Appendix H

Associate Level Material American Rangelands and Forests Part 1 Choose either a rangeland or a forest of the United States and describe current federal management strategies. Explain federal efforts to manage these lands sustainably by completing the chart below. |Rangeland or Forest Location |Brief History of | | | |Rangeland or | | | |Forest | |Research and identify the effects of |Review environmental websites and journals. |Month 1–3 | |air pollution. | | | |Document the sources of air pollution and both environmental and health| | | |effects of air pollution. | | | | | | | |Document video interviews of environmental researchers and | | | |facilitators. | |Develop an education program about |Develop a presentation about why this program is needed and include air|Month 1–3 | |air pollution effects. |pollution’s ill effects, the lifestyle changes that will be required, | | | |and the benefits and challenges of change. | | |Schedule a presentation day and time. |Attend a monthly HOA meeting to present the benefits of the program. |Month 4 | | | | | |Request that the HOA board add the presentation to the following | | | |month’s agenda. | | | | | | | |Document the audio and visual equipment needed for presentation and | | | |layout of the room. | |Identify and invite community |Tally the number of homes in the community. |Month 4–5 | |participants. | | | | |Create and distribute flyers to homes announcing the next HOA meeting | | | |and the educational program that will be introduced. | | Blank Sample Action Plan Action Items |Action Steps |Timeline | |(in order) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Add more rows if needed | | | References Corporation for National & Community Service. (n. d. ). Sample sustainability plan. In Toolkit for program sustainability, capacity building, and volunteer recruitment/management (Section 4). Retrieved from http://www. nationalserviceresources. org/filemanager/download/online/sustainabilit y_plan. pdf.

Abuse in Nursing Homes – Essay

Unit 3 IP Leigh Ratliff There are reports of abuse in nursing homes every year. There are many types of abuse reported as well. Even though there are many reports there are also many cases that are not reported. Elderly being abused puts them in an even more vulnerable position that what they were in. They now have to fear for their lives from the people who should be taking care of them. With reported cases and non-reported cases the abuser is rarely punished which makes the situation much worse. Elder abuse in nursing homes has grown at an alarming rate and not being reported and I firmly believe that the punishment should be increased for these abusers such as licenses being pulled and state stepping in more to investigate. There are many different types of abuse towards elders. Types of abuse are neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and many more. There are more than an estimated 2. 1 million reports of abuse each year as found in the studies of American Psychological Association, 2011. Elderly abuse is often times overlooked especially when there is bruising of the skin. The elderly are frail and the bruises are often mistaken for normal care on a frail individual which can happen. M. Lachs and K. Pillemer, also studied the same abuse issues and reported that many physicians were un-familiar with the mandatory reporting of abuse. In fact many physicians could not identify a case of elder abuse (1995-2006). Neglect is one of the most common reports of abuse in nursing homes. Neglect occurs when a caregiver fails to take care of a patient the way they should. In example, a caregiver does not change an elderly person every two hours. Instead the elder is only changed every 4 hours. This can cause bed sores. Bed sores break down the skin and when urine and feces enter the wound the patient can become ill and even die. Another type of abuse is physical abuse. Physical abuse occurs when a care giver hits a patient. Physical abuse towards the elderly can have grave consequences as well. The elder are very fragile and when hit can easily cause broken bones and even death. It is very hard for the elderly to recover because they are so fragile. Many physicians do not recognize the signs of abuse. The injuries are often mistaken for common issues with fragile elder patients. This means most cases of abuse are not reported and the abuser continues the acts. For cases that are reported the abuse usually is not punished in a meaningful way. Usually the abuser gets a slap on the wrist and in worst case scenario fired from the job just to go to another job and do the same thing. If the state would come in to the nursing homes more often or even a regular weekly basis to inspect. The state has a larger impact than expected and could put the situation under control. The abusers should have their certifications and licenses revoked and should not be able to continue their work. Doing this would leave the patients with care givers who actually care and want to do the job correctly. There are many, many reports every year on abuse in nursing homes. The reports to not even come close to the actual number of cases since not all are reported. Abuse in nursing homes is a very serious matter and should be treated as such. The elderly deserve respect and great care. They have lived a long life and should not have to end it in tragedy.

Psychology and Christianity Integration Paper Essay

Psychology and Christianity: two subjects that have seem to become almost impossible to talk about hand in hand. Psychology has become one completely different subject than Christianity (theology) and both have lost all contact with the other. Psychology is strictly a science and Christianity is solely based on faith and religion and the two can not be integrated together. The real question is why? Why can’t psychology and Christianity be integrated and used together as one? This paper will give some dictionary definitions of both subjects, will provide definitions based on the authors opinion, and will discuss the authors viewpoint on the integration of the two. The American Heritage dictionary defines psychology as â€Å"the science that deals with mental processes and behavior† (American Heritage Dictionary, 2000) and defines Christianity as â€Å"the Christian religion, founded on the life and teachings of Jesus† (American Heritage Dictionary, 2000). As you could see, both definitions used the words science and religion placing both subjects in their own categories. In modern days, religion and science can not be compared but rather contrasted. The integration of the two does not make sense for those who believe there should be empirical evidence for everything or people who are dependent on the Christian religion and this is where society runs into a problem. The author of this paper, however, believes there should be no problem integrating the two. In her eyes, psychology is the study of the mind and behavior, not necessarily a science but more a study. She does not use the word science because she understands that there are things in the field of psychology that have no empirical answer and therefore can not necessarily be a science, because all things science can be tested and proved. Being a Christian, she believes Christianity is a name for the faith in her Lord Jesus Christ. Because she is a Christian, her window to the world has been shaped through the Word,  her experience and what she knows to be true. In her eyes, God is the creator of the Earth and the Heavens and all things work because of Him. She believes that all things can be integrated with Christianity (theology) because God brought everything to this world. She has confidence in the fact that psychology and Christianity can be integrated. She sees the faults that can come of it but she also does not see a reason for complete separation. According to the American Heritage Dictionary (2000) defines integration as making something a whole, unifying different things as one. The author of this paper understands the integration of psychology and Christianity like this†¦psychology is the head (mind) and Christianity is the heart (soul) but neither one can work without the other. Because of the progression of the world, with technology, science and the need to prove all things empirically, faith has, in a way, been pushed away and not as important, but this is wrong. God is the one that has placed people on this Earth to provide progression and advances and without Him all things would not be possible. So, in order to fully understand these different non-theological subjects it is important to understand that faith and religion are the reason for all other subjects and that integration is actually completely necessary. But there are limitations to this. The advances of science and technology have molded the human mind into thinking that there is a need for proof because are very few things that cannot be proven and why would believe in something that cannot be proven when there are so many things that have been empirically proven? This is where the idea of integration gets messy because there is no experiential way to prove the existence of God and his all-mighty power. But this argument can be debated even further. Let’s take a peek at the idea of the unconscious mind. Clearly this is a psychology topic but why can’t it be related to faith because indeed the unconscious mind has not been completely proven. There is proof that there is such thing as the unconscious but no tangible proof of what goes on and what controls the unconscious. For example, there is no way to prove or disprove the topic of ones dream. A scientist can set someone up to an EEG and measure their brainwaves while they are dreaming but there is no way to prove or measure the content of  their dream. This is much like faith. One can be tested on the existence of their faith and religion but there is no true way of proving it; but there is also no true way of disproving it. So what now? Well in the eyes of the author there is no answer. Either you believe in the possibility of integration or you do not, and a majority of people who do have had an experience that has allowed them to see the true importance of said integration. The other problem that arises with integration is that some Christians are overly explicit with their beliefs. This is bad because people, in these days, are afraid of explicit people so these type of Christians are shut out by people in the scientific realm, because yes God created science but for those that do not understand that going after it in that way turns them off. Psychology has its domains and Christianity has its domains but there is some overlap†¦it is when to approach that overlap that gets messy. There is also the secular stand of â€Å"Christians being hypocrites.† There is a chance that psychology and Christianity have become so separated because some Christians do not want to be judged by other Christians. Back in the day, Christians would go to their pastors for help but now, because of fear of judgement, Christians want an outside view, a psychologist. Now, in this context, it is hard for integration. But this is not what integration needs to mean. Integration is simply unifying two things as one. Understanding that God created the Earth and the Heavens and that all things are made and work in God’s power allows for integration to happen.   So what do we need to do? Do we need to come up with both a psychological and theological definition for integration? No. We simply need to come to the conclusion that Christians will believe in Christian ways and scientists will believe in scientific ways and how both understand integration will be dependent on each individuals life, experience and truth. Because on both ends of the spectrum, there are unanswered questions and there will always be unanswered questions. Questions like who is God? what is sin? how do we measure God’s truth? who says Scripture is true? what does faith look like? what is the unconscious? how do we measure the content of dreams? how do we  measure the idea of â€Å"seeing the light?† These are all important questions but questions that without extreme progression and world advances will not be answered. That type of progression will not exist in the lifetime of this author so what she has concluded is that God created the world and the Heavens and that he creates all things in it. Therefore, in order for science to work, in order for psychology to work, there must be an acceptance of it being God’s world. Because if there is no God, there were did all this stuff come from?

Trends in marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Trends in marketing - Essay Example This is specifically true for organizations striving to obtain a competitive advantage. This literature review analyzes existing literature that emphasizes on a retailer’s growth and usage of social media as an elaborating of their marketing strategy. This incident has only emerged within the past ten years, therefore social media study has hugely emphasized on elaborating what it is through the details of new terminology and ideas that combines its basis, and discovering the influence of an organization’s incorporation of social media on the behaviors of consumers as well as critically evaluating its features that poses ethical dilemmas to the society. This research initiates with a detailed expression of terminology that elaborates social media marketing which will be followed by a discussion of the some major themes discovered within existing research studies. Even though, the topic of social media marketing has been discusses and researched quite a lot with numerous perspectives, it has only been researches through theoretical and experimental studies, researches never concisely elaborate the advantages retailers obtain from this marketing trend (Barker and Barker et al., 2012). In reviewing the affluent excess of multi disciplinary literature, the study has become precise that researches are emphasizing on elaborating what social media marketing is as well as evaluating what aspects influence consumer behavior associated to social networking. In spite of the beginning progress created by researchers, growth in this field of study has been restricted. Research requires elaborating by offering a profound understanding of the str ategic promotional advantages retailers get from social media marketing. Further structured researches are also required to develop beyond predicted or theorized results in order to obtain insight of practical life applications and uses. This literature review touches over the disparities

Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 18

Annotated Bibliography Example On the other hand, Carriveau is also based at the University of Windsor but in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. This research paper highlights the engineering issues associated with the turbine blades that come as a result of exposure to different conditions, namely, the Nordic, warm-humid, and desert-like environments. These conditions have been found to affect the surface of blades negatively. In addition, there is the threat by insects, which destroy the blades thereby power generation by the windmills (aerodynamic efficiency) is substantially reduced. It is apparent from the literature review by the authors that the current strategies that have been used to combat the inefficiency of the blades have caused a substantial reduction in income. Through their studies, the authors conclude that the perfect intervention would be a single surface engineered coat that would ensure that the destruction of the blades is minimized. The suggested coating is that of silicon-epoxy-based resins. This research paper was published on the Surface & Coatings Technology journal in 2008 depicting the resistance to corrosion by electroless nickel phosphorous (ENP) coatings on glass fiber-reinforced plastic (GFRP), the most common material that is used in the construction of turbine blade, this follows the destruction of the blades by harsh weather conditions as well as other destructive substances. Through the research, the role of ENP coatings was elucidated. The research is focused on improving the efficiency of tapping wind energy. To develop a strategy of enhancing the efficiency and durability of the turbine blades, a uniform ENP coating was placed on each of the GFRP substrate through electroless plating. The amount of phosphorous in the ENP was inversely proportional to micro-porosity and directly proportional to thickness of the ENP coatings. It was therefore established that high content

Outlawing the Ownership of Handguns Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Outlawing the Ownership of Handguns - Essay Example For Americans, any firearm represents equality and individualism. The Second Amendment to the US Constitution provides that ‘A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed’ (Rights of the People). All fifty of the United States have laws recognizing the right to bear arms as contained in the Second Amendment to the US Constitution. By virtue of the Second Amendment and the Constitutions of at least 44 US states recognize ‘the right to use arms for defense’ (The War Against Handguns). Moreover, a survey conducted by Lawrence Research in 1998 reveals that ‘by an 8:1 margin, Americans believe you have the right to use a handgun to defend yourself in your own home. By a 3:1 margin, people believe that to fight crime, getting tough with criminals is more effective than banning guns’. This trend and ideology within the American legal culture to recognize a right to armed self-defense has been criticized for many reasons. The most obvious relates to the incidents of handgun related crimes and the potential for accidental death and serious injury Professor Friedland of the University of Toronto does not feel that the protection of life, liberty or property is sufficient to justify possession of a handgun or any type of firearm. He maintains that ‘Citizens should rely on the police, security guards, and alarm systems for protection.’

Journalism and Communication - Screen cultures Essay

Journalism and Communication - Screen cultures - Essay Example Does video gaming portend any detrimental implications on those persons who are fanatics of constantly playing an assortment of diverse video games? Most researchers and writers typically address this concern with regard to reference to violent themed games (Melisa 2002). Moreover, it is overtly a pertinent prospect for the upcoming field of persuasive video games. These games encompass a diverse assortment of games that their authors design for educational, political and advocacy among other critical areas in the daily life. These video games seek to purposely influence and alter behavioural and notional perspectives of individuals who take an interest to play them (Ruth 2011). Moreover, it is critically consummate to determine the effective aspect of these games as potential vectors of persuasion on the persons who take an active role in gaming. With regard to various pertinent interrelationships of aspects such as intent, messages conveyed, player predisposition and quality of gam e among others, it is complicated to generalize regarding their implications and relative effectiveness. With use of a persuasive video game that I have designed, I intend to prospect and gauge its effectiveness as a social backing applet while isolating the various issues that put in to that (Gilles 1992). Introduction In the fresh past, in the year 2006, Gill, a 25 year old person murdered a woman and critically wounded nineteen other persons in a grave shoot out spree at a college affiliation in Montreal and eventually committed suicide. In his specific outline journal entries, he scribbled about his unconditional love and fanaticism for certain films, television shows among other constituents of popular, contemporary media and entertainment culture. However, he mentioned various video games, especially Super Columbine Massacre, that captured most of the entire media nerves to attention and raised the subject of how much mental and character influence various computer games can i mplicate on their players (Film Philosophy 2010). Moreover, this was nevertheless the initial time the matter was raised to publicity. The truth that the masterminds of the massacre game played doom and additionally modelled their own doom rankings was immensely criticised, as was the intelligence that a driver associated with a fatal motor accident had a copy of the violent street racing game, NFS, on the frontage seat of his carriage. These happenings among others resulted into various media critics and political figures arguing that by merit of their fascination, violent and realistic images and graphics with the aptitude to allow the players to practice diverse tasks and scenarios, video computer games could implicate on behaviours and attitudes. This would be for good or worse, though in the viewpoint of critics, it is typically for ill (Patrick 2011). The row that Calgary Sun correspondent Mike presented is archetypal. He questions the readers why they have to wait and witness assorted video games being evidence in several crime occurrences. He pickles the people to wake up and take an initiative to have control over such a situation which would be detrimental in society owing to the ill bizarre situations that arise when gamers take too much dose of typically murderously themed video games. Purportedly, Gill’s obvious signoff in blogs would state that life is a video game and that

Differences in Worlds Economic Models. Structural Trade Adjustment Assignment

Differences in Worlds Economic Models. Structural Trade Adjustment. Fair Trade policy - Assignment Example Promoting the concept of globalization and opening gates for multinationals, the BWIs designed such exchanging trade policies in which there is an exchange of business and generation of the profits. High privatization, reduction of Government interference, reduction of public spending, wage suppression, low tariffs, and high international trade exchange are features of SALPs Structural adjustment loan programs (WHO). SALs are adjustments for poorer states while these are sources of profit for richer countries. SALs are instruments to provide loans to under developing nations in terms of availing their geographical resources. This is to favor MCNs Multinational Corporations, which take such resources for incremental profit maximization activity. International businessmen, money makers, stake holders and policy executors all benefit from SALs but keep detrimental effect for international loan borrowers mostly the underdeveloped nations (WHO). The case of Serbia was a major highlight, w hen Structural Adjustment Loans introduced brought detrimental effects for the people of Serbia. According to IFIs International Financial Institutions â€Å"SINCE THE BANK AND OTHER IFIs SHOW NO SIGN OF CLOSING THEIR DOORS, GENDER ACTION BELIEVES THAT IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ENSURE THAT THEIR LOANS ASSIST AND NOT HARM THE POOR AMONG WHOME THE MAJORITY ARE FEMALES† (Vladisavljevic and Zuckerman, pp. 3). Opposite to the statement came out in Serbia, where poor groups became jobless and with health expenditure cutbacks working women were brought to unpaid care services (Vladisavljevic and Zuckerman). NAFTA In the last decades, NAFTA was one of the finest examples of liberal trade â€Å"free trade†. It came out as a source of development and growth for all member countries which took part in such liberal trade agreement. In the start, NAFTA established the pool of 436 million people which later on produced $12 trillion worth of goods on the annual basis (McKinney). The pe riod of the decade 1993-2003 was tremendous projecting the real economies of scale in the NAFTA member countries. Though the starting impact was positive but later NAFTA brought worst effects on member countries and other parts of the world. According to Economic policy institute, NAFTA created unemployment, reduced wages, and obscured labor rights in Mexico (White). This inevitably brought gang wars, drug apprehension and poverty in the Mexico district (White). Apart from the member States, rest of the world also got affected. India was found with numerous child labor cases, China with starvation wages, and Korea with slave-labor, which was all because of the weak NAFTA policy that neglected labor rights and their implementation (White). Fair Trade When there are high business interests, exerted market pressures, and continuous exploitation of resources then reformists advice Fair Trade to stabilize such dissolving business order. Fair Trade is used to bring solidarity, a reform wh ich remove the multinational culture and bring highest apprehension of environmental codes and obligations. When Fair Trade policies are implemented then Governments take part in the business. Their concern is to serve public and to establish the norms of social well being, which are all astray in any international conventional business order (Raynolds, Murray and Wilkinson, pp. 1-20). In a Fair Trade policy, the aims are not to meet market competition or to produce cheaper but instead quality goods and in bulk volumes. With the execution of the Fair Trade programme, the business becomes transparent and opened for the public. Social well being and valuation of environment all becomes

Retail Marketing Bachelor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Retail Marketing Bachelor - Essay Example Other important applications include informing the details of the company to the sales personnel, suppliers and others so that they become aware of company's goals and achievements. Let's look at the essential elements of marketing plan for a computer-centralize system for a group of hotels. High fields Hotels comprises a group of five hotels based in Southampton and concentrates more on weeknight business clienteles. Employing proper technological applications for appropriate work solves many problems. High fields Hotels uses outdated technological applications that create more problems than solutions. High fields Hotels use standalone PCs to meet the requirements like billing, checking in and checking out of the customers etc. Using PCs is not the problem; the problem arises due to non-availability of network systems in the five hotels. They don't have any central reservation systems that can keep them updated about the different activities of the hotels all the time. Most of the work is done manually at these five hotels. All the five hotel general managers are answerable to group managing director (MD). The hotel general mangers prepare a report by extracting the required data from various systems of the hotels and create management reports using a word processing application. This report is submitted to the group-managing director that would be analysed to make any changes in the daily activities of the hotels. FEASIBILITY STUDY Feasibility study is an important phase in the software development process. It enables the developer to have an assessment of the product being developed. It refers to the feasibility study of the product in terms of outcomes of the product, operational use and technical support required for implementing it. Feasibility study should be performed on the basis of various criteria and parameters. The various feasibility studies are: Economic Feasibility Operational Feasibility Technical Feasibility Economic Feasibility: It refers to the benefits or outcomes. We are deriving from the product as compared to the total cost we are spending for developing the product. If the benefits are more or less the same as the older system, then it is not feasible to develop the product. In the present system, the development of the new product greatly enhance the accuracy of the system and cuts short the delay in the processing of Birth and Death application. The errors can be greatly reduced and at the same time providing great level of security. Hence, we do not need any additional equipment except memory of required capacity. No need of spending money on client for maintenance because the database used is web enabled database. Operational Feasibility: It refers to the feasibility of the product to be operational. Some products may work very well at design and implementation but may fall in the real time environment. It includes the study of additional human resources required and their technical expertise. Technical Feasibility: It refers to whether the software that is available in the market fully supports the present application. It studies the pros and cons of using particular software for the

