Commercial Brands of Bleaching Solution & a Determination of the Best Buy Essay

Introduction : Sodium chlorate(I) forms the basis of most commercial bleaches. The amount present in bleaching solution can be determined by a volumetric technique. In this experiment, sodium chlorate(I) reacts with excess potassium iodide in the presence of acid to liberate. The iodine is titrated against standard sodium thiosulphate solution. Chemicals : Bleach solution , 0.1 M Na2S2O3 ,1 M H2SO4 , KI , Starch indicator Procedures : 1. Determine the total volume of bleach in the commercial bottles provided. Note the brand name, volume & price of each sample. 2. Pipette 25 cm3 bleach solution into a 250 cm3 volumetric flask. Make up to the mark & mix well. 3. Pipette 25 cm3 of this solution into a conical flask. Add 10 cm3 KI solution & 10 cm3 1 M sulphuric acid. 4. Titrate this mixture against the standard sodium thiosulphate solution provided. Add starch indicator when the solution become pale yellow. 5. Record your results and calculate the molarity of the orginal bleach solution. 6. Determine which bleach has the lowest price per mole of actual bleach. Results : Brand A = ___________KAO_____________ Brand B = _________Best Buy____________ Volume = ___________1.5L______________ Volume = ____________2L_______________ Price = _______$12.9 / Bottle____________ Price = ________$10.9 / Bottle____________ Mole = _________0.753 Mol_____________ Mole = ___________1.152 Mol ___________ $/mole = _______$17.13 / Mol ___________ $/mole = __________$9.46 / Mol__________ Best buy is ________ Best Buy___________ Titration of Brand A against the standard sodium thiosulphate solution Titration 1 2 3 4 Final Burette Reading (ml) 31.70 35.70 27.80 32.20 Initial Burette Reading (ml) 2.90 9.80 4.40 8.30 Volume of titrant (ml) 28.80 25.90 25.40 23.50 Mean volume of titrant (ml) = __(25.90+25.40+23.50)3 = 25.1 ml__ Calculation: The Result Of Brand A Sodium chlorate(I) reacts with excess potassium iodide in the Bleaching solution, which is a acid medium. Iodine solution produced. Following equation: 2H+-(aq) + OCl–(aq) + 2I–(aq) –> Cl–(aq) + I2-(aq) + H2O-(l) Secondly, the iodine solution is titrated with sodium thiosulphate solution Following equation: I2(aq) + 2 S2O32- (aq) –> S4O62- (aq) + 2 I-(aq) The Molarity of Na2S2O3 : = 0.1M Number of mole of S2O3- reacted with I2: : = Molarity X Volume = 0.1 X (25.11000) = 0.00251 mol The Mole ratio of Na2S2O3:: I2= 2:1 Number of moles of I2 reacted with S2O3- = (12) X 0.00251 mol = 0.001255 mol The Mole ratio of NaOCl: I2= 1:1 Number of moles of NaOCl used in the titration = I2 = 0.001255 mol Number of moles of NaOCl in the 250ml volumetic flask = 0.001255 mol X 10 = 0.01255 mol Number of moles in 1.5L bleach solution = 0.01255 mol 25 X 1500 = 0.753 mol Price of OCl- per mole in brand A = $12.9 0.753mol = $17.13 / mol Results : Titration of Brand B against the standard sodium thiosulphate solution Titration 1 2 3 4 Final Burette Reading (ml) 30.90 32.8 31.90 35.20 Initial Burette Reading (ml) 2.10 3.90 3.30 6.90 Volume of titrant (ml) 28.8 28.90 28.60 28.90 Mean volume of titrant (ml) = __(28.90+28.60+28.90)3 = 28.8 ml__ Calculation: The Result Of Brand B Sodium chlorate(I) reacts with excess potassium iodide in the Bleaching solution, which is a acid medium. Iodine solution produced. Following ionic equation: 2H+-(aq) + OCl–(aq) + 2I–(aq) –> Cl–(aq) + I2-(aq) + H2O-(l) Secondly, the iodine solution is titrated with sodium thiosulphate solution Following ionic equation: I2(aq) + 2 S2O32- (aq) –> S4O62- (aq) + 2 I-(aq) The Molarity of Na2S2O3 : = 0.1M Number of mole of S2O3- reacted with I2: : = Molarity X Volume = 0.1 X (28.81000)= 0.00288 mol The Mole ratio of Na2S2O3:: I2= 2:1 Number of moles of I2 reacted with S2O3- = (12) X 0.00288 mol = 0.00144 mol The Mole ratio of NaOCl: I2= 1:1 Number of moles of NaOCl used in the titration = I2 = 0.00144 mol Number of moles of NaOCl in the 250ml volumetic flask = 0.00144 mol X 10 = 0.0144 mol Number of moles in 2L bleach solution = 0.0144 mol 25 X 2000 = 1.152 mol Price of OCl- per mole in brand B = $10.9 1.152 mol = $9.46 / mol Questions : 1. Why must the KI be present in excess ? If less than the specified quantity of KI is added, what effect will this have on the results ? The bleach solution contain sodium chlorate(I),which have ions OCl-.We can prepare the iodine solution by adding the sodium chlorate(I) to potassium iodide in a acidic medium. At first, the sodium chlorate(I) Is the limiting agent. When we add the excess potassium iodide into the bleach solution. Not only it will not effect the result, but also the calculation can be more accurate. All the ions OCl- can be completely reacted. In addition, Iodine solution is only slightly soluble in water but it is very soluble in the solution, which contain I- ions. 2. What is the function of the sulphuric acid ? The function of sulphuric acid is provide a acidic medium containing excess iodide to ionizes the iodine solution to triiodide ions. We must know that the Brown colour of iodine solution is cause for the triiodide ions(I3-).This colour in observation of titration is very important. 3. Bleaching solutions may deteriorate for 2 reasons : (a) react with CO2 in the air according to the equation : 2 OCl- + CO2 –> CO32-+ H2 + Cl2 (b) what is the other reason ? It must be effected by light. It is because the The hypochlorite ions OCl-( will be decompose quickly under light Following equation:2NaOCl –>2NaCl + O2, .While losing some OCl- ions, the result in calculation will not be accurate 4. What should the starch indicator not be added too early ? The starch solution turns the iodine to blue black because of the formation of starch-iodine complex. Also, the complex is not reversible when the concentration of iodine is high. If we add the starch solution early, the attraction of starch molecules and iodine molecules will attract so strongly. Although we have add standard sodium thiosulphate solution, but we can not do completely finish the real result of titration and effecting the calculation. The above-mentioned tell us that the starch solution should be added when only a few of iodine solution left, near the end point of the titration.

American Home Product Essay

1. How much business risk does American Home Product face? How much financial risk would American Home Product face at each of the proposed levels of debt shown in case Exhibit 3? (Hint: Calculate impact on net income of 10% reduction in EBIT). How much potential value, if any, can AHP create for its shareholders at each of the proposed levels of debt? 2.Construct a simple EBIT-EPS Analysis chart for AHP for each of the proposed levels of debt shown in case Exhibit 3. Give your analysis based upon this chart. 3.What capital structure would you recommend as appropriate for AHP? What are the advantages of leveraging this company? The Disadvantages? How would leveraging up affect the company taxes? How would the capital markets react to a decision by the company to increase the use of debt in its capital structure? 4.How might AHP implement a more aggressive capital structure policy? What are the alternative methods for leveraging up? (Short answer will be OK, no calculation). 5.In view of AHP’s unique corporate culture, what arguments would you advance to persuade Mr. Laporte or his successor to adopt your recommendation? Note: Make sure that you do understand how to find the numbers on Exhibit 3 and Exhibit 4, number 8. Answer: 1.Business risk: Stable annual growth (10~15%) and profit margin (11~12%). Overall low-risk investments; ‘proven’ formulas instead of R&D. AAA Bond Rating. (EBIT 1981 / EBIT 1980) / % increase in sales (EBIT 1981 / (Net Income 1980 / (1 – Tax Rate))) / % increase in sales (EBIT 1981 / (Net Income 1980 / (1 – 48%))) / % increase in sales (954,8 / (445,9 / 52%)) / (4.131,2 / 3.798,5) = 1,02. (954,8 / 857,5) / 108,8% = 1,02. Financial risk: DFL = % change EPS / % change EBIT = (1 + ((3,18 – 2,84) / 2,84)) / (1 + ((954,8 – 857,5) / 857,5)) = 1,120 / 1,113 = 1,006. Higher DFL means higher EPS variability. 0%   1,006 30% 1,090 50%   1,116 70%   1,143 Debt to Capital = total debt / net worth. Higher DtC ratio means higher risk. 0% ïÆ'  0,009 30% 0,429 50% 1,000 70% 2,333 Potential value: EPS goes up as % of debt goes up ($3.18 – $3.49). 0% $3.18 30% $3.33 50% $3.41 70% $3.49 Dividends rise. 0% $1.90 30% $2.00 50% $2.04 70% $2.10 2.EBIT-EPS Analysis Chart Although leveraging decrease the company’s EBIT, it gives more value per share to its shareholders. 3.Recommended capital structure: Most appropriate capital structure for American Home Products is 30% debt to total capital. Several reasons will explain the reason why this structure gives advantage to AHP. The first, as using 30% debt ratio, the company  would be able to be recapitalized; hence, common shares outstanding of 19.8 million can be repurchased. The second, AHP would have advantage to save taxes of 37.8 million dollars and its shareholders benefit by getting more values. Exhibit 2 shows that Warner Lambert company’s debt ratio is approximately 32% and its bond rating is AAA or AA. It means that if AHP uses 30% debt and 70% equity, its bond rating will be same as Warner Lambert; consequently, bond interest to pay will not increase much due to bond rating. Addition to these reasons, AHP would face less risk to compare heavier capital structures. The advantages of leveraging this company: a.Higher value for shareholders. b.Reduction in tax through interest. c.Access to additional capital. The disadvantages of leveraging this company: a.Higher risk to shareholders. b.Lower net income. Leveraging effect: As debt increases, tax decreases. Market reaction: Market will expect higher return and stock price will rise. 4.AHP should use heavier capital structure which means increasing to use more debt instead of relying wholly on shareholders’ capital, which has its limitation as far as the shareholders’ wealth. So, by using debt to finance AHP’s growth (leveraging up), AHP’s capital structure might be more effective and aggressive. Leveraging up may enable AHP in innovating new products, using better technology, and motivating labor. While during Mr. Laporte’s era, the company can only conduct the â€Å"me too† strategy, relying heavily on its marketing prowess. 5.Mr. Laporte stated that his company works in order to increase  shareholders’ wealth. However, using 30% debt to capital would give possibility to save 37.8 million dollars from taxes; thus, its shareholders would benefit from getting higher dividends per share. Also, if the company uses more debt to its operations, it will be possible to repurchase common stocks of 19.8 millions of shares from market, increasing its EPS, thus affecting in rise in stock price.

