Recruitment and selection process Essay

Recruitment is the process of having the right person, in the right place, at the right time. It is crucial to organisational performance. Recruitment is a critical activity, not just for the HR team but also for line managers who are increasingly involved in the selection process. All those involved in recruitment activities should be equipped with the appropriate knowledge and skills. Before creating business plans or making decisions, it is important to ‘scan’ the external environment. This can be achieved through a PESTLE analysis, i.e. an investigation of the Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal and Environmental influences on a business. In addition it is also important to be aware of the actions of your competitors. These forces are continually in a state of change. Political changes relate to changes in government influence and can have huge significance for companies. Changes in the priorities for public spending or the UK ‘s relationships with other countries can open or close major markets. European Union (EU) regulations can have similar effects while the accession of new members (e.g. Poland) can bring business opportunities. Political changes are closely tied up with legal changes. Laws are continually being updated in a wide range of areas, e.g. consumer protection legislation, environmental legislation, health & safety and employment law, etc. Economic changes are closely related to social ones. The economy goes through a series of fluctuations associated with general booms and slumps in economic activity. In a boom nearly all businesses benefit and in a slump most lose out. Other economic changes that affect business include changes in the interest rate, wage rates, and the rate of inflation (i.e. general level of increase in prices). Businesses will be more encouraged to expand and take risks when economic conditions are right, e.g. low interest rates and rising demand. Social factors relate to pattern of behaviour, tastes, and lifestyles. A major component of this is a change in consumer behaviour resulting from changes in fashions and styles. The age structure of the population also alters over time (currently we have an ageing population). An understanding of social change gives business a better feel for the future market situation. Technological changes have also become particularly significant in the post-millennium world. This is particularly true in the  case of modern communication technologies. The creation of databases and electronic communications have enabled vast quantities of information to be shared and quickly distributed in a modern company enabling vast cost reductions, and often improvements in service. Organisations need to be aware of the latest relevant technologies for their business. The importance of diversity should be taken into account at each stage of the recruitment process. Read more: Essay About  Recruitment and Selection Processes and systems should be regularly reviewed to ensure hidden bias is removed and to ensure talent is not being blocked from entering the organisation. Everyone taking part in activities such as shortlisting and interviewing should be aware of relevant legislation and the importance of avoiding discrimination. Acknowledging and identifying the benefits of a diverse workforce is the first step towards making a positive change. Actively embedding diversity in the recruitment process signals an open and accepting culture. This attracts more applicants and provides a wider range of skills and experiences from which to select the best candidates for the vacancy. By supporting a diverse workforce, employers are laying the foundation for an innovative and more creative working environment, as employees are drawing on a wider range of unique experiences to contribute new ideas and approaches. Role models from a diverse background in senior positions can help retain current employees as well as attracting new candidates. A diverse workforce brings other benefits. The more contact people from different backgrounds have the less prejudice they display, this is known as the Contact Hypothesis Employing people from diverse backgrounds can help alleviate and prevent further reinforcement of stereotypes and create positive reputation for the company. Diversity policies should be incorporated in a business’s core strategy, not only as a duty to comply with the diversity legislation, but also as an integral strategy in developing the business. Diversity policies need to be mainstreamed and made the norm rather than the exception. This prevents them from being restricted to, and associated with, specific groups of people. Acknowledging and identifying the benefits of a diverse workforce is the first step towards making a positive change. Recruitment methods External recruitment is concerned with generating a pool of qualified candidates through external sources of employment. Under it, following  methods of recruitment are adopted. 1. Direct Recruitment Direct recruitment refers to a process of recruiting qualified candidates from external sources by placing a notice of vacancy in an organization’s notice board. 2. Casual Callers This method of recruitment is concerned with using previously applied candidates as a source of recruitment. This method avoids the costs of recruiting people from other sources. 3. Advertising Advertising is one of the most common and popular methods of external recruitment under which the job vacancy is announced through different print and electronic media. 4. Employment Agencies Employment agencies run by private, public or government sectors are regarded as an important source of recruitment for unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled jobs. The agencies are likely to have a list of qualified candidates in their records, and they render their service as per the requirement from other organizations for employment. 5. Schools, Colleges and Universities Most educational institutions provide placement services where the prospective recruiters can review credentials and interview the interested graduates. 6. Labour Contractors Labour contractors are an important source of recruitment under which workers are recruited through contractors. However, this method of recruitment is not used by many business firms and organizations. 7. Recommendations It is closely concerned with employee referrals. Under this method of external recruitment, applicants are introduced by friends and relatives. In fact, many employers, operating at a small-scale operation, prefer to take such persons as they are acquainted with backgrounds and credentials of prospective employees. Selection Methods This section looks at the process of selecting candidates. A variety of methods are available and consideration needs to be given as to which are suitable for a particular post. The methods described here are: Application forms Interview Group selection methods Realistic job previews Portfolio References Assessment centres Other testing Let’s look closely into few of these selection methods Group selection methods When working with other people is an important part of the selection process, it could be useful to consider a group selection method. This could involve asking a group of candidates to carry out a task and observing the ways in which they interact. The task need not be particularly complicated. It could, for instance, involve the group designing and delivering a presentation on the changing nature of the world of work. You could observe the group and look out for the people who seem to demonstrate the sort of qualities that the job requires; those who were verbally skilled, those who showed leadership behaviour, those who mediated when squabbles broke out, etc. It is important to tell people what sort of qualities you are looking for before you start such an exercise, as if you do not give clear goals, some potentially viable candidates may try to second-guess you and demonstrate completely untypical behaviours. Where clear goals exist, candidates may also show untypical behaviours, but this is very difficult to do successfully. Realistic job previews Methods like this are time-consuming and there are serious issues of confidentiality, but if you can screen your shortlist down to two or three candidates, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t bring them in and give them a problem to handle; preferably, it would be a problem that you’ve already dealt with successfully. A benefit with realistic job previews is that they can involve more staff in the selection procedure. People tend to work well with candidates whom they have seen and had some say about. References Written references have some drawbacks; perhaps someone wants rid of an employee – they certainly won’t give a poor reference under those  circumstances! Poor references could also turn out to be libellous, although one of the main problems is that people just don’t know what you’re asking for. The most accurate references may come from face-to-face or telephone interviews with someone who has had direct experience of the candidate’s work. Other methods Perhaps the most popular of the other methods available is psychometric testing, which offers actual tests in areas such as intelligence and personality characteristics. These include Raymond Cattell’s 16 PF Test, which broadly demonstrates candidates’ emotional stability. The Myers Briggs Test is reasonably user-friendly (it’s short) and purports to identify people by personality characteristics such as extrovert v. introvert and thinking vs feeling. Finally, there are selection methods which use samples of candidates’ handwriting (graphology), their star sign (astrology) or which select through palmistry. Little evidence exists to support these as adequate predictors of performance. Activity 2 Part of recruitment process is selection of suitable candidates. Selecting candidates involves two main processes: shortlisting, and assessing applicants to decide who should be made a job offer. It is a crucial stage in the overall recruitment process which is outlined in our recruitment factsheet. It is very important to get it right. ACAS provides a â€Å"how to get it right† some of the points are mentioned below. 1. Prepare a person specification. This should briefly describe the ideal person to fill the job. It is a profile of the personal skills and characteristics to look for in recruitment and selection. By writing a person specification, you can avoid inadvertent discrimination. 2. Review the applications. An application form can help you get the information you need and sift out unsuitable candidates. You can also use it as a basis for the interview. The form should only ask for information that is relevant to the job, During this recruitment applicants were selected based on following criterion on person Specification 1. Qualifications Certificate in Personal Practice 2. Knowledge Working knowledge of HR practices 3. Experience 4. Skills 5. Personal qualities Further details can be found in the Person Specification document attached. Based on the person specification three candidates have been selected and invited to interview however only two attended. 3rd candidate had to withdraw from the process due to personal reasons.

