Discussion Board, Jamie & Carolyn

In the world today, there are a lot of unfortunate people who are suffering due to the conditions that they find themselves in as a result of natural disasters or other unrelated issues. Every human being has the right to have a good life through education, healthy life and income stability. However, this can only be achieved by the existence of humanitarian organizations such as the United Way as some of the governments in these areas are not capable of providing the services. These humanitarian organizations are not profit making and this means that they survive on grants from other profit making organizations. As Smith et al. (2000, pg 285) says, it is necessary for nonprofit organizations to be honest and transparent in their finances. This is the only way that they will win trust of their donors who provide with finances which help them to achieve their mission. Transparency should not only be on their finances but should also be on the way they govern their organization and the people they hire to provide the services. (Smith et al, pg. 311, 330)Response to Carolyn PostingIt is the dream of every human being to have a better life. However, this can only be achieved if one has a constant income which can only provided by a good job. To get a good job, one needs to be educated so as to acquire the skills needed. However, as Smith et al, (2000, pg 309) says, education and skills are not the only things that are needed for a person to get that good job, there is a need to get the knowledge that will help you to prove to the employer that indeed you are the one who should get that job.These are the services that are offered by Goodwill Industries International Inc. Such services require one or the provider to be honest. This virtue can only be given by an organization that does not look forward to some gains from the client. Nonprofit organizations such as Goodwill Industries International Inc. are therefore known to train individuals with utmost good faith. T his is known to help them conduct humanitarian and other activities in any type of organization they may be in. (Smith et al, pg 288) ReferencesSmith, B. et al. (2000). The Complete Guide to Nonprofit Management. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Fast Food Affects on Obese Children

Fast Food Restaurants Affecting Obese Children Fast food restaurants have been around for ages from McDonalds to Wendy's. All have been giving processed foods to people for very low prices. Some say fast food restaurants are the only reason for Obesity, some say fast food is the perfect combination of food and low prices. Obesity has majorly increased since the early 1970's and so has the amount of fast food restaurants. They have even expanded close to schools. When fast food restaurants are too close to schools they affect the student's weight.More and more restaurants are putting the nutritional facts in the menu, changing people's minds about what they eat. With these arguments you can see that it's obvious fast food restaurants cause obesity. Fast food restaurants have grown in popularity, size and distribution. With its popularity growing drastically, the percentage of children from the ages 6-19 that are obese has increased from 5 to a whopping 17 percent since the early 1970' s! with the years going by, more and more children are getting overweight because of fast food restaurants.Fast food restaurants are sometimes too close to high schools affecting the students weight and eating habits. If during class you look out the window and see a fast food restaurant it's hard to resist the temptation. Although only 7 percent of fast food places are within a tenth of a mile 65% are within half a mile. Also listing nutritional facts changes peoples food choices in McDonalds especially. When fast food restaurants list these facts it increases the likelihood of parents choosing healthier food choices.Researcher Dr. Pooja Tandon from the Department of general paediatrics at the University of Washington in Seattle, when parents have the nutritional facts about the food they choose 100 calories less than parents that don't have the info. In low-income areas, the information does not affect the parents. So now that you've read these few arguments, don't just forget abo ut it do the right thing. Make a decision and stick to it before more people get stuck on fast food.

Bank of America Essay Example for Free (#2)

Bank of America Essay The apparent problem in the Bank of America case study is that Jen McDonald (head of the Bank of America digital marketing group), and Douglas Brown (senior vice president of mobile product development) received requests to create mobile apps more specific for individual businesses as a way to gain leverage (Supta & Herman, 2012). Brown, specifically, was hesitant to add additional mobile app features as he feared it would make the application far too complex. Not only would it prove to be difficult for some users to understand, more features often make applications run more slowly, which could complicate the idea of mobile banking. In addition this could possibly give the customer a more negative experience. To cite the problem specifically, Brown stated â€Å"App complexity has led to some high-profile failures in the market place. This carries a huge risk† (Supta & Herman, 2012). Furthermore, Bank of America was provided $20 billion in capital from the United States government during the financial crisis under leadership of CEO Kenneth Lewis (Supta & Herman, 2012). Lewis had concerns that certain investors and customers would start to correlate Bank of America with Citigroup, who had previously given up 36% of its ownership to the federal government (Supta & Herman, 2012). This resulted in Brian Moynihan (head of consumer and small business banking) taking over as CEO on January 1, 2010 (Supta & Herman, 2012). Constraints and available options One of Bank of America’s options was to create different apps to target different groups and market segments, which proved to be somewhat of a risk. Not only was the organization concerned for the customers reaction, Bank of America was also hesitant because mobile apps are costly and in doing so, technology resources would be taken from other essential areas of banking such as online banking and atm machines. At this time customers were not completely trusting in working with their banks, as financial struggles were becoming more and more apparent. In order to give theBank of America the trusted name and customer loyalty it had previously held for so long, executives decided Mobile banking was the right path to take in order to save the company. Analysis and Evaluation The bank of America officially launched their mobile banking application in May of 2007. This included the ability to bank on the customers phones either by application or by accessing the mobile web through their phones browser. Douglas Brown confirmed that the success of the mobile application was astounding as the company gained four million mobile banking customers over the time span of less than three years (Supta & Herman, 2012). Because of the high level of success, business managers were eager to update the applications, in an effort to raise the level of functionality even higher. This proved to be a decision that had to be carefully considered by the Bank of America corporate team. Strengths: The Bank of America already holds the title of being one of the most prestigious banks and a leading company in the U. S. Because of their household name, marketing new products prove to be fairly easy; however identifying a product that customers will adopt and figuring out the target market are essential to Bank of America’s success. An additional strength of the mobile banking application was the timing in correlation to the launch of the application and the launch of the iPhone, making Bank of America the first bank to be able to offer a banking application on the iPhone. The most used features of mobile banking came from viewing account balances and viewing transaction details, making debit card holders the most popular users. After the mobile banking launch more customers opened checking accounts in the months of the introduction of mobile banking and did in fact use the application during that time. Weaknesses:  A weakness shown by Bank of America proved to be within technology adoption and which smart phones the mobile applications could be used by. The Bank of America was slow to adopt SMS technology and access to mobile banking was limited. It was only available to those who used online banking with Bank of America, therefore leaving a huge portion of customers out and feeling negatively about the new product. Another weakness in the new mobile application was that it had to be created with more features than competing mobile applications, which added the risk of making the mobile app more complex. Complexity is a weakness when striving to offer a simple and functional upgraded product to customers. Furthermore, the bank was recovering from the financial crisis, which caused a great loss for a company as big as themselves, as customers had to put a curb to their spending. They also feared they damaged their name in asking for $20 billion in federal backing which proved to be a huge mistake. Bank of America did not want to be associated with other banks that had borrowed capital, but in turn were forced to give up a percentage of their company. Opportunities: In analyzing the Kotler & Keller text, marketing opportunity is described as a buyer taking interest in something that has the probability to make a profit (Kotler & Keller, 2009). The introduction of mobile banking was a huge opportunity that the Bank of America capitalized on. When mobile banking was introduced costs per transaction started at 10 cents and were expected to drop to 3 to 4 cents. ATM costs were already 1. 34 per transaction which provided an advantage to debit card holders with low account balances. They also benefited in that they could easily check their account balance through their phones before making a purchase. The Bank of America capitalized on the opportunity to offer this feature to customers for absolutely no cost. This was a huge plus in gaining additional customers and fans of mobile banking, as other banks had already begun to waive ATM fees during the times of the market dropping. Mobile banking was a way for Bank of America to bounce back after financial crisis and offer users an experience they had never before been exposed to. The novelty of the design and idea would bring trust and value back to the company. Threats: A potential threat of mobile banking was that expanding on apps and adding new features can turn potential customers off because it tends to make banking more complicated throughout the introduction process. Surveys and research also showed that 44% of customers did not see a need or any type of value within mobile banking. When introducing a new product, buyer behavior tends to be very guarded as customers are reluctant to trust a pone application to keep their banking statements and accounts secure at all times. Major competitors are also a threat that the Bank of America faced. Major Banks such as Wellsfargo, Citigroup and PNC, to name a few, also offer mobile banking with virtually the same functions and applications. Mobile banking was also seen as a threat because of the high initial costs, however, from a marketing perspective, if the Bank of America were to pay extra costs to set their mobile applications apart from competing banks, the additional features would be worth the price in customer popularity and satisfaction. Recommendations Because mobile banking has been introduced by so many other banks, the best recommendation would be to create a form of mobile banking that is more secure and user friendly than competing applications. These are the two issues that customers seemed to have the most doubts about, so putting extra emphasis on these areas will surely set the Bank of America apart from others. Another recommendation is to target one particular audience and market to them specifically, therefore making age and stage in the life cycle of great importance. It is likely that the younger generation will be much more open to yet another phone application, as it is the norm for them, and will provide huge ease to another aspect of their lives. This may result in the younger generation taking more initiative when it comes to banking and gaining more responsibility in this aspect of their lives. Phone applications makes it easy to transfer money and to check balances, providing an awareness of your funds 24/7, opposed to only during banking hours. Kotler & Keller advices marketers to take the following three steps when marketing a product: 1. Compare it with a product that consumers already know about, making it more comfortable for them to base the purchase off of a past decision (Kotler & Keller, 2012). 2. â€Å"†¦The lure of â€Å"free† is almost irresistible† (Kotler & Keller, 2012). 3. Consumers often experience the â€Å"optimism bias† or â€Å"positivity illusion. † They tend to overestimate their chances of experiencing a positive outcome and underestimate their chances of experiencing a negative outcome (Kotler & Keller, 2012). These steps are recommended to the Bank of America’s target audience in order to raise popularity and awareness of the mobile banking application. In other words, it is essential to understand the meaning of consumer behavior. Kotler & Keller define consumer behavior as how individuals come up with ideas and experiences that work to satisfy the customer’s wants and needs. The customer’s desires will be met in that the mobile banking app will be free to current customers, which will already account for a huge part of the appeal. Compared with online banking, which customers are likely to be more familiar with, the target audience will see the mobile app as an easier, faster version of a feature they already value. Furthermore, because of the optimism bias and positivity illusion, customers using this product are more likely to feel it will improve their financial security and well-being. Lessons Learned In the review of the entire Bank of America case study, it is apparent that control was an issue that was brought up as the main concern of the customer in accepting the new application. Customers were weary at first, as they had concerns for the security of their finances and feared they were giving up control of their bank accounts to a mobile application. In retrospect, the customer actually gained more control over their finances as they were able to access them from nearly anywhere in the world. This goes to show how identifying with the customers emotions and providing them with a product that gains their trust and eases their concerns, will make the innovation and the company that much more successful. Bank of America. (2016, Sep 09).

