Advantages and Disadvantages of Large Populations

The meaning of CPI (Consumer Price Index) is a measure of how the price of goods and services changes over a period of time. Real GDP per capita means calculating the average income per person in a year. Cost of Living simply means the amount of money we use to live by everyday like, the money we paid for food, taxes, see doctor, and petrol for cars. While Standard of Living means the quality and how people are able to afford of housing, luxurious or non-luxurious living. Different levels of wealth and comfort ability.The advantages of having a large population are an increase in a country’s wealth, more demands hence, causes a growth in economy as well as, rising of income per household. Benefiting larger families, with more money to spend for example, travelling and ability to purchase more stuff. If there are larger population in a country, it also means more money will go into the country’s capital for example, paying of taxes and household bills to the governments. Having a large population doesn’t mean it is an advantage too.There are definitely disadvantages of having a large population in a country, like a shortage in properties, demanding of a rise in salaries and also shortage of resources. The real GDP for China in year 2011 was $7. 318 trillion USD, while the real GDP for Singapore was $239. 7 billion USD. Real GDP per capita for China was 8,500 USD while Singapore was 60,500 USD. There will be pros and cons of Cost of Living in China as China is a big country and difficult to maintain.China has a total population of 1,344,130,000. As mentioned above, that the advantages of having a large population in a country may increase the wealth of the country as well as the economy. Demanding for Standard of Living for example, asking for bigger houses or space if there’s a big family. However, Singapore is a very small country with a population of only 5,184,000. Cost of Living is so much higher as Singapore is the smallest count ries in the world and that makes it easier to maintain as compared to China.More will demand on Standard of Living because Singapore is small and if, there are going to be new members joining in the family they will probably need to have a much bigger space to live. Singapore is also known as one of the richest country in the world. Thus, Standard of Living is high. Consumers demanding for better clothing, food and living environment. It is because Singapore is a small country and the country does not have to spend more money on maintenance except for upgrading and that makes more Singaporeans to be rich hence, Standard of Living is high.

Important to Treat Patients with Kindness and Respect

In his book, People Care, Thom Dick shows us that while it is imperative to know and perform all the medical procedures well, it is also important to treat patients with kindness and respect. He points out that most people don’t remember much about medical procedures performed, but they do remember how they were treated. Also, he demonstrates that how patients are treated plays a big role in whether or not they decide to pursue malpractice litigation against healthcare providers. If patients are handled with gentleness and respect, they are more likely to forgive mistakes. He begins his book by giving us three major mistakes that the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) has made since its founding. The first mistake was to support hiring people that were inclined to hate their jobs. These people were thrill seekers and just wanted to be heroes. They only cared primarily about themselves and not enough about the patient. In order to enjoy and do well in the EMS profession, Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) need to naturally like people and have a love for helping them. The second mistake was that the EMTs were taught to expect the wrong things. They were led to believe that every call would be exciting. In reality, most calls are routine and are not exciting at all. The last mistake was that many EMS administrators treated their workers with disrespect. They applied manufacturing measures to EMS quality which made the EMTs feel less valuable. Thom Dick wants us to remember that EMS is not manufacturing; it is the most important people business ever. Next, Mr. Dick stresses that the EMT’s personal safety always comes first. He believes that they need to develop safety habits if they are to stay alive and healthy. One of the gifts that EMS gives back is situational awareness. EMTs will be put into many dangerous situations and will need situational awareness in order to stay out of harm’s way. Mr. Dick also believes that another way to stay safe is to never drive the ambulance too fast or in any other irresponsible way. Thom Dick emphasizes the need to respect others no matter how strange or different they may seem to us. EMTs meet a wide variety of people out in the field and must learn to accept them as they are. It is not an EMT’s job to judge other peoples’ personalities. Their job is to provide the best care that they are able to give. Mr. Dick feels that it is important to take the time to understand how patients are feeling. Many of the people that EMTs will meet are scared and need someone to help them feel better. One of the most important things an EMT can do for them is to simply smile. The smile needs to be genuine or the patient will feel like it is all an act and the EMT doesn’t really care. He next expresses the need to develop professional etiquette toward everyone that they meet. Respect and kindness should be shown to every person that EMTs come upon in the field. This includes other medical professionals, first responders, other drivers, co-workers, and patients. EMTs should listen to them and do all they can to cooperate. This will be easiest if they naturally like people and have no problem respecting others. Additionally, Mr. Dick feels that professional etiquette includes maintaining a professional appearance. If EMTs are poorly groomed or go around with an unkempt uniform, it reflects badly on themselves, their colleagues, and their profession. In Mr. Dick’s opinion, most of the so called â€Å"system abusers† are simply people who are overwhelmed in life or just lonely. They become desperate for someone to talk to and they know EMTs will always respond and most likely listen to them. They deserve sympathy however and not distain. Many of these people are homeless, having no one in their lives to talk to or listen to them. The author wants us to remember that, with a couple of bad breaks, we could end up homeless too and that these people should be treated with the same level of respect as everyone else. According to Mr. Dick, another group that deserves respect is the patient’s family members. If a patient is in crisis, the family is most likely in crisis as well. They can be very helpful in such things as giving the patient’s medical history, medications, and other useful information to an EMT. The family can also become formidable adversaries if they feel that the patient is being mistreated. EMTs should always listen to them and show that they really do care about their family member. Furthermore, Mr. Dick believes that being able to give comfort to the family is a required skill for all healthcare providers to have. He further states that the elderly are probably the biggest group of people that EMTs will treat in their careers. The author gives several examples in his book of how the elderly can be different from other patients and how certain things can affect them more. Mr. Dick also wants EMTs to understand how the elderly feel about the current condition of their lives. They have gone from being independent in all areas in their lives to needing elp getting dressed and cleaning themselves. They are people just like everyone else and deserve to be treated as such. Mr. Dick next warns us that EMTs will come in contact with many violent people and that they need to do all they can to stay out of danger. When EMTs come upon these people, they must do their best to keep control of their emotions and not retaliate in any way. Violent patients should still be treated with respect and still need to be cared for. Additionally, Mr. Dick informs us that EMTs may be put in a situation where they will have to â€Å"take-down† and restrain the patient. He believes that if they must do this, proper restraints should be used and they should still listen to the patient. If the patient starts to complain of breathing difficulty, the EMT must do what he can to help them. Thom Dick and his co-authors obviously put a lot of thought into writing this book. It is full of practical ways to treat our patients with respect and how to stay safe while in the field. I strongly believe that all EMS professionals and students should read this book to gain understanding of some of the challenges and dangers they will face in this critical and demanding profession.

Learning & Cognitive theories Essay

Learning in my life is an ongoing process; one that carries on as I come across various situations, every single one of them increasing my learning experience. It is rightly said that learning starts the day one is born and continues till one’s death bed. So in this respect there have been various stimuli that have repeatedly crossed my life. I have made several associations with different kinds of objects or situations for that matter which I have remembered and used to make various inferences. Who does not remember the jingles of the ice cream man, stimulating and beckoning the kids to crave for ice cream and inquire for money from the parents? Out of the many situations, one that has truly left an indelible impression on my mind is a childhood recollection of the horrific car accident that I went through with my family. Although I came out unscathed from the accident as did my family who just suffered minor injuries, the very thought of screeches of a car just triggers a whole array of thoughts and nightmares of my accident ordeal. It was a fine day with no unusual surroundings or conditions of the highway. Our car was also going at a steady pace maintaining the speed limits. The car was functioning well with every smallest detail of the car scrutinized by my father, a perfectionist at work. But as it happened that the heavy truck two cars in front of ours carrying logs of wood, its lock that fastened the logs broke free from its bolt which sent the logs tumbling down. This is what I last remembered out of my flashbulb memory, besides the incessant screeches and the wails of the people struck by this horrific incident. It is from that moment onwards that I shudder at the slightest screech of a car so much so that I cannot even stand my friends drifting their modified cars, much to their surprise and disgust. Such a fear that I have developed is largely due to that horrific incident that I went through. This has set a feeling or a sensation at the back of my mind about staying away from fast cars on the roads. I can attribute my fear to the concept of classical conditioning wherein an unconditioned stimulus (screech of a car) has turned into a conditioned stimulus. That conditioned stimulus sets off a conditioned response (fear of an accident). The concept of classical conditioning says exactly that learning is associated with a person responding to a neutral stimulus which normally does not bring about that response. So more often that not whenever I come across and hear a screech I relate it with a fear that somebody will have an accident. If I had not experienced that accident, such a screech of a car would not have meant anything abnormal or out of the ordinary. Such a behavior of mine can also be explained by the concept operant conditioning where a person learns a voluntary response and the extent of it is strengthened or weakened depending on its positive or negative consequences. In my accident scenario, the accident is a negative consequence which I associate with a screech of a car. So the screech or a high speed develops the fear and reinforces it as well. Such reinforcement may happen if somebody in my family also has an accident on a highway or I myself get into an accident. The reinforcement has also stemmed from media which has also done a sufficient bit to sustain my fear of car accidents. One can usually see in the car chases in the movies where the bad guys being chased by the cops or police in their cars get into accidents and get busted. There are several other instances where certain programs reinforce my fear of speeding and screeching cars like the reality car shows. They show cars getting into horrific and deadly accidents as the drivers over speed their vehicles. There is another approach to learning which is called cognitive social learning. One such learning is latent learning. In this type of learning a new behavior does not get registered properly though it is acquired till one receives reinforcement encouraging one to adopt or develop a behavior. But in my accident scenario, I can largely put it down to classical conditioning. This is where I have started making associations with certain stimuli which in turn leads to the development of fear. Reference ATHERTON J S (2005) Learning and Teaching: Cognitive theories of learning http://www. learningandteaching. info/learning/cognitive. htm Accessed: 2 February 2009 Frietas, S & Neumann, T. (2009). The use of exploratory learning for supporting immersive learning in virtual environments. Computers & Education Moriyama, J & Kato, Y. (2009) Self-efficacy and learning experience of information education: in case of junior high school. AI & Society

The effect of rising gas prices on your compan Essay

The effect of rising gas prices on your compan - Essay Example The following discussion will provide a detailed insight towards this issue. As a manager at this delivery service, it is my responsibility to provide the management with future projections about gas prices and to forecast and project gas prices in another 10 years. These steps are of utmost importance. The basic idea behind this discussion is to help the senior management plan everything on long term basis. No company today can survive without extensive consumption of fuel (Magnuson, 2008). This is especially true for the delivery service industry. The competitive edge lies precisely in the fact that the company must deliver all the good on time, every time. Thus it is of utmost importance to the company to be sure about their future gas fuel requirement and the costs associated with it. Gas prices over the last 20 years: The data used for this research is in fact Consumer Price Index - Average Price Data. The prices of Gasoline, unleaded regular, per gallon/3.785 liters from the year 1982 to 2011 have been studied. While studying this data, a lot of statistical techniques and tools have been applied on this set of data. First of all, the data is available in monthly figures. Though monthly figures give us a clear picture of how the prices vary over time, the projections cannot be created without calculating the annual data. The annual mean or average price has been calculated by adding all the monthly figures for any year and divide the sum by 12 to get the average annual figure.

