Commercial law - case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Commercial law - case study - Essay Example As such, there is no completed contract between Wendy and Fantastic Furniture Auctioneers. In my opinion, since there is no completed contract of sale between Wendy and Fantastic Furniture Auctioneers, there is then no contractual liability incurred by the latter for the expenses and losses of Wendy. â€Å"(1) Any person, firm or corporation who knowingly makes or publishes or causes to be made or published in the course of business as an auctioneer any representation or statement which is false or misleading in any material particular, in relation to any lot put up for sale at an auction sale, whether as to the value, composition, structure, description, character or quality, date, manufacture, or origin of that lot or otherwise, commits an offence. â€Å"(2) It shall be a defence to a charge for an offence against this section of which the making or publication of a false or misleading representation or statement is an ingredient to prove that the accused believed on reasonable grounds that the representation or statement was not false or misleading. As applied to the given facts, therefore, Fantastic Furniture Auctioneers incur liability under Section 24 (2) of the Auction Sales Act for misrepresentation as to the date of the auction. However, it is entitled to interpose the defence that the alleged â€Å"representation or statement was not false or misleading.† The first issue under this item is the effect of Sallys yelling that her bid is withdrawn right before the hammer fell. The second issue is the effect of Sallys withdrawal, assuming it is valid, on the bid of Sam. â€Å"(2) A sale by auction is complete when the auctioneer announces its completion by the fall of the hammer or in other customary manner: until such announcement is made any bidder may retract his bid.† As applied to the facts, Section 60, subsection (2) is the rule governing the issue on the effect of Sallys yelling that her bid is withdrawn right before the

Relationships Between Society and Religion Essay Example for Free

Relationships Between Society and Religion Essay The relationship between religion and society has provided the focus for some of the greatest works of sociology (one thinks of Durkheim, Pareto, and Weber, as well as Marx and Parsons). Samuel Delbert, a Canadian sociologist, rebelled against what he saw as the static concerns of American sociologists, trained his eyes on the process of social change, and placed the study of religion as a major item on the agenda of social analysis in Canada. In three important works, Clark argues that the changing structure of religious organization provided a measure of the pace and character of social change. Clark undoubtedly made the study of religion an important topic in Canadian sociology. At the same time, however, his work intended to limit the range of sociological concerns by linking the study of religion to questions of the forms of religious organization and politics (Artibise, 1990). The Essence of Religion In order to further understand the context between the relationship between religion and society, it becomes clear only after we have determined the basic essence of religion, that which is common to them all. Many different attempts to conceptualize the essence of religions have been made. These definitions usually reflect the viewpoint of the defining subject more than the essence of the defined object. When, for instance, Immanuel Kant defines religion as the â€Å"fulfillment of all of our duties as divine commands,† this doesn’t reflect the essence of religion which is concerned with a completely different sphere, but rather the rationalistic standpoint of Kant, for whom religion is essentially theonomic ethics. Often the essence of a specific historical religion is held up as the ideal and norm for all religion (Mensching, 1976). Prophecy presupposes a relationship between religion and society that conflicts profoundly with established religion. Established religion sees religion as the sacred ideology of the established social order. It is the â€Å"handmaiden† of the ruling class. It pronounces the established social order to be created by God and to be a reflection of the divine will (Riemer, 1996). The Founding Fathers In their sociological writing, Marx, Weber, and Durkheim were responding to the economic and social changes of the 19th and early 20th centuries, timely more often than not by the disastrous effects that fleeting industrialization had imposed on the European community of which they were sector. The course of religion could scarcely be averted with this foundation, for religion was seen as an important area of the society that seemed to be shifting beyond identification. By at least a period, Karl Marx (1818-83) predates the other. There are known two important factors in the Marxist thoughts on religion: The first is descriptive, the second evaluative. His dependent variable is religion; in other words, its structure and nature are liable on social and most importantly economic relations, which constitute the foundation of social examination. It can never be understood separate from the economic form and the association of the capitalist or worker to the basis of formulation. The second factor connects from this however, has an assessing component. Religion is said to be a form of indifference or alienation; it is a symptom of social malformation which disguises the exploitative relationships of capitalist society. Religion persuades people that such relationships are natural and, therefore, acceptable. It follows that the real causes of social distress cannot be tackled until the religious element in society is stripped away to reveal the injustices of the capitalist system; everything else is a distraction. Subsequent debates concerning Marx/s approach to religion have to be approached with care. It has become increasingly difficult to distinguish between (a) Marx’s own analysis of religious phenomena, (b) a subsequent school of Marxism as a form of sociological thinking, and (c) what has occurred in the twentieth century in the name of Marxism as a political ideology. The essential and enduring point to grasp from Marx himself us that religion cannot be understood apart from the world of which it is a part; this is a crucial sociological insight and central to the evolution of the sub discipline. It needs, however, to be distinguished from an over deterministic interpretation of Marx that postulates the dependence of religion on economic forces in mechanical terms; this is unhelpful. The final point is more political. It may indeed be the case that one function of religion is to mitigate the very evident hardships of this world and so disguise them.

A Bronx Tale Cologero :: Robert Di Nero Bronx Tale Essays

A Bronx Tale  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Cologero "A Bronx Tale" is a film directed by Robert Di Nero about a boy named Cologero (an Italian white male) and his life as he grows up in a town occupied by the mob. Colegero had two strong adult influences in his life.   They were his father, Lorenzo, and a mob leader named Sonny.   In the film there were a three scenes that especially demonstrated the influence Sonny and Lorenzo had on Cologero. An example of Lorenzo's influence on his son takes place in front of their apartment in which Cologero is a witness to a crime Sonny committed.   An example of   Sonny's influence on Cologero is when Sonny demeans Mickey Mantle in front of him. This then causes Cologero to have negative feelings about Mickey Mantle someone he has idolized his whole life.   Another scene that shows Sonny's influence on Cologero is when Cologero takes Sonny's advice to go out with a black woman from his school, even though his father doesn't agree with inter-racial relationships.   This spec ific event perhaps shows that Sonny had more of an impact on Cologero than Lorenzo did. Early in Cologero's childhood, around the age of ten years, he witnessed the shooting of a man over a parking space by Sonny (a powerful mob leader who Cologero admired).Cologero's father, Lorenzo wanted nothing to do with Sonny or the mob.   As a result, when the police detectives questioned Cologero about the murder, Lorenzo insisted his son knew nothing of it.This led Cologero to believe that his father didn't want him to tell the truth.   The detectives took Cologero outside to point out the murderer and Cologero denied that any of them were at the scene of the crime.Sonny then befriended Cologero and gave him the nickname "C".This shows that Cologero's father influenced him to lie to the police because Lorenzo led his son to believe he didn't want him to tell the truth and Cologero did not.One day while Sonny was talking with "C", who was still approaching adolescence , he said something that affected "C" and perhaps hurt his feelings in a major way.  Ã‚   Sonny explained to Cologero that his baseball hero, Mickey Mantle, didn't care about him or anyone else.   Sonny told "C" that Mickey Mantle made over 200, 000 dollars a year and would never pay his rent or do anything for him.

