Hearts and Minds Essay

Movies and documentaries have a way of touching the lives of many. For the most part, they are geared towards the exhibition of truths that are hidden from other people. The documentary, â€Å"Hearts and Minds†, mirrored the numerous difficulties experienced by the Vietnamese in the hands of the American soldiers. The harsh realities shown by the American soldiers towards the Vietnamese was quite difficult to believe, for we all know how the Americans would care for any other individual. Directed by Peter Davis, the documentary showed different clips that prove the harsh attitude towards people at that time. Even the speech of former President Lyndon Johnson was shown in the said documentary. To give people a great feel of the said timeline, much of the most famous details during that particular time were shown. The type of music, clothes, and even some old archives were shown. In this manner, it would become easier for the audiences to understand what was being explained to them. I admire the montage feeling provided by the documentary. Together with the voice over, watching the documentary was like watching any other historical how. However, what sets it apart from the rest were the heartbreaking realities exhibited. I could not help but wonder as to how people were treated unfairly and how other people could bear causing pain to others. One of the scenes that caught my attention was the funeral of a soldier. Surrounding the coffin were grieving people, including the family and friends. However, for some reason, one grieving lady was stopped from following the coffin being laid to rest. This particular scene was contrasted with a clip showing the interview of the general who led the Vietnam War. Furthermore, there were several other interviews included in the documentary. Although I am not of Vietnamese, origin I was heartbroken by the difficulties experienced at that time. For the longest time, they experienced pain, both physical and emotional, while they struggled to raise their families accordingly. A particular scene exemplified the hardships endured by the Vietnamese during that particular time. The scene showed how the prisoners of the war were sitting restless and not paying attention to what their employer had in mind. I felt pity with the condition these people experienced, toppled by the excessive torture and inhumane humiliations provided by the American soldiers. After watching the documentary, one could not help but question what has been taught in class during our younger days. I was surprised at how the outcome of this war has been, including the participation that the American soldiers portrayed. However, due to the extensive information provided, some critics may also form their own conclusion as to how the said war was used as propaganda. On the other hand, it would be expected that some people would opt to be biased towards the Vietnamese and consider them to be victims of the American occupation. Regardless of everything that has been said, I believe that we all have our own perceptions towards things. Personally, I believe that the goal of this film was to show the other side of history that not everyone was aware of. In this manner, I would be able to form my own beliefs as to how people would be able to learn from these hurtful experiences. It is useless for us to keep on living in the past—we should all move forward in helping make a different in this lifetime. I must say that I recommend this film to everyone, especially those who are currently studying about the history of the United States.

Exploring the theme of guilt in the fifth business and macbeth

This paper will explore the theme of guilt in the stories of â€Å"Macbeth† by William Shakespeare and the â€Å"Fifth Business† by Robertson Davies. More specifically, this paper claims the guilt is a powerful emotion that can destroy a person. Basically, guilt in the context of the two stories led to devastations and up to some extent the ultimate downfall of a person. Moreover, guilt is confronted by people in different ways. Some would have a difficult time getting over it while others would easily get rid of it. And finally, it is the guilt of a person that serves as a catalyst to his suffering which is most of the time, on the emotional aspect On the story of Macbeth, guilt is found on the act of killing. The protagonist of the story, Macbeth, was persuaded to kill King Duncan of Scotland as well as his guard due to the persuasion of the three witches and his wife. But after the deed was done, Macbeth was guilt stricken. This is evident on the absent-mindedness nature of Macbeth after committing murder. In fact, after immediately killing the King, Macbeth is still carrying the bloodied daggers which are supposed to be planted on the guards of the King. Because of this, Lady Macbeth has to return into the King’s chamber to plant the daggers and even smear blood on the guards. It was noted that Macbeth has told her wife that he could not bring himself to return at the room anymore. In addition, even before the act of killing the King, Macbeth already feels guilty to what he will do. This is depicted on Act II, Scene II, Line 42 and 43 of the novel. It was declared in these lines that he heard of a voice saying that he has â€Å"murdered sleep† and that he â€Å"shall sleep no more†. Even after Macbeth became a King, the guilt feeling still lingered. It has even aggravated by his hallucinations with his order of killing Banquo. Furthermore, even Lady Macbeth has suddenly felt remorse with their deed. As a matter of fact, Lady Macbeth’s conscience has been irrelevant on their earlier part of the story. Eventually, she was also guilt-stricken thus having hallucinations and other vivid forms of imagination. At the end of the story, both of the Macbeths suffered a painful death which is a result of their deed in killing King Duncan. Meanwhile, the story of the Fifth Business tells about the guilt felt by Dunstable Ramsay towards a woman named Mary Dempster. Basically, when Ramsay and his friend, Percy Boyd Staunton, are snow fighting, they accidentally hit Mrs. Dempster who is pregnant at this time. Because of this, the act resulted to the very problematic as well as premature labor of Mrs. Dempster to his child, Paul Dempster. Unlike his friend Staunton, Ramsay was very guilty to what happened because he was the one who is supposedly hit by the snowball. This is evident in his lines, â€Å"I was contrite and guilty, for I knew the snowball had been meant for me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Davies, p. 3). From then on, everything had changed especially on the family of Mrs. Dempster. These changes had greatly affected Ramsay which caused him great emotional suffering. Although Ramsay was not directly affected by the changes in the family of Mrs. Dempster, he was nonetheless indirectly hit hard by these changes. More specifically, after the premature labor of Paul Dempster, Mrs. Dempster has become what they call a ‘simple-minded fool’ or a plagued with ‘madness’. This condition was perceived by Ramsay to be a lifelong responsibility to take care for Mrs. Dempster, thus offering some help in the chores of the Dempster household. Furthermore, Paul Dempster ran away from home even before he reached the age of ten (10). This is because of the Mr. Dempster blames him for the things that happened to his wife after giving birth to him. Specifically, he blames him for his mother’s madness. In fact, this blaming is complicated by the cruel jokes of people to Mrs. Dempster who thinks there is something funny about her. All throughout his life, Ramsay felt guilty to the many things that happened after the untimely labor of Mrs. Dempster. This is proclaimed in his lines delivered to Staunton that, â€Å"[This] is the stone you put in the snowball you threw at Mrs. Dempster†¦ I've kept it because I couldn't part with it.† (Davies, p. 270) In other words, up to the end of the story, Ramsay was not able to get rid of the guilt he felt toward the incident that happened during his snow fighting. Indeed, the theme of guilt is relevant on the two stories. On Macbeth, the protagonist of the story, Macbeth, was guilt stricken for killing the King in order to get his throne. In the long run, he was not able to get rid of this guilt thus contributing to his downfall. The same is true with the fate of her wife, Lady Macbeth, who committed suicide because of her guilt, which she was not able to contain. On the story of the Fifth Business, the protagonist, Ramsay, was also unsuccessful in getting rid of his guilt despite the efforts he had done in order to reconcile with it. In a nutshell, guilt can be concluded as a strong emotional force which can significantly shape the lives of every man. This is especially true in the case of people who are guilt-stricken. All their lives, they will be haunted by their conscience because of what they have done. And most of the time, it is their guilt that dictates the tempo of their life. As such, they become forever bound with the power of guilt. REFERENCES Davies, Robertson. (2001). Fifth Business.   New York: Gail Godwin Shakespeare, William. (1992). Macbeth. Ed. by Barabara Mowat and Paul Werstine. New York: Washington Press.

On literature review made by authors Essay

The authors asserted to have found a framework for the examination of customer-focused culture via the literature review made. It may be noted that the study included only a survey of 32 potential best organizations as identified by the reseachers and they may not necessarily represent the broader characteristics of other organizations in New Zealand and even in the world. They have indeed accepted a limitation of their study that benefits would have been gained if the study has extended to a larger international group. The limitation of the samples use is material into the validity of the survey on whether they represent the real value of customer focus culture to the organizations. In discussing the background of the study, Bartley, et al (2007) cited the the strong link between an organization’s culture and its performance which they claimed to have been widely recognised by practitioners where they cited the work of Basch (2002) and academics where they cited the work of Kotter and Heskett (1992). If organizations desire to have enduring relationship and loyal customers, they must be equipped with an effective customer-focused culture which will make it easier for these companies to have successful product and service delivery. To support their statements they cited the works of Macaukay Clark (1998) and Martin (1992). For the authors customer-focused culture was almost as good as survival in the long-term. These findings from literature review prompted the authors and the the 18 organization-members of the NZBC to asks for the componets and charateristics of a good customer-focused culture. For which reason, NZBC was formed by the Massey University’s Centre for Organizational Excellence Research (COER) in partnership witht the New Zealand Business Excellence Foundation to achieve the ambitious vision of becoming world-class performers of its members and to adopt excellent business practices within New Zealand. To measure the improvements by club members, they have agreed on a criteria for excellent performance on annual basis. See Figure 1 of their report and is made part of Appendix 1 of this paper. It appears that their agreement on criteria of performance excellence was just not a result of a tests or even a previous study. By merely agreeing and not conducting any test which are the factors there is basis the criteria may be just based on opinions. The results of their literature review resulted to their having identified six characteristics of organizations having performance of good to best practices. Bartley, B. et al. (2007) made use of same six characteristics as an analytical framework. They found the importance of leadership and used the works of Brooks, 1997; Whitely, 1991, Galreath and Rogers, 1999 which found that customers drive organizational direction and actions, to support the characteristic. They also included listening as characteristic where the views of customers are actively sought to have ease of contact/conduct of business where they cited the works of Scheuing (1999) and Plymie (1991). Bartley, B. et al (2007) also included analysis and understanding using the works of Brooks (1997) and Wikstrom (1996) which found that need to understand customer expectations. Further included is integration and deployment where the authors cited the work of Martin (1992) which could the need to act upon customers’ expectations. Still include is is people after citing the work of Kennedy, et al, (2002) which determined that customer-focused culture is understood and integrated in the whole the organization. They also included the need to review and improve where they cite the work of Alam and Perry (2002). The fact their literature review is supported by published works of other researchers on the basis of being mainly taken from academic journals and other published works, will lends some degree of validity of the summary of characteristics made as part of their analytical framework.

