Memorial Day Essay

Memorial Day, is a day of joy, a day of sorrow, that means many different things to many different people. Memorial Day is on every last Monday of May. Traditionally on a Monday the Kids will go to school and the parents go to work, but not on the last Monday in May, the school closes, the grills light, the beer cans flood the sidewalks like water during a category five hurricane. Or at least that’s how it use to be, now all of the stores are open, the pools opens, and how you really see what the day is about, the soldiers. Memorial Day for me is all about soldiers and veterans. About four years ago I would always wait anxiously on every Sunday morning from a call from my dad, who was 3,000 miles away on a tiny new found country called Kosovo. Memorial Day is supposed to be a day of remembrance, but some people can’t even bare the thought of thinking about loosing their veteran, like me. Memorial Day was created to honor the soldiers of America, but now it is known for honoring the Memorial Day parade or sales event. Times and traditions have changed drastically, and so have the people of America. In conclusion even though we live in a free country our freedom is still not free. What Memorial Day means to me. When I think of Memorial Day I think of the soldiers I think of the way that these heroes get out of bed each day, and walk to the battlefield to defend our country. Memorial Day is not just a day to respect our current and past veterans, but a day to remember the fallen veterans. Also I think of the heart of a soldier which is like the size of the Titanic, and twice as big, and the soul of a soldier which is free and peaceful. If only the world was free and peaceful. What Memorial Day means to me is the soul of America. Memorial Day is a day that represents no other country on except the United States of America.

Sap with Body Shop

SAP is the world’s leading provider of business software solutions. SAP ® solutions are designed to meet the demands of companies of all sizes. mySAPâ„ ¢ Business Suite solutions are helping enterprises around the world improve customer relationships, enhance partner collaboration and create efficiencies across their supply chains and business operations. The Body Shop is unifying its worldwide operations on SAP ® enterprise software, deploying the SAP for Retail industry solution across its headquarters, regional offices, warehouses and more than 2,000 wholly-owned and franchise outlets worldwide.The Body Shop, an SAP customer since 1999, chose SAP’s integrated retail enterprise applications to harmonize business processes across its global network, creating a strong yet adaptive foundation for business growth with the SAP NetWeaverâ„ ¢ technology platform. The worldwide rollout, being implemented with support from IT service provider Diagonal Consulting, is part of the retailer’s three-year strategic plan to achieve enterprisewide consistency in forecasting, ordering, allocation and distribution processes.Replacing a number of legacy systems, SAP’s suite of core enterprise applications and specialized software for retailers will cover end-to-end business processes from headquarters down to the store level, powering the company’s financial processes, warehouse and supply chain management, new product development and point-of-sale (POS) operations. Jon Granville, the global head of IT of The Body Shop said, â€Å"We chose SAP for its retail expertise, global reach and solution scope.Our global SAP rollout is not an IT initiative, but a business initiative that will help us improve our key processes that drive competitive advantage at each local outlet. SAP for Retail will help us provide targeted support throughout our sales and distribution network and, ultimately, deliver better service to our customers. † H P with body shop The Body Shop has named HP as its preferred global infrastructure partner to migrate its existing disparate legacy systems to a complete, standards-based HP infrastructure solution.With operations in 52 countries and more than 2,000 stores, The Body Shop has experienced rapid and extensive global growth in recent years. It is estimated that The Body Shop sells a product every 0. 4 seconds, coming to more than 77 million customer transactions annually throughout stores worldwide. HP is delivering a standardised information technology architecture across the firm's global operations, reducing the overall total cost of ownership of IT and providing higher system performance and room for future growth.The consolidated infrastructure will cut management time and cost, ease load balancing, improve system and space utilisation, and optimise the return on investment of The Body Shop's new global enterprise resource planning implementation. The Body Shop's IT vision takes a ‘One World, One Way' approach to its global infrastructure. HP embraced this vision and is helping the company design, build, integrate, manage and evolve into an Adaptive Enterprise ‘ one that will be able to easily adapt to change to meet the needs of its growing business, while ensuring operational readiness and protecting its critical business processes. HP is proving to be a perfect partner,' said Jon Granville, global head of IT, The Body Shop. ‘HP understands the retail sector and our requirements and this allows us to work together on a total global infrastructure solution to achieve our IT vision and so meet the needs of the business.This is a significantly different approach to the other competitive offerings we evaluated, and will ultimately provide us with the means to ensure better visibility of consumer data, streamlined operation of our supply chains and better integration of our processes right across our global businesses. About body shop’s web Body shop has an amazing website. You almost can find everything you want to know on the website such as what ingredients in each product. They separate the categories in a clearly way, for example: they have best seller; make-up; bath and body; hair; fragrance ect. When you click into some products you are interest, you can find out how it works and what the other customer’s view and some suggestion. There are 29 languages on body shop’s web, so Japanese don’t need to worry if they can’t understand English.Also they publish a lot of promotions on the web, such as what is on sale and that gift box they are selling at moment. The web nearly record everything happened in body shop. For example, Body shop sent their employees to the suppliers and report what they find on the internet. The Last report online is about a man called peter, he went to Africa to know how they make Shea butter, he even try to make it by himself and he write about how it feel af ter he used the Shea butter. His report and photos; videos just make us trust body shop more.It’s a special way to make customers to believe how good body shop’s products are. One more amazing thing to me on the web. They have a ‘The Body Shop skin care regime guide’, it’s a questionnaire to help you to know what type skin you are, and after your finish the test, they will give you suggestion about the skin care product and eye care product, they even divide the products into morning and night. It’s really easy and convenient for the first body shop user; it’s also a good tool to help you save the money, because you only need to buy the right products for yourself.

Redcoats, Patriots and Bunker Hill Essay

As the winter of 1783 drew near, the last of the British troops sailed from New York leaving behind an independent nation. A land destined to be the richest and most powerful state in the galaxy of nations. It is possible that some of the redcoats marching into the dreary ship that cold November day had attacked Bunker Hill eight years ago, and stared at astonishment at the hail of bullets coming their way from the muskets of the patriots. The British had gone on to win the battle but at enormous cost, losing more than half their men. It was supposed to have been an easy battle. Their superiors, the officers of the most powerful army on earth had thought that they would overwhelm the enemy and had opted for a frontal assault, only to see their men mowed down repeatedly by a thinking and able enemy. The Battle of Bunker Hill has been enveloped in hagiography by every American historian as a victory in defeat, an American Dunkirk and as one of the first military engagements of the war of independence. It is all this and much more. Its’ importance in shaping history also lies in the two crucial mental victories it gave to the American troops. First, it changed forever the stereotypical image of the Patriots being a rag tag bunch of homegrown militia who could function adequately only under the competent and trained officers of the British army. Second, it brought immense pride to the Patriots and served as a rallying cry, a force mobiliser for the many engagements that were to happen in the next eight years. The British were confident of their military prowess and with good reason. They had fought the French all over the world in The Seven Years war, which lasted from 1756 to 1763 and â€Å"lock(ed) horns (with them) on every continent where the two had outposts†. (Allan, T., P 100)   They had mobilized troops effectively over vast distances, achieved tremendous expertise in military logistics and training and won brilliant battles. The firepower and strength of their navy enabled them to blockade ports and intercept supplies. Canada and Florida had come to them from the French and the Spanish after the Treaty of Paris and British hegemony extended over huge tracts of the inhabited world. The world was theirs to rule and they were a truly awesome military power. The Patriots were in their eyes a motley group of undisciplined part time soldiers, made up of planters, traders and frontiersmen with very little knowledge of arms and the mechanics of warfare. In America, the colonists had fought alongside the redcoats against the French and the Spanish in The Seven Years War but always under the command of British officers. In fact, they had been badly mauled when the Indians of the Northwest went on the warpath in 1763, and had turned in desperation to the British for succor. â€Å"The colonial militia was unable to master them, and in the end it was British regulars who put down the uprising.† (Allan, T., P 101) Many of the militia had joined only for personal advancement. As Lieutenant Scott, a Bunker Hill veteran was to say later â€Å"I lived in a country town; †¦ I was very ambitious †¦ I was asked to enlist as a private soldier; †¦ I offered to enlist upon having a lieutenant’s commission, which was granted. I imagined myself now in a way of promotion if my captain was killed; I should rise in rank, and should still have a chance to rise higher. These, sir were the only motives of my entering into the service; for as to the dispute between Great Britain and the colonies, I know nothing of it† (Sommers, R.J.) Thus, notwithstanding the small setbacks on their way to Boston, a very confident British army looked ready to overrun Boston in the summer of 1775. As the British ships began to arrive with troops ready for battle, Major General John Burgoyne was to remark â€Å"What! Ten Thousand peasants keep 5000 king’s troops shut up! Well, let us get in and we’ll soon find elbow room.† (Allan, T., P 107) General Thomas Gage, the British Commander in Chief, shared this brashness. A few days before the battle, he had written to say, â€Å"They will undoubtedly be lions whilst we are lambs, but if we take the resolute path they will undoubtedly prove very meek.† (Allan, T., P 108) As day broke on June 17, 1775, about 1200 ill equipped and under trained American soldiers were readied on Breed’s Hill to face the advancing redcoats. As thousands of people watched from the top of churches and houses in nearby Boston, 2500 British troops, supported by heavy cannon fire from the ships attacked the American barricades at three in the afternoon.. The patriots, under the command of Colonel William Prescott let the British come right up the hill before opening fire, practically from where â€Å"they could see the whites of their enemy’s eyes† (Battle of Breed’s Hill/Bunker Hill) Casualties were heavy and the redcoats retreated in consternation. The battle lasted for nearly three hours before American ammunition ran out. The British had to make three charges before they could take the defenses on the hill. The last charge was at bayonet point with the heavily outnumbered Americans fighting with rifle butts and rocks until they were ordered to retreat. One of the last to leave the American lines was, General Joseph Warren. The hero lingered only to lose his life with a gunshot in the temple. The cost to the British was terrible. The hollow victory lost them a thousand men including many officers; nearly forty percent of their total force. The militia lost four hundred.   The British then went on to capture both the hills and Charleston was cannon balled until it burnt to the ground. After Bunker Hill, a chastened Thomas Gage wrote, â€Å"They showed a conduct and spirit against us they never showed against the French, and everybody has judged them from their former appearance and behavior.† (Allan, T., P 108) The British would never forget Bunker Hill. It was the pushover that never was, the small dune on the outskirts of Boston where the Americans proved they could fight. The fighting was to continue for six more years during which time redcoats and patriots were to engage in battle as north as Quebec and as south as South Carolina. Most of the fighting however continued in the broad vicinity of Bunker Hill, on the seaboard between Philadelphia and Boston. At last, on September 3, 1783, the Treaty of Paris was signed and Britain recognized the independence of its American possessions. The war that had started at Bunker Hill, in the summer of 1775 finally ended. The infant nation stretched from Georgia in the south to the Great Sea in the north, from the Mississippi in the West to the Atlantic in the East. The Bunker Hill Monument stands on Breed’s Hill, in an overdeveloped area in Boston. There is no hint or sign of the redcoats or the patriots who volleyed and bayoneted here more than two hundred years ago. Works Cited Allan, T., ed., â€Å"Winds of Revolution†, History of the World 1700-1800, Time Life Books, (1990), ISBN 07954 0984 8 Battle of Breeds Hill/Bunker Hill, â€Å"Military Science†, WPI, (2004), 21 June 2006, Sommers, Richard J. â€Å"Ambition.† Parameters 30.4 (2000): 171. Questia. 21 June 2006 . Bibliography Allan, T., ed., â€Å"Winds of Revolution†, History of the World 1700-1800, Time Life Books, (1990), ISBN 07954 0984 8 Bailyn, B., â€Å"The Battle of Bunker Hill† The Massachusetts Historical Society, (2003), 21 June 2006, Battle of Breeds Hill/Bunker Hill, â€Å"Military Science†, WPI, (2004), 21 June 2006, Battle of Bunker Hill 1775, HistoryCentral.com. (2004), 21 June 2006, Beard, James Franklin. â€Å"Cooper and the Revolutionary Mythos.† Early American Literature 11.1 (1976): 84-104. Questia. 21 June 2006 . Sommers, Richard J. â€Å"Ambition.† Parameters 30.4 (2000): 171. Questia. 21 June 2006 . Webster, Daniel. Daniel Webster’s First Bunker Hill Oration. New York: American Book Company, 1910. Questia. 21 June 2006 .