Earthworms

An earthworm can grow only so long. A well-fed adult will depend on what kind of worm it is, how many segments it has, how old it is and how well fed it is. An Lumbricus terrestris will be from 90-300 millimeters long. A worm has no arms, legs or eyes. There are approximately 2,700 different kinds of earthworms. Worms live where there is food, moisture, oxygen and a favorable temperature. If they don’t have these things, they go somewhere else. In one acre of land, there can be more than a million earthworms. The largest earthworm ever found was in South Africa and measured 22 feet from its nose to the tip of its tail. Worms tunnel deeply in the soil and bring subsoil closer to the surface mixing it with the topsoil. Slime, a secretion of earthworms, contains nitrogen. Nitrogen is an important nutrient for plants. The sticky slime helps to hold clusters of soil particles together in formations called aggregates. Charles Darwin spent 39 years studying earthworms more than 100 years ago. Worms are cold-blooded animals. Earthworms have the ability to replace or replicate lost segments. This ability varies greatly depending on the species of worm you have, the amount of damage to the worm and where it is cut. It may be easy for a worm to replace a lost tail, but may be very difficult or impossible to replace a lost head if things are not just right. Baby worms are not born. They hatch from cocoons smaller than a grain of rice. The Australian Gippsland Earthworm grows to 12 feet long and can weigh 1-1/2 pounds. Even though worms don’t have eyes, they can sense light, especially at their anterior (front end). They move away from light and will become paralyzed if exposed to light for too long (approximately one hour). If a worm’s skin dries out, it will die. Worms are hermaphrodites. Each worm has both male and female organs. Worms mate by joining their clitella (swollen area near the head of a mature worm) and exchanging sperm. Then each worm forms an egg capsule in its clitellum. Worms can eat their weight each day.

What are the distinctive features of Christian democracy Essay

What are the distinctive features of Christian democracy - Essay Example A Christian democratic government is therefore reform-minded on national economic and fiscal issues. The Christian democrats in Europe more or less follow their Christian leanings and try to apply this in their governmental policies when formulating these policies. But on the other hand, the Christian democrats in other parts of the world (such as in Latin America) are more inclined to the left-of-centre in their political views while their European counterparts can be said to be located towards the right-of-centre of the political spectrum. However, both type of Christian democrats can be said to favour using Christian teachings in their policies. This short paper discusses the distinctive features of a Christian democratic institution. Hopefully, it will enlighten the reader on the various shades of what constitutes the Christian democracy as it is being practised today and help understand how current world events often are shaped by the views of these Christian democratic governments in power. Conservatism and Christian democracy are almost the same in many respects, except for their perceived link to organised religion and the adoption of religious values (Hanley, 1996:32). Christian democracy is primarily an attempt to apply humanitarian principles in matter of political thought. However, because Christian democracy embraces a lot of different ideas, it is sometimes very difficult to categorize it into a single clear-cut ideology. In other words, a political ideology like Christian democracy can significantly evolve over a period of time and in their different political landscapes or context. It has elements in it that are sometimes more in common with conservatism, liberalism and even socialism. These features make it difficult to classify it as a specific ideology but these same features make it distinctive. Traditional Moral Values – the ideology of Christian democracy,

Allstate evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Allstate evaluation - Essay Example However, Pride, Hughes and Kapoor (2008) advise that these targets should be quantifiable and attainable in order to prevent the employees from retracting to their old unproductive habits. Allstate goal setting process entails setting of goals and subsequently making certain that the respective leaders are held accountable for the end results, which is in itself one of the ways of attracting the employees’ attention. Just like any other business enterprise, Allstate also regards the diversity policies and as a result, it has made great efforts in attempting to estimate the effects of diversity based on overall cooperate running. As part of its strategy, the company has two major diversity focus strategies; external and internal diversity. The former is mainly concerned with all efforts aimed at ensuring that labor force is at par with market background and sensitivity, whereas the latter aims at making certain that workers have the appropriate machineries and resources at their disposal so as to unlock their full capability (Don & Slocum, 2010). The firm’s superb goal setting process can also be realized through their provision of educational training, m entoring as well as coaching services to workers, which allows them to develop or enhance skills essential for their career advancement. Moreover, their goals setting process also creates room for the workers to balance between personal life and their respective professions. As a matter of fact, they offer onsite child-care services at the company’s head office in Illinois, dry-cleaning, catering as well as parent discounts at adjoining child care centers. This creates a sense of belonging in the workers who will be more appreciative to the firm and would in turn be more than willing to work towards taking the company to greater heights. Indeed, it will also breed loyalty among the workers who will want to be more of assets than liabilities to the firm. In addressing the issue of

The relation between Estate Taxation and Equitable Crowth Research Proposal

The relation between Estate Taxation and Equitable Crowth - Research Proposal Example The changing structure of the federal estate tax has significant impact on the state estate tax revenue as well as the economic growth within the United States of America. The reverting of the federal estate tax to the pre-2001 structure is likely to have serious impacts on the economic growth of the United States of America. Estate tax within USA is understood on the basis of administrative simplicity and compliance costs, revenue sufficiency, economic efficiency, and equity. These elements are the epicenters in analyzing the impact of estate tax on economic growth within the USA. Estate tax has significant impact on the economy based on savings and capital investments. The higher the estate tax, the less the savings and capital investments thus affecting economic growth. Lower estate tax rates encourage more investments whilst reducing the revenue that the federal or state government obtains from the estate taxation, thus leading to significant impacts on economic growth within the USA. Nonetheless, in order to understand the impact of estate tax rates on economic growth, there is a need for extensive and detailed research. In order to carry out a more detailed and in-depth research, the following provides background and hypothesis to be used as well as the literature review. Literature review is used in this paper to provide deeper understanding, validity, and reliability of the research. In addition, the research contains methodology that provides an overview of the procedure employed in ensuring that adequate research is conducted, enough data is collected, and an efficient and effective data analysis. The research analyzed the data using STATA statistical tool. The finding and data analysis section provide a deeper and in-depth understanding of the topic based on the collected data. The paper winds up with discussions, conclusions, and recommendations. Background and Hypothesis As Americans decide between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney in this fall’s presidential election they choose between two men with divergent ideas about estate taxation. Right now, estate taxation policy puts a 35 percent tax rate after a $5 million exemption, a rate it has been at since 2010. It was that year that a loophole in the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (the â€Å"Bush tax cuts† in political parlance) caused the complete elimination of the estate tax. In the preceding decade, there was a 45 percent tax rate with a $3.5 million exemption. President Obama and his Democratic allies in Congress support reverting current rates to 2009 levels. Mr. Romney, the Republican challenger, favors completely eliminating the estate tax. If no action is taken before the end of this year, a policy even more draconian than Mr. Obama’s will kick in. Under the â€Å"default† plan, the rate would be 55 percent and the exemption $1 million. Figure 1 Estate tax 1997-2013 (projected) Year Estate Tax Exemption Top Estate Tax Rate 1997 $600,000 55% 1998 $625,000 55% 1999 $650,000 55% 2000 $675,000 55% 2001 $675,000 55% 2002 $1,000,000 50% 2003 $1,000,000 49% 2004 $1,500,000 48% 2005 $1,500,000 47% 2006 $2,000,000 46% 2007 $2,000,000 45% 2008 $2,000,000 45% 2009 $3,500,000 45% 2010 $0 0% 2011 $5,000,000 35% 2012 $5,000,000 35% 2013 $1,000,000 55% This author hypothesizes that estate taxation rates –

Labor unions. Workers, Industrialization and Happiness Essay

Labor unions. Workers, Industrialization and Happiness - Essay Example Reaction from family The movie brings out the aspect of the different family members' reaction to one’s involvement in union activities. After hearing Reuben’s speech Norma starts participating in union formation activities. This invokes negative reactions in her husband who feels Norma is not spending enough time with her family (Canby). In a way, this shows that he has some resistance to the idea of her involvement in the movement. However, his opinion changes with time with Sonny, Norma’s husband, telling her that he loves her and supports all decisions. Her father is also opposed to the idea of the movement seeking to form a union among the workers of the mill. This is because of he is a stockholder which makes him wary of the union. Her mother who works in the mill is also apathetic which is not expected of her (Canby). This shows the lack of support from family members and relatives when advocating for the formation of unions and improvement of working cond itions, which discourages the formation of the movements. Winning the battle The aspect of finally winning the struggle in the form of union formation and better working conditions is also brought out. The struggle for labor rights is usually an uphill task that is not for the faint hearted (Canby). A large number of challenges pose the threat of derailing the process. However, with deep emotional strengths that inspire courage and a complex network of feelings for the workers being ill-treated the activists almost always succeed in their endeavors to see improved rights in the labor sector of industries maintained by unions. This is the case in the movie where Norma ends up with a post in the cotton mill union. II. Workers, Industrialization and Happiness Researchers have made a... Labor unions. Workers, Industrialization and Happiness The American labor sector of today contrasts greatly with the labor sector of the early industrial days. The movements drew clear lines between the management of the industries and the labor aspects that based on the issues between the two. This was aimed to advocate for the improvement of their working conditions. It is sentiments like these that the screenwriters and the director of the movie â€Å"Norma Rae† shared and sought to evoke among the audience. The movie highlights the processes and trials experienced in the starting of a workers union (Canby). It shows that although the start of worker unions is marred by challenges, their successful formations eventually result in improved labor conditions. Challenges to labor union formations Victimization The employers victimize the founding figures of trade unions when they start advocating for the rights of the workers. The movie gives a clear illustration of this aspect that is replicated in nearly all scenarios involving t he establishment of labor unions. After hearing a speech from Rueben Warshowsky, Norma decides to unionize her workmates. This does not augur well with the managers of the cotton mill, who confront her (Canby). Researchers have made a distinction on the definition of happiness as a short-term state of lighting up of the mind depending on the temperament of a person and the external factors associated with the person.

