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Saturday, August 31, 2019

What Is Practical Work In Science Education Essay

Practical work is viewed by the huge bulk of scientific discipline instructors, as an indispensable and built-in portion of scientific discipline instruction. In fact, many regard it as an indispensable facet of being a ‘science instructor ‘ ( Donnolly 1998 from reappraisal Practical work effectivity in primary/sec schools Abraham ) . Practical work can embrace many different constituents, which can be divided into two chief groups as described in Woodley E, ( 2009 ) , as follows: 1 ) Core activities: These include ‘hands-on ‘ activities such as different probes, research lab techniques and processs, every bit good as fieldwork. These types of activities can assist heighten the development of pupils ‘ practical research lab accomplishments, every bit good as assisting them to understand cardinal scientific constructs and phenomena. 2 ) Directly related activities: These are closely connected to the above nucleus activities, and include practical presentations performed by the instructor, planning and planing scientific probes and analysis of informations. In add-on, some argue that other activities such as usage of computing machine simulations, modeling, usage of studies, presentations, group treatment and function dramas can besides represent what is meant by the term practical activity ( SCORE, 2008 ) . However, others would differ, and believe these activities would non come under the practical activity ‘umbrella ‘ , and instead that they should be used complementarily alongside other practical activities, instead than be a replacement for them ( Woodley, E ) . Millar described a practical activity as ‘Any scientific discipline instruction and acquisition activity which at some point involves the pupils, working separately or in little groups, in detecting or pull stringsing objects to develop understanding ‘ . ( Millar ( 2009 ) ) . It is described in The National Strategies as: ‘Any activity that enables students to hold direct, frequently hands-on, experience of the phenomena they are analyzing ‘ . ( The National Strategies ( 2008 ) ) . In fact the undermentioned citation from SCORE underpins what many believe about the importance of practical work in scientific discipline: ‘Science without practical is like swimming without H2O ‘ . ( SCORE, 2008 ) . Therefore, irrespective of how practical work is defined, or what activities are thought to represent it, it can be seen as a cardinal portion of how scientific discipline should be taught in schoolsWhat is the Purpose of Practical Work?The chief intents of practical work are to prosecute pupils, helping them to develop many of import accomplishments. In fact, practical work can back up larning in a battalion of ways runing from ‘Personal acquisition and believing accomplishments ‘ to ‘How scientific discipline plants ‘ ( E Woodley ) -See Figure 1. The overruling rule, nevertheless is ‘to make links between the concrete and abstract universes ‘ . ( Reflecting on practical work ) . Figure 1. Different ways practical work can back up acquisition: Figure taken from E.Woodley ( original = Figure 1 How practical work supports scientific discipline ( From Geting practical: a model for practical scientific discipline in schools ( SCORE, 2009a ) p. 7 )From reading the literature, it is clear that the different grounds and principles for transporting out practical work in scientific discipline can be classified into three chief countries ( see below ) , as discussed in ( Practical Work in School Science: Which Way Now? Jerry Wellington ) :Arguments for and against the usage of practical work in scientific discipline:1 ) . Cognitive statements: It is thought that practical activities can associate to knowledge and understanding ( the cognitive sphere ) by assisting to beef up pupils ‘ conceptual apprehension of scientific discipline by enabling them to visualize and do sense of different scientific Torahs and theories, frequently back uping learnt theory work.2 ) . Affectional spheres: This relates to the enjoyment and motivational facets of practical work. Practical work is frequently used to bring forth involvement and enthusiasm amongst pupils, and is thought to help pupils in retrieving thing s ; ‘making things stick ‘ . In fact, reports show that in footings of how pupils rate the enjoyability of school scientific discipline activities, the three top rated were: ‘going on a scientific discipline trip ( 85 % ) , looking at pictures ( 75 % ) and making a scientific discipline experiment ( 71 % ) , back uping the position that practical work is so extremely motivational ( Dillion J ) . 3 ) . Skills statement: The last of the three chief principles for practical work is that it can assist develop many movable accomplishments, as illustrated in Figure 1 above. However, characterizing the existent value and intent of practical work is a really hard undertaking and divides sentiment across the scientific discipline instruction profession. In fact there are many statements and counter statements for and against practical work in scientific discipline. Counter responses to the cognitive statement include the thought that practical work can frequently confound instead than better pupils ‘ apprehension ( particularly if the practical does non travel to program ) . In add-on Scott and Leach propose that practical work is non a good attack to learn theory, proposing that theories comprise abstract thoughts which can non be demonstrated physically: ‘ In the context of the school research lab it is clear that pupils can non develop an apprehension through their ain observations, as the theoretical entities of scientific discipline are non at that place to be seen ‘ . ( Taken from Wellington book- Leach and Scott 1995:48 ) Arguments against the affectional statement include the impression that many pupils are merely turned off at the thought and chance of making practicals. There is besides grounds bespeaking that boys bask practical work more so than misss, and therefore misss can frequently be less enthusiastic and motivated compared to boys making the same practical undertaking. ( Wellington ) . Counter statements to the proposal that practical work can develop many movable accomplishments besides exist. These include the statement that group work within practical scientific discipline frequently does non better cardinal accomplishments such as communicating and interaction, as widely believed, but when studied more closely, frequently consequences in more forceful pupils ‘ ruling the undertaking, ensuing in deficiency of enjoyment and battle for some and the demotion of some pupils to simple median undertakings, such as pulling out tabular arraies or entering consequences without any existent engagement in the practical activity themselves. ( Wellington ) . Many other scientific discipline instruction professionals make claims of the ‘overselling ‘ of the scientific discipline instruction in footings of construct that scientific discipline practical work can develop many movable accomplishments. The thought that these accomplishments can add value to pupils and help them on their chosen calling waies have been discredited by some. In fact, Ausubel in the 1960 ‘s argued that any practical undertaking that can give rise to the application of accomplishments required for many subjects, is merely non specific plenty to turn to the peculiar scientific probe being addressed: ‘Grand schemes of find do non look to be movable across disciplines..it barely seems plausible that a scheme of enquiry, which must needfully be wide adequate to be applicable to a broad scope of subjects and jobs, can of all time hold sufficient peculiar relevancy to be helpful in the solution of the particular job at manus ‘ . ( Wellington, Ausubel 1964:298 ) . Therefore, there is much argument sing the usage of practical work within the instruction and acquisition of scientific discipline in schools. The cardinal inquiry here truly is to make with knowledge and how we get cognition. i.e. : How do we understand the universe and do sense of it in our caputs? ( Miller R, 2004 ) . One important reply to this came from Jean Piaget, who is credited as the innovator of the constructivist theory of cognizing. He argued that we construct of all time more complicated and sophisticated representations of the universe. This is through modifying our bing apprehensions ( or scheme ; a structured bunch of constructs ) through our actions on the universe around us. If Piaget is right, so the usage of practical work in detecting and step ining in the universe must be critical for our apprehension of scientific discipline ( R Miller 2004 ) .The effectivity of practical work in scientific disciplineAs discussed above, many scientific discipline instructors a nd other scientific discipline instruction professionals believe that practical work in the instruction of scientific discipline in schools is critical for assisting pupils learn and retrieve things more clearly. However, as besides noted there are statements proposing that practical work is really non all that effectual at accomplishing these purposes. A outstanding citation from Osborne ( 1998 ) inquiries the effectivity of practical work in the acquisition of scientific discipline, stating that practical work: ‘ has merely a limited function to play in larning scientific discipline and that much of it is of small educational value ‘ ( p. 156. from Miller 2004 reappraisal ) . Much of the decisions of research into the effectivity of practical work remain slightly equivocal. Research carried out in the 1980 ‘s by Hewson and Hewson ( 1983 ) , in which In add-on, others have argued that the manner in which practical work is practised is frequently the cause of its ineffectualness, and possibly, therefore the type of practical work used, and the manner it is used should be analysed, instead than merely stating that all practical work is uneffective. Hence if we are interested in looking at the effectivity of practical work in scientific discipline, the specific practical work used, or planning to be used need to be really carefully planned and thought out. A cardinal consideration here is really what is meant by the term ‘effectiveness ‘ .A model for judging the effectivity of practical workTheobald in the 1960 ‘s argued that scientific theory must ever be taught first and is required in order to visualize: ‘Experience does non give constructs intending, if anything constructs give experience significance ‘ ( J Wellington ) .