TRIBOROUGH BRIDGE PROJECT (NY) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

TRIBOROUGH BRIDGE PROJECT (NY) - Essay Example Construction of the bridges commenced in 1929. The total cost of constructing the bridge was announced to be more than $60 million, exceeding that of the Hoover Dam. The bridge was officially opened on July 11, 1936. Triborough Bridge Project is officially referred to as Robert F. Kennedy Bridge. The bridge carries 8 lanes of 278 I-278 and 6 lanes of NY 900G. The bridge is designed as a suspension, lift and truss bridge. The total length of the bridge comprises of three spans: 2,780 feet, 770 feet and 1,600 feet through Queens, Manhattan, and Bronx respectively. Constructors used both hand tools and specialised tools and equipment for constructing the complex bridge. Similarly, both specialised engineers and unskilled manpower was critical for the project completion. Among the methods that were used for constructing the bridge include balanced cantilever, incremental launching, advanced shoring, and heavy lifting. If the bridge was to be built, the constructors would consider building the roofing for protecting pedestrians and cyclists from hot sunshine and

The Law of Trusts and Equitable Obligations Case Study

The Law of Trusts and Equitable Obligations - Case Study Example Whether or not the courts will find so in this instance is open to debate. As it is a presumption it is rebuttable by the donees showing that it was a gift, but the onus is on Wendy and Karen to show that it is a gift. (i)(a). Wendy will have to establish either that Martin intended to make a gift or that the presumption of advancement takes precedence over the presumption of a resulting trust. In order to establish that a gift was made the onus of proof is on Wendy. The court must go into the facts in order to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to rebut the presumption. Whilst Wendy is not married to Martin they do have a relationship which might indicate a moral obligation on Martin's part to provide for Wendy. This could give rise to the presumption of advancement, in which the assumption is that Martin intended Wendy to take both the legal and the beneficial interest of the shares. However in a series of cases quoted in Pearce and Stevens1 it is clear that there is no presumption of advancement between cohabiting couples. However in Pettitt v Pettitt [1970] AC 777 at paragraph 823 Lord Diplock reminds us that the presumption of resulting trust and advancement are: On the facts before us there is no reason to believe that Martin did not intend Wendy to own the shares outright. We are reminded that they shared a full life together and that Martin purchased shares for both Wendy and Karen at the same time. There is no indication that he did this for any other reason than for them to accrue benefits from the company - in the form of dividends - as the shares increased in value. It could be argued that based on conduct and the circumstances that Martin intended the shares as a gift. For example, Wendy may be able to show that Martin gave her the share certificates and that she was able to keep the dividends. However, based on the evidence before us the point is moot, and could go either way. (i)(b) There is a presumption of advancement between a father and his child, that is that a father would wish to provide financially for his child: Murless v Franklin [1818] 1 Swans 13. In such a case the child takes the property beneficially. Whilst Karen is not Martin's child they do have a relationship which might indicate a moral obligation on Martin's part to provide for Karen. In Bennet v Bennet [1879] 10 Ch D 474 Jessel MR said: as regards a child, a person not the father of the child may put himself in the position of an in loco parentis to the child, and so incur the obligation to make provision for the child The burden of proof will be on Martin to show that no gift was intended. For example if Martin could show that he retained the share certificates and/or that Karen paid the dividends to him (see Re Gooch [1890] 62 LT 384) this might be sufficient evidence to rebut the presumption, particularly if at the same time Martin had clearly stated that a gift was not intended. (ii) Martin's rights - if any - will be determined under a resulting or common intention constructive trust, or else proprietary estoppel - which does not require proof of common intention. Since Martin has made a direct contribution to the purchase price out of the profits of the business and by paying the mortgage this raises a

Essay 2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Essay 2 - Assignment Example Currently, I still do recall the numerous stories told to me every night by my parents, as I grew up. For instance, I remember when my father, while sitting on his large recliner chair used to read a number of books to me. One book I can remember is ‘The Lord of Rings’ that I enjoyed and was ever ready to hear more and more every time he read to me. My earliest remembrance of learning how to read is that I only liked to hear stories read to me by other people such as my parents or teachers but I did not like the idea of reading loudly on my own. Every time my mother told me to read to her, I used to cry feeling that it was not fair to for me to read. However, later on I changed my attitude on realising that it was important for me to know how to read to be able to read for myself. The first storybooks that I read when at school were those of Roger Red Hat, as the themes and storyline was properly presented and developed. After developing deep desire of reading, my favourite book was the ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’ written by Ronald Dahl because of the manner it provides good description of the food, golden cider and the luscious chicken. Until now, I like flicking though the story just because it is that which kept me very entertained during my early times. The most important benefit of mastering literacy in the early elementary grades, as pointed by Torgesen et al. (2007) is that it will enable student to gain knowledge and skills to read grade level manuscript confidently and with significant comprehension. Comprehension is a very complicated skill requiring skills in reading the text precisely and confidently. It requires enough backdrop knowledge as well as vocabulary to be able to understand the content well. It also requires the ability of thinking and reasoning about the concepts and the overall information to make the appropriate judgments. Moreover, motivation for understanding as well as learning from the information contained in

Chapter 2+3 of my dissertation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 7500 words

Chapter 2+3 of my dissertation - Essay Example Also, there will be a discussion about the difference between a true follower of a religion and someone who is trying to be more practical, the possibility of applying someone’s religion in another country with a different religion, and the difference between Hindus and Muslims in their beliefs as they are portrayed in the text. Also the Hindu portrayal of God and how that has changed throughout history needs to be explored in The Circle of Reason. instability created in the frontier regions as a result of independence generates the background in this book. The history of India especially after the partition with Pakistan and how the Indians characters in the novel show their nationalism differently are the backbone of this novel. Since religion and nationalism are meshed throughout the story, both will be examined in this chapter. In the end, this chapter will prove that Amitav Ghosh in The Circle of Reason portrays people in realistic situations of colonial/postcolonial India. Even though these characters were placed in unfamiliar situations to readers not from India, Ghosh relates their lives in a humanistic way. Every reader can understand the frailty of human personality from this novel through something familiar to all; religion and nationalism. The Circle of Reason starts with the arrival of a child to a childless couple. A man of reason, Balaram, lost an estranged brother, only to gain his nephew. Balaram studied phrenology, or the studying of skull shape to determine personality traits. Since his nephew’s head was shaped like a potato, Balaram called him Alu. Balaram and another man, Bhudeb Roy, lived in the same village on a border town, until a feud arose between the two men. Religion and nationalism is the undercurrent of a story that deals with superstition and reason. Bhudeb Roy deals in superstition for personal gain, whereas Balaram believes in reason. Various religions are weaved into

World bank Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

World bank - Research Paper Example nd these objectives includes the decrease in the number of people who are living below the line of poverty which is set at $1.25/day (Worldbank.org, 2014). Its second objective is to attain growth of nations in a shared manner while increasing the growth of the income of the 40% of the people living on the lower end of the income line in all nations. The total numbers of nations that are members with the group of World Bank are 188 nations and these nations include nations from all four continents (Worldbank.org, 2014). Some of its member nations include United States of America, United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, United Kingdom and 184 other nations . The primary products and services that are offered by the organization are financial in nature. These products and services includes, providing of loans at very inexpensive interest rates or even at zero rate of interest (Worldbank.org, 2014). The organization is involved in providing five different products as well as services. Its products and services includes Procedural Assistance in which it offers advice to member nation regarding policy issues, legal advice, advice regarding effective governance and others (Capannelli, 2014). Furthermore it provides advisory services that are reimbursable in nature in these services it provides advice and assistance to member nations in matters that may exceed the budget of the World Bank. The bank even partners with member organizations in order to provide them with research and analysis on different sectors of a nation (Capannelli, 2014). They do so in order to help them develop policies which can be used to attain sector growth. The organi zation even adopts the role of a coordinator between different donors such as the government and social work groups and while they provide these services, they even provide funds in partnerships with these donors in order to finance different projects. There are various projects in which the organization partners with members

Burro Genius Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Burro Genius - Essay Example The one belief they instill in the child is that one should not lose perspective in order to excel or make progress in life. As a little boy aged six, I used to be extremely playful and forgetful at the same time. One day after school, I happened to bump into my toy as I was approaching my room, without thinking twice I dropped my bag, picked my toy and started playing with it. The game became more attractive, and I ended up in the garage, back in the house my little sister came across my bag, started playing with it and ended up messing with my homework. Since I had nobody to blame but myself, it meant I had to inform my mother so that she can go and explain to the teacher for me to get the homework. This situation also applies to Victor’s case, which left the car windows opened, and ended up with a cloth full of feathers. He learned that one does not need to be angry for every mistake one make nor does he need to look for someone blame for not correcting his mistakes for him but, embrace the mistake and work towards ensuring that it does not happen again. By helping me out on explaining to the te acher what happened to my initial homework, my mother instilled the lesson that helped me learn that no one is perfect, and people are not gauged on mistakes they made but how well they progress after the mistake. The thesis of this paragraph is, just like Victor no one is perfect not even parents, but the best thing they do is ensuring that the same mistake does not happen again (Villasenor p56). My mother was doing some work on a computer one night at home, being a mother of two she had to hop from one task to another. Since, my sister was still too young, and she required much attention she had to juggle from looking after her, cooking for all of us as well as finish the work she had on the computer. In the process of juggling, she had to leave the computer open, as I was passing around the house I

