approach to Ann’s demands for maintenance, in Wachtel v Wachtel10, the courts adopted a one third formula as a starting point. Moreover, as a result of the decision in White v White11the House of Lords determined a benchmark approach of equal division in surplus asset cases12. With regard to the property and maintenance, the house is jointly owned and Ann and Timothy’s children are adults and have moved away. Accordingly, the appropriate approach as highlighted in Piglowska v Piglowska13 is to consider the specific criteria in section 25(2) of the MCA, which creates no priority. Section 25(2)(a) and (b) are relevant and therefore the present and future income and other financial resources of both parties, including any increase in capacity that is reasonable to expect a party to take

Hip Hop, Music and Fashion

Hip Hop, Music and Fashion Hip hop is a musical genre which developed alongside hip hop culture, defined by key stylistic elements such as rapping, DJing, sampling, scratching and beatboxing. Hip hop began in the Bronx in New York City in the 1970s, primarily among African Americans and Jamaican Americans, with some Latino influences. The term rap is often used synonymously with hip hop, but hip hop denotes the practices of an entire subculture. Rapping, also referred to as MCing or emceeing, is a vocal style in which the artist speaks lyrically, in rhyme and verse, generally to an instrumental or synthesized beat. Beats, almost always in 4/4 time signature, can be created by looping portions of other songs, usually by a DJ, or sampled from portions of other songs by a producer. Modern beats incorporate synthesizers, drum machines, and live bands. Rappers may write, memorize, or improvise their lyrics and perform their works a cappella or to a beat. Roots of hip hop/history Hip-hop originated at Bronx located in New York City, by a Jamaican DJ, Clive Campbell also known as Kool Herc who was born in 1955 at Kingston, Jamaica Jamaican born DJ Clive Kool Herc Campbell is credited as being highly influential in the pioneering stage of hip hop music, in the Bronx, after moving to New York at the age of thirteen. Herc created the blueprint for hip hop music and culture by building upon the Jamaican tradition of toasting or boasting impromptu poetry and sayings over music which he witnessed as a youth in Jamaica. Herc and other DJs would tap into the power lines to connect their equipment and perform at venues such as public basketball courts and at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue, Bronx, New York, a historic building where hip hop was born.Their equipment was composed of numerous speakers, turntables, and one or more microphones.[17] In late 1979, Debbie Harry of Blondie took Nile Rodgers of Chic to such an event, as the main backing track used was the break from Chics Good Times. Herc, along with Grandmaster Flash was also the developer of break-beat deejaying, where the breaks of funk songs-the part most suited to dance, usually percussion-based-were isolated and repeated for the purpose of all-night dance parties. This breakbeat DJing, using hard funk, rock, and records with Latin percussion, formed the basis of hip hop music. Campbells announcements and exhortations to dancers would lead to the syncopated, rhymed spoken accompaniment now known as rapping. He dubbed his dancers break-boys and break-girls, or simply b-boys and b-girls. According to Herc, breaking was also street slang for getting excited and acting energetically. Hercs terms b-boy, b-girl and breaking became part of the lexicon of hip hop culture, before that culture itself had developed a name Later DJs such as Grand Wizard Theodore, Grandmaster Flash and Jazzy Jay refined and developed the use of breakbeats, including cutting and scratching. The approach used by Herc was soon widely copied, and by the late 1970s DJs were releasing 12 records where they would rap to the beat. Popular tunes included Kurtis Blows The Breaks, and The Sugar Hill Gangs Rappers Delight. Emceeing is the rhythmic spoken delivery of rhymes and wordplay, delivered over a beat or without accompaniment. Rapping is derived from the griots (folk poets) of West Africa, and Jamaican-style toasting. Rap developed both inside and outside of hip hop culture, and began with the street parties thrown in the Bronx neighborhood of New York in the 1970s by Kool Herc and others. It originated as MCs would talk over the music to promote their DJ, promote other dance parties, take light-hearted jabs at other lyricists, or talk about problems in their areas and issues facing the community as a whole. Melle Mel, a rapper/lyricist with The Furious Five, is often credited with being the first rap lyricist to call himself an MC. In the late 1970s an underground urban movement known as hip-hop began to develop in the South Bronx area of New York City. Encompassing graffiti art, break dancing, rap music, and fashion, hip-hop became the dominant cultural movement of the African American and Hispanic communities in the 1980s. Tagging, rapping, and break dancing were all artistic variations on the male competition and one-upmanship of street gangs. Sensing that gang members often violent urges could be turned into creative ones, Afrika Bambaataa founded the Zulu Nation, a loose confederation of street-dance crews, graffiti artists, and rap musicians. By the late 1970s, the culture had gained media attention, with Billboard magazine printing an article titled B Beats Bombarding Bronx, commenting on the local phenomenon and mentioning influential figures such as Kool Herc. Hip hop as a culture was further defined in 1982, when Afrika Bambaataa and the Soulsonic Force released the seminal electro-funk track Planet Rock. Instead of simply rapping over disco beats, Bambaataa created an electronic sound, taking advantage of the rapidly improving drum machine, synthesizer technology as well as sampling from