Gun control is an important part of controlling violence in our Research Paper

Gun control is an important part of controlling violence in our society - Research Paper Example It is important to place a balance between opponents and supporters of stringent gun laws. I neither support nor oppose this debate just like few Americans and the rest of the World. It is a fact that most people are used to gun culture and, I point this to the biased manipulation of the National Riffle Association, and at the same time discouraging that most Americans are placing gun ownership as a top priority. I do not deem someone must own a gun in order to be safe. Most of people who are civilized believe that possessing a gun poses them and their families a great risk. Unfortunately, a criminal is more likely to use your personal gun against you in the event of a squabble with him. People who are intelligent believe that it is even safer to dial 911 than own a gun. It is important to train with your gun regularly, or spend a full day shooting with a qualified instructor. Although this is a time consuming and expensive practice, it is the responsibility of the gun owner to follo w these simple but vital directions. As a student I need adequate security, and have owned guns for many years. The reason as to why I possess guns is to protect myself and family since the police may not respond quickly when called. Guns are important for self-defence given that it may not be possible for the police to arrive quickly if someone raids your premises or attacks you. Although you will blame the police for lack of co-operation, but this is not their problem. I possess a gun as well and really understand the significance of a gun to an individual. I do not believe there is any one who would wish for a world without guns. The world without guns could only be suitable if there could be no violence. Guns protect people from aggressive men who are always striving to do anything they want. This is where a man can commit a serious crime without the intervention of any one. Guards who are not armed are the most people at risk; a few weeks ago a prison guard was stabbed to death by an armed lone prisoner. This is an ultimate proof that gun ownership is very imperative for self defence. Another incident of lack of gun ownership is an attack involving several assailants. I can confidently conclude that a world without guns is not safe to both the rich and poor. It is a reality that owning a gun goes along way with responsibility, but regrettable that most guns kept in the home are most likely used by the owners to threaten family members or to commit suicide instead of self-defence. Gun control is increasingly creating serious attention from the United States of America government and the rest of the world after the appalling mass execution that took place in Connecticut many years ago. I do believe the most important factor to consider when focusing on this particular policy is the magnitude of damage caused by guns and its risks to people. Numerous people have died due to gun violence in the past. Currently the united states of America accounts for approxi mately 8,000 murders with firearms every year .According to the World Health Organization’s Global Burden of Disease, it states about 1,100,000 years of vigorous life is lost every year due to deliberate brutality. The research further states that approximately two thirds of this are equivalent to 650,000 years, which is about 1% of the entire trouble of disease and grievance in the United States. The research also suggests suicide accounts for years of healthy life lost than murder. According to Wiblin,

Compare and Contrast Smoking in USA and Smoking in Saudi Arabia Essay - 1

Compare and Contrast Smoking in USA and Smoking in Saudi Arabia - Essay Example The global aspect of smoking occurrence is well documented. For instance, Audrain, Janet, and Jon (1743) provide a general findings on how smoking is a major problem affecting the modern society. This research provides a detailed account of the increase in the number of smokers from 19th to 21st century. With its severity in mind, many nations across the globe have implemented laws that ban smoking in public places. This research seeks to compare and contrast smoking in the USA and smoking in Saudi Arabia. In his article, Alturki (72) affirm that smoking level in developing countries is quite alarming. While the developed countries such as Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, and the United States have enjoyed the benefits of, decreasing rate of smoking for the past four decades, developing countries such as Saudi Arabia still report rapid smoking rate. Tobacco smoking has been the main cause of death in developing countries with the number of addicts increasing rapidly. Based on a recent study conducted in 2007, Al-Haqwi All, Hani, and Asery (146) argue that, 11% of female and 34% of male secondary students were smoking in their teenagehood. Likewise, Saudi Arabia estimates that 30% of adult men smoke while 10% of adult women smokes. This indicates a major difference between smoking habits in Saudi Arabia and other settings such as the United States where the number of female smoking is considerably higher than Saudi Arabia. Obaidullah and David (4) also noted that, the highest rate of smoking is among the young generation between the age 21 to 45 years. Additionally, tobacco smoking is more common among married couple, uneducated, and those in certain occupations such as army officers, businessmen, and manual workers just to name a few. Since 1960, there has been a tremendous increase in the quantity of tobacco import,

Developmental Evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Developmental Evaluation - Essay Example Researches have been conducted and theories have been articulated to assess and evaluate the cognitive, motivational and mental development of individuals. The same has been estimated by conducting a research on the individual under study. Based on the method of participant observation, the present study focuses on Mr. Andrew, an individual under study, hereinafter will be called as subject. The subject is an old man of ninety seven years having short height and thin body with weight only fifty two kg. He maintains grey hair as well as wrinkled countenance and hands; even then he enjoys sound health, and undergoes no impediment or physical difficulty while moving from one place to another. Further, there is no disability in his vocal, visual or aural fitness even at such an old age. He can easily understand the words delivered by others while interacting with him. In the same way, he can easily communicate his message to others without any complexity or intricacy. Thus, he is an individual full of energy and passion. The observation starts right from the subjects meeting with the members of his family and friends who have called on his residence at some special occasion. It took three and half hours during the whole course of observation. The subject has been living with one of his sons and grand-children, but is not in very good terms with them with whom he has been staying. It is therefore he looks at ease while communicating with his other children and grandchildren, who have not been living with him and have arrived just to see him and wish him on fathers day. His behavior while interacting with the guests presents him as a jovial, genial and amiable fellow, though his being reserved with the members living in his residence depict his dual personality. It is a pleasant evening of March, when the subject welcomes his children and grand-children at his house. He is seen sitting on a sofa

TEACHING STRATEGIES TOPIC will focus on A 50 Year Old educated man Term Paper

TEACHING STRATEGIES TOPIC will focus on A 50 Year Old educated man Recently Hospitalized With Stage 2 Infected Diabetic Foo - Term Paper Example Introduction Marzano (2010) stated that during the late 1980s, various educationists across the World had created a strong campaign against the traditional teaching strategy that was seen more of exam-oriented, since it emphasized more on developing cramming skills among the students instead of critical thinking skills. This made majority of the students to lack skills in solving certain problems and even apply logical reasoning in certain instances. It is because of these reasons that various teaching strategies have been developed so far by various education stakeholders with the main aim of helping students to develop their thinking skills at levels that are higher than knowledge and comprehension. Moreover, skills on critical thinking have been greatly emphasized since even the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission has incorporated critical thinking skills as a one of the learning outcomes in nursing programs. In actual sense, Weston (2009) described critical thinkin g as the ability to think in a rational, objective, and independent manner, in order to come up with credible and worthwhile course of actions or conclusions. Weston (2009) in his writing further added that students should follow at least six steps in order for them to become critical and logical thinkers and these steps include acquiring knowledge and perfect understanding of the topic that requires critical thinking. Secondly, the students will need to learn logic, which is the ability to construct argument and deduce meaningful conclusions. Thirdly, the students will need to learn assertiveness in order to become assertive in the criticisms that they make. The fourth step for students to become critical and logical thinkers is for them to learn comprehension, which is the ability to understand what they see/ watch and read. Fifthly, Weston (2009) stated that a critical thinker has to know about alternatives to ensure the thinking process bear valid conclusions. Lastly, Weston (20 09) stated that for students to become critical and logical thinkers they have to synthesize all separate thoughts to come up with something that is critical and logical. The frameworks of most learning theories have been aligned to ensure that learners are able to go through these steps of becoming critical and logical thinkers. Furthermore, application of the learning theories as well as the level of integration of the steps of becoming a critical and logical thinker, factor in that people have numerous forms of intelligence in different degrees. In the writings by Hunt (2011), he listed the seven forms of intelligence and they comprise of spatial, interpersonal, intrapersonal, linguistic, body-kinesthetic, musical, and logical-mathematical. The learner The casing point for this paper is a 50-year old educated man recently hospitalized with stage 2 infected diabetic foot ulcer secondary to diabetes neuropathy. According to Mathews et al (2008), the man’s condition is attrib uted to the diabetes disease that he is suffering from, which facilitated the development of the diabetic neuropathy that commonly affects the feet of a diabetic patient.

