Staging Absolutism free essay sample

Arranging Absolutism The Model for Absolute Royal Authority started with outright government during the fifteenth century in Europe. A definitive objective of keeping up influence and riches was the essential concentration for the leaders of Spain, France, Italy and Germany. The procedures created by rulers and honorability during this period were fruitful and accordingly, yielded total authority over the legislature and the lives of individuals. It was very much noted, upon the progression of lords in France, the nation filled in as a model for absolutist government for different nations to follow. From King Henry IV through King Louis XIV outright government was tested by respectability. The goal for King Louis XIV was to govern with sway. Absolutism arrived at its top during Louis XIV rule. The ruler was seen as a God appointed through his ownership of supreme blood right. This view caused for the unlimited acknowledgment of the King Louis XIV and the replacements that he spoke to (Marc Bloch, 1924-1946). We will compose a custom exposition test on Organizing Absolutism or then again any comparative point explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page The ruler further explained goals through the incorporation of approaches, military and regions. The rule of King Louis XIV finished the way toward merging regal power. As it rose it was fortified and strengthened by open presentations of illustrious capacity to the majority, including the individuals of France and the remainder of the world. Conventional benefits kept on making appearances locally and inside social gatherings. Aristocrats were as yet common with political force and profoundly noticeable as the French Estates General and commonplace gatherings. While numerous aristocrats despite everything held places of judges they had the intensity of a congress to balance illustrious decrees from turning into a declaration. The Sun King, Louis XIV controlled Europe as Spain had in the 1500’s and his proverb was â€Å"none his equal† (Weisner) The essential center was to lead France with an ability and force unrivaled by some other ruler in Europe and this tirelessness assisted with annihilating the medieval government. This recently planned legislative advancement was resuscitated by building an inherent chain of command for the administration. While new organs of organization were required there were limits that were unavoidable for this thought of illustrious force. During these periods France likewise experienced huge populace development and the areas made caused provincial contrasts. The way of life of the French individuals was tremendously extraordinary. These issues were no simple undertakings for the lords to address and survive. â€Å"The relic of the monarchic establishment is reflected in the created phrasing for kingship† to be exact the lords, made a â€Å"Cult of Kingship† to conquer these obstructions. (Chaney) This solid nearness of respectability started to stop because of the uplifting compositions and the production of Versailles. As indicated by the works of Jean Bodin and Jacques Benigne Bossuet the sources of power were scriptural. Bodin recommends laws were placed in to put by genuine guideline. â€Å"The first and chief capacity of sway is to offer laws to the residents for the most part and exclusively, and, it must be included, not really with assent of bosses, rises to, or inferiors† Bodin further legitimizes outright authority by expressing, â€Å"Law, then again, approaches in a single second at the request for him who has the ability to command† Bodin, he utilizes this entry to legitimize the distinction and viability of custom and that of law. â€Å"Customs proposes neither prizes nor punishment; law conveys either.. At the end of the day, it is the last will of the sovereign ruler who is supernaturally named to run and no exhortation or direction from respectability or board is required. Bossuet a very much regarded minister and inquisitor for the King himself, Bossuet appeared to venerate authority. He accepts that God exists and that he shape and oversees the course of human undertaki ngs. Bousset addresses Monseigneur Le Dauphin, beneficiary to the French seat. He shows that the lead set up for absolutism exclusively originates from God. â€Å"Accordingly we have built up by methods for sacred writing that monarchical government originates from God†. In Book III, The Nature of Royal Authority, he expresses the fundamental qualities for imperial position. Imperial authority is holy. God built up rulers as his clergymen and rules over individuals through them. Second recommendation, the individual of the lord is hallowed. Like God, who is sovereign and holy and illustrious authority is assigned from him. From sacred texts, he cites â€Å"God has picked my child Solomon to sit upon the seat of the realm of Jehovah over Israel. He further includes from Ecclesiastes â€Å"God gives each individuals the representative an Israel is clearly saved to him†. In the third relational word he composes, that dutifulness to rulers is vital so rulers may be able to practice moral judgment. â€Å"Religion and inner voice request that we comply with the prince† â€Å"Therefore submit yourselves to the request set up among men for affection for God; be exposed to the lord as the God†. Louis XIV at an opportune time had trips from St. Germains for excursions at the same time, fundamentally for protection to be with his fancy woman. These were the reason for the â€Å"immense structures he erected† diaries of court life from the Duke of Saint-Simon, Louis de Rouvroy who had enormously respected Louis VIII and a protector of the more established style of majesty. The ruler anticipated total reliability from everybody. This sumptuous presentation of influence, riches and behavior was performed by him consistently. Imperial planners intentionally structured the royal residence to give a message to all who entered. Everything that the King occupied with was a function. The waking and dressing for the benefit rare sorts of people who took care of him. His illustrious room was a church building itself luxuriously enriched and works of art with scriptural scenes. The canvas of Louiv XIV â€Å"Taking Up Personal Government† dangling from the roof of the Hall of Mirrors for each and every individual who enters there to see. This artistic creation is emblematic of his equity to God he has gave to him by the nearness of blessed messengers and France itself being under his standard. With this artistic creation on the roof the ruler has deleted any questions that he is the last standard of power just close to God himself. Hyacinthe-Francois-Honoree, Pierre-Andre’ Rigaud, has caught the illustrious posture of the lord. The king’s clothing passed on in this picture is emblematic of lord. This self representation gladly shows the lords riches and powwealth and influence. His decorated wig, robe, pants and shoes are made of the best quality and structure for this period. The foundation of the pictures uncovers the extravagance of window hangings and textures swinging from shafts and his crown showed unmistakably close to him. Not a grin all over but rather, a picture of assurance fit for a ruler. The veil of Apollo, God of Light, is reminicent of how the sun warms and secures the earth. As ruler, he is likewise the defender of France and its kin. The Garden of Facades, there innovatively focused, a model of the King and his holy messenger with angel supernaturally showed as God’s blessed decision. This is the new voice and direct of government. Another delineation of outright eminence was the Chateau of Marly, 1724 a representation by Pierre Denis Martin. Nobody can ignore the size of this royal residence and miracle what it could be contrasted with. Its building configuration has his living arrangement at the exceptionally top, at the royal residence grounds. The 12 pauvillions speaking to the months of the year The engineering structure and the size of this nursery without a doubt passed on to anybody that entered total imperial intensity of King Louis XIV.