Kraftwerk. The appearance of music videos changed entertainment: they often glorified urban neighborhoods. The music video for Planet Rock showcased the subculture of hip hop musicians, graffiti artists, and b-boys/b-girls. Many hip hop-related films were released between 1982 and 1985, among them Wild Style, Beat Street, Krush Groove, Breakin, and the documentary Style Wars. These films expanded the appeal of hip hop beyond the boundaries of New York. By 1985, youth worldwide were embracing the hip hop culture. The hip hop artwork and slang of US urban communities quickly found its way to Europe and Asia, as the cultures global appeal took root. The 1980s also saw many artists make social statements through hip hop. In 1982, Melle Mel and Duke Bootee recorded The Message (officially credited to Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five), a song that foreshadowed the socially conscious statements of Run-DMCs Its like That and Public Enemys Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos. During the 1980s, hip hop also embraced the creation of rhythm by using the human body, via the vocal percussion technique of beatboxing. Pioneers such as Doug E. Fresh, Biz Markie and Buffy from the Fat Boys made beats, rhythm, and musical sounds using their mouth, lips, tongue, voice, and other body parts. Human Beatbox artists would also sing or imitate turntablism scratching or other instrument sounds. Definition of hip hop Hip-hop is a modern culture consisting of music, fashion, and art. The first people who made this music genre are the African Americans. Keith Cowboy, a rapper with Grandmaster Flash and Furious Five, made the term hip-hop. He was singing the words, Hip hop hip hop,when he was teasing a friend who had just joined the US Army. Hip-hop began to be popular all over the world. The four fundamental elements in hip-hop: hip-hop dance, hip-hop art, hip-hop music, and hip-hop fashion. Hip-hop dance includes break dancing and interesting forms of street dance. Hip-hop art includes urban inspiredart and graffiti. Hip-hop music includes Dj-ing, beatboxing, rapping, and hip-hop production. Rapping includes MC-ing and urban-inspired poetry. The Influence of Hip-Hop Around the World Hip-hops influence has become worldwide. This kind of music has been both a negative and positive influence to the young people. Some students in schools have violated the dress code by wearing hip-hop fashion, such as baggy pants, tank tops, and many other clothes. Some songs contain harsh language and violence-related themes. Those were some examples of how hip-hop can be a negative influence, but there are many positive sides to it too. Hip-hop culture represented the African-Americans freedom and culture. Many young African-Americans want to stop gang wars and put hip-hop music into a positive side. Hip-hop and rap is the most popular music genre in the United States; it had made more than 10 percent of the $12.3 billion music sales in 1998. This music genre replaces another popular genre called rock and roll. Rap musics share of sales increased over 150% over the last ten years and is still increasing. Also,breakdancing, a type of street dancing, is part of the hip-hop movement. It combines a series of toprock, downrock, power moves, and a freeze or suicide ending. This form of hip-hop dance has become a common dance amongst everybody. In fact, it has encouraged gang violence to decrease. Hip-Hop Fashion After the 1970s, hip-hop fashion has evolved into another different style. Today, it is a popular style of fashion for teenagers all over the world. Hip-hop fashion now includes large glasses (stunnershades), Kangol hats, brightly colored designer tracksuits, multi-fingered rings, oversized gold door-knocker earrings, and custom sneakers, also known by brand-names such a Nikes or Jordans. Many elements of this fashion style were worn by famous hip-hop singers. These hip-hop stars are adored by their thousands of worshiping fans, who follow their style of clothing, wanting to be like them. That is why this fashion style is popularly recognized. The in accessories to wear in the style are gold necklaces, bling-bling, huge watches, grillz (no, not the barbeque grills; the grills we are talking about are gemmed, flashy oral pieces covering your teeth), and pendants or earrings filled with sparkly diamonds or anything that shines (the bling-blings). Hairstyles very much mattered in the early-1980s; singers put their hair either in curly or messy knots atop their heads. Some people thought they were crazy, but decades ago, this was the style that everyone craved. They also tied it straight into ponytails or pigtails to get a fresh look. Hip-hop today is mostly the wearing of baggy pants and black ink tattoos. Hooded sweaters were very famous for this style; gold teeth were also in in the late 80s. For hats, hip-hop trend followers would either wear baseball caps or famous leather hats. Hip-hop fashion really matters for most adolescnets, and is the new trend today. Some brands that produce hip-hop clothing are G-Unit, Anchor Blue, d.e.m.o., Tillys, Iced Out Gear, Tommy Hilfiger, Phat Farm, Roca Wear, Ecko, Baby Phat, Dickies, Akedemiks, and many more. Hip-Hop Music + Dance Hip-hop music was popularly known as rap music. Hip-hop existed in the United States during the mid-1970s. Hip-hop dance was known as breakdancing, it is a very popular street dance for teenagers that influences people to watch them. Performed by a DJ, the beat, is a count as a rhythm for the music. Hip-hop is followed by the rhythms of RB, disco, and funk. Hip-hop has a little bit of slang, which inlcudes words that have a special meaning, although the word itself can be grammatically incorrect and doesnt make sense; slang words are often used in hip-hop songs. In the late 90s and early 21st century, these words have been used into many different songs across America and globally.