The rising rents of unfurnished accommodation have been a source of Essay

The rising rents of unfurnished accommodation have been a source of concern for the government. It proposes to introduce a ceiling on rents. Examine how this might affect the accommodation markets - Essay Example In the recent years particularly after 2013, housing and accommodation cost are again rising and this rise is causing problem for the UK government. For substitute goods, if the price of one substitute is increasing; ultimate the demand for other alternative will also increase (Sloman et al., 2010). Within the UK, cost of both furnished and unfurnished accommodation is increasing. Within this context, the UK government is going to introduce and implement rent ceiling which will affect both landlords and tenants. For the landlords, the ceiling imposition will put negative impact on their income as they will no more remain in strong bargaining position. On the other hand, for tenants, the implementation of rent ceiling will put positive effect on their standard of living. For example, after the imposition of rent ceiling, the tenants will be in a position to control their cost of accommodation and this will enable them to provide more money to their other

Wildlife Tourism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Wildlife Tourism - Research Paper Example Wildlife tourism can involve tours, experiences accessible in association with the accommodation of tourists, attractions at fixed sites, or it can come about as unguided meeting by independent travelers (Spenceley, 2012, pp. 85-88). Â  Wildlife tourism has several stakeholders. The first stakeholders in this sector are the visitors. They have an expectation of accessing experiences that are of affordable high quality. These experiences include interesting activities of wildlife watching and guided excursions. Some tourists would like to have opportunities to familiarize themselves with the local culture through interacting with the people inhabiting those areas (Benson, 2001, p. 132). Â  Another set of stakeholders in the tourism industry includes private and public sectors, such as traveling and bringing together industrial associations. This ensures that there is development in the wildlife sector. They also ensure the individual operators get maximum short-term profits. The third stakeholder is the host and the indigenous community. The indigenous community improves a minimal negative social effect of this sector. While capitalizing on profits from the local area, they ensure that there is no disruption on the local wildlife (Lovelock, 2007, pp. 152-156). Another role they play is trying to protect the environment together with the livelihood assets, at the same time minimizing the disturbance that might be encountered by the community, hence, disturbing the culture.

Case study write up Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Write up - Case Study Example his case, one strongly believes that there are organizational and structural problems that contribute to Chet’s level of stress, particularly found in the way that the organizational chart is designed. As shown in Figure 2.7, Chet’s position as Central Plant Manager indicates governing jurisdiction to 16 lines or chains of command. This means that 16 different personnel, with diverse responsibilities could report to him directly. Therefore, to manage stress using time management, Chet must recommend to higher management that the organizational structure be re-evaluated and redesigned so that stressors could be eliminated or minimized, as needed. As recommended in Whetton and Cameron’s management strategies for eliminating stressors (Table 2.3) through delegating responsibilities, collaboration and team building, work redesign and goal setting, the stress level of Chet would be appropriately managed. Based on developing self-awareness, Chet could manifest high levels of task motivation where he exemplified the desire to accomplish the defined open-end unit schedule but his persistence and productivity levels do not adhere to his defined objectives and goals. The inability to achieve these goals thereby contributes to his level of stress, in conjunction to his awareness that there needs to be a balance between time spent for his family and also to pursue leisure activities for his personal and professional growth. 4) Based on the case and your assessment of Chet’s personality, how would you advise Chet? What strategies/tools, and concepts from the chapter would you suggest to him to increase his effectiveness and lower his stress as a manger. Based on the case and on one’s assessment of Chet’s personality, one would advise Chet to recommend to management a redesign of the organizational structure so that the personnel to report directly to him would be reduced and categorized according to human resources, inventory management, night operations and

Psychology Reflective Essay Example for Free

Psychology Reflective Essay After having various lessons, I would like to have a deeper evaluation of the chapter â€Å"Behavior in Social and Cultural Context† especially the concept of attributions . It is known that there are two types of attributions which are internal attributions and external attributions that we generally use to explain our own or other’s behaviors. Internal factors concern a person’s traits while external factors concern the external environment. In addition, I am actually shocked by the fact that there is a fundamental attribution error when we are explaining others’ behaviors. There is a real-life example that I would like to share. Last Monday, I was stuck in a traffic jam for half an hour on Nathan Road. I had a lesson at 8:30 am in Core A and I reached the pedestrian bridge at 8:25 am, so I was rushing to the classroom. At that moment, a scene annoyed me most and stopped my way to school. A boy who was around six years old was too energetic. He dashed and rushed around on the footbridge that disturbed others’ way. He also guffawed and touched or played with anything and everything he saw. Suddenly, he paced around and glared at his mum. Don’t walk like a stupid pig! Do you know how to walk? I have been waiting for you for so long! †He shouted at his mum. At that moment, I was very angry and strongly believed that the boy was so naughty and disrespectful that he showed his emotions with no restraint and did whatever he likes without regard for consequences. Based on the above case, the correspondence bias leads me to explain the boy’s behavior by ignoring the influence of situation on behavior. For example, actually he is a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, so he cannot be patient and always dash around. However, we tend to emphasize the dispositional attribution that the boy is so naughty and disrespectful. Apparently, we tend to overestimate internal factors and underestimate external factors when explaining others’ behavior. After understanding the concept of fundamental attribution error, I have an enquiry related to it. Is there an error too when we explain our own behaviors? In order to find out the answer of it, I do some researches on it. Afterwards, I found out that the concept of actor-observer bias which is proposed by E. E. Jones and R. E. Nisbett in 1971 gives a clearer picture on the error of explaining our own and others’ behaviors. It states that we as an actor are more likely to attribute our own actions to the particular situation than to a generalization about our personality while the reverse asymmetry held for people being an observer and explaining others’ behaviors. Nevertheless, I have doubts about both the fundamental attribution error and the actor-observer bias. In my opinion, I think that both of the ideas only firmly established when describing negative events. For instance, on the one hand, as an actor, when we get bad result on an exam, we usually attribute the reason to the difficult exam (situational). On the other hand, as an observer, when our friends get bad academic result, we usually attribute the reason to his or her lazy character (dispositional). If the event is positive, the reverse error occurs. With the same example but with the condition that both we and our friends get high marks in the exam, we will attribute the reason to hard-working (dispositional) and easy exam (situational) to explain behaviors respectively. Malle (2006) agrees that a reverse asymmetry held for positive events after conducting a mental-analysis. He states that the discrepancy may indicate a self-serving pattern in attribution that we attribute success to internal factors and failure to external factors. Therefore, I believe that we are explaining others’ by using both the self-serving bias and fundamental attribution error. Overall, the lessons build up my foundation for the psychological concepts and theories and we need to explore the psychological world by ourselves in order to find out more details, conflicts about and relationships between different ideas. For instance, in order to finish this reflective journal, I used Google scholar to search about the actor-observer bias and the criticisms about it that I did not learn on the book and in lessons. By experiencing the searching process, I have deeper understanding on it and it strongly impresses on my memory. The process also enhances my analysis skill, to determine which sources are useful and which sources are not related to my topic. Therefore, I enjoy the process of exploring the psychological knowledge by ourselves.