International businesses look to locate foreign operations in Essay

International businesses look to locate foreign operations in countries which are stable. Outline and critically discuss the criteria by which they judge whether or not a country is stable - Essay Example Even so, international expansion is a complicated matter and companies intending to enter a new country should take into consideration a lot factors. They include the economic and political environment, the individual strengths and weaknesses of the company, the opportunities and threats seen there, business and marketing strategies, and even the cultural factors that is peculiar to a particular region. This paper looks at these factors and will provide a detailed review with regard to its importance and relevance in international expansion strategies. It will establish a system by which companies can assess whether a market is attractive and stable. The focus will be on two countries namely China and Dubai, to provide specific applications of theory and literature on this area. Specific factors influencing international target markets: The increase in globalization and free trade has now resulted in more and more companies looking to expand to overseas markets. Domestic competition is another factor the drives these companies to look for new markets. There are many factors (as mentioned above) that influence decision making by companies as to which market they should enter. â€Å"While only a few decades ago these external aspects were seen as centring on the home country of the business, the environmental horizon of business has widened to take in a host of international forces, which interact with national and local factors† (Morrison 2002, p 2). Morrison has provided a broad overview of the factors that influence international business as follows. The organization is pictured at the core of the diagram which shows the various forces that act on it in a domestic and international environment. The additional forces that act on it in an international setting are the nation-state, region, and world ones. It can be seen that economic, socio/cultural, legal, technical and political forces are common to both domestic and international

SWOT Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

SWOT - Term Paper Example These propel its service provisions to its customers. 2) It lacks of diversification and product differentiation. The company operates mostly in the United States where it is majorly based. Local retailers acquired its stores both in Europe and in the Middle East including Australia. 1) The company has greater prospects of growth since customers are highly willing to make online orders and purchases. The company is among the first to install online operation programs for its customers hence prospects of growth since they offer this opportunity to a wide client base. 3) The ever-increasing expenditure on general consumer products and services. BBB operates many retail outlets and the revenue from the outlets summed up contributes significantly to the firm’s total revenue. 1) The constantly increasing attention of the government toward the environmental practices and issues of companies and how they handle such issues. One should bear in mind that BBB Corporation already had trouble with watchdog because of its poor waste management procedures. 4) The constant and consistent technological improvement in the management of business operations where tasks are to a very small extent handled manually, most operations are mechanized hence efficiency and effectiveness. Internal analysis involves a keen analysis of the major functions of the organization, its abilities as compared to those of the competitors. In its efforts to achieve competitive edge and marketability of its operations, BBB has decided to modernize its operations (www.newyork.bbb.org/). These are conducted in its efforts to encourage and support best market practices while celebrating being a model given it is one among the few to initiate online transactions. BBB operates its internal operations based on trust and this has enabled it earn accreditations, awards which not any other company is eligible for in the United States. The internal cores and operations of BBB are

Indicte behaviors that hold a team back and what role a leader ship Essay

Indicte behaviors that hold a team back and what role a leader ship process might play in strengthening those areas - Essay Example Leadership is all about building peak performing teams, teams focused on accomplishing goals. Leaders are able to effectively communicate and motivate the team to perform the set goals. Professionalism provides the tools needed to develop essential skills required for personal and team success. Focusing on building skills such as professionalism, effective communication, time management and organization, helps leaders develop a productive team ready to provide a positive contribution to the success of the organization (Vital Learning, N.D.). Many organizations struggle, not from lack of advanced information -- rather, they never really master these basics. One of the responsibilities of a leader is to motivate the team to all work together towards the common goal. This can be a daunting challenge. So often the team is comprised of very diverse members, each with their own strengths, weaknesses, and work styles. The team dynamics are also often complicated by internal disagreements and personal conflicts. The leader, not only has work with this group of people, but also needs to achieve the results expected by their superiors. Leaders can benefit by being able to identify the types of personality characteristics of team members. By understanding the basic personality types, the leader can use individual strengths of members for the good of the team, as well as assign tasks that individual team members naturally excel in. A leader can also learn to communicate in a way that is motivating, by taking into account the needs, values and working preferences of different team members (PointShop.com, 2006). Besides, regular positive and negative feedback from the team members will also help in improving and understanding the needs of the team. For many individuals, every day life activities, including work related activities, are impaired due to a lack of, or untrained organizational skills. What can be done to develop or improve organizational

Sociological Imagination and Social Issues Essay Example for Free

Sociological Imagination and Social Issues Essay People are more likely to use psychological arguments to explain why things are they way they are rather than look at the sociological aspect of them. They think that problems happening in their lives are personal and overlook that they may be caused by society (Ferris Stein 13). Sociological imagination challenges people to look at the â€Å"intersection between biography and history† and see the role we each play in society (Mills 1959 and Ferris Stein 13). We must look at how larger social issues are intertwined in with each individual’s life and how society shapes a person. There are many benefits with using the sociological perspective on life and one of the most important ones is obtaining a â€Å"world beyond our own immediate sphere† (Ferris Stein 13). By doing this, we can seek radically different ways to experience life and look at our reality differently then we ever thought possible. It forces us to see how we created our values, morals, beliefs, and at some point we may need to reevaluate why we had them to begin with. Thinking with a sociological imagination makes us see the errors of our thinking and how we can change that. Macrosociology looks at how society and its social structure determine individual’s lives and sometimes even beliefs and opinions. I believe that I view myself differently because of how society told me I must be. It is instilled in us to be successful and I push my own limits in order to achieve that and my thoughts constantly revolve around how successful I can be and the consequences if I am not (Jenkins. My â€Å"Me and Society† Journal. 10/05/12). Society tends to set up rules or general guidelines for how everyone should live their lives and how to act socially. When a person departs from the â€Å"norm† in any way they are considered deviant and when the violations of rules have been written into law they are considered crimes (Dreiling. 10/23/2012. Lecture). How deviance is perceived may be different depending on who is explaining it. Psychologists state that personality characteristics within the individual that drive them to stray from the norm  while sociologists believe that social relations outside the individual are the cause (Dreiling. 10/23/2012. Lecture). There are many things, however, that are not only considered an act of deviance but consequences or benefits from being deviant. There are two general divisions of deviant violations: folkways and mores. Violation of folkways are more common, frowned upon issues such as jaywalking or poor manners whereas violations of mores are illegal incidences such as murder or rape. When these act of deviances occur, there are those who bind groups together and this can reinforce the person to continue these acts. Majority of the people, however, disapprove of these acts and they are called a negative sanction (Dreiling. 10/23/2012. Lecture). They tend to look down upon the acts, gossip, and with the more serious violations, imprison individuals and receive capital punishment. While the United States uses capital punishment and imprisonment as punishment for deviance, other countries don’t have these resources if they even desired to use it. Therefore, there are other techniques they use such as the Amish who shun those who violate the strict norms of the group because guilt of immorality is the ultimate punishment. They believe that those in the religious community cannot associate with lawbreakers even if they are family members and while the shunning is temporary, it has an impact an prevents deviant behavior (Ferris Stein 154). In the 20th Century, Robert Merton created the Structural Strain Theory that provides a connection between functionalist and conflict theories (Ferris Stein). It states that there are goals within society that people strive to achieve, however, they are unable to reach these goals and this creates a stress when people realize they cannot achieve them (Dreiling. 10/25/2012. Lecture). Stanley Milgram states that obedience is deeply ingrained into our behavioral tendencies and impulse overriding ethics and moral conducts (Dreiling. 10/25/2012. Lecture). Rebels are people that reject the cultural definitions of success and therefore are not obedient to the social norm to be successful making them deviant. Since they â€Å"rebel† to the social norm it advocates radical alternatives to the social order that  society lives in today (Ferris Stein 158). Kerckhoff and Back stated that â€Å"the belief in a tangible threat makes it possible to explain and justify one’s sense of discomfort† and this is why imprisonment and capital punishment is created (Dreiling. 10/25/2012. Lecture). Between the years of 1980 and 2006, the amount of incarcerated Americans went up nearly five times accumulating over two million prisoners. With less the 5% of the world’s population, we have created social acts that should be punishable by prison and have 23.4% of the world’s prisoners (Dreiling. 10/25/2012. Lecture). Sociologists and other groups have studied so in depth to crime and punishment that there are many subcategories within society that reasons with why people are incarcerated such as gender, race, age, and class as well as specified crime groups for violent, property, and white collar crimes (Ferris Stein 172, 173). Sociological imagination forces us to look at how we are asked to act and society and how we actually act. Most of the things we do in our daily lives we may think is by choice, however, it is how society wants us to live. Anytime individual’s challenge or stray from the norm of how society thinks we must function, there are consequences that are sometimes so severe that they drastically change our societies views, morals, and attitudes. By expanding our thinking about deviance we can really look at why we do not accept certain things that people do such as body modification even though it is not harming us. It also gives people the opportunity to look at how we react and punish those who are deviant and decide whether we have been acting appropriately with punishments such as capital punishment. By doing this we are given the chance to look at what we truly believe, whether it is because of macrosociology or microsociology, and make strides to change things. With sociological perspective, we are being asked to question how we do things and why. Then we are being asked not if we can change it but how. What I think should be another question is if we want to change it. We can abandon or reevaluate our opinions, beliefs, morals, and attitudes but at  the end of the day we need to look at our society and decide if the course of action is effective and if we, as individuals and a whole, feel comfortable with the standards we set on each other and ourselves. I believe that there must be a sense of right and wrong and punishment and rewards in order to have a balance in society. That is why we have deviance and crime within our society and there is nothing wrong with having a balance in our world. Bibliography 1. Ferris, Kerry, and Jill Stein. The real world: an introduction to sociology. 2nd ed. New York: W.W. Norton Co., 2010. Print. 2. Katherine Jenkins. October 05, 2012. â€Å"I-Me-Society Journal 1†. 3. Dreiling, Michael. October 23, 2012. Lecture. 4. Dreiling, Michael. October 25, 2012. Lecture.

