Educating Inmates: They Are Still Human Too Essay

Introduction We live in a modern society that still hold traditional morals and beliefs. Prisoners are seen as inhumane animals who bring nothing but misery and cruelty to the world. An education is one of the most important things one may ever receive in their lives. One can no longer gain any type of employment without a high school education and even college hours, so why would society care to hold anyone back from getting an education? Prisoners are having a hard time receiving education in the prison system today. No one seems to care or support prisoners in the challenging process it takes to change their lives. County jails do not offer education programs, and in prison facilities there are many limitations and restrictions that make receiving the sub-par education that they offer a challenge to receive. An evaluation needs to take place to determine the crux of education limitations are in prison. There are many people who have been to prison or who have family and friends who have been to prison and have some sense of understanding as to the challenges inmates face. Who is standing up and being the voice for inmates who rarely are heard, and who is pushing the envelope against society and stressing the importance of education. Inmates who will be released one day must have a backup plan other than a life of crime, so their needs to be a system or program in place to reform inmates before their release. Background In researching about education everything found seems to enhance the knowledge on education in prison. It has become astoundingly clear that society does not promote a positive change for people who are incarcerated. Society has an outdated view of people incarcerated and do not seem interested in changing it. No one plans life with the idea in mind that  prison will be a part of it. With family and friends who have been incarcerated, I will be the first one to say that not all imprisoned people are innocent, but mistakes do happen. Society feels that bringing education into the correctional system is a waste of time and effort. Many students feel that inmates should not be offered for free what they have to pay for, but what most people do not realize is that not only do the inmates pay for education just like most, but they are also receiving a below average education. Although education has been in the prison system for over a century, society deters from education socially, pol itically, and economically (Palmer, 2012). In the long run however, it creates more setbacks for an inmate upon release seeing as though many jobs require post-secondary education. The decision to evaluate education in the prison system is to get a better understanding as to why there is not a nationwide push on inmates bettering themselves and staff support to follow as well. There are several barriers that prevent inmates from successfully completing programs while incarcerated. Some factors are due to environmental circumstances and other factors are due to personal circumstances. Conflicts between officers and inmates as well as transfers can lead to inmate’s incompletion of their education program. Also inmates who are released have no after plan set up between them, the prison system, and other sources to assist with the completion of an education started while incarcerated. There is no assistance for released inmates that encourages them to continue pursuing education. Psychological disorders and the stress of s chool itself may lead to an inmate dropping out or incompletion of the program. When inmates become depressed or discouraged they give up and education falls to the bottom of their list of priorities. Mental disorders that inmates receive medication for, may affect their ability to learn and the stress of how to cope and manage may cause an inmate to quit rather than deal with the obstacles at hand. Economic barriers such as funding and limitations in academics and teachers also prevent inmates from starting or completing a program. Despite the barriers that restrict education in the prison system, the government and society ultimately fail to realize that more education inmates receive the more the cost for prison funding decreases. When the Federal Pell Grant was introduced there was a relief and an increase in enrollment for inmates  because they could now afford tuition, but some political figures did not agree. Politicians tried a hand at a fear tactic where inmates were perceived to be unrepentant people who would continue to commit crimes all of their l ives so why educate them and waste money. The tactic worked and in 1994 a law was passed that took federal funding out of prisons and caused many prisons to close their education departments, an estimated 350 programs decreased to 10 or less. Many courts have helped to hold merit behind politicians tactics because many courts have also deemed education in prison has no constitutional entitlement and therefore does not have to be enforced or supported (Lockard et al., 2011). In the 21st century, despite all obstacles, enrollment for post-secondary education has steadily increased. Another factor that prevented inmates from enrolling in classes was that when the federal funding was in the prison system was that inmates who were over the age of 35 were ineligible and inmates who were convicted on drug related charges. It seems as if there are many obstacles that are preventing inmates from receiving education and not many people are fighting to change it. Education in the prison system not only helps inmates but it reduces inmate misconduct as well. Inmates who were educated prior to incarceration and continue education while incarcerated are more likely to keep their behavioral problems to a minimum. An education not only b uilds someone up mentally, it builds self-esteem and self-worth. Denying someone an education in prison becomes just the premise of a bigger mental denial that they will deal with long after they are released. Inmates get a sense of confidence that being incarcerated can sort of strips someone of. An education helps an inmate to think reasonably and acutely of what they are doing before their behavior takes a turn for the worse and not only lengthens their sentence, but start a habit of destruction. An educator believes that whether the inmate is enrolled to pass time or build up their resume for employment upon release hopefully someone will learn something useful and take that away with them and that it will be valuable to them later on in life (Rafay, 2012). There is a belief that making sure an inmate leaves prison more well of than they came should be a moral obligation that officers have. Everyone should want to reduce crime and improve the overall quality of life for everyone. Receiving an education while incarcerated also helps decrease the likelihood that a person while be subject to re-arrest  once they are released from prison. There are also several outside barriers that prevent education from being introduced into the correctional system. Factors such as academic curriculum and prison facility guidelines prevent inmates from getting an education, not to mention that the United States is lagging behind every other country in education in prison programs (Lockard et al., 2011). The teachers may also have a problem with the consistent bag searches and invasion of privacy. Inmates who may struggle with learning are not afforded the opportunity to have extended time after class to intimately receive further assistance. The education programs that are offered limited to sub-par classes that can be received from community college and the most they can leave prison with is an associate’s degree. Also, inmates who are held in the jails are never affo rded the opportunity to get and education. County jails don’t have educational programs, but ironically an inmate can spend majority of their sentence in a county facility. Due to overcrowding in prisons, pre-trial, sentencing and violations many offenders spend a lengthy time in jail and are released with not so much as a GED to show that they attempted to change their old behavior. An evaluation needs to be conducted to determine why there is such a carefree and careless attitude among society when it pertains to incarcerated human beings receiving and education. There does not seem to be enough advocates in America who are pushing to make sure that incarcerated humans are released with a better quality of life than the one they had upon arrest. There is no difference between someone incarcerated and someone in the â€Å"free world† except a mistake. Liberty and justice for all does not just apply to the law but for equality among all of society no matter the circumstance. Everyone deserves to receive education and the opportunity to turn their lives around. Why does it seem as if no one cares enough to stress the subject enough? Methods A questionnaire should be sent to 20 random citizens of random gender, age, and ethnicity in the top 5 metropolitan areas of the U.S. (New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, and Washington D.C.) to gauge society’s opinion of education in the prison system. It should have questions that will help the evaluator understand exactly how people feel about why they do  or don’t support education in the prison system and their ideas on what can be done to change or fight to keep the current program in place. I also believe that the questionnaire should be 3-5 pages long and leave room on the last page to allow each person to give their own feedback. The data should be collected by an assigned to one elected person in each city (particularly someone who works in an prison in the city with a high position of power) and reviewed, documented, and summarized, then submitted to the researcher to be reviewed. The questionnaire should be designed with no bias in mind, but to gain an understanding on why society does or does not support education. The results should reflect that society is now becoming modern and accepting that inmates should receive education as if they were in the free world. The information should be reviewed by the board of education for the prison facility and make an effort towards implementing the ideas that they have received from society. It may be easier for the Board to absorb feedback from society because it is a general census compared to inmates whose intentions may or may not be for the best. The only concern that can be foreseen is that the 20 random citizens will not be able to provide the Board of Education for the prison facility with enough similar feedback to gather a general and collective consensus on how society feels. Discussion Americans have traditional values when it comes to how society works and a general consensus of what is moral and just. Education is seen as the ultimate strive that one makes to become better in life, and one of the most important things needed to succeed in life. Prisoners are seen as cruel inhuman beings who have no care or empathy for anyone or anything, so naturally society would feel that inmates only want to do their time and be released to commit more crime. Inmates are human though as well, and they desire the same things as anyone else. An education should be provided for them just like it is provided for citizens who are not incarcerated, and inmates need someone to stand up and fight for them to receive just that. References Lahm, K. F. (2009). Educational Participation and Inmate Misconduct. Journal Of Offender Rehabilitation, 48(1), 37. Lockard, J., & Rankins-Robertson, S. (2011). The Right to Education, Prison-University Partnerships, and Online Writing Pedagogy in the US. Critical Survey, 23(3), 23-39. Palmer, S. M. (2012). Postsecondary Correctional Education. Adult Learning, 23(4), 163-169. Rafay, A. (2012). An â€Å"Impossible Profession†? The Radical University in Prison. Radical Teacher, (95), 10-21. Sedgley, N. H., Scott, C. E., Williams, N. A., & Derrick, F. W. (2010). Prison’s Dilemma: Do Education and Jobs Programmes Affect Recidivism?. Economica, 77(307), 497-517.