Uncovering the Mystery of Capital Review Essay Example for Free

Uncovering the Mystery of Capital Review Essay Nigeria post independence has aimed to develop an economic system in which investment and ownership of the means of production, distribution and exchange of wealth is made and maintained chiefly by private individuals or corporations. Sadly she suffers the same fate most developing countries and former communist nations that trend the same path encounter: Abject Failure. Hernando De Soto in his book; The Mystery of Capital, studies the effect of capitalism in the west and tries to analyse why such a strategy is so successful there, but fails to make an impact every other place it is being introduced, Nigeria inclusive. Capitalism entails among other things foreign investments, stable currencies, transparent banking practices, free trade and also privatisation of state owned industries. However, Hernando describes the major ingredient that is missing in countries trying to adopt capitalism as â€Å"Ability to produce Capital†. Capital is a force that raises the productivity of labour and creates the wealth of nations. It is the lifeblood of the capitalist system, the foundation of progress and the one thing that poor countries of the world fail to produce. Nigeria is a typical example of a country with vast potential that has tried and failed to adopt capitalism system of governance and this is due to the fact that she has failed to produce enough capital to propel her growth. Nigeria has adapted all the western inventions that support capitalism system but has failed to set up the necessary structure required to take off the system. In the west, every asset is represented in a property document that is the visible sign of a vast hidden process that connects all these assets to the rest of the economy. Effective documentation of such asset can lead to the becoming source of capital. The west has effectively implemented such a system and as such draw capital out of the assets documented. In America for instance, mortgage on the entrepreneur’s asset is the easiest source of fund. This is due to the fact that the assets are registered and well documented, can be proven to belong to the said entrepreneur, has a documented value that covers the credit amount he needs, and can be sold off legally to recover the credit if it crystallises. The same cannot be said of Nigeria, where assets are poorly registered, documentation outdated and exchange of assets from one owner to another is largely untraceable. Trade within the country is usually focused on local buyers who usually have a long friendship with the property owner and a certain level of comfort in the transaction. Most capitalist nations suffered similar problems before finally perfecting the implementation of the capitalist system. The United States in 1783 had to deal with illegal squatters and settlers who occupied land that legally did not belong to them. This was as a result of no one legal system acceptable in all parts of the country that indicated the various processes that had to be used to legally acquire such lands and document the transaction. Nigeria also suffers similar problems presently as a flaw legal system is implemented and fails to check the various transactions that involve acquisition of assets that can lead to capital generation for the nation. Hernando De Soto analysed that capital is the most essential component of western economic advancement and is also the most neglected by developing including Nigeria. He explained that for any nation to successfully implement capitalism, certain areas of the transition had to be conquered. They are: 1. Mystery of Missing Information 2. Mystery of Capital 3. Mystery of Political Awareness 4. Mystery of Lessons of the West 5. Mystery of the Legal failure Nigeria is a country that suffers from poor record keeping and this has often lead to problems where identification of owners of various asset, verification of addresses, description of assets, and imposition of charges and regulation becomes necessary. Identifying the proper owner of a particular asset becomes a cumbersome problem as records are usually not updated and such assets might have changed ownership more than once in the last couple of years. Cases of illegal acquisitions become common place with complaints being logged in courts and other legal bodies for a resolution of such conflicts. Poor documentation and recording processes often leads to the emergence of an illegal trade that often tends to cripple the conversion of assets into capital. The high demand of the legal system in the country makes it difficult for the average citizen to fulfil all the required criteria under law to acquire such assets. The high fees and charges coupled with the often times prolonged delays encountered before completion of the legal documentation acts as obstacles of legality to citizens, who opt out of such a legal system and prefer to take part in illegal trade transactions that are not documented by the government and as such leads to a loss of potential capital that asset could generate. Such illegal transactions are governed by the laws the trade merchants implement to suit them and not those of the government. Illegal businesses have become the norm in the Nigerian economy. They are not registered or recognized by the government, and this is due to the negligence of the government concerning the importance of having a registration system that will be responsible for keeping details of all businesses that are running in the country and therefore improve the capital generating capacity of such a country. Various sectors of the Nigerian economy have been attacked by such businesses, be it transportation, real estate etc. The conversion of such assets into capital can only be achieved when such black marketers are properly registered and guided by the law of the government. The sectors of the economy that are classified as undercapitalized is a world where ownership of assets is difficult to trace and validate, governed by no legally recognized set of rules. Hernando De Soto states in his book that about 80 percent of the world is undercapitalized. This means that there is mass failure in drawing economic life from their assets to generate capital. People own assets as security and do not have the required know how to convert such assets into capital for their businesses. This leads to such assets categorised as dead capital, as there is no conversion process available to generate the said capital. Capital is responsible for two things, namely; 1. Capturing the physical dimension of assets 2. Generate surplus value Every country requires capital, as that is the part of the country that initiates surplus production and increases productivity of the nation. Every asset requires an external man made process that allows the identity of the potential of the asset and also to convert this potential into capital. The process is setup not to create capital, but to protect the ownership of such property. The west for example creates such wealth from the formal property system which has over the years been streamlined to a credible system, guided by the rule of the government and registered and recognised by the said government. Adam Smith states that the division of labour and subsequent exchange of products in the market was the source of increasing productivity. This was made possible by capital which is the stock of assets accumulated for productive purposes. This accumulated resource was used to support specialised enterprises until they could exchange their products for other things they needed. The more the capital means more specialization and thus, the higher the society’s productivity. However, assets must be fixed and realised to become active capital and put additional production in motion. Every asset must be registered to a particular person or group of persons to be considered to be productive. This helps to confirm the existence of the said asset as well as the processes required to convert them into capital generating transactions. The introduction of a formal property system is necessary to provide the process, forms and rules that fix assets in a condition that allows the realization of such assets as active capital. These assets have to be described and organised according to their economic values. The record is updated into a recording system and a title for the assets now is given to enable easy identification. This should be guided by a set of legal rules. This describes the creation of a formal property system where capital is born. Nigeria still finds it difficult to identify the owners of certain assets as the recording system is outdated and there is no formal property system being developed. This often leads to lengthy and cumbersome procedures for sale or lease of property. The majority of citizens who are classified as the poor of the economy usually do not have access to the property mechanism that could be used to produce, secure or guarantee greater value in the expanded market as against the lack of entrepreneurial knowledge that the west assumes is the cause of failure of the capitalism system in such countries. Upon examination, it can be drawn that the west cannot paint a broad picture of their formal property system used as a means for generation of capital. This is as a result of the system being hidden in thousands of pieces of legislation, statues, regulations and instructions that govern such a system. This formal property system produces as a side effect various consequences that lead to capital generation. They are: 1. Fixing the economic potential of assets: This is as a result of the proper and effective registration and description of property that help in tracking changes in ownership of such property as well as their value generating capacity. 2. Integrating dispersed information into one system: The development of a single legal system to govern the property system is a necessary control measure used in ensuring up to date records of all registered property in the government’s records. 3. Making people accountable: Registration of owners of property meant people no longer are anonymous and could be easily located. This formal system encourages people to respect title, contracts and obey the laid out laws. Failure to adhere to such laws lead to the offence being recorded in the system and this poses a reputation risk with other parties for the defaulting citizen. The unavailability of such laws is the major reason for the inability of citizens to make profitable contracts with strangers; they cannot also get credit facility, insurance and utility services. 4. Making assets fungible: Assets become more accessible and are able to do additional work to generate capital. Registered assets are easily combined, divided, mobilized and used to stimulate business deals. Such assets are able to be fashioned to suit practically any transaction.

