George Berkeley Research Paper

George Berkeley Research Paper In the Principles of Human Knowledge, George Berkeley argues that material objects are nothing more than images within the mind. This idealism suggests that no physical non-thinking entities are real. The only reality of the objects is the image within the mind of the perceiver of the objects. For instance, objects are perceived by the senses. We then perceive or interpret our own ideas or sensations. Thus, the ideas have more reality to us than does the objects that we supposedly perceive. Next, Berkeley defines the term existence. For a body to exist, one must perceive it or have the potential to perceive it. Yet, everything that we perceive or have the potential to perceive is ideas. Thus, to say that a body exists is to say that you merely had an idea of that body. An objection to this argument is that one cannot have an idea of something without perceiving the real object. To retort this statement, Berkeley suggests that we cannot distinguish the sensible objects form the percep tion of these objects. In other words, it is impossible to separate, in thought, the so called real bodies that we see and feel from the mental perception of these bodies. Berkeley asserts that to separate these images would be analogous to dividing a human body or separating the image of a rose from the smell of a rose. According to Berkeley, separating these images would be an example of abstraction. In his effort to prove that material objects only exist within the mind of the perceiver, Berkeley asserts that one must actually perceive an object to have an idea about it. An idea exists only if it is perceived. Physical objects are collections of ideas. Physical objects can therefore only exist when perceived. For example, consider a person to be thinking of a certain tree in his favorite pasture. If he does not actually look at this tree or directly sense it, then his idea of the tree is based only on a previous idea or image of the tree. The recollection of former ideas does not constitute the existence of an object. Although only ideas themselves, the senses play a key role in the arguments for Berkeleys idealism, such as in this quick proof for the nonexistence of the qualities of bodies. Berkeley defines sensible qualities of bodies to be such things as color, taste, figure, and motion. These qualities are perceived by the senses. The senses perceive ideas. Therefore, the qualities of bodies are ideas. Berkeley furthers his defense for this view by arguing that numbers and certain senses are ideas within the mind. He states that numbers only exist within the mind because they depend entirely on the understanding of man. Similarly, heat, cold, colors and other sensible qualities are nothing more than affections of the mind. These sensible qualities are not a part of matter and could only exist if someone is there to experience the sensation. One of Berkeleys most crucial arguments for the nonexistence of active bodies lies in his explanation of why actions can exist only within the mind. First, it is given that ideas exist only within the mind. As proven earlier, ideas are all that is perceived. An idea is defined as passive in nature. This means that an idea cannot directly do anything and cannot be the direct cause of anything. Thus, an idea cannot be the resemblance of an active being because an idea exists only as an idea. Therefore, we can conclude that extension, figure, and motion cannot cause sensation because these descriptions are merely ideas within the mind. Berkeley continues his attack on the Matter that makes up objects. Matter is defined as inert, senseless substance in which extension, figure, and motion do actually subsist (258). Since extension, figure, and motion are ideas within the mind, matter must also be an idea because it is defined by extension, figure, and motion. Likewise, one cannot perceive of matter without using the senses, which exist only in the mind. Berkeley asks us to suppose for a moment that matter exists in reality but that the sensible or secondary qualities (258) exist only within the mind. The physical body and the secondary qualities would be utterly inseparable from each other because both were needed to comprise the object. Berkeley then proposes that the sensible ideas cannot exist only within the mind while the objects exist only in reality if the two are entirely inseparable. Thus, the objects must exist within the mind as well. At the conclusion of his arguments, Berkeley depicts the entities that exist within the mind of man. He explains that a spirit causes ideas within the mind. The understanding perceives the ideas while the will operates or produces ideas. Also, Berkeley describes laws of nature which are the methods and patterns that are perceived by the idea of senses. These laws may be the only real ideas because they are imprinted in us by the Author of Nature and teach us to associate certain ideas with others to learn how to live.

Project Based Learning for Special Education

Project Based Learning for Special Education Project-based learning is an excellent way to differentiate instruction in a full inclusion classroom especially when that class includes students of widely different abilities, from the cognitively or developmental disabled to the gifted children. Project-based learning is also excellent in resource rooms or self-contained classrooms with either typically developing partners or with sufficient support or accommodations. In projects: Science: Create a model of a concept, perhaps insects, and label each part.Reading: Create a television commercial or a web page to promote a book, one you have read together or one that the group has read in a literary circle.Social Studies: Create a play, a power point presentation, or display for a State (as in Michigan,) a country, a political system (socialism, capitalism, republic, etc.) or a political point of view.Math: Plan a trip to a preferred spot (Paris, Tokyo) and create a budget for hotels, flights, meals, etc. In each case the project may support any number of educational objectives: Reinforce Content Retention Project learning has proven, in research, to improve concept retention in a range of students. Deeper Understanding When students are asked to use content knowledge, they are driven to use higher level thinking skills (Blooms Taxonomy) such as Evaluate or Create. Multi-Sensory Instruction Students, not just students with disabilities, all come with different learning styles. Some are strongly visual learners, some are auditory. Some are kinetic and learn best when they can move. Many children benefit from sensory input, and students who are ADHD or Dyslexic benefit from being able to move as they process information. Teaches Skills in Cooperation and Collaboration Future jobs will require not only higher levels of training and technical skills but also the ability to work collaboratively in groups. Groups work well when they are chosen by both the teacher and the students: some groups could be affinity-based, others could be crossability, and some could be friendship based. Alternate Means of Assessing Students' Progress Using a rubric to lay out standards can put students of varying abilities on a level playing field. Student Engagement at its Best When students are excited about what they are doing in school, they will behave better, participate more fully and benefit the most. Project-based learning is a powerful tool for the inclusive classroom. Even if a student or students spend part of their day in a resource or self-contained classroom, the time they spend in project-based collaboration will be a time when typically developing peers will model both good classroom and academic behavior. Projects can enable gifted students to push their academic and intellectual limits. Projects are acceptable across abilities when they meet the criterion established in a rubric. Project-based learning also works well with small groups of students. Pictured above is the scale model of the solar system one of my students with Autism created with me: We figured out the scale together, measured the size of the planets, and measured the distances between the planets. He now knows the order of the planets, the difference between terrestrial and gaseous planets and can tell you why most planets are uninhabitable.