The American Court System Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The American Court System - Article Example The article begins by defining arbitration and mediation and explaining the basis of the two alternative dispute resolution methods. The article then discusses global application of arbitration before exploring past application of arbitration and mediation as dispute resolution approaches in the United States. Further discussion of the article covers some of the United States’ economic sectors that have in the past used mediation and arbitration. History of government involvement in promoting the alternative dispute resolution approaches are then discussed with highlights of some of the legislations that have been enacted to facilitate the approach to litigation (Gama, 2009). The article, based on its title, is expected to discuss chronological developments in alternative dispute resolution. The article could similarly be expected to explain some of the significant changes in dispute resolution that have facilitated its development. At the same time, a reader could expect discussion of the historical interaction between alternative dispute resolution and the judicial system with the aim of highlighting conflicting or complementary aspects of the two systems of dispute resolution. A large percentage of the article is therefore not related to the title. While the author should have started by introducing alternative dispute resolution in relation to the judicial system and then proceeded with a timeline history of developments in the dispute resolution and relative deviations from the judicial framework, the article explores the scope and application of alternative dispute resolution. Even though the author proceeded to discuss past legislations that have affected mediation and arbitration, readers would have expected a more explorative approach to the history. The article should have for instance discussed circumstances that led to the development of the

Exam - 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Exam - 2 - Essay Example s not able to collect a team of dedicated members who have expertise in software, hardware and technological elements of the project then it is likely that the risk associated with the project would enhance. Applegate, Austin and Soule (2009, p. 312) postulate that a minimization of this risk is indeed possible if companies hire technology consultants that can work on every technological aspect of the project, address weaknesses and rectify issues. Lastly, the varying nature of projects determines certain requirements that are relevant to the project. These requirements are not similar for every venture therefore, in some cases the presence of stable requirements has the ability to minimize risk while, more difficult requirements translate into a greater probability of risk. The development of system projects may not be able to meet the specified aim and objectives due a number of underlying factors. Most importantly, if the senior management that is responsible for executing the project and leading the team that is involved in the project does not demonstrate unparalleled commitment to the project then the project maybe steered towards implementation failure (Lecture 6). Another factor that contributes to the incidence of implementation failure is that of gutless estimating. This notion implies that when a middle level manager prepares the cost schedule for a project then in certain situations the manager maybe forced by members of the senior level management to present a cost schedule that hides the true extent of costs and expenses for the project (Lecture 6). As the deceptive figures are entered as a part of the project cost schedule the future success of the project is comprised. Moreover, if the project is not characterized by the presence of change control frameworks then the absence of these components enhances the possibility of an unexpected increase in the costs of the project which is also unfavorable (Lecture 6). Lastly, it stands true that if the

Profile of a language group present in the Los Angeles area Research Paper

Profile of a language group present in the Los Angeles area - Research Paper Example They were sourced to meet the growing demand for labor on the Hawaiian plantations following the enactment of a series of laws that barred Chinese labor immigration. Students and political exiles comprised some of the ancient Korean immigrants, providing considerable leadership in the pre-World War II Korean American community. The intervention of America in the Korean War (1950-53) prompted another wave of Korean immigration. US soldiers posted in Korea brought home Korean brides, planned adoption of Korean War orphans to American homes and sponsored students to study in America. The population of Koreans who have immigrated to America as adopted children or brides exceeds 100000 for each group. The students who were now professionals were able to apply for permanent residence visas in the US in 1965.close relatives of permanent residents and citizens greatly increased the number of Korean immigrants LA .Over a quarter million Korean Americans live in the Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange County-San Bernardino-Ventura metro area. According to the U.S. Korean Embassy, there are about 260 Korean community language schools in the Los Angeles area. The Korean language is taught as a subject mainly in colleges and universities in LA .University of California-Los Angeles (405 los Angeles, CA 90095 Hilgard Avenue) is one such college .The institution has a Korean language department and a center for Korean studies offering Korean at degree level. Korean language is taught in many other institutions of higher learning as a foreign language. Korean American children have inadequate prospects of developing bilingualism in today’s US educational system. Heritage language education is available in the form of weekend schools; these are community-based programs offering language/culture instruction for a couple of hours per week. Most Korean community schools are run by Korean Christian churches, with the staff mainly comprising volunteers from the community. These

Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 5

Law - Essay Example This restriction emanate from the fact that such volume-footed measures are more economically destabilising than any price based trade measures like taxes and tariffs. Article XI also prescribes small exception to this rule namely An export or import restriction or ban which may be viewed as a detriment may be challenged as quantitative restriction which is forbidden by Article XI of GATT. However, if commerce on domestic product is also banned, then the import ban might be viewed as an internal effort enforced at the point of importation, which is allowed by Article III (4) of GATT. (Chris Wold 1996:850). Dumping means when merchandises are exported at prices which are less under the â€Å"normal value† in the country of export made. (GATT VI). In the absence of any domestic price for that product, then price of an analogous product for export to a third nation is employed. The margin of dumping is the glut of the normal price over the price at which the good is being dumped. In National Com Growers v. C.I.T1, Canadian courts were not reluctant in agreeing the levy of countervailing duties against imported subsidised agricultural products which resulted or likely to result in causing material damage to Canadian agricultural industry. (Baggaley 1998). The main aim of Article VI of GATT is to offer a relief to importing member country where imported or dumped subsidised products threaten or create substantial injury to a recognised industry or substantially hinder the constitution or formation of a domestic industry. To claim a remedy under GATT VI, it is essential to make a complaint that there exists a predatory pricing, i.e. pricing a product with the aim of forcing out the competition in the market. Hence, if any domestic manufacturer wishes to invoke the provision of GATT VI, he has to demonstrate that it has been invoked to

On the Moral and Legal Status of Abortion Essay

On the Moral and Legal Status of Abortion - Essay Example Methods of induction have ranged from utilizing sharpened tools, herbal medicines and physical trauma. Opinions, both culturally and legally differ worldwide, with public debate over legal ramifications and ethics of abortion being a very emotive issue. Abortion and the debate ranging around it have birthed activism, debates and controversy in equal measure. It is in fact a norm for people to refer to themselves as pro-life or pro-choice. Personal beliefs touching on responsibility, morality, government role in public policy and religion all affect ones view on abortion. Mary-Anne Warren, an American philosopher, put forward in her article â€Å"On the Moral and Legal Status of Abortion†, the perspective that abortion is acceptable morally. This paper seeks to delve into her article, especially her arguments and form an objection to her work. Warren begins her argument by debating how permissibility of abortion morally is dependent on whether the subject fetus is indeed a pers on. She argues that while a satisfactory defense of the right of a woman has to an abortion without proof of a fetus not being a human being is not satisfactorily possible, this difficulty in conclusion of a fetus’s status should not make it impossibility in the production of a solution to the moral status of the abortion problem (Warren 2). Pro-abortionists, due to not coming to grips with issues surrounding abortion, have had most of their arguments fall flat, failing to weaken traditional arguments on antiabortion. Their arguments are of two sorts, they either state that denial of a woman’s right to abortion is a deprivation of her rights to have control over her own body, or that deaths induced by illegal abortions, especially by poor women, is as a consequence of this law. This is obviously flawed since the fact that access restriction to abortion has such tragic side effects is not a pointer to the unjustified restrictions, as murder is still wrong. She cites J. Noonan saying, â€Å"The fundamental question in the long history of abortion is; how you determine the humanity of a human being?† (Warren 1). She goes on to argue that once the assumption of a fetus’ moral rights is allowed in full, the question of whether abortion is justifiable becomes a difficult and complex question. Warren seeks to push her abortion agenda via discussion of the five characteristics she believes are central to being a person. Warren tends to view persons as entities who have consciousness, self motivation, reasoning, communication capacity and presence of self awareness and self concepts (Warren 2). The first issue she tackles is the Definition of a human. She argues that â€Å"human† has two meanings, distinct but not easily distinguishable. Since killing of innocent humans is wrong and fetuses are an example of humans that are innocent, killing them is wrong. She shoots down this argument by claiming that the usage of human in similar se nse in both conclusions, whichever use is meant of the two, one of them begs questions. If used in two senses that are different, then the conclusion is still wrong (Warren 5). She claims that the presence of the human genome in fetuses does not point to it being morally human. Her second characteristic deals with the definition of moral community. She asks if it is indeed possible to establish if moral humanity can be sufficiently defined by genetic humanity. She describes the moral community as all people and only people, rather than all human beings and only human beings. Her argument continues to debate what characteristics enable any entity qualify for consideration as a person. She puts these characteristics down as consciousness and capacity to detect pain, acting out of self motivation,

Internet Web Servers and HTML Essay Example for Free

Internet Web Servers and HTML Essay In order to create a web page, a host must be first be found, or created. The Internet host is a site where the web page becomes available for view by users on the world wide web. While web pages can be hosted by an individual, most people prefer to use a host site as a service provider to do so for them. An Internet host provider does everything needed to make a web site available to others. The host provider will usually charge a fee for their services, although in some cases it is free. Most host providers can also sell a domain name (for instance www. johndoe. com). They will provide space on their server for web pages and may provide an interface control panel for installing scripts, which eases users’ accessibility to the site (such as providing a link for Email communication). After the Internet host provider has been selected, it is then up to the owner of the web site to provide the pages that will appear on the Internet. This is done by creating HTML (hyper text markup protocol) pages that are transferred to the server via FTP (file transfer protocol). An easy way to create web pages for a site is to use a software editor such as Microsoft’s Front Page. Front Page is available as part of the Microsoft Office Suite and can integrate documents from Word or spreadsheets from Excel into the web page. Front Page is user friendly; the software lets users input the text and pictures they want on a web site page as if they were using a word processing program (i. e. , there are buttons to make letters bold, italic, colored, etc. ) instead of having to insert the correct HTML code (which translates the look and placement of items on the Internet). Front Page then takes the information and converts it to HTML language. Once the pages are complete, Front Page will transfer the pages to the Internet host provider where they will be stored, using the account name and password via FTP. Once the pages have been uploaded to the web site, it is then visible and accessible to any user of the world wide web. References â€Å"Hosting Your Web Site†. Retrieved October 31, 2007 from the Dummies Web site: http://www. dummies. com/WileyCDA/DummiesArticle/id-3140. html. â€Å"Microsoft Office Front Page 2003†. Retrieved October 31, 2007 from the Microsoft Web site: http://www. microsoft. com/products/info/product. aspx? view=22pcid=57bccce5-f934-422d-a11a-2afd0c0014dbtype=ovr.

