The Golden Lily Chapter 18

JILL DIDN'T GIVE ME any starry-eyed looks at breakfast the next morning, which was kind of a relief. Micah had surfaced again, and while they weren't as flirty as they'd been in the past, the two were chatting animatedly away about a science project she had. Eddie and Angeline were equally engrossed in conversation, making plans for when she was free of her suspension. Her blues eyes were alight with happiness as they talked, and I realized that she had legitimate feelings for him. She hadn't just been throwing herself at him for the sake of conquest. I wondered if he knew. It would've been easy to feel like a fifth wheel here, but instead, I was pleased and content to see my little cohort getting along so well. Stanton's conversation had still left me conflicted, but there was nothing wrong with appreciating the peace around here. I would've been happier still if Trey's behavior had also normalized, but when I reached my history class later, he was absent yet again. I had no doubt he'd claim he had family stuff, but my earlier suspicions were returning, about whether his family might be responsible for his injuries. Should I report my worries to someone? Who? I didn't want to jump to conclusions either, which left me in a bind. Eddie and I always sat near each other in that class, and I leaned toward him before the bell rang, pitching my voice low to address another concern. â€Å"Hey, have you noticed that Jill's been kind of acting weirdly around me?† â€Å"She's got a lot going on,† he said, ever quick to defend her. â€Å"Yeah, I know, but you had to have noticed her last night. In the library? I mean – keeping in mind I'm terrible at figuring this stuff out – it was like she had a crush on me or something.† He laughed at that. â€Å"She was kind of laying it on thick, but I don't think you have to worry about some romantic complication. She just looks up to you a lot, that's all. Part of her still wants to be a brave fighter who rushes out fearlessly†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He paused as he savored that idea, a mix of pride and rapture on his face before he tuned back into me. â€Å"But at the same time, you're starting to show her there all sorts of ways to be powerful.† â€Å"Thanks,† I said. â€Å"I think. But speaking of her being a brave fighter†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I studied him curiously. â€Å"Why don't you train her anymore? Don't you want her to hone her skills?† â€Å"Oh, yeah. That. Well†¦ there are a few reasons for it. One is I need to focus on Angeline. Another is that I just don't want Jill worried about that. I'll do the protecting.† Those were exactly the reasons I'd guessed. The next one was not. â€Å"And I guess†¦ the other thing is that I don't feel right being in contact with her like that. I mean, I know it means nothing to her†¦ but it means something to me.† Again, my social skills took a moment to kick in. â€Å"You mean, you don't like that you have to touch her?† Eddie actually blushed. â€Å"It doesn't bother me, that's the problem. Better for us to spend time together in a hands-off way.† I hadn't expected that, but I could understand it. Leaving Eddie to his own inner demons, I soon got caught up in the day and wondering what had happened to Trey. I'd hoped he'd come into class late, but he didn't. In fact, he didn't surface for the rest of the day, not even when I was finishing up my independent study. I'd thought he might come by again for homework. â€Å"You look troubled,† said Ms. Terwilliger, watching me pack up when the bell rang. â€Å"Worried about getting your project in on time?† â€Å"No.† I'd actually finished two of the charms, but I certainly wasn't going to tell her that. â€Å"I'm worried about Trey. He keeps missing school. Do you know why he's out? I mean, if you can tell me?† â€Å"The office notifies us if a student will be out for the day, but they don't tell us the reason. If it makes you feel better, Mr. Juarez's absence was called in this morning. He hasn't disappeared.† I almost mentioned my fears about his home but held off. I still needed more evidence. Between worrying about Trey, Ms. Terwilliger's work, the Warriors, Brayden, and all my other myriad complications, I knew I couldn't waste any of my free time. Nonetheless, I went to Adrian's after school on a mission I couldn't refuse. On our way to Wolfe's class earlier this week, Adrian had mentioned offhandedly that he hadn't had the Mustang looked at by a mechanic before purchasing it. Although my own novice assessment hadn't found anything wrong with the car, I pushed for Adrian to get the car examined – which, of course, meant I had to look up a specialist and make the appointment. It was just before my textile museum date, but I was certain I had time to make it all work. â€Å"The guy I bought it from seemed pretty trustworthy,† Adrian told me, after we'd dropped the car off with the mechanic. He'd told us he'd look at it right away and that we could hang around and wait. His shop was on the outskirts of a suburban area, so Adrian suggested we go for a walk through the neighborhoods. â€Å"And it ran just fine when I did the test drive, so I figured everything was okay.† â€Å"That doesn't mean there aren't problems you can't see. It's best to be safe,† I said, knowing I sounded preachy. â€Å"Bad enough you got a car you can't drive.† Glancing over, I saw a small, half smile on his face. â€Å"With your help, I'll be a pro in no time. Of course, if you don't want to help anymore, I'll just wing it and figure it out on my own.† I groaned. â€Å"You already know what I'd say about – wow.† The neighborhood we were in was pretty affluent. In fact, I'd say the houses bordered on being bona fide mansions. We stopped in front of one that looked like a cross between a hacienda and a southern plantation, large and sprawling with a pillared porch and pink stucco siding. The front yard was a mix of climates, green grass with palm trees lining the path to the house. The trees were like tropical sentries. â€Å"Gorgeous,† I said. â€Å"I love architecture. In another life, I'd have studied that – not chemicals and vampires.† As we continued on, we saw more of the same, each house trying to outdo the others. All of them had high fences and hedges blocking their backyards. â€Å"I wonder what's back there. Pools, probably.† Adrian stopped in front of another. It was as yellow as his car and showed another mix of styles, like a southwest version of a medieval castle, complete with turrets. â€Å"Nice juxtaposition,† he remarked. I turned, knowing my eyes were wide as I stared at him. â€Å"Did you just use juxtaposition in a sentence?† â€Å"Yes, Sage,† he said patiently. â€Å"We use it all the time with art, when we're mixing different components. That, and I know how to use a dictionary.† He turned from me and scanned the house, his eyes resting on a gardener who was out trimming some hedges. A sly smile crossed Adrian's lips. â€Å"You want to see the back? Come on.† â€Å"What are you – † Before I could say another word, Adrian strode up the granite pathway and cut across the lawn to where the guy was working. I didn't want anything to do with this, but the responsible part of me couldn't let Adrian get into trouble. I hurried after him. â€Å"Are the owners home?† Adrian asked. The gardener had stopped his clipping and stared at Adrian. â€Å"No.† â€Å"When will they be back?† â€Å"After six.† I was astonished that the guy was answering these questions. If I'd been asked them, I would've assumed someone was staging a break-in. Then, I saw the glazed look in the gardener's eyes and realized what was going on. â€Å"Adrian – â€Å" Adrian's eyes never left the other man's face. â€Å"Take us to the backyard.† â€Å"Of course.† The gardener dropped his hedge clippers and headed for a gate on the side of the house. I tried to get Adrian's attention to stop this, but he was outpacing me. Our guide stopped at the gate, entered a security code, and led us to the back. My protests died on my lips as I gazed around. This back property was almost three times the size of the front. There were more palm trees ringing the yard, along with a terraced garden full of plants, both native and non-native. A huge oval shaped pool dominated the space, its turquoise hue startling against the gray of the granite that surrounded it. On one side of the pool, several steps led up to a smaller, square pool. It could only hold a few people, and a waterfall poured out from it, down to the larger pool. Tiki torches and tables around the pools completed the lush setup. â€Å"Thanks,† Adrian told the gardener. â€Å"Go back to your work. It's okay if we're here. We'll see ourselves out.† â€Å"Of course,† the man replied. He walked back the way we'd come in. I snapped back to reality. â€Å"Adrian! You used compulsion on that guy. That†¦ I mean, it's†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Awesome?† Adrian walked over to the steps leading up to the upper pool. â€Å"Yeah, I know.† â€Å"It's wrong! All of this. Breaking and entering, and compulsion†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I shivered, despite the sweltering heat. â€Å"It's immoral. Controlling someone else's mind. You know it! Your people and mine both agree.† â€Å"Eh, no harm done.† He climbed to the top of the pool and stood on its edge, surveying his kingdom. The sun brought out chestnut glints in his brown hair. â€Å"Believe me, that guy was easy to control. Weak-willed. I barely had to use compulsion.† â€Å"Adrian – â€Å" â€Å"Come on, Sage. Not like we're going to hurt anything. Check out this view.† I was almost afraid to go up there. It was so rare for any of the Moroi here to use their magic that it was easy for me to pretend it didn't exist. Seeing Adrian use it – the most insidious kind – made my skin crawl. As I'd told Ms. Terwilliger in our charm discussion, no one should be able to control another like that. â€Å"Come on,† Adrian repeated. â€Å"You're not worried I'm going to compel you up here, are you?† â€Å"Of course not,† I said. And I meant it. I didn't know why, but some part of me knew Adrian would never, ever harm me. Reluctantly, I went to join him, hoping that would encourage him to leave. When I reached the top, my jaw dropped. The intimate pool hadn't seemed that high, but it gave us a stunning view of the mountains off in the distance, rugged and majestic against the blue of the sky. The larger pool glittered below us, and the waterfall made it look like we'd entered some mystical oasis. â€Å"Cool, huh?† he asked. Adrian sat down on the small pool's edge, rolled up his jeans, and took off his socks and shoes. â€Å"Now what are you doing?† I asked. â€Å"Making the most out of this.† He put his feet in the water. â€Å"Come on. Do something bad for a change. Not that it's really that bad. We aren't trashing this place or anything.† I hesitated, but the water was intoxicating, as though it too could wield compulsion. Settling down, I copied Adrian and dipped my bare feet into the water. Its coolness was startling – and wonderful – in this intense heat. â€Å"I could get used to this,† I admitted. â€Å"But what if the owners come home early?† He shrugged. â€Å"I can talk us out of it, don't worry.