Advantages of supply chain management Essay

One is cost advantage. Companies that have implemented supply chain management have a 45% supply chain cost advantage over their competitors. [1] Price of raw materials and end product are optimized due to collaboration between two parties. The sharing of vital information in the early stage of development, and the effective communication of methods and requirements allows parties within the supply chain to effectively benefit each other in terms of cost. Another is faster time to market. Companies met their promised delivery dates 17% faster than their competition. [2] Through early information and forecast, suppliers can also efficiently design their production and implementation process through collaboration. This allows supplier to reduce the lead time to produce their products within the supply chain. Disadvantages of supply chain management over traditional competitive procurement processes. First is the difficulty of maintaining supply chain relationship. Supply chain relationships are probably the most fragile and the most susceptible to breaking down. [3] This is because a poor relationship at any part of the supply chain can cause major problems to the entire supply chain. In today’s global market, the customers have the power over the suppliers. Everyone else in the supply chain must quickly satisfy the demands or else face the possibility of loosing them. Another disadvantage is the need to share vital information for collaboration purposes which leaves a company vulnerable to illegal copying of ideas or methods. Although these can be safeguarded by proper agreement between parties, but the forces of market competition may compel violations of agreement intentionally or unintentionally.   If supply chain management is actually a superior way of managing procurement and production, how (if at all) does that modify any of the economic `big ideas` we examined in Module 1?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Supply Chain Management plays a major role in the concept of supply and demand. With parties closely related through collaboration, the identification of demand which is needed by the suppliers to support the collaborative company is easy, allowing suppliers to maximize profit given the level of demand. On the side of the collaborative company, the control of supply of raw materials is easy, which again would allow them to optimize profit. References: Ferguson, B. (2000). Implementing Supply Chain Management. Retrieved December 3, 2006 from http://www.apsreview.com/archive/spring2004/images/APICS.pdf    [1] See Implementing Supply Chain Management at http://www.apsreview.com/archive/spring2004/images/APICS.pdf    [2] See Implementing Supply Chain Management at http://www.apsreview.com/archive/spring2004/images/APICS.pdf    [3] See Implementing Supply Chain Management at http://www.apsreview.com/archive/spring2004/images/APICS.pdf   

Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy Essay

â€Å"Community policing is, in essence, a collaboration between the police and the community that identifies and solves community problems† (U. S. Department of Justice, 1994, p. vii). Throughout the years, community policing has become a more popular strategy to help law enforcement officials control and deter crime; however, some areas across the United States has had problems in the past with communities and law enforcement working together to ensure a secure and safe environment. Although it is an officer’s duty to maintain order, keep the peace, and solve problems within the area he or she is patrolling, it is also necessary for the people of the community to come together to help prevent crime. Everyone wants to feel safe in his or her place of dwelling and know that he or she has individuals who will serve and protect the area. Ergo, when problems occur between law enforcement and communities, the citizens develop a stigma against law officials and do not want to help solve or prevent criminal acts. On the other side, when law enforcement officials develop a positive rapport with the community, the citizens are more likely to come forward to help solve crimes or problems that evolve within the neighborhood. Community policing is a necessary program to have within a community and many neighborhoods have adopted these programs. The Chicago Police Department is one city that knew a community-based program was a necessity to solve criminal problems within the neighborhoods of the city. In 1993, the Chicago Police Department implemented the Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS), which is a community-based program that helps solves neighborhood crime problems with the collaboration of community members and law enforcement officials. According to Office of Justice Programs (n. d. ), â€Å"The program began in five policing districts but expanded to encompass the entire city of Chicago after a testing phase. Program development included the collaborative efforts of each district’s commanders, senior department executives, and ivilian planners† (para. 4). The underlying goal for CAPS is to solve problems within a community instead of reacting to their symptomatic consequences. This program has a five-step process for police officers to follow to ensure that the community and law enforcement agency works together to control crime. For this program to work effectively, one must identify and prioritize the problem at hand, analyze the situation, organize a plan to handle the problem, implement a strategy, and evaluate the outcome (Office of Justice Programs, n. . ). If the outcome is not effective, changes are set in place to correct the mistake and move forward by working together as a team to solve future problems that may arise. Furthermore, the CAPS program has an assortment of tactics, which include officers who patrol the neighborhoods, community meetings that involve the residents and law enforcement officials, training programs for both parties, city services, and technology to help identify the criminal hot spots in the area (Chicago Police Department, 2008). This program allows the officers to continue to patrol and handle their daily duties as well as work together with the community and other city officials to fight crime in one of the most notorious criminal cities in the United States. The Chicago Police Department works in teams for this program to be effective. One team will concentrate on the community and preventing crime, whereas the other team will handle the lower priority issues as well as respond to calls. The program splits the law enforcement officials into teams, which are beat officers, rapid response officers, and other city agencies. The beat officers patrol a certain area for at least a year, which allows each officer to know the neighborhood as well as the residents. This allows the officers and the residents to form a bond with one another and build trust between both parties, which allows them to work together as a team to monitor, strategize, and solve problems within the community. The rapid response officers assist the beat officers on emergency calls as well as back up the beat officers while they are in their community meetings. Undercover and gang officers help the beat officers on solving crimes and detaining suspects. With the collaboration between the law enforcement teams and the citizens the Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy and proven to be a successful weapon to fight crime. In addition, the success that has come from the implementation of the Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy only hows that in the future it will become more successful. This program has helped improve the residents’ confidence that the police are there to help combat crime, to ensure the community is a safe place to live as well as a reduction in major crimes. â€Å"Evaluations of the alternative policing strategy in Chicago show that from 1993 to 2002, the fear of crime went down by 20% among groups most fearful of crime and victimization† (University of Ottawa, n. d. , p. 1). This is only one benefit that has come about from this program, so with the bond between law enforcement and residents of the communities becoming stronger daily, this program has a bright future on helping prevent and deter crime. Although many neighborhoods adopt community-policing programs, not all are successful in controlling crime. Some communities adopt these programs believing that it will evolve into a successful program were police and residents work together; however, not all programs are effective. For a program to be successful, each party, such as law enforcement officials and residents must work collaboratively through the entire process, which is to identify, implement, and resolve the issues at hand (Chicago Police Department, 2008). Community-based programs are constantly developing throughout the nation and with communities, adopting programs like the Chicago Alternative Program Strategy, community policing has the potential to be successful in any city or state.

The Life And Works Of Shakespeare Essays - William Shakespeare

The Life And Works Of Shakespeare Essays - William Shakespeare The Life And Works Of Shakespeare William Shakespeare is the world's most admired playwright and poet. He was born in April, 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, about 100 miles northwest of London. According to the records of Stratford's Holy Trinity Church, he was baptized on April 26. As with most sixteenth century births, the actual day is not recorded but people are guessing that he was born on April 23. Shakespeare's parents were John and Mary Shakespeare, who lived in Henley Street, Stratford. John, the son of Richard Shakespeare, was a maker, worker and seller of leather goods like purses, belts and gloves and a dealer in agricultural commodities. He served in Stratford government successively as a member of the Council , constable , chamberlain , alderman and finally high bailiff which is the equivalent of town mayor. About 1577 John Shakespeare's fortunes began to decline for unknown reasons. There are records of debts. William had seven siblings. He was the third child and first born son. In the sixteenth century Stratford-upon-Avon was an important agricultural center and market town. The building in Henley street known today as the birthplace of William Shakespeare was at the time of his birth, two different buildings that John Shakespeare bought at two different times. William went to school at the Stratford Grammar School. He had to show up at six or seven A.M. depending on the season and stay there most of the day, six days a week. William studied many different authors and dramatists including Caesar, Cicero, Virgil, Horace, Livy, and Ovid. Ovid was his favorite. Grammar school was the beginning of Shakespeare's career. Almost everything he mastered he learned there. After grammar school, William went to the Warwickshire Countryside. There he played parts in plays and wrote poetry. The years 1594-1599 were momentous for Shakespeare. He produced a steady stream of plays of the highest quality. He continued as a principal actor and manager in the Chamberlain's men, blessed with a stable work environment in the theater. Finally in 1599, he became part owner in the most prestigious public playhouse in London, the Globe. His first works which were heavily influenced by the classical examples he had learned as a student were The Comedy of Errors and Titus Andronicus. He invented a new genre called the history play. His early works in this genre were the three Henry VI plays, and Richard III. He got his idea for Venis and Adonis and Rape of Lucrece from his favorite author, Ovid. Over the years 1594-1599 the Chamberlain's Men had become the most popular acting company in London, being invited to perform at court far more often than any other group. Shakespeare must have done a great deal of acting. He is listed by Ben Jonson in Jonson's magnificent 1616 Folio of his Works as having acted as the chief comedian in Every Man In His Humour in 1598. The Globe Theater burned down in 1613 and many of Shakespeare's manuscripts were ruined. It was then rebuilt by a carpenter named Peter Rose. Shakespeare's last work before he retired was The Temptest. Then he died in 1616 and was then buried in the Parish Church. His death was sudden and they don't know what caused it but they think he could have lived much longer. Almost all his things went to his oldest daughter Susanne. His younger daughter Judith got 300 pounds, and his wife got all the furniture. After he died Judith married John Quiney. He cheated on her and got another girl pregnant. That baby died. Judith and John had three children together. One they named Shakespeare died as an infant. There other two, Richard and Thomas died at the ages of 21 and 19. Shakespeare was one of the greatest playwrights and poets ever. He was a big part in literature. He invented a new genre and made many plays that everybody loves. He was a great man. On his grave it says: GOOD FRIEND FOR JESUS SAKE FOR BEAR TO DIG THE DUST ENCLOSED HEAR BLESSED BE YE MAN WHO SPARES THESE STONES AND CURSED BE HE WHO MOVES MY BONES