A study of gender inequality in different child custody cases Essay

Gender inequality in child custody cases has been happening since custody hearings were created. Today, fathers are less likely to win custody of their children; resulting in court and legal fees that the mothers do not have to pay. Regardless of the parents living situation or income, if the mother is physically healthy enough to raise the child, she has a major advantage.   On top of everything else, men are more likely to owe increasing child support, even if they are hurt or arrested for non-payment. It’s inequality like this that has plagued the family courts forever, giving them a biased and bad name. Going back to times such as the 1970s, it is well noted that even then gender inequality was quite rampant. Not only is it now well-known and admitted, but many feel with the removal of ‘tender years’ law (feeling that women raised the children, this should be primary caregiver) that inequality was taken care of; this obviously not being the case.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Indeed, typical statutory provisions at least implicitly encourage courts to consider past parental participation. Moreover, evidence that courts continue to favor mothers in custody disputes suggests that the pre-divorce caretaking function is valued.† (Elizabeth S. Scott) Not only is this seen and documented to be the same for many states; it can get even worse for small towns and municipals as their rulings have a higher chance to be biased and go unpunished and undocumented. While there are waivers to get court fees waived, many times the court rejects these fee waivers; resulting in immense costs for fathe r. If the father wants to claim custody of his child, some places may make the father file a petition for adoption (even if he is the biological father), which cost money to file. Fees for this could range from $20 to $200; something a struggling father with legal fees could usually not easily pay. With all these legal fees the father will also have to pay for any attorney fees; and for the attorney themselves. There have been many reported cases of mothers who can not support their children, being awarded custody for supposedly other reasons; while the father who could support the child is writing off as unfit. For example, there have been several cases where homeless mothers were award full custody of their children, while the father had a stable living situation. Not only living situation wise, but women who don’t have a stable source of income are often not seen as a problem in the eyes of the court. It operates under the guidance that women can get more government aid (such as welfare) for their children; often resulting in poor treatment of children due to improper nutrition and medical care. All of this is taking place due to courts going for what they feel would be the ‘best interest’ of the child, rather than the main negatives and benefits for each parent. More often than not, more care is done when a parent informs the court they want to move out of state with the child. This usually brings about a full inspection into both parents history, so to decide the right choice and not send a child out of state with an unfit parent. Operating on this backing is wrong, and this concept should be applied to every family court case regardless of circumstances or not. However, if a father was awarded custody, and wanted to move out of state to â€Å"start fresh again† or maybe â€Å"pursue love in another are†then more often than not the court would deny the father the ability to move out of state. â€Å"Where I practice, a parent wishing to move with their child out of state has to pass a two-part test. Part One: show the court a legitimate reason to move. Part Two: show the court that the move is in the best interests of the child.† (Nancy Shannon) More often than not courts find a problem with moving the child out of the mother’s state, due to incorrect thinking that all mothers are the best fit to parent their childre n; or they need to have the ability to be in contact with their children. On top of the discrimination and work required most fathers need to do in order to get custody of their child if they fail the results could end up being crippling and life ruining.   If a father is made to pay child support, right out of the court he is already in debt. Not only are the legal fees now imposed, but he now has to pay an additional monthly fee; sometimes even surpassing the cost of their monthly rent. This leads a lot of child support payers to end up not being able to pay; resulting in their arrest. What makes the entire situation worse is that once in jail their fees do not stop. The debts continue to accrue and once they get out, it could become a vicious cycle of not being able to pay, being arrested, and then being released. Yet somehow this is not the entire story of it. If you get hurt or have a medical injury making you unable to work, your payments still do not stop. You have to make a petition to the judge with proper documentation (which could be costly to print out depending on state medical information laws) and even then a judge may decide your injury is not debilitating enough. This one event in a person’s life could result in the rest of their life being ruined. â€Å"All I was saying was, ‘Give me an opportunity instead of throwing me in jail because that just puts me further behind in child support,’† Ferebee says. â€Å"Let me find work so I can earn money.’† This year, Ferebee was headed to jail a fifth time for failure to pay child support.† (Tina Griego) This could turn your life into a ‘debtors prison’ where there is no hope for escape, and once the process has started each day makes recovery more and more improbable. There should be more options available to the father that cannot pay; such as working the payment off in community service or being forced to an assigned job for a certain amount of payment until the balance is resolved. This not only means fewer pe ople in the jails for non-violent crimes but a better chance at actually paying the debt.   Unfortunately, the standard today is to just increase the debt hoping that the person could eventually afford it. One of the most compelling arguments against gender bias in court would have to be that because women usually take care of the children more often, they should be the primary caretaker. Several well-known judges had been surveyed about this, and many have told they feel this is not bias. Most judges are not getting a direct view of the household. That is why each case needs to be verified on a person-to-person basis, rather than a gender basis (i.e. look at BOTH the mother and father for the best living situation). â€Å"Her article holds that mother preference is not a gender biased opinion if the mother was the primary caretaker of the child‟s past.   She writes that bias is often seen because â€Å"fathers   are often given more credit than mothers for doing what is expected of mothers, to penalize mothers more than fathers for extramarital affairs, and to think that a mother‟s investment in her career is selfish while a father‟s is the act of a responsible provider† (Lindsay R. Estep) This quote does wonder for speaking about the current legal system regarding gender. The court official who spoke in that quote clearly demonstrates (albeit with a bit of truth in some parts) gender bias, and fails to recognize it. There are also a few things that need to be addressed regarding the quote. When the official speaks about the mother being the primary caretaker, her assumptions are wrong. If a mother was a primary caretaker of the child (i.e. father works while the mother stays at home) that does not give her any more parental rights than the father and vice versa. One of the reason’s a divorce could be happening is due to the mother’s neglect of the child while the father was away. Going with the current logic of the court official, the neglectful mother would be given the child, due to previous caretaking. The issue is that is not just an isolated problem, many places all over experience this issue, and it’s met with no resistance. The correct part of the quote is true, a mother can work while the father stays at home and vice versa. If this was the case she would not, and should not be penalized. The problem with this all is nothing is being done. Even though the mass public outrage, and people standing up against bias, places like the Supreme Court fail to do anything to prevent further discrimination. â€Å"No case so clearly prohibits consideration of sex in custody cases. It should be noted, however, that there was a potential gender issue in Palmore that received no attention from the Supreme Court. It appears that Linda began cohabiting with Clarence before they were married.† (Katherine Bartlett) This case Is well known because it enforced and helped prove the clear gender bias of sex without marriage; regardless of if the bias was on the female â€Å"Nothing more seems to have been made of this factor, either by the trial court or on review, but some courts have since noticed that mothers who cohabit outside of marriage, tend to be penalized in ways fathers who cohabit outside of marriage are not.† (Katherine Bartlett) While women face the same gender bi as in some ways, in the ways people tend to care about (who gets the child, who pays fees, etc.) is where men get overlooked in quality. This quote is important because if it’s known and documented of a clear gender bias, why hasn’t the Supreme Court stepped in and introduced better legislation and guidelines to prevent further bias? The problem is old legislation, and the refusal to make a change. A currently former Supreme Court judge Antonin Scalia was quoted as saying the constitution does not dis-allow gender bias.   While not true, a Supreme Court judge, who supposedly should be speaking for the constitution, should not help spread and promote miss-information. On top of that, he was never corrected or reprimanded.   The only consequence of that action was ‘bad press’. This quote not only helps smaller local courts continue their bias but miss-informs them that they are acting legally.   Better legislation and better education for judges need t o be passed before anything can be done. And while there are many arguments that women also face these problems (and while that may be true) the problem it’s usually the men. Women are given more chances and exceptions than the men. Several document court cases have shown that on average women are given more chances to earn money and pay it, should they be ordered to pay child support. This could either be the judge informing them of state opportunities like welfare and social security, unlike the men who usually are faced with arrest threats or an actual arrest. Another idea in the system is that the reason they are in family court is often due to the father being unfit in the first place (I.e Domestic violence, threats, abuse). This is an obvious oversight into a small population of the people.   More often than not it’s just a case of a family not working well together, and no actual abuse or crimes have taken place. On top of that, when it comes to dishing out child support, the mother will likely have t he advantage; also awarded more money â€Å"In spring 1992, about one-half (6.2 million) of the 11.5 million custodial parents were awarded child support; award rates were higher for mothers than for fathers (56 percent compared with 41 percent)† (U.S. Department of Commerce) Overall, when it comes to dealing with the family courts, men are less likely to win custody of their own children. Those who have a chance at it, are often met with extreme legal fees more so than the mother. Women are often seen as a child’s protector so in the eyes of the court they are usually seen as the fit parent right from the start. It has also been noted that men’s job status and living situation is looked into more than the women’s. This is due to the assumption that women get more government aid to assist them than men; this not being true but is still a common misconception. Inequality in the courts has been taking place ever since they have been around. The problem isn’t that they refuse to acknowledge it, the problem is it’s acknowledged and yet nothing is done about it today. Works Cited: Elizabeth S. Scott.   Pluralism, Parental Preference, and Child Custody Berkley Scholarship Law,  Ã‚   May 1992 Nancy Shannon. Custody Relocation Case Study: A Judge’s Ruling on Moving Out Of State Cordell & Cordell Divorce Lawyer  Ã‚  Ã‚   May 2014 U.S. Department of Commerce. Who Receives Child Support? Economics and Statistics Administration. BUREAU OF THE CENSUS  Ã‚  Ã‚   June 1995 Tina Griego. Locking up parents for not paying child support can be a modern-day ‘debtor’s prison’  Ã‚  Ã‚   September 26, 2014 Lindsay R. Estep.   Mommy or Daddy?: Perceived Gender Bias and Court Awarded Custodial Guardianship   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   April 27, 2011 Katherine Bartlett. Comparing race and sex discrimination in custody cases   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Duke Law EDU A study of gender inequality in different child custody cases Essay Gender inequality in child custody cases has been happening since custody hearings were created. Today, fathers are less likely to win custody of their children; resulting in court and legal fees that the mothers do not have to pay. Regardless of the parents living situation or income, if the mother is physically healthy enough to raise the child, she has a major advantage.   On top of everything else, men are more likely to owe increasing child support, even if they are hurt or arrested for non-payment. It’s inequality like this that has plagued the family courts forever, giving them a biased and bad name. Going back to times such as the 1970s, it is well noted that even then gender inequality was quite rampant. Not only is it now well-known and admitted, but many feel with the removal of ‘tender years’ law (feeling that women raised the children, this should be primary caregiver) that inequality was taken care of; this obviously not being the case.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Indeed, typical statutory provisions at least implicitly encourage courts to consider past parental participation. Moreover, evidence that courts continue to favor mothers in custody disputes suggests that the pre-divorce caretaking function is valued.† (Elizabeth S. Scott) Not only is this seen and documented to be the same for many states; it can get even worse for small towns and municipals as their rulings have a higher chance to be biased and go unpunished and undocumented. While there are waivers to get court fees waived, many times the court rejects these fee waivers; resulting in immense costs for fathe r. If the father wants to claim custody of his child, some places may make the father file a petition for adoption (even if he is the biological father), which cost money to file. Fees for this could range from $20 to $200; something a struggling father with legal fees could usually not easily pay. With all these legal fees the father will also have to pay for any attorney fees; and for the attorney themselves. There have been many reported cases of mothers who can not support their children, being awarded custody for supposedly other reasons; while the father who could support the child is writing off as unfit. For example, there have been several cases where homeless mothers were award full custody of their children, while the father had a stable living situation. Not only living situation wise, but women who don’t have a stable source of income are often not seen as a problem in the eyes of the court. It operates under the guidance that women can get more government aid (such as welfare) for their children; often resulting in poor treatment of children due to improper nutrition and medical care. All of this is taking place due to courts going for what they feel would be the ‘best interest’ of the child, rather than the main negatives and benefits for each parent. More often than not, more care is done when a parent informs the court they want to move out of state with the child. This usually brings about a full inspection into both parents history, so to decide the right choice and not send a child out of state with an unfit parent. Operating on this backing is wrong, and this concept should be applied to every family court case regardless of circumstances or not. However, if a father was awarded custody, and wanted to move out of state to â€Å"start fresh again† or maybe â€Å"pursue love in another are†then more often than not the court would deny the father the ability to move out of state. â€Å"Where I practice, a parent wishing to move with their child out of state has to pass a two-part test. Part One: show the court a legitimate reason to move. Part Two: show the court that the move is in the best interests of the child.† (Nancy Shannon) More often than not courts find a problem with moving the child out of the mother’s state, due to incorrect thinking that all mothers are the best fit to parent their childre n; or they need to have the ability to be in contact with their children. On top of the discrimination and work required most fathers need to do in order to get custody of their child if they fail the results could end up being crippling and life ruining.   If a father is made to pay child support, right out of the court he is already in debt. Not only are the legal fees now imposed, but he now has to pay an additional monthly fee; sometimes even surpassing the cost of their monthly rent. This leads a lot of child support payers to end up not being able to pay; resulting in their arrest. What makes the entire situation worse is that once in jail their fees do not stop. The debts continue to accrue and once they get out, it could become a vicious cycle of not being able to pay, being arrested, and then being released. Yet somehow this is not the entire story of it. If you get hurt or have a medical injury making you unable to work, your payments still do not stop. You have to make a petition to the judge with proper documentation (which could be costly to print out depending on state medical information laws) and even then a judge may decide your injury is not debilitating enough. This one event in a person’s life could result in the rest of their life being ruined. â€Å"All I was saying was, ‘Give me an opportunity instead of throwing me in jail because that just puts me further behind in child support,’† Ferebee says. â€Å"Let me find work so I can earn money.’† This year, Ferebee was headed to jail a fifth time for failure to pay child support.† (Tina Griego) This could turn your life into a ‘debtors prison’ where there is no hope for escape, and once the process has started each day makes recovery more and more improbable. There should be more options available to the father that cannot pay; such as working the payment off in community service or being forced to an assigned job for a certain amount of payment until the balance is resolved. This not only means fewer pe ople in the jails for non-violent crimes but a better chance at actually paying the debt.   Unfortunately, the standard today is to just increase the debt hoping that the person could eventually afford it. One of the most compelling arguments against gender bias in court would have to be that because women usually take care of the children more often, they should be the primary caretaker. Several well-known judges had been surveyed about this, and many have told they feel this is not bias. Most judges are not getting a direct view of the household. That is why each case needs to be verified on a person-to-person basis, rather than a gender basis (i.e. look at BOTH the mother and father for the best living situation). â€Å"Her article holds that mother preference is not a gender biased opinion if the mother was the primary caretaker of the child‟s past.   She writes that bias is often seen because â€Å"fathers   are often given more credit than mothers for doing what is expected of mothers, to penalize mothers more than fathers for extramarital affairs, and to think that a mother‟s investment in her career is selfish while a father‟s is the act of a responsible provider† (Lindsay R. Estep) This quote does wonder for speaking about the current legal system regarding gender. The court official who spoke in that quote clearly demonstrates (albeit with a bit of truth in some parts) gender bias, and fails to recognize it. There are also a few things that need to be addressed regarding the quote. When the official speaks about the mother being the primary caretaker, her assumptions are wrong. If a mother was a primary caretaker of the child (i.e. father works while the mother stays at home) that does not give her any more parental rights than the father and vice versa. One of the reason’s a divorce could be happening is due to the mother’s neglect of the child while the father was away. Going with the current logic of the court official, the neglectful mother would be given the child, due to previous caretaking. The issue is that is not just an isolated problem, many places all over experience this issue, and it’s met with no resistance. The correct part of the quote is true, a mother can work while the father stays at home and vice versa. If this was the case she would not, and should not be penalized. The problem with this all is nothing is being done. Even though the mass public outrage, and people standing up against bias, places like the Supreme Court fail to do anything to prevent further discrimination. â€Å"No case so clearly prohibits consideration of sex in custody cases. It should be noted, however, that there was a potential gender issue in Palmore that received no attention from the Supreme Court. It appears that Linda began cohabiting with Clarence before they were married.† (Katherine Bartlett) This case Is well known because it enforced and helped prove the clear gender bias of sex without marriage; regardless of if the bias was on the female â€Å"Nothing more seems to have been made of this factor, either by the trial court or on review, but some courts have since noticed that mothers who cohabit outside of marriage, tend to be penalized in ways fathers who cohabit outside of marriage are not.† (Katherine Bartlett) While women face the same gender bi as in some ways, in the ways people tend to care about (who gets the child, who pays fees, etc.) is where men get overlooked in quality. This quote is important because if it’s known and documented of a clear gender bias, why hasn’t the Supreme Court stepped in and introduced better legislation and guidelines to prevent further bias? The problem is old legislation, and the refusal to make a change. A currently former Supreme Court judge Antonin Scalia was quoted as saying the constitution does not dis-allow gender bias.   While not true, a Supreme Court judge, who supposedly should be speaking for the constitution, should not help spread and promote miss-information. On top of that, he was never corrected or reprimanded.   The only consequence of that action was ‘bad press’. This quote not only helps smaller local courts continue their bias but miss-informs them that they are acting legally.   Better legislation and better education for judges need t o be passed before anything can be done. And while there are many arguments that women also face these problems (and while that may be true) the problem it’s usually the men. Women are given more chances and exceptions than the men. Several document court cases have shown that on average women are given more chances to earn money and pay it, should they be ordered to pay child support. This could either be the judge informing them of state opportunities like welfare and social security, unlike the men who usually are faced with arrest threats or an actual arrest. Another idea in the system is that the reason they are in family court is often due to the father being unfit in the first place (I.e Domestic violence, threats, abuse). This is an obvious oversight into a small population of the people.   More often than not it’s just a case of a family not working well together, and no actual abuse or crimes have taken place. On top of that, when it comes to dishing out child support, the mother will likely have t he advantage; also awarded more money â€Å"In spring 1992, about one-half (6.2 million) of the 11.5 million custodial parents were awarded child support; award rates were higher for mothers than for fathers (56 percent compared with 41 percent)† (U.S. Department of Commerce) Overall, when it comes to dealing with the family courts, men are less likely to win custody of their own children. Those who have a chance at it, are often met with extreme legal fees more so than the mother. Women are often seen as a child’s protector so in the eyes of the court they are usually seen as the fit parent right from the start. It has also been noted that men’s job status and living situation is looked into more than the women’s. This is due to the assumption that women get more government aid to assist them than men; this not being true but is still a common misconception. Inequality in the courts has been taking place ever since they have been around. The problem isn’t that they refuse to acknowledge it, the problem is it’s acknowledged and yet nothing is done about it today. Works Cited:    Elizabeth S. Scott.   Pluralism, Parental Preference, and Child Custody Berkley Scholarship Law,  Ã‚   May 1992 Nancy Shannon. Custody Relocation Case Study: A Judge’s Ruling on Moving Out Of State Cordell & Cordell Divorce Lawyer  Ã‚  Ã‚   May 2014 U.S. Department of Commerce. Who Receives Child Support? Economics and Statistics Administration. BUREAU OF THE CENSUS  Ã‚  Ã‚   June 1995 Tina Griego. Locking up parents for not paying child support can be a modern-day ‘debtor’s prison’  Ã‚  Ã‚   September 26, 2014 Lindsay R. Estep.   Mommy or Daddy?: Perceived Gender Bias and Court Awarded Custodial Guardianship April 27, 2011 Katherine Bartlett. Comparing race and sex discrimination in custody cases Duke Law EDU

