Choose one of the topics below Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Choose one of the topics below - Research Paper Example It is paramount to shift to energy sources that can substantially reduce the CO2 emissions as compared to fossil fuels rather than restricting energy saving portfolios in order to realize a reduction of greenhouse emissions. Renewable energy strategy is the best approach to reducing the emissions. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), to reach the ultimate goal of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, including the developing countries, strategic renewable energy sources should be implemented. Nuclear power generations and fossil fuel-fire d power generations with CO2 storage and recapture measures should be put in place to fast track counter global warming (IEA, 2008). Renewable energy is an inexhaustible energy that is a flow-type and is environment friendly. This proposal will presents some analytic findings of renewable energy outputs towards a low carbon society. It goes further to provide the nature policies on the promotion of renewable energy, measures to overcome non-economic barriers for the adoption, future courses of electricity demand-supply system, cost and effects of promotion of renewable energy and the ways to allocate related costs (IEA, 2008). The leading renewable energy producer in North America is Ontario. This renewable energy is beneficial since it does not bring about environmental degradation or pollution. Different methods of producing such energy include harnessing of wind energy through the use of windmills, harnessing of biogas or through the harnessing of solar energy. Electricity harnessed through solar energy directly depends on the energy from the sun and its intensity. Hence, different states that rely on solar energy try to determine solar insolation annually in order to optimize their electricity production during high insolation periods and subsidize their electricity during low insolation periods. There are different methods of

Expanding the Oral Care Group in India Case Study - 1

Expanding the Oral Care Group in India - Case Study Example 50% of the population is not concerned for oral hygiene. Those parts of the potential customers need awareness first of all about the oral health. Secondly, they are not in a reach of oral health care products as the disposable incomes of people living in rural areas have $2 per day, in comparison of urban population who are wealthy and they have great purchasing power. There is a shortage of dental care personnel in rural areas specially, single personnel handles thousands of dental patients. In addition, people with only high income consult dental professionals as they cost very high (Bruce, Moore, & Birtwistle, 2004). That defines the problem of affordability to the consumers. And the third is Accessibility, in which the director of the company, Brinda Patel want her manager to make a new market plan and she want to increase the unit sales nearly up to 30% of toothbrushes in India by spending 3% more in advertising budget, as her previous project in Thailand went successful. Whereas, manager Michael Lang is concerned if the strategy of increasing advertising budget more than Thailand’s budget will affect the sales positively as there are many cultural barriers in each region of India. The projections could go wrong, whether they can access the products and accept the change in oral health as they are using Neem twigs and tobacco and ashes since ages. Brinda believes that rural area need more hygiene protection messages and has a strategy to market its premium products and convince customers to switch to high range of oral care products, that might help the company to reach up to 30% per unit sales(Rudolf R. Sinkovics, 2009). On the other hand, Michael suggested not increasing the advertising budget and applying strategies in urban market to focus and persuade first time users of tooth brush and later spend on when they become habitual. Applying marketing strategies suggested by Brinda over rural areas

Punishment And Rehabilitation Between Prison Probation Services Criminology Essay

Punishment And Rehabilitation Between Prison Probation Services Criminology Essay When the prison population doubles, then doubles again, and then doubles again as it has done in EW from 15,900 in 1901 to nearly 90,000 in 2010, it follows that there will be substantial increase in the number of supervised by National Probation Service (NPS). The probation service is responsible for the commissioning and delivery of offenders who are subject to a court order or those released on licence from prison. The probation service focuses on the following aims and objectives: proper punishment, protecting public, reduce re-offending, assisting courts in sentencing, victim empathy, rehabilitation and finally best use of resources. As shown, its aims are less about the welfare of offenders and more about social control, which will be covered in more depth in this chapter. During the late 1990s, the probation service was targeted by the media for its poor ability to administer probation orders due to the lack of effective punishment for offenders (Ward et al 2002). Association Of Chief Officers Of Probation (ACOP) released the results of their study which revealed what was feared. It clearly demonstrated that improving enforcement was fundamental for proper punishment and public protection. Thereby, in order to re-gain public confidence and that of the courts, the service took an active approach to ensure that those who breach an order will be returned to court or custody for further sentencing. However, data collected by the National Association of Probation Officers (NAPO) indicated that; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦many of the recalls were for technical reasons such as not following rules, or missing appointments. In the majority of the cases of those recalled for technical reasons, there was no evidence of risk to the public. Cases published by the Napo include individuals who were recalled for not getting up in the morning, for reporting to the wrong probation office, for loosing their permanent address, because of tags not workingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (cited in Sim 2009 page 112) Thereby, although probation officers attempts to protect public with rigorous enforcement orders, for Hearnden and Millie (2004) these changes made little advancement because organisational effectiveness of law enforcement agencies has been seen in terms of control and punishment, rather than rehabilitation of offenders. Recent research findings support Hearnden and Millies claim as re-conviction rates within the first two years of being released from prison is more than 60% (Telegraph 2008). As a consequence of an organisational shift towards law-enforcement, it has been told that control-oriented models of NOMS had an inhibitory effect on the performance of rehabilitation and treatment needs of offenders. Although control-oriented and rehabilitative forms of treatment have been used together, one of the other has been obviously pre-eminent; punishment. This, as a result, brought a punitive criminal justice system which also increased fears about the disappearance of the caring and socially aware aspects of probation work. For Farral (2002) such changes have been a dismal failure because professional literature recommends assisting individuals in the process of self-change and building on strengths. In support, Farrals (2002) project which included interviewing almost two hundred probationers