Friday, August 30, 2019

Educating Essay

â€Å"Individuals venturing into new experiences may encounter obstacles but may also gain significant rewards†. â€Å"Do you agree with this perspective?† In your response, refer to your prescribed text and atleast one other related text of your own choosing. Individuals venturing into new experiences may encounter obstacles but may also gain significant rewards. This is present in the text ‘Educating Rita’ written by Willy Russell and the film ‘The Help’ written by Kathryn Stockett. In this text we see a fairly un-educated woman blossom and find herself through education; the obstacles she faces on her way to knowledge are the stepping stones in finding herself and entering the new world of education. Rita is a typical uneducated woman; her life is already planned out for her consisting of children, cooking/cleaning, pub trips and the overall expectation to be content with this life and not expect any more. However throughout the text we see Rita break away from this lower class/restricting stereotype to blossoming and finding herself in the world of education. The opening scene portrays to us the two completely different worlds in which Rita and Frank live. Rita has enrolled in an Open University course as she sees education as a way of moving out of her world; she feels out of step with her working class background and wants to discover herself first before having a baby and tying herself down for life. Rita’s constant desire to ‘know everything’ makes Frank feel that he is an appalling teacher because he feels he has nothing to offer her. Frank is Rita’s course tutor; he is a very negative and dismal man who is heavily reliant on alcohol to dull his boredom and frustration. Although being a jaded alcoholic he is also a very precise, formal and educated professor who is just on a downward spiral in his life. Throughout the text we see Rita and Frank’s relationship grow as Rita makes him feel as if he has hope again, therefore his drive comes back. In scene one we observe Rita struggling to open the door into Frank’s office; this symbolises her struggle to enter that world, it’s a barrier, however she’s determined to get what she wants – in this case education – therefore almost breaks the door in order to get in. â€Å"You’re the first breath of air that’s been in this room for years† quoted by Frank symbolises the opening up of a new world for him, he’s now got someone new and different to experience. This is a good change for Frank. Scene two beings with Rita oiling Frank’s office door, then handing the oil to Frank. This is symbolic of giving him the key/tool to open up to another world. Rita still doesn’t portray herself as a ‘proper student’ and her self esteem/confidence is still very low. She doesn’t think she is capable of achieving the great essays that the other students write and doubts herself that she will even finish the course. This scene really reveals the cost that trying to change herself is likely to have on Rita. She is dissatisfied with her life and has a desire to change it, yet it would be easier in her opinion to simply stay as she is and continue her boring life of hairdressing and different flavoured beers. Frank assigns Rita 3 novels to read as her hunger for knowledge is starting to grow extremely. The slow change in Rita is starting to become evident as she can read/take on any book presented to her, â€Å"it feeds me inside†. Her hunger is growing and making her slowly discover who she is, â€Å"it makes me stronger comin’ here†. Although Rita feels as if she’s finally accepted in the university and has a place/fits in with the ‘proper students’, she still has barriers to face in her personal life that are important determining points in her progress and choices as an individual. Rita’s husband Denny isn’t accepting nor happy about her doing this ‘whole learning thing’ and forces her to choose between him and education as he doesn’t understand that this is the first time she’s happy and felt a sense of purpose in her life. Denny has made her constantly feel stupid for even considering getting an education and therefore burns all of her books. The burning of the books is symbolic of Denny trying to prevent Rita from moving away. â€Å"You’d think I was havin’ a bloody affair the way he behaves† â€Å"And aren’t you?† symbolises Rita’s affair with education. Although she may not be cheating on Denny, she still desires to educate herself more than spend time with her husband and is happy with this choice as it is her own choice and no one else’s. In scene six we start to see a notable change in the relationship between Rita and Frank. When Rita bursts into Frank’s office excited to tell him that she saw one of Shakespeare’s plays â€Å"it was bleedin’ great†, Frank thought that something serious had happened – which indicates that he is beginning to care for her. After inviting Rita to a dinner party at his house Frank feels closer to Rita – this invite symbolises the change in the basis of their relationship from teacher and student to a more personal one. Throughout the text we have seen Rita grow and shape herself as an individual, no matter what obstacles and new experiences she has encountered with on her way she has got through them with determination and strength, and as a result has been great personal gain. Towards the end of the text Frank presents Rita with a dress; this is symbolic of a dress for an educated woman, she is now one and can wear the dress with pride. Frank decides to leave the university, as he does not feel it is the right career for him anymore and would prefer to spend his time doing something else. Rita and Frank have both grown and found themselves throughout this text which is also evident in the film ‘The Help’ written by Kathryn Stockett. The Help is set in Mississippi during the 1960s, main character Skeeter (Stone) is a southern society girl who returns from college determined to become a writer, but turns her friends’ lives – and the Mississippi town – upside down when she decides to interview the black women who have spent their lives taking care of the richer upper class families. Davis, Skeeter’s best friend’s housekeeper, is the first to open up and be interviewed – to the shock of her friends in the close black community. Despite Skeeter’s life long friendships hanging in the balance, she and Davis continue their partnership and soon more women come forward to tell their stories – and as it turns out, they have a lot to say. Along the way, unlikely friendships are forged and a new sisterhood emerges, but not before everyone in town has a thing or two to say themselves when they become unsuspectingly/unwillingly caught up in the changing modern times. This is relevant to the text Educating Rita as the women find the courage and self confidence to venture into new experiences to help better either themselves or their community.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Corruption and Strip Searching Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Corruption and Strip Searching - Assignment Example Testimony by former officer Rafael Perez played a pivotal role in highlighting such level of corruption and cops brutality. This incident has brought LAPD a lot of shame and ignominy. The collusion has shattered the model of police force. People have lost faith in it. It would take a lot of time to restructure the entire police department and rebuild the trust of people. Strip searching has evolved more and more as time as coagulated. The most highlighted place of strip searches is airports. Leading the group are the police officers from the anti narcotics department. They are more on the look out as carrying drugs is a serious offense. The strip searches is one of the way to catch an offender red handed. In a way it is right. Every country has certain rules and regulations and one has to abide by them. It's the culture that cannot be ignored. Dubai is one such city which is known for carrying out such strip searches. It has very strict norms to prevent to prevent the entry of drugs on its soil. But at times people have been victimised under strip searches. One such victim shared her grief "I was forced down to strip to get rid of my nipple ring which could be ignored after looking in the metal detector". The Victim has registered a case against the police official for mental and physical trauma inflicted upon her under the hood of investigation.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Solution to Most of the Hardships Related to Monitoring European Research Paper

Solution to Most of the Hardships Related to Monitoring European Policy Formulation - Research Paper Example According to Delanty (1995, p. 125), the rights of a self-driven sovereign state does not require limiting the relationship within the trading blocs to operate freely. On this, he claims that nations are free to interact with other nations within a multinational state, without overlooking their relations. The facilitation may be achieved when the relationship between the parties involved, is mutual and no party intend to prejudice over the other, whatever the circumstance. Delanty (1995, p. 127) further claims if the condition is not taken seriously into consideration, political pressure is bound to develop, thus breaking the multinational states in question. Weiler (1999, p. 217) cites that it is the lack of defined nationalistic unity amongst member states that limits the prospects of EU economic, social, and political integration. There have been numerous efforts to forge an integrated European Union. The most vocal ones as seen by the European observers are, creating a common EU flag, citizenship, EU anthem, car number plates, Olympic Games, and history books. Most EU critiques argue that these are doomed to fail due to lack of national consciousness. The only binding factor is commonly shared public pooled money to be shared among the member states. He continues to argue that the EU is an idea by the European powerful nation, to coerce the less powerful nations within Europe to come together, but without full approval and endorsement, of the latter; making the whole process illegitimate and undemocratic (Weiler 1999, p. 278).

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

The Progressive Value System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

The Progressive Value System - Essay Example The Enlightenment Value System was limited to the fact that humans are good, not evil-beings, and their conscience is a major determinant of their actions. The effective functioning of the individual within the society should be assisted by the government, which was viewed not merely as an autocratic power, but as facilitator of social progress. establishment the accompanying belief in technology has become a value of its own† (Waldo, 1978, p.43). The major contemporary principles of this system are following: 1) sustainable progress; 2) shared responsibility; 3) effective government; 4) constant prosperity. Effective government is an important component of just society, and the government should create effective infrastructures and services, which cannot be provided by private sector of services. Moreover, government provides a judicial system that determines effective functioning of our society in terms of equitability and righteousness. †Government provides coordinated planning and incentives that help businesses adjust to changing circumstances.   Government provides the means of coordinating actions with other countries† (Hays, 1959, p.139).   Prosperity and shared responsibility are important contributors to individual and social happiness, since they provide high quality of life as well as social conscience and identity. In order to succeed, people should take the responsibility at least for their own lives and behaviors, which helps them rely on themselves without blaming others in their own faults and shortcomings. In addition, I would like to mention the results of my research, related to the implementation of Progressive Value System inmanagement and governing. First of all , I would like to refer to several writers, who explored this area and to my own methods, which combined content- and context-analysis of those writings and the researches that were conducted in

Monday, August 26, 2019

Personal Statement for MSc Finance application Essay

Personal Statement for MSc Finance application - Essay Example My interest in the field of finance is of dual nature; I not only enjoy working out the objective aspect, i.e. the calculations and analysis of financial data but am also drawn to the beauty of its application phase. I am fascinated by the way accounting principles when applied benefit a business task and enhances it in all respects. I see the process of running a business or industry like solving a jigsaw puzzle, with four components; the accounts piece, the financing piece, the marketing piece and the management piece. They are all part of one, bigger scheme. I find beauty and joy in compiling all these components; and feel a strong sense of fulfilment when these pieces are fully combined to give an enhanced end product- the complete picture. During my internships and other work experience, I have had the chance to taste different business related aspects: I have gained some experience in marketing, accounts, management and financial analysis. All these experiences have led me to b elieve that finance is the area that is of greater interest to me, since foundations of any business are embedded in its finance department. If there is capital and strong financial analysis the shortcomings can be pinpointed and management can then be moulded so as to yield desired results. I have been an academically above average student throughout my studies and have participated in various co curricular activities at school and college level. Being a person who is gifted in leadership qualities, I have led various fund raising campaigns during my college years. One of my note-worthy participatory activities in this regard is that of the fund raising campaign for members of student’s career development association. This was led by me and with assistance of other members of the society; we managed to raise more funds than the target sum. As a student, I have had some opportunities (though limited) to practically apply the theory being taught. In doing so I felt a need to h ave more command over the financing element which is why I have chosen to attain a post graduate degree in finance. Here is an incident form my life which I would like to share: When I was working as an internee with the marketing department at ‘New Thought’ in China, I was assigned the task of conducting some primary and secondary research in order to assist the business partners in determining the best strategy to achieve their goals. While I was gathering and analysing this data, I realized that even the marketing side is dependent on the accounting principles. What I did was to identify the gaps in information based on accounting and finance and recommended them to incorporate finances based marketing strategies into their existing marketing strategies. This incident further strengthened my aspirations to attain a post graduate degree in finance. I learnt that finance background gives a person the power to better understand business dynamics and places the person in a better position to solve other business related issues including management and even marketing. I also have a deep interest in the world economy and have attained ample knowledge about the stake-hold share market. I believe that raising capital is an art; an enjoyable but complicated task to do; and one needs to have sound knowledge of finance in order to do so. Accounting provides investors and businessmen with multiple techniques to manage record and communicate

