Smileys people, spy game

â€Å"In the world of espionage the value of trust Is paramount† represents a valid statement to an extent. The characters values and Ideologies are a reflection of the context of which they live. The novel Smiley people by John Lee Care, the movie Spy Game, directed by Tony Scott and the Interview Kim Billy's great betrayal presented by Phillip Adams represent this statement through different portrayals of the world of espionage. These three texts exhibit a power struggle between communist and western democratic societies, both very different political ideologies.The world of espionage is fraught with manipulation, betrayal and deceit and aiming to achieve the â€Å"greater good†. It is a world where its inhabitants will do anything – even if it means performing acts that are seen criminal by mainstream society – Just to complete a mission. It Is a world where information is gold and an important document Is worth more than a persons life. Trust sustains a relationship In the spy world, a relationship that allows communication and control of knowledge and power. The spy world demonstrates a context where trust Is a value, not valued by all who inhabit this world.For spies that â€Å"play the spy game† they have to have trust in those that control their missions and must have trust in themselves, to be able to get the job done. But for others such as defectors and double agents trust is tool used to get information and used to manipulate and gain power over the opposing side. A clash between the personal and the professional values is seen in Tony Scoots Spy Game, through the character of Tom Bishop. It is shown in the scene where Bishop must bring Schmidt across the border from east to west Germany. When Bishop andSchmidt realism that they will get killed if they attempt to cross the border, Schmidt pleads with Bishop to take him â€Å"But my wife, my kids†. When Schmidt says this we can see Bishops realization that Sc hmidt Is human and not just an expendable pawn, or an asset. This clash between the personal and professional values of Bishop challenges his moral outlook on life. However in order to stay alive and protect himself he must leave Schmidt, whys trust he has manipulated for use of his own organization and his own professional gain. Whilst having to trust someone who may be doing the same thing to him.The context has had an effect on the values of Bishop, his values compromised by the situation he has been placed in. The choice to leave Schmidt behind to die was not a choice that Bishop would have made on his own accord, yet he has had to. This is a direct result of his immediate context, which has forced a re-evaluation of his values. The value of trust one that all spies must have, has turned bishop against his personal humanity and has set him to achieve what Is seen as the greater good, to leave Schmidt because he Is less Important.The trust placed In agents to carry out the Nilsso n that they are assigned with Is a tepee for agencies to take in process of completing the mission. The agents who are to best that they should or mess it up completely, it is in these times that the value of trust is seen to be most paramount. An example in Tony Scoots Spy game is when Bishop is sent to manipulate the doctor to have the sheik assassinated however he let down Mir and he didn't get there in time so Mir had sent in a suicide bomber to blow the apartment building.Bishop had played on Emir's trust and let him down, after the explosion Bishop asks Mir if he's happy with the outcome â€Å"Seventy four casualties and an entire apartment block leveled, one dead terrorist. Yeah IM happy' is the reply from Mir. In this statement we can see the stark contrast in perspectives of success and the values required in order to obtain this success. Seventy four casualties for one terrorist is a high price to pay, but it shows that Mir is more about getting the Job done, and working for the greater good as he believes that their sacrifice is better than one terrorist living.Mir throughout the book is a representation of freedom pictured almost always with the American flag which is a presentation of the values upheld by the county and the values that he upholds within himself driving him to become better as a spy, the flag is a symbol of the trust placed in him by his superiors working in the CIA and other government organizations it is because of this trust and expectation that Mir pursues his missions to the fullest extend as he is not a person to those who trust in him down. George Smiley on the other hand, an old school spy born and raised in a democratic society.Stuck in his ways as a spy is more wary about who to trust. Smiley is enraged with the circus or MUM for breaking their promise to protect Vladimir. This trust that Smiley had placed in MUM, much like that of Mir in Bishop, is broken. Smiley must now take matters into his own hands not sure who to trust but close friends. To find the truth is what fuels Smiley search for the mystery behind the death of his old friend Vladimir. Smiley is a perfect representation of a mans internal struggle of conflicting values, and he must overcome the conflict to get to the bottom of the case an bring down Karl.The conflicting values is depicted in the quote â€Å"Wrestling with troubled dreams†. Smiley eventually through internal conflicts of morals and values rings down Karl. Smiley disregards this as a victory as he had compromised values precious to him, he sees the victory as double edged the fact he caught his man but had to give up who he is to do this his views on the sanctity of human life differ from those of Mir, Smiley is seen throughout the novel to try and save people like Castrato's and not to let them die.His use of manipulation and deceit was what had allowed him to get the information he needed, but has left him feeling dejected that his morals and values have become irrelevant in order to achieve the greater good. Deception is the way of the spy and most of them have used methods of this nature to obtain information and as a way of being able to use people we see this in the interview â€Å"Elliot deceived by Kim Philly' Elliot was one of Philips friends inside MUM and the trust that he showed in Philly was the weak link in the relationship.Although some spies might consider the morals behind their actions on the other end of the scale there are those that don't have moral and will use trust for their own gain and take advantage of those closest to them. These are the people that totally n the novel Smiley People would be something along the lines of a evil master mind set to take smiley out at all costs. Karl however isn't, he has mixed his personal with professional because of the love for his daughter.Trust in the spy world is complicated due to the fact that everything is to be kept secret from each other, so how are you supposed to trust someone whilst they aren't telling you everything that they know. This is where trust comes into play, to be able to trust someone and their Judgment of what is right whilst figuring out for themselves what their values and morals say is right is what the fullest extend of the rust in the world of espionage.Trust in the spy world isn't at a constant in different contexts, situations, different people and agents will all see trust in a different light, and of different importance. Trust is what keeps agents alive to able to trust yourself at any time to do what is best for those around you and to trust those around you that they have your back. Yet there is no difference in those fighting and working for the greater good and those working against trust is recognized as a necessity and a value needed to be able to compete in the spy game.