revealed the very small role that supervising probation staff had played in any successful desisting from crime. It has, for long, been recommended by Bottoms and McWilliams (1979) and many others that the elements of rehabilitation and punishment should be separated from each other. More controlling the probation service may be, but Ames (2002) told that probation staffs are often reluctant to punish offenders because they have understandably felt that this is not their proper business, and indeed is not within their power (Duff 2003). It has come to be assumed by many probation officers that offenders have problems, often involving their adjustment to society and to life in general. And because the problems of many more offenders lie in their situation, past and present, rather than in themselves, officers are more willing to refer offenders to agencies in which they can obtain special help with housing, employment, drug or alcohol problems and mental health needs which are all considered to be aspects of re-offending (Thames Valley Criminal Justice Board 2007). This reinforces the arguments put forward by Bottoms and McWilliams over twenty years ago when they wrote that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ help may be more crime-reducing than treatment (1979: 174). It is clear fro m this statement that offenders require understanding, and as a result of their understanding they will receive insights which will substantially alter their attitudes after a criminal activity. The notion of reintegration is well known in Marunas Liverpool desistance study where he found that participants often talked about the role of probation officers in recognising redemption (Maruna 2000). But not only do the probation officers play big role in re-integration; models of reintegration stress the need for changes in both role and status for the released prisoner: The exchange theory concept of reciprocity suggests that only by taking responsibility for making things right with victims and victimised communities can offenders change either the communitys image of them or their perceptions of themselves. (Bazenmore and Stinchcomb 2004: page) So the emerging question is how can offenders change either the communitys image of them or their perceptions of themselves. For Williams (1995: 124), the latter can be achieved by developing a professional relationship with the client. However, there is a barrier. In contrast to Ames (2002), more recent findings revealed that the attitude of the probation officer to the probationer is no longer as it would be adopted by a sensible friend. Though there are still elements in place in to supply advice, assist and befriend but in reality it is lacking. Strategies For Effective Offender Supervision highlighted the necessity for a higher detailed quality approach to deal with offenders by addressing more of their specific behaviour (HMIP 1998b). Offenders can change communitys image of them by undertaking community work in the community- which is a form of punishment. Nonetheless, no matter how strict the supervision of offenders, and no matter the extent of technology used, it will not be considered to be as effective as the simple act of imprisonment because offenders are not under a total control which prison affords, and is therefore not physically prevented for a period from committing further crimes. However, there are many reasons which provoke government from abolishing the objective of proper punishment; from an effective punishment in the community the offenders are more likely to able to pay compensation to their victims (Home Office, 1998: 7) by having the chance to re-appraise their lives and their relationships to other people. Moreover, as well as being economic for the taxpayer, it also boosts the probationers chance of finding employment as many offenders have poor work records; especially among school leave rs. In theory, community sentences help to ease the pressure on the prison system. As well as being cheaper than prisons, community sentences have shown to have lower recidivism rate; in 2007, 37% of people on a community order re-offended within one year of the order coming to an end as it offers a difficult but genuine opportunity for self-determination and an incentive to use it in legitimate directions. Community orders lasts between 60 and 240 hours of useful labour in the community. Approximately 70% of supervised offenders will be on community sentences each year. With community sentences, probation service aims to provide punishment (the hard work); reparation (working for the community); deterrence (giving up free time to work for nothing); incapacitation (restriction of liberty); and rehabilitation (achieving something worthwhile, and perhaps even learning a new skill). Among the community sentences performed by offenders has been work in youth clubs, hospitals and elderly home s, construction, painting and decorating, cleaning and many more. As psychologist ________ assert The desire to be wanted is basic to human nature (reference). In regards to community sentences, many who feel rejected by their families or society can under the right circumstances find fulfilment in discovering that they are needed by others. For example, Inner London Probation Service provides Bulldog Employment Project for offenders who are fully capable of work. The participants are paid more than they would receive from unemployment benefits, but less than they could obtain outside the programme. In due course they can leave work not only with the habit but also with an employers reference. This example provides the base of support which enables the offender to rise above their situation so they do not return to a life of crime by increasing their empathy with victims and growing their sense of community responsibility. (Ward 2008). This is consistent with Bazelmore and Stitchcombs model of reintegration. However, in some places the community wo rk has not been so inventive; it has been claimed that a few public service institutions in North London have been painted four times because the local probation service has run out of ideas (reference) In addition to the fact that community penalties lack the denunciatory power and the punitive elements of imprisonment, there is a huge amount of criticism that the idea of punishment turned upside down when considering that offenders often enjoy and continue to work voluntarily after the order expired. This is an opposition to utilitarian theory because the amount of pain derived from the community sentence is not greater than the amount of pleasure that is derived the forbidden activity (reference) Despite the potential of non-custodial sentences as an alternative to custody, magistrates and judges are sceptical of their use particularly when regarding the adequate supervision of offender which is resulting in prisons becoming a massive and seemingly indispensable pillar of contemporary social control (Garland 2001:14), which does not do anything to overcome the contemporary crisis experienced with the prison system. Having said that there have also been cases where non-custodial s entences have been imposed on minor offenders who would otherwise have received lesser penalties or none. This proves that there is inconsistency when imposing a sentence. And also, apart from being an excessive invasion of their liberty, this overloads the probation service. Another form of community penalty is the curfew order (electronic tagging) which is predominantly used for juveniles. Since electronically monitored curfews were introduced and implemented throughout in EW, their