Background Information Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Background Information - Essay Example ortfolio Strategy group develops a â€Å"Monthly Lead List† which is used by marketing department for the purpose of identification of customers that are part of our portfolio. The list undergoes strict quality checks by an independent Quality Control Analyst, who validates the data by utilizing critical business logic and by using QC results tab for result presentation. The US Bank’s Data Management and Analytics group prepares the Month-end-marketing Metrics, which is also utilized by the marketing department to develop a report that provides guidance regarding marketing sales goals, actual and budgeted costs of marketing, cost per application, cost per lead and the associated variances. Interaction with legal and compliance department for approval of the marketing material that is under development for the purpose of compliance to relevant laws is also carried out by marketing department. During the period before June 1, 2014 approvals for marketing material was only sought from the legal department, but now the marketing department utilizes US Bank’s â€Å"ticket management system† for this purpose. So, now marketing material is approved by compliance department after it has been approved by the legal department. Based on audit, the rating for Marketing review and Portfolio strategy has been labeled â€Å"Effective†. Policy and procedures related to quality control process for marketing lead list have been prepared and released by the Business unit. Whether adequate Quality Control was implemented by the independent analyst or not, could not be ascertained, since supporting documents were insufficient to support the analyst’s position. The team is in the process of implementing control measures which is an indication that they are aware of the prevailing

Odysseus story Essay Example for Free

Odysseus story Essay SOME ARE monsters, some are slaves, some are beautiful and cunning women and some are powerful kings. In Homeric literature, a character is either good or bad depending on their xenia or shape (e.g. Charybdis). However, from reading The Odyssey, one can see the admirable characters and the not so admirable characters. Such characters have either good or bad xenia, old or young, male or female, some can be a menial as a slave (such as Eumaeus) and some can be as great as a Troy hero and king (such as Nestor). This is an exploration of whether or not Eumaeus is the most admirable character in The Odyssey or not. We first meet Odysseus swineherd in Book Fourteen in the porch of his hut. He had been caring for Odysseus property during his absence. Odysseus appears to him as a beggar and despite the status that such person has, Eumaeus being but a servant understands xenia and entertains Odysseus by preparing a feast for him.  In Book Fourteen, Eumaeus grieves not only for the loss of Odysseus but also for Telemachus who had gone to find his father. It is clear from Book Sixteen, that Eumaeus loves Telemachus like a father loves a son as when he returns he drops everything and kisses Telemachus and cries with pleasure of his safe return to Ithaca. He shows respect for his masters in Book Fourteen, another admirable trait, when he says to the disguised Odysseus that servants cant give admirable gifts when they work in fear of their overpowering masters. This shows that Eumaeus understands his place an Odysseus and Telemachus both recognise this and treat Eumaeus with great respect. One could argue that Homer created Eumaeus as the most admirable character as there is a not in Book Fourteen that claims that Homer loved his created character and sometimes the literature speaks directly to Eumaeus.  After Eumaeus prayer that Odysseus may return, Odysseus feels that it is right that he should reveal his scar and prove that he is with them. The text says that Eumaeus is overwhelmed to see his master again and is weeping and kissing him so much, that if Odysseus hadnt stopped them, it would have gone on all day and all night! This shows a great and respecting love for the King of Ithaca. Eumaeus speaks out, bravely (or foolishly some could argue) against the Suitors. This shows bravery in his character as well as loyalty and love. He is truly characterised as a noble and respectable person. He also helps in the execution of the maidservants and the mutilation of Melanthius.  All of the above describe how admirable Eumaeus is and there is not a point in the text when he is not admirable, loving, kind or brave. However, there are other admirable characters in The Odyssey. I would argue that King Nestor of Pylos, a hero against Troy with Odysseus, is an admirable character in The Odyssey. He is a very generous host and actually is so generous and so loyal to xenia that in Book Fifteen, Telemachus pleads with Nestors son, Peisistratus (Telemachus Patroclus type character) to not let him see Telemachus, as he will keep him against his will with his passion for hospitality! Some could argue that this in its self is an abuse of xenia. Nestor also stops Telemachus from sleeping on his hollowed ship and says that he should sleep in the palace. This shows true loyalty to xenia. Before this however, Nestor believes that Telemachus even looks like Odysseus and tells Telemachus of his faith in him. This shows a caring for his friends family. Nestor is even kind enough to let his son act as a friend and guardian to Telemachus on his journeys.  