Genetically modified food Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Genetically modified food - Essay Example As per the current scientific situation, most foods that are as a result of genetic modifications come from plants, but as time goes by, attempts are being made in order to come with foods from plants or animals that contain microbial genes and improved characteristics (Kim, 2009). Most of the genetically modified food crops are produced so as maximize on their yield while at the same time allowing for introduction of resistance genes that help in surviving during infection with diseases. Other genes may also be introduced so as to increase tolerance of the plant to herbicides while at the same time having high yields. It is prospected that this genetic modification at some point will be aimed at making changes on the nutrient content of the genetically altered foods and at least minimizing the potential of some foods to cause allergic reactions. It is however important to perform assessments of all genetically modified foods before they are brought into the market for human consumption since any mistakes done during the process of generating the GMOs may have a fatal effect on huge numbers of people (Kawata, Murakami & Ishikawa, 2009). The first step in the process of manufacture of genetically modified foods involves isolation of the specific genes of interest from heir well-known sources. It is therefore essential that prior knowledge on the structure, role and positional location of the particular gene required for the unique traits is available. Such a trait or genetic characteristic for example may be the trait of drought resistance or resistance to attack by insects. This step is followed by insertion of the isolated gene of interest into a selected vector and in most cases the vector used is the bacteria Agrobacterium tumefaciens. The gene insert that contains the gene of interest is inserted into the plasmid of the vector by use of an alternative in the various

