Speaking Our Minds Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Speaking Our Minds - Essay Example Language and speech have been applied to convince parties to lean towards the presentation of establishing mutual agreement. The communication process has held the needed measures to offer a satisfaction in delivering substantial results in achieving a given target. The ability of expressing these desires has been noted to present the needed incentives to complete the norm of expression that determines the qualifications of individuals. The expression entity has been included in the relation to complete the norm of placing the desires before the though presented. The capability of individuals is varied and the challenge presented has been directed to the completion of the set tasks. However, various individuals hold different values that define their personality to the external society. The ability of an individual to claim their rights within the society has been noticed to hold the requirements in establishing confidence (Sanchez, 2009). Speech and the language involved in a conver sation or monologue accords the needed information to define the needed attributes to develop. The ability of an individual to speak their minds can be regarded as a higher confidence form achieved, and without the provision, the message holder may face societal challenges. In any organization, the members are presented with the opportunity of equal participation. Before being included in the organization of these groups, the issued provision is placed on the principles to be followed. However, some rules made to govern these institutions may be challenging towards attaining progress. The importance is accorded the desire for the available members within the groups to suggest solutions (Russomanno, 2010). In speaking their minds, individuals are accorded the platform to suggest reforms. The entity breeds confidence to confront an external power that may be the authority of the setting. The leaders within the organizations articulate the measures to include positive reforms through t he open opinion venues. Airing the opinions publicly, or in the set platform has been noticed to include the measures applied to yield a positive outcome. The speech may be for or against the set rules within the organization. A platform that allows individuals to express their minds is regarded as the avenue that has achieved liberalism. The aspect of speaking one’s mind ascertains the existence of a free society. When individuals speak their mind, a form of respect and higher accordance is realized. This is noticed in an oppressive societal setting where the power dictates the behavioral trend. The confidence generated from free speech expression would be directed towards achieving freedom. In a company that offers constrained salary scale, the leaders within the groups are charged with the responsibility of advocating for changes (Miniature Book Collection, 1998). Sometimes, the entity is applied to present a collective thought in opinions. The minds under consideration ma y be of a group depicted in their leaders. The listening and leadership skills are built when an individual is capable of presenting the arguments to a higher power. The provision to deliver a comfortable working environment is placed in the communication between employers and employees. The norm may also be applied in seeking for an increment in the salary. A free societal setting allows for the freedom of expression. In a society without the allowance for members to speak their minds, the challenge is presented in the

Automated Services Essay Example for Free

Automated Services Essay Guidance and Counseling System is the most critical discipline office in many institutions such as the education sectors. Schools, Colleges, and Universities are depending on the Guidance Office to guide students to secure their welfare mentally and academically. Students that are carefully guided by the office until they graduated are most likely to be successful in their professional careers. Guidance and Counseling System is composed of many services that help the student cope in their school life particularly in College life which is the transition of puberty and adolescence. Students find it hard during college to express themselves and make important decisions regarding their career. So the Guidance and Counseling Office will enable them to make wise decision by offering them Guidance Services essential functions. In UPH-DJGTMU, the Guidance and Counseling Office is using manual system, that’s why their services is not that efficient. The Automated Services of Guidance and Counseling Office will enable their services be more available to students. Project Context UPH-DJGTMU Guidance and Counseling Office has a hard time attending to their offered services because it doesn’t have an automated Guidance System. And because of that, student is not serve completely, its services is not implemented well because of manual system of doing task such as updating particular records, inventory of student records, scheduling student counseling, updating career information, proposing seminars and orientations, handling student complaints, issuing a parents meeting with the counselor, making contact with outside companies for the student tracing program after they graduate and other important services. Those tasks are sometimes not well handled because the office has limited personnel. Since the Guidance and Counseling Office is lacking of manpower, it is understood that all services and task of the Office cannot carry out smoothly. That’s why our group decided to propose an Automated Guidance System which we called Automated Services of UPH-DJGTMU Guidance and Counseling Office. Purpose and Description This system will enable the Guidance personnel’s to keep their student service systematic. The Inventory Service will keep records of the student basic information. The Information Service will orient the students particularly the freshmen’s on how to choose their career by showing the possible job opportunities of their offered courses. The Counseling Service will keep track of the students counseling record and to help them win mental and academic problems in college life. The Follow-up Service shall assist the students in situating themselves on finding the most appropriate job after they graduate. The Placement Service includes a Virtual Tour that shows the Dean’s Office of the Medical University and other important offices. Referral Service shall recommend students into a more specialized person regarding their mental case problem. The Seminar Inquiry will keep track of the seminars and orientations of the Guidance Office that has been executed on Medical University. It allows seminar evaluation to recognize the importance of a seminar. The Letter Information stores all the letters made to stored records and review for future use. The Student – Teacher Welfare Section will help the both party to express their complains and do further actions regarding the issue. All references and records are kept confidential because the system is password protected and can the password can be modified from time to time. Objectives a. General Objective: To develop a system for the automation of the Guidance Services that can help them serve students with the highest quality. b. Specific Objectives: * To automate Student Profile Records for faster indexing. * To update orientation and seminars simultaneously by the help of surveys. * To orient the students particularly the freshmen’s on how to choose their career by showing the possible job opportunities of their offered courses. * To keep track of the students counseling record. * To recommend students into a more specialized person regarding their mental case problem. * To record and evaluate seminars * To enable Virtual Tour on the Medical Building Dean’s Offices and other important Office. * To record student-teacher complains and make actions to solve conflicts between student and professors. * To allow the Graduate Students to register into the Graduate Tracer Study which will enable them to find suitable job according to their respective course. Scope and limitations The proposed system was designed and developed to provide UPH-DJGTMU the most effective tool to innovate their current Guidance System. This system is composing of the following features: * Inventory Service * Information Service * Counseling Service * Placement Service * Follow-up Service * Referral Service * Seminar Inquiry * Letter Information * Student-Teacher Welfare Section It limits the user only to Guidance Personnel’s and not made to be used by students. Benefits and Impacts The system was made to serve the students of UPH-DJGTMU by helping them thru the Guidance Services what will make huge change on the services done on manual system. To produce academically and mentally molded students is the goal of the automation. In this study, the target beneficiaries are students. The system will offer them systematic guidance services which will guide them throughout college life, they will be given the opportunity to enhance their abilities and talents by seminars, the system will also guide the student to the right path of choosing career the right course when they enroll. The system will also enhance the student-teacher relations in school, this will lessen the conflict issues between other faculties and students. The automated system will also refer students to outside institutions regarding mental issues to help them cope up with mental problems. The system also has company affiliation so when they graduate, the Guidance Office will also help them find a suitable job fit in their talents and capabilities. Definition of Terms Technical Terms 1. System – it is any collection of components elements that work together to perform a task and it is used in a variety of context. 2. Evaluation – act of considering or examining something on order to judge its condition 3. Hard disk – A permanently installed, continuously spinning magnetic storage medium made up of one or more rigid disk platters. 4. Memory – The memory area in which all programs and data must reside before programs can be executed or data manipulated. Non-Technical Terms 1. Field – The smallest logical unit of data. Ex: are employee number, first name and price. 2. Record – A collection of related fields (such as an employee record) describing an event or an item. 3. Password – A word or phrase known only to the end user. When entered, it permits the end user to gain access to the system. 4. Record – A collection of related fields (such as an employee record) describing an event or an item. Acronyms 1. RAD – Rapid Access Development 2. JAD – Joint Application Development Chapter II REVIEW OF RELATED CONCEPTUAL LITERATURE / SYSTEMS The concept of developmental guidance was born early in the 20th century. From its inception through the 1950s, the focal point of guidance in a school setting was vocational education and training. Heavily influenced by the industrial revolution and world war, the concern of counselors and teachers alike was to prepare students for life after high school. From a guidance perspective specifically, that meant steering students to careers that best fit their abilities and goals. By the 1950s, developmental guidance had grown to incorporate the molding of student attitudes and behaviors. More emphasis was placed on the mental health and emotional well being of children. (Muro Kottman, 1995) By the late 1960s, the role of the school counselor began to take its current shape. In its contemporary state, guidance has grown to include counseling, planning, placement, referral, and consultation Schmidt, 1993). At the same time, guidance at the elementary school was being developed and implemented. Along with the development of elementary guidance came the emphasis on prevention, intervention, and coordination (Muro Kottman, 1995). As the field of developmental guidance has grown, so have the emphasis educators have placed on coordination and cooperation. In a well functioning school environment, cooperation exists between all school staff members. For a comprehensive guidance program to flourish, cooperation between school counselors and teachers is paramount. According to Nugent (1990), next to counselors, teachers are the most important component in implementing a successful comprehensive guidance program. By and large, teachers are the key adult figure in the average pupil’s school day. They are the most influential figures, be it positive or negative, to the average student. This is particularly true at the elementary level, where children spend the majority of their day in one classroom. School counselors and teachers have co-existed in the school setting for quite some time. One would assume that over that period of time both professions would come to understand and accept one another. Some research suggests otherwise. According to Myrick (2003), some teachers hold misconceptions about the role and function of counselors. Counselors are sometimes reviewed as administrative assistants who have little time to counsel students. Fueling the misconception is the fact that some teachers distrust counselors, due to their apparent alignment with administration. These teachers are wary of counselors observing students in their classrooms. They worry that their teaching methods are being evaluated as if counselors work as the eyes and ears of the administration. Teachers who are uncooperative and unsupportive have criticized developmental guidance in general. These teachers believe that counselors have little, if any, impact on student behaviors or student performance. They do not like students from their classrooms working with counselors. They may even refuse to send their students to the guidance office. The refusal is based on the belief that counselors really do not help, and sending students to the guidance office during class time is a waste of time that only penalizes the student. Still other teachers will send their students to see the counselor, but only during student recess (Muro Kottman, 1995).

The Brain and Violence: An Unhealthy Combination :: Biology Essays Research Papers

The Brain and Violence: An Unhealthy Combination "Jack was walking down the street enjoying a snack he had just bought at a convenience store. Feeling good, he smiled at the stranger coming toward him while continuing to eat. The stranger suddenly pulled out a knife and began stabbing Jack. Bystanders pulled the knife away, but too late." "After the killing, the attacker said that he was deeply sorry. He had sensed a strange aura, then experienced a flashback of having been bitten and of having a hernia operation under local anesthesia. That was followed by hallucinations about Jack cutting off his flesh, testicles, and heart to eat them" (6). Everyday on the news one hears stories of crimes and murders such as the one above. Murders are committed every day; stores are robbed every hour; crimes are committed constantly. The truth is that violence has sadly become a common and prevalent occurrence in society today. In essence, one must ask himself whether or not these violent tendencies have any biological relation whatsoever. Is violence caused by disruptions or damage to the brain? Is there a genetic correlation? Or is violence brought about by something else, such as economic difficulties or social or cultural differences? And one must ask himself an even broader question-whether a cause for violence even exists. In 1848, a railroad worker, Phineas Gage, was working when an explosion caused an iron rod to impale his skull, damaging the front part of his brain. Although Gage miraculously survived, his behavior severely changed in that the intelligent and respectful man everyone knew suddenly because fitful, impulsive, and rude (2). This case is one of the first indications that violence may be related to some kind of damage or abnormality in the brain. Researchers have found correlations between violent and aggressive tendencies to damage or abnormalities to a specific part of the brain. Gage's accident probably resulted in damage to the prefrontal cortex. The prefrontal cortex is the brain's foremost outer position, located behind the eyes. This area of the brain is especially important because of it's importance in the orchestration of emotion, arousal, and attention. The prefrontal cortex seems to be the part of the brain that enables people to restrain themselves from acting on all of their impulses and is extremely vital for a child's ability to learn to feel remorse, conscience, and social sensitivity (5). However, although the function of the prefrontal cortex is known, why, or how, would prefrontal deficits cause violent tendencies or a more aggressive character?