After the American revolution conflicts between the North and South Essay

After the American revolution conflicts between the North and South - Essay Example The southern states majorly depended on cotton growing as their main source of revenue. There, however, existed a range of factories in the north of which most were agriculture based, as grain processing. The economy of the north was diverse with several other factories, apart from agriculture based. The southern states had slavery as the source of labor in their plantations (Jordan xii). This was among the issues that exacerbated the south with their northern counterparts. While the southern plantation owners embraced slavery, the north had it declared as an odd institution. The north and south had divergent economic interests. This difference possibly triggered the enmity that, among other factors, promoted the civil war. There was a notable difference in the labor forces between the north and south. The north consisted of a majority of skilled workers that made the labor market competitive while the south mainly used semiskilled and manual labor. There were high tariffs in the north, contrary to the south where there were low tariffs. The high tariffs shielded to the industries in the north from competition. The north and south had differences including their locations of land in the continent. While the northern states fall in the northern hemisphere, the southern states have their situation in the southern hemisphere. The demographics of the north and south showed explicit differences. The northern population was higher than the southern given the surge of people in the north, who worked in the factories. The immigration, therefore, escalated the population of the north. Differences over land issues were among the significant causes of the historic civil war. The union states (from the north) wanted their southern counterparts (confederate states) to surrender their large plantations for the building of industries and factories. The southern states, however, were reluctant to give in to such forces. This triggered a land conflict between the north and

Book review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 11

Book review - Essay Example The book gives a detailed of various stages of achieving this innovative mind. Furthermore, the book explains how various strategies can be geared towards adopting these characters and can beat nay-sayers who asphyxiate innovation. Through critical assessment, the book provides an insight into creating a culture of innovation that through analysis a process that needs fewer organizational heroes and more systematic technique or approaches. This can be attributed to the fact that many businesses today operate in a competitive and dynamic world, and proper and calculated strategies are a surest way to effective innovation. One can agree with Tom Kelley that assigning roles, as opposed to systems, is a breakthrough that no a system engineer or accountant would consider. One can also agree that the book Ten Faces of Innovation is a perfect guide for innovation like no other. What is most noteworthy and unique is the book addressing of design sector as an inherently collaborative network. The book has uniquely identified the sector as an area where multidisciplinary professionals labor together to provide a solution to a problem. Moreover, the book unique portrayal of design thinking as a key component used by other businesses is noteworthy. The book states that it is common practice for many designers who take a user-centered techniques to their work, to co-design together with their user group or combine forces with complementary fields (engineers, anthropologists, psychologists) to attain a more thorough and considered solution. The book surprisingly aims to share with the writers the key to successful, innovative strategies in various organizations. After reading the work, there are a lot that one can learn from the opinions provided by Tom Kelley. There is a lot that one may learn from the book as it offers full of encouraging practical tools and anecdotes; Tom Kelley

Utopia And Leviathan Essay Example for Free

Utopia And Leviathan Essay Thomas Mores Utopia and Thomas Hobbes Leviathan each offer alternatives to the worlds in which they lived.. Mores society, viewed through the character Hythloday, is seemingly based on mans nature in society being generally good, and the faults of man emanate from how society itself is set up. Hobbes takes the opposite view of human nature, where mans will to survive makes him unable to act out of goodness and it is man who is responsible for societys ills. Both Leviathan and Utopia contain faults in logic that work to undermine the very possibility for these new social structures. In the following I will show how each of their views for a new society give insight into what their beliefs of human nature are, while showing some similarities between them. I will point to some of the faults found with both of their arguments that suggest an implicit and at times contradictory view of mankind. Mores Utopia is a response to the world in which he lived. The main character, Hythloday, condemns the class system and the use of money in England. Hythloday sees that the ills of modern society; those of greed, power and pride, must be overcome if man is to live peacefully with one another. In the following excerpt we see evidence of how Hythloday describes human nature in these terms and how Utopia has been able to do away with these three vices. Now isnt this an unjust and ungrateful commonwealth? It lavishes the rich rewards on so-called gentry, loan sharks, and the rest of the crew, who dont work at all or are mean parasites, purveyors of empty pleasures.  ¦ I see in (this) nothing but a conspiracy of the rich, who are fattening up their own interests under the name and title of the commonwealth.  ¦ How far they remain from the happiness of the Utopian Republic, which has abolished not only money but with it greed!  ¦ Everyone knows that if money were abolished  ¦ a whole set of crimes which are avenged but not prevented by the hangman would at once die out. If money disappeared so would fear, anxiety, worry, toil and sleepless nights. Even poverty  ¦ would vanish if money were entirely done away with. (p.521-523) Hythloday goes on to say that pride causes man to be greedy and seek power. For Hythloday Pride  measures her advantages not by what she has but by what other people lack. (p.522) In a world with social classes where one man is said to be of higher status than another man is by nature going to exploit one another and always be striving for more power. More imagines a society in which greed, power and pride no longer exists. By taking away the class system and the use of money he felt that all the ills of mankind would disappear. This view of human nature is that some men, those in power, are essentially evil and selfish. If a society could be built where no man was greater than another then all could live together in harmony and truly be a part of a commonwealth where no men are poor, no men are beggars, and though no man owns anything, everyone is rich. (p. 520) Mores Utopia offers an alternative to the aristocratic society in which he lived. More would have us do away with social classes and have man work together towards the common goal of peace and survival. An excerpt from Book II where Utopus the founder of Utopia is building a channel gives credence to this idea. He (Utopus) put not only the natives to work at this task, but his own soldiers too, so that the vanquished would not think the labor a disgrace. With the work divided among so many hands, the project was finished quickly, and the neighboring peoples, who at first had laughed at his folly, were struck with wonder and terror at his success. This passage is proof that man can work together and achieve greatness by doing so. It appears here that More has a high estimation of mans abilities. Utopia is based on the idea that all men are equal. No man owns anything and there is no private business. All men work for the good of the state. This communist society looks very egalitarian at first, but the strict rules in which the Utopians must abide by give way to another type of power structure where men are not necessarily equal to each other. Close inspection of these rules give insight into how More may have really viewed human nature. In the following excerpts we find evidence that More may have found man untrustworthy and in need of social control, or at the very least spiritual control. The vast majority of Utopians  ¦ believe in a single power, unknown, eternal, infinite, inexplicable, far beyond the grasp of the human mind, and diffused throughout the universe, not physically but in influence. Him they call father, and to him alone they attribute the origin, increase, progress, change, and end of all visible things; they do not offer divine honors to any other.  ¦ (Utopus) left the whole matter (choosing a religion) open, allowing each person to choose what he would believe. The only exception was a positive and strict law against anyone who would sink so far below the dignity of human nature as to think that the soul perishes with the body, or that the universe is ruled by blind chance, not divine providence.  ¦ Therefore a man who holds such views is offered no honors, entrusted with no offices, and given no public responsibility, he is universally regarded as a low and sordid fellow (pp.516-518 This excerpt shows the ambivalence that More has about human nature. He sees man as essentially good but whenever an individual has ideas of their own they are regarded as inferior. This creates another type of class system where man can judge himself against others and creates the pride that More is seemingly trying to get away from. This is but one example of many where the strict rules of Utopia work against Mores main argument that man can work together in harmony. Mans goodness is accepted as fact only insofar as it works to serve the whole of the community. For those who do not abide by the strict laws, they are punished through slavery or banishment. More walks a thin line between viewing mans nature as essentially good and seeing man as selfish and in need of control. Utopias foundations of equality are contradicted by the strict laws they have as well as by the political system where heads of tribes are elected for life. This ambiguity of Mores view is furthered when More appears as a character in Utopia and alludes to his own opinion of Utopia.  ¦ my chief objection was to the basis of their whole system, that is , their communal living and their moneyless economy. This one thing alone utterly subverts all the nobility, magnificence, splendor, and majesty which  (in the popular view) are the true ornaments and glory if any commonwealth.  ¦ yet I freely confess that in the Utopian commonwealth there are many features that in our own societies I would wish rather than expect to see. (p.523) This excerpt shows that More is obviously protecting himself from any reproach by the Aristocracy. Also found in this however, is Mores inability to believe such a society could ever exists. He wishes but does not expect to see these features of Utopia coming to his society. I believe underlying this hesitation is Mores doubt that human nature is capable of working together in harmony. The fact that Utopia is presented in a fantasy-like land where men are the mothers to chicks and gold is used to make bedpans gives further evidence that More himself does not believe such a society could ever exist Hobbes offers a scientific argument for the nature of man. He believes his inquiry into what motivates man is proof for his vision of society. Hobbes concludes that man is at war with one another because everyone is fighting for survival. He tells us the only way for man to work together is out of fear. To supply this fear mankind needs an almighty ruler who can control mans impulses to hurt one another. In the following we see how Hobbes comes to his conclusions about mans seemingly inherent evil. Nature hath made men so equal in faculties of body and mind as that, though there be found one man sometimes manifestly stronger in body or of quicker mind than another, yet when all is reckoned together, the difference between man and man is not so considerable as that one man can thereupon claim to himself any benefit, to which another may not pretend as well as he ¦. For such is the nature of men, that howsoever they may acknowledge many others to be more witty, or more eloquent, or more learned. Yet they will hardly believe there be many so wise as themselves; for they see their own wit at hand, and other mens at a distance. From this equality of ability ariseth equality of hope in attaining of our ends. And therefore if any two men desire the same thing, which nevertheless they cant both enjoy, they become enemies, and in the way to their end (which is principally their own conservation, and sometimes, their delectation only) endeavor to destroy or subdue one another. (p. 1590) This passage takes us through Hobbes thinking about mankind. He tells us that all men are essentially equal but  each individual believes himself to be of greater importance than one another. An individuals need for self preservation makes him fight with others for survival and in some cases personal pleasure. Mankinds nature and need to survive cause him to thirst for power. Hobbes hope was for mankind to live together in peace at any cost. Hobbes furthers his argument for a new society in the following excerpt. In such condition (constant war) there is no place for industry, for the fruit thereof is uncertain, and cosequently no culture of the earth; no navigation. Not ise of the commodities that may be imported by sea; no commodious building; no instruments of moving, and removing, such things that require much force; no knowledge of the face of the earth; no account of time; no arts; no letters; no society; and, which is worst of all, continual fear. And danger of violent death; and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.(Pp. 1589-1590) This viewpoint for man offers little hope the communal living we have seen in Mores Utopia. Hobbes use of political science allows little room for the imagination and conjecture used by More. Hobbes argument is founded on generalizations of mankinds behavior, no doubt arrived at due to the time (civil war) in which he lived. Hobbes view of mankind is greater in pessimism than More in that he offers one definition for human nature, and for his argument to hold true this definition (that man is essentially selfish and willing to do anything to survive) is absolute, there is no room for the ambivalence and ambiguity found in Mores view. The solution for Hobbes is that mankind need to live in awe or fear of someone greater than himself. Without something to restrain man he would go on murdering and be forever in search of more power. In order to protect and defend life, man must come together under an almighty ruler who mankind gives sovereignty to. The similarity between Utopia and Leviathan are found in this giving up of individual power for the good of the many. For More, man would give up pride, greed and power by living for the good of the whole. Hobbes takes a more animalistic view of man where the only way to work together requires living in fear of punishment by a greater power. Both seek a commonwealth and both have a higher power to which man must answer. Mores higher power is the strict system of rules the Utopians live by, and a given that most men believe in a divinity who lends further control to their actions. Hobbes does not believe that man is capable of abiding by a spiritual power and needs an actual person to control the power of mankind. Each of their accounts are limited by their approach to their arguments. Mores need to please the aristocracy weakens his idea that man can work together. Hobbes use of a scientific argument uses generalizations of mans nature as proofs for his foundation, these generalizations being too pessimistic to be taken at his word. In the end both Hobbes and More offer little in the way of hope for mankind as individuals. Human nature seems to be inherently evil and in need of something or someone to control it. Both agree that man must give up what makes each of us different in order to live in harmony. Reference Abrams, M.H. (Ed.). (2000). The Norton Anthology of English Literature, The sixteenth and Early Seventeenth Century. (7th ed.). New York: W.W.Norton Company Hobbes, Thomas (1651). Leviathan. London: Penguin Books