Explaining the Goal of Financial Management and the Role of Ethics Essay

It has always been the goal of the financial managers to maximize the wealth of the shareholders of the firm. That is to say, we maximize the potential benefits that the firm’s stakeholders get by increasing the value of the firm in which these shareholders have taken the risk of investing to. According to Ingram (1992), the worth of a company is dependent on the capacity of the assets to produce cash flows over a period of time. This means that if the firm is able to generate a positive net cash flow including a reasonable dividend to its owners, then it said that value is created. Firms face two kinds of profits. They are accounting profits and economic profits. Maximizing accounting profits normally refers to the general corporate goal of maximizing profits as maximizing economic profits generally refers to maximizing the shareholder’s wealth. Ingram (1992) has distinguished them by defining accounting profits as the income accumulated after the overall cost is deducted from the overall revenue before the payment to shareholders is considered and economic profits as the income accumulated after compensating for the factors of production such as capital, labor and others. Moreover, she differentiated the two by saying that accounting profit does not consider all the factors of production as economic profit does and that it also does not consider compensating the shareholders for taking the risk in investing in the firm. Maximizing wealth does not consequently mean that the firm has to face an unethical decision making. It is still up to the firm as to how it will perform this task. As according to Goizueta (1997), everyone in the company would be better of if it plans for a long-term goal rather than a short-term goal. Through this, the firm can still plan on how it will maximize the wealth and at the same time be consistent with ethical standards.

The Twilight Saga 3: Eclipse Chapter 12. TIME

â€Å"I HAVE FORESEEN . . . ,† ALICE BEGAN IN AN OMINOUS tone. Edward threw an elbow toward her ribs, which she neatly dodged. â€Å"Fine,† she grumbled. â€Å"Edward is making me do this. But I did foresee that you would be more difficult if I surprised you.† We were walking to the car after school, and I was completely clueless as to what she was talking about. â€Å"In English?† I requested. â€Å"Don't be a baby about this. No tantrums.† â€Å"Now I'm scared.† â€Å"So you're – I mean we're – having a graduation party. It's no big thing. Nothing to freak out over. But I saw that you would freak out if I tried to make it a surprise party† – she danced out of the way as Edward reached over to muss her hair – â€Å"and Edward said I had to tell you. But it's nothing. Promise.† I sighed heavily. â€Å"Is there any point in arguing?† â€Å"None at all.† â€Å"Okay, Alice. I'll be there. And I'll hate every minute of it. Promise.† â€Å"That's the spirit! By the way, I love my gift. You shouldn't have.† â€Å"Alice, I didn't!† â€Å"Oh, I know that. But you will.† I racked my brains in panic, trying to remember what I'd ever decided to get her for graduation that she might have seen. â€Å"Amazing,† Edward muttered. â€Å"How can someone so tiny be so annoying?† Alice laughed. â€Å"It's a talent.† â€Å"Couldn't you have waited a few weeks to tell me about this?† I asked petulantly. â€Å"Now I'll just be stressed that much longer.† Alice frowned at me. â€Å"Bella,† she said slowly. â€Å"Do you know what day it is?† â€Å"Monday?† She rolled her eyes. â€Å"Yes. It is Monday . . . the fourth.† She grabbed my elbow, spun me halfway around, and pointed toward a big yellow poster taped to the gym door. There, in sharp black letters, was the date of graduation. Exactly one week from today. â€Å"It's the fourth? Of June? Are you sure?† Neither one answered. Alice just shook her head sadly, feigning disappointment, and Edward's eyebrows lifted. â€Å"It can't be! How did that happen?† I tried to count backwards in my head, but I couldn't figure out where the days had gone. I felt like someone had kicked my legs out from under me. The weeks of stress, of worry . . . somehow in the middle of all my obsessing over the time, my time had disappeared. My space for sorting through it all, for making plans, had vanished. I was out of time. And I wasn't ready. I didn't know how to do this. How to say goodbye to Charlie and Rene . . . to Jacob . . . to being human. I knew exactly what I wanted, but I was suddenly terrified of getting it. In theory, I was anxious, even eager to trade mortality for immortality. After all, it was the key to staying with Edward forever. And then there was the fact that I was being hunted by known and unknown parties. I'd rather not sit around, helpless and delicious, waiting for one of them to catch up with me. In