Imigration Laws essays

Imigration Laws essays Immigration, the entrance of people into a country for the purpose of settling there, has always played a central role in Canadas history. It was much a feature of ancient times when the ancestors of Canadas native peoples migrated from Asia by land via Beringia or by sea via the Japanese current, as it is of the present day, when immigrants from around the world come to this country in the thousands. At no time has immigration played a greater role in Canadian history than during the twentieth century. In fact without the immigrants who have settled in all areas of the country since the turn of the century, Canada would not be the culturally rich, prosperous, and progressive nation that it is today. The flood of people that poured into Canada between 1900 and 1914 and the dramatic changes in immigration patterns that occurred in more recent decades created a present day population that bears little resemblance to the population in 1900. Now the question is, should the federal g overnment restrict the number of new immigrants coming into Canada? If the government did restrict it, Canada would not be the country it is today. For example we would not have the economy we do today. New immigrants provide a huge labor force for our country. Thanks to the Chinese immigrants, we now have a railroad that stretches all the way across our six thousand kilometer country. Now if the government did restrict immigrants we would not be near the place we are now. Currently we have most of our country settled, we could not have done that without the immigrants from other countries. Even though a country with many cultures is more difficult to operate politically, it is still worth it to have all these people in our country. So to answer the question, no the government should not limit the number of new immigrants coming into Canada. Among those barred form entering Canada during the 1930s were thousands of de...

Compound Definition in Chemistry

Compound Definition in Chemistry The word compound has several definitions. In the field of chemistry, compound refers to a chemical compound. Compound Definition A compound is a chemical species that is formed when two or more atoms join together chemically, with covalent or ionic bonds. Compounds may be categorized according to the type of chemical bonds holding the atoms together: Molecules are held together by covalent bonds.Ionic compounds are held together by ionic bonds.Intermetallic compounds are held together by metallic bonds.Complexes are often held together by coordinate covalent bonds. Note that some compounds contain a mixture of ionic and covalent bonds. Also note, a few scientists do not consider pure elemental metals to be compounds (metallic bonds). Examples of Compounds Examples of compounds include table salt or sodium chloride (NaCl, an ionic compound), sucrose (a molecule), nitrogen gas (N2, a covalent molecule), a sample of copper (intermetallic), and water (H2O, a covalent molecule). Examples of chemical species not considered compounds include the hydrogen ion H and the noble gas elements (e.g., argon, neon, helium), which do not readily form chemical bonds. Writing  Compound Formulas By convention, when atoms form a compound, its formula lists the atom(s) acting as a cation first, followed by the atom(s) acting as the anion. This means sometimes an atom may be first or last in a formula. For example, in carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon (C) acts as a cation. In silicon carbide (SiC), carbon acts as the anion. Compound Versus Molecule Sometimes a compound is called a  molecule. Usually, the two terms are synonymous. Some scientists make a distinction between the types of bonds in molecules (covalent) and compounds (ionic).

Toulmin Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Toulmin Analysis - Essay Example The backing is also reinforced by the claim that the Web is godsend to the narrator as a writer. The backing is also emphasized by not only the assertion that research that used to be carried out in days is now done in minutes, but also the assertion that the author when not working spends a lot of time in the Web’s info-thickets’ reading (Carr 2). Additionally, the backing is emphasized by the assertion that the more time spent on the web makes a person to straggle stay focused on lengthy pieces of writing. There qualifier for the argument is that the Net has become a universal medium that provides most information which flows not only through eyes and ears, but also the mind (Carr 4). A direct rebuttal to the claim that the Internet is affecting the way we think appears in this article. The narrator claims that the advantage of accessing such an incredible of information are diverse and many. In support of the rebuttal, the narrator claims that media supply the stuff of thought as well as shape the process of

Single Market Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Single Market - Essay Example The focus in this paper is on Single Market, also known as the Internal Market, a very well-known European Union project with an objective to mold Europe into a single economy and create free trade within the union. This influential project encompasses European Customs Union, the single currency and other policies which are proposed to unite the economy of EU into a single unit. It was in 1957 when the Treaty of Rome was established to provide the conditions for the economic community which includes progress of internal market, single agricultural policy and the structure of the institutions of European Community. The Treaty of Rome introduced the concept of qualified majority of voting. The Treaty of Rome set out four freedoms in Europe which include freedom of movement of goods, to provide services, of capital and of people. It was in 1968 when European Customs Union was created to further establish the provisions of the treaty. The creation of this treaty marked the end of the NTB s or non-tariff barriers. After the creation of this treaty, there was a clash between laissez-faire and interventionist as well as between regulated capitalism and neo-liberalism. In order to further take step in creating a single market, the European community created a policy of harmonisation to reconcile the differences in national regulatory practices and to create more common rules. However, this policy did not fully succeed because of complexity of the processes including Non-Tariff Barriers, the decision rule of the majority and lastly, it posted low political interest from the member states. (â€Å"The Single Market†). This common market or harmonisation was created by the Treaty of Rome in order to eliminate trade barriers and to ensure economic progress among the member states. The achievement of the full implementation of the policy did not succeed largely because of the selection of detailed legislative harmonisation (â€Å"European Parliament†). Since the member states wanted to have everything voted unanimously, harmonisation became very difficult to achieve. The European Court of Justice and Mutual Recognition In order to develop the purpose of creating a unified market in Europe, a crucial step was made by the European Court of Justice. The principle of mutual recognition was created to guarantee the free movement of goods and services. However, this principle does not require all members of the union to have a unified legislation. Both goods and services cannot be banned from sale on the territory of another member states except if there overriding of general interest such as health, consumer protection and protection of the environment (â€Å"The Mutual Recognition†). Aside from this very simple provision, it must be noted that the rules of the member state of origin of the goods and services must prevail. This is considered a practical and influential tool for an economic integration without sacrificing the local, regio nal and national tradition ( â€Å"The Mutual Recognition†). Though there is a move to integrate the market into a single market, the community still wanted to retain the diversity of the products and services offered by the member states. This crucial step promoted common reciprocity of standards than harmonisation policy. It is said that member states can only call upon national restrictions, traditions, customs and control free trade in areas considered not mutually equivalent (â€Å"The Single Market†). Neoliberalism and the European Union According to Hermann (n.d.),

International Television - Product Placement Essay

International Television - Product Placement - Essay Example There is an ongoing debate across the world on the pros and cons of product placement. This essay presents some of the salient points in this debate. The concept of product placement is nothing new in the world of advertising. Nevertheless, its magnitude and pervasiveness had grown exponentially in the last 20 years. Members of the Entertainment Resources and Marketing Association form the core marketing personnel of the placement-industry. The Association also acts as the mouth-piece for the placement-industry. The mission statement of the Association contains the phrase â€Å"to highlight the practice and establish a code of ethics†. The association is doing an excellent job in highlighting the practice. But, this essay is primarily concerned with the â€Å"establish a code of ethics† part. Started in 1991, ERMA has had 16 years to design a framework of ethics. Conventional wisdom instructs us that high profits and elevated ethics don’t go together. Given the i mpressive profits made by the public relations industry, the implication is that ethics have been neglected. The rest of this essay will look at the evolution of legislations and industry standards pertaining to product placement, by analyzing and contextualizing government regulations and industry sentiments. Also, the United States is taken as the subject country of investigation as the length of the essay only allows limited scope.