Oscilloscope The most useful instrument

Oscilloscope The most useful instrument INTRODUCTION Cathode Ray Oscilloscope (CRO): An oscilloscope is easily the most useful instrument available for testing circuits because it allows you to see the signals at different points in the circuit. The best way of investigating an electronic system is to monitor signals at the input and output of each system block, checking that each block is operating as expected and is correctly linked to the next. With a little practice, we will be able to find and correct faults quickly and accurately. The symbol for a CRO: The screen of a CRO is very similar to a TV, except it is much simpler. We will not go into the similarities except to say that the picture tube on a TV and the screen on a CRO are both a special type of valve called a Cathode Ray Tube. It is a vacuum tube with a cathode (negative electrode) at one end that emits electrons and anodes (positive electrodes) to accelerate the electron beam up/down and left/right to hit a phosphor coating at the end of the tube, called the screen. The electrons are called cathode rays because they are emitted by the cathode and this gives the oscilloscope its full name: Cathode Ray Oscilloscope or CRO. CRO IN DETAIL The main part of the C.R.O. is a highly evacuated glass tube housing parts which generates a beam of electrons, accelerates them, shapes them into a narrow beam, and provides external connections to the sets of plates for changing the direction of the beam. Internal Components K, an indirectly heated cathode which provides a source of electrons for the beam by boiling them out of the cathode. P, the anode (or plate) which is circular with a small central hole. The potential of P creates an electric field which accelerates the electrons, some of which emerge from the hole as a fine beam. This beam lies along the central axis of the tube. G, the grid. Controlling the potential of the grid controls the number of electrons for the beam, and hence the intensity of the spot on the screen where the beam hits. F, the focusing cylinder. This aids in concentrating the electron beam into a thin straight line much as a lens operates in optics. X, Y, deflection plate pairs. The X plates are used for deflecting the beam left to right (the x direction) by means of the ramp voltage. The Y plates are used for deflection of the beam in the vertical direction. Voltages on the X and Y sets of plates determine where the beam will strike the screen and cause a spot of light. S, the screen. This is coated on the inside with a material which fluoresces with green light (usually) where the electrons are striking. As well as this tube, there are several electronic circuits required to operate the tube, all within the C.R.O. along with the tube: A power supply, operated from the 110 volt 60 cycle per second electrical mains. This supply provides all the voltages required for the different circuits within the C.R.O. for operation of the tube. A sawtooth, or ramp signal generator which makes the spot move left to right on the screen. External controls for this circuit allow variation of the sweep width, and the frequency of the sweep signal. Because of the persistence of our vision, this sweep is often fast enough that what we see on the screen is a continuous horizontal line. Amplifiers for the internally generated ramp signal, and for the unknown signal which we hook up to the C.R.O. for the purpose of displaying it. Shift devices which allow us to control the mean position of the beam; up or down, or left to right. The synchroniser circuit. This circuit allows us to synchronise the unknown signal with the ramp signal such that the resulting display is a nice clear signal like a snapshot of the unknown voltage vs. time. C.R.O. Operation: Typical front-panel controls Front Panel On-off switch. INTENS. This is the intensity control connected to the grid G to control the beam intensity and hence the brightness of the screen spots. Dont run the intensity too high, just bright enough for clear visibility. Always have the spot sweeping left to right or the beam may burn a hole in the screen. FOCUS allows you to obtain a clearly defined line on the screen. POSITION allows you to adjust the vertical position of the waveform on the screen. (There is one of these for each channel). AMPL/DIV. is a control of the Y (i.e. vertical) amplitude of the signal on the screen.(There is one of these for each channel). AC/DC switch. This should be left in the DC position unless you cannot get a signal on-screen otherwise. (There is one of these for each channel). AB/ADD switch. This allows you to display both input channels separately or to combine them into one. +/- switch. This allows you to invert the B channel on the display. Channel A input Channel B input X POSITION these allow you to adjust the horizontal position of the signals on the screen. LEVEL this allows you to determine the trigger level; i.e. the point of the waveform at which the ramp voltage will begin in time base mode. ms/ µs This defines the multiplication factor for the horizontal scale in timebase mode. (See 15 below.) MAGN The horizontal scale units are to be multiplied by this setting in both timebase and xy modes. To avoid confusion, leave it at x1 unless you really need to change it. Time/Div This selector controls the frequency at which the beam sweeps horizontally across the screen in time base mode, as well as whether the oscilloscope is in timebase mode or xy (x VIA A) mode. This switch has the following positions: (a) X VIA A In this position, an external signal connected to input A is used in place of the internally generated ramp. (This is also known as xy mode.) (b) .5, 1, 2, 5, etc. Here the internally generated ramp voltage will repeat such that each large (cm) horizontal division corresponds to .5, 1, 2, 5, etc. ms. or  µs depending on the multiplier and magnitude settings. (Note also the x1/x5 switch in 14 above.) The following controls are for triggering of the scope, and only have an effect in timebase mode. A/B selector. This allows you to choose which signal to use for triggering. -/+ will force the ramp signal to synchronise its starting time to either the decreasing or increasing part of the unknown signal you are studying. INT/EXT This will determine whether the the ramp will be synchronised to the signal chosen by the A/B switch or by whatever signal is applied to the EXT. SYNC. input. (See 21 below.) AC/TV selectors. Ive never figured out what this does; find whichever position works. External trigger input INTRODUCTION FUNCTION GENERATOR A function generator is a device that can produce various patterns of voltage at a variety of frequencies and amplitudes. It is used to test the response of circuits to common input signals. The electrical leads from the device are attached to the ground and signal input terminals of the device under test. Most function generators allow the user to choose the shape of the output from a small number of options. Square wave The signal goes directly from high to low voltage. Sine wave The signal curves like a sinusoid from high to low voltage. Triangle wave The signal goes from high to low voltage at a fixed rate. The amplitude control on a function generator varies the voltage difference between the high and low voltage of the output signal. The direct current (DC) offset control on a function generator varies the average voltage of a signal relative to the ground. The frequency control of a function generator controls the rate at which output signal oscillates. On some function generators, the frequency control is a combination of different controls. One set of controls chooses the broad frequency range (order of magnitude) and the other selects the precise frequency. This allows the function generator to handle the enormous variation in frequency scale needed for signals. The duty cycle of a signal refers to the ratio of high voltage to low voltage time in a square wave signal. FUNCTION OF FUNCTION GENERATOR Analog function generators usually generate a triangle waveform as the basis for all of its other outputs. The triangle is generated by repeatedly charging and discharging a capacitor from a constant current source. This produces a linearly ascending or descending voltage ramp. As the output voltage reaches upper and lower limits, the charging and discharging is reversed using a comparator, producing the linear triangle wave. By varying the current and the size of the capacitor, different frequencies may be obtained. A 50% duty cycle square wave is easily obtained by noting whether the capacitor is being charged or discharged, which is reflected in the current switching comparators output. Most function generators also contain a non-linear diode shaping circuit that can convert the triangle wave into a reasonably accurate sine wave. It does so by rounding off the hard corners of the triangle wave in a process similar to clipping in audio systems. The type of output connector from the device depends on the frequency range of the generator. A typical function generator can provide frequencies up to 20 MHz and uses a BNC connector, usually requiring a 50 or 75 ohm termination. Specialised RF generators are capable of gigahertz frequencies and typically use N-type output connectors. Function generators, like most signal generators, may also contain an attenuator, various means of modulating the output waveform, and often the ability to automatically and repetitively sweep the frequency of the output waveform (by means of a voltage-controlled oscillator) between two operator-determined limits. This capability makes it very easy to evaluate the frequency response of a given electronic circuit. Some function generators can also generate white or pink noise. More advanced function generators use Direct Digital Synthesis (DDS) to generate waveforms. Arbitrary waveform generators use DDS to generate any waveform that can be described by a table of amplitude values. REFERENCE http://www.doctronics.co.uk/scope.htm http://www.9h1mrl.org/workshop/CRO-Ebook-1/html/CRO-P1-Intro.html http://denethor.wlu.ca/pc200/scope/oscilloscope.pdf http://cnx.org/content/m11895/latest/