theory, that all made sense. In practice . . . being human was all I knew. The future beyond that was a big, dark abyss that I couldn't know until I leaped into it. This simple knowledge, today's date – which was so obvious that I must have been subconsciously repressing it – made the deadline I'd been impatiently counting down toward feel like a date with the firing squad. In a vague way, I was aware of Edward holding the car door for me, of Alice chattering from the backseat, of the rain hammering against the windshield. Edward seemed to realize I was only there in body; he didn't try to pull me out of my abstraction. Or maybe he did, and I was past noticing. We ended up at my house, where Edward led me to the sofa and pulled me down next to him. I stared out the window, into the liquid gray haze, and tried to find where my resolve had gone. Why was I panicking now? I'd known the deadline was coming. Why should it frighten me that it was here? I don't know how long he let me stare out the window in silence. But the rain was disappearing into darkness when it was finally too much for him. He put his cold hands on either side of my face and fixed his golden eyes on mine. â€Å"Would you please tell me what you are thinking? Before I go mad?† What could I say to him? That I was a coward? I searched for words. â€Å"Your lips are white. Talk, Bella.† I exhaled in a big gust. How long had I been holding my breath? â€Å"The date took me off guard,† I whispered. â€Å"That's all.† He waited, his face full of worry and skepticism. I tried to explain. â€Å"I'm not sure what to do . . . what to tell Charlie . . . what to say . . . how to . . .† My voice trailed off. â€Å"This isn't about the party?† I frowned. â€Å"No. But thanks for reminding me.† The rain was louder as he read my face. â€Å"You're not ready,† he whispered. â€Å"I am,† I lied immediately, a reflex reaction. I could tell he saw through it, so I took a deep breath, and told the truth. â€Å"I have to be.† â€Å"You don't have to be anything.† I could feel the panic surfacing in my eyes as I mouthed the reasons. â€Å"Victoria, Jane, Caius, whoever was in my room . . . !† â€Å"All the more reason to wait.† â€Å"That doesn't make any sense, Edward!† He pressed his hands more tightly to my face and spoke with slow deliberation. â€Å"Bella. Not one of us had a choice. You've seen what it's done . . . to Rosalie especially. We've all struggled, trying to reconcile ourselves with something we had no control over. I won't let it be that way for you. You will have a choice.† â€Å"I've already made my choice.† â€Å"You aren't going through with this because a sword is hanging over your head. We will take care of the problems, and I will take care of you,† he vowed. â€Å"When we're through it, and there is nothing forcing your hand, then you can decide to join me, if you still want to. But not because you're afraid. You won't be forced into this.† â€Å"Carlisle promised,† I mumbled, contrary out of habit. â€Å"After graduation.† â€Å"Not until you're ready,† he said in a sure voice. â€Å"And definitely not while you feel threatened.† I didn't answer. I didn't have it in me to argue; I couldn't seem to find my commitment at the moment. â€Å"There.† He kissed my forehead. â€Å"Nothing to worry about.† I laughed a shaky laugh. â€Å"Nothing but impending doom.† â€Å"Trust me.† â€Å"I do.† He was still watching my face, waiting for me to relax. â€Å"Can I ask you something?† I said. â€Å"Anything.† I hesitated, biting my lip, and then asked a different question than the one I was worried about. â€Å"What am I getting Alice for graduation?† He snickered. â€Å"It looked like you were getting us both concert tickets -â€Å" â€Å"That's right!† I was so relieved, I almost smiled. â€Å"The concert in Tacoma. I saw an ad in the paper last week, and I thought it would be something you'd like, since you said it was a good CD.† â€Å"It's a great idea. Thank you.† â€Å"I hope it's not sold out.† â€Å"It's the thought that counts. I ought to know.† I sighed. â€Å"There's something else you meant to ask,† he said. I frowned. â€Å"You're good.† â€Å"I have lots of practice reading your face. Ask me.† I closed my eyes and leaned into him, hiding my face against his chest. â€Å"You don't want me to be a vampire.† â€Å"No, I don't,† he said softly, and then he waited for more. â€Å"That's not a question,† he prompted after a moment. â€Å"Well . . . I was worrying about . . . why you feel that way.† â€Å"Worrying?† He picked out the word with surprise. â€Å"Would you tell me why? The whole truth, not sparing my feelings?† He hesitated for a minute. â€Å"If I answer your question, will you then explain your question?† I nodded, my face still hidden. He took a deep breath before he answered. â€Å"You could do so much better, Bella. I know that you believe I have a soul, but I'm not entirely convinced on that point, and to risk yours . . .