The Elephant Man Demands of Society in the play Essay

The Elephant Man Demands of Society in the play - Essay Example However, the name Elephant Man was mistakenly given as his sobriquet because many thought that he was afflicted with elephantiasis. Born in England in 1862, it became apparent that there was something wrong with him while he was still a toddler. It was during this early stage in his life that disfiguring tumors began to emerge on his face. It was Merrick's belief that his deformity was caused by his mother's having been frightened by an elephant. Even this notion was quite ludicrous for Victorian England, but Merrick stuck to this belief since he was unable to receive ample quality education. His mother died when Merrick was 10 and his stepmother, unable to cope with the child's growing deformity, convinced her husband to throw the boy into the streets. And so at a young age, Merrick had his first taste of human cruelty and became a street urchin. Merrick was peddling shoe polish by the time he was 12 years old. Still living on the streets, he was not only exposed to the elements but was also subject to regular taunting, bullying and even persecution. He afterwards became a ward of the state and was forced to work in a welfare sweatshop. Merrick's face and also his body were covered with lumpy growths and tumors. The tumors were also made up of hard bone. An attempt was made to cut away the excess growths but this ended in failure. Merrick's deformity grew through time. People stared and gaped at Merrick wherever he went. Thus, Merrick decided that if they have to look, they might as well pay for it and so he began his career as a sideshow freak (Kayser 1966). Merrick remained in the London Hospital until he died mysteriously of suffocation. In a way, he became a sport of pet monster for the upper-class Victorians. His presence took away their fear of the strange and unusual. The Nature of Joseph Merrick Merrick wrote a short autobiography wherein he stated that his experiences as a sideshow freak was not hurtful. He said that he was treated with the "greatest kindness." In contrast, he wrote, it was real life that proved to be hurtful (Daily Chronicle 1890). Although brutally exploited as a sideshow freak, Merrick showed his gentleness even among those who persecuted him. He was eventually able to read widely, learned the arts, visited beautiful places and entertained royalty. As Lady Geraldine Somerset described his gentle nature and circumstance, "such a gentle, kindly man, poor thing!" (Howell & Ford, 1980). Although his physical appearance elicited shudders from the public, his genuinely sterling character made him the perfect fairy tale monstrosity. Merrick was a very ill man and his condition worsened through time. The pain became more pronounced and crippling as the disease advanced. He would spend hours sitting and staring into emptiness, seemingly despondent as he tapped the fingers of his disfigured right hand on the arm of his chair or a pillow. Despite his despondent state, Merrick gave hope to his well-wishers reiterating that the world they live in is a good one. He also expressed his gratitude to those who called on him: "Tis true my form is something odd, But blaming me is blaming God; Could I create myself anew I would not fail in pleasing you. "If I could reach from pole to pole Or grasp the ocean with a span, I would be measured by the soul; The mind's the standard of the man." (Howard & Ford, 189) In the first verse, Merrick accepts his oddity. But he also does not cast any blame on

Practice report Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Practice report - Coursework Example The paper is an analysis of the issue of managing across cultures for the benefit of an organization. Cross cultural management is a very important in the daily operations of any organization that is situated in a multicultural environment. Understanding different cultures and appreciating their differences is essential in determining how people within the organization are going to interact with each other and with other people outside the organization. Proper cross cultural management ensures that there is understanding in and out of the organization (Tjosvold and Leung, 2003). This helps create conducive working environment, which eventually translates into better returns for the company. In this paper, I will look at different sources that have information about cross- cultural management and communication. I will analyze all the sources, and pick two which are most relevant to my area of research. Currency: it is not clear how recent the information is. However, it is indicated at the bottom of the article that the webpage was last updated on 22nd November, 2010. the information seems to be up to date with the requirements of my topic. Reliability: The information in this article is basically about what cross cultural communication is all about, its global rise and its incorporation into educational organizations. The content appears to be well balanced. The author does provide some references for his article. This adds to the reliability of the content. Authority : No one is indicated to be the author of the article, but Wikipedia may be regarded as its owner. Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia that can be accessed free of charge by anyone. Wikipedia is not a very reputable source since nothing is known of the credentials of the author. The publisher (Wikipedia) does not have any interest in the content of the article. There are no

Business ethics Essay Example for Free

Business ethics Essay In business there will always be the line to act with integrity or to lie, cheat, and steal. Famous author Douglas Adams once said, â€Å"To give real service you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity† (Heathfield, n. d). The priority of any business is to serve the needs and wants of the customer and more important his or her stakeholders. Any business decision made in major corporations must line up with stakeholder’s interests, but more important stakeholders have the social responsibility to represent in the best interest of the entire corporation. The prevalence of so many major scandals with corporations caught in the public is drawing much needed attention on concepts of ethic, and social responsibility. Ethics and corporate responsibility is a direct application of the ideas of in business practice. This papers purpose is to explain the role of ethics and social responsibility in building a strategic plan while incorporating the stakeholder interests. Business execs have the responsibility to adhering to the unspoken ethics they have only not taught but also have enforced by society and the law. Ethics are inherently common sense decisions made by those in authority with the power to affect an entire organization. When, business executives make decisions they must consider business ethics and the organizations (stakeholders) values. Once the essential questions ask is, â€Å"Do the organization’s values reflect accepted society values? (Young, 2004) Business executives must execute strategic business plans where they take into account not only each value associated with each choice, but the consequences of each choice. The interests of the stakeholder are one of the prime obligations of an organization. The demands of the stakeholders are generally to increase profits; this is echoed by economist Milton Friedman, the â€Å"one and only one social responsibility of business is to increase its profits, assuming an honest and open marketplace†. (Bigelow, 2013), According to Friedman also that corporations owe no responsibilities to society. However, critics will disagree that corporate social responsibility is always to put the customer first, which ensures a customer’s happiness and loyalty. Stakeholders are not only investors into companies but they also have voting power, which carries social, and financial influence within the company. Their social responsibility is to the customers and to the employees (Jones, 2012). They have decision power, and ultimate control over allocation of resources. Corporations and organizations ultimately exist to satisfy the needs and agendas of the stakeholders. The problem lies in, however; when the needs and the agendas of the stakeholders can blur the line between what is ethically right and what is considered against the law. The organization’s obligation to the stakeholder is as much as a priority as the relationship to the public. â€Å"The relationship between a customer and a firm exists because of mutual expectations built on trust, good faith, and fair dealing in their interaction† (Ferrell). When creating a strategic business plan the organization must incorporate its social responsibilities for the customer, and prevent any ethical dilemmas. Clear examples that recently have captivated the news over the decade has been the highly publicized cases of Waste Management, Enron, WorldCom, Tyco, HealthSouth, which exaggerated earnings to meet the expectations of stakeholders, Freddie Mac, AIG, Bernie Madoff, and host of others. These examples of accounting fraud, manipulation of books, and stealing from clients made by top executives in the position to meet the expectations of stakeholders and not making ethically sound decisions. To prevent these scandals from occurring, ruining not only the organization, the employees but also the public’s faith within the corporate world, according to research ethical risk management is an option dependent on the infrastructure in which it promotes ethical conduct and standards. The directives and the support from management in the way it manages potential problems with the lack of ethical standards. Because of the number of scandals not only have businesses implemented stronger measures for ethical practices but also have the legal systems. The establishment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) in 2002, which came after the scandal of WorldCom, was because the number of major corporations collapsing under the weight of their own unethical practices. According to the SEC, â€Å"the Act mandated a number of reforms to enhance corporate responsibility, enhance financial disclosures and combat corporate and accounting fraud, and created the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, also known as the PCAOB, to oversee the activities of the auditing profession† (SEC, 2012). Ethics is a fundamental part of compliance and governance systems. Ethics explicitly should integrate into the elements of strategic planning in businesses. In determining the roles that factor into managing stakeholder’s interests ethically organizations must first take into consideration that the business is the first line of defense in taking responsibility for managing and supervising corporate responsibility effective in accordance with the level of influence the business set by the organization. Executives in a position to communicate to stakeholders must always implement ethical decisions when balancing their needs and the organizations’. The executives must be responsible in providing clarification and verification of ethical standards in place. The executives must drive the culture and work environment of compliance toward ethical standards and practices to ensure the effectiveness. Business ethics is important in every organization and the main responsibility is to act with integrity and honesty. References Ferrall, O. C. (2004). Business ethics and customer stakeholders. Academy of Management Executive, 18(2), retrieved from http://danielsethics. mgt. unm. edu/pdf/Customer Stakeholders. pdf. Bigelow, L. (2013). What are the social responsibilities of a company to its stakeholders? Hearst Newspapers, Retrieved from http://smallbusiness. chron. com Heathfield, S. (n. d. ). Inspirational quotes for business and work: Integrity. Retrieved from http://humanresources. about. com Young, P. (2004). Ethics and risk management: Building a framework. Risk Management, 6(3), 23-34. Retrieved from http://www. jstor. org â€Å"The Laws That Govern the Securities Industry. † (2012). SEC. Retrieved from http://www. irmi. com/expert/articles/2005/head02. aspx.