The History Of The Probation Process Criminology Essay

The History Of The Probation Process Criminology Essay There is not a single idea about what constitute probation, but there are clear indications about the idea that all probation practices and systems to match and adjust development of place and time in terms of economic, cultural, criminal justice and political philosophies while preserving some key elements of its origin and in virtually all cases, orientation and professional identity of probation officers. Across the world, probation is in a state of state of flux or a state of crisis, although to varying reasons and varying degrees in some cases. An introduction of probation and further development, criminal justice system should be developed on existing social structure and it must also be supported by working to enhance what is already there. It should not be taken as external solution to internal criminal justice problems, (Hink, 1961) governance or penology, but it must be taken as a possible framework into which locally feasible and desirable solutions may be fitted. For effective process of probation, there must be planned introduction of probation, as an effective, non custodial sanction and cost efficient, the following paper presents history of probation, in case of probation process, legal pre-conditions and legislative pre-conditions should either be established or exist either in law, procedure or policy in professional rules of practice, Process of probation, difference between formal, informal, misdemeanor and felony probation, and in the last it presents leading theories governing probation process and which alternatives can improve the process of probation. Probation process and historical roots: Origins of probation can be traced back to early English practices, and this practice gradually developed until 19th century. Several countries made significant contributions during 1880. Probation process began to receive acceptance in United States of America during 1870s. Essentially it developed from the beginning of twentieth century, while many reasons with varying degrees, throughout Europe and North America. The process of probation has its roots from two distinct origins, civil and common law, but the historical development of probation also influenced by the development of infantile justice system positivism in ideologies of control (Blumberg,1979) outside of criminal justice system and criminology. As opposed to repression, from historical perspective evolution of probation reflects tension between control, care and custody, individualism and discretion versus legalism and reintegration. From 1800s to present time, probation process officers have been trying in different w ays to remake, (Hink, 1961) reform, restructure and remould the lives of offenders into good, law bidding and honest citizens. After World War, II it was strides in majority that made that led to the development of modern and complex probation service structure that exist now. It was the optimistic views that exist at that time, in the efficiency of social work with offenders to achieve probation officers and perfectibility of man in 1960s that were part of a criminal justice system, which was moving toward the rehabilitative ideal. Method of social work, casework was used for rehabilitation of offenders was attempted. In the coming years, other techniques were used by probation officers, such as including group work, task centered work, community work, behavioral contracts, family therapy, behavior modification, reality therapy, and social skills etc. Probation service was standing at the very heart of penal practices and policy; twenty five years ago from now. The emphasis was on rehabilitation, resettlement, social case work and individualism, social work and reintegration approach to social problems. The prevailing problem of crime was understood as problem of families and individuals, and families in the need of help and support of communities that were disadvantaged and disorganized. The focus of intention was not only crime itself but the instant offence being a matter of mostly legal concern, instead the social and personal problems that underlay this criminal behavior. (Best, Birzon,1962). Crime was a trigger for intervention, a presenting symptom, rather than probation officers focal point action. It was the probation service that led agency carrying forward a progressive program for controlling the crime, through social intervention. It was the vanguard of effort to humanize and rationalize practices of penal to use expertise, social work techniques, trained clinical judgment, and criminological knowledge to deal with crime. For instance, it was dr ew support and part of the project of welfare state, with its concerns for solidarity through state inclusiveness, (Blumberg,1979) integration, provision etc. and with distinct rationality, a habit of thought that looked for social problems and solutions to deal with any emerging problem and a style of reasoning. The process of probation has also been a part of power relations and wider structure of organizations. This part of power relations gave the enormous prestige and authority to professional expertise. With the expansion of personalized social services, and creation of extensive social work, the professional society reached its halcyon days in 1960s. In the process of creation of extensive social work, network, probation service was featured as s long established and highly skilled agency, (Hink, 1961) deriving authority from the court-based functions as well as its credentials of social work. In professionalized context, social problems including family breakdown and resettl ement, crime and delinquency that required social solutions and trained professionals and social workers. At an accelerating pace over last five years and over last two decades, field of criminal justice and criminal control, has been reconfigured in important ways. Although its relation to process has been, problematic that transformation was deeply implicated by probation service. The philosophy and movement underpinning it that followed created a shift towards human containment and deterrence as motivation in sentencing. A justice model emerged in late 1970s and early 1980s, as did the concept of just deserts. (McEachern, Newman,1969) In 1990s deprivation or incapacitation of liberty became the methodology followed by alternatives of alternatives to imprisonment, another correctional philosophy evolved, a combination of all previous philosophies but on that relies greatly on risk control techniques within crime reduction activities. Process of Probation: In the probation process, if a defendant pleads guilty, no contest, or is found guilty, the judge may request investigation for pre-sentence probation department. In the process of compiling the investigation, an interview of defendant is conducted by probation officer, moreover reviews the criminal history and personal background information, (Hink, 1961) contacts the victims if institutions are involved, after this recommendations for sentencing are made to judge. On the basis of this information, defendant may be sentenced by judge for up to one year. It is the responsibility of probation officer to monitor and ensure the compliance with conditions orders by judge. If there is non-compliance with terms and conditions it will probably result in further actions by court. These actions may include imposition of suspended jail time or fines. Juveniles may be sentenced to detention for failing to comply with court orders. (McEachern, Newman,1969). Probation sentence may include following conditions: Costs of court or Fines: The person who is facing the probation will be responsible for payments of fees, fines, court costs imposed on that specific case. Judge can impose $999 as maximum fine, depending on the basis of type of offense. (Best, Birzon,1962) The probationers have the option of performing community service in lieu of payment of fine, fees and costs. Detention / Jail Judge has authority to order to probationer to serve a jail sentence, depending on the type of offence. Moreover probationers who failed to comply with terms or found in violation of probation terms and conditions of their sentence may found in contempt of court and sentenced to jail or detention. Home detention: In case of violation of probation, violating probationer may face home detention. He will wear electronic ankle bracelet that monitors and ensured the probationers whereabouts. Probation officer will be notified immediately if probationer moves outside the range of his home, in this case, probationer is subject to further court action. Community Service: For young and adult, probationers to comply with mandatory service hours of community and they must also have option to perform community services in lieu of payment of their fines, fees, and costs related to probation. This community service must be performed at charitable and non-profit agencies. All young probationers under age of 17, are required to perform related community service hours through department f probation that are supervising the community service program. Probationers with age of 18 years old, have option to select community service agency on their own. A list of city department and non-profit agencies that utilizes the community service work program is available online. Life Choices Educational Classes: Probationers are required to attend court mandated classes, who are under the age of 25, presented by Street Beat program and designed to help the adults and young people to set goals and gain success. These mandated classes encourage the probationers to examine decision-making process that led them to have positive life skills. Mandated classes are also offered in Spanish. Counseling: Probationers may be required to comply with court ordered treatment and counseling who are assessed to be experiencing substance abuse or mental health issues. Services of counseling are also available through county agencies or privately. Adult probationers who present substance abuse issues. These issues of substance abuse can be referred to weekly substance education group, with which department currently contracts. Restitution: In case of victims except traffic violations, probationer may be ordered by court to compensate the victims for out of pocket losses. A total of $8,805 was collected in the form of restitution in 2011. Breathalyzer Tests and Drug Urinalysis: Probationers with substance abuse may be required to submit random alcohol breathalyzer tests and drug urinalysis test. This testing procedure is administered by several local vendors in Longmont. Probation Officers: Role of supervision is to supervise defendants while remaining in the community. Standard size of caseload may vary from 45 to 300 individuals according to locale. Caseload sizes are increasing depending on financial considerations, as departments leave some probation officer position vacant. Some specific caseload sizes are legislated but cannot surpass those limits. Supervised Probation: Supervised probation is also known as formal probation. Supervised probation is granted to an offender who must report in a person to his or her probation officer. Formal probation is used in case of more serious offenses. Under the jurisdiction of probation department, all adults placed on formal probation. (Stalans, Yarnold, Seng, Olson, Repp, 2004) Probationers under supervised probation are required to check in with an officer, strict conditions of probation and subject to home visit. Supervised probation is also searchable type of probation. Non-supervised probation: Non-supervised probation also known as summary probation, court probation or called summary court probation. Both federal and state government place formal probation on individuals, to determine if a defendant will be placed on formal or informal probation, Sentencing guidelines may apply to some extent, the judge has some sentencing leeway. Offenders will receive informal probation on acts such as violation of traffic rules or certain misdemeanors. Traditionally, informal probation does not include searchable probation; the person having the condition of searchable probation may have their home, person and car searched by law enforcement. . (Best, Birzon,1962) People on non-supervised probation, do not assign with a probation officer and also they are not monitored. Probationers under informal probation are asked to report to judge periodically. Informal probation has terms such as attending any drug or alcohol treatment program, or to complete community service requirements. This type of probation is of short duration may be of one month. After the probation is over, it means that offender has fulfilled the terms of sentence. The differences between felony and misdemeanor probation: The difference always does not clear between felony and misdemeanor probation from state to state in different countries and U.S as well. If we wish to define the misdemeanor probation, it can be defined as maximum length of time a person can be imprisoned for the committed crime, this period usually no more than one year, whereas in case of felony, minimum time of imprisonment is one year. So it can be said that any crime that is not felony, is a misdemeanor by nature. (Stalans, Yarnold, Seng, Olson, Repp, 2004) In case, if property is stolen or purposeful damage has been done to property, charge of misdemeanor or felony will be decided on the basis on the basis of dollar amount of damage or missing property. For instance, if any person incurs purposeful damage in Arizona, that costs under $250 dollars or charged with misdemeanor. If however, the damage is between $250 $2000 USD, the charge is generally a  class 6 felony. Higher amounts of damage may up the class of the felony a nd result in more time in a penitentiary. Leading theories governing the probationary process: From the past three decades, the principal for effective application of parole and probation process have received favorable mention in practitioner circles. By zero tolerance for behaviors that are better characterized as nuisances than as precursors of criminal acts and desire to appear tough on crime via harsh punishment, implementation of probation and parole has been fragmented or nonexistent and also subject to political sentiments. Some practitioners and policy makers market increased violations as a public safety enhancement even though there is no evidence to support this belief. The role of probation officer is very critical in effective process of probation; he is the one who makes sure the successful implementation of policies, procedures and laws about probation. There are different categories of probation officers and have different duties according to their roles, but some general duties are commonly shared by all categories. From start till the end of process of probation, probation officer remains critical in the process. He must conclude the probation case while including all the key information and details of probation process, causes and implications on that case by law and their implementation in an effective way. Conclusion: Probation process is an effective element to reduce criminal activities in a society. Probation process aimed at not only punishing the offenders but it also delivers policies that are concerned about correction of society and individuals who are causing disturbance in the society. There are also different categories of penalties and imprisonment (Whitehead,1987) depending on the age of the offender, and this so good, as imprisonments have been decided about while keeping in view it psychological impact on the offender. Probation process is necessary for affective implementation of laws and policies about sound and safe functioning of societal process.

Fall of the House of Usher Essay -- Literary Analysis, Poe, Gilman

What do our two characters have in common but the simple fact that they are loosing their minds. In the â€Å"Fall of the House of Usher† Poe tells the story of an individual deeply plagued by a dieing sister and a long line of family mishaps. He is a prisoner within his own mind, with no possibility of escape. As with â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† Gilman tells of a woman deeply plagued by her own mind. She is drawn into a reality of her own where she is the only one that can free herself. In being prisoners these two main characters share a common theme and a sense of symbolism in the way that they live and go about each day. The story lines though very different, each tell a unique story of impressments and the deaths of ones own mind. Imprisonment within ones self can be a terrible tragedy. Roderick in the â€Å"Fall of the House of Usher† is a prisoner within his own mind. He is trapped in the house because he feels as though that is the only place he belongs. In a dialog between the narrator and Roderick we see the proof in this, â€Å"To an anomalous species of terror I found him a bound slave. â€Å"I shall perish,† said he, â€Å"I must perish in this deplorable folly. Thus, thus, and not otherwise, shall I be lost. I dread the events of the future, not in themselves, but in their results. I shudder at the thought of any, even the most trivial, incident, which may operate upon this intolerable agitation of soul†Ã¢â‚¬  (Poe 235). As with the narrator in â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper†, we see that she is a prisoner within her mind as well. A small dialog between the narrator and her husband John tells us of her belief in this very thought, â€Å"John is so pleased to see me improve! He laughed a lit... ...racter is vastly different yet they both share the similar notion of imprisonment within themselves. Roderick fights battles within his brain as to whether his actions were right, and will the resurrection of his sister actually take place. Will she be a dead, but living ghost of who she was? And would she come after him? Yes and yes as you could see, she did come back and she did come after Roderick. As for the old woman, she was a steadfast woman strong and sure of everything and it was the yellow wallpaper that finally drove her to her insanity. Both start sane and end insane. Yet each has a completely different way of going about it. Both Roderick and the old lady battle with their own demons inside their heads by the end of their own stories. Each a different battle yet in the end, Insanity is but a common factor.