Describe Romeo and Juliet’s love Essay

Describe Romeo and Juliet’s love and the way it develops in the course of the play. (Look carefully at the language used and use short quotations to illustrate your answer. ) Shakespeare meant for his plays to be performed on a stage and not to be read, he was a very skilled play write and he made his audiences believe things that in reality could not happen in such a short space of time. Romeo and Juliet’s love for one another shows their disobedience towards their parents. The houses that the pair of ‘star cross’d lovers’ belong to are involved in an ‘ancient’ feud. We are made aware of the feud before we even meet the lovers; it is the very first thing that the Chorus, who is a single person on the stage which Shakespeare and many other play writes used to calm down a disorderly audience and give background information on the play, says: ‘Two households both alike in dignity In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. ‘ Their love is ill-fated from the moment they first meet, at Capulet’s party, because of the dispute that has been going on for generations. When we first meet Romeo, his father Lord Montague describes Romeo’s melancholic mood, this fits exactly the contemporary ideas of lovesickness in Shakespeare’s time. Lord Montague and Benvolio contrast Romeo’s feelings for Rosaline and how they have changed his personality. We can see that Romeo is not himself as he says: ‘Tut, I have lost myself; I am not here; This is not Romeo, he’s some other where. ‘ The many oxymorons, Romeo uses in his speech are meant to suggest his confused state of mind: ‘Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health, Still-waking sleep,’Romeo sees Rosaline as the most beautiful woman on earth he matches her beauty to those of saints: ‘When the devout religion of mine eye Maintains such falsehood, then turn tears to fire! ‘ It seems that Romeo is only in love with the idea of being in love. On our first meeting with Juliet her mother is calling her. She replies to her mother in a formal way: ‘Madam, I am here. What is your will? ‘ She is modest, quiet and beautiful. Since she is from a powerful Verona family she is well dressed. When Lady Capulet suggests that the County Paris would make a good husband, Juliet responds:’I’ll look to like, if looking liking move. But no more deep will I endart mine eye Than your consent gives strength to make it fly. ‘ In the times when the play was written it was normal for parents to arrange who their daughter would marry. When Romeo sees Juliet for the first time his extravagant declarations of love for Rosaline vanish in a second. He now speaks with tenderness and plainness: ‘Beauty to rich for use, for earth to dear! So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows, As yonder lady o’er her fellows shows. ‘ In the last line of his speech, ‘Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night. ‘ What Romeo says, is that what he said earlier in the play was silly and wrong. Ironically, when Benvolio was persuading Romeo to go to the party he told him he would soon forget Rosaline and this is just what happened. Romeo anticipates the line of approach he will take during the dance by saying that her touch will ‘bless’ his hand. It was believed at this time that true love always struck at first sight; love that grew gradually was no love at all. ‘This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this: My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand’. This is a quick-witted bout of flirtation in which both sides are equally smitten, as is made clear by what follows, but in which Juliet plays the proper young girl’s role of cutting up Romeo’s ‘lines’ as fast as he can think them up. ‘Saints do not move, but grant for prayers’ sake. ‘ ‘Then have my lips the sin that they have took. ‘ and ‘You kiss by the book. ‘ This shows Juliet to be much wittier than a typical 13 year old girl. This flirtatious fourteen-line passage is actually a sonnet; it was popular in the sixteenth century and generally regarded as the proper means for love poetry. Juliet manages to tease Romeo slightly in the earnest gesture of the devotion that they declare: ‘For saints have hands that pilgrims’ hands do touch,’ and ‘Ay, pilgrim, lips that they use in prayer. ‘ Juliet is encouraging Romeo to kiss her in a subtle way. She takes early charge of the relationship. Romeo’s love for Juliet is unmistakably passionate, which an Elizabethan audience would have loved. He uses a lot of effective imagery. For example the image of the sun: ‘It is the east, and Juliet the sun! Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,’ Romeo is putting Juliet on a higher pedestal, saying she is a higher being, he is also referring to the brightness of her beauty, and that she brings light into his world of darkness. In calling for the triumph of the sun over the moon, Romeo is hoping she will not remain a virgin much longer. Women who prolonged their virginity excessively were thought to suffer from â€Å"green-sickness,† a problem that could only be cured by healthy lovemaking. The entire opening soliloquy to this scene is devoted to Romeo’s fevered desire that Juliet will make love with him. Despite his passion, he is shy enough, and polite enough, not to simply burst in upon her. It is the tension between his overwhelming desire and his reserve that shows how much he truly loves her. The comparison of a woman’s eyes to bright stars was a usual thing, but Romeo elaborates it in a dazzling series of lines dwelling on the brightness of Juliet’s beauty: ‘The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars As daylight doth a lamp. Her eyes in heaven’ Romeo is impetuous, impulsive and has his head in the clouds; he uses phrases of elaborate description. Whereas Juliet is down-to-earth, practical, natural and spontaneous by her speech we can tell that it is her first experience of love and that she is young and because of the language she uses that Romeo excites her. It is Juliet who is thinking through the consequences of their love more systematically and practically than is Romeo. She almost immediately speaks of the death that threatens him: ‘And the place of death, considering who thou art, If any of my kinsmen find thee here’ Romeo replies that love cannot be held out by ‘stony limits’. Romeo believes that love has directed him to Juliet. From the beginning their dialogue is riddled with reference to death. This is dramatically ironic because the chorus already told the audience that they will die because of their love. When Romeo says: ‘Alack, there lies more peril in thine eyes; And thou but love me, let them find me here’ He is using conventional and courtly language, which goes back centuries. Juliet’s long speech makes clear that she is still an honourable young woman who wishes her love had not been so promptly revealed; but now that it has been, she does not intend to look backward. She indirectly refers that Jove laughs at the oaths of lovers. Just as Romeo had scorned the moon for its virginity, Juliet rejects it as too variable: ‘O swear not by the moon, th’ inconstant moon, That monthly changes in her circled orb, Lest that thy love prove likewise variable. ‘ Juliet is honest. She feels that she has been too easily won by Romeo: ‘Or if thou think’st I am too quickly won, I’ll frown and be perverse and say thee nay, So thou wilt woo; but else, not for the world. ‘ Again Juliet allows herself to flirt with oath in calling Romeo her God. Romeo insists that he will love Juliet faithfully. Having proclaimed her love once, the basis of Juliet’s expression is unstopped, and she becomes the dominant figure in the rest of the scene. This young pair know very little about each other except that they are extremely attractive and witty. Juliet’s has split moods in this scene one is lead by her head and one by her heart. Her head is her practical side; her heart is spontaneous and excited. Falconry was a popular sport in Elizabethan England. Juliet is comparing Romeo to a falcon, and what she would like is for Romeo to be her falcon, she likes the idea of being able to call him back to her hand whenever she needs him: ‘Hist! Romeo, hist! O for a falconer’s voice, To lure this tassel-gentle back again! ‘ When Romeo asked the Friar to marry Juliet and himself, the Friar agreed only because he is hoping that the marriage of Romeo and Juliet will put an end to feud between the houses of Montague and Capulet. From the text we can tell that Friar Laurence is Romeo’s confident, a father-figure. Children in the 14th/15th Centuries who had important parents didn’t have the same relationship as children today have with their parents. This is why Juliet confides in her nurse and Romeo in Friar Laurence. The last line in Act two Scene one, Friar Laurence is saying to Romeo that he should take it slow because those that go to fast will ‘stumble’ later on: ‘Wisely and slow: they stumble that run fast. ‘ In the marriage scene it is Friar Laurence who is thinking ahead, he says: ‘So smile the heavens upon this holy act, That after hours with sorrow chide us not! ‘ Romeo, lives only in the present, and says so: ‘Amen, amen! But come what sorrow can, It cannot countervail the exchange of joy That one short minute gives me in her sight. ‘ In his view, the joy of a minute with Juliet will be greater than all the possible sorrow of any later hours. Romeo adds that he is ready to face the greatest sorrow of all: ‘Do thou but close our hands with holy words, Then love-devouring death do what he dare; It is enough I may but call her mine. ‘ These exulting words foreshadow what actually happens; ‘love-devouring death’ makes its first appearance shortly after the wedding. The Friar understands that Romeo thinks love will make him bullet-proof, and tries to talk some sense into him: ‘These violent delights have violent ends And in their triumph die, like fire and powder, Which as they kiss consume. ‘ On their wedding night Friar Laurence anticipates that they will ‘consume’ each other (consummate their marriage). Just like the nurse anticipates for Juliet. The Friar says that the ecstasies of love can’t last forever. ‘The sweetest honey Is loathsome in his own deliciousness, And in the taste confounds the appetite†:’ In other words, too much honey can ruin its taste. The Friar concludes his little talk by advising Romeo to ‘love moderately’ as, ‘Too swift arrives as tardy as too slow’. Juliet reveals her innermost feelings in her soliloquy. She is apprehensive and excited: she makes a reference to the classical god Phoebus Apollo: ‘Gallop apace, you fiery-footed steeds, Towards Phoebus’ lodging; such a waggoner. ‘ Juliet uses a lot of phrases that make her seem impatient like, ‘Gallop’, ‘leap’ and ‘fiery-footed steeds’. Juliet is nervous about what is going to happen when Romeo arrives. She extends the falcon image: ‘Hood my unmann’d blood, bating in my cheeks, With thy black mantle; till strange love, grown bold,’ She gives the impression that she is worried about her body and that she will not fulfil Romeo’s needs. The repetitive use of the word ‘come’ refers to her impatience for Romeo to arrive quickly to her. Most of the soliloquy is of a sexual nature but some of it is not, for example: ‘Give me my Romeo. And when I shall die Take him and cut him out in little stars, And he will make the faces of heaven so fine That all the world will be in love with night,’ This is extremely romantic. It also refers to death. When the nurse tells Juliet that Romeo has killed Tybalt, Juliet uses oxymorons, these show that she is confused, ‘beautiful tyrant’ and ‘fiend angelical’. However, when the nurse starts to criticise Romeo, Juliet cuts off the nurse and defends him, ‘Blister’d be thy tongue’. Juliet implies that banishment is worse than death. She seems more mature and her practical side is seen especially when she says: ‘My husband lives, that Tybalt would have slain; And Tybalt’s dead, that would have slain my husband:’ Romeo uses direct and romantic speech that shows his sincere and loving feelings; ‘It was the lark, the herald of the morn, No nightingale. Look, love, what envious streaks Do lace the severing clouds in yonder east. Night’s candles are burnt out, and jocund day Stands tiptoe on the misty mountain tops. I must be gone and live, or stay and die. ‘ This shows that he is mature; much more than Juliet earlier in the play. Their mature dreamy roles are swapped. Romeo reassures Juliet that they will be together again: ‘I doubt it not; and all these woes shall serve For sweet discourses in our time to come. ‘ Juliet’s reply to this phrase is: ‘O God! I have an ill-divining soul: Methinks I see thee, now art so low, As one dead in the bottom of a tomb: Either my eyesight fails, or thou look’st pale. ‘ This is dramatic irony because when Juliet wakes up from the potion she does see Romeo on the floor of the tomb. Juliet seeks the help of Friar Laurence because she has been abandoned by her parents and her nurse, the one person she is closest to, except for Romeo but it seems that he too has deserted her. She feels suicidal when she talks to Friar Laurence; she would rather die than marry the County Paris. When Friar Laurence suggests that she takes the potion she appears to be relieved. Though out the scene she is very courageous. The soliloquy dwells on her fear of the vault; it enlarges what she had already said to Friar Laurence. The speech confirms that the vault is connected with the catastrophic climax of the play. She is determined to kill her self in the potion does not put her in a slight coma: ‘What if this mixture do not work at all? Shall I be married than tomorrow morning? No, no; this shall forbid it: lie thou there. ‘ She fears it could be poison and she then contradicts that statement in the next one. She feels that she may go mad in the tomb if Romeo is not there when she wakes, the horror of these images make her go mad. In the end she takes the potion for Romeo’s sake: ‘Romeo, Romeo, Romeo! Here’s drink – I drink to thee! ‘ Romeo’s speech before taking the poison is direct and simple poetry. He is still referring to Juliet as ‘light’. In the speech Romeo personifies death and accuses death of trying to keep Juliet beautiful so that death can use her for his pleasure: ‘That unsubstantial death is amorous, And that the lean abhorred monster keeps Thee here in the dark to be his paramour? ‘ He uses grotesque metaphors and similes. He appears to be preparing himself for death. ‘A dateless bargain to engrossing death! ‘ He is trying to prolong the moment. His love for Juliet is obvious at this point in the play; he drinks the poison for Juliet, ‘Here’s to my love! ‘ all he wants is to be with Juliet and if they can’t be together in life then the must be in death. As a result of the lovers’ deaths the families are brought together. Prince Escalus makes sure that the blame is shared; he makes that very clear: ‘Where be these enemies? – Capulet! Montague! See what a scourge is laid upon your hate, That heaven finds means to kill your joys with love; And I, for winking at your discords too, Have lost a brace of kinsmen. All are punished. ‘ The prince is also blaming himself; he knows that all had a part to play is Romeo and Juliet’s deaths, and this is why it is such a tragic ending which is written in a very expert way.