Nestors character is one of great caring and compassion and he looks out for Telemachus as a father would look out for a son and I think that this is a truly admirable trait of King Nestor. Another admirable character is Antinous and Aretes daughter, Nausicaa, princess of Phaeacia. She meets Odysseus when he has been washed up on the shore of the island and is wearing no more than a fig leaf over his genitalia. Anyone would have thought him mad or overly promiscuous, however, despite her first impressions, the young woman hears of Odysseus story and shows pity on the great man in his miserable state. She orders her ladies to bathe him and even tells him how to get into the city and speak with her father, Antinous through his wife Arete). With all this guidance she shows mercy on a man in a state where others would have either ran or jeered at him. This shows a merciful character in Nausicaa and for such a young girl she has an understanding of xenia. She falls in love with Odysseus and she is even offered by Antinous as a wife for Odysseus, but Odysseus is having none of it and just wants his presents and one of their good ships to go home in.  Nausicaa demonstrates mercy on Odysseus in the only time we see him as being so disparate and needy for help. The only time when he loses face and the only time really when all he has are his articulate words to help him out of situation. This shows that Nausicaa probably knew that Odysseus was a great man and that his state would have de-motivated him so the very fact that she shows such compassion towards him shows that she sympathises with his situation. This I believe is a very admirable thing to do and shows great intelligence for someone so young. Therefore, Eumaeus is one of the most admirable but not the most. Nestor and Nausicaa, both explored above are equally as admirable but in slightly different ways. Eumaeus admiralty comes from his loyalty to Odysseus and his want to defend his right to be loyal. Nestor is admirable for his hospitality and the way he speaks of Odysseus and the help that he gives to Telemachus on his journey to track down his father. Lastly, Nausicaa is admirable as she is able to trust a man that others would have thought bonkers. He appears to her naked and she accepts his honesty and mercifully helps him due to his articulate speech. Homer has truly created some of the greatest characters in the world of literature and these good and admirable persons are part of the huge enjoyment one has when one reads his Odyssey.

Quantity Surveying Challenges

Quantity Surveying Challenges In future day, the prospect of a quantity surveyor will being an interesting issue to discuss due to the various services, knowledge, and skill it provided. The liability of the role of quantity surveyor will be concerned in the aspects of ability and characteristic of them to adapt in the future development. There will be suspicion toward on how a quantity surveyor going to survive within the threats and opportunities faced in future. The form of perception in quantity surveyor will be redefined in the conditions of breakthrough from the traditional mode. According to Marcel Frei and Jasper Mbachu (2009 ), it stated that Every profession evolves in response to the ever-increasing changes in the global business environment. In order to remain relevant, globally competitive and successful, the Quantity Surveyors need to constantly scan their business landscape to discern new directions and to adapt to imminent changes in their professional practice.Fadhlin Abdullah and Ismail Haron (2007) said that The environments for quantity surveying practice have changed along with the countrys rapid economic development. The roles of quantity surveyors have also evolved along with the changes. Future development prospects and changes will have implications on the development of the profession.RICS (1998) indicated that The QS Think Tank Report noted that many regular clients are critical of traditional quantity surveying services and are demanding a different and more comprehensive range of services that is proactive, customer orientated and suppo rted by significantly better management and business skills. Scope of Study This paper will focus on the types of changes and challenges influencing the quantity surveyor on their future practices. The study will determine the factors that lead to change in quantity surveying job. This study will focus on the external factors which are the threats and opportunities that would imperil and optimize the career of quantity