Spanish Languages Influence on the Puerto Rican Identity Essay

Spanish Language's Influence on the Puerto Rican Identity The initial occupation of Puerto Rico by the Spaniards carries an important implication for language as part of the Puerto Rican identity. The Spanish language was imposed upon the inhabitants of the island, the Tainos, in the sixteenth century, when the Spanish inhabited the island in 1502, after the Spanish conquerors claimed the island in the name of Spain in 1493. Eventually, the Spanish had moved out or taken over the ways of the old and their culture infiltrated that of the Taino to create a new dimension of the first storey, where the Spanish language was incorporated as the building blocks of the foundation of the Puerto Rican identity (Figueroa, Sept.15). The Spanish maintained control over the island until 1898, when Spain relinquished Puerto Rico to the United States as a result of the Spanish American War. This change begins the construction of the third storey (the second storey involved the economic and political growth of the island under Spanish rule). The 400 years of Spanish history and influence on the island caused conflict for notions of identity and has great impact on Puerto Rican identity. Although the Spanish had come to the island and taken over, decimating the entire Taino population, Puerto Ricans now take pride in the fact that the Spanish contributes to their identity (a result of acculturation), and that they are a (mainly) Spanish speaking nation. Although it wasn't initially intended to be, the acquisition of Puerto Rico resulted in the island becoming an unincorporated territory (http://Welcome.ToPuertoRico.org/history.htm). The passing of various acts, such as the English Only Act (1902), the Foraker Law (1900- establishing un... ...". From Negrà ³n-Muntaner and Grosfoguel (Eds.), Puerto Rican Jam: Essays on Culture and Politics. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 257-285. Rivera, Angel, Q. "Music, Social Classes, and the National Question in Puerto Rico". In Glasser. Scarano, Francisco. "Sugar and Slavery in Puerto Rico, 1815-1849: An Overview," from Scarano, 1984, Sugar and Slavery in Puerto Rico: The Plantation Economy of Ponce, 1800-1850. Madison: U of Wisconsin Press. pp.3-34 Trà ­as-Monge, J. (1997). "The Shaping of a Colonial Policy". From Trà ­as-Monge, Puerto Rico: the Trials of the Oldest Colony of the World. New Haven: Yale University Press, 36-51. Walker, Rich. (1998). A Multicultural Alternative to Language and Nationalism. Http://frontpage.trincoll.edu/rwalker. Waxer, Lise. (October 29, 1998). Puerto Rican Music Between Rafael Hernandez and Rafael Cortijo.

“Lines Written in Early Spring,” by William Wordsworth Essay

â€Å"Lines Written in Early Spring,† by William Wordsworth, sets the tone within the title. The thought of early spring brings new life and harmony to the mind of the reader. A vision of Wordsworth sitting in a open field, observing the flowers budding and bunnies hopping around comes to the reader’s mind. He â€Å"heard a thousand blended notes† of birds singing and the world blooming around him, thoughts of Bambi are brought to mind. Spring, for me, creates a feeling of joy, and I think it is the best of the four seasons. A new start for all life to live as one and get along. The next two lines could be quite confusing after the first reading. A â€Å"sweet mood† causes his â€Å"pleasant thoughts/ [to] bring sad thoughts to mind.† At first, I wondered how a sweet mood and pleasant thoughts could possibly bring sad thoughts, but when I thought about it, I realized that sometimes when you’re at your happiest moment, sad memories and ponderings come to mind. Wordsworth continues explaining that his soul was linked to Nature and her works through the wonder of spring. The image of the human soul running through him brings an apparent depth to the poem, turning the theme from spring to a more intimate perspective of man. â€Å"And much it grieved my heart to think/ what man has made of man.† The lines question a topic that most people will never fathom in their lifetimes. He describes his grieving over the topic of man’s world. To grieve, as defined by Dictionary.com, means â€Å"to be in pain of mind on account of an evil.† This definition describes exactly how Wordsworth feels about the evil that mankind has made of his world. Lines 9 and 10 continue to depict the setting that the poet is contemplating. As the spring setting returns to mind, Wordsworth reflects on how the flower appreciates the air it breaths and the birds hop and play with pleasure. The pictures show the simplicity of Nature and her animals, but also the joy they display. He spoke of a â€Å"thrill of pleasure,† which not only uses the flow of the word â€Å"pleasure† to illustrate the purity and joy of nature, but the â€Å"thrill of† affects the reader to think not of simple joy, but of the rush and the unadulterated enjoyment of this pleasure. His longing for this type of passion and thrill connects himself to nature by paradoxically  displaying the difference between man and nature. The detail with which Wordsworth writes about â€Å"budding twigs† spreading out to â€Å"catch the air† creates an aura of lust for the appreciation of the simple things in life. Leonard Skynard wrote a song called â€Å"Simple Man† which asks for a man to keep his life simple and realize that he is merely an object of God and he must remember to appreciate everything. The song and the poem are close in connection, with the same major theme of appreciation of the simple things. Wordsworth believes that this pleasure is sent from heaven and is part of Nature’s holy plan. He realizes that God is behind all things, large and small and man so often forgets to recognize the value of the air he breathes in and then flowers he picks. Speaking of â€Å"Nature’s holy plan,† I think he trust that Nature and God are one and their plans for man are the same, but they will only work if man realizes the right path to follow. The last two lines leave us with the question â€Å"Have I not reason to lament/ what man has made of man?† Wordsworth wants his reader to realize that we should all grieve for the sorrow that we cause ourselves. Man has made himself what he is today, a busy, selfish, evil person, an outcome for which we should grieve. The question leaves the reader to ponder the meaning of life and all the deep questions that are buried deep within the human soul, the questions unanswerable by words, yet only through actions.

Estimating the Iron(II) content in an iron tablet using a standard solution of potassium manganate (VII) Essay

Calculating the amount of iron(II) present The iron was oxidized from its 2+ state to 3+ by sulfuric acid: And the manganate iron was reduced as follows: This half equation is balanced as follows: Since the above equation involves the transfer of five electrons, the equation involving iron needs to be multiplied by five before the two half equations can be added together: Adding the two half equations: This simplifies to: This equation shows that for every five present, one is required for the reaction to be completed. 19.1ml of potassium manganate solution was used for titration. From this the amount of manganate ions used can be calculated as follows: Amount of present = Mass of present = Since the volume of solution used was 25cm3, one-tenth of the total solution made from the five iron tablets, the above calculation shows that: . Dividing this value by 5, we get 53.3mg of Fe present in each tablet. We may also calculate the amount of Iron(II) Sulfate are present in each tablet: Molar mass of Iron(II) Sulfate, FeSO4: 55.8+32+164 = 151.8g/mol Amount of FeSO4 present: /5 tablets The mass of the five iron tablets was measured to be 1.552gà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½0.0001. Dividing this value by five gives 0.310g per tablet, or 310mg. This means that the percentage of Iron(II)Sulfate present in each tablet in mass is as follows: Uncertainties calculation Percentage uncertainty for pipette reading = ==> Volume of iron (II) solution used = 25mlà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½0.05 Percentage uncertainty for burette reading = ==> Volume of potassium manganate used = 19.1mlà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½0.05 Adding the percentage uncertainties together, the overall uncertainty is 0.462%. Converting this to the uncertainty of the total amount of iron sulfate present, we obtain: Thus, the total amount of iron sulfate can be said to be 145mgà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½0.670 Literature value for mass of Iron Sulfate present in one tablet is 160mg. The percentage error of the experimental results can thus be calculated as follows: Converting this into absolute error in the amount of iron, we obtain: Thus, the total amount of iron sulfate with respect to its error value can be said to be 145mgà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½13.6. Conclusion In this investigation it was found through calculations that each of the iron tablet contained approximately 145mg of Iron (II) Sulfate. This is 15mg less than the listed amount of 160mg on the package, or 10% less than the literature value. This may have happened because some of the crushed tablets were left behind in the mortar. Another possible reason is that some of the iron in the iron (II) solution deposited in the bottom of the volumetric flask. This would mean that the pipette was filled with solution of less iron concentration than the average concentration. This would explain the smaller obtained value. It was also found that the percentage error value was significantly bigger than the percentage uncertainty. This suggests that there was systematic error in this experiment. A possible way to solve this problem is to calibrate the burette and pipette next time before conducting the experiment. Evaluation This investigation has several flaws in its method. Potassium manganate (VII) solution was used in this experiment to titrate against the iron tablet solution. However, because it readily decomposes into manganese dioxide (MnO2), it is difficult to ever obtain a solution with exact concentration. The result is that the volume of manganate (VII) solution used might have been bigger than necessary due to decreased concentration as a result of decomposition. To minimize this from happening, the solution should be kept in a clean container and exposed to as little light as possible, as the solution decomposes faster under light and contaminated container. The obtained result was smaller than literature value, and this may have been because some of the powdered tablet was left in the mortar. To improve the accuracy of this experiment, one should wash the mortar with sulfuric acid or distilled water, which can then be transferred to the volumetric flask. This would allow more of the iron tablet to be contained in the acidic solution, thus increasing the amount of iron present. To extend this investigation, one can experiment on more types of iron tablets. Alternatively, a different content such as calcium or potassium can be investigated. This would require different types of tablets to be used.