Medieval Clothing Styles by Region and Period

Medieval Clothing Styles by Region and Period In Europe,â ​medieval apparel fluctuated by the time period just as the locale. Here are a few social orders (and fragments of society) whose dress styles are particularly reminiscent of their societies. Dress of Late Antiquity, third to seventh Century Europe Customary Roman clothing comprised to a great extent of straightforward, single bits of texture that were painstakingly wrapped to cover the body. As the Western Roman Empire declined, designs were affected by the solid, defensive pieces of clothing of Barbarian people groups. The outcome was an amalgamation of pants and sleeved shirts with shrouds, stolas, and palliums. Medieval apparel would advance fromâ late old fashioned pieces of clothing and styles. Byzantine Fashions, fourth to fifteenth Century Eastern Roman Empire Individuals of the ​Byzantine Empire acquired a significant number of the conventions of Rome, yet design was additionally impacted by the styles of the East. They deserted wrapped pieces of clothing for long-sleeved, streaming tunicas and dalmaticas that frequently tumbled to the floor. On account of Constantinoples remaining as a focal point of exchange, sumptuous textures like silk and cotton were accessible to the more extravagant Byzantines. Styles for the first class changed as often as possible throughout the hundreds of years, however the fundamental components of ensemble remained genuinely steady. The extraordinary extravagance of Byzantine styles filled in as a contradiction to most European medieval attire. Viking Apparel, eighth to eleventh Century Scandinavia and Britain Scandinavian and Germanic people groups in northern Europe dressed for warmth and utility. Men wore pants, shirts with tight-fitting sleeves, capes, and caps. They regularly wore leg folds over their calves and straightforward shoes or boots of calfskin. Ladies wore layers of tunics: cloth under woolen overtunics, here and there kept set up at the shoulders with improving ornaments. Viking attire was frequently enhanced with weaving or interlace. Beside the tunic (which was likewise worn in Late Antiquity), most Viking attire had little effect on later European medieval dress. European Peasant Dress, eighth to fifteenth Century Europe and Britain While the styles of the high societies were changing with the decade, workers and workers wore helpful, humble pieces of clothing that differed minimal throughout the hundreds of years. Their outfits spun around a straightforward yet adaptable tunic - longer for ladies than for men - and were normally to some degree dull in shading. High Medieval Fashion of the Nobility, twelfth to fourteenth Century Europe and Britain For the majority of the early Middle Ages, the dress worn by people of the honorability imparted an essential example to that well used by the average workers, yet was commonly made of better texture, in bolder and more splendid hues, and now and again with extra beautification. In the late twelfth and thirteenth century, to this plain style was included a surcoat, likely impacted by the cloak worn by crusading knights over their defensive layer. It wasnt until the mid-fourteenth century that plans truly started to change observably, getting progressively customized and progressively intricate. It is the style of the honorability in the high Middle Ages that a great many people would perceive as medieval attire. Italian Renaissance Style, fifteenth to seventeenth Century Italy All through the Middle Ages, yet particularly in the later Middle Ages, Italian urban areas, for example, Venice, Florence, Genoa, and Milan prospered because of global trade. Families developed well off exchanging flavors, uncommon nourishments, gems, hides, valuable metals and, obviously, fabric. The absolute best and generally looked for after textures were created in Italy, and the broad extra cash delighted in by the Italian privileged societies was spent extravagantly on an ever increasing number of conspicuous outfits. As ensemble developed from medieval dress to Renaissance design, the outfits were caught by specialists who painted the pictures of their benefactors as had not been done in before times. Sources Piponnier, Francoise, and Perrine Mane, Dress in the Middle Ages. Yale University Press, 1997, 167 pp. Kã ¶hler, Carl, A History of Costume. George G. Harrap and Company, Limited, 1928; republished by Dover; 464 pp. Norris, Herbert, Medieval Costume and Fashion. J.M. Imprint and Sons, Ltd., London, 1927; republished by Dover; 485 pp. Jesch, Judith, Women in the Viking Age. Boydell Press, 1991, 248 pp. Houston, Mary G., Medieval Costume in England and France: The thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth Centuries. Adam and Charles Black, London, 1939; reproduced by Dover; 226 pp.

How to Choose the Right Paper to Write Letters On

How to Choose the Right Paper to Write Letters OnWhether it's a school letter or a formal document, you can write the right kind of paper to write letters on if you know what to write. Paper to write letters on will tell you what kind of materials and colors you need for that formal letter.If you've been writing letters for some time now, then you might be a little more familiar with the types of materials and colors you need. And even though the paper to write letters on might not have that much detail, it does have the basic information. When it comes to paper to write letters on, the color and type of paper are going to be the first thing you're going to want to think about. You want the colors and type of paper to complement the other elements in the lettering.You also need to think about the material that you're going to use to write your letter. Do you want to use an envelope or a letter box? Are you going to create a letter that will simply attach to the envelope or one that i s more elaborate? Do you want to use a different kind of paper to write letters on than what you use to write the formal letter? There are lots of options and you should be able to find one that suits your needs.If you're going to use a plain sheet of paper, there are lots of options for you. You can use a white paper or even a darker paper. Some people like to go with black but I prefer a lighter paper because it allows me to put a little more detail on the lettering. Just think about it like you would any letter you write. It should be as simple as possible but still convey the message you want to convey.Once you know the type of paper to write letters on, you'll be able to choose the proper font and size for the lettering. While it might not be easy to learn the right size, it's definitely easier to learn the right font. You'll be surprised by how good a letter looks when you can just drag and drop it on the paper. It's actually very easy to do. You simply adjust the fonts so tha t they complement each other.Next you need to think about the body of the lettering. Think about the message you want to communicate and then think about the right placement. While you might want to have the appropriate font for the body, you don't want to overcrowd the body of the letter. Try to keep it simple so you can focus on the correct letters and what they mean.This can get confusing, but think about it like this. When you're writing a formal letter, you want to place the right letters at the right places so that you're conveying the right information. If you get it wrong, it can look awkward and won't look as professional as you want it to.When you've decided on the right font and the right size, it's time to consider the order of the words. This will determine where you put the letters, which is a very important part of how you write the letter.

Understanding Soft Power in U.S. Foreign Policy

Soft power is a term used to describe a nations use of cooperative programs and monetary aide to persuade other nations to ascribe to its policies. Origin of the Phrase Dr. Joseph Nye, Jr., a noted foreign policy scholar, and practitioner coined the phrase soft power in 1990. Nye has served as the dean of the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, chairman of the National Intelligence Council, and assistant secretary of defense in President Bill Clintons administration. He has written and lectured extensively on the idea and usage of soft power. Nye describes soft power as the ability to get what you want through attraction rather than through coercion. He sees strong relations with allies, economic assistance programs, and vital cultural exchanges as examples of soft power. Obviously, soft power is the opposite of hard power. Hard power includes the more noticeable and predictable power associated with military force, coercion, and intimidation. One of the main objectives of foreign policy is to get other nations to adopt your policy goals as their own. Soft power programs can often influence that without the expense—in people, equipment, and munitions—and animosity that military power can create. Examples The classic example of American soft power is the Marshall Plan. After World War II, the United States pumped billions of dollars into war-ravaged Western Europe to prevent it from falling to the influence of the Communist Soviet Union. The Marshall Plan included humanitarian aid, such as food and medical care; expert advice for rebuilding destroyed infrastructures, such as transportation and communication networks and public utilities; and outright monetary grants. Educational exchange programs, such as President Barack Obamas 100,000 Strong initiative with China, are also an element of soft power and so are all varieties of disaster assistance programs, such as flood control in Pakistan; earthquake relief in Japan and Haiti; tsunami relief in Japan and India; and famine relief in the Horn of Africa. Nye also sees American cultural exports, such as movies, soft drinks, and fast-food chains, as an element of soft power. While those also include the decisions of many private American businesses, U.S. international trade and business policies enable those cultural exchanges to occur. Cultural exchanges repeatedly impress foreign nations with the freedom and openness of U.S. business and communication dynamics. The internet, which reflects American freedom of expression, is also a soft power. Obamas administration reacted harshly to attempts of some nations to curb the internet to eliminate the influence of dissidents, and they readily pointed to the effectiveness of social media in encouraging the rebellions of the Arab Spring. Decline of Soft Power Nye has seen a decline in the United States use of soft power since 9/11. The wars of Afghanistan and Iraq and the Bush Doctrines use of preventive warfare and unilateral decision making have all eclipsed the value of soft power in the minds of people at home and abroad. Under the presidency of Donald Trump, the United States dropped from the top ranked in the world in soft power to fourth in 2018, according to Fortune, as the country shifts toward unilateralism as part of Trumps America First policy. Paired With Hard Power Venture capitalist and political scientist Eric X. Li argues that soft power cant exist without hard power. He says in Foreign Policy: In reality, soft power is and always will be an extension of hard power. Imagine if the United States had become poor, destitute, and weak like many of the new democracies around the world but had retained its liberal values and institutions. Few other countries would continue to want to be like it. North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns meetings with Trump as a perceived equal were not made possible by soft power, notes Li, but by hard power. Russia meanwhile, has been using soft power in an underhanded way to subvert politics in the West. China, on the other hand, has turned to a new form of soft power to aid its economy as well as that of others while not embracing the values of its partners. As Li describes it, This is, in many ways, the opposite of Nye’s formulation, with all the downfalls that approach entails: overreach, the illusion of universal appeals, and internal and external backlashes.