Essay --

ANALYSIS OF YANBU CEMENT COMPANY AND IS PRODUCT Name Institution History of YANBU Cement Company YANBU Cement Company is a joint stock Saudi company formed in the year 1977. It produces different kinds of cement such as the Portland cement and the Portland Pozzolan Cement. The company owns about 60% of Yanbu Saudi Kuwait for Paper Products Co. Limited. The company currently has a capacity of 22,500 tpd per day. The company sells most of its products in Makka and Madina and other Western regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The company operates in the rapidly growing Saudi cement industry. Saudi Arabia is the third largest producer of cement after Iran and Egypt. Product, features and history Cement is a finely ground compound of limestone and clay or marl (Chandigarh, 2001). It is used in hydraulic binding since it hardens and binds together aggregates and becomes waterproof thereafter. The most popular use of sand is in building and construction where it is used to bind sand and gravel to obtain concrete used in constructing houses, roads, water channels, among others. Yanbu Cement company produces different types of cement such as Portland cement types I, II, III and IV. Effects of changing prices and other factors Changing prices Yanbu operates in a highly competitive industry with several well-established cement manufacturers. Its main competitors include Saudi Cement, Yanama Cement, Arabian Cement, Qassim Cement, Al Safwa cement, among other cement companies. By the year 2010, Yanbu had the second largest cement production capacity after Saudi Cement. The price charged for each bag of cement is a major determinant of demand for a company’s cement in the market. According to the law of demand, m... ... has contributed to higher volumes of production. Saudi Arabia is endowed with large deposits of limestone making it a suitable location for cement manufacturing. Proximity to the source of raw materials also reduces the transport cost. Finally, government policy influences the supply of cement. A price ceiling on cement leads to a reduction in cement supplied in the domestic market and an increase in the quantity exported. An export ban restricts cement manufacturers to supply their products to the domestic market. In addition, government control is effected through issuance of licenses to cement manufacturers. The cement industry had been dominated by eight companies but this has changed with the issuance of licenses to additional seven companies. An increase in the number of firms licensed to manufacture cement leads to an increase in the supply of cement.

Lord Of The Flies Chapter 5 Essay

The boys life has deteriorated a lot since they first arrived on the island and from the look of the situation things can only get worse unless they change their behaviour and attitude . There is a lot of conflict between Ralph and Jack, the fear of the unknown is growing, the boys are turning into savages and becoming more uncivilised by the day, rules and taboos are being disobeyed and ignored, and bullying and rivalry is becoming more of a problem. The conflict between Ralph and Jack is causing a lot of tension in the group and is therefore affecting the boys lives. It has already divided them into separate groups with different priorities as some have followed Jack and some have followed Ralph. Jack and Ralph’s different priorities is the main reason for the conflict between them as they are completely opposite. Jack wants control and started of wanting to be leader but was out done by Ralph who was voted the leader. Jack is short tempered and very big headed where as Ralph is realistic, kind hearted and organised. Ralph’s main priority is to be rescued and have fun have fun on the island. Their relationship is described in the book as ‘two continents of experience’ and ‘ baffled in love and hate’. Their personality also clash as they are completely different. Ralph is optimistic, respectful, fair, practical and naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve, where as Jack is arrogant, boastful, power hungry, self centred, easily angered and brutal. The boys fear of the unknown is represented in different ways but is rapidly growing and could get out of hand. It started of as being a beastie, then a snake like creature, and now a beast from water or even a ghost. At first it was only the ‘litluns’ that were scared of the beastie and believed it existed but now the older boys are starting to get worried and have their doubts so none of the quite knows what to believe. Even Ralph has his doubts about what the thing is and he is supposed to be leader, ‘ I don’t believe in ghosts at least I don’t think so’. This comment from Ralph shows that he is now considering there being some type of creature on the island even though he just dismissed the idea at the beginning. Deterioration has also been caused by the boys becoming totally uncivilised and turning into savages. Although they are now looking like savages as their hair has grown, Jack is mainly responsible for them turning into savages. He was so obsessed with hunting to kill that he influenced the other boys that became his hunters. At the beginning they hunted but did not manage to kill for a ling time. Then when Jack finally did he became even more obsessed and made masks that he could hide behind while hunting, ‘ the mask was a thing on its own, behind which Jack lived’. This made Jack a different person when he put on the mask, he was a killer with no taboos or responsibilities. Jack’s passion for hunting also caused a major disagreement between him and Ralph because on the day a ship went by the fire was let out by boys that Jack made go hunting with him that day. Ralph said to Jack when he got back ‘ There was as ship, you let the fire out.’ There was a strong chance that they may have been rescued then but down to Jack they ended up eating their first pig. From successfully killing his first pig Jack felt very strong and had fulfilled his ambition so did not really care about the fire or Ralph. Rules have been completely ignored lately and systems of organisation disrespected. This has led to the boys becoming lazy and uncivilised. At one point things were going well and most things were well organised. There was toilet system worked out so there was not mess all over the island and water was being stored in coconut shells in the shade so hat it would be cool and fresh. Though now these systems have been ignored and the boys are going to the toilet anywhere on the island and no water is being stored. Ralph also tried to built shelters for them to sleep in which would have been practical but Simon was the only one that would help in the end so they could not be completed. This shows how disorganised the boys have become and disrespectful. They have no taboos and without adults they have forgotten the way they had to behave. Bullying has also become a problem that has led to a deterioration in the boys life. Jack consistently picks on Piggy and uses him as scapegoat for his own mistakes. He makes little of Piggy and by doing this he is trying to show that he has power over the boys as well as Ralph. The litluns are also being ignored and sometimes bullied by the elder boys. Although this might have happened a bit before they arrived on the island but there were still taboos that the older boys had. All these reasons have led to deterioration in the boys life. Their behaviour on the island has had consequences and meant that their lives have become less structured and disciplined and more savage like. Ralph described the situation by saying, ‘we are all drifting and things are turning rotten’. This shows us that the boys are drifting apart and could possibly separate into different groups completely which would also make their life deteriorate more.