The Twilight Saga 2: New Moon Chapter 19 HATE

WE MADE OUR FLIGHT WITH SECONDS TO SPARE, AND THEN the true torture began. The plane sat idle on the tarmac while the flight attendants strolledso casuallyup and down the aisle, patting the bags in the overhead compartments to make sure everything fit. The pilots leaned out of the cockpit, chatting with them as they passed. Alice's hand was hard on my shoulder, holding me in my seat while I bounced anxiously up and down. â€Å"It's faster than running,† she reminded me in a low voice. I just nodded in time with my bouncing. At last the plane rolled lazily from the gate, building speed with a gradual steadiness that tortured me further. I expected some kind of relief when we achieved liftoff, but my frenzied impatience didn't lessen. Alice lifted the phone on the back of the seat in front of her before we'd stopped climbing, turning her back on the stewardess who eyed her with disapproval. Something about my expression stopped the stewardess from coming over to protest. I tried to tune out what Alice was murmuring to Jasper; I didn't want to hear the words again, but some slipped through. â€Å"I can't be sure, I keep seeing him do different things, he keeps changing his mind A killing spree through the city, attacking the guard, lifting a car over his head in the main square mostly things that would expose themhe knows that's the fastest way to force a reaction† â€Å"No, you can't.† Alice's voice dropped till it was nearly inaudible, though I was sitting inches from her. Contrarily, I listened harder. â€Å"Tell Emmett no Well, go after Emmett and Rosalie and bring them back Think about it, Jasper. If he sees any of us, what do you think he will do?† She nodded. â€Å"Exactly. I think Bella is the only chanceif there is a chance I'll do everything that can be done, but prepare Carlisle; the odds aren't good.† She laughed then, and there was a catch in her voice. â€Å"I've thought of that Yes, I promise.† Her voice became pleading. â€Å"Don't follow me. I promise, Jasper. One way or another, I'll get out And I love you.† She hung up, and leaned back in her seat with her eyes closed. â€Å"I hate lying to him.† â€Å"Tell me everything, Alice,† I begged. â€Å"I don't understand. Why did you tell Jasper to stop Emmett, why can't they come help us?† â€Å"Two reasons,† she whispered, her eyes still closed. â€Å"The first I told him. We could try to stop Edward ourselvesif Emmett could get his hands on him, we might be able to stop him long enough to convince him you're alive. But we can't sneak up on Edward. And if he sees us coming for him, he'll just act that much faster. He'll throw a Buiclc through a wall or something, and the Volturi will take him down. â€Å"That's the second reason of course, the reason I couldn't say to Jasper. Because if they're there and the Volturi kill Edward, they'll fight them. Bella.† She opened her eyes and stared at me, beseeching. â€Å"If there were any chance we could win if there were a way that the four of us could save my brother by fighting for him, maybe it would be different. But we can't, and, Bella, I can't lose Jasper like that.† I realized why her eyes begged for my understanding. She was protecting Jasper, at our expense, and maybe at Edward's, too. I understood, and I did not think badly of her. I nodded. â€Å"Couldn't Edward hear you, though.'† I asked. â€Å"Wouldn't he know, as soon as he heard your thoughts, that I was alive, that there was no point to this?† Not that there was any justification, either way. I still couldn't believe that he was capable of reacting like this. It made no sense! I remembered with painful clarity his words that day on the sofa, while we watched Romeo and Juliet kill themselves, one after the other. I wasn't going to live without you, he'd said, as if it should be such an obvious conclusion. But the words he had spoken in the forest as he'd left me had canceled all that outforcefully. â€Å"If he were listening,† she explained. â€Å"But believe it or not, it's possible to lie with your thoughts. If you had died, I would still try to stop him. And I would be thinking ‘she's alive, she's alive' as hard as I could. He knows that.† I ground my teeth in mute frustration. â€Å"If there were any way to do this without you, Bella, I wouldn't be endangering you like this. It's very wrong of me.† â€Å"Don't be stupid. I'm the last thing you should be worrying about.† I shook my head impatiently. â€Å"Tell me what you meant, about hating to lie to Jasper.† She smiled a grim smile. â€Å"I promised him I would get out before they killed me, too. It's not something I can guaranteenot by a long shot.† She raised her eyebrows, as if willing me to take the danger more seriously. â€Å"Who are these Volturi?† I demanded in a whisper. â€Å"What makes them so much more dangerous than Emmett, Jasper, Rosalie, and you?† It was hard to imagine something scarier than that. She took a deep breath, and then abruptly leveled a dark glance over my shoulder. I turned in time to see the man in the aisle seat looking away as if he wasn't listening to us. He appeared to be a businessman, in a dark suit with a power tie and a laptop on his knees. While I stared at him with irritation, he opened the computer and very conspicuously put headphones on. I leaned closer to Alice. Her lips were at my ears as she breathed the story. â€Å"I was surprised that you recognized the name,† she said. â€Å"That you understood so immediately what it meantwhen I said he was going to Italy. I thought I would have to explain. How much did Edward tell you?† â€Å"He just said they were an old, powerful familylike royalty. That you didn't antagonize them unless you wanted to die,† I whispered. The last word was hard to choke out. â€Å"You have to understand,† she said, her voice slower, more measured now. â€Å"We Cullens are unique in more ways than you know. It's abnormal for so many of us to live together in peace. It's the same for Tanya's family in the north, and Carlisle speculates that abstaining makes it easier for us to be civilized, to form bonds based on love rather than survival or convenience. Even James's little coven of three was unusually largeand you saw how easily Laurent left them. Our kind travel alone, or in pairs, as a general rule. Carlisle's family is the biggest in existence, as far as I know, with the one exception. The Volturi. â€Å"There were three of them originally, Aro, Caius, and Marcus.† â€Å"I've seen them,† I mumbled. â€Å"In the picture in Carlisle's study.† Alice nodded. â€Å"Two females joined them over time, and the five of them make up the family. I'm not sure, but I suspect that their age is what gives them the ability to live peacefully together. They are well over three thousand years old. Or maybe it's their gifts that give them extra tolerance. Like Edward and I, Aro and Marcus are talented.† She continued before I could ask. â€Å"Or maybe it's just their love of power that binds them together. Royalty is an apt description.† â€Å"But if there are only five† â€Å"Five that make up the family,† she corrected. â€Å"That doesn't include their guard.† I took a deep breath. â€Å"That sounds serious.† â€Å"Oh, it is,† she assured me. â€Å"There were nine members of the guard that were permanent, the last time we heard. Others are more transitory. It changes. And many of them are gifted as wellwith formidable gifts, gifts that make what I can do look like a parlor trick. The Volturi chose them for their abilities, physical or otherwise.† I opened my mouth, and then closed it. I didn't think I wanted to know how bad the odds were. She nodded again, as if she understood exactly what I was thinking. â€Å"They don't get into too many confrontations. No one is stupid enough to mess with them. They stay in their city, leaving only as duty calls.† â€Å"Duty?† I wondered. â€Å"Didn't Edward tell you what they do?† â€Å"No,† I said, feeling the blank expression on my face. Alice looked over my head again, toward the businessman, and put her wintry lips back to my ear. â€Å"There's a reason he called them royalty the ruling class. Over the millennia, they have assumed the position of enforcing our ruleswhich actually translates to punishing transgressors. They fulfill that duty decisively.† My eyes popped wide with shock. â€Å"There are rules?† I asked in a voice that was too loud. â€Å"Shh!† â€Å"Shouldn't somebody have mentioned this to me earlier?† I whispered angrily. â€Å"I mean, I wanted to be a to be one of you! Shouldn't somebody have explained the rules to me?† Alice chuckled once at my reaction. â€Å"It's not that complicated, Bella. There's only one core restrictionand if you think about it, you can probably figure it out for yourself.† I thought about it. â€Å"Nope, I have no idea.† She shook her head, disappointed. â€Å"Maybe it's too obvious. We just have to keep our existence a secret.† â€Å"Oh,† I mumbled. It was obvious. â€Å"It makes sense, and most of us don't need policing,† she continued. â€Å"But, after a few centuries, sometimes one of us gets bored. Or crazy. I dor't know. And then the Volturi step in before it can compromise them, or the rest of us.† â€Å"So Edward† â€Å"Is planning to flout that in their own citythe city they've secretly held for three thousand years, since the time of the Etruscans. They are so protective of their city that they don't allow hunting within its walls. Volterra is probably the safest city in the worldfrom vampire attack at the very least.† â€Å"But you said they didn't leave. How do they eat?† â€Å"They don't leave. They bring in their food from the outside, from quite far away sometimes. It gives their guard something to do when they're not out annihilating mavericks. Or protecting Volterra from exposure† â€Å"From situations like this one, like Edward,† I finished her sentence. It was amazingly easy to say his name now. I wasn't sure what the difference was. Maybe because I wasn't really planning on living much longer without seeing him. Or at all, if we were too late. It was comforting to know that I would have an easy out. â€Å"I doubt they've ever had a situation quite like this,† she muttered, disgusted. â€Å"You don't get a lot of suicidal vampires.† The sound that escaped out of my mouth was very quiet, but Alice seemed to understand that it was a cry of pain. She wrapped her thin, strong arm around my shoulders. â€Å"We'll do what we can, Bella. It's not over yet.† â€Å"Not yet.† I let her comfort me, though I knew she thought our chances were poor. â€Å"And the Volturi will get us if we mess up.† Alice stiffened. â€Å"You say that like it's a good thing.† I shrugged. â€Å"Knock it off, Bella, or we're turning around in New York and going back to Forks.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"You know what. If we're too late for Edward, I'm going to do my damnedest to get you back to Charlie, and I don't want any trouble from you. Do you understand that?† â€Å"Sure, Alice.† She pulled back slightly so that she could glare at me. â€Å"No trouble.† â€Å"Scout's honor,† I muttered. She rolled her eyes. â€Å"Let me concentrate, now. I'm trying to see what he's planning.† She left her arm around me, but let her head fall back against the seat and closed her eyes. She pressed her free hand to the side of her face, rubbing her fingertips against her temple. I watched her in fascination for a long time. Eventually, she became utterly motionless, hei face like a stone sculpture. The minutes passed, and if I didn't know better, I would have thought she'd fallen asleep. I didn't dare interrupt her to ask what was going on. I wished there was something safe for me to think about. I couldn't allow myself to consider the horrors we were headed toward, or, more horrific yet, the chance that we might failnot if I wanted to keep from screaming aloud. I couldn't anticipate anything, either. Maybe, if I were very, very, very lucky, I would somehow be able to save Edward. But I wasn't so stupid as to think that saving him would mean that I could stay with him. I was no different, no more special than I'd been before. There would be no new reason for him to want me now. Seeing him and losing him again I fought back against the pain. This was the price I had to pay to save his life. I would pay it. They showed a movie, and my neighbor got headphones. Sometimes I watched the figures moving across the little screen, but I couldn't even tell if the movie was supposed to be a romance or a horror film. After an eternity, the plane began to descend toward New York City. Alice remained in her trance. I dithered, reaching out to touch her, only to pull my hand back again. This happened a dozen times before the plane touched town with a jarring impact. â€Å"Alice,† I finally said. â€Å"Alice, we have to go.