surveyor in future. The research will only be bounded in city nearby Kuala Lumpur due to the limitation in carry out the job. There will be around 20 QS firms and 50 Registered QS being investigated for the findings of necessary information and data. It is because the KL is the most developed city in Malaysia, and as a result the KL QS firms will confronted the most innovation and evolution due to the rapid growth in changes of development. Hence, the outcomes of result will be reliable. Background Generally, a quantity surveyor is a professional in the construction industry which their role is concerned with construction cost in a project. In inception or design stage of a project, quantity surveyor shall prepare a preliminary estimating and cost planning for design brief, and advice for procurement method suitable for the project. In tendering process stage, quantity surveyor shall prepare for Bill of Quantity, tender documents, tender reports, and contract documents which to select a contractor for the project. A quantity surveyor basically should requires the technique to measuring quantities from the drawings prepared by designers, which known as Taking Off and it is means to figure out the quantities of work where is used to prepare Bill of Quantity. Then the Bill of Quantity is purposely for the contractor to fill in prices inside in order to determine out the construction cost. During construction stage, a quantity surveyor shall provide services like valuation of works for interim, evaluations and certificates, contractual advice, and prepare final account after completion of construction stage. Those services stated on above are likely the traditional perception of the job of quantity surveyor. In latter day, the Quantity Surveyor with the other professionals in construction industry seems to have some significant changes. The traditional technical and professional services of quantity surveyors still relate to measurement and documentations, price, value and cost of construction, pre- and post- tender management, contract administration, and final account. Those services contribute as the main income for the majority part of QS practices. Nevertheless, there are exist of approaches to newer areas on procurement included Private Finance Initiative (PFI) / Public Private Partnerships (PPP), privatization, construction law and dispute resolution, socio-economic development, governance and else. There are now getting more of cooperative approaching like partnering which have been seen as a shift in utilize of traditional methods of procurement and it shown a number of challenges to the QS profession, practices and academic. The QS profession is not even more just stay in standing still and has evolved to the development of new services which concern on risk and value management, facilities management, construction project management, project financing, international construction, contract administration, sustainability, legal and environmental services. Such development is innovated in order to response the changes required by the procuring clients. Those services provided by the profession are not bounded anymore by the traditional form which implicated that new service and greater competition will be arise internally and externally from the profession. Quantity Surveyor job also can be related with the extension, refurbishment, maintenance and demolition of a facility. Notwithstanding, construction industry is global and extends across all real estate and infrastructure markets. Nowadays, Quantity surveyor job cover in all sector of the construction industry worldwide, which in real estate it including on Residential, Commercial, Industrial, Leisure, Agricultural, and Retail. In infrastructure, the sector including Roads, Railways, Airports, Waterways, Seaports, Coastal defenses, Power generation and Utilities. Also, Quantity Surveyor job can be linked to in process engineering, such as chemical engineering plants or oil rigs. Absolutely, they need to understand all aspect relevant to the whole life of a building or facility. They also necessary to require the capability to admin cost effectively, equating quality and value which personally deal with demand of client. Importance of Study This study is purposely to provide an overview of perception in career of quantity surveyor practices in future. It is to allow the practitioner of quantity surveyor under education stage to gain understand on the field which they are going to explore in future. The research will grant them with the information of knowledge, technique, and skills which they are required in future career in order to allow them to adapt easily with future trend development. It is also to provide them with a new perception to well prepare on their self so that they are readily and able to face those challenges in future. Research Methodology The study for the exploration on other areas will started by secondary data resource in literature review to find the essential resources which from reading relevant magazine, journal, newspaper and book. The searching from internet will be applied by viewing the relevant authorized articles, thesis, research and related website. The data and statistic for the exploration will expected to gain from the statistic department and organization such as CIDB, BQSM, ISM, RICS and others. The finding for threats and opportunities will obtained by primary data resource in survey questionnaire which distributed to those professional of Register QS in order to get some data analysis. Then a series of interview will be undertaken to identify and investigate for more details and specify issue which come from their own opinion and ideal whereby it is unable to obtain from survey questionnaire.