Macbeth And Lady Macbeth, A dealike Butcher And A fiend? Essay

"This dead like butcher and his fiend like queen" is this a fair description of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth? Malcolm made the remark "This dead like butcher and his fiend like queen," when he was crowned as the king of Scotland, after Macbeth's reign of terror. It becomes questionable upon the fairness of this justification, whether or not Macbeth was really a "butcher" and whether or not Lady Macbeth was a "fiend." In some ways, Macbeth would have fit the description of being a "butcher," after all, he had taken the lives of many people, some of them were even close associates of Macbeth. He assassinated Duncan, the king, in order to gain the throne, as he says, "I have done the deed" He also murdered Banquo, who was his best friend, due to two different reasons. The first is the witches' prophecies, which predicted that Banquo's son is to become king, and secondly, there is a sense that Banquo has his suspicions on the assassinator of the king. Acting under the name of fear, he slaughtered Lady Macduff and her son, due to the prophecies made by the witches, "Beware the thane of Fife" Macbeth only resolved himself into a far more stereotypical villain when he felt that he had gone to far, as he says, "I am in blood stepped I do far." His ambition of staying king now begins to spur him toward further horrifying deeds, and he starts to disregard and even challenge fate and fortune. Each successive murder reduces his human characteristics still further, until he appears to be the more dominant partner in the marriage. Nevertheless, the new-found resolve, which causes Macbeth to "wade" onward into his self-created river of blood, is persistently alarmed by supernatural events, the ghost of Banquo, an evidence suggesting Macbeth isn't at the right state of mind, that his guilt has affected him deeply. Macbeth was also seen as a ruthless tyrannical king, as he is referred to by Malcolm and Macduff, as "tyrant," and "a devil." In order to protect his title, Macbeth had to murder those who get in his way, and he even planted spies in every household in Scotland. Near to the end, Macbeth has even, "Forgot the taste of fears" It's as if he had overcome fear, which had made him able to be ruthless, and murderous. On the other hand the j... ...an interpret Lady Macbeth as, the dominant, commanding wife with an ambition to be queen bigger that Macbeth's ambition of being King. Or the manipulative wife, whose ambition is just as big as Macbeth. Lady Macbeth may be described as a fiend by Malcolm, and may have been a fiend to an extent, that she manipulated her husband into doing the things Macbeth has done, which may have been against Macbeth's will. She also accused her husband on being a coward, showing that she could fit the description as a fiend. However, she is not what we would call as purely evil, or lacking humanity, because she, is after all, a woman, whose instinct still remains with her, despite what she had done. She was also washed over by guilt, and became mentally deranged, even before Macbeth. Overall, the remarks that Malcolm made may have their justifications, as to an extent, both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are a pair of "butcher and his fiend queen". However, to an extent these justifications may not fit either Macbeth or Lady Macbeth, as they have had their own humanity within them, as if the "butcher" and "fiend" were just a part of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth's alter ego.

Expository Essay Essay

#3 focusing on the importance of the past and how ‘The Kite Runner’ shows no matter how deeply it might be buried, it finds a way to re-surfacing Have you ever tried to run away from your past? And did it work for you? Well in the book we learn that a lot of characters try to run away from their past, for instance Baba hiding the fact that Hassan is also his son or when Amir witnessed Hassan being raped. They all tried to run away from their past but it all caught up with them in the end, like Amir said â€Å"My past was like that always turning up†. There is no way to hide from your past, whether you try to run away from it or bury it as deep as you can because the past always claws it way out. An example could be Amir trying to forget that he was a bystander to Hassan’s rape. He tried to forget everything, delete everything that happened about that night. ‘But even though life goes on memories remain forever’. He lied about Hassan stealing his watch and money thought chasing Ali and Hassan away might help him forget or ease his pain . When he received that phone call from Rahim Khan saying there is a way to be good again, he knew that it was time for him to face his fear. Going back to Kabul frightened him, he was about to face his deepest fear, everything in Kabul changed it was not the same. He wanted to make his father proud and be the brave man his father expected and longed for, just like Hassan. Sometimes it’s not always our guilt that forbids us to forget but the judgement of people in our community. When she ran away with her older boyfriend and moved in with him, she was seen as a disgraceful girl with no respect in the Afghan community. Soraya status is later restored when she gets married to Amir who’s a much respected man in the afghan community. Sometimes keeping a secret could be the cause of our death. In Baba case we learn that the cause o his death could be keeping the secret that Hassan was his son. When his diagnosed with cancer he refuses the treatment, possibly because he has accepted that was his punishment for his ‘sin’. On the end Baba dies as a tortured soul. Furthermore we learn that we the past cannot be forgotten or ignored but we can make peace with it. The kite runner illustrates that we learn from our mistakes which helps to be better people and more accepting of others. Like Amir said,’for the first time since the winter of 1975 I felt at peace†¦ Healed at last ‘.

analyzation of The House on mango Street essays

analyzation of The House on mango Street essays Esperanza shows awareness in relation to herself and others when Lucy tells her and Rachel to take their socks off. Esperanza notices that all of their legs are skinny and spotted with satin scars where scabs were picked, but legs, all our own, good to look at, and long. She is observing her own characteristics, and then comparing them to the other girls, to see what the similarities and differences are. Esperanza also shows awareness about how others see her. In this particular vignette, there are many times when she notices what other people think of her and here friends. For example, Esperanza is aware that the six girls at the laundromat are pretending she is invisible because they are jealous. She is also aware that people find the shoes attractive, such as the boy on the bicycle and the bum man in front of the tavern. Esperanza becomes aware of the differences in her and her schoolmates lives. She notices that the children who eat in the canteen have many friends and are always laughing, and that is what she wants. She also notices that the children eating in the canteen must have parents who work, whereas her mother does not and is able to make her lunch when she comes home from school each day. Esperanza becomes aware of what other people look like compared to her, she develops a sense of self-consciousness in this vignette. She notices that everyone else has party shoes, and she did not, so she was hesitant to dance with her uncle. Esperanza also compares her looks to other girls and believes that they are prettier than her. She also becomes aware of boys when the boy that is a man is watching. She is seeing him as something different than just a playmate here, and this makes her feel good about the way others see her even if she is not wearing party shoes. Esperanza shows awareness of what characteristics other people have in this ...

Free Essays on Battle Of Jutland

The Battle of Jutland The Battle of Jutland (known as Skagerrak in Germany), fought between the British Grand Fleet and the German High Seas Fleet, was the largest surface naval battle of all time,and the only major fleet action of WWI. The Battle of Jutland played a key role in the demise of the reputation of battle-cruisers, saw the first use of a carrier based aircraft in battle, and is one of the most controversial naval actions in the Royal Navy's long history. The significance of this battle is so numerous and apparent that I decided to explain it in order to remember the great role it played and will play in sea battles from that point on. The Royal Navy started the war with a large advantage in capital ships over the Germans. The Germans realized that they were likely to lose a full fleet in battle and so they decided to even the odds by luring smaller parts of the Grand Fleet into traps to eventually bring about equality with the British, at which point they felt confident they would defeat them. They had planned to do this through careful battle tactics and pushing their large U-Boat fleet to its potential usage. In the spring of 1916 the U-Boat offensive against merchant shipping was restricted to prize rules, giving Scheer, the German Commander in Chief, more submarines than usual to use against warships. One of the tactics used was to station them off the major British naval basses and then entice the Grand Fleet out of harbor and over the waiting U-Boats. Initially, Scheer planned to raid Sunderland to draw out the Grand Fleet, but this relied on Zeppelin scouting and the weather ruled this out, so an alternati ve plan was used. He decided to send the battle-cruisers to the Skagerrak (the sea between southern Norway and Denmark), threatening British patrols and merchant ships in the area. This is when it got interesting. On the morning of May 31st the German High Seas Fleet made for sea hell bent on achieving their mis... Free Essays on Battle Of Jutland Free Essays on Battle Of Jutland The Battle of Jutland The Battle of Jutland (known as Skagerrak in Germany), fought between the British Grand Fleet and the German High Seas Fleet, was the largest surface naval battle of all time,and the only major fleet action of WWI. The Battle of Jutland played a key role in the demise of the reputation of battle-cruisers, saw the first use of a carrier based aircraft in battle, and is one of the most controversial naval actions in the Royal Navy's long history. The significance of this battle is so numerous and apparent that I decided to explain it in order to remember the great role it played and will play in sea battles from that point on. The Royal Navy started the war with a large advantage in capital ships over the Germans. The Germans realized that they were likely to lose a full fleet in battle and so they decided to even the odds by luring smaller parts of the Grand Fleet into traps to eventually bring about equality with the British, at which point they felt confident they would defeat them. They had planned to do this through careful battle tactics and pushing their large U-Boat fleet to its potential usage. In the spring of 1916 the U-Boat offensive against merchant shipping was restricted to prize rules, giving Scheer, the German Commander in Chief, more submarines than usual to use against warships. One of the tactics used was to station them off the major British naval basses and then entice the Grand Fleet out of harbor and over the waiting U-Boats. Initially, Scheer planned to raid Sunderland to draw out the Grand Fleet, but this relied on Zeppelin scouting and the weather ruled this out, so an alternati ve plan was used. He decided to send the battle-cruisers to the Skagerrak (the sea between southern Norway and Denmark), threatening British patrols and merchant ships in the area. This is when it got interesting. On the morning of May 31st the German High Seas Fleet made for sea hell bent on achieving their mis...