Conflict managment among nursing professionals Essay

Conflict managment among nursing professionals - Essay Example Therefore, this paper is meant to research on how efficient communication among nursing professionals is very crucial in conflict management, workplace satisfaction, patient satisfaction and safety. Proper communication mechanisms are essential for conflict management among nursing professionals. Good communication skills aid in streamlining the relationship among the nursing professionals which provide a level working environment. In fact, efficient communication skills allow the nursing professionals interact freely and without commotions and therefore are able to execute their duties more efficiently and in harmony. It is through efficient communication that the nursing professionals can get to share ideas and gain more skills. The nursing professionals must strive to develop smooth communication strategies to aid in managing conflicts. Effective communication strategies enhance solution of issues on time before they get out of hand. For instance, timely management of hostility between two nurses will promote workplace satisfaction since the disagreement will last for a short time. According to Arnold & Boggs (2011), a hostile situation between nursing professionals may emanate from mockery of one’s opinion by others. In essence, the conflict management department should ensure that any communication made to ridicule someone’s opinion is prohibited to prevent a conflict from arising. In fact, the management needs to provide a level ground for dialogue between the conflicting parties. Dialogue is among the most preferable mechanisms for conflict management. Successful dialogue between quarreling nursing professionals can inculcate respect between them which might aid team building and efficient performance. Efficient communication eliminates confusion by patients and this promotes their satisfaction. Conflicts among nursing professionals result

Long question answer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Long question answer - Essay Example Here, some of the differences between the terms recruitment and selection are being enumerated which are very basic and initial in nature, for the purpose of the betterment and the clear understanding of the line managers. One of the foremost differences between the recruitment and selection is that of the nature of the processes. The former is a positive process which includes the calling of all the applicants or candidates for the job opening or employment and the latter is a negative process which includes the choosing of the suitable or appropriate candidate or applicant for the job opening. But some further light should be shed on the differences between recruitment and selection. The term recruiting means the process of finding the suitable candidates for a specific job. The criteria are given in the advert or the recruiting agency or the HR office or any other place. All the persons that meet the criteria of the respective advert are able to recruit themselves with the employment agency or what ever the source may be. There is no discretion of the administration of the respective agency or the source, in terms of hiring or not hiring the person who meets the criteria defined for the recruitment. Therefore, if a person meets the criteria of recruitment then, the manager or even the high administration cannot stop him from being hired. The condition is that he meets the criteria perfectly and is not disqualified otherwise. The most common example of the recruitments is the Army of any country. Let us take the example of U.S military. Once a person has cleared all the tests and the physical training programs, which are criteria for the recruitment of military, no one can stop him from being a part of the U.S military. It is hoped that the concept of recruitment is clear to some extent. Some light is now shed on the other term, known as selection. Selection is referred to as the opposite of recruitment in some cases. Most

Should drugs and steroids be legalized in professional sports Research Paper

Should drugs and steroids be legalized in professional sports - Research Paper Example III. Negative Effects of Steroid Use. (i) Risks for the human body (ii) Risks for Men (iii) Risks for Women IV. Steroids in College Athletics and Professional Sports (i) Reasons for steroids use (ii) Testing for Steroid Use (iii) Incidents in the lives of Professional Athletes as a result of Steroid Use V. Steroid Use in the Adolescent Population (i) The "Hero Factor" (ii) Peer Pressure (iii) Risks for Teenagers who abuse steroids VI. Conclusion Ways of discouraging steroid use Name Professor Module Date Should Drugs and Steroids be legalized in Professional Sports? INTRODUCTION Eitzen, Stanley, & George, Sage. Sociology of North American Sport 7th Edition. California: McGraw Hill, 2003. Anabolic steroids refer to group molecules that contain synthetic analogs of testosterone as well as the authentic male sex hormone, testosterone. In the present sports scene, many athletes use anabolic steroids in order to build up on muscle mass. The history of the use of steroids goes back to the 1930s. Steroids first appeared in World War 2 when they were developed for the German army and legalized so that German soldiers could use them to be more destructive in war. After the war, American as well as European doctors often used steroids to take care of blood disorders such as anemia. Today, most steroids are utilized in veterinary medicine in the production of meat. Steroids help in building more muscle in lean beef cattle. Steroids are also used to generate muscle mass in race dogs and horses. According to this Sage and Fitzen, there is evidence to suggest that there are more than 3,000,000 standard anabolic steroid users in America even though they have not been legalized. Most of these users procure anabolic steroids through illegal means. ... Most of these users procure anabolic steroids through illegal means. According to these authors, who have comprehensively addressed different issues concerning the use of anabolic steroids, it is mainly the healthy athletes who turn to steroids in order to improve their already amazing performances in sports. The colloquial name for steroids, by which it is commonly referred in the streets, is ‘juice’ or ‘roids’. Benefits of Steroid Usage Assael, Shaun. Steroid Nation: Juiced Home Run Totals, Anti-aging Miracles and a Hercules in Every High School: The Secret History of America's True Drug Addiction. New York: ESPN, 2007. According to Assael, who has given a graphic account of the extent of steroid abuse among teenagers as well as professional athletes, steroids are not just the preference of athletes in sports that value a ragged physique (Assael 93). Some male and female athletes in different sports fields such as weightlifters, body builders, football pla yers, baseball players, runners, tennis players, basket ballers and swimmers have in the past used steroids to enhance their performances. In the present sports culture where many sport’s body’s have began to institute regulations that call for regular testing of athletes in order to counter steroid use, there are many tests that athletes in competitions like the Olympics have to undergo. This has not been successful in lessening steroid use, but has simply served to cause athletes to come up with more ingenious ways of ingesting steroids. By imitating the anabolic impact of testosterone, athletes believe that steroids help in generating additional tissues, contributes towards muscle recovery when they experience injuries in the field and

Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort Research Paper

Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort - Research Paper Example The hotel is keen on environmental conservation; it has rooftop wind turbines installed on the roof to con serve energy. This made it the first hotel to win the Florida Green Lodging Destination in Fort Lauderdale. Other sustainability efforts of the hotel include cardboard and paper recycling, a food composter that is intended to turn waste food into water rich with nutrients. Services offered are ideal for all kinds of visitors; business or family. Services and amenities in this hotel include rejuvenating nail treatment, massage and facial therapy, fitness and recreation facilities, children’s activities, a business center, and convenience facilities like ATMs, elevators, and valet services (Hilton Hotels and Resort). Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort has a strict policy on smoking. Smoking is not allowed in the rooms or in public areas like corridors and balconies. There are designated areas provided for smoking purposes, which are the hotel’s main entrance. According to trip advisor, the world’s largest travel site, Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort has gained so many positive reviews that it was awarded the 2014 Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence award. This is an award given to facilities that have gained outstanding reviews by travelers. Some of these reviews on Trip Advisor say that the place wonderful for a holiday experience. The staff is friendly and would go to a great length to entertain and make their customers comfortable (TripAdvisor). In comparison with other hotels on the same beach, their services are exemplary and have no comparison. Everything in the facility is done for the comfort of the traveler. It has a close proximity to different amenities which is what most travelers enjoy. People want to connect from one place to the next easily and get back to the hotel in time for their pleasure (TripAdvisor). It is only 1.5 miles from an upscale shopping center and the major highways are easily accessed thus any one

Interactive Processes and Cognitive Development Essay

Interactive Processes and Cognitive Development - Essay Example One such theory is the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) by Lev Vygotsky. Vygotsky professes that there is an actual zone for development and this zone consists of a gap "between a learner's current or actual level of development determined by independent problem solving and the learners emerging or potential level of development." Schaffer (2006 p 46) The key to what Vygotsky professed is that this zone or gap is imperative to development. It contains the set of knowledge that the learner has the ability to learn at that time. However, the learner at that time does not comprehend that these things are just our of their reach. Schaffer (2006, p 181) It is the point in child development where the learner is challenged to learn. Jean Piaget has a theory regarding child development and the cognitive processes that are involved. Piaget was concerned with knowledge and how it is obtained just as Vygotsky was. Rather than being a zone that prompted or challenged further gaining of information Piaget's theory's key concept was that knowledge grows. In one respect this is essentially what Vytgosky's (ZPD) theory professed.

Exploring ethics in contemporary business Assignment

Exploring ethics in contemporary business - Assignment Example Further, decisions in an organisation are taken, for instance, to mitigate risks or brainstorm for the best alternatives to move an organisation to the next level (Guest & Woodrow, 2012) . In a hierarchical organisational structure, decisions are made in boardrooms by the top management without involving other employees. Consequently, the style of leadership in a hierarchical organisational structure tends to be authoritative, where the decision made by the top management is final (Ahmed, Bwisa, & Karanja, 2014). In such a case where decisions go wrong, the management should be held accountable for poor decision-making. On the contrary, while a flatter organisational structure allows other employees to take part in the decision-making process, the management still has the last word regarding the ideal decision to be implemented (Michaelson, 2010). In this sense, ethical issues arise whether it is appropriate to hold an employee accountable for poor decision-making in an organisation. In an organisation, decision-making entails a process of tackling a problem by looking for a solution that will bring about value for an organisation’s stakeholders. In essence, decisions in an organisation can be programmed or non-programmed. In the former, decisions are normally repetitive and routine while, in the latter process, decisions tend to be novel and unstructured (Ahmed, Bwisa, & Karanja, 2014). Some of the models in the literature that can be associated with organisational decision-making include the Rational, Carnegie, Incrementalist, Unstructured and the Garbage Can models (Glockner & Betsch, 2011). With regard to the rational model, the process of making decisions is straightforward and involves a three-step process. The three steps encompass identifying the problem, brainstorming for an ideal alternative and selecting the best among others to implement. In most organisational setups, the rational model is the most common

The Golden Gate Bridge Magnificence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 5