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee :: To Kill a Mockingbird Essays

To Kill a Movking Bird Tolerance Comes into Play Tolerance is a good virtue to own, without it there is no way to succeed. To Kill a Mockingbird is a great novel written by Harper Lee. In this book, a great deal of tolerance is shown by Atticus. His tolerance is shown especially in the town, when dealing with his kids and when talking to Aunt Alexandra. The theme of tolerance is shown by Atticus when he is in the town. Many of the town's people give Atticus a hard time because he is defending a black in court and he is white. There is a white person against the black yet Atticus is defending the black person, and that is what makes some people give him a hard time. In a quote from the book: "Your father's no better than the Niger's and trash he works for," said Mrs. Dubose to Scout. People just like Mrs. Dubose talk behind Atticus and also say mean or hateful things about him because he is defending a black. Although they say all this stuff he has enough tolerance and does not fight back nor say mean and/or hateful things towards them. He uses his self-control (tolerance) and lets them talk. He expresses in the book that, people can talk and say but you do not have to do anything about it. Atticus just lets it pass by him. This is one way he shows tolerance in the book. The theme of tolerance is shown by Atticus, when he is dealing with his kids. His two kids, Scout (girl) and Jem (boy), do get into mischief. And when they do he deals with it calmly and rationally. A quote dealing with this particular incident were he is talking to Scout is: "Let's get this clear: you do as Calpurnia tells you, you do as I tell you, and as long as your aunt's in the house you do as she tells you. Understand?" Atticus says this to Scout after she mouthed off at Aunt Alexandra. He calmly and rationally dealt with the situation then moved on. He didn't yell, hit, or argue, just simply stated the obvious. He shows a lot of tolerance when dealing with Scout and her stubborn ways. He does the same with Jem (Jeremy) as well. He treats his kids with respect as if they were adults. He does hot argue he says what he wants and if there is a conflict he walks away from it.

The Host Chapter 47: Employed

This is too easy. It's not really even fun anymore,† Kyle complained. â€Å"You wanted to come,† Ian reminded him. He and Ian were in the windowless back of the van, sorting through the nonperishable groceries and toiletries I'd just collected from the store. It was the middle of the day, and the sun was shining on Wichita. It was not as hot as the Arizona desert, but it was more humid. The air swarmed with tiny flying bugs. Jared drove toward the highway out of town, carefully keeping below the speed limit. This continued to irritate him. â€Å"Getting tired of shopping yet, Wanda?† Ian asked me. â€Å"No. I don't mind it.† â€Å"You always say that. Isn't there anything you mind?† â€Å"I mind†¦ being away from Jamie. And I mind being outside, a little bit. During the day especially. It's like the opposite of claustrophobia. Everything is too open. Does that bother you, too?† â€Å"Sometimes. We don't go out during the day much.† â€Å"At least she gets to stretch her legs,† Kyle muttered. â€Å"I don't know why you want to hear her complain.† â€Å"Because it's so uncommon. Which makes it a nice change from listening to you complain.† I tuned them out. Once Ian and Kyle got started, they usually went on for a while. I consulted the map. † Oklahoma City next?† I asked Jared. â€Å"And a few small towns on the way, if you're up for it,† he answered, eyes on the road. â€Å"I am.