Last Sacrifice Chapter Seven

THE PROBLEM WAS, OF COURSE, that I soon lost myself in the darkness. After living in the wilds of Montana, I was used to how completely the night could swallow you once you stepped away from even the tiniest hint of civilization. I was even used to wandering the twists and turns of dark forests. But the St. Vladimir's terrain had been familiar. The woods of West Virginia were new and foreign, and I had completely lost my bearings. Once I was pretty sure I'd put enough distance between me and the motel, I paused and looked around. Night insects hummed and sang, and the oppressive summer humidity hung around me. Peering up through the leafy canopy of trees, I could see a brilliant sky of stars, totally untouched by city lights. Feeling like a true wilderness survivor, I studied the stars until I spotted the Big Dipper and figured out which direction was north. The mountains Sydney had driven us through had been to the east, so I certainly didn't want to go in that direction. It seemed reasonable that if I hiked north, I'd eventually hit an interstate and either hitchhike or walk my way back to civilization. It wasn't an airtight plan, but it wasn't the worst one I'd ever had, not by a long shot. I wasn't really dressed for hiking, but as my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I managed to avoid most trees and other obstacles. Following the tiny road out of town would have been easier–but was also what Dimitri would expect me to do. I fell into a steady, subconscious rhythm as I made my way north. I decided it was a good time to check in on Lissa, now that I had time on my hands and no guardians trying to arrest me. I slipped into her mind and found her within the depths of the guardians' headquarters, sitting in a hallway lined with chairs. Other Moroi sat nearby, including Christian and Tasha. â€Å"They'll question you hard,' Tasha murmured. â€Å"Especially you.' That was to Christian. â€Å"You'd be my first choice if something illicitly blew up.' That seemed to be everyone's opinion. From the troubled look on her face, I could see Tasha had been as surprised by my escape as I had. Even if my friends hadn't filled her in on the whole story yet, she had probably pieced most things together–at the very least, who was behind it. Christian gave her as charming a smile as he could manage, like a kid trying to dodge being grounded. â€Å"They'll know by now that it wasn't caused by magic,' he said. â€Å"The guardians will have scoured every inch of those statues.' He didn't elaborate, not in public, but Lissa's mind was working along the same lines as his. The guardians would know now the explosion hadn't been elemental. And even if my friends were the primary suspects, the authorities would have to wonder–just as I had–how teenagers would get a hold of C4. Lissa nodded her agreement and rested her hand on Christian's. â€Å"We'll be okay.' Her thoughts turned to both Dimitri and me, wondering if we'd made it out according to the plan. She couldn't focus on finding Tatiana's killer until she knew we were safe. Like me, the breakout had been a hard choice: freeing me put me in more danger than keeping me locked up. Her emotions were keyed up, prickly and a bit wilder than I would have liked. So much spirit, I realized. She's using too much. Back at school, she'd managed it with prescription medication and later through self-control. But somewhere, as our situations grew increasingly complicated, she'd allowed herself to wield more and more. Recently, she'd used astonishing amounts, and we'd come to take it for granted. Sooner or later, Lissa's reliance on spirit would catch up with her. With us. â€Å"Princess?' A door across from Lissa opened, and a guardian peered out. â€Å"We're ready for you.' The guardian stepped aside, and inside the room, Lissa heard a familiar voice say, â€Å"Always a pleasure speaking with you, Hans. We should do it again sometime.' Abe then appeared, strutting out with his usual swagger. He stepped past the guardian in the doorway and gave Lissa and the Ozeras a winning, all-is-right-in-the-world grin. Without a word, he strode past them toward the hall's exit. Lissa almost smiled but reined it in, putting on a sober look as she and her companions entered. The door shut behind them, and she found herself facing three guardians seated at a table. One of them I'd seen around but had never met. I think his last name was Steele. The other two I knew well. One was Hans Croft, who ran the guardians' operations at Court. Beside him–to my astonishment–was Alberta, who was in charge of St. Vladimir's guardians and novices. â€Å"Lovely,' growled Hans. â€Å"A whole entourage.' Christian had insisted on being present when Lissa was questioned, and Tasha had insisted on being present with Christian. If Abe had known the interrogation time, he probably would have joined the group too, undoubtedly followed by my mother †¦ Hans didn't realize he'd dodged a house party. Lissa, Christian, and Tasha sat down opposite the guardians. â€Å"Guardian Petrov,' said Lissa, ignoring Hans's disapproval. â€Å"What are you doing here?' Alberta gave Lissa a small smile but otherwise kept in professional guardian mode. â€Å"I was here for the funeral, and Guardian Croft decided he'd like an outside opinion for the investigation.' â€Å"As well as someone familiar with Hathaway and her, uh, associates,' added Hans. Hans was the kind of guy who got straight to the point. Usually, his attitude bothered me–that was my normal reaction to most authority figures–but I did respect the way he ran operations here. â€Å"This meeting was intended just for you, princess.' â€Å"We won't say a word,' said Christian. Lissa nodded and kept her face smooth and polite, even though there was a trembling in her voice. â€Å"I want to help †¦ I've been so, I don't know. I'm so stunned about everything that's happened.' â€Å"I'm sure,' said Hans, voice dry. â€Å"Where were you when the statues exploded?' â€Å"With the funeral procession,' she said. â€Å"I was part of the escort.' Steele had a pile of papers in front of him. â€Å"That's true. There are plenty of witnesses.' â€Å"Very convenient. What about afterward?' asked Hans. â€Å"Where did you go when the crowd panicked?' â€Å"Back to the Council's building. That's where all the others were meeting up, and I thought it'd be safest.' I couldn't see her face but could feel her trying to look cowed. â€Å"I was afraid when things started going crazy.' â€Å"We also have witnesses to support that,' said Steele. Hans drummed his fingers on the table. â€Å"Did you have any prior knowledge about any of this? The explosions? Hathaway's breakout?' Lissa shook her head. â€Å"No! I had no clue. I didn't even know it was possible to get out of the cells. I thought there was too much security.' Hans ignored the dig on his operations. â€Å"You've got that bond thing, right? You didn't pick up anything through that?' â€Å"I don't read her,' explained Lissa. â€Å"She sees my thoughts but not the other way around.' â€Å"That,' said Alberta, speaking up at last, â€Å"is true.' Hans didn't contradict her but still wasn't buying my friends' innocence. â€Å"You realize, if you're caught concealing information–or aiding her–you'll face consequences almost as serious as hers. All of you. Royalty doesn't exempt you from treason.' Lissa lowered her gaze, as though his threat had frightened her. â€Å"I just can't believe †¦ I just can't believe she'd do this. She was my friend. I thought I knew her. I didn't think she could do any of these things †¦ I never thought she'd murder anyone.' If not for the feelings in the bond, I might have taken offense. I knew the truth, though. She was acting, trying to distance herself from me. It was smart. â€Å"Really? Because not long ago, you were swearing up and down that she was innocent,' pointed out Hans. Lissa looked back up and widened her eyes. â€Å"I thought she was! But then †¦ then I heard about what she did to those guardians in the escape †¦' Her distress wasn't entirely faked this time. She still needed to act like she thought I was guilty, but the news of Meredith's condition had reached her–which truly had shocked her. That made two of us, but at least I now knew Meredith was okay. Hans still looked skeptical at Lissa's change of heart but let it go. â€Å"What about Belikov? You swore he wasn't a Strigoi anymore, but obviously something went wrong there as well.' Christian stirred beside Lissa. As an advocate for Dimitri, Christian grew as irritated as us at the suspicions and accusations. Lissa spoke before Christian could say anything. â€Å"He's not Strigoi!' Lissa's remorse over me vanished, her old, fierce defense of Dimitri kicking in. She hadn't expected this line of questioning about him. She'd been preparing herself to defend me and her alibi. Hans seemed pleased at the reaction and watched her closely. â€Å"Then how do you explain his involvement?' â€Å"It wasn't because he was Strigoi,' said Lissa, forcing her control back. Her heart was pounding rapidly. â€Å"He changed back. There's no Strigoi left.' â€Å"But he attacked a number of guardians–on more than one occasion.' It looked like Tasha wanted to interrupt now and defend Dimitri as well, but she visibly bit her lip. It was remarkable. The Ozeras liked to speak their minds, not always tactfully. â€Å"It wasn't because he was Strigoi,' Lissa repeated. â€Å"And he didn't kill any of those guardians. Not one. Rose did what she did †¦ well, I don't know why. She hated Tatiana, I guess. Everyone knew that. But Dimitri †¦ I'm telling you, being Strigoi had nothing to do with this. He helped her because he used to be her teacher. He thought she was in trouble.' â€Å"That was pretty extreme for a teacher, particularly one who–before turning Strigoi– was known for being level-headed and rational.' â€Å"Yeah, but he wasn't thinking rationally because–‘ Lissa cut herself off, suddenly caught in a bad situation. Hans seemed to have realized quickly in this conversation that if Lissa was involved with recent events–and I don't think he was certain yet–she would have an airtight alibi. Talking to her, however, had given him the chance to pursue another puzzle in my escape: Dimitri's involvement. Dimitri had sacrificed himself to take the fall, even if it meant others not trusting