The Golden Gate Bridge Magnificence - Essay Example There is a slight scent of roses in the atmosphere a scent that has come up with the tide (Campbell and Susan, 35). The water in itself is pleasing to the eyes, and the smashing of water on to the rocks below makes it seem as if it is raging and charging. The sunlight makes the water sparkle when calm, and though a long way down, I can see my own tiny reflection; a tiny me holding the railings of the bridge and looking down to see the gaze turned on to me. A swarm of birds passes by, making me envious of them because I do not get to enjoy the scenery that they get to enjoy in their flight. They whistle in harmony, whilst I soak in the sun’s warm rays looking into the horizon. Many have encountered death by this bridge. Death has taken the lives of countless individuals in both cruel and softer manner. The lucky ones were saved before death could grasp them. The sparkly waters below me have tasted the blood of the victims. The waters do not choose the person to take in (Campbell and Susan, 35). The clouds begin to show their faces. They come in huge numbers as if to bid me the worst. Now the air smells of exhaust smoke, emitted from cars trying to rush home and avoid the coming thunderstorm., The place suddenly turns cold, a gesture that means I should be on my way lest I meet the wrath of the water below, which has now turned wild and bangs the rocks on the banks with rage. Many lives have been taken down there, and I would not wish death takes mine soon I choose the Golden Gate Bridge because of its famous use by various people and among them those who pass there while heading home on a daily basis. I enjoyed writing about the Golden Gate Bridge because, despite its praise for being one famous bridge among many, there was still the possibility of writing something negative about a bridge that has been praised for quite a while. My first impressions about the bridge were both good and bad.

Women Role in Society Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Women Role in Society - Research Paper Example Yet, in a modern and civilized society, equally they should be treated. One way to determine how women are being treated in our society today is to examine their roles. We want to look at issues such as domestic violence, negative and positive expectations thrust upon women, and whether or not males demonstrate superiority over women. We will do this briefly by examining and analyzing two stories. One is a book by Chinua Achebe titled ‘Things Fall Apart’, while the other is an essay by Maxine Hong Kingston titled ‘No Name Women’. Things Fall Apart This novel is quite interesting as it focuses on the tribal culture in Nigeria. We see the main character, Okonkwo, as being quite violent, all the while also having an ambitious outlook in life. Through the book, we see him as being a person who espouses masculinity. He exerts his manliness time and time again and certainly believes he is superior to women. At one point he brutally beats his wife in order to prove a point. This seems to communicate that domestic abuse is ripe is the cultural setting of this book. The author seems to be drawing awareness to the notion that the role of women in some cultures is one of subservience to the male. In this particular story, the reader witness’s masculinity being demonstrated in society by the beating and emotional distress women suffer at the hands of the men in the tribe. The role of women in this novel is perhaps best portrayed by one of the minor characters, Ezinma. Being the daughter of Oknonkwo, it is interesting to learn more about their relationship. The father quite often expresses his wish that Ezinma would have been born a girl, yet we get the picture that deep down inside he is quite proud of her. Perhaps she is even his favorite daughter. It is one of the only glimpses we have, however, of him really endearing himself to women, either inside or outside of his family. Ezinma does not buy into the notion that role of a women is sim ply to be submissive to the man. She becomes quite bold in the story and often contradicts the wishes of her own father. We get the picture that she could grow up to be a social advocate for woman’s causes. In the end, she supports her father and helps him out politically, but we get the idea that she wants much more and that her father will eventually allow her to adopt a different role. There have been numerous beautiful females like Ezinma over the years that have gradually reshaped the way society view women. Over time, they have redefined the way men are expected to behave towards women in a civilized and cultured society. The author appears to be hinting at that in this book. This student looked a bit further into the life of the author, Chinua Achebe, to discover that his ambition was to rewrite the perception of the West towards Africa. He felt that the continent was unjustly being targeted as uncivilized in many respect, particularly in its treatment of women and the poor. To get his point across, he wrote sensationalized novels, such as ‘Things Fall Apart’ in order to express that Africa is truly a misunderstood culture. Sure, it is different than the West and many practices are antiquated, but times are changing. No Name Woman No Name Woman is just one chapter of a larger novel that takes place in China. This one chapter alone is frequently used to analyze the role women in Asia, particular in Chinese society. We learn in this brief account that women who gave into sexual temptation were treated like the character in the Scarlet Letter – they were shunned by society. The main character’s aunt, for example, had to flea her village when it was

Geddes Garden City Essay Example for Free

Geddes Garden City Essay Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The American Political Economist who authored   the best read book titled Progress and Poverty (Lause) defined urbanization as â€Å"This life of great cities is not the natural life of man.   He must, under such conditions, deteriorate, physically, mentally, and morally â€Å".   To consider his point, the author view that life must be maintained in a serene atmosphere and not in a busy city just like those old good days that red beans or the cocoa is enough to send every household child to a good school.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Henry George began musing on this concept when the new railroad transport was developed in California that made an influence on high land values and influx of ordinary people to city life.   That development in one place brought about overcrowding and had wayward implications on the sustainability of the natural environment.   However, his idea provided economic reforms that made improvements of the life of the working classes possible.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Cities are indications of developments and of the visible civilizations of the history of man.   It takes a process of transformation that is unique and at the same time diverse.   This work is aimed at explaining the town concepts during the period of industrialization from the beginning of mass transportation and birth of new cities in particular on how Geddes observed and analyze these processes. Sustainability of the Man-built Environment   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It was concluded by Henry George that the man-built environment is something that will not last. However, Patrick Geddes the Leonardo da Vinci of the 20th century teaches and reaffirms that our world environment could be sustained provided that man cooperates in the process.   It has to be sustained in order that the life cycle of the young generation’s continues.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   His statement is not a contradiction to George’s philosophy but a possible solution to man’s current problems.   His reaffirmation brought to the world a new hope that even though life cycle is limited, this world is still something worthy to be cared for and it can endure. The positive attitude of George influences not only his neighbors but the human settlement at large during his time to the present.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are issues on industrialization which brings wealth but at the same time destroys the natural environment caused by pollutants. For this reason, Geddes made it clear that man do not live by the jingling of his coins.   There is always a chain effect if one resource is used in accordingly.   He provided a solution written in the Evergreen book that a sustainable world is as simple as making it comfortably green.   His conviction reminded even planners that if developments are unchecked it would create more disaster than improvements.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Globally, everyone breathe the same air that a poor or a developed nation breathes.   The current concern do not deals alone with affordability but also sustainability. With the pressing trend of modernization, comfortable living is expensive and value for money is usually a rare find. The problem of overcrowding in the cities and the lack of economic growth in the rural areas still remains to be a problem on poorly planned cities.   The increase of deteriorating cities will lead to the decline of the global sustainability.   The idea here is to provide developmental options that are definitely relevant to every cities of the world. His mottos â€Å"by creating we think and by living we learn was made to good use by educating people about their environment (Grewar).† The new housing design for workers, organizing his neighbors to renovate houses and build gardens made an indelible mark in his works which can still be seen in every postcard of the city’s Royal Mile that even Albert Einstein admired and has honored him (Grewar). The Garden City Movement Patrick Geddes three dimensional thinking (geography, economics and anthropology) places social sciences above math and logic, biology, chemistry and physics.   His belief that† the earth as a cooperative planet must teach people on how to treat properly their environment and is aimed specifically on educating children, improving the physical quality of life through biological knowledge by producing better medicines, and understanding human influence on ecology (Killiecrankie).† Geddes bridging social sciences with biology even influenced his biographer Lewis Mumford on the simple idea that man just like plants and animals thrived in healthy conditions which are expressed in one of the extracts of Geddes writings; â€Å"The world is mainly vast leaf-colony, growing on and forming a leafy soil, not a mere mineral mass, and we live not by the jingling of our coins, but by the fullness of our harvest. This is green world, with animals comparatively small, and all independent upon leaves.   By leaves we live (Grewar).†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mumford an architectural critic and is particularly noted for his study on urbanization of the environment regarded technology as the destroyer of environment even if he qualifies that electricity could lead to the improvements of the social spheres (University).   His works are indications that technology must be regulated. During the late 18th century Garden Cities began to evolve through the works of city and town planners particularly the works of Ebenezer Howard in UK influenced by the philosophy of Geddes new approach in urban planning called the garden city movement.   Howard began to build self-sustaining towns that combines convenience and industries located on agricultural sites (Sir Ebenezer Howard).† Howard realizes that no matter from what nation a man belongs, there is but one social issue which is difficult to solve and that is problems on housing and labor. This propelled many to advocate the new movement and increases the awareness on the concept of â€Å"decency of surroundings† and that includes, ample spaces, clean housing with gardens, and preservation of landscapes (Letchworth). The First Garden City   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Letchworth City is founded by Howard and is the first garden city of the world; in 1905 the garden city movement became involved in the exhibits of new housing called the workers cottage or housing for the working class in which some of it still stood today. Those cheap but strong and functional residences can be affordable to workers.   Some of these cottages made of wood or concrete can still be found in Letchworth streets and is now being conserved.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Some of the prototype housing called the workers cottages influences the human settlement design of this century.   This new housing designed sprawled even to the west for instance the workers cottages of Architect Maybeck of California and to the whole world at least giving man an accommodation that he humanly deserves. Mass Transportation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Fast developments are due to improved transportation and communications.   The streets affect the life of all its inhabitants and this vision is very much encouraged in order to serve a huge population.   This is indeed very necessary but at the same time may lead to a city decline.   This entails thorough planning on how to maintain a good life in a cellular metropolis.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Victor Gruen a planning practitioner, mentioned in his last publicized works that â€Å"auto sprawl would cripple the global ecosystem and brings about physical and psychological starvation of the urbanized man (Hill).†Ã‚   Today, some cities plants a good number of trees for every parking slots or spaces created.   Planning theories must be integrated to transit that is useful to automobile cities and providing more mass transit and more freeways.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Automobile cities, needs more spaces unlike the old horse tracks during the colonial times.   Human settlement today cannot tolerate a waste of space in places where living condition is dense.   Somehow, these dense spaces are capable of providing the maximum comfort for man by means of mechanical equipments in buildings. In this cities life is fast and expensive.   Technology is a provision for man’s comfort and not a means to enslave but more often than not it is the other way around.   However, there are many fast developing cities that is capable of coping with the new technology because work is valued in congruent with the dignity of man.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Gruen proposes a plan that could justify economic productivity of big cities and at the same time create sub cities that would adapt to what he calls â€Å"megalopolitan sprawl†.   However, globalization could also mean going beyond ones land area.   There is still vast area of lands wanting to be developed. There are many nations that are in need to cope with the present dynamics of the new world technology.   And while there are other places where overpopulation is a problem there are affluent cities in the second millennium that the inverted population growth also presupposes danger. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the abstract written by Dr. Mervyn Miller, he mentioned the book written by the founder of Letchworth, â€Å"Tomorrow a Peaceful Path to Real Reform† written in 1898 is very much true to our society of today. He recalls that the garden city is a potent concept in the emergence of the 20th century cities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Contemporary planners addressed the issue by following the course of people like Geddes.   However, due to the increase in the demand on the lease to life, those familiar workers cottages are considered mini-mansions of many career oriented people of today.   Ample spaces are defined as functional spaces due to the ever increasing cost per area of construction in square foot or in meters.   Coping with life that is becoming unsustainable is becoming a depressing problem even more than how George views it in his time. The internationalist who believes that nothing is gained by overcrowding still support the issue on the green environment that is very relevant today.   However, there are trends that are still needed to be discovered and be rediscovered especially within the new technology along on how this new ideas can be within the reach of everyone.   The key here is what kind of technology should be provided to sustain the ordinary man of the streets. The approach that Geddes concept has provided in his time is for the working class of the industrialized period.   That became the reason why today’s environmentalist regarded Geddes a steward in land use and its sustainability. Today, a number of men with the same aspirations of those Internationalist described is very much needed.   This fast growing old planet needs people who are a hundred percent human beings in the middle of the electro- mechanical world. Works Cited Grewar, Mindy. Vivendo Discimus: Everything in the Garden Is Magnifique for the Anniversary Celebrations of a Great Scot.   (2004). 11 April 2008 http://www.scotland.org/about/history-tradition-and-roots/features/education/geddes.html. Hill, David R. Sustainability, Victor Gruen, and the Cellular Metropolis.   (2008). 11 April 2008 http://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst;jsessionid=H1TcfmZ4RRyJKG06dF94gjTT9hyHh99GrVvwdzytZzVnn6Lq771Y!-798756091?docId=5001677813. Killiecrankie. Patrick Geddes 1854-1932.   (2008). 11 April 2008 http://www.visitkilliecrankie.com/patrick-geddes.htm. Lause, Mark. Henry George. 11 April 2008 http://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/Quad/6460/bio/G/eorge.html. Letchworth. Letchworth the First Garden City   (2007). 11 April 2008 http://lgc.amolad.net/heritage/index-3.htm. Sir Ebenezer Howard.   (2007). 11 April 2008 http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-HowardEb.html. University, Regent. Lewis Mumford (1895-1988).   (2007). 11 April 2008 http://www.regent.edu/acad/schcom/rojc/mdic/mumford.html.