† Jared rarely lost his focus when on a raid. He didn't relax into relieved banter the way Ian and Kyle did every time I completed another mission successfully. It made me smile when they used that word-mission. That sounded so formidable. In reality, it was just a trip to the store. Just like I'd done a hundred times in San Diego when I was only feeding myself. Like Kyle said, it was too easy to provide any excitement. I pushed my cart up and down the aisles. I smiled at the souls who smiled at me, and I filled my cart with things that would last. I usually grabbed a few things that wouldn't, for the men hiding in the back of the van. Premade sandwiches from the deli-things like that for our meals. And maybe a treat or two. Ian had a fondness for mint chocolate chip ice cream. Kyle liked caramel sweets best. Jared ate anything he was offered; it seemed as if he'd given up favorites many years before, embracing a life where wants were unwelcome and even needs were carefully assessed before they were met. Another reason he was good at this life-he saw priorities uncontaminated by personal desire. Occasionally, in the smaller towns, someone would notice me, would speak to me. I had my lines down so well that I could probably have fooled a human by this point. â€Å"Hi there. New in town?† â€Å"Yes. Brand-new.† â€Å"What brings you to Byers?† I was always careful to check the map before I left the van, so the town's name would be familiar. â€Å"My partner travels a lot. He's a photographer.† â€Å"How wonderful! An Artist. Well, there's certainly a lot of beautiful land around here.† Originally, I'd been the Artist. But I'd found that throwing in the information that I was already partnered saved me some time when I was speaking to males. â€Å"Thank you so much for your help.† â€Å"You're very welcome. Come back soon.† I'd only had to speak to a pharmacist once, in Salt Lake City; after that, I'd known what to look for. A sheepish smile. â€Å"I'm not sure I'm getting the right nutrition. I can't seem to avoid the junk food. This body has such a sweet tooth.† â€Å"You need to be wise, Thousand Petals. I know it's easy to give in to your cravings, but try to think about what you're eating. In the meantime, you should take a supplement.† Health. Such an obvious title on the bottle, it made me feel silly for asking. â€Å"Would you like the ones that taste like strawberries or the ones that taste like chocolate?† â€Å"Could I try both?† And the pleasant soul named Earthborn gave me both of the large bottles. Not very challenging. The only fear or sense of danger I ever felt came when I thought of the small cyanide pill that I always kept in an easily reachable pocket. Just in case. â€Å"You should get new clothes in the next town,† Jared said. â€Å"Again?† â€Å"Those are looking a little creased.† â€Å"Okay,† I agreed. I didn't like the excess, but the steadily growing pile of dirty laundry wouldn't go to waste. Lily and Heidi and Paige were all close to my size, and they would be grateful for something new to wear. The men rarely bothered with things like clothes when they were raiding. Every foray was life-or-death-clothes were not a priority. Nor were the gentle soaps and shampoos that I'd been collecting at every store. â€Å"You should probably clean up, too,† Jared said with a sigh. â€Å"Guess that means a hotel tonight.† Keeping up appearances was not something they'd worried about before. Of course, I was the only one who had to look as if I were a part of civilization from close up. The men wore jeans and dark T-shirts now, things that didn't show dirt or attract attention in the brief moments they might be seen. They all hated sleeping in the roadside inns-succumbing to unconsciousness inside the very mouth of the enemy. It scared them more than anything else we did. Ian said he'd rather charge an armed Seeker. Kyle simply refused. He mostly slept in the van during the day and then sat up at night, acting as sentry. For me, it was as easy as shopping in the stores. I checked us in, made conversation with the clerk. Told the story about my photographer partner and the friend who was traveling with us (just in case someone saw all three of us enter the room). I used generic names from unremarkable planets. Sometimes we were Bats: Word Keeper, Sings the Egg Song, and Sky Roost. Sometimes we were See Weeds: Twisting Eyes, Sees to the Surface, and Second Sunrise. I changed the names every time, not that anyone was trying to trace our path. It just made Melanie feel safer to do that. All this made her feel like a character in a human movie about espionage. The hard part, the part I really minded-not that I would say this in front of Kyle, who was so quick to doubt my intentions-was all the taking without giving anything back. It had never bothered me to shop in San Diego. I took what I needed and nothing more. Then I spent my days at the university giving back to the community by sharing my knowledge. Not a taxing Calling, but one I took seriously. I took my turns at the less-appealing chores. I did my day collecting garbage and cleaning streets. We all did. And now I took so much more and gave nothing in return. It made me feel selfish and wrong. It's not for yourself. It's for others, Mel reminded me when I brooded. It still feels wrong. Even you can feel that, can't you? Don't think about it was her solution. I was glad we were on the homestretch of our long raid. Tomorrow we would visit our growing cache-a moving truck we kept hidden within a day's reach of our path-and clean out the van for the last time. Just a few more cities, a few more days, down through Oklahoma, then New Mexico, and then a straight drive through