European E-commerce Law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

European E-commerce Law - Case Study Example The software costs 50, with a postage and packing charge of 5 if sent via DVD. Brian lives in another EU country (not the UK). He goes to Alfred's website with the intention of downloading a copy of Alfred's latest computer program for use in his own small business. He clicks on a "Download Now" button, inputs his address and credit card details, and is presented with Alfred's contract terms as a 'Click Wrap' agreement. Brian scrolls down through the agreement without reading it, clicks an 'I accept' button at the bottom of the screen, and downloads the software. He then begins using it. assy lives in the UK. She goes to Alfred's website with the intention of buying a copy of Alfred's latest computer program on DVD, for her own personal use. She clicks on an "Order Now" button, inputs her address and credit card details, clicks a button that says 'Submit', and places her order. When the software arrives on DVD five days later, Cassy puts the DVD into her computer and is presented with Alfred's contract terms as a 'Click Wrap' agreement. Cassy scrolls down through the agreement and notices the term "To the extent allowed by law, Alfsoft Ltd is not liable for the results of using this software". ... Cassy suffers an economic loss of 100, which is the cost of taking her computer to a local servicer to get the virus removed and Alfred's software uninstalled. Both Brian and Cassy contact Alfred, demanding to be compensated for the losses they have incurred. eanwhile, a few weeks after registering the domain name Alfsoft.com, Alfred receives a 'cease & desist' letter from lawyers representing a US software company, Alpha-Software LLC, who own the trade mark Alphasoft and registered the domain name Alphasoft.com in 2001. The letter alleges that Alfsoft.com is confusingly similar to Alphasoft.com and demands that Alfred transfer Alfsoft.com to Alpha-Software, otherwise they will take action to enforce a transfer of the domain name under the UDRP. Alfred approaches you for legal advice. Introduction Contracts have become ubiquitous in people's everyday lives. Unconsciously, they enter into different types of contractual agreements - when traveling by bus or rail, when purchasing goods and accepting services and in carrying duties regulated by contracts of employment. Contracts are so common and widespread that the ordinary man or woman in the street does not realise the legal intricacies and involvedness of a transaction they have entered into. As legal experts are aware, these transactions are not as lawfully simple as their everyday nature suggests. They require evidence of a consensus in item, or a meeting of the minds, achieved by a clear and unambiguous offer and an unqualified acceptance of that offer. Fortunately, society has developed special rules to allow people to determine what the exact terms of the contract are, when it was formed and where it is governed. The Internet is

Local Health Departments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Local Health Departments - Essay Example They are departments, which screen and treat sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in rural communities (National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2011). Indeed, local health departments carry out immunization clinics, disease surveillance, health screenings, offer pre-natal care, dental health promotion activities, and participate in environmental health programs (Ohio Department of Health, 2012). Notably, Local health departments play a significant role in promoting public health services in Connecticut County in America. Some of the community partners or stakeholders that are central in Connecticut public health system include St. Vincent’s Health Partners, which is an independent physician-hospital organization that seeks to address the health of high-risk populations in this community. We also have the United Cerebral Palsy Association of S.E. Connecticut, Connecticut Main Street Center, Alliance for Living, and Lawrence & Memorial Hospital (Connecticut College, 2013). Connecticut College. (2013). Working with Community Health Partners. Retrieved from: http://www.conncoll.edu/offices/office-of-volunteers-for-community-service/what-we-do/student-run-programs/pre-health-program/working-with-community-health-partners/ National Center for Biotechnology Information. (2011). The role of local health departments in providing sexually transmitted disease services and surveillance in rural communities. Retrieved from:

European E-commerce Law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

European E-commerce Law - Case Study Example The software costs 50, with a postage and packing charge of 5 if sent via DVD. Brian lives in another EU country (not the UK). He goes to Alfred's website with the intention of downloading a copy of Alfred's latest computer program for use in his own small business. He clicks on a "Download Now" button, inputs his address and credit card details, and is presented with Alfred's contract terms as a 'Click Wrap' agreement. Brian scrolls down through the agreement without reading it, clicks an 'I accept' button at the bottom of the screen, and downloads the software. He then begins using it. assy lives in the UK. She goes to Alfred's website with the intention of buying a copy of Alfred's latest computer program on DVD, for her own personal use. She clicks on an "Order Now" button, inputs her address and credit card details, clicks a button that says 'Submit', and places her order. When the software arrives on DVD five days later, Cassy puts the DVD into her computer and is presented with Alfred's contract terms as a 'Click Wrap' agreement. Cassy scrolls down through the agreement and notices the term "To the extent allowed by law, Alfsoft Ltd is not liable for the results of using this software". ... Cassy suffers an economic loss of 100, which is the cost of taking her computer to a local servicer to get the virus removed and Alfred's software uninstalled. Both Brian and Cassy contact Alfred, demanding to be compensated for the losses they have incurred. eanwhile, a few weeks after registering the domain name Alfsoft.com, Alfred receives a 'cease & desist' letter from lawyers representing a US software company, Alpha-Software LLC, who own the trade mark Alphasoft and registered the domain name Alphasoft.com in 2001. The letter alleges that Alfsoft.com is confusingly similar to Alphasoft.com and demands that Alfred transfer Alfsoft.com to Alpha-Software, otherwise they will take action to enforce a transfer of the domain name under the UDRP. Alfred approaches you for legal advice. Introduction Contracts have become ubiquitous in people's everyday lives. Unconsciously, they enter into different types of contractual agreements - when traveling by bus or rail, when purchasing goods and accepting services and in carrying duties regulated by contracts of employment. Contracts are so common and widespread that the ordinary man or woman in the street does not realise the legal intricacies and involvedness of a transaction they have entered into. As legal experts are aware, these transactions are not as lawfully simple as their everyday nature suggests. They require evidence of a consensus in item, or a meeting of the minds, achieved by a clear and unambiguous offer and an unqualified acceptance of that offer. Fortunately, society has developed special rules to allow people to determine what the exact terms of the contract are, when it was formed and where it is governed. The Internet is

Strategic Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Strategic Management - Assignment Example The price-based strategy is further divided into two strategies, one is the no frill strategy and the next is low price strategy. The ‘no frill’ strategy is a combination of low price, a low perceived product and also services and focus on the price sensitive segment. In the case of low price strategy, it seeks to achieve lower price as compared to its competitors and at the same time try to maintain a similar product to those of that of its competitors. If a business unit decides to achieve a competitive advantage through a low price strategy, it gets an option of two choices, firstly to identify and focus on a segment which is unattractive in the eyes of the competitors and in a way avoid the competition and secondly competition based on pricing. The next strategic choice is the differentiation strategy which aims to provide products the offers which tends to benefits differently from that of its competitors and which is valued by its customers. The main aim is to achieve a competitive advantage by adopting the differentiation approach. Differentiation approach can be attained either through hybrid strategy or focus strategy. In hybrid strategy, the firm simultaneously seeks to achieve differentiation and also a price lower than its competitors. In focus strategy, it tends to provide a high perceived product which benefits a premium price for a niche market segment (Johnson 2008, p. 245-251). Toyota the largest manufacturing company in the world has adopted the hybrid strategy.

Health Assessment Essay Example for Free

Health Assessment Essay Assessment of environmental processes includes agents and factors that may cause injury, illness, or death. Choose one of the following age groups: toddler, preschool, and school-age child. List some of the most frequent causes of injuries, illness, or death at the age level. Discuss and describe safety concerns specific to the age, listing the most common causes of injury, illness (acute or chronic), trauma, and death for the age level. Describe how health promotion and health prevention interventions can be incorporated into parent and child teaching. Including in-text citations and references for each of the scholarly sources used. Respond to other learners posts in a manner that initiates or contributes to discussion. School-age children, face daily exposure to environmental agents and factors that may cause injury, illness, or death similar to those of all other age groups. Physical agents such as fires; mechanical agents such as bicycles, skateboards, and cars; biological agents such as bacteria; chemical agents such as asbestos; and radiological agents such as x-rays are the causes of injuries or death. Accidents are the leading cause of death in children over age 1 year in the United States. Accidents from contact sports and cuts, falls, burns, and injuries from firearms, are also increasing. Typically school-age boys have more accidents than girls, perhaps due to differences in personalities, societal expectations, child-rearing practices, and more risk-taking behaviors. Most accidents happen outdoors, and it occur mostly in summer because of outside play. The nurse has a significant role in educating parents and school personnel on ways to prevent dangers to school-age children and to become involved in public initiatives to create a safer society for them. Parents of these children must be involved in community and legislative activities that provide safe play environments. Each child should have a well-maintained bicycle, ride only in safe areas approved by parents, observe rules for vehicle traffic and use a federally approved riding helmet. Parental supervision when children play close to streets and heavy traffic areas. Children should wear a seat belt or be in age-appropriate booster seat as needed; older children should ride with restraint system and in back seat until age 12. Working smoke detectors should be in place in home and school. Children need to engage in age-appropriate activities and wear protective equipment according to the sport. Parents need to ensure safety and maintenance of all sports equipment. Children should play with friends, have a plan for returning home, know home phone number and address, play in safe and known area, and report any suspicious activity threatening their safety to an appropriate adult. Children should know how to locate assistance when in an unsafe situation. Children should avoid insecticides, radiation sources, inappropriate use of medications, and pollution sources; parents need to store all known toxins, chemicals, and household cleaning agents in an adequately ventilated location that is unreachable to children. Edelman, Mandle. Health Promotion Throughout the Life Span, 7th Edition.