Analyzing the Buyer Decision Process by interviewing two consumers

The buyer decision process is like an imaginary process that the consumer undergoes in buying a product or a service. This process happens before, during, and after purchasing the product or a service. The concept of this process says that a consumer undergoes different ‘stages’ whenever he is involved in a transaction of a product or service. These stages include Need recognition, Information search, Evaluation of Alternatives, Purchase decision, and Post purchase behavior (Kotler, 1999). Recognition of the consumer’s needs can be caused by internal or external stimuli.Examples of internal stimuli are a person’s needs such as thirst and hunger. External stimuli, on the other hand, consist of advertisements, slogans, magazines etc (Kotler, 1999). In the case of Person A, she saw the ice cream in a poster and that’s what made her buy the particular ice cream because it looks delicious. Person B, on the other hand, bought the ice cream simply because s he felt the need of cold food because of the climate. In that situation, Person A’s need of ice cream is caused by an external stimulus while Person B’s need is caused by an internal stimulus.By analyzing the answers of the interviewees, we can say that climate and advertising are one of the factors that influenced the buying behavior of the two consumers. Information about the product can be made known by the consumer through personal, commercial, public, and experiential sources. Personal sources can be family, friends, and close relatives. These are actually the most effective source of information. An example of a commercial source is a salesperson. Usually, most of the information about the product can be made known through this kind of source.Public sources include mass media. Experiential sources exist when the consumer already tried the product, or experienced it (Kotler, 1999). When asked about their source of information about the ice cream, Person A said tha t she saw the ice cream in a poster while Person B answered that a friend told her that the particular ice cream tastes good. Person A’s source is belongs to Public sources while Person B’s source belongs to Personal sources. When asked about the importance of their source, Person A said that her source is not really that important.On the other hand, Person B said that her source is important (her source is her friend) because the ice cream was recommended by her friend and that she trusts her friend. The next step in the process is the evaluation of alternatives. In this stage, the consumer evaluates the features of the products and many other factors (Kotler, 1999). Person A said that before buying the ice cream, he considered the price, the flavor, and if she will be satisfied after consuming the product. The same thing goes for person B. She also said that she considered the product price, flavor, and her satisfaction afterwards.When asked how they evaluated these alternatives, they said that they just look at the product and the information that comes with it. In this case, the buying behavior of the consumers is influenced by the product’s features. The purchase intention is the consumer’s want to purchase her most preferred kind of the product (Kotler, 1999). Person B said that in deciding what flavor of ice cream to buy, she just looks at the flavors and recalls about her experiences about these flavors. Person A answered just the same as Person B. Person A said that she chose vanilla because it is her personal favorite.Person B said that she is in the mood for chocolate that is why she chose that particular flavor. In this case, factors that influenced the buying behavior of the consumers are experience, personal choice, and mood/emotion. Post purchase behavior is like the evaluation of the consumer after purchasing the product or a service (Kotler, 1999). In the end, the consumer can be satisfied or dissatisfied. When aske d about describing their level of satisfaction, both interviewees answered that their level of satisfaction is high and that they were both satisfied. Why?Because the outcome of their purchase met their expectations. Many other factors might have affected the buying behavior of the two consumers. Demographics might have also contributed on the purchase of the ice cream. Since there are 3 ice cream parlors in located near the consumers’ place, demographics might also have affected their purchase. If there are no ice cream parlors in the place, they may not be able to purchase ice cream. Reference: Kotler, P. (1999). Principles of marketing. Retrieved April 30, 2007, 2007, from http//:cas. uah. edu/berkowd/webpage/MKT600/KOTCHA05. PPT

How Their Life Influenced Their Poetry

Maya Angelou’s poetry was influenced by the many things that Maya did and had gone through in her life. Mayas depressing and sad childhood also influenced her by creating inspiring poems. Maya had gone through a lot in her in her life when she was young. This helped her write her thoughtful and interesting poems. A poem that was influenced by Mayas life is â€Å"Still I Rise†. Slavery, racism, and discrimination in the poet’s life influenced this poem. â€Å"Leaving behind nights of terrors and fears I rise.Bringing the gift that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and hope of the slaves. † This quote shows you that Maya had a tough time in her life. Maya when she was younger was sent back to live with her mother after her parents divorce and was rapped by her mother’s boyfriend. Several of Mayas uncles murdered her mother’s boyfriend and after this catastrophe Maya didn’t talk much. What helped her escape that loneliness and depressing life was writing poetry. Maya would express her feelings all into a piece of paper and make it into poetry.That’s what helped Maya rise. â€Å"Still I Rise† is a great poem. It shows how strong and brave she was. Angelou wrote this poem expressing that people can say or do what ever they want but you are still going to rise. In other words people can try to hurt you but if you’re proud of your self and proud of whom you are then that will help people back off because they know and can sense that nothing can bring you down. A poem called â€Å"Our Grandmothers† is also a poem that was really influenced by discrimination and racism in Mayas life.Angelou used to be discriminated because of her color and race. Being separated from her mother at such a young age and with a lot of racism going around at that time influenced Maya to write â€Å"Our Grandmothers†. In the poem a woman named Momma is going to be sold by the master away from her children. But Momma tells her children to be strong and say â€Å"I shall not be moved†. My opinion is that the theme of the poem is that no matter who you are, where you come from, or what color or religious you are you are all the same.Everyone is unique and special in their own way. Just because you’re a different color then someone else it doesn’t mean that you have to mistreat or be mean to them. Last but not least is â€Å"Phenomenal†. This poem was influenced by her confidence in life. â€Å"Now you understand just why my head’s not bowed, I don’t shout or jump about or have to talk real loud, when you see me passing it ought to make you proud†. This means that you don’t have to act all crazy, dress up, act up or anything just for people to notice. You should be confident and just be yourself.Being confident will help you get far in life. For example Maya is very confident and she has done a lot of great things in her life. Being con fident and being who she is not acting like someone else helped her achieve it. When Maya Angelou was younger, she loved to work in her grandmother’s store. She loved everything about it and working in the store is what practically made her such a hard worker. Since she was used to working so hard in the store when she grew up most of the things were mostly a piece of cake for her because she was used to it.Also because of Mayas hard work, Maya has achieved a lot of great things in her life. Especially maintaining a baby at a young age by her self before she even graduated from high school. Maya has reached a lot of goals and has accomplished a lot of her dreams because of all the hard work she has done. Maya Angelou is a very lucky woman. She has had an opportunity to become famous and publish her poems into a book. Maya even had the opportunity to write a poem for Clinton who asked her to write one just for the occasion.Maya is an African- American woman that people can lea rn a lot from. Maya Angelou is a very phenomenal and intelligent woman. All of these poems were influenced by Mayas life. Maya has been through out a lot in her life. She is such an incredible poet and woman. She’s so elegant and intelligent. Her intelligence is also what helped her be everything she was and is today. Maya is the poet I chose because of the way she expresses herself in her poems also because of the way Maya makes her poetry sound so interesting and understandable. Throughout her life, she influenced her poems.

Charter of Fundamental Rights Marks Coming of Age for EU As a Essay

Charter of Fundamental Rights Marks Coming of Age for EU As a Political Community - Essay Example But EU is a work in progress and, having been done with the tasks of border control and economic integration, it is time to move on to the more difficult areas, which assume social and political dimensions. These include home affairs, immigration, defense - and human rights. European states are regularly mentioned in the annual report of Amnesty International for human rights violations, although there is supposed to be a European Convention on Human Rights that regulates and controls these unwanted activities. This area of concern was the focus of attention at the EU Summit in June 1999, in which it was later decided that a new, more enforceable regional law on human rights is necessary to cap the Union's transformation from an economic organization to a political entity. When the EU members were collectively known as the Little Europe, the focus of attention were coal and steel and, later, the Common Market. This contributed immensely to the region's economic stability into the 1960s. As Menendez (2001) observed: "The Coal and Steel Community was a modest step but one that provided reassurance to economic actors and thus established the foundations for sustained economic recovery. There is thus a basis to argue that European integration contributed indirectly to the extensive protection of socio-economic rights within welfare states." That EU was more That EU was more preoccupied with socio-economic than political concerns at the start may be gleaned from the text of the original treaties establishing the European communities, which made only passing references to fundamental rights. This can be found only in the EC Treaty, specifically its Preamble, which acknowledges the organization's commitment "to preserve and strengthen peace and liberty." Article 119 of the Treaty also sets the principle of equal pay for equal work for men and women. . Even the subsequent Paris and Rome Treaties gave the same passing attention to fundamental rights and instead concentrated on integration and how to deal with economic issues. By thus omitting to articulate the tenets of fundamental rights, EC appeared to be emphasizing the nature of the organization. The limited reference to rights in the primary law of the Communities seems to be a fact beyond dispute. However, this should not necessarily lead to the conclusion that the then Little Europe was not about "rights." As Menendez (2001) saw it, rights remained one of the main goals of the project, if not the main one. On the drive for integration, for example, the actual path set for European integration implied an option for a different strategy of ensuring the protection of human rights. The preconditions for the protection of civic, social and political rights in Europe were established based on the region's unique historical and socio-economic context. This came about after the European Court of Justice reconsidered its earlier position that the basic rights and freedoms in EU member states ought to be protected by national constitutions. In 1969 Stauderl (19), the ECJ cited the general though unwritten principle of fundamental rights protection as a basic foundation of Community law. This shift in EU jurisprudence was further articulated in Internationale (20), when the Court restated that

Events Impact and Events Stakeholder Management Essay

Events Impact and Events Stakeholder Management - Essay Example According to the research findings, there are several types of events and they are primarily differentiated by their scope and function, they range from low-key corporate ones to highly publicized product launches and advertising campaigns to sporting activities such as the FIFA world cup and the Olympics. Additionally, there are cultural events specific to particular cultures and societies, at the extreme high of events there are festivals, which are essentially mega-events that involve hundreds, sometimes thousands and last for days on end. Events, however, do not happen in the abstract, they require substantial resources in the form of labor capital and land, like every other industry they also have a set of impacts that result from their occurrence. These impacts can be either positive or negative, in many instances, events bring about social and cultural integration as well as economic progress especially those designed to promote tourism such as culture festival. The event indu stry employs thousands of people in varies capacities and this creation of employment is a major positive impact of the same. Notwithstanding, there are several negative impacts resulting from events, the main ones include environmental degradation as well as cultural interference and economic imbalances. Given the complexities that are involved in event planning and management, the stakeholder's event managers are often faced with a challenging task in their attempt to coordinate all the activities and resources necessary to bring an event to a successful conclusion. The stakeholders involved in any event may include; organizer, employee’s service and catering providers, emergency services, and secure transport and media staff as well as the members of the public who have attended the particular event.