† He shook his head slowly. â€Å"For me to allow this – to let you become what I am just so that I'll never have to lose you – is the most selfish act I can imagine. I want it more than anything, for myself. But for you, I want so much more. Giving in – it feels criminal. It's the most selfish thing I'll ever do, even if I live forever. â€Å"If there were any way for me to become human for you – no matter what the price was, I would pay it.† I sat very still, absorbing this. Edward thought he was being selfish. I felt the smile slowly spread across my face. â€Å"So . . . it's not that you're afraid you won't . . . like me as much when I'm different – when I'm not soft and warm and I don't smell the same? You really do want to keep me, no matter how I turn out?† He exhaled sharply. â€Å"You were worried I wouldn't like you?† he demanded. Then, before I could answer, he was laughing. â€Å"Bella, for a fairly intuitive person, you can be so obtuse!† I knew he would think it silly, but I was relieved. If he really wanted me, I could get through the rest . . . somehow. Selfish suddenly seemed like a beautiful word. â€Å"I don't think you realize how much easier it will be for me, Bella,† he said, the echo of his humor still there in his voice, â€Å"when I don't have to concentrate all the time on not killing you. Certainly, there are things I'll miss. This for one . . .† He stared into my eyes as he stroked my cheek, and I felt the blood rush up to color my skin. He laughed gently. â€Å"And the sound of your heart,† he continued, more serious but still smiling a little. â€Å"It's the most significant sound in my world. I'm so attuned to it now, I swear I could pick it out from miles away. But neither of these things matter. This,† he said, taking my face in his hands. â€Å"You. That's what I'm keeping. You'll always be my Bella, you'll just be a little more durable.† I sighed and let my eyes close in contentment, resting there in his hands. â€Å"Now will you answer a question for me? The whole truth, not sparing my feelings?† he asked. â€Å"Of course,† I answered at once, my eyes opening wide with surprise. What would he want to know? He spoke the words slowly. â€Å"You don't want to be my wife.† My heart stopped, and then broke into a sprint. A cold sweat dewed on the back of my neck and my hands turned to ice. He waited, watching and listening to my reaction. â€Å"That's not a question,† I finally whispered. He looked down, his lashes casting long shadows across his cheekbones, and dropped his hands from my face to pick up my frozen left hand. He played with my fingers while he spoke. â€Å"I was worrying about why you felt that way.† I tried to swallow. â€Å"That's not a question, either,† I whispered. â€Å"Please, Bella?† â€Å"The truth?† I asked, only mouthing the words. â€Å"Of course. I can take it, whatever it is.† I took a deep breath. â€Å"You're going to laugh at me.† His eyes flashed up to mine, shocked. â€Å"Laugh? I cannot imagine that.† â€Å"You'll see,† I muttered, and then I sighed. My face went from white to scarlet in a sudden blaze of chagrin. â€Å"Okay, fine! I'm sure this will sound like some big joke to you, but really! It's just so . . . so . . . so embarrassing!† I confessed, and I hid my face against his chest again. There was a brief pause. â€Å"I'm not following you.† I tilted my head back and glared at him, embarrassment making me lash out, belligerent. â€Å"I'm not that girl, Edward. The one who gets married right out of high school like some small-town hick who got knocked up by her boyfriend! Do you know what people would think? Do you realize what century this is? People don't just get married at eighteen! Not smart people, not responsible, mature people! I wasn't going to be that girl! That's not who I am. . . .† I trailed off, losing steam. Edward's face was impossible to read as he thought through my answer. â€Å"That's all?† he finally asked. I blinked. â€Å"Isn't that enough?† â€Å"It's not that you were . . . more eager for immortality itself than for just me?† And then, though I'd predicted that he would laugh, I was suddenly the one having hysterics. â€Å"Edward!† I gasped out between the paroxysms of giggles. â€Å"And here . . . I always . . . thought that . . . you were . . . so much . . . smarter than me!† He took me in his arms, and I could feel that he was laughing with me. â€Å"Edward,† I said, managing to speak more clearly with a little effort, â€Å"there's no point to forever without you. I wouldn't want one day without you.† â€Å"Well, that's a relief,† he said. â€Å"Still . . . it doesn't change anything.† â€Å"It's nice to understand, though. And I do understand your perspective, Bella, truly I do. But I'd like it very much if you'd try to consider mine.