Assignment 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Assignment 3 - Essay Example The main statutes that make up the antitrust law are the Sherman Act 1890, the Federal State Commission Act of 1914 and the Clayton Act of 1914. These laws are meant to prohibit and restrict the formation of cartels and other activities aimed at restraining trade. They also constrain acquisitions and mergers which would reduce competition. These laws restrict the creation of monopolies that intend to abuse the monopoly power. Antitrust laws are put in place to protect the consumers from greedy business practices by making sure that there is fair competition in the market. The core function of the antitrust provisions is to safeguard the welfare of the consumers. Both the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice as well as the Federal Trade Commission can bring actions to enforce antitrust laws. State governments can also bring actions to enforce antitrust laws. It is also noteworthy that private civil suits can also be brought to enforce these laws. Public enforcement is, howe ver, more effective as the costs, complexity and overwhelming tasks provide a challenge to private parties considering that enforcement is often against large corporations (Weiser 2005). How the antitrust laws have ensured fair, balanced, and competitive business practices. ... Among the most notable cases brought under the antitrust law is the disintegration of the AT&T telephone service monopoly in 1982. The company was broken up into one distant company and seven regional companies. The argument for the disintegration was that competition should replace a monopoly for the benefit of both the economy and consumers (Connor, 2006, p. 198). In United States v. Eastman Kodak Company (1921) the court used antitrust law to check the absorption, acquisition and elimination of other enterprises involved in the photographic trade. The court prohibited the procurement of monopolistic raw materials and eliminated the obligation on dealers not to deal with products of competitors. Antitrust law was also significant in preventing a movement to change the motion picture industry into a giant cooperation. In United States v. Fox Theatres Corporation, et al (1948) the court disabled a merger of two main players in the industry. United States v. National Retail Credit Ass ociation (1933) also used antitrust law to prevent the elimination of almost three hundred and fifty independent retail credit businesses. A strategy to monopolize the retail credit business in the country had been developed and enforced by the credit association. Members were allocated regions where each was to serve as a monopoly. The other small retail credit businesses were to be removed from the business by policies intended at eliminating their source of credit information. United States v. Kansas City Ice Company also used antitrust law to prevent the destruction of small businesses in the ice trade. The Kansas City Ice Company had acquired control of almost 90% of ice supply through contracts to purchase the whole production of ice

Business Mission Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business Mission - Term Paper Example so because it has proved that information and technology not only results in business establishments realizing higher profits but it also makes work easier for workers thus reducing ion operational cost greatly. Despite there being a need for provision of information and technology solutions, cost has become a de-motivating factor that results in many company’s especially small sized ones to opt not to seek the services of information and technology solution companies. This is so since normally the cost of both implementation and maintaining of information and technology infrastructure is usually high making no sense since it does not reduce the cost of operation. Therefore, the company’s primary goal is to provide affordable information and technology solutions to companies of any size at reasonable costs. This will be through taking advantage of advancement in technology that has resulted in the reduction of the implementation of information and technology solutions. For example, Total Solutions will optimise the use of cloud computing which will be instrumental in significantly reducing the cost of implementation since business establishment will not be required to purchase unnecessary hardware such as servers. The company will be backing up respective clients data remotely through cloud computing. The company’s stakeholders are private investors who were gotten as the business idea was pitched to them. The government is also a silent stakeholder in the fact that it has not invested in the company. However, it has provided the company with a soft loan since it realized the importance of providing information and technology so lutions at affordable cost. Thus, the mission statement for the company is providing affordable and quality total solutions for business establishment. In the short-range the corporation is expected to be among the top 100 midsized companies in the country. This is in tandem with its strategic plan where it will start off by

Renewable Energy- Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Renewable Energy- - Research Paper Example Over the time, the researchers have analyzed that there is a prompt need for the adaptation of renewable energy. For instance, the usage of solar, biomass and geo-thermal energy is important throughout the world to generate sustainable energy and reduce the greenhouse gas emissions (Nnadi et al, 2011). Oil, coal, water and woods have been used since long to produce energy. However, as the technological advancement takes place, there are new methods of producing energy that are flourishing. The world may face a major energy crisis in the future if the natural resources and energy production is not organized. The energy production is a highly technical field which needs skilled people and machinery. Once the energy is produced, it has to be used efficiently so that it is not exploited or wasted. Thus, it is our duty to focus on the important pathways of producing, using and conserving energy so that the future crisis is resolved. Before the energy is produced or used in any country, a detailed study should take place by their scientists to ensure the processes are carried out in the proper ways. There are certain countries in the world that are in a bad condition due to energy shortfalls which impacts their future progress immensely. It is important to adopt measures that are efficient and reliable to make sure the energy resources of a country are not exploited but used up efficiently. The countries suffering a crisis can overcome it by using natural resources to fulfill the everyday energy demands. Nigeria is an example of the countries that are suffering an energy crisis (Nnadiet al, 2011); China is the country that has made active use of its renewable energy resources and India fights the energy crisis it faces and uses up their renewable energy to the fullest (Ravikrishna, 2011). Nigeria is one of those countries that are rich in natural resources. Their natural resources are water,

Cr(VI) reduction by natural product Research Proposal

Cr(VI) reduction by natural product - Research Proposal Example A new strategy to reducing hexavalent chromium, which is safer and more efficient, is therefore necessary and this study seeks to investigate potential use of ascorbic acid as a better reducing agent for toxic hexavalent chromium. Experiments will be used to collect data on reduction kinetics. Different concentrations of ascorbic acid will be reacted with a controlled solution of hexavalent chromium, at room temperature and changes in hexavalent chromium concentration observed, for each concentration of ascorbic acid, over time. The modified diphenylcarbanize colorimeter method will be used determine concentration of the hexavalent chromium and the project will be completed by June 2015. Regional and national forums will be used for immediate dissemination of research findings while peer reviewed journals will be used for dissemination in the future. The proposed research will improve scientific understanding of hexavalent chromium reduction and reduce environmental effects of the ch emical element besides supporting other research interests at GGG CCC science

How Can We Get More Out of Work (and Maybe Life) Assignment

How Can We Get More Out of Work (and Maybe Life) - Assignment Example To expound on the discussion of rationality, Brubaker (1984) provided an overview through applications in capitalism and calculability. Capitalism was described as based on the continuous drive to arrive at a maximized or optimized level towards the ultimate goal of profit making. Modern society was noted to be driven by social and economic factors based on rational decision-making processes that ultimately aim to optimize the use of resources and get the most out of life and of work. As asserted, the application of market exchange, monetary calculation and capital accounting exemplify effective use of rationalization in terms of quantifying inputs or factors that assist individuals in making responsible decisions. From one’s perspective, the concept of rationalization aids in current or future employment through access to resources and means that assist in making decisions regarding jobs, or life in general. The fact was corroborated by Ritzer (1993) who emphasized that formal rationality, defined as the technique or approach resorted to by people to search for a most viable course of action, from a set of alternative courses, is premised on regulations, rules or factors that abound in social structures. For instance, in searching for employment, contemporary societies have designed access to sources of jobs through academic institutions, private or public organizations publishing positions open for employment, and employment agencies. All of these institutions set qualifications, requirements for employment, and processes to be followed by prospective job applications. Likewise, the government, through the Department of Labour, has institutionalized laws and regulations that prescribe minimum wages, benefits and other equal employment opportunities to prevent discrimination.

Supreme court cases Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Supreme court cases - Essay Example A similar fact to the present case can be found in the case of Bowers v. Hardwick (1986). Hardwick was charged violating Georgia statute criminalizing sodomy by committing an act with another male in the bedroom. The court in Bowers v. Hardwick (1986) reversed the Court of Appeals decision and stated that the case does not require a judgment on whether laws against sodomy between consenting adults in general, or between homosexuals in particular, are wise or desirable. The issue presented in Bowers v. Hardwick (1986) is whether the Federal Constitution confers a fundamental right upon homosexuals to engage in sodomy and hence invalidates the laws of the many States that still make such conduct illegal and have done so for a very long time. In this case of Bower v. Hardwick (1986), the court declared their disagreement with the Court of Appeals and with respondent that the Court’s prior cases has construed the Constitution to confer a right of privacy that extends to homosexual sodomy and for all intents and purposes have decided this case. Bower v. Hardwick (1986) presented the reach of this line of cases was sketched in Carey v. Population Services International (1977). Pierce v. Society of Sisters (1925), and Meyer v. Nebraska (1923), were described as dealing with child rearing and education; Prince v. Massachusetts (1944), with family relationships; Skinner v. Oklahoma ex rel. Williamson (1942), with procreation; Loving v. Virginia (1967), with marriage; Griswold v. Connecticut, supra, and Eisenstadt v. Baird, supra, with contraception; and Roe v. Wade (1973), with abortion. The rulings in Bowers v. Hardwick (1986) settled that there is no connection between family, marriage, or procreation on the one hand and homosexual activity on the other has been demonstrated, either by the Court of Appeals or by respondent. However, I dissent in the decision stated above. I agree with Judge Blackmun (Bowers v. Hardwick, 1986) that this case is no more about "a fundamental right to engage in homosexual sodomy," as the Court purports to declare, ante, at 191, than Stanley v. Georgia (1969), was about a fundamental right to watch obscene movies, or Katz v. United States (1967), was about a fundamental right to place interstate bets from a telephone booth. Judge Blackmun said that this case is about "the most comprehensive of rights and the right most valued by civilized men," namely, "the right to be let alone" Olmstead v. United States (1928) (Brandeis, J., dissenting). It is very sad to know that we based our decisions to the rule of law laid down in ancient times. Justice Holmes, believed that "it is revolting to have no better reason for a rule of law than that so it was laid down in the time of Henry IV. It is still more revolting if the grounds upon which it was laid down have vanished long since, and the rule simply persists from blind imitation of the past." Thus it is very important when deciding the case to pay attention to the pre sent condition of the state. We may have laid down rules from the past centuries, but these rules were based on the condition of the state during those times. There are differences on how the people act, think, and decide before and on how they do at this present time. There are acts which were morally wrong before, that maybe right and acceptable today. As for the present case of Susan and Mary, it is

Secret doctrine Essay Example for Free

Secret doctrine Essay Thesis statement: There is a need for human beings to be a part of a group. Elite and even secret organizations such as freemasonry satisfies this need and serve as a driving force to act as ideal citizens and initiate change in the society. First argument: Involvement in freemasonry helps an individual to become a better person. Like any other organization, freemasonry has its own set of guides on the behavior of its members. They obey moral laws and as a matter of fact, a person should be morally upright if he wants to be a mason. â€Å"A Mason is obliged by his Tenure, to obey the moral law: and if he rightly understands the Art, he will never be a stupid Atheist nor an irreligious Libertine† (Catholic Encyclopedia) If a man is guided by a moral law, it is obvious that he will live an upright life especially if they have friends who are accountable to their actions. In freemasonry, each member treats each others as brothers. Brotherhood means that they should stand with one another especially when it comes to their personal life and maintaining the goal of their organization. As relational beings, we need friends and people we are comfortable with to motivate us. In the case of masonry, each member is motivated to live according to the standard of their organization because everyone is doing it. Second argument: Masonry inspires its members to initiate social change and political revolution. In the case of French Revolution, freemasonry played a major role in its success. â€Å"While it is both simplistic and specious to lay the responsibility for the French Revolution at the door of Freemasonry, there is no question that freemasons, as individuals, were active in building, and rebuilding, a new society. † (Freemasons in the French Revolution, freemasonry. byc. ca) Its members who were considered as intellectuals of their society were the ones who were responsible in initiating the revolution. Indeed, a society needs intelligent and passionate leaders who will initiate social change and even revolution. In the Philippines, their 1896 revolution against the Spanish regime was also inspired by freemasonry. Andres Bonifacio who happened to be its founder and supreme leader is a member of freemasonry. Because of his experiences as a mason, Bonifacio was able to organize their system of laws and beliefs. They were able to create their own constitution and just like freemasonry, they believe in the Supreme Being. But more than its structure, Bonifacio was deeply inspired by the teachings of Freemasonry. Although there is a belief that freemasonry holds a secret doctrine, teachings such as social justice and equality are part of their organization. These teachings inspired Bonifacio and other great political leaders to lead a social revolution. References â€Å"Freemasonry†. New Advent. Org. 22 February 2008. http://www. newadvent. org/cathen/09771a. htm#III . â€Å"Freemasons in the French Revolution†. 8 September 2002. Grand Lodge of British Columbia. 22 February 2008. http://freemasonry. bcy. ca/texts/revolution. html.