Intelligence Led Policing Models

Intelligence Led Policing Models The objective of this syndicate research work is to find out that. Has police ordinance 2002 fulfilled its objectives? What are the missing and gaps in its conceptual framework and implementation process? Why community policing system has been left out of the ordinance? And will it contribute negatively or positively?This is basically aimed at analyzing the success or failure if the ordinance with special reference to its stated objectives.Further,this research work digs out the gaps between the real concept of the ordinance and its implementation?Besides,this study also finds out that for what reasons,one of the important policing systems-community policing system-has not been focused upon in the ordinance?More importantly and lastly,this research work analysis whether the ordinance has been story of success or failure by ignoring the essential element of community policing system in the police ordinance 2002? POLICING MODELS Intelligence-led policing (ILP) is a policing model that has emerged in recent years which is built around risk assessment and risk management. Although there is no universally accepted understanding of what intelligence-led policing entails the leading definition is that ILP is a strategic, future-oriented and targeted approach to crime control, focusing upon the identification, analysis and management of persisting and developing problems or risks. In simpler terms, it is a model of policing in which intelligence serves as a guide to operations, rather than the reverse. Calls for intelligence-led policing originated in the 1990s, both in Britain and in the United States. In the U.S. Mark Rieblings 1994 book Wedge The Secret War between the FBI and CIA spotlighted the conflict between law enforcement and intelligence, and urged cops to become more like spies. Intelligence-led policing gained considerable momentum globally following the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States. It is now advocated by the leading police associations in North America and the UK. Although claimed as a policing framework that builds on earlier paradigms, including community policing, problem-oriented policing, and continuous improvement or partnership models of policing, it originated as a rejection of the reactive, crime focus of community policing with calls for police to spend more time employing informants and surveillance to combat recidivist offenders. Recently, intelligence-led policing has undergone a revisionist expansion to allow incorporation of reassurance and neighbourhood policing. United Kingdom Intelligence-led policing in the UK has been applied as a specialized police practice involving the identification and targeting of high-rate, chronic offenders and devising strategic interventions based on that intelligence.ILP originated as a problem-oriented strategy in the Kent and Northumbria Constabularies in combating motor vehicle theft and other property crime. Kent prioritized its calls for service, placing less priority on minor service calls and referring them to other agencies, which in turn provided police with more time to focus on the property crimes. Rather than reactively responding to individual incidents, a systematic analysis was conducted of offenses that identified a pattern showing that a small number of offenders were responsible for a disproportionately large number of motor vehicle thefts in the area. Also identified were repeat victims and problem areas. Using this knowledge to formulate a response, police could soon boast a significant drop in the automobile theft rate. Since 2000, ILP has been enshrined in Britain as the philosophy underpinning the National Intelligence Model. United States The post-9/11 environment in the US, the era of Homeland Security for American policing,[8] has increased demands for law enforcement to build global partnerships and to work more closely with local agencies to expand the capacity of the state to fight both crime and terrorism. Given the belief that 9/11 and other terrorist attacks could have been prevented if not for intelligence failures, a key difference with intelligence-led policing from earlier strategies is that intelligence is no longer considered a specialized function for crime analysts or intelligence units. Investigations following bombings of the rail systems in Madrid and London and the arrest of suspected terrorists in Canada, Britain, and Florida suggested that intelligence culled from a variety of sources and through strengthened inter-agency cooperation may be the key to identifying suspects and successfully intervening to prevent attacks. On March 16, 2005, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff outlined a risk-based approach to homeland security threats, vulnerabilities, and consequences when he said, Risk management must guide our decision-making as we examine how we can best organize to prevent, respond, and recover from an attack . . . . Our strategy is, in essence, to manage risk in terms of these three variables threat, vulnerability, consequence. We seek to prioritize according to these variables, to fashion a series of preventive and protective steps that increase security at multiple levels. In 2006 Mark Riebling of the Center for Policing Terrorism published a doctrine on Intelligence-Led Policing. Rieblings model leverages both Israeli counter-terrorist tactics, and the NYPDs Broken Windows policing theories. Among the Broken-Windows mechanisms, Rieblings doctrine blends problem solving, environmental design, community policing, and public-private partnerships. Analyzing the operations of the Israeli National Police in Tel Aviv, Riebling notes approvingly that investigation of the incident, even a traffic accident, is secondary to the number one goal-which is gathering intelligence. For instance, when they raided a bordello, where the patrons were primarily Arabs from different parts of the region, Israeli police were less concerned about the criminal activity, than with preparing intelligence reports on who these people were, and how they got into Israel. Issues Intelligence-led policing is still in its early stages and therefore lacks a universal conceptual framework that can be applied to disparate contexts as the new policing paradigm. Implementation can also be difficult, because it requires police managers to have faith in the intelligence process and in the judgments and recommendations of their intelligence staff. Some have also questioned whether the foundational ingredient intelligence has been properly considered, pointing out there is already information overload that police and security professionals have to contend with from the huge databanks that have been built up in the intelligence process, and that increasing raw data is not the same as generating knowledge or actionable intelligence. Finally, intelligence-led policing is part of the larger trend of blurring the distinction between national security and domestic policing, or the states military and police functions, and risks the same perils that have tarnished policing in the past, such as political interference, violating civil liberties, and a greater potential for the abuse of police power with the increased secrecy that intelligence work entails. The Community Policing Organizational Change Ideally, community policing should be adopted organization-wide and be reflected through department participation at all levels as well as through the organizations mission, goals, objectives, performance evaluations, hiring and promotion practices, training, and all other systems that define organizational culture and activities. One of the most important specific aspects of organizational change relevant to community policing is a flattened organizational structure. Community policing departments are often less hierarchical, supporting managements dispersion of decision-making authority to the lowest organizational level and holding those individuals accountable for the outcomes. A second important element of organizational change is fixed geographic responsibility. Officers or deputies are assigned to fixed geographic areas for extended periods, based on social and cultural considerations and on the assumption that this fosters better communication with residents; increases the po lice officers ability to understand, prevent, and respond to community problems; and enhances accountability to the citizens in that area. Problem Solving Community policing departments also actively address the underlying conditions that give rise to or facilitate crime or disorder in an effort to prevent future problems by identifying and analyzing problems and by developing tailored strategies that may include traditional and nontraditional responses that focus on deterring offenders, protecting likely victims, and making locations less conducive to crime and disorder. Departments should use a wide array of relevant traditional and nontraditional data sources to better understand and evaluate the nature of problems and work in conjunction with the community and other organizations to develop effective long-term solutions. Problem solving often manifests itself in the scanning, analysis, response and assessment problem-solving model. Departments first identify relevant or perceived crime problems (scanning), determine the nature and underlying conditions that give rise to those problems (analysis), craft and implement interventions t hat are linked to that analysis (response), and evaluate its effectiveness (assessment). The process is understood as continually involving feedback among the components. For instance, through in-depth analysis, agencies may come to define problems differently, effectively returning to the scanning phase. Likewise, an assessment may determine that a response was ineffective and that the problem requires additional analysis. External Partnerships Under a community policing philosophy, departments partner with other government, social service, and community agencies in attempts to identify and address persistent problems in the community. They form external partnerships in recognition of other agencies unique strengths, tools, and expertise that can be leveraged when addressing community problems. The police are only one of a host of local government agencies responsible for responding to community problems. Under community policing, coordination with other government agencies in developing comprehensive and effective solutions is essential. In addition, the police are encouraged to develop working partnerships with civic and community groups to accurately survey community needs and priorities and to use the public as a resource in problem solving and in developing and implementing interventions. Community Policing and Terrorism Prevention and Response Organizational Change A flat organizational structure may ensure more effective terrorist prevention and response. It has been demonstrated that local law enforcement officers are likely to come into contact with those who may be directly or indirectly involved in terrorist activities and most certainly will be among the first responders to any future terrorist attack. Empowering officers at lower levels with decision-making authority and