† That wasn't exactly reassuring. I turned back to the gorgeous view and lush property. I wasn't always the most imaginative person, but I thought back to what I'd said about living another life. What would it be like to have a home like this? To stay in one place? To spend days by the pool, soaking in the sun, and not worrying about the fate of humanity? I fell into daydreams and was so caught up that I lost track of time. â€Å"We have to get back to the shop,† I exclaimed. Glancing over, I was astonished to see Adrian watching me, a look of contentment on his face. His eyes seemed to study my every feature. Seeing me notice him, he immediately looked away. His usual smirky expression replaced the dreamy one. â€Å"The mechanic will wait,† he said. â€Å"Yeah, but I'm supposed to meet Brayden soon. I'll be – † That's when I got a good look at Adrian. â€Å"What have you done? Look at you! You shouldn't be out here.† â€Å"It's not that bad.† He was lying, and we both knew it. It was late afternoon, and the sun was merciless. I'd certainly felt it, though the coolness of the water had helped distract me. That, and I was human. Sure, sunstroke and sunburns were concerns, but I loved the sun and had a high tolerance for it. Vampires did not. Sweat poured off Adrian, soaking his shirt and hair. Pink blotches covered his face. They were familiar. I'd seen them on Jill back when she'd been forced to play outdoor sports in PE. Left unchecked, they'd turn into burns. I jumped to my feet. â€Å"Come on, we have to get out of here before you get worse. What were you thinking?† His expression was astonishingly nonchalant for someone who looked like he would pass out. â€Å"It was worth it. You looked†¦ happy.† â€Å"That's crazy,† I said. â€Å"Not the craziest thing I've ever done.† He smiled as he looked up at me. His eyes grew slightly unfocused, as though they were seeing more than just me. â€Å"What's a little crazy here and there? I'm supposed to be doing experiments†¦ why not see which is brighter: your aura or the sun?† The way he looked at me and spoke unnerved me, and I remembered what Jill had said, how spirit slowly drove its users insane. Adrian hardly seemed insane, but there was certainly something haunted about him, a definite shift from his usual sharp wit. It was as though something else had seized hold of him. I remembered that poem line, about dreaming and waking. â€Å"Come on,† I repeated. I held out my hand. â€Å"You shouldn't have used spirit. We need to get you out of here.† He took my hand and staggered to his feet. A rush of warmth and electricity went through me, just as it had the last time we touched, and our eyes held. For a moment, all I could think about were his earlier words: You looked happy†¦ I brushed such sentiments aside and quickly got him out of there, only to discover the mechanic hadn't finished. At least in his shop, we were able to get Adrian some water and air conditioning. As we waited I texted Brayden. Running an hour late with family stuff. Sorry. Will be there as soon as I can. My phone chimed back about thirty seconds later: That only leaves an hour for the textile museum. â€Å"That's not nearly enough time,† said Adrian deadpan. I hadn't realized he'd been reading over my shoulder. I moved the phone away and suggested to Brayden we just meet for an early dinner. He concurred. â€Å"I'm a mess,† I muttered, checking myself out in a mirror. The heat had definitely taken its toll, and I looked sweaty and worn. â€Å"Don't worry about it,† Adrian told me. â€Å"If he didn't notice how awesome you were in the red dress, he probably won't notice anything now.† He hesitated. â€Å"Not that there's even anything to notice. You're as cute as usual.† I was about to snap at him for teasing me, but when I looked over, his face was deadly earnest. Whatever retort I might have managed died on my lips, and I quickly got up to check our status, in order to hide how flustered I felt. The mechanic finally finished – no problems found – and Adrian and I headed downtown. I kept watching him anxiously, afraid he'd pass out. â€Å"Stop worrying, Sage. I'm fine,† he said. â€Å"Although†¦ I'd be better with some ice cream or gelato. Even you have to admit that'd be good right now.† It would, actually, but I wouldn't give him the satisfaction. â€Å"What is it with you and frozen desserts? Why do you always want them?† â€Å"Because we live in a desert.† I couldn't argue with that reasoning. We reached his place, and I swapped cars. Before he went inside, I inundated him with advice about getting water and resting. Then, I spoke the words that had been burning inside of me. â€Å"Thank you for the poolside outing,† I said. â€Å"Your near-sun-stroke aside, that was pretty amazing.† He gave me a cocky smile. â€Å"Maybe you'll get used to vampire magic after all.† â€Å"No,† I said automatically. â€Å"I'll never get used to that.† His smile immediately disappeared. â€Å"Of course not,† he murmured. â€Å"See you around.† I finally made it to dinner. I'd chosen an Italian restaurant, filled with the scents of garlic and cheese. Brayden sat at a corner table, sipping water and earning glares from the waitress, who was probably impatient for him to order. I sat down opposite him, dropping my satchel beside me. â€Å"I am so sorry,† I told him. â€Å"I had to do this thing with my, uh, brother.† If Brayden was mad, he didn't show it. That was his way. He did, however, give me a scrutinizing look. â€Å"Was it something athletic? You look like you ran a marathon.† It wasn't an insult, not by any means, but it did take me aback – mostly because I was thinking of Adrian's comment. Brayden had had almost nothing to say about my Halloween costume, but he noticed this? â€Å"We were out in Santa Sofia, getting his car looked at.† â€Å"Nice area. Keep going up the highway, and you can get to Joshua Tree National Park. Ever been there?† â€Å"No. Just read about it.† â€Å"Iconic place. The geology's fascinating.† The waitress came by, and I gratefully ordered an iced latte. Brayden was more than happy to tell me about some of the park's geology, and we soon fell into our comfortable rhythm of intellectual discussion. I didn't know the park's specific makeup, but I knew more than enough about geology in general to keep up. In fact, I was able to talk on autopilot while my mind wandered back to Adrian. I recalled again what he'd said about the red dress. I also couldn't shake the comment about me being happy, and how that was worth his suffering. â€Å"What do you think?† â€Å"Hmm?† I realized I'd lost the thread of our conversation after all. â€Å"I asked which type of desert you find more striking,† Brayden explained. â€Å"The Mojave region gets all the hype, but I actually prefer the Colorado Desert.† â€Å"Ah.† I slipped back into the flow. â€Å"Um, Mojave. I like the rock formations better.† This triggered a debate of the regions while we ate, and Brayden seemed happier and happier. He really did like having someone who could keep up with him, I realized. None of my books had said anything about the way to a man's heart being through academic debates. I didn't mind it, though. I liked the conversation, but it didn't exactly send thrills through me. I had to remind myself it was still early in our relationship – if I could even call it that. Surely the head over heels part would come soon. We talked for a long time after the meal was over. The waitress brought us an unsolicited dessert menu when we finished, and I surprised myself by saying, â€Å"Wow†¦ I can't believe how much I want gelato right now. That never happens.† Maybe the sweat and heat had leached my nutrients†¦ or maybe I still had Adrian on the brain. â€Å"I've never heard you order dessert,† said Brayden, sliding his menu away. â€Å"It's not too much sugar?† It was another of those weird statements of his that could be interpreted a number of different ways. Was he judging me? Did he think I shouldn't have any sugar? I didn't know, but it was enough for me to close the menu and set it on top of his. With no other scheduled forms of entertainment for the night, we decided to just go for a walk after dinner. The temperature was down to moderate levels, and it was still light enough out that I wasn't as concerned about the Warriors of Light jumping out from corners. That didn't mean I ignored Wolfe's teachings, however. I still kept an eye on my surroundings, watching for anything suspicious. We reached a small park that only took up one city block and found a bench in the corner. We sat down on it, watching children play on the opposite side of the lawn while we continued a discussion on bird watching in the Mojave. Brayden put his arm around me as we talked, and eventually, we exhausted the topic and simply sat in comfortable silence. â€Å"Sydney†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I turned my gaze from the children, surprised at Brayden's uncertain tone, which was very different from the one he'd just been using to defend the superiority of the mountain bluebird over the western bluebird. There was softness in his eyes now as he looked at me. The evening light made his hazel eyes take on a little more gold than usual but completely hid the green. Too bad. Before I could say anything, he leaned forward and kissed me. It was more intense than the last one, though still a long ways from the epic, all-consuming kisses I'd seen in movies. He did rest his hand on my shoulder this time, gently bringing me a little closer. The kiss also lasted longer than previous ones, and I again tried to let myself go and lose myself in the feel of someone else's lips. He was the one who ended it, a bit more abruptly than I would've expected. â€Å"I – I'm sorry,† he said, looking away. â€Å"I shouldn't have done that.† â€Å"Why not?† I asked. It wasn't so much that I'd been yearning for the kiss as it was that this seemed exactly like the kind of place you'd want to kiss: a romantic park at sunset. â€Å"We're in public. It's kind of vulgar, I suppose.† Vulgar? I wasn't even sure if we were really all that much in public, seeing as no one was next to us and we were in the shade of some trees. Brayden sighed with dismay. â€Å"I guess I just lost control. It won't happen again.† â€Å"It's okay,† I said. It hadn't seemed like that much of a loss of control, but what did I know? And I wondered if maybe a small loss of control wasn't such a bad thing. Wasn't that kind of the basis of passion? I didn't know that either. The only thing I knew for sure was that this kiss had been a lot like the last one. Nice, but it didn't blow me away. My heart sank. There was something wrong with me. Everyone was always going on about how socially inept I was. Did it extend to romance as well? Was I so cold that I'd spend my life never feeling anything? I think Brayden misread my dismay and assumed I was upset with him. He stood up and held out his hand. â€Å"Hey, let's go walk to that tea shop one block over. They've got this local painter's art on display that I think you'll like. Besides, no calories in tea, right? Better than dessert.† â€Å"Right,† I said. Thinking of the gelato didn't cheer me up any. The Italian place had had pomegranate, which kind of sounded like the best thing ever. As I stood up, my cell phone rang and startled both of us. â€Å"Hello?† â€Å"Sage? It's me.† I had no reason to be mad at Adrian, not after what he'd done for me, but somehow I felt irritated by the interruption. I was trying to make the most of this night with Brayden, and Adrian unsettled everything. â€Å"What's going on?† I asked. â€Å"Are you still downtown? You need to come over right now.† â€Å"You know I'm out with Brayden,† I said. This was pushy, even for Adrian. â€Å"I can't just drop everything and entertain you.† â€Å"It's not about me.† It was then that I noticed how hard and serious his voice was. Something tightened in my chest. â€Å"It's about Sonya. She's missing.† The Golden Lily: A Bloodlines Novel