The Relevance Of Legal Positivism

The Relevance Of Legal Positivism I have chosen to critically examine The Contemporary Relevance of Legal Positivism by Professor Brian Z Tamanaha who has written on the topic of legal positivism, and this is a legal theory that greatly interests me. Though the title suggests otherwise, in his article Tamanaha argues a particular point that in its current state legal positivism fails to engage with real world matters.  [2]  Tamanaha goes on to suggest that legal positivism has been emasculated  [3]  to the point where it is no longer a relevant legal theory, as modern discussions on legal positivism have drastically shifted away from the original ideas of legal positivism proposed by Bentham and Austin. However, to make such claims effectively requires compelling evidence, and this is something that the article plainly lacks. Moreover, Tamanahas article is full of presumptions, which one can only assume that he has misinterpreted many of the theoretical debates between key characters within legal positivism. As a result, this dissertation will argue that although Tamanaha makes some important points, overall there are too many inaccuracies within the article, which make it weak and unpersuasive. There are three particular arguments that will be pursued in this dissertation. Firstly, it will be argued that Legal Positivism does in fact deal with real world matters. Secondly, that the separation thesis supported by Hart is in fact false and Tamanaha may have misunderstood his work. Thirdly, it will be argued that Tamanahas alternative is not the way to move forward; in fact we should move in a completely different direction and focus more on science rather than descriptive theory. Legal Positivism and Real World Matters To begin with, we need to clarify that Tamanahas article is not without value, as Tamanaha has made some valid arguments, which cannot be disputed. Throughout his article, Tamanaha gives us a good account of what traditional legal positivism stood for and how contemporary legal theorists have transformed this important legal theory. As a result, it is only necessary to give a brief account of the historical background of legal positivism at a later stage in the dissertation. For now, we will turn our attention to the issues within the article, the most problematic claim in the Tamanaha article is one where he states that legal positivists have divided into two different groups whereby both argue about legal theories and turn their backs on real world matters.  [4]  This is something that I strongly disagree with and will be spending a large section of the essay arguing against this point. Apologies are made in advance, as it may seem to the reader that we are going off on a tangent but it will become clear at the end of this section that Tamanaha has made a critical mistake in making this claim. My line of argument will be to look at Brian Lieters writings in Legal Realism and Legal Positivism Reconsidered and dispute Tamanahas statement through the link between American Legal Realism and Legal Positivism. Leiter argues at the outset the there are two common misconceptions within jurisprudence that he wants to rebuff. Firstly, that Legal Positivism a nd Legal Realism are not incompatible from a conceptual level. Secondly, that Legal Realism has been gravely misunderstood even by the central character of modern legal positivism, Hart.  [5]   It seems in Leiters view that only by comparing Legal Realism to Legal Positivism on a conceptual level can Hart argue that they are opposed to one another. He adds on that Positivism is essentially a theory of law-a theory, in part, about what is distinctive of any societys legal normsRealism is essentially a descriptive theory of adjudication, a theory about what it is judges really do when they decide cases.  [6]  In order for Legal Realism to work it must presuppose a theory of law and this is where according to Leiter Legal Positivism comes in.  [7]  Leiter admits that Legal Realism cannot ascertain to be a theory of law on a conceptual level because quite frankly is it a philosophical mess but he suggests that there are links between Legal Positivism and Legal Realism on an Empirical level. The empirical level will consider whether or not legal rules causally determine judicial decisions. Leiter goes on to add that even though Hart was aware of this possibility he has n ot given a convincing argument to dispute the link at the empirical level.  [8]  One has to wonder why Hart stayed clear of such debates, was there something he was afraid of discovering. Leiter is insistent that anyone writing on Legal Realism should fully understand what it stood for before attempting to define what it is or what it does. He adds on that many of the main characters within Legal Realism like Llewellyn, Frank, Radin, Moore, Yntema, Cohen, Oliphant, Green, and Hutcheson wanted to achieve the goal of understanding judicial decision-making and, in particular, shared certain substantive views about how adjudication really works.  [9]  Leiter presses the argument that Legal Realism is a descriptive theory about how judges actually decide cases based on the facts of the cases instead of looking at legal rules. Although, it does seem clear that judges can predict cases if they fall within distinct patterns. This process allows judges and lawyers to predict the outcome of a case where the facts fall within a situation type which the outcome of that type has already been determined.  [10]  Oliphant clarifies this point when referring to commercial law and dealings between parties and the fact that judges may rely on commercial norms  [11]  (i.e. what would reasonably be expected of both parties in this situation) in order to decide a case. Therefore, it seems that Realists wanted to identify and describe the way in which decisions are made by judges.  [12]  This is very similar to the way in which conceptual analysis works, which demonstrates that there is some sort of link between Legal Realism and Legal Positivism. Legal Realists wanted to push forward the idea of an empirical theory of adjudication as it gave us the best opportunity to fully understand judicial decisions.  [13]  Of course, such a theory would only work if Realists were able to presuppose an existing theory of the concept of law.  [14]   Leiter, like many others before him makes it clear that Legal Positivism is a theory of law or about the nature of law.  [15]  What this tells us is that we must use this theory as a way of understanding and analysing our concept of law. This is a task which involves establishing the criteria of legality  [16]  and determining whether a certain norm is a legal norm. Leiter then covers the two most important theses of the Positivists theory. The social thesis (which concludes it is society which decides what will count as law, social fact) and the separation thesis (which states that what the law is and what it ought to be are separate questions).  [17]  If Leiters work is read carefully, it will become clear where Hart went wrong in his analysis and the fact that Hart offers no conclusive arguments to rebut the connections between Legal Positivism and Legal Realism. So if Hart misunderstood Legal Realism himself it is inevitable that those who read Hart and interpret his work will be making the same mistakes. There are two clear arguments as to why Legal Realism and Legal Positivism are connected. Firstly, both Legal Realists and Legal Positivists accept that law is indeterminate. According to Leiter, Realists argue that trying to determine if a law is justified, based on legal rules has not worked in the past and that is not something that Realists want to do.  [18]  Therefore, Realists only wanted to find out what it is that makes judges decide cases in this way. Similarly, Hart accepted that legal rules are indeterminate because there is a limit, inherent in the nature of language, to the guidance which general language can provide.  [19]  This was because language is, in Harts opinion, open-textured: There will indeed be plain cases constantly recurring in similar contexts to which general expressions are clearly applicable (If anything is a vehicle a motor-car is one) but there will also be cases where it is not clear whether they apply or not. (Does vehicle used here include bicycles, airplanes, roller skates?). The latter are fact-situations, continually thrown up by nature or human invention, which possess only some of the features of the plain cases but others which they lack.  [20]   This then makes it clear that even the most celebrated 21st century legal positivist is aware that there are similar features between Legal Positivism and Legal Realism. The second argument is that both Positivists and Realist agree that legal rules do not determine decisions in some cases.  [21]  Realists for example argue that it will be up to judges to decide how the use a range of tools available to them when interpreting previous decisions. As Llewellyn puts it judges have the discretion to interpret a case strictly or loosely and that in most cases their interpretation will be recognised, legitimate, honorable.  [22]  It is through adjudication that private parties, such as individuals or corporations are able to sort out legal disputes. In addition, adjudication is there to review any disagreements between private parties and public officials. If then judges are involved in the legal process whereby they have to assess evidence and arguments presented to them about leg al issues surely this is something which can be considered a real world matter. Tamanaha has failed to consider these sorts of arguments in his article and as a result has opened himself up to criticism. Contrary to Tamanahas argument, Legal Positivism does deal with real world matters, as adjudication is a real world matter. Legal Realism is about highlighting how law operates in practice, and Realists wanted to locate law in its broader context (not separate). Leiter also points out that Realists challenged the myth of legal certainty- by highlighting indeterminacy of law. More importantly to our task here, it is clear that Legal Realism concerns law and study of law as an inherently practical activity associated with the real world.  [23]  As a result, these findings suggest that Tamanaha was wrong to make such an erroneous claim without looking at the evidence to back up his premise. There are also a number of other faults with Tamanahas article. In an attempt to convince the reader, Tamanaha has selected specific writings about legal positivism, which heavily criticise it in order to suit his side of argument, whilst ignoring arguments that are made in favour of legal positi vism. He quotes Waldron who said that these analytical discussions tend to be flat and repetitive in consequence, revolving in smaller and smaller circles among a diminishing band of acolytes  [24]  . What Waldron believes is that we should go back to traditional legal philosophy in order to improve our understanding of the concept of law. He states that in legal philosophy: there is less of a sense of a canon of great books stretching back to the dawn of time. If there is canonical work it is H.L.A Harts book, The Concept of Law, which analytical jurists read over and over (and the squabble amongst themselves as to what it means and whose position is now closest to what Harts is taken to be). Since Hart Developed his theory by criticizing the nineteenth-century jurisprudence of John Austin, there is also some half-hearted discussion on Austins work. Beyond that however, the canon of legal philosophy is attenuated and non-existent.  [25]   Of course, it is true that there hasnt been any standout publication on legal philosophy after Hart published The Concept of Law, but that does not mean that we should go back to the traditional ideologies on legal philosophy. Hart proved that some of the original ideas behind legal philosophy are unpractical in a modern society thus is it unproductive to keep applying them when trying to ascertain our concept of law. So common sense and reality would make us reject what Waldron suggests. Tamanaha then considers Twining, who has asserted that positivist debates are now repetitious, trivial, and almost entirely pointless.  [26]  Twining comes across as a great admirer of Bentham whose work is highly valued, however, Twining believes that Bentham should not remain as a historical figure in legal philosophy. For Twining Benthams à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦version of legal positivism; a more flexible and subtle conception of sovereignty than Austins; his penetrating attack on natural right; his progressive ideas on punishment; and his theory or adjudication  [27]  remain important topics. In fact, Twining goes one step further to suggest that we should go beyond Benthams work and look at the work of Augustine and Plato to help us understand issues we deal with today.  [28]  Whilst Benthams work was crucial, it is important to remind ourselves that what he produced was suited for the 19th century, thus it seems unlikely that it will be beneficial in dealing with issues in a contemporary society. With regards to going beyond Bentham, it is impossible to conceive how ancient ideologies would help us deal with modern issue and therefore Twinings suggestion is on the verge of being absurd. Tamanaha also refers to Schauers work to argue that large numbers of American law professors believe that analytical jurisprudence in general, and the debates about legal positivism in particular, are the largely irrelevant preoccupation of a small group of socially unaware but philosophical obsessed pedants.  [29]  The simple explanation to this is that almost everyone involved in legal philosophy is a positivist.  [30]  Even Tamanaha accepts that legal positivism is the dominant legal theory of law, as the first paragraph of his article states that: Most legal philosophers agree that legal positivism is the dominant theory of law today.  [31]  As a result, it is extremely difficult to argue on anything more than marginal issues as the main issues have already been agreed upon. Therefore, until we have another philosopher like Dworkin or Hart who is able to come up with new and radical ideas, unfortunately, marginal arguments is all that is left for contemporary legal positivists to debate. Tamanaha has presented some inconsistent arguments in support of his position. Right at the outset, he admits that legal positivism is by far the biggest camp within legal theory  [32]  but at the same time attempts to argue that it is no longer relevant. It is simply irrational to describe a theory as being both dominant and irrelevant at the same time, Tamanaha has either set out his article to be extremely provocative, or he has not really planned his arguments. Nonetheless, Tamanaha then moves on to explaining why legal positivism has reached this point of being irrelevant. One of his arguments is that for much of its existence, the primary foil for legal positivism has been natural law theory. But natural law theory no longer has the primacy it once did.  [33]  Yet, Tamanaha then says that due to an agreement reached by natural law theorists and legal positivists on certain issues legal positivism has lost and important reason for being.  [34]  It is astonishing how a professor who, according to Washington University in St Louis, is a renowned jurisprudence scholar and author  [35]  would make this sort of argument. Natural law theory might have hampered the complete domination of legal positivism but Tamanaha himself admits that natural law theory no longer has the primacy it once did. How can a legal theory lose a reason for being if it is still the dominant theory after all this this time? In fact, Tamanaha is completely wro ng as legal positivism is easily the best theory of law and there does not seem to be a theory out there that can match it.  [36]  Tamanaha seems to be confused as to what legal positivism stands for, namely that it seeks to provide a better understanding of the nature of law  [37]  and if a new idea comes along positivists are willing to adopt it. Churchill once said, I am an optimist- it does not seem to be much use being anything else.  [38]  It has become clear that Tamanahas reasoning as to why legal positivism is in a problematic state is completely flawed as natural law only had a marginal effect on the dominance of legal positivism. The most surprising error in Tamanahas article is his attribution to Harts success in the Concept of Law as on one of the reasons legal positivism has reached this point. Tamanaha writes that Hart established the parameters of the current understanding of legal positivism. Tamanaha goes on to add that legal positivism today remains trapped within Harts paradigm.  [39]  Either Tamanaha has misunderstood Harts writing or he has completely failed to grasp it. Hart made it clear in The Concept of Law that his interpretation of the concept of law is quite open in that it does not forbid the extension of the term.  [40]  Therefore, how can legal positivism be trapped in Harts paradigm if Hart himself has admitted that this is not a conclusive answer of what the concept of law is and that from time to time this term will need to be expanded in order to be applicable in a modern society. Tamanaha could at least afford Hart the courtesy of fully reading and understanding his work befo re making such erroneous presumptions, which do not portray Harts objectives. Yet, Tamanahas misinterpretation of Harts work does not stop there. One of his other arguments is that legal positivism through the separation thesis allows us to be in a better position to challenge evil law. Tamanaha relies on a quote from Hart who said that: So long as human beings can gain sufficient cooperation from some to enable them to dominate others, they will use the forms of law as one of their instruments. Wicked men will enact wicked rules which others will enforce. What surely is most needed in order to make men clear sighted in confronting the official abuse of power, is that they should preserve the sense that the certification of something as legally valid is not conclusive of the question of obedience, and that, however great the aura of majesty or authority which the official system may have, its demands must in the end be submitted to a moral scrutiny.  [41]   According to Tamanaha, only if we separate the question of law and morality we can be in a position to judge whether a law is moral or not, Tamanaha writes that Hart is Reminding everyone of the separation between law and morality, according to this view, should enable citizens and legal officials to recognize, resist, and disavow evil law.  [42]  To drive this point home Tamanaha also relies on Schauers work,  [43]  but in a few pages within the same work Schauer concludes that the separation of law and morality does not necessary allow people to resist bad law.  [44]  To add further misery to Tamanahas argument, Bix writes that there are no conclusive arguments either logical or psychological, for favouring legal positivism or natural law theory (or any other alternative) for the resistance to evil law.  [45]  Again, Bix is another source Tamanaha has quoted in his article but somehow he has either misread his own sources or has chosen to simply construct them in a way which would better suit his argument. In summary, it has become clear that Tamanaha has presented a number of unfounded arguments, which can easily be rebutted. In fact, some of his arguments come across as unprofessional and it is surprising that that someone who is highly regarded in legal philosophy would see any value in presenting such arguments to the reader. Having discovered that Tamanahas claim that legal positivism does not connect with real world matters is misguided, we will now move on to the second part of the dissertation, which will argue that contrary to Tamanahas belief the separation thesis is in fact false. Separation Thesis is False One of the key arguments Tamanaha makes in the article is that the shift away from traditional legal positivism has had a wider affect to the point that one of the fundamental ideas behind it namely, the separation thesis, has been dramatically transformed to a point where it no longer resembles the original ideas.  [46]  Looking at legal philosophy from a historical context, it is clear that Benthams contribution helped shape the way in which law is perceived today. As a result, it would be almost impossible to talk about legal positivism without mention his work. Classical legal positivism as portrayed by Bentham and Austin suggests that the notion of law is simply a command of the sovereign, which obliges subjects to obey the law and gives official authority to carry out punishment. Modern legal positivists adopt a considerably more sophisticated approach to the concept of law, but, like their distinguished predecessors,  [47]  they deny the relationship between law and mo rals.  [48]   Bentham single-handedly sought to transform English common law in order to achieve a greater good in society.  [49]  Through his critical analysis of the common law Bentham made it possible to construct a comprehensive theory of law. Bentham wanted to unmask the true meaning of the common law and make all of the common laws misconceptions clearer.  [50]  In his opinion, the common law was so indeterminate, and in such chaos that it was close to being pervasive. His main argument was that in order to achieve clarity and certainty common law had to be written and recorded in a manner, which could be traced when a similar legal issue arises, thus allowing for them to be deal with in the same manner throughout England.  [51]  Bentham wanted to organise the common law in a way that it could control the behaviour of society as citizens would have a clearer idea of how they would be punished if they disobeyed the law.  [52]  In addition, by systematically setting these rules it meant judges had less power in making the law and it made it easier to understand your legal rights and obligations. John Austin followed in the work of his predecessor as he advocated the idea of commands as notions of law. Austin was concerned about state power and which laws subjects had to obey. It can be argued that both Bentham and Austin wanted to achieve a greater understanding of the principal features of the law. However, it has been suggested that Austins definition of law as commands is limited in its application only to criminal law.  [53]  In addition, other writers have observed that whilst Bentham was concerned about a single complete law Austin wanted to create a science of law.  [54]  Austin also made it clear that what the law is and what it should be are two separate questions and they should always stay separate.  [55]  It is in no doubt that Bentham and Austin laid the foundations for modern legal positivism. However, their ideas have been considerably refined, developed, and even rejected, by contemporary legal positivists. H.L.A. Hart is often credited with providing a more sophisticated account of legal positivism than provided in Bentham and Austins writings. In doing so, Hart advises us that we must apply analytical, linguistic and philosophical techniques to the study of law in order to achieve a greater understand of the concept of law.  [56]  In The Concept of Law, Hart made this point clear from the outset in the preface that his task is about achieving a descriptive sociology [or in other words, hermeneutic description] thus a deeper meaning in the nature of words and law.  [57]  Hart considers legal concepts and the ideals we may have about the law and legal systems in a different point of view. He asks questions which had not been asked before, focusing specifically on the conceptual context of law. Whilst advocating some of the previous ideas about legal positivism, Hart strenuously denies that law should be seen as an imperative theory of law.  [58]  Harts interpretation of posi tivism is completely different to the accounts given by Bentham and Austin. This may be because society has changed dramatically since their time; as a result, contemporary legal positivism focuses less attention on a coercive picture of law. Hart made it clear that the only way to understand the true nature of law is to look at actual social practices that apply within our own communities.  [59]   Law, in Harts analysis, is a system of rules, which our society constructs and transforms as time goes by. Legal rules are divisible into primary rules and secondary rules.  [60]  Primary rules prohibited committing certain acts which would have jeopardised the close coexistence in our community (e.g. theft, murder etc.). However, as a society becomes more complex, there is obviously a need to change these primary rules, hence why Hart advocates secondary rules. Unlike primary rules, secondary rules do not generally impose duties, but usually confer power to adjudicate on breaches of primary rules, and to identify which rules are actually obligation rules.  [61]  For Hart, there are tw