† I'd sobered up by then, so I nodded and struggled to keep the frown off my face. His liquid gold eyes turned hypnotic as they held mine. â€Å"You see, Bella, I was always that boy. In my world, I was already a man. I wasn't looking for love – no, I was far too eager to be a soldier for that; I thought of nothing but the idealized glory of the war that they were selling prospective draftees then – but if I had found . . .† He paused, cocking his head to the side. â€Å"I was going to say if I had found someone, but that won't do. If I had found you, there isn't a doubt in my mind how I would have proceeded. I was that boy, who would have – as soon as I discovered that you were what I was looking for – gotten down on one knee and endeavored to secure your hand. I would have wanted you for eternity, even when the word didn't have quite the same connotations.† He smiled his crooked smile at me. I stared at him with my eyes frozen wide. â€Å"Breathe, Bella,† he reminded me, smiling. I breathed. â€Å"Can you see my side, Bella, even a little bit?† And for one second, I could. I saw myself in a long skirt and a high-necked lace blouse with my hair piled up on my head. I saw Edward looking dashing in a light suit with a bouquet of wildflowers in his hand, sitting beside me on a porch swing. I shook my head and swallowed. I was just having Anne of Green Gables flashbacks. â€Å"The thing is, Edward,† I said in a shaky voice, avoiding the question, â€Å"in my mind, marriage and eternity are not mutually exclusive or mutually inclusive concepts. And since we're living in my world for the moment, maybe we should go with the times, if you know what I mean.† â€Å"But on the other hand,† he countered, â€Å"you will soon be leaving time behind you altogether. So why should the transitory customs of one local culture affect the decision so much?† I pursed my lips. â€Å"When in Rome?† He laughed at me. â€Å"You don't have to say yes or no today, Bella. It's good to understand both sides, though, don't you think?† â€Å"So your condition . . . ?† â€Å"Is still in effect. I do see your point, Bella, but if you want me to change you myself. . . .† â€Å"Dum, dum, dah-dum,† I hummed under my breath. I was going for the wedding march, but it sort of sounded like a dirge. Time continued to move too fast. That night flew by dreamlessly, and then it was morning and graduation was staring me in the face. I had a pile of studying to do for my finals that I knew I wouldn't get halfway through in the few days I had left. When I came down for breakfast, Charlie was already gone. He'd left the paper on the table, and that reminded me that I had some shopping to do. I hoped the ad for the concert was still running; I needed the phone number to get the stupid tickets. It didn't seem like much of a gift now that all the surprise was gone. Of course, trying to surprise Alice wasn't the brightest plan to begin with. I meant to flip right back to the entertainment section, but the thick black headline caught my attention. I felt a thrill of fear as I leaned closer to read the front-page story. SEATTLE TERRORIZED BY SLAYINGS It's been less than a decade since the city of Seattle was the hunting ground for the most prolific serial killer in U.S. history. Gary Ridgway, the Green River Killer, was convicted of the murders of 48 women. And now a beleaguered Seattle must face the possibility that it could be harboring an even more horrifying monster at this very moment. The police are not calling the recent rash of homicides and disappearances the work of a serial killer. Not yet, at least. They are reluctant to believe so much carnage could be the work of one individual. This killer – if, in fact, it is one person – would then be responsible for 39 linked homicides and disappearances within the last three months alone. In comparison, Ridgway's 48- count murder spree was scattered over a 21-year period. If these deaths can be linked to one man, then this is the most violent rampage of serial murder in American history. The police are leaning instead toward the theory that gang activity is involved. This theory is supported by the sheer number of victims, and by the fact that there seems to be no pattern in the choice of victims. From Jack the Ripper to Ted Bundy, the targets of serial killings are usually connected by similarities in age, gender, race, or a combination of the three. The victims of this crime wave range in age from 15-year-old honor student Amanda Reed, to 67-year-old retired postman Omar Jenks. The linked deaths include a nearly even 18 women and 21 men. The victims are racially diverse: Caucasians, African Americans, Hispanics and Asians. The selection appears random. The motive seems to be killing for no other reason than to kill. So why even consider the idea of a serial killer? There are enough similarities in