Design a balanced scorecard and linked strategy map and evaluate the Essay

Design a balanced scorecard and linked strategy map and evaluate the techniques used - Essay Example Thornton Chocolate Company has been going through a rough phase, as the company has to deal with consecutive losses. In this scenario development of balanced scorecard and strategic map for guidance become necessary for the company. A comprehensive discussion on balanced scorecard and the key performance indicators, targets, and objectives of the company are also ascertained to develop a strategic map for the company. The strategic map will put forward the strategies by which Thorntons Chocolate Company can pull up sales, minimise cost and increase their market share in the industry. The balanced scorecard has identified the unfavourable effect of performance indicators and stated strategies to pull up company’s performance. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Introduction 4 Vision and Mission of Thorntons Chocolate Company 5 Strategic Direction 5 Balanced Scorecard 7 Balanced Scorecard and Thornton Chocolate Company 9 Strategic Map 12 Recommendations 13 References 15 Append ices 16 Appendix 1 16 Appendix 2 16 Appendix 3 18 Appendix 4 19 Appendix 5 20 Introduction Thorntons Chocolate Company was established in the year 1911, in Derbyshire, UK. The company was established by Joseph William Thornton and after the recent takeover of Cadbury it became the largest independent confectionary and chocolate company. Thorntons Chocolate Company has more than 360 cafes and shops and apart from this, it also owns 230 franchises that offer commercial, internet and mail order services. The revenue of the company decreased to ?217,144 million in 2012, which was ?218,255 million in 2011. This reveals a decline in revenue by 0.51percent and the company is also running at a loss since past few years. Thorntons Chocolate Company is listed on the London Stock Exchange and it has more than 4200 employees. Presently the company holds around 7.9 percent of market share in the chocolate industry of UK, which the management expects would increase in the coming years (Jennings, 2005). Reasons like dull marketing, dismal display, or unappealing packaging are being put forward for escalating profit warnings for Thorntons Chocolate Company. The company however, blames it on the climatic condition and snow. Britain’s largest chocolate company has revealed a decrease of 23 percent in chocolate sales in the recent times. The franchises and shops are struggling hard to sell their products in the market. Even the share prices have fallen by 30 percent in the last 1 year, which is also posing as a profit warning for the company. Thorntons Chocolate Company was one of the best selling brands on High street, but the future projections do not reveal the same picture (Jennings, 2005). This study aims to develop a balanced scorecard for Thorntons Chocolate Company and link it to a strategic map. Keeping in mind the recent turn of events and financial position of the company, the balanced score card would be developed and strategic map would be prepared, so that t he management of the company can identify ways of reviving the company’s position and pull it up to the place that Thorntons Chocolate Company had, as one of the largest Chocolate makers (Haberberg, 2008). Vision and Mission of Thorntons Chocolate Company Thorntons Chocolate Company enjoy a 100 years of heritage of treating its customers with delicious confectionaries and chocolate. The vision of the company is â€Å"

The civil rights movements Essay Example for Free

The civil rights movements Essay This threat led to some improvement. Roosevelt’s order on discrimination however did not apply to the armed forces. At the start of the war, the army refused to train black officers; the air force would not let them train as pilots; and the navy would only use black servicemen in the kitchens. Black peoples’ blood could not be used for wounded white servicemen. Some of these barriers were broken down by government pressure during the war: 600 black pilots saw combat before the end of the war, and all three of the services eventually had black officers. However, all black servicemen had to fight in segregated units. Blacks were not allowed to die alongside whites. In 1948 President Truman officially banned the segregation of black and white people in the armed forces. However small, this marked a large step in equal rights for black people. Segregation between whites and blacks was a prominent issue. It needed to be broken down before the two races could be equal. Both segregation on buses and schools were abolished due to blacks’ peaceful protests. Famously Rosa Parks, who was sitting in the Negro section of a bus, refused to get up for a white man. Martin Luther King organised a local bus boycott, stopping most black people using busses in the whole city which meant that most buses were now almost empty because black people were the biggest bus users as most were too poor to afford cars. Victory finally came on 13 November 1956 when, just as in schools, the Supreme Court announced that segregation was illegal on buses. In the southern states ‘White Citizens Councils’ were formed to fight integration in schools and they encouraged employers to sack black people who stood up for their civil rights. In Congress Southern Senators signed a Manifesto in 1956, promising to campaign against integration. There were very violent examples where black children were blocked from going to school by white supremacists. When there was an attempt to de-segregate the Central High School in the town of Clinton, Tennessee in 1956 there were riots. Hundreds of white people, many of them in the Ku Klux Klan, stopped black students entering the school and orchestrated attacks on black people around the town, and many of them left town all together. In response to this, many supporters of the Civil Rights (many of them white) had had enough and decided to ‘form a posse’ of 47 of supporters and to take on the supremacists with a wide ‘collection of weapons’. Fighting on the streets was only averted by the arrival of the National Guard who arrested the leaders of the racist group surrounding the school Continuing dislike of segregation in the town actually led to the white racists blowing up the school in 1958. This was not a single case. The aggression shown by the whites is pretty startling – very violent (blowing up a school) and involves governors and state troops, especially against children who are innocent in this race war. With the media, their aggression shows their weakness. However blacks are portrayed very well to the media as they use non-violent protest contrary to the whites. They also get the support of the military which is ideal as they do not need to be shown being violent. It also shows that some white people seem to have been changing their minds, caused by violence and black’s peacefulness and Christianity. The Civil Rights Movements laid down the opportunity for equality between whites and blacks; the legislation needed was put into place, however the whites themselves needed convincing. The same people, who were in the Ku Klux Klan fighting against the blacks, were now expected to support equality. Despite this, mentalities were starting the change. Due the non-violence and innocence of their campaign, whites were starting to support the blacks in their struggle for equality. In this way, the Civil Rights Movements can be seen as a complete success, but a little more is needed to convince the inherently racist white southerners that this was the right thing to do before there is absolute equality. Half Term Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE USA 1941-80 section.

The Daylesford Organic Farm Concept Essay Example for Free

The Daylesford Organic Farm Concept Essay Hello, everyone. Today I will be discussing the prospect of an organic farm-based business that I feel would be very beneficial for our company. To begin, I would like to talk about an already successful business based on the organic farm concept that is present in the United Kingdom. The name of this business is Daylesford and its purpose for this discussion is to look at it as somewhat of a template as to what our eventual business can be. First, we should take a look at a brief overview of the Daylesford Organic Farm concept. According to author Gwenda Brophy (2004), Daylesford Farm was first opened in 2002 by Sir Anthony and Lady Bamford with the purpose of selling different kinds of produce that had come from their estate (para. 13). The Bamford’s farm had already been growing organic produce for a good while prior to the opening of the business and had been selling it on the open market. As time went on, it only made sense to progress this on to a more direct outlet (para. 14). Brophy (2004) stated that it is very important for many people to know where their food comes from and as such the level of quality control is closely monitored by the Bamfords as they are directly involved in the entire organic process. Some of the examples of what is done by the Bamfords include growing their own wheat, carrying out the milling process and baking much of their own bread (para. 14). In addition to the organic produce that is offered by Daylesford, the shop also has a cafà © where customers can enjoy anything from a cup of tea to an organic steak. The Bamfords’ plan has been to continue to introduce new products as often as possible and although organic products are what Daylesford is known for, not every product is organic. Above all, the most important element to Daylesford’s products, organic or non-organic, is that they all maintain the same high level of quality (para. 19). Brophy (2004) notes that Daylesford is a traditional farm shop at its core but with both its non-wealthy and wealthy customers, catering to customers’ needs and the way the shop is styled is critical to its success (para. 16). In marketing the Daylesford concept, the shop has generally relied on word of mouth but has also been a presence with many charitable and community events (para. 17). Potential Market Segment Next, it is important that the target market for our organic-based business is identified. There are many factors here to consider when marketing our organic products to the consumer. Authors Bellows, Diamond, Hallman and Onyango (2008) noted that studies have linked organic purchases to consumers with perceived attributes that include taste, freshness, quality, safety and health (para. 7). In terms of the socio-economic characteristics of the organic consumer, research has shown that they are likely to have had a high education of college or above, are urban dwellers, have a high income, are younger consumers in age and predominantly female. The research on what motivates the organic consumer to purchase organic products reveals that the private benefits relating to food consumption are more important than the knowledge of the public benefits regarding organic farming. Essentially, it is more important to the consumer to purchase these products for the taste, freshness, convenience and health than out of concern for the environment as organic farming helps in reducing water pollution and protecting natural habitats (para. 8). In addition to the variables just mentioned, Dr. Deacue Fields also states that in determining the target market for organic produce and products, approximately 72% of consumers are classified as Generation X and Y while 69% of them are classified as Baby Boomers. In regards to income, more specifically, 35% of people considered as organic consumers earn more than $50,000 as opposed to the non-organic consumer which comprises a total of 30%. Finally, taking into account the geographic location of the common organic consumer, the majority of them are concentrated in the Western and Midwestern regions of the United States (â€Å"Marketing†, 2011). I think you will find that all of these elements combined will be of great help in  targeting our potential market for organic products. The Value Proposition Now, I would like to discuss the benefits that our organic-based business will offer to our target customers. First, as far as the functional benefits are concerned, one of the key factors is that organic produce offers the consumer a healthier option when it comes to one’s eating habits. In regards to chemicals, organic produce refrains from using any kind of synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, fungicides, herbicides or synthetic preservatives and additives. As such, the amounts of hazardous residues within organic foods are basically restricted to the lowest amount (â€Å"Organic†, n.d.). In terms of emotional benefits, our organic business can provide the good feeling that customers will have knowing they are choosing a much healthier alternative when consuming our foods. Studies and research that included a series of scientific experiments have shown that many organic foods such as dairy, fruits and vegetables contain a higher level of antioxidants, approximately up to 40% more than non-organic foods. These antioxidants help greatly in minimizing the rates of natural chemical oxidation of body cells therefore supporting healthier organs. Further studies have also confirmed that these antioxidants are very effective regarding heart-promotion (â€Å"Organic†, n.d.). All of these factors combined will contribute to the emotional feeling that our customers will have about themselves and the choices that they are making. Finally, I would like to address the self-expressive benefits of what our business can provide. These benefits can come about as a result of the image that our consumers display of themselves to others including friends, family, co-workers and acquaintances. The good feeling that our consumers already have regarding their health choices and purchasing our products can be reflected upon these other individuals. This will potentially allow us to draw in more customers as they are introduced to our business and the healthier and tastier products that we provide. Conclusion In summary, I think you will find the potential of an organic business in  the vein of Daylesford to be very beneficial to our company. With the increase that has occurred in the number of individuals opting for a healthier lifestyle within recent years, now is the perfect opportunity for our company to take part in this venture. As we have seen, the market for this type of business is large and growing and with our unique skills and techniques, we can provide a service that is equally as successful here in the United States. References Bellows, A. C., Diamond, A., Hallman, W. K., Onyango, B. (2008). Understanding consumer interest in organics: Production values vs. purchasing behavior. Journal of Agricultural Food Industrial Organization, 6(1), 1-31. Retrieved from http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.proxy.devry.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=af0e28a8-a1aa-4bea-b2d5-41190f879738%40sessionmgr112vid=15hid=120 Brophy, G. (2004, Mar 27). Down on the farm shop: Country living: Gwenda brophy visits two very different variations on a rural staple and finds common ground. Financial Times. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/249488024?accountid=44759 Fields, D. (2011). Marketing organic products. [Data file]. Retrieved from http://www.tuskegee.edu/sites/www/Uploads/files/About%20US/TUCEP/Organic%20Farming%20Training/Marketing%20of%20Organic%20farming.pdf Organic food and benefits. (n.d.). [Data file]. Retrieved from http://www.english.umd.edu/sites/default/files/interpolations/pdf/dong.pdf