Running Head Dual Relationships1. . Dual Relationships

Running head: DUAL RELATIONSHIPS 1 DUAL RELATIONSHIPS 11 Dual Relationship Issues in Social Work Clinical Supervision Melissa Harcrow WNMU School of Social Work Definition of Problem The ethics of social workers engaging in possible conflicts of interest in the case of boundary and dual relationships presents major challenges for the clinical social work supervisor. After the many mistakes in this realm during the formative period of social work during the 20th century the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and the American Psychological Association (APA) have defined various code of ethics and practice standards in order to shield vulnerable clients from over-confident, manipulative, or confused†¦show more content†¦It centers on a holistic approach to psychotherapy and the client’s relationship to his or her environment. Clinical social work views the client’s relationship with his or her environment as essential to treatment planning.† (NASW, 2008) Through the lens of the Code of Ethics, various guidelines have the potential to be impacted through this practice if attention to method, transference /countertransference, mindfulness and competence are not examined. The three primary ethical principles that have the potential to be impacted would be; 1) Social workers practice within their areas of competence and develop and enhance their professional expertise, 2) Social workers recognize the central importance of human relationships, and 3) Social workers respect the inherent dignity and worth of the person. To ensure that all three potential conflicts are not present, a supervisee should research and interview potential clinical supervisors prior to engaging in a contractual relationship. Secondly, a supervisee should partner with their potential supervisor to discuss, evaluate, and plan for potential pitfalls within the relationship through a very objectively written contract with accountability built in to ensure that potential issues are proactively addressed. And finally, a

Gender, Race, Social Class And Relationship Essay

Gender, Race, Social Class and Relationship â€Å"How to Date a Browngirl, Blackgirl, Whitegirl, or Halfie† is in the first story collection of Junot Diaz that was published in 1996. Junot Diaz was born in Dominican Republic, he moved to the United States at the age of seven. He is currently a creative writing teacher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Meyer 97). In the short story, Diaz describes how a teenage boy approaches romantic relationships and characterizes the girls based on their race and social class, instead of focusing on their individuality. The author also adds some sarcastic details to point out that a relationship should be built on trust, not massive lies. In the book Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory, Barry defines narratology â€Å"as the study of how narratives make meaning, and what the basic mechanisms and procedures are which are common to all acts of story-telling† (Barry 214). Barry also introduces the narrative theories of famous narratologist s - Aristotle, Vladimir Propp, and Gerard Genette. In Genette’s theory, he discusses six areas including narrative mode, focalisation, kinds of narrators, timing, types of narratives, and different types of speeches. The story â€Å"How to Date a Browngirl, Blackgirl, Whitegirl, or Halfie† answers six questions from the theory of Genette and has successfully depicted Diaz’s theme regarding the impact of gender, race, and social class on one’s behavior towards others, In hisShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Daughter From Danang 1272 Words   |  6 PagesThrough the process of social construction, various social statuses, such as race, class, and gender, are given a deeper meaning than simply a category. In turn, these statuses begin having an effect on the groups they encompass, causing some groups to become dominate over others and shaping the hierarchy of their society. 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Voting System free essay sample

Introduction The Student Council elections have always been a perennial activity for every school. It is an activity wherein each student is required to choose from a set of candidates who will represent each position in the Student Council. In order for the student to accomplish this, the student must go through several processes. First the student must go to the Administration Office if he is a registered voter, then goes to the voting area and chooses the candidates he likes. After that, the student submits the filled-up ballot form to the voting administrator in order for his votes to be cast. Then the student is marked with an indelible ink to signify that he has already voted. After all the votes have been cast, the voting procedure goes again through several processes. The votes are collected and are then counted, which could take several hours to several days, depending on the volume of votes. B. Background of the Study The introduction of computers greatly enhances the speed and efficiency of voting process. Results could be attained even right after the elections reducing the time to a mere fraction compared to the time it takes if the voting is done manually. It also increases the level of the voting experience because of multimedia enhancements. The manual voting system of San Juan National High school lacks the advantages of a Graphical User Interface that the Windows OS could offer. It is in this effect that the proponent has decided to propose a system to improve the existing manual voting system. The proponent aims to convert the existing manual system into a Graphical User Interface to take advantage of the many possibilities that a visual program could offer. C. The Theoretical Framework The following paradigm illustrates the theory of the input-process-output of the system. Existing System Proposed System Fig 1. 0 Theoretical Framework of Existing and Proposed System The Theoretical Framework of the study can be clearly explained through the Input-Processed-Output Paradigm. The Input represents those things that brought into the system processing. Processing is the step that represents the transformation of the things that entered the system as input. A series of processing that takes place to complete the transformation. The system will be the one to provide the list of all the candidates for each position, thus, giving the user the easiness and time-saving effort compared to the manual system. The system will automatically tabulate the votes of the user. The results of the processing are represented by the Output that is the results of the tabulation for each candidate. The middle portion of the paradigm represents the existing system, illustrating the manual process of gathering information from the student. This serves as the proponents input, then the process is the one wherein the proponents fills up the necessary forms, listing down all the candidates, plus the effort of the administrator to tally all the votes manually and compute the total number of votes for each candidates, thus, resulting to the output wherein the administrator will produce the results of the election. D. Statement of the Problem The study aims on the development and design of Student Council Voting to make it more efficient for the students and staff in the campus. The study will answer the following questions: 1. What are the perception of the student and staff on the following items: a. Accuracy of casting votes b. Speed of processing of the entire voting procedure. c. Security of vote ballots. 2. How speed affects the efficiency of Student Council Election in terms of paper ballot system? 3. In case there’s a need to deliver additional candidates information during the voting procedure, is it possible to add one? E. Significance of the Study The focus of this study is on the improvement of manual system of San Juan National High school. Aside from the fact that it can be used in a school-based election, for future enhancements and modifications, it can also be used in a nationwide election. Economic Significance. Due to the fact that the existing manual system is very time consuming, with the proposed system it can be used as a tool for decreasing the number of people assisting the election. Hence, it lessen the cost of the school expenses. Social Significance. We can say that the proposed system is subject for enhancement in case that it will be used for the small organization election, thus, making the Philippines one of the countries that will be practicing a computerized system election for academic institution. In addition, it also familiarized people how computerized voting works. Technological Significance. The system has its contribution for the development and widely use of technology. F. Scope and Delimitation The proponent proposed a system entitled, â€Å"SJNHS Student Council’s Voting System† which will be programmed in Visual Basic. Net. The proposed system is capable of running in a networked environment and has a user-friendly interface. The proposed system also has improved efficiency in terms of program security. It can also produce a printed output of the tally sheets of each candidate. It can also display all the names of the voters and those who haven’t voted yet. The student should only enter their voter id number and they will already be able to vote. The system has also its limitations. It cannot be applied in a nationwide electoral area. G. Definition of terms Vote.