Research In Regard To Shoplifting Psychology Essay

Research In Regard To Shoplifting Psychology Essay In critically reviewing the research in regard to shoplifting done by the security manager, a definition of research will be stated and the following aspects will be analysed and critiqued. Initially, throughout the essay the manager would be complemented for taking the initiative to conduct a research founded on a concern to deal with shoplifting, and the research methodologies used to examine the problem. This would be followed by a critical analysis to identify the strength and weaknesses, beginning with examining the first stage of the investigations which looks at the research problems to determine if the author provided a good argument for the research. The essay will focus on the following, a literature review to determine if the researcher reviewed sufficient information before conducting the research. Methods used during the process of the survey are in compliance with established theories such as qualitative, which include unstructured interviews, observation study, also a comparison between qualitative and quantitative research methods. In addition special attention will be paid to the data collection methods together with the examination of existing information and the ethical violations by the researcher which compromised the validity and reliability of the investigation. The final discussion and interpretation to determine of the finding of the research to determine if the discussion fit with the data collected, taking into consideration if any limitations were encountered which could have influenced the discussion from presenting a logical based result. Research by definition, according to the (Merriam-Webster online Dictionary) states it is a studious inquiry or examination especially, investigations or experimentations aimed at the discovery and interpretation of facts, revision of accepted theories or laws in the light of new facts, or practical application of such new or revised theories or laws: The collecting of information about a particular subject. Research Problem All security managers should be complimented for the initiative to conduct a research which would assist in examining and addressing some of the concerns they were faced with in their organization. On the other hand, in the initial stage of any research there are some fundamental stages that need to be followed in order for the research report to be truly noteworthy. The author indicated the objective for his research was to study shoplifting by costumers and focus on a number of other aspects within the store. These included the volume of shoplifting, the influence of the new CCTV equipment on such and why people actually shoplift. When conducting research it is important to identify the following: What exactly one wants to study? Why it is worth studying? Does the proposed study contribute to our general understanding of crime or its policy response? (Maxfield Babbie, 2008:111). The researcher should also begin by clearly identifying the problem and providing a good argument for s ignificance and determining its relevance (Rodgers (1997). The manager needs to acknowledge that in order to achieve the objective of any research report, there are guidelines that ought to be meticulously evaluated in conducting such an exercise. Literature Review An acknowledgement of some previous research on shoplifting previously done is noteworthy. However, the managers opinion that none for the particular shop was done, and earlier research was not relevant, to the existing research, could seriously put the study at a disadvantage. One of the most important elements in the beginning of a research project is the literature review. According to (Hart 1998 cited in Bell 2008:99) without it, you will not acquire an understanding of your topic, of what has already been done on it, how it has been researched, and what are the key issues. A literature review proposes to offer an overview of relevant literature published on the topic, taking the four stages into consideration. Problem formulation, which considers the topic being examined and what are the component issues, literature research includes finding materials relevant to the subject being explored, data evaluation to determine which literature makes a significant contribution to underst anding the topic, and analysis and interpretation of the findings and conclusion of pertinent literature.(Department of Criminology,2010).The absence of a literature review from the research denied the author critical information that could have assisted in addressing the concerns of shop lifting at the store and a guide for the project. Research Method As a consequence of the number of things under consideration by the researcher with regard to shoplifting at the store, research methods needed to be developed for the study. These take into account using all the necessary processes to achieve the best outcome (Schutt 2004:16) states a researcher can get a clearer picture of the social reality being studied by viewing it observed his method included the use of quantitative research by making use of official data and questionnaires in addition to qualitative data by having interviews, also observation studies. Both qualitative and quantitative methods are useful and legitimate. And some research situation and topics require elements of both approaches (Maxfield Babbie, 2008:26). The importance of research methods should not be underestimated, when seeking to find answers or correct a problem of a social reality. Hence research methodologies form an integral part of any research to be conducted, which has the key to observing the same thing from a different viewpoint. Qualitative research The official data used to determine the volume of shoplifting at the shop were computerised records of inventory taken into the shop as compared to goods sold or otherwise accounted for. However, this measure does not accurately determine the reason for high numbers of unaccounted items at the store, for there could be a number of other factors that could have led to such increasing numbers within the four-month period under review, (Maxfield Babbie. 2008:306 states Store inventory records could be used to estimate losses by customer theft, but this obscures the difference between shoplifting by customers and employee theft. Qualitative methods used in studying data as part of the investigation is commendable, qualitative research is the form of research that is not concerned or interested in what is true or false or what can be proved or disproved, as well as considering the way people understand things and patterns of behaviour. activities that make up this method of research inco rporates , interviews, observations, analysing interactions and conversations including analysing documents,(Department of Criminology,2010).The assumption that shoplifting was on the increase in as much as security officers were catching more people at the shop and the past week two persons were processed by police together with more dodgy persons stopping over at the shop was based purely on observations and lacked adequate data whereby they could have appropriately measure the variables. Interviews Unstructured interviews were used to determine the amount of shoplifting at the shop. Nevertheless, in conducting interviews be it structured or unstructured there must be some ethical consideration when using this method. According to Hart and Bond (1995:198-201 cited in Bell 2008 :44) action research in health and social care, provide examples of different types of code of practice or protocol, which requires researchers to ensure that participants are fully aware of the purpose of the research and understand their rights. The manager choice of semi-structured interviews must be highly praised, for unstructured interviews are most appropriate when researchers have little knowledge about a topic and when its reasonable for them to have a casual conservation with a subject (Maxfeild Babbie, 2008:288). Interviews with both line managers and other records indicated that there was a great deal of shoplifting taking place at the shop. However, both interviews were not conducted at the p roper time to elicit the information necessary in assisting the manager to come to a conclusion as to determine that shop lifting was on the increase at the shop. This factors could have result in bias as there is always dangers in research carried out by individual researchers, particularly those who have strong views about the topic they are researching (Bell, 2008: 166).Structured or unstructured interviews must comply with the general ethics of undertaking such an exercise for many organizations now have ethical guidelines, codes of practice and protocols (Bell, 2008:57) Observational study Observation study was one of the methods used by the researcher to determine why people shoplift. While this is one of the methods by which investigation could be used to collect data, it is not an easy option, according to (Nisbet 1977:15 cited in Bell, 2008:184) careful planning and piloting are essential, and it takes practice to get the most out of this technique. However, once mastered, it can reveal characteristics of group or individuals, which would have been impossible to discover by another means. An afternoon spent walking around the store watching for people shoplifting was done by the security manager in order to collect data; this can be explained as solo observation. However, there is always a danger of accusation of bias or misinterpretation with this type of observation (Bell, 2008:185).In conducting observation studies be it structured or unstructured, participant or non-participant; there are certain guide lines to follow in order to achieve exactly what you need t o know. To begin with consideration should be given as to what information is needed and what approach should be adopted also pilot your method and invite someone to observe with you and compare notes afterwards to see if you saw the same thing (Bell, 2008:185). This emphasizes the point that even though the observation study was unstructured the basic principle for this type of investigation was lacking. On the other hand, the researcher must be commended for employing this method to assist with obtaining the necessary information to establish why people shoplift. Quantitative research Quantitative research methods as compared to qualitative research methods differ primarily in their analytical objectives. While qualitative explores attitudes, and experiences through such methods as interviews, observations, analysing interactions and conversations, including analysing documents,(Department of Criminology,2010).On the other hand quantitative research generates data through the use of a large scale survey via methods such as questionnaires and structured interviews. This type of research reaches many more people, but the contact with target groups is much quicker than it is in qualitative research (Sanchez, 2006) .The researcher decision to design a questionnaire to address why people shoplift is certainly a step in the right direction towards achieving this objective. However, in exercising this option, and considering the survey is likely to get the information required, a well designed questionnaire must be produced that will be acceptable and should pose no prob lem at the analysis and interpretation stage(Bell,2008:136 ). The author points out that he gave out 30 questionnaires to his friends and also to get their friends to fill it in,(Gill,2005:313) stated self administered questionnaire can produce unreliable data as results depend on respondents.(Bell,2008: 148 ) also states, There are distinct advantages in being able to give questionnaires to respondents personally. You can explain the purpose of the study, and in some cases questionnaires can be completed on the spot. You are likely to get better cooperation if you can establish personal contact. The method employed the researcher in delivering the questionnaire could have compromised the information received on their return. Data collection and analysis When deciding to carry out a research project, in the initial stages one should consider how to collect the evidence you require, additionally what is the best way to acquire the information (Bell, 2008:115). The use of official data from the store to identify inventory taken into the shop in comparison to inventory accounted for, as well as unaccounted inventory must be applauded. Analysis of data for the periods under review to determine whether if any significant change in shoplifting before and after the introduction of CCTV confirmed that twenty percent of the inventory was not accounted for in both case. Hence it could not be proven there was a decrease in shoplifting. Generalization is a key concern in research design. We rarely have the resources to study the entire population that is of interest to us, so we have to select cases to study that allow our findings to be generalized to the population of interest. None the less since we can never be sure that our findings will ho ld under all conditions. We should be cautious in generalizing to populations that we do not actually sample. (Schutt, 2004: : 19). Interpretation of results collected from the questionnaire was based on assumptions and not from a proper examination of the data collected. Statements such as, most shoplifting is committed by females for the thrill is not accurate at the point of view two out of ten females answering the questionnaire shoplifted many times, which represents a mere twenty percent.(Bell,2008: 110) writes research findings can be dangerous if they are used in an undisciplined way stating that the research proves x or y without any corroborating evidence to warrant such an assertion. In analysing data collected one should not make claims, which cannot be justified from the evidence presented. Ethical consideration There is no sign throughout the entire research project where the investigator indicated that an ethic committee existed or permission from any supervisor to carry out the survey was granted. (Bell, 2008: 43) explains, at one time, it was possible to have permission for small pieces of research to be done by the head of a department. However, with era change in most cases the supervisor will be aware of any limitations or legal requirement related to researching and ensure that proper standards are in place during the preparation stages of collecting data. Ethical consideration should not be compromised when doing any research project, for any data collected from any of the research methods without consent from participants, create an inherent danger to the reliability and validity of the information collected,(Department of Criminology,2010).The semi- structured interviews, with both line managers is an excellent research method, but they were unaware that an interview was been carr ied out at the time and information collected would be used by the researcher to inform certain conclusions.(Bell,2008:156) points out researchers still have a responsibility to explain as fully as possible what the research is about ,why you wish to interview them, what will be involved an what you will do with the information obtained. During the observational study the young woman arrested for shoplifting and was offered a reward in exchange for information illustrates the importance for ethical concerns in obtaining information. The reliability of the information received through coercion will dispute the authenticity of the data collected. Whenever a research is conducted on persons the well being of the research participants must be top priority. The question of the research is of secondary importance. This explains that if a choice is made between doing harm to the participants and doing harm to the research, it is the research that is sacrificed (Sanchez, 2006). Discussion and Interpretation of findings Raw data taken from the questionnaires, interviews and other methods used need to be recorded analysed and interpreted. (Bell, 2008:203).The researchers discussion and analysis as a consequence of the data collected, asserts that shoplifting is a real problem that is only going to get worse. However, the results presented did not indicate if the results fits with the data collected, any conclusions forwarded need to be accompanied by evidence to support its claim. Taking into consideration data collected during the research as compared to authors statements highlighted this fact. The findings needed to identify limitation of the study and how it affected the quality of the study; challenges encountered in collecting the questionnaire together with the low return ratio would have certainly compromised the fact as to why persons shoplift together with the ages and sex of the offenders. Gathering large amount of information in the hope that something will emerge is not recommended in sm all investigations also selecting research method which are suitable for the task and which can easily analysed, interpreted and presented (Bell, 2008:203).Reliability and validity of the information to determine that CCTV is the solution to the problem is not supported by the statistical data presented. Before and after the installation of the CCTV simple arithmetical procedures related to percentage was not used to analyse the numbers so as to determine if shoplifting prior to and following produced significant changes. According to (Bassey, 1981:85 cited in Bell 2008:202) An important criterion for judging the merit of case study is the extent to which the details are sufficient and appropriate for a teacher working in a similar situation to relate his decision making to that described in the case study. The reliability of a case study is more important than its generalizability. Interpretation of the data collected requires greater analysis before revealing that several things were clear from the research. In determining if a research project ought to be undertaken it must be resolved if the problem is clearly identified, together with providing a good argument for such an investigation. The objective of any research by its definition is aimed at the discovery and interpretation of facts. However, in striving to achieve such this requires the researcher follow the necessary steps that would assist in accomplishing the goals of the investigations. A literature review of previous researches could be an essential first step in understanding the subject. The utilitization of multiple methods to study the research is recommended, which would assist to observe things from a perspective which could challenge or confirm the finding of one method with those of another. Both qualitative and quantitative used were legitimate and helpful in assisting to address the compilation and analysis of information. The differences between both methods were identified, and it was understood that they varied primarily in their analytical objective, while qualitative methods are not keen in what is true or false or what can be proven or disproved. Quantitative on the other hand, produce data through the use of a large scale survey. The possibility of doing a research project should not prevent researchers from considering ethical issues, and aiming at the principle of one having the informed approval from the appropriate review board where the rights of human participants are protected. In the final discussion and analysis of data collected during the investigation, one has to be conscious of the fact that interpretation of the findings must be logically based before making any declaration.