Assessing Development And Democracy In India Politics Essay

Assessing Development And Democracy In India Politics Essay A strong centred democracy has been at the heart of Indian nationalism since independence with its many languages, religions, ethnicities. In adopting the Westminster parliamentary system, India substituted the monarchy for an elected President and a legislative body consisting of a bicameral structure that includes a lower house – the Lok Sabha  and  an upper house the Rajya Sabha  Ã‚   [ 2 ]   . India is now the world’s largest parliamentary democracy, some 714 million people were eligible to vote in last year’s election   [ 3 ]   . Members of the Lok Sabha are directly elected every five years with representation divided among India’s States, and seats apportioned  according to population. Members of the lower house the Rajya Sabha are indirectly elected by the legislative assemblies of the federal States and the President nominates twelve members to the Rajya Sabha based on distinguished reputations in the realm of the arts, sciences or public service   [ 4 ]   . The president is elected to office for a five year period by members of both houses. All citizens over the age of 18 years, regardless caste or religion are eligible to vote and turnout has stabilized at approximately 60%, which is particularly high by international standards   [ 5 ]   . Under Jawaharlal Nerhu’s (the first prime minster of India) nationalist ethos encompassing non alignment, socialism and secularism, the latter was the intended safe guard for religious minorities from majority rule. In an affront to the notion that democracy is a ‘Western luxury’ that developing countries cannot afford   [ 6 ]   , India’s body politic has remained markedly stable since independence, a notable exception in post colonial states. It is also viewed as an anomaly because of its incredibly diversified social strata and its ability to continue functioning as a democracy (Kothari 2005). There is no distinction for basis of ci tizenship along ethnic, religious or caste lines nor has there been any religious qualification for holding office. There has not been any significant state intervention to abolish the caste system   [ 7 ]   , although ‘untouchability’ was made illegal in the Constitution   [ 8 ]   the system has been left undisturbed. Independence and the adoption of democracy has however not resulted in any state-led political agenda of social reform, by in large society has been allowed to reform itself in a laissez faire way. A proportion of parliamentary seats and a percentage of public sector jobs were/are however reserved for members of  Other Backward Castes (OBCs), Scheduled Castes (SCs)  and  Scheduled Tribes (STs). This reserve falls under Positive Discrimination (PD)   [ 9 ]   . Bhimrao Ramji  Ambedkar (a member of the untouchable Mahar caste), provided the Dalits with their first real hope of transcending caste discrimination (Luce, 2007), ensuring that equality along caste lines was enshrined within the Constitution   [ 10 ]   . While caste disparity has not yet been alleviated in a substantial way, it has given the Dalits a feel for political mobility   [ 11 ]   . Constitutional provisions. As regards India’s post independence economic policy, it adopted a model of self-sufficiency and import substitution   [ 12 ]   . Influenced by the Soviet example of a mixed economy it turned its back on trade and foreign capital imports on the premise of being a self-sufficient industrialised nation   [ 13 ]   .This failed to take capitalize on India’s early start in modern industry   [ 14 ]   , with it rehashing many of the industries which were already in place but which, were in its view tainted by imperialism. As a result industry suffered (Bhagwati, Desai and Sen, 1997).

A REFLECTIVE ACCOUNT RELATING TO A 15 YEAR OLD FEMALE PATIENT Essay

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Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis - Research Paper Example Epidemiology The incidence of this condition in the United States is 4-14 per 100,000 children of less than 16 years of age, per year (Rabinovich, 2010). The prevalence rates are estimated to be 9-113 cases, per 100,000 population in general (Rabinovich, 2010). Internationally, it has been found that this condition is more prevalent among certain populations like Native Americans (Rabinovich, 2010). Etiology More often than not, the cause of this condition is idiopathic and most researchers are of the opinion that the disease occurs due to interaction of multiple factors, the environmental, genetic and infectious factors (Ringold et al, 2005). The gene which has been implicated for this condition is IL2RA/CD25 gene. Another gene which has been implicated is VTCN1 gene (Rabinovich, 2010). Pathophysiology The pathogenesis is not well understood. Most of the experts opine that an external trigger, in the form of trauma or infection triggers autoimmune reaction and this leads to synovial hypertrophy and inflammation of the synovium. The inflammation extends further and affects other organs too (Rabinovich, 2010). ... The onset is either abrupt or insidious. other symptoms include limping, gastrointestinal symptoms, redness of eye, fever, photophobia, orthopnea, weight loss, systemic illness and shortness of breath (Ringold et al, 2005). Children with this condition usually have history of school absences. They are unlikely to participate in physical education classes. In many children, a triggering factor, either in the form of infection or in the form of trauma may be noted. History of travel to regions endemic for ticks can point to a diagnosis of Lyme's disease. In some children anemia may be present. Illness in home pets is significant and can point to the diagnosis of reactive arthritis (Rabinovich, 2010). Physical examination may reveal arthritis, macular rash, hepatosplenomegaly, lymphadenopathy, muscle tenderness, serositis and pericardial rub (Rabinovich, 2010). Types There are mainly 5 types of juvenile idiopathic arthritis which have been described. These are based on the number of joi nts involved within 6 months of presentation and associated involvement of other organs in the body (Ringold et al, 2005). They are: 1. Oligoarthritis: This is the most common type of juvenile idiopathic arthritis and accounts for more than 50 percent of the cases. It involves less than 5 joints. Uveitis is commonly associated with this type (Ringold et al, 2005). 2. Polyarthritis: More than 5 joints are involved in this type (Ringold et al, 2005). 3. Systemic arthritis: Systemic involvement is predominant in this type and presents as fever, generalised rash and inflammation of various other organs along with arthritis. 10- 20 percent cases of juvenile idiopathic arthritis present with systemic involvement (Ringold et al, 2005). 4. Enthesitis-related

Recount and the U.S. Supreme Court Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Recount and the U.S. Supreme Court - Essay Example a political battle ended by the federal courts as the Florida Supreme Court ordered for a state-wide recount which is later on brought to an end by the U.S. Supreme Court. In this case, the Supreme Court resolved whether the recount is constitutional and identified a remedy once deemed unconstitutional. Within the American Judiciary, a writ of certiorari could be granted only for compelling reasons but of judicial discretion. One of the grounds cited by the judges, as per asserted in Rule 10, was the occurrence of discrepancy on the decision of Florida Supreme Court for ballot recounts. It could be recalled that in December of the same year, the Florida Supreme Court stated multiple court decisions regarding the presidential election and the process of manual recount which was mandated to be statewide and even with the appeal of Bush, were ordered for stay. Justice Scalia argued that the petitioner Gore has a substantial probability of success and a manual recount was granted in order to count the legally casted votes that may not be counted by the machine such as in cases of dimpled chad. Moreover, it was accounted by the justice that halting the pro cess of recounting votes will inevitably shed a confusion of the legitimacy of the election. Yet the issue remains, why did the U.S. Supreme Court overturn the decision of Florida Supreme Court on its mandated recount? The majority of the justices elected that the decision of Florida Supreme Court for state-wide manual recounting was unconstitutional as they reckon that the Florida Legislature aimed to utilize the â€Å"safe-harbor† benefits of â€Å"determination of controversy as to appointment of electors† as stated in Title 3 of the United States Code  § 5. Three justices, Rehnquist, Scalia and Thomas, claimed that the Florida Supreme Court’s decision violated the intent of Florida legislature while seven of them concurred that there was a defiance of the Equal Protection Clause in manual counting as there has

Communication and interaction within married couples at church Essay

Communication and interaction within married couples at church - Essay Example This problem depends upon a number of factors, which are both communicational and condemnatory. The principles that underline the seriousness of this problem include blocks like lack of communication, age factor with relevance to immaturity, lack of decision making skills, insensitiveness, early child care situations, and lack of awareness. This prime and most pondered upon issue is being spread like fire all around the researches in contemporary literature, which is why a basis of this issue with reference to its illustration through research will be provided. It is believed that in order for human beings to survive in a society, it is necessary for them to communicate. Is that why man is a social animal? To be accurate, it is true and very much factual. Human beings cannot survive if they are unable to communicate and lack interpersonal skills. Communication skills can be defined as ‘That situation in which a source transmits a message to a receiver with conscious intent to a ffect the latter’s behavior.’ This specifies that the process of expressing thoughts and messages through language or actions is called communication. Hence, it verifies that without the help of communication, human beings cannot continue to exist; especially without speech, because it is thought to be exceedingly imperative as we need to slot in and complete very complex everyday jobs involving collaboration. To validate that proper communication you should be is indispensable; Bach & Grant (2009) said â€Å"There are times, though, when we experience situations where we consider that an interaction did not go smoothly; perhaps we were misunderstood or a friend reacted differently to how we expected.† Explaining the importance of communication between couples, another important term with reference to communication, is ‘nonverbal communication skills’; these skills are meant to make the communicator feel safe, respected, and understood. Petersen (20 07) has verified â€Å"Listening to understand requires a non-judgmental attitude that can go against what most of us were taught, that is, to listen for rights and wrongs.† Therefore, the aspect which has been selected for influencing problems that married couples face is lack of communication. Communication students can directly relate to this topic, as it verifies how lack of communication could reform the society and how these students can elucidate its reach. The fact that problems couples face after marriage has immersed in almost all societies, and what is more essential for elaboration is the fact that it is spontaneously shifting its frame of totality in all societies, which makes it perplexed to be analyzed in a specified precinct. Hence, this problem, its effectiveness and its causes are under assessment with the help of reviewing literature and a qualitative research method. It has been formulated that misunderstandings between couples emerge due to the fact that men and women communicate differently. Instead of communicating with each other, couples tend to talk to others about it and do not gain the idea that this would not solve problems. What needs to be pondered upon is that while staying on this path, couples become hopeless and verify that communication is of no use. Rather than making each other understand the issues they are facing, couples move towards differences which lead to problems like divorces and separations. The specified reason that this topic has been