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Disney case study Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Disney case study - Assignment Example Thirdly, Shanghai Disney should strive to be innovative as much as possible in order to maintain and attract new customers. This means the fairytale experience should be achieved at all times to keep consumers interested and willing to explore beyond the norm. Fast-forward to 2020, Dubai will be the best location for the next Disney park. Besides being the largest city in the Middle East, Dubai is currently enjoying sustainable growth in all fronts, particularly the tourism industry. High-net worth individuals are visiting the city in high droves who are investing highly in the region. The region boasts a host of cultures, who are widely knowledgeable of Walt Disney and its characters. For example, majority of Disney Paris visitors is from the Arabian Gulf and visit its theme parks for a number of days (Hamid, 2013). Dubai is also easily accessible in the shortest time from other countries such As the United States, London, Hongkong, making it a leading and suitable candidate for a Disney-themed park. Hamid, T (2013). Walt Disney Courts Middle East Market but no plans for UAE Theme Park. The National:Business. Retrieved 18th November from

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and the doctor assuming the role of God Essay

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and the doctor assuming the role of God - Essay Example â€Å"A new species would bless me as their creator and source: many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me. No father could claim the gratitude of his child so completely as I should deserve theirs.† (Shelley, 58) Therefore, it is evident that there is an insatiable urge in Victor Frankenstein to assume the role of God and he is often criticized for crossing ethical and moral boundaries with the aim of achieving this goal. An understanding of his experiences with the monster in the novel confirms that his choice is executed with ill-intentions and questionable for ethical motives. This paper makes a reflective exploration of the idea that Victor was wrong in assuming the role of God. Assuming the role of God for the purpose of creating life is wrong, and such an endeavor led to the detriment of Dr. Frankenstein in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. A profound analysis of the theme of assuming the role of God in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein confirms tha t the major character, Dr. Frankenstein, has been highly obsessed the lure of creating life from his early childhood onwards. At his young age, Victor was fascinated by the wonders life offered him and he wanted to learn about all of them and he dedicated his time to exploring the realms of these wonders through the study of alchemy, chemistry, philosophy and human anatomy. As a youngster, Victor was obsessed with the power of knowledge and wished to find out the secrets of nature and its powers. â€Å"The most learned philosopher knew little more. He had partially unveiled the face of Nature, but her immortal lineaments were still a wonder and a mystery†¦ I had gazed upon the fortifications and impediments that seemed to keep human beings from entering the citadel of nature, and rashly and ignorantly I had repined.† (47) Significantly, his obsession for knowledge led Victor to make a life-altering decision – the decision to create an animate being. After several years of labor – intensive work – stitching together different pieces of flesh into one being – Victor finally completed his task and created life. The outcome, however, was not the wonderful being he had hoped for, but rather a monstrous atrocity. He had created a fearsome and inhuman creature; he created a monster. Thus, Harold Bloom presents â€Å"Victor Frankenstein, in his act of creation, as being momentarily a moral idiot, like so many who have done his work after him†¦ When the ‘dull yellow eye’ of his creature opens, this creator falls from the autonomy of a supreme artificer to the terror of a child of earth†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Bloom, 6) Therefore, it is fundamental to maintain that Victor’s attempt to assume the role of God by creating a monster resulted in his ultimate detriment and tragedy in life. One of the essential factors about the character of Victor in the novel is that he is presented as a counterfeit of God and as a Fau stian figure, rather than a Promethean one. Significantly, the intention of the protagonist in assuming the role of God in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein has not been one of serving the welfare of humanity, but rather to serve his egoistic motive of acquiring power and respect of his creation. In fact, the most fundamental irony of the novel Frankenstein: Or,

Friday, August 23, 2019

Compliance of Apple Inc Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Compliance of Apple Inc - Research Paper Example Companies have shifted their operations to developing countries in order to curtail their costs and improve through economic ways. With such an approach, businesses have saved heavy taxes that could be imposed while operating in their homelands. The Economic factor is most influencing for the businesses as it directly affects revenues and profitability. Apple Inc has suppliers from China, India and other parts of the world that serve the company virtually or provide the required hardware, supplies, etc. The company has to assure compliance with standard ethics and variable economic obligations that exist in each country. It attempts to choose most reputed suppliers from around the globe so that economic and legal compliance may not be compromised while quality is maintained throughout operations (King, 2011). In the present era, societies are driven through global values and the gulf between different societies is contracting due to expanding embrace of international social values. H owever social circumstances differ geographically (Zylla, 2013). Apple Inc behaves as socially responsible entity and endeavors to aid workers as and when required to bring them in pace with the rapidly changing dynamics of the world. Apple does not allow the suppliers to overburden employees and limits the working hours per week so that they stay in good health and work efficiently in the long run. The company attempts to educate manpower of its suppliers through SEED (Supplier Employee Education Development) program.

Human Resource Management International Pay Systems Essay

Human Resource Management International Pay Systems - Essay Example Conversely, there is evidence that paying workers bonuses based on organizational performance can markedly increase their effort and performance (Bateman and Snell 2004). Pay can thus be a powerful motivator in encouraging many workers to higher performance and greater growth. Nevertheless, effective pay systems--satisfactory for the worker as well as productive for the employer--are more the exception than the rule. External wage comparability is regarded as a means of achieving a degree of equity vis--vis other employees outside the employing organization. The assumption is that wages in the organization should be comparable to those outside it. The focus is on the going rates for comparable work with other employers. If Robert Lord works in Japan, his pay would differ from those of the same age. There are first the components of what is paid out in respect of the work done in any one pay period. There is commonly a basic time-rate, but this may account for only a minor part of total earnings, for these may also contain forms of payment by results or bonus on performance; payment for overtime; premiums for shift, night, or weekend work; other allowances for work in special conditions; allowances for tools, clothing, or travelling time; and allowances for seniority or age (Schuler, 1998). Robert Lord's pay would involve housing, healthcare, transportation and premiums. Also, the company will have to spend additional resources on language training and his family. There remain amenities that are made available to employees generally, but are not provided in specified amounts to any one employee as part of his agreed and enforceable terms of employment. These amenities include subsidized canteens and recreational and educational facilities; medical services; contributory pension or life insurance schemes in which the participation of the employee is voluntary; and sale of the firm's own product to employees at concessionary rates. This different is equitable because the company will have to create favorable and comfortable conditions for R. Lord and his family abroad. Allowance must be made for the boundaries between the groups of occupations having been drawn differently in the various countries, but this will hardly account for differences as great as we find when we run our eyes along the bottom row and the top. But pay differentials are not the sole or very possibly even the main means by which the required allocation is sought in practice. There are also administrative incentives and pressures, which in Poland have been described as 'the long-standing policy of planned recruitment, the training of cadres and the planned employment of persons graduating from higher and seco ndary schools, housing policy, and social policy (Bateman and Snell 2004). In several years spent in Japan, Robert Lord would lose his connections and relations in his home country. The company would have to support him and help to adapt to new environment. In 3-5 years, the company's structure and design, climate and resources would change significantly, so the 'old' workplace would be alien to R. Lord. The company would have to support Lord and his family to relocate back to the USA (Schuler, 1998). Pay for

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Legalizing gambling Essay Example for Free

Legalizing gambling Essay Gambling is legal in many places, its not either a criminal or dangerous activity provided it is done responsibly, and in accordance with the law. Have you ever wagered on a game? If so you were gambling and should have been fined. Lawmakers have decided that it is evil to gamble, they have justified it as a means to scam billions from citizens in order to compensate for their mismanagement of tax revenue. They pass laws that could put a taxpayer in jail for placing a single dollar wager on a pool game. Legalizing gambling nationally could potentially benefit our economic situation. All gambling was once legal. Looking back only 75-100 years ago most of our states had lotteries in place. Over the past century, as a result of abuse and moral fervor the majority forms of gambling have been prohibited. The history of gambling in the United States evolved from Europe. The Puritans and Quakers took little time to create first laws against gambling in 1638. Casino gambling is becoming increasingly popular especially in southern states. Native Americans are allowed to establish bingo parlors and casinos on their reservations, although Las Vegas and Atlantic City remain gambling tourist top destination choice. Many states allow horse and dog racing tracks and then there’s the people who bet on sporting events, card games, and almost anything you can imagine in the privacy of their own home. The first thing to do is to regulate gambling, both land-based and online. After the legislative base is created and regulation covers every aspect of the gambling industry, its half way to being legalized. I don’t see why we should lose a couple dollars to a pool hustler, when we could be hustled legally by the state. Gambling offers individuals the adrenaline rush that greater opportunity lies within their own hands. People should not be denied an activity that they enjoy partaking in. Government can earn revenues from legalized gambling which can be diverted towards bettering our society. Legalizing gambling would increase employment opportunities in society which could help to reduce the amount of working capable people out of a job. Gambling establishments have shown to increase employment opportunities as well as improve tourism in the right areas. The presence of gambling establishments is also beneficial to society because they can contribute the revenues to local governments which then could use the profits for social programs that would benefit both gamblers and non gamblers. Legalized commercial gambling is becoming an increasing controversy within our state governments. There is no doubt that many different forms of legalized gambling has exploded in the region and around the country, if the government gives full support of legalization they will be doing all US citizens a favor. Some argue that gambling is an addiction, one that can become dangerous and harmful to the general public. The truth is that like all other influenced jobs it can be a way of making a living for yourself and your family. Though there are a lot of people that struggle with an addiction to gambling, there are probably just as many people who are responsible gamblers and have enough self control to moderate there wagering hobbies. Legalizing gambling nationally will help stimulate our struggling economy in many ways. If our government would be willing to try to implement new laws to legalize and regulate it theres no way a short time period of testing these ideas would leave any permanent damage on our nation.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Peasants Relationship With The Pharaoh History Essay