familiarizing them with making (and taking responsibility for) important decisions could be of value in any crisis. In a terrorist event, there may be little time for decisions to move up the chain of command. Officers who are accustomed to making decisions and retaining authority may be better prepared to respond quickly and decisively to any event. In addition, in terms of prevention, developing a flat organizational structure can help lower-level officers feel free to pursue leads or suspected terrorist activity. In addition, having fixed geographic responsibility may assist officers in identifying possible terrorist threats. Officers who work in a community or neighborhood for an extended time can develop specific intelligence concerning resident and community activities. This street-level knowledge is a vital part of counter-intelligence efforts. Problem Solving Problem-solving models are well suited to preventing and responding to terrorist activity. Departments can use many existing data sources ahead of time to develop detailed risk management and crisis plans. Identifying potential terrorist targets in local jurisdictions is an important first step. Police can determine what in their jurisdictions (dams, electric grids, chemical warehouses, large-scale public gatherings) are potential terrorist targets. Community policing encourages agencies to conduct complex analyses of the possible threats and of their relative likelihood of occurring. Finally, agencies in conjunction with other government, social, and community entities can develop detailed crisis prevention and response plans. Finally, the community policing model encourages continual refinement of these plans to suit changing conditions and threat levels. External Partnerships The threat of terrorism provides a unique opportunity to create partnerships with citizens, other government organizations, and other law enforcement agencies. Prior apathy toward these partnerships that may have existed is often reduced by the presence of terrorist targets and threats. Recent terrorist events and associated concerns may have created a sense of uneasiness and urgency in many communities. The specter of additional terrorist activity has created an opportunity to galvanize local police to work with their communities, other law enforcement agencies, and local, state, and federal entities. The community policing model encourages the development of such ongoing and effective partnerships, which can be invaluable in preventing terrorist activity because of increased opportunities for intelligence gathering and sharing. They can also be central to developing coordinated responses to any actual terrorist events. Community policing encourages agencies to establish and expand upon existing partnerships with a goal of developing model crisis plans and processes to deal with the aftermath of terrorist incidents. These plans and processes would consider the needs and concerns of all community stakeholders. Law enforcement and local government can come together with community partners to develop a plan on how to prepare for such a crisis, what to do in the event of such a crisis, and how to cope with its aftermath. Community Policing and Fear of Terrorism By definition, the primary goal of terrorism is to create fear and an atmosphere of uncertainty. This fear can greatly affect the quality of life of many individuals, extending far beyond those who are directly affected by a terrorist event. In the United States the police have increasingly been asked to address the fear of crime generally. The expansion of their role to include quality of life and partnerships with citizens, as emphasized by the community policing philosophy, has increasingly brought fear of crime under the purview of police professionals. As A. Steven Dietz stated in Evaluating Community Policing, Reduction of fear of crime has been associated with community policing programs since their inception. It is clear that reducing fear of crime has become an essential element and an often explicitly articulated goal of community policing. Thus, community policing finds itself well positioned to deal with issues of fear that can arise as a direct result of terrorist activi ty. In addition, dealing directly with citizen fear of crime is important, as unchecked fear of terrorism (or feelings of revenge) can manifest itself in hate crimes and illegal bigotry targeted particularly at people who are Muslim and of Middle Eastern descent. These are important social problems that law enforcement should be prepared to respond to and prevent. Organizational Change Adoption of the community policing philosophy partly involves reengineering department processes and resources away from randomness and reactivity and toward information- and service-driven community-based approaches. Police officers are often assigned to specific geographic areas to foster communication with residents and are accountable to those residents and their superiors for the safety and well-being of that area. Other aspects of the agency are realigned to support the most fundamental focus of all activities, the beat. As a result of this emphasis, police officers should be more attuned to rising levels of community concern and fear and, by virtue of the relationships they have established within the community, be in a position to respond effectively to those needs and concerns. Community policing has been found to engender trust and increased satisfaction among residents for the police, which in periods of heightened unrest can be parlayed into dealing more effectively with community fear that can be based on both rational and irrational concerns. Problem Solving Community policing encourages a deeper understanding of the fear that may result from terrorist events. The first step is to determine whether fear is a problem in the community and to determine the extent of the problem. Police can conduct citizen interviews, surveys, and face-to-face interactions to determine levels of citizen fear. Then they can analyze the underlying conditions that give rise to or encourage fear. Perhaps it is a result of a specific terrorist-related fear such as living near what is perceived to be a potential terrorist target, or the fear may involve fear for loved ones who reside in high-threat areas. Finally, perhaps the fear is a more general fear of terrorism. In any event, law enforcement should work to understand the extent and nature of fear in their community if they want to develop effective responses. Law enforcement should then work in partnership with other community groups to develop responses aimed at decreasing levels of fear if they are negatively affecting quality of life and are determined to be highly exaggerated. Community policing efforts to deal with citizen fear of crime have included foot and vehicle patrols in high-crime neighborhoods, as well as community meetings, citizen patrols, neighborhood cleanup programs, opening neighborhood substations, and citizen awareness campaigns. Clearly, citizen fear of terrorist events is somewhat different than fear of crime generally. However, some of the same techniques may also be useful for reducing this type of fear. For example, citizen awareness campaigns can inform citizens about what the local police and city government are doing to prevent and prepare for possible terrorist events. Crisis response plans can be discussed in addition to general prevention activities. Citizens can be informed about what they themselves can do-such as preparing emergency survival kits for their own homes-to prepare for possible terrorist events and can be informed of evacuation routes to use in the event of a large-scale disaster. Finally, law enforcement agencies should assess the effectiveness of any fear-reduction efforts and modify their responses accordingly. External Partnerships The emphasis on building strong community partnerships encouraged by a community policing philosophy may also help reduce citizen fear of terrorist events. These partnerships may be able to directly reduce fear by increasing citizen feelings of efficacy, increasing the bond among neighbors themselves, and involving citizens in prevention and preparedness activities. Encouraging citizen involvement in neighborhood watch, youth education, and cleanup programs can increase social cohesion among citizens and has been found to result in decreased fear of crime. It is likely that these increasing feelings of efficacy in response to terrorist events may have similar effects. Citizens can be involved to differing degrees in prevention and preparedness discussions. Traditional Policing Historically, local law enforcement in the 1930s and 1940s was characterized by the beat cop, who knew every resident and business owner in an assigned area. Likewise, this officer became aware almost immediately when a crime occurred and generally found out quickly from members of the community who committed it. This timely apportionment of justice helped to create a strong bond between members of the community and the officers who patrolled their districts. However, this policing model harbored significant drawbacks. Officers often gained appointments through corrupt political deals, were poorly trained, and rarely displayed a professional appearance or demeanor. PROFESSIONAL POLICING MODEL As a result, the 1960s and 1970s saw the dawn of the professional policing model. These new officers used the most up-to-date technologysuch as high-speed cruisers, forensic laboratories, mobile radios, and 911 emergency systemsto serve the sprawling suburban environment that came to characterize much of the American landscape. Considering the vast areas covered by a limited number of officers, response times were exceptionally quick. Such areas as recruiting practices, training, and professionalism were vastly improved. But the professional policing model possessed its own inherent shortcomings. Officers became less a part of the communities they served. In fact, they were intentionally placed outside of the community as a reaction to the potential for corruption that existed in prior policing models. And, even though response times were exceptional, calls for police service still brought officers to the scene after a crime had been committed. This incident-oriented policing model placed an impressive array of resources at officers disposal to locate offenders, but made little attempt to reduce actual crime numbers. COMMUNITY-ORIENTED POLICING MODEL Community-oriented policing combines the familiarity, trust, and sense of ownership characterized by the beat cop with the professionalism and expertise of the professional policing model. Officers working in this mode conduct their patrols from a problem-oriented, rather than incident-oriented, perspective. Accordingly, the focus becomes preventiverather than reactivepolice work. Officers involved in community-oriented policing have access to residents on a personal level, which helps to build a better relationship between the community and the police department. Residents see the police as more than just anonymous blue suits driving down the street in patrol cars. The community is more involved with the officers, and in turn, becomes the eyes and ears of the department in the neighborhood.