The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe Essay Example for Free

The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe Essay Tom Wolfe’s book, The Right Stuff, is about the lives of several pilots and astronauts who were involved in tests and experiments conducted by the United States after the Cold War. These experiments were in line with the space race between the United States and the then Union of Soviet Socialists Republic. These pilots were subjected to several experiments using experimental high speed aircrafts which are all rocket powered. Because of the complexity of the program, the pilots were tested and screened, and not all would pass these tests. The extensive nature of the research led to several effects on the pilots, their lives, and their families. In order to be chosen, or even to be just a part of the project, all of these people should possess one important aspect, which is known by many as â€Å"the right stuff†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Because of tough competition with the USSR, the United States chose only the best of the best for their experimental projects like the Project Mercury. Many people tried out for several experiments, but eventually, some of them would have to go home, as some would be able to continue with the experiments. It is a very extensive project, as well has a very demanding endeavor. There are a lot of requirements, and if the people involved fail to have one of these requirements, they will more or less be out of the project. As Tom Wolfe puts it, the people who can only continue would be those who possess the â€Å"right stuff† (Wolfe).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Tom Wolfe’s book defines the right stuff as having all the requirements and passing all the necessary tests in order to be a pilot or a spaceman. But that is not all; the right stuff would also have to include a strong heart, perseverance, and courage. It is through the mixture of all these trains that one would be able to attain the â€Å"right stuff† that the project calls for.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One important aspect of the right stuff is about bravery. Being in the project, one must be brave in order to remain there. It is now just man vs. other man in competing for a spot in the project, but also man vs. himself. He is responsible to his actions as well as his decisions, which is why he needs to be firm enough not to be swayed away by his fears. Also, it is not bravery wherein you just have to risk your life, as anyone could easily do that. Instead, he should be willing to be literally a lab rat, wherein anything can happen to him. Afterwards, he should be able to keep his cool, as well as retain his reflexes and the experience in order to do it again for the next day, then again the next day, until the research calls for it to stop.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There were various tests that these pilots and astronauts would have to undergo over and over again – an infinite set of mind and body exhausting activities that would really put anyone to their limits. The whole process is compared to a stepped pyramid or a ziggurat, wherein one has to move along the high and steep steps in order to go up. Through this way, that person can prove that as he goes up, he really does deserve to be one of those who were elected to do the job, because they were the right ones and because they had the right stuff to begin with. Everyone aims for the top, no matter how steep it is, though everyone gets only one chance to prove that they really have the right stuff. It was something that not all man can do, and the ones who do it are really the best.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Tom Wolfe defines the right stuff as the culmination of every skill and every talent that a person has, provided that he passes every test that was set for him in order to qualify for the experiment. It is not pure brawns, or pure brains, but instead, it offers the best of everything. People possessing the right stuff really have to be good at many things, especially those which are greatly needed in the experiment. Works Cited: Wolfe, Tom. The Right Stuff. Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1979.

Examine functionalism explanations of socialisation

Examine functionalism explanations of socialisation Examine functionalism explanations of socialisation within the family Functionalists believe in the concept that of consensus and that that the family is at the heart of society, and is the key attribute in keeping society in an orderly and efficient manner. They also believe that hold the view that the nuclear family best suits the for anan advanced industrial society because it is more mobile to move from different areas thsan the traditional extended family because there a ferwer people making it economically viable,(Parsons nuclear isolated family theory.There view of the nuclear family comprises of the economi provider breadwinner husband (instrumental superior) and dependant wife (expressive superior) and children. Sociologists such as Durkheim have developed the functionalistic approach towards the family. Most of the sociloisdts coming from the United States. Functionalism is a theory that explains the role of the family within society- functionalists acknowledge the positive aspects of society and look at society on a macro scale. The family is a unit which workers for the efficiency and stabilisation of society. Functionalism is based on the belief of consensus, for example we are socialised on the norms of society- from what is right and from what is wrong. Early sociologists such as Durkheim (1858-1917) recognized how organic solidarity could be used to explain some social institutions and behaviours Durkheim stated that there were two types of solidarity, (mechanical and organic) mechanical solidarity being characterised by the division of labour yet this was deemed problematic by Durkheim. Organic solidarity on the other hand is when individuals see society as interdependent which according to Durkheim is essential for modern society to avoid anomie. Functionalist therefore are of the belief that every institution contributes to the smooth running of society- in particular the family being the most prominent function that keeps society from anarchy by producing social actors that are socialised stable individuals. The American social scientist Murdock thoroughly analysed two hundred and fifty societies and claimed that some sort of family existed in every form of society and therefore concluded that from his evidence that the family is universal. He refers to the family as a social group characterised by common residence, economic co-operation and reproduction. It includes adults of both sexes, at least two of whom maintain a socially approved relationship, and one or more children, own or adopted, of sexually cohabiting adults. He argues that the sexual and reproductive functions are essential. If reproduction did not take place there would be no members of society; it prevents disruptive effects on social order that would normally result if the sexual urges were allowed free-play. The family provides control and expression. Murdock also states that without the economic function no preparation and provision of food would take place his believes that the economic aspect of the family is enhan ced when the persons live together. Despite Murdocks thorough research of societies and observations of the family, his theory of the universal functions of the family have undergone numerous criticisms; many having the similar tone that there are many different types of families for example single parented families which are just as functional as the ideal nuclear family and in some circumstances have a better relationship with the child as there is more trust and responsibility delegated to the child. One critic stated the contents of values is culturally and historically specific and variable, and is no way universal. However Murdocks era also has to be taken into account when considering his theory, as the nuclear family was deemed the norm and he would have been socialised to be compatible with that concept. Parson is of the belief that the basic function of the family is the primary socialization of children so that they can become civilised members of the society he also believes that the family is essential for the stabilization of adult personalities- as it gives the adult opportunity to express signs of stress for example the family could relieve the adult of a stressful day at work. Parsons view was that these two functions were positively correlated because a child can be socialized into a society only if the society was institutionalized and organized into expected role structures which gives the adult stability. Parson despite criticism, believed that the patriarchal family was a strong and stable and consisted of a hierarchy which consisted of the instrumental superior father (husband), the instrumental inferior son (brother), the expressive superior mother (wife) and the inferior expressive superior daughter (sister).This role structure is the normal nuclear family. Parsons makes some assumptions regarding the family, especially regarding specific genders for example the woman is better fitted for the home and the man for more manual labour. Radical feminists argue that Parsons view of the female role in the family is an inaccurate perspective regarding the lives of females and believe that they are oppressed within the home and have to be the stereotypical emotive nurturer due to such theorists as Parson which make them confined to those roles- without there being an actual choice. Parson views the nuclear family as being best fitted for industrialisation for example jobs of today demand a desire for increased education, which means too many children on the become economic liabilities because the time taken to nurture children and the costs of schooling is very expensive. Too many children would not be economically viable which is why the industrialised family has been reduced. The reduction in size means the nuclear family is more geographically and socially mobile. Extended kinship is not needed resulting that extended kin are visited out of choice and not obligation. However this has been debated, it has been argued that specialised jobs such as politicians have to move relocate on demand, the rest of the population which is the majority, can easily remain situated in the same location for a number of years, and that the extended kin remain a fundamental part of the family as they often are in the third generation and pass down their knowledge and culture which in turn is internalised by the children and adults. Parsons work has been criticised by some theorists such as Robert Merton ( who worked in close proximity with Parsons) he argued that the social sciences were not yet ready for such sweeping theory but still had a tremendous amount of work to do gathering data and summarizing research findings with more modest theory. Interactionist theorists criticized functionalism for failing to conceptualize adequately the nature of actors and the process of interaction. Parsons work has been criticized, but has influenced generations of family scholars. Due to Durkheim, the grounds of functionalism were founded, and such social scientists as Murdock and Parsons expanded further of his ideas of the family- that the family socialises an individual through both primary and secondary socialisation, aiding the development of a stable adult character- however the individual is never fully socialised as society is continually evolving society.

Insanity and the Necessity of Madness in King Lear Essay -- King Lear

The Necessity of Madness in King Lear At the beginning of â€Å"King Lear,† an authoritative and willful protagonist dominates his court, making a fateful decision by rewarding his two treacherous daughters and banishing his faithful one in an effort to preserve his own pride. However, it becomes evident during the course of the tragedy that this protagonist, Lear, uses his power only as a means of projecting a persona, which he hides behind as he struggles to maintain confidence in himself. This poses a problem, since the audience is prevented from feeling sympathy for the king. Shakespeare’s ironic solution is to allow Lear’s progressing madness to be paired with his recognition of truth, thereby forcing Lear to shed his persona, and simultaneously persuading the audience that Lear is worthy of pity. Lear is initially consumed by what Burton would refer to as the human appetite,[1] and exhibits traits indicative of someone dominated by the choleric humor: he is prideful, yearns for authority, and bullies others when he doesn’t get his way. After Cordelia refuses to dote on him in the first scene, he goes into a fit of rage: Let it be so; the truth then be thy dower†¦ Here I disclaim all my paternal care, Propinquity and property of blood, And as a stranger to my heart and me Hold thee from this for ever. (I, i, 110-118) [2] Lear’s fury, however, only masks the fact that he is really a very needy person, consumed by an insatiable appetite for power and attention. As Bloom says, â€Å"Lear always demands more love than can be given.†[3] Lear proves this to be true when he repeatedly rejects those who love him most, banishing both Cordelia and Kent, who would protect him from his other two daughters’ impending betrayal. D... ...say (Trans.). The Republic of Plato: The Wisdom of Socrates as Recounted by His Pupil Plato. New York: E. P. Dutton & Co., Inc., 1957. p.171. 6-Bloom, p. 482. 7-James Hutton (Trans.). Aristotle’s Poetics. New York: Norton & Company, Inc., 1982. p. 51. 8- Bruccoli, Clark, Layman â€Å"Aristotle,† in Bood, (ed.). Dictionary of Literary Biography: Ancient Greek Authors. Vol. 176 (1997), pp. 55-76. 9-Wilson Knight. â€Å"The Lear Universe† in The Wheel of Fire. London: Oxford University Press, 1930. p. 201 10- A.C. Bradley. Shakespearean Tragedy. London: Macmillan & Co. Ltd., 1961. p. 239. 11- Knight, p. 203. 12-William Shakespeare. As You Like It. New York: Signet Classic, 1998. p. 44. 13- T.S. Eliot. â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.† The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Vol. II (New York, WW.Norton, 19860. pp. 2174 ff. 14-Bradley, p. 242.