Peasants Relationship With The Pharaoh History Essay The great story of ancient Egypt has existed from thousands of years; it took place around 7000 B.C- 30 B.C. At first Egypt was divided into two kingdoms, and had different ruler. These two kingdoms developed along the Nile River. The first one was in Upper Egypt, which known as the White Crown; while the second one was in Lower Egypt, which known as Red Crown. Then, in about 3200 B.C the Pharaoh of the north captured the south and united these two into one. The name of pharaoh was King Narmer or Menes. As we already knew, Ancient Egypt was one of the superlative civilizations in the past period because of its geographical condition, social system, and educational system. Egypt is located in the Northeast corner of Africa. It is the great position; also there is the longest river in the world, the Nile River, flows through the country into the Mediterranean Sea. In the history of ancient Egypt, Egyptians people divided their owned country into two areas. The first one was called Deshret (Red land) because that area is full of deserts and surrounded Kemet (Black Land), moreover these deserts prevented ancient Egypt from invading armies and separated ancient Egypt from neighboring countries. The second one was called Kemet (Black Land) because the Nile floods were so flexible. Since the Nile River flooded every year between June and September, Nile reached rich soil from central Africa and left it on the banks of its valley, and its areas of low flat land in Mediterranean. All of these stuffs produced such an excellent alluvium that gave a priority to the ancient Egypt on their agriculture and their life as well. The Nile River was the giver of life bec ause Nile not only provided water, food, and transportation to stabilize the Egypts lives, but also provided fertile land, which facilitated them to grow their crop and raise their animals as well. The people in Egypt society were structured in a hierarchical system like a pyramid that pharaoh stood at the top, then the ruling class and the middle class, and the bottom one was peasants and slaves. The majority of Egyptians were peasants. This term paper is going to describe more about peasants lives in ancient Egypt. What did they do? How did they survive in the ancient time? What was their relationship with the Pharaohs? And what were their religions and beliefs? Peasants Daily Lives in Ancient Egypt Working Condition Like the rest of the ancient world , the Egyptian people lived an agricultural life . Such a life seemed so far removed from the common stories heard about Egypt the glory of its treasures and pyramids Egypt s glorious past connotes an image of ancient Egyptians living more advanced , luxurious lives , as if all they do was to gather treasures and eat in abundance well , in some sense they are true , but only for their rulers , noble families , and priests . The rest of the Egyptian population of long ago , especially before the 1800 s , were poor peasants who have to rely on the predictability of the Nile flooding to plant and harvest crops . The peasants (fellahin ) however , were very much connected to the glories of Egypt for it was their constant , persevering unacknowledged , often despised , and always ill-rewarded toil as tiller of the land that made possible all the achievements of Egypt ensuring for it a leading position among the nations of preclassical antiquity Needless to say , it was the sweat of the fellahin that produced the great pyramids , jewelry and treasures to Egypt , that provided the luxurious living of their Pharaoh and ruling families and that made possible all of Egypt s military conquest , commercial expansion and influence and prestige abroad Peasants also played an important role to build Pyramids for Pharaoh. While the flooding season was coming, the Nile River flooded the ground and made the filed more fertilized. This was the time for the peasants help to build the Pyramids. On the other hand, peasants had no right to own the land even they were the one who plant the crop to supply for everyones need. They had to pay tax to the government and this made more complicated for them to release from the poverty. Livelihoods In ancient Egypt, peasants were considered as the lowest level in social classes. Peasants lived in mud brick houses with a bad condition. The house of an Egyptian peasant was well designed to stay cool. The main point of the house was the kitchen, which contained an oven to bake bread and a mill to grind flour. The stoves did not have chimneys and instead the smoke vented directly through an opening in the roof. The inside of the house was simply decorated but did not lack of comfort; the floors were usually covered with reed mats; the walls were painted and sometimes were also covered with colored linen. The furniture was made of wood and most houses had wooden stools, tables and raised beds. The ancient Egyptians gave great importance to hygiene and appearance. They bathed frequently in the Nile and used soap pastes based on animal fat and chalk. Sometime because of famine, they were forced to eat papyrus while the upper class live with a better condition, with enough food to eat and a comfortable lifestyle. Marriage was consensual and usually between one man and one woman, although polygamy was not forbidden. Males usually married at the age of 18 to 20 while females married between the ages of 15 and 18. Egyptians usually married cousins or other family members. Pharaohs were known to marry their sisters, but this was not common practice among the peasant class. Marriage to non-relatives was discouraged. The sage Scribe Ani, wrote during the New Kingdom: Beware of a woman who would is unknown in your city. Do not look at her as is she were better than the others, do not know her physically: she is like a very deep water which we do not know the currents. The ideal of Egyptian family life was for a man and a woman to settle down together and make a home and have children. Most Egyptians wished to have at least one boy. Leisure Activities In spite of their activities on agriculture and building temples for the pharaoh, peasants also had their leisure activities. Most of the activities were outdoor activities such as hunting, fishing, and playing river games. Peasants hunted water birds, desert animal, etc. They caught some animals such as gazelle, oxen, hares and ostriches (Leisure Time in Ancient Egypt, 2001). The weapons that they used for hunting were bows and arrows, lassos, and throwing sticks. Moreover, peasants enjoyed fishing during their free time. Due to their location nearby the Nile River, the canals and the lakes, peasants liked to go there after they finished their works. They went fishing in the Nile River, where it was rich of fish, chatted with their people, and collected fish for their family. Besides, the river games were also their leisure activity. For instance, boat racing, there were boats that started in the same direction and there were two or three men for each boat with poles. After they had won, they knocked all the men off a boat, and then they would turn it over. This was one of the most interesting games played in ancient Egypt. Furthermore, the Egyptians also enjoyed music. There were many religious celebrations and secular festivals that provided entertainment and relief from work throughout the year. Music and dance were a part of daily life, with the flute and the harp being commonly used. Later the trumpet and the oboe were also introduced to Egypt, and the Egyptians also adopted the cymbals, tambourines and drum, as well as the Asian lute. Peasants Relationship with the Pharaoh The relationship of the Fellahin to the Pharaoh / government was more of a dictatorship a religious, physical and intellectual enslavement that was carried on for almost three historic centuries. Like other early civilizations, Egypt had its own specific class system. At the top of the class stood Pharaoh and his royal family, then directly next to him were the priests and priestess, and then below them were the nobles who fought Pharaoh s war. A small percentage of merchants, artisans and scribes made up the next rank. Then occupying the bottom of the ladder is the majority of the population It was very hard for them sometimes. We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt. We were slaves to Pharaoh. Of course, the relationship is a personal relationship tough. Religions and Beliefs The beliefs of gods and life after death were the center aspect of life in ancient Egypt. Egyptians were polytheistic They worshiped a lot of gods, except during the reign of Akenaton. The ancient Egyptians had many different gods and goddesses; totally there were around 2000 gods and goddesses. Gods and Goddesses Besides worshiping pharaohs as their god, peasants also worshiped other gods and goddesses. They believed those gods had a lot of impacts on their birth, daily life, and death. Each god or goddess had his/her own role to provide peace and harmony or harmfulness to every single life of Egyptians. Some of the gods and goddesses in ancient Egypt are Anubis, Amun, Thoth, Hathor, Bes, Isis, Khnum, Horus, Ptah, Osiris, Sebek and Ra. However, the three most important Amun-Re was regarded as one of the most well-known and important gods in ancient Egypt. He was known as the symbol of the sun, king of the gods, life creator, and the bringer of light. Amun-Re came form the combination of two gods Amun, god of air or hidden, and Re, god of the sun. Osiris was worshipped as the god of living and vegetation among the peasants. The majority of peasants in ancient Egypt were farmers that depended on growing crops near the Nile River in ancient Egypt, moreover; He was regarded as the one that controlled the annual flooding of the Nile River that fertilized the land, where peasants grew crops. However, Osiris was also known as the god of afterlife and the dead. Rituals and Ceremonies Egyptians concerned about life after death. When a person died, they always practiced burial ritual in order for the person to be happy and harmonious afterlife. One of the most important ceremonies was the opening the mouth ceremony that was leaded by a priest. At the entrance of the grave, the mummy was lifted to on upright position. The priest utters the words of ritual, touch the mummy; and moreover, he puts water and incense in the coffin. Meanwhile, a daze (a tool used for smoothing rough-cut wood) was lifted to the lip of mummys face. The daze was raised in this twice. This ceremony is very essential because it makes the mummy could breathe and speak in the next life. In addition, the priest could utter the words to reanimate the mummys legs, arm and the other part of the body. One ritual that can preserve the dead body is Mummification. In this process, the internal organs of the dead body were removed. Then they fill the body hollow with fragrant spices and perfume. After 70 days, the body was wrapped in bandages. Furthermore, they decorate the body with gold and jewels that cover around the head and shoulder of the mummy. Besides these rituals, other rituals were performed to help prepare for the kings final journey. The kings mummy was kept inside the Pyramid with enormous amount of food, drink, furniture, clothes and jewelry, which were to be used in the afterlife. After the kings funeral, the king becomes god. Conclusion