him again. Lissa thought she'd made people think his actions were a former teacher's protective instinct, but apparently, not everyone was buying that. â€Å"He wasn't thinking rationally because?' prompted Hans, eyes sharp. Before the murder, Hans had believed Dimitri truly had become a dhampir again. Something told me he still believed that but sensed there was something big dangling before him. Lissa stayed silent. She didn't want people thinking Dimitri was Strigoi. She wanted people to believe in her powers to restore the undead. But if Dimitri helping a student didn't seem convincing enough to others, all that mistrust might surface again. Glancing at her interrogators, Lissa suddenly met Alberta's eyes. The older guardian said nothing. She wore that neutral, scrutinizing expression that guardians excelled at. She also had an air of wisdom about her, and Lissa briefly allowed spirit to show her Alberta's aura. It had good, steady colors and energy, and in Alberta's eyes, Lissa swore she could see a message, a knowing glint. Tell them, the message seemed to say. It'll create problems–but they won't be as bad as your current ones. Lissa held that gaze, wondering if she was just projecting her own thoughts onto Alberta. It didn't matter who'd come up with the idea. Lissa knew it was right. â€Å"Dimitri helped Rose because †¦ because they were involved.' As I'd guessed, Alberta wasn't surprised, and she seemed relieved to have the truth out there. Hans and Steele, however, were very surprised. I had only seen Hans shocked a few times. â€Å"When you say â€Å"involved,' do you mean †¦' He paused to structure his words. â€Å"Do you mean romantically involved?' Lissa nodded, feeling horrible. She'd revealed a big secret here, one she'd sworn she'd keep for me, but I didn't blame her. Not in this situation. Love–I hoped–would defend Dimitri's actions. â€Å"He loved her,' said Lissa. â€Å"She loved him. If he helped her escape–‘ â€Å"He did help her escape,' interrupted Hans. â€Å"He attacked guardians and blew up priceless, centuries-old statues brought over from Europe!' Lissa shrugged. â€Å"Well, like I said. He wasn't acting rationally. He wanted to help her and probably thought she was innocent. He would have done anything for her–and it had nothing to do with Strigoi.' â€Å"Love only justifies so much.' Hans clearly wasn't a romantic. â€Å"Shes underage!' exclaimed Steele. That part hadn't escaped him. â€Å"She's eighteen,' corrected Lissa. Hans cut her a look. â€Å"I can do the math, princess. Unless they managed some beautiful, touching romance in the last few weeks–while he was mostly in isolation– then there were things going on at your school that someone should have reported.' Lissa said nothing, but from the corner of her eye, she could see Tasha and Christian. They were trying to keep their expressions neutral, but it was obvious this news wasn't a surprise to them, no doubt confirming Hans's suspicions that illicit things had been going on. I actually hadn't realized Tasha knew about Dimitri and me and felt a little bad. Had she known that part of his rejection of her had been because of me? And if she knew, how many others did? Christian had probably tipped her off, but something told me more people were probably starting to find out as well. After the school's attack, my reaction had likely been a big clue about my feelings for Dimitri. Maybe telling Hans now wasn't so big a deal after all. The secret wouldn't be a secret much longer. Alberta cleared her throat, speaking up at last. â€Å"I think we have more important things to worry about right now than some romance that may or may not have happened.' Steele gave her an incredulous look and slammed his hand against the table. â€Å"This is pretty serious. Did you know about it?' â€Å"All I know is that we're getting distracted from the point here,' she replied, neatly dodging the question. Alberta was about twenty years older than Steele, and the tough look she gave him said that he was a child wasting her time. â€Å"I thought we were here to figure out if Miss Hathaway had any accomplices, not dredge up the past. So far, the only person we can say for sure that helped her is Belikov, and he did it out of irrational affection. That makes him a fugitive and a fool, not a Strigoi.' I'd never thought of my relationship with Dimitri as â€Å"irrational affection,' but Alberta's point was taken. Something in Hans's and Steele's faces made me think soon the whole world would know about us, but that was nothing compared to murder. And if it cleared Dimitri of being a Strigoi, then it meant he'd be imprisoned instead of staked if ever captured. Small blessings. Lissa's questioning continued a bit longer before the guardians decided she was free and clear of any part in my escape (that they could prove). She did a good job playing surprised and confused the whole time, even mustering a few tears over how she could have so misjudged me. She spun a little bit of compulsion into her act too–not enough to brainwash anyone, but enough that Steele's earlier outrage transformed to sympathy. Hans was harder to read, but as my group left, he reminded Tasha and Christian that he would be speaking with each of them later, preferably without an entourage. For now, the next person in the hot seat was waiting in the hall: Eddie. Lissa gave him the same smile she'd give any friend. There was no indication that they were both part of a conspiracy. Eddie nodded in return as he was called to the room for his interrogation. Lissa was anxious for him, but I knew his guardian self-control would make sure he stuck to the story. He probably wouldn't pull the tears Lissa had, but he'd likely act just as shocked by my â€Å"treason' as she had. Tasha left Christian and Lissa once they were outside, first warning them to be careful. â€Å"You've gotten out of this so far, but I don't think the guardians have completely cleared you. Especially Hans.' â€Å"Hey, I can take care of myself,' said Christian. Tasha rolled her eyes. â€Å"Yes. I see what happens when you're left to your own devices.' â€Å"Hey, don't get all pissy because we didn't tell you,' he exclaimed. â€Å"We didn't have time, and there were only so many people we could get involved. Besides, you've done your share of crazy plans before.' â€Å"True,' Tasha admitted. She was hardly a role model for playing by the rules. â€Å"It's just that everything's gotten that much more complicated. Rose is on the run. And now Dimitri †¦' She sighed, and I didn't need her to finish to guess her thoughts. There was a profound look of sadness in her eyes, one that made me feel guilty. Just like the rest of us, Tasha had wanted Dimitri's reputation restored. By freeing the queen's accused assassin, he'd seriously damaged any chance at acceptance. I really wished he hadn't gotten involved and hoped my current escape plan paid off. â€Å"This'll all work out,' said Christian. â€Å"You'll see.' He didn't look so confident as he spoke, and Tasha gave him a small, amused smile. â€Å"Just be careful. Please. I don't want to see you in a cell, too. I don't have time for jail visits with everything else going on.' Her amusement faded, and her outspoken activist mode kicked in. â€Å"Our family's being ridiculous, you know. Can you believe they're actually talking about running Esmond for us? Good God. We've already had one tragedy after another around here. At the very least, we should try to salvage something out of this mess.' â€Å"I don't think I know Esmond,' said Christian. â€Å"Moron,' she said matter-of-factly. â€Å"Him, I mean. Not you. Someone's got to talk sense into our family before they embarrass themselves.' Christian grinned. â€Å"And let me guess: you're just the one to do it?' â€Å"Of course,' she said, a mischievous gleam in her eye. â€Å"I've already drawn up a list of ideal candidates. Our family just needs some persuasion to see how ideal they are.' â€Å"I'd feel bad for them if they weren't still being assholes to us,' Christian remarked, watching his aunt walk away. The stigma of his parents turning Strigoi still lingered after all these years. Tasha accepted it more gracefully–despite her complaining–if only to be able to participate in the Ozera family's larger decisions. Christian made no such attempts at civility. It was terrible enough to be treated as less than other Moroi, to be denied guardians and other things royals were entitled to. But from his own family? It was especially harsh. He refused to pretend it was acceptable. â€Å"They'll come around eventually,' said Lissa, sounding more optimistic than she felt. Any response of Christian's was swallowed when a new companion fell into step with them: my father. His abrupt appearance startled both of my friends, but I wasn't surprised. He probably knew about Lissa's interrogation and had been skulking outside the building, waiting to talk to her. â€Å"It's nice out,' said Abe amiably, looking around at the trees and flowers as though the three of them were on a nature walk through Court. â€Å"But it's going to be scorching when the sun comes up.' The darkness that was giving me so much trouble in the woods of West Virginia made for pleasant, â€Å"midday' conditions for those on a vampiric schedule. Lissa gave Abe a sidelong glance. With eyes well-tuned to low light, she had no difficulty taking in the brilliant teal dress shirt under his beige sports jacket. A blind person could have probably seen him in that color. Lissa scoffed at Abe's faked casualness. It was a habit of his, opening with small talk before moving on to more sinister topics. â€Å"You're not here to talk about the weather.' â€Å"Trying to be civilized, that's all.' He fell silent as a couple of Moroi girls passed them. Once they were well out of ear-shot, he asked in a low voice, â€Å"I assume everything went well at your little meeting?' â€Å"Fine,' she said, not bothering to fill him in about â€Å"irrational affection.' She knew all he'd care about was that none of their associates had been implicated. â€Å"The guardians have Eddie now,' said Christian. â€Å"And want me later, but I think that'll be it for all of us.' Lissa sighed. â€Å"Honestly, I have a feeling the interrogation was the easy part, compared to what's coming.' She meant figuring out who had really killed Tatiana. â€Å"One step at a time,' murmured