the modus operandi to rule out unrelated crimes. Every victim discovered has been burned to the extent that dental records were necessary for identification. The use of some kind of accelerant, like gasoline or alcohol, seems to be indicated in the conflagrations; however, no traces of any accelerant have yet been found. All of the bodies have been carelessly dumped with no attempt at concealment. More gruesome yet, most of the remains show evidence of brutal violence – bones crushed and snapped by some kind of tremendous pressure – which medical examiners believe occurred before the time of death, though these conclusions are difficult to be sure of, considering the state of the evidence. Another similarity that points to the possibility of a serial: every crime is perfectly clean of evidence, aside from the remains themselves. Not a fingerprint, not a tire tread mark nor a foreign hair is left behind. There have been no sightings of any suspect in the disappearances. Then there are the disappearances themselves – hardly low profile by any means. None of the victims are what could be viewed as easy targets. None are runaways or the homeless, who vanish so easily and are seldom reported missing. Victims have vanished from their homes, from a fourth- story apartment, from a health club, from a wedding reception. Perhaps the most astounding: 30- year-old amateur boxer Robert Walsh entered a movie theater with a date; a few minutes into the movie, the woman realized that he was not in his seat. His body was found only three hours later when fire fighters were called to the scene of a burning trash Dumpster, twenty miles away. Another pattern is present in the slayings: all of the victims disappeared at night. And the most alarming pattern? Acceleration. Six of the homicides were committed in the first month, 11 in the second. Twenty-two have occurred in the last 10 days alone. And the police are no closer to finding the responsible party than they were after the first charred body was discovered. The evidence is conflicting, the pieces horrifying. A vicious new gang or a wildly active serial killer? Or something else the police haven't yet conceived of? Only one conclusion is indisputable: something hideous is stalking Seattle. It took me three tries to read the last sentence, and I realized the problem was my shaking hands. â€Å"Bella?† Focused as I was, Edward's voice, though quiet and not totally unexpected, made me gasp and whirl. He was leaning in the doorway, his eyebrows pulled together. Then he was suddenly at my side, taking my hand. â€Å"Did I startle you? I'm sorry. I did knock. . . .† â€Å"No, no,† I said quickly. â€Å"Have you seen this?† I pointed to the paper. A frown creased his forehead. â€Å"I hadn't seen today's news yet. But I knew it was getting worse. We're going to have to do something . . . quickly.† I didn't like that. I hated any of them taking chances, and whatever or whoever was in Seattle was truly beginning to frighten me. But the idea of the Volturi coming was just as scary. â€Å"What does Alice say?† â€Å"That's the problem.† His frown hardened. â€Å"She can't see anything . . . though we've made up our minds half a dozen times to check it out. She's starting to lose confidence. She feels like she's missing too much these days, that something's wrong. That maybe her vision is slipping away.† My eyes were wide. â€Å"Can that happen?† â€Å"Who knows? No one's ever done a study . . . but I really doubt it. These things tend to intensify over time. Look at Aro and Jane.† â€Å"Then what's wrong?† â€Å"Self-fulfilling prophecy, I think. We keep waiting for Alice to see something so we can go . . . and she doesn't see anything because we won't really go until she does. So she can't see us there. Maybe we'll have to do it blind.† I shuddered. â€Å"No.† â€Å"Did you have a strong desire to attend class today? We're only a couple of days from finals; they won't be giving us anything new.† â€Å"I think I can live without school for a day. What are we doing?† â€Å"I want to talk to Jasper.† Jasper, again. It was strange. In the Cullen family, Jasper was always a little on the fringe, part of things but never the center of them. It was my unspoken assumption that he was only there for Alice. I had the sense that he would follow Alice anywhere, but that this lifestyle was not his first choice. The fact that he was less committed to it than the others was probably why he had more difficulty keeping it up. At any rate, I'd never seen Edward feel dependent on Jasper. I wondered again what he'd meant about Jasper's expertise. I really didn't know much about Jasper's history, just that he had come from somewhere in the south before Alice found him. For some reason, Edward had always shied away from any questions about his newest brother. And I'd always been too intimidated by the tall, blond vampire who looked like a brooding movie star to ask him outright. When we got to the house, we found Carlisle, Esme, and Jasper watching the news intently, though the sound was so low that it was unintelligible to me. Alice was perched on the bottom step of the grand staircase, her face in her hands and her expression discouraged. As we walked in, Emmett ambled through the kitchen door, seeming perfectly at ease. Nothing ever bothered Emmett. â€Å"Hey, Edward. Ditching, Bella?