2014 FOMC Meetings Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

2014 FOMC Meetings - Essay Example After discussion and questions from the Bank presidents, the report is then ratified. The next stage is board’s staff representation where the board’s director gives a forecast; it is discussed and the bank presidents raise questions where necessary. Bank presidents then provide an overview of the economic conditions in their areas followed by the governors giving their national outlook. Agenda number two is about the monetary policy and domestic policy directives. Board Director of Monetary Affairs Division outlines different scenarios of the monetary policy, participants’ discuss them and then the chairperson summarizes and proposes any wordings to be made in the policy statements. Next, the participants have their lunch as they present the latest developments in Congress on the banking legislations of importance to the Federal Reserve. At exactly 2.15 p.m., an announcement is made regarding any change in the discount and federal funds rates. The announcement is made as a promotion to openness in banking. When FOMC meeting ends, the Chair of Fe deral Reserve gives a press statement to give out the decisions made. The January press statement shows some improvement in economic activities as well as improved labor markets. Unemployment rates have reduced, and there is an increasing household spending trend. Business investments have also improved which is believed to have stimulated the improved economic activities. The existing fiscal policy is seen to be pulling down economic activities, but it is losing its strength with time. With reduced unemployment rates, the committee sees a risk of inflation though it will be maintained at the committee’s objective of 2%. In the statement, the committee confirms that the target rate for the funds will remain to be 0 to 1/4 percent if the unemployment rate will stay 6-1/2 percent. However, the inflation rate is expected to be above the committee’s objective

Will the Mexican car company, Mastretta, ever reach the reputation Essay

Will the Mexican car company, Mastretta, ever reach the reputation that the current top car companies receive - Essay Example The report is due by the end of this month. 2.0 Procedure Comprehensive secondary research has been carried out to explore the issue and find relevant solutions for the same. The resources that have been mainly consulted are consumer brand awareness reports of the automobile industry and also reports pertaining to the automobile industry of Mexican automobile industry. 3.0 Findings 3.1 Industry Outlook Similar to the discovery of airplanes, the materialization of automobiles has a profound impact on the everyday life of human beings. The automobile industry is critical constituent in the fabric of global economy (Kazmi 6). The global automobile industry enormously contributes to the wealth and health of millions of inhabitants of the world. Hence, it is important that the automotive sector retain its innovative edge and competitiveness. It has been found that the auto manufacturing industry is highly labour intensive and capital. Some of the major costs associated with manufacturing and marketing of the automobile products are labour cost, cost of procuring raw materials and cost associated with advertisement and distribution. A large proportion of the industry is driven by revenues generated from selling of automobiles. However, the equipments and parts market also offer lucrative opportunities to the players. In the North American market, the industry is principally dominated by three major players namely Ford Motor Co., General Motors and Chrysler. In addition, the foreign players such as Honda Motor Co and Toyota Motor Co are other major players (General Motors, â€Å"Annual Report: Financial Highlights†) According to several industry analysts, the automobile industry depends heavily on the tastes and trends of consumers (Adair 6-10). Although, a large segment of the overall sales of automobiles generates from the business to business selling and car renting companies, but the end consumer always has the highest priority as they are the one who drive the growth and progression of the industry (Bhushan and Rai 12-18). Another vital caveat for analyzing an automobile company is the intentions of the company pertaining to their planning and redesign. In this rapidly changing business environment companies, irrespective of the nature and business line are continuously trying to bring changes into their system of operation and product design. As a result of that, it is noticed that every year companies come up with either a new car or modify their existing car. These changes have massive impact on the success or failure of a company as consumers are directly influenced by it. In addition, there are certain other factors such as the price; the variation of models as well as the status it reflects in the social world is also a major factor (Hicks 14-21). Therefore, the discussion makes it evident that there are several factors responsible for the success of an automobile company as well as for gaining reputation in the market. In the context of the automotive industry of Mexico, it is characterized by steady growth and high potential. The industry accounts for 3.6% of the overall GDP of the country and is growing at a steady pace (Esenaro, â€Å"Luxury Car Manufacturing on A Roll in Mexico†). Despite the economic crisis, where majority of automobile players were seriously affected, and resulted in minimization of various expenditures, have once again occupied the emblematic position in the national economy of the country. As of latest figures the country ranks among the top 10 car manufacturing countries of the world. Figure 1 –

Child Care Care for Babies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Child Care Care for Babies - Essay Example They are not comfortable with the idea of two caregivers having to attend a minimum of ten babies at the same time. Thinking of the direct relationship between the baby's mood swings and a caregiver's mood swings makes them forecast possibility of a caregiver's outburst of frustrations and inability to fulfill task. The scene just can't be concluded yet if all of the ten babies will cry at the same time. The couple needs to work and they are only able to do that when they are secure in their knowledge that their children are safe and in good hands. It will be unwise or unfair to expect a clone of the parent. However we can respond to the worries by convincing them that the caregiver is a decent and kind individual. To give them a good outlook of the care the center is providing they will be given an opportunity to interview the caregivers at a preset time to satisfy their parent's instincts. In this way the parents will be able to personally describe the routines of the baby and caring schemes for their child apart from what was listed in the enrolment form. The act will give them comfort that they have personally clarified in detail the baby's management and care in question.

Static vs. Dynamic XML queries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Static vs. Dynamic XML queries - Essay Example It enables data transfer from virtual or real documents in the wide world web to or from databases providing an interaction that is much needed. A static XML query is concerned with the retrieval of information and updating the node contents. It does not involve any other changes to the structure of the document (OLTEANU 2004). A dynamic XML query not only retrieves information and updates the content of the document in question; it also inserts new nodes while at the same time deleting the existing nodes often resulting in a change in the document structure. There has been a surge in the need for XML updates thanks to the growing preference for XML as a data exchange format. A labeling scheme supporting solely static XML queries is not enough for XML to become a general standard for data representation and exchange; a labeling scheme that effectively supports dynamic XML trees is also necessary (BEHRENDS 2007). However, dynamic queries are problematic and difficult to handle because they are require the updating of the labels of many nodes simultaneously with the updating of the original XML document to preserve the efficiency of the labeling scheme. GROPPE, J. (2008). Speeding up XML querying satisfiability test & containment test of XPath queries in the presence of XML schema definitions. LuÃÅ'ˆbeck, University, Diss.,

The analysis of the play Los Vendidos by Luis Valdez Research Paper

The analysis of the play Los Vendidos by Luis Valdez - Research Paper Example The treatment of immigrants is surely different in every part of the world. A few welcome the new comers while mostly welcome them by taunts, sarcastic remarks, laughter, irony, and amusement. This becomes quiet irritating for the people who are already new in a certain setup, environment and people. The best behavior of the neighbors adds to their annoyance and frustration. It is not that they do not respect the cultures and the traditions around; it’s just that they need time to settle and get accustomed to the rituals. Most of the people, of the threat of being discriminated, try to change their nationality and identity. The past which they tend to forget is the most threatening thing for them and for their culture. They try to eradicate themselves as the citizens of their previous land and try to make new identities by merging into the society. This is a great threat to all the cultures and civilizations. However, the people who refuse to amalgamate in a new costume always are the target of the degradation and humiliation and that is what makes their refusal and resistance more powerful. (Velazquez, 1997). If the heritage and the culture are lost then there is nothing left either for them or for their children to claim any hierarchy or property or values, ethics or traditions. 2.2 The ways that Los Vendidos reveals the problem: The one-act play Los Vendidos reveals the truth and the facts within our society. The racism though is everywhere yet is always denied. Valdez portrays the behavior of

Project Risk Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Project Risk Management - Assignment Example Project description The new intranet communication system is computer based and it helps to link different departments within the company. This has been necessitated by the fact that the company’s operations have been negatively impacted by poor communication systems. Poor coordination between different departments has led to poor products which do not meet the needs of the customers. This project is anticipated to take six months in order for the new system to be fully operational. Project scope and objectives The scope of the project is to revamp the communication system of Furniture World in order to improve its communication system. The broad objective of the project is to improve the effectiveness of communication among employees so that they pull their efforts towards the attainment of the same goals. The other objective is to improve coordination among the employees so that they are aware of their role expectations. This can significantly contribute to improvement of th e products manufactured. Project overview Basically, a project can be described as a series of linked activities that are carried by an organisation and they are aimed at achieving a specific objective (Hellriegel, 2001). In this case, the aim of the project is to computerise the communication system of Furniture world. ... There is also need to develop software that supports the intranet communication system and there is need to train the human resources to use the new system. The budget for this particular project is set at $2 000Â  000 and it is expected to be completed in six months. Probable risks and their impacts According to Yeates & Cadle (1996), risk in project management is inevitable and it has to be taken into consideration when implementing a project in order for it to be a success. This assertion is also supported by Morris (2008) who posits to the effect that some situations are unavoidable due to uncertainties that may be encountered in the environment in which the organisation operates. In this case the following risks are expected to be encountered during the implementation of the project. Budget constraints are likely to be encountered since there may be need to hire more human resources in the implementation of this project. Jones (2007) posits to the effect that financial risks ar e a major threat to the implementation of any given project since it may fail to reach its objectives. The source of this risk is mainly as a result of poor project management. Resistance to change by the employees is another risk that is likely to affect this project. According to Werner (2003), resistance to change is mainly a result of general fear for the unknown or lack of information about the new initiative among the employees. This can derail the project according to (Rossouw et al, 2003). The other risk is related to lack of technical knowledge among the people involved in the implementation of the project. According to Waring & Glendon (1998), lack of knowledge about a particular project is a risk that may affect its

Financial circumstances Essay Example for Free

Financial circumstances Essay The company was a well growing established retailer industry in the market, how ever due to the scandal charges against Wickes. This caused a lot damage to company itself, it gave Wickes a bad status in the market and also they were black listed which meant that the company had a poor financial history so therefore in the future they will be refused on credit products and any other kind of financial circumstances. On the same day the company got black listed which was on the 25th June 1996, the announcement of the scandal was exposed to the public. The announcement of the scandal instantaneously affected the companys market value to 150 million pound and the stock was suspended from London market trading. So in order for Wickes to operate the business back to the way it was they refurbished its corporate management and also made emends with any shareholders and suppliers they had. This took the company a good two years of hard development. Bye the end of 1998 the companys profits increased by 653 million pound so therefore sales rise by 27%. They instituted three new stores and redesigned locations to include ornamental and garden commodities. The fraud scandal could have been preventable in many ways, Wickes became aware of this incident when scandal exteriors and auditors thoroughly checked the books and notice the major extensive changes. How ever this could have been notice at an early stage. Wickes could carry out monthly or yearly check ups on transactions account to notice any changes or misappropriate mistakes occurred in the business. Wickes could employee internal audit; internal audit will improve the function of the organisation and consulting action which will be intended to add value to the business, along side meeting the companys objectives. The organisations objectives will be achieved by bringing an efficient approach to evaluate and develop the efficiency of risk management, control and governance processes. Although to bring in an internal audit to check the operation of the business yearly will be expensive. In my opinion I personally think that Wickes will be able to pay for the expense of an internal audit as they are a fast established business which creates good profit. This will be beneficial for the business as a whole. Another suggestion to prevent the scandal could be to have good ethics and standards in place. The following charges which were made on the defendant were producing false statement and giving false information to the auditor (Arthur Andersen), so therefore Wickes could locate a system which contains a principle of governing morality and acceptable conduct. They could do this by producing a code of ethics which all the employees will have to fallow and can not be broken. Therefore the company will have strict rules and have control over their employees. This will help the business to be safe and prevent employee misbehaviour. An additional idea is to direct different position to different individuals; Henry Sweetbaum was the companys former chairman and chief executive. So therefore Wickes could have given two individuals them to positions instead of just giving it to one individual. If they were two individuals directed for them positions then they would have had an inter link with one another jobs and would have been aware of what each one is undertaking. So therefore I personally think that the incident of the scandal would have occurred earlier than later if the former chairman and chief executive roles were given to two individual instead of just one. In conclusion I personally think that the fraud scandal which arose in 1996 for Wickes was a huge turn around for the company and now due to this incident they will be more careful now in the future. Wickes will be more alert and aware of how to minimise the risks and the prospect which occur in a scandal. Referencing  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/htmlContent.jhtml?html=/archive/1996/10/17/cwick17.html