Finding A Good Place To Study English Language Essay

Finding A Good Place To Study English Language Essay Figuring out a time and place to do your homework and study is of the utmost importance. Once you have figured out when to do your homework, the next question is where to do it. A good study area should have a desk or table big enough to spread out books, notes, worksheets, etc. without them all being on top of each other. You do not want to make a mess, but you also do want to have ample room to work. Make sure you have plenty of light. Ideally, you will near a window with an overhead light and perhaps even a small reading lamp. Most important in choosing a study location is finding a place that is relatively free from distractions. That means no TV on in the room, no brothers or sisters running by, no phone conversations to listen in on, and no instant messenger or emails to keep you busy. Whether or not you listen to music while you study depends on your personal preference. You may choose to ignore any phone calls, or turn off your cell phone, and forget about the urge to go and get a snack every ten or fifteen minutes. Depending on your home, you may be able to find this area at the kitchen or dining room table, or in your bedroom. You may be able to set aside a study space in your basement or an office in you home. Some people find their homes too filled with distractions, and prefer to take their studies to the local library. Wherever you choose, it is best if you can study in that same place all the time. If you can study in this same location consistently, your mind will get used to this being a focused and important place. When you enter this area, you will know it is time to get down to business. Your pens and pencils, paper, erasers, stapler, calculator, and anything else you use often can be kept nearby. Also, you can keep them in a bin or bag which can be pulled out whenever you need them. This will avoid having to stop studying to collect supplies. Having this dedicated study spot will help you get down to business and focus more easily on getting your work complete. Keep Supplies in a Homework Kit It ¿Ã‚ ½s four o ¿Ã‚ ½clock ¿Ã‚ ½you know what that means ¿Ã‚ ½time to do homework. You scour the house looking for a pencil. Then you need a pencil sharpener. Ten minutes later you find one. Finally you sit down to start your homework. Where ¿Ã‚ ½s the calculator? Dad ¿Ã‚ ½s desk? Brother ¿Ã‚ ½s bedroom? Once found, you discover that it is low on batteries ¿Ã‚ ½there have to be some in the house ¿Ã‚ ½but where? If you find your typical study session unfolding like this, then here are a few suggestions to make you finish your homework with ease ¿Ã‚ ½ You can waste a lot of time looking for homework supplies and making sure they are ready to be used. OR, you can use a homework box or supply kit of some kind to keep it all together. Then, when it comes time to do homework, everything is in place for you. No running around, no scouring the house. Any kind of box will do. You can use a storage tote, an old shoebox, or even a drawer. The key is to keep everything you need in there, ready to go. Make sure the tote or box is placed conveniently in your study area. It should not move from the spot. Make sure siblings and family members know that these supplies are for homework, and not for other activities. Those supplies should stay there, and only be used for homework. You may want to label it so there is no confusion as to its purpose. Pencils and crayons should be sharp, calculators fully equipped with fresh batteries, markers with lids tightly attached. Here ¿Ã‚ ½s a tip, since your parents are always offering to help with your homework but it is up to you to do the work, suggest that they take responsibility for keeping the supply kit full and in working order. When it comes to studying, there are few people that want any more struggle or stress than is necessary. Keeping all materials and supplies handy and ready to go will make your studying not only go smoother, but possibly quicker. And who wouldn ¿Ã‚ ½t want to shorten the time they need for studying? Concentration is Key Learning to concentrate while studying and doing work is a skill that will be used for the rest of your life. The art of concentration is to eliminate any possible distractions and completely focus on the task at hand. Many students will read through material and discover that they have no idea what they have just read. Or, they will attend lectures and have difficulty paying attention to what is being said. Here are a few suggestions to help you stay focused and boost your grades ¿Ã‚ ½ When scheduling study times, try to stick to a consistent and efficient routine. Try to avoid studying one day late at night, and the next in the afternoon. Write in your planner or calendar when you will study so as not to have conflicts. Always study in a quiet environment. If you haven ¿Ã‚ ½t already, find a designated study spot free of distractions. If you live in a noisy house or dormitory, this may mean heading to a study room or even the library. When you need a study break, do something different from you have been doing, and in a different area. Get up and walk around in another room. Listen to music for a few minutes. Grab a snack. Try to take a break every hour for about 10 minutes. Every student struggles with day dreaming while studying ¿Ã‚ ½thinking about plans for the night or tomorrow ¿Ã‚ ½s basketball game. To avoid daydreaming, ask yourself questions about the material as you study it, which will keep your mind focused. If you have trouble focusing during classroom lectures, look over the notes of the previous lecture and read the course material pertaining to the lecture beforehand so you can anticipate the main ideas that the instructor will cover. Additionally, show outward interest during lectures. Have an attentive expression and posture. This will self-motivate internal interest. Also, resist distractions by sitting in front of the room away from disruptive occurrences and classmates and by focusing on the instructor through listening and note taking. Just a few minor adjustments in your studying habits will go a long way in improving grades and concentration. Skimming with Skill Think about how you find a name in a telephone book. You don ¿Ã‚ ½t read any more than necessary to find the name. Maybe you use your finger to guide your eyes. This type of reading is known as scanning. Skimming uses the same type of skill mechanically but a different skill mentally. In scanning, you know what you are looking for; in skimming, you don ¿Ã‚ ½t. Since you don ¿Ã‚ ½t know exactly what you are looking for while skimming, prepare yourself by reading the title, source, author, and any pictures; then question yourself,who, what, when, where is this likely to focus on? With a questioning mind direct your eyes down the column of print, or in a zigzag, if the lines are quite long. Look for exact names of people, places, things, ideas, numbers and words like therefore, whenever, until, because, and instead, to clue you to how and why. When you first start to learn to skim you may see only the words in bold type, italics, digits, or capitalized words. Soon you will note new or unusual vocabulary. As you become an efficient skimmer your span of perception will develop and your ability to make closure will increase. Skimming is a step you should always take before you read any article of factual or practical narrative. You will soon be able to detect most important facts, strange vocabulary, and words that are clues to important relationships. Its a good practice to skim everything in mass media after reading the title and first paragraph. You may get all the information you want. This keeps your skimming skills from deteriorating, or will give you the practice you need to develop necessary skills. Skim everything you intend to read before you make a final decision to read, discard, or study the material. Skim all highlighting and develop a read-skim pattern to use for rapid review. And dont overlook this! Reviewing frequently and rapidly is the best way to memorize (or simply remember information) from notes and long text assignments. Skimming is a very useful tool for studying, so learn it and use it! From Start to Finish Confused about what to write down in your notebook during class? Get stressed when preparing for tests and looking over your notes? Here are some suggestions to take you from the beginning of the studying process in the classroom, to the end, or the test itself. Read assignments before heading to class. This will build your background for the information that will be presented in class. It helps you be familiar with the vocabulary and concepts. This is especially helpful if you are unfamiliar with the subject matter. As you read, underline and highlight important information. If you don ¿Ã‚ ½t have time to read the entire assignment, at least look over introduction paragraphs, bolded words, and summaries. This will give you a good overview of the information. Although it seems obvious, you need to go to class and take notes. Most professors or teachers lecture during class periods, emphasizing points of importance. Head to class ready to be attentive and write during the entire class. Don ¿Ã‚ ½t stop taking notes until the lecturer is finishing. Pay particular attention to the end of the lecture, as professors will cram information into this part to finish up for the day. Use abbreviations; get details and main ideas to get complete notes. While the notes are still  ¿Ã‚ ½fresh ¿Ã‚ ½ in your mind, look over them and make any additions or corrections as soon as possible after class. Be sure to make note of any parts you didn ¿Ã‚ ½t understand or missed. Ask either the professor or a friend via email or before the next class period to get the missing information. Try to pass your first test in each class to boost self-confidence. Make up a list of study questions and definitions and practice reciting this information aloud, either to yourself or someone else. Don ¿Ã‚ ½t wait until the last minute study. Rather, study for short periods over several days. Of course, you will want to review the night before a test. Finally, test day arrives. Use these strategies during your exam to make all your hard work worthwhile. Read directions carefully before you begin. Take a few minutes to look over the test, then answer all the questions you know first. This will help you get sure points and builds confidence. Don ¿Ã‚ ½t leave any blanks; it is better to guess if you don ¿Ã‚ ½t know. Watch your time, and manage it accordingly. Don ¿Ã‚ ½t rush, but don ¿Ã‚ ½t go too slow. Take a few minutes at the end of class to look over your test to be sure you have answered all questions and that your answers make sense.

Psychological Estrangement in Shakespeare’s Hamlet Essay -- Tragedy of

Psychological Estrangement in Shakespeare’s "Hamlet" In Shakespeare’s "Hamlet", the main character, Hamlet, is burdened with attaining revenge on his murdered father’s behalf from the king of Denmark, King Claudius. In attempting to kill Claudius, Hamlet risks enduring estrangement occurring within himself at multiple psychological levels. The levels of estrangement that risk Hamlet’s psychological sense of identity are religious estrangement, moral estrangement, estrangement from countrymen, estrangement from his mother, and estrangement from women in general. Hamlet feels self-actualized from following basic religious principles of living. This is shown by Hamlet’s refusal to commit murder thus preventing Hamlet from committing suicide at a time when he felt like doing so to avenge his father’s death because both murder and suicide are considered sins (Cahn 97). " To be, or not to be, that is the question:/ Whether’ tis nobler in the mind to suffer/ The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune/ or to take arms a sea of troubles†¦", (Act III, I.) Hamlet is questioning if it is worth living in such misery or not as everyday he is burdened with trying to avenge his father’s death. At this stage Hamlet is suicidal and risks himself being estranged from his religious principals as he begins to think of suicide. If Hamlet were to kill Claudius, he would be violating a central religious principle against murdering another human being. Both suicide and murdering King Claudius would make him feel guilt at having violated religious coda, thus representing estrangement at the level of his religious consciousness (Knight 14). As Hamlet has the duty to avenge his father’s death by killing his father’s murderer, the King, Hamlet risks estrangement at the religious level. Hamlet is also principled in a moral sense. To kill a king would mean violating his internal conviction against committing crimes that might harm the hierarchical order of a state's government (Scott 56). This is one of the reasons that Hamlet with a sword in his hand does not kill Claudius while he finds him in an act of praying. Deceit is also one of the main moral issues Hamlet has to face in order to avenge his father’s death that violates his moral conviction of being loyal. Hamlet risks estrangement from his moral sense as he decides to put on an antic disposition in order to tric... .... These facts disturb him by making him feel weary and estranged of women’s' emotional weaknesses, which in turn make him feel weary of women in general. That weariness of women threatens his sense of self-actualization, because it is much more difficult for him to carry on a normal sex life if he feels estranged by women in general; a heterosexual man who is unable to carry on a normal sex life with women (Cahn 91). In attempting to kill Claudius, Hamlet risks psychological estrangement that he will likely experience psychological estrangement occurring on multiple levels. He would feel estrangement of his bond of motherly love, his bond of womanly love, his bond of friendship, his bondage to his religious and normative principles, and his bond to his professional colleagues. Many different forms of estrangement occurring simultaneously risk his psychological sense of identity. The realization that he faces such enormous pressures shapes his seemingly bizarre behavior in the play, and makes him struggle against the awesome weight of his obligation to destroy Claudius. All of this, of course, is in addition to his basic fear of being executed if he attempts to kill Claudius.