Arizona with no stops. Home again. At last. When we slept in hotels rather than in the crowded van, we usually checked in after dark and left before dawn to keep the souls from getting a good look at us. Not really necessary. Jared and Ian were beginning to realize that. This night, because we'd had such a successful day-the van was completely full; Kyle would have little space-and because Ian thought I looked tired, we stopped early. The sun had not set when I returned to the van with the plastic key card. The little inn was not very busy. We parked close to our room, and Jared and Ian went straight from the van to the room in a matter of five or six steps, their eyes on the ground. On their necks, small, faint pink lines provided camouflage. Jared carried a half-empty suitcase. No one looked at them or me. Inside, the room-darkening curtains were drawn, and the men relaxed a little bit. Ian lounged on the bed he and Jared would use, and flipped on the TV. Jared put the suitcase on the table, took out our dinner-cooled greasy breaded chicken strips I'd ordered from the deli in the last store-and passed it around. I sat by the window, peeking through the corner at the falling sun as I ate. â€Å"You have to admit, Wanda, we humans had better entertainment,† Ian teased. On the television screen, two souls were speaking their lines clearly, their bodies held with perfect posture. It wasn't hard to pick up what was happening in the story because there wasn't a lot of variety in the scripts souls wrote. In this one, two souls were reconnecting after a long separation. The male's stint with the See Weeds had come between them, but he'd chosen to be human because he guessed his partner from the Mists Planet would be drawn to these warm-blooded hosts. And, miracle of miracles, he'd found her here. They all had happy endings. â€Å"You have to consider the intended audience.† â€Å"True. I wish they'd run old human shows again.† He flipped through the channels and frowned. â€Å"Used to be a few of them on.† â€Å"They were too disturbing. They had to be replaced with things that weren't so†¦ violent.† â€Å"The Brady Bunch?† I laughed. I'd seen that show in San Diego, and Melanie knew it from her childhood. â€Å"It condoned aggression. I remember one where a little male child punched a bully, and that was portrayed as being the right thing to do. There was blood.† Ian shook his head in disbelief but returned to the show with the former See Weed. He laughed at the wrong parts, the parts that were supposed to be touching. I stared out the window, watching something much more interesting than the predictable story on television. Across the two-lane road from the inn was a small park, bordered on one side by a school and on the other by a field where cows grazed. There were a few young trees, and an old-fashioned playground with a sandbox, a slide, a set of monkey bars, and one of those hand-pulled merry-go-rounds. Of course there was a swing set, too, and that was the only equipment being used currently. A little family was taking advantage of the cooler evening air. The father had some silver in his dark hair at the temples; the mother looked many years his junior. Her red brown hair was pulled back in a long ponytail that bobbed when she moved. They had a little boy, no more than a year old. The father pushed the child in the swing from behind, while the mother stood in front, leaning in to kiss his forehead when he swung her way, making him giggle so hard that his chubby little face was bright red. This had her laughing, too-I could see her body shake with it, her hair dancing. â€Å"What are you staring at, Wanda?† Jared's question wasn't anxious, because I was smiling softly at the surprising scene. â€Å"Something I've never seen in all my lives. I'm staring at†¦ hope.† Jared came to stand behind me, peeking out over my shoulder. â€Å"What do you mean?† His eyes swept across the buildings and the road, not pausing on the playing family. I caught his chin and pointed his face in the right direction. He didn't so much as flinch at my unexpected touch, and that gave me a strange jolt of warmth in the pit of my stomach. â€Å"Look,† I said. â€Å"What am I looking at?† â€Å"The only hope for survival I've ever seen for a host species.† â€Å"Where?† he demanded, bewildered. I was aware of Ian close behind us now, listening silently. â€Å"See?† I pointed at the laughing mother. â€Å"See how she loves her human child?† At that moment, the woman snatched her son from the swing and squeezed him in a tight embrace, covering his face with kisses. He cooed and flailed-just a baby. Not the miniature adult he would have been if he carried one of my kind. Jared gasped. â€Å"The baby is human? How? Why? For how long?† I shrugged. â€Å"I've never seen this before-I don't know. She has not given him up for a host. I can't imagine that she would be†¦ forced. Motherhood is all but worshipped among my kind. If she is unwilling†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I shook my head. â€Å"I have no idea how that will be handled. This doesn't happen elsewhere. The emotions of these bodies are so much stronger than logic.