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Responsibilities Under the Health and Safety at Work Act

Responsibilities Under the Health and Safety at Work Act STUDENT NAME: IP OGOLO INTRODUCTION The purpose of this assignment is to compare and contrast the responsibilities imposed by the duties under sections 2,3,4,7 and 8 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. This would be achieved by critically analysing different case law, the Health and Safety at Work Act and other relevant literature. In this assignment, the interpretation of various words and phrases in the above mentioned sections of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 would be looked at and the elements of convictions would also be analysed. OVERVIEW OF SECTIONS 2,3 AND 4 SECTION 2 OF THE HASAWA 1974 Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work Act (HASAWA) 1974, imposes duties on the employer towards his employees. Section 2(1), states that it shall be the duty of every employer to ensure so far as is reasonably practicable the health, safety and welfare at work of all its employees. The words health, safety and welfare are not clearly defined (Moore and Selwyn 2015) in the HASAWA 1974 but health includes both mental and physical health. Safety refers to the absence of foreseeable injury while welfare refers to water, lighting, toilet facilities, cloakroom, canteen etc. This duty is imposed on every employer irrespective of the size of the business or organisation, to ensure that such workplace is safe provided it is reasonably practicable for such employer to make it safe. The duties imposed by the HASAWA 1974 do not exempt employers of small businesses and the only defence from employers would be reasonable practicability. For example, an off-license shop employer who only has two part-time employees must also comply with the duties of the employer to ensure the health, safety and welfare of its part-time employees. Section 2(1) also included welfare unlike other sections of the HASAWA 1974 which only focus on health and safety. This means that employers have a duty to provide welfare facilities such as toilets, change room, eating area, adequate ventilation, adequate lighting, etc. The only defence for small business employers or any other employer who is non-compliant with these duties is the reasonably practicability of such health and safety measures. Reasonably practicability is one of those issues of debate. Reasonable practicable depends on a number of factors which are used to test if it was reasonably practicable for the workplace to be safe or not. These factors are weighed on a scale which measures the risks versus the sacrifices which the employer has to make in order to comply with the duties. These sacrifices could be ( Matthews and Ageros 2016) time, money, man-power or the effort/knowledge available to eliminate or mitigate those health and safety risks. An example of a case law where so far as is reasonably practicable played a significant role in the judgement is in Edwards v National Coal Board [1949] 1 ALL ER 743, where a timberman who worked in a coalmine was killed by the collapse of the side walls of the road in the course of his work. The National Coal Board was taken to court and they argued that it was not reasonably practicable for them to have prevented the accident. They contended that it was not possible for them to predict where and when a collapse would occur, and the cost; labour and effort in propping and lining all their mines outweigh the risk. Reasonably practicability ( Moore and Selwyn 2015) varies in each prosecution and it is a question of fact and evidence; this depends on the employer having sufficient evidence to show that everything reasonably practicable was done to make the workplace safe . Therefore, what might be reasonably practicable for company A may not necessarily be reasonably practicable for company B Figure 1 (Reasonably practicable)    Subsection 2(2) of the HASAWA 1974 states that it is the duty of the employer to ensure that plants are well maintained and safe systems of work are available so far as is reasonably practicable. Safe systems of work (Moore and Selwyn 2015) for plants can only be provided by an employer if the plant is located in a place where the employer has control over it and can give clear directions and procedures on how it should be used. Plants should be regularly maintained and efficient at all times in order to comply with the duties under subsection 2(2)(a). The maintenance (Moore and Selwyn 2015) of plants is a matter of foresight. The employer could have planned routine checks by competent persons or monitoring program in place to meet the requirements of this section. In section 2(2) the employer also has a duty to provide information, training, instruction and supervision to its employees. The information (Moore and Selwyn 2015) which is provided must be accurate and meaningful and also extends to contractors where necessary to ensure safety. In most cases, employers use induction training as one of the ways to provide information to its employees. Some employers use toolbox talks and organised in-house training as means of conveying health and safety related information to their employees. Any employer who does not provide adequate supervision to its employees would be in breach of this section. Section 2 (3)-(7) imposes duties on the employer to provide and revise health and safety policy and also have safety representatives and safety committees depending on the size of the organisation. An example of a prosecution under section 2(3) is Osborne v Bill Taylor of Huyton Ltd [1982] ICR 168. This breach was (Barret and Howells 1995) a failure to prepare an adequate written health and safety policy. The company carried out betting business in thirty-one separate betting shops connected by a central accounting system, management training program etc. The judges decision in this case was that the company was not in breach of section 2(3) because it had less than five employees for the time being. In my opinion, I would disagree with the Judges decision because the fact that the betting shops are centrally controlled means that it is one single undertaking, taking place in several locations and the total number of employees should be about ninety-three (93), see below for details; ÃÆ'- = 93 employees Figure 2 And therefore, should have been found guilty for a breach of section 2(3) because more than five employees were conducting a single undertaking in various locations. 2.2. SECTION 3 OF THE HASAWA 1974 Section 3 of the HASAWA 1974 covers the general duties of employers and self-employed to the public/ other people not employed by them. It states that it is the duty of every employer to conduct its undertaking in such a way to ensure so far as is reasonably practicable that persons not in his employment are not exposed to health and safety risks. (The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act, 1974) Lays emphasis in subsection 3(3) that the employer and self employed persons must give information about the hazards and risks associated with the conduct of its undertaking to those who may be affected by the conduct of his undertaking in a prescribed manner. This basically means that in some cases, it would be necessary for the employer or self employed persons to provide information which could be in the form of mailed newsletters, letter or formal visits to those who may be affected by the conduct of their undertaking to provide the necessary information about the areas in which these people may be affected and ways to reduce exposure for the benefit of their health and safety. For example, before a construction project commences, the neighbouring community needs to be aware of the health and safety risks such as noise, moving plants and heavy duty vehicles, etc in order for both parties to agree on ways to reduce their exposure. In section 3, the phrase reasonably practicable has been used which means that the employer or self employed persons need to weigh the risks versus the cost to determine if it is reasonably practicable for these safety measures to be in place. Additionally, this section refers to the word prescribed which to my understanding means a specified manner in which the information has to be presented to those who may be affected by the conduct of the employers or self-employed persons undertaking. One of the most common prescribed ways in which such information may be conveyed is through induction training for visitors. In this section, the word risk has been used which means (Moore and Selwyn 2015) the possibility of danger and not actual danger. The HASAWA 1974 does not state that an employer needs to wait for an accident to occur before measures and procedures would be in place. It states that provided there is a possibility of danger or injury, then it is the duty of the employer to either eliminate or mitigate such hazards. Another important word used in section 3 is undertaking which means (Moore and Selwyn 2015) business, work activities, enterprise etc. For instance, if company A gives a contract to company B (Brick-layer) who lays bricks in company As site, then the layering of bricks forms part of company As undertaking. However, the question of how much control the employer has (Moore and Selwyn 2015) over the operation as part of his undertaking could make it difficult in any criminal conviction. For example, if Company B decides to lay the bricks outside company As construction site, then company A may not have much control over how the bricklayers decide to lay those bricks with regards to health and safety. Some case law examples referring to undertaking are R v Swan hunter Shipbuilders Ltd [1981] ICR 831 and R v Mara [1986] IRLR 154, which would be discussed later in the assignment. It is important to note that an employer (Moore and Selwyn 2015) may still be conducting his undertaking even though the business is closed. For example, a food factory may be closed but the cleaning and maintenance of machinery may still be taking place which would still form part of the employers undertaking. 2.3.  SECTION 4 This section states the general duties of persons concerned with premises to persons other than their employees. It imposes duties on people such as landlords, security officers, estate agents etc. who have (Moore and Selwyn 2015) control over non-domestic premises or the means of access (such as doors, stairs, lift etc) or exit or any plant or substances which are used by non-employees as a place of work, to ensure that such areas or plants are safe so far as is reasonably practicable. It is important to note that residential premises are clearly domestic premises except the communal areas such as lifts, stairs, main door etc. which could be used as access for persons such as handyman, repairers, plumber, electricians, etc. as a place of work. The phrase reasonably practicable has also been used in this section of the Act. When a person makes (Moore and Selwyn 2015) available premises for the use of others, the reasonableness of the measures taken to ensure safety must be determined in the light of the controllers knowledge of the anticipated use of those premises and his knowledge of the actual use. For example, if a Landlord rents out offices to businesses, the landlord needs to know the scope of these businesses in order to put certain safety measures in place. This means that the reasonableness of such safety measures (Moore and Selwyn 2015) would be weighed against the controllers knowledge, the finances and effort it would take for such hazard to be eliminated or mitigated. For instance, an uneducated landlord who owns business premises may have the finances but may not have the knowledge or effort in ensuring that such premises is safe however evidence is needed to this defence of reasonably practicability. It is important to note that the duties (Moore and Selwyn 2015) under section 4 are not limited to persons who are at work. Section 4(1)(a) states that these duties are in relation to non-employees, which would protect the general public including children. For example, a person who controls childrens play centres, libraries, schools etc would still have a duty to ensure that such premises are safe and without risks to those who may be affected by the conduct of their undertaking. A case law example under a breach of section 4 is Mailer v Austin Rover Group Plc [1989] 2 ALL ER 1087, where an employee of a contractor was killed while working for Austin Rover. Austin Rover was charged for a breach of section 4 because it had total control of the premises and could have taken measures to prevent such fatality. Another example of a prosecution under section 4 is the case of Westminster City Council versus Select Management Ltd [1984] 1 ALL ER 994. This company managed blocks of flats in London and had control of the common areas such as lifts, staircase, and landings etc and failed to ensure that the lifts and electrical installations were safe and without risk to health and safety. SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SECTIONS 2, 3 AND 4 2.4.1 Sections 2 and 3 refer to the duties of the employer either towards their employees or non-employees. The employer has an obligation to ensure that the workplace is safe. Non-employers would be exempted from the duties under sections 2 and 3. Additionally, sections 2 and 3 create criminal offences for the employer if not complied with (R v Tangerine confectionery Ltd [2011] EWCA Crim 2015). A case law example is R versus Swan Hunter Shipbuilders [1981] ICR 831, where these companies were charged for breaching sections 2 and 3 of the HASAWA 1974. On the 25th of September 1976, a welder (an employee of Telemeter) went into a small compartment in the deck where a fire started the moment he started welding. The question that was raised (Barrett and Howells 1995) was whether the duties imposed on Swan hunter under sections 2 and 3 include to provide the employees of sub-contractors with information about the dangers of oxygen enriched atmosphere and secondly with instructions to ensure that safety of the workers on board, including the employees of Swan hunters and Telemeter. Figure 3 From the above diagram the relationship between Swan hunter and Telemeters is wide and the jury made emphasis that the duties under section 2 and 3 are wide enough to cover providing information and instruction to contractors and subcontractors as well. The precedent that was established in the above case law is the meaning of the phrase conduct of its undertaking in relation to the duties imposed on the employer in section 3 of the HASAWA 1974. With regards to undertaking, the welding job done by Telemeter was part of Swan hunters undertaking and therefore, failed to ensure the health and safety of persons not in its employment. Furthermore, section 2 is concerned with ensuring safety and section 3 is concerned with ensuring an absence of safety (Matthews and Ageros 2016) which mean the same thing. The level of safety in the workplace would be determined by what is reasonably