use has increased dramatically from 9,000 cases in 1999 to 53000 in 2004-05 (reference). The Home Office spend over  £100 million on the electronic monitoring of curfews. Although the primary purpose of electronic tagging is to monitor a curfew and reduce the opportunities for offenders to commit further crimes during their sentence, this does not prevent the offender from potentially deviating during the day. National Audit Office (NAO) reported that those who breached their curfew were more likely to have committed an office whilst on tag than those who had complied with the curfew (NAO 2006:3:1) In addition to this some offenders have tampered with or removed their tagging device which increase the risk of a breach and the subsequent risk of recidivism. However, some sc holars told that reconviction rates vary by offender- some statistics giving more convincing results. Despite the various criticisms, electronic tagging is financially more beneficial compared with incarceration. Moving on, as a result of tensioning recidivism rates and adverse publicity many critics point their finger at the probation service for its poor job handling. Speaking from their own experience and their knowledge of being part of a wider national probation workforce, staff reported sheer numbers of sickness absences which are sometimes accompanied by feelings of fear and insecurity (BBC News 2009a). These resulted in staff-resignations which further pressurised staff (BBC News, 2009b). Statistics are available to confirm this; each year the probation service commences the supervision of some 165,000 offenders; the caseload on any given day is believed to be in excess of 200,000 (Ministry of Justice 2009: 3). The funding invested to probation service over the recent years to provide more effective and beneficial service, particularly in supervision of community sentenced offenders allowed the service to become a more attractive proposition for the courts, not simply because they fel t resources are in place to enable them to use community orders more widely, but also because it is considered by courts to be more efficient and suitable form of treating and training offenders than imprisonment (Ministry Of Justice 2008). Given that the service as a whole relies upon the loyalty and integrity of its staff (reference), it is unimpressive that staffs are often feeling unsupervised and unsupported by their bosses (BBC News 2009c). In an attempt to reduce workload between the years of 2001-2008, the number of staff involved in the probation service has increased by 37%. This hides the reduction in the number of professionally qualified probation officers by 4%. Despite the rise in number of staff, the ratio of offenders to qualified probation officers has dramatically risen from 31:1 to 40:1, which is an increase of 28% as a result of numerous factors affecting the flows and caseloads. (NPS for England and Wales, 2005) Some of these factors are; the number of cases passing through the courts and the number found guilty; the length of time spent on remand; the custody and court order rates at the courts; and the number of offenders breaching court orders. Moreover, the role of the probation has expanded in many directions. As though the current workload is not enough, the probation service now has a duty to contact victims about the progress of the case and also give free and emotional support and practical help to victims of crime, their family, friends and anyone who is affected by it. According to _____ this is a rational decision because if the service continued to withdraw ignoring victims it would be targeted publicly and politically for its naiveness, thus it would also be morally unacceptable to behave as though the offenders need for rehabilitation is more important than victims. Of particular importance is that, according to _________, being equipped with fewer roles and responsibilities would make the service more likely to achieve those aims. Overall, a particular attention must be paid to rising workloads and staff dis-satisfaction, which in itself is bad but what is also important is that it makes the job of the probatio n service much more difficult and the possibility of rehabilitation and punishment far less likely to be successful than it otherwise would be. For instance, only about half of community sentence orders ran their full-course or at most, the likely offenders were terminated early for good progress. This could possibly be due to the fact the staff in these facilities are under immense pressure which produce hasty decisions, which are then reflected in the recidivism rates (Ministry of Justice 2009: 2). In order to reach its primary objectives, Multi-Agency Public Protection (MAPPA) was introduced in April 2001 to improve powerful management system for those offenders who are a potential threat to the community à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ensuring that public protection is the priority (MAPPA, 2005) For the most serious of cases MAPPA can take further actions to prevent distress to citizens. However, the plausibility of this agency is limited. An independent investigation agency, Panorama, revealed that only the top two risk levels, two and three, are tracked by the service. They argue that majority of violent criminals in England and Wales include sex offenders who are only classified as a low risk and subject to less supervision. (Panorama) In order to protect the public and reduce re-offending, risk assessment forms the basis for successive intervention and management of offenders by identifying harms posed. It is an important feature of the probation service and a core activity of a fully qualified probation officer. The intentions of government ministers for improving the risk assessment is clear; to be seen to be fighting crime on a politically sensitive issue.(reference) However, such an objective was difficult to achieve when traditional ways of working based on professional autonomy led to inconsistency and variation in probation practice. As a solution, over the decade, various risk assessment tools have been developed to eliminate inconsistency, but were, too, often open to criticisms. Ultimately, the creation of OASys sought to fulfil the aims of the prison and probation service by working in partnership with other institutions and also ensuring that probation officers assessed risk against the same criteria i n the same previous way. Howard et al (2006:33) highlighted the effectiveness of OASys as the best of actuarial methods of prediction with structured clinical judgement. However, critical consequences have been acknowledged by staff such as the loss of autonomy and de-skilling. Many officers complained that their job was becoming increasingly standardised, technical, and routine. (Leach 2004) The same argument was put forward by probation officers in a previous risk assessment tool such as LSI-R. (Robinson 2003). However, such changes in New Labours image of the modernized correctional institutions failed to materialise with respect to the protection of ex-prisoners upon release. This could perfectly be explained in the case of Gabriel Ferez and Laurent Bonomo, who were the victims of correctional service for their errors which left offenders free to kill (BBC News 2009c). Equally important, according to Shaw, in the week following release, prisonersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ are about 40 time s more likely to die then the general population (2007; 1) because offenders have problems in meeting their basic needs for food and shelter. Their basic needs also act as a barrier to