The Role of Men in Adrienne Richs Of Woman Born Essay -- Adrienne Ric

The Role of Men in Of Woman Born  Ã‚   Adrienne Rich, via Of Woman Born, has created a wonderfully complex description and analysis of the condition of being a woman in our patriarchal American culture, or at least in the middle-class, white portion of it, as she acknowledges in the introduction to the 1986 edition of the book. Since I happen to fit into this category, I find this book to be very personally satisfying, although I can certainly imagine that Rich's writings wouldn't be completely applicable to all women in America. Rich examines the various issues surrounding multiple aspects of being a woman -- motherhood, relations with men, relations with children, relations with the patriarchy at large, etc. -- with a thoroughness that I find enlightening, honest-yet-hopeful, and refreshing. There were passages throughout the book that I found exciting because they confirmed or bolstered many of the ideas I've had about being a woman in this culture. I have long suspected that women and children are often fearful simply because they are the vulnerable members in a mal...

Brain Drain :: essays research papers

Brain Drain   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The topic I have chosen is the â€Å"Brain Drain†. Is this a brain drain or a brain gain for Canada? Canadians believe it is a brain drain for them. The United States is also losing some of their students to Canada. This is a real issue facing Canadians; they are losing many of their highly educated students each year. â€Å"The issue of â€Å"brain drain† is a political hot potato in Canada†. (Quoted by Wayne Kondro). Many of these students are moving to the United States because they are being paid a lot better. This so called â€Å"brain drain† south was particularly dramatic in the mid- 1990’s. There are many knowledgeable Canadians heading South of the border. Our low Canadian dollar is part of the reason why people chose to move to the States. Canadian’s are being paid much more working in the US than they are being paid in Canada. High taxes are another reason Canada is driving people into the states. Another main reason why so many Canadians are leaving to live in the U.S. is the North American Free Trade Agreement. The so called brain drain is actually a brain gain. The ratio is 1:4, for every Canadian going to the U.S., Canada is gaining four U.S. educated students. Immigrants are three times more likely to hold a master’s degree, doctoral or medical degree than the Canadian born population is. Therefore, this says that people who are immigrating into Canada are keeping more of their degrees, than people immigrating to the states. In the end not all the people moving to the states stay there, there is a small percentage of them moving back. Maybe because in the states they aren’t getting all the benefits Canadians are getting. For example medical care. The facts state that this is a brain drain. There are more than one hundred thousand skilled Canadians moving out of Canada each year. This includes graduates and people who are being offered better paying job. A recent poll said that eight out of ten Canadian’s have considered moving to the U.S. Eighty one percent say that the biggest lure is the higher pay. â€Å"Just over 4,600 post-secondary graduates from the class of 1995 were living in the United States as of the summer of 1997. By the time of the survey in March 1999, about 830 (18%) of these graduates had moved back to Canada†.

Alcoholism Problem Essay

Alcoholism is a chronic problem that includes difficulty in controlling drinking, having to drink consistently to get physical independence, being preoccupied with alcohol, and continually using alcohol regardless of problems it causes (Brick, 2004). Alcohol should not be legal in U.S. because it is impacts negatively on health, family, community and on a person’s education. Alcohol drinking is like taking a drug. It is a form of drug addiction and drug abuse. Alcoholism is a worldwide problem that affects many people. Drinking alcohol has negative short and long term effects. Alcoholism has been associated with adverse effects on health, family, community, and education (Marshall, 2000). However, the effects on a person depends on particular factors such as how often and how much alcohol is taken, a person’s age, gender, when a person begun drinking and how long they have been drinking, their health, and family history (Begleiter & Kissin, 1996). It is in this regard t hat alcohol should not be legal in the United States. Alcohol is addictive, and people become addicts end up spending a lot of money on alcohol. It means that when they spend all the money they have on alcohol, they forget their families, and are not able to support the community in anyway. Some resort to stealing to sustain their drinking habit. Alcohol addicts sometimes engage in robbery acts to get the money for drinks. Community becomes at risk of destruction with excessive alcohol consumption allowed. When many people engage in excessive consumption of alcohol, education becomes at risk. People drop out of school, and illiteracy level increase in the community. In addition, the progress and development of any community depends on the health of its people. Therefore, when alcohol puts the health of its members at risk, community suffers in the long run. Alcohol affects both female and male differently. Men who consume alcohol, daily have an increased risk of health risks. Such men can experience cancer and heart disease in the long-term and  low energy to sexual difficulties in the short-term (Brick, 2004). Men are more likely to suffer from liver cirrhosis, and have higher chances of being diagnosed with high blood pressure. Nearly 26.6% of deaths among men of be tween 16 and 24 years old can be attributed to alcohol consumption. Men tend to be more dependent of alcohol (Marshall, 2000). Drinking too much alcohol damages a person’s body organs such as liver, brain, stomach, heart, and intestines. Brain is adversely affected because the brain cells die leading to loss of memory, learning difficulties, brain disorders, confusion, and problems with attention (Blane & Leonard, 1999). Liver is highly affected because of the great possibility of developing cancer in the liver, throat and mouth. The stomach may also acquire ulcers. Long-term drinking has also been linked to stroke and heart failure. The nervous system can also experience damage leading to behavioral and physical problems (Dasgupta, 2011). These problems affect health, family, community, and education in the long-term because of expenses associated with alcohol consumption, and possible treatment measures. Alcohol poses many effects on the body such as fertility. It reduces levels of testosterone. As a result, it could decline sperm quantity and quality, and lead to loss of libido. Alcohol is toxic to the testicles, and affects hormones. It could hamper production of sperms, hinder them from developing properly, and slow their movement towards the egg. Alcohol can also limit the liver from metabolizing vitamin A properly. It also depresses the nervous system, and could result in difficulty in getting and keeping erection (Peters, 2008). Many young adults do not realize that alcohol has a fattening effect. Alcohol can reduce the amount of fat that the body burns for energy. The human body makes several attempts to eliminate alcohol very fast as it cannot remain in the body for storage. The process takes priority over nutrient absorption and burning of fat. In the long-term, there could be a serious damage in the appearance. Other effects include loss of hair in the body, breast enlargement, and withering of testicles (Dasgupta, 2011). Alcohol has also been associated with worsening of skin disorders such as rosacae. Rosacae skin disorder is responsible for expansion of blood vessels in the face making it redder. Heavy drinking can cause the appearance of pus spots and red bumps. It has also been linked to inflammation, pain and swelling in the joints. The effect is common among men of between 30 and 60 years old  (Hannigan, Spear, Spear & Goodlett, 1999). As mentioned earlier, heavy drinking increases the chances of heart disease, liver damage, bone disease, cancer, anxiety and depression, and type II diabetes. Heavy consumption of alcohol also caused inflammation on the pancreas and irritates stomach. These effects indirectly affect family, community and education (Peters, 2008). Women are not safe from alcohol either. The body of women takes much time to process alcohol compared to men. Women feel more effects of alcohol than men even when they drink the same amount. The fertility of women is at risk with heavy consumption of alcohol. Women are high risk of acquiring breast cancer, and adverse impacts of the menopause. Women are advised in several studies to avoid alcohol when trying to have a baby. Alcohol disrupts menstrual cycle in women, and limits their chances of conceiving. These are bad effects on the body, and not good for family and community in general. Therefore, alcohol should not be legal in the United States (Hannigan, Spear, Spear & Goodlett, 1999). While drinking less alcohol may make one look good, heavy consumption causes bad skin, tired eyes, and weight gain for both f emale and male. It also interferes with people’s sleep. Heavy consumers of alcohol often wake up and feel like they have not had enough rest. Alcohol dehydrates the body and skin. It deprives the skin of certain vital nutrients and vitamins. Hence, it is not good for health. Alcohol is also responsible for much divorce among couples due to fights in the family, and lack of finances for family upkeep (Dasgupta, 2011). Alcohol is depressant. It means that alcohol calms people down, and slows down some body organs. With only 0.05% level of blood-alcohol, a person begins getting dulled judgment, and his or her inhibitions get released. They then become clumsy and start having slurred speech with only a 0.10% blood-alcohol level. At 0.30% level of blood-alcohol, one nearly becomes unconscious. Any addition after that becomes extremely dangerous since at 0.45%, one can get into a coma. Brain shuts down from 0.70% and stop controlling the heart, breathing, and one may end up dead. Other short-term effects include blurred vision, blackouts and insomnia. These can lead to injuries, accidents, and even death. Drinking alcohol also causes hangover in the next morning, which is associated with nausea, headaches, heartburn, fatigue, thirst, and dizziness. There are many side effects of alcohol (Peters, 2008).Conclusion In conclusion, consumption of alcohol should be reconsidered in U.S because  of its adverse effects on health, family, community, and education. Alcohol should only be taken when necessary. The side effects are adverse and continue to destroy people across the world. Therefore, alcohol should not be legal in the United States because it is impacts negatively on health, family, community and on a person’s education. References Begleiter, H., & Kissin, B. (1996). The pharmacology of alcohol and alcohol dependence. New York: Oxford University Press. Blane, H. T., & Leonard, K. E. (1999). Psychological theories of drinking and alcoholism. New York [u.a.: Guilford Press. Brick, J. (2004). Handbook of the medical consequences of alcohol and drug abuse. New York: Haworth Press. Dasgupta, A. (2011). The science of drinking: How alcohol affects your body and mind. Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield. Hannigan, J. H., Spear, L. P., Spear, N. E., & Goodlett, C. R. (1999). Alcohol and Alcoholism: Effects on Brain and Development. Hoboken: Taylor & Francis. Marshall, R. (2000). Alcoholism: Genetic culpability or social irresponsibility: the challenge of innovative methods to determine final outcomes. Lanham, MD: University Press of America. Peters, A. R. (2008). Combined effects of alcohol and nicotine on subjective responses and cognitive functioning, Dissertation Abstracts International, 69-4