Shipping companies listed on New Yorks Stock Exchange

Shipping companies listed on New Yorks Stock Exchange This study was based on 21 shipping companies listed in New York Stock Exchange, over the period of 2005 to 2009. On the table below the selected shipping companies are shown. Shipping Companies listed in the New York Stock Exchange DIANA SHIPPING INC NAVIOS MARITIME HOLDINGS INC 3 SAFE BULKERS INC 4 GENCO SHIPPING TRADING LIMITED 5 TEEKAY CORPORATION 6 TSAKOS ENERGY NAVIGATION LIMITED 7 EXCEL MARITIME CARRIERS LTD 8 DANAOS CORPORATION 9 AEGEAN MARINE PETROLEUM NETWORK INCORPORATION 10 FRONTLINE LIMITED 11 SEACOR HOLDINGS INCORPORATED 12 NORDIC TANKERS 13 GLOBAL SHIP LEASE INCORPORATION 14 GENERAL MARITIME CORPORATION 15 SEASPAN CORPORATION 16 SHIP FINANCE INTERNATIONAL LIMITED 17 KIRBY CORPORATION 18 OVERSEAS SHIPHOLDING GROUP, INC 19 DHT MARITIME INCORPORATION 20 INTERNATIONAL SHIPHOLDING CORPORATION 21 TIDEWATER INC This paper seeks to examine the relationship among three corporate governance mechanisms (board composition, chief executive status and audit committee) and some firm performance measures (return on investment capital, return on equity, Return on Assets and Current Ratio). Also, the essay examines the relationship among these three corporate governance mechanisms and the operating performance (Net Sales to Operating Cost) of the corporations. Part 1 Corporate Governance Corporate governance is the set of processes, customs, policies, laws, and institutions affecting the way a corporation (or company) is directed, administered or controlled with the objective to enhance shareholders wealth. Corporate governance also includes the relationships among the stakeholders involved and the goals by which the corporation is governed. It is supposed that better corporate governance leads to better corporate performance by preventing the expropriation of controlling shareholders and ensuring better decision-making. Corporate governance is a priority along with financial indicators when evaluating investment decisions according to investors. The majority of them are prepared to pay a premium for companies having high governance standards. On the opposite, there are also bad forms of corporate governance that lead corporations to problems. Good corporate governance is considered to be a fundamental necessity to run a firm successfully. Moreover corporate governance is a process which can ensure growth for a firm and the economy in general. Most of the selected shipping companies are foreign private issuers established in Marshal or Bermuda islands. The minority of the selected companies are U.S corporations. Consequently most of them are not required to comply with the corporate governance practices followed by U.S. companies following the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) listing standards. However, they are required to state any significant differences between their corporate governance practices and the practices required by the NYSE according to Section 303.A.11 of the NYSE Listed Company Manual.  Furthermore almost every chosen shipping company adopts NYSE required practices, such as having a majority of independent directors, establishing audit and compensation and nominating committees as well as adopting a Code of Ethics.   NYSE requires companies to adopt and disclose corporate governance guidelines.   The guidelines should address to the director qualification standards, the director responsibilities, the director access to management and independent advisers, the director compensation, the director orientation and continuing education, management succession as well as an annual performance evaluation. However,   most of the shipping companies trade in NYSE are not obliged to comply with these rules due to that they are foreign private issuers as well as most of them are offshore. For these companies there is no obligation of complying with any corporate governance guidelines or code of ethics. Shareholders can be informed via the annual reports and Code of Ethics, both of which have been publicly filed by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission available on the companies web-sites. Corporate governance guidelines and shipping companies intend to publish an overview of the Companys gu iding principles which focuses on social issues. This Code cannot cover every applicable law or provide answers to all questions that may arise but it can set out general principles about an organization belief on matters such as mission, quality, conflicts of interest, internal reporting, privacy or the environment. Furthermore, it may define proper procedures to determine whether a violation of the code of ethics has occurred. Code of ethics and corporate social responsibility is a neglected issue in the shipping industry. Traditionally there is no reason for the shipping companies to invest in advertising or in any other activity that could improve their image. Consequently the main goal of the management of a shipping company is to attract as many as possible new clients. Any characteristic that can improve the reputation of the company is not a priority for the managers of a shipping company. Many years have passed and shipping companies were not obliged to follow some rules of social responsibilities. Fortunately, the last decade various regulations have been imposed to the operation of a shipping company, although the control mechanisms were not always efficient. Board of Directors An important aspect that influences the corporate governance is the board of directors. The board of directors plays an important role to the company operation. It oversees top management and is entrusted with the responsibility of monitoring and supervising the company resources and operation. Moreover, it undertakes the obligation of appointing a qualified person as the Chief Executive Officer and other management staff. Therefore, the board is seen as a team of individuals with fiduciary responsibilities of leading and directing a firm, with the primary objective of protecting the shareholders interests with high sense of integrity and commitment to the firm. The role of the Board is significant in designing efficient corporate monitoring and ratification mechanisms. With respect to reducing agency costs at the Board level, Boards of directors have three key decision rights: (1) Monitoring (2) Ratification (3) Reward and punishment rights. They may even remove top managers from their positions and sanction them for their decisions. NYSE rules require the size of the board of directors not to be smaller than three members. As it can be observed by the survey the size of the board of directors of the sample is between five and seven members. Although there are some shipping companies that have more than seven members in the board and some others that have less than five members. It can be concluded that the majority of the board members in the board of directors are outside directors (member of a company board of directors who is not an employee or stakeholder in the company). The role of independent directors on the board of directors is to effectively monitor and control firm activities in reducing opportunistic managerial behaviors and expropriation of firm resources. The majority of the board members are outsiders for most of the companies; some of them use relatives as well as acquaintances as board members. This indicates a tendency for the shipping companies to be governed by a closed team of people. In accordance to NYSE rules the board should have audit, compensation, and nominating committees made up entirely by outside directors. Almost all of them are consisted by the three obligatory committees opposed to the majority of the selected shipping companies that do not have the obligation to comply with the NYSE rules. The role of these committees is significant; they are assigned to evaluate the board The role of the Audit Committee The purpose of the Audit Committee is to: Monitor the integrity of the firm financial statements. Monitor the qualifications, independence and performance of the company independent auditors. Monitor the performance of the company internal audit function. The audit committee ensures that the books of the company are not fake and that shareholders are properly informed of the financial status of the firm. In this essay it is made an effort to examine the importance of the audit committee in shipping companies listed in the New York Stock Exchange. NYSE requires from a listed U.S. company to have an audit committee with a minimum of three members. But it is permitted by Rule 10A-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that audit committees of foreign companies can have less than three independent members in the audit committee. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Status The Chief Executive Officer position and the whole management team is an important position to hold in a corporation. They are responsible for Operating the firm in an effective way. Preparing the annual operating plans and budgets. Establishing an effective system of internal control. In this essay it is examined the role of the Chief executive officer (CEO) in the shipping companies. There are two types of leadership structure i.e. combined leadership structure and separated structure. Combined leadership structure happens when the CEO is also the chairman of the board. On the other hand separated leadership structure takes place when the Chairman of the board is a different person from the CEO. Many studies identifying the implications of CEO duality exist. It is thought that the operating performance may be improved as a result of less debate among the CEO and chairman and/or other directors. From the sample of the shipping companies that it was taken a significant tendency cannot be provided. In some of the shipping companies the CEO is also the chairman of the board while in others is not. Part 2 Methodology The aim of this research is to figure out if the corporate governance mechanisms have an effect on firm performance. Therefore, the measurement of firm performance is primarily comprised of two factors: operating and financial performance. The data used for this research were extracted from the audited financial statements of 21 shipping companies listed in the New York Stock Exchange. The survey covers the time period through 2005 2009. The sample consists of the annual observations for the board size of every company, for the CEO status and for the size of the audit committee of every shipping company. The aim of the research is to find if these corporate governance mechanisms influence the operating and financial performance ratios. Consequently regression models have been constructed in order to prove the association between the corporation governance in operating and financial performance. Microsoft Excel and the