how a Christian couple would apply these beliefs in their married life :: essays research papers

A Christian couple would most likely apply their beliefs with an everlasting marriage, one that stays strong and provides a welcoming foundation for a family. The family is not merely an invention of society, but an institution founded by God himself. The family is God’s agency for populating the earth with people who would love God and be loved by Him. It is to be formed exclusively through a loving lifelong marriage covenant between a man and a woman. â€Å"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth† The Bible is filled with teaching on the family and stories that tell of the triumph and tragedy of families. Both the Old and New Testaments contain numerous reflections on the roles of father, mother and children. The clear message of Scripture is that individuals and families suffer when lives are not lived in accordance with God's standards. Numerous biblical tragedies are played out in the context of families. When people fail to fulfill their proper functions in the family, they and their families suffer. The husband is first and foremost called by God to love his wife. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones† The husband is to provide leadership as he models the Christian faith (beliefs and way of living) before his family. He is to reflect in his life the character and virtues of the Christian faith. This happens when he lives a life of integrity, faithfulness, and obedience to God. The physical, material, emotional and spiritual needs of the family are to be met by the husband and father to the very best of his ability. He is to provide security and protection for his family. There is no biblical justification for not meeting these needs. It is his duty before God. â€Å"But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. how a Christian couple would apply these beliefs in their married life :: essays research papers A Christian couple would most likely apply their beliefs with an everlasting marriage, one that stays strong and provides a welcoming foundation for a family. The family is not merely an invention of society, but an institution founded by God himself. The family is God’s agency for populating the earth with people who would love God and be loved by Him. It is to be formed exclusively through a loving lifelong marriage covenant between a man and a woman. â€Å"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth† The Bible is filled with teaching on the family and stories that tell of the triumph and tragedy of families. Both the Old and New Testaments contain numerous reflections on the roles of father, mother and children. The clear message of Scripture is that individuals and families suffer when lives are not lived in accordance with God's standards. Numerous biblical tragedies are played out in the context of families. When people fail to fulfill their proper functions in the family, they and their families suffer. The husband is first and foremost called by God to love his wife. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones† The husband is to provide leadership as he models the Christian faith (beliefs and way of living) before his family. He is to reflect in his life the character and virtues of the Christian faith. This happens when he lives a life of integrity, faithfulness, and obedience to God. The physical, material, emotional and spiritual needs of the family are to be met by the husband and father to the very best of his ability. He is to provide security and protection for his family. There is no biblical justification for not meeting these needs. It is his duty before God. â€Å"But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

The Love Story Interpretations of Robert Frosts Poem, Wind And Window

The Love Story Interpretations of Robert Frost's Poem, Wind And Window Flower When reading Robert Frost Poem, Wind And Window Flower, I could not help but think that love and heartache were involved. I came up with two interpretations for Wind And Window Flower. In both interpretations, the Wind and the Window Flower signify a man and a woman. My first interpretation is as follows: Lovers, forget your love for an instance, and listen to the love of these two people. The characters in the poem are a Winter Breeze and A Window Flower. The man is the Winter Breeze. This man is a man who comes and goes, you never know exactly when he is coming or when he is going. He has a cold presence to him. The woman is the Window Flower. This woman is a mature, pretty, and warm woman. She is in full bloom, meaning she has experienced love, and is now ready for romance. The Window Flower falls in love with the Winter Breeze. The Winter Breeze would continuously walk in and back out of the Window Flowers life. The Window Flower found that each time this occurred, she was le...

The History of Thanksgiving :: essays research papers

THANKSGIVING   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The purpose of Thanksgiving in Canada is different from the Americans. But even though the reasons for giving thanks are different, many of the customs are the same. Canadian Thanksgiving was originally started to give thanks to God for a bountiful harvest. This was when there were lots of farmers that grew crops. Now we give thanks for everything we appreciate. Some farming families still give thanks for a good crop. Harvest celebrations have been around a long time. Ever since the very first harvest, about 2000 years ago, people have given thanks for a prosperous bounty. The first formal Thanksgiving was in the year 1578. A man named Martin Frobisher had given thanks for surviving his journey from England. He also gave thanks for a place that is now called Newfoundland.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The celebration at Thanksgiving was also brought to Nova Scotia when Americans began to settle there. At the same time French settlers were arriving and were also having feasts of thanks. In 1879, Canadian parliament declared November 6th a day of Thanksgiving and a national holiday. The date of Thanksgiving has changed several times until January 31st, 1957, when parliament proclaimed that â€Å"the second Monday in October be a day of general Thanksgiving to the ‘Almighty God’ for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed. A big part of Thanksgiving is a Thanksgiving feast. The feast usually consists of potatoes, corn, sweet potatoes, peas, gravy, stuffing, salads, buns and lots of other great food. The main part of the feast is usually the turkey. Other families might have ham, roast beef, duck or chicken. The dessert that is most likely to follow the feast is pumpkin pie. Other people may choose different desserts and food depending on their customs and beliefs for which they choose to give thanks. Let’s not forget the biggest and most important reason for this holiday – giving THANKS! People usually give thanks for everything they have. Their jobs, health, families or just being alive are just a few of the things that people give thanks for. Thanksgiving is a time when people can create their own customs and traditions because everyone is thankful for different things. The cornucopia has become a traditional symbol of this holiday because it is commonly shown filled with grain, vegetables and fruit, the staple food that settlers would give thanks for.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   During Thanksgiving, my family spends time together and we have fun.

Should the British Media Be Allowed to Publish Private Photos of the Royal Family or Should Their Privacy Be Protected?