Discrimination Within The Death Penalty Essays - Crime,

Discrimination Within The Death Penalty Hutchinson, Death Penalty, 1 ?They [prisoners sentenced to death] are almost all poor, usually white, often high school dropouts. Most have never killed before. Most are from the South? (Benac). Introduction: Opponents of the death penalty have said that capital punishment does nothing to deter crime. There is some critical information that is important to know before going more in depth on this discussion. The purpose of this paper is not to discuss whether capital punishment is effective in deterring crime nor does it present any ethical arguments regarding it. It is to discuss whether it is used in a universally just and fair manner. Presently, approximately 3, 565 prisoners are living on death row. The costs for death penalty cases are enormous, possibly soaring in to the millions. (National Association?) ?Since 1973, over 160 children [defined as anyone under the age of 18] in the U.S. have been sentenced to die? (National Association?). It is possible that ten percent of death row inmates are mentally retarded. ?Approximately 90% of those whom prosecutors seek to execute are African-Americans or Latino? (National Association?). Considering all of the above facts, there are obviously some distinct problems with the manner in which the death penalty is imposed. In particular, class differences along with race can drastically affect the manner in which death penalty cases are handled. Costs: Lower class people get a worse defense than wealthy people. The costs for a capital defense case can add up quickly: DNA tests, experts, background and psychiatric investigations. Many lower class people have to ?depend upon public attorneys who are not really qualified? (ABCNEWS.com?). There is a bill in Congress that would Hutchinson, Death Penalty, 2 regulate state standards for appointed defense attorneys for capital cases but it is doubtful that this will be a quick solution. There is also a bill in Congress that would guarantee DNA analysis for inmates, both federal and state, after their convictions. (ABCNEWS.com?) The awareness of this problem is even occurring in the Supreme Court. Problems: There have been many attempts to fix what is wrong with capital punishment and sentencing. According to Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackman in the Collins versus Collins 1994 decision, ?the death penalty remains fraught with arbitrariness, discrimination, caprice, and mistake (Culver). It has to be admitted that race plays a part as well as class since normally the two social aspects go hand in hand. Not only race of the defendant but of the victim have to be considered when understanding the idiosyncrasies of sentencing. While race may be focused on more in the media, class or socioeconomic status controls the reins even more. ?The vast majority of people executed since 1977, when employed, worked in menial or low-paying jobs at the time they committed their capital crimes? (Culver). Not only is income level influential but educational level is as well. The average educational level for prisoners on death row in 1996 was only the 11th grade with 15% of them having less that an 8th grade education. (Culver) Defense: One of the chief concerns in the sentencing phase is that of the defense attorney. Lower class people cannot afford high-profile lawyers or those experienced specifically Hutchinson, Death Penalty, 3 in capital cases. The attorney may not have a great deal of competency when it comes to criminal law. The accused also may not be able to help provide resources for such things as analysis and/or research that would aid in defense. ?The attorney who is inexperienced and who represents an indigent accused of a capital crime is unlikely to command the resources needed to assemble a panel of mental health professionals and verify the extent of the problems maintained by the defense or to persuade a jury of the important absence of other compelling evidence? (Culver). This also helps explain why the mentally retarded do not get fair trials either and, even with the mentality of a child, can end up on death row. The astronomical costs of representation in federal death penalty cases stems from the sever pressure the cases place on the attorneys along with several other factors. These factors may include the following: skill of the counsel, the amount of time the lawyer has to spend on the case,

The role of genetics in development

The role of genetics in development Genetic factors have a significant role in determining human development. It involves understanding the inheritance of genes from parents to offspring and gene processes that may have impacts on human development. Researchers have concentrated on understanding human growth and differentiation right from the fertilized ova to adulthood. They have noted that development and various characteristics result from the expression of some specific genes (Berger, 2000).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The role of genetics in development specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Therefore, genetic factors influence how a child develops. Genetics provides specific and basic blueprint that determines child development. However, it is important to recognize the role of environment in influencing a child’s development. For instance, some environmental factors like nutrition may alter the gene setup of an individual. In such cases, th ey may deter growth to achieve full potential or inhibit development of certain body composition, which could result in genetic disorders. One must note that genetics composition and environmental factors interact to determine development in individuals (Mossler, 2011). Genes of the two parents could influence the traits of an offspring. However, expressions of genes from parents depend on two different factors. These include interactions among genes and further interaction in genotype and with the environment. Interactions between genes could result in conflicting information. In some cases, one gene could dominate the other. Not all genes have the same manner of interaction because others may be additive. For instance, a child could have both short and tall parents. The genes may not dominate each other and such a child could end up with an average height. In some cases, the child may exhibit â€Å"dominant-recessive gene patterns† (Miko, 2008). This is common in eye colors where brown eye genes are â€Å"dominant while blue eye genes become recessive† (Miko, 2008). One parent may pass a dominant gene to the child. In this case, the dominant gene will win over the recessive gene, and the child may exhibit the characteristics of a parent who produced dominant genes (Miko, 2008). Genes also interact with environments. The environment may affect gene expression in children for the rest of their lives. For example, pregnant women who expose their fetuses to harmful chemicals could create conditions that would later affect their children’s development.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In addition, environmental factors could affect genes responsible for a child’s height. For instance, persistent illness or poor diets could deter the expressions of genes responsible for the child’s height. In such cases, the child would n ot be tall as the genetic code had shown. Parents may also pass hereditary conditions to their offspring. This could result in genetic disorder. It is important to recognize that genes interaction processes are not infallible. Thus, defects may occur during the process. Under some circumstances, the number of chromosomes in a sperm or ovum may not be even. This may result in either more or less chromosomes than in normal circumstances (the number of normal chromosomes are 23). In situations where abnormal cells interact and stick together with normal cells, â€Å"the resultant fertilized ovum (zygote) will also have abnormal number of chromosomes† (Miko, 2008). Some studies have hinted that most of the fertilized eggs normally result in abnormal genes with more or less than 23 chromosomes. However, the body aborts most of these abnormal zygotes, and they never develop to achieve a full-term period of a fetus. Disorders result from zygotes, which develop to full-term fetuses. Such disorders affect child development. Researchers have linked some disorders entirely with genetic interactions, whereas in other cases, genetic factors may have partial roles. Tay-Sachs disease is an â€Å"inherited condition of the nervous system† (Jasmin, 2012). The disease progressively affects â€Å"neurons in the brain and spinal cord† (Jasmin, 2012). The defective gene on â€Å"chromosome 15 is responsible for Tay-Sachs condition† (Jasmin, 2012). Both parents must be â€Å"carriers of the Tay-Sachs gene in order for the child to develop the condition† (Jasmin, 2012). Every parent must contribute the responsible gene. However, the child may be â€Å"a carrier of Tay-Sachs disease only if one parent passes the abnormal gene him or her† (Jasmin, 2012). This would not result in Tay-Sachs condition, but the child will have the possibility of passing the condition to his or her children. One can observe Tay-Sachs disease between â€Å"the age of three and six months after birth† (Jasmin, 2012). At infancy, children with Tay-Sachs disease experience slow developments and weaknesses in their muscles.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The role of genetics in development specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Infants progressively lose motor skills, they may not move. Later on, children with the condition may develop â€Å"seizures, vision and hearing loss, intellectual disability, and paralysis† (Jasmin, 2012). Examination of the eye can reveal a cherry-red spot in such children. Children with extreme conditions may not live beyond their early childhood stage. There are other rare forms of the condition, which have mild symptoms relative to severe cases during infancy stage. Children with mild forms of Tay-Sachs also have weak muscles, ataxia, speech, mental, and movement challenges. Tay-Sachs disease has no cure, but physicians can only improve condit ions of children with it. There are no existing methods of preventing Tay-Sachs disease. However, genetic testing can reveal a carrier, and a couple can decide before starting a family. Evidently, genetics have critical influences on child development. However, genetic factors may interact with environmental factors in order to control a child’s development. References Berger, K. (2000). The developing person: Through childhood and adolescence. New York: Worth Publishers. Jasmin, L. (2012). Tay-Sachs disease. Web. Miko, I. (2008). Genetic dominance: genotype-phenotype relationships. Nature Education 1(1).Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Mossler, A. (2011). Child and adolescent development. San Diego: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Religious Rights of Women in Islam with Common Misconceptions of Research Paper