WorkBook Exercise Essay Example for Free

WorkBook Exercise Essay 1. What demographic variables were measured at least at the interval level of measurement? Education, Marital status, type of feeding, amount of household and infant care responsibilities. 2. What statistics were used to describe the length of labor in this study? Were these appropriate? Hours. These are appropriate because they are the standard. 3. What other statistic could have been used to describe the length of labor? Provide a rationale for your answer. Minutes could have been used instead for more precise data. Days would be to general. 4. Were the distributions of scores similar for the experimental and control groups for the length of labor? Provide a rationale for your answer. I believe that they are similar as they are only a three hours difference. 5. Were the experimental and control groups similar in their type of feeding? Provide a rationale for your answer. The experimental and control groups were very similar in their type of feeding because they were only +/- 2 in each sub-category. 6. What was the marital status mode for the subjects in the experimental and control groups? Provide both the frequency and percentage for the marital status mode for both groups. The marital status mode is separated/divorced. Frequency and percentage for separated/divorced in experimental group: 1, 3.1% Frequency and percentage for separated/divorced in controlled group: 1, 2.8% 7. Could a median be determined for the education data? If so, what would the median be for education for the experimental and the control groups? Provide a rationale for your answer. Yes, a median can be determined for the education data. Experimental: 11, Some college Controlled: 13, College graduate or higher The median is the middle number for a sequence of numbers. 8. Can the findings from this study be generalized to Black women? Provide a rationale for your answer. No, the majority of the statistics were for white females. 9. If there were 32 subjects in the experimental group and 36 subjects in the control group, why is the income data only reported for 30 subjects in the experimental group and 34 subjects in the control group? Numbers do not always total 32 for experimental group or 36 for control group because of missing data. 10. Was the sample for this study adequately described? Provide a rationale for your answer. No, the sample for the study only gives majority of the data for white females. The sample also leaves out several large racial groups.

Principle of Sovereign Immunity

Principle of Sovereign Immunity It is undisputed that international law is based on reciprocity, and nowhere is this more apparently than in the area of diplomatic relations and immunities. Thus the principle of equality of sovereign states is enshrined in Art 1(2) of the Charter of the United Nations, and the notion of state immunities including those afforded to its sovereigns operates on this principle, specifically â€Å"par in parem non hebet imperium† where since both states are equal, one cannot be subject to the jurisdiction and the courts of another. Furthermore, it is now widely accepted the heads of states and foreign ministers in representing states are also afforded this immunity to allow them to carry out their functions properly. However, modern times which has seen a rise in a respect of human rights has found a new clash with the principle of sovereign immunity. As such, international jurisprudence is now developing and arguably struggling to try and achieve a balance between these two objec tives, a matter which will be analysed in this essay. Ratione personae and Ratione Materiae The two different types of immunities delegated to state representatives will be noted at the outset, namely ratione personae and ratione materiae. The former allows immunities to a particular person from the jurisdiction of a states courts by virtue of the office he holds, for any of his actions whether conducted in an official or private capacity. Since this type of immunity is only required for a practical basis to allow functioning, once the individual leaves office this type of immunity lapses. The second type of immunity is that of ratione materiae, where it is the nature of the act which immunity is afforded to. Here, if an act was carried out in an official capacity it can not be the subject of a court action, based on the principle of the sovereign equality of state as noted above and non-intervention of one state into another states affairs. Since the nature of the act is the determining factor here, the immunity remains even if the official in question has left his post. The distinction is pointed out at the outset since the Courts have dealt with the two different types of immunities differently. Ratione materia will be dealt with in the first instance. The Pinochet Case Ratione Materia The issue of the potential conflict of immunities and human rights violations came to the forefront when the former President of Chile, Augusto Pinochet Ugarte, visited the United Kingdom in 1998 for medical reasons. While there, the Spanish government requested the UK government to extradite Pinochet to face charges of inter alia torture and conspiracy to torture in the Spanish Courts under legislation enacting the Convention Against Torture [CAT] (1984). The issue went to the UK House of Lords where it was held that Pinochet could not claim immunity for his acts as a former head of state against allegations of torture. The immunity claimed in this case was that of ratione materia, since Pinochet was clearly not a current head of state and thus ratione personae immunity was not available to him. Although the House of Lords approved the judgement by a large majority there was only one dissenting Lord a variety of reasoning was employed. Lord Browne-Wilkinson, Lord Hope and Lord Saville found that those who had signed the CAT had impliedly waivered state immunity for their sovereigns. It was noted that the definition of Torture provided for in Art 1 of CAT required for the acts complained of to have either been carried out by or with the involvement of a state official. As such, any allegation of torture would necessarily always be able to be met with a defence of state immunity which would render the CAT meaningless. Such an analysis is quite insightful, but may creates problems of distinction for claimants relying on the customary prohibition of torture rather than CAT. Criminal and Civil Liability Other judges adopted a more broad consideration of the issue, where it was held that due to the heinousness of the act of torture and the jus cogens nature of the prohibition of torture, immunity ratione materia could never be a valid defence. Their Lordships pointed out that the purpose of the immunity is to ensure that the national courts of one state do not adjudicate on the responsibly of another, but in this case they were dealing with an issue of individual criminal liability and to hold immunity existed in this case would go beyond the purposes intended for such immunities, namely stability of international relations. Thus, a distinction can be seen between criminal liability cases and civil liability which would necessarily entail criminal responsibility. This distinction can be appreciated in a later case. In Al-Adsani v UK, the applicant was a dual UK and Kuwaiti national who alleged that on a visit to Kuwait, he was subjected to torture in a Kuwaiti state prison as retaliation for his circulating sexual tapes showing the Emir of Kuwaits brother, the Sheikh. He brought a claim in the UK for physical injuries and mental suffering caused from the treatment he suffered against inter alia the state of Kuwait. The UK Courts however held that Kuwaits claim to the state immunity Act 1978 succeeded. The Court of Appeal referred the case to the European Court of Human Rights where the applicant alleged that in invoking state immunity and not allowing his case to be heard in the UK Courts, the UK violated Art 6, the right of a fair trial. This was a more contentious matter and the Court very narrowly held, with a nine to eight vote majority that the right of access was not violated by upholding the defence of state immunity. Here the European Court pointed out that the nature of jurisdictional immunities acted as a procedural bar, and if waived by the host state a substantive case could be heard. The Court pointed out that sovereign immunity was an essential concept of international law, with a legitimate aim of promoting comity and good international relations. As such, a distinction had to be made with civil suits and criminal cases. A criminal case, as in the case of Pinochet, went to the question of individual criminal liability for acts. A case for civil damages however, would necessarily have to find state responsibility and the Court concluded in its analysis of the case law that an international norm excluding liability for civil damages had not emerged. Such an approach of distinguishing criminal and civil liability was repeated by the UK Courts in Jones v Saudi Arabia, where it was held immunity could not be waived for a claim for civil damages as a result of torture. Some commentators have suggested that the civil-criminal liability is distinguished due to the nature of the crimes in the case. However, the analysis of the Court seems to suggest a different ground of distinction in this case Criminal responsibility is based on individuals, and thus does not involve any question of state liability or state sovereignty. The case of Re Pinochet did not entail any judgement at all in the actions of Chile as a state itself, and render it liable for any reparations for example. If however there was to be no state immunity allowed in Al-Adsani, it would be found that Kuwait entailed responsibility for the actions and liable for damages, thus entering into the realms of state sovereignty and non-intervention in other states affairs. The effect on international relations was therefore clearly a determining factor in this case. Where there was less of an effect on international status in criminal cases, more weight was given to human rights norms. Normative Hierarchy Theory Of course, the dissenting judges in Al-Adsani did not consider that the distinction between civil and criminal liability was important enough when pitted against a prohibition of torture. Many judges pointed out that since the Court accepted that torture was a jus cogens norm, they should also accept that it would always prevail over all other norms including those of state immunity. Thus the status of torture would invalidate immunity laws or its effect at least for that particular case. This has been described as a normative hierarchy theory since torture is a jus cogens norm, it goes above the norm of state immunity. Some of the judges in Re Pinochet also adopted this theory. The Pinochet case is considered by many around the world as revolutionary as it is principally the first case to consider that immunity did not exist for allegations of egregious human rights violations. This approach is attractive from the human rights perspective and does accord well with the prohibition of torture in international law in stating that there can be no justification whatsoever for the use of torture. However, there are relatively few jus cogens norms in international law, and even the status of torture as jus cogens is disputed. Adopting such a theory in absence of other justifications would mean that other human rights violations cannot be pitted against the laws of state immunity. No immunity for ratione personae A further distinction that has been made by Courts is that for existing officials of state, who still hold immunity ratione personae. This can be seen in the Arrest Warrants case held before the ICJ. Under a Belgian law of 1993 Belgian Courts had universal jurisdiction in respect of grave breaches of international humanitarian law and crimes against humanity, irrespective or not of whether the offender has acted in an official capacity. On this basis a Belgian investigating judge issued an arrest warrant in absentia for the then Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Congo. Congo responded by taking the matter to the ICJ, challenging that that the alleged arrest warrant violated the principle of sovereign equality among member states of the UN as enshrined in Art 2(1) of the UN Charter, as well as diplomatic immunity for ministers of foreign affairs for a sovereign state as laid out in Art 41(2) for the 1862 Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations. The majority of the ICJ, thirteen votes to three, held that the arrest warrant was indeed in violation of customary international law laying down rules of absolute inviolably and immunity from criminal proceedings of incumbent foreign ministers, therefore breaching principles of sovereign equality among states. However, no form of satisfaction was awarded other than the judgement which the Court held would make good the moral injury complained of by the Congo. This case thus shows that the doctrine adopted in Pinochet is highly unlikely to extend to existing officials, illustrating that the main rationale behind immunities is to allow international relations to develop. Holding a Foreign Minister liable to prosecution in another country while he is still Foreign Minister would greatly impair this ability as the Court noted in its majority judgement, Foreign Ministers are allowed this immunity to allow them to travel and communicate with other states and allowed effective representation of their State. The Court, like other decisions abovementioned, did emphatically state that immunity did not equate to impunity and the procedural bar of immunity once lifted could hold an individual responsible, such as before the courts of his own country, where the state has waived immunity, after the person in question has ceased to hold public office or perhaps in the future under the International Criminal Court. The Court can be said to show some lea ning towards appreciation of human rights when it did not approve of damages further than the damage being claimed, recognising perhaps that to award damages to someone accused of such egregious human rights violations would exceed the doctrine of immunities and would not serve a beneficial purpose. Judges Higgins, Koojimans and Burgenthal issued a separate opinion in the Arrest Warrants case, where they dissented with the Court requiring a cancellation of the Arrest Warrant issued by Belgium. They noted that the Court noted the provision of immunities to the Foreign Minister in this case was to allow his continue travelling and maintain communication and relations with other states in order to represent his state effectively. However, since he was no longer Foreign Minister at the time of the hearing at the international court there was no longer need for this expansive immunity and as such a cancellation of the arrest warrant would not be required. Such opinions are clearly based on the rationale behind immunity being that of functionality of international relations once this is no longer at risk a whole immunity is no longer required. Judge Van Den Wyngaert went even further and stated that the Court had taken immunities too far in creating a potential violation of international human rights.23 The dissenting judges in this case therefore clearly carried out balancing exercises between the two objectives of functionality of international relations and human rights with some reaching different conclusions to others. It is particularly notable that following this case, under diplomatic pressure from other states Belgium amended its laws on 23 April 2003 and once again on 5th August of that year, holding persons granted immunity under international law will be excluded from the reach of that legislation. Many commentators have regretted that diplomatic pressure and international politics has ‘destroyed the revolutionary character of Belgiums legislation in this case. In conclusion therefore an analysis of international case-law shows that allowing immunity to provide for and facilitate international relations has been seen as a particularly important objective Thus immunities have not been waived with regard to those still holding office. As Judge Van den Wyngaert pointed out in dissenting in the Arrest Warrants case, such an approach is likely to have stemmed from a consideration of avoiding chaos and abuse in international processes. Even where immunities have been waived with regard to those who have formerly held office, as in the Pinochet case for example, this has only been done with regard to individual criminal liability where Courts point out that they are not invoking the responsibility of states. Furthermore, the issue is only ever raised with regard to particularly egregious human rights norms such as those of torture and it seems hardly likely immunity would be waived for a norm perceived to be of lesser value such as an economic an d social right of development. Thus, while international law is clearly developing in the area of human rights, the fact that immunities is based on such an important precept of international law renders Courts very reluctant to waive immunity, and they have only done so on very limited occasions. Many commentators have criticised this Caplan for example points out that a theory of collective state benefit should be employed and granting immunities to human rights violates does not benefit the collective international community.28 McGregor points out that the new UN Convention on Jurisdictional Immunities of States and their Properties does not include any reference to human rights and criticises the lack of a human rights protocol, as does Denza. It is the very nature of international law however that law can only be made when states reach a consensus, and until they reach a consensus to not raise claims of infringement of sovereignty by waiving immunity, it is anticipated that very slow progress will be made in this area.