develop relationships with other people. Such arguments are nothing new; as early as in the late 1960s, Dr. Eugene Heimler (1967) provided a convincing argument that when the satisfaction of a mans basic needs falls below a certain level he finds it increasingly difficult to struggle with his everyday life, with all the pressures and forces of social living. A step taken by the Labour government to successfully meet its objective of rehabilitating offenders and protecting public was by developing staff. In an attempt to ensure that staff are of the right quality, well trained and efficiently used, labour government have abolished the diploma in Social Work and replaced it by integrating level 4 NVQ and an undergraduate degree to become a probation officer. The underlying reason for a change was to move beyond a social work curriculum by maintaining a university base. (Nellis, 2003: 95) Although the new requirement is much more preferable to the previous, there are some limitations that must not be masked. A major concern is the diminution of properly contextualised understanding of offending which was the strength of social work training. (Bhui 2001:1)Thus the emerging question is, though new probation officers may know how to run an effective programme, will they have a good comprehension of wider relevant issues such as social deprivat ion and so on? Surely this is still a concern for the service for the reason of there being little scope for the probation officers to decide how they want to work due to the introduction of accredited programmes and minimum standards they have to follow. In support, a newspaper article informs that officers spend about 25% of their time face-to-face with offenders (BBC News 2009b) which highlights how technical staffs have become. So rather than being encouraged to do as they are told, officers should be given the environment to think independently as professionals which would also eliminate dissatisfaction and enable them to meet their, and offenders, psychological needs. Frankly probation service was targeting both, offenders and victims, in its early years, (Smith et al., 1988) but this was not the case in the last decade or two. This Another problem stemming from punishment in the community is that if an offender is undergoing a probation order of treatment is later charged with a further offence, the court will most likely disapprove its previously given generous opportunity. This will lead to an inclination not only to impose a prison sentence, but an imprisonment longer than that which might otherwise be considered appropriate. This could perfectly be explained in the case of Gabriel Ferez and Laurent Bonomo, who were the victims of correctional service for their errors which left offenders free to kill (BBC News 2009c). The punishment should be imposed by the court, and rehabilitation should be agreed between the offender and the probation officer. In EW, although punishments are largely dependent on the court order issued, Carter report told that they do not tend to address the needs of the offender (91). However, a problem stemming from punishment in the community is that if an offender is undergoing a probation order of treatment is later charged with a further offence, the court will most likely disapprove its previously given generous opportunity. This will lead to an inclination not only to impose a prison sentence, but an imprisonment longer than that which might otherwise be considered appropriate. This could perfectly be explained in the case of Gabriel Ferez and Laurent Bonomo, who were the victims of correctional service for their errors which left offenders free to kill (BBC News 2009c). (See extra stuff document) for a conclusive paragraph Nonetheless, the ineffectiveness of such roles and responsibilities should not solely be attributed to the probation service or to the Ministry of Justice. Indeed, they can not find satisfaction in work and recreation, and do not have the motivation to acquire the necessary skills. The likelihood of reintegration is made worse given that many probationers are illiterate. It is possible that illiterate people commit more offences than others, because fewer opportunities are available to them. When the offenders return to their home, they again associate with the society that bred the criminal activity in the first place. Many offenders come from areas where poverty and low education standards overwhelmingly influence criminal behaviour. It can not of course be concluded that illiteracy is alone responsible; other factors can also influence criminal behaviour, such as the care and support shown by teachers and other participants and the fact that these individuals were motivated to seek self-improvement. Surely probation officers should not be held liable to fix what education institutions failed to do; teach reading and writing.

Immigrants and The American Dream Essays -- Essays on the American Dre

The "American dream" is different for every person. To some it means financial success, to others it means freedom of expression, while others dream to practice their religion without fear. The "American dream" is a complex concept providing immigrants with the hope of better life. The U.S. government provides the environment and resources for everyone to pursue their dreams. Each year millions of people around the world apply for the Diversity Visa lottery program provided by the U.S. government, however only a few thousand people are lucky enough to come here. America is the place where people are judged by their achievements instead of having references or connections. Even though the American economy is in recession and the achieving of the American Dream is harder, many immigrants still achieve religious, political, financial, and sports dreams here in the U.S. Throughout the history of this nation there are thousands of upon thousands of immigrants coming to this country and achieving the American dream. The Irish immigrated to the United States in 1840 – 1850s in big numbers driven by hunger and by the oppression of the British. Many of them became successful politicians, police officers and businessmen. One of the brightest examples in the history of Irish immigration success is Henry Ford. His grandfather immigrated in the 1840s escaping the potato famine. Henry Ford himself was born in a poor family in Dearborn, Michigan went on to become the most successful car builder in the country (Hennigan). Between 1880 and 1920 the first wave of Italians mainly from South Italy immigrated in the United States (Hendin 13). Many escaped from the poor countryside in Southern Italy to seek better life in America. Shining ex... ...cal Engineering 122.10 (2000): 82. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 8 Mar. 2013. More About the Film â€Å"Joe DiMaggio: The Hero’s Life. Joe DiMaggio. PBS., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2013. â€Å"The Bulgarians beyond the ocean.† BTV the Reporters. BTV Channel. 19 Feb. 2011. Television. Thomas, John F. Documentation. Cuban Refugees in the United States. N.d. 46-57. International Migration Review. Web. 1 Mar. 2013. Thomas, Oliver "Buzz". "How To Keep The 'United' In United States: Coping With Religious Diversity In The World's First 'New' Nation." Church & State Feb. 2007: 19+. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 1 Mar. 2013. "U.S. Coptic church gets bishop." Christian Century 113.3 (1996): 70. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 1 Mar. 2013. Wills, Chuck, Destination America: The People and Cultures That Created a Nation. New York: DK Publishing, 2005. Print.