List of Ministers and Advisors Essay Example

List of Ministers and Advisors Essay Example List of Ministers and Advisors Essay List of Ministers and Advisors Essay List of Ministers and Advisors | SL| Name| Designation| Joining Date | Distribution of Ministry/Division | Name| From| To| | | 1| Sheikh Hasina  | Prime Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Armed Forces Division   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | Cabinet Division   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | | Ministry of Defence   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | | Ministry of Public Administration   | 28-04-2011  | Till Date  | | | 2| Mr. Abul Maal Abdul Muhith  | Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Finance   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | Finance Division   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | | Economic Relations Division   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | | Internal Resources Division   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | | Bank and Financial Division   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | | 3| Begum Matia Chowdhury  | Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Agriculture   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | 4| Mr. Abdul Latif Siddique  | Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Textiles and Jute   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | 5| Barrister Shafique Ahmed  | Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | Law and Justice Division   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | | Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | | Parliament Secretariat   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | | 6| Air Vice Marshal (Rtd. ) A K Khandker  | Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Planning   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | Planning Division   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | | Statistics and Informatics Division   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | | Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation Division   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | | 7| Mr. Rajiuddin Ahmed Raju  | Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Labour Employment   | 15-09-2012  | Till Date  | | 8| Advocate Shahara Khatun  | Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Posts and Tele-Communications   | 15-09-2012  | Till Date  | | | Syed Ashraful Islam  | Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | Local Government Division   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | | Rural Development and Co-operatives Division   | 6-01-2009  | Till Dateà ‚  | | | 10| Engr. Khandker Mosharraf Hossain  | Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | 11| Mr. Suranjit Sen Gupta  | Minister  | 28-11-2011  | Without portfolio. | 17-04-2012  | Till Date  | | 12| Dr. Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir  | Minister  | 15-09-2012  | Ministry of Home Affairs   | 15-09-2012  | Till Date  | 13| Mr. Md. Rezaul Karim Hira  | Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Land   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | 14| Mr. Abul Kalam Azad  | Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Cultural Affairs   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | 15| Mr. Enamul Hoque Mustafa Shaheed  | Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Social Welfare   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | 16| Mr. Dilip Barua  | Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Industries   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | 17| Mr. Obaidul Quader  | Minister  | 28-11-2011  | Ministry of Commun ications   | 5-12-2011  | Till Date  | | Roads Division   | 5-12-2011  | Till Date  | | | Bridges Division   | 5-11-2011  | Till Date  | | | 18| Mr. Ramesh Chandra Sen  | Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Water Resources   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | 19| Mr. Ghulam Muhammed Quader  | Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Commerce   | 5-12-2011  | Till Date  | | 20| Mr. Hasanul Haq Inu  | Minister  | 15-09-2012  | Ministry of Information   | 15-09-2012  | Till Date  | | 21| Mr. Muhammad Faruk Khan  | Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism   | 5-12-2011  | Till Date  | | 22| Dr. Md. Abdur Razzaque  | Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Food   | 15-09-2012  | Till Date  | 23| Dr. Md. Afsarul Ameen  | Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Primary and Mass Education   | 31-07-2009  | Till Date  | | 24| Dr. A. F. M. Ruhal Haque  | Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Health and Family Welfare   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | 25| Dr. Dipu Moni  | Minister  | 8-01-2009  | Ministry of Foreign Affairs   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | 26| Mr. Nurul Islam Nahid  | Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Education   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | 27| Mr. Abdul Latif Biswas  | Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | 28| Mr. Shajahan Khan  | Minister  | 31-07-2009  | Ministry of Shipping   | 31-07-2009  | Till Date  | | 29| Dr. Hasan Mahmud  | Minister  | 28-11-2011  | Ministry of Environment and Forest   | 29-11-2011  | Till Date  | | 30| Mr. Abul Hasan Mahamood Ali  | Minister  | 15-09-2012  | Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief   | 15-09-2012  | Till Date  | | 31| Mr. Mostafa Faruque Mohammed  | Minister  | 15-09-2012  | Ministry of Information Communication Technology   | 15-09-2012  | Till Date  | | 32| Mr. Md. Mazibul Hoque  | Minister  | 15-09-2012  | Ministry of Railways   | 15-09-2012  | Till Date  | | 33| MR. H. T. Imam  | Adviser  | 7-01-2009  | Public Administration Affairs   | 5-06-2011  | Till Date  | | 34| Dr. Mashiur Rahman  | Adviser  | 7-01-2009  | Economic Adviser   | 22-01-2009  | Till Date  | | 35| Professor Dr. Syed Modasser Ali  | Adviser  | 7-01-2009  | Health Family Welfare and Social Welfare Affairs   | 22-01-2009  | Till Date  | | 36| Dr. Alauddin Ahmed  | Adviser  | 7-01-2009  | Education, Social Development and Political Affairs   | 22-01-2009  | Till Date  | | 37| Dr. Tawfiq-E-Elahi Chowdhury, BB  | Adviser  | 14-01-2009  | Adviser to the Honble Prime Minister   | 14-01-2009  | Till Date  | | 8| Dr. Gowher Rizvi  | Adviser  | 9-07-2009  | International Relations Affairs   | 9-07-2009  | Till Date  | | 39| Advocate Mostafizur Rahman  | State Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Land   | 31-07-2009  | Till Date  | | 40| Capt. A B Tajul Islam (Rtd. )  | State Minister  | 6-01-2009  | M inistry of Liberation War Affairs   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | 41| Arch. Yeafesh Osman  | State Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Science and Technology   | 5-12-2011  | Till Date  | | 42| Begum Monnujan Sufian  | State Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Labour ; Employment   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | 43| Mr. Dipankar Talukdar  | State Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | 44| Mr. Ahad Ali Sarkar  | State Minister  | 6-01-2009  | Ministry of Youth and Sports   | 6-01-2009  | Till Date  | | 45| Advocate Md. Shahjahan Miah  | State Minister  | 24-01-2009  | Ministry of Religious Affairs   | 24-01-2009  | Till Date  | | 46| Advocate Abdul Mannan Khan  | State Minister  | 24-01-2009  | Ministry of Housing and Public Works   | 24-01-2009  | Till Date  | | 47| Advocate Md. Kamrul Islam  | State Minister  | 24-07-2009  | Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs   | 24-01-2009  | Till Date  | | Law and Justice Division   | 24-01-2009  | Till Date  | | | Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division   | 24-01-2009  | Till Date  | | | Parliament Secretariat   | 24-01-2009  | Till Date  | | | 48| Advocate Shamsul Hoque Tuku  | State Minister  | 24-01-2009  | Ministry of Home Affairs   | 31-07-2009  | Till Date  | | 49| Advocate Jahangir Kabir Nanak  | State Minister  | 24-01-2009  | Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives   | 24-01-2009  | Till Date  | | Local Government Division   | 24-01-2009  | Till Date  | | | Rural Development and Co-operatives Division   | 24-01-2009  | Till Date  | | | 50| Mr. Md. Motahar Hossain  | State Minister  | 24-01-2009  | Ministry of Primary and Mass Education   | 24-01-2009  | Till Date  | | 51| Mr. Muhammad Enamul Huq  | State Minister  | 31-07-2009  | Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources   | 31-07-2009  | Till Date  | | Power Division   | 31-07-2009  | Till Date  | | | Energy and Mineral Resources Division   | 31-07-2009  | Till Date  | | | 52| Mr. Mozibur Rahman Fakir  | State Minister  | 31-07-2009  | Ministry of Health and Family Welfare   | 31-07-2009  | Till Date  | | 53| Mr. Promode Mankin  | State Minister  | 31-07-2009  | Ministry of Social Welfare   | 16-09-2012  | Till Date  | 54| Begum Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury  | State Minister  | 31-07-2009  | Ministry of Women and Children Affairs   | 31-07-2009  | Till Date  | | 55| Mr. Md. Mahabubur Rahaman  | State Minister  | 31-07-2009  | Ministry of Water Resources   | 31-07-2009  | Till Date  | | 5 6| Mr. Omor Faruk Chowdhury  | State Minister  | 15-09-2012  | Ministry of Industries   | 15-09-2012  | Till Date  | | 57| Mr. Md. Abdul Hyee  | State Minister  | 15-09-2012  | Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock   | 15-09-2012  | Till Date  | | 58| Maj. Gen. (Retd) Tarique Ahmed Siddique  | Adviser to the Honble Prime Minister  | 8-01-2009  | | | | |

Assignment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Assignment - Research Paper Example Even though that is an increase on previous studies that have shown the percentage of businesses who measure results that are directly attributed to training efforts as a lot lower, the fact still remains that showing a direct causality between training and training programs is still a problem. Two problems that will be the focus of this study will be (1) finding variables that are directly impacted by training methods and (2) accounting for other influences of change that also might be causal reasons for the changes in the variables identified. While companies often measure their business success through sales figures, customer complaint numbers, accident figures, staff absences and similar statistics these same figures only offer a statistical reference if applied to staff training and its effectiveness. However anecdotal evidence is harder to ascribe measures to. Questionnaires have been used with some effectiveness to determine employee opinions on training programs, and how the same employees feel their skill set has improved because of the training (Olian et al, 1998). But the problem with using similar methods to accurately gauge the return on investment for the training in the workplace is that the data is often self-reported which comes with its own set of limitations. Another issue is that to get an accurate measure of improvements relating directly to training, a methodology would have to include a way of collecting data on a range of variables that included post-training behaviors as well as behaviors during and after the training had been finished. Also to ensure that some other causal element (such as a change in staff moral due to the implementation of training program) has not influenced the data collected (Olian et al, 1998). The purpose of this study will be to collect data and analyze the methods used in

Rene Descartes Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy Essay

Rene Descartes Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy - Essay Example He even questions whether at the time of his writing he is truly awake or is indeed in an unceasing dream. In the dream doubt argument, Descartes fears that his present experiences could all turn out to be a huge dream and that in the end senses can be deceitful. He writes, ‘How often, asleep at night, am I convinced of such familiar events – that I am here in my dressing-gown, sitting by the fire – when in fact I am lying undressed in bed... I see that there are never any sure signs by means of which being awake can be distinguished from being asleep’ (Descartes, 1). He thus renders the verdict that the truest source of knowledge of science and life comes not from senses (which are deceitful) but from the mind. He hence holds that the data obtained from senses are not always true and that the only way to obtain reliable knowledge is through strict adherence to reason in all problems/ questions encountered in life (and science). Using dreams as evidence of the flaws in trusting one’s senses, Rene postulates that at the very least, our senses must be test ed and thoroughly examined to ascertain the truth in them. He argues that the possibility of tricking the senses into accepting a false dream world as real denotes that the simulated realities is a common phenomenon and one that mankind should watch out for. In this argument, one could be dreaming at a time of a discovery/ new insight/ belief or the whole of life could be a dream (inexistent). After arguing out the dream doubt, Rene wanders on to the evil genius doubt. Descartes hypothesizes that (since God is infinitely good and incapable of deceit) there is a malicious being (demon), wielding immense power and who is very cunning/ clever, that has gone on in all the aggression it is capable of to seamlessly deceive him (Descartes, 1). He therefore regards the earth and all in it as mere deceptions of an evil demon in order to alter his perception and reason of things. In

Video game addiction Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Video game addiction - Research Paper Example They end up devaluing other activities like swimming, football, dancing, reading novels among other hobbies one can do during free time. Research has proved that compulsive use of computer and video games is a present-day psychological disorder that medical experts are treating patients on daily basis. This paper analyzes the characteristics and consequences of video game addiction to a person and the society at large. Most teenagers usually like spending most of their siesta playing computer games, which form their number one hobby. Others end up becoming game addicts just out of innocent recreation. Gaming often starts from boredom and the latter pleasure ends up being the reward. Playing provides an alternate reality in which problems are solved and success and reward is possible. (Lemmens,Valkenburg and Peter 56).A good example of an addictive game that is very popular is The Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG) .The gamers of MMORPG forms the group of people that is most susceptible to game addiction. The game is very addictive because it has no ending. Addicts form 9.1% of video game players that play these addictive video games on the internet (Kent 18). The level of addiction varies from one person to another. For instance, kids who easily get bored often develop poor relationships with family members and friend. They also feel out of place while at school, (King and Griffiths 201).201).This is because a void is filled and satisfaction of needs not met elsewhere is achieved. In situations where life becomes stressful gaming actually provides a good avenue of evading from responsibilities and life realities. Video gaming is normally a multi-faceted issue and that is what actually causes the addiction. Especially to the game beginners, the games are usually designed in away to make them addictive. These games are very interesting and this increases the amount of hours people spend playing. Most of them are designed to be very difficult and truly challenging while letting the players to attain minor accomplishments that forces them to continue playing. This design is very similar to that of gambling casinos which permits players to get small ‘wins’ so that they keep playing. Video games have several ‘hooks’ that are in built with the intention to make them more and more addictive. To begin with, The High score is the most recognizable hooks that are found in many games. Struggling to reach the highest mark can have a game player gaming for hours so as to score many points enhancing addiction. Beating the game is a hook that is not found in virtual role-playing games though it is almost all vide games. The drive to win the game is fed as a player moves to the next level or unravels the next hidden clue (Kent 221).This causes the player to make as many trials as possible causing addiction. Role-playing is another hook that allows players to actually craft characters within the game and get on on an exploration that is sole to that particular character. Consequently, there will be a serious emotional attachment to that character, and the whole story, further making it difficult to halt play ing. In addition, discovery tactic is a hook that is often found in the role-playing games. A good example is the World of War craft where a good part of this video game is dedicated towards exploring imaginary worlds (Van Rooij et al. 143).The thrill of innovation of even places that