Goals of Community Corrections Essay

Identify the goals of Community Corrections and determine if the goals are being met. What would be your team’s recommendation to improve Community Corrections? Today, 3 out of every 4 persons under correctional supervision in the United States are on some form of community-based custody-mostly probation or parole-although community corrections also includes halfway houses, residential centers, work furlough, and all other programs for managing the offender in the community. It is a legal status, an alternative to incarceration, a service-delivery mechanism, and an organizational entity. As an organizational entity, it has objectives and performs a wide range of activities-some totally unrelated to offender supervision and/or treatment. Having been founded more than 150 years ago, community corrections still has an unclear primary mission, with confusion about what activities contribute to that mission and how best to assess their performance. It’s amazing what people will believe and live by simply because â€Å"that’s the way it has always been.† Nobody ever thought to question the standard from which it began. Now, 150 years later, the problem is so magnificent that the mere thought of tackling such an issue exhaust the mind, therefore no one tries. The goals of community corrections that we have come across while researching include punishment, deterrence, incapacitation, and rehabilitation. I have found that this is a general outlook on the goals of community corrections, each corrections institute has their own set of goals for their particular community corrections department. Sharon found that the goals of the Florida department of corrections are: 1) Protect the public, staff and inmates 2) Develop staff committed to professionalism and fiscal responsibility 3) Ensure victims and stakeholders are treated with dignity, sensitivity and respect in making and executing administrative and operational decisions 4) Prepare offenders for re-entry and release into society are to see that offenders obey the law and to help them identify and address their problems. Shelly found that in Louisiana a few goals and priorities of public safety and community corrections are: public safety, of course hence the name, staff and inmate safety, provisions for service, opportunity for change, and the opportunity to make amends. The Louisiana corrections community also held a heart walk in Baton Rouge in March of last year hoping to raise money to help the communities that have been harmed by crimes. This allowed those who have changed or with a desire to change to be able to show their willingness and involvement. They raised over $37,000. I am not sure if the goals of community corrections are being made but it seems as if they are making a darn good effort. Community Corrections is basically the governments formula of keeping track of individuals who are insane or have somehow wronged society. The goal of The Community Corrections claim to be protecting the public, staff, and inmates. What exactly are Community Corrections protecting us from? It seems to me that Community Corrections are more avid in protecting profits, not people. The concept was developed 150 years ago in order to keep track of, punish, or incarcerate (remove) individuals who pose a problem to society. Vanessa personally thinks it is a huge joke and its funny how everyone accepts it. Community Correction’s say, â€Å"A community must take these necessary measures in order to stay viable.† What measures are being taken? That depends on where the individual lives. Even then it is rare to see a community excel or benefit from any of these â€Å"measures† taken. If the government really wanted to correct problems in the community they would start by developing a standard from which to start. This would begin with identifying actual problems and researching the best method to deal with the problems. Only then could they create a unified community corrections facility that actually does what it’s name claims. To improve community corrections :The National Institute of Corrections should 1) take a pro active leadership role in influencing national policies, practices, and operations by developing programs that address areas of emerging interest and concern to corrections executives, practitioners, and public policy makers; 2) Respond to client agencies and staff with relevant and useful assistance to improve their corrections systems. We need to improve offender job training and placement efforts. â€Å"Public safety† and â€Å"restorative justice† are big ideas now making claims on the future of community corrections. Despite their uncertain futures, restorative justice and public safety are already  reshaping community corrections around the country. In order for public safety to serve as a strategic objective for community corrections, answers are needed to some basic questions: What is public safety? Where is it found? What would probation and parole agencies have to do for there to be more of it? In popular discourse, public safety is equated with more arrests, more prisoners, longer sentences, and lower rates of recidivism. These are conventional output measures of the criminal justice  system, but they are poor proxies for public safety. Public safety defined: As an objective for community corrections, public safety is best conceived as  the condition of a place, at times when people in that place are justified in feeling free of threat to their persons and property.[2] As a condition of place and time, public safety is threatened whenever a vulnerable person or unguarded property is in the same place as a potential offender at a time when

The causes of marital infidelity in our society Essay

The causes of marital infidelity in our society - Essay Example According to a number of experts, sex is not the only requirement that continues a healthy relationship; however, intimacy is the factor that plays the vital and crucial role in sustaining different issues of lives in a collective manner. In addition, sexual desire is considered the basic factor that brings two people closer to each other; however, it is indicated by the studies that it is essential that a couple should be understanding each other through presence of intimacy. Moreover, it is essential that two people in a relationship should effectively communicate with each other, as reports have indicated that opposite sex attraction is not the greatest concern in the case of marital infidelity, but the inefficient communication that takes people far away from each other. According to a survey in the year 2000, more than thirty percent of males admit that they had slept with another woman once during their marriage. (Duncombe, pp. 23-25) In addition, approximately twenty percent of women admitted doing the same during the survey. Interestingly, all these men and women accepted that they were having a passionate sexual relationship with their partners in marriage. In this regard, it was not the absence of sexual satisfaction that prompted these participants in betraying their partners, but lack of communication. (Aaron, pp. 33-34) In other words, sexual desires for others would be the only cause of marital infidelity for some people; however, collapse o f communicational bond is one of the major factors that cause marital infidelity in relationships. A number of other causes have been indicated by the experts, as it is observed that a relationship starts affecting, when a partner divert his focus from the his/her partner to other platforms, such as career, business, friends, etc. Studies have indicated that most of the extra-marital affairs do not begin with sexual attraction, but general mode of friendship that involves sharing of personal issues and

Writing about my career and why i want to study in boston university Personal Statement

Writing about my career and why i want to study in boston university - Personal Statement Example Boston University is the kind of educational institution that emits an air of confidence in its teaching methods. It is the kind of university that creates students and graduates that are prepared for the world after school and who have little fear in the unknown because of the education imparted onto them. I am applying to Boston University because I feel that it is the kind of institution that allows its students to absorb education in their own ways. It also equips its students with the tools needed in order to remain confident in the education they have received and in turn, succeed in life. I am confident that I will be a great addition to the school as my skill set and experience will mesh well with the university’s culture and process. I am, first and foremost a bilingual student, able to converse well in both English and Spanish, which is my native language. This gives me a number of dimensions in which to communicate, learn and impart learning. I am also a proud holder of a dual bachelor’s degree in finance and management, which not only makes learning in similar fields easier, but it also gives me a chance to share information to my fellow students on a higher level. My skill set has also been broadened by my work and volunteer experience both in the United States as well as in my native country, Honduras. These experiences have helped me to become adaptable to any work environment. It has also taught me to prioritize what is important and think ahead. The work experience has also allowed me to interact with different kinds of people and become adept in customer communication which, when related to the educational environment, means I can adapt to different communication styles of each student and professor with little to no difficulty. Aside from my experience in business analysis and employee management, I have also been involved in teaching. I have taught English in Honduras, which has given me a look at what it is to be the

Choose one of the 5 questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Choose one of the 5 questions - Essay Example The purpose of this research paper is to summarize the company’s strategic plan for the next three to five years. In discussing, this document will describe the company’s overall business strategy and IT department strategic plan in ensuring that it align with the business priorities and financial justifications. Further, the researcher will be looking at some of the current strategic issues the company is facing. Business Strategy and Capabilities Medtronic is a global company whose headquarter is located in Minneapolis Minnesota. Historically, the company started developing their facilities in 1967 when the first service center was created in Amsterdam’s Schipohl followed by Kerkrade located in Netherlands. Today, the company has expanded so much that there are facilities all over in the world. It is important to understand how the company has been progressing for the past years and the main challenges that need to be met to achieve their strategic plan. Accord ing to Medtronic, Inc, for the past five years, the company has shown a remarkable growth in sales and revenue (Ford, 2013 B). Despite the noted progress, the company has identified a number of challenges that needed to be solved. ... In this case, the IT cost drivers should be considered when establishing the company’s strategies and objectives as discussed in the following section. Establishing Priorities Studies show that, Medtronic IT department provides the company with excellent products and services across the globe (Michelson, 2013). To fully succeed in the competitive world, IT departments needs to understand the functional team required and how they can utilize their services to solve the challenges identified. For instance, the IT department needs to develop software that tracks the clinical trial data; the company needs to look into China or India since these countries have a high number of graduates’ students each year who are competent and experienced and they would cost the company one quarter of the salaries they would earn in the United States (DeRosa, 2013). Furthermore, this report makes the following suggestion, for the IT department, as a means of solving their challenges. First, the department needs to create a strong IT team that would support and implement the goals and objectives set by the strategy team. There is a need to have a team that would conduct analysis that would enhance positive growth in the company and ensure that there is a small group of IT staff that facilitate daily activities (Oppenheimer, 2013). The IT standardization would help the Company to lower costs and provide opportunities to innovate new products. Overall, the IT department’s information of the business world would help the company achieve its missions and values. Background Medtronic is headquartered in Minneapolis and was founded in the year 1949. It is an international supplier of

Analyses of Youths Working in Fast Food Industries Essay

Analyses of Youths Working in Fast Food Industries - Essay Example The essay "Analyses of Youths Working in Fast Food Industries" presents an overview of the article "Working at McDonald's" by Amitai Etzioni who emphasizes that there is little learning in terms of skills development taking place. This article is well written and the author tries to portray his argument in a clear and succinct way. The author substantiates his arguments with factual information that has been drawn from other studies related to this particular problem. For instance, the author quotes the Charper-Freser Study which posts to the effect that teenagers often work for about 30 hours per week and only 20% of them work for 15 hours or less. A critical reading of the article also shows that the teens often finish work very late and this is likely to impact negatively on their school work. Obviously, by the time they get home late at night, they will be tired so they cannot be in a position to complete their school work. In terms of academic development, these teens are likely to lag behind and they may not be in a position to get better-paying jobs. The other important point that has been portrayed by the author is that most teen work these days is not providing early lessons in the work ethic. It fosters escape from school and responsibilities and it provides a shortcut to the consumerist aspects of adult life. This is very bad for youth development since they will fail to concentrate on their studies in pursuit of earning quick money which may negatively impact on their career development. Indeed, the teens need to learn to be self reliant from a tender age but they often find themselves in a trap where they fail to balance their academic life and the need to earn extra income while they are still at school. The result is that most of these people will drop out of school in order to concentrate on these part time jobs that can offer them quick money. Once this has happened, career development suffers and these people end up doing low paying jobs throughout their lives as a result of the fact that they will be lacking requisite skills to perform other professional jobs that are better paying and secure. The other interesting point raised by the author is that â€Å"there is no father or mother figure with which to identify to emulate to provide a role model and guidance,† (283). It can be observed that these teens have little room for skills development since they do not have anyone to guide them so that they can improve in their work. It can also be noted that there are less adult values that are transmitted to these teens since they are forced to supervise themselves at work. This is a strategy by some of these fast food restaurants like McDonalds that intend to cut costs by avoiding hiring experienced supervisors. These in turn can impart vital knowledge among the youths but this is not the case. at the end of the day, it can be seen that there is no development taking place among the youths but they are exposed to a situation where youth delinquency thrives. Whenever there is no adult leadershi p or guidance, the problem that is likely to be