Night World : Soulmate Chapter 9

You'll change your mind,† Thierry said. An instant later everything was chaos. Thierry had one hand in her hair, twisting her head to the side, exposing her neck. His other arm was keeping both her arms trapped against her body. Hannah was twisting, struggling-and it wasn't doing any good. He was unbelievably strong. She felt the warmth of breath on her neck . .. and then the sharpness of teeth. â€Å"Don't fight.† Thierry's muffled voice came to her. â€Å"You'll only make it hurt worse.† Hannah fought. And it did hurt. The pain of having blood drawn out against her will was like nothing she'd ever felt. It was as if her soul was being pulled out of her body, a pain that radiated down her neck and through her left shoulder and arm. It turned her vision gray and made her feel lightheaded. â€Å"I-hate-you,† she got out. She tried to reach for him with her mind, to see if she could hurt him that way . . . but it was like running up against an obsidian wall. She could feel nothing of Thierry in the contact, just smooth black hardness. Forget about that, the cool wind voice said. And don't faint; you've got to stay conscious. Think about your room. You need wood; you need a weapon. Where†¦ The desk. Even as she thought it, Thierry's grip on her was shifting. He was forcing her to turn so she faced away from him, still holding her in an iron grip with one arm. She had no idea what he was doing with the other arm until he spoke again. â€Å"I have to give you back something for what I took.† And then the other arm was in front of Hannah, wrist pressing to her mouth. She still didn't really understand-she was dazed with pain and loss of blood-until she felt warm liquid trickling into her mouth and tasted a strange exotic taste. Oh, God-no. It's his blood. You're drinking vampire blood. She tried not to swallow, but the liquid kept flowing in, choking her. It didn't taste at all like blood. It was rich and wild and burned slightly-and she could almost feel it changing her. You've got to stop this, the cool wind voice told her. New. With a violent wrench that almost dislocated her shoulder, Hannah got one arm free. Then she started to fight hard, not because she wanted to get away, but because she wanted to keep Thierry occupied in holding her. While they were struggling, she surreptitiously reached out with her free hand. I can't feel it. She threw her body back and forth, trying to get Thierry to move closer to the desk. Just a little farther†¦ there. There! Her fingers were on her desk. She stomped on Thierry's foot to keep him distracted. She heard a snarl of pain and Thierry shook her, but her fingers kept groping across the desk until they found something smooth and long, with a pointed graphite end. A pencil. Hannah curled her fingers, gathering the pencil into her fist. She was gasping with effort, which meant more of the strange blood was flowing into her mouth. Now think. Visualize his hand. Picture the pencil going right in, all the way through. And now strike. Hannah brought the pencil up with all her strength, driving it into the back of Thierry's hand. She heard a yelp of pain and outrage-and at the same instant she felt a stab of pain herself. She'd driven the pencil all the way through his hand and jabbed her own cheek. She didn't spend time worrying about it. The iron grip on her had loosened. She slammed a foot into Thierry's shin and spun away as he jerked back. The desk! You need another weapon! Even as the voice was telling her, Hannah was teaching for her desk, gathering a random handful of pens and pencils. Thank God for her habit of losing pencils, which was the reason she had to keep so many. As soon as she had them, she twisted to dart across the room, getting her back to a wall. She faced Thierry, panting. â€Å"This next one goes right into your heart,† she told him, pulling one pencil out of the handful and holding it in her fist. Her voice was soft and ragged, but absolutely deadly in its conviction. â€Å"You hurt me!† Thierry had pulled the pencil out and was staring at the wound. His face was contorted, his eyes blazing with animal pain and fury. He looked like a stranger. â€Å"Right,† Hannah said, panting. â€Å"And if you come close to me again, I'll kill you. That's a promise. Now get the hell out of my house and out of my life!† Thierry stared back and forth from her to his hand. Then he snarled-really snarled, his upper lip lifting, his teeth bared. Hannah had never seen a human face look so bestial. â€Å"You'll be sorry,† he said, like a child in a temper tantrum. â€Å"And if you tell anybody about this, I'll kill them. I will. It's Night World law.† Then he did the fade-out thing. Hannah blinked and he wasn't there. He must have backed up down the hall, but she didn't hear a door open or close. It was several minutes before she could loosen her grip on her pencil or step away from the wall. When she could, it was to stumble toward the phone. She pressed the speed dial for Chess's number. Busy. Hannah dropped the phone. She was swaying on her feet, feeling sick and giddy, but she headed for the dining room. There, keeping one of the windows shut, was a wooden dowel, the remnant of some long-past safety craze of her mother's. Hannah broke it over her knee and carried one splinter-ended piece with her to the garage. The dusty old Ford was parked there, the one her father had driven before he died. Hannah found the keys and started for Chess's house. She could think of only one thing: she didn't want to be alone. Gray spots danced in front of her eyes as she drove. She kept imagining things rushing at her from the prairie. Stay awake. Just stay awake, she told herself, biting her lip hard enough to draw blood. There! There's the house up ahead. You can see the light. All you have to do is get there. She stepped on the accelerator. And then everything went gray. Thierry looked around the resort lobby, then glanced at his watch. He'd been doing that every five minutes for about the last twelve hours, and his nerves were starting to fray. He didn't like leaving Hannah alone. Of course, the ring would protect her when she was away from the house, and the amulet he'd buried in her backyard would protect the house itself. It was a strong amulet, made for him by Grandma Harman, the oldest and most powerful witch in the world, the Crone of the Inner Circle. It set wards around the house, so that no Night Person could enter without a direct invitation from somebody who lived inside. He still didn't like leaving