Abe. â€Å"No point in letting the larger picture overwhelm us. We'll just start at the beginning.' â€Å"That's the problem,' said Lissa, kicking irritably at a branch lying across the cobblestone path in front of her. â€Å"I have no idea where to start. Whoever killed Tatiana did a good job covering their tracks and shifting it all to Rose.' â€Å"One step at a time,' repeated Abe. He spoke in that sly tone of his that annoyed me sometimes, but to Lissa today, it was grating. Until now, all of her energy had been focused on getting me out of jail and somewhere safe. That was the goal that had driven her and kept her going in my escape's aftermath. Now, after some of the intensity had faded, the pressure of it all was beginning to crash down on her. Christian put an arm around her shoulders, sensing her dismay. He turned to Abe, unusually serious. â€Å"Do you have any ideas?' Christian asked Abe. â€Å"We certainly don't have any real evidence.' â€Å"We have reasonable assumptions,' Abe replied. â€Å"Like that whoever killed Tatiana would have had access to her private rooms. That's not a long list.' â€Å"Its not short either.' Lissa ticked off people on her fingers. â€Å"The royal guards, her friends and family †¦ and that's assuming no one altered the guardians' records of her visitors. And for all we know, some visits were never logged at all. She probably had secret business meetings all the time.' â€Å"Unlikely she'd have business meetings in her bedroom, in her nightgown,' mused Abe. â€Å"Of course, it depends on the type of business, I suppose.' Lissa stumbled, realization stunning her. â€Å"Ambrose.' â€Å"Who?' â€Å"Hes a dhampir †¦ really good-looking †¦ He and Tatiana were, um †¦' â€Å"Involved?' said Christian with a smile, echoing the interrogation. Now Abe came to a stop. Lissa did the same, and his dark eyes met hers. â€Å"I've seen him. Sort of a pool boy type.' â€Å"He'd have access to her bedroom,' said Lissa. â€Å"But I just can't–I don't know. I can't see him doing this.' â€Å"Appearances are deceiving,' said Abe. â€Å"He was terribly interested in Rose back in the courtroom.' More surprise for Lissa. â€Å"What are you talking about?' Abe stroked his chin in an evil-villain sort of way. â€Å"He spoke to her †¦ or gave her some signal. I'm not really sure, but there was some kind of interaction between them.' Clever, watchful Abe. He'd noticed Ambrose giving me the note but hadn't fully realized what had happened. â€Å"We should talk to him then,' said Christian. Lissa nodded. Conflicting feelings churned inside of her. She was excited by a lead– but upset that it meant kind, gentle Ambrose might be a suspect. â€Å"I'll take care of it,' said Abe breezily. I felt her gaze fall heavily on him. I couldn't see her expression, but I did see Abe take an involuntary step back, the faintest glimmer of surprise in his eyes. Even Christian flinched. â€Å"And I'm going to be there when you do,' she said, steel in her voice. â€Å"Do not attempt some crazy torture-style interrogation without me.' â€Å"You want to be there for the torture?' asked Abe, recovering. â€Å"There won't be any. We'll talk to Ambrose like civilized people, understand?' She stared hard at him again, and Abe finally shrugged in acquiescence, as though being overpowered by a woman half his age was no big deal. â€Å"Fine. We'll do it together.' Lissa was a little suspicious at his willingness, and he must have picked up on that. â€Å"We will,' he said, continuing walking. â€Å"This is a good time–well, as good as any time–for an investigation. Court's going to get chaotic as the monarch elections get under way. Everyone here will be busy, and new people will start pouring in.' A breeze, heavy with humidity, ruffled Lissa's hair. The promise of heat was on it, and she knew Abe would be right about sunrise. It would be worth going to bed early. â€Å"When will the elections happen?' she asked. â€Å"As soon as they put dear Tatiana to rest. These things move fast. We need our government restored. She'll be buried tomorrow at the church with a ceremony and service, but there'll be no repeat of the procession. They're still too uneasy.' I felt kind of bad that she hadn't received a full queenly funeral in the end, but then, if it meant her true murderer was found, maybe she would have preferred it that way. â€Å"Once the burial happens and elections begin,' Abe continued, â€Å"any family who wants to put out a candidate for the crown will do so–and of course they'll want to. You've never seen a monarchial election, have you? It's quite a spectacle. Of course, before the voting occurs, all the candidates will have to be tested.' There was something ominous in the way he said â€Å"tested,' but Lissa's thoughts were elsewhere. Tatiana had been the only queen she'd ever known, and the full impact of a regime change was staggering. â€Å"A new king or queen can affect everything–for better or worse. I hope it's someone good. One of the Ozeras, maybe. One of Tasha's people.' She glanced hopefully at Christian, who could only shrug. â€Å"Or Ariana Szelsky. I like her. Not that it matters who I want,' she added bitterly. â€Å"Seeing as I can't vote.' The Council's votes determined the election's winner, so again, she was locked out of the Moroi legal process. â€Å"A lot of work will go into the nominations,' Abe explained, avoiding her last comment. â€Å"Each family will want someone to further their interests but who also has a chance of getting votes from–‘ â€Å"Oomph!' I was thrust harshly out of the calculating world of Moroi politics and back into the wilds of West Virginia–very painfully so. Something solid and fierce slammed me against the hard-packed earth, leaves and branches cutting my face and hands. Strong hands held me down, and Dimitri's voice spoke in my ear. â€Å"You should have just hidden in town,' he said, a little amused. His weight and position allowed me no room to move. â€Å"It would have been the last place I looked. Instead, I knew exactly where you'd go.' â€Å"Whatever. Don't act so smart,' I said through gritted teeth, trying to break out of his hold. Goddamn it. He was smart. And once again, the closeness of him was disorienting. Earlier, it had seemed to affect him too, but he'd apparently learned his lesson. â€Å"You made a lucky guess, that's all.' â€Å"I don't need luck, Roza. I'll always find you. So, really it's up to you how difficult you want this situation to be.' There was an almost conversational tone to his voice, made all the more ridiculous by the situation we were in. â€Å"We can do this over and over, or you can do the reasonable thing and just stay put with Sydney and me.' â€Å"It's not reasonable! It's wasteful.' He was sweating, from the heat and undoubtedly because he'd had to run pretty hard to catch up with me. Adrian wore a cologne that always made me heady, but the natural scent of Dimitri's warm skin was intoxicating too. It was amazing to me that I could keep noticing these little things–and be attracted to them–even when I was legitimately mad at him for keeping me captive. Maybe anger was a turn-on for me. â€Å"How many times do I have to explain the logic behind what we're doing?' he asked in exasperation. â€Å"Until you give up.' I pushed back against him, trying again to get loose, but all it did was put us closer together. I had a feeling the kissing trick wouldn't work this time. He jerked me to my feet, keeping my arms and hands pinned behind my back. I had a little more room to maneuver than I had on the ground, but not quite enough to break free. Slowly, he began trying to make me walk back toward the direction I'd come from. â€Å"I am not letting you and Sydney risk getting in trouble with me. I'll take care of myself, so just let me go!' I said, literally dragging my feet. Seeing a tall, skinny tree, I stuck one leg out and hooked myself onto the trunk, completely bringing us to a halt. Dimitri groaned and shifted his grip to get me away from the tree. It almost gave me an escape opportunity, but I didn't even manage two steps before he had a hold of me again. â€Å"Rose,' he said wearily. â€Å"You can't win.' â€Å"How's your face feeling?' I asked. I couldn't see any marks in the poor lighting but knew the punch I'd given him would leave a mark tomorrow. It was a shame to damage his face like that, but he'd heal, and maybe it would teach him a lesson about messing with Rose Hathaway. Or not. He began dragging me again. â€Å"I'm seconds away from just tossing you over my shoulder,' he warned. â€Å"I'd like to see you try.' â€Å"How do you think Lissa would feel if you got killed?' His grip tightened, and while I had a feeling he'd make good on his over-the-shoulder threat, I also suspected he wanted to shake me. He was that upset. â€Å"Can you imagine what it would do to her if she lost you?' For a moment, I was out of snappy retorts. I didn't want to die, but risking my life was exactly that: risking my life. No one else's. Still, I knew he was right. Lissa would be devastated if anything happened to me. And yet †¦ it was a risk I had to take. â€Å"Have a little faith, comrade. I won't get killed,' I said stubbornly. â€Å"I'll stay alive.' Not the answer he'd wanted. He shifted his hold. â€Å"There are other ways to help her than whatever insanity you're thinking of.' I suddenly went limp. Dimitri stumbled, caught by surprise at my sudden lack of resistance. â€Å"What's wrong?' he asked, both puzzled and suspicious. I stared off into the night, my eyes not really focused on anything. Instead, I was seeing Lissa and Abe back at Court, remembering Lissa's feeling of powerlessness and longing for her vote. Tatiana's note came back to me, and for a moment, I could hear her voice in my head. She is not the last Dragomir. Another lives. â€Å"Youre right,' I said at last. â€Å"Right about †¦ ?' Dimitri was at a total loss. It was a common reaction for people when I agreed to something reasonable. â€Å"Rushing back to Court won't help Lissa.' Silence. I couldn't fully make out his expression, but it was probably filled with shock. â€Å"I'll go back to the motel with you, and I won't go running off to Court.' Another Dragomir. Another Dragomir needing to be found. I took a deep breath. â€Å"But I'm not going to sit around and do nothing. I am going to do something for Lissa–and you and Sydney are going to help me.'