The Theory Of Substance Dualism

The Theory Of Substance Dualism An argument has been made against Descartes interactive substance dualism theory that will be analyzed and evaluated in this paper. The Christian apologist J.P. Moreland argued in an online video that goes as such: If interactive substance dualism is true, a non-physical substance could have an effect on a physical substance. It is metaphysically impossible that a non-physical substance could have an effect on a physical substance. Interactive substance dualism is false. (Moreland J. P., 2009) This paper will set forth to point out that this argument against Descartes interactive substance dualism theory, while being valid in nature, is unsound because its second premise is false. With the help of modern science; this paper will argue that it is indeed metaphysically possible for a non-physical substance to have an effect on a physical substance. Before we can appropriately analyze and evaluate the argument, some terms must be defined first so that we may understand how this paper will defend interactive substance dualism. The first step when evaluating an argument is to look at the logic of the argument. According to Bruce Miller of the University of Michigan an argument is logically sound only if the premises were true, this fact would constitute good grounds for accepting the conclusion as true (Miller, 2000). The current argument against Descartes appears to follow logical correctness which leads to the next idea. Is the argument a deductively valid one? Miller also states that an argument form is deductively valid if and only if it is impossible that its conclusion is false given its premises are true. (Miller, 2000) If we were to assume that the premises of the argument in question were true then we would also be drawn to the same conclusion found in the argument. The second premise of the argument states that the first is untrue and therefor the conclusion is true. If the second premise were in fact true, then one could safely claim that interactive substance dualism is indeed false. This flow of sound logic structures and frames this as a deductively valid argument, but is it deductively sound? Even though an argument can be structured logically and found to be deductively valid; that may not always make the argument sound. A sound argument can be summed up as an argument that is based on truths. If a conclusion or argument is drawn from false premises then the argument is considered unsound. For instance, if I were to say that all X are Y and all Y are Z, then I could safely conclude that all X are Z. Yet using a qualifier such as all or every can be tricky, because if just one Y is not Z, then not all Xs could be Zs making the statement deductively unsound. So now that we understand what deductively sound and unsound is, let us apply it to the argument at hand. To do this we will evaluate the premises and decide whether they are true or false. The first premise of the argument at hand is a reiteration of Descartes interactive substance dualism theory that a non-physical substance could have an effect on a physical substance. Substance dualism generally holds that the body is a physical object having physical properties and that the mind is a mental substance containing mental properties irreducible to the physical. (Moreland Craig, 2003) When one experiences pain for example, the body may incur certain electrical and chemical stimulus (physical properties), which results in the self or mind consciously experiencing the felt quality and awareness of the pain (mental property). Descartes argues within substance dualism that the mind and brain closely interact with each other, though they are different substances with differing properties. This is considered to be Descartes main point in the interactive substance dualism theory and this premise will be considered true. The second premise is where this paper focuses because the argument claims that it is metaphysically impossible that a non-physical substance could have an effect on a physical substance. This premise is false because modern science has shown the effects a mind has over a body and vice versa. It appears fairly obvious to most that physical properties do not have the same features as mental properties. For example, we are unable to apply physical qualities like mass and spatial dimensions to mental events such as thoughts, feelings of pleasure and sensory experiences. (Moreland Craig, 2003) As philosopher Keith Maslin summarizes, physical occurrences do not just appear to be different from consciousness; they are utterly different, so utterly different in fact, that it is inconceivable how the physical could produce the mental. (Maslin, 2001) Yet in a published journal we find that Bruce Hinrichs pointed out that when a person reads a sentence, hears a speech, experiences an emotion, or thinks a thought, a cluster or network of brain cells fires in a certain pattern with particular intensity and timing. (Hinrichs, 2001) Similarly, it has been observed that when a part of ones brain is touched with an electrode, it may cause a mental experience such as a memory to occur. (Moreland Craig, 2003) This is evidence in itself that mental states (the mind) can be reduced to physical states (firing of electrodes/electricity); but this only demonstrates so much. While the mind is partly connected to the body, they are not identical. Therefore, the distinctiveness of mental and physical properties and states argues favorably of substance dualism; and the casual connection the mind and body share is evidence supporting Descartes interactive substance dualism theory. The existence of secondary qualities also argues favorably for interactive substance dualism. Secondary qualities are said to consist of properties like color, taste, sounds, smells and textures, whereas primary qualities are properties that characterize matter such as weight, shape, size, solidity, and motion. (Moreland Craig, 2003) Frank Jackson explains that a strictly physical and material world would arguably force us to deny it: We sense the world as made up of coloured, materially continuous, macroscopic, stable objects; Science and, in particular, Physics, tells us that the material world is constituted of clouds of minute, colourless, highly-mobile particlesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Science forces us to acknowledge that physical or material things are not colouredà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ This will enable us to conclude that sense-data are all mental, for they are coloured. (Jackson, 1977) Effort should be made to at least acknowledge the criticisms of interactive substance dualism and potentially defend against them. Some have pointed out a problem of interaction when it comes to substance dualism. This may be the leading criticism against Descartes theory. How can the soul, lacking all physical dimensions, possibly affect, and be affected by, the extended body? (Maslin, 2001) It does not appear that we reasonably explain how each separate substance could interact with the other. This argument though appears to be based on an appeal to our ignorance. It assumes that if we do not understand how X causes Z that it is not reasonable to believe the two can interact. Craig and Moreland wrote that a tack can be moved by a magnetic field, and gravity acts on a planet millions of miles away. (Moreland Craig, 2003) The magnetic fields and gravitational forces have very different properties to the solid and spatially located entities they affect, and while we may not fully und erstand how such an interaction occurs, it nevertheless does just as we recognize the interaction between mind and body. An argument was made against Descartes interactive substance dualism theory that will be analyzed and evaluated in this paper. The paper set forth to point out that this argument against Descartes interactive substance dualism theory, while being valid in nature, is unsound because its second premise is false. We discussed that the argument, while logically framed and deductively valid, was inevitably false because of its second premise. The paper presented several arguments in favor of substance dualism by showing the distinctiveness of mental and physical properties and states; as well as the existence of secondary qualities. The paper also examined the main criticism of interactive substance dualism and the problem of interaction between mind and body. Given the above arguments for interactive substance dualism and the successfully countered criticism, it seems clear to me that it is indeed metaphysically possible for a non-physical substance to have an effect on a physical substa nce. If this paper has performed its purpose adequetly, then you as the reader can agree that the 2nd premise of the argument against Descartes is false. If a conclusion is drawn from a false premise then the argument becomes deductively unsound and should leave the interactive substance dualism theory in a very convincing position.

Essay --

1. MAAKASUTUSE MÕJUTEGURID 1.1. Mullastik Eesti muldade mitmekesisus on pà µhjustatud Eesti looduslike olude nagu geoloogiline ehitus ning pinnamood tagajà ¤rjel. ÃÅ"le poole Eesti aluspà µhjast koosneb lubja-kividest ja seetà µttu on 75% mulla là ¤htekivimeist karbonaatsed. Eestis on ka palju rà ¤ndkive, millest suuremad on kaitse all. Duurim kivisus Eestis on Saare-, Là ¤Ãƒ ¤ne- ja Harjumaal. Eestis on ka suurenenud muldade tuulekandeoht, mille on pà µhjustanud turvas- ja liivmuldade massiivistamine ja kuivandeamine Là ¤Ãƒ ¤ne-Eestis ning saartel. Eestis on haritavate muldade boniteet keskmiselt 43 punkti. ÃÅ"le keskmise on Là ¤Ãƒ ¤ne-Viru-, Jà µgeva-, Viljandi-, Jà ¤rva-, Rapla- ja Tartumaal. Kà µige madalam boniteet Eestis on Và µre-, Là ¤Ãƒ ¤ne- ja Hiiumaal. (Joonis 1) Allikas: [EME 1 2008; muudetud 2011] Joonis 1 Pà µllumuldade viljakus. Pà µllumuldade keskmine boniteet (100-punktilises sà ¼steemis): 1 kà µrge (à ¼le 55 punkti), 2 à ¼le keskmise (50-55), 3 keskmine (45-50), 4 alla keskmise (40-15), 5 madal (alla 40) Soomuldade ja soostunud muldade ning muldade kivisus on Eesti mullastikule iseloomulik. Kolmandik muldkattest koosneb gleimuldadest ning viiendik soomuldadest, mis pà µhiliselt on metsamaadel. Gleistunud mullad hà µlmavad kuuendiku kogu Eestist ja veeriandi Eestis haritavast maast. Eesti muldade là µimis on và ¤ga erinev ja muutuv, see muutub nii mullaprofiilis kui ka territoriaalselt. Selle pà µhipà µhjuseks on mullatekkeprotsesside iseloom. Liivmuldade kà µige suurem osatà ¤htsus on Hiiumaal, à ¼le keskmise on neid Ida-Viru-, Pà ¤rnu-, Và µru-, Pà µlva-, Valga- ja Saaremaal. Rapla-, Pà ¤rnu- ja Là ¤Ãƒ ¤nemaal on suurim savide leviala, seal on palju harmisele tundlikke ja raskeid gleimuldi. Jà ¤rvamaal on leetjad ja leostunud viljakad liivsavimullad, kuid ka Rapla-, Viru- ja Jà µgevamaal. [EME 1 20... ... 2012] Joonis 2 Sademete keskmine aastasumma 1966–98 (mm) Eesti temeratuuri suurim mà µjutaja on Là ¤Ãƒ ¤nemeri, mis talveperioodil rannikualasid sisemaast soojemana hoiab. Eesti kliimale on iseloomulik temperatuuri ning pà ¤ikesekiirguse kà µikumine aastaajaliselt. Aastaajaliselt erineb tugevalt ka pime ja valge aeg, kus pà ¤eva pikkus kà µigub 18 tunnist suvel 6 tunnini talvel. Pà µhilisteks kiirgusolude erinevuse pà µhjuseks Eestis on pilvisuse eripà ¤rasused. Sisemaal on pà ¤ikest và ¤hem và µrreldes rannikualadega, sest soojal aastaajal on sisemaal paremad olud rà ¼nkpilvedele. Keskmiselt on Eestis pà ¤ikest 1600-1900 h. Kiirgusandmed 1966.–98. aasta kohta on pà ¤rit mà µÃƒ µtmistulemustest Tà µravere aktinomeetriajaamast. (Joonis 3) [Eesti ilma riskid 2012] Allikas: [Eesti ilma riskid 2012] Joonis 3 Pà ¤ikesekiirguse keskmised kuu- ja aastasummad Tà µravere aktinomeetriajaama 1966.–99. aasta andmetel

The Quality of the Information in Recruitment Documents :: Business Management Studies