† I glanced up at Jared and Ian. They were both staring openmouthed at the interspecies family in the park. â€Å"No,† I murmured to myself. â€Å"No one would force the parents if they wanted the child. And just look at them.† The father had his arms around both the mother and the child now. He looked down at his host body's biological son with staggering tenderness in his eyes. â€Å"Aside from ourselves, this is the first planet we've discovered with live births. Yours certainly isn't the easiest or most prolific system. I wonder if that's the difference†¦ or if it's the helplessness of your young. Everywhere else, reproduction is through some form of eggs or seeds. Many parents never even meet their young. I wonder†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I trailed off, my thoughts full of speculation. The mother lifted her face to her partner, and he kissed her lips. The human child crowed with delight. â€Å"Hmm. Perhaps, someday, some of my kind and some of yours will live in peace. Wouldn't that be†¦ strange?† Neither man could tear his eyes from the miracle in front of them. The family was leaving. The mother dusted the sand off her jeans while the father took the boy. Then, holding hands that they swung between them, the souls strolled toward the apartments with their human child. Ian swallowed loudly. We didn't speak for the rest of the evening, all of us made thoughtful by what we'd seen. We went to sleep early, so we could rise early and get back to work. I slept alone, in the bed farthest from the door. This made me uncomfortable. The two big men did not fit easily on the other bed; Ian tended to sprawl when he was deeply asleep, and Jared was not above throwing punches when that happened. Both of them would be more comfortable if I shared. I slept in a small ball now; maybe it was the too-open spaces I moved in all day that had me constricting in on myself at night, or maybe I was just so used to curling up to sleep in the tiny space behind the passenger seat on the van's floor that I'd forgotten how to sleep straight. But I knew why no one asked me to share. The first night the men had unhappily realized the necessity of a hotel shower for me, I'd heard Ian and Jared talking about me over the whir of the bathroom fan. â€Å"†¦ not fair to ask her to choose,† Ian was saying. He kept his voice low, but the fan was not loud enough to drown it out. The hotel room was very small. â€Å"Why not? It's fairer to tell her where she's going to sleep? Don't you think it's more polite -â€Å" â€Å"For someone else. But Wanda will agonize over this. She'll be trying so hard to please us both, she'll make herself miserable.† â€Å"Jealous again?† â€Å"Not this time. I just know how she thinks.† There was a silence. Ian was right. He did know how I thought. He'd probably already foreseen that given the slightest hint that Jared would prefer it, I would choose to sleep beside Jared, and then keep myself awake worrying that I'd made Jared unhappy by being there and that I'd hurt Ian's feelings in the bargain. â€Å"Fine,† Jared snapped. â€Å"But if you try cuddling up to me tonight†¦ so help me, O'Shea.† Ian chuckled. â€Å"Not to sound overly arrogant, but to be perfectly honest, Jared, were I so inclined, I think I could do better.† Despite feeling a little guilty about wasting so much needed space, I probably did sleep better alone. We didn't have to go to a hotel again. The days started to pass more quickly, as if even the seconds were trying to run home. I could feel a strange western pull on my body. We were all eager to get back to our dark, crowded haven. Even Jared got careless. It was late, no sunlight left lingering behind the western mountains. Behind us, Ian and Kyle were taking turns driving the big moving truck loaded with our spoils, just as Jared and I took turns with the van. They had to drive the heavy vehicle more carefully than Jared did the van. The headlights had faded slowly into the distance, until they disappeared around a wide curve in the road. We were on the homestretch. Tucson was behind us. In a few short hours, I would see Jamie. We would unload the welcome provisions, surrounded by smiling faces. A real homecoming. My first, I realized. For once the return would bring nothing but joy. We carried no doomed hostages this time. I wasn't paying attention to anything but anticipation. The road didn't seem to be flying by too fast; it couldn't fly past fast enough as far as I was concerned. The truck's headlights reappeared behind us. â€Å"Kyle must be driving,† I murmured. â€Å"They're catching up.† And then the red and blue lights suddenly spun out in the dark night behind us. They reflected off all the mirrors, dancing spots of color across the roof, the seats, our frozen faces, and the dashboard, where the needle on the speed gauge showed that we were traveling twenty miles over the speed limit. The sound of a siren pierced the desert calm.