La ci darem la mano a song fro the opera Don Giovanni Essay

La ci darem la mano a song fro the opera Don Giovanni - Essay Example The rhythm of this duet is very much like a sophisticated minuet, and in listening, we can imagine the coquettish movements of the female dancers. Mozart established a mood of gaiety and tryst with the accelerating tempo of the duet, even though this scene follows directly on the off stage rape of another young woman by Don Giovanni (Don Juan). The music requires a strong baritone for the male part and a female voice of strong timbre without losing the light quality required by the part of Zerlina, who may be strong and certainly quite excitable, but not â€Å"girlish†, as Zerlina, though somewhat innocent, is certainly a woman. The melody begins on a lower register and rises in pitch to add excitement. It is structured like a finely choreographed mating dance. The strong baritone opens with a gentle invitation. Zerlina’s reply is finished off with a lovely broken chord to the higher register and then tempered with a gentle melodic finish. The bridge is a quickening exchange that picks up the tempo and includes a triple reputation for punctuation. As the tempo accelerates the singers overlap each other until they reach a climax in the music together. Once Zerlina becomes interested in Don Giovanni’s proposition, she almost turns the tables on him, quite insistent, and each phrase near the end falls in pitch and gathers strength. The trills repeat and become a melodic harmony, followed by short phrases in accelerating tempo. The vocal trills get faster and the final phrase rises and falls quickly in a musical orgasm of wonder harmony. This is definitely one of the finest duets ever written. It almost defies classification, due to the mixture of styles and the catchy tunefulness of the melody. Some critics point out the differences in class among the characters and cite this as the reason for Mozart’s almost fusion opera. â€Å"When we moved to the lower class characters, especially Zerlina and Masetto, we noted some

Egypt vs Saudi Arabia Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words - 1

Egypt vs Saudi Arabia - Term Paper Example b. Egypt, it has a better history in political parties’ formation and practice, than Saudi Arabia. The existence of Liberation Rally, Nation Union, Arab Socialist Union and National Democratic Parties provided a better platform for the political leadership to introduce change in Egypt. a. Earlier networks of political groups and social formations that had carried traditions of resistance through the period of repression became mobilized beneath the surface of dictatorial order (Paulsen n.d.). 3. With the leadership of the country limited to one Royal family, there may lack instabilities in the governance, but active and talented leadership skills within the communities will always be left out. a. Most of the Middle East countries have large deposits of petroleum oil, and gases which attracts powerful nations, if not forcefully getting involved in the commotions of these Arab countries, in the name of providing a solution, but rather their intentions are to keep them closer for future reasons. a. The army leaders in Egypt realized that that their establishments could present a valuable role under new administration, and thus were willing to dare throwing out the old guard as they were not personal instruments of the ruler (Gause III 2011). A. The System and rule of governance between Egypt and Saudi Arabia’s leadership, international relations, countries’ security structure and role, and the law reform give the explanation for Saudi Arabia and Egypt divergence in outcomes. B. Egypt uprising was strongly supported by protestors in conjunction with political parties presence.

In what ways has transatlantic slavery impacted on British society Essay

In what ways has transatlantic slavery impacted on British society (SOCIOLOGY) - Essay Example The early 17th century witnessed the dawn for the British to be considerably one of the most successful slavers in the Atlantic region. During these years, the kingdom emerged a key player in a commercial undertaking which â€Å"linked the economies of three continents, often called as the Triangular Trade† (UNESCO, 2010). Until the time arrived when the British could no longer stand the horrendous practice of slavery and decided then for its abolition. Economic Motives The main players in the triangular trade, England, Spain, Portugal, France, the Netherlands and the United States, among others, were not able to resist the commercial attractiveness of slavery and were drawn to do their best to benefit from it. Mainly driven by economic and political reasons, these fierce maritime and colonial powers ventured in the abduction and selling of African peoples, to enslave in their homes and plantations (Walvin, 2007). Sir John Hawkins, under the blessing of Queen Elizabeth 1, foll owed in the footprints of the Portuguese in navigating the western coastlines of Africa and enslaving people in the 1560s (Rodriguez, 1997). The Britons thought it was risky business, but they could not refuse the immense economic gains that awaited them. By fair and foul means, Britain outplayed its European rivals and became the premier slave trader until 1807. Major trading ports that dealt with this business were established in Bristol, Liverpool, Glasgow and London. Some other smaller British ports also followed suit. The number of vessels for slave trading were built in the nation’s several shipyards and sailed through the ‘Slave Coast’ carrying goods such as guns and other ammunition, textile and metals in exchange for human beings. For certain, the trade was an extremely lucrative business. The immense degree of consumption and productivity of the people is said to be its point of departure (Inikori & Engerman, 1992). Rise of Industrial Revolution As the ports in Bristol and Liverpool became prosperous and generated more jobs, so are the residents of both cities who invested their financial resources into developing several industries. This gargantuan industrial progress began in 1750 and continued for many decades. Some who obtained adequate sums of money sourced from the production of tobacco, sugar and cotton poured in their capital into warehouses, quaysides, factories, trading houses and banking institutions. Factories sprouted in the metropolis, particularly in textile and mills. Coal mines burgeoned in the rural areas, as well (Packer, 2007). Thus, the positive economic reverberations of the time were felt everywhere. This is in harmony with John Maynard Keynes economic theory which upholds the view that the â€Å"balance between supply and demand would ensure full employment† (Keynes, 2006: xvii). â€Å"The systemic operations instituted in slave trading, accordingly, were adapted and applied during this period† (Rice & Poulter, 2007). Thus, it is safe to infer that the workings in plantation slavery were the engines which drove the creation of the Industrial Revolution in Britain that influenced other countries of the Western hemisphere and the whole world to move along. The Modernisation Theory and the Theory of Social Development which uphold that progress and evolution of societies are irrepressible bear truth on this fact. Sugar and the British Cuisine The African

Wal-Mart Stores Essay Example for Free

Wal-Mart Stores Essay Optimistic and energetic, Sam Walton, the founder of Wal-Mart Stores Incorporated was a great businessman. He was born in Kingfish, Oklahoma on March 29, 1918. He was raised in Missouri where he worked in his fathers store while attending school. Sam was a multimillionaire, but by working hard he achieved his dreams. He opened the first Wal-Mart store in 1962 in Arkansas. Managing business during that time was hard, but he was fortunate, his Wal-Mart store was successful and the Wal-Mart chain started to grow. It was the beginning of an American success story that no one could have predicted. Walton was a great entrepreneur and he knew consumers would flock to a discount store with a wide array of merchandise and friendly service. His vision was to become the low price leader in small, rural towns. His experience as a Ben Franklin store manager in rural a community led him to realize that in 1960 small towns isolated themselves from national market. Sam acknowledged that all he had to do was beat the prices of the local retailers to be successful. During the time period of 1960 through 1970 the education was very limited. There was little or no technology and different ways of teaching. For instance, during this time all of the children were being taught in one room, with one teacher, teaching everyone the same thing at one time. Everyone did not have an opportunity to go school. Some children had to stay at home and help their parents raise the younger children, so that there parents would be able to work and provide for the family. Some children were not allowed to go to school because their parents did not want to. In those days children did not know anything about computers, because they were not introduced in the classroom because there was no room or very little room. School was a safe haven for children during this time. They could walk to school safely without having to worry about being abducted by a strange man or woman. Children could play at recess time without worrying about anything, because children were not shooting other children. They were well mannered and behaved because, if they did not behave they could be spanked with the paddle by the principal. In this time period, children were not packing guns to school, beating up on each other, fighting each other and there were no gangs in the schools. They were worried about learning and getting an education, not about beating up on someone. Hotels in the early 1960s were limited all across the nation because technology and money was limited. The hotels that were mostly available in big cities and the hotel rooms were not cheap. If you were traveling you had usually (stay in hotel) pulled in to a motel. People that had a good amount of money would get the big rooms and the smaller ones usually were rented to the middle class people. The big hotel rooms usually contained a bar, television, bed, bathroom and sometimes a balcony. Two of the top hotels were located in Las Vegas and California because they had a lot of tourist attractions. Motels were found more often than hotels because they were cheaper and not as fancy. The motel rooms were usually run down and dirty. The motel rooms usually contained a bed, a television and bathroom. Most of the lower class people stayed it the motels because they couldnt afford the hotel rooms. By the late 1960s technology was slowly becoming easier to understand for the younger generation. In the 1970s people discovered there was more efficient technology, therefore the government could produce more money. Most of the hotels and motels were bigger and better then they were in the early 1960s because the technology was better and there was more money. The hotels and motels got more business because it was easier to advertise to the public and people made more money then before. Hotels and motels were easier to come by because the business expanded across the nation. People made more money so they spent more traveling across the nation. Hotel rooms were a lot nicer since technology was upgraded. Most of the TVs were bigger then in the 1960s and had a lot more channels plus they were colored. The motels were bigger and much nicer then in the 1960s. Most of the business nations wide were more efficient during and after the 1970s. In the 1960s technology was still developing and medicine was nothing compared to what it is today. An increasingly mobile population in the United Sates during this time began to demand and improved quality of care in hospital facilities that consisted of an emergency room. Since most of the hospital admissions were elective, these poorly designed emergency rooms were not well equipped and barely had any staff. Despite these impediments patients were increasingly motivated to look for unscheduled care. Emergency room visits quadrupled from1955 to 1970. As the pressure to provide care to more and more patients grew, hospital began to change their bylaws. Many facilities were short in staff and they had to place doctors in the emergency room regardless of special training or specialty. For several years there were no educational or academic training programs in emergency medicine. Because of these emergency physicians held a meeting in Arlington, Virginia in 1968. Thirty-two physicians from eighteen stated attended this meeting. Thanks to this meeting, they incorporated a national association of emergency physicians called American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP). Throughout the years more associations and programs began to develop. After all Sam Walton lived during trying times. He cared about his community thus providing them with opportunities. He once said we are all working together; that is the secret, and we will lower the cost of living for everyone, not just in America, but we will give the world an opportunity to see what it is like to save and have a better lifestyle. We are proud of what we have accomplished and we have just begun. I can say Sam Walton deserves all due respect for his great accomplishments. It can definitely be declared that Walton was a great entrepreneur in business. He was not only able to use his talent to search out and take advantage of new business opportunities, but was also able to develop innovative ways of doing many things in a way that had never been used before. By using his imagination, aggressiveness, and hard work, Walton gave birth to a great industry and all the benefits that would follow, not only financially, but also emotionally.