Global Crime Justice And Security Politics Essay

Global Crime Justice And Security Politics Essay Traditionally the state was not responsible for the provision of security and policing, but with the emergence of the modern state and modern policing, the state began to assume a more active role in this respect, and eventually became the sole provider of security. Indeed states possessed the legal monopoly of force over their own territory and their own citizens. With the emergence of globalisation, and the increase in interdependence among states, this approach was in need of reform. Increasingly states cooperated with each other in the field of policing and criminal justice. Interpol was established in 1923 to promote transnational police cooperation, and eventually Europol was created to promote cooperation within the euro zone in the 1990s. The reason being that criminals could more easily cross borders; therefore crime was also transcending national boundaries. In order To address this globalisation of crime, States envisaged a global response to global crimes, such as drugs t rafficking, money laundering, terrorism and the like. This transnational police cooperation transcended national borders, but nevertheless the interests of states were still at the heart of the operation, with national public police forces being the main actors in transnational policing. In recent years the role of the state has diminished and a gap in the security market opened up, leading to other actors taking the place of the state in the field of security and policing. The increase in private policing activity has led some to be concerned that policing is increasingly being taken away from nations and put into the hands of other public and private actors. In this essay, I will attempt to assess the significance of the increase in public and private policing activity and the effect it has both on nations and transnational policing. In order to do so, I will first look at policing and its development into the contemporary concept of transnational policing, before looking at the r ole of the state and the provision of security. Then I will turn to the public and private actors now involved in policing, in an attempt to establish whether they are indeed replacing the state as the main provider of security and policing. Finally, I will include an exception to the rule that the state is losing power by analysing the case of the USA, which remains powerful in the promotion of its interests, proving that the state is still important despite the increase in globalisation. I will conclude with a summary of the facts and my own perspective on the issue. Traditional policing (States services, armed forcesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦etc) Radzinowicz (1956) and Ostreich (1982) trace the origins and functioning of police back to mid-sixteenth century Germany. Traditionally, policing was not seen as the direct responsibility of the State, rather it lay in local civil society. In the UK, policing was performed by privately funded watchmen until 1737, when King George II began paying some watchmen with tax money, thus commencing the movement to government controlled policing. In 1829, the Metropolitan Police Act was passed by Parliament, leading to the foundation of the London Metropolitan Police, currently the longest serving police force. This development granted the police a preventive role intended to deter urban crime and disorder. In this system, military organisations were to secure the nation state and its citizens from the external threats posed by invading armies and police organisations, were to protect the state from internal threats posed by acts of crime and disorder. Since their origin, the fundamental concept behind police forces has been the preservation of order in a community bound by rule of law (Ramsbotham and Woodhouse, 1999). The concepts of policing and governance have been heavily influenced by recent developments, namely globalisation, and by changing boundaries between public and private controls over police and security forces (Sheptycki, 2002). Globalization, a term introduced into common usage in the 1950s and 60s, brought with it a variety of innovations, such as the integration of societies and cultures and the exchange of information, making states more interdependent and reliant on each other economically, socially and politically. However, it also brought several problems to the fore, such as the increase in global threats. By which we mean those threats which transcend national boundaries and impact many, if not all, states. Examples of such threats include terrorism, drugs trafficking, money laundering, human trafficking and nuclear proliferation, to name but a few. The markedly international context, in which crimes such as these are committed, has the effect of encouraging co-operation between those states which share the desire to reduce the threat to their security. These new threats have the potential to impact more than one country, therefore a unilateral approach is no longer sufficient, and states must coope rate to effectively tackle these transnational issues. This can either mean that national police forces establish links to facilitate the sharing of information, or that policing forces (including the military) unite to intervene in conflict situations in other countries. The ease of movement of people and criminality across national boundaries have necessitated the exchange of criminal intelligence and of operational assistance between states and between national police forces (see Walker, 1993, Harris, 1973; Reiner, 1992). Globalisation has increased interdependence, therefore what happens in other countries can now have an effect on security at home also, making transnational policing in the interest of all states. What is transnational policing?(eg..?) The term transnational policing entered into use in the mid-1990s as a description for forms of policing that transcended the boundaries of the sovereign nation state (Sheptycki, 1995) It is a difficult concept to pin down, but generally speaking it applies to those forms for policing which transgress national borders, such as cross-border police cooperation and policing assistance to weak, failing or conflict-ridden states. As Walker and Loader put it, transnational policing has become an expanding, diverse and complex field of activity. From the outset, modern policing has maintained transnational elements, both professionally and politically. Professionally, police officers and institutions have always cultivated international contacts, due to the practicalities of law enforcement. Politically, transnational links are to facilitate arrangements to exchange information, support or liaison between police organisations and criminal justice systems. Police development-aid to failed or failing states is another form of transnational policing that has garnered attention. This form of transnational policing plays an increasingly important role in United Nations peacekeeping (Goldsmith and Sheptycki, 2007). Organised crime is another argument used to justify further police cooperation in Europe. This term is used in relation to different forms of serious crime such as drug trafficking, corruption or even terrorism. It rose on the agenda in the 1980s but combatting it remains central to encouraging transnational police cooperation. Up to now, transnational policing has been closely related to governmental law enforcement at the national level. Following Max Webers state theory, the monopoly on the use of force is a main characteristic of a state, yet today institutions coordinating the use of force at international levels exist without the formal framework of a state. Sheptycki (2002a) argues that, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦policing is no longer a set of practices embedded in the sovereign nation-state, but rather has become trans-nationalised and greatly differentiated. Role of the State In the pre-globalisation world, the State was responsible for maintaining security, and indeed the people relied on the state to provide it. However, in a world where borders no longer retain the same significance they once did, is the role of the state diminishing? Some would say so (see Bauman, 1998; Hardt and Negri, 2000; Ohmae, 1990; Reich, 1991); these first-wave theorists perceive the nation-state as withering away, unable to resist the challenge posed by globalisation and the emerging global economy. Others, however, argue that the role of the state may be changing, but it is still important in the international system. Evidence of this can be noted through continued State involvement in conflicts across the globe, in the intensification of border controls and the expansion of state surveillance and bureaucracy  [1]  . Indeed, as Walker and Loader point out, The State, [] remains the principal if by no means any longer the sole institutional locus of efforts to subject s ecurity practices to forms of democratic steering, public scrutiny and human rights protection  [2]   Nevertheless, it is easy to see that the face of policing is changing somewhat, reflecting the gradual development of a new world order in which the state is no longer the unrivalled unit of political authority, but is challenged by new transnational or supranational regulatory regimes such as the UN, NAFTA and the EU. These new entities assert authority similar to that traditionally associated with state sovereignty. The declining powers of the nation state have been one of the most politically discussed aspects of globalisation. Privatisation of state functions and assets, and the increasing power of global corporations are seen as clear indications of the imminent decline of the state. (aas) Thatcherism and Reganism are sometimes brought into the debate over the changing role of the state: the rolling back of the state has led individuals to take more responsibility over their own safety and security, thus making security a commodity rather than a public good. In this view the state has maintained a regulatory role, but decreased its role in the provision of security services, leading to a rise in private endeavours taking over the reins.(ME) State power is being relinquished outwards, to the commercial sector and the private security industry, upwards to international bodies, and downwards to citizens, private organisations and municipalities. (walker and loader, 2001: 10) There is an increasing disconnect between policing and the nation state. This is due to the rise in private policing, but also to internationalisation and transnationalisation of policing. Police practices increasingly transcend national borders.(AAS) Deflem (2002) argues that the development has been enabled by a process in which international police agencies gradually gained bureaucratic independence from the state. Transnational policing is, therefore, both an extension of state powers and a move towards greater autonomy from the state. Public and private actors: The roll back of the state left a gap in the security field, due to its inability to provide the service required. This allowed room for other public and private actors to assume the role of main provider of security and policing solutions. This development, paired with the increase in global interdependence and cooperation between states has meant that non state actors are becoming more involved in transnational policing too. Eg: EU, UN, Europol, eurojust, private companies. Some private companies are mainly involved in military interventions in other states; others are so wide reaching that they are involved in a multitude of policing operations (such as prison security abroad, protection of foreign political figures, accompanying suspects from one state to another for the purpose of extradition, etc..). High profile individuals also have an impact in the policing agenda, as do police leaders. As David Last puts it, States are not the only international actors, nor is state sovereignty uncontested. Policing becomes more complex if we consider non-state and supra-state or international actors  [3]  . In this section of the essay I will examine the role of other public and private actors in transnational policing, to establish whether their interests are indeed superseding those of States. Private: Private Police forces are law enforcement bodies that are owned and/or controlled by non-governmental entities. Often they carry out functions similar to those of public police forces, but clearly their priorities are not based on the interests of the state, but on those of their private employer. Private security is part of the growing internationalisation of police. Evidence of the growth of private policing can be found in the fact that there are now three times as many private as public police in the United States and twice as many private security agents than public police officers in the UK. In addition the private security industry is growing faster than public policing. The dramatic growth in private security in the past several decades has reshaped the structure and function of modern policing. Private security is commonly thought to be a largely American phenomenon; however, increasingly it is to be found in one form or another in almost every developed country of the Western world (see Grabosky, 1977; Hovav and Amir, 1979; Heijboer, 1979). The concentration of private security in the hands of vast multinational corporations within a country raises questions as to the locus of sovereignty in that country, which has traditionally been associated with the maintenance of law and order. Furthermore, more often than not, these companies are under foreign ownership, raising further questions of state sovereignty. This also raised concerns as to the control the private company may have over the State and over policymaking within that state. There is a fundamental distinction between private and public policing: accountability. The police force is one of the most basic forms of public service. They are entrusted with particular powers because they are accountable to government, and the public. The private security industry, by contrast, is not accountable to the public, but to the clients who contract for its services. Private security companies are not only employed by private corporations, but they can also be contracted by governments. This was the case of Executive Outcomes, a private military company founded in South Africa in 1989. Executive Outcomes (EO) provided military support to governments such as that of Angola and Sierra Leone in the early 1990s, assisting the legitimate government in the conflict with rebel forces. This growth in private policing raises concerns as to whose interests are pursued in transnational policing? The state, which aims to protect its citizens; or private companies, who aim to protect the interests of their employer or contractor? There are also other actors who influence the decision-making for transnational policing including police leaders. High ranking police officers have played a central role for the political agenda setting and for the implementation of transnational policing. They set the groundwork which later led to international conventions, they played a dominant role in the setting up of Interpol, and they initiated a transnational police network by establishing contacts with foreign colleagues, even in those states which had been enemies not long before. Governments played the legislative role in the setting up of this structure, where as police officers were the initiators and the executors. This crucial role high ranking police officers played in the definition of the requirements for effective cross-border police work eventually led to the establishment of those European cooperation projects of the 1980s and the 1990s. Without the initiative of police officials, transnational cooperation may have assumed a very different aspect today. PUBLIC: Transnational policing is of course a complex and diverse concept, with many different actors involved. As mentioned previously, traditionally the main actor in policing was the State, but developments in the global order have led to the introduction of other players, such as private policing agencies, and high ranking individuals which indubitably have acted in such a way which reflects their owns interests. However, there are other fundamental players in the field of transnational policing which have yet to be addressed: public actors, by which we mean international or supranational organisations which are incredibly influential in international affairs more generally and transnational policing, specifically, depending on their function. Sheptycki, 2000a: inter-national policing still maintains the state as the focal point; trans-national policing is when the practice transcends the state system. Interpol is the perfect example of inter-national policing, as it is a truly internati onal police organisation (Walker 2003:117); it is still heavily dependent on nations and national resources, and legal systems. Therefore, here the interests of state are still central. Europol is more a trans-national policing body, which developed through the European Union, within the emerging structures of freedom, security and justice. Since 1999, and the Tampere summit, issues of internal security have become increasingly important leading to the creation of the European Arrest Warrant, Eurojust, a common European border control agency(frontex) and the police chiefs operational task force. These recent European developments have given the EU security field the semblance of a state-like function (Mathiesen, 2003) The field of transnational policing has been open to problems of accountability due to the lack of transparency and the plurality of networks and actors involved. (aas) New international legal norms and regimes are produced and managed by international institutions such as the EU and the UN. The limits of state sovereignty are therefore challenged by international law and the emerging forms of global governance, where state sovereignty becomes multiple, overlapping and shared (held, 1995) The International Criminal Police Commission, established in 1923, and its post-second world war successor, INTERPOL, were set up to facilitate communication between the participating national police organisations. Governmental intervention in these organisations remained minimal (Anderson, 1989:37). Today, INTERPOL has expanded significantly, both in terms of membership and in terms of activities and methods, nonetheless it still exists to facilitate cross-border police co-operation, and support and assist all organizations, authorities and services whose mission is to prevent or combat international crime  [4]  . However, it is no longer the pre-eminent player. Its influence has been lessened by two developments in particular: the internationalisation of the US law enforcement, and the creation and expansion of the European Union. The USA became more involved in matters of transnational law enforcement since the explosion of international drug trafficking in the 1960s. This led to an increase in federal law enforcement agencies and institutions abroad. The EU on the other hand, has been centred on various forms of cooperation since the outset. The Trevi organisation provided the first major initiative in the policing field in 1975, providing a forum for members to develop common measures against terrorism, drugs, organised crime, police training and technology and other matters. Another important step towards a European law enforcement capacity is the Schengen agreement (1990), which established a number of law enforcement measures, including the Schengen Information System and police cooperation in matters such as hot pursuit, cross border observation and controlled delivery of illegal goods. The signing of the Schengen Treaty, in 1992, formalized aspects of police information exchange across the territory of the European Union (Joubert and Bevers, 1996). While Trevi and Schengen are noteworthy advances in the Development of a European law enforcement capacity, Europol is the most ambitious yet. Maastricht saw Europol as a system of information exchange for the purpose of preventing and combating terrorism, drug trafficking and other serious crimes within the EU, and as a means of providing co-operation in aid of criminal investigations and analyses more generally. The European Home Affairs and Justice Council is a central actor for police cooperation in Europe. The European Commission and the European Parliament only play a marginal role. The EP repeatedly demands more democratic control of transnational policing. But European police cooperation has always been dominated by administrative bodies. These transnational actors are based on collaboration and cooperation; they are not able to act in the interests on one particular state, therefore there are worries that the interests of states are not reflected. Policing is still based for a major part on the concept of law enforcement, For this reason the national (and sub-national) level stays a central point of orientation for international cooperation regimes in this field. The politics and economics of global relations are inherently self-interested, and international policing therefore inevitably reflects only the particular interests of the contributors. International organisations and international law provide the frameworks for international policing and peacekeeping. International organisations are not autonomous actors, but are the handmaids to states interests. Typically, their decision-making bodies require the consent of member states, and resources for implementation are provided by member states. The UN, the OSCE, and large post-colonial groups like the Commonwealth and la francophonie are the principle international organisations which have been involved in peacekeeping and international policing. The USA The United States of America is possibly the exception to the rule regarding the loss of state power. After the Cold War, the USA became the sole global hegemon, leading the way in a variety of areas, from finance to fashion, from television to transnational policing. There are signs that the USA is losing its predominant position in the global order; nevertheless, it is still a powerful nations and capable of setting the agenda, imposing its views and acting in its own interests. Since the 1960s, when the USA began its war on drugs, the country has been taking the lead in transnational policing, so much so that the united states use of force has been compared to the imperial policing of the 19th century  [5]  , and described as the global police. Furthermore, the USA has effectively spread its law enforcement system across the globe, and become involved in issues in other states, when in its interest to do so. This proves that the state is still important in the maintenance of s ecurity and the pursuit of its interests in transnational policing. The internationalization of crime control is primarily the outcome of ambitious efforts by generations of Western powers to export their domestically derived definitions of crime. Not only political and economic interests but also moralizing impulses have determined these definitions and driven many of the most prominent international policing initiatives. Global prohibitions and international crime control priorities and practices would not be what they are today if different states with different values had dominated international society during the past two centuries. Nadelmann, (1993) noted that the USA was uniquely aggressive in promoting its own criminal justice norms in the transnational arena, expanding the scope of criminal law, methods of enforcement, the scope of criminal procedure and leading the way in extra-territorial policing practices. The world leader in this area, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), has around 340 employees, agents and support staff, assigned to permanent overseas positions (Fowler, 2008, p. 111). The US Drug Enforcement Agency also has an extensive transnational policing capacity (with 78 offices in 58 countries), as does the US Treasury Department and the State Department Diplomatic Security Service. Today, U.S. federal law enforcement agents target a great array of crimes and criminals: the U.S. DEA is the principal nemesis of transnational drug traffickers; FBI agents abroad investigate terrorist attacks on U.S. citizens and interests as well as white-collar and organized crime. Customs agents focus on a wide variety of frauds against the customs laws. And attorneys in the Departments of State and Justice supervise the rendition of fugitives and the collection of evidence in criminal investigations. These are all State controlled agencies, and despite the highly globalised world in which they operate, these agencies, and agents, posted abroad, are tasked with representing the USA and her interests. This shows that while transnational policing is expanding, and more actors are becoming involved in the process and the setting of the agenda, there is still a place for the state to assert her interests without other public and private actors taking the helm.