Byrons Don Juan - No Formal Ending is Needed Essay -- Don Juan Essays

Byron's Don Juan - No Formal Ending is Needed Lord Byron's chief masterpiece is probably the comic epic Don Juan, which occupied its author from 1818 until nearly the end of his life (Trueblood 14-15). The sheer length of the poem is in itself impressive; its seventeen cantos take Juan through a variety of adventures, including the famous affair with Donna Julia, the sojourn with Haidee, experiences in Turkey and later in Russia as a slave, and finally episodes in England among high society (Boyd 22-30). Remarkably, however, Don Juan as Byron left it is obviously unfinished. Further, the poem was not published in an absolutely complete form until nearly eighty years after Byron's death (Steffan III 562). The unfinished state of Don Juan and the circumstances which led to it inevitably encourage speculation: how would Byron have ended his poem? The final canto of Don Juan (XVII) is dated May 8, 1823, and was written just before Byron sailed from Italy to help the Greeks fight their revolution (Bostetter 9). Although he occasionally talked of continuing his poem, he wrote no more in the eleven months between his composition of the fourteen stanzas of this canto and his death in April of 1824 (Marchand 1125). The seventeenth canto of Don Juan was found among Byron's personal effects and papers after he died (Marchand 1234). Meanwhile, in England, Cantos VI to XVI of Don Juan, which Byron had penned in an incredible burst of creative energy from April 1822 to May 1823, had been published by John Hunt in four installments, the last less than a month before its author's death in Greece (Bostetter 8-9). Even within Byron's lifetime, unscrupulous publishers had printed many spurious "continuations" of the poem during breaks i... ...d Chew passim. Works Cited Bostetter, Edward E., Twentieth Century Interpretations of Don Juan. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1969. Boyd, Elizabeth French, Byron's Don Juan: A Critical Study. NY: Humanities Press, 1958. Byron (George Gordon, Lord Byron), Don Juan, ed. Leslie A. Marchand. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1958. Chew, Samuel C., "The Centenary of Don Juan." American Journal of Philology 40: 117-52. Coleridge, Ernest Hartley, ed., The Poetical Works of Lord Byron. London: John Murray, 1905. Marchand, Leslie A., Byron: A Biography, Vol. 3. NY: Knopf, 1957. McGann, Jerome J., Don Juan in Context. Chicago: U of Chicago Press, 1976. Steffan, Truman Guy, & Willis W. Pratt, eds., Byron's Don Juan: A Variorum Edition. 2nd ed.. 4 vols.. Austin: U of Texas Press, 1971. Trueblood, Paul G., Lord Byron. NY: Twayne, 1969.

White Fang Essay -- essays research papers

White Fang By Jack London 1. Survival of the Fittest This means that only the brightest and strongest will survive. From the beginning White Fang was strong. He was the only pup of his litter to survive. His strength and intelligence made him the feared dog in the Indian camp. While defending Judge Scott, White Fang takes three bullets but, amazingly, he is able to pull through the operation of removing the bullets. White Fang learns how to fight the other dogs, to obey new masters, learn to fight under the evil guidance of Beauty, and be loved by Weedon Scott. 2. Romanticism Part five of the book shows how love can tame natural behavior and instincts. White Fang learns to love Weedon Scott, which produces a desire in him to do anything that pleases Scott. This includes having Scott’s children climb and play with him, learning to leave chickens alone, even though he enjoyed the taste. 3. Naturalism Naturalism in this book means that people and other creatures that become victims of their heredity and environment. White Fang is a victim to his heredity because he is one-fourth dog and three-fourths wolf, which causes him to be more aggressive, have more strength than other dogs, and be a better hunter. The environment played a big part because he grew up where a famine was occurring a great majority of the time, there was snow, it was cold, other dogs were abusive towards him, and his masters didn’t make anything good for him (All except Scott) ...