The Quality of the Information in Recruitment Documents I discussed HSBC’s key recruitment documents and came to the conclusion that the recruitment and selection process at the company was of the up most importance. I now plan to look at these documents in greater detail. Ø Job Description The main purpose of a job description at any company is to allow candidates to get a brief view of what the job entails. It also allows candidates to assess whether they think they would be suited in that particular job. Below is an example of a job description at HSBC: Role Title: Transfers and Settlements Administration (Job Number – 1.2.2.5) Location: Client Service Centre Reporting to: Client Administration Manager From looking at the above job description we can see that HSBC include: - What the title of the job will be - Where the job will be located - Who the employee should report to To include the title of the job is obviously an important part of any job description. It allows candidates to know what role they are applying for and if successful, the role they will take on. The location of the job is also important, as candidates need to know where to apply. Also if the candidate is successful they need to know whom they are reporting to and for this reason this information is also included in the job description. The job role title allows candidates to get an insight into the type of duties they will be required to carry out. For the particular job role in the job description above, employees will be expected to carry out the following: - Undertake stock transfers on behalf of HSBC clients with SFA regulations and strict internal and external service legal agreements - Undertake trade settlements and correction on behalf of HSBC clients within SFA regulations and strict internal and external service legal agreement - This requires employees to have effective communication skills in order to correspond with internal and external clients There is a section in the description that outlines the key tasks/outputs that the job will involve. These give the candidate a more detailed view of what is expected from them and allows them to make a more informed decision as to whether they think that the job is for them. This also gives candidates a sight into the background of HSBC and is usually very well detailed and presented. Ø Person Specification The person specification outlines what type of person is needed to carry out the job and specifies any skills or qualifications that they require. Is also details what qualities and competencies are needed.

Type 2 Diabetes :: essays research papers

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic illness that is a result of the body’s insulin not functioning correctly. It was formerly called adult-onset or insulin-dependent. It is also the most common kind of diabetes accounting for about 90 percent of all diabetes cases. Type 2 diabetes can also cause obesity and high cholesterol. About 6 percent of the population suffers from diabetes while about one-third of those who do have it, do not know about it. Insulin is a chemical that is released by the body to control blood sugar levels. It allows glucose to enter cells where it is used for daily functions. When blood glucose cannot be absorbed into cells, the energy cannot be expended and is then expelled through the kidneys. It starts as some of the body’s cells develop a resistance to insulin. This causes the liver to function without control, so it continues to release glucose. Without the cells picking up glucose high levels of glucose in the blood persist, which is a condition called hyperglycemia.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some symptoms are excessive thirst, urinating frequently, and hunger. Fatigue can also be a sign of diabetes. Diabetic ketonacidoses can also occur in people with type 2 diabetes. This is when the cells do not get enough glucose and begin to burn fat. When the cells burn fat for energy it results in the release of waste products, know as ketones. High levels of ketones in the body can produce large amounts of acid, and if not tended to, will cause a person to go into a coma or can possibly be fatal. Diabetes is usually diagnosed by testing blood glucose levels. These tests tell doctors if the body is using insulin correctly by detecting how much glucose stays in the blood stream. Most doctors recommend daily exercise and strict diets to treat type 2 diabetes.