Charles Marius Barbeau’s Ethnography and the Canadian Folklore Essay

Charles Marius Barbeau’s Ethnography and the Canadian Folklore Born on 5 March 1883, in Sainte-Marie-de-Bauce, Charles Marius Barbeau is widely seen as the first Canadian educated anthropologist. He graduated from Università © Laval in Quà ©bec, from his studies of law, in 1907; he never practised law. Upon graduating, Marius was awarded – as the first French-Canadian recipient – the Cecil Rhodes scholarship which allowed him to study at Oxford University where he was introduced to the emerging field of Anthropology.  « Je [voulais] savoir comment l’homme a à ©tà © crà ©Ãƒ ©  » he later explained to Marcel Rioux. (Benoà ®t 1959a) During his stay in Europe, Marius also attended classes at the Sorbonne’s École des Hautes Études and at the École d’anthropologie in Paris. In June 1910, he received a Bachelor of Science degree, from Oxford, for his thesis on The Totemic System of the Northwestern Indian Tribes of North America. Back in Canada, he took the position of Assistant Ethnologist for E dward Sapir at the Anthropological division of the Geological Survey of Canada at the Victoria Memorial Museum in Ottawa (one of the ancestors of today’s – since 1986 – Canadian Museum of Civilization). Then Marius began his life long career of collecting ethnographic and folkloric data on the cultures of aboriginal North-Americans and French creoles of Canada†¦ Theoretical Bases  « Pour Barbeau, les manifestations du folklore sont un peu comme des petits fruits sauvages. Le folkloriste est un cueilleur. [†¦] Si l’on ne cueille pas les fruits sauvages, eh bien ils se perdront pour toujours. [†¦] Un jour, la forà ªt aura envahi le terrain et tout effacà ©. Le modeste champ ne sera plus là  . Il sera oublià ©.  » (Gauthier 2001: 38) Marius Barbeau’s theoretical ... ...stion and the politics of recognition.† Ethnic & Racial Studies. April 1995, 18(2): 277–314. Accessed November 2004 on EBSCO http://0-web29.epnet.com.mercury.concordia.ca/. Accession number: 9506073480; Database: Academic Search Premier SMITH, Derek G. 2001. â€Å"The Barbeau archives at the Canadian Museum of Civilization: some current research problems† Anthropologica 43(2): 191. Accessed November 2004 on ProQuest http://proquest.umi.com/. ProQuest document ID: 357968991 SUZUKI, David 2001. â€Å"A Personal Foreword: The Value of Native Ecologies† in Peter KNUDTSON and David SUZUKI. Wisdom Of The Elders. Toronto: Stoddart Publishing, 2001 [1992]: XXI–XXXV TURGEON, Laurier; Denys DELÂGE and Rà ©al OUELLET 1995. â€Å"Marius Barbeau et l’ethnologie des Amà ©rindiens† Canadian Folklore Canadien 17(1). Accessed November 2004 http://www.fl.ulaval.ca/celat/acef/171f.htm

Eating disorders Essay -- essays research papers

I choose to do these weeks health paper on eating disorders. I myself have dealt with an eating disorder and know the effects it can have on those you love and yourself both physically and mentally. Bulimia and Anorexia are serious, functional eating disorders. There are a lot of similarities between the two, but the few differences differentiate the two. Anorexia is an eating disorder in which a person has an intense fear of gaining weight or becoming obese. This person may eat little or nothing during the day, essentially starving themselves. This disease can cause a lot of damage to the body such as slowed heart rate, lowered body temperature and blood pressure, premature bone loss, loss of menstruation or irregular periods, change in body hair, grayish or yellowish skin and mood changes. According to several resources, approximately .5%-3.7% of females will suffer from Anorexia Nervosa in their lifetime. Bulimia is a person who binges and purges. The majority of bulimia nervosa patients are female. They will eat a large quantity of food in a short amount of time and then self-induce vomiting or will use laxatives or diuretics. They may also exercise compulsively. This person will can have damaged and discolored teeth, lung irritation, and muscle spasms, electrolyte imbalances that can lead to irregular heartbeats and heart failure and death. They may also have sores on the back of the hand that is for self induced vomiting. According to several resources, approximatel...

Shakedown :: essays research papers

Worry over security played a big role in the presidential campaign -- and plays it still. For persisting in of D.C. is the naive if popular opinion that government is "on our side" -- that it is an impartial protector even seeing to it that we shall not want. Sure. In "Shakedownà ¾" Robert A. Levy, a senior fellow in constitutional studies at the Cato Institute, says su opinion leaks. Our Framers were far above such leakiness. Thus did their constitutional checks and balan to stem abuse of power. They knew that Brutus still lurks about, that as Thomas Jefferson noted in 1788, natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground." That gain is tracked by the author. He sees Washington, D.C.'s leading industry as not tourism but spe interests milking a giant, most cooperative cash cow, with consumers and taxpayers getting hit by many "baseless lawsuits." Apart from antitrust, the extortion lobby works three routes: one, through victimizing smokers and a b socked tobacco industry; two, through anti-gun advocates circumventing the Second Amendment and sta legislatures by suing in court and in the process victimizing gun manufacturers and potential gun owners three, through seductive tort liability and antitrust systems hobbling our economy via perverse "regulatio through litigation." Mr. Levy titles part one of his two-part book "Tort Law as Litigation Tyranny" and part two "Antitrust Corporate Welfare for Market Losers." This libertarian pulls no punches. But what about the rising tide of tort cases that push up, among other things, medical malpractice insu premiums to six-figure heights and force many doctors, such as gynecologists and obstreticians, out of bu Up go the costs of of office and hospital visits, hurting many family budgets. The author supplies a neat reply. As a federalist as well as a libertarian, he believes in states' rights, in Amendment: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to t States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." He adds, "There is no constitutional right to health care." He sees state medical malpractice reform as ubiquitous. He cites more than three dozen states with damage caps, with all 50 states passing or conside some kind of malpractice reform. Mr. Levy decries the fact that many congressional Republicans as well as liberal Democrats milk an ex lobby. The author would invoke the 14th Amendment to check state tort laws which deny both procedura Page 1 of 2 Washington's extortion lobby -- The Washington Times 2/22/2005 http://www.washingtontimes.com/functions/print.php?StoryID=20050219-110442-5649r substantive protection against quasi-criminal punishment.