Religious Rights of Women in Islam with Common Misconceptions of Islamic Women in Western Culture - Research Paper Example In Islamic nations, and according to Sharia law, these have been conserved in a bid to empower women despite having secular western laws. As for marriage, women can either agree or refuse to marry, and the man has a responsibility to be the protectors of their wives according to the Islamic laws. Western laws have infiltrated most aspects of rights about criminal, financial and criminal law. Therefore, women have retained personal rights on a number of crucial issues that affect them. Islam, according to the Quran, advocates equality of both man and woman as God’s creations and grants women several rights that include the right to inherit property and own it. It also provides for women to be recognized as individuals with a legal personality unlike thoughts of Islamic women in the western world (Hashmi 591). This is because  the western world’s has  misconceptions of Islamic women being slaves to men in their households are greatly contradicted. However, Islamic wom en have a degree of inequality to men according to Quranic provisions that are followed in the Islamic world. The Islamic world allows for a patriarchy society where men are the leaders and are regarded as the financial providers. Moreover, Islamic religion stipulates that inheritance of women to be half of that which men receive from their parents (Hashmi 591). Thus, the misconceptions towards Islamic women in the western culture to a certain degree are justified, as the rights of women in Islam are sometimes discriminatory. In addition,  women are considered to be worth less than men; this is evident concerning bearing witness, where only the testimony of two men can hold against that of a single woman (Hashmi 592). This proves how much the religious rights of Islamic women are used against them. In western culture, Islamic women are viewed as oppressed and have no say in issues that affect them in the society. To many, this may be viewed as a misconception by the west whereas i t has a degree of truth in it. This is because those who understand the Islamic religion argue that inequality in gender issues is deeply rooted in Islamic religious literature. Moreover, rights movements are seen as products from the west and are considered secular and to have no effect in Islamic society. Therefore, Islamic women who participate in rights advocacy perceive themselves as facing oppression from their own religious beliefs; hence, they are alienated from the society.   However, there are groups of Islamic women who attempt to rewrite the religious rights granted to them by the same Islamic faith they profess (El-Mahdi 380). This is in a bid to have â€Å"normal† human rights applied to them similar to men; in addition, religion is taking a big part in influencing politics, therefore, affecting the religious rights of Islamic women. For example, Islamism is gaining ground in social politics, which, in turn, subordinates women’s rights in society concer ning political safety and legitimacy (El-Mahdi 382). Thus, Islamic women have enjoyed religious rights for a long period especially during colonization when secularization had allowed women to campaign for their rights, and for them be involved in the control of the patriarchal society (El-Mahdi 383). This was due to the weakening of the religious hierarchy and rise of secular institutions. In Islamic societies, Islamic religion does not bar or hinder the

Three most common drugs in USA Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Three most common drugs in USA - Research Paper Example The research has also concluded that, over five years people have come fonder of marijuana, mainly including the group age of 12 or older. The survey of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has recorded that, 70,000 of the population hits under this age group. This usage of marijuana drug is increasing because of the announced legalization of marijuana, comprising the medical terms. Usage of marijuana has been legalized by the two states of America, Washington and Colorado. On the other hand, the other 20 states have approved and consent the usage of marijuana on the medical terms only. This is the reason, why people of age 12 or older are accessing marijuana easily in Washington and Colorado. Even the Justice Department of US refused to take any challenge against the legalization of marijuana. The people in these states can openly be prosecuted by the federal law, even if they stood by the state law. President Obama said that, the usage of drugs is committed for the public health purpose only, not a criminal justice problem. The legalized law of marijuana other than the medical purpose is allowing people a free hand to go for this drug, â€Å""These statistics represent real people, families and communities dealing with the devastating consequences of abuse and addiction." (Leinwand) Cocaine is another type of drug which is being roughly used is America. The survey conducted by The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), has recorded that in the year 2008 there has been 1.9million users of cocaine. Out of this number approximately 359,000 has been recorded as the current crack users. The most age group of Americans using cocaine is the adults from age 18 to 25 years old. Men are highly involved in the usage of cocaine as compared to women. Powder cocaine has been in the use of the students of 8th, 10th and 12th grade from late 1990s. But the previous record

Utilatarian, Deontology and Virtue Ethics Essay Example for Free

Utilatarian, Deontology and Virtue Ethics Essay Utilitarianism is defined as ethic based on consequences. An act, either it is morally wrong or good is acceptable as long as the end outcome is greater. In this essay on utilitarianism, I would argue Peter Singer’s calculus preferences, equality is for all living being but sacrificing one for greater good is plausible. Counter argument of Immanuel Kant’s moral deontology claim, it is immoral to consider a human being as a means to an end. John Mills’ actions are right as long they promote happiness, wrong if they produce the opposite of happiness as the reply for the counter argument. In conclusion, I would ethically rectify my claim in supporting utilitarian argument. Singer claimed that it is wrong to choose animals as research subjects in order to benefit human beings. Both humans and animals should be considered equally in the moral calculus, if it is morally permitted to use human being in research, then only, would it be permitted to use animal. And, if we were to consider the use of humans as well as animals and the research was considered to have great overall benefit for all, then the animals might be used since the general good is the most important thing. â€Å"Moral law should be universalized†. Kant stated that concept of a good will from morally proper motive is the base for considering any action. If it is the act from some hidden motive or for personal gain it is label immoral duty even if it is otherwise appears morally good. Cruelty to animals reduces the feeling of compassion in man, an immoral duty. Therefore, researching animal to gain cure for diseases is wrong, because it is immoral action to sacrifice another living being for the personal gain of humans, although the end results appear morally good. Kant’s theory is a strict morality. Universalize moral duty is good but some situations are exceptional. The outcome of the act is the reason the act was perform and if the outcome is general happiness then it is a morally right thing to do. Mill supported this as he stated actions are right as long they promote happiness, gaining a cure for incurable disease promotes happiness overall to general public. Therefore, researching on animals for cure will provide a plausible outcome which in this case a general happiness for the entire society. According to Mill, general happiness is the foundation of standard moral deed, overruling Kant’s concept of good will. In conclusion, I have to agree on utilitarian concept on judging the consequences than the action. Although it is immoral act to achieve the morally good, the final outcome is the most important objective in life. Deontology is defined as ethics based on duty or act. Moral value lies in the action, not in the consequences of the action. In this essay on non-consequentialism, I would argue Immanuel Kant’s deontology based on categorical imperative. Counter argument from Mill, general happiness is the foundation of standard moral deed. Replies based on Kantian views and conclusion on disagreeing non-consequentialism concept. â€Å"There is no if in moral action†. An action is considered moral only if one acts out of a sense of duty alone, without bearing in mind the consequences or self-interest. To understand Kant’s imperative, we need to know his description of inclinations and duty. Inclinations are based on desires, passions and emotions, whereas duties consist of reason alone. People are different, emotionally and rationally from animals as they make decisions based upon an inclination, a duty or a combination of the two. According to Kant, the source of moral justification is the categorical imperative and it must be based on reason or duty alone. In order for an act to be categorically imperative, it must be thought to be good in itself. As a categorical imperative, it asks us whether can we universalize our actions, that is, whether it would be the case that others would act in accordance with the same rule in a similar circumstance. If categorical imperative becomes the guiding principle of morality, therefore it becomes the judge for determining an act is moral or not. Mill criticises categorical imperative, stating that it is basically the same as utilitarianism, since it involves calculating the good or bad consequences of an action to determine the morality of that action. Mill argues that we should always aim at ensuring the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people and that, for instance, telling a lie in particular situation is good if telling that lie produces good consequences. As an example, lying to a rapist or a killer the location of the victim, an immoral action but for happier consequences for all. However, a Kantian would argue against this view, pointing out that we have full control only over our motives, not the consequences of our actions, so our autonomous will can only approve or disapprove of motives. An ethics that focuses on consequences, then, is not based in the autonomy of the will. In conclusion, although Kant shaped modern thought on moral decision-making, I’ve to disagree with his deontological system. Some circumstances are different as for my opinion consequence plays a major role in evaluating moral thoughts. A duty is not being ignored but, rather, outdone by the greater need. Virtue is ethics based on character. Theory in which depends solely on the individuals themselves. In this essay on virtue ethics, I would argue Macintyre’s individuals character as the key element of ethical thinking. The two counter arguments will be cultural relativism and self-centred theory. A reply for both counter argument and a conclusion supporting virtue ethics is the best way to go. Virtue ethics identifies the central question of morality in relation with the habits and knowledge about how to live a good life. Macintyre claims that good judgment comes from good character. Being a good person is not about following formal rules. For example, a virtuous person is someone who is kind across many situations over a lifetime because that is his/her character and not because he/she wants to simply perform he/her duty. Unlike deontological and utilitarian theories, virtue ethics do not aim to identify universal principles that can be applied in any moral situation. The first counter argument of the theory is the difficulty of establishing the nature of the virtues, especially as different people, cultures and societies often have very different opinions on what creates a virtue. Second, virtue ethics is self-centred because it’s mainly concern with the individuals own character, whereas morality is supposed to be about other people, and how our actions affect other people. Theory of ethics should require us to consider others for their own sake, and not because particular actions may benefit us. A reply for first counter argument is that any character quality defined as a virtue must be universally regarded as a virtue for all people in all times, so that such cultural relativism is not relevant. Replies on self-centred, virtues in themselves are concerned with how we respond to the needs of others, and that the good of the individual and the good of others are not two separate aims, but both result from the exercise of virtue. In conclusion, virtue ethics is the way to go and is more acceptable in our current society. The decision for each action lies within the individual, and the characteristic of the individual plays a major part in it. This is because certain action may be morally good for one but not for other, and certain consequence may be morally good for one but not another. The term virtue is meant strength or power. The idea of The Golden Mean is that in our actions we must seek the right measure and proportion. Excess or defect is a departure from virtue. For these reasons, the Four Cardinal Virtues exist. The four cardinal virtues of Prudence, Justice, Fortitude and Temperance are interconnected. This means that if you do not possess one of them, all the others are spoiled, and so you do not possess virtue at all. Prudence is the most important of the four cardinal virtues with knowledge being the importance of prudence. Thomas Aquinas lists many different components of prudence, but three main ideas exist. Memory is the order to know the meaning of the present. Docility states the willingness to remain open to reality and to learn as situations change. Lastly, prudence does not mean simply knowing what to do. Justice, we give to each person what is due to him, and we do this consistently, promptly and pleasurably. It concerns right relations with others in society. Divisions of justice can be broken down into legal justice, commutative justice, and distributive justice. Fortitude synonym with courage and bravery but must be based on justice. The purpose of fortitude is to remove obstacles to justice. In its extreme form, it is the willingness and readiness to risk ones life for the sake of that which is just. Aquinas stated that perseverance is undermined by a soft life. The person who pampers in pleasure and always avoids discomfort will be unwilling to put up with the sadness he must experience if he is to stand firm in difficulty. The virtue of temperance rules our appetites for pleasure. By nature we desire the pleasure that is suitable to us. Temperance does not restrain us from the pleasures that are reasonable, but from those that are opposing to our reason. Temperance does not act against our natural human feelings, but works with them. In conclusion, Aquinas thinks the cardinal virtues provide general templates for the most outstanding forms of moral activity.