The Lost Symbol Chapter 110-112

CHAPTER 110 Director Sato stood alone in the study, waiting while the CIA satellite-imaging division processed her request. One of the luxuries of working in the D.C. area was the satellite coverage. With luck, one of them might have been properly positioned to get photos of this home tonight . . . possibly capturing a vehicle leaving the place in the last half hour. â€Å"Sorry, ma'am,† the satellite technician said. â€Å"No coverage of those coordinates tonight. Do you want to make a reposition request?† â€Å"No thanks. Too late.† She hung up. Sato exhaled, now having no idea how they would figure out where their target had gone. She walked out to the foyer, where her men had bagged Agent Hartmann's body and were carrying it toward the chopper. Sato had ordered Agent Simkins to gather his men and prepare for the return to Langley, but Simkins was in the living room on his hands and knees. He looked like he was ill. â€Å"You okay?† He glanced up, an odd look on his face. â€Å"Did you see this?† He pointed at the living-room floor. Sato came over and looked down at the plush carpet. She shook her head, seeing nothing. â€Å"Crouch down,† Simkins said. â€Å"Look at the nap of the carpet.† She did. After a moment, she saw it. The fibers of the carpet looked like they had been mashed down . . . depressed along two straight lines as if the wheels of something heavy had been rolled across the room. â€Å"The strange thing,† Simkins said, â€Å"is where the tracks go.† He pointed. Sato's gaze followed the faint parallel lines across the living-room carpet. The tracks seemed to disappear beneath a large floor-to-ceiling painting that hung beside the fireplace. What in the world? Simkins walked over to the painting and tried to lift it down from the wall. It didn't budge. â€Å"It's fixed,† he said, now running his fingers around the edges. â€Å"Hold on, there's something underneath . . .† His finger hit a small lever beneath the bottom edge, and something clicked. Sato stepped forward as Simkins pushed the frame and the entire painting rotated slowly on its center, like a revolving door. He raised his flashlight and shined it into the dark space beyond. Sato's eyes narrowed. Here we go. At the end of a short corridor stood a heavy metal door. The memories that had billowed through the blackness of Langdon's mind had come and gone. In their wake, a trail of red-hot sparks was swirling, along with the same eerie, distant whisper. Verbum significatium . . . Verbum omnificum . . . Verbum perdo. The chanting continued like the drone of voices in a medieval canticle. Verbum significatium . . . Verbum omnificum. The words now tumbled through the empty void, fresh voices echoing all around him. Apocalypsis . . . Franklin . . . Apocalypsis . . . Verbum . . . Apocalypsis . . . Without warning, a mournful bell began tolling somewhere in the distance. The bell rang on and on, growing louder. It tolled more urgently now, as if hoping Langdon would understand, as if urging his mind to follow. CHAPTER 111 The tolling bell in the clock tower rang for three full minutes, rattling the crystal chandelier that hung above Langdon's head. Decades ago, he had attended lectures in this well-loved assembly hall at Phillips Exeter Academy. Today, however, he was here to listen to a dear friend address the student body. As the lights dimmed, Langdon took a seat against the back wall, beneath a pantheon of headmaster portraits. A hush fell across the crowd. In total darkness, a tall, shadowy figure crossed the stage and took the podium. â€Å"Good morning,† the faceless voice whispered into the microphone. Everyone sat up, straining to see who was addressing them. A slide projector flashed to life, revealing a faded sepia photograph–a dramatic castle with a red sandstone facade, high square towers, and Gothic embellishments. The shadow spoke again. â€Å"Who can tell me where this is?† â€Å"England!† a girl declared in the darkness. â€Å"This facade is a blend of early Gothic and late Romanesque, making this the quintessential Norman castle and placing it in England at about the twelfth century.† â€Å"Wow,† the faceless voice replied. â€Å"Someone knows her architecture.† Quiet groans all around. â€Å"Unfortunately,† the shadow added, â€Å"you missed by three thousand miles and half a millennium.† The room perked up. The projector now flashed a full-color, modern photo of the same castle from a different angle. The castle's Seneca Creek sandstone towers dominated the foreground, but in the background, startlingly close, stood the majestic, white, columned dome of the U.S. Capitol Building. â€Å"Hold on!† the girl exclaimed. â€Å"There's a Norman castle in D.C.?!† â€Å"Since 1855,† the voice replied. â€Å"Which is when this next photo was taken.† A new slide appeared–a black-and-white interior shot, depicting a massive vaulted ballroom, furnished with animal skeletons, scientific display cases, glass jars with biological samples, archaeological artifacts, and plaster casts of prehistoric reptiles. â€Å"This wondrous castle,† the voice said, â€Å"was America's first real science museum. It was a gift to America from a wealthy British scientist who, like our forefathers, believed our fledgling country could become the land of enlightenment. He bequeathed to our forefathers a massive fortune and asked them to build at the core of our nation `an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge.' † He paused a long moment. â€Å"Who can tell me the name of this generous scientist?† A timid voice in front ventured, â€Å"James Smithson?† A whisper of recognition rippled through the crowd. â€Å"Smithson indeed,† the man on stage replied. Peter Solomon now stepped into the light, his gray eyes flashing playfully. â€Å"Good morning. My name is Peter Solomon, and I am secretary of the Smithsonian Institution.† The students broke into wild applause. In the shadows, Langdon watched with admiration as Peter captivated the young minds with a photographic tour of the Smithsonian Institution's early history. The show began with Smithsonian Castle, its basement science labs, corridors lined with exhibits, a salon full of mollusks, scientists who called themselves â€Å"the curators of crustaceans,† and even an old photo of the castle's two most popular residents–a pair of now-deceased owls named Diffusion and Increase. The half-hour slide show ended with an impressive satellite photo of the National Mall, now lined with enormous Smithsonian museums. â€Å"As I said when I began,† Solomon stated in conclusion, â€Å"James Smithson and our forefathers envisioned our great country to be a land of enlightenment. I believe today they would be proud. Their great Smithsonian Institution stands as a symbol of science and knowledge at the very core of America. It is a living, breathing, working tribute to our forefathers' dream for America–a country founded on the principles of knowledge, wisdom, and science.† Solomon clicked off the slides to an energetic round of applause. The houselights came up, along with dozens of eager hands with questions. Solomon called on a small red-haired boy in the middle. â€Å"Mr. Solomon?† the boy said, sounding puzzled. â€Å"You said our forefathers fled the religious oppression of Europe to establish a country on the principles of scientific advancement.† â€Å"That's correct.† â€Å"But . . . I was under the impression our forefathers were devoutly religious men who founded America as a Christian nation.† Solomon smiled. â€Å"My friends, don't get me wrong, our forefathers were deeply religious men, but they were Deists–men who believed in God, but in a universal and open-minded way. The only religious ideal they put forth was religious freedom.† He pulled the microphone from the podium and strode out to the edge of the stage. â€Å"America's forefathers had a vision of a spiritually enlightened utopia, in which freedom of thought, education of the masses, and scientific advancement would replace the darkness of outdated religious superstition.† A blond girl in back raised her hand. â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"Sir,† the girl said, holding up her cell phone, â€Å"I've been researching you online, and Wikipedia says you're a prominent Freemason.† Solomon held up his Masonic ring. â€Å"I could have saved you the data charges.† The students laughed. â€Å"Yes, well,† the girl continued, hesitating, â€Å"you just mentioned `outdated religious superstition,' and it seems to me that if anyone is responsible for propagating outdated superstitions . . . it would be the Masons.† Solomon seemed unfazed. â€Å"Oh? How so?† â€Å"Well, I've read a lot about Masonry, and I know you've got a lot of strange ancient rituals and beliefs. This article online even says that Masons believe in the power of some kind of ancient magical wisdom . . . which can elevate man to the realm of the gods?† Everyone turned and stared at the girl as if she were nuts. â€Å"Actually,† Solomon said, â€Å"she's right.† The kids all spun around and faced front, eyes widening. Solomon suppressed a smile and asked the girl, â€Å"Does it offer any other Wiki-wisdom about this magical knowledge?† The girl looked uneasy now, but she began to read from the Web site. â€Å"`To ensure this powerful wisdom could not be used by the unworthy, the early adepts wrote down their knowledge in code . . . cloaking its potent truth in a metaphorical language of symbols, myth, and allegory. To this day, this encrypted wisdom is all around us . . . encoded in our mythology, our art, and the occult texts of the ages. Unfortunately, modern man has lost the ability to decipher this complex network of symbolism . . . and the great truth has been lost.'† Solomon waited. â€Å"That's all?† The girl shifted in her seat. â€Å"Actually, there is a little bit more.† â€Å"I should hope so. Please . . . tell us.† The girl looked hesitant, but she cleared her throat and continued. â€Å"`According to legend, the sages who encrypted the Ancient Mysteries long ago left behind a key of sorts . . . a password that could be used to unlock the encrypted secrets. This magical password–known as the verbum significatium–is said to hold the power to lift the darkness and unlock the Ancient Mysteries, opening them to all human understanding.' â€Å" Solomon smiled wistfully. â€Å"Ah, yes . . . the verbum significatium.† He stared into space for a moment and then lowered his eyes again to the blond girl. â€Å"And where is this wonderful word now?† The girl looked apprehensive, clearly wishing she had not challenged their guest speaker. She finished reading. † `Legend holds that the verbum significatium is buried deep underground, where it waits patiently for a pivotal moment in history . . . a moment when mankind can no longer survive without the truth, knowledge, and wisdom of the ages. At this dark crossroads, mankind will at last unearth the Word and herald in a wondrous new age of enlightenment.' â€Å" The girl turned off her phone and shrank down in her seat. After a long silence, another student raised his hand. â€Å"Mr. Solomon, you don't actually believe that, right?† Solomon smiled. â€Å"Why not? Our mythologies have a long tradition of magic words that provide insight and godlike powers. To this day, children still shout `abracadabra' in hopes of creating something out of nothing. Of course, we've all forgotten that this word is not a toy; it has roots in ancient Aramaic mysticism–Avrah KaDabra–meaning `I create as I speak.' â€Å" Silence. â€Å"But, sir,† the student now pressed, â€Å"surely you don't believe that a single word . . . this verbum significatium . . . whatever it is . . . has the power to unlock ancient wisdom . . . and bring about a worldwide enlightenment?† Peter Solomon's face revealed nothing. â€Å"My own beliefs should not concern you. What should concern you is that this prophecy of a coming enlightenment is echoed in virtually every faith and philosophical tradition on earth. Hindus call it the Krita Age, astrologers call it the Age of Aquarius, the Jews describe the coming of the Messiah, theosophists call it the New Age, cosmologists call it Harmonic Convergence and predict the actual date.† â€Å"December 21, 2012!† someone called. â€Å"Yes, unnervingly soon . . . if you're a believer in Mayan math.† Langdon chuckled, recalling how Solomon, ten years ago, had correctly predicted the current spate of television specials predicting that the year 2012 would mark the End of the World. â€Å"Timing aside,† Solomon said, â€Å"I find it wondrous to note that throughout history, all of mankind's disparate philosophies have all concurred on one thing–that a great enlightenment is coming. In every culture, in every era, in every corner of the world, the human dream has focused on the same exact concept–the coming apotheosis of man . . . the impending transformation of our human minds into their true potentiality.† He smiled. â€Å"What could possibly explain such a synchronicity of beliefs?† â€Å"Truth,† said a quiet voice in the crowd. Solomon wheeled. â€Å"Who said that?† The hand that went up belonged to a tiny Asian boy whose soft features suggested he might be Nepalese or Tibetan. â€Å"Maybe there is a universal truth embedded in everyone's soul. Maybe we all have the same story hiding inside, like a shared constant in our DNA. Maybe this collective truth is responsible for the similarity in all of our stories.† Solomon was beaming as he pressed his hands together and bowed reverently to the boy. â€Å"Thank you.† Everyone was quiet. â€Å"Truth,† Solomon said, addressing the room. â€Å"Truth has power. And if we all gravitate toward similar ideas, maybe we do so because those ideas are true . . . written deep within us. And when we hear the truth, even if we don't understand it, we feel that truth resonate within us . . . vibrating with our unconscious wisdom. Perhaps the truth is not learned by us, but rather, the truth is re-called . . . re-membered . . . re-cognized . . . as that which is already inside us.† The silence in the hall was complete. Solomon let it sit for a long moment, then quietly said, â€Å"In closing, I should warn you that unveiling the truth is never easy. Throughout history, every period of enlightenment has been accompanied by darkness, pushing in opposition. Such are the laws of nature and balance. And if we look at the darkness growing in the world today, we have to realize that this means there is equal light growing. We are on the verge of a truly great period of illumination, and all of us–all of you–are profoundly blessed to be living through this pivotal moment of history. Of all the people who have ever lived, in all the eras in history . . . we are in that narrow window of time during which we will bear witness to our ultimate renaissance. After millennia of darkness, we will see our sciences, our minds, and even our religions unveil the truth.† Solomon was about to get a hearty round of applause when he held up his hand for silence. â€Å"Miss?† He pointed directly to the contentious blond girl in back with the cell phone. â€Å"I know you and I didn't agree on much, but I want to thank you. Your passion is an important catalyst in the coming changes. Darkness feeds on apathy . . . and conviction is our most potent antidote. Keep studying your faith. Study the Bible.† He smiled. â€Å"Especially the final pages.† â€Å"The Apocalypse?† she said. â€Å"Absolutely. The Book of Revelation is a vibrant example of our shared truth. The last book of the Bible tells the identical story as countless other traditions. They all predict the coming unveiling of great wisdom.† Someone else said, â€Å"But isn't the Apocalypse about the end of the world? You know, the Antichrist, Armageddon, the final battle between good and evil?† Solomon chuckled. â€Å"Who here studies Greek?† Several hands went up. â€Å"What does the word apocalypse literally mean?† â€Å"It means,† one student began, and then paused as if surprised. â€Å"Apocalypse means `to unveil' . . . or `to reveal.' â€Å" Solomon gave the boy a nod of approval. â€Å"Exactly. The Apocalypse is literally a reveal-ation. The Book of Reveal-ation in the Bible predicts an unveiling of great truth and unimaginable wisdom. The Apocalypse is not the end of the world, but rather it is the end of the world as we know it. The prophecy of the Apocalypse is just one of the Bible's beautiful messages that has been distorted.† Solomon stepped to the front of the stage. â€Å"Believe me, the Apocalypse is coming . . . and it will be nothing like what we were taught.† High over his head, the bell began to toll. The students erupted into bewildered and thunderous applause. CHAPTER 112 Katherine Solomon was teetering on the edge of consciousness when she was jolted by the shock wave of a deafening explosion. Moments later, she smelled smoke. Her ears were ringing. There were muffled voices. Distant. Shouting. Footsteps. Suddenly she was breathing more clearly. The cloth had been pulled from her mouth. â€Å"You're safe,† a man's voice whispered. â€Å"Just hold on.† She expected the man to pull the needle out of her arm but instead he was yelling orders. â€Å"Bring the medical kit . . . attach an IV to the needle . . . infuse lactated Ringer's solution . . . get me a blood pressure.† As the man began checking her vital signs, he said, â€Å"Ms. Solomon, the person who did this to you . . . where did he go?† Katherine tried to speak, but she could not. â€Å"Ms. Solomon?† the voice repeated. â€Å"Where did he go?† Katherine tried to pry her eyes open, but she felt herself fading. â€Å"We need to know where he went,† the man urged. Katherine whispered three words in response, although she knew they made no sense. â€Å"The . . . sacred . . . mountain.† Director Sato stepped over the mangled steel door and descended a wooden ramp into the hidden basement. One of her agents met her at the bottom. â€Å"Director, I think you'll want to see this.† Sato followed the agent into a small room off the narrow hallway. The room was brightly lit and barren, except for a pile of clothing on the floor. She recognized Robert Langdon's tweed coat and loafers. Her agent pointed toward the far wall at a large, casketlike container. What in the world? Sato moved toward the container, seeing now that it was fed by a clear plastic pipe that ran through the wall. Warily, she approached the tank. Now she could see that it had a small slider on top. She reached down and slid the covering to one side, revealing a small portal-like window. Sato recoiled. Beneath the Plexiglas . . . floated the submerged, vacant face of Professor Robert Langdon. Light! The endless void in which Langdon hovered was suddenly filled by a blinding sun. Rays of white-hot light streamed across the blackness of space, burning into his mind. The light was everywhere. Suddenly, within the radiant cloud before him, a beautiful silhouette appeared. It was a face . . . blurry and indistinct . . . two eyes staring at him across the void. Streams of light surrounded the face, and Langdon wondered if he was looking into the face of God. Sato stared down into the tank, wondering if Professor Langdon had any idea what had happened. She doubted it. After all, disorientation was the entire purpose of this technology. Sensory-deprivation tanks had been around since the fifties and were still a popular getaway for wealthy New Age experimenters. â€Å"Floating,† as it was called, offered a transcendental back-to- the-womb experience . . . a kind of meditative aid that quieted brain activity by removing all sensory input–light, sound, touch, and even the pull of gravity. In traditional tanks, the person would float on his back in a hyperbuoyant saline solution that kept his face above the water so he could breathe. In recent years, however, these tanks had taken a quantum leap. Oxygenated perfluorocarbons. This new technology–known as Total Liquid Ventilation (TLV)–was so counterintuitive that few believed it existed. Breathable liquid. Liquid breathing had been a reality since 1966, when Leland C. Clark successfully kept alive a mouse that had been submerged for several hours in an oxygenated perfluorocarbon. In 1989, TLV technology made a dramatic appearance in the movie The Abyss, although few viewers realized that they were watching real science. Total Liquid Ventilation had been born of modern medicine's attempts to help premature babies breathe by returning them to the liquid-filled state of the womb. Human lungs, having spent nine months in utero, were no strangers to a liquid-filled state. Perfluorocarbons had once been too viscous to be fully breathable, but modern breakthroughs had made breathable liquids almost the consistency of water. The CIA's Directorate of Science and Technology–â€Å"the Wizards of Langley,† as they were known within the intelligence community–had worked extensively with oxygenated perfluorocarbons to develop technologies for the U.S. military. The navy's elite deep-ocean diving teams found that breathing oxygenated liquid, rather than the usual heliox or trimix, gave them the ability to dive to much greater depths without risk of pressure sickness. Similarly, NASA and the air force had learned that pilots equipped with a liquid breathing apparatus rather than a traditional oxygen tank could withstand far higher g-forces than usual because liquid spread the g-force more evenly throughout the internal organs than gas did. Sato had heard that there were now â€Å"extreme experience labs† where one could try these Total Liquid Ventilation tanks–â€Å"Meditation Machines,† as they were called. This particular tank had probably been installed for its owner's private experimentation, although the addition of heavy, lockable latches left little doubt in Sato's mind that this tank had also been used for darker applications . . . an interrogation technique with which the CIA was familiar. The infamous interrogation technique of water boarding was highly effective because the victim truly believed he was drowning. Sato knew of several classified operations in which sensory- deprivation tanks like these had been used to enhance that illusion to terrifying new levels. A victim submerged in breathable liquid could literally be â€Å"drowned.† The panic associated with the drowning experience usually made the victim unaware that the liquid he was breathing was slightly more viscous than water. When the liquid poured into his lungs, he would often black out from fear, and then awaken in the ultimate â€Å"solitary confinement.† Topical numbing agents, paralysis drugs, and hallucinogens were mixed with the warm oxygenated liquid to give the prisoner the sense he was entirely separated from his body. When his mind sent commands to move his limbs, nothing happened. The state of being â€Å"dead† was terrifying on its own, but the true disorientation came from the â€Å"rebirthing† process, which, with the aid of bright lights, cold air, and deafening noise, could be extremely traumatic and painful. After a handful of rebirths and subsequent drownings, the prisoner became so disorientated that he had no idea if he was alive or dead . . . and he would tell the interrogator absolutely anything. Sato wondered if she should wait for a medical team to extract Langdon, but she knew she didn't have time. I need to know what he knows. â€Å"Turn out the lights,† she said. â€Å"And find me some blankets.† The blinding sun had vanished. The face had also disappeared. The blackness had returned, but Langdon could now hear distant whispers echoing across the light-years of emptiness. Muffled voices . . . unintelligible words. There were vibrations now . . . as if the world were about to shake apart. Then it happened. Without warning, the universe was ripped in two. An enormous chasm opened in the void . . . as if space itself had ruptured at the seams. A grayish mist poured through the opening, and Langdon saw a terrifying sight. Disembodied hands were suddenly reaching for him, grabbing his body, trying to yank him out of his world. No! He tried to fight them off, but he had no arms . . . no fists. Or did he? Suddenly he felt his body materializing around his mind. His flesh had returned and it was being seized by powerful hands that were dragging him upward. No! Please! But it was too late. Pain racked his chest as the hands heaved him through the opening. His lungs felt like they were filled with sand. I can't breathe! He was suddenly on his back on the coldest, hardest surface he could imagine. Something was pressing on his chest, over and over, hard and painful. He was spewing out the warmth. I want to go back. He felt like he was a child being born from a womb. He was convulsing, coughing up liquid. He felt pain in his chest and neck. Excruciating pain. His throat was on fire. People were talking, trying to whisper, but it was deafening. His vision was blurred, and all he could see was muted shapes. His skin felt numb, like dead leather. His chest felt heavier now . . . pressure. I can't breathe! He was coughing up more liquid. An overwhelming gag reflex seized him, and he gasped inward. Cold air poured into his lungs, and he felt like a newborn taking his first breath on earth. This world was excruciating. All Langdon wanted was to return to the womb. Robert Langdon had no idea how much time had passed. He could feel now that he was lying on his side, wrapped in towels and blankets on a hard floor. A familiar face was gazing down at him . . . but the streams of glorious light were gone. The echoes of distant chanting still hung in his mind. Verbum significatium . . . Verbum omnificum . . . â€Å"Professor Langdon,† someone whispered. â€Å"Do you know where you are?† Langdon nodded weakly, still coughing. More important, he had begun to realize what was going on tonight.