Literature Review Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Literature Review - Research Paper Example A majority of practitioner also do not use the recommended thiazide for managing hypertension (Deshpande, Patel, Godbole, Champaneri, & Patell, 2014; Drawz, et al., 2009). The non-adherence by physicians could explain patents’ lack of knowledge of non-adherence to treatment (Chiazor & Oparah, 2012). Non-adherence to guidelines could be a factor of years of practice and specialty area (Axon, et al., 2010). Educational programs, however, helps physicians to manage barriers to practice, improves their knowledge and confidence in approaches to care, and can therefore improve their adherence to recommendations towards better outcomes (Dacey, Arnstein, Kennedy, Wolfe, & Phillips, 2013). Evidence suggests that practitioners do not implement available guidelines in managing hypertension and this could be a factor to high incidence and prevalence of the condition. Identified effects of continued education, such as awareness of existing and new guidelines can improve outcomes and the current study seeks to ascertain possible effects of awareness initiatives. Framework/Theory: measurement of blood pressure, â€Å"diagnosis of prehypertension and hypertension,† new cases of hypertension, non-pharmacological approaches to treatment, threshold blood pressure level for treatment, and use of antihypertensive agents are the concepts that formed the study’s framework (p. 5). Concepts: blood pressure, â€Å"diagnosis of pre-hypertension and hypertension,† new cases of hypertension, non-pharmacological approaches to treatment, threshold blood pressure level for treatment, and use of antihypertensive agents Dependent Variable: blood pressure, â€Å"diagnosis of pre-hypertension and hypertension,† new cases of hypertension, non-pharmacological approaches to treatment, threshold blood pressure level for treatment, and use of antihypertensive agents A significant percentage of the

Exchange Rate Risk Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Exchange Rate Risk - Assignment Example Economic exposure involves potential negative effect on business future cash flows from foreign subsidiaries due to fluctuation of exchange rate (Madura, 2012). The various hedging strategies that GBATT can employ to cushion exchange rate risk entails futures contract, forward contract, and options contract (Madura, 2012). GBATT can employ the futures contract to avoid exchange rate risk by entering into a contract with a financial institution on the price and quantity of foreign currencies that will be applied at a specific date. Similarly, the forward contract can be applied by specifying the price at which the foreign currency will be exchanged at with a financial institution in a contract. The options strategy on the other hand will involve entering into an agreement that will give GBATT to sell the foreign denominated currencies but not an obligation at a given rate to domestic currency at specific date. Consequently, the three hedging strategies will enable GBATT to avoid exchange rate volatility. One of the firms that employ hedging strategies to cushion exchange rate risk is Coca Cola Company to reduce translation exposure from its foreign subsidiaries (Coca-Cola.com, 2012). In addition, Dell Corporation has adopted hedging strategies to cushion exchange rate fluctuation (Dell,

Literature Review Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Literature Review - Research Paper Example A majority of practitioner also do not use the recommended thiazide for managing hypertension (Deshpande, Patel, Godbole, Champaneri, & Patell, 2014; Drawz, et al., 2009). The non-adherence by physicians could explain patents’ lack of knowledge of non-adherence to treatment (Chiazor & Oparah, 2012). Non-adherence to guidelines could be a factor of years of practice and specialty area (Axon, et al., 2010). Educational programs, however, helps physicians to manage barriers to practice, improves their knowledge and confidence in approaches to care, and can therefore improve their adherence to recommendations towards better outcomes (Dacey, Arnstein, Kennedy, Wolfe, & Phillips, 2013). Evidence suggests that practitioners do not implement available guidelines in managing hypertension and this could be a factor to high incidence and prevalence of the condition. Identified effects of continued education, such as awareness of existing and new guidelines can improve outcomes and the current study seeks to ascertain possible effects of awareness initiatives. Framework/Theory: measurement of blood pressure, â€Å"diagnosis of prehypertension and hypertension,† new cases of hypertension, non-pharmacological approaches to treatment, threshold blood pressure level for treatment, and use of antihypertensive agents are the concepts that formed the study’s framework (p. 5). Concepts: blood pressure, â€Å"diagnosis of pre-hypertension and hypertension,† new cases of hypertension, non-pharmacological approaches to treatment, threshold blood pressure level for treatment, and use of antihypertensive agents Dependent Variable: blood pressure, â€Å"diagnosis of pre-hypertension and hypertension,† new cases of hypertension, non-pharmacological approaches to treatment, threshold blood pressure level for treatment, and use of antihypertensive agents A significant percentage of the

Direct Marketing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Direct Marketing - Assignment Example As a manager, Meredith required an integrated marketing information system in carrying out his analysis. An analysis based on data collection, which is an essential requirement aiding planning, implementation, and control responsibilities. Marketing Information System helps in assessing the previously collected data, develop the needed information, and distribute that information in a timely manner. Meredith employs registration as a mechanism for data collection. Registration and licensing avails valuable data that are essential to completing enumeration, though limited to variables change slowly. The variables include numbers of fishing vessels and their characteristics (Kotler & Keller 2011). Meredith used questionnaires as a second means of data collection. Issuance of unfilled relevant questions forms to consumers after purchasing commodities. It is less expensive method of data collection since the customers tend to be co-operative. The third method Meredith employed is the use Interviews that enabled extraction of valuable feedback from the clients and public. The final method used in data collection by the managing director is direct observations. The method offers first-hand information based on individuals expected

Mac & Cheese Essay Example for Free

Mac Cheese Essay The article â€Å"Why Games are Good for You† by Steven Johnson presents reasons why electronic video games are not harmful. While other people have written and talked about the harms that video games bring to young people. , Steven Johnson argues just the opposite. He says that video games have many benefits including making us smarter. Steven Johnson begins his article by describing what the critics say about video games. First, they are a great waste of time says Dr. Spock. At their worst, they promote violent responses from children. The main argument about video games is that they take away from children reading. Then the author presents the reasons that reading is so good for people. However, the author then says that a lot of the criticism about video games is because they are being judged by old standards by people who believe reading is the main way for children to learn skills. He asks the reader to think of a world where video games came before books. Then he argues that the criticisms of books would look a certain way. The criticisms are the author’s way of showing benefits of video games, like they are three-dimensional, and they have strong visual images and sound. The user uses complex motor skills to navigate them. Also, he shows that the children interact with the games and can control what happens in them. Steven Johnson then shows that the arguments used against books in this made up situation are like the ones used for video games. They do not show the benefits of reading like using the imagination or the shared experience of reading the same story. The arguments against video games are limited also says the author. He says if you compare video games to books, then the games will not be judged well because the two are so different. Next, he talks again about the benefits of reading like concentration and making sense of words and meanings. After showing how reading brings many benefits, he then argues that some of the benefits of readings are found with video games. He says, â€Å"By almost all the standards we use to measure reading’s cognitive benefits—attention, memory, following threads and so on—the nonliterary popular culture has been steadily growing more challenging over the past thirty years† (485). Research is showing in the last few years that people who play video games regularly are gaining important skills. In fact, Steven Johnson argues that â€Å"Increasingly the nonliterary popular culture is honing different mental skills that are just as important as the ones exercised by reading books† (485). He provides examples of why he believes this. Steven Johnson does not agree with critics of video games who believe they are not only a waste of time for children, but can cause harm. Instead, he argues that video games provide many benefits and skills for children including motor skills, interaction with a narrative, a rich landscape of sounds and images and so forth. Other researchers are starting to agree that video games are providing some benefits. Steven Johnson believes that video games should be valued more, but he also suggests that reading is still important. The main point, though, is that parents and others should stop thinking that video games are all bad and appreciate the value they bring to the child.