The Emergence Of Education For Sustainable Development Education Essay

The Emergence Of Education For Sustainable Development Education Essay Education is an essential component of achieving sustainability. All over the world, societies are coming to recognize that current development trends are not sustainable, and that public awareness through education and training is a key element to moving our increasingly globalized society towards achieving sustainability. Education for sustainable development (ESD), education for sustainability (ES), and sustainability education (SE) are three terms often used synonymously and interchangeably in referencing sustainability educational programmes. ESD efforts may be named or described in a variety of ways because of language and/or cultural differences, but ESD is the terminology used most frequently at the international level and within UN documents, and is therefore the term used most throughout this document (UNESCO, 2006). All education must serve some purpose or else societies would not invest in it. ESD has the capacity to secure a more liveable world for present and future generations. The nature of ESD is oriented to giving people knowledge and skills for lifelong learning they need to help them find effective solutions to their environmental, economic, and social issues, and the effective use of technology is an essential element to increasing the efficiency of education institutions to achieve these aims (UNESCO, 2006). Diverse perspectives help societies worldwide to determine how individual issues of ESD are dealt with in individual cultures. These perspectives have significant influences on the way people live, behave, and relate to one another; and relationships to outside cultures are in a constant state of change. ESD should help us to understand ourselves as well as others better and how local sustainability issues link to the wider, global environmental view. Everyone is a stakeholder in Education for Sustainable Development; we all share in the long-term effects, both good and bad, of environmental decisions (UNESCO, 2006). Though the benefits of environment sustainability may be relatively well defined, the effective implementation of plans of action for education programmes need to take into account specific local, regional, and national contexts (Scoullos, 1998). The practise of tailoring of ESD training programmes to individual cultures is common, yet there are specific common elements that are essential to all sustainability training programmes regardless of where they are administered. Key elements of ESD programmes include the following (Tilbury and Wortman, 2004) : ESD is the primary agent of transformation towards sustainable development. The promotion of increasing the capacities of people to transform their visions for society into reality. Education fosters the values, behaviours, and lifestyles that are required for a sustainable future. Education for sustainable development is a process of learning how to make decisions that consider the long-term future of the equity, economy, and ecology of all communities. Education builds the capacity for such futures-oriented thinking. 1.4.3 Definitions Sustainable development is a challenging concept to define, especially since the field is continually evolving. The Brundtland Commission is often credited with one of the first and most commonly cited descriptions of sustainable development: Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987). Sustainable development was at one time generally believed to have three main elements: environment, society, and economy. However, in recent years, an additional culture pillar has emerged, complimentary to the social pillar, yet a distinct consideration. These four pillars are closely interrelated with one another and are therefore not completely separate elements. The sustainability paradigm challenges the argument that environmental and social problems are an inevitable and acceptable consequence of economic development. The perspective that advocates the concept that human development and the quality of the environment are not compatible with one another is in direct opposition to the basic the principles of sustainable development (Pace, 2009). Dr A. Ghafoor Ghaznaw, former chief of UNESCOs Environmental Education Section, defined environmental education at a UNESCO consultation meeting held in Malta in 1989 as, the educational process through which is imparted to its target groups the sensitivity, awareness, knowledge, skills, attitudes, commitment for actions and ethical responsibilities for the rational use of the environment and its resources and for the protection and improvement of the environment for the present and future generations (Schembri, Ventura, Calleja, 1989) . 1.4.4 Application Regardless of how life affirming the high ideals of sustainability education objectives may be, and despite the significant support and many years of effort behind the work to achieve environmental sustainability ideals, the long-term record of accomplishment in achieving any significant progress in these efforts has been reported to be disappointingly less than expected by many. Although environmental education has frequently been proposed during numerous international conferences as a key element to major strategies intended to promote environmental objectives, there has nonetheless been a significant discrepancy between the efforts spent on education and the results that have be achieved to date (Pace, 2009). Some feel that most of what needed to be said about environmental education was said in the Tbilisi Conference in 1977, and that any new elaborations are really just a repeat of the same principles under a new guise (Pace, 2010). The characteristics of and commitment towards sustainable development were reconfirmed 10 years after the Tbilisi conference at the International Congress on Environmental Education and Training in 1987 in Moscow, and again 10 years later at the International Conference on Environment and Society: Education and Public Awareness for Sustainability in 1997 at Thessaloniki. Although the recommendations and action plans proposed by the aforementioned conferences were still valid, the question arose as to whether the framework originally developed to support environmental education initiatives had instead become an standalone of irrelevant academic exercises (Pace, 2010). Part of the problem may lie in the fact that environmental education, much like the concept of sustainable development, can never arrive at a precise definition of the concept due to its evolving nature (Pace, 2010). The issue of how best to approach environmental education has been unclear. Although it has been well established that learning is not normally a linear experience, a significant number of educational programmes have adopted linear approaches. Linear approaches fail to acknowledge the fact that individuals learn in different ways and through different experiences (Pace, 2010). Moreover, although it is widely acknowledged that degradation of the environmental is firstly due t o the results of unsustainable lifestyles. Environmental education also recognises this fact and espouses the concept that the environment it is every citizens responsibility, and therefore in order to be effective, environmental education programmes should target individuals with learner centred learning. Environmental education programmes committed to promoting sustainable development require the transformation of principle theories into actions. Learner centred programmes, based on competency development prepare learners to take concrete steps towards discovering their own sustainable life patterns. Development of learner centred pedagogies designed to transform passive individuals into independent, critical-thinking lifelong learners committed to taking action is the next phase in the evolution of environmental education (Pace, 2010). 1.4.1 Historical Context The origins of Education for Sustainable Development lie in two distinct areas of interest in the United Nations: education and sustainable development. The Declaration of Human Rights stated in 1948 that, Everyone has the right to education. This right to an education was later reinforced in 1989 by the Convention on the Right of the Child (CRC), which declared that primary education should be compulsory and available free to all. In 1990, the Jomtien Declaration on Education for All (EFA) declared, Basic education should be provided to all children, youth, and adults. International Development Targets (IDT) related to quality education have been also developed. The Dakar Framework for Action lists as one of its six important educational goals as the Improving all aspects of the quality of education so that recognized and measurable learning outcomes are achieved, especially, in literacy, numeracy and essential life skills. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) also address educat ion. MDG 2 is designed to Achieve universal primary education. Furthermore, the UNGA declared the years 2003 to 2012 to be the United Nations Decade of Literacy (UNLD).The importance of education for all has clearly been repeatedly emphasised by the United Nations repeatedly over the course of its long history. Several milestones have marked the progress of sustainable development, including the landmark 1972 United Nations Conference on Human Environment in Stockholm, which led to the establishment of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and many other environmental protection agencies. Nations came to realize that the widespread growth of environmental degradation required international attention and collaboration rather than isolated national approaches and solutions. Within 10 years after Stockholm, the world began to realize that addressing environmental concerns separately from development needs was not an effective means to managing the welfare of the environment for human society, and by the mid 1980s the United Nations began to search for a larger strategy to address the needs of both society and the environment. This resulted in now well-known report on sustainable development from the Brundtland Commission in 1987, entitled Our Common Future. This report was endorsed a t all levels of government as an overarching framework for future development policy. During this time, the United Nations General Assembly concurrently explored a parallel concept of utilising education to support sustainable development (UNESCO, 2005). The concepts of sustainable development continued to progress with committees discussing and negotiating the terms of the 40 chapters that eventually came to know as the Agenda 21, where it was presented to the public in 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). The link between education and sustainability was first conceptualised in Chapter 36 of Agenda 21. Entitled Promoting Education, Public Awareness, and Training, the chapter was an enabling and implementation strategy for Education for Sustainable Development and stressed the importance of integrating education into every one of the other 40 chapters that also comprised of the Agenda 21, which was reaffirmed in each of the subsequent conventions that arose from the initial Earth Summit as (UNESCO, 2005). All nine of the major United Nations Conferences that convened in the 1990s to further address and refine sustainability issues also correspondingly identified education as a crucial elemen t to implementation (UNESCO, 2005). The Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), convened in 2002, helped to deepen international commitments towards sustainable development at all levels, and it was at this the Decade of Education for Sustainable development (DESD) was proposed, thereby reaffirming education as an important and central principle to effective approaches for sustainable development strategies. That same year the Rio+20 Conference 2012 was held in Rio de Janeiro. Otherwise known as the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, and Earth Summit 2012, a draft resolution entitled The Future We Want was presented, which reaffirmed prior commitments to education by strengthening international cooperation to achieve universal access to primary education, which is considered an essential condition for achieving sustainable development, as well for the achieving internationally agreed upon development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals. This draft resolution also re solved to improve the capacity of education systems to prepare students to pursue sustainable development careers, which included enhanced teacher training, curricula developed around sound sustainability principles, and more effective use of information and communication technologies to enhance learning outcomes. The document further resolved to promote Education for Sustainable Development and to integrate it more actively into education beyond the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development plans, and strongly encouraged educational institutions to teach sustainable development as an integrated component across disciplines. The importance of environmental concerns first gained international recognition with the Stockholm Declaration in 1972. It consisted of 7 proclamations and 26 principles to inspire people of the world to preserve and enhance the worlds and enhancement of the human environment. The International Workshop on Environmental Education was held shortly after Stockholm Convention at Belgrade, Serbia in 1975. The resulting Belgrade charter was the outcome of the event and built upon the Stockholm Declaration, with additional goals, objectives, and guiding principles for environmental education programmes. An important aspect to this work was the inclusion of the public as part of the defined target audience for environmental education. The worlds first intergovernmental conference on environmental education was organized by the United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in cooperation with the U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP) in 1977, and was convened in Tbilisi, Georgia (USSR).The Tbilisi Declaration was a result of this conference, with the declaration updating and clarifying the Stockholm Declaration and the Belgrade Charter. The Tbilisi Declaration recommended that environmental education develops the necessary skills for societies to deal with environmental challenges, and promotes the attitudes and commitments required to make the most informed decisions and responsible actions towards the environment. The declaration emphasised the important roles of education to preserving the planets environment and balanced development of communities, and declared that, by its very nature, environmental education can make a powerful contribution to the renovation of the educational process. The document also recommended that environmental education should be integrated into the entire system of formal education at all levels to provide the necessary knowledge, understanding, values, and skills needed for participation in devising solutions to environmental questions. Ten years after the Tbilisi Conference, a follow-up conference was convened in Moscow, otherwise known as the Moscow Conference, to determine a specific international plan of action for environmental education and training. The Moscow Conference report was based upon input from international studies and surveys, and outlined an international strategy of action to develop environmental education and training programmes for the 1990s. The plan defined requirements for education and training programmes, and reaffirmed the Tbilisi Conferences declaration that environmental education should be made an integral part of the entire educational process and aimed at every category of the population in member states. The Rio+5 or Earth Summit+5 Conference was convened in 1997 to appraise the progress the Agenda 21 plans over the five years that had passed since its initial approval. It was determined by the assembly that progress was thus far uneven, and identified several key negative trends affecting the environment, which included continuing globalisation, widening of gaps in economic incomes, and a continuing deterioration of the global environment. This conference brought to light a new international consensus with a new vision of education that involved more public awareness and training, and conceptualised education as an essential element of sustainable development, with the support of advances in other related areas such as science, technology, and policy (UNESCO, 1997b). Twenty years after the Tbilisi Declaration and five years after the Rio Conference, a third environmental education conference was also held in 1997 at Thessaloniki, Greece. The purpose of this conference was to reiterate the important role of education and public awareness to achieving the aims of sustainability. The declaration of Thessaloniki reaffirmed commitments, recommendations, and action plans from previous conferences, yet at the same time also recognized that insufficient progress had been made in the five years since the Rio conference had concluded. Despite this disappointment however, there was a recommitment to involving national governments, civil society, the United Nations, and other international organisations to working towards the intentions of sustainability, and established a global agenda for upcoming Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) as declared by the UN. In the conference, they reaffirmed that sufficient education and public awareness should be recognised as one of the main pillars of sustainability, together with legislation, technology, and the economy. It was also recommended that special emphasis should be given to strengthen teacher training programmes and the identification and sharing of innovative practices. Support was also recommended for research in interdisciplinary teaching methodologies and assessments of the impact of relevant educational programmes (UNESCO, 1997a). 