Alcohol, Alcoholism, and the American Indians

Native Americans or American Indians had a particularly strong sense of identity.   Their clothes were special, their languages irreplaceable.   Besides, their tribal dances such as Kachina; traditional spirituality; stone weapons; strings or belts known as wampums; sand painting; and the habit of hunting the bison were all parts of their roots imbedded deep into their consciousness (Nichols, 1998).When the Europeans came to dislodge these roots by occupying the land that the Indians had believed to be theirs alone, the lives of the latter changed dramatically.   This was a time of cultural demise for the Indians, in fact.To drown out the pain of humiliation felt due to their roots being pulled out – the Indians found relief in alcohol.   Thus, Sherman Alexie (1993), a Spokane/Coeur d'Alene Indian, writes in The Lone Ranger and Tonto fistfight in Heaven: â€Å"’Go ahead,’ Adrian said.   ‘Pull the trigger.’   I held a pistol to my temple.    I was sober but wished I was drunk enough to pull the trigger.†Alcoholism becomes a means of drowning out the humiliation felt by the Indians.   By attempting to drown out the pain of cultural demise, the Indians are also making an attempt at self-renewal.   They have been forced to move to the West by the armed Europeans.The new government wants to assimilate them, and destroy the Native American culture in the process, seeing that the government is afraid of being overthrown by the natives.   Alexie uses Victor’s father as a metaphor for the Native American culture.   He writes: â€Å"†¦ your father will rise like a salmon, leap over the bridge†¦ He will rise, he will rise.†Ã‚   The continuation of the American Indian culture is similar to the revolving life cycle.  The author asserts that the Native American culture could keep on going like ashes flowing along the river.   The culture may also rise one day like salmon rise in the riv er all of a sudden.   The Native American culture could pass from generation to generation continuously.   However, many of the Indians have no faith in the restoration of their culture. Countless Native American people are, therefore, hopelessly drinking their lives away because they feel no motivation to live a better life.The Native Americans do not see a way to improve their lives despite the faint hope of cultural restoration.   Alcohol to them is a painkiller.   As the Indians have lost faith in recovering the Native American culture, Alexie also shows that there is no way for the Indians to get back their tradition and culture.   He writes: â€Å"With each glass of beer, Samuel gained a few ounces of wisdom, courage.But after a while, he began to understand too much about fear and failure, too† (Alexie 134).   At first, the Indians believe that alcohol may help them escape from the reality and relieve the pain of losing their rich culture.   But then, the y realize that the loss of their culture makes them afraid and worried.   They feel sad as a new culture takes over their spiritual traditions and dear customs, seeing that they have already failed in preventing their culture from being taken over by a new culture.   Hence, Samuel neither forgets his tribe’s culture nor accepts the new customs.Though his tribe’s culture is being exterminated, he has no way to stop this from happening.   All his life he has watched his brothers and sisters, and most of his tribe folks, fall into alcoholism and surrendered dreams.   So, now, Samuel, the one who never drank, also wants some drink to relieve his pain of roots being pulled out.   Moreover, he picks up the pieces of a story from the street and changes the world for a few moments in his mind to show how he truly can escape the world.

Consultation with Hostile Corporations -Case Essay

Lily’s Consultation with Hostile Corporations Summary Lily Advisors, a consulting firm based in Maryland, Washington DC, working with multi-disciplined teams for discrete projects, had a consulting agreement with Green Acres School System in Northern Virginia to resolve some issues arising from the construction of two new high schools. Unseasonable rains, contractor delays, weather issues, disagreements between architects and the school board were some factors contributing to the delays. With his extensive roles and experience, the school board hired Merv, President of Lily’s Advisors, to advise them about how to proceed under their tense circumstances Merv investigated the situation and submitted a confidential document, on the First High School this was in February 1999. The performances to date of Meyerhoff, the main contractor and Stewart and Sons, the architectural firm, were critically evaluated. The major findings were that Stewart and Sons failed to control the scheduling properly and that it was making an unusually large profit for its administrative function. Merv was familiar with Stewart & Sons and was able to write about their methods of execution. The school board asked Stewart and Sons to renegotiate because of the findings of the report, but gave them the impression that it was based on the construction delays. The content of the report remained undisclosed. After two months of very difficult negotiation, all groups signed an amended contract on June 30, 1999. All major issues were settled and they were able to proceed to the construction of the second high school. The new amended contract had further delays as the groups found that the excessive compromising that was done was becoming irksome. The school board had thought Stewart and Sons was very uncompromising and aggressive. Disagreements continued between the school board and the construction and architectural firms during the next eight months. At this point, Stewart and Sons decided to hire Lily as a consultant. Stewart had worked with Lily before. They met and Merv disclosed that he had submitted an evaluation of the contract to the school board in a document, after making a proposal on September 24, 2000. The negative aspects of the report were never revealed. Sam Shapiro, the architect’s lawyer, contacted Merv about the document submitted and the potential conflict of interest which could arise but Merv denied any conflict of interest. Shapiro and the representatives from Stewart gave Merv a contract to sign for his services on November 8, 2000. The situation further deteriorated during the next 4 months and the school board sued Stewart and Sons. The lawyers representing Stewart and Sons saw the confidential document, as was required by the law. This outraged Stewart and Sons as they viewed the document as impugning the company’s integrity and honesty. Stewart and Sons viewed it as a case of conflict of interest and not one with just the potential. Merv believed otherwise. He explained that he recognized a potential conflict of interest and devised measures to prevent it. Merv was convinced of his flawless strategy and believed he had insulated the teams sufficiently to avoid this and, in any case, the construction of the second school was a new project. Stewart and Sons informed him that they would not pay the $102,500 that was due on the contract. After contemplating the amount of money to be spent on the case, he decided to proceed to prove otherwise.