foreseeable by the employer. Reasonably foreseeability is an important element in managing risks in the workplace. An example of a case law where foreseeability of risks played an important role in the judgement is R versus Tangerine Confectionery Ltd [2011] EWCA Crim 2015. In this case, the defendant was charged in breach of section 2 of HASAWA 1974 because an operator of machinery was crushed to death by a WD machine used in manufacturing sweets. The judge in R v Tangerine Confectionery Ltd [2011] EWCA Crim 2015 stated, Safety must be judged by what might be reasonably foreseen by a reasonable and prudent employer. The defendant stated that the accident was not foreseeable. The foreseeability of risk (R v Tangerine Confectionery Ltd [2011] EWCA Crim 2015) is only reasonably practicable if a reasonable person can foresee a material risk which is created by a plant, machinery or work-related activity. In this case, the foreseeability of an injury occurring with the use of the WD machine was obvious. However, the jury had no evidence that (R v Tangerine Confectionery Ltd [2011] EWCA Crim 2015) the foreseeability of the risks of this machine caused the accident because the machine had been used for thousands of hours without any accidents. Irrespective of the lack of evidence on foreseeability, the jury concluded that there was a foreseeable possibility that someone might get entangled in the arms of this machine (R v Tangerine Confectionery Ltd [2011 ] EWCA Crim 2015). The precedent that was established in the above case is the meaning of foreseeable risk. The risk has to be a material risk which a reasonable person can foresee to be a source of danger. Foreseeability of risks is relevant to the question whether a material risk to safety exists. That is why a risk assessment is an exercise in foresight. Sections 2 and 3 impose a duty on employers to ensure an absence of safety (R v Tangerine Confectionery Ltd [2011] EWCA Crim 2015) which makes them think deliberately about risks which are both obvious and not obvious. If an employer does not have the knowledge to enable him/her foresee risks, then it is his/her responsibility to employ a competent person such as a health and safety advisor to assist him in conducting an adequate risk assessment. Another example of a prosecution where foreseeability influenced the judgement is Regina v Pyranha Mouldings Ltd [2014] EWCA Crim 533. Pyranha Mouldings Ltd was prosecuted for a breach of section 2(1) of the HASAWA 1974 due to an incident which occurred on the 2nd of March 2011. This company manufactured plastic Kayaks and canoes which were shipped in shipping containers. On this particular day, the loader/ banksman Mark Malcom was crushed against the roof of container because the forklift driver could not see him. This company was prosecuted because the unsafe system of work had existed for over eighteen years without any risk assessment and lack of supervision of work. The jury stated that (R v Pyranha Mouldings Ltd [2014] EWCA Crim 533) the risk of serious injury or death was substantial and foreseeable but the company did nothing about it. The foreseeability in this case played an important role in the judgement and the elements of conviction for a breach of section 2(1) are that Pyranha mouldings was the employer of Mr Malcom (the injured worker) and the employer also failed to ensure the health, safety and welfare of Mr Malcom and other employees including the forklift driver Mr Kevin. The burden of proof rests on Pyranha Mouldings to show the Jury that it took all reasonably practicable steps to keep the workplace safe, which it failed to do therefore was guilty of the offence under section 2(1) of the HASAWA 1974 . Another similarity between sections 2 and 3 is that the duties (Matthews and Ageros 2016) imposed are personal and cannot be delegated. The employer and self-employed have full responsibility to ensure health and safety and have no defence that the duties were delegated to a member of staff who failed to ensure compliance. The difference between sections 2 and 3 (R v Tangerine Confectionery [2011] EWCA Crim 2015) is on the person to whom the obligation is owed. Section 2 creates an obligation towards employees while section 3 is towards non-employees or the general public who may be affected by that employers undertaking/ job activities. An example of a case law is Veola ES v The Queen [2011] EWCA Crim 2015), a refuse collection company that was sentenced for a breach of sections 2 and 3 of the HASAWA 1974. In this case, an employee Mr Griffiths was killed on a fast dual carriage way while collecting litter. The defendant argued that the accident had nothing to do with the operation of the defendants undertaking. The appeal was dismissed because the court did not have to prove causation of the accident. Causation of the accident (R v Tangerine Confectionery [2011] EWCA Crim 2015) was a matter of evidence but not an essential ingredient of the offence. An accident is enough evidence that a material risk existed and his employees health, safety and welfare were not ensured. Under sections 3 of the HASAWA 1974, it was the conduct of the defendants undertaking of litter collection which exposed the defendants non-employees to the accident (R v Tangerine Confectionery [2011] EWCA Crim 2015). Another similarity between sections 2, 3 and 4 is that the phrase so far as is reasonably practicable is being used, which means that these duties are not absolute. This phrase gives those obliged to fulfil their duties the freedom to weigh the risks versus the cost, in order to ensure that the workplace or premises is safe. What is reasonably practicable depends (R v Tangerine Confectionery [2011] EWCA Crim 2015) on degree of foreseeable risk of injury, the gravity of the injury if it occurs and the implications of the measures/ methods in avoiding it. An offence is committed under section 2 if the defendant cannot prove that all reasonably practicable steps have been taken to ensure that its employees are safe in the workplace. While under section 3, an offence is committed if there is a material risk to the health and safety of non-employees (R v Tangerine Confectionery [2011] EWCA Crim 2015) who may be affected by the employers undertaking and the defendant has not taken such steps as are reasonably practicable to avoid those risks. Under section 4, an offence is committed if the person in control of premises so far as is reasonably practicable has not ensured that such premises is safe and without risks to the health and safety of those who might be affected. Another similarity between sections 2 and 3 is that they both refer to the phrase in such cases as may be prescribed and in a prescribed circumstance and prescribed manner which gives an indication that the responsible person based on the situation would fulfil these duties in a particular way. Section 3 and 4 refer to the word undertaking. In section 3 the employer needs to ensure the health and safety of non-employees who may be affected by any risks arising from his work activities. Subsections 4(4) refers to the controllers business activities or undertaking which means that any work activity connected with such controller of premises need to be done in a safe manner. Sections 2(2)(d) and 4 have similarities, in that they both refer to the provision of safe access and exit from work premises, provided it is reasonably practicable to do it. These sections also refer to the extent of control which the employer or controller of such premises has. For example in the Swan Hunter Shipbuilders [1981 ICR 831] case, the issue of control was also raised. Another case example (Barret and Howells 1995) is that of Westminster City Council v Select Management Ltd [1985], where the appellant was in breach of section 4 of the HASAWA 1974 because it failed to ensure that the communal areas of a block of flats were safe. Subsection 2(2)(a) imposes duties on the employer to ensure that plants are safe and without risks to (Barret and Howells 1995) employees, which is similar to those duties under sections 4(2). ELEMENTS OF AN OFFENCE OF BREACHING THE DUTIES UNDER SECTION 2 In order for the jury to convict an employer for a breach of sections 2(1) the following elements would need to be proven; (Matthews and Ageros 2016) That the defendant was at the material time an employer That the defendant failed to ensure the health, safety and welfare of its employees at work. A failure to ensure health and safety occurs when there is an exposure to a material risk to health and safety. The employee (Matthews and Ageros 2016) has to be at work for this to be applicable. This means that when the business is shut or closed for the day and there is no one at work then it is not applicable because no employees are exposed (Matthews and Ageros 2016). The employer would be guilty of a breach of section 2(1) unless it can prove that it was not reasonably practicable to minimise or eliminate the risk to the health, safety and welfare of its employees. Satisfying the test of reasonably practicability (Barret and Howells 1995) involves placing the risk on one scale and the sacrifices involved in taking the necessary measures for eliminating or mitigating the risk ( time, money, effort etc) being placed on the other scale. ELEMENTS OF AN OFFENCE OF BREACHING THE DUTIES UNDER SECTION 3 In order for an employer to be convicted for a breach of section 3(1) the burden of proof rests on the prosecutor to show the following; (Barret and Howells 1995) That the defendant at the material time was an employer That the defendant failed to conduct its undertaking in such a way as to ensure (Barret and Howells 1995) that persons not employed by the defendant who might be affected thereby were not exposed to material risks to their health and safety. AREAS OF CONTROVERSIES AND DIFFERENT INTERPRETATIONS OF THE DUTIES Some words and phrases relating to the duties under sections 2, 3 and 4 have been interpreted differently by different judges and have also created controversies in the court of law. Firstly, the HASAWA 1974 does not directly define the word employer but defines an employee to be someone who works under a contract of employment. Thus, an employer is a person who employs an employee. Therefore, if a person has no employees he/she is not an employer and does not owe a duty under section 3(1) but could be prosecuted under section 3(2) as a self-employed person. The fact that the act does not clearly define the word employer creates ambiguity in the court where someone may be regarded as an employer but no written contract of employment exists between such employer and the employee. This also creates another issue between the contract of employment and contract of service. For example, a small business may have a contract of service with a self-employed cleaner to clean their premises on a daily basis, but there is no contract of employment between them. Would the jury regard such a cleaner as an employee or a contractor? And would the employer still owe a duty under section 2? These questions could only be answered based on the situation and evidence. Moreover, there are companies which employ nobody under a written contract of service but engage a significant number of self-employed workers. In this case, a prosecution of such a company may be undertaken for a breach of sections 2(1) or sections 3(1) with the company alleged to be an employer (Matthews and Ageros 2016) through the extent of its control over those performing the work .For example, R versus Swan Hunter shipbuilder [1981] ICR 831 case. Another area of controversy under these duties is with the phrase exposed to risks to health and safety. It is important to note that an exposure to health and safety risks (Matthews and Ageros 2016) occurs where there is a possibility of danger and this does not require the danger to have occurred or any dangerous occurrence to have come to pass. In some prosecutions, the prosecutors argued that an accident or injury is sufficient evidence to prove that a material risk exists in the workplace. An example of a prosecution relating to this phrase (Barret and Howells 1995) is the case of R v Board of Trustees of the Science Museum[1993] 3 All ER 853 ,where the museum was in breach of section 3(1) because two of its cooling towers could possibly be containing legionella Pneumophila bacteria. The prosecutor stated (Barret and Howells 1995) that they did not have to prove that the members of the public actually inhaled the bacteria and that the word risk means the possibility of danger and not necessarily actual danger. Even where an injury has occurred, it may not be enough for the prosecutor to simply claim that the injury demonstrates that there was a risk. Where a prosecution is brought under section 3(1), it may be necessary to identify and prove the respects (Matthews and Ageros 2016) in which the injured person was liable to be affected by the way the defendant conducted its undertaking. Furthermore, could an employer be prosecuted under section 2 when no employee is at work? This is an area where prosecutors have debated over. For example, Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council versus Malrod Insulations Ltd [1993] ICR 358, where the prosecutor appealed on allegations made against an asbestos removal company called Malrod Insulations Ltd. This company was contracted to strip asbestos insulation from the premises of Ingesoll Rand Ltd. On the 21st of November 1989, the premises were inspected by the environmental health services of Bolton metropolitan Borough council. During this inspection, there were no employees at work and it was evident that the asbestos decontamination plant had electrical defects. The prosecutor took (Barret and Howells 1995) this case to court but at the end of the case, the recorder upheld a submission that there was no case to answer because in order for Malrod Insulations Ltd to be found guilty of the offence under section 2 of the HASAWA 1974, its employees had to be at work. The appellant argued (Barret and Howells 1995) that it is not the fact of men being at work while in the course of employment which creates the offence, but the HASAWA 1974 must protect the employees who would come to work the next day. In the above case, the interpretation of the employers duties seems ambiguous. In my opinion, section 2(1) states that the employer should ensure the health, safety and welfare of its employees at work and then section 2(2) lays down examples of how these duties can be carried out. However, (Moore and Selwyn 2015) it begins with the sentence without prejudice to the generality of the duties under the preceding subsection. Subsection 2(2)(a) states that the provision of safe plants is a requirement irrespective of whether or not employees are at work. Referring to the above case, the fact that such unsafe asbestos decontamination plant is within the place of work increases its likelihood of been used when workers resume work the following day. The employer could argue that such unsafe plants would undergo repairs before anyone is permitted to use the