Immigrants Escaping from Poverty :: Immigration Illegal Essays Papers

For a long time, illegal immigrants have been entering the United States, and it has been a big issue concerning the world today. Hispanics today form the fastest growing ethnic minority in the United States. An example of how many illegal immigrants migrate to the U.S. is found in the book Voyages by Cathy Small; she explains that many Tongan immigrants migrated in the year 1976. Out of 1,993 Tongan’s, Olunga had grown approximately 2%, so by all means that at least 40% of its population had migrated between the years 1956 and 1976. By 1970 the inhabitants’ population growth was already dropping. This means that there were 200 people less than the past years. Many immigrants want to migrate to the United States to gain a better life for their families, for economic opportunity, and to escape political persecution. Many immigrants are working illegally and the government is not aware of how many of them are actually getting away with it, and others of course are being detained and isolated from their work force. Now so many illegal immigrants are being evicted easily from their work force or even from off the streets. In the book Disposable Domestics, Grace Chang explains that there had been sixty law enforcement agents from Virginia’s sheriff’s office who joined the federal agents. They were joined together by the Immigration and Naturalization Service to rummage around a construction site where workers were building a court jail. Later, agents had gathered one hundred employees together in an array against the wall, searching for undocumented employees. Soon after the whole fiasco, a deputy secretary of Virginia Healt h and Human Resources department was informed that fourteen people were detained and removed from their work force for not having documents. Grace Chang also discusses a case of a nominee for United States Attorney general. Zoà « Baird admitted that she employed two undocumented Peruvian immigrants. We also learn that employers hire illegal immigrants for the benefit of saving money. If employers wanted legal workers they would be able to get them, but it would cost them more. Putting some thought in this subject, illegal immigrants have some of the hardest jobs, that require so much labor, and don’t get paid as well, while a legal person would think it is not worth getting exhausted over.