The United States and Canadian Correctional system

The United States and Canadian Correctional system From a historical point of view, Great Britain had influenced the correctional system in the United States and Canada. During the Americas Colonial period, United-States was under the British rule and its penal system today is influenced by efforts made during that time. While Canada is currently under the British rule and its penal system reflects their system. These two countries are located in close proximity to each other on the North American continent. In addition to sharing the same continent and being influenced by the same country, these two countries correctional systems are different. Primary, the United States system puts more emphasis on punishment through imprisonment which accounts for its high incarceration rate compared to other countries. Canada expresses more emphasis on reforming, rehabilitation and reintegration of the offenders into society. To explore the correctional system of these two countries, a comparative analysis will be conducted that will focus on the History, type of offenses or crimes, types of correctional system, correctional issues, and sentencing alternative programs. Finally, accommodations for resolving some of the most critical issues facing these two countries will be presented. History Early United States Correctional System The Unites States Correctional system had gone through many changes over the years. During the American Colonial time, execution was only used for serious offenses. Corporal punishment was often used as a form of punishment. Offenders who received corporal punishment received harsh treatment. For example, a practice called ducking stool was frequently used, in which offenders are placed on a chair and dunked into a pond until they almost drown. Another type of punishment was branding irons into someone skins, and was used for both serious and petty offenses. According to Champion (1990) pillory, flogging, mutilations and banishment were used to sanction deviant behavior. Those who were banished were sent to the western territories and the offenders were subjected to being killed by hostile Indians. According to Champion (1990) Corporal punishment stopped in 1682 when William Penn reformed the correctional system by banning it. He introduced fines and created jails in every county in the state of Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, when Penn died the State of Pennsylvania reverted back to the corporal punishment, which continued in every colony until the American Revolutionary War. Then from the seventeenth through eighteenth century, jails and prisons in the United States were made with the intention to make profit off of the prisoners, which profited the wealthy people. Champion (1990) mentioned that private business interests were in control of North Carolina inmates, because the state and local governments avoided the responsibility of running prisons. This trend changed at the end of the civil war when the inmate population increased; jails and prison operation shifted from private enterprise to state legislature operations. However, some states prison labors continued as a source of revenue and also for political support. According to Champion (1990) from 1790 to 1815, the federal prison population increased tremendously causing prisoners to be released early from their sentences. Thus, federal district judges granted prison administrators the right to early release or parole to reduce inmate populations. Champion (1990) mentioned, during the early nineteenth century, probation and parole were established as a non-incarcerative strategy for managing offenders. In the 1930s, Probation started in selected jurisdictions. In the early 1820s parole was implemented and by 1944 parole was in all states. Early Canada Correctional System During the seventeenth and eighteenth century, the death penalty was used against convicted serious offenders. According to Curt Griffiths and Simon Jones-Verdum (1990), transportation, banding, fines, whipping and confinement in stocks or pillory were forms of punishment for less serious crimes. Banishment was first used in the Upper Region of Canada in 1802 and Transportation was used in 1838 until 1853. The offenders who were banished were transported from Canada to England, Australia, and Bermuda. The purpose of these punishments was to caused shame to the offenders. It was used as a general deterrent for the community. Forms of capital and corporal punishment were conducted in public. For example, the offenders dead bodies were displayed for the public to see general deterrent to crimes. Griffiths and Jones-Verdum (1994) noted that in the early period of Canada punishment was swift, severe and progressive and there were little uniformity in sentencing given by judges. According to Griffiths and Jones-Verdum (1994), during the 1600s and 1700s incarcerating inmates as a form of punishment was not widespread. For example, municipal jails and lock-ups facilities only held individuals who were awaiting trial, with the exception of a workhouse that was built in Nova Scotia, where prisoners were subjected to hard labor. In Nova Scotia, prisoners were exploited, and they had to pay for their meals and rents. According to Griffiths and Jones-Verdum (1994), failure to pay will result in longer stay in Nova. The workhouse continued until the mid-1800 when it was determined to be unfit for further habitation. Legislation was enacted to construct more workhouse in the late 1700s. However, many municipalities did not constructed such facilities because the warehouses were inadequate for habitation. This practice continues from the 1800s until the early twentieth century. In 1835, the first penitentiary in Canada was in Kingston, Ontario. Griffiths and Jones-Verdum (1994) stated that the idea to build the penitentiary was influenced by social, political and economic changes in Canada. They noted that, in the last 1700s, increasing urbanization and industrialization, increase in population, and increased social mobility had led to social control. Family disorganization and community corruption was believed to cause crime. Griffiths and Jones-Verdum (1994) noted that penitentiaries were build to provide the necessary training and discipline to individuals who had no family, church and community influences. Also the Kingston penitentiary was built because crime was seen as the consequence of immorality, intemperance, lack of religious practice, and idleness (Griffiths and Jones-Verdum, 1994. p. 464). Also, criminals were seen as a threat to society. In 1840, the excessive use of corporal punishment in the Kingston Penitentiary led to an investigation and a legislative action was implemented to reduce the use of corporal punishment in the Kingston Penitentiary. Giffiths and Jones-Verdum (1994) noted that the Penitentiary Act of 1868 led to the construction of several penitentiaries in the country. According to Griffiths and Jones-Verdum (1994), after World War II, vocational training, educational programs along with therapeutic techniques were introduced into the federal and provincial institutions. Griffiths and Jones-Verdum (1994) noted, in 1969, the Canadian Committee on Corrections concluded that reforming the offenders was more effective than housing offenders in correctional institutions. However, in the 1980s, Canadian corrections returned to the punishment based on reparation. Griffiths and Jones-Verdum (1994) noted that in the 1990s the federal level corrections are based on a mixture of program opportunities model and rehabilitation model. The opportunities model is based on the fact that offenders are responsible for their behavior and not on personality disorder or socio-economic conditions. The historical aspects of the America and Canada penal system are important for penology to understand why ones country is the way it is now. In the early period, based on the seriousness of the crime corporal punishment was used and as society got more civilized imprisonment was used to punish criminals for certain type of crime. Today, Canada defines crime and punishes criminal differently than the United States. The different types of crime and forms of punishment exercised by both countries will be explored. Type of Crimes United States In U.S crimes are classified in two main categories; misdemeanors and felonies. According to Champion (1990), misdemeanors are minor or petty offenses that carry less severe penalties. Misdemeanor offenses may result in fines and incarceration for less than one year in a local jail. For example, financial statement, prostitution, shoplifting and trespassing are consider misdemeanor offenses. Champion (1990) defined felonies offenses as major crimes that carry more severe penalty and may result in fines and/or incarceration for one or more years in a state or federal facility. For example, arson, murder, rape, burglary, robbery, vehicular theft (Champion, 1990, p. 52) are consider felonies offenses. In the United States crimes are categorized as either violent or property crimes. Violent crimes are crimes that cause physical harm to other while property crimes are considered nonviolent crimes. Canada According to Griffiths and Jones-Verdum (1994), there are three major categories of crime in Canada: summary conviction offenses, indictable offences and hybrid offenses-a combination of summary conviction and indictable offences. Summary convictions offenses are the least serious and carry the most lenient penalties ,while indictable offences are the most serious and carry the most severe penalties (Griffiths and Jones-Verdum, 1994, p. 216). Griffiths and Jones-Verdum (1994), mentioned that hybrid offenses lie somewhere between the two previously mention crimes. Summary convictions offenses may result in a fine of $2,000 and six months in jail. For example, committing indecent act, public disturbance, prostitution and driving a motor vehicle without the owners fall under this category. permission. Griffiths and Jones-Verdum (1994) stated Indictable offences include, murder, treason, property crimes, possession of stolen goods, assault and sexual assault. According to Griffiths and J ones-Verdum (1994), these offenses may result in a two years to life imprisonment in a federal penitentiary or provincial jail (only if the offenses are less than two years). Also Griffiths and Jones-Verdum (1994) continued to noted, that Hybrid offenses include, theft, fraud under $1,000, driving under the influences and assaults (sexual assault and assaulting a police officer). Type of Corrections and Correctional Issues United States The American correctional system is divided into the Local, State and Federal system. Each 50 states have different correctional organizations system. In fact, no state is required to follow any federal correctional system or plan, and as a result, a mixture of agencies and organizations is found (Champion, 1990 p.38) in every state. Each state, county and city maintains facilities to house offenders. Champion (1990) mentioned that State offenders are sentenced to state prisons, those who violated local criminal laws are sentenced to city or county jails, and federal offenders are sentenced to federal correctional institutions (penitentiaries, prison camps and detention centers). Champion (1990) also mentioned that recently, many federal prisons are used to housed state and federal offenders to help reduce overcrowding. On the Federal Level, the Department of Justice oversees all federal correctional agencies which include the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the U.S Parole Commission. There are different confinement facilities established to house prisoners, such as, minimum-security prisons, medium-security prisons, maximum-security prisons and Maxi-Maxi prisons. According to Champion (1990), minimum and medium security prisons account for 60 percent of all state and federal prisons in the United States. He further mentioned that the Federal Bureau of Prisons oversees numerous minimum security prisons and these prisons house low-risk, nonviolent first time offenders and prisoners who are on their way toward parole. He also mentioned that the medium security prisons house extremely violent and nonviolent offenders. In Medium prisons, visitation privileges, freedoms of movements and access to services program are restricted. Champion notes (1990) approximately 40 percent of U.S prisons are maximum-security facilities that housed escapers, violent crime recidivists and other high-risk offenders. Maxi-Maxi prisons housed the worst type of offenders, especially offend ers who tried to escape prisons. Regarding sentencing alternatives, legislators have established numerous intermediate punishments to control prison and jail overcrowding. According to Champion (1990), legislators established numerous forms of intermediate sanction programs. Champion (1990) noted that the types of intermediate sanctions programs used in many US jurisdictions, include intensive supervised probation, community-based corrections, house arrest and electronic monitoring. Intensive supervised probation (ISP) involves consist or intensive visitation by probation officers on a monthly basis. The main purpose of community-based programs is to reintegrate probationers into their community. According to Champion (1990), Community-based programs include halfway houses, furlong monitoring facilities and halfway-in house. Champion (1990) electronic monitoring as confining offenders to their place of residences until their sentencing time is completed. According to Champion (1990), in the United States diversion p rogram are available for minor offenses, such as reckless drivers and driver under the influences. He stated that diversion programs includes, psychological counseling for sex offenders, group therapy, vocational/educational training, probation, victim restitution and other programs. There are numerous issues facing Americas prisons, such as overcrowding, riots, prison design and control and racial disparity among prisoners. Regarding overcrowding in the United States, in 1987 the state capacities were 105 to 120 percent over their capacity and the federal prison were 37 to 73 percent over its capacity (Champion 1994, p. 229). Today that ratio capacity percent amount has increased. According to Goldstone and Useem (2002), external pressures on prison administrations, such as charges in law or increase sentencing on inmates had influenced prison riots. They go on to state that, arbitrary rule, excess use of force by staff, loss of inmates services, extreme violence and lack of safety for inmates has led to riot in United States prisons. Another problem in prison is racial disparity. According to Anthony Doob and Julian Roberts (1997), in 1991, blacks account for 12% of the general population and 48% are incarcerated in prisons and jails in America. Finally, prison design and control are serious issues facing American prisons. Canada The Correctional Services of Canada and the National Parole Board Canada oversee all adult federal correctional agencies. The Provincial Correctional Services provides services for provincial areas in Canada. According to Giffiths and Jones-Verdum (1994), the Correctional Service of Canada agency is organized into three levels: national, regional, and institutional or district offices, and parole offices. The national level is located in Ottawa. There are six regional headquarter located throughout different regions in Canada and there are responsible for overseeing the maximum, medium, and minimum security facilities, community correctional services and forest work camps. Griffiths and Jones-Verdum (1994) noted that the National Parole Board is an independent administrative agency with 36 full time members who review cases on inmates either serving life sentences and indeterminate sentences for dangerous offenders, grant full and day parole to federal inmates and to provincial inmat es. Provincial Correctional Services provide services for offenders serving less than two years in prison. Provinces governments are responsible for detaining offenders prior to their initial court appearances in temporary lock-ups facilities. Regarding sentencing alternatives, the Canadian Sentencing Commission mentions that sentencing guidelines should ensure a greater reliance upon community sanctions as opposed to the penalty of imprisonment (Griffiths and Jones-Verdum, 1994, p.363). The Correctional Service of Canada and various provincial correctional agencies offer numerous intermediate sanctions programs such as home confinement, Intensive probations supervision, electronic monitoring. Griffiths and Jones-Verdum (1994), there are also Community based-programs to assists inmates such as, vocational training programs, educational programs, chaplaincy and religious services, medical, dental and psychiatric services and occupational and vocational program. Griffiths and Jones-Verdum, (1994), suggested that Canada federal corrections are highly-Labor-Intensive due to large personnel who are responsible for supervising in custodial and non-custodial setting. As a result, escalating costs of managing and supervising convicted offenders at the federal level (Griffiths and Jones-Verdum, 1994 p. 473) increase costs. Griffiths and Jones-Verdum (1994) noted that to housed inmates in maximum security institutions is very costly. They also mentioned, in 1994, to house an inmate in a federal facility it cost on average $136 per day. Anthony Doob and Roberts Julian (1994), stated that aboriginal and black Canadians are overrepresented in the federal prison facilities. They noted that from 1993-94 aboriginals makeup 3.7 % of the population and 12 % was incarcerated in federal prisons and blacks make up 2% and accounted for 5% of those incarcerated in federal prisons. Overcrowding is a major issue in Canada Correctional System because it leads to es calating violence in its prisons. Comparative Analysis There are many differences and few similarities between Canada and United-States correctional system in terms of the types of correctional system and types of crimes. The critical issues facing the correctional system in the United States and Canada are very similar. For example, overcrowding, riots and racial disparities are critical issues both countries are facing today. These two countries correctional goals are different. The American correctional institutions goal is the rehabilitation of the offenders in prisons by providing training and developmental programs. However this goal was driven by other factors; overcrowding, costs and economic crisis. According to Griffiths and Jones-Verdum (1994), correctional institutions focus on the reformation and the reintegration. Thus, Canada correctional system put more priority on institutional service programs to help offenders after they are released from prisons. For example, Canadian realized the federal prisoners literacy rate was l ow. In fact, in 1991 65% of inmate in federal correctional facilities had math and language skills below the level of grade eight (Griffiths and Jones-Verdum, 1994 p. 514) and an ABE prison education program were created to reduce the literacy rate. Historical capital punishment was used for serious crimes and corporal punishment was used for less serious crimes in Canada and in the United States. Social changes, such as, increase in population, prisons and jails lead to the constructions of penitentiaries and warehouses to housed prisoners in both countries. In the early twentieth century, both countries initiated probation and parole programs to deal with the overcrowding prison population. Currently, both countries have are many self improvement programs to help offenders and inmates to improve themselves in society. In both countries, sentences are based upon the level of seriousness of the crimes. The sentencing for less serious and most serious crimes in the United States and Canada varies. In Canada the minimum sentence for serious offenses is longer compared to the United States. And in the United States the minimum sentence for less serious offenses is longer compared to Canada. For certain serious offenses (murder) depending on the jurisdiction in the US, capital punishment is illegal as opposed to Canada were capital punishment is illegal. Banning capital punishment have increased the number of prisoners serving life sentences. According to Griffiths and Jones-Verdum (1994), in order to deal with the large numbers of people incarcerated, the government adopted the Canadian Sentencing Commission recommendation that sentencing guidelines should put great dependences on community sanction programs as opposed to imprisonment to reduce the prison population. Thus, correctional administrators a nd judges have push for the development of alternative sentencing programs to reduce the high incarceration rated. The type of correctional systems in the United States and Canada are different in terms of what governmental agency oversees the local and federal level prison system. In the United States, correctional facilities are divided into several levels; federal, state, county and cities. In contract, Canada correctional facilities are divided two levels; federal and provincial. In the United States all 50 states, including countries and cities set its own rules and regulations on how to run prisons. Griffiths and Jones-Verdum, (1994) mentioned earlier that Canada local jails and temporary lock-up facility (temporary housed people waiting for trail) are under the control of the provincial government. And, the Correctional Service of Canada (federal agency) oversees the national, all regional and institutional/district officers and operates 73 parole offices. Similarly, the Department of Justice (federal agency) oversees the all States, Federal and inmates on parole. However, Canadas Provinci al Correctional Services (non-federal agency) shares responsible by providing parole and probation services to Canadians. This is due to the fact that the National Parole Board agency that is delegated to oversees all inmate on parole and probations are not located in some provincial regions. United States and Canada both have federal government agencies that oversee all maximum, minimum and medium security prisons. The introduction of intermediate sanction programs and division programs in the United States and Canada was implemented for different reasons. Based on Champion (1994), the 1973 President Commission of Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice created community-based program to reduce the prisons population in the US. In contrast, Griffiths and Jones-Verdum, (1994), stated, in 1993, Canada federal government passed a bill that resulted in the expansion of intermediate sanctions program that focuses on helping and keeping offenders out of prison. United States is more interested in punishing the offenders through imprisonment while Canada is more interested in providing alternatives efforts to confinement. Its one of the main reasons the United States incarceration rate in the United-States is the highest in the world. Both countries have seen the benefits of intermediate sanctions as a mean to rehabilitate and to reintegrate offenders into the community as a way to contain their costs and reduce their incarceration rate. Both countries used intermediate sanctions, such as intensive probation supervision (IPS), community-based programs, home confinement and electronic monitoring as a mean to reduce the incarceration rate and reintegrate offenders. However both countries cited that intermediate sanctions programs have resulted in widening the net creating an increase numbers of offenders in the criminal justice system. A negative effect of increasing the numbers of intermediate sanctions programs is officials who are assigned to monitor these offenders will not contribute much time and efforts rehabilitating every offenders. Nevertheless, these programs have contributed in some way or another in rehabilitate offenders. Accommodations There are accommodations the United States and Canada can apply for prisons overcrowding riots and high disparities among minorities. Regarding overcrowding solutions, both countries can implement front-door solutions (Champion, 1990, p.229), which recommends prosecutors and judges to have greater use of diversion program and community-based services for offenders. A second recommendation for overcrowding is back-door solutions (Champion, 1990, p.229), which involves granting prisoners early release or parole, furlough and administrative discharge. Currently, Canada is more into practicing the use of intermediate sanctions more than the United States. As a result, their incarceration population decreased and contain their cost. In addition having private businesses investing in the running of prison facilities will reduce management cost. Bert Useem and Jack Goldstone (2002) note that prison riots are caused by state or national officials imposing new demands on prisons administrations, inadequate services provided to prisoners, prisoner abuse by security guards and more. Bert Useem and Jack Goldstone (2002) suggested that the Major Rudolph Giuliani solved prisons riots in New York by appointing Michael Jacobson and Bernad Devik who implement new reform actions. Such as, creating unity and coherence in policy among the warden and correction staff, increasing the safety of prisoners, curbing excessive use of force by staff and enforcing swift and effective responses to inmates provocations. Those New York Prison reform ideas can be implemented in every state in the US and Canada. Another solution for prison riots is to recommend staff to monitor prisoners who behave in prisons by granting those prisoners early release. One major issues that both countries face is racial disparity, for US it is African Americans and for Canada it is Blacks and Aboriginal Canadians. Solutions for racial disparity include changing mandatory sentencing law for certain offenses that tend to discriminate against minorities. Conclusion The United-States believes that the rehabilitation of offenders is an ideal goal to be met in their correctional system, but in reality many offenders reenter into the criminal justice system. One reason cited earlier is that correctional officials do not get ample time dedicated to monitoring offenders rehabilitative progress because of heavy caseload and the large amount of people in alternative sentencing programs. In contrast, Canadas penal system puts more emphasis on the use of alternative sentences programs that focuses on treating the offender as opposed to imprisonment. Canada believes more in giving the offender an opportunity to better ones self. Thus, Canada has a mixture of opportunities and rehabilitation model. In fact, Canada sentencing commission and other governmental bodies have made it an effort to give offenders the need to become a productive member of society. Both countries implemented correctional programs and alternative sentencing programs to reduce overcro wding and costs. But the United States implemented those type of programs to reduce overcrowding and costs instead of rehabilitating the offenders. .