Monday, August 19, 2019

Crime Zones :: essays research papers

Crime Zones and Reasoning (Poverty, Race, Social Class)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sociology is a branch of the social sciences that attempts to help us understand society and how people interact. As with many other social sciences, sociology employs theories to help understand why people make certain decisions. Theories that help us explain societal trends are usually segmented in order to accurately examine the specific dynamics of different sections of society. Communities, institutions, gender, race and population are a few popular examples of common segmentations utilized in social theories. Social structure theories, also called social change theories attempt to analyze the driving forces that change society. Sociologists who study social change use the study of both criminology and sociology to draw conclusions about criminal behavior. The overarching belief of criminology theory is that certain social structures support deviant behavior. The three main branches of social structure theories are the social disorganization theory, the socia l strain theory and the cultural deviance theory. How well have social structure theories explained delinquent behavior in society? In this paper, the major social structural theories will be defined and analyzed. Social Disorganization Theory: Concentric Zone Theory   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Centric Zone Theory was proposed by Shaw, and examined arrest rates in Chicago. It was during these years immigrants living in the inner city begin to relocate to the outskirts of the city. The purpose of their study was to conclude if delinquency was caused by particular immigrant groups or by the environment in which immigrants lived. Park and Burgess adopted the original concentric zone theory, and which separated Chicago into 5 distinct zones. Which were: 1. Central Business District 2. Transitional Zone 3. Working Class Zone 4. Residential Zone 5. Commuter Zone   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The experiment reveled that arrest rates consistently remained high for Zone 2, the transitional zone. They ultimately concluded that delinquency rates are related with ecological environment in which a person or group dwells. Crime Zones :: essays research papers Crime Zones and Reasoning (Poverty, Race, Social Class)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sociology is a branch of the social sciences that attempts to help us understand society and how people interact. As with many other social sciences, sociology employs theories to help understand why people make certain decisions. Theories that help us explain societal trends are usually segmented in order to accurately examine the specific dynamics of different sections of society. Communities, institutions, gender, race and population are a few popular examples of common segmentations utilized in social theories. Social structure theories, also called social change theories attempt to analyze the driving forces that change society. Sociologists who study social change use the study of both criminology and sociology to draw conclusions about criminal behavior. The overarching belief of criminology theory is that certain social structures support deviant behavior. The three main branches of social structure theories are the social disorganization theory, the socia l strain theory and the cultural deviance theory. How well have social structure theories explained delinquent behavior in society? In this paper, the major social structural theories will be defined and analyzed. Social Disorganization Theory: Concentric Zone Theory   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Centric Zone Theory was proposed by Shaw, and examined arrest rates in Chicago. It was during these years immigrants living in the inner city begin to relocate to the outskirts of the city. The purpose of their study was to conclude if delinquency was caused by particular immigrant groups or by the environment in which immigrants lived. Park and Burgess adopted the original concentric zone theory, and which separated Chicago into 5 distinct zones. Which were: 1. Central Business District 2. Transitional Zone 3. Working Class Zone 4. Residential Zone 5. Commuter Zone   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The experiment reveled that arrest rates consistently remained high for Zone 2, the transitional zone. They ultimately concluded that delinquency rates are related with ecological environment in which a person or group dwells.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Essay --

Morgan Pesante Professor Katherin Nolte English 2326 17 December 2013 Raymond Carver: Cathedral 1. In â€Å"Feather’s,† the somewhat silent and solemn dinner the two couples share impacts Jack and Fran’s lives, as that night transpires into an attempted â€Å"change† within their marriage. While Fran pinpoints that evening as an immediate shift, Jack believes the change came later, after their child was born. Jack recalls, â€Å"The change came later—and when it came, it was like something that happened to other people, not something that could have happened to us† (Carver). Throughout the dinner, the author parallels Jack and Fran to Bud and Olla. Together, Bud and Olla exhibit characteristics that Jack and Fran’s relationship lacks: love, affection and the family they have created with Joey and Harold. Jack and Fran strive for this type of bond, and although they attempt to achieve it after being given a glimpse at the dinner, they fall short. As much as Jack and Fran want to aspire to be like Bud and Olla, they never reach th at next level. They are never able to utilize the peacock feathers. 2. The ending of â€Å"A Small, Good Thing† results in Ann, Howard and the baker sitting together, eating and listening to the baker’s life story. Although Ann and Howard come into the bakery with fury, the baker opens up to them because he sees how much they are suffering from the loss of their son, Scotty. Ann is â€Å"suddenly hungry† not only because she has physical hunger, but also because she is aching for emotional connection after the loss of her son. The baker may not be able to understand their individual pain, but by revealing his own agony he is allowing Ann and Howard to begin to process their sufferings as well. It didn’t heal them, but his small g... ... of â€Å"Cathedral,† it becomes apparent that the narrator’s affection for the blind man has positively shifted as they sit down and begin to draw the cathedral together. After a failed attempt to explain what a cathedral is to the blind man, the narrator is surprised at the encouragement Robert gives. Robert asks the narrator to close his eyes, to ultimately trust him, and the narrator listens. â€Å"My eyes were still closed. I was in my house. I knew that. But I didn’t feel like I was inside anything,† the narrator stated (Carver). This text suggests that the narrator was not necessarily concerned about what he was drawing, but on the feeling he was experiencing during that moment. The narrator is no longer isolated, but open to a new freedom (Esch). This freedom is beyond what is visible – and Robert, the blind man, reiterates this by his presence and lack of sight.