Governmental, Proprietary, and Fiduciary Funds Assignment

Governmental, Proprietary, and Fiduciary Funds Assignment Governmental, Proprietary, and Fiduciary Funds – Assignment Example The paper "Governmental, Proprietary, and Fiduciary Funds" is a good example of an essay on finance and accounting. Governmental funds -These are funds that are regarded as being used for typical governmental functions and they include the following. A debt-service fund is a form of a government fund that is fully devoted to the repayment of debt. This fund is obtained through budgetary allocation that the government does at the beginning of each of its financial year. Local debts arise from the amount borrowed from the local industries and investors. Capital projects funds are kept by the government in order to finance the acquisition of capital assets, building or renovation of government equipment and infrastructural development. This group of funds does not include capital assets paid for through the proprietary funds. (Ruppel, 2011). Permanent funds are composed of the various investments and other resources that the government is not allowed by the constitution to spend or conv ert into cash. This fund can only be spent in circumstances that the government is in short supply of funds to finance its projects that directly benefit the people.Proprietary funds -Proprietary fund is another type of government funds that are used for the accounting of the ongoing organizations and activities of the government that are deemed to be similar to the businesses in the private sector. The funds are regarded as self-supporting owing to the fact that such services are financed by user charges or on reimbursement basis (Finkler, et. al, 2013). There are two types of funds in this category namely enterprise funds and internal service funds.Fiduciary funds -These are funds used to account for the assets that are held by a unit of the government in a trustee capacity or as an agent to individuals or private organizations. This category is made of four types of funds namely investment trust funds, agency funds, private-purpose trust funds, and pension trust funds.