Contract Law Essays XYZ Building Services Ltd

Contract Law Essays XYZ Building Services Ltd X, the MD of XYZ Building Services Ltd, is considering drafting a standard set of terms and conditions to use in contracts with his customers. Write a report for him explaining What steps he needs to take to ensure that the standard terms are in fact part of any contract he makes with a customer The extent to which he is free to include any term he wants in his standard terms and The provisions of contract law about termination and breach of contract which he may wish to take into account when drafting his standard terms. Background: In order for the customer and XYZ to be bound by standard terms and conditions there should be a set of criterion filled. These conditions should be treated as exclusion clauses as they are the extreme conditions to be enforced. For these standard terms and conditions to be enforced there needs to be a valid contract, which means that four requirements have to be fulfilled. A valid contract must have the following elements; offer; acceptance; consideration; capacity; and intention. These are present in this contract when XYZ offers his work and the customer accepts verbally or in writing. There is also intention because there is an understanding that XYZ will turn up to work on a certain day and the customer will pay a certain fee, which is evidence of consideration as the customer is at a disadvantage.This is a valid contract, however the next area to explore is whether the exclusion clause and standard terms apply because the customer has never worked with XYZ and at the verbal con tract point does not indicate what his usual terms and conditions are. Basic Requirements of Ensuring Enforceable Standard Terms and Conditions: Under contract law there are only three ways that they can be incorporated which are: By signature even if they are not read; By notice where there has to be sufficient notice By custom where there have been previous dealings between the parties even if the clause is added in later. In every case XYZ should ensure that there is case is a signature in case there is no indication of previous dealings, hence the customer may not bound by these conditions yet. Therefore one has to consider the case of notice, off hand there is no notice as XYZ fully indicates what these conditions   and the question is whether the average person would have notice, especially as XYZ is an builder and the customer as a business and these could be construed as standard conditions in the business; but this would be easy to prove as notice was given due to XYZ giving these terms and conditions before the contract was agreed and giving a good indication of their nature at this level. Unenforceable Standard Terms and Conditions In every case that a signature is required it gives rise to the opportunity where the terms were fully expressed but under contract law there could be one problem with the contract if the customer has received the contract in their hands and failed to read it the case of Alderslade v Hendon Laundry Ltd if the exclusion clause can only be construed in negligence and in certain circumstances then it is applicable and as The customer received the usual terms and conditions before XYZ started the work, i.e. they had a chance to end the contract then they are bound by them. However, the case of White v John Warwick Co has held that liability for negligence will not normally be excluded. Therefore it is still very confusing whether XYZ is excluded from the damages that the customer is seeking, therefore the statutory provisions of the UCTA and Sale and Supply of Services Act 1982 (SGSA). Is XYZ is liable for the damages that a customer may ask for? In response there is little evidence in whether the exclusion clauses should be supported or not. Under UCTA Section 2 it holds that negligence cannot be excluded in respect to personal and/or death bat all. In relation to other loss/damage liability cannot be excluded unless there is reasonable notice. Section 11 holds that the reasonable test is that the term is fair and reasonable and whether the individual should have reasonably known or in contemplation of when the contract was made. This is similar to the case law discussion; however it is written from the point that negligence can not be excluded except in strict circumstances. There was no real notice in this case, especially when the verbal contract was made. Therefore it is very likely that this clause will not be upheld as the case of Andrews Bros (Bournemouth) Ltd v Singer and Co Ltd holds that exclusion clauses against the party seeking to rely on them. Yet in relation to the damages to the customer it has to be determined if there is remoteness of damage, whereby monetary compensation can be claimed for a failure to perform a primary obligation as this is a breach and/or the loss for any breach of a secondary obligation. In respect to the negligence that has caused personal injury to persons the law states that this cannot be excluded under Section 1(2) of the UCTA, therefore it has been shown that the customer may claim for this. Reasonableness Test, Breach and Questionable Standard Terms and Conditions Again we must turn to whether there is reasonable notice to exclude liability and under the SGSA Section 16 where restricting liability for breach of implied terms arising from Sections 13-15 is subject to the reasonable test and provisions of the UCTA, where the reasonableness test is based upon the common law officious bystander test that is defined in Sir Law v Southern Foundries Ltd which is a stricter test for exclusion clauses where it has to be so reasonable and that the notice is sufficient that the officious bystander would agree to its terms. This basically holds that there are implied terms such as a reasonable quality of goods and services and that it should be completed in a reasonable quality and should be usable. This means that the exclusion of liability for faulty equipment and liability for faulty work cannot be excluded. This means that these two exclusion clauses cannot be upheld. In respect to the negligent completion of work i.e. was there reasonable excuse for the negligence. Yet it was an express term of the contract and without reasonable excuse this exclusion clause it is possibly not going to be upheld, this is rule from an early common law principle. Yet there is the question whether this is reasonable exclusion for the trade.   However, as in the case of Edmund Murray Ltd v BSP International Foundations Ltd it was held that it was not fair and reasonable for the party in breach to rely on an exclusion clause for failing to meet the specifications of the other party. Therefore this again will be subject to the reasonableness test where the test applied to the whole term and to the particular reliance on it. Therefore if it is a specific term of the contract to be finished by the certain date and made clear by The customer and XYZ did this as it was then it is very likely it can be excluded because it is a trade standard. Finally, if one considers the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999 (UTCCR) if the term does not create an unfair balance in detriment to the consumer it can be upheld. Yet as this does create an unfair balance and puts the customer at a loss then they will be protected from the exclusion clause as a consumer, even though she is acting for her business. However are the circumst ances of this variation sufficient enough for the customer to claim? If the swimming pool was properly marked the work would have been finished within the time period would variation to the contract be acceptable? Therefore is there a reasonable excuse for the variation and did both the customer and XYZ have equal bargaining power? The first question to ask is whether the circumstances that lead to the variation of the contract would have frustrated the contract, if the variation is perfectly acceptable as long as the customer was not put under duress to accept the new terms. Bibliography J. Beatson (1998) Anson’s Law of Contract 27th Edition, Oxford University Press Buyer (The), 2002, Aspects of Frustration, Buyer 24(12) Groves,   2004, Force Majeure,   Bus Ad 2.10 (2) David Kelly, Ann Holmes Ruth Hayward (2002) Business Law 4th Edition, Cavendish Lunney Oliphant, 2000, Tort Law: Text Materials, Oxford Uni Press Ewan McIntyre, (2004) Business Law, Longman

Langston Hughes Poetry :: essays research papers

Langston Hughes (1902-1967) absorbed America. In doing so, he wrote about many issues critical to his time period, including The Renaissance, The Depression, World War II, the civil rights movement, the Black Power movement, Jazz, Blues, and Spirituality. Just as Hughes absorbed America, America absorbed the black poet in just about the only way its mindset allowed it to: by absorbing a black writer with all of the patronizing self-consciousness that that entails.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The contradiction of being both black and American was a great one for Hughes. Although this disparity was troublesome, his situation as such granted him an almost begged status; due to his place as a â€Å"black American† poet, his work was all the more accessible. Hughes’ black experience was sensationalized. Using his â€Å"black experience† as a faà §ade, however, Hughes was able to obscure his own torments and insecurities regarding his ambiguous sexuality, his parents and their relationship, and his status as a public figure.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of Hughes’ most distinctive styles stemmed from urban nightclubs in which black artists performed for a white audience. Hughes’ great appreciation for the black urban music style is obvious throughout the various rhythms, patterns, and unpredictable improvisations that mirror the chaotic and pulsating tempo of city life. Jazz and black oral influences, as well as social dichotomy are pervasive elements throughout Hughes’ poetry. Like nightclub entertainers, Hughes used the progression of Afro-American music (jazz, ragtime, swing, blues, and be-bop) in order to show the growth and change of a community in conflict, as is shown in â€Å"Subway Rush Hour.† This poem, brimming with sudden and broken rhythms, is characteristic of jazz riffs popular in the 1920s. In â€Å"Subway Rush Hour,† Hughes uses the musicality of his poetry and incorporates it with an important social statement regarding the relation status between blacks and whites. Equality is an ever-present theme throughout Hughes’ poetry. In â€Å"Theme for English B,† Hughes presents us with musical and effective language, an intense social statement, and a very important sense of equality, shocking us into reality. Although â€Å"Theme for English B† was published in 1949, it has many of the characteristics that his earlier works from the Harlem Renaissance possessed. The rhythmic rhyming adds to the musicality of the poem. The language is simple, yet effective in making a very important social statement. An especially intense aura of American separatism is present throughout the poem. A sense of egalitarianism is also present throughout the poem: the instructor is just as much student as the student is professor, young and old each have much to offer the other, and black and white partake of each other.