My Childhood lost ? Essay

I was a happy go lucky six year old boy staying at St. Peter’s orphanage. The orphanage had about 20 children. The living conditions were not anything fancy, but we had no complaints either. I distinctly remember the morning of 1st May, 1820 when a wealthy looking middle aged gentleman came to our orphanage. He pretended to be a nice but lonely guy who wanted to adopt two healthy children between the age group of 6 to 10. He met all the children and finally selected Berley, the eldest in the group, and myself. We were thrilled! I assumed that my life would be a bed of roses from now on. Both Berley and myself bade good bye to our friends and â€Å"home† beaming with hope and dreams of a better life ahead. Our â€Å"not so lucky† friends wished us best of luck with tears in their eyes. Berley and I would now be brothers living with a wealthy man. We entered his large palatial house with trembling legs. Before long we were taken to the backyard, which, unlike the rest of the house, resembled a slum. There we met a few more children who stared at us blankly. They looked ugly, unkempt and had dark circles under their eyes. One of them had an amputated finger. Though their sight made us feel uneasy, we decided to concentrate on our first meal. Both Berley and I were expecting a treat but to our disappointment it was the worst food we had ever eaten. Soon the truth surfaced and we realized that the wealthy gentleman had â€Å"bought us† as slaves to work in a factory where he was an overseer. We were trapped for life†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ The next day started at 4 am. After getting ready we went to a dark and stinking factory where they made cotton. I was assigned to pick up dirty waste material that was being generated almost continuously. After working diligently for almost four hours I felt tired and claustrophobic so I decided go for a stroll and explore the factory with Berley. As we were walking out together, our so called â€Å"father† appeared with a big whip in his hand. Without assigning any reason, he whacked both of us several times. I stupidly sat down on the dusty floor and started howling while Berley ran back to his assignment. The overseer got angrier with me and said, ‘Not happy with one beating, eh? ‘ He gave me two hard shots on my back and harshly told me to go back to work. With big tears and a paining back I returned to complete my job. Thereafter I was then forced to go under a large machine & continue the cleaning. By the time I finished I had blood on my fingers due to a minor accident. Berley, my only friend, rushed to comfort me while I was crying For years thereafter this routine continued. Without Berley by my side I would not have managed to cope. However, we both often wondered that if this was indeed industrial revolution for a better future, someone, somewhere had made a mistake†¦.