Poetry and Sex Essay -- Sex Sexuality Poetry Poems Literature Essays

Poetry and Sex Since the beginning of human existence, there has been once practice, one instinct, one single obsession that we cannot escape. Some may call it necessary; others say it’s a gift. It can be controlling, enlightening but it’s oh so powerful. It isn’t the need for food, safety or shelter. It isn’t love nor greed nor vanity, but sex, ladies and gentlemen. With the evolution of human communication poets have been using the power of words to describe the practice of sex, and the emotions that come with it. As a guest speaker invited to this years festival, I have explored how sex is expressed through poetry from a multitude of cultures and eras. It has become apparent that the traditions and values of a society shapes the form, right down to the style of language and words used, of poetry from its respective era. While values have and will continue to change, sex is a universal practice, and therefore a universal theme of poets the world over. To demonstrate this, I will analyze three poems: ‘Kubla Khan,’ by Samuel Coleridge, ‘Sexual Healing,’ by Marvin Gaye and David Ritz and ‘Adultery’ by Carol Ann Duffy. Although all poems have the same central theme of sex, the way they express it differs quite radically. In Xanadu did Kubla Khan A stately pleasure-dome decree: Where Alph, the sacred river, ran Through caverns measureless to man Down to a sunless sea. These are the opening lines of Kubla Khan, in which the era of its poet is made clear. Samuel Coleridge was from the Romantic period, an era in which freedom, simplicity and the humble life were reflected through poetry. Above all else though, Romantic poetry featured a strong presence of nature, wild and untamed, the oppos... ...ncerning sex became more open in manner as the years went by. The protest against sexual brutality in ‘Sexual Healing’ would certainly not have been acceptable even two decades before its time, let alone 200 years. Further exposure to lust and sex in the media led to poems such as ‘Adultery’ being written. This poem’s acceptance in contemporary society displays a progression of international maturity in regards to sex, but at the same time the loss of modesty. Ultimately, all poems have differing representations of the same theme, which is shaped by the society of its era. William Wordsworth once said that ‘poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings.’ Lust and sex are among the most powerful feelings that human beings are capable of, and there is no doubt that poets will continue express their passion, elation or anguish on this subject.