† He grinned at me. â€Å"We both are,† Edward reminded him. Emmett laughed. â€Å"Yes, but it's her first time through high school. She might miss something.† Edward rolled his eyes, but otherwise ignored his favorite brother. He tossed the paper to Carlisle. â€Å"Did you see that they're considering a serial killer now?† he asked. Carlisle sighed. â€Å"They've had two specialists debating that possibility on CNN all morning.† â€Å"We can't let this go on.† â€Å"Let's go now,† Emmett said with sudden enthusiasm. â€Å"I'm dead bored.† A hiss echoed down the stairway from upstairs. â€Å"She's such a pessimist,† Emmett muttered to himself. Edward agreed with Emmett. â€Å"We'll have to go sometime.† Rosalie appeared at the top of the stairs and descended slowly. Her face was smooth, expressionless. Carlisle was shaking his head. â€Å"I'm concerned. We've never involved ourselves in this kind of thing before. It's not our business. We aren't the Volturi.† â€Å"I don't want the Volturi to have to come here,† Edward said. â€Å"It gives us so much less reaction time.† â€Å"And all those innocent humans in Seattle,† Esme murmured. â€Å"It's not right to let them die this way.† â€Å"I know,† Carlisle sighed. â€Å"Oh,† Edward said sharply, turning his head slightly to look at Jasper. â€Å"I didn't think of that. I see. You're right, that has to be it. Well, that changes everything.† I wasn't the only one who stared at him in confusion, but I might have been the only one who didn't look slightly annoyed. â€Å"I think you'd better explain to the others,† Edward said to Jasper. â€Å"What could be the purpose of this?† Edward started to pace, staring at the floor, lost in thought. I hadn't seen her get up, but Alice was there beside me. â€Å"What is he rambling about?† she asked Jasper. â€Å"What are you thinking?† Jasper didn't seem to enjoy the spotlight. He hesitated, reading every face in the circle – for everyone had moved in to hear what he would say – and then his eyes paused on my face. â€Å"You're confused,† he said to me, his deep voice very quiet. There was no question in his assumption. Jasper knew what I was feeling, what everyone was feeling. â€Å"We're all confused,† Emmett grumbled. â€Å"You can afford the time to be patient,† Jasper told him. â€Å"Bella should understand this, too. She's one of us now.† His words took me by surprise. As little as I'd had to do with Jasper, especially since my last birthday when he'd tried to kill me, I hadn't realize that he thought of me that way. â€Å"How much do you know about me, Bella?† Jasper asked. Emmett sighed theatrically, and plopped down on the couch to wait with exaggerated impatience. â€Å"Not much,† I admitted. Jasper stared at Edward, who looked up to meet his gaze. â€Å"No,† Edward answered his thought. â€Å"I'm sure you can understand why I haven't told her that story. But I suppose she needs to hear it now.† Jasper nodded thoughtfully, and then started to roll up the arm of his ivory sweater. I watched, curious and confused, trying to figure out what he was doing. He held his wrist under the edge of the lampshade beside him, close to the light of the naked bulb, and traced his finger across a raised crescent mark on the pale skin. It took me a minute to understand why the shape looked strangely familiar. â€Å"Oh,† I breathed as realization hit. â€Å"Jasper, you have a scar exactly like mine.† I held out my hand, the silvery crescent more prominent against my cream skin than against his alabaster. Jasper smiled faintly. â€Å"I have a lot of scars like yours, Bella.† Jasper's face was unreadable as he pushed the sleeve of his thin sweater higher up his arm. At first my eyes could not make sense of the texture that was layered thickly across the skin. Curved half-moons crisscrossed in a feathery pattern that was only visible, white on white as it was, because the bright glow of the lamp beside him threw the slightly raised design into relief, with shallow shadows outlining the shapes. And then I grasped that the pattern was made of individual crescents like the one on his wrist . . . the one on my hand. I looked back at my own small, solitary scar – and remembered how I'd received it. I stared at the shape of James's teeth, embossed forever on my skin. And then I gasped, staring up at him. â€Å"Jasper, what happened to you?†