1.4.2 The UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) Following the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002, and based upon recommendations from chapter 36 of the Agenda 21 document, the United Nations declared 2005 to 2014 the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) in 2002. During the decade declared by the UN, many goals have been set forth in conjunction with strategies towards outcomes that are intended affect millions of people from communities all over the world for many years to come through inspiring all individuals at all levels of society to contribute to helping to make sustainable development a realistic reality. Planned outcomes during the Decade include raising public awareness, updating educational systems, and the integration of ESD into all elements of developmental planning (The United Nations, 2010). The DESD is also linked to other international educational priorities as well. The United Nations has launched four global initiatives since 2000, all of which focus on education. The four initiatives are the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), Education for All (EFA), the United Nations Literacy Decade, and the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development. UNESCO is the coordinating agency for three of the four goals. While the initiatives are unique in certain respects, what they all have in common is a commitment to education and an emphasis on the importance of the participatory role of each individual in education and sustainable development (UNESCO, 2009). The Fourth International Conference on Environmental Education, also referred to as the Tbilisi+30, was held at the Centre for Environment Education (CEE) in Ahmedabad, India in 2007. During the conference, several work group sessions were convened, along with special sessions for solely for government agencies. The conference was intended to promote a vision that education that prevents and resolves conflicts, and to provide assistance in building partnerships and facilitating shared experiences and a collective knowledgebase required to refine a vision of sustainability that expands its practice globally, and reaffirm that education is a crucial element to bringing about the global transitions required to make sustainability a realistic reality (UNESCO, UNEP Govt. of India, 2007) . Environmental education supports education for sustainable development, and encourages a shift from viewing education as a delivery mechanism, to a lifelong, holistic, and all-inclusive process (UNESCO, UNEP Govt. of India, 2007) . The following is a list of Working Group Session Reports Recommendations and Workshop Presentations available from the Tbilisi+30 Conference: Reorienting Formal Education towards ESD (Strategies, Pedagogy, and Assessment). Teacher Education: A crucial contribution to the UNDESD. Supporting Sustainable Development through Open and Distance Learning, including Technology Mediated Open and Distance Education (TechMODE). Education for Innovation and Technology. Integrating Values of Sustainability into education. Monitoring and Evaluating Progress during the UN DESD. Education for Sustainable Consumption through the DESD. The World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development was held in Bonn, Germany, in 2009. The conference was organised by UNESCO, the German Ministry of Education and Research, and the German Commission for UNESCO. The World Conference on ESD marked the beginning of the second half of the UN Decade on Education for Sustainable Development. The purpose of the conference was to discuss and exchange best practices on Education for Sustainable Development from all world regions. The conference had four objectives: To highlight the relevance of ESD to all of education. To promote international exchange on ESD, especially between the North and the South. To carry out a stocktaking of the implementation of the UN Decade. To develop strategies for the way ahead. Strategies were developed during the conference to highlight key focus areas in order to put knowledge into action and promote further progress of ESD in the following five years remaining of the Decade. Post-conference strategies included: Re-orienting education and training to address sustainability concerns. Building and sharing knowledge, and generating new knowledge through research. Advocating for ESD through increasing awareness and understanding of sustainability, and reinforcing/enhancing synergies between different education and development initiatives. Extending and strengthening ESD partnerships. As the global coordinator of the DESD, UNESCOs role is to facilitate new partnerships and encourage exchange between Member States on ESD, share best practices, encourage monitoring and evaluation efforts, encourage development of ESD research agendas, and provide strategic guidance. Many activities have been undertaken by a broad range of stakeholders since the start of the DESD, including setting up National Committees, establishing networks, developing and disseminating education materials, identifying and highlighting good practices, and arranging meetings to encourage international exchange (UNESCO World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development, 2009). Although much work remains to be done before ESD completely occupies a central place in educational and learning processes in order to realise its full potential to improve the quality of education as a whole, there has been notable progress since the beginning of the Decade in 2005. Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) was a key outcome from the Rio Earth Summit held in 1992. A review halfway through the DESD indicated that the need for ESD had become well established in national policy frameworks and that national ESD coordinating agencies had been created almost 100 countries across all UN regions (UNESCO DESD Monitoring Evaluation, 2012) . Networks and organisations both within and outside the UN system have been established globally to encourage and support increasing ESD in schools, universities, and communities, and in the process, ESD has gained international recognition as an education relevant to addressing todays Sustainable Development challenges, (UNESCO DESD Monitoring Evaluation, 2012) . More recent reports indicated that there is been an increased recognition that environmental challenges cannot be solved exclusively through technological advances and new policy frameworks, in order to achieve sustainable success efforts must be accompanied by changes in mind-sets, values, and lifestyles of societies (UNESCO DESD Monitoring Evaluation, 2012) . ESD is being increasingly viewed as a means to renew teaching and learning in ways that allow schools and communities to more effectively address the challenges sustainable development and the environment. In some parts of the world, ESD has been a part of a co-evolution of teaching methods and has arguably become a catalyst for educational change and innovation (UNESCO DESD Monitoring Evaluation, 2012) . There has been a shift from viewing ESD as something to add-on to education to ESD as a mechanism for rethinking education and learning (UNESCO DESD Monitoring Evaluation, 2012). Sustainability challenges require more integrative and exploratory forms of learning. As a result, the boundaries between schools, universities, and communities are increasingly blurring in many areas of the world now due to a number of recent trends, including increased focuses on lifelong learning; globalization; and ICT facilitated social networking education. These boundary-crossing phenomena are resulting in a reconfiguration of formal, informal, and non-formal learning processes, and changing the roles and relationships stakeholders Earlier in the Decade the emphasis was on finding a niche among education institutions, whereas today ESD is viewed more as a potential umbrella for all educations (including global citizenship education) concerned with the well-being of the planet and its inhabitants (UNE SCO DESD Monitoring Evaluation, 2012). Despite all the positive progress being made however, there are new challenges to resolve. For instance, the E in ESD is conceptualized in different ways depending on the availability of individual societies for participation, self-determination, and autonomous thinking (UNESCO DESD Monitoring Evaluation, 2012). Local situations may vary in these respects globally, which often leads to different interpretations and implementations of ESD. Within more restrictive environments, more transmission-oriented pedagogies are more likely, with a strong emphasis forms of instruction centred around knowledge transfer, and in more open environments, ESD is more typically characterized by higher levels of participation, self-determination, autonomous thinking, and knowledge co-creation. The latter versions of ESD require alternative forms of teaching and learning, and higher levels of stakeholder interaction. 1.5 Applying TEL Concepts in ESD Contexts 1.5.1 Uptake Extent of Use The eMerge One-to-One Laptop Learning Project was initiated by the Government of Albertas Ministry of Education to explore the effectiveness of wireless computing for learning and teaching. The project was anticipated to affect 2,502 students, 173 teachers, and 47 administrators within 50 schools in the 20 Alberta jurisdictions. Data collected during the course of the research period supported the following findings (Government of Alberta, 2010): By the end of Year Three there was a significant shift in participating classrooms toward 21st Century Learning skills, with students in the project significantly increasing their readiness to thrive in a complex, global, high-tech society. The educators involved in the progress have made steady progress over the course of three year in their proficiency with technology and 21st Century Learning, and in the process, increased the frequency at which technology was used to keep students engaged in deep, complex, authentic, and relevant learning activities. The eMerge project included a range of professional development models. One of the most highly valued by teachers was the community of practice that linked teachers to one another. There were also key shifts with students in their independence in learning and increased collaboration with other students. Teachers and administrators developed a deeper understanding of and commitment to the vision for 21st Century learning. Over the course of the first three years of the eMerge, the perception of teachers on the relevance of the 21st Century Skills shifted from valuing productivity to placing more value on the use of skills in critical thinking, creativity, and ethical use. European Schoolnet is a not-for-profit organisation comprised of 30 Ministries of Education in Europe. The organisation is dedicated to supporting collaboration and networking among schools in Europe using new technologies, and contributing to the development of technology-enhanced learning in schools. In 15 years since its founding, European Schoolnet has become one of the key organisations involved in transforming teaching and learning at schools in Europe using the integration of ICT into learning and teaching (European Schoolnet, 2011). European Schoolnet provides services through its partnerships with ministries of Education and the European Commission. The services offered to schools provide opportunities for teachers to become actively involved in exploring how ICT can enhance the teaching and learning experience. Recent initiatives have focused on raising awareness among teachers of the benefits of school collaboration activities for both the pupils learning and the teachers own professional development (European Schoolnet, 2011). European Schoolnet is currently facilitating several project initiatives. The Scientix project is a European Schoolnet initiative that provides a web-based information platform for science education in Europe to disseminate knowledge and share best practices in science education. The Scientix web portal is available in six European languages and targets anyone involved in science and maths education, from policy-makers to science education teachers. The Spice project, funded by the European Commission under the Lifelong Learning programme, collects, analyses, shares innovative pedagogical practices focused on inquiry-based learning and improving student interest in the sciences (European Schoolnet, 2011). eTwinning is an online community for schools in Europe that provides a host of online educational tools for teachers from participating countries to locate potential school partnerships, arrange virtual meetings, exchange best practice ideas, and opportunities learn together with on line-based projects. An eTwinning project allows at least two schools from at least two different European countries create a project and use Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to carry out their work (eTwinning, 2011). The We teach together eTwinning project is a partnership between schools in the Czech Republic and Portugal that incorporated the integration of the school subjects of Chemistry, Biology, and Environmental Education. This project brought teachers and classrooms together to teach topic of photosynthesis. The primary objective of the project was to facilitate a teaching practice in an unusual way that would enhance the motivation of students to learn otherwise less popular