F. Scott Fitzgerald :: essays research papers

F. Scott Fitzgerald Welcome to the roaring 1920's! The Jazz Age. A period within time which the passive behaviors, beliefs, and purity of the past generations, were tossed aside to create room for the changes America was about to experience! The birth of independent voting rights for women, lavishing parties, and where excitement was to be found in every corner. This was the era in which the people were considered the "Lost Generation," and from this environment emerged a eminent writer of those times. Francis Scott Fitzgerald. Born to the calm and submissive atmosphere of St. Paul Minnesota, he came from a line of highly regarded men and women from his family's past. His most famous relative by far was Francis Scott Key. The writer of our national anthem. Though he was certainly the most famous Fitzgerald, his mother was the most eccentric. Often dressed in miss-matched shoes and had a peculiar behavior, she at one time stared at a woman whose husband was dying and said: "I'm trying to decide how you'll look in the mourning." "I helped him by encouraging his urge to write adventures. It was also his best work. He did not shine in his other subjects. It was the pride in his literary work that put him in his real bent." Recalls his St. Paul Academy teacher. From that prestigious school he then traveled and began attendance in Princeton University. Not a promising student he was often late to his classes. His excuse was once "Sir-it's absurd to expect me to be on time. I'm a genius!!!" Though the "Princeton years" we not his most memorable, it provided an outlet for his writing, and talent. During his junior year he left Princeton and entered the army in 1917. Though he was never sent to battle for his country, there he began work on the short story, The Romantic Egoist, which was published as This Side of Paradise. Though rejected it later returns as a imitated nationwide sensation. When time and America began evolving, then was his work beginning to receive its time awaited praise. The Jazz Age had arrived! By this period Fitzgerald had already found his love and married the enchanting Zelda Syre. She was an accomplished writer, ballet dancer, and painter. Though every one of these qualities were contributions to her vivid personality, her flaws were seen by many! "Her rudeness, selfishness and lack of self restraint! She abuses men terribly then cuts and breaks dates with them, yawns in their faces, and they come back for more!" recalls Fitzgerald. As the jaded, rebellious "flaming youth" of the new

Sustainable Environment

Environmental sustainability involves making decisions and taking action that are in the interests of protecting the natural world, with particular emphasis on preserving the capability of the environment to support human life. It is an important topic at the present time, as people are realising the full impact that businesses and individuals can have on the environment. What is Environmental Sustainability? Environmental sustainability is about making responsible decisions that will reduce your business' negative impact on the environment.It is not simply about reducing the amount of waste you produce or using less energy, but is concerned with developing processes that will lead to businesses becoming completely sustainable in the future. Currently, environmental sustainability is a topical issue that receives plenty of attention from the media and from different governmental departments. This is a result of the amount of research going into assessing the impact that human activit y can have on the environment.Although the long term implications of this erious issue are not yet fully understood, it is generally agreed that the risk is high enough to merit an immediate response. Businesses are expected to lead in the area of environmental sustainability as they are considered to be the biggest contributors and are also in a position where they can make a significant difference. Businesses can potentially cause damage to all areas of the environment.Some of the common environmental concerns include: damaging rainforests and woodlands through logging and agricultural clearing polluting and over-fishing of oceans, rivers and akes polluting the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels damaging prime agricultural and cultivated land through the use of unsustainable farming practices For much of the past, most businesses have acted with little regard or concern for the negative impact they have on the environment.Many large and small organisations are guilty o f significantly polluting the environment and engaging in practices that are simply not sustainable. However, there are now an increasing number of businesses that are committed to reducing their damaging impact and even working owards having a positive influence on environmental sustainability. Environmental sustainability forces businesses to look beyond making short term gains and look at the long term impact they are having on the natural world.You need to consider not only the immediate impact your actions have on the environment, but the long term implications as well. For example, when manufacturing a product, you need to look at the environmental impact of the products entire lifecycle, from development to disposal before finalising your designs.