Succubus Revealed Chapter 17

In spite of my sorrow over Seth, I was still ready for a storm. It hadn't really registered at the time, but when I woke up on New Year's Day with a wine-induced headache, I accepted the startling truth: I was challenging Hell. Who did that? No one, that's who. My friends had hinted as much, and I certainly had plenty of myths and pop culture to enlighten me about the futile human dream of thwarting Hell's will. I had my own experience to go on too. I'd signed away my soul for all eternity. There wasn't much wiggle room with that. And yet, in spite of all the things I'd seen and all the people Hell had crushed, here I was, daring to say Hell had no claim on either my soul or Seth's. I expected to hear about it immediately. I expected a huge uproar, perhaps in the form of Jerome showing up in my condo in all his brimstone glory, threatening me for my impertinence. At the very least, I expected a letter of acknowledgment from Hell, something along the lines of, Thank you very much for your inquiry. We will respond to you within 4?C6 weeks. Nothing. New Year's Day passed quietly. So did the next. I continued my pattern of packing and making Las Vegas preparations, all the while holding my breath for The Next Big Thing. I thought something would surely happen a week later, when the long-awaited bowling tournament came around. Jerome and Nanette had flipped for it, and he'd won, meaning we got to hold the match here in Seattle. It saved us from making a trip to Portland, but for the sake of fairness, Nanette got to pick the bowling alley. Rather than our dive at Burt's, she chose a more upscale place, not far from the mall I'd worked at. I hadn't seen Jerome since I'd filed the petition and was ready now to face his wrath. I didn't know if Nanette's lesser immortals would know about the request, but I felt certain she would by now. She and Jerome might be rivals of sorts, but at the end of the day, they were both committed to Hell winning. I was trying to thwart that and wouldn't have been surprised to find her sharing in Jerome's outrage. â€Å"Good luck,† Roman told me, as I prepared to leave the condo. â€Å"Remember to watch your footing.† I sighed. â€Å"I wish you were coming with me.† He offered me a small smile. â€Å"Me too. All that work, and I won't even get to see my students' final exam.† Roman could hide his nephilim signature from greater immortals, but considering the way his kind were hunted, we'd decided it would be best if he steered clear of Nanette while she was in town. Jerome's agreement to let Roman stay was both highly unusual and dangerous. If another archdemon discovered the truth, both Roman and Jerome would be in a lot of trouble. â€Å"I'm afraid of what I'll face from Jerome,† I said. â€Å"Don't be.† Roman came forward and rested his hand on my shoulder. â€Å"You're not doing anything wrong. They did. You're strong, Georgina. Stronger than them, stronger than Hell.† I leaned my head against him. â€Å"Why are you so nice to me?† â€Å"Because Carter's not your only fan.† When I looked back up, I saw Roman's green eyes were deadly serious. â€Å"You're a remarkable woman, just by your own nature. Smart. Funny. Compassionate. But what's really great is that you're so easy to underestimate. I did when we first met, you know. And Hell is now. No matter what their reaction to your appeal is, I guarantee most of them doubt you have a chance. You're going to prove them wrong. You're going to break the unbreakable. And I'll be there helping you, as much as I can.† â€Å"You've done enough,† I told him. â€Å"More than enough. More than I could have ever asked. Now you get to sit back and let me do . . . well, whatever I have to do now.† â€Å"Georgina, there's something you need to know. . . .† His face grew troubled. â€Å"What?† I asked. â€Å"Oh God. You haven't heard something from Jerome that I haven't, have you?† â€Å"I – † He bit his lip as he paused, then shook his head. His features smoothed out. â€Å"Forget it. I'm just going to worry you over nothing. You focus on bowling tonight, okay? Show those Portlandians that . . . fuck, I don't know. That you're a force to be reckoned with in the bowling alley.† I laughed and gave him a quick hug. â€Å"I'll see what I can do. How about we talk when I get back, okay? We'll grab a drink.† I knew there was something big here he wasn't telling me, no matter how easily he'd tried to brush it off. â€Å"I'd like that. Good luck.† When I arrived at the bowling alley, Peter nearly sank in relief when he saw me. I think he'd been afraid I'd show up without my Unholy Rollers shirt. Through whatever means Hell possessed, all the other patrons in the alley were playing on one side. The other half was empty, save for two lanes occupied by my colleagues. I was the last to arrive and approached with trepidation, unsure of my welcome. Jerome was sprawled comfortably in a chair, and while it was in better shape than the ones at Burt's, I'm not really sure it deserved the thronelike airs he was putting on. Nanette sat across from him, looking equally regal. Her pale blond hair was rolled into an elegant coif, giving her kind of a Grace Kelly look. Her dress was a pale blue shift with a fuzzy gray cardigan over it, the innocence of the look clashing with the unnecessary vampish sunglasses she was wearing. â€Å"Ah, Georgie,† said Jerome. â€Å"Right on time and in team colors.† He favored Nanette with a lazy smile. â€Å"Ready for some humility?† â€Å"Yours?† she asked him. â€Å"Always.† Neither gave me much more attention than was due for the last person to fill a team spot. No mention of the contract, no mention of my petition. Glancing around and taking in the full roster here, I saw that Mei had also come to watch the spectacle. The demoness was dressed in corporate black, matching her bluntly cut black hair and heavy eyeliner. Only her red lips provided color to the palette. She most certainly knew about my situation, but like her superiors, she barely glanced my way. Carter was there, which I had not expected. Nanette and her cronies were clearly uneasy about this. Although all greater immortals, be they angels or demons, shared a certain world weariness with immortality and the Great Game, few were able to bond over it so well as Carter and Jerome. Their relationship was unique, and Nanette clearly felt no camaraderie with the angel. Whereas I received little of her attention simply because I was an underling, Carter she ignored as though he didn't even exist. He gave me a small smile as I sat down, his gray eyes full of amusement. He was sitting with my friends, perfectly at ease, while Nanette's bowling team regarded him warily. I hoped maybe his presence would throw off their game. There were four of them, just like us, though they'd actually drafted Nanette's lieutenant demon, Malachi, to play for them. Rounding them out were a succubus named Tiara, an imp named Roger, and a vampire named V. â€Å"What's the V stand for?† I asked. He just stared at me, face blank. They were an impressive-looking bunch, with deep red bowling shirts and sparkling black embroidery that read DEVIL MAY CARE on the back. â€Å"That's not even a real team name,† Peter whispered to me disapprovingly. â€Å"And those sparkles are just tacky.† Like ours, their shirts were standard button-ups with their names on the front. Only Malachi's was different, with a small designation declaring him Captain. I guess he needed to make sure his status was asserted over that of the lesser immortals. There was something lean and sinister about them, and in our baby blues, I felt downright cute and cuddly. A waitress came by with drinks, and once Jerome had a glass of scotch in hand, he deemed proceedings fit to start. There was a part of me that wouldn't have minded a gimlet or two, but I didn't think alcohol was the best call just now. It had nothing to do with team solidarity or messing up my game. When surrounded by unknown and possibly untrustworthy immortals, it was always a good idea to keep your wits about you. And when you were possibly on Hell's radar for dissension, it was an excellent idea. In my usual lucky way, I ended up having to go first. With all my worries about Seth and the contracts, my mind wasn't exactly focused on all of Roman's good instructions, but I nonetheless did my best to recall his training. I ended up hitting seven and then two pins. Not the greatest, but certainly not the worst. My teammates cheered me voraciously, both because Peter had sent us all a lengthy e-mail earlier in the day about â€Å"pep† and because with our track record, nine wasn't that bad. Tiara went after me, and as she retrieved her ball, Cody whispered to me how she'd gotten in a fight with management earlier because she'd wanted to wear stilettos on the lanes. She'd apparently conceded to wear proper bowling shoes in the end, but unless there'd been a significant trend change in the industry, she'd ended up using her shape-shifting powers to make the shoes more to her liking. They were gold and encrusted with jewels. Yet those weren't the worst part of her attire. That came in the form of her Devil May Care shirt, which I was pretty sure had shrunk about three sizes since I arrived. The buttons that were still actually fastened looked like they were about to burst. I winced as all that cleavage walked past me, and I wanted to cover my eyes when she reached the lane and bent over unnecessarily far, in order to give everyone a solid view of her ass. Her jeans were nearly as tight as the shirt. â€Å"That is not a regulation stance,† declared Peter. He studied her critically for a few moments. â€Å"I believe she's trying to distract us.† I scoffed. â€Å"Oh, you think?† â€Å"Hey!† Peter elbowed Cody and Hugh who – judging by their gaping mouths – were not catching on to Tiara's ruse as easily as the rest of us. â€Å"Focus. Remember what you're playing for: Jerome's good will.† â€Å"Nothing wrong with looking,† said Hugh. â€Å"Besides, there's no way she can hit anything with that – â€Å" His words cut off as Tiara threw. Her ball blasted into the pins and knocked all ten over. With a little smirk and a lot of hip swaying, she strutted back proudly to her seat. â€Å"Shit,† said Hugh. â€Å"Ready to focus yet?† asked Peter. The imp shook his head, still in awe. â€Å"I don't think it's going to matter, not if they all bowl like that.† â€Å"They can't all bowl like that,† countered Cody. But he didn't sound so sure. Noticing our consternation, Tiara favored us all with a glossy-lipped smile. â€Å"We can call it quits right now if you want. We can go back to my hotel and have a party.† She tossed her highlighted curls over one shoulder, and her gaze rested on me. â€Å"I can also give you some styling advice if you want.† â€Å"Oh my God,† I muttered. â€Å"This is why I hate other succubi.† I could almost give Hell credit for finding me the only appealing one in Vegas, even if it had been part of a more elaborate scheme. Tiara soon became the least of our worries as her teammates took their turns. Strikes and spares all around, quickly surpassing our mix of erratic spares and . . . whatever it was Peter threw. As we moved further into the game, I glanced over at Jerome and saw that his smile had vanished, as had his cocky good mood. At least I could feel confident it had nothing to do with my contract. V proved to be the most startling of the bowlers. Whenever his turn came, he walked up unhesitatingly, didn't even pause or aim, and threw strikes every time. Every time. He also never spoke a single world. â€Å"How is he doing that?† exclaimed Cody. He glanced at Carter, who was watching everything with quiet amusement. â€Å"Is he using some kind of power?† â€Å"No illicit ones,† said Carter. â€Å"Just his own God-given . . . er, Hell-given abilities.† I hadn't really been worried about the other team cheating or Nanette helping them. I knew Jerome would keep her in check, and Carter's angelic presence was kind of a safeguard against dishonest activity. But his words struck something within me. â€Å"Of course,† I murmured. â€Å"He's just using what he's got: enhanced reflexes and senses. He's a vampire. He's physically better at everything.† No wonder it didn't seem like he needed to aim. He probably was; he was just doing it really, really fast. I turned to Cody and Peter. â€Å"How come you guys can't do that?† Silence met me. â€Å"Cody's our best player,† pointed out Hugh. â€Å"True,† I admitted. Cody had learned very quickly, and I supposed the difference in his and V's abilities made sense simply because V had been playing a lot longer. â€Å"But how do you explain Peter?† Nobody had an answer for that, least of all Peter. Cody actually seemed to draw inspiration from V and the realization that being a vampire should provide some natural ability. Cody's already solid performance soon improved, and I wished Roman could see him. Still, it wasn't enough to save us in that first game. We lost pretty terribly. Since Jerome and Nanette had agreed to â€Å"best of three,† this meant we had two more chances for redemption. I had mixed feelings about this. Jerome's face was growing stormier, so there was some comfort in thinking we might be able to head off his wrath. On the other hand, I wouldn't have minded ending this as quickly as possible. Maybe the Devil didn't care, but I was growing increasingly sick of the other team. I was pretty sure Tiara's outfit was getting increasingly tighter and more revealing. Although he never spoke, V's smug expressions conveyed condescension levels that words never could. And yet, neither of them was as bad as Roger the imp. Every time he got a strike or a spare, he trumpeted his victory with some sort of money-related expression, such as â€Å"Jackpot !† or â€Å"A penny saved is a penny earned!† Sometimes they didn't even make any sense in the situation, like when he shouted, â€Å"It's like throwing pearls before swine!† When he started inexplicably quoting lyrics to â€Å"Can't Buy Me Love† at the start of the second game, I really thought I was going to lose it. Cody nudged me. â€Å"He's getting tired. So is Tiara.† I glanced up at the scoreboard. It was a slight change, but those two were showing fewer strikes than spares and sometimes not even getting spares. Malachi remained consistently good, and V remained unstoppable. Over on our team, Peter and I hadn't changed, but Cody had continued – and was succeeding – in trying to prove his vampire skills. Hugh was also improving slightly, a phenomenon we'd seen with Roman sometimes. It was as though the imp needed to warm up in order to remember how to avoid his arm's tendency to throw curves. I exchanged glances with Cody. â€Å"I don't know that it's enough.† â€Å"You've done better than this in practice,† he told me gently. â€Å"I know you've got a bunch of stuff going on, but try to think if Roman was here. What he'd say. Then look at Jerome's face and tell me you don't want us to come out on top.† I didn't really care about Jerome keeping his pride around Nanette, but my friends' well-being did concern me. I knew their happiness would be directly influenced by Jerome's unhappiness. Sighing, I answered Cody with a resolute nod and tried to step up my game, racking my brains for all the words of wisdom that Roman had given me over the last couple of weeks. I admit, I hadn't always been paying as much attention as I could have. Nonetheless, something started clicking for me. I was a long way from being a pro anytime soon, but between me, Cody, and Hugh, we slowly began to keep up with Nanette's team. It was so subtle and so gradual that when we won by two points, everyone – including my teammates and me – could hardly believe it had happened. We all stared at the scoreboard in stunned silence. Only Carter was able to get anything out. â€Å"That,† he told Roger exuberantly, â€Å"is how a bird in the hand gets up before the early worm.† â€Å"That doesn't make any sense,† said Roger. Carter pointed at the scoreboard. â€Å"Neither does that, but there you have it.† Nanette's cool composure had vanished. I don't know if beating Jerome meant that much to her or if people in Portland just took bowling really seriously, but she immediately demanded a five-minute break. We watched as she pulled her team to the far side of the alley and gave them a talk. Judging from her wild hand motions and occasional expletives, it didn't sound like a very heartening talk. I glanced over at Jerome, who still kind of seemed to be in disbelief. â€Å"Any words of wisdom for us, boss?† I asked. He considered. â€Å"Yes. Don't lose.† Cody was already clinging to Peter's arm. â€Å"You have to come through for us here. We barely beat them just now, and you know she's putting the fear of God in them. That alone is going to give them some improvement. If you can just . . . I don't know. Get fewer splits. Do something. We can win this, but we need you.† Peter threw up his hands. â€Å"Don't you think I would if I could?† When Nanette and friends returned, they showed us that they were adding a new strategy to their repertoire: catcalling. Every time one of the Unholy Rollers went up to play, we were serenaded with insults about everything from our appearance to our abilities to our bowling shirts. That last one really set Peter on edge, and Tiara picked up on it quickly. â€Å"Did you pick that up at a thrift store? Oh, wait, they screen their items first. They'd never take a piece of shit like that.† â€Å"What's with that color? It's like a reject from a boy's baby shower.† â€Å"If your crappy shirts are going to say ‘Unholy Rollers,' shouldn't you at least be rolling the ball? That was more of a caber toss.† Peter took it all in silence, but I could see him becoming increasingly agitated. Hugh grimaced and leaned toward me. â€Å"She's really not that funny. I'd expect better from a succubus.† â€Å"At least Peter isn't doing any worse,† I said. â€Å"He's just getting splits in new and interesting ways.† â€Å"Which aren't going to save us, though,† said Cody grimly. It was true. We were staying even with them, but just barely. And when we were halfway through the game, it became clear we were slipping. Jerome was looking pissed off again, and Nanette's confidence had returned. â€Å"Come on, you guys,† said Carter, whom I hadn't expected to become a cheerleader. â€Å"You can do this. You're better than them.† It wasn't the angel's enthusiasm that changed the course of the game, however. It was when V finally spoke. Peter had just thrown his ball and amazingly knocked down four pins, which left behind a kind of three-way split I'd never even known was possible. We were all taken back. â€Å"You are the worst vampire I've ever seen,† said V, staring at the pins wide-eyed. I don't know what it was about those words that succeeded where our encouragement and Tiara's bad fashion taunts had failed. But suddenly, Peter became a vampire. And not just any vampire. A vampire who could bowl. From that point forward, everything he threw was a strike. And much like V, Peter didn't even deliberate it. He just walked up and threw, letting his vampire reflexes do the work. He quickly surpassed everyone on our team in skill, even Cody. Really, the only person who could match him was V. But it was enough, and somehow, against all odds, we won the third game. Hugh, Cody, and I erupted into cheers and traded high fives with Carter. Peter remained much more stoic, however, and regarded the other team coolly. â€Å"Don't count your chickens before they're hatched,† he told Roger. To Tiara, Peter said, â€Å"That shade of red makes you look like you have jaundice.† He paused. â€Å"And like a whore.† To V, Peter said nothing. Nanette and Jerome promptly got in an argument, most of which involved her making outlandish claims about how unfair it was to have two vampires on one team and how best of five would be the real determining factor. Jerome bantered back with her cheerfully. He was so smug about our victory, you would have thought he had thrown every ball himself. Seeing her consternation was just icing on the cake for him. â€Å"Well,† he said at one point, â€Å"we could do two more games, but your team seems terribly worn out. Perhaps once they have some time to recover mentally and physically, we can – â€Å" Jerome stopped and cocked his head, like he was hearing music the rest of us couldn't. A strange look came over his face. â€Å"Shit,† he said. â€Å"What?† asked Nanette. She seemed to realize something other than bowling had caught his attention. Near me, Carter had gone perfectly still. â€Å"I have to go,† said Jerome. And he went. Just like that, the demon vanished. I glanced around quickly, but no humans seemed to have noticed, thanks largely to our part of the bowling alley being deserted. Still, teleporting out like that in a public place was pretty irregular behavior for a greater immortal. Even irreverent demons generally knew enough to be discreet among humans. â€Å"Well,† said Nanette. â€Å"I guess there's no such thing as good winners. Sportsmanship is a lost art.† I thought that was a stretch coming from her, particularly after her team's verbal tirade. In fact, they soon all degenerated into arguing amongst themselves, each one making a plea to Nanette about how the loss had been someone else's fault. â€Å"Georgina,† said Carter, drawing my attention back. The smile he'd worn at our victory was gone. â€Å"I think it's a good idea if you go home.† â€Å"Why?† I asked. â€Å"We should celebrate.† For the first time since the fallout with Seth, I actually felt like having fun with my friends. â€Å"We need to call Roman too.† â€Å"Let's go to my place,† said Peter. â€Å"I can make up a meze platter in no time.† â€Å"Fine, fine,† said Carter, casting a glance over at Mei. She was still in her seat, trying to observe all conversations at once. â€Å"Let's just leave now. I'll teleport you when we're in the parking lot.† I tried to protest that, but Carter was too insistent on simply getting us all out of there. Minutes later, my teammates and I were headed out to the parking lot, still crowing over our victory and how Peter was the undisputed hero of the night. â€Å"Georgina?† I came to a halt. There, standing near my car, was Seth. Even in the harsh light of the parking lamps, everything about him seemed soft and inviting. The messy hair. The way he stood with his hands in his pockets. The Flock of Seagulls shirt that I could just make out underneath his flannel coat. â€Å"What are you doing here?† I asked, taking a few steps forward. My friends had come to an uncertain stop behind me. They all knew about my rocky state of affairs with Seth and watched me nervously. Seth glanced at my backup and then at me. â€Å"I . . . I wanted to talk to you.† â€Å"That's not what you said the last time we talked,† I said. The harsh words were out before I could stop them. I knew I should jump on the chance to talk, on Seth's willingness to talk at last . . . but some hurt place in me responded first. â€Å"I know,† said Seth. â€Å"I probably don't deserve it. But . . . I've been thinking about a lot of things, and then there's all this weirdness going on I don't quite understand . . . like, my mom moving in with you? And do you know why all these toy ponies keep showing up on Terry's doorstep?† â€Å"Why don't you come over to our place and have your heart-to-heart there,† said Peter. â€Å"It'll go better with hummus and wine.† Staring at Seth, I felt my heart ache. This could be it, just like Carter had said at New Year's, about how Seth and I still managed to come back to each other. I swallowed, both scared and anxious. â€Å"Maybe I should meet you guys later,† I said. â€Å"Seth and I can go somewhere and talk first.† â€Å"Georgina,† said Carter anxiously, â€Å"you really need to – â€Å" The car seemed to come out of nowhere, and, considering the way things worked in my world, it might literally have done so. All I knew is that one moment we were all standing around in the dark parking lot, and the next, a car was speeding toward us. Or rather, toward me. I couldn't discern any make or model and certainly not the driver. I probably wouldn't have known him or her anyway. All I saw were rapidly approaching headlights, heading toward where I stood alone, out in the open between my friends and Seth. When the car hit me, there was an intense moment of pain that radiated through my whole body. Then I felt nothing. My sight shifted, and I had the surreal sense of looking down on my sprawled body while my friends hurried to me and the car sped away. Some were trying to talk to me, some were calling 911. Some were talking to each other. The scene began to dissolve in my vision, fading to black. And not just the scene. Me. I was dissolving. I was losing all substance. I was becoming nothing. But as I faded away, as the world faded away, I heard a few last words from my friends before their voices also faded. â€Å"Georgina! Georgina!† That was Seth, saying my name like a prayer. â€Å"She's not breathing,† said Cody. â€Å"And she doesn't have a pulse. Hugh! Do something. You're a doctor.† â€Å"I can't,† Hugh said softly. â€Å"This is beyond me. Her soul . . . her soul's not here.† â€Å"Of course it is!† said Cody. â€Å"Souls stay with their immortals.† â€Å"Not in this situation,† said Hugh. â€Å"What are you talking about?† exclaimed Seth, voice cracking. â€Å"Carter! You can fix this. You can fix anything. You have to save her.† â€Å"This is beyond me too,† said Carter. â€Å"I'm sorry.† â€Å"There's still one thing you can do,† said Hugh. â€Å"One thing you have to do.† â€Å"Yes,† agreed Carter, voice full of sorrow. â€Å"I'll go get Roman. . . .† And then they were all gone. I was gone.