The Importance of Literary Trash :: Personal Narrative Essays

The Importance of Literary Trash I've heard it said that the goal of "serious literature" is to illuminate the human condition. If that is the case, the error of serious literature is that it is far too simple-minded and attempts to illuminate the human condition by portraying it directly. The great strength of myth, legend and their modern-day successor trashy genre fiction is that they don't just show us the human condition, but interpret, highlight and contrast it by showing us the larger than life symbols. The courage and romance that allows us to survive and to savor daily life are the core of myth and genre. There they are made larger than life and inspire us to aspire to a greatness that goes beyond simple daily experience. The other failing of modern "serious literature" is the failing of all modern art: art for art's sake. Modern art far too frequently is nothing more than the artist showing off the techniques they would use if they were ever to create a true work of art. And so we see the sense of color that they would use if they ever a picture and so on. Technique becomes all important and content is eschewed as distracting from the true art, meaning the simple skills and techniques. An irony of this great "art for art" mistake is that one of its first and most eloquent spokesmen, Theophile Gautier, put forth his position in the introduction of his romantic novel "Mademoiselle de Maupin", whose title character whose adventurous life would make a rip-roaring and thoroughly trashy adventure novel, if only the author had wished to actually tell a story. Jessica Amanda Salmonson, in her introduction to "Amazons II", gives us a two-page summary of the life, loves, and adventures of the historical "La Maupin", actress, duelist and lover that is both exciting and tantalizing, and which has at least as much plot in its 2 pages as Gautier's novel. Stephen Donalson claimed at the second World Fantasy Convention (or was it the third?) that he never read any non-fiction because all of the great insights that people told him they got from non-fiction works he had found long before in fictional tales. From context, it was clear that much of that fiction was fantasy and science fiction. While I won't go as far as Donalson, his point is similar to my own.

The Idea of the Hypersexual Black Male in the Invisible Man Essay

In the Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, the narrator’s view of women is generally pessimistic. His negative view of women is also reflected by women, specifically of Caucasian ethnicity. Their societal depiction of black men considers them to be hypersexual objects and incapable of anything else. Emma, Brother Hubert’s wife, and Sybil, are three women in particular who possess negative character flaws that allow the narrator to deem them unworthy. Emma’s tremendous dominance give the impression of being unapproachable while Brother Hubert’s wife’s infidelity and ability to control confuses him and finally, Sybil’s decadence makes her appear sloppy. All of these flaws are used to reduce the narrator to a sexual tool at the expense of his intellect. The first woman seen is Emma, a Brotherhood employee, who is perceived to be very powerful and demeaning toward the narrator although physically attracted to him. She engages in limited dialog which, I believe is intended to paint her as diminutive; however she is described as â€Å"smartly dressed† with a â€Å"hard, handsome face† (300). Her...

My walk with the Lord

I realized I needed the Lord as a teenager. Because I grew up in a Christian home, and went to church on a regular basis, I never really experienced that close and personal relationship with the Lord. It wasn’t until I was in high school that I grew close to Christ. My father fought stomach cancer for two years, and the three months he spent at home with our family taught me to rely on God for everything. It was only through prayer and reading Bible passages that I was able to be strong as my father passed away. This was a tumultuous period for me; I was begging God for more time with my father, and praying for Him to ease my father’s pain. Instead of God healing my father, he showed me that Jesus is alive and with us. I was desperate to walk with Jesus Christ, and He helped me to see that He was with my father and my family. I always understood that Jesus is our Savior, yet I didn’t truly believe that He is alive in our heart, until my father’s illness. That was when I felt the promise that He would always listen to my prayers and be with me. The Spirit guided me through my prayers during different times, especially during my junior year in high school. I have faith in eternal life and a strong conviction that I could never obtain through education, but only by experience in Jesus Christ. As a result, I have decided I will do whatever God leads me to do until the day I get to meet my father in heaven. I now truly understand the principles and ideas being taught in my church, and I have begun applying them to my own life. I have learned that every good gift and every perfect gift is from above (James 1:17) and also that if I ask, it shall be given; seek, and I shall find; knock and it shall be opened. (Matthew 7:7). These lessons, although filled with a joyful promise, have not always come easy. There have been times I have prayed so much for something, to have it not happen or to not be fulfilled. It has taken many years to understand that The Lord’s path is the right path, and my way is not always what is best for me. Often times, however, I have been able to see God’s plan for me, after the fact, and was thankful that e is in control of my life. Any problems or questions I find in my life, I have learned that I can turn to the scriptures for the answers, like a handbook for life. I also know that the Lord is with me at all times. Like in Psalms 23, probably one of the most well-known verses, I know that The Lord is my Shepard, and I shall not want. And Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me. In times of solitude or despair, I have taken comfort from this passage. My walk with The Lord is a constant journey. Each day I learn more and trust in His grace further. Although at times it is hard to trust in the unknown, I have put all of my heart into Him, and I know that He will provide for me. Because I realize this, I hope to help others to also understand and come to know Jesus. He has said, in Luke 16:15-16, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. I want to live my life for Christ. I want others to see His good works through me. I want to continue to grow in His Almighty grace and spirit. I want to help unbelievers experience the incredible rock that I have found to help me through good times and bad, and to know the one I call Jesus.