Individualized Educational Plans and 504 Plans

1. Marie and Mary had such different situations because they grew up at different times. We know Marie grew up before Mary because the writer said the school district was not required to educate her. Marie's parents had no real choices for their daughter. When the one school appropriate for her closed, the school district did not have to do anything further. They tried custodial placement for Marie but clearly that was not good for her. So they brought her home and did the best they could. Marie did not learn any real life schools. She never went to a regular school, didn't participate in social activities or clubs, and did not learn a skill so she could be self-supporting. By comparison Mary was born after federal laws requiring education for all children was passed. She had early intervention. She also had parents who understood the law and Mary's rights. They joined a support group, which probably encouraged them to fight for a normal education for Mary. When the school wanted to put Mary into a self-contained class, her parents asked instead for her to be placed in a regular classroom. The school district did this well, providing support for Mary. Mary had different kinds of academic accommodations such as a computer that could read text to her and other accommodations. Mary received extra help to learn how to cope with the demands of junior high, and in high school she began vocational training. Mary had friends at school and vocational goals for herself. The result is that while Marie needs to be taken care of and her parents worry about what will happen to her when they die, Mary has been prepared for life from the time she was a toddler. She has always been around children without handicaps and has had a chance to develop the verbal and social skills she needs to get along in the world. 2. IEP's, or Individualized Educational Plans, and 504 Plans have some similarities. They are both formal plans to help an individual child overcome learning differences so that child can be more successful in school. This IEP shoulc include statements about the child's strengths and weaknesses, and should describe exactly how the school will provide for the child's educational needs. an IEP includes specific goals and clearly state the services the child will receive, including the amount of time and the type of specialists who will provide them. IEP's have to be written according to a specific body of laws and regulations. Some of those laws and regulations are specified by the federal government under the I.D.E.A. law, but in addition, each individual state has its own set of guidelines and rules. The state's rules must be compatible with the federal ones but the rules can differ quite a bit from state to state. If a school does not follow the child's IEP, the parents have a number of legal remedies. A 504 Plan is also a written plan to provide instructional or other school services to a child, but 504's are covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Because of this, rules and regulations that apply to IEP's may not apply to 504 Plans. 504 Plans typically help children who do not receive special education services and who do not have an IEP. One use of a 504 Plan is to provide services after a child's IEP has been ended. 504 Plans do not have as many legal protections as IEP's do.

Does the No Child Left Behind Act Meets its Objectives? Essay

Introduction to the Study Signed into law by President George W. Bush last January 8, 2002, the ‘No Child Left Behind Act’ or ‘NCLB act’ has been the latest and is considered as the most momentous and major initiative in the Federal education policy. It is a revision of the former ‘Elementary and Secondary Education Act’ more notably known as the ‘ESEA’ passed on 1965. The law’s enactment is based upon the general purpose of ensuring that every child studying in America’s public schools will be able to reach the standards of learning set upon and common to wherever state the child resides. The primary goals of this act aside from reaching high quality of education is to excel primarily in reading proficiency and mathematical skills by the end of 2013-2014. Specifically, it intends to increase reading comprehension and proficiency of all third grade students by the same year.   It also wishes to improve the proficiency of all limited English speakers. The act also requires that by the year 2005 to 2006, all teachers in the United States Public schools shall be highly qualified. This means that all teachers shall pass the minimum qualifications set by the act which includes, ’a bachelor’s degree, a full state certification and demonstration of subject-matter competency for each subject taught and a report of the teacher’s progress in the annual report cards’ (Paige, 3). This paper intends to dwell into the objectives set by the act and to look deeply on its effectiveness, perceived flaws and possible reforms. In its six year of existence, the law has generated both praise and criticism from the general public. The efficiency of the act has since been debated. Its effectiveness is questioned mainly due to the lack of budget and resources, poor implementation and manipulation of results. The NCLB looks forward in helping the different States in strengthening the reading programs from grades 3 to 8, creating charter schools, establishing before and/or after school programs, developing professional and high quality education through teacher’s preparedness and parental participation. For the states to receive federal funding they are required by the NCLB Act to create ways of assessing the basic skills of students in certain grades. With this regard, the standards of education is not set by the national government or authority, instead, it is based upon individual criteria of each states. Statement of the Problem As of the moment there are several controversies surrounding the effectiveness of the NCLB act even after studies and results of research shows an increase in reading proficiency and mathematical skills of the students in American public schools. The main objective of this research project is to try to understand if the NCLB act is meeting its goals. Background of the problem It is believed that in the six years since the enactment of the NCLB act it has so far produces problems on the issues on education rather than resolves them. The act is a ‘federal effort to support the primary and secondary education in the United States (Paige, 1).’ Fundamentally, it is outlined to accommodate the ‘four-common-sense pillars: accountability for results, an emphasis on doing what works based on scientific research, expanded parental options and expanded local control and accountability (Paige, 1).’ The act is funded upon the participation of the States on the program, this ought to reflect that the standards are set and enforced effectively. It is believed that by so doing, the States would enforce and tighten their standards to achieve the desired goals of the act. Those who cannot comply with the standards would need to undergo a ‘scientifically based research’ that will aim on ‘developing a plan to turn around school (Paige, 2)’. The school that will be consider as ‘in need of improvement’ will have to ‘spend at least ten percent of their Title 1 funds to assist teachers (Paige, 2).’ Since the act provides a system of rewards and punishments for participating schools and states, issues’ regarding test scores manipulation has challenge the validity of practicing and participating in the act in general. To be able to determine the proficiency and skills of the students the States needs to give them a standardized exam. Given that the test is made by each State, there is a possibility that they will lower the standard of their test to be able to meet the standards set by the act. Another important issue that is being voiced by a majority of critics involves the focus in achieving basic and technical skills mainly in Mathematics and English language. This might affect the ability of the child to explore other areas of education. Also, since the test is standardized in States, there is a problem regarding the skills and abilities of local natives. People have different talents. People vary in their ability to adapt and to learn. Forcing a specific education to the majority of the people will logically result to a cut back in other areas of education, skills and abilities. Although, Mathematics and English are very important skills, there are things that are being sacrificed because of the narrowing down of the curriculum. Theoretical Basis for the Study The theoretical basis for this study will be grounded in the law and the learning theory. So far, the federal law has found that the NCLB act, as most statesman claims is not fully funded. As mentioned by the American Federation of Teachers or AFT, ‘the promise to fund NCLB remains unfulfilled. This shortfall has undercut the efforts of states, districts and schools at a time when they are working to meet new, rigorous requirements for students and teachers (www.aft.org).’ Learning theorist such as that of Skinner seems to be the framework that shall be used to follow the NCLB program. Skinner believes that pleasant experiences cause positive behavior while punishments are effective negative reinforces. Nonetheless, this type of learning theory has long been debunk and is not an effective means to teach students. As Roxanne Everhard mentions in a formal paper: Like many K-12 classroom teachers who try to use the constructivism approach to teaching, I do my best to provide an atmosphere where students are able to explore and integrate knowledge into their own prior experiences. Constructivism is a learning theory that is more inclined on a facilitator-based learning. This learning theory tries to show that there are times when test results do not necessarily reflect the capability and achievements of students. In this view, one can asses, that the NCLB may indeed create a narrowing of curriculum, it might even hinder some students from achieving their full potentials. Research Questions What are the objectives of the No Child Left Behind Act? What are the effects and implications of the said act on the overall quality of education in the United States? What are the necessary changes and/or revisions that need to be done? What are the general effects, negative and positive, of the NCLB to the students so far? Limitations Limitations are foreseen upon the national data and statistics that is needed to show that there are indeed a decreasing pattern in the quality education of the American population. However, this will not greatly affect the research since, there are enough internet access and literature on the data of drop outs or push out of students starting 2002 in public schools in order to attain or meet the NCLB standards. Some states might have available data regarding health problems or issues regarding the effects of NCLB on the student, however, some states do not. Research Design/Procedure Descriptive Research: Descriptive research attempts to describe systematically the facts and characteristics of a given population or area of interest, factually and accurately. Descriptive research is used in the literal sense of describing situations or events; its data base is solely descriptive. The researcher makes a systematic analysis and description of the facts and characteristics of a given population or event of interest. The purpose of this form of research is to provide a detailed and accurate picture of the phenomenon as a means of generating hypotheses and pinpointing areas of needed improvements. (Person, 2008) It does not necessarily seek or explain relationships, test hypotheses or make predictions. Population This includes the number of students enrolled in public schools from the year 2002 to 2008. It shall also include the number of drop outs, discharged or push out students. Definition of Terms The No Child Left behind Policy as defined by the U.S. Department of Education is a landmark in education reform designed to improve student achievement and close achievement gaps. Push outs are students who are push out of school and referred to another school in order to achieve the set standards by the NCLB Act. Scientifically based research, is a methodological research base on research which determines what programs are effective and what are not. This is contrary to qualitative research which uses anecdotes, surveys and case studies. Narrow Curriculum means that there are subject areas that are being left behind in favor of a more rigid program that includes only a few subjects. Organization of the Study Chapter two will present a review of related literature which includes the claims and articles in favor and not in favor of the NCLB Act. The next chapter will then specify the methods of research and the appropriate designs and procedures in researching for this study. The fourth chapter is basically presentation of findings from analysis of the given data regarding the methods and deficiency in meeting the objectives of the NCLB Act. The last chapter will give the conclusion and some remarks on the implication of the finding to the effectiveness of the ‘No Child Left Behind Act’. Works Cited American Federation of Teachers. NCLB—Let’s Get  It Right. http://www.aft.org/topics/nclb/index.htm Berliner, D.C. & Biddle, B.J. (2002). What Research Says About Unequal Funding for Schools in America. Education Policy Reports Project. Retrieved November 10, 2006, from ERIC database. Conway, Judith. (1997). Educational Technology’s Effect on Models of Instruction. Retrieved March 3, 2008, from http://copland.udel.edu/~jconway/EDST666.htm Everhard, R. Formal Paper: Do effective learning theories have to be left behind in our quest to satisfy the requirements of NCLB’s technology component? 2003. Flesher, J. Education Secretary Says ‘No Child Left Behind’ Critics are Whiners. From Associated Press, June 3, 2004. Furger, R. NCLB: Law and Evolution. Edutopia Magazine. 2007. Gallagher, J.   J. No Child Left Behind and Gifted Education. Roper Review 26.3 .2004. Retrieved on March 3, 2008, from Questia.com Holzberg, Carol S.No Child Left Behind: A Must Know Web Guide for Administrators. 2003. Technology and Learning, 2, pages 6-8.   Hyde, S. No Child Left Behind: A Review. Feb. 29, 2008. Retrieved on March 3, 2008, from http://curriculalessons.suite101.com/article.cfm/no_child_left_behind_a_review. McCracken, N. Surviving Shock and Awe: NCLB vs. Colleges of Education. From English Education, January 2004, pages 104-118. Mills, M. Educating Language-Minority Students. 2003. Mocilnikar, L. Gifted Children and NCLBNo Child Left Behind, Except the Gifted Ones. 2006. Retrieved on March 3, 2008, from http://parentingagiftedchild.suite101.com/article.cfm/gifted_children_and_nclb National Center for Education Statistics. Dropouts’ rates in the United States: 2000. Retrieved on March 3, 2008. Retrieved from the World Wide Web: http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d07/tables/dt07_103.asp National Clearing House for Bilingual Education. No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, conference report to accompany H.R. 1, report no. 107-334. 2001. National Center for Fair and Open Testing. Reality Teasting-NCLB. Retrieved on March 3, 2008, from http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Reality_Testing_NCLB/. New York State Education Department: Core Curriculum. Retrieved March 3, 2008. Retrieved from the World Wide Web: http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/cores.htm Nolet, V. and McLaughlin, M. J. Accessing The General Curriculum: Including Students with Disabilities. 2005 NEIRTEC. (n.d.). Technology Briefs for No Child Left Behind Planners. Retrieved November 26, 2003, from http://www.neirtec.org/products/techbriefs/index_html.asp NYSUT News Wire. Rothstein: NCLB is ‘dead’. 2007. Retrieved on March 3, 2008, from http://www.nysut.org/cps/rde/xchg/nysut/hs.xsl/endingthegap_8801.htm. Paige, T. No Child Left Behind: A Tool Kit for Teachers. Diane Publishing. 2004. Person. Lecture Notes. 2008. Peterson, P. No Child Left Behind? : The Politics and Practice of School Accountability. 2003. Robertson, J. Teachers Feeling ‘Extra Pressure’.† The Kansas City Star .2003. Stein, S. The Culture Of Education Policy. 2004. Spring, J. Political Agendas For Education: From The Religious Right To The Green Party. 3rd Ed. Routledge. United State Department of Education. Four Pillars of No Child Left Behind. Retrieved March 3, 2008 from, http://www.ed.gov/nclb/overview/intro/4pillars.html U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. Closing The Achievement Gap: The Impact Of Standards-Based Education Reform on Students. Performance.   Diane Publishing. 2004. U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, No Child   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Left Behind: A Desktop Reference, Washington, D.C., 2002.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Retrieved March 3, 2008, from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/account/nclbreference/index.html?exp=0 Wilson, M. NCLB: Taylor-Made for De-Skilling Teachers. Retrieved on March 3, 2008. Retrieved from http://www.ncte.org/about/issues/slate/117626.htm. Woods, B. Book Review: Perspectives on the Mistreatment of American Educators: Throwing Water on a Drowning Man  by Norman Dale Norris. Retrieved on March 3, 2008, from http://louisville.edu/journal/workplace/issue6p1/woods.html Wright, P., Wright, P. and Heath, S. Wrightslaw: No Child Left Behind. 2006.   