Title: Should the British media be allowed to publish private photos of the Royal family or should their privacy be protected? With the development of science and technology, the media is also developing rapidly, from the original newspaper, broadcast, TV to today's Internet, mobile phone, electronic magazines and so on. There is no doubt that is progress, indeed, the media provides a lot of convenience to our life, for example: we needn’t go out and know what happened all over the world; if any place was hit by disaster, only through the media dissemination for help, friends from all over the world would lend a hand immediately.However, everything has two sides and the media is no exception. As we know, media is too transparent to make our life sometimes no privacy, especially some public figures’ life and feelings are always exposed. This essay will examine whether the British media should be allowed to publish private photos of the Royal family or should their privac y be protected? Firstly, I think private photos should be protected. Privacy has been defined as the `right of individuals to control the collection and use of personal information about themselves. ‘(Mason, 1986).And privacy is a fundamental right recognized in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It means that everyone should be equal and their privacy should be protected. Some laws and regulations, which are in the field of personal privacy protection, are also being found. For example, ‘there is comprehensive protection for privacy, potential civil and criminal liability, and human rights protection under the European Convention on Human Rights. ’ (Gilbert, 2012). So it is obvious that Western people will pay more attention to the privacy protection.Even avoid asking about their age, income, and marital status. They often use ‘nose into people's private life,’ to say people who asked such questions  with contempt. Therefore, publishing private photo without individual's permission is an unlawful behavior. Secondly, the British royal family belongs to public figure, not ordinary person. And ‘the members of the Royal Family support The Queen in her many State and national duties, as well as carrying out important work in the areas of public and charitable service, and helping to strengthen national unity and stability. (The role of the Royal Family, 2007). That means members of the Royal family are able to recognize and participate in community and local events in every part of the UK, from the opening of new buildings to celebrations or acts of commemoration. Therefore, Royal Family plays a positive and gracious role in British society. However, there are some British royal family private photos were published in the public, and those photos have a negative effect on Royal family’s image. Some people suggested that those behaviors are actually invaded Royal family’s privacy.But there are some people said that the British royal family is the public figures, and their photos should not belong to infringement. But I have to say that when they got back home to have a meal, sleep and make friends, etc, they also just an ordinary people, who are same as all of people’s life. Therefore, the British media should not publish the photos of the Royal family. Then the other side of this issue would be discussed in the following. That is Royal family were born in an unusual family, destined to their life would be revealed by the media.In other words, our world is fairness, they can enjoy the supreme honor; they can receive ten thousand people’ respect and admiration; they can enjoy the most luxurious life, etc. However, their private life is facing constantly exposure and revelation. Some of common things just connect with them that will be focused on, and will become the hot topic in public to talk about. In fact, some of their private photos should publish, because public figures should be actively influenced people and accept the supervision of the people.Some of photos can reflect their personal life, and their positive image can inspire the next generation. In contrast, some negative images or some bad way of life should not publish. Because those pictures would influence the images of the Royal family in people’s mind, especially have a negative effect on children. Therefore, private photos of the Royal family should be allowed to publish. All in all, according to the discussion of this issue from two aspects, I think no one opinion is absolutely right. Although the British Royal family is public figure, they also common persons; their privacy should also be protected by the law.Everyone has the right to protect their own privacy and the media should not just for benefits or media value to exposure everything regardless of privacy of people. In contrast, their identity particularity cause that they were born by all the atten tion. And their behavior always to a large extent affects to young people's behavior, so the media should expose a part of their privacy to the public so that they set a good image to the public, whilst, it is requires that the public figures also should be attention their behavior particular in the public. Reference:R. O. Mason (1986), Four ethical issues of the information age, MIS Quarterly, 10 (1) pp. 4–12. (Accessed: 19 October 2012) Gilbert, D (September 14, 2012) After Diana: How can intimate royal snaps be published in France? CNN, [Online]. Available: http://www. cnn. co. uk/2012/09/14/world/europe/france-privacy-law-qa/index. html (Accessed: 19 October 2012) The official website of The British Monarchy, (2007), the role of the Royal Family. [Online]. Available: http://www. royal. gov. uk/MonarchUK/HowtheMonarchyworks/TheroleoftheRoyalFamily. aspx [Online]. Available:

Swift vs. Machiavelli: Government

Swift vs. Machiavelli: Government Brandi Barnes We’ve all heard of governments over the years—anarchy, dictatorship, communism—who ruled with a firm hand and a blind eye. To be frank, some were just ruthless. But how do they lead? Strong? Weak? Or a little of both? Machiavelli’s purpose: how to rule in a manner that shows power and how to instill that power over the people swiftly. Swift’s purpose: recognize the kind of cold, calculating inhumanity of blunt rationalism when used to address social problems such as poverty as well as overpopulation.In â€Å"The Morals of the Prince,† he is somewhat encouraging the rulers to be harsh, but also be generous to show that he can give and take away because he has the authority. On the contrary, â€Å"A Modest Proposal† is stating that the coldness of turning a blind eye to the situation is one of inhumanity. To begin with, both prove their cases very differently, affecting their audience in th e most profound ways. Yet, there is one more effective than the other—Swift.Through the entire satirical piece, Swift is mocking the heartless attitude towards the poor. The wealth of a country is based on one thing: the poverty of the majority of its citizens. The English government was well aware of the two situations pointed out in this essay, yet they chose to sit there and do nothing about it. Instead, they withdraw their natural rights and dehumanize them by viewing them as a commodity.Swift’s comment– â€Å"That it will prevent those voluntary abortions, and that horrid practice of women murdering their bastard children†Ã¢â‚¬â€is one of the ways he shows the government taking away a natural right each mother has, but then goes on to say, â€Å"I doubt more to avoid the expense than the shame† to show how the government yet again is well aware of the dire situation, but they instead supported it by paying her to get rid of her child. Shiftin g into a new perspective, Machiavelli’s view towards the government is somewhat a paradoxical one.With each statement he makes, he presents is well; then contradicts. â€Å"He may make examples of very few, but he will be more merciful in reality than those who, in their tenderheartedness, allow disorders to occur,† this shows Machiavelli’s perspective on the government; saying that the one showing the consequences to the people know what happen if they disobeyed him instills that bit of fear, and that he will be more successful than a leader who is never stern and allows the people to walk all over him.By showing this certain authority, it ties back into his main purpose of establishing and maintaining power throughout their reign. To wrap things together, both Machiavelli and Swift are using a serious tone to present the same underlying topic: the government ruling. One is mocking it by showing how they pay money to have these children and help their families and the other is saying rule in a harsh but generous manner.In a plethora of ways, â€Å"A Modest Proposal† is exemplification to Machiavelli’s views on how to be an effective leader, but also contradicts on saying that some those exact views listed in â€Å"The Morals of a Prince† is inhuman and heartless. Swift directs his focal point to just that of poverty and overpopulation, allowing us to see a broader reasoning behind his mocking tone towards the government as opposed to Machiavelli using an array of examples. Through both readings, they present and utilize their sole purposes for writing them. Despite their contradictions, they are still very similar to one another.