† I touched her arm. Her eyes came open very slowly. She shook her head from side to side for a moment. â€Å"Anything new?† I asked in a low voice, conscious of the man listening on the other side of me. â€Å"Not exactly,† she breathed in a voice I could barely catch. â€Å"He's getting closer. He's deciding how he's going to ask.† We had to run for our connection, but that was goodbetter than having to wait. As soon as the plane was in the air, Alice closed her eyes and slid back into the same stupor as before. I waited as patiently as I could. When it was dark again, I opened the window to stare out into the flat black that was no better than the window shade. I was grateful that I'd had so many months' practice with controlling my thoughts. Instead of dwelling on the terrifying possibilities that, no matter what Alice said, I did not intend to survive, I concentrated on lesser problems. Like, what I was going to say to Charlie if I got back:' That was a thorny enough problem to occupy several hours. And Jacob? He'd promised to wait for me, but did that promise still apply? Would I end up home alone in Forks, with no one at all? Maybe I didn't want to survive, no matter what happened. It felt like seconds later when Alice shook my shoulderI hadn't realized I'd fallen asleep. â€Å"Bella,† she hissed, her voice a little too loud in the darkened cabin full of sleeping humans. I wasn't disorientedI hadn't been out long enough for that. â€Å"What's wrong?† Alice's eyes gleamed in the dim light of a reading lamp in the row behind us. â€Å"It's not wrong.† She smiled fiercely. â€Å"It's right. They're deliberating, but they've decided to tell him no.† â€Å"The Volturi?† I muttered, groggy. â€Å"Of course, Bella, keep up. I can see what they're going to say.† â€Å"Tellme.† An attendant tiptoed down the aisle to us. â€Å"Can I get you ladies a pillow?† His hushed whisper was a rebuke to our comparatively loud conversation. â€Å"No, thank you.† Alice beamed at up at him, her smile shockingly lovely. The attendant's expression was dazed as he turned and stumbled his way back. â€Å"Tell me,† I breathed almost silently. She whispered into my ear. â€Å"They're interested in himthey think his talent could be uselul. They're going to offer him a place with them.† â€Å"What will he say?† â€Å"I can't see that yet, but I'll bet it's colorful.† She grinned again. â€Å"This is the first good newsthe first break. They're intrigued; they truly don't want to destroy him'wasteful,' that's the word Aro will useand that may be enough to force him to get creative. The longer he spends on his plans, the better for us.† It wasn't enough to make me hopeful, to make me feel the relief she obviously felt. There were still so many ways that we could be too late. And if I didn't get through the walls into the Volturi city, I wouldn't be able to stop Alice from dragging me back home. â€Å"Alice?† â€Å"What?† â€Å"I'm confused. How are you seeing this so clearly? And then other times, you see things far awaythings that don't happen?† Her eyes tightened. I wondered if she guessed what I was thinking of. â€Å"It's clear because it's immediate and close, and I'm really concentrating. The faraway things that come on their ownthose are just glimpses, faint maybes. Plus, I see my kind more easily than yours. Edward is even easier because I'm so attuned to him.† â€Å"You see me sometimes,† I reminded her. She shook her head. â€Å"Not as clearly.† I sighed. â€Å"I really wish you could have been right about me. In the beginning, when you first saw things about me, before we even met† â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"You saw me become one of you.† I barely mouthed the words. She sighed. â€Å"It was a possibility at the time.† â€Å"At the time,† I repeated. â€Å"Actually, Bella† She hesitated, and then seemed to make a choice. â€Å"Honestly, I think it's all gotten beyond ridiculous. I'm debating whether to just change you myself.† I stared at her, frozen with shock. Instantly, my mind resisted her words. I couldn't afford that kind of hope if she changed her mind. â€Å"Did I scare you?† she wondered. â€Å"I thought that's what you wanted.† â€Å"I do!† I gasped. â€Å"Oh, Alice, do it now! I could help you so muchand I wouldn't slow you down. Bite me!† â€Å"Shh,† she cautioned. The attendant was looking in our direction again. â€Å"Try to be reasonable,† she whispered. â€Å"We don't have enough time. We have to get into Volterra tomorrow. You'd be writhing in pain for days.† She made a face. â€Å"And I don't think the other passengers would react well.† I bit my lip. â€Å"If you don't do it now, you'll change your mind.† â€Å"No.† She frowned, her expression unhappy. â€Å"I don't think I will. He'll be furious, but what will he be able to do about it?† My heart beat faster. â€Å"Nothing at all.† She laughed quietly, and then sighed. â€Å"You have too much faith in me, Bella. I'm not sure that I can. I'll probably just end up killing you.† â€Å"I'll take my chances.† â€Å"You are so bizarre, even for a human.† â€Å"Thanks.† â€Å"Oh well, this is purely hypothetical at this point, anyway. First we have to live through tomorrow.† â€Å"Good point.† But at least I had something to hope for if we did. If Alice made good on her promiseand if she didn't kill methen Edward could run after his distractions all he wanted, and I could follow. I wouldn't let him be distracted. Maybe, when I was beautiful and strong, he wouldn't want distractions. â€Å"Go back to sleep,† she encouraged me. â€Å"I'll wake you up when there's something new.† â€Å"Right,† I grumbled, certain that sleep was a lost cause now. Alice pulled her legs up on the seat, wrapping her arms around them and leaning her forehead against her knees. She rocked back and forth as she concentrated. I rested my head against the seat, watching her, and the next thing I knew, she was snapping the shade closed against the faint brightening in the eastern sky. â€Å"What's happening?† I mumbled. â€Å"They've told him no,† she said quietly. I noticed at once that her enthusiasm was gone. My voice choked in my throat with panic. â€Å"What's he going to do?† â€Å"It was chaotic at first. I was only getting flickers, he was changing plans so quickly.† â€Å"What kinds of plans?† I pressed. â€Å"There was a bad hour,† she whispered. â€Å"He'd decided to go hunting.† She looked at me, seeing the comprehension in my face. â€Å"In the city,† she explained. â€Å"It got very close. He changed his mind at the last minute.† â€Å"He wouldn't want to disappoint Carlisle,† I mumbled. Not at the end. â€Å"Probably,† she agreed. â€Å"Will there be enough time?† As I spoke, there was a shift in the cabin pressure. I could feel the plane angling downward. â€Å"I'm hoping soif he sticks to his latest decision, maybe.† â€Å"What is that?† â€Å"He's going to keep it simple. He's just going to walk out into the sun.† Just walk out into the sun. That was all. It would be enough. The image of Edward in the meadowglowing, shimmering like his skin was made of a million diamond facetswas burned into my memory. No human who saw that would ever forget. The Volturi couldn't possibly allow it. Not if they wanted to keep their city inconspicuous. I looked at the slight gray glow that shone through the opened windows. â€Å"We'll be too late,† I whispered, my throat closing in panic. She shook her head. â€Å"Right now, he's leaning toward the melodramatic. He wants the biggest audience possible, so he'll choose the main plaza, under the clock tower. The walls are high there. He'll wait till the sun is exactly overhead.† â€Å"So we have till noon?† â€Å"If we're lucky. If he sticks with this decision.† The pilot came on over the intercom, announcing, first in French and then in English, our imminent landing. The seat belt lights dinged and flashed. â€Å"How far is it from Florence to Volterra?† â€Å"That depends on how fast you drive Bella?† â€Å"Yes?† She eyed me speculatively. â€Å"How strongly are you opposed to grand theft auto?† A bright yellow Porsche screamed to a stop a few feet in front of where I paced, the word TURBO scrawled in silver cursive across its back. Everyone beside me on the crowded airport sidewalk stared. â€Å"Hurry, Bella!† Alice shouted impatiently through the open passenger window. I ran to the door and threw myself in, feeling as though I might as well be wearing a black stocking over my head. â€Å"Sheesh, Alice,† I complained. â€Å"Could you pick a more conspicuous car to steal?† The interior was black leather, and the windows were tinted dark. It felt safer inside, like nighttime. Alice was already weaving, too fast, through the thick airport trafficsliding through tiny spaces between the cars as I cringed and fumbled for my seat belt. â€Å"The important question,† she corrected, â€Å"is whether I could have stolen a faster car, and I don't think so. I got lucky.† â€Å"I'm sure that will be very comforting at the roadblock.† She trilled a laugh. â€Å"Trust me, Bella. If anyone sets up a roadblock, it will be behind us.† She hit the gas then, as if to prove her point. I probably should have watched out the window as first the city of Florence and then the Tuscan landscape flashed past with blurring speed. This was my first trip anywhere, and maybe my last, too. But Alice's driving frightened me, despite the fact that I knew I could trust her behind the wheel. And I was too tortured with anxiety to really see the hills or the walled towns that looked like castles in the distance. â€Å"Do you see anything more?† â€Å"There's something going on,† Alice muttered. â€Å"Some kind of festival. The streets are full of people and red flags. What's the date today?† I wasn't entirely sure. â€Å"The nineteenth, maybe?† â€Å"Well, that's ironic. It's Saint Marcus Day.† â€Å"Which means?† She chuckled darkly. â€Å"The city holds a celebration every year. As the legend goes, a Christian missionary, a Father MarcusMarcus of the Voltun, in factdrove all the vampires from Volterra fifteen hundred years ago. The story claims he was martyred in Romania, still trying to drive away the vampire scourge. Of course that's nonsensehe's never left the city. But that's where some of the superstitions about things like crosses and garlic come from. Father Marcus used them so successfully. And vampires don't trouble Volterra, so they must work.† Her smile was sardonic. â€Å"It's become more of a celebration of the city, and recognition for the police forceafter all, Volterra is an amazingly safe city. The police get the credit.† I was realizing what she meant when she'd said ironic. â€Å"They're not going to be very happy if Edward messes things up for them on St. Marcus Day, are they?† She shook her head, her expression grim. â€Å"No. They'll act very quickly.† I looked away, fighting against my teeth as they tried to break through the skin of my lower lip. Bleeding was not the best idea right now. The sun was terrifyingly high in the pale blue sky. â€Å"He's still planning on noon?† I checked. â€Å"Yes. He's decided to wait. And they're waiting for him.† â€Å"Tell me what I have to do.† She kept her eyes on the winding roadthe needle on the speedometer was touching the far right on the dial. â€Å"You don't have to do anything. He just has to see you before he moves into the light. And he has to see you before he sees me.† â€Å"How are we going to work that?† A small red car seemed to be racing backward as Alice zoomed around it. â€Å"I'm going to get you as close as possible, and then you're going to run in the direction I point you.† I nodded. â€Å"Try not to trip,† she added. â€Å"We don't have time for a concussion today.† I groaned. That would be just like meruin everything, destroy the world, in a moment of klutziness. The sun continued to climb in the sky while Alice raced against it. It was too brigh:, and that had me panicking. Maybe he wouldn't feel the need to wait for noon after all. â€Å"There,† Alice said abruptly, pointing to the castle city atop the closest hill. I stared at it, feeling the very first hint of a new kind of fear. Every minute since yesterday morningit seemed like a week agowhen Alice had spoken his name at the foot of the stairs, there had been only one fear. And yet, now, as I stared at the ancient sienna walls and towers crowning the peak of the steep hill, I felt another, more selfish kind of dread thrill through me. I supposed the city was very beautiful. It absolutely terrified me. â€Å"Volterra,† Alice announced in a flat, icy voice.