Identification of Unknown Compound using 13C NMR

Identification of Unknown Compound using 13C NMR Identification of Unknown Compound #15 using 13C NMR and IR Spectra Paired with Melting Point Analysis Abstract Given an unknown compound, infrared (IR) spectroscopy can be used to determine the functional groups that make up the compound. This can be supplemented with 13C NMR spectroscopy and melting point analysis to determine the identity of the unknown compound. After completion of the analysis methods, it was determined that the identity of the unknown compound (unknown #15) is p-Methylaniline (p-Toluidine), C7H9N (Figure 1). Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Infrared (IR) spectroscopy is extensively used instrumental technique in organic chemistry. It is the measurement of the wavelength and intensity of the absorption of mid-infrared light by a sample. Mid-infrared is energetic enough to excite molecular vibrations to higher energy levels. The wavelength of infrared absorption bands is characteristic of specific types of chemical bonds, and infrared spectroscopy finds its greatest utility for identification of functional groups within organic molecules (1). An infrared spectrophotometer is an instrument that passes infrared light through an organic molecule and produces a spectrum that contains a plot of the amount of light transmitted on the vertical axis against the wavelength of infrared radiation on the horizontal axis. In infrared spectra the absorption peaks point downward because the vertical axis is the percentage transmittance of the radiation through the sample (2). Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) can be used to complement IR spectroscopy. While IR can determine functional groups, NMR can determine the molecular structure. Finding the melting point of the unknown can help to determine the purity of the compound. Results IR Data: Functional Group Molecular Motion Observed Wavenumber (cm-1) Literature Value Range1-3 (cm-1) Peak Intensity Peak Shape N-H Stretch 3333.85 3335 Weak Sharp C-H Stretch 2914.73 2780 Weak Sharp C=C Stretch 1621.28 1600-1430 Medium Sharp C-H Bending(in plane) 1274.33 1275-1000 Medium Narrow 13C NMR Data: Atom Atom Group Peak Observed (ppm) Peak Calculated (ppm) 1 C-N 144 144 2 and 6 CH 115 115.2 3 and 5 CH 130 129.60 4 C=C 127 126.7 7 CH3 21 21.26 Melting Point Data: Observed Melting Point Range ( °C) Literature Melting Point Range4 ( °C) Trial 1 44-47 44-45 Trial 2   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   44-45 Discussion The IR analysis of the unknown compound 15 determined that it consists of a benzene ring, amino and methyl groups. According to the referred literature (3) values of 3335-3400 range for stretches are evident which indicates primary amines. The spectrum shows primary amines stretch at 3333.85 Next can be noticed that CH stretches from the benzene ring occur at 3014.65 and 2914.73. C=C stretches are known to occur at the 1600-1430 according to literature, and in this spectra are illustrated at 1621.28 At 1274.33C-H bend is evident. This spectrum correlates well with literature values which confirms successful identification of p-methylaniline. The melting point analysis was used to determine the purity of the unknown sample. The literature values for p-methylaniline range from 44-45 °C (4) and the observed melting point values were 44-47 °C for trial 1 and 44-45 °C for trial 2. The trial 1 has a higher melting point compare to the literature values. This could be due to the amount of sample placed in the capillary tubes as well as the purity of the sample (4). Because trial 1 has such a large range, the sample may not be pure. The results from the 13C NMR showed that compound contained summetry. Two peaks of the same height were observed at about 115 and 130ppm and two other peaks at 144 and 127ppm. According to the literature values aromatic carbons appear between 120-160ppm (3), which helped to determine that this compound contains a benzene ring. It was noted as well that one other peak appeared much further downfield at 21ppm. Using an NMR predictor, the peaks for p-methylaniline were calculated to be 144, 115.2, 129.60, 126.7 and 21.26 ppm, which match the observed peaks. Conclusion After performing IR spectroscopy, melting point and 13C NMR analysis, it was found that unknown compound 15 is p-methylaniline. P-methylaniline contains a benzene ring, methyl and amine groups in a p- position. Based on slight deviations in the melting point, the sample could have some impurities. An error could be improper loading of the sample in the capillary tube. So to avoid this chemical error, a better laboratory technique could be used. References IR Spectroscopy:Mohrig J.R. et al. Techniques in Organic Chemistry 2nd Ed. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Skoog, D. A., Principles of Instrumental Analysis, 3rd Ed   Stawikowski, M. Experiment 2: Identification of unknown compound based on IR spectroscopy, melting point analysis and supplemental 13C NMR spectroscopy data; BlackBoard Smiley RA (2000). Ullmanns Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry. John Wiley and Sons.

Professional Advertising Agency and British Airways Promotional Campai

A Professional Advertising Agency Contributes to British Airways' Promotional Campaign A professional campaign can contribute to a promotional campaign in many ways which could help BA to establish a stronger message to the public, an advertising agency depending on its experience in dealing with big company like BA can contribute a professional handling of all BA’s advertising needs. This means handling BA’s advertising campaign from start till finish, the agency even deals with the expenses of their clients promotional campaign. An agency guarantees a professional and fresh approach to advertising because a big company like BA who handles its own advertising after years can run out of ideas, that’s where a professional agency comes into picture it enables the company to offload some of its advertising responsibilities so that the business can focus on other aspects of the company without having to worry about their promotional campaign. An advertising agency can contribute to their clients in terms of successful promotional campaign by helping their clients to: Â · Use innovative approach – this means an agency can help a company to look at other aspect of approaching customers, other ways of getting the message across. An agency can make a company more effective in communicating with customers. Â · Plan media – this means an advertising agency also contributes key areas such as media selection. Advertising agency also involves around media planni...

Art :: essays research papers

Since the dawn of human existence and literally thousands of years before written languages developed, people have used their surroundings as a canvas for expression. Art has changed a great deal since it began many centuries ago. Centuries, however, are not necessary to notice the small changes that are evident even between cultures of similar times. Egyptians were the first people to make a large impact on the world of art. Egyptians needed art for their religious beliefs more than decoration or self-gratification. The most important aspect of Egyptian life is the ka, the part of the human spirit that lives on after death. The ka needed a physical place to occupy or it would disappear. Most of the important men of Egypt paid to have their body carved out of stone. That was were the spirit would live after the man dies. They used stone because it was the strongest material they could find. Longevity was very important. The bodies are always idealized and clothed. Figures are very rigid, close-fisted, and are built on a vertical axis to show that the person is grand or intimidating. Early Greek art was greatly influenced by the Egyptians. Geography permitted both cultures to exchange their talents. The beginning of Greek art is marked by the Geometric phase. The most common art during the Geometric phase was vase painting. After the vase was formed but before it was painted, the artist applied a slip (dark pigment) to outside. Then the vase was fired and the artist would incise his decorations into the hard shell. It was important to incise humans into the fired slip and not paint with slip. The people in the pictures needed light colored skin, which was the color beneath the slip, because Greeks wanted to make their art as realistic as possible. Much like Egyptian art, the Greeks idealized the bodies of the people in their works. As the Archaic Period evolved, Greek sculptures were almost identical to the Egyptians'. Unlike Egyptians, the Greeks refined their techniques. Greeks used marble to construct their sculptures. It was considered more valuable and beaut iful than any material available. Christian art was introduced during the middle of the second century. In many cases the only difference between Christian art and Hellenistic art is the religious subject matter. After a slow start the Christians introduced something new, the mosaic. Mosaics became a favorite medium for decorating churches.

Sparta and Athens - Explain and Contrast :: Ancient Greece Greek History

Sparta and Athens - Explain and Contrast Both Sparta and Athens were Greek city-states. Sparta was a strict military ruled city-state where the people established themselves as a military power early. However Athens was more of a political city-state that was more involved with their economical stature than their military forces. Still changes from the Persian wars would change the powers of the city-state and somewhat unite them. Sparta was a strict military city-state. The people were Dorians who conquered Laconia. This region lies in the Peloponnesus, which lied in southern Greece. The invaders turned the conquered people into state owned slaves, called helots. Since the helots greatly outnumbered their rulers, Spartans established a strict and brutal system of control. The Spartan government had two kings and a council of elders who advised the monarchs. An assembly made up of all citizens approved all major decisions. From child-hood, a Spartan prepared to be part of the military. All newborn were examined and the healthy lived and the sickly were left to die. Spartans wanted future soldiers or mothers of soldiers to be healthy. At the age of seven, boys trained for a lifetime in the Spartan military. They moved to the barracks and endured brutal and extensive training. Athens was located in Attica, just north of the Peloponnesus. As in many Greek city-states, Athenian government evolved from a monarchy into an aristocracy. Around 700 B.C., noble landowners chose the chief officials. Nobles judged major cases in court and dominated the assembly. Athenian wealth and power grew under the aristocracy. Yet discontent spread over the commoners. Merchants and soldiers resented the power of the nobles and argued that their services to Athens entitled them to more rights. As discontent spread the government slowly moved towards a democracy. Solon, one of Athens greatest leaders, made many reforms such as outlawing debt slavery. And freed those who had already been sod into slavery due to debt. Solon encouraged the export of olive oil and other such products, aiding to the economy. The Persian war brought massive change to the people of both Sparta and Athens. The Persians were great conquerors who crushed rebel cities with ease. King Darius sent a large force to punish Athens with its interference. The Persian army landed at Marathon where Athenian forces attacked. Though they were outnumbered 2 to 1 they emerged victorious. Athens had convinced Sparta and other city-states to join them in their battles.