One Love A Look into the Life of Bob Marley Essay -- Essays Papers

One Love A Look into the Life of Bob Marley One Love Bob Marley is a name most people know but his accomplishments and dedication to music is often overlooked. Bob was more than just a reggae artist he was an inspiration to country of Jamaica. He was role model to the poverty stricken island and gave hope to many people. He was a god. His influence spread around the world. His dreams are still alive and will live on in the hearts of his people. Bob Marley was born on February 6, 1945 in his grandfather’s house. He was the son of a poor farm girl and a British naval Captain who fell in love. Soon after his birth Bob’s father, Norval Marley left his mother leaving her a son to raise. He remained responsible and provided financial support and occasionally came back to see them. In the 50’s a depression hit Jamaica and Bob followed his mother to West Kingston otherwise known as Trenchtown. It was in Trenchtown were Bob’s love for music began. He and his friend Neville Livingstone or â€Å"Bunny† began to attend music classes. Through the classes the two meet Peter McIntosh and they formed the Wailing Wailers. The band recorded their first song in 1962, Judge Not. From there he started a record label Tuff Gong and recorded over 20 albums. Bob had a huge influence on society through his music. He encouraged people to rise up against the unfair government officials in songs such a Crazy Baldheads and Get up Stand up. A baldhead is a term for anyone not a Rast...

Clinton Administration Foreign Drug Policy In Colombia :: essays research papers fc

Since the introduction of narcotics in the United States, American society has felt the effects of drug use in all aspects of daily living. As drug use heightened to new levels in the 1980's the Bush Administration chose to declare a "war" on drugs. Never before in our history had crime been combated with war. This war led to the militarization of the United States' tactics for overcoming illegal drug use in the U.S. Instead of choosing to combat drug use by putting greater effort into reducing demand the Bush Administration chose to decrease illegal drug supply. This required reducing drug supplies from Latin America, an area where most of the illegal drugs are produced and trafficked. The Clinton Administration has chosen to maintain the drug "war". The administration has not changed the distribution of funds that are used for combating the drug problem. The drug war has continued to demonstrate limited success, yet militarization has increased along with spending. Since the beginning of the drug "war" Latin American nations have been targeted by the United States. Latin American nations are believed to be the among the major illegal drug producers in the world. Illicit drug cultivation has more than tripled in the last four or five years. Today, Colombia is the world's leading source of cocaine and the leading cultivator of coca, the raw material for cocaine (Reuters). In 1986 Washington passed the International Narcotics Control Act which required foreign countries to cooperate with U.S. efforts in drug-enforcement. The countries could not be "certified" by the U.S. unless they complied with U.S. demands. The executive order given by the President is passed through Congress, where it is negotiated and then ratified. Certification means a continuation of aid from the United States and gains U.S. favor in international financial situations. Most Latin American countries oppose the process but agree to the laws demanded (Casteneda). Colombia is included in the group of nations seeking re-certification every year. In 1996 Colombia did not receive certification, but was given a "vital national interest waiver". In 1997 Colombia again failed to be certified by the U.S. because it was believed that the Colombian government was not doing everything in its power to combat narcotics. The penalties for decertification included the prohibition of more than $1.5 billion in U.S. trade financing and investment guarantees. "Decertification" also means that the U.S. is obliged to vote against multilateral loans for Colombia in international financial institutions.