An Overview of the Societal Causes of White-Collar Crime Essay

One of the three sociological theories of the causes of white collar crime as identified in the book Profit Without Honor is the   societal causes. The American culture believes that to be successful you must have money, lots of money. Success is based solely upon materialistic items such as luxurious homes, nice cars, boats, etc. Therefore, we are basically raised to be greedy. So when individuals engage in white-collar crime, though they are breaking the law, they are often conforming to cultural values-such as the accumulation of wealth (Rosoff, Pontell, & Tillman 126).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Societal causes also includes an individual’s desire to own material things like money, authority and other privileges. When one becomes financially stable, he/she will think that people in the society will look up to him with great admiration. In the United States, majority of people aims to achieve the American dream. This gives out a sense of belongingness and boost one’s confidence even more.   Some white-collar crimes are committed as a result of the pressure to meet self-defined or externally imposed standards of successful performances (Rosoff, Pontell, & Tillman 120-121).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are social pressures and unexpected events that causes white collar crime. Violent encounters and criminal cases encourages one to seek for more ways of gaining money in order to support their needs in seeking for fair justice. Loss of financial resources will lead them to consult employees who have more access in the company’s accounting. Negative experiences associated with people who dominates over other inside company premises produces white collar criminals. This is because their bad experiences are not properly addressed and at the same time the person who abuses and bullies them remains upright and in stable position. Misunderstanding between employee and supervisor is a good example of this scenario. Low wages also cause social inferiority to employees making them rebel against the company and eventually do white collar crime as a revenge (Conklin 86-87).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The social environment of companies appears to breed white collar criminals, generally because the atmosphere and the people who promotes it. The market place is extremely competitive and when businesses can not compete legally, they may do so illegally through co-workers influence. The greed of several key players at any organization can cause the entire corporation to fail (Conklin 86-87).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Societal causes of white collar crime is so easy to determine. White collar criminals are once, victims too. They are one of those endangered employees, patients who are not capable of paying hospital bills, underpaid workers and anything that incorporates society and culture. Societal causes are also caused by trading scandals inside institutions which definitely loosen the faith of the in the nation’s economy (Rosoff, Pontell, & Tillman 226).   Criminals are more likely to commit white collar crime as their means of fighting for total equality and democracy. Works Cited: Conklin, John E. Criminology. 2nd ed. New York: MacMillan, 1986 Rosoff, Stephen M., Henry N. Pontell, and Robert H. Tillman. Profit Without Honor: White- Collar Crime and the Looting of America. (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Publishing, 2007.