Hannah alone. Only a little while longer, he told himself. It had ‘taken him most of last night and all of today to call in enough of his own people to set up a plan for watching over Hannah. She'd told him to go away, and he had. Her word was law to him. But that didn't mean he couldn't have her guarded. She need never realize that there were Night People around her, watching and waiting in the shadows-and ready to fight to the death if any danger appeared. Lupe had been right. He couldn't deal with this alone. And now he was going to have to rely on other people to keep Hannah safe. Thierry looked at his watch again. It was nine o'clock at night, and he was almost tempted to give up on Circe. But only a witch of her power could set up the kind of heavy-duty wards that would protect Hannah wherever she went in Amador County. He kept waiting. As he did, he stared at a gun rack on the wall and tried to keep his brain turned off. It didn't work. Ever since he'd awoken Hannah from her hypnotic trance, he'd been trying very hard not to think about the old days. But now, he found himself being irresistibly drawn back-not only thinking about them, but reliving them. Traveling back in his mind to the stupid young man he had been†¦. He hadn't been the first vampire. He didn't have that distinction. He had only been the second. He'd grown up in the tribe of Maya and Hellewise. The Maya and Hellewise, the twin daughters of Hecate Witch Queen. The Maya and Hellewise who would go down as the two greatest figures in Night World history; Hellewise Hearth-Woman as the ancestress of the Harman family, the most famous of the living witches, and Maya as the ancestress of both the lamia and the made vampires. But of course he knew nothing about that at the time. All he knew was that they were both pretty girls. Beautiful. Hellewise had long yellow hair and deep brown eyes. Maya had long black hair and eyes that glittered in different colors like the changing lights in a glacier. He liked both sisters very much. Maybe that was his downfall. He'd been a very ordinary fellow, with a good throwing arm, a delicate touch in carving ivory, and a vague longing to see the world. He'd taken it for granted that his tribe was special, that they could influence the weather and summon animals from the forest. They were the witch people, they'd been granted special powers, and that was all. It wasn't anything to worry about. And, like everyone else, he knew that Maya was doing experiments in the forest, using her powers to try and become immortal. But that didn't worry him particularly either†¦. I was very young and very, very stupid, Thierry thought. That had been the real downfall of the tribe. Maya's desire to become immortal. Because she'd been willing to pay any price for it, even to the point of becoming a monster and leaving a curse on all her descendants. Maybe if Thierry and the other witch people had realized that, they could have stopped her before it happened. Because Maya had finally found the right spell to achieve immortality. The problem was that to do it, she had to steal the babies of the tribe. All four of them. She took them out to the forest, did the spell, and drank their blood. Thierry and the rest of the tribe found the four little bled-out bodies later. Hellewise had cried all night. Thierry, who couldn't understand how the pretty girl he liked could have done something so awful, cried, too. Maya herself had disappeared completely. But a few nights later she came to Thierry. He was keeping watch outside the cave when she appeared silently beside him. She had changed. She wasn't the pretty girl he knew anymore. She was stunningly, dazzlingly beautiful. But she was different. She moved with the grace of a nighttime predator, and her eyes reflected the firelight. She was very pale, but that only made her more lovely. Her mouth, which had always been soft and inviting, seemed red as blood. And when she smiled at him, he saw her long pointed teeth. â€Å"Hello, Theory,† she said-that was his name back then. â€Å"I want to make you immortal.† Thierry was scared out of his mind. He had no idea what she'd become-some weird creature with unnatural teeth. But he knew he had no desire at all to be like her. â€Å"I really think it's unfair, the way you go back and forth between me and Hellewise,† she said casually, sitting down on the bare earth. â€Å"So I've decided to resolve the question. You're going to be mine, now and forever.† She reached out and took his hand. Her fingers were very slender and very cold-and unbelievably strong. Thierry couldn't pull away. He stared at his hand with his mouth open like the idiot he was. This was the time he should have started yelling, thrashing, doing anything to attract attention and get away. But Maya seemed to hold him with her eyes like a snake holding a bird. She was unnatural and evil†¦ but she was so beautiful. It was the first and the last time that Thierry would be fascinated by the beauty of pure evil-but it was enough. He was doomed from that moment. He'd doomed himself. An instant of hesitation. He would pay for it for unimaginable years in the future. â€Å"It's not so bad,† Maya was saying, still fixing him with her terrible and lovely eyes. â€Å"There are a few things I had to figure out-a few things I didn't expect. I thought drinking the blood of the babies would be the end of it, but no.† Thierry felt sick. â€Å"I've got these teeth for a reason, apparently. It seems I have to drink the blood of a mortal creature every day, or I die. It's inconvenient, but I can live with it.† Thierry whispered something beginning with, â€Å"Oh, Hecate, Dark Mother-â€Å" â€Å"Now, stop that!† Maya made a sharp gesture. â€Å"No praying, please, and especially not to that old harridan. I'm not a witch anymore. I'm something completely new-I suppose I should think of a name for myself. Night-hunter†¦ blood-drinker †¦ I don't know, the possibilities are endless. I'm going to start a new race, Theorn. We'll be better than the witches, stronger, faster-and we'll live forever. We'll never die, so we'll rule everyone. And you're going to be my first convert.† â€Å"No,† Thierry said. He still thought he had a choice. â€Å"Yes. I'm going to have a baby-not with you, I'm afraid; I don't think you'll be able to-and the baby will have my blood. And I'm going to give my blood to other people the way I'll give it to you now. Someday there won't be anyone in the world who won't have my blood. It's a nice thought, isn't it?