statistical package Eviews were used so as to collect the data run the appropriate regressions and identify the results. Moreover except from the companies annual reports a lot of information was extracted through the Thomson Database. In the end panel data methodology was adopted because it combined time series and cross sectional data. The method of analysis is that of multiple regressions and the method of estimation is Ordinary Least Squares (OLS). By running the appropriate regressions via Eviews and by using Return on equity and the profit margin as the dependent variables, the results were considered inadequate. Consequently it was considered integral to proceed to further research. That is why the below financial ratios were used as dependent variables. For the financial performance: Return on equity ratio: Profitability ratio, it can indicate the management effectiveness Return on assets ratio: Profitability ratio, it can also indicate the management effectiveness Return on investment capital ratio: Profitability ratio, it can also indicate the management effectiveness Current ratio: liquidity  ratio Finally in order to measure the operating performance: The above formulas contributed on calculating the ratios of the shipping companies for the time period of 2005 2009. Moreover, many independent variables were used to define the most accurate and specifically those that would give some results. Consequently as independent variables are defined the above: Out_Board = the proportion of the independent directors over the total directors. CEO = if the same person occupies the post of the chairman of the board and the Chief executive is defined by valuing with zero, otherwise value with one. Audcom1 = the proportion of the audit committee. In the end in order to run the regression, the economic models should be defined. For the return on equity: For the return on assets For the return on investment capital For the current ratio So as to measure the operating performance of the shipping companies the above economic model was used. Furthermore the above parameters should be defined. ÃŽÂ ²o:Constant term ÃŽÂ ²1:Coefficient of the regression ÃŽÂ ²2: Coefficient of the regression ÃŽÂ ²3: Coefficient of the regression eit: Disturbance term Empirical Results and Discussion It is important to mention some important data before continuing to comment on the outputs of the regression. First of all the regression outputs will be tested for all the three confidence intervals 90%,95% and 99%. In order to have a statistical significant output the t statistic has to be greater than 1.64, 1.96 and 2.576 respectively. Moreover so as to have a statistically significant variable the p value has to be less than 0,1 , 0.05 and 0.01 respectively. As it can be observed from the table below, the three independent variables are statistically insignificant because the t statistics are lower than the critical values. Moreover it can be confirmed because all the p values are greater than the level of significance. Dependent Variable: ROE Method: Panel Least Squares Total panel (unbalanced) observations: 99 Variable Coefficient Std. Error t-Statistic Prob. OUT_BOARD -0.00683 0.552604 -0.01236 0.9902 CEO 0.017437 0.17098 0.101982 0.919 AUDCOM1 -0.002796 0.101423 -0.027571 0.9781 C 0.18661 0.529641 0.352334 0.7254 R-squared 0.000114 Adjusted R-squared -0.031461 F-statistic 0.003613 Prob(F-statistic) 0.999698 S.E. of regression 0.791347 Dependent Variable: ROA Method: Panel Least Squares Total panel (unbalanced) observations: 99 Variable Coefficient Std. Error t-Statistic Prob. OUT_BOARD -0.095721 0.061678 -1.551956 0.124 CEO -0.032232 0.019084 -1.688972 0.0945 AUDCOM1 0.009389 0.01132 0.829387 0.409 C 0.140099 0.059115 2.369954 0.0198 R-squared 0.078318 Adjusted R-squared 0.049212 F-statistic 2.690791 Prob(F-statistic) 0.050602 S.E. of regression 0.088325 Dependent Variable: ROA Method: Panel Least Squares Total panel (unbalanced) observations: 99 Variable Coefficient Std. Error t-Statistic Prob. OUT_BOARD -0.104552 0.060653 -1.723773 0.088 CEO -0.028425 0.018493 -1.537033 0.1276 C 0.171387 0.045439 3.771807 0.0003 R-squared 0.071644 Adjusted R-squared 0.052303 F-statistic 3.704289 Prob(F-statistic) 0.028204 S.E. of regression 0.088181 It is evident from the tables above that there is a correlation between return on assets and the independent variables. On the first table it can be observed that the CEO independent variable is statistically significant on 10% confidence interval. Also R- Squared is 7.16% of the variability of the return on assets and is explained by the regression. On the second table one independent variable is excluded from the regression in order to prove that the proportion of the outside directors over the total number of the board is also statistically significant at the 90% confidence interval. It is evident that these two variables influence the financial performance of the shipping companies that are selected in the sample. On the table below it is shown the regression output between the return on investment capital and the independent variables. It can be observed that the proportion of the outside directors and the CEO are statistically significant on the 90% confidence interval. It implies that the majority of the sampled firms, in the period under study, have separate persons occupying the posts of chief executive and the board chair. Dependent Variable: ROIC Total panel (unbalanced) observations: 97 Method: Panel Least Squares Variable Coefficient Std. Error t-Statistic Prob. OUT_BOARD -0.108758 0.062348 -1.744367 0.0844 CEO -0.031869 0.019189 -1.660741 0.1001 AUDCOM1 0.00542 0.011377 0.476405 0.6349 C 0.199476 0.059341 3.361532 0.0011 R-squared 0.081182 Adjusted R-squared 0.051542 F-statistic 2.738981 Prob(F-statistic) 0.047783 S.E. of regression 0.088251 Dependent Variable: CURRENT_RATIO Method: Panel Least Squares Total panel (unbalanced) observations: 99 Variable Coefficient Std. Error t-Statistic OUT_BOARD 0.554821 1.498786 0.37018 CEO -0.636588 0.463736 -1.372737 AUDCOM1 0.538569 0.275082 1.95785 C 0.954122 1.436504 0.664197 R-squared 0.047648 Adjusted R-squared 0.017574 F-statistic 1.584356 Prob(F-statistic) 0.198271 S.E. of regression 2.146311 Another ratio so as to observe the financial performance of a company is the current ratio. By running a regression it can be concluded that the audit committee size is statistically significant at a 90% and 95% confidence interval. Because of the different financial performance ratio it can be observed a different correlation between the dependent and the independent variable. On the particular output the positive relationship between the liquidity ratio and the audit committee seems to be a very reasonable result. Shipping companies follow the corporate governance guidelines which are given by the NYSE for the audit committees. In the end a regression was run for the operating performance of the shipping companies. On the table below it is shown that the proportion of the outside directors is statistically significant at 90% confidence interval with t statistic greater than the critical values. Also it is shown that the audit committee variable is also statistically significant for all the confidence intervals. But the R squared of the output is very low which means that only the 8.76% of the variability of the dependent variable is explained. Dependent Variable: OPER_PERF Method: Panel Least Squares Total panel (unbalanced) observations: 99 Variable Coefficient Std. Error t-Statistic Prob. OUT_BOARD -0.951585 0.50254 -1.893552 0.0613 CEO 0.083654 0.15549 0.538005 0.5918 AUDCOM1 -0.23875 0.092234 -2.588514 0.0112 C 3.109729 0.481657 6.456321 0 R-squared 0.087671 Adjusted R-squared 0.05886 F-statistic 3.043024 Prob(F-statistic) 0.032629 S.E. of regression 0.719653 Descriptive statistics The table below presents the result of the descriptive statistics analysis between the dependent variables and the independent variables by measuring the mean, the standard deviation and the percentage of distribution range of the pooled years of the sample under study. Descriptive Statistics Oper_Perf Roa Roe Roic Cur_ratio Out_Board CEO AUDCOM1 Mean 1.741854 0.078202 0.18183 0.11603 3.243112 0.762211 0.474747 2.808081 Median 1.527139 0.072055 0.156449 0.110134 1.86132 0.777778 0 3 Maximum 5.409894 0.513177 3.84573 0.368966 70.57955 1 1 5 Minimum 0.889839 -0.42841 -4.60062 -0.41285 0.1406 0.428571 0 1 Std. Dev. 0.737746 0.090581 0.779185 0.09045 7.100746 0.153031 0.501903 0.816623 Skewness 1.867152 -0.45139 -1.94635 -1.54254 8.614659 -0.20659 0.101139 0.250996 Kurtosis 8.233289 16.32647 24.76835 14.17857 81.7566 2.085215 1.010229 3.44567 Jarque-Bera 177.3846 735.9403 2017.183 549.1192 27351.86 4.156112 16.50043 1.858795 Probabil. 0 0 0 0 0 0.125173 0.000261 0.394791 Sum 179.411 7.741993 18.00119 11.3709 327.5543 75.45889 47 278 Sum Sq. D. 55.51539 0.804091 59.49867 0.793579 5042.06 2.295021 24.68687 65.35354 Observ. 103 99 99 98 101 99 99 99 As it can be referred from the table above the number of the observations is all close to the hundred. This is because some of the data were not available and could not be extracted from the financial reports. Moreover another reason of the lack of some data is that some of the shipping companies were listed in the New York Stock Exchange after 2005. Conclusion The aim of this essay was to prove that there is a relationship between corporate governance mechanisms and firm performance using a sample of 21 shipping companies which are listed in the New York Stock Exchange from 2005 until 2009. The study used firm performance ratios and three mechanisms to prove the above relationship. Panel data methodology is employed; the method of analysis is multiple regressions and the method of estimation is Ordinary Least Squares. The study concludes to the followings: There is no significant relationship between ROE and none of the independent variables. There is a significant relationship among ROA and CEO status and the proportion of the outside directors. There is significant relationship among ROIC, board composition and CEO status. There is a significant relationship between Current ratio and audit committee. And there is a significant relationship among operating performance, board composition and audit committee. Concerning future research, efforts should be made to increase the sample size and the corporate governance variables to achieve a clearer view about the affection of the corporate governance mechanisms on the shipping companies. It can be said that shipping industry has been expanded all over the world from family to family. It is a closed industry which excludes many people. Consequently the nature of the industry makes it very difficult to perform an in depth research and establish an outcome. References Web Sites http://www.investopedia.com/ http://en.wikipedia.org http://www.dianashippinginc.com Home page