Illegal Immigrants of American Society Essay -- essays research papers

Illegal Immigrants of American Society A Realistic Approach At present, the U.S. immigration system is burdened both by policy and implementation challenges. It is barely able to meet the commitments required by law and policy and is ill-prepared to address new challenges and mandates. Agreement that the system is broken may be the only point of consensus among many diverse stakeholders. The Task Force believes that immigration laws and policies are broken in four ways: . There is an increasing disconnection between law and reality that undermines the rule of law, breeds disrespect for American values and institutions, and makes it more difficult to garner domestic support for immigration and advance U.S. values overseas. . Some immigration policies hamper rather than encourage economic growth, impeding responses to global economic changes and cyclical industry needs. . Immigration policies have not adequately addressed threats to national security. . Immigration integration policy is nearly nonexistent, especially at the federal level, leaving state and local governments to absorb the consequences of federally established immigration policy. According to Chicago Council on Foreign Relations, immigrants long have been part of the American landscape, reflecting our country's values and traditions. During the last decade the Midwest has seen a resurgence of its long-established tradition of immigration. Nine of twelve Midwest states had foreign-born populations that grew faster than the national average during the 1990s. These immigrants are preventing population decline, reinvigorating economic growth, and contributing to cultural diversity. Unfortunately, most immigration discussions tend to overlook the heartland of the country and our long and continuing experience with immigrants. Some in the Midwest believe that immigration here, important in itself, also is a microcosm for what is occurring across the country. They thus believe that observations, conclusions, and recommendations resonate nationwide. As I found on www.dallasfed.org, meat packing drew thousands of immigrants to the Midwest, and poultry processing did the same in the South Atlantic states. Jobs in these two industries exemplify the type of jobs new immigrants commonly fill—low-skill, blue-collar jobs. This is because a large percentage of immigrants have less than a high... ...t is evident, however in the instance that our country allows amnesty and allows the immigrants to pay legal taxes, our system may not be so burdened by these citizens.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   English first. Legislation that establishes English as the required and preeminent language throughout the United States. Public and private sectors cannot be required to provide services in alternative languages.We need to declare English as the official language of the Government of the United States. I believe that making English the official language will help immigrants assimilate and take full advantage of the economic, occupational and educational opportunities in the United States, where English is the common language. I do not believe that other countries would be teaching us their language if we moved to their country. . In conclusion, I feel that if we allow amnesty or guest worker programs in our country with chances of citizenship, I feel that we will not see increased illegal immigrants in the future because we allow them to come over legally and in a control system. I see the future role of LEGAL immigrants as assets to our country and not just burdens to our society.