Night World : Huntress Chapter 7

She emerged on the rooftop. There was a sort of roof garden here-anyway, a lot of scraggly plants in large wooden tubs. There was also some dirty patio furniture and other odds and ends. But the main feature was a small structure that sat on the roof the way a house sits on a street. Morgead's home. The penthouse. It was as stark and unlovely as the rest of the building, but it had a great view and it was completely private. There were no other tall buildings nearby to look down on it. Jez moved stealthily toward the door. Her feet made no noise on the pitted asphalt of the roof, and she was in a state of almost painfully heightened awareness. In the old days sneaking up on another gang member had been a game. You got to laugh at them if you could startle them, and they got to be furious and humiliated. Today it wasn't a game. Jez started toward the warped wooden door-then stopped. Doors were trouble. Morgead would have been an idiot not to have rigged it to alert him to intruders. Cat-quiet, she headed instead for a narrow metal ladder that led to the roof of the wooden structure. Now she was on the real top of the building. The only thing higher was a metal flagpole without a She moved noiselessly across the new roof. At the far edge she found herself looking four stories straight down. And directly below her there was a window. An open window. Jez smiled tightly. Then she hooked her toes over the four-inch lip at the edge of the roof and dropped gracefully forward. She grabbed the top of the window in mid-dive and hung suspended, defying gravity like a bat attached upside down. She looked inside. And there he was. Lying on a futon, asleep. He was sprawled on his back, fully clothed in jeans, high boots, and a leather jacket. He looked good. Just like the old days, Jez thought. When the gang would stay out all night riding their bikes and hunting or fighting or partying, and then come home in the morning to scramble into clothes for school. Except Morgead, who would smirk at them and then collapse. He didn't have parents or relatives to keep him from skipping. I'm surprised he's not wearing his helmet, too, she thought, pulling herself back up to the roof. She picked up the fighting stick, maneuvered it into the window, then let herself down again, this time hanging by her hands. She slid in without making a noise. Then she went to stand over him. He hadn't changed. He looked exactly as she remembered, except younger and more vulnerable because he was asleep. His face was pale, making his dark hair seem even darker. His lashes were black crescents on his cheeks. Evil and dangerous, Jez reminded herself. It annoyed her that she had to remind herself of what Morgead was. For some reason her mind was throwing pictures at her, scenes from her childhood while she was living here in San Francisco with her Uncle Bracken. A five-year-old Jez, with shorter red hair that looked as if it had never been combed, walking with a little grimy-faced Morgead, hand in hand. An eight-year-old Jez with two skinned knees, scowling as a businesslike Morgead pulled wood splinters out of her legs with rusty tweezers. A seven-year-old Morgead with his face lit up in astonishment as Jez persuaded him to try the human thing called ice cream†¦. Stop it, Jez told her brain flatly. You might as well give up, because it's no good. We were friends then-well, some of the time-but we're enemies now. He's changed. I've changed. He'd kill me in a second now if it would suit his purpose. And I'm going to do what has to be done. She backed up and poked him lightly with the stick. â€Å"Morgead.† His eyes flew open and he sat up. He was awake instantly, like any vampire, and he focused on her without a trace of confusion. Jez had changed her grip on the stick and was standing ready in case he went straight into an attack. But instead, a strange expression crossed his face. It went from startled recognition into something Jez didn't understand. For a moment he was simply staring at her, eyes big, chest heaving, looking as if he were caught in between pain and happiness. Then he said quietly, â€Å"Jez.† â€Å"Hi, Morgead.† â€Å"You came back.† Jez shifted the stick again. â€Å"Apparently.† He got up in one motion. â€Å"Where the hell have you been?† Now he just looked furious, Jez noted. Which was easier to deal with, because that was how she remembered him. â€Å"I can't tell you,† she said, which was perfectly true, and would also annoy the life out of him. It did. He shook his head to get dark hair out of his eyes-it was always disheveled in the morning, Jez remembered-and glared at her. He was standing easily: not in any attack posture, but with the relaxed readiness that meant he could go flying in any direction at any moment. Jez kept half her mind on watching his leg muscles. â€Å"You can't tell me? You disappear one day without any kind of warning, without even leaving a note†¦ you leave the gang and me and just completely vanish and nobody knows where to find you, not even your uncle .. . and now you reappear again and you can't tell me where you were?† He was working himself into one of his Extremely Excited States, Jez realized. She was surprised; she'd expected him to stay cooler and attack hard. â€Å"What did you think you were doing, just cutting out on everybody? Did it ever occur to you that people would be worried about you? That people would think you were dead?† It didn't occur to me that anyone would care, Jez thought, startled. Especially not you. But she couldn't say that. â€Å"Look, I didn't mean to hurt anybody. And I can't talk about why I went. But I'm back now-â€Å" â€Å"You can't just come back!† Jez was losing her calm. Nothing was going the way she'd expected; the things she'd scripted out to say weren't getting said. â€Å"I know I can't just come back-â€Å" â€Å"Because it doesn't work that way!† Morgead was pacing now, tossing hair out of his eyes again as he turned to glare at her. â€Å"Blood in, blood out. Since you're apparently not dead, you abandoned us. You're not allowed to do that! And you certainly can't expect to just walk back in and become my second again-â€Å" â€Å"I don't!† Jez yelled. She had to shut him up. â€Å"I have no intention of becoming your second-in-command!† she said when he finally paused. â€Å"I came to challenge you as leader.† Morgead's jaw dropped. Jez let her breath out. That wasn't exactly how she'd planned to say it. But now, seeing his shock, she felt more in control. She leaned casually against the wall, smiled at him, and said smoothly, ‘I was leader when I left, remember.† â€Å"You†¦ have got to be †¦ joking.† Morgead stared at her. â€Å"You expect to waltz back in here as leader?† â€Å"If I can beat you. I think I can. I did it once.† He stared for another minute, seeming beyond words. Then he threw back his head and laughed. It was a scary sound. When he looked at her again, his eyes were bright and hard. â€Å"Yeah, you did. I've gotten better since then.† Jez said three words. â€Å"So have I.† And with that, everything changed. Morgead shifted position-only slightly, but he was now in a fighting stance. Jez felt adrenaline flow through her own body. The challenge had been issued and accepted; there was nothing more to say. They were now facing each other ready to fight. And this she could deal with. She was much better at fighting than at playing with words. She knew Morgead in this mood; his pride and his skill had been questioned and he was now absolutely determined to win. This was very familiar. Without taking his eyes from her, he reached out and picked a fighting stick from the rack behind him. Japanese oak, Jez noted. Heavy, well-seasoned, resilient. Good choice. The fire-hardened end was very pointy. He wouldn't try to use that first, though. First, he would go for disarming her. The simplest way to do this was to break the wrist of her dominant hand. After that he'd go for critical points and nerve centers. He didn't play around at this. A minute change in Morgead's posture alerted her, and then they were both moving. He swung his stick up and down in a perfect arc, aiming for her right wrist. Jez blocked easily with her own stick and felt the shock as wood clashed with wood. She instantly changed her grip and tried for a trap, but he whipped his stick out of the way and was facing her again as if he'd never moved in the first place. He smiled at her. He's right. He's gotten better. A small chill went through Jez, and for the first time she worried about her ability to beat him. Because I have to do it without killing him, she thought. She wasn't at all sure he had the same concern about not killing her. â€Å"You're so predictable, Morgead,† she told him. â€Å"I could fight you in my sleep.† She feinted toward his wrist and then tried to sweep his legs out from underneath him. He blocked and tried for a trap. â€Å"Oh, yeah? And you hit like a four-year-old. You couldn't take me down if I stood here and let you.† They circled each other warily. The snakewood stick was warm in Jez's hands. It was funny, some distant part of her mind thought irrelevantly, how the most humble and lowly of human weapons was the most dangerous to vampires. But it was also the most versatile weapon in the world. With a stick, unlike a knife or gun or sword, you could fine-tune the degree of pain and injury you caused. You could disarm and control attackers, and-if the circumstances required it-you could inflict pain without permanently injuring them. Of course if they were vampires, you could also kill them, which you couldn't do with a knife or gun. Only wood could stop the vampire heart permanently, which was why the fighting stick was the weapon of choice for vampires who wanted to hurt each other†¦ and for vampire hunters. Jez grinned at Morgead, knowing it was not a particularly nice smile. Her feet whispered across the worn oak boards of the floor. She and Morgead had practiced here countless times, measuring themselves against each other, training themselves to be the best. And it had worked. They were both masters of this most deadly weapon. But no fight had ever mattered as much as this one. â€Å"Next you're going to try for a head strike,† she informed Morgead coolly. â€Å"Because you always do.† â€Å"You think you know everything. But you don't know me anymore. I've changed,† he told her, just as calmly-and went for a head strike. â€Å"Psyche,† he said as she blocked it and wood clashed with a sharp whack. â€Å"Wrong.† Jez twisted her stick sharply, got leverage on his, and whipped it down, holding it against his upper thighs. â€Å"Trap.† She grinned into his face. And was startled for a moment. She hadn't been this close to him in a long time. His eyes-they were so green, gem-colored, and full of strange light. For just an instant neither of them moved; then-weapons down, their gazes connected. Their faces were so close their breath mingled. Then Morgead slipped out of the trap. â€Å"Don't try that stuff,† he said nastily. â€Å"What stuff?† The moment her stick was free of his, she snapped it up again, reversing her grip and thrusting toward his eyes. â€Å"You know what stuff!† He deflected her thrust with unnecessary force. â€Å"That I'm Jez and I'm so wild and beautiful' stuff. That ‘Why don't you just drop your stick and let me hit you because it'll be fun' stuff.† â€Å"Morgead†¦ what are you†¦ talking about?† In between the words she attacked, a strike to his throat and then one to his temple. He blocked and evaded-which was just what she wanted. Evasion. Retreat. She was crowding him into a corner. â€Å"That's the only way you won before. Trying to play on people's feelings for you. Well, it won't work anymore!† He countered viciously, but it didn't matter. Jez blocked with a whirlwind of strikes of her own, pressing him, and then he had no choice but to retreat until his back was against the corner. She had him. She had no idea what he meant about playing on people's feelings, and she didn't have time to think about it. Morgead was dangerous as a wounded tiger when he was cornered. His eyes were glowing emerald green with sheer fury, and there was a hardness to his features that hadn't been there last year. He does hate me, Jez thought. Hugh was wrong. He's hurt and angry and he absolutely hates me. The textbook answer was to use that emotion against him, to provoke him and get him so mad that he gave her an opening. Some instinct deep inside Jez was worried about that, but she didn't listen. â€Å"Hey, all's fair, right?† she told him softly. â€Å"And what do you mean, it won't work? I've got you, haven't I?† She flashed out a couple of quick attacks, more to keep him occupied than anything else. â€Å"You're caught, and you're going to have to let down your guard sometime.† The green eyes that had been luminous with fury suddenly went cold. The color of glacier ice. â€Å"Unless I do something unexpected,† he said. â€Å"Nothing you do is unexpected,† she said sweetly. But her mind was telling her that provoking him had been a mistake. She had hit some nerve, and he was stronger than he'd been a year ago. He didn't lose his temper under pressure the way he'd used to. He just got more determined. Those green eyes unnerved her. Move in hard, she thought. All out. Go for a pressure point. Numb his arm- But before she could do anything, a wave of Power hit her. It sent her reeling. She'd never felt anything exactly like it. It came from Morgead, a Shockwave of telepathic energy that struck her like a physical thing. It knocked her back two steps and made her struggle for balance. It left the air crackling with electricity and a faint smell of ozone. Jez's mind spun. How had he done that? â€Å"It's not hard,† Morgead said in a calm, cold voice that went with his eyes. He was out of the corner by now, of course. For a moment Jez thought he was reading her thoughts, but then she realized her question must be written all over her face. ‘It's something I discovered after you left,† he went on. â€Å"All it takes is practice.† If you're telepathic, Jez thought. Which I'm not anymore. The Night People are getting stronger, developing more powers, she thought. Well, Hugh had been right on that one. And she was in trouble now. Whack! That was Morgead going for a side sweep. He'd noticed her lack of balance. Jez countered automatically, but her head wasn't clear and her body was ringing with pain. He'd shaken her, distracted her. â€Å"As you said, all's fair,† Morgead said, with a small, cold smile on his lips. â€Å"You have your weapons. I have mine.† And then he threw another of those Shockwaves at her. Jez was better braced for it now, but it still rocked her on her feet, took her attention off her weapon- Just long enough for her to screw up and let him in. He drove upward to catch her stick from below. Then he twisted, sweeping her stick in a circle, forcing her off balance again, trying to topple her backward. As Jez fought to recover, he struck to her elbow. Hard. Wham! It was a different sound from the crisp whack when wood hit wood. This was softer, duller, the sound of wood hitting flesh and bone. Jez heard her own involuntary gasp of pain. Fire shot up her arm, into her shoulder, and for a moment she lost her grip on the stick with her right hand. She forced her fingers to close on it again, but they were numb. She couldn't feel what she was holding. She couldn't block properly with one arm useless. And Morgead was advancing, that deadly cold light in his eyes. Absolutely merciless. His movements were relaxed and easy; he knew exactly what he was doing now. Two more whacks and he got through her guard again. The oak stick slammed into her ribs and she felt another wave of sickening pain. Gray dots danced in front of her eyes. Fractured? Jez wondered briefly. She hoped not. Vampires could break each other's ribs in fun and know that everything would heal in a day or two. But Jez wouldn't recover like that. Morgead might kill her without even meaning to. She couldn't let him keep striking her-but she couldn't retreat, either. If he got her into a corner, she'd be lost. Whack-wham. He got her on the knee. Pain sparked up and down her leg, lighting every nerve. She had no choice but to back up. He was crowding her relentlessly, forcing her to the wall. Morgead flashed a smile at her. Not the cold smile. This one was brilliant, and very familiar to Jez. It made him look devastatingly handsome, and it meant that he was in absolute command of the situation. â€Å"You can give up anytime, now,† he said. â€Å"Because I'm going to win and we both know it.†