† She rested her chin on a fist and her eyes glittered. â€Å"Hellewise will stop you,† Thierry said flatly. â€Å"My sister? No, I don't think so. Especially not since I'll have you to help me. She likes you, you know. It will be hard for her to kill somebody she likes so much.† â€Å"She won't have to. I'll kill you,† Thierry snarled. Maya laughed out loud. â€Å"You? You? Don't you know yourself yet? You're not a killer-you don't have the guts for it. That will change, of course, after I give you my blood. But you won't want to kill me then. You'll join me-and be happy. You'll see.† She dusted off her hands as if a difficult negotiation had been accomplished and terms had been reached. â€Å"Now. Let's do it.† He was strong. He had that good throwing arm-he was dead accurate with a spear or a killing stick. But she was so much stronger that she could handle him like a baby. The first thing she did was clamp a hand across his mouth-because by this time it had occurred even to stupid Thierry that he was in very bad trouble, and that he needed help. There was no sound of a struggle as she dragged him off into the bushes. â€Å"I'm afraid this is going to hurt,† she said. She was lying on top of him, her eyes glittering into his. She was excited. â€Å"At least, all the animals I've caught seem to have found it very unpleasant. But it's for your own good.† Then she ripped his throat out. That was what it felt like. And that was when he realized what those long canine teeth were for. Like any lynx or cave lion or wolf, she needed teeth to tear. Through the black waves of shock and pain, he heard her drinking. It lasted a long time. But finally, mercifully, he realized that he was dying. He took comfort in the thought that the horror would soon be over. He couldn't have been more wrong. The horror was just beginning. When Maya lifted her head, her mouth was scarlet with his blood. Dripping. She wasn't beautiful any longer, she was simply fiendish. â€Å"Now,† she said. â€Å"I'm going to give you something that will make it all better.† She pulled back and placed a fire-hardened splinter of wood at her own throat. She smiled at him. Maya had always been physically brave. And then, with a gesture almost of ecstasy, she plunged the splinter in, sending blood spurting and spilling. Then she fell on top of him again. He didn't mean to swallow the blood that filled his mouth. But everything was so gray and unreal-and he still had enough survival reflex left to not want to drown in it. The warm, strange-tasting liquid went down his throat. It burned like fermented-berry wine. After she made him drink, he realized to his relief that he was still dying. He didn't know that he wasn't going to stay dead. He felt her carrying him farther into the forest-he was completely limp now and didn't put up any resistance-and then everything went black. When he woke up, he'd been buried. He clawed himself up out of the shallow grave and found himself looking into the astonished face of his brother Conlan. The tribe had buried him in the traditional way-in the soft dirt at the back of the cave. In the minute before his brother could yell in surprise, Thierry was at his throat. It was animal instinct. A thirst inside of him like nothing he had ever known. A pain that was like being underwater-being strangled-gasping for air. It made him desperate, made him insane. He didn't think at all. He simply tried, mindlessly, to tear at his brother's throat. What stopped him was someone calling his name. Calling it over and over, in great pain. When he looked around, he saw Hellewise, her brown eyes huge and spilling with tears, her mouth trembling. The expression on her face would haunt him forever. He ran out of the cave and kept running. Behind him, just faintly, he could hear Hellewise's voice, â€Å"Theorn, I'll stop her. I swear to you, I'll stop her.† He realized later that it was all Hellewise could offer him. She knew that his curse was permanent. What he was now, he would be forever. There wasn't a name for it then, but he was the first made vampire. Maya, who would have a son just as she promised, was the first of the lamia, the family vampires who could grow up and have children. And her son, Red Fern, would be the ancestor of the Redfern family, the most powerful lamia family in the Night World. Thierry didn't know any of that as he ran. He only knew he had to get away from people, or he would hurt them. Maya caught up with him while he was frantically trying to quench his thirst by drinking from a stream. â€Å"You're going to make yourself sick,† she said, inspecting him critically. â€Å"You can't drink that. It's blood you need.† Thierry jumped up, shaking with fury and hatred and weakness all mixed together. â€Å"What about yours?† he snarled. Maya laughed. â€Å"How sweet. But it won't do. You need the blood of living creatures.† She wasn't at all afraid of him, and he remembered how strong she had been. He was no match for her. He turned and began to stumble off. Maya called after him, â€Å"You can't do it, you know. You can't get away from me. I've chosen you, Theorn. You're mine, now and forever. And in the end you'll realize that and join me.† Thierry kept going. He could hear her laughing as he went. He lived on the steppes for several weeks, wandering across the high windswept grasslands. He was more an animal than anything resembling a person. The thirst inside him made him desperate-until he stumbled over a rabbit. The next instant he found that he was holding it, biting into its throat. His teeth were like Maya's now-long, sensitive, and perfect for tearing or puncturing. And she was right, only the blood of a living creature could help the burning, suffocating feeling inside him. He didn't catch food very often. Every time he drank it reminded him of what he was. He was starving when he finally came to the Three Rivers. He didn't see the little girl out picking spring greens until he was on top of her. He burst out of a pile of brush, panting with thirst like a wounded deer-and there she was, looking up at him. And then everything went dark for a while. When he came to himself, he stopped drinking. He needed the food, he would die in terrible agony without it-but he dropped the girl and ran. Hana's people found him a little while later. And they did exactly what he'd expected any tribe to do-they saw that he was an abomination and brandished spears at him. He expected them to kill him at any minute. He didn't realize yet-and neither did they-that a creature like him took some killing. And then he saw Hana.