Fool Chapter 3

THREE OUR DARKER PURPOSE[15] â€Å"Well this is a downy lot of goose toss if I've ever read it,† said I. I sat on the bastard's back, cross-legged, reading the letter he'd written to his father. â€Å"‘And my lord must understand how unjust it is that I, the issue of true passion, is shorn of respect and position while deference is given my half brother, who is the product of a bed made of duty and drudgery.'† â€Å"It's true,† said the bastard. â€Å"Am I not as true of shape, as sharp of mind, a – â€Å" â€Å"You're a whiny little wanker,[16] is what you are,† said I, my brashness perhaps spurred by the weight of Drool, who was sitting on the bastard's legs. â€Å"What did you think you would possibly gain by giving this letter to your father?† â€Å"That he might relent and give me half my brother's title and inheritance.† â€Å"Because your mother was a better boff than Edgar's? You're a bastard and an idiot.† â€Å"You could not know, little man.† It was tempting then, to clout the knave across the head with Jones, or better, slit his throat with his own sword, but as much as the king might favor me, he favors the order of his power more. The murder of Gloucester's son, no matter how deserved, would not go unpunished. But I was fast on my way to fool's funeral anyway if I let the bastard up before his anger cooled. I'd sent Shanker Mary away in hope that any wrath that fell might pass her by. I needed a threat to stay Edmund's hand, but I had none. I am the least powerful of all about the court. My only influence is raising others' ire. â€Å"I do know what it is to be deprived by the accident of birth, Edmund.† â€Å"We are not the same. You are as common as field dirt. I am not.† â€Å"I could not know then, Edmund, what it is to have my title cast as an insult? If I call you bastard, and you call me fool, can we answer as men?† â€Å"No riddles, fool. I can't feel my feet.† â€Å"Why would you want to feel your feet? Is that more of the debauchery of the ruling class I hear so much about? So blessed are you with access to the flesh's pleasures that you have to devise ingenious perversions to get your withered, inbred plumbing to come to attention – need to feel your feet and whip the stable boy with a dead rabbit to scratch your scurvy, libidinous itch, is it?† â€Å"What are you on about, fool? I can't feel my feet because there's a great oaf sitting on my legs.† â€Å"Oh. Quite right, sorry. Drool, lift off a bit, but don't let him up.† I climbed from the bastard's back and walked to the laundry doorway where he could see me. â€Å"What you want is property and title. Do you imagine that you will get it by begging?† â€Å"The letter's not begging.† â€Å"You want your brother's fortune. How much better would a letter from him convince your father of your worth?† â€Å"He would never write such a letter, and besides, he does not play for favor, it is his already.† â€Å"Then perhaps the problem is moving favor from Edgar to you. The right letter from him would do it. A letter wherein he confesses his impatience with waiting for his inheritance, and asks for your help in usurping your father.† â€Å"You're mad, fool. Edgar would never write such a letter.† â€Å"I didn't say he would. Do you have anything written in his hand?† â€Å"I do, a letter of credit he was to grant to a wool merchant in Barking Upminster.† â€Å"Do you, sweet bastard, know what a scriptorium is?† â€Å"Aye, it's a place in the monastery where they copy documents – bibles and such.† â€Å"And so my accident of birth is the remedy of yours, for because I hadn't even one parent to lay claim to me, I was brought up in a nunnery that had just such a scriptorium, where, yes, they taught a boy to copy documents, but for our darker purpose, they taught him to copy it in exactly the hand that he found on the page, and the one before that, and the one before that. Letter to letter, stroke for stroke, the same hand as a man long gone to the grave.† â€Å"So you are a skilled forger? If you were raised in a nunnery how is it you are a fool and not a monk or a priest?† â€Å"How is it that you, the son of an earl, must plead mercy from under the arse of an enormous nitwit? We're all Fate's bastards. Shall we compose a letter, Edmund?† I'm sure I would have become a monk, but for the anchoress. The closest to court I would have come would have been praying for the forgiveness of some noble's war crimes. Was I not reared for the monastic life from the moment Mother Basil found me squirming on the steps of the abbey at Dog Snogging[17] on the Ouze? I never knew my parents, but Mother Basil told me once that she thought my mother might have been a madwoman from the local village who had drowned in the river Ouze shortly after I appeared on the doorstep. If that were so, the abbess told me, then my mother had been touched by God (like the Natural) and so I was given to the abbey as God's special child. The nuns, most of whom were of noble birth, second and third daughters who could not find a noble husband, doted on me like a new puppy. So tiny was I that the abbess would carry me with her in her apron pocket, and thus I was given the name of Pocket. Little Pocket of Dog Snogging Abbey. I was much the novelty, the only male in that all-female world, and the nuns competed to see who might carry me in their apron pocket, although I do not remember it. Later, after I learned to walk, they would stand me on the table at mealtime and have me parade up and down waving my winky at them, a unique appendage in those feminine environs. I was seven before I realized that you could eat breakfast with your pants on. Still, I always felt separate from the rest of them, a different creature, isolated. I was allowed to sleep on the floor in the abbess's chambers, as she had a woven rug given her by the bishop. On cold nights I was permitted to sleep under her covers to keep her feet warm, unless one of the other nuns had joined her for that purpose. Mother Basil and I were constant companions, even after I grew out of her marsupial affection. I attended the masses and prayers with her every day from as long as I could remember. How I loved watching her shave every morning after sunup, stropping her razor on a leather strap and carefully scraping the blue-black whiskers from her face. She would show me how to shave the little spot under your nose, and how she pulled aside the skin on her neck, so as not to nick her Adam's apple. But she was a stern mistress, and I had to pray every three hours like all the other nuns, as well as carry water for her bath, chop wood, scrub floors, work in the garden, as well as take lessons in maths, catechism, Latin and Greek, and calligraphy. By the time I was nine I could read and write three languages and recite The Lives of the Saints from memory. I lived to serve God and the nuns of Dog Snogging, hoping that one day I might be ordained as a priest myself. And I might have, but then one day workmen came to the abbey, stonecutters and masons, and in a matter of days they had built a cell off of one of the abandoned passages in the rectory. We were going to have our very own anchorite, or in our case, anchoress. An acolyte so devoted to God that she would be walled up in a cell with only a small opening through which she would be passed food and water, and there she would spend the rest of her life, literally part of the church, praying and dispensing wisdom to the people of the village through her window until she was taken into the bosom of the Lord. Next to being martyred, it was the most holy act of devotion a person could perform. Daily I crept out of Mother Basil's quarters to check on the progress of the cell, hoping to somehow bask in the glory that would be bestowed upon the anchoress. But as the walls rose, I saw there was no window left to the outside, no place for the villagers to receive blessings, as was the custom. â€Å"Our anchoress will be very special,† Mother Basil explained in her steady baritone voice. â€Å"So devout is she that she will only lay eyes on those who bring her food. She will not be distracted from her prayers for the king's salvation.† â€Å"She is the charge of the king?† â€Å"No other,† said Mother Basil. The rest of us were bound by payment to pray for the forgiveness of the Earl of Sussex, who had slaughtered thousands of innocents in the last war with the Belgians and was bound to toast on the coals of Hell unless we could fulfill his penance, which had been pronounced by the Pope himself to be seven million Hail Marys per peasant. (Even with a dispensation and a half-price coupon purchased at Lourdes, the earl was getting no more than a thousand Hail Marys to the penny, so Dog Snogging was becoming a very rich monastery on his sins.) But our anchoress would answer for the sins of the king himself. He was said to have perpetrated some jolly-good wickedness, so her prayers must be very potent indeed. â€Å"Please, Mother, please let me take food to the anchoress.† â€Å"No one is to see or speak to her.† â€Å"But someone has to take her food. Let me do it. I promise not to look.† â€Å"I shall consult the Lord.† I never saw the anchoress arrive. The rumor simply passed that she was in the abbey and the workmen had set the stones around her. Week's went by with me begging the abbess to allow me the holy duty of feeding the anchoress, but it was not until one evening when Mother Basil needed to spend the night alone with young sister Mandy, praying in private for the forgiveness of what the abbess called a â€Å"Smashing Horny Weekender,† that I was allowed to attend to the anchoress. â€Å"In fact,† said the Reverend Mother, â€Å"you stay there, outside her cell until morning, and see if you can learn some piety. Don't come back until morning. Late morning. And bring tea and a couple of scones with you when you come back. And some jam.† I thought I would burst, I was so excited when I first made my way down that long, dark hallway – carrying a plate of cheese and bread, and a flagon of ale. I half expected to see the glory of God shining through the window, but when I got there, it wasn't a window at all, but an arrow loop, like in a castle wall, cut in the shape of a cross, the edges tapered so that the broad stone came to a point at the opening. It was as if the masons only knew one window they could put in a thick wall. (Funny that arrow loops and sword hilts, mechanisms of death, form the sign of the cross – a symbol of mercy – but on second thought, I guess it was a mechanism of death in itself.) The opening was barely wide enough to pass the flagon through; the plate would just fit through at the cross. I waited. No light came from inside the cell. A single candle on the wall across from the opening was the only illumination. I was terrified. I listened, to see if I could hear the anchoress reciting novenas. There wasn't even the sound of breathing. Was she sleeping? What kind of sin was it to interrupt the prayers of someone so holy? I put the plate and ale on the floor and tried to peer into the darkness of the cell, perhaps see her glow. Then I saw it. The dim sparkle of the candle reflecting in an eye. She was sitting there, not two feet from the opening. I jumped back against the far wall, knocking over the ale on the way. â€Å"Did I frighten you?† came a woman's voice. â€Å"No. No, I was just, I am – forgive me. I am awed by your piety.† Then she laughed. It was sad laughter, as if it had been held a long time and then let out in almost a sob, but she was laughing and I was confused. â€Å"I'm sorry, mistress – â€Å" â€Å"No, no, no, don't be sorry. Don't you dare be sorry, boy.† â€Å"I'm not. I won't be.† â€Å"What is your name?† â€Å"Pocket, mum.† â€Å"Pocket,† she repeated, and she laughed some more. â€Å"You've spilled my ale, Pocket.† â€Å"Aye, mum. Shall I fetch you some more?† â€Å"If you don't want the glory of my bloody godliness burning us both down, you better had, hadn't you, friend Pocket? And when you come back, I want you to tell me a story that will make me laugh.† â€Å"Yes, mum,† And that was the day that my world changed. â€Å"Remind me, why is it we're not just murdering my brother?† asked Edmund. From whimpering scribblings to conspiracy to murder in the course of an hour, Edmund was a quick study when it came to villainy. I sat, quill in hand, at the table in my small apartment above the great gatehouse in the outer wall of the castle. I have my own fireplace, a table, two stools, a bed, a cupboard for my things, a hook for my coxcomb and clothes, and in the middle of my room a large cauldron for heating and pouring boiling oil upon a siege force through gutters in the floor. But for the clanking of the massive chains when the drawbridge is raised or lowered, it is a cozy den in which to pursue slumber or other horizontal sport. Best of all, it is private, with a thumping big bolt on the door. Even among the nobles, privacy is rare, as conspiracy thrives there. â€Å"While that is an attractive course, unless Edgar is disgraced, disinherited, and his properties willfully given to you, the lands and title could pass to some legitimate cousin, or worse, your father might set about trying to sire a new legitimate heir.† I shuddered a bit then – along with, I'm sure, a dozen maidens about the kingdom – at the mental vision of Gloucester's withered flanks, bared and about the business of making an heir upon their nubile nobility. They would be clawing at the nunnery door to escape the honor. â€Å"I hadn't thought of that,† said Edmund. â€Å"Really, you, not think? How shocking. Although a simple poisoning does seem cleaner, the letter is the sharper sword.† If I gave the scoundrel proper rope, perhaps he could hang for both our purposes. â€Å"I can craft such a letter, subtle, yet condemning. You'll be the Earl of Gloucester before you can get dirt shoveled on your father's still twitching body. But the letter may not do all.† â€Å"Speak your mind, fool. As much as I'd love to silence your yammering, speak.† â€Å"The king favors your father and your brother, which is why they were called here. If Edgar becomes betrothed to Cordelia, which could happen before the morrow – well, with the princess's dowry in hand, there'll be no cause for him to resort to the treachery we are about to craft around him. You'll be left with your fangs showing, noble Edmund, and the legitimate son will be all the richer.† â€Å"I'll see he is not betrothed to Cordelia.† â€Å"How? Will you tell him horrid things? I have it on good authority that her feet are like ferryboats. They strap them up under her gown to keep them from flapping when she walks.† â€Å"I will see to it that there is no marriage, little man, don't you worry. But you must see to this letter. Tomorrow Edgar goes on to Barking to deliver the letters of credit and I'll return to Gloucester with my father. I'll let the letter slip to him then, so his anger has time to fester in Edgar's absence.† â€Å"Quick, before I waste parchment, promise you'll not let Edgar marry Cordelia.† â€Å"Fine, fool, promise you'll not tell anyone that you ever penned this letter, and I will.† â€Å"I promise,† said I. â€Å"By the balls of Venus.† â€Å"Then, so do I,† said the bastard. â€Å"All right, then,† said I, dipping my quill in ink, â€Å"although murder would be a simpler plan.† I've never cared for the bastard's brother Edgar, either. Earnest and open-faced is he. I don't trust anyone who appears so trustworthy. They must be up to something. Of course, Edmund hanging black-tongued for his brother's murder would make for a festive chandelier as well. A fool does enjoy a party. In a half-hour I had crafted a letter so wily and peppered with treachery that any father might strangle his son at the sight of it and, if childless, bastinade his own bollocks with a war hammer to discourage conspirators yet to be born. It was a masterpiece of both forgery and manipulation. I blotted it well and held it up for Edmund to see. â€Å"I'll need your dagger, sir,† said I. Edmund reached for the letter and I danced away from him. â€Å"First the knife, good bastard.† Edmund laughed. â€Å"Take my dagger, fool. You're no safer, I still have my sword.† â€Å"Aye, which I handed you myself. I need your dagger to razor the seal off that letter of credit so I may affix it to this missive of ours. You'll need to break it only in your father's presence, as if you yourself are only then discovering your brother's black nature.† â€Å"Oh,† said Edmund. He gave me the knife. I performed the deed with sealing wax and candle and handed the blade back with the letter. (Could I have used one of my own knives for the task? Of course, but it was not time for Edmund to know of them.) The letter was barely in his pocket before Edmund had drawn his sword and had it leveled at my throat. â€Å"I think I can assure your silence better than a promise.† I didn't move. â€Å"So, you lament being born out of favor, what favor will you court by killing the king's fool? A dozen guards saw you come in here.† â€Å"I'll take my chances.† Just then the great chains that ran through my room began to shake, rattling as if a hundred suffering prisoners were shackled to them rather than a slab of oak and iron. Edmund looked around and I scampered to the far side of the room. Wind rushed through the arrow loops that served as my windows and extinguished the candle I had used for the sealing wax. The bastard spun to face the arrow loops and the room went dark, as if a cape had been thrown over the day. The golden form of a woman shimmered in the air at the dark wall. The ghost said, â€Å"A thousand years of torture rule, The knave who dares to harm a fool.† I could only see Edmund by the glow of the spirit, but he was moving crablike toward the door that led out onto the west wall, reaching frantically for the latch. Then he threw the bolt and was through the door in an instant. Light filled my little apartment and I could again view the Thames through the slits in the stone. â€Å"Well rhymed, wisp,† said I to the empty air. â€Å"Well rhymed.†