Wendell Phillip Speech

Wendell Phillips, a white American abolitionist, used the power of language to his advantage to collaborate an influential speech filled with praises and moving words for the former slave, Haitian general, Toussaint-Louverture. His words reveal an unmistakable abolitionist fervor that screams to Americans to allow African Americans to serve in the military and open their eyes to the oppression of slavery. He attempts to ignite this passion through his zealous attitude, his strategic defense for Louverture, and his fluid progression of ideas. His most effective technique, however, is hidden under the surface in his use of stellar parallel structure and reference to historical allusions. These tools allow him to praise his esteemed subject while at the same time moving and influencing his audiences. Phillips speech is rich with historical allusions to the great leaders of our past- leaders who have had a significant impact on our American history. He first juxtaposes his introduction of Louverture with an input about George Washington, the great American President and military leader. This appeals to American emotions as an influential leader is followed up by a Haitian Negro. By placing the two names side by side, Phillips emphasizes a much-intended similarity between the two in terms of greatness. He makes a second juxtaposition when Oliver Cromwell, an important English political leader known for his military skill, is stated parallel to Toussaint’s. Similar to the juxtaposition to Washington, Phillips looks to dispel the mere differences between Cromwell and Toussaint and portray them as equals. A second effective mechanic used in Phillips speech is the flawless use of parallel sentence structure throughout the passage. He admires Toussaint’s action when he â€Å"forged a thunderbolt and hurled it† and follows this assertion by paralleling the Spaniards, French, and English. This structure illuminates how the Haitian successfully challenged each of these â€Å"great† European powers and came up victorious. The structure creates a build-up, each one effectively following the next. This syntax adds to the emphasis of Louverture’s great accomplishments and puts them in a light not too far-fetched from those of the great Europeans. Wendell Phillips carefully chosen diction and use of syntax frees the audience of prejudice in debating whether to allow Negroes into the military. He embodies his speech with emotion and power that pushes the idea that Toussaint should be credited along with the other renound leaders. His language moves his audience in a way that contributes to the developing abolitionist fervor that helped the North win the Civil War. He instills in them the same respect for Louverture as for Washington, the Father of their country and Cromwell, the great military leader. His words were strong enough to influence America as a whole and carried with it so much truth and emotions that people were left with only one thing to do-fight to free the ever-oppressing chains of slavery.

Driving Mobile Phone

Persuasive Essay Using Cellphones While Driving Mobile Phone use while driving is common, but widely considered dangerous. Due to the number of accidents that are related to cell phone use while driving, some jurisdictions have made the use of a cell phone while driving illegal. I think use of cell phone while driving should be banned at any time, at any age or any circumstances. Cell phones are also a major distraction to the driver, because it not only occupies one's eyes but also one’s attention, which should be appointed on the road and though this causes an accident.Statistics showed that in 2009, 5,474 people were killed in the U. S. because of accidents that involved, distracted driving and another 448,000 were injured. Cell phones cause distraction and horrible accidents which even led to death. It’s obvious that it is rather dangerous to talk on the cell phone or text while driving. That is not only because you put yourself and other people at risk, but the mai n reason, I believe, is because it can ruin anyone’s life in a flash of a second. Using the mobile phone while driving impairs driving behavior worse than being drunk.Those talking on either handheld or hands-free cell phones usually drive slightly more slowly, they are 9 percent slower to hit the brakes when necessary, also showed 24 percent more variation in following distance and 19 percent slower to resume normal speed after braking. An experiment was done by CNBC which gave a reference of each condition showing how far in feet they were delayed. Driving sober without a cell phone in hand was forced to stop randomly without notice, commanded by a red light.Unimpaired took . 54 seconds to brake for a total of 55 feet. Legally drunk (. 08), took about 60 feet to stop, and sending a text took roughly 125 feet to come to a complete stop. Many unpredictable consequences may be caused by careless cell phone users; you can be late to the most important date with your potential s oul-mate or miss the only opportunity to become a millionaire, by being late to the most important business meeting, and you will remain alone and have to toil for rest of your days.

Of Mice and Men Excerpt Essay

â€Å"Lennie!† he said sharply. â€Å"Lennie, for God’ sakes don’t drink so much.† Lennie continued to snort into the pool. The small man leaned over and shook him by the shoulder. â€Å"Lennie. You gonna be sick like you was last night.† Lennie dipped his whole head under, hat and all, and then he sat up on the bank and his hat dripped down on his blue coat and ran down his back. â€Å"That’s good,† he said. â€Å"You drink some, George. You take a good big drink.† He smiled happily. George unslung his bindle and dropped it gently on the bank. â€Å"I ain’t sure it’s good water,† he said. â€Å"Looks kinda scummy.† Lennie dabbled his big paw in the water and wiggled his fingers so the water arose in little splashes; rings widened across the pool to the other side and came back again. Lennie watched them go. â€Å"Look, George. Look what I done.† George knelt beside the pool and drank from his hand with quick scoops. â€Å"Tastes all right,† he admitted. â€Å"Don’t really seem to be running, though. You never oughta drink water when it ain’t running, Lennie,† he said hopelessly. â€Å"You’d drink out of a gutter if you was thirsty.† He threw a scoop of water into his face and rubbed it about with his hand, under his chin and around the back of his neck. Then he replaced his hat, pushed himself back from the river, drew up his knees and embraced them. Lennie, who had been watching, imitated George exactly. He pushed himself back, drew up his knees, embraced them, looked over to George to see whether he had it just right. He pulled his hat down a little more over his eyes, the way George’s hat was. George stared morosely at the water. The rims of his eyes were red with sun glare. He said angrily, â€Å"We could just as well of rode clear to the ranch if that bastard bus driver knew what he was talkin’ about. ‘Jes’ a little stretch down the highway,’ he says. ‘Jes’ a little stretch.’ God damn near four miles, that’s what it was! Didn’t wanta stop at the ranch gate, that’s what. Too God damn lazy to  pull up. Wonder he isn’t too damn good to stop in Soledad at all. Kicks us out and says ‘Jes’ a little stretch down the road.’ I bet it was more than four miles. Damn hot day.† Lennie looked timidly over to him. â€Å"George?† â€Å"Yeah, what ya want?† â€Å"Where we goin’, George?† The little man jerked down the brim of his hat and scowled over at Lennie. â€Å"So you forgot that awready, did you? I gotta tell you again, do I? Jesus Christ, you’re a crazy bastard!† â€Å"I forgot,† Lennie said softly. â€Å"I tr ied not to forget. Honest to God I did, George.† I picked this excerpt because introduces George and Lennie’s friendship which is the most important aspect of his book.

Creating Shared Value Essay

The following is an essay of the article â€Å"Creating Shared Value† by Michael E. Porter and Mark R. Kramer. The purpose of this article is about recreating capitalism. Companies only cared about profit maximization. This article discusses how businesses have separated themselves from social progress. The company’s focus in participation in creating shared value should be on health, nutrition and fair trade. According to Porter & Kramer (2011) â€Å"Capitalism as an unparalleled vehicle for meeting human needs, improving efficiency, creating jobs and building wealth†. Companies have been acting for themselves and not the society as a whole. Companies must reverse this and not just act on profit, but create a shared value. According to Porter & Kramer (2011) â€Å"The concept of shared value can be defined as policies and operating practices that enhance the competitiveness of a company while simultaneously advancing the economic and social conditions in the communities in which it operates.† Shared value is increasing the connection between the societal and economic progress. There are several issues this article addresses such companies growing at the expense of the community. Companies are living in the past on how to apply the shared value of creation approach. Companies are depleting natural resources, relocating overseas for cheaper labor and putting stress on the communities in which they are located. Businesses have separated business and society and must find a way to combine the two back together. Shared value is intertwining with the company’s success and the community’s success. The company has prospered at the expense of the community. Companies can create shared value by meeting the needs of the society by improving existing markets and creating markets that meet the needs of the society. Companies can also create supportive clusters where the company is located. By using shared values it will reconnect the company’s success with the improving the society (Porter & Kramer, 2011). The largest society needs that are not met in the global economy are health, housing, nutrition, help for elders, financial security and environmental damages. Companies are beginning to use shared value to reconnect them with the society. Wal-Mart reduced their packaging and rerouted their trucks which in turn lowered carbon emissions and saved Wal-Mart $200 million in costs. Coca-Cola and Dow Chemical have reduced their water consumption, which has resulted in less water and decrease our natural resources. Companies have cut wages, reduced benefits and moved their companies overseas for lower wage costs. These cuts result in lower productivity. Johnson & Johnson helped employees stop smoking and started other health wellness programs, which in turn has saved the company $250 million in health care costs. Reference: Porter, M. E., & Kramer, M. R. (2011). Creating shared value. Harvard Business Review, 89(1/2), 62–77. McConnell, C.R., Brue, S.L., & Flynn, S. M. (2012). Economics (19th ed.) New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

Toyota Cars Recalls Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Toyota Cars Recalls - Research Paper Example Finally, the purpose of this academic paper is to possibly recommend applicable solutions based on conflict management principles that would address the identified problems encountered by the Toyota Motor Corp. To further understand, how and why Toyota ended up with the Toyota Recall incident it is necessary to have knowledge on the background of the company and how it operates in the field of the automobile manufacturing industry. Toyota Motor Company Early Beginnings In 1933, Toyota did not out rightly start as an automobile manufacturing company. Actually, the family that started it was initially engaged with just spinning and weaving textiles and looms under Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, a small division, which was under the direction of Kiichiro Toyoda. It started to manufacture vehicles when the Japanese government at war with China encouraged this company to manufacture the needed domestic vehicles. (â€Å"History of Toyota†, 2011). A Window to Toyota Motor Corporation ( TMC) Today The CEO Who is running Toyota Motor Corporation today? â€Å"Akio Toyoda is the present President and Representative Director of the company. He is the grandson of the late Kaiichiro Toyoda, who operated the Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, a company devoted to manufacture automobiles during the 1930’s. Akio Toyoda was elected to the said positions in 2009 replacing Katsuaki Watanabe.† (â€Å"The President†,2011) TMC’s Domain â€Å"TMC’s domain belongs to the automotive industry and thus, its main product is the automobile. However, TMC today has expanded to other non-automotive business activities to include financial service business segments† (â€Å"Toyota Company Overview†, n.d.).Their stakeholders include: customers, business partners (dealers and suppliers), investors, consumers, nongovernmental organisations government, community, stockholders. Vision & Philosophy â€Å"Since its foundation, Toyota has been using the Gu iding Principle which says: to produce reliable vehicles and sustainable development of society by employing innovative and high quality products and services† (â€Å"Vision & Philosophy, 2011). Guiding Principle: â€Å"TMC’s guiding principle is to produce reliable vehicles and sustainable development of society by employing innovative and high quality products and services† (â€Å"Guiding Principle†, 2011). Toyota Global Vision 2020 â€Å"Toyota promotes efforts towards finding balance between the cycles of nature and the cycles of industry. Toyota commits to the ideals being pursued for People, Society and the Global Environment through the combined energy of people and technology† (â€Å"Toyota Global Vision 2020†, 2011). Employment: 320, 590 (Total in affiliated companies) Date Founded: August 28, 1937 Capital: 397.05 billion yen (as of March 31, 2010) Note: Information current as of June 2010. The number of employees includes those dis patched from other companies as of March 31, 2010 (â€Å"Company Profile†, 2011) TMC’s Organizational Structure â€Å"We have a fairly flat organization, which allows for ease of communications and flexibility. Within departments the organization divides into groups and teams, this team structure is a key element of the Company’s effectiveness.†