Prom Nights from Hell Chapter Five

â€Å"Thanks, Sheeb. Back at you.† Jezebel winked once, and then smiled wider until the black of her teeth seemed to envelop her entire face. She evaporated into the night. Sheba lingered in the dirty alley until the alluring scent of brimstone had faded away entirely, and then break time was over. Invigorated by the idea of joining the front lines, Sheba hurried back to her misery. The prom was in full swing, and everything was falling into place. Celeste was scoring high in her malicious game; she awarded herself a point for every girl who cried in a dark corner of the ballroom. Two points for every boy who threw a punch at a rival. All over the room, the seeds Sheba had planted were flowering. Hate was blooming alongside lust and rage and despair. A garden straight from hell. Sheba enjoyed it all from behind a potted palm. No, she couldn't force the humans to do anything. They had their innate free will, and so she could only tempt, could only suggest. Little things-high heels and seams and minor muscle groups-she could manipulate physically, but she could never force their minds. They had to choose to listen. And tonight, they were listening. Sheba was on a roll, and she didn't want any loose ends, so before she turned back to her most ambitious scheme-Cooper was pliant with intoxication now, ready for her direction-she sent her thoughts searching through the crowd for those small, annoying bubbles of happiness. No one was walking away from this prom unscathed. Not while Sheba had a spark in her body. Over there-what was this? Bryan Walker and Clara Hurst were staring dreamily into each other's eyes, totally oblivious to the wrath and despair and bad music surrounding them, just enjoying each other's company. Sheba considered her options and decided to have Celeste interfere. Celeste should enjoy that-nothing was more evilly fun than flaunting your power right in the face of a pure romance. Besides, Celeste listened to every suggestion Sheba fed her, entirely agreeable to any demonic scheme. Sheba continued with her evaluation before acting. Not too far away, Sheba found that she'd dropped the ball in an inexcusable fashion. Was that her own date, Logan, actually enjoying himself? Impossible. So, he'd found his Libby after all and they were both unacceptably happy. Well, that would be easy enough to rectify. She'd go reclaim her partner and send Libby running away in tears. Amateur and crude to intervene bodily†¦ Still, better that than let happiness win even one small battle. Sheba's assessment was almost done. There was just one more tiny pocket of peace-not a couple this time; it was a lone boy wandering into the far end of the room from the hall. That annoying Gabe Christensen. Sheba scowled in his direction. What did he have to be happy about? He was rejected and alone. His date was the scourge of the prom. A normal boy would be full of rage or pain right now. But he insisted on making more work for her! Sheba inspected Gabe's mind more closely. Hmm. Gabe wasn't really happy. In fact, he was worrying intensely at the moment, searching for someone. Celeste was quite clearly in his view, writhing to a slow song with Rob Carlton (Pamela Green watched the display with shocked eyes, despair leaking deliciously into the air around her), but she wasn't the source of Gabe's worry. There was someone else he wanted to find. So he wasn't happy-that wasn't the sensation that had trespassed on Sheba's atmosphere of misery. It was goodness itself that was exuding from this boy. Even worse. Sheba ducked behind the palm and pushed out with her thoughts. Smoke oozed from her nose. â€Å"Gabe.† Gabe shook his head absently and continued with his search. He'd waited half an hour as throngs of girls left the bathroom, drove after drove. Here and there Gabe had felt a weak pull, but nothing at all like that one girl's raging, suffocating need. When three separate groups had all come and gone, Gabe had stopped Jill Stein to ask after the girl. â€Å"Black hair and a red dress? No, I didn't see anyone like that in there. I think the bathroom is empty.† The girl must have slipped past him somehow. Gabe had just returned to the dance floor, brooding over the mystery girl. At least Bryan and Clara and Logan and Libby were having fun. That was good. The rest of the class seemed to be having an exceptionally nasty evening. And then, there it was again. Gabe's head jerked up, feeling the desperation he'd been searching for. Where was she? Sheba hissed in frustration. The boy's mind was entirely sober and singularly closed to her insidious voice. Well, that wasn't going to stop her. She had other tools. â€Å"Celeste.† It was time the evil girl tormented her own date. Sheba leaned lightly on Celeste, suggesting that avenue. After all, Gabe was attractive by human standards. Certainly good enough for Celeste, whose standards were hardly rigorous. Gabe was tall and subtly muscular, with dark hair and symmetrical features. He had pale blue eyes that Sheba personally found a bit repulsive-they were so decidedly un-damned, almost heavenly, ugh! – but that appealed to mortal girls. It was looking into those clear eyes that had made Celeste say yes to this squeaky clean do-gooder's invitation. Do-gooder, indeed. Sheba's eyes narrowed. Gabe had already been on her list before he insisted on disregarding her here at the prom. This was the very boy who had ruined her plans for the lecherous math teacher-just a little bit of pre-prom fun Sheba had arranged in between making sure that everyone asked exactly the wrong person to the big dance. If Gabe hadn't confronted Mr. Reese at a critical moment of temptation†¦ Sheba gritted her teeth and sparks flickered out of her ears. She would have ruined the man and the impossibly innocent girl, too. Not that Mr. Reese had had far to fall, but it would have been a fantastic scandal. And now the math teacher was being especially careful, made wary by those same sky-blue eyes. Feeling guilty, even. Considering counseling for his problem. Ugh! Gabe Christensen owed Sheba some misery. She would get her due. Sheba glared at Celeste, wondering why the girl had made no move toward her date. Celeste was still wrapped around Rob, enjoying Pamela's pain. Enough fun! There was havoc to be wreaked. Sheba whispered suggestions in Celeste's mind, nudging her in Gabe's direction. Celeste shrugged away from Rob and glanced toward Gabe, who was still combing through the crowd with his gaze. Her brown eyes settled on his blue for just a second, and then she moved, cringed actually, back into Rob's arms. Odd. Gabe's light eyes seemed to be almost as repellent to the vicious blonde as they were to Sheba. Sheba leaned again, but Celeste-for once-shook her off, trying to distract herself from thoughts of Gabe with Rob's eager lips. Baffled, Sheba cast around for another avenue to destroy the irritating boy, but she was interrupted by something much more important than one good human. Cooper Silverdale was simply quivering with rage on one side of the dance floor, glowering at Melissa and Tyson. Melissa had her head on Tyson's shoulder and was oblivious to the smug grin Tyson aimed in Cooper's direction. It was time to act. Cooper was considering another glass of punch to drown his pain, and he was much too close to passing out for Sheba to allow that. She focused on him, smoke at her ears, and Cooper realized dully that the green punch was revolting. He couldn't stand any more. He threw his half-empty cup to the floor and turned back to glare at Tyson. She thinks I'm pathetic, said the voice in Cooper's head. No, she doesn't even think of me at all. But I can make it so shell never be able to forget me†¦ His head thick with alcohol, Cooper reached back and stroked his hand along the barrel of the gun under his jacket. Sheba held her breath. Sparks flew from her ears. And then, in that vital second, Sheba was distracted by the knowledge that someone was staring intensely at her own face. Here, in the ballroom, that same sucking need, pulling at him-someone drowning, shrieking for help. It had to be the same girl. Gabe had never felt anything so urgent in his life. His eyes raked desperately over the couples on the floor, but he couldn't see her. He paced the edge of the floor, searching the faces of the people on the sidelines. She wasn't there, either. He saw Celeste with yet another boy, but his eyes didn't pause. If Celeste didn't claim her ride home soon, there wasn't much he could do about it. Someone else needed Gabe more. The need tugged at him again, yanked hard, and for a moment, Gabe wondered if he was going crazy. Maybe he'd only imagined the girl in the fiery dress. Maybe this sense of frenzied need was just the onset of some delusion. At that moment, Gabe's seeking eyes found what they were searching for. Stepping around Heath McKenzie's big sulking form, Gabe's eyes locked on a tiny, but brilliant, red flash. There she was-half-hidden behind a fake tree, her earrings glinting like sparklers again-the girl in the red dress. Her dark eyes, deep as the pool he'd imagined her drowning in, met his. The vibrant need was an aura surrounding her. He didn't have to think about moving toward her. There was probably no way he could have stopped himself if he'd wanted to. He was sure he'd never seen this girl before tonight; she was completely unfamiliar. Her dark, almond-shaped eyes were composed and careful, but at the same time they cried out to him. They were the focus of the need he felt. He could no more resist their plea than he could tell his heart to stop beating. She needed him. Sheba watched with disbelief as Gabe Christensen walked straight toward her. She saw her own face in his head and realized that the person Gabe had been looking for was†¦ Sheba. She allowed the brief distraction-knowing that Cooper was hers for the taking, that a few minutes' time wouldn't save him now-and rejoiced in the delicious irony. So Gabe wanted to be ruined by Sheba personally? Well, she would oblige him. It would make his misery even sweeter knowing that he'd chosen it himself. She straightened up in her hell-hound dress, letting it caress her figure suggestively. She knew what any human male would have to feel when he examined this dress. But the exasperating boy was focused on her eyes. It was dangerous to look straight into the eyes of a demoness. Humans who didn't look away fast enough could get trapped there. And then they were stuck, pining after the demoness forever, burning for her†¦ Biting back a smile, Sheba met his gaze, staring deep into his sky-colored eyes. Silly human. Gabe stopped a few short feet from the girl, close enough that he wouldn't have to shout over the loud music. He knew he was staring too intently-she would think he was rude, or some kind of freak. But she stared back, just as intent, her deep eyes probing his. He opened his mouth to introduce himself, when suddenly the girl's careful expression melted into one of shock. Shock? Or horror? Her pale lips fell apart, and he heard a little gasp escape them. Her stiff posture crumpled, and she began to collapse. Gabe jumped toward her and caught her in his arms before she could fall. Sheba's knees buckled when her fires went out. Her internal flame died, sucked dry, snuffed like a candle in a vacuum. The room was not so cold anymore, and she could smell nothing more than sweat, cologne, and stale, conditioned air. She could no longer taste the delicious misery she'd created. She couldn't taste anything but her own dry mouth. But she could feel the strong arms of Gabe Christensen holding her up. The girl's dress was soft and warm. Maybe that was the problem, Gabe thought as he pulled her toward him. Maybe the heat of the crowded room was too much combined with her heavy dress. Anxiously, Gabe brushed the silky hair away from her face. Her forehead seemed cool enough and her soft skin wasn't clammy with sweat. All the while, her stunned eyes never wavered from his. â€Å"Are you okay? Can you stand? I'm sorry, I don't know your name.† â€Å"I'm fine,† the girl said in a low, purring voice. Despite the purr, her voice was just as stunned as her eyes. â€Å"I†¦ I can stand.† She straightened up, but Gabe didn't let her go. He didn't want to. And she wasn't pulling away. Her small hands had crept up to rest on his shoulders, like they were dancing partners. â€Å"Who are you?† she asked in that throaty voice. â€Å"Gabe-Gabriel Michael Christensen,† he elaborated with a grin. â€Å"And you are?† Prom Nights from Hell Chapter Five What do you think you're doing? she asked herself. Rhetorically, since she was already up the Snow-White-and-the-Seven-Dwarves-Do-Baby-Jesus neighbor's tree and staring into the yard of the house where she'd left Sibby. I can't wait to hear you say to the cops, â€Å"Yes, officer, I know I was trespassing but that woman was very suspicious because she was wearing false eyelashes.† With a full Creepy Cult costume. They just didn't go. Plus she had a hole for a nose piercing. And a French manicure. Maybe she just has really big pores! And a love of dated manicures! She wasn't what she was posing as. Is this about helping someone or having an excuse not to show up at prom and see Will with his face nuzzled in Ariel's huge, soft- Shut up, U-Suck. I was going to say hair. You are so not funny. You are so not brave. There were two guys sitting in the backyard, leaning across a picnic table toward each other with a book between them, both in T-shirts and khakis and Teva sandals, one of them wearing thick black-framed glasses, the other one with a scraggly beard. They looked like two geeky college guys playing Dungeons and Dragons and sounded like it too when the one wearing glasses said, â€Å"That's not how it works. It says in the Book of Rules she can't see for herself, only for other people. You know, like genies with wishes, how they can't grant their own.† Except they each had a large automatic rifle lying on the table next to them and Miranda could see shooting targets set up on the fence. So what? There are armed geeks. Maybe they're Sibby's protection. Go home. Sibby doesn't need you. She's fine. If she's fine, why isn't she out there trying to kiss the two boys? Miranda strained to hear something from inside the house but it was definitely soundproofed. A couple came out of sliding doors onto the patio away from the Geek Guys, a woman smoking a cigarette in short, tense puffs and a man. Miranda almost fell out of the tree when she recognized the woman as the cult lady, only now without the glasses, skirt, or sweater and with her hair down. Which doesn't mean anything. The woman whispered, â€Å"We still need the girl to tell us the location, Byron.† â€Å"She will.† â€Å"She hasn't yet.† â€Å"I told you, even if I can't get her to talk, the Gardener can. He's good at that.† The woman again: â€Å"I don't like that he brought a partner. That wasn't part of the plan. Does she get a cut-â€Å" The man called Byron cut her off. â€Å"Put that out and be quiet, we have company.† He pointed to the Geek Guys scrambling over to join them. The woman crushed her cigarette out under her foot and kicked it away. â€Å"Is She all right?† Bearded Geek asked breathlessly, pronouncing She like it should be capitalized. â€Å"Yes,† the man assured him. â€Å"She's resting after her ordeal.† Oh, they could not be talking about Sibby. Ordeal? No way. â€Å"Has She said anything?† Glasses Geek asked. The man said, â€Å"Just expressed how very grateful She is to be here.† Miranda almost snorted. Bearded Geek said, â€Å"Will we be able to see Her?† â€Å"When the Transition happens.† The geeks wandered off in a blissful daze and Miranda decided this was the weirdest thing she'd ever seen. But it proved that Sibby was in no danger. These people clearly worshipped Her. Which meant it was time- â€Å"Why is he called the Gardener, anyway?† Fake Eyelash woman asked the man. â€Å"I believe because he's good at pulling things out.† â€Å"Things?† â€Å"Teeth, nails. Joints. That's how he gets people to talk.† – time to find Sibby. Miranda dropped out of the tree into the neighbor's yard and found herself looking down the barrel of an automatic rifle. Prom Nights from Hell Chapter Five I shudder. I can't help it. Even though she's not exactly my type, it's not pleasant to think of Lila as some vampire's midnight snack. â€Å"Aren't you worried,† I ask, hoping to change the subject a little, â€Å"that Lila's just going to tell Drake not to show up at the prom since we'll be there waiting?† I say we and not you because there is no way I'm letting Mary go after this guy alone. Which I know Veronica would think is sexist, too. But Veronica's never seen Mary smile. â€Å"Are you kidding me?† Mary asks. She doesn't seem to notice the we. â€Å"I'm counting on her telling him. That way he'll show up for sure.† I stare at her. â€Å"Why would he do that?† â€Å"Because killing the exterminator's daughter will totally raise his crypt cred.† Now I'm blinking at her. â€Å"Crypt cred?† â€Å"You know,† she says, tossing her ponytail. â€Å"It's like street cred. Only among the undead.