Oppressive Government Essay

As humans we have shared fundamental needs. Take personal survival as an example. To meet this need we must ensure our safety from the violence of each other and from the violence of people who are not members of our society. The mechanism to serve . . . this . . . goal is a government.’ Because I agree with Thomas Attig, I must affirm the topic that ‘an oppressive government is more desirable than no government.’ Before I continue, I’d like to define a few key terms in the topic. [All definitions are from American Heritage.] Oppressive is defined as unjust or difficult to bear. Government is the exercise of authority in a political unit. Desirable is defined as worth having or seeking, as by being useful or advantageous. Since the topic asks us to evaluate the most desirable situation for humanity, my Value Premise is Individual Welfare. In order to achieve individual welfare, my criteria are 1)The preservation of social order 2)The fulfillment of fundamental needs. The only way in which to ensure individual welfare is to maintain societal stability while at the same time protecting the individual. My first contention is that an oppressive government is more desirable than no government because government, in any form, provides certain advantages that are impossible for the state of nature to provide. (1)First of all, a government provides individuals with external security. In other words, the mere existence of a government allows for society as a whole to have a defense mechanism against foreign powers because a  government must provide such protection in order to preserve itself. The absence of a government, however, would leave individuals defenseless from outside aggressors. Any government, oppressive or not, provides for this basic external security, which is a prerequisite to securing fundamental needs. (2)Secondly, government possesses the ability to maintain order within society. As Austin Fagothey states ‘Anarchists think that society can get along without authority, but this opinion is too optimistic; for what is socially good for us is not known equally for all; benefits and burdens must be distributed to all, and someone must choose among various means the ones to be cooperatively used.’ Thus even if a government is oppressive, it still acts as an enforcement mechanism by regulating interaction between individuals and preventing them from encroaching on each other’s rights, therefore securing a greater degree of freedom for individuals. George Crowder concurs that ‘Government is able to secure an area of free choice by forcibly preventing others from encroaching upon it.’ In contrast, the state of nature lacks this common judge to settle disputes and is therefore perpetually insecure for individuals. Even if some order exists without government, it cannot be maintained for any significant period of time because conflicts will inevitably occur over finite resources. Thus oppressive governments provide for the protection of fundamental needs that individuals lack in the state of nature due to the lack of adjudication. (3)Third, individuals are generally guaranteed a minimal protection of life under an oppressive government. Oppressive governments are not primarily concerned with taking away life because by systematically killing all of their subjects, such governments would be diminishing their own power. A. John Simmons agrees that ‘the attempt to get another in one’s power indicates precisely an intention not to kill but rather only to control or use another in some way . . .. [This attempt] shows a design only on their freedom, not on their lives (since [individuals] are valueless without their lives).’ Although oppressive governments have been known to violate life in certain instances, individuals can avoid such persecution by not speaking out against the government. Thus individuals at least know how to secure  their rights under oppression whereas in the state of nature, no such method to protect rights exists. Oppressive systems therefore generally ensure protection of life because individuals know how to avoid any governmental encroachments. Thus society under an oppressive government is more desirable because it ensures a minimum protection of rights that the negative can in no way ensure. My second contention is that an oppressive government is more desirable than no government because society with an oppressive government is more conducive to reform. If we examine the topic, oppression is going to occur on both sides. Thus it’s important to weigh the risks involved. (1)First of all, an oppressive system possesses more potential for reform. Under an oppressive government, all individuals know who their common enemy is, and they are aware of the origin of the threat to their liberty. Simply because of this awareness, individuals are able to unite more effectively against this one consolidation of power. Vicente Medina explains that in an oppressive government, ‘we would be able to appeal to those [established] rules without resulting to violence, whereas under an anarchical state of affairs the actual threat of violence would undermine the development of an ethical and legal community, and consequently the development of our moral capacities.’ [Moreover, the oppression invoked by a government may be merely short term.] Thus more potential for change exists under an oppressive government because it would be much easier to reform the existing system than it would be to create an entirely new system. (2)(2) Secondly, the state of nature, in contrast, has more potential for oppression. The absence of a government allows for conflicts to exist on many levels. Individuals, groups, and organizations would constantly be involved in variety of struggles, and each group would be vying for its own selfish interests. The state of nature is therefore characterized by a lack of unity. Because individuals are so divided in this state of nature, it becomes virtually impossible to unite and achieve a consensus on establishing a government. Thus the lack of unification hinders the pursuit of establishing a just system. Individuals’ needs and the social structure  are therefore best protected under an oppressive government, which possesses a greater possibility for reform, therefore ensuring a great degree of individual welfare.