Juvenile Probation Officers Essay

All Juvenile Probation Officers (JPO) are required to complete 40 working hours per week following a flexible work schedule. JPOs are entitled to paid working holidays which includes, but are not limited to, New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Please note that in the occasion that the holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, another day off may be substituted, upon approval of the employer. JPOs may also be granted a vacation leave after six months of continuous service has been rendered. The number of vacation leave, however, will depend on the number of years in service, with a maximum of 15 days for those having rendered at least one year of continuous service. JPOs are also entitled to family leaves in cases of giving birth or conception-related cases, adoption, care of new-born child, family illness, child’s medical appointment of parent-teacher conference Health Insurance. All employees are entered in a group health insurance under a health maintenance organization (HMO) as approved by two-thirds of the majority during the General Assembly Meeting. The group insurance will cover hospitalization, health, long-tern disability, and accident expenses. Employer contribution starting January 2007 will be $557 per month. As such, premiums required for maintenance of the insurance, in excess of the employers contribution, shall be deducted by the state treasurer on the JPO’s salary on a monthly basis and upon employee’s written order. Retirement/ savings plan. After achieving five years of continuous service, provided that the employee is 50 years of age, a JPO is entitled to a retirement benefit which will be computed based on the employee’s age of retirement, length of service, and pre-retirement earnings. Employees may opt for a normal or early retirement, the latter, however, will deduct the accrued benefits for the years prior to the normal retirement age. The employee may choose to receive payment of benefits on a straight life annuity where the retiree will be paid on a periodic basis; or lump-sum payment where the retiree will receive the full one-time payment and no further benefits will be given to the employee upon receipt of payment. Other options will be joint-and-survivor annuity where benefits are provided for married participants. The amount of survivor annuity shall be between 50-100% of the amount payable for the time the couple is alive. The amount, however, will be lower than that received from straight life annuity. In cases where an employee become totally disabled or ill prior to his eligibility in the retirement plan, but has served the company for 10 consecutive years, he will be entitled for a disability retirement benefit, which he could defer or immediately claim. Life insurance. In cases of death or dismemberment of employees, they will be entitled to a life insurance benefit which will be paid in lump sum following the multiple-of-earnings formula. Using this formula, the length of service and earnings of the employee will be incorporated in the computation and will therefore increase following an increase in employee’s salary. Provisions for the life insurance includes accidental death and dismemberment benefits to the employee or his beneficiary equivalent to the basic life insurance and a percentage of the life benefit for dismemberment; monthly income to surviving family members of the employee; retirement from work; and reduction of life insurance for employees near or above 65 years.