Equal Employment Opportunity and Employee Rights Review Paper

Equal Employment Opportunity and Employee Rights Review Paper Klista Odgers HRM/300 University of Phoenix Online October 29, 2012 Dwight Walker Introduction In the face of rising technology, globalization, and productivity some workers find themselves at a disadvantage to their efforts to retain employment. To prohibit discrimination, the United States has governed laws that protect the citizens from all types of discriminations. This allows organizations to focus on promoting employment based on a person’s abilities. The two laws chosen for review are the Pregnancy Act of 1978 and Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993.We will also discuss Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988. Provide a General summary of each Law The Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978, was an amendment of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that prohibited sex discrimination on the basis of pregnancy (â€Å"U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission†, 2012). That section 701 of the Civil Rights Ac t of 1964 is amended and states the terms â€Å"because of sex† or â€Å" on the basis of sex† include, but not limited to, because of or on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions (â€Å"U. S.Equal Employment Opportunity Commission†,). The act states women affected by the above terms shall be treated the same for all employment-related purposes. Next, is Family and Medical Leave Act of1993, entitles employees of covered employers to take unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons with the continuation of group insurance coverage under the same terms and conditions as if the employee had not taken leave. The final summary describes the Drug-Free Workplace of 1988. This act requires certain related groups to make sure that their workplace is drug free.The importance of this act is that it ensures the safety of all employees by ensuring that no one will be working under the influence of drugs. For each selected l aw or issue, locate a present-day court case The Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 Months ago, a statement was made by a contributor for the Presidential Campaign, suggesting that there is no reason why business owners should be obligated to provide any special provision to the medical health plan in the workplace for female comprehensive insurance plans for contraceptive.This individual felt as if the Federal Health Care Reform Law was not necessary, but the Institution of Medicine, researched and found that access to contraceptive is vital to a woman’s health, and as August 2012, women are able to file Temporary Disability, at work after giving birth or during pregnancy. They can ask for special accommodations because of this medical condition, and the employer must provide insurance which covers any related issues to reproduction. Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that states cannot sue under the Family and Medical Leave Act for refusin g to give an employee time off to recover from an illness. One justice said the decision â€Å"dilutes the force â€Å"of the law that allows millions of working Americans time off to care for sick family members or to have children. Daniel Coleman asked for a 10-day medical leave to deal with hypertension and diabetes in 2007, and said he was wrongfully fired after his request was denied. He sued for $1. million in damages under the Family and Medical Leave Act, but his lawsuit was thrown out, with the 4th U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals saying states could not be sued under the FMLA (the Huffington post). Drug Testing Currently, in the state of Florida the Federal Appeals court is battling arguments of a judge ruling against the idea that the government would violate the rights of the citizen of Tallahassee, by requiring any individual wham applies for public assistance benefits would have to adhere to drug test prior receiving any public assistance.The district judge thinks that individual whom receive assistance already provide a wide range of information in order to participate in the program, and by asking them to submit to a drug screen in order to receive benefits in an invasion of privacy and violates the constitution’s reasonable search ban. This case is currently being heard in Atlanta, Georgia, all because of a Navy Veteran, former college student, whom is a single parent applied for benefits back in 2011, meet the requirements of the program but felt it would be an result to be asked to participate in random drug screens in lure of help.The following media publicity of this case has implemented the state if Florida employees to be required to do drug testing. What are the implications for HR department in managing the employer-employee relationship in the contest of the law or issue? Within the workplace, the HR department has to deal with conflict issues that arise between employees and employers. Because employment relationships are so c omplex and depending on the different types of situations that can arise, there are employment laws that are in place to protect the employer and employee.Important HR laws include the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Title VII, Age Discrimination (ADEA, Equal Pay Act (EPA, 1866 Civil Rights Act, Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), ADA- Public Accommodations, Executive Orders 11246 & 11478, Drug-Free Workplace Act, National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), Byrnes Act, Worker Adjustment & Retaining Act (WARN), Rights of Servicemen (USERRA), Occupational Safety & Health Act (OSHA), Immigration Reform & Control Act (IRCA), Health Maintenance Organization Act (HMO), Employee Retirement Income security Act (ERISA), Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA), Health Insurance Portability (HIPPA), New Hire Reporting, Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), Fair Credit Reporting Act (FACRA), Federal Bankruptcy Code, Jury Systems Improvement Act, Employee Polygraph Protection Act, and Export Administration Act of 1977. For each law or issue, write an example that shows compliance with the laws or acts discussed. Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978An eligible employee is entitled to take unpaid maternity leave if the employee is for work because of: 1. Pregnancy-related illness or 2. Preparation of birth of a child Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 Twelve workweeks of leave in a 12-month period for: 1. The birth of a child and to care for the newborn child within one year of birth 2. The placement with employee of a child for adoption or foster care and to care for the newly placed child within one year of placement. 3. To care for the employee’s spouse, child, or parent who has a serious health condition 4. A serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the essential functions of his or her job 5.Any qualifying exigency arising out of the fact that the employee’s spouse, son, dau ghter, or parent is covered military member on â€Å"covered duty 6. Twenty-six workweeks if leave during a single 12-month period to care for covered service member with a serious injury or illness if the eligible employee is the service member’s spouse, son, daughter, parent, or next of kin (military caregiver leave). Drug-Free Workplace Act When it comes to drug-free workplace, human resources have policies to ensue employees, vendors or customer is not using alcohol or drugs. It is crucial for this department to be firm to their procedures to ensure this does not happen during work time.Some of the implications for HR departments in managing the employer-employee relationship are to have a zero tolerance for drugs and alcohol. In conclusion with all the laws against discrimination there are still people that are being discriminated against. The laws have helped in the workplace and for many people to have a safe workplace and place they can work with being afraid of bein g fired because of their race, color, sex, religion, or age. Reference: Holland, Jesse J, Supreme Court Makes Ruling in Maryland Sick-Leave Case. Retrieved October 28, 2012 from www. huffingpost. com Saunders, j; â€Å"News Service of Florida†: retrieved October 29, 2012; from Ledger. com Likert, R. , 1932 â€Å"Studies in the principles of judgments and attitudes†