The Twilight Saga 3: Eclipse Chapter 13. NEWBORN

â€Å"THE SAME THING THAT HAPPENED TO YOUR HAND,† Jasper answered in a quiet voice. â€Å"Repeated a thousand times.† He laughed a little ruefully and brushed at his arm. â€Å"Our venom is the only thing that leaves a scar.† â€Å"Why?† I breathed in horror, feeling rude but unable to stop staring at his subtly ravaged skin. â€Å"I didn't have quite the same . . . upbringing as my adopted siblings here. My beginning was something else entirely.† His voice turned hard as he finished. I gaped at him, appalled. â€Å"Before I tell you my story,† Jasper said, â€Å"you must understand that there are places in our world, Bella, where the life span of the never-aging is measured in weeks, and not centuries.† The others had heard this before. Carlisle and Emmett turned their attention to the TV again. Alice moved silently to sit at Esme's feet. But Edward was just as absorbed as I was; I could feel his eyes on my face, reading every flicker of emotion. â€Å"To really understand why, you have to look at the world from a different perspective. You have to imagine the way it looks to the powerful, the greedy . . . the perpetually thirsty. â€Å"You see, there are places in this world that are more desirable to us than others. Places where we can be less restrained, and still avoid detection. â€Å"Picture, for instance, a map of the western hemisphere. Picture on it every human life as a small red dot. The thicker the red, the more easily we – well, those who exist this way – can feed without attracting notice.† I shuddered at the image in my head, at the word feed. But Jasper wasn't worried about frightening me, not overprotective like Edward always was. He went on without a pause. â€Å"Not that the covens in the South care much for what the humans notice or do not. It's the Volturi that keep them in check. They are the only ones the southern covens fear. If not for the Volturi, the rest of us would be quickly exposed.† I frowned at the way he pronounced the name – with respect, almost gratitude. The idea of the Volturi as the good guys in any sense was hard to accept. â€Å"The North is, by comparison, very civilized. Mostly we are nomads here who enjoy the day as well as the night, who allow humans to interact with us unsuspectingly – anonymity is important to us all. â€Å"It's a different world in the South. The immortals there come out only at night. They spend the day plotting their next move, or anticipating their enemy's. Because it has been war in the South, constant war for centuries, with never one moment of truce. The covens there barely note the existence of humans, except as soldiers notice a herd of cows by the wayside – food for the taking. They only hide from the notice of the herd because of the Volturi.† â€Å"But what are they fighting for?† I asked. Jasper smiled. â€Å"Remember the map with the red dots?† He waited, so I nodded. â€Å"They fight for control of the thickest red. â€Å"You see, it occurred to someone once that, if he were the only vampire in, let's say Mexico City, well then, he could feed every night, twice, three times, and no one would ever notice. He plotted ways to get rid of the competition. â€Å"Others had the same idea. Some came up with more effective tactics than others. â€Å"But the most effective tactic was invented by a fairly young vampire named Benito. The first anyone ever heard of him, he came down from somewhere north of Dallas and massacred the two small covens that shared the area near Houston. Two nights later, he took on the much stronger clan of allies that claimed Monterrey in northern Mexico. Again, he won.† â€Å"How did he win?† I asked with wary curiosity. â€Å"Benito had created an army of newborn vampires. He was the first one to think of it, and, in the beginning, he was unstoppable. Very young vampires are volatile, wild, and almost impossible to control. One newborn can be reasoned with, taught to restrain himself, but ten, fifteen together are a nightmare. They'll turn on each other as easily as on the enemy you point them at. Benito had to keep making more as they fought amongst themselves, and as the covens he decimated took more than half his force down before they lost. â€Å"You see, though newborns are dangerous, they are still possible to defeat if you know what you're doing. They're incredibly powerful physically, for the first year or so, and if they're allowed to bring strength to bear they can crush an older vampire with ease. But they are slaves to their instincts, and thus predictable. Usually, they have no skill in fighting, only muscle and ferocity. And in this case, overwhelming numbers.† â€Å"The vampires in southern Mexico realized what was coming for them, and they did the only thing they could think of to counteract Benito. They made armies of their own. . . . â€Å"All hell broke loose – and I mean that more literally than you can possibly imagine. We immortals have our histories, too, and this particular war will never be forgotten. Of course, it was not a good time to be human in Mexico, either.† I shuddered. â€Å"When the body count reached epidemic proportions – in fact, your histories blame a disease for the population slump – the Volturi finally stepped in. The entire guard came together and sought out every newborn in the bottom half of North America. Benito was entrenched in Puebla, building his army as quickly as he could in order to take on the prize – Mexico City. The Volturi started with him, and then moved on to the rest. â€Å"Anyone who was found with the newborns was executed immediately, and, since everyone was trying to protect themselves from Benito, Mexico was emptied of vampires for a time. â€Å"The Volturi were cleaning house for almost a year. This was another chapter of our history that will always be remembered, though there were very few witnesses left to speak of what it was like. I spoke to someone once who had, from a distance, watched what happened when they visited Culiacn.† Jasper shuddered. I realized that I had never before seen him either afraid or horrified. This was a first. â€Å"It was enough that the fever for conquest did not spread from the South. The rest of the world stayed sane. We owe the Volturi for our present way of life. â€Å"But when the Volturi went back to Italy, the survivors were quick to stake their claims in the South. â€Å"It didn't take long before covens began to dispute again. There was a lot of bad blood, if you'll forgive the expression. Vendettas abounded. The idea of newborns was already there, and some were not able to resist. However, the Volturi had not been forgotten, and the southern covens were more careful this time. The newborns were selected from the human pool with more care, and given more training. They were used circumspectly, and the humans remained, for the most part, oblivious. Their creators gave the Volturi no reason to return. â€Å"The wars resumed, but on a smaller scale. Every now and then, someone would go too far, speculation would begin in the human newspapers, and the Volturi would return and clean out the city. But they let the others, the careful ones, continue. . . .† Jasper was staring off into space. â€Å"That's how you were changed.† My realization was a whisper. â€Å"Yes,† he agreed. â€Å"When I was human, I lived in Houston, Texas. I was almost seventeen years old when I joined the Confederate Army in 1861. I lied to the recruiters and told them I was twenty. I was tall enough to get away with it. â€Å"My military career was short-lived, but very promising. People always . . . liked me, listened to what I had to say. My father said it was charisma. Of course, now I know it was probably something more. But, whatever the reason, I was promoted quickly through the ranks, over older, more experienced men. The Confederate Army was new and scrambling to organize itself, so that provided opportunities, as well. By the first battle of Galveston – well, it was more of a skirmish, really – I was the youngest major in Texas, not even acknowledging my real age. â€Å"I was placed in charge of evacuating the women and children from the city when the Union's mortar boats reached the harbor. It took a day to prepare them, and then I left with the first column of civilians to convey them to Houston. â€Å"I remember that one night very clearly. â€Å"We reached the city after dark. I stayed only long enough to make sure the entire party was safely situated. As soon as that was done, I got myself a fresh horse, and I headed back to Galveston. There wasn't time to rest. â€Å"Just a mile outside the city, I found three women on foot. I assumed they were stragglers and dismounted at once to offer them my aid. But, when I could see their faces in the dim light of the moon, I was stunned into silence. They were, without question, the three most beautiful women I had ever seen. â€Å"They had such pale skin, I remember marveling at it. Even the little black-haired girl, whose features were clearly Mexican, was porcelain in the moonlight. They seemed young, all of them, still young enough to be called girls. I knew they were not lost members of our party. I would have remembered seeing these three. â€Å"‘He's speechless,' the tallest girl said in a lovely, delicate voice – it was like wind chimes. She had fair hair, and her skin was snow white. â€Å"The other was blonder still, her skin just as chalky. Her face was like an angel's. She leaned toward me with half-closed eyes and inhaled deeply. â€Å"‘Mmm,' she sighed. ‘Lovely.' â€Å"The small one, the tiny brunette, put her hand on the girl's arm and spoke quickly. Her voice was too soft and musical to be sharp, but that seemed to be the way she intended it. â€Å"‘Concentrate, Nettie,' she said. â€Å"I'd always had a good sense of how people related to each other, and it was immediately clear that the brunette was somehow in charge of the others. If they'd been military, I would have said that she outranked them. â€Å"‘He looks right – young, strong, an officer. . . . ‘ The brunette paused, and I tried unsuccessfully to speak. ‘And there's something more . . . do you sense it?' she asked the other two. ‘He's . . . compelling.' â€Å"‘Oh, yes,' Nettie quickly agreed, leaning toward me again. â€Å"‘Patience,' the brunette cautioned her. ‘I want to keep this one.' â€Å"Nettie frowned; she seemed annoyed. â€Å"‘You'd better do it, Maria,' the taller blonde spoke again. ‘If he's important to you. I kill them twice as often as I keep them.' â€Å"‘Yes, I'll do it,' Maria agreed. ‘I really do like this one. Take Nettie away, will you? I don't want to have to protect my back while I'm trying to focus.' â€Å"My hair was standing up on the back of my neck, though I didn't understand the meaning of anything the beautiful creatures were saying. My instincts told me that there was danger, that the angel had meant it when she spoke of killing, but my judgment overruled my instincts. I had not been taught to fear women, but to protect them. â€Å"‘Let's hunt,' Nettie agreed enthusiastically, reaching for the tall girl's hand. They wheeled – they were so graceful! – and sprinted toward the city. They seemed to almost take flight, they were so fast – their white dresses blew out behind them like wings. I blinked in amazement, and they were gone. â€Å"I turned to stare at Maria, who was watching me curiously. â€Å"I'd never been superstitious in my life. Until that second, I'd never believed in ghosts or any other such nonsense. Suddenly, I was unsure. â€Å"‘What is your name, soldier?' Maria asked me. â€Å"‘Major Jasper Whitlock, ma'am,' I stammered, unable to be impolite to a female, even if she was a ghost. â€Å"‘I truly hope you survive, Jasper,' she said in her gentle voice. ‘I have a good feeling about you.' â€Å"She took a step closer, and inclined her head as if she were going to kiss me. I stood frozen in place, though my instincts were screaming at me to run.† Jasper paused, his face thoughtful. â€Å"A few days later,† he finally said, and I wasn't sure if he had edited his story for my sake or because he was responding to the tension that even I could feel exuding from Edward, â€Å"I was introduced to my new life. â€Å"Their names were Maria, Nettie, and Lucy. They hadn't been together long – Maria had rounded up the other two – all three were survivors of recently lost battles. Theirs was a partnership of convenience. Maria wanted revenge, and she wanted her territories back. The others were eager to increase their . . . herd lands, I suppose you could say. They were putting together an army, and going about it more carefully than was usual. It was Maria's idea. She wanted a superior army, so she sought out specific humans who had potential. Then she gave us much more attention, more training than anyone else had bothered with. She taught us to fight, and she taught us to be invisible to the humans. When we did well, we were rewarded. . . .† He paused, editing again. â€Å"She was in a hurry, though. Maria knew that the massive strength of the newborn began to wane around the year mark, and she wanted to act while we were strong. â€Å"There were six of us when I joined Maria's band. She added four more within a fortnight. We were all male – Maria wanted soldiers – and that made it slightly more difficult to keep from fighting amongst ourselves. I fought my first battles against my new comrades in arms. I was quicker than the others, better at combat. Maria was pleased with me, though put out that she had to keep replacing the ones I destroyed. I was rewarded often, and that made me stronger. â€Å"Maria was a good judge of character. She decided to put me in charge of the others – as if I were being promoted. It suited my nature exactly. The casualties went down dramatically, and our numbers swelled to hover around twenty. â€Å"This was considerable for the cautious times we lived in. My ability, as yet undefined, to control the emotional atmosphere around me was vitally effective. We soon began to work together in a way that newborn vampires had never cooperated before. Even Maria, Nettie, and Lucy were able to work together more easily. â€Å"Maria grew quite fond of me – she began to depend upon me. And, in some ways, I worshipped the ground she walked on. I had no idea that any other life was possible. Maria told us this was the way things were, and we believed. â€Å"She asked me to tell her when my brothers and I were ready to fight, and I was eager to prove myself. I pulled together an army of twenty-three in the end – twenty-three unbelievably strong new vampires, organized and skilled as no others before. Maria was ecstatic. â€Å"We crept down toward Monterrey, her former home, and she unleashed us on her enemies. They had only nine newborns at the time, and a pair of older vampires controlling them. We took them down more easily than Maria could believe, losing only four in the process. It was an unheard-of margin of victory. â€Å"And we were well trained. We did it without attracting notice. The city changed hands without any human being aware. â€Å"Success made Maria greedy. It wasn't long before she began to eye other cities. That first year, she extended her control to cover most of Texas and northern Mexico. Then the others came from the South to dislodge her.