Case Brief

CASE BRIEF Case: State of Missouri v. David R. Bullock, 03CR679889. MO, [www. courts. mo. gov/casenet] Facts:At the time of the filing of his appeal, Mr. David R. Bullock had been charged and convicted of attempted statutory rape (under RSMO 566. 032 and 564. 011) and attempted sexual exploitation of a minor (under RSMO 564. 011 and RSMO 566. 032). David R. Bullock engaged in several conversations via email and chat rooms with a Newton County Deputy Sheriff who was conducting a sting operation against pedophiles. The Deputy took on a persona of a thirteen year old female by the name of â€Å"Ashley Anne†. Many of the conversations that took place between Mr. Bullock and â€Å"Ashley† were of a sexual nature. During conversations between Mr. Bullock and â€Å"Ashley†, he discussed how he would like to engage in certain acts (sexual) with her and her friends (girls of younger age) and how he would like to video those acts. He informed â€Å"Ashley† that the conversations about meeting with her and her friends should not be discussed because it was not legal for them to meet. Eventually a meeting was scheduled for a time and a place to meet and specific instructions were given to â€Å"Ashley† on how the meeting should take place. â€Å"Ashley† was told that upon her arrival to the specified location, she should meet Mr. Bullock in a specific area of that location. On October 18, 2002, Mr. Bullock and the decoy â€Å"Ashley† were present at the specified location, along with computer and video equipment in his vehicle, which ultimately leads to Page 2 Mr. Bullock being arrested. At the time of the arrest, Mr. Bullock did not deny having conversations with â€Å"Ashley† but explained that if she would arrive, he just wanted her to be counseled by the authorities on the dangers of meeting strangers on the internet. Mr. Bullock argues that his case is a case of entrapment and that he took no â€Å"substantial steps† towards committing the crimes he has been charged and convicted of. History: David R. Bullock of Bowling Green, Missouri was charged and later convicted of attempted statutory rape and attempted sexual exploitation of a minor [the defendant was found guilty by] Jasper County Court in December of 2003. Mr. Bullock requested an appeal on the basis of entrapment and sufficiency of evidence. The appeal was granted and [The court determined] that [the defendant] in fact took substantial steps toward committing the crimes he was convicted of; and the theory of entrapment was extinquished because Mr. Brooks did not admit to committing the crimes and it was not proven that the commission of these acts were not of forethought [defendant being ready and willing to commit these acts]. The Appeal Court affirmed. Issue:Should people be convicted of crimes that are initially staged to seek out such individuals and are there distinguishable characteristics of acts that can be considered as â€Å"substantial steps† when it comes to gaining a conviction on these grounds? Mr. Brooks argued that if it wasn’t for the Deputy (â€Å"Ashley†) engaging him in such conversations, he would have not carried out those acts. He stated that he was only expressing his fantasies (which he was not charged or convicted of) and would not have considered acting upon them without the inducement of the â€Å"Ashley†. Secondly, he stated that conversations regarding future plans, solicitation or arriving at the Page 3 planned location does not constitute a â€Å"substantial step† in committing the offenses that he wasconvicted of. The court is left to decide whether the Defendant was predisposed and not induced to commit these crimes and if the acts that he carried out would be sufficient enough to be considered true preparation for the commission of said crimes. Decision:Yes. The appellant court affirmed the judgment of the lower court and upheld the defendant’s conviction. Rationale:The court reasons that the defense of entrapment is only available to a defendant if there is evidence both of an unlawful inducement by police to commit an unlawful act and the absence of a predisposition to engage in such conduct (the defendant was not â€Å"ready and willing†) to commit an unlawful act. Also, the defense of entrapment is an affirmative defense by which the defendant must admit having engaged in the proscribed conduct to be entitled to an entrapment instruction, which the defendant did not. Concerning the sufficiency of evidence â€Å"substantial steps†, the court found the analysis in State v. Young, 139 S. W. 3d 194 (Mo. App. W. D. 2004), to be accurate and similar to the case at hand. In this case, the defendant engaged in e-mails and instant messaging of a sexual nature with a sheriff posing as a 14-year-old girl. Id. at 195. The defendant made plans to meet the victim at a bowling alley at a specific day and time and told the victim that he would be bringing condoms, alcoholic beverages, and lubricant. Id. After the defendant arrived at the meeting place and was found with condoms, four wine coolers and lubricant, he was arrest. These acts were considered to be a substantial step Page 4 in the commission of the crime. Likewise, Mr. Bullock had sexual conversations with â€Å"Ashley†, requested to engage in sexual acts with her and friends (which were to be filmed), agreed to meet, gave instructions to â€Å"Ashley† on how to meet, arrived at meeting place with video/computer equipment and exited his vehicle and followed â€Å"Ashley†. The court assessed that these acts were deemed as criminal and are clearly crimes of attempted statutory rape and attempted sexual exploitation of a minor. Notes:I agree with the rationale and the decision of the court. Their citing of the State v. Johnson, 728 S. W. 2d 675 (Mo. App. S. D. 1987) which states that a defendant is not entitled to entrapment instruction when the defendant charged with selling narcotics denies committing the crime is identical to the circumstances surrounding Mr. Bullock’s appeal. One cannot claim entrapment when one claims no wrong doing to be trapped. Also, another great citation that made the decision of the appeal court clear was State v. Young, 139 S. W. 3d 194 (Mo. App. W. D. 2004). There were many aspects of the Young case that were similar to the Bullock case such as: sexual conversations with an underage female (law enforcement), future meeting plans, and incriminating items brought to the meeting. In reviewing the case it was apparent to me that there were several substantial steps that this defendant took and was acted upon with forethought to accomplish his planned crimes. Page 5 WORKS CITED Schmalleger, Hall & Dolatowski, Criminal Law Today, Columbia College Edition, Custom Publishing, New York, 2010. Case Brief CASE BRIEF Case: State of Missouri v. David R. Bullock, 03CR679889. MO, [www. courts. mo. gov/casenet] Facts:At the time of the filing of his appeal, Mr. David R. Bullock had been charged and convicted of attempted statutory rape (under RSMO 566. 032 and 564. 011) and attempted sexual exploitation of a minor (under RSMO 564. 011 and RSMO 566. 032). David R. Bullock engaged in several conversations via email and chat rooms with a Newton County Deputy Sheriff who was conducting a sting operation against pedophiles. The Deputy took on a persona of a thirteen year old female by the name of â€Å"Ashley Anne†. Many of the conversations that took place between Mr. Bullock and â€Å"Ashley† were of a sexual nature. During conversations between Mr. Bullock and â€Å"Ashley†, he discussed how he would like to engage in certain acts (sexual) with her and her friends (girls of younger age) and how he would like to video those acts. He informed â€Å"Ashley† that the conversations about meeting with her and her friends should not be discussed because it was not legal for them to meet. Eventually a meeting was scheduled for a time and a place to meet and specific instructions were given to â€Å"Ashley† on how the meeting should take place. â€Å"Ashley† was told that upon her arrival to the specified location, she should meet Mr. Bullock in a specific area of that location. On October 18, 2002, Mr. Bullock and the decoy â€Å"Ashley† were present at the specified location, along with computer and video equipment in his vehicle, which ultimately leads to Page 2 Mr. Bullock being arrested. At the time of the arrest, Mr. Bullock did not deny having conversations with â€Å"Ashley† but explained that if she would arrive, he just wanted her to be counseled by the authorities on the dangers of meeting strangers on the internet. Mr. Bullock argues that his case is a case of entrapment and that he took no â€Å"substantial steps† towards committing the crimes he has been charged and convicted of. History: David R. Bullock of Bowling Green, Missouri was charged and later convicted of attempted statutory rape and attempted sexual exploitation of a minor [the defendant was found guilty by] Jasper County Court in December of 2003. Mr. Bullock requested an appeal on the basis of entrapment and sufficiency of evidence. The appeal was granted and [The court determined] that [the defendant] in fact took substantial steps toward committing the crimes he was convicted of; and the theory of entrapment was extinquished because Mr. Brooks did not admit to committing the crimes and it was not proven that the commission of these acts were not of forethought [defendant being ready and willing to commit these acts]. The Appeal Court affirmed. Issue:Should people be convicted of crimes that are initially staged to seek out such individuals and are there distinguishable characteristics of acts that can be considered as â€Å"substantial steps† when it comes to gaining a conviction on these grounds? Mr. Brooks argued that if it wasn’t for the Deputy (â€Å"Ashley†) engaging him in such conversations, he would have not carried out those acts. He stated that he was only expressing his fantasies (which he was not charged or convicted of) and would not have considered acting upon them without the inducement of the â€Å"Ashley†. Secondly, he stated that conversations regarding future plans, solicitation or arriving at the Page 3 planned location does not constitute a â€Å"substantial step† in committing the offenses that he wasconvicted of. The court is left to decide whether the Defendant was predisposed and not induced to commit these crimes and if the acts that he carried out would be sufficient enough to be considered true preparation for the commission of said crimes. Decision:Yes. The appellant court affirmed the judgment of the lower court and upheld the defendant’s conviction. Rationale:The court reasons that the defense of entrapment is only available to a defendant if there is evidence both of an unlawful inducement by police to commit an unlawful act and the absence of a predisposition to engage in such conduct (the defendant was not â€Å"ready and willing†) to commit an unlawful act. Also, the defense of entrapment is an affirmative defense by which the defendant must admit having engaged in the proscribed conduct to be entitled to an entrapment instruction, which the defendant did not. Concerning the sufficiency of evidence â€Å"substantial steps†, the court found the analysis in State v. Young, 139 S. W. 3d 194 (Mo. App. W. D. 2004), to be accurate and similar to the case at hand. In this case, the defendant engaged in e-mails and instant messaging of a sexual nature with a sheriff posing as a 14-year-old girl. Id. at 195. The defendant made plans to meet the victim at a bowling alley at a specific day and time and told the victim that he would be bringing condoms, alcoholic beverages, and lubricant. Id. After the defendant arrived at the meeting place and was found with condoms, four wine coolers and lubricant, he was arrest. These acts were considered to be a substantial step Page 4 in the commission of the crime. Likewise, Mr. Bullock had sexual conversations with â€Å"Ashley†, requested to engage in sexual acts with her and friends (which were to be filmed), agreed to meet, gave instructions to â€Å"Ashley† on how to meet, arrived at meeting place with video/computer equipment and exited his vehicle and followed â€Å"Ashley†. The court assessed that these acts were deemed as criminal and are clearly crimes of attempted statutory rape and attempted sexual exploitation of a minor. Notes:I agree with the rationale and the decision of the court. Their citing of the State v. Johnson, 728 S. W. 2d 675 (Mo. App. S. D. 1987) which states that a defendant is not entitled to entrapment instruction when the defendant charged with selling narcotics denies committing the crime is identical to the circumstances surrounding Mr. Bullock’s appeal. One cannot claim entrapment when one claims no wrong doing to be trapped. Also, another great citation that made the decision of the appeal court clear was State v. Young, 139 S. W. 3d 194 (Mo. App. W. D. 2004). There were many aspects of the Young case that were similar to the Bullock case such as: sexual conversations with an underage female (law enforcement), future meeting plans, and incriminating items brought to the meeting. In reviewing the case it was apparent to me that there were several substantial steps that this defendant took and was acted upon with forethought to accomplish his planned crimes. Page 5 WORKS CITED Schmalleger, Hall & Dolatowski, Criminal Law Today, Columbia College Edition, Custom Publishing, New York, 2010.