Understanding White Supremacy

Understanding White Supremacy Historically, white supremacy has been understood as the belief that white people are superior to people of color. As such, white supremacy was the ideological driver of the European colonial projects and U.S. imperial projects: it was used to  rationalize unjust rule of people and lands, theft of land and resources, enslavement, and genocide. During these early periods and practices, white supremacy was backed by misguided scientific studies of physical differences on the basis of race and was also believed to take intellectual and cultural form. White Supremacy in US History The system of white supremacy was brought to the Americas by European colonists and took firm root in early U.S. society through the genocide, enslavement, and internal colonization of indigenous populations, and the enslavement of Africans and their descendants. The system of slavery in the U.S., the Black Codes that limited rights among newly freed blacks that were instituted following emancipation, and the Jim Crow laws that enforced segregation and also limited rights combined to make the U.S. a legalized white supremacist society through the late-1960s. During this period the Ku Klux Klan became a well-known symbol of white supremacy, as have other major historical actors and events, like the Nazis and the Jewish Holocaust, the apartheid regime of South Africa, and Neo-Nazi and white power groups today. As a result of the notoriety of these groups, events, and time periods, many people think of white supremacy as an overtly hateful and violent attitude toward people of color, which is considered a problem mostly buried in the past. But as the recent racist murder of nine Black people at Emanuel AME church has made clear, the hateful and violent breed of white supremacy is still very much a part of our present. Yet, it is important to recognize that white supremacy today is a multifaceted system that manifests in myriad ways, many not overtly hateful nor violent- in fact often quite subtle and unseen. This is the case today because U.S. society was founded, organized, and developed in a white supremacist context. White supremacy and the many forms of racism it employs is infused into our social structure, our institutions, our worldviews, beliefs, knowledge, and ways of interacting with each other. Its even encoded into some of our holidays, like Columbus Day, which celebrates a racist perpetrator of genocide. Structural Racism and White Supremacy The white supremacy of our society is evident in the fact that whites maintain a structural advantage over people of color in nearly every aspect of life. White people maintain an educational advantage, an income advantage, a wealth advantage, and a political advantage. White supremacy is also evident in the way communities of color are systematically over-policed (in terms of unjust harassment and unlawful arrest and brutalization), and under-policed (in terms of police failing to serve and protect); and in the way that experiencing racism takes a societal-wide negative toll on the life expectancy of Black people. These trends and the white supremacy they express are fueled by the false belief that society is fair and just, that success is the result of hard work alone, and an overall denial of the many privileges that whites in the U.S. have relative to others. Further, these structural trends are fostered by the white supremacy that lives within us, though we may be wholly unaware that it is there. Both conscious and subconscious white supremacist beliefs are visible in social patterns that show, for instance, that university professors give more attention to potential students who are white; that many people regardless of race believe that lighter skinned Black people are smarter than those with dark skin; and that teachers punish Black students more harshly for the same or even lesser offenses committed by white students. So while white supremacy might look and sound different than it has in centuries past, and may be experienced differently by people of color, it is very much a twenty-first-century phenomenon that must be addressed through critical self-reflection, the rejection of white privilege, and anti-racist activism. Further Reading For detailed and riveting historical accounts of how white supremacy was wielded in pursuit of economic, political, cultural, and social domination by Europeans from the 1500s on, see  The World is a Ghetto  by sociologist Howard Winant, and  Orientalism  by postcolonial theorist  Edward Said.For information on how white supremacy historically affected indigenous populations, Mexicans and Mexican Americans, as well as immigrants from Asia, see sociologist Toms Almaguers book  Racial Fault Lines:  The Historical Origins of White Supremacy in California.Sociologist Eduardo Bonilla-Silva investigates this phenomenon at length in his book  White Supremacy and Racism in the Post-Civil Rights Era

Voice-overs and Flashback in Film Noir Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Voice-overs and Flashback in Film Noir - Essay Example One of the stylistic features common to many noir films is the use of extraordinary narrative devices like voice-overs and flashback sequences. These structural elements are included to underscore or otherwise complement thematic elements of the film. Flashbacks too became an effective medium of remembering and recreating the past, another significant activity in psychoanalytic practice. Apart from the psychological dimension, voice-overs could also be used to emphasize the eerie or dark tone of noir films. With the right tone, the narratorial voice could easily intensify the feeling of doom and generally dark settings of the typical noir film. Flashbacks were also useful in creating suspense or experimenting with the narrative flow, allowing for creative use of plot. This paper will seek to further explore the role played by these two specific stylistic devices with reference to three films: Double Indemnity (1944), The Big Sleep (1946) and D.O.A (1950). Double Indemnity has a simil ar opening to D.O.A with the film starting in medias res to reveal a harassed-looking William Neff enter his office room and begin recording his ‘confession’ addressed to Keyes on his Dictaphone.. The confession triggers off the flashback which presumably will explain the events that lead up to the murder that Neff has just confessed to. Interestingly, just a few minutes into this flashback and the confession of Neff also appears as a voice-over superimposed over the past retelling of events. This film employs both devices then, to build-up its atmosphere. The first of the flashbacks serves to describe what can already be seen on the screen, but with added detail like how the room smelled and how the sunlight made the dust visible. More importantly, it allows access to Neff’s mind and his initial impressions of Phyllis Dietrichson. This voice-over and the next also let the audience know the level of engagement with the crime that Neff had at the beginning and how the plan to murder Dietrichson is initiated entirely by his wife. However, the voice-over that marks the return of the narrative from the past back into the present, with Neff still at the Dictaphone, reveals to the audience that Neff too had been thinking about committing murder since as an insurance agent he believes: ‘In this business you can’t sleep for trying to figure out all the tricks they could pull on you.’ Other than tell us about who did what in the murder plot, the voice-overs also give us significant insight into the criminal’s mind – in this case, Walter Neff’s. As said in the introduction, this was a period of great faith in Freudian psychoanalysis and the idea of exploring one’s sub-conscious was quite popular. The Dictaphone-taped ‘confession’ acts as catharsis for expunging guilt. This is especially evident when Walter says that although he knew everything had gone off perfectly he still felt that it co uld all go wrong. He claims to not be able to hear his own footsteps; that he was walking like a ‘dead man.’ This is a classic instance of the psychoanalytic notion of guilt becoming the driving force behind a person’s actions and being the ultimate reason for that person to give himself or herself up. The Big Sleep does not use either voiceovers or flashbacks but there are several silences in the plot where Marlowe is seen tailing or waiting for action to happen, which act as narrative ‘fillers’. Insights into Marlowe’s psyche are not spoken or recounted as clearly as in Double Indemnity but as Marlowe’s character is sketched out to be hard-boiled but honest, what he says in sincerity can be taken by the audience to be true. For instance,

Are Teachers Obliged to Supervise Students in the Cafeteria Essay - 7

Are Teachers Obliged to Supervise Students in the Cafeteria - Essay Example The teachers filed the grievances for these new assignments. According to the employers, there was standard management rights’ clause in the parties’ collective bargaining agreement which they had invoked in the present case to contain rowdy behaviour of the students, during the lunch break. The union, on the other hand, asserted that cafeteria supervision was mentioned in the agreement for the secondary teachers only and due to lack of any past practice, assigning these duties to the elementary teachers was against the contract. Yes, Union’s claim is right. There is a contractual basis, expressed in language because the contract mentions the supervision duties for the secondary teachers and not the elementary school teachers. No, there is no past evidence of elementary school teachers burdened with the added responsibilities of supervising cafeteria during the lunch break. There was also no inclusion of such in their job description as against the fact that cafeteria supervision was included in the agreement for secondary teachers. The union also claimed that the lunchtime was used by the teachers for various other educational activities like meeting parents, remediation, preparing and planning students’ performance enhancing activities etc. that were designed for the overall development of the students. Cafeteria supervision would restrict these extra activities that are an essential part of teaching aids and measures. Hence, extra duties are legally and ethically wrong. As an arbitrator, I would ensure that the elementary teachers were not burdened with the extra duty of cafeteria supervision because children in the elementary school require more educational aids and teachers-parental interaction for improved results. The roles and responsibilities of a teacher are multidimensional.   The teachers often serve as role models for their students so they need to be very meticulous and at the same time, he/she should be extremely knowledgeable so as to command respect from their students.