Bite Me: A Love Story Chapter 23

23. Brat in the Paper Aisle MAKEDA She stood under the eave of a post office that looked out on the Safeway parking lot, watching the old man with the dogs pounding at the door. Well, that would make seven. She knew she should wait for the others, but what fun was there in that. A lean black guy let the old man and his dogs into the store, then locked the door behind him. She moved to the side of the building, then along the front behind a long train of shopping carts, where she could look through the windows without being seen herself. They were spread out, each working an aisle to himself. She really should call for the others. Neither would be that far away, but she did so little on her own anymore. She examined the window. Thick Plexiglas, she wasn't going through that. She could kick the door down, of course, but then they would run and there'd be chasing and if any got away Rolf would pout with disapproval for months. Not that she wasn't beyond pouting herself. She once awakened to find Bella and Rolf merged together in mist without her and refused to take solid form for a year except to feed. That was how they began each night, merged in mist form, still inside their titanium chamber, experiencing every corner of each other's consciousness, every memory, every emotion, every want, every fear-complete knowing, complete intimacy. After an hour or so, they would assume their solid forms, then leave the chamber and feed, or watch a video of a sunrise or sunset. That was it! Mist. She would go into the store by stealth. Except for the one with the dogs, they were all young men, weren't they? She knew she could hold the rapt attention of a young man. She'd take each one, drain him without the others even knowing what happened, then share the experience with Rolf and Bella tomorrow night. It was always fun to bring something new and dangerous to their night. She wouldn't be able to wear her special suit, or take any of the weapons, but it was just as well. She couldn't leave bodies. Seven. She'd be as full as a tick, ready to pop. She checked that none of them was by the door, hid her weapons under the shopping carts, then lay down and oozed out of the Kevlar bodysuit, across the sidewalk, and under the door. Rock and roll was blasting out of the PA system, filling the store with a relentless chainsaw rhythm guitar that drowned all other sound. She swirled around the registers, then started to make her way across the aisles. The first two were empty, then in the third, the old man was sitting all by himself on a milk crate. Scented candles were lit up and down either side of the aisle, as if someone had laid out a landing strip. She could sense the others around her, but her perceptions weren't as sharp in mist form and the odor and heat from the candles made it nearly impossible to tell how far away they were. Their heartbeats and breathing were lost in the music, but there was blood in the air. All over in the air. She floated up to the ceiling, where she could see over the tops of the shelf gondolas. There were two of them working on the other side of the store, bobbing in time to the music. Rolf would have wafted back out the door and called the others, and Bella would have drawn an elaborate plan to stalk them, one at a time, and pick them off when they were alone, but that was exactly why she wasn't going to do either of those things. As she pulled herself into solid form she felt a horrible wrenching in her chest, like her heart caving in on itself. Not a physical pain, but a sudden absence. One of the others was suddenly not there. Rolf. Just not there. She stood there in front of the old man, naked, shaking, trying to bring herself back to the hunt. â€Å"Don't scream,† she said. THE EMPEROR He didn't like that the men were locked in the walk-in cooler, and he didn't like that the Animals had tied him up, rubbed liver and steaks all over him, and set him on a milk box, but he had done his duty to his city. He had alerted the only people who would listen to the presence of the black ship, told them what the strange faux-Hawaiian had said about the old vampires coming for them, and he could have some peace of mind in that. They didn't have to duct tape his hands so tightly, and tape his ankles to the milk box. They could have just asked. Ah, youth. She materialized about twelve feet in front of him, nude, nubile, and athletic, so black she might have been made of polished ironwood, yet the death-pallor made her lips appear lavender. Her hair was trimmed close to her scalp, her eyes appeared to be gold, but he couldn't tell for sure. She shivered for a moment, as if a current was being applied to her body. He watched her muscles tensing and relaxing, rippling under her skin in waves. Then she stopped shaking and opened her eyes. â€Å"Don't scream,† she said. Blood tears formed in the corners of her eyes. â€Å"Oh my, if you aren't lovely,† said the Emperor. She smiled and he saw fangs there, and he suddenly felt as if he might wet himself. She moved a few steps closer to him. â€Å"Are those steaks on your shoulders?† she said. â€Å"Yes. There's liver in my pockets as well.† She cocked her head as if listening. â€Å"Where are the others?† â€Å"I don't know,† he said. Her hand shot out and in an instant her fingers were wrapped in his beard and she was pulling his head back, not yanking, but pulling with an irresistible strength, as if he'd been hitched to a power winch. â€Å"Where are they?† He could feel his vertebrae cracking, feel her raking her fangs over his neck. Then the sound of a high-pressure gas burst and she wasn't there, and there was a length of heavy nylon line in the space where her face had been. â€Å"Down!† came Lash's voice, as he, Troy Lee, Jeff, and Drew all rolled out of the shelves where they had been hiding behind rows of toilet paper and paper towels. The vampire woman's head was pinned to a bale of paper towels with the stainless-steel spear from Barry's spear gun. She screeched like a wildcat and pulled herself away and leapt at Drew, who was leveling a Super Soaker. Lash yanked the spear gun and the nylon line whipped her around. Jeff and Troy Lee opened garden sprayers on her from the front, while Drew unloaded the Super Soaker from the back. She screeched and writhed in the streams, but her flesh was coming off in great slimy chunks, as if she were wax and had been dropped into a foundry furnace. It was all over in ten seconds, and every item for twenty feet in either direction had been knocked off the shelves, the Emperor was on his back, unable to right himself, and the ancient vampire was a puddle of red goo that still bubbled as it broke down. â€Å"What do you know,† said Troy Lee. â€Å"Grandma's tea worked.† Lash nodded and threw the spear gun to the floor with a clank. â€Å"Clint! Clean up on aisle four!† JODY Because she never liked going to the gym, Jody decided to stake out the Raven from the roof of an office building next door instead of on the Bay Club. The fact that she'd been able to leap from brick balcony to brick balcony until she was on the roof, six floors up, proved what she had always maintained, at least when she was alive: working out is narcissistic bullshit. She almost wished that the girls she'd worked with at the Transamerica Building could see her now-all of them stuffing themselves into Spandex and nylon after work and heading to the Bay Club or 24 Hour Fitness in hope of meeting someone who wasn't a creep and, in the case of the Bay Club members, someone who was rich. She imagined them saying, â€Å"Do you want to come with us? We can get you a guest pass. Mohitos afterward?† â€Å"No thanks,† she'd say. â€Å"I'm going to go bench-press an Audi a couple of sets, grab the satchel with the three-hundred grand I stashed on a roof up the street, and go back to my loft and fuck my immortal boyfriend until dawn.† Okay, that wasn't really what she was going to do, but she for goddamn sure was not going to the gym and getting all sweaty so she could meet guys. She didn't even want to be on the roof of the gym, knowing that there was unprotected fitness going on below. She could see the Raven across the Embarcadero, and the Rasta kid was doing nautical stuff with different instruments. At least she thought he was doing nautical stuff. He could have just been dicking around with expensive equipment. None of the vampires was there. There were lights coming from a few of the ports below the cockpit, but she didn't see any movement. The sense of immediacy that had driven her here had evaporated somewhat. She thought about calling Tommy, but didn't have any idea what his new cell phone number might be. She used Abby's phone and dialed Foo's number, but it went to voice mail, which she didn't see as a good sign. If the other two vampires were out of the ship, and she had to wait for them to return, she'd never get a shot at them from this far away. If they didn't come back until dawn, she'd be caught outside at sunrise. There was a warehouse by the pier, perhaps that roof. And she'd set herself a time limit. If they didn't show by a half-hour before sunup, she'd head back to the loft. Even at a slow, human jog she'd make it in plenty of time. She'd have to sneak down the back of the building, though. You didn't want people to see you jumping two or three stories at a time. She understood why the vampires had to keep their secret, she really did, but not at the expense of them killing her friends. â€Å"Good view?† A woman's voice came from behind her. Jody rolled and whipped around, pulling Foo's UV laser from the waistband of her jeans. She didn't have on the sun-glasses so she pointed the laser at the figure coming across the roof toward her, closed her eyes, turned away, then fired. The laser buzzed out a blue beam that lasted two seconds, then started making a high-pitched whining sound as it recharged its capacitor. â€Å"Oh, very nice,† came the voice. It was definitely a woman, amazing figure, wearing a skin-tight black suit, a black mask, and sunglasses, and carrying some sort of weapon. She looked like a superhero. Jody was on her feet, in a crouch. The laser thing was still charging, but maybe it would fire a weaker blast, give her time to move. â€Å"Nah, nah, nah.† The woman raised her weapon, and fired. A stuttering stream of pellets peppered Jody's arm and she lost hold of the laser. Jody felt as if her arm were on fire. She looked to see ten tiny holes, each smoking, with a clear liquid, not blood running out of it. The woman whipped off her hood and sunglasses, but kept the weapon trained on Jody. She was stunning, a pale, Mediterranean beauty with waist-length hair like black silk and almost impossibly large eyes. â€Å"That light thing is sweet, but you should get one of these,† she said. â€Å"It's basically just a pellet gun modified to fire chemical pellets, but the chemical, there's the magic.† â€Å"It burns like hell,† Jody said. â€Å"Yes, it does. And I could cut you in half with this before you could get to me. That's the problem with light weapons, they don't have range and it doesn't take much to stop them. Like this suit, for instance. I mean, this thing has a UV light on it, but that's just to keep you from turning to mist. Can you do that, fledgling?† â€Å"That's what Elijah called me,† Jody said. â€Å"That's what he called all of us in our day.† Jody tried to figure out how to get to the woman. She knew she could move impossibly fast for a human, but this was another vampire, a very old vampire. She had once squared off against Elijah thinking all things were equal among vampires and he'd nearly ended her. As if she was reading Jody's thoughts the vampire fired her weapon and Jody felt her other arm light up with pain from shoulder to elbow. â€Å"Ouch. Fuck. You bitch!† â€Å"Bella, not bitch. And what were you going to do to me, fledgling? Do you have any idea what you've done? We have been together hundreds of years. You ended pieces of history. You took parts of me.† She fired again and Jody's right leg gave way. â€Å"What do you mean, pieces?† â€Å"You don't know what it is to merge with another being then? With a lover? We were lovers, Rolf, Makeda, and me, for hundreds of years, and now they are gone.† â€Å"I don't know what you're talking about.† â€Å"Both are gone, I could feel it. Funny, I didn't know I was always aware of their presence until they were gone. Not an hour ago. I'm alone now. I should let you live if only because we've lost two. There are fewer than a hundred of us, fledgling, and you might have been one of us.† â€Å"I didn't know,† Jody said. â€Å"I don't even care anymore. Maybe I'll just kill you and lie down and wait for the sun to come up. I'll never even know what happened.† â€Å"Trust me, that's not as painless as you think it is,† Jody said. â€Å"Don't!† said Bella. She raised her weapon again but this time, when the little UV light came on, Jody pushed off with her good leg, did a high backflip, and fell six stories to the courtyard below. She expected to feel bone-crushing pain, hear the crackle of vertebrae, maybe even the crunch of her skull, but instead she felt warm water envelop her. She had landed in the Bay Club's pool, which meant she must have launched herself a good forty feet away from the roof. Her predator mind, the one that had risen to tell her that the City was hers, now kicked in, assessing survival. She was under water, that was good. The pellet weapon wouldn't penetrate the water more than a foot before losing it's effectiveness. Plus, the pool water was flushing out whatever heinous chemical had been burning her. She felt herself healing, even as she hovered at the bottom of the pool. She could stay there indefinitely without breathing if necessary. The bad news was that Bella was still up there, and as soon as Jody left the water, the good news would end. It was very unlikely she could take the older vampire hand-to-hand, even if she could get past the pellet weapon, but she could run. Even if she was no faster than Bella, she knew this neighborhood. She'd worked here for years, and she wasn't three blocks from Okata's dismal little apartment. She dug in her jacket pocket and found Abby's phone. It was a weatherized model and the screen was still showing the time. Still four hours until sunup, and that was a guess. She had to cut it extremely close, but if she could bolt away from the Raven with just enough time to find shelter herself, but not enough time for Bella, she just might get away. And maybe in the meantime, Rivera and Cavuto would call out a S.W.A.T. team to storm the black ship. Or the Animals would blow it up, like they had Elijah's yacht. Maybe Bella would dive into the water after her, although losing the high ground would take away a distinct advantage. Maybe one of the people in the apartments above would look down and think there was a body in the pool, and she could make her escape when the EMTs came to rescue her. That's it. She assumed the yoga posture called â€Å"down-floating corpse† and waited, listening for any disturbance that might indicate she had company in the pool, and concentrated on her wound healing. Maybe if she healed enough she could go to mist and sneak out that way. She hadn't moved a lot in mist form, nor had she ever changed under water and she wasn't sure she could, but it might be worth a try. A shadow fell across the bottom of the pool, cast by the mercury lights above, and she flipped over to see Bella moving catlike at the edge of the pool. Then again, maybe not. CHET He'd watched them slaughter all of his fellow vampire cats and instead of running, as would have been his feline instinct, he tracked the killers, which was behavior born entirely of his human side. The three sides of his nature were in constant conflict. Even now, his cat side hated water, and wanted to flee, but his human side felt hate rising and wanted to attack. The vampire side told him to remain hidden, to approach in stealth, as mist, but his cat side told him to pounce, rip her throat out with claw and fang. It occurred to him, as he watched from the roof of the Bay Club as she paced around the pool in her skin-tight black suit, that water or no water, revenge or no revenge, he was going to hump the bejezus out of her before any other action took place. There was part tomcat in all of his natures. He'd started his pack by mating with any female in heat, then they turned males, and so on. And he continued his undead romp through the alleys and backyards of San Francisco, but as he grew larger, and the human part of him manifested, he was just too big to finish the deed. If he fed on them, they went to dust before he got to hump them, and if humped them, they didn't survive for him to feed on them, and he'd humped a bunch of cats to death before he figured that out. It turned out, size did matter. But here was the perfect solution. Moving strong and sexy, just the right size-he could lock his jaws on her neck and have at it, then drink her blood or bite her head off as the whim hit him, and all the time that horrible weapon would be pointed away from him. He went to mist and oozed down the side of the building in a stream that blended with the night fog creeping in off the Bay. JODY Jody just happened to be looking up at Bella's watery silhouette against the mercury light when she saw another shape appear behind Bella, leap on her back, and pull her away from the edge of the pool. Jody was not going to sit around checking references, whatever that thing was, it was an ally. She came out of the water like a rocket, and in two steps she leapt to the top of the twelve-foot security fence and looked back. Something had pulled Bella around and now had her face-down on the pavement and appeared to be humping the bejezus out of her. Jody knew she shouldn't, but she paused. Big kitty ears, big kitty tail, big kitty sinking his fangs into the back of Bella's neck. Kitty was as big as Bella, maybe a little bigger. Chet. Bad kitty, Jody thought. Bella shrieked, then launched herself backward with her arms, lifting both of them into the air, where they did a half-backflip and landed on the concrete with Chet's back as the point of impact. He let go with his jaws and Bella spun around and let loose with the pellet weapon. Chet yowled and jerked on the ground. Bella strafed his neck, which dissolved instantly into a mass of goo. He stopped moving. Jody had seen enough. She leapt off the fence to the sidewalk and took off into the financial district, taking a right at the next corner, then a left, going as fast as her legs would carry her-to hell with someone seeing. She tried to go to mist, but couldn't. Either the fear or her injuries were stopping her. She could hear Bella's footsteps behind her, a block away, now less than a block. What was the range of that pellet weapon anyway? Left on Broadway, left on Battery, right on Pacific, footsteps on her ass, now left on Sansome, next left, she heard the pellet gun sputter and she felt her right leg go out from under her. She rolled and tried to come up but the gun sputtered again and her left leg was gone. She rolled over onto her back, pushed away, scooting on her butt. The gun spat and her left elbow stopped working. â€Å"Fuck, how much ammo does that thing have?† â€Å"More than I'll need to turn you to soup,† Bella said. â€Å"Oh look, no swimming pool.† â€Å"Shame, I guess you won't get to enjoy another kitty fuck.† The gun spat. Jody's right arm folded behind her with a splash of pain. Bella ran her nails over her breast. â€Å"Didn't happen. This suit will stop light, even small-caliber firearms-â€Å" But evidently not blades, Jody thought. Because she was a vampire, and things happened more slowly to her predator eyes, she saw the blade come over Bella's shoulder, enter her body at her left trapezius, and zip across her chest and her kitty-dick-proof suit to exit just under her right arm. Bella's head and right arm slid right, her left arm and the rest of her body fell left. She had a rather surprised expression on her face that stayed there, even as her mouth continued to work soundlessly, as if she really, desperately wanted to finish that last sentence. â€Å"Hello,† Okata said. Jody looked past the swordsman to the sign on the corner that read: JACKSON STREET.