Warehousing management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Warehousing management - Essay Example When designing a warehouse the goods that are handled should be known. Spaciousness may not be beneficial to a warehouse because the distance that a person or a machine must walk is increased. Nevertheless, an extra space that is not used means that an extra cost is also used. Before designs are made, it is important to know the physical properties of the item, how many times it is picked in order to lessen walking time. Most trade-offs are expected when the structure is being designed, the arrangement of the storage area and how the equipment are handled. An example in electrical engineering, a negative response may be used in increasing trade growth for other properties. To enhance warehousing security mainly on people, the process of hiring the workers should be categorized as either formal or informal. In a facility, different kinds of technology can be used. For example, use of video cameras or in low-tech ensuring that fences is there. In processes, the frequency of how goods are handled can cause loss of goods or damage. If they are frequently handled then the risk of them getting damaged is

Teach to Teach project for hill tribes children in northern Thailand, Essay

Teach to Teach project for hill tribes children in northern Thailand, - Essay Example As part of the legend leading up to where the hill tribe people came from, it has been said that their migration into Thailand can be traced as far back as 2000 years ago from ancient China (Poovatanikul, 1993). Specifically, reference is commonly made to the interior of Southern China as being the origin of the hill tribe people. The fact that they did not move together or at the same time makes it difficult for anyone to be very certain about a specific origin. The gradual and slow migration was however necessitated for the need for new land to be acquired to make their farming needs sustained. 1.12 Location of these hill tribe villages? The need for the hill tribe people to settle in Thailand was provoked by the need for new farmlands because through a system of farming that involved the burning of farm lands, the people had exhausted their farms back in China (Pan & Chen, 2011). The mission for migration influenced where the people would settle or stay, and thus their present loc ation greatly. When they found their way to Thailand therefore, the place of settlement for these people became the remote highland areas of Thailand (International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs, 2009). In Thailand, the hill tribe people are generally a minority ethnic group and so they did not need very vast piece of land. All these needed was a place to support their farming effectively. Their location therefore comprises occupancy from highland areas with good rainforest and generally moist to wet climate. Presently, there are calculated to be 3,527 hill tribe villages covering a total of 20 provinces in Thailand (Altbach, 1999). Out of the number, an estimated 751,886 persons exist in some 113,070 households. Of the total, 46.18% are known to be of the Karen tribe as this tribe forms the largest population. 1.13 Issues on national identity Issues of the nationality of the hill tribe people have been a major issue of contention in international and local politics. This is bec ause the hill tribe people have been generally regarded as sidelined and placed in a disadvantaged corner of national development due to a misplaced sense of identity for the hill tribe people. Specific cases of misplaced sense of national identity have been argued with reference to the widespread of lack of infrastructure and limited access to Thai citizenship (FAO, 2002). There is also the problem of delayed land settlement all attributed to the reasons of frequent migration and indigenous traditional practices. In some literature, the hill tribe people have been accused of being the cause of their own identity predicament because the people themselves lack a sense of national identity. It is not surprising that due to this firm sense of lack of national identity, the Thai government has always been reluctant in giving Thai identity to new immigrants from hill tribes. In all of this, what most commentators think is that the most disturbing situation with the Hill Tribe people is t hat they have not had time to be concerned about the need for their national interests and identity to be protected. This is because they have often been involved in acts such as illegal tracking and immigration abuses, which makes the Thai government distant itself from them and see them as aliens (Bell, 1999). 1.2 - Development background: 1.21 Economic development 1.22 Gender

COMPARATIVE BUSINESS ETHICS AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Essay

COMPARATIVE BUSINESS ETHICS AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY - Essay Example Many companies across the globe have attempted to adapt their social responsiveness and the way they relate to varied social responsibilities (Windsor, 2006, p. 95). Macdonald is one of the companies that have made significant efforts of adopting business ethics and corporate social responsibility in order to achieve competitive advantage in the global competitive business environment. Although MacDonald Inch have attempted to change their leadership and operational styles through employing effective organisational strategies, the corporate has faced numerous challenges including criticism from the public and also faced legal issues for manufacturing unhealthy foods; thus a failure to conduct business in ethically and socially responsible manner. Company Overview MacDonald Corporation has undergone varied leadership and operational changes since its inception, in 1937. The company has a long standing history and it has built customer loyalty because of its continued dedication to cus tomer services as being reflected in their customer focused approach. The business is among the leading and high competitive global food industries with more than 34, 000 restaurants serving over 70 million customers globally. The company employs unique business strategies of manufacturing what their customers wants; thus their marketing and operation strategies such as being committed in key success areas including cost efficiency, product promotion and product development have enabled the company to sustain their business in the competitive business world. Despite being able to obtain a position as the leader in the competitive food industries, the company has recently faced numerous issues due to managerial failure; thus posing the company into threats of sustaining a competitive advantage in the market. The company is faced with the issues of staying competitive in the fast food industry and the way it can take competitive advantage for varied opportunities available for them; t hus posing threats to effective business performance. Project Aims/ Objectives The aim of the research projects is to critically analyse the significant of comparative business ethics and social responsibility in the MacDonald Company. The objectives of the research include; The project attempts to analyse the significant of conducting business in a socially responsible and an ethical manner in MacDonald Company. To offer detailed analysis of the company in an attempt of employing comparative business ethics and social responsibility as way of achieving business advantage in a competitive business world. To examine or identify problems that has impacted MacDonald Company especially the failure to conduct their business in an ethical and socially responsible manner. To provide effective recommendations vital for enabling the company to continue sustaining their business in the competitive business world. Problem Identification The case for corporate scandals for dealing with manageri al failure has attracted public interest on social responsibility of the corporation towards society. MacDonald Inch is one of the companies that have attracted the government and public interest because of varied scandals especially the issue of manufacturing unhealthy

Service Experience Report on Sugarpalm Resort in Phuket Essay

Service Experience Report on Sugarpalm Resort in Phuket - Essay Example Any individual visiting Phuket for the first time can go through the positive customer ratings and reviews on Sugar Palm Resort over the internet. The resort offers a complete recreation package which one can expect to have from a high quality vacation resort. Because of the increasing Sugar Palm as a favourite traveller’s resort, I have chosen it evaluate the service quality. I have made two visits to the resort and in this report I have discussed my experience to the resort. In the light of service marketing theories and concepts, I have developed this experience report on Sugar Palm Resort in Phuket. ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION OF SERVICE ENCOUNTER STAGE As mentioned above, I have selected Sugar Palm Resort Phuket to analyse the service quality therefore, all of the described models will be only used to evaluate the service experience of Sugar Palm Resort. Evaluating a service with few tangible clues can be difficult. A customer cannot evaluate the service of a resort without e xperiencing it. ... Figure I: Ease of Evaluation based on Product/Service Qualities Source: Lovelock, Patterson, & Walker, 2007 High-Contact Service When a customer visits Sugar Palm, he/she frequently interacts with the service personnel (Figure II). In other words, the nature of the service is high-contact service and in a high-contact service, making the experience of the customer appealing through the physical environment and excellent interaction with service personnel, is a challenge for the company (Lovelock, Wirtz, & Chatterjee, 2010). Although most of the customers visit Phuket because of its beauty, still the service quality at Sugar Palm Resort influences overall experience of the customers at Phuket. Figure II: Levels of Customer Contact with Service Organisations Source: Lovelock, Wirtz, & Chatterjee, 2010 Source: Lovelock, Wirtz, & Chatterjee, 2010 The Servucation System The service points of Sugar Palm such as physical environment that is visible to the customers is known as servucation s ystem and Lovestock has identified three overlapping elements of servucation system, based on which I will evaluate the critical service points of Sugar Palm Resort service. Service Quality Evaluation – First Visit In order to evaluate the service, I personally visit the Sugar Palm Resort twice. My experience has been different during the first and second visit. Service Operations Phuket has attracted tourists from all over the world and has been an all time favourite place for the holidays. The hotel that I have visited was located in the heart of the city and was twenty five minutes drive from the airport. The service in terms of eagerness of the hotel staffs to look after the requirements of any visitor was a feature seen in this

General Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

General Psychology - Essay Example Although women have attained much more freedom and greater respect as equally human, they continue to be judged more by appearance than personality, intelligence, talents or compassion. In the modern commercial culture, female role models have been mostly portrayed in the media as all appearance and no substance, or very little substance. TV has become our expression of the ideal as much as ancient Greek statuary was theirs, but it typically illustrates that happy and popular girls are very slim and tall with flawless complexions. The importance placed on this perfect image has created a culture that is inordinately focused upon appearance to the great detriment of most of its members. Girls exposed to this culture feel heavy pressure to do everything they can to bring themselves as close to this ideal as they can manage, many times developing unhealthy, sometimes fatal, ways of addressing their perceptions. This unhealthy female self-concept as a result of an innate need to conform to cultural norms is the focus of an article in Teen Voices Girl Talk about new programs being introduced by the Girl Scouts. The article reveals that 60 percent of girls compare their bodies to the bodies of fashion models and just a little less than that number admit they are trying to achieve that image for themselves. â€Å"Even though we know that these depictions are not based in reality, many of us still define our self-worth by how we measure up to them† (Harig, 2010). Because the images on TV are perceived to be the only possible images of success, girls everywhere adopt methods like going on starvation diets, inducing vomiting after eating or developing other eating disorders. They may also try to get plastic surgery when they are still young or try other crazy methods of bringing their body in line with these ideals no matter what kind of body style they have or what might be healthy for th at form. The numbers reported in