Last Sacrifice Chapter Nineteen

THE VANS PARKED IN A semi-remote part of Court, so seeing the area packed with eager Moroi was quite a shock to Lissa. Guardians moved through the people like ghosts, just as they had at the nomination session, keeping as much order as possible. The crowd kept getting in the way as the vans attempted to reach the garages, and faces looked in the windows, trying to get a glimpse of the royal candidates. Lissa stared at the masses in shock, almost afraid to get out. Ariana gave her a comforting smile. â€Å"This is normal. They all want to know who made it and who didn't. They especially want to know.' She inclined her head toward the front of the van. Peering through the windshield, Lissa spied the other six candidates. Because the forest course could only accommodate so many people, the group had been split in half. The rest of the candidates would take the same test tomorrow and were no doubt curious who among their competitors had passed today. Lissa was used to order and decorum around royals, so she was astonished to see such eagerness and frenzy among them now. And of course, the â€Å"common' Moroi who'd been arriving at Court were mixed into the crowd too. Everyone was pushing, peering over the heads of others to find out what had happened. People were shouting some of the candidates' names, and I was half-surprised they hadn't come up with songs and banners. Lissa and her companions exited the van and were met with a wave of cheers that rippled through the crowd. It became obvious pretty quickly who had passed and who hadn't. This sent the crowd abuzz even more. Lissa stood rooted to the spot, staring around and feeling lost. It was one thing to rationally discuss the pros of her running for queen with her friends. It was an entirely different matter to suddenly be thrust into what the elections truly meant. Her focus had been limited to a few things: my safety, finding the murderer, and surviving the tests. Now, as she took in the crowd, she realized the election was bigger than her, bigger than anything she could have imagined. For these people, it wasn't a joke. It wasn't a scam to twist the law and stall for time. Their lives were figuratively on the line. Moroi and dhampirs lived inside various countries and obeyed those laws, but they also obeyed this government, the one that operated out of the Court. It reached around the world and affected every dhampir and Moroi who chose to stay in our society. We had some voting, yes, but the king or queen shaped our futures. The guardians in charge of the crowds finally gave the okay for family members to push through the masses and collect their nominees. Lissa had no one. Both Janine and Eddie–despite earlier claims–were occasionally given temporary tasks that prevented them from being with Lissa 24/7, and she certainly had no family to come for her. Adrift, she felt dizzy in the chaos, still stunned by her moment of clarity. Conflicting emotions warred within her. Deceiving everyone made her feel unworthy, like she should resign her candidacy right now. At the same time, she suddenly wanted to be worthy of the elections. She wanted to hold her head high and walk into the tests proudly, even if she was taking them for ulterior motives. A strong hand at last caught hold of her arm. Christian. â€Å"Come on. Let's get out of here.' He pulled her away, shouldering through the onlookers. â€Å"Hey,' he called to a couple guardians on the crowd's periphery. â€Å"A little help here for the princess?' It was the first time I had ever seen him act like a royal, throwing around the authority of his bloodline. To me, he was snarky, cynical Christian. In Moroi society, at eighteen, he could now technically be addressed as Lord Ozera. I'd forgotten that. The two guardians hadn't. They rushed to Lissa's side, helping Christian part the crowd. The faces around her were a blur, the noise a dull roar. Yet, every once in a while, something would come through to her. The chanting of her name. Declarations about the return of the dragon, which was the symbol of the Dragomir family. This is real, she kept thinking. This is real. The guardians efficiently led her out of it all and back across the Court's grounds to her building. They released her once they considered her safe, and she graciously thanked them for their help. When she and Christian were in her room, she sank onto the bed, stunned. â€Å"Oh my God,' she said. â€Å"That was insane.' Christian smiled. â€Å"Which part? Your welcome home party? Or the test itself? You look like you just †¦ well, I'm not really sure what you just did.' Lissa took a quick survey of herself. They'd given her dry towels on the ride home, but her clothing was still damp and was wrinkling as it dried. Her shoes and jeans had mud all over them, and she didn't even want to think about what her hair looked like. â€Å"Yeah, we–‘ The words stuck on her tongue–and not because she suddenly decided not to tell him. â€Å"I can't say,' she murmured. â€Å"It really worked. The spell won't let me.' â€Å"What spell?' he asked. Lissa rolled up her sleeve and lifted the bandage to show him the tiny tattooed dot on her arm. â€Å"It's a compulsion spell so I won't talk about the test. Like the Alchemists have.' â€Å"Wow,' he said, truly impressed. â€Å"I never actually thought those worked.' â€Å"I guess so. It's really weird. I want to talk about it, but I just †¦ cant.' â€Å"Its okay,' he said, brushing some of her damp hair aside. â€Å"You passed. That's what matters. Just focus on that.' â€Å"The only thing I want to focus on right now is a shower–which is kind of ironic, considering how soaked I am.' She didn't move, though, and instead stared off at the far wall. â€Å"Hey,' said Christian gently. â€Å"What's wrong? Did the crowd scare you?' She turned back to him. â€Å"No, that's the thing. I mean, they were intimidating, yeah. But I just realized †¦ I don't know. I realized I'm part of a major process, one that's gone on since–‘ â€Å"The beginning of time?' teased Christian, quoting Nathan's nonsensical statement. â€Å"Nearly,' she answered, with a small smile that soon faded. â€Å"This goes beyond tradition, Christian. The elections are a core part of our society. Ingrained. We can talk about changing age laws or fighting or whatever, but this is ancient. And far-reaching. Those people out there? They're not all Americans. They've come from other countries. I forget sometimes that even though the Court is here, it rules Moroi everywhere. What happens here affects the whole world.' â€Å"Where are you going with this?' he asked. She was lost in her own thoughts and couldn't see Christian as objectively as I could. He knew Lissa. He understood her and loved her. The two of them had a synchronicity similar to what Dimitri and I shared. Sometimes, however, Lissa's thoughts spun in directions he couldn't guess. He'd never admit it, but I knew part of why he loved her was that–unlike me, who everyone knew was impetuous–Lissa always seemed the picture of calmness and rationality. Then, she'd do something totally unexpected. Those moments delighted him–but sometimes scared him because he never knew just how much a role spirit was playing in her actions. Now was one of those times. He knew the elections were stressing her, and like me, he knew that could bring out the worst. â€Å"I'm going to take these tests seriously,' she said. â€Å"It's–it's shameful not to. An insult to our society. My ultimate goal is to find out who framed Rose, but in the meantime? I'm going to go through the trials like someone who intends to be queen.' Christian hesitated before speaking, a rarity for him. â€Å"Do you want to be queen?' That snapped Lissa from her dreamy philosophizing about tradition and honor. â€Å"No! Of course not. I'm eighteen. I can't even drink yet.' â€Å"That's never stopped you from doing it,' he pointed out, becoming more like his usual self. â€Å"I'm serious! I want to go to college. I want Rose back. I don't want to rule the Moroi nation.' A sly look lit Christian's blue eyes. â€Å"You know, Aunt Tasha makes jokes about how you'd actually be a better queen than the others, except sometimes †¦ I don't think she's joking.' Lissa groaned and stretched back on the bed. â€Å"I love her, but we've got to keep her in check. If anyone could actually get that law changed, it would be her and her activist friends.' â€Å"Well, don't worry. The thing about her â€Å"activist friends' is that they have so much to protest, they don't usually get behind one thing at the same time.' Christian stretched out beside her and pulled her close. â€Å"But for what it's worth, I think you'd be a great queen too, Princess Dragomir.' â€Å"You're going to get dirty,' she warned. â€Å"Already am. Oh, you mean from your clothes?' He wrapped his arms around her, heedless of her damp and muddy state. â€Å"I spent most of my childhood hiding in a dusty attic and own exactly one dress shirt. You really think I care about this T-shirt?' She laughed and then kissed him, letting her mind free itself of worry for a moment and just savor the feel of his lips. Considering they were on a bed, I wondered if it was time for me to go. After several seconds, she pulled back and sighed contentedly. â€Å"You know, sometimes I think I love you.' â€Å"Sometimes?' he asked in mock outrage. She ruffled his hair. â€Å"All the time. But I've got to keep you on your toes.' â€Å"Consider me kept.' He brought his lips toward hers again but stopped when a knock sounded at the door. Lissa pulled back from the near-kiss, but neither of them broke from the embrace. â€Å"Don't answer,' said Christian. Lissa frowned, peering toward the living room. She slipped out of his arms, stood up, and walked toward the door. When she was several feet from it, she nodded knowingly. â€Å"It's Adrian.' â€Å"More reason not to answer,' said Christian. Lissa ignored him and opened the door, and sure enough, my devil-may-care boyfriend stood there. From behind Lissa, I heard Christian say, â€Å"Worst. Timing. Ever.' Adrian studied Lissa and then looked at Christian sprawling on the bed on the far side of the suite. â€Å"Huh,' Adrian said, letting himself in. â€Å"So that's how you're going to fix the family problem. Little Dragomirs. Good idea.' Christian sat up and strolled toward them. â€Å"Yeah, that's exactly it. You're interrupting official Council business.' Adrian was dressed casually for him, jeans and a black T-shirt, though he made it look like designer clothing. Actually, it probably was. God, I missed him. I missed them all. â€Å"What's going on?' asked Lissa. While Christian seemed to consider Adrian's arrival a personal offense, Lissa knew that Adrian wouldn't be here without a good reason– especially this early in the Moroi day. Although he had on his normal lazy smile, there was an excited and eager glitter in his aura. He had news. â€Å"I've got him,' said Adrian. â€Å"Got him trapped.' â€Å"Who?' asked Lissa, startled. â€Å"That idiot Blake Lazar.' â€Å"What do you mean trapped?' asked Christian, as perplexed as Lissa. â€Å"Did you set out a bear trap on the tennis courts or something?' â€Å"I wish. He's over at the Burning Arrow. I just bought another round, so he should still be there if we hurry. He thinks I went out for a cigarette.' Judging from the scent wreathing Adrian, Lissa had a feeling he actually had been out for a cigarette. And likely shared in the round. â€Å"You've been at a bar this early?' Adrian shrugged. â€Å"It's not early for humans.' â€Å"But you're not–‘ â€Å"Come on, cousin.' Adrian's aura didn't have the muted colors of someone who was completely drunk, but yes, he'd definitely had a few drinks. â€Å"If pretty boy Ambrose was right about Aunt Tatiana, then this guy can tell us the names of other jealous women.' â€Å"Why didn't you ask him yourself?' asked Christian. â€Å"Because me asking about my aunt's sex life would be sick and wrong,' said Adrian. â€Å"Whereas Blake will be more than happy to talk to our charming princess here.' Lissa really wanted her bed, but finding out anything to help me sparked a new rush of energy within her. â€Å"Okay, let me at least get some different clothes and brush my hair.' While she was changing in the bathroom, she heard Adrian say to Christian, â€Å"You know, your shirt's kind of grungy-looking. Seems like you could put in a little more effort since you're dating a princess.' Fifteen minutes or so later, the threesome were on their way across Court to a tucked away bar inside an administrative building. I'd been there before and had originally thought it was a weird place to house a bar. But, after a recent stint of filing, I'd decided that if I were doing office work for living, I'd probably want a quick source of alcohol on hand, too. The bar was dimly lit, both for mood and Moroi comfort. Adrian's joking aside, it really was early for Moroi, and only a couple patrons were there. Adrian made a small gesture to the bartender, which I presumed was some kind of ordering signal because the woman immediately turned and began pouring a drink. â€Å"Hey, Ivashkov! Where'd you go?' A voice called over to Lissa and the others, and after a few moments, she spotted a lone guy sitting at a corner table. As Adrian led them closer, Lissa saw that the guy was young–about Adrian's age, with curly black hair and brilliant teal eyes, kind of