† â€Å"Oh.† Strangely, this does make sense. As much as anything else I've heard this evening. â€Å"They call your dad the, um, ‘exterminator'?† I'm having a hard time picturing Mary's dad wielding a crossbow the way she did. â€Å"No,† she says, the smile vanishing. â€Å"My mom. At least†¦ she used to be. Not just vampires, either, but evil entities of all kinds-demons, werewolves, poltergeists, ghosts, warlocks, genies, satyrs, loki, shedus, vetelas, titans, leprechauns-â€Å" â€Å"Leprechauns?† I echo in disbelief. But Mary simply shrugs. â€Å"If it was evil, Mom killed it. She just had a gift for it†¦ A gift,† Mary adds softly, â€Å"I really hope I've inherited.† I just sit there for a minute. I have to admit I'm a little stunned by everything that's gone down over the past couple of hours. Crossbows and vampires and exterminators? And what in the world is a vetela? I'm not even sure I want to know. No. Wait. I know I don't want to know. There's a humming noise inside my head that won't stop. The weird thing is, I kind of like it. â€Å"So,† Mary says, lifting her gaze to meet mine. â€Å"Do you believe me now?† â€Å"I believe you,† I say. What I can't believe, actually, is that I do. Believe her, I mean. â€Å"Good,† she says. â€Å"It would probably be better if you didn't tell anybody. Now, if you don't mind, I need to start getting things ready-â€Å" â€Å"Great. Tell me what you need me to do.† Her face clouds with trouble. â€Å"Adam,† she says. And there's something about the way her lips form my name that makes me feel a little crazy†¦ like I want to throw my arms around her and race around the room at the same time. â€Å"I appreciate the offer. I really do. But it's too dangerous. If I kill Drake-â€Å" â€Å"When you kill him,† I correct her. † – chances are, his father is going to show up,† she goes on, â€Å"looking for revenge. Maybe not tonight. And maybe not tomorrow. But soon. And when he does†¦ it isn't going to be pretty. It's going to be awful. A nightmare. It's going to be-â€Å" â€Å"Apocalyptic,† I finish for her, a slight shiver going down my spine as I speak the word. â€Å"Yes. Yes, exactly.† â€Å"Don't worry,† I say, ignoring the shiver. â€Å"I'm all set for that.† â€Å"Adam.† She shakes her head. â€Å"You don't understand. I can't-well, I can't guarantee I'll be able to protect you. And I certainly can't let you risk your life like that. It's different for me, because-well, because of my mom. But you-â€Å" I stop her. â€Å"Just tell me what time I'm picking you up.† She stares at me. â€Å"What?† â€Å"Sorry,† I say. â€Å"But you're not going to the prom by yourself. End of story.† And I must have looked really scary or something as I said it, because even though she opens her mouth to argue, she closes it again when she gets a look at my face, and only says, â€Å"Um. Okay.† Still, she has to add, â€Å"It's your funeral,† just to have the last word. Which is fine with me. She can have the last word. Because I know now that I've found her: my future partner in the inevitable struggle to survive in post-apocalyptic America. Mary The music is pounding in time to my heartbeat. I can feel the bass in my chest-badoom, badoom. It's hard to see across the room of writhing bodies, especially with the flickering light show coming down from the ballroom's ceiling. But I know he's here. I can feel him. And then I see him, moving across the dance floor toward me. He's holding two glasses of bloodred liquid, one in either hand. When he gets close enough, he hands me one of the glasses, then says, â€Å"Don't worry, it's not spiked. I checked.† I don't reply. I just sip the punch, grateful for the liquid-even if it is a little too sweet-because my throat is so dry. The thing is, I know I'm making a mistake. Letting Adam do this, I mean. But†¦ there's something about him. I don't know what it is. Something that sets him apart from all the rest of the dumb jocks in school. Maybe it's the way he saved me back at the club when I lost my nerve, his shooting at Sebastian Drake-progeny of the devil himself-with a ketchup-filled squirt gun. Or maybe it's the way he was so nice about my dad, not cracking any jokes about him being like Doc from the Back to the Future movies and even calling him sir. Or the way he picked up my mom's photo like that and seemed so stunned when I told him the truth about her. Or maybe it's just the way he looked when he showed up at quarter to eight this evening, so impossibly handsome in his tux-and even holding a red rose corsage for me†¦ despite that less than twenty-four hours ago, he hadn't even known he was going to the prom (good thing tickets were available for sale at the door). Oh well. Dad was ecstatic, for once acting like a normal parent, snapping photos-â€Å"For your mother to see, when she's better,† he kept saying-and trying to slip twenty-dollar bills into Adam's hand, telling him to â€Å"treat Mary to an ice cream after the dance.† Which frankly made me decide I like Dad better when he never comes out of the lab. Still. I knew I was making a mistake by not sending Adam packing right away. This is no job for amateurs. This is†¦ this is†¦ †¦ beautiful. I mean, that's how the ballroom looks. I almost gasped when I entered it on Adam's arm. (He insisted. So we'd look like a â€Å"normal couple† if Drake was there already and watching.) The Saint Eligius Prep prom committee really outdid themselves this year. Securing the four-story grand ballroom at the Waldorf-Astoria was a feat all on its own, but transforming it into such a sparkling romantic wonderland? Miraculous. I just hope all those rosettes and streamers are fireproof. I'd hate to see them go up in the flames that are bound to appear when Drake's corpse begins to self-conflagrate after I stab him in the chest. â€Å"So,† Adam says, as we stand on the edge of the dance floor, sipping our punch in a silence that's-to be frank-quickly gotten a little uncomfortable. â€Å"How's this going to go down, anyway? I don't see your crossbow anywhere.† â€Å"I'm just going with a stake,† I say, showing him my leg through the slit up the side of my gown. I'd strapped a hand-carved piece of ash there, using Mom's old thigh holster. â€Å"Keeping it sweet and simple.† â€Å"Oh,† Adam says, after choking on his punch a little. â€Å"Okay.† I realize he hasn't looked away from my inner thigh. I hastily lower my skirt. And it occurs to me-for the first time-that Adam might be in this for reasons other than wanting to liberate his best friend's girlfriend from the spell of a bloodsucking fiend. Except†¦ can such a thing even be possible? I mean, he's Adam Blum. And I'm just the new girl. He likes me, sure, but he doesn't like me. He can't. I've probably only got about ten minutes left to live. Unless something radically alters what I'm pretty sure is about to go down. Blushing, I keep my gaze on the gyrating couples in front of us. Mrs. Gregory from U.S. History is one of the chaperones. She's going around, trying to keep girls from grinding on their dates. She might as well try to keep the moon from rising. â€Å"It'd probably be best if you kept Lila busy,† I say, hoping he doesn't notice that my cheeks are now as scarlet as my gown, â€Å"while I'm doing the staking. We don't want her throwing herself in my path just to try to save him.† â€Å"That's what I dragged Ted here for,† Adam says, nodding toward Teddy Hancock, who's sitting slumped at a nearby table, looking out at the dance floor in a bored manner. Like the rest of us, he's just waiting for Lila-and her date-to arrive. â€Å"Still,† I say. â€Å"I don't want you anywhere near me when†¦ you know.† â€Å"I heard you the first nine million times you told me,† Adam mutters. â€Å"I know you can take care of yourself, Mary. You've made that abundantly clear.† I can't help wincing a little. He's not having a good time. I can tell. Well, so what? I didn't ask him to come! He invited himself! This isn't a date, anyway! It's a slaying! He knew that from the outset. He's the one changing the rules, not me. I mean, who am I kidding? I can't date. I have a legacy to fulfill. I'm the exterminator's daughter. I have to- â€Å"Want to dance?† Adam startles me by asking. â€Å"Oh,† I say, with some surprise. â€Å"I'd love to. But I really should-â€Å" â€Å"Great,† he says and takes me into his arms, steering me onto the dance floor. Prom Nights from Hell Chapter Five â€Å"Will died, Frankie,† she said. â€Å"The fall, the way he landed†¦ he didn't make it.† â€Å"I'm sorry†¦ what?† â€Å"Chen is on his way to get you. You'll stay with us, yes? As long as you want.† â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"I mean†¦ I don't†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The box of waffles fell from my hand. â€Å"Will didn't die. Will couldn't have died?† â€Å"Frankie,† she said, her voice infinitely sad. â€Å"Please don't say that,† I said. â€Å"Please don't sound so†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I didn't understand how to make my mind work. â€Å"I know you loved him. We all did.† â€Å"Just wait† I said. â€Å"Spray painting? Will doesn't spray paint. That's something a pothead would do, not Will.† â€Å"Let's get you to the house. We'll talk about it then.† â€Å"But what was he spray painting? I don't understand!† Mrs. Yomiko didn't answer. â€Å"Let me speak to Yun Sun,† I pleaded. â€Å"Please! Put on Yun Sun!† There was a muffled exchange. Yun Sun came back on. â€Å"I'll tell you,† she said. â€Å"But you don't want to know.† A cold feeling spread over me, and suddenly, I didn't want to know. â€Å"He was spray painting a message. That's what he was up there doing.† She hesitated. â€Å"It said, ‘Frankie, will you go to prom with me? â€Å" I sank to the floor, next to a box of waffles. Why was there a box of waffles on the kitchen floor? â€Å"Frankie?† Yun Sun said. Tinny, faraway sound. â€Å"Frankie, are you there?† I didn't like that tinny sound. I pressed the Off button to make it go away. Will was buried in the Chapel Hill Cemetery. I sat, numb, through the funeral, which was closed-coffin because Will's body was too mangled to be viewed. I wanted to say good-bye, but how did you say good-bye to a box? At the grave site, I watched as Will's mother threw a handful of dirt into the hole where Will lay. It was horrible, but the horror felt distant and unreal. Yun Sun squeezed my hand. I didn't squeeze back. It rained that evening, a gentle spring shower. I imagined the ground, damp and cool around Will's coffin. I thought of Fernando, whose skull Madame Zanzibar had liberated after his coffin shifted in the wet earth. I reminded myself that the east side of the cemetery, where Will was buried, was newer, with tidy landscaping. And of course there were modern ways of digging graves now, more efficient than men with shovels. Will's coffin wouldn't come undug. It was impossible. I stayed with Yun Sun for nearly two weeks. My parents were called, and they offered to return from Botswana. I told them no. What good would it do? Their presence wouldn't bring Will back. At school, for the first few days, kids talked in hushed tones and stared at me as I passed. Some thought it was romantic, what Will did. Others thought it was stupid. â€Å"A tragedy† was the phrase most often used, spoken in mournful tones. As for me, I haunted the halls like the living dead. I would have ditched, but then I'd have been corralled by the counselor and forced to talk about my feelings. Which wasn't going to happen. My grief was my own, a skeleton that would rattle forever within me. One week after Will's death, and exactly one week before prom, kids started talking less about Will and more about dresses and dinner reservations and limos. A sallow girl from Will's chemistry class got upset and said prom should be canceled, but others argued no, prom must go on. It's what Will would have wanted. Yun Sun and I were consulted, since we were his best friends. (And since I, though they didn't say it, was the girl he died for.) Yun Sun's eyes welled with tears, but after a shaky moment, she said it would be wrong to ruin everyone's plans, that sitting home and mourning wouldn't do anyone any good. â€Å"Life goes on,† she said. Her boyfriend, Jeremy, nodded. He put his arm around her and drew her close. Lucy, president of the prom committee, placed her hand over her heart. â€Å"So true,† she said. She turned to me with an overly solicitous expression. â€Å"What about you, Frankie? Do you think you could get behind it?† I shrugged. â€Å"Whatever.† She embraced me, and I staggered. â€Å"Okay, guys, we're on!† she called, bounding across the commons. â€Å"Trixie, back to work on the cherry blossoms. Jocelyn, tell the Paper Affair lady we need a hundred blue streamers and don't take no for an answer!† On the afternoon of the dance, two hours before Jeremy was due to pick up Yun Sun, I crammed my stuff in my duffel bag and told her I was going home. â€Å"What?† she said. â€Å"No!† She put down a hot roller. Her makeup lay in front of her on her vanity, her Babycakes body glitter and Dewberry lip gloss, and her dress hung over the hook of her open bathroom door. It was lilac, with a sweetheart neckline. It was gorgeous. â€Å"It's time,† I said. â€Å"Thank you for letting me stay so long†¦ but it's time.† Her mouth turned down. She wanted to argue, but she knew it was true. I wasn't happy here. That in itself wasn't the issue-I wasn't going to be happy anywhere-but moping around the Komikos' house was making me feel trapped and making Yun Sun feel helpless and guilty. â€Å"But it's prom,† Yun Sun said. â€Å"Won't that be weird, being alone in your house on the night of prom?† She came over to me. â€Å"Stay till tomorrow. I'll be quiet when I come in, I swear. And I promise not to go on and on about†¦ you know. The after-parties and who hooked up and who passed out in the girls' bathroom.† â€Å"You should get to go on about that stuff, though,† I said. â€Å"You should stay out as late as you want and come in as loudly as you want and be giddy and spazzy and all that.† Unexpectedly, my eyes filled with tears. â€Å"You should, Yun Sun.† She touched my arm. I pulled away, but in what I hoped was an unobvious manner. â€Å"So should you, Frankie,† she said. â€Å"Yeah†¦ well.† I heaved my bag over my shoulder. â€Å"Call me any time,† she said. â€Å"I'll keep my cell on, even at the dance.† â€Å"Okay.† â€Å"And if you change your mind, if you decide you want to stay-â€Å" â€Å"Thanks.† â€Å"Or even if you decide to come to prom! We all want you there-you know that, right? It doesn't matter that you don't have a date.† I winced. She didn't mean it the way it sounded, but it most certainly did matter that I didn't have a date, because that date would have been Will. And I didn't have him not because he liked another girl or was suffering from a terrible case of the flu, but because he was dead. Because of me. â€Å"Oh God,† Yun Sun said. â€Å"Frankie†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I waved her off. I didn't want any more touching. â€Å"It's all right.† We stood in a bubble of awkwardness. â€Å"I miss him, too, you know,† she said. I nodded. Then I left. I returned to my empty house to find that the electricity was out. Perfect. This happened more often than it should have: Afternoon thunderstorms threw tree branches into the transformers, and entire neighborhoods lost power for several hours. Or the power would go out for no reason. Maybe too many people had their air conditioners on and the circuits overloaded, that was my theory. Will's theory was ghosts, ha ha ha. â€Å"They've come to spoil your milk,† he'd say in a spooky voice. Will. My throat tightened. I tried not to think about him, but it was impossible, so I let him exist there with me in my mind. I fixed myself a peanut butter sandwich, which I didn't eat. I went upstairs and lay on my bed without turning down the covers. Shadows deepened. An owl hooted. I stared at my ceiling until I could no longer make out the spider-web cracks. In the dark, my thoughts went places they shouldn't. Fernando. Madame Zanzibar. You're just like all the rest, aren't you? Desperate for a heart-stopping romance? It was that very desperation that gave birth to my stupid Madame Zanzibar plan and even stupider wish. That's what prodded Will into action. If only I'd never taken the damn corsage! I bolted upright. Oh my God-the damn corsage! I grabbed my cell and held down the â€Å"three,† Yun Sun's speed dial. ?One? was for Mom and Dad; ?two? was for Will. I still hadn't deleted his name, and now I wouldn't have to. â€Å"Yun Sun!† I cried when she answered. â€Å"Frankie?† she said. â€Å"S.O.S.† by Rihanna blared in the background. â€Å"Are you okay?† â€Å"I'm fine,† I said. â€Å"Better than fine! I mean, the power's out, it's pitch-black, and I'm all alone, but whatever. I won't be for long.† I giggled and fumbled my way into the hall. â€Å"Huh?† Yun Sun said. More noise. People laughing. â€Å"Frankie, I can hardly hear you.† â€Å"The corsage. I've got two wishes left!† I jogged downstairs, zinging with glee. â€Å"Frankie, what are you-â€Å" â€Å"I can bring him back, don't you get it? Everything will be good again. We can even go to prom!†