Explaining a Concept Research Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Explaining a Concept Research Paper - Assignment Example rism because there were differences in believes and opinions amongst its members because of the liberation movements that were occurring all over the world, and the right to self-determination. Because of the emergence of these differences, it was very difficult for the UN to come up with a single definition of the term terrorism. A term that is acceptable to all the countries forming the United Nations, and one that is legally binding to all the states that form the United Nations. Despite the inability of the UN to come up with a single definition of the term terrorism, the International Community has developed a series of definitions to depict the various forms of terrorism, criminalizing them in the process. In condemning terrorism attacks in various parts of the world, the UN General Assembly usually use a political description to the term terrorism (Fisher, 15). According to this political description, terrorism is a criminal act whose intention is to create a situation of terror to the public, a particular individual, or a group of individuals for political reasons. These acts are unjustifiable, no matter the philosophical, political, religious, or ethnic reasons given to justify the terrorist act under consideration. Scholars denote that it is possible to define the term terrorism by analyzing its var ious characteristics. The following are the various characteristics of terrorism; A definition by Fisher (26) stresses the importance of tactical and psychological aspects of terrorism. According to this definition, terrorism is a political violence, which occurs in an asymmetric conflict, designed to create psychic fear, and terror. This will occur by violently victimizing and destroying non-combatant areas/ targets. Through such activities, the terror group will be sending a message to the government or relevant agencies concerned about their demands and desires. On this note, terrorists aim at exploiting the media, with the intention of achieving maximum

Macbeth - How Shakespeare presents the characters in Act 3 Scene 1 Essay Example for Free

Macbeth How Shakespeare presents the characters in Act 3 Scene 1 Essay How do their words thoughts and actions make the scene such a dramatic and important scene in the play? In the majority of Shakespeares compositions, Act 3 usually consists, in terms of context, the most important scenes in the play. Macbeth is no different; Act 3 and in particular Act 3 Scene 1 is the point in the play where events are rapidly building to a dramatic and tragic climax. In the previous scenes the audience witnessed the violent assassination of the much loved King Duncan by Macbeth followed by the (said / mentioned) murderers inevitable election as king. In a historical context, the general public at the time of the productions release would have understood the significance and seriousness of Macbeths actions more so than modern day audiences. Regicide was not only seen as an evil act against king and country but also against God. The Divine Right of Kings was widely believed; which stated every monarch is selected by God and has sole right to the throne (usurper). More notably, genuine threats such as the Gunpowder Plot against the ruler at the time, King James I, made the murder of King Duncan not only more believable but something audiences could actually relate to. Act 3 Scene 1 commences with a condemning soliloquy by Banquo. He shares with the audience his strong accusations regarding the manner in which Macbeth has become King Speaking dangerously of deceit and treason, Thou playedst most foully fort, Shakespeare cleverly aligns Banquo with the audience and in doing so emphasizes the shocking nature of King Duncans murder. In the soliloquy there is also a reference to the witches predictions for Banquos descendants, myself should be the root and father of many kings. This line would have been of great interest to King James I as it suggests he is a descendant of Banquo. Some critics argue that Shakespeare wrote Macbeth to flatter the new king. The direct relation between Banquo and King James is hinted a few times during the play. Add this to the fact Shakespeare altered Holinsheds version of events that were written years earlier then you could be mistaken for agreeing with the critics. Shakespeare made Macbeth solely responsible for Duncans murder when actually Banquo was an accomplice to the murder. Proud to be in their new role, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth greet Banquo very majestically, heres our chief guest. Shrewdly, they attempt to make Banquo feel important and well appreciated, If he had been forgotten, it had been a big gap in our great feast. However this was all a big act, as the audience was about to find out. I imagine in this part of the scene Lady Macbeths introduction would have been very grand and regal as if she loved her new role. After all, she had finally achieved what she and her husband had always dreamt of, My dearest partner of greatness. Shakespeare makes it clear that Macbeth is now king by altering slightly the way in which Macbeth behaves and addresses others. He exposes a kinder, more inviting aspect to his personality by hosting a feast, Tonight we hold a great feast and Ill request your presence. The verb request is significant because it implies the invitational is optional, however I dont believe anyone would turn down an offer from the King as there may be serious consequences. Macbeth continues to take great interest in Macbeths proposed journey which causes the audience to suspect that Banquo might be in danger. Arguably for the very first time in the play, we witness the devious and crafty personality of Macbeth. Shakespeare uses a combination of irony and flattery in his writing to hide the fact Macbeth is actually intensively interrogating Banquo, fail not our feast and Ride you this afternoon are two examples of this. The quote fail not our feast is ironic because the audience have been discretely made aware that Macbeth intends to have Banquo murdered whilst he is out riding and will therefore not return for the feast. After dismissing Banquo, Macbeth makes a rather bold and surprising decision to do the same with his wife, Till supper time alone, while then God be with you. I believe this to be the point in the play where the tide turns. Up until now, it has been Macbeth who has relied heavily on his wife. He consulted everything with her. However, now that he finally has the crown upon his head, I think he feels that she has nothing left to offer. Personally this is pure ignorance on Macbeths part and sense this might be a catalyst for his downfall -Macbeths hamartia. A hamartia is basically an error in judgement, a cause of a tragic heros (in this case Macbeth) misfortune. Lady Macbeth aids his downfall, as she has pushed him to become so ambitious and arrogant that he feels he will be more successful without her. However, Macbeth has other hamartias which are explored further on. If I was directing this scene, I would strive to get the key point across. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have just been crowned king and Queen of their beloved nation. The honeymoon period has just begun and they both absolutely adore their new roles, Thou hast it now King, Cawdor, Glamis, all. Therefore, I would endeavour to make sure this comes across to the audience by ensuring the actors were dressed accordingly; royal robes and jewellery etc. Also, the actors should portray a relieved and joyful persona to illustrate the fact that Macbeth and his wifes efforts have finally been rewarded. During Macbeths soliloquy in Act 3 Scene 1, Shakespeare reveals the characters true colours. Macbeth explains that despite Banquo being his best friend, he understands that Banquo must be murdered in order for him to remain in power; to be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus. This extract would confirm the audiences earlier thoughts and feelings about Macbeths intentions with Banquo. It also proves that the compassion and sincerity he showed towards Banquo in their last conversation was just an act. Shakespeare compares Macbeths feelings about Banquo to an actual event in the past, as it is said Mark Antonys was by Caesar. Macbeth acknowledges Banquos integrity but cannot help feeling that perhaps he is the Achilles heel to making him last upon the throne. Just as in Ancient Rome, Mark Antony was said to be in fear of Octavius Caesar. Throughout the soliloquy you get the sense that Macbeth has constant mood swings. His feelings vary rapidly, from fear of Banquo at the beginning; our fears in Banquo stick deep. to pure hatred of Banquo at the end, No son of mine succeeding, for Banquos issue have I filed my mind. His change in character is particularly noticeable when compared to Act 2 Scene 1. During this soliloquy, Macbeth has little conviction when contemplating the murder of Duncan whereas now he speaks confidently with passion and conviction. Which is startling seen as he is about to have his closest companion murdered. As the murderers appear on stage, the audience are immediately made aware that Macbeth has already spoken with them Was it not yesterday we spoke together. This extract implies that Macbeth had been planning to kill Banquo for a while. This is arguably the first time we see a ruthless side of Macbeth. It proves to the audience that this murder is not just a spur of the moment thing. Shakespeare includes a range of techniques when Macbeth is trying to persuade the henchmen to murder Banquo. Firstly, Macbeth tries to justify the murder by using reverse psychology on the two men, Know that it is he who held you so under fortune. Here; Macbeth is obviously testing the murderers character and resolve. He needs to know how willing they are, luckily for Macbeth they are prepared to do anything in the needs of king and country, I would set my life on any chance. Secondly, Macbeth questions their courage, to which the murderers respond assertively We are men. One thing I cannot comprehend is why Macbeth is even bothering to persuade them. Surely Macbeth has the right to order anyone about never mind two members of the lower class society. After all he is the King. However, I think this represents a key aspect of Macbeths personality. I think persuading the murderers is his way of persuading him he is doing the right thing. By persuading them, he is at the same time convincing himself that the deed is righteous. This would suggest that Macbeth is not pure evil but instead someone who loves power and is prepared to do anything to remain powerful. Macbeth changes dramatically as a character throughout the play. Initially, Macbeth was tortured with remorse after Duncans murder but upon hearing of Banquos successful assassination he is elated. His vaulting aspiration was driving him to desperate measures and he was unable to impede it. Macbeth had already risked his life to obtain the throne so he had no choice but to employ Machiavellian customs to preserve it. Macbeths vision of Banquo ghost at a royal banquet only steers him closer to insanity. The appearance of Banquos ghost at the royal banquet horrifies Macbeth. Shakespeare brilliantly uses irony to make Banquos emergence very dramatic, Sweet Remembrancer! Upon hearing the witches prophecies, Macbeth is unleashed down a spiral of swift deterioration that causes him to become blinded by desire. It is clear that Macbeths objective was driven by the prophecies made by the three witches; hail to thee Thane of Cawdor that shalt be king hereafter. He was willing to do or pay anything to ensure that they actually occur. At first Macbeth is appalled at the witches proposal of killing Duncan, his King and fellow countryman, but eventually he surrenders to both Lady Macbeth and the evil forces. Lady Macbeth and the witches overwhelm his morals setting off a catalogue of events resulting in Macbeths downfall and second hamartia. The presence of supernatural forces in Shakespeares Macbeth, provides much of the plays dramatic tension and mounting suspense. Several supernatural hallucinations throughout the play profoundly affect Macbeth; culminating with the evil forces overpowering Macbeth and his morals. For example, the prophecies of the three witches and the appearance of Banquos ghost. These two points in the play would have been very significant for the audience at the time. Witches were associated with using uncompromising potions, flying, becoming invisible at will and using disguises for the evil spirits in control of them. In Shakespeares time, a large proportion of people believed in witches. Hundreds of thousands of women were accused of employing the mentioned familiars to cause misfortunes and disasters. As a result, many were either executed or tortured. Even King James I was personally frightened of witches, passing a law that condemned anyone connected with witchcraft. In hindsight, it is now clear that witches were just innocent people used as scapegoats for mistakes made by others. Macbeth is a prime example of Shakespeares use of the tragic pattern. The play begins with the rise and fall of a man of high estate. This is followed by a flaw in character, Duncans trust in Macbeth for example, a gentleman on whom I built absolute trust. Then murder, exile and alienation of enemies and allies; King Duncans Murder, the Princes flee, murder of Banquo and dismissal of Lady Macbeth. All leading to the gradual isolation of the tragic hero, tragic recognition of the flaw by the tragic hero; and now a wood comes toward Dunsinane and eventually the death of the tragic hero. Macbeth is slain by Macduff. Tragic patterns similar to this one are used in every one of Shakespeares renowned tragedies.