Vampire Academy Chapter 13

THIRTEEN THE AFTERMATH OF JESSE AND Ralf's lies was about as horrible as I'd expected. The only way I survived was by putting blinders on, by ignoring everyone and everything. It kept me sane – barely – but I hated it. I felt like crying all the time. I lost my appetite and didn't sleep well. Yet, no matter how bad it got for me, I didn't worry about myself as much as I did Lissa. She stood by her promise to change things. It was slow at first, but gradually, I would see a royal or two come up to her at lunch or in class and say hello. She'd turn on a brilliant smile, laughing and talking to them like they were all best friends. At first, I didn't understand how she was pulling it off. She'd told me she would use compulsion to win the other royals over and turn them against Mia. But I didn't see it happening. It was possible, of course, that she was winning people over without compulsion. After all, she was funny, smart, and nice. Anyone would like her. Something told me she wasn't winning friends the old-fashioned way, and I finally figured it out. She was using compulsion when I wasn't around. I only saw her for a small part of the day, and since she knew I didn't approve, she only worked her power when I was away. After a few days of this secret compulsion, I knew what I needed to do: I had to get back in her head again. By choice. I'd done it before; I could do it again. At least, that's what I told myself, sitting and spacing out in Stan's class one day. But it wasn't as easy as I'd thought it would be, partly because I felt too keyed up to relax and open myself to her thoughts. I also had trouble because I picked a time when she felt relatively calm. She came through the â€Å"loudest† when her emotions were running strong. Still, I tried to do what I'd done before, back when I'd spied on her and Christian. The meditation thing. Slow breathing. Eyes closed. Mental focus like that still wasn't easy for me, but at long last I managed the transition, slipping into her head and experiencing the world as hers. She stood in her American lit class, during project-work time, but, like most of the students, she wasn't working. She and Camille Conta leaned against a wall on the far side of the room, talking in hushed voices. â€Å"It's gross,† said Camille firmly, a frown crossing her pretty face. She had on a blue skirt made of velvet-like fabric, short enough to show off her long legs and possibly raise eyes about the dress code. â€Å"If you guys were doing it, I'm not surprised she got addicted and did it with Jesse.† â€Å"She didn't do it with Jesse,† insisted Lissa. â€Å"And it's not like we had sex. We just didn't have any feeders, that's all.† Lissa focused her full attention on Camille and smiled. â€Å"It's no big deal. Everyone's overreacting.† Camille looked like she seriously doubted this, and then, the more she stared at Lissa, the more unfocused her eyes became. A blank look fell over her. â€Å"Right?† asked Lissa, voice like silk. â€Å"It's not a big deal.† The frown returned. Camille tried to shake the compulsion. That fact that it'd even gotten this far was incredible. As Christian had observed, using it on Moroi was unheard of. Camille, although strong-willed, lost the battle. â€Å"Yeah,† she said slowly. â€Å"It's really not that big a deal.† â€Å"And Jesse's lying.† She nodded. â€Å"Definitely lying.† A mental strain burned inside of Lissa as she held onto the compulsion. It took a lot of effort, and she wasn't finished. â€Å"What are you guys doing tonight?† â€Å"Carly and I are going to study for Mattheson's test in her room.† â€Å"Invite me.† Camille thought about it. â€Å"Hey, you want to study with us?† â€Å"Sure,† said Lissa, smiling at her. Camille smiled back. Lissa dropped the compulsion, and a wave of dizziness swept over her. She felt weak. Camille glanced around, momentarily surprised, then shook off the weirdness. â€Å"See you after dinner then.† â€Å"See you,† murmured Lissa, watching her walk away. When Camille was gone, Lissa reached up to tie her hair up in a ponytail. Her fingers couldn't quite get all the hair through, and suddenly, another pair of hands caught hold and helped her. She spun around and found herself staring into Christian's ice-blue eyes. She jerked away from him. â€Å"Don't do that!† she exclaimed, shivering at the realization that it had been his fingers touching her. He gave her his lazy, slightly twisted smile and brushed a few pieces of unruly black hair out of his face. â€Å"Are you asking me or ordering me?† â€Å"Shut up.† She glanced around, both to avoid his eyes and make sure no one saw them together. â€Å"What's the matter? Worried about what your slaves'll think if they see you talking to me?† â€Å"They're my friends,† she retorted. â€Å"Oh. Right. Of course they are. I mean, from what I saw, Camille would probably do anything for you, right? Friends till the end.† He crossed his arms over his chest, and in spite of her anger, she couldn't help but notice how the silvery gray of his shirt set off his black hair and blue eyes. â€Å"At least she isn't like you. She doesn't pretend to be my friend one day and then ignore me for no reason.† An uncertain look flickered across his features. Tension and anger had built up between them in the last week, ever since I'd yelled at Christian after the royal reception. Believing what I'd told him, Christian had stopped talking to her and had treated her rudely every time she'd tried to start a conversation. Now, hurt and confused, she'd given up attempts at being nice. The situation just kept getting worse and worse. Looking out through Lissa's eyes, I could see that he still cared about her and still wanted her. His pride had been hurt, however, and he wasn't about to show weakness. â€Å"Yeah?† he said in a low, cruel voice. â€Å"I thought that was the way all royals were supposed to act. You certainly seem to be doing a good job with it. Or maybe you're just using compulsion on me to make me think you're a two-faced bitch. Maybe you really aren't. But I doubt it.† Lissa flushed at the word compulsion – and cast another worried look around – but decided not to give him the satisfaction of arguing anymore. She simply gave him one last glare before storming off to join a group of royals huddled over an assignment Returning to myself, I stared blankly around the classroom, processing what I'd seen. Some tiny, tiny part of me was starting to feel sorry for Christian. It was only a tiny part, though, and very easy to ignore. At the beginning of the next day, I headed out to meet Dimitri. These practices were my favorite part of the day now, partly because of my stupid crush on him and partly because I didn't have to be around the others. He and I started with running as usual, and he ran with me, quiet and almost gentle in his instructions, probably worried about causing some sort of breakdown. He knew about the rumors somehow, but he never mentioned them. When we finished, he led me through an offensive exercise where I could use any makeshift weapons I could find to attack him. To my surprise, I managed to land a few blows on him, although they seemed to do me more damage than him. The impacts always made me stagger back, but he never budged. It still didn't stop me from attacking and attacking, fighting with an almost blind rage. I didn't know who I really fought in those moments: Mia or Jesse or Ralf. Maybe all of them. Dimitri finally called a break. We carried the equipment we'd used on the field and returned everything to the supply room. While putting it away, he glanced at me and did a double take. â€Å"Your hands.† He swore in Russian. I could recognize it by now, but he refused to teach me what any of it meant. â€Å"Where are your gloves?† I looked down at my hands. They'd suffered for weeks, and today had only made them worse. The cold had turned the skin raw and chapped, and some parts were actually bleeding a little. My blisters swelled. â€Å"Don't have any. Never needed them in Portland.† He swore again and beckoned me to a chair while he retrieved a first-aid kit. Wiping away the blood with a wet cloth, he told me gruffly, â€Å"We'll get you some.† I looked down at my destroyed hands as he worked. â€Å"This is only the start, isn't it?† â€Å"Of what?† â€Å"Me. Turning into Alberta. Her†¦and all the other female guardians. They're all leathery and stuff. Fighting and training and always being outdoors – they aren't pretty anymore.† I paused. â€Å"This†¦this life. It destroys them. Their looks, I mean.† He hesitated for a moment and looked up from my hands. Those warm brown eyes surveyed me, and something tightened in my chest. Damn it. I had to stop feeling this way around him. â€Å"It won't happen to you. You're too†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He groped for the right word, and I mentally substituted all sorts of possibilities. Goddess-like. Scorchingly sexy. Giving up, he simply said, â€Å"It won't happen to you.† He turned his attention back to my hands. Did he†¦did he think I was pretty? I never doubted the reaction I caused among guys my own age, but with him, I didn't know. The tightening in my chest increased. â€Å"It happened to my mom. She used to be beautiful. I guess she still is, sort of. But not the way she used to be.† Bitterly, I added, â€Å"Haven't seen her in a while. She could look completely different for all I know.† â€Å"You don't like your mother,† he observed. â€Å"You noticed that, huh?† â€Å"You barely know her.† â€Å"That's the point. She abandoned me. She left me to be raised by the Academy.† When he finished cleaning my open wounds, he found a jar of salve and began rubbing it into the rough parts of my skin. I sort of got lost in the feel of his hands massaging mine. â€Å"You say that†¦but what else should she have done? I know you want to be a guardian. I know how much it means to you. Do you think she feels any differently? Do you think she should have quit to raise you when you'd spend most of your life here anyway?† I didn't like having reasonable arguments thrown at me. â€Å"Are you saying I'm a hypocrite?† â€Å"I'm just saying maybe you shouldn't be so hard on her. She's a very respected dhampir woman. She's set you on the path to be the same.† â€Å"It wouldn't kill her to visit more,† I muttered. â€Å"But I guess you're right. A little. It could have been worse, I suppose. I could have been raised with blood whores.† Dimitri looked up. â€Å"I was raised in a dhampir commune. They aren't as bad as you think.† â€Å"Oh.† I suddenly felt stupid. â€Å"I didn't mean – â€Å" â€Å"It's all right.† He focused his attention back on my hands. â€Å"So, did you, like, have family there? Grow up with them?† He nodded. â€Å"My mother and two sisters. I didn't see them much after I went to school, but we still keep in touch. Mostly, the communities are about family. There's a lot of love there, no matter what stories you've heard.† My bitterness returned, and I glanced down to hide my glare. Dimitri had had a happier family life with his disgraced mother and relatives than I'd had with my â€Å"respected† guardian mother. He most certainly knew his mother better than I knew mine. â€Å"Yeah, but†¦isn't it weird? Aren't there a lot of Moroi men visiting to, you know?†¦Ã¢â‚¬  His hands rubbed circles into mine. â€Å"Sometimes.† There was something dangerous in his tone, something that told me this was an unwelcome topic. â€Å"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up something bad†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Actually†¦you probably wouldn't think it's bad,† he said after almost a minute had passed. A tight smile formed on his lips. â€Å"You don't know your father, do you?† I shook my head. â€Å"No. All I know is he must have had wicked cool hair.† Dimitri glanced up, and his eyes swept me. â€Å"Yes. He must have.† Returning to my hands, he said carefully, â€Å"I knew mine.† I froze. â€Å"Really? Most Moroi guys don't stay – I mean, some do, but you know, usually they just – â€Å" â€Å"Well, he liked my mother.† He didn't say â€Å"liked† in a nice way. â€Å"And he visited her a lot. He's my sisters' father too. But when he came†¦well, he didn't treat my mother very well. He did some horrible things.† â€Å"Like†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I hesitated. This was Dimitri's mother we were talking about. I didn't know how far I could go. â€Å"Blood-whore things?† â€Å"Like beating-her-up kinds of things,† he replied flatly. He'd finished the bandages but was still holding my hands. I don't even know if he noticed. I certainly did. His were warm and large, with long and graceful fingers. Fingers that might have played the piano in another life. â€Å"Oh God,† I said. How horrible. I tightened my hands in his. He squeezed back. â€Å"That's horrible. And she†¦she just let it happen?† â€Å"She did.† The corner of his mouth turned up into a sly, sad smile. â€Å"But I didn't.† Excitement surged through me. â€Å"Tell me, tell me you beat the crap out of him.† His smile grew. â€Å"I did.† â€Å"Wow.† I hadn't thought Dimitri could be any cooler, but I was wrong. â€Å"You beat up your dad. I mean, that's really horrible†¦what happened. But, wow. You really are a god.† He blinked. â€Å"What?† â€Å"Uh, nothing.† Hastily, I tried to change the subject. â€Å"How old were you?† He still seemed to be puzzling out the god comment. â€Å"Thirteen.† Whoa. Definitely a god. â€Å"You beat up your dad when you were thirteen?† â€Å"It wasn't that hard. I was stronger than he was, almost as tall. I couldn't let him keep doing that. He had to learn that being royal and Moroi doesn't mean you can do anything you want to other people – even blood whores.† I stared. I couldn't believe he'd just said that about his mother. â€Å"I'm sorry.† â€Å"It's all right.† Pieces clicked into place for me. â€Å"That's why you got so upset about Jesse, isn't it? He was another royal, trying to take advantage of a dhampir girl.† Dimitri averted his eyes. â€Å"I got upset over that for a lot of reasons. After all, you were breaking the rules, and†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He didn't finish, but he looked back into my eyes in a way that made warmth build between us. Thinking about Jesse soon darkened my mood, unfortunately. I looked down. â€Å"I know you heard what people are saying, that I – â€Å" â€Å"I know it's not true,† he interrupted. His immediate, certain answer surprised me, and I stupidly found myself questioning it. â€Å"Yeah, but how do you – â€Å" â€Å"Because I know you,† he replied firmly. â€Å"I know your character. I know you're going to be a great guardian.† His confidence made that warm feeling return. â€Å"I'm glad someone does. Everyone else thinks I'm totally irresponsible.† â€Å"With the way you worry more about Lissa than yourself†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He shook his head. â€Å"No. You understand your responsibilities better than guardians twice your age. You'll do what you have to do to succeed.† I thought about that. â€Å"I don't know if I can do everything I have to do.† He did that cool one-eyebrow thing. â€Å"I don't want to cut my hair,† I explained. He looked puzzled. â€Å"You don't have to cut your hair. It's not required.† â€Å"All the other guardian women do. They show off their tattoos.† Unexpectedly, he released my hands and leaned forward. Slowly, he reached out and held a lock of my hair, twisting it around one finger thoughtfully. I froze, and for a moment, there was nothing going on in the world except him touching my hair. He let my hair go, looking a little surprised – and embarrassed – at what he'd done. â€Å"Don't cut it,† he said gruffly. Somehow, I remembered how to talk again. â€Å"But no one'll see my tattoos if I don't.† He moved toward the doorway, a small smile playing over his lips. â€Å"Wear it up.†