The Philippine Is Rich In Natural Resources

The Philippine Is Rich In Natural Resources Current environmental laws consist of P.D No.984 entitled pollution control law that declaring policy to prevent, abate and control pollution of water, air and land for the more effective utilization of the resources of this country. The government was the one in charge to determine the location, magnitude, extent, severity, causes, effects and other pertinent information regarding pollution of the water, air and land resources of the country, and to issue orders or decisions to compel compliance with the provisions of the decree. The commission was the one who give issue, renew, or deny permits, under such conditions as it may determine to be reasonable, for the prevention and abatement of pollution, for the discharge of sewage, industrial waste, or for the installation or operation of sewage works and industrial disposal system. The commission, by rules and regulations, may require subdivisions, condominium, hospitals, public buildings and other similar human settlements to put up appropriate central sewage system and sewage treatment works, except that no permits shall be required of any new sewage works or changes to or extensions of existing works that discharge only domestic or sanitary wastes from a single residential building provided with septic tanks or their equivalent. The Commission may impose reasonable fees and charges for the issuance or renewal of all permits herein required For Presidential Decree 984 otherwise known as the Pollution Control Decree of 1978 is a national policy aimed to prevent, abate and control pollution of water, air and land for the more effective utilization of the resources of this country. In this Decree of 1978, the commission may conduct scientific experiments, investigations and research to discover economical and practical methods of preventing water, air and land pollution. Also, the commission may cooperate with any public or private agency in the conduct of such experiments, investigations and research for given any international, national or other public or private agency for water, air and land pollution control activities, surveys or program. The commission may secure such services as it, necessary from other agencies of the National Government, and they make arrangements for the compensation of such service. The commission may also employ and compensate, within appropriations available therefore, such consultants, exper ts, and advisers, or assistants on a full or part time basis, coming from the government or private entities ,to carry out the provisions of this decree and may prescribe their powers, duties and responsibilities. Under the P.D 1152 this is the policy for the various aspects of environmental management such as air and water quality management, natural source development, land and waste management. It provides a program to environmental protection and management, with reference to policies and standards of noise, air quality, water quality, classification of water and waste management. the P.D 1152 this is the policy for the various aspects of environmental management such as air and water quality management, natural source development, land and waste management. And for the R.A 1990 also known as the Toxic Substance and Hazardous and Nuclear Waste Control Act of 1990 regulating the important, use, movement, treatment and disposal of toxic chemicals and Hazardous and nuclear waste in the Philippines. Under P.D 856 Sanitation code for the solid waste management in his area of production can be places the responsibility in the local government units. Hotel and Tourism Management is affected by the current environmental laws in the Philippines, in previous effective wastewater treatment can prevent serious illness among guests and staff members, and limit the number of serious complaints from guests who become infected after drinking or swimming in polluted waters. It will also reduce the chance of cancellations from potential guests. Now, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Minimize wastewater discharge by reducing water use. Use biodegradable detergents and cleaning agents that are compatible with the wastewater treatment technology. Recycle paper products from the office for wrapping other items. Reuse treated graywater for washing floors, flushing toilets and irrigating gardens and golf courses. Separate waste at the source, rather than having to go through all the trash after it is collected. For example, provide containers for recyclables in guest rooms and compost bins in kitchen work areas. Because of the Environmental laws that government provide, Hotel and Tourism Management can provide also the best service to the hospitality industry which they are not allowed to built a business without permitted of the government. Under the decree of 1978 they have the commissions to cooperate with any public or private agency in the conduct of such experiments, investigations and research for given any international, national or other public or private agency for water, air and land pollution control activities, surveys or program. This is for the safety of the guest or tourist which is for the benefit of others. Hotel and Tourism Management can help improve the current environmental situation in the Philippines Environmental responsibility makes ecological sense, because keeping the environment pristine means that tourists will come to appreciate and enjoy the natural beauty of the location of your business. Increasingly, environmental responsibility also makes financial sense. Gone are the days when going green necessarily meant making large investments in expensive technology. Simple waste segregation, for example, can drastically reduce an island resorts expenses in transporting garbage off the island. Encouraging guests to follow simple steps, such as turning off lights and recycling water, could mean saving thousands on a resorts water bill. . Encourage staff to become involved in volunteer projects such as beach clean-ups and awareness campaigns. Educate guests as to how they can make a positive contribution to local biodiversity conservation efforts. Every business aims for long-term feasibility, and tourism based enterprises are no exception. A prime tourist attraction is a place that is full of life and abundance, a place where visitors can relax and feel that all is right with the world-a place they would pay hard-earned money to see and experience. Whether it means keeping the surroundings clean, making sure there is abundant water and electricity to use, or assuring guests of a nature experience they will not forget, maintaining a tourist destination means sustaining the life around it, and carrying out responsible operations that will make such sustenance possible. It takes only a few simple steps, the involvement and commitment of the people concerned, and a few adjustments in existing working and management systems to make environmental awareness a habit. Its a habit that is good for the soul, good for the community, good for Mother Nature-and happily, also good for business. Hotel and Tourism Management can improve the current situation of the environme nt in the Philippines by guiding the guest or tourist to become more efficient. Hotel and Tourism Management can help through orient the guest or tourist for them to know or understand the preservation of environment. To educate others, encouraging that environment is important. The conservation can enhance a places reputation among guests, other individuals and groups concerned about the environment. Supporting conservation efforts can generate positive publicity and improve relationships with local people and organizations. Hotel and Tourism Management can help improve the current situation in the Philippines by promoting the environment to become more clean and green, preserves the generation as the inspiration of mother nature. Hotel and Tourism Management can help the environment situation as a role model to our industry, to promote to others the need of our environment and for our everyday life.

Oil Spill Response Essay -- Nature Natural Oil Essays

Oil Spill Response Abstract This paper describes equipment and techniques for responding to oil spills. Various techniques for the containment, cleanup and recovery of oil spills are examined; advantages and disadvantages of each are considered. Along with providing insight for oil spill response, this paper discusses environmental factors which can contribute to the success or failure of a cleanup operation. Introduction: " Oil is the life blood of our modern industrial society. It fuels the machines and lubricates the wheels of the world’s production. But when that vital resource is out of control, it can destroy marine life and devastate the environment and economy of an entire region†¦. The plain facts are that the technology of oil-- its extraction, its transport, its refinery and use-- has outpaced laws to control that technology and prevent oil from polluting the environment†¦" (Max, 1969). Oil in its many forms has become one of the necessities of modern industrial life. Under control, and serving its intended purpose, oil is efficient, versatile, and productive. On the other hand, when oil becomes out of control, it can be one of the most devastating substances in the environment. When spilled in water, it spreads for miles around leaving a black memory behind (Stanley, 1969). Oil spills, no matter large or small, have long been of concern to pollution control authorities in this country. Due to its destructive nature, once an area has been contaminated by oil, the whole character of the environment is changed. When it has encountered something solid to cling to, whether it be a beach, a rock, the feathers of a duck or gull, or a bather’s hair, it does not readily let go (Stanley, 1969). By its nature o... ... Issues Resources Series 5 (61): 18-20. Max, N.E. 1969. Oil pollution and the law. Washington, D.C.: The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. National Research Council. 1989. Using oil pollution dispersants on the sea. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press. Nelson, A.N. 1971. Effects of oil on marine plants and animals. London: Institute of Petroleum. Peter Lane. 1995. The use of chemicals in oil spill response. MI: Ann Arbor. Robert, J.M. and Associates. 1989. Oil spill response guide. New Jersey: NOYES DATA Corporation. Stanley, E.D. 1969. Oil pollution: Problems and policies. Washington, D.C.: The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. Swift, W.H, . C.J. Touhill, W.L. Templeton, and D.P. Roseman. 1969. Oil spillage prevention, control, and restoration—state of the art and research needs. Washington, D.C.: The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc.

Inclusion Essay -- essays research papers

Within the past decades and a big discussion has occurred regarding the most appropriate setting within which to provide education for students in special education. Although the change in the educational environment is significant for handicapped student the concepts of inclusion also bring up new issues for the regular education classroom teachers. The movement toward full inclusion of special education students in general education setting has brought special education to a crossroad and stirred considerable debate on its future direction. Proponents of full inclusion argue that the needs of students in general education. Full inclusion is "an approach on which students who are disabled or at risk receive all instruction in a regular classroom setting" (Hardman, Drew, Egan, & Wolf, 1993). Those who are for inclusion claim that segregated programs are detrimental to students and do not meet the original goals for special education(). Recent analysis show a small to moderate beneficial effect of inclusion education on the academic and social outcome of special needs children. Those who support inclusion believe that the child always should begin in the regular environment and only be removed only when appropriate services cannot be provided in the regular classroom. Physical accommodations, sufficient personne l, staff development and technical assistance, and technical collaboration are all brought into the classroom to assist the special needs child in a regular classroom. Another study assessing the effectiveness of inclusion was done at John Hopkins University. In a school-wide restructuring program called, Success for All, student achievement was measured and several positive changes were noticed: a reduced fear of human differences accompanied by increases comfort and awareness, growth in social cognition, improvement in self- concept of non-disabled students, development of personal principles and ability to assume an advocacy role toward their peers and friends with disabilities, and warm and caring friendships. Inclusion is more effective when students with special need are placed in a general education classroom after adequate planning. Inclusion does not mean unilateral changes in student's placements without appropriate preparation. &n... ...assroom teacher. Teacher who collaborate must be honest and open about concerns and feelings. Collaborators must be willing to plan activities that ensure success. Involving students as peer helpers for students with disabilities is a very effective strategy. Teachers will need to model strategies for students and allow students to be involved in problem-solving sessions. Peer assistance and support can help nondisabled students build and maintain relationship with their disabled peers. Teachers must be willing to be a team player. The team must be willing to plan and work together on all issues, especially student behavior. Each team member must be prepared for his or her part of all planning and lesson responsibilities. Special Education Inclusion November 5, 2001 Katie Schultz Stout, WEAC's Director of Instruction and Professional Development Preparing for Inclusion: Involving Everyone in a Inclusion Classroom Setting Creative Educators at Work: All Children Including Those with Disabilities Can Play Traditional Classroom Games," by Donna Raschke, Ph.D., and Jodi Bronson, Ed.S., 1999 Kids Together, Inc. Colleen F. Tomko,1992http://www.kidstogether.org/inc-what.htm