Essay on American History - 1411 Words

From 1754 to 1763, the French and Indian War cost Britain greatly. Feeling that the colonists benefitted the most from this war, Britain decided to tax the thirteen colonies to help pay for it. After all, the war provided the colonists with greater protection from the natives, and now had more land that had been conquered from France. Colonists in the early 1700’s were English subjects. As Englishmen, they were entitled to certain rights. One of these rights was there was to be â€Å"no taxation without representation†. Due to the vast distance England was from the colonies, it was impossible to have a colonist represent the colonies in Parliament; therefore they should not have to pay taxes that Parliament dictated. Having Parliament dictate†¦show more content†¦Colonists began to protest, Samuel Adams was one of the main leaders in these protests. In August of 1764, he and James Otis, boycotted British imports and encouraged colonists to manufacture goods at home. (Wiki Sugar Act) Despite colonial contempt, â€Å"in early 1765, Greenville pushed through a considerably more sweeping revenue measure known as The Stamp Act.† (Faragher pg. 137) Anything that was paper got taxed. It met great resistance in the colonies. Colonial assemblies sent petitions and protests pointing out that they had no representation. The Stamp Act Congress, held in New York City, was the first significant response to Britain’s control. British government argued that the colonists were virtually represented. Virtual representation may have worked they had had internet face to face chats, but that is not even close to what they meant by the concept. Virtual representation meant that Parliament acted for the good of the nation as a whole, and not on the will of individual districts that elected them. (Faragher pg. 137) The colonists not only felt this as an injustice, but as an insult, as they were being treated like children who had no say. Protest s and demonstrations initiated by the Sons of Liberty (usually middling class, but leaders were richer) often turned violent and destructive as groups gained mass into angry mobs. Eventually tax collectors were intimidated into resigning. The tax was never effectively collected. Colonists weren’t the only onesShow MoreRelatedEssay Interpretations of American History600 Words   |  3 PagesInterpretations of American History The world is full of rich culture, diversity and experiences unique to each individual. When determining the validity of historic accounts we must factor in that particular historian’s point of view, which should be characterized by ethnicity, idealogy, theoretical or methodological preference. With these factors views of the past often vary from person to person. In this essay I will be discussing the four different stages that shaped the writing of American history over theRead MoreA Study Of Latin American History1308 Words   |  6 PagesIV. 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