Catcher in The Rye Essay -- essays research papers

Catcher in the Rye   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  J.D Salinger’s novel â€Å"Catcher in the Rye,† focuses mainly on Holden Caulfield because he is the narrator and the novel is about his memory of characters and events throughout the story. These characters are more than just remembrances but actually help the reader to better understand Holden. Mr. Antolini, Phoebe, and Jane Gallagher are all characters that help fully characterize Holden.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mr. Antolini helps the reader better understand Holden’s hasty judgments about characters in the novel. He is one of the few people in the novel who Holden respects and does not consider a â€Å"phony.† Holden respects Mr. Antolini because he understands him and does not treat him like an inferior student like the rest of his teachers do. Mr. Antolini is very open with Holden and this is shown when he lets him stay the night in his apartment. Holden’s quick judgments of people are shown and better understood when Mr. Antolini touches his forehead while he sleeps in chapter 24. â€Å"I know more damn perverts, at schools and all, than anybody you ever met, and they’re always being perverty when I’m around.†(192) Holden jumps to conclusions right away when he wakes up to Mr. Antolini touching his forehead. Instead of thinking that his teacher was just showing affection and care for a student he is very quick to think that he is a pervert and homosexual. In the quote Holden says, â€Å"they’re always being perverty when I’m around,† this is more evidence that Holden jumps to conclusions and is quick with assumptions rather than to think about what it is to be a pervert. He thinks that he is just in the wrong place at the wrong time but it is more likely that he just assumes they are being â€Å"perverty† when they are truly not. Another example of Holden being quick with judgment is directly after the incident happens. Without letting the incident sink in, Holden changes into his clothes and runs out of the apartment. Mr. Antolini and the events that take place in his apartment help the reader fully understand Holden. Mr. Antolini is a compassionate person and his actions are out of care for his friend and student, Holden’s quick and hasty judgment is shown when he overlooks Mr. Antolini’s concern and affection for a homosexual advance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Phoebe is another character that helps the reader bet... ...y voice was shaking something awful.† Holden’s helplessness to realize that sex can be casual is showing that he is immature and that he doesn’t want to let go of his childhood innocence. Jane’s character, a girl who Holden knows very well and has affection for, has casual sex which makes Holden very upset, this helps the reader better understand Holden’s immatureness and his refusal to let go of his childhood innocence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the novel â€Å"Catcher in the Rye† the reader is able to better understand Holden by the characters in his remembrances. Mr. Antolini, a person who shows affection for Holden, shows the reader that Holden makes quick assumptions and judgments with characters in the novel. Phoebe, Holden’s younger sister, makes it evident to the reader that Holden does not want to grow up, mature, and have a future as an adult. Jane Gallagher’s character also helps the reader better understand Holden by making it evident that he does not want to let go of his childhood innocence. Although Holden’s character is the main focus of the novel, his remembrances of other key characters help define him and give the reader a better understanding of who he is.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Deception Point Page 57

â€Å"Where†¦ are we?† Rachel managed, the simple act of trying to speak bringing on a crashing headache. The man massaging her replied, â€Å"You're on the medical deck of a Los Angeles class-â€Å" â€Å"On deck!† someone called out. Rachel sensed a sudden commotion all around her, and she tried to sit up. One of the men in blue helped, propping her up, and pulling the blankets up around her. Rachel rubbed her eyes and saw someone striding into the room. The newcomer was a powerful African-American man. Handsome and authoritative. His uniform was khaki. â€Å"At ease,† he declared, moving toward Rachel, stopping over her and gazing down at her with strong black eyes. â€Å"Harold Brown,† he said, his voice deep and commanding. â€Å"Captain of the U.S.S. Charlotte. And you are?† U.S.S. Charlotte, Rachel thought. The name seemed vaguely familiar. â€Å"Sexton†¦,† she replied. â€Å"I'm Rachel Sexton.† The man looked puzzled. He stepped closer, studying her more carefully. â€Å"I'll be damned. So you are.† Rachel felt lost. He knows me? Rachel was certain she did not recognize the man, although as her eyes dropped from his face to the patch on his chest, she saw the familiar emblem of an eagle clutching an anchor surrounded by the words U.S. NAVY. It now registered why she knew the name Charlotte. â€Å"Welcome aboard, Ms. Sexton,† the captain said. â€Å"You've gisted a number of this ship's recon reports. I know who you are.† â€Å"But what are you doing in these waters?† she stammered. His face hardened somewhat. â€Å"Frankly, Ms. Sexton, I was about to ask you the same question.† Tolland sat up slowly now, opening his mouth to speak. Rachel silenced him with a firm shake of her head. Not here. Not now. She had no doubt the first thing Tolland and Corky would want to talk about was the meteorite and the attack, but this was certainly not a topic to discuss in front of a Navy submarine crew. In the world of intelligence, regardless of crisis, CLEARANCE remained king; the meteorite situation remained highly classified. â€Å"I need to speak to NRO director William Pickering,† she told the captain. â€Å"In private, and immediately.† The captain arched his eyebrows, apparently unaccustomed to taking orders on his own ship. â€Å"I have classified information I need to share.† The captain studied her a long moment. â€Å"Let's get your body temperature back, and then I'll put you in contact with the NRO director.† â€Å"It's urgent, sir. I-† Rachel stopped short. Her eyes had just seen a clock on the wall over the pharmaceutical closet. 19:51 HOURS. Rachel blinked, staring. â€Å"Is†¦ is that clock right?† â€Å"You're on a navy vessel, ma'am. Our clocks are accurate.† â€Å"And is that†¦ Eastern time?† â€Å"7:51 P.M. Eastern Standard. We're out of Norfolk.† My God! she thought, stunned. It's only 7:51 P.M.? Rachel had the impression hours had passed since she passed out. It was not even past eight o'clock? The President has not yet gone public about the meteorite! I still have time to stop him! She immediately slid down off the bed, wrapping the blanket around her. Her legs felt shaky. â€Å"I need to speak to the President right away.† The captain looked confused. â€Å"The president of what?† â€Å"Of the United States!† â€Å"I thought you wanted William Pickering.† â€Å"I don't have time. I need the President.† The captain did not move, his huge frame blocking her way. â€Å"My understanding is that the President is about to give a very important live press conference. I doubt he's taking personal phone calls.† Rachel stood as straight as she could on her wobbly legs and fixed her eyes on the captain. â€Å"Sir, you do not have the clearance for me to explain the situation, but the President is about to make a terrible mistake. I have information he desperately needs to hear. Now. You need to trust me.† The captain stared at her a long moment. Frowning, he checked the clock again. â€Å"Nine minutes? I can't get you a secure connection to the White House in that short a time. All I could offer is a radiophone. Unsecured. And we'd have to go to antenna depth, which will take a few-â€Å" â€Å"Do it! Now!† 67 The White House telephone switchboard was located on the lower level of the East Wing. Three switchboard operators were always on duty. At the moment, only two were seated at the controls. The third operator was at a full sprint toward the Briefing Room. In her hand, she carried a cordless phone. She'd tried to patch the call through to the Oval Office, but the President was already en route to the press conference. She'd tried to call his aides on their cellulars, but before televised briefings, all cellular phones in and around the Briefing Room were turned off so as not to interrupt the proceedings. Running a cordless phone directly to the President at a time like this seemed questionable at best, and yet when the White House's NRO liaison called claiming she had emergency information that the President must get before going live, the operator had little doubt she needed to jump. The question now was whether she would get there in time. In a small medical office onboard the U.S.S. Charlotte, Rachel Sexton clutched a phone receiver to her ear and waited to talk to the President. Tolland and Corky sat nearby, still looking shaken. Corky had five stitches and a deep bruise on his cheekbone. All three of them had been helped into Thinsulate thermal underwear, heavy navy flight suits, oversized wool socks, and deck boots. With a hot cup of stale coffee in her hand, Rachel was starting to feel almost human again. â€Å"What's the holdup?† Tolland pressed. â€Å"It's seven fifty-six!† Rachel could not imagine. She had successfully reached one of the White House operators, explained who she was and that this was an emergency. The operator seemed sympathetic, had placed Rachel on hold, and was now, supposedly, making it her top priority to patch Rachel through to the President. Four minutes, Rachel thought. Hurry up! Closing her eyes, Rachel tried to gather her thoughts. It had been one hell of a day. I'm on a nuclear submarine, she said to herself, knowing she was damned lucky to be anywhere at all. According to the submarine captain, the Charlotte had been on a routine patrol in the Bering Sea two days ago and had picked up anomalous underwater sounds coming from the Milne Ice Shelf-drilling, jet noise, lots of encrypted radio traffic. They had been redirected and told to lie quietly and listen. An hour or so ago, they'd heard an explosion in the ice shelf and moved in to check it out. That was when they heard Rachel's SOS call. â€Å"Three minutes left!† Tolland sounded anxious now as he monitored the clock. Rachel was definitely getting nervous now. What was taking so long? Why hadn't the President taken her call? If Zach Herney went public with the data as it stood- Rachel forced the thought from her mind and shook the receiver. Pick up! As the White House operator dashed toward the stage entrance of the Briefing Room, she was met with a gathering throng of staff members. Everyone here was talking excitedly, making final preparations. She could see the President twenty yards away waiting at the entrance. The makeup people were still primping. â€Å"Coming through!† the operator said, trying to get through the crowd. â€Å"Call for the President. Excuse me. Coming through!† â€Å"Live in two minutes!† a media coordinator called out. Clutching the phone, the operator shoved her way toward the President. â€Å"Call for the President!† she panted. â€Å"Coming through!† A towering roadblock stepped into her path. Marjorie Tench. The senior adviser's long face grimaced down in disapproval. â€Å"What's going on?†