like Abe's recent tie. It was as though someone had taken the stunning color of both Adrian and Christian's eyes and mixed them together. He had a leanly muscled body–about as buff as any Moroi could manage–and, even with a boyfriend, Lissa could admire how hot he was. â€Å"To get better-looking company,' replied Adrian, pulling out a chair. The Moroi then noticed Adrian's companions and jumped up. He caught hold of Lissa's hand, leaned over, and kissed it. â€Å"Princess Dragomir. It's an honor to meet you at last. Seeing you from a distance was beautiful. Up close? Divine.' â€Å"This,' said Adrian grandly, â€Å"is Blake Lazar.' â€Å"It's nice to meet you,' she said. Blake smiled radiantly. â€Å"May I call you Vasilisa?' â€Å"You can call me Lissa.' â€Å"You can also,' added Christian, â€Å"let go of her hand now.' Blake looked over at Christian, taking a few more moments to release Lissa's hand– seeming very proud about those extra seconds. â€Å"I've seen you too. Ozera. Crispin, right?' â€Å"Christian,' corrected Lissa. â€Å"Right.' Blake pulled out a chair, still playing the over-the-top gentleman. â€Å"Please. Join us.' He made no such offer to Christian, who went out of his way to sit close to Lissa. â€Å"What would you like to drink? It's on me.' â€Å"Nothing,' said Lissa. The bartender appeared just then, bringing Adrian's drink and another for Blake. â€Å"Never too early. Ask Ivashkov. You drink as soon as you roll out of bed, right?' â€Å"There's a bottle of scotch right on my nightstand,' said Adrian, still keeping his tone light. Lissa opened her eyes to his aura. It bore the bright gold all spirit users had, still muddled slightly from alcohol. It also had the faintest tinge of red–not true anger, but definite annoyance. Lissa recalled that neither Adrian nor Ambrose had had a good opinion of this Blake guy. â€Å"So what brings you and Christopher here?' asked Blake. He finished a glass of something amber colored and set it down beside the new drink. â€Å"Christian,' said Christian. â€Å"We were talking about my aunt earlier,' said Adrian. Again, he managed to sound very conversational, but no matter how much he might want to clear my name, delving into the details of Tatiana's murder obviously bothered him. Blake's smile diminished a little. â€Å"How depressing. For both of you.' That was directed to Adrian and Lissa. Christian might as well have not existed. â€Å"Sorry about Hathaway too,' he added to Lissa alone. â€Å"I've heard how upset you've been. Who'd have seen that coming?' Lissa realized he was referring to how she'd been pretending to be angry and hurt by me. â€Å"Well,' she said bitterly. â€Å"I guess you just don't know people. There were a million clues beforehand. I just didn't pay attention.' â€Å"You must be upset too,' said Christian. â€Å"We heard you and the queen were kind of close.' Blake's grin returned. â€Å"Yeah †¦ we knew each other pretty well. I'm going to miss her. She might have seemed cold to some people, but believe me, she knew how to have a good time.' Blake glanced at Adrian. â€Å"You must have known that.' â€Å"Not in the way you did.' Adrian paused to take a sip of his own drink. I think he needed it to restrain any snippy remarks, and honestly, I didn't begrudge him it. I actually admired his self-control. If I'd been in his place, I would have long since punched Blake. â€Å"Or Ambrose.' Blake's pretty smile transformed into a full-fledged scowl. â€Å"Him? That blood whore? He didn't deserve to be in her presence. I can't even believe they let him stay at Court.' â€Å"He actually thinks you killed the queen.' Lissa then added hastily, â€Å"Which is ridiculous when all the evidence proves Rose did it.' Those hadn't been Ambrose's exact words, but she wanted to see if she could elicit a reaction. She did. â€Å"He thinks what?' Yes. Definitely no smile now. Without it, Blake suddenly didn't seem as good-looking as earlier. â€Å"That lying bastard! I have an alibi, and he knows it. He's just pissed off because she liked me better.' â€Å"Then why'd she keep him around?' asked Christian, face almost angelic. â€Å"Weren't you enough?' Blake fixed him with a glare while finishing the new drink in nearly one gulp. Almost by magic, the bartender appeared with another. Blake nodded his thanks before continuing. â€Å"Oh, I was more than enough. More than enough for a dozen women, but I didn't fool around on the side like he did.' Adrian's expression was growing increasingly pained at each mention of Tatiana's sex life. Still, he played his role. â€Å"I suppose you're talking about Ambrose's other girl- friends? † â€Å"Yup. But â€Å"girl' is kind of extreme. They were all older, and honestly, I think they paid him. Not that your mom needed to pay anyone,' added Blake. â€Å"I mean, she's actually pretty hot. But you know, she couldn't really be with him in any real way.' It seemed to take all of them a moment to follow what Blake was alluding to. Adrian caught on first. â€Å"What did you just say?' â€Å"Oh.' Blake looked legitimately surprised, but it was hard to say if it was an act. â€Å"I thought you knew. Your mom and Ambrose †¦ well, who could blame her? With your dad? Though just between you and me, I think she could have done better.' Blake's tone implied exactly whom he thought Daniella could have done better with. In Lissa's vision, Adrian's aura flared red. â€Å"You son of a bitch!' Adrian was not the fighting type, but there was a first time for everything–and Blake had just crossed a serious line. â€Å"My mom was not cheating on my dad. And even if she was †¦ she sure as hell wouldn't have to pay for it.' Blake didn't seem fazed, but maybe things would have been different if Adrian actually had hit him. Lissa rested her hand on Adrian's arm and squeezed it gently. â€Å"Easy,' she murmured. I felt the smallest tingle of calming compulsion move from her into him. Adrian recognized it immediately and pulled his arm back, giving her a look that said he didn't appreciate her â€Å"help.' â€Å"I thought you didn't like your dad,' said Blake, utterly clueless that his news might be upsetting. â€Å"And besides, don't get all pissy at me. I wasn't sleeping with her. I'm just telling you what I heard. Like I said, if you want to start accusing random people, go after someone like Ambrose.' Lissa jumped in to keep Adrian from saying anything. â€Å"How many women? Do you know who else he was involved with?' â€Å"Three others.' Blake ticked off names on his hand. â€Å"Marta Drozdov and Mirabel Conta. Wait. That's two. I was thinking with Daniella; that's three. But then, that's four with the queen. Yeah, four.' Lissa didn't concern herself with Blake's faulty math skills, though it did support Adrian's previous â€Å"idiot' claims. Marta Drozdov was a semi-notorious royal who had taken to traveling the world in her old age. By Lissa's estimation, Marta was hardly in the U.S. most of the year, let alone Court. She didn't seem invested enough to murder Tatiana. As for Mirabel Conta †¦ she was notorious in a different way. She was known for sleeping with half the guys at Court, married or otherwise. Lissa didn't know her well, but Mirabel had never seemed overly interested in any one guy. â€Å"Sleeping with other women wouldn't really give him a motive for killing the queen,' pointed out Lissa. â€Å"No,' agreed Blake. â€Å"Like I said, it's obvious that Hathaway girl did it.' He paused. â€Å"Damned shame too. She's pretty hot. God, that body. Anyway, if Ambrose had killed her, he'd have done it because he was jealous of me, because Tatiana liked me better. Not because of all those other women he was doing.' â€Å"Why wouldn't Ambrose just kill you?' asked Christian. â€Å"Makes more sense.' Blake didn't have a chance to respond because Adrian was still back on the earlier topic, his eyes flashing with anger. â€Å"My mother wasn't sleeping with anybody. She doesn't even sleep with my father.' Blake continued in his oblivious way. â€Å"Hey, I saw them. They were all over each other. Did I mention how hot your–‘ â€Å"Stop it,' warned Lissa. â€Å"It's not helping.' Adrian clenched his glass. â€Å"None of this is helping!' Clearly, things weren't going the way he'd hoped when he'd first summoned Lissa and Christian from her room. â€Å"And I'm not going to sit and listen to this bullshit.' Adrian downed the drink and shot up from his chair, turning abruptly for the exit. He tossed some cash on the bar before walking out the door. â€Å"Poor guy,' said Blake. He was back to his calm, arrogant self. â€Å"He's been through a lot between his aunt, mom, and murdering girlfriend. That's why really, at the end of the day, you just can't trust women.' He winked at Lissa. â€Å"Present company excluded, of course.' Lissa felt as disgusted as Adrian, and a quick glance at Christian's stormy face showed he felt the same. It was time to go before someone really did punch Blake. â€Å"Well, it's been great talking to you, but we need to go.' Blake gave her puppy-dog eyes. â€Å"But you just got here! I was hoping we could get to know each other.' It went without saying what he meant by that. â€Å"Oh. And Kreskin too.' Christian didn't even bother with a correction this time. He simply took hold of Lissa's hand. â€Å"We have to go.' â€Å"Yeah,' agreed Lissa. Blake shrugged and waved for another drink. â€Å"Well, any time you want to really experience the world, come find me.' Christian and Lissa headed for the door, with Christian muttering, â€Å"I really hope that last part was meant for you, not me.' â€Å"That's no world I want to experience,' said Lissa with a grimace. They stepped outside, and she glanced around, in case Adrian had lingered. Nope. He was gone, and she didn't blame him. â€Å"I can see now why Ambrose and Adrian don't like him. He's such a †¦' â€Å"Asshole?' supplied Christian. They turned toward her building. â€Å"I suppose so.' â€Å"Enough to commit murder?' â€Å"Honestly? No.' Lissa sighed. â€Å"I kind of agree with Ambrose †¦ I don't think Blake's smart enough for murder. Or that the motive's really there. I can't tell if people are lying or not from their auras, but his didn't reveal anything overly dishonest. You joked, but if anyone was going to commit a jealous murder, why wouldn't the guys want to kill each other? A lot easier.' â€Å"They did both have easy access to Tatiana,' Christian reminded her. â€Å"I know. But if there is love and sex involved here †¦ it seems like it'd be someone jealous of the queen. A woman.' A long, meaningful pause hung between them, neither of them wanting to say what they were both likely thinking. Finally, Christian broke the silence. â€Å"Say, like, Daniella Ivashkov?' Lissa shook her head. â€Å"I can't believe that. She doesn't seem like the type.' â€Å"Murderers never seem like the type. That's why they get away with it.' â€Å"Have you been studying up on your criminology or something? † â€Å"No.' They reached her building's front door, and he opened it for Lissa. â€Å"Just laying out some facts. We know Adrian's mom never liked Tatiana for personality reasons. Now we find out that they were sharing the same guy.' â€Å"She has an alibi,' said Lissa stonily. â€Å"Everyone has an alibi,' he reminded her. â€Å"And as we've learned, those can be paid for. In fact, Daniella's already paid for one.' â€Å"I still can't believe it. Not without more proof. Ambrose swore this was more political than personal.' â€Å"Ambrose isn't off the list either.' They came to Lissa's room. â€Å"This is harder than I thought it would be.' They went inside, and Christian wrapped his arms around her. â€Å"I know. But we'll do it together. We'll figure it out. But †¦ we might want to keep some of this to ourselves. Maybe I'm overreacting here, but I think it'd be best if we don't ever, ever tell Adrian his mom has an excellent motive for having killed his aunt.' â€Å"Oh, you think?' She rested her head against his chest and yawned. â€Å"Naptime,' said Christian, leading her toward the bed. â€Å"I still need a shower.' â€Å"Sleep first. Shower later.' He pulled back the covers. â€Å"I'll sleep with you.' â€Å"Sleep or sleep?' she asked dryly, sliding gratefully into bed. â€Å"Real sleep. You need it.' He crawled in beside her, spooning against her and resting his face on her shoulder. â€Å"Of course, afterward, if you want to conduct any official Council business †¦' â€Å"I swear, if you say â€Å"Little Dragomirs,' you can sleep in the hall.' I'm sure there was a patented Christian retort coming, but another knock cut him off. He looked up in exasperation. â€Å"Don't answer it. For real this time.' But Lissa couldn't help herself. She broke from his embrace and climbed out of bed. â€Å"Its not Adrian †¦' â€Å"Then it's probably not important,' said Christian. â€Å"We don't know that.'She got up and opened the door, revealing–my mother. Janine Hathaway swept into the room as casually as Adrian had, her eyes sharp as she studied every detail around her for a threat. â€Å"Sorry I was away,' she told Lissa. â€Å"Eddie and I wanted to set up an alternating system, but we both got pulled for duty earlier.' She glanced over at the rumpled bed, with Christian in it, but being who she was, she came to a pragmatic conclusion, not a romantic one. â€Å"Just in time. I figured you'd want to sleep after the test. Don't worry–I'll keep watch and make sure nothing happens.' Christian and Lissa exchanged rueful looks. â€Å"Thanks,' said Lissa.