Blood Promise Chapter Five

The rest of the trip passed uneventfully. Sydney never entirely lost that discomfort she seemed to have around me, but sometimes, while I was trying to figure out Russian television, she'd take the time to explain what was going on. There were some cultural differences between these shows and the ones we'd both grown up with, so we had that in common. Every once in a while, she'd crack a smile over something we both found funny, and I'd sense there was someone in there I could possibly be friends with. I knew there was no way I'd ever find a replacement for Lissa, but I think some part of me still longed to fill the void of friendship that had been opened up when I left her behind. Sydney napped throughout the day, and I began to think she was just an insomniac with bizarre sleep patterns. She also continued her equally odd treatment of food, hardly touching her meals. She always let me have the leftovers and was a bit more adventurous with Russian cuisine. I'd had to experiment when I first arrived, and it was nice to have the guidance of someone who, though not a local, knew a lot more about this country than me. On the third day of our trip, we arrived in Omsk. Omsk was a larger and prettier city than I'd expected of Siberia. Dimitri had always teased me that my images of Siberia looking like Antarctica were wrong, and I could tell that he was right-at least as far as the southern part of the region was concerned. The weather wasn't much different from what I'd have found in Montana this time of year, cool spring air occasionally warmed by sunshine. Sydney had told me when we got there, she'd get us a ride from some Moroi she knew. Several lived in the city, blending in with the large population. Yet as the day went on, we discovered a problem. No Moroi would take us to the village. Apparently, the road was dangerous. Strigoi often hung out near it at night, hoping to catch traveling Moroi or dhampirs. The more Sydney explained it, the more worried I became about my plan. Apparently, there weren't many Strigoi in Dimitri's town itself. According to her, they lurked on the town's periphery, but few lived out there permanently. If that was the case, my odds of finding Dimitri had dropped. Things got even worse as Sydney continued describing the situation. â€Å"A lot of Strigoi travel the country looking for victims, and the village is just an area they pass through,† she explained. â€Å"The road is kind of remote, so some Strigoi will stay for a while and try to get easy prey. Then they move on.† â€Å"In the U.S., Strigoi often hide in large cities,† I said uneasily. â€Å"They do that here too. It's easier for them to take victims without being noticed.† Yes, this definitely threw a wrench into my plans. If Dimitri wasn't residing in this town, I was going to have some serious problems. I'd known Strigoi liked big cities, but somehow, I'd convinced myself Dimitri would return to the place where he grew up. But if Dimitri wasn't there†¦ well, suddenly, the enormity of Siberia hit me. I'd learned Omsk wasn't even the biggest city in the region, and finding even one Strigoi here could be hard. Looking for him in any number of cities that might be larger? Things could get very, very ugly if my hunch proved wrong. Since setting out to find Dimitri, I'd occasionally had weak moments in which I half-hoped I'd never find him. The idea of him as a Strigoi still tormented me. I was also visited by other images†¦ images of the way he'd been and memories of the time we'd spent together. I think my most precious memory was of just before he was turned. It was one of those times when I'd sucked up a lot of the spirit-induced darkness from Lissa. I'd been out of control, unable to get a grip. I was afraid of becoming a monster, afraid of killing myself like another shadow kissed guardian had. Dimitri had brought me back to myself, lending me his strength. I'd realized then just how strong our connection was, how perfectly we understood each other. I'd been skeptical about people being soul mates in the past, but at that moment, I knew it was true. And with that emotional connection had come a physical one. Dimitri and I had finally given in to the attraction. We'd sworn we never would, but†¦ well, our feelings were just too strong. Staying away from each other had turned out to be impossible. We'd had sex, and it had been my first time ever. Sometimes I felt certain it would be my only time. The act itself had been amazing, and I'd been unable to separate the physical joy from the emotional. Afterward, we'd lain together in that small cabin for as long as we dared, and that had been amazing too. It had been one of the few moments where I'd felt he was truly mine. â€Å"Do you remember Victor's lust charm?† I had asked, snuggling closer against him. Dimitri looked at me like I was crazy. â€Å"Of course.† Victor Dashkov was a royal Moroi, one who had been friends with Lissa and her family. Little did we know that he'd secretly studied spirit for years and had identified Lissa as a spirit user before she even knew. He'd tortured her with all sorts of mind games that truly made her think she was going crazy. His schemes had fully culminated in his kidnapping and torturing her until she healed the disease that was killing him. Victor was now in prison for life, both for what he'd done to Lissa and because of his treasonous plans for rebellion against the Moroi government. He had been one of the few to know about my relationship with Dimitri, something that had worried me to no end. He'd even furthered our relationship by creating a lust charm-a necklace infused with earth and compulsion. The charm was full of dangerous magic that had made Dimitri and me give into our most basic instincts. We had pulled back at the last moment, and until our night in the cabin, I had believed our charm induced encounter to be the ultimate physical high. â€Å"I didn't realize it could get better,† I had told Dimitri after we'd actually slept together. I felt a little shy talking about it. â€Å"I thought about it all the time†¦ what happened between us.† He turned to me, tugging the covers up. The cabin was cold, but its bed had warm blankets. I suppose we could have put clothes on, but that was the last thing I wanted to do. Being pressed skin-to-skin felt too good. â€Å"I did too.† â€Å"You did?† I asked, surprised. â€Å"I thought†¦ I don't know. I thought you were too disciplined for that. I thought you'd try to forget it.† Dimitri laughed and kissed my neck. â€Å"Rose, how could I forget being naked with someone as beautiful as you? I stayed awake so many nights, replaying every detail. I told myself over and over that it was wrong, but you're impossible to forget.† His lips moved to my collarbone, and his hand stroked my hip. â€Å"You're burned into my mind forever. There is nothing, nothing in this world that will ever change that.† And it was memories like that that made it so hard to comprehend this quest to kill him, even if he was a Strigoi. Yet†¦ at the same time, it was exactly because of memories like that that I had to destroy him. I needed to remember him as the man who'd loved me and held me in bed. I needed to remember that that man would not want to stay a monster. I wasn't very excited when Sydney showed me the car she'd bought, particularly since I'd given her the money for it. â€Å"We're going in that?† I exclaimed. â€Å"Can it even make it that far?† The trip was apparently seven hours. She gave me a shocked look. â€Å"Are you serious? Do you know what this is? It's a 1972 Citroen. These things are amazing. Do you have any idea how hard it would have been to get this into the country back in the Soviet days? I can't believe that guy actually sold it. He's clueless.† I knew little about the Soviet era and even less about classic cars, but Sydney stroked the shiny red hood like she was in love. Who would have guessed? She was a car geek. Maybe it was valuable, and I just couldn't appreciate it. I was more into sleek, brand-new sports cars. To be fair, this car didn't have any dents or rust, and aside from an outdated look, it appeared clean and well cared for. â€Å"Will it run?† I asked. If possible, her expression grew even more incredulous. â€Å"Of course!† And it did. The engine sprang to life with a steady hum, and with the way it accelerated, I started to understand her fascination. She wanted to drive, and I was about to argue that it had been my money that bought it. Seeing the adoring look on her face, though, I finally decided not to come between her and the car. I was just glad we were leaving right away. It was already late afternoon. If the road was as dangerous as everyone claimed, we wouldn't want to be out there while it was dark. Sydney agreed but said we could get most of the trip in before sundown and then stay overnight at a place she knew. We'd arrive at our destination in the morning. The farther we drove from Omsk, the more remote the terrain became. As I studied it, I began to understand Dimitri's love of this land. It had a scrubby, barren look, true, but spring was turning the plains green, and there was something hauntingly beautiful about seeing all this untouched wilderness. It reminded me of Montana in some ways yet had a certain quality that was all its own. I couldn't help but use Sydney's crush on the car as a means of conversation. â€Å"Do you know a lot about cars?† I asked. â€Å"Some,† she said. â€Å"My dad's the Alchemist in our family, but my mom's a mechanic.† â€Å"Really?† I asked, surprised. â€Å"That's kind of†¦ unusual.† Of course, I was hardly one to talk about gender roles. Considering my life was dedicated to fighting and killing, I couldn't really claim to have a traditionally feminine job either. â€Å"She's really good and taught me a lot. I wouldn't have minded doing that for a living. Wouldn't have minded going to college, either.† There was a bitter note in her voice. â€Å"I guess there are a lot of other things I wish I could do.† â€Å"Why can't you?† â€Å"I had to be the next family Alchemist. My sister†¦ well, she's older, and usually it's the oldest kid who has to do the job. But, she's kind of†¦ worthless.† â€Å"That's harsh.† â€Å"Yeah, maybe. But she just couldn't handle this kind of thing. When it comes to organizing her lip gloss collection, she's unstoppable. But managing the kinds of networks and people we do? No, she'd never be able to do it. Dad said I was the only one capable of it.† â€Å"That's a compliment, at least.† â€Å"I guess.† Sydney looked so sad now that I felt bad for bringing it up. â€Å"If you could go to college, what would you study?† â€Å"Greek and Roman architecture.† I decided then it was a good thing I wasn't behind the wheel, because I probably would have driven off the road. â€Å"Seriously?† â€Å"You know anything about it?† â€Å"Um, no.† â€Å"It's amazing.† The sad expression was replaced by one of wonder-she looked nearly as enamored as she'd been of the car. I understood then why she'd liked the train station. â€Å"The ingenuity it took for some of that†¦ well, it's just unreal. If the Alchemists won't send me back to the U.S. after this, I'm hoping I'll get assigned to Greece or Italy.† â€Å"That would be cool.† â€Å"Yeah.† Her smile faded. â€Å"But there are no guarantees you'll get what you want with this job.† She fell silent after that, and I decided that coaxing her into this small conversation had been victory enough. I left her to her own thoughts of classic cars and architecture while my mind wandered to topics of my own. Strigoi. Duty. Dimitri. Always Dimitri†¦ Well, Dimitri and Lissa. It was always a toss-up over who would cause me more pain. Today, as the car lulled me into a daze, it was Lissa I went to, thanks largely to Adrian's recent visit in my dream. Early evening in Russia meant early morning in Montana. Of course, since the school ran on a nocturnal schedule, it was technically night for them too in spite of the sunshine. It was nearly curfew, and everyone would have to return to their own dorms soon. Lissa was with Adrian, over in his room in guest housing. Adrian, like Avery, had graduated, but as the only other known spirit user, he'd come to stay indefinitely at the school and work with Lissa. They'd just spent a long, exhausting evening working on dream walking and sat on the floor facing each other. With a sigh, Lissa collapsed back and lay down, stretching her arms over her head. â€Å"This is useless,† she groaned. â€Å"I'm never going to learn it.† â€Å"Never took you for a quitter, cousin.† Adrian's voice was as flippant as usual, but I could tell he was weary too. They weren't really cousins; that was just a term royals sometimes used with each other. â€Å"I just don't understand how you do it.