† He brushed two fingers along the faint pattern of scars on his arm. â€Å"The fighting was intense. Many began to worry that the Volturi would return. Of the original twenty-three, I was the only one to survive the first eighteen months. We both won and lost. Nettie and Lucy turned on Maria eventually – but that one we won. â€Å"Maria and I were able to hold on to Monterrey. It quieted a little, though the wars continued. The idea of conquest was dying out; it was mostly vengeance and feuding now. So many had lost their partners, and that is something our kind does not forgive. . . . â€Å"Maria and I always kept a dozen or so newborns ready. They meant little to us – they were pawns, they were disposable. When they outgrew their usefulness, we did dispose of them. My life continued in the same violent pattern and the years passed. I was sick of it all for a very long time before anything changed . . . â€Å"Decades later, I developed a friendship with a newborn who'd remained useful and survived his first three years, against the odds. His name was Peter. I liked Peter; he was . . . civilized – I suppose that's the right word. He didn't enjoy the fight, though he was good at it. â€Å"He was assigned to deal with the newborns – babysit them, you could say. It was a full-time job. â€Å"And then it was time to purge again. The newborns were outgrowing their strength; they were due to be replaced. Peter was supposed to help me dispose of them. We took them aside individually, you see, one by one . . . It was always a very long night. This time, he tried to convince me that a few had potential, but Maria had instructed that we get rid of them all. I told him no. â€Å"We were about halfway through, and I could feel that it was taking a great toll on Peter. I was trying to decide whether or not I should send him away and finish up myself as I called out the next victim. To my surprise, he was suddenly angry, furious. I braced for whatever his mood might foreshadow – he was a good fighter, but he was never a match for me. â€Å"The newborn I'd summoned was a female, just past her year mark. Her name was Charlotte. His feelings changed when she came into view; they gave him away. He yelled for her to run, and he bolted after her. I could have pursued them, but I didn't. I felt . . . averse to destroying him. â€Å"Maria was irritated with me for that . . . â€Å"Five years later, Peter snuck back for me. He picked a good day to arrive. â€Å"Maria was mystified by my ever-deteriorating frame of mind. She'd never felt a moment's depression, and I wondered why I was different. I began to notice a change in her emotions when she was near me – sometimes there was fear . . . and malice – the same feelings that had given me advance warning when Nettie and Lucy struck. I was preparing myself to destroy my only ally, the core of my existence, when Peter returned. â€Å"Peter told me about his new life with Charlotte, told me about options I'd never dreamed I had. In five years, they'd never had a fight, though they'd met many others in the north. Others who could co-exist without the constant mayhem. â€Å"In one conversation, he had me convinced. I was ready to go, and somewhat relieved I wouldn't have to kill Maria. I'd been her companion for as many years as Carlisle and Edward have been together, yet the bond between us was nowhere near as strong. When you live for the fight, for the blood, the relationships you form are tenuous and easily broken. I walked away without a backward glance. â€Å"I traveled with Peter and Charlotte for a few years, getting the feel of this new, more peaceful world. But the depression didn't fade. I didn't understand what was wrong with me, until Peter noticed that it was always worse after I'd hunted. â€Å"I contemplated that. In so many years of slaughter and carnage, I'd lost nearly all of my humanity. I was undeniably a nightmare, a monster of the grisliest kind. Yet each time I found another human victim, I would feel a faint prick of remembrance for that other life. Watching their eyes widen in wonder at my beauty, I could see Maria and the others in my head, what they had looked like to me the last night that I was Jasper Whitlock. It was stronger for me – this borrowed memory – than it was for anyone else, because I could feel everything my prey was feeling. And I lived their emotions as I killed them. â€Å"You've experienced the way I can manipulate the emotions around myself, Bella, but I wonder if you realize how the feelings in a room affect me. I live every day in a climate of emotion. For the first century of my life, I lived in a world of bloodthirsty vengeance. Hate was my constant companion. It eased some when I left Maria, but I still had to feel the horror and fear of my prey. â€Å"It began to be too much. â€Å"The depression got worse, and I wandered away from Peter and Charlotte. Civilized as they were, they didn't feel the same aversion I was beginning to feel. They only wanted peace from the fight. I was so wearied by killing – killing anyone, even mere humans. â€Å"Yet I had to keep killing. What choice did I have? I tried to kill less often, but I would get too thirsty and I would give in. After a century of instant gratification, I found self-discipline . . . challenging. I still haven't perfected that.† Jasper was lost in the story, as was I. It surprised me when his desolate expression smoothed into a peaceful smile. â€Å"I was in Philadelphia. There was a storm, and I was out during the day – something I was not completely comfortable with yet. I knew standing in the rain would attract attention, so I ducked into a little half-empty diner. My eyes were dark enough that no one would notice them, though this meant I was thirsty, and that worried me a little. â€Å"She was there – expecting me, naturally.† He chuckled once. â€Å"She hopped down from the high stool at the counter as soon as I walked in and came directly toward me. â€Å"It shocked me. I was not sure if she meant to attack. That's the only interpretation of her behavior my past had to offer. But she was smiling. And the emotions that were emanating from her were like nothing I'd ever felt before. â€Å"‘You've kept me waiting a long time,' she said.† I didn't realize Alice had come to stand behind me again. â€Å"And you ducked your head, like a good Southern gentleman, and said, ‘I'm sorry, ma'am.'† Alice laughed at the memory. Jasper smiled down at her. â€Å"You held out your hand, and I took it without stopping to make sense of what I was doing. For the first time in almost a century, I felt hope.† Jasper took Alice's hand as he spoke. Alice grinned. â€Å"I was just relieved. I thought you were never going to show up.† They smiled at each other for a long moment, and then Jasper looked back to me, the soft expression lingering. â€Å"Alice told me what she'd seen of Carlisle and his family. I could hardly believe that such an existence was possible. But Alice made me optimistic. So we went to find them.† â€Å"Scared the hell out of them, too,† Edward said, rolling his eyes at Jasper before turning to me to explain. â€Å"Emmett and I were away hunting. Jasper shows up, covered in battle scars, towing this little freak† – he nudged Alice playfully – â€Å"who greets them all by name, knows everything about them, and wants to know which room she can move into.† Alice and Jasper laughed in harmony, soprano and bass. â€Å"When I got home, all my things were in the garage,† Edward continued. Alice shrugged. â€Å"Your room had the best view.† They all laughed together now. â€Å"That's a nice story,† I said. Three pairs of eyes questioned my sanity. â€Å"I mean the last part,† I defended myself. â€Å"The happy ending with Alice.† â€Å"Alice has made all the difference,† Jasper agreed. â€Å"This is a climate I enjoy.† But the momentary pause in the stress couldn't last. â€Å"An army,† Alice whispered. â€Å"Why didn't you tell me?† The others were intent again, their eyes locked on Jasper's face. â€Å"I thought I must be interpreting the signs incorrectly. Because where is the motive? Why would someone create an army in Seattle? There is no history there, no vendetta. It makes no sense from a conquest standpoint, either; no one claims it. Nomads pass through, but there's no one to fight for it. No one to defend it from. â€Å"But I've seen this before, and there's no other explanation. There is an army of newborn vampires in Seattle. Fewer than twenty, I'd guess. The difficult part is that they are totally untrained. Whoever made them just set them loose. It will only get worse, and it won't be much longer till the Volturi step in. Actually, I'm surprised they've let this go on so long.† â€Å"What can we do?† Carlisle asked. â€Å"If we want to avoid the Volturi's involvement, we will have to destroy the newborns, and we will have to do it very soon.† Jasper's face was hard. Knowing his story now, I could guess how this evaluation must disturb him. â€Å"I can teach you how. It won't be easy in the city. The young ones aren't concerned about secrecy, but we will have to be. It will limit us in ways that they are not. Maybe we can lure them out.† â€Å"Maybe we won't have to.† Edward's voice was bleak. â€Å"Does it occur to anyone else that the only possible threat in the area that would call for the creation of an army is . . . us?† Jasper's eyes narrowed; Carlisle's widened, shocked. â€Å"Tanya's family is also near,† Esme said slowly, unwilling to accept Edward's words. â€Å"The newborns aren't ravaging Anchorage, Esme. I think we have to consider the idea that we are the targets.† â€Å"They're not coming after us,† Alice insisted, and then paused. â€Å"Or . . . they don't know that they are. Not yet.† â€Å"What is that?† Edward asked, curious and tense. â€Å"What are you remembering?† â€Å"Flickers,† Alice said. â€Å"I can't see a clear picture when I try to see what's going on, nothing concrete. But I've been getting these strange flashes. Not enough to make sense of. It's as if someone's changing their mind, moving from one course of action to another so quickly that I can't get a good view. . . .† â€Å"Indecision?† Jasper asked in disbelief. â€Å"I don't know. . . .† â€Å"Not indecision,† Edward growled. â€Å"Knowledge. Someone who knows you can't see anything until the decision is made. Someone who is hiding from us. Playing with the holes in your vision.† â€Å"Who would know that?† Alice whispered. Edward's eyes were hard as ice. â€Å"Aro knows you as well as you know yourself.† â€Å"But I would see if they'd decided to come. . . .† â€Å"Unless they didn't want to get their hands dirty.† â€Å"A favor,† Rosalie suggested, speaking for the first time. â€Å"Someone in the South . . . someone who already had trouble with the rules. Someone who should have been destroyed is offered a second chance – if they take care of this one small problem. . . . That would explain the Volturi's sluggish response.† â€Å"Why?† Carlisle asked, still shocked. â€Å"There's no reason for the Volturi -â€Å" â€Å"It was there,† Edward disagreed quietly. â€Å"I'm surprised it's come to this so soon, because the other thoughts were stronger. In Aro's head he saw me at his one side and Alice at his other. The present and the future, virtual omniscience. The power of the idea intoxicated him. I would have thought it would take him much longer to give up on that plan – he wanted it too much. But there was also the thought of you, Carlisle, of our family, growing stronger and larger. The jealousy and the fear: you having . . . not more than he had, but still, things that he wanted. He tried not to think about it, but he couldn't hide it completely. The idea of rooting out the competition was there; besides their own, ours is the largest coven they've ever found. . . .† I stared at his face in horror. He'd never told me this, but I guessed I knew why. I could see it in my head now, Aro's dream. Edward and Alice in black, flowing robes, drifting along at Aro's side with their eyes cold and blood-red. . . . Carlisle interrupted my waking nightmare. â€Å"They're too committed to their mission. They would never break the rules themselves. It goes against everything they've worked for.† â€Å"They'll clean up afterward. A double betrayal,† Edward said in a grim voice. â€Å"No harm done.† Jasper leaned forward, shaking his head. â€Å"No, Carlisle is right. The Volturi do not break rules. Besides, it's much too sloppy. This . . . person, this threat – they have no idea what they're doing. A first-timer, I'd swear to it. I cannot believe the Volturi are involved. But they will be.† They all stared at each other, frozen with stress. â€Å"Then let's go,† Emmett almost roared. â€Å"What are we waiting for?† Carlisle and Edward exchanged a long glance. Edward nodded once. â€Å"We'll need you to teach us, Jasper,† Carlisle finally said. â€Å"How to destroy them.† Carlisle's jaw was hard, but I could see the pain in his eyes as he said the words. No one hated violence more than Carlisle. There was something bothering me, and I couldn't put my finger on it. I was numb, horrified, deathly afraid. And yet, under that, I could feel that I was missing something important. Something that would make some sense out of the chaos. That would explain it. â€Å"We're going to need help,† Jasper said. â€Å"Do you think Tanya's family would be willing . . . ? Another five mature vampires would make an enormous difference. And then Kate and Eleazar would be especially advantageous on our side. It would be almost easy, with their aid.† â€Å"We'll ask,† Carlisle answered. Jasper held out a cell phone. â€Å"We need to hurry.† I'd never seen Carlisle's innate calm so shaken. He took the phone, and paced toward the windows. He dialed a number, held the phone to his ear, and laid the other hand against the glass. He stared out into the foggy morning with a pained and ambivalent expression. Edward took my hand and pulled me to the white loveseat. I sat beside him, staring at his face while he stared at Carlisle. Carlisle's voice was low and quick, difficult to hear. I heard him greet Tanya, and then he raced through the situation too fast for me to understand much, though I could tell that the Alaskan vampires were not ignorant of what was going on in Seattle. Then something changed in Carlisle's voice. â€Å"Oh,† he said, his voice sharper in surprise. â€Å"We didn't realize . . . that Irina felt that way.† Edward groaned at my side and closed his eyes. â€Å"Damn it. Damn Laurent to the deepest pit of hell where he belongs.† â€Å"Laurent?† I whispered, the blood emptying from my face, but Edward didn't respond, focused on Carlisle's thoughts. My short encounter with Laurent early this spring was not something that had faded or dimmed in my mind. I still remembered every word he'd said before Jacob and his pack had interrupted. I actually came here as a favor to her. . . . Victoria. Laurent had been her first maneuver – she'd sent him to observe, to see how hard it might be to get to me. He hadn't survived the wolves to report back. Though he'd kept up his old ties with Victoria after James's death, he'd also formed new ties and new relationships. He'd gone to live with Tanya's family in Alaska – Tanya the strawberry blonde – the closest friends the Cullens had in the vampire world, practically extended family. Laurent had been with them for almost a year previous to his death. Carlisle was still talking, his voice not quite pleading. Persuasive, but with an edge. Then the edge abruptly won out over the persuasion. â€Å"There's no question of that,† Carlisle said in a stern voice. â€Å"We have a truce. They haven't broken it, and neither will we. I'm sorry to hear that. . . . Of course. We'll just have to do our best alone.† Carlisle shut the phone without waiting for an answer. He continued to stare out into the fog. â€Å"What's the problem?† Emmett murmured to Edward. â€Å"Irina was more involved with our friend Laurent than we knew. She's holding a grudge against the wolves for destroying him to save Bella. She wants -† He paused, looking down at me. â€Å"Go on,† I said as evenly as I could. His eyes tightened. â€Å"She wants revenge. To take down the pack. They would trade their help for our permission.† â€Å"No!† I gasped. â€Å"Don't worry,† he told me in a flat voice. â€Å"Carlisle would never agree to it.† He hesitated, then sighed. â€Å"Nor would I. Laurent had it coming† – this was almost a growl – â€Å"and I still owe the wolves for that.† â€Å"This isn't good,† Jasper said. â€Å"It's too even a fight. We'd have the upper hand in skill, but not numbers. We'd win, but at what price?† His tense eyes flashed to Alice's face and away. I wanted to scream out loud as I grasped what Jasper meant. We would win, but we would lose. Some wouldn't survive. I looked around the room at their faces – Jasper, Alice, Emmett, Rose, Esme, Carlisle . . . Edward – the faces of my family.