† â€Å"I don't know how to explain it. I just think about it, and†¦ well, it happens.† He shrugged and pulled out the cigarettes he always carried. â€Å"Do you mind?† â€Å"Yes,† she said. To my surprise, he put them away. What the hell? He'd never asked me if I minded if he smoked-which I did. In fact, half the time, I swore he did it to annoy me, which made no sense. Adrian was way past the age when guys tried to attract girls they liked by picking on them. He tried to explain the process. â€Å"I just think about who I want and sort of†¦ I don't know. Expand my mind toward them.† Lissa sat up and crossed her legs. â€Å"Sounds a lot like how Rose described reading me.† â€Å"Probably the same principle. Look, it took you a while to learn auras. This is no different. And you're not the only one with a learning curve. I'm only now finally moving past healing scratches, and you can bring back the dead, which-call me crazy-is kind of hard-core.† He paused. â€Å"Of course, some would argue that I am actually crazy.† At the mention of auras, she studied him and summoned the ability to see the field of light that shone around every living thing. His aura came into focus, surrounding him in a golden glow. According to Adrian, her aura was the same. No other Moroi had that kind of pure gold. Lissa and Adrian figured it was unique to spirit users. He smiled, guessing what she was doing. â€Å"How's it look?† â€Å"The same.† â€Å"See how good you are at it now? Just be patient with the dreams.† Lissa wanted so badly to walk dreams the same way he could. Despite her disappointment, I was glad she couldn't. Adrian's dream visits were hard enough on me. Seeing her would†¦ well, I wasn't entirely sure, but it would make this cool, hard attitude I was trying to maintain in Russia a lot harder. â€Å"I just want to know how she is,† said Lissa in a small voice. â€Å"I can't stand not knowing.† It was the conversation with Christian all over again. â€Å"I saw her the other day. She's fine. And I'll go again soon.† Lissa nodded. â€Å"Do you think she'll do it? Do you think she can kill Dimitri?† Adrian took a long time in answering. â€Å"I think she can. The question will be if it kills her in the process.† Lissa flinched, and I was a bit surprised. The answer was as blunt as one Christian might give. â€Å"God, I wish she hadn't decided to go after him.† â€Å"Wishing's useless now. Rose has got to do this. It's the only way we can get her back.† He paused. â€Å"It's the only way she'll be able to move on.† Adrian surprised me sometimes, but this took the prize. Lissa thought it was foolish and suicidal to go after Dimitri. I knew Sydney would agree if I told her the truth about this trip. But Adrian†¦ silly, shallow, party-boy Adrian understood? Studying him through Lissa's eyes, I realized he actually did. He didn't like it, and I could hear the hurt in his words. He cared about me. My having such strong feelings for someone else caused him pain. And yet†¦ he truly believed that I was doing the right thing-the only thing I could do. Lissa looked at the clock. â€Å"I've got to go before curfew. I should probably study for my history test, too.† Adrian grinned. â€Å"Studying's overrated. Just find someone smart to copy off.† She stood up. â€Å"Are you saying I'm not smart?† â€Å"Hell no.† He rose also and went to pour himself a drink from the fully stocked bar he kept on hand. Self-medicating was his irresponsible way of keeping spirit's effects at bay, and if he'd been using spirit all night, he would want the numbness of his vices. â€Å"You're the smartest person I know. But that doesn't mean you have to do unnecessary work.† â€Å"You can't succeed in life if you don't work. Copying from others won't get you anywhere.† â€Å"Whatever,† he said with a grin. â€Å"I copied all through school, and look how well I'm doing today.† With an eye roll, Lissa gave him a quick hug goodbye and left. Once out of his sight, her smile faded a bit. In fact, her thoughts took a decidedly dark turn. Mentioning me had stirred up all sorts of feelings within. She was worried about me-desperately worried. She'd told Christian that she felt bad about what had happened between us, but the full force of that didn't hit me until now. She was racked by guilt and confusion, continually berating herself for what she should have done. And above all, she missed me. She had that same feeling I did-like a part of her had been cut out. Adrian lived on the fourth floor, and Lissa opted for the stairs rather than the elevator. All the while, her mind spun with worry. Worries about whether she'd ever master spirit. Worry for me. Worry that she wasn't currently feeling spirit's dark side effects, which made her wonder if I was absorbing them, just as a guardian named Anna had. She'd lived centuries ago and was bonded to St. Vladimir, the school's namesake. She'd absorbed spirit's nasty effects from him-and had been driven insane. On the second floor, Lissa could make out the sounds of shouting, even through the door that separated the stairwell from the hallway. Despite knowing it had nothing to do with her, she hesitated, curiosity getting the best of her. A moment later, she quietly pushed the door open and stepped into the hall. The voices were coming from around the corner. She carefully peered around it-not that she needed to. She recognized the voices. Avery Lazar stood in the hallway, hands on her hips as she stared at her father. He stood in the doorway to what must have been his suite. Their stances were rigid and hostile, and anger crackled between them. â€Å"I'll do what I want,† she yelled. â€Å"I'm not your slave.† â€Å"You're my daughter,† he said in a voice both calm and condescending. â€Å"Though at times I wish you weren't.† Ouch. Both Lissa and I were shocked. â€Å"Then why are you making me stay in this hellhole? Let me go back to Court!† â€Å"And embarrass me further? We barely got out without damaging this family's reputation-much. No way am I going to send you there alone and let you do God knows what.† â€Å"Then send me to Mom! Switzerland's got to be better than this place.† There was a pause. â€Å"Your mother is†¦ busy.† â€Å"Oh, nice,† said Avery, voice heavy with sarcasm. â€Å"That's a polite way of saying she doesn't want me. No surprise. I'd just interfere with her and that guy she's sleeping with.† â€Å"Avery!† His voice rang out loud and angry. Lissa flinched and stepped back. â€Å"This conversation is done. Get back to your room and sober up before someone sees you. I expect you at breakfast tomorrow, and I expect you to be respectable. We have some important visitors.† â€Å"Yeah, and God knows we've got to keep up appearances.† â€Å"Go to your room,† he repeated. â€Å"Before I call Simon and make him drag you there.† â€Å"Yes, sir,† she simpered. â€Å"Right away, sir. Anything you say, sir.† And with that, he slammed the door. Lissa, ducking back behind the corner, could hardly believe he'd said those things to his own daughter. For a few moments, there was silence. Then, Lissa heard the sound of footsteps-coming toward her. Avery suddenly rounded the corner and stopped in front of Lissa, giving us our first good look of her. Avery was wearing a tight, short dress made of some kind of blue fabric that shone silvery in the light. Her hair hung long and wild, and the tears pouring from her blue-gray eyes had destroyed the heavy makeup she wore. The scent of alcohol came through loud and clear. She hastily ran a hand over her eyes, obviously embarrassed at being seen like this. â€Å"Well,† she said flatly. â€Å"I guess you overheard our family drama.† Lissa felt equally embarrassed at being caught spying. â€Å"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I was just passing by†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Avery gave a harsh laugh. â€Å"Well, I don't think it matters. Probably everyone in the building heard us.† â€Å"I'm sorry,† Lissa repeated. â€Å"Don't be. You didn't do anything wrong.† â€Å"No†¦ I mean, I'm sorry he†¦ you know, said those things to you.† â€Å"It's part of being a ? ®good' family. Everyone's got skeletons in their closet.† Avery crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. Even upset and messy, she was beautiful. â€Å"God, I hate him sometimes. No offense, but this place is so fucking boring. I found some sophomore guys to hang with tonight, but†¦ they were pretty boring too. The only thing they had going for them was their beer.† â€Å"Why†¦ why did your dad bring you here?† Lissa asked. â€Å"Why aren't you†¦ I don't know, in college?† Avery gave a harsh laugh. â€Å"He doesn't trust me enough. When we were at Court, I got involved with this cute guy who worked there-total nonroyal, of course. Dad freaked out and was afraid people would find out. So when he got the job here, he brought me along to keep an eye on me and torture me. I think he's afraid I'll run off with a human if I go to college.† She sighed. â€Å"I swear to God, if Reed wasn't here, I'd just run away, period.† Lissa didn't say anything for a long time. She'd gone out of her way to avoid Avery diligently. With all the orders the queen was giving Lissa lately, this seemed the only way Lissa could fight back and stop herself from being controlled. But now, she wondered if she'd been wrong about Avery. Avery didn't seem like a spy for Tatiana. She didn't seem like someone who wanted to mold Lissa into a perfect royal. Mostly, Avery seemed like a sad, hurting girl, whose life was spinning out of control. Someone who was being ordered around as much as Lissa was lately. With a deep breath, Lissa rushed forward with her next words. â€Å"Do you want to eat lunch with Christian and me tomorrow? No one would mind if you came to our lunch period. I can't promise it'll be, um, as exciting as you want.† Avery smiled again, but this time, it was less bitter. â€Å"Well, my other plans were to get drunk by myself in my room.† She lifted a bottle of what looked like whiskey out of her purse. â€Å"Scored some stuff of my own.† Lissa wasn't entirely sure what kind of an answer that was. â€Å"So†¦ I'll see you at lunch?† Now Avery hesitated. But slowly, a faint gleam of hope and interest appeared on her face. Concentrating, Lissa tried to bring up her aura. She had a little difficulty at first, probably worn out from all the practice with Adrian tonight. But when she was finally able to get a grip on Avery's aura, she saw it was a mix of colors: green, blue, and gold. Not uncommon. It was currently ringed in red, as often happened when people were upset. But right before Lissa's eyes, that redness faded. â€Å"Yeah,† Avery said at last. â€Å"That would be great.† â€Å"I think this is as far as we can go today.† On the other side of the world, Sydney's voice startled me out of Lissa's thoughts. I didn't know how long I'd been daydreaming, but Sydney had turned off the main highway and was driving us into a small town that fit perfectly with my backwoods images of Siberia. In fact, â€Å"town† was a total exaggeration. There were a few scattered houses, a store, and a gas station. Farmland stretched beyond the buildings, and I saw more horses than cars. The few people who were out stared at our car in amazement. The sky had turned deep orange, and the sun was sinking farther and farther into the horizon. Sydney was right. It was nearly nightfall, and we needed to be off the road. â€Å"We're only a couple hours away at most,† she continued. â€Å"We made really good time and should get there pretty quickly in the morning.† She drove to the other side of the village-which took, like, a minute-and pulled up in front of a plain white house with a barn beside it. â€Å"Here's where we're staying.† We got out of the car and approached the house. â€Å"Are these friends of yours?† â€Å"Nope. Never met them. But they're expecting us.† More mysterious Alchemist connections. The door was answered by a friendly looking human in her twenties who urged us to come inside. She only spoke a few words of English, but Sydney's translation skills carried us through. Sydney was more outgoing and charming than I'd seen her thus far, probably because our hosts weren't despicable vampiric offspring. You wouldn't think riding in a car all day would be tiring, but I felt exhausted and was anxious to get an early start in the morning. So after dinner and a little TV, Sydney and I went to the room that had been prepared for us. It was small and plain but had two twin beds covered in thick, fluffy blankets. I snuggled into mine, grateful for the softness and the warmth, and wondered if I'd dream of Lissa or Adrian. I didn't. I did, however, wake up to a slight wave of nausea rolling through me-the nausea that told me there was a Strigoi nearby.