The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 28. The Future

Carlisle and Edward had not been able to catch up with Irina before her trail disappeared into the sound. They'd swum to the other bank to see if her trail had picked up in a straight line, but there was no trace of her for miles in either direction on the eastern shore. It was all my fault. She had come, as Alice had seen, to make peace with the Cullens, only to be angered by my camaraderie with Jacob. I wished I'd noticed her earlier, before Jacob had phased. I wished we'd gone hunting somewhere else. There wasn't much to be done. Carlisle had called Tanya with the disappointing news. Tanya and Kate hadn't seen Irina since they'd decided to come to my wedding, and they were distraught that Irina had come so close and yet not returned home; it wasn't easy for them to lose their sister, however temporary the separation might be. I wondered if this brought back hard memories of losing their mother so many centuries ago. Alice was able to catch a few glimpses of Irina's immediate future, nothing too concrete. She wasn't going back to Denali, as far as Alice could tell. The picture was hazy. All Alice could see was that Irina was visibly upset; she wandered in the snow-swathed wilderness – to the north? To the east? – with a devastated expression. She made no decisions for a new course beyond her directionless grieving. Days passed and, though of course I forgot nothing, Irina and her pain moved to the back of my mind. There were more important things to think of now. I would leave for Italy in just a few days. When I got back, we'd all be off to South America. Every detail had been gone over a hundred times already. We would start with the Ticunas, tracing their legends as well as we could at the source. Now that it was accepted that Jacob would come with us, he figured prominently in the plans – it was unlikely that the people who believed in vampires would speak to any of us about their stories. If we dead-ended with the Ticunas, there were many closely related tribes in the area to research. Carlisle had some old friends in the Amazon; if we could find them, they might have information for us, too. Or at least a suggestion as to where else we might go for answers. It was unlikely that the three Amazon vampires had anything to do with the legends of vampire hybrids themselves, as they were all female. There was no way to know how long our search would take. I hadn't told Charlie about the longer trip yet, and I stewed about what to say to him while Edward and Carlisle's discussion went on. How to break the news to him just right? I stared at Renesmee while I debated internally. She was curled up on the sofa now, her breathing slow with heavy sleep, her tangled curls splayed wildly around her face.Usually, Edward and I took her back to our cottage to put her to bed, but tonight we lingered with the family, he and Carlisle deep in their planning session. Meanwhile, Emmett and Jasper were more excited about planning the hunting possibilities. The Amazon offered a change from our normal quarry. Jaguars and panthers, for example. Emmett had a whim to wrestle with an anaconda. Esme and Rosalie were planning what they would pack. Jacob was off with Sam's pack, setting things up for his own absence. Alice moved slowly – for her – around the big room, unnecessarily tidying the already immaculate space, straightening Esme's perfectly hung garlands. She was re-centering Esme's vases on the console at the moment. I could see from the way her face fluctuated – aware, then blank, then aware again – that she was searching the future. I assumed she was trying to see through the blind spots that Jacob and Renesmee made in her visions as to what was waiting for us in South America until Jasper said, â€Å"Let it go, Alice; she's not our concern,† and a cloud of serenity stole silently and invisibly through the room. Alice must have been worrying about Irina again. She stuck her tongue out at Jasper and then lifted one crystal vase that was filled with white and red roses and turned toward the kitchen. There was just the barest hint of wilt to one of the white flowers, but Alice seemed intent on utter perfection as a distraction to her lack of vision tonight. Staring at Renesmee again, I didn't see it when the vase slipped from Alice's fingers. I only heard the whoosh of the air whistling past the crystal, and my eyes flickered up in time to see the vase shatter into ten thousand diamond shards against the edge of the kitchen's marble floor. We were perfectly still as the fragmented crystal bounced and skittered in every direction with an unmusical tinkling, all eyes on Alice's back. My first illogical thought was that Alice was playing some joke on us. Because there was no way that Alice could have dropped the vase by accident I could have darted across the room to catch the vase in plenty of time myself, if I hadn't assumed she would get it. And how would it fall through her fingers in the first place? Her perfectly sure fingers†¦ I had never seen a vampire drop anything by accident. Ever. And then Alice was facing us, twisting in a move so fast it didn't exist. Her eyes were halfway here and halfway locked on the future, wide, staring, filling her thin face till they seemed to overflow it. Looking into her eyes was like looking out of a grave from the inside; I was buried in the terror and despair and agony of her gaze. I heard Edward gasp; it was a broken, half-choked sound. â€Å"What?†Jasper growled, leaping to her side in a blurred rush of movement, crushing the broken crystal under his feet. He grabbed her shoulders and shook her sharply. She seemed to rattle silently in his hands. â€Å"What Alice?† Emmett moved into my peripheral vision, his teeth bared while his eyes darted toward the window, anticipating an attack. There was only silence from Esme, Carlisle, and Rose, who were frozen just as I was. Jasper shook Alice again. â€Å"What is it?† â€Å"They're coming for us,† Alice and Edward whispered together, perfectly synchronized. â€Å"All of them.† Silence. For once, I was the quickest to understand – because something in their words triggered my own vision. It was only the distant memory of a dream – faint, transparent, indistinct as if I were peering through thick gauze†¦. In my head, I saw a line of black advancing on me, the ghost of my half-forgotten human nightmare. I could not see the glint of their ruby eyes in the shrouded image, or the shine of their sharp wet teeth, but I knew where the gleam should be†¦. Stronger than the memory of the sight came the memory of the feel – the wrenching need to protect the precious thing behind me. I wanted to snatch Renesmee up into my arms, to hide her behind my skin and hair, to make her invisible. But I couldn't even turn to look at her. I felt not like stone but ice. For the first time since I'd been reborn a vampire, I felt cold. I barely heard the confirmation of my fears. I didn't need it. I already knew. â€Å"The Volturi,† Alice moaned. â€Å"All of them,† Edward groaned at the same time. â€Å"Why?† Alice whispered to herself. â€Å"How?† â€Å"When?† Edward whispered. â€Å"Why?† Esme echoed. â€Å"When?†Jasper repeated in a voice like splintering ice. Alice's eyes didn't blink, but it was as if a veil covered them; they became perfectly blank. Only her mouth held on to her expression of horror. â€Å"Not long,† she and Edward said together. Then she spoke alone. â€Å"There's snow on the forest, snow on the town. Little more than a month.† â€Å"Why?† Carlisle was the one to ask this time. Esme answered. â€Å"They must have a reason. Maybe to see †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"This isn't about Bella,† Alice said hollowly. â€Å"They're all coming – Aro, Caius, Marcus, every member of the guard, even the wives.† â€Å"The wives never leave the tower,† Jasper contradicted her in a flat voice. â€Å"Never. Not during the southern rebellion. Not when the Romanians tried to overthrow them. Not even when they were hunting the immortal children. Never.† â€Å"They're coming now,† Edward whispered. â€Å"But why?† Carlisle said again. â€Å"We've done nothing! And if we had, what could we possibly do that would bring f/?/sdown on us?† â€Å"There are so many of us,† Edward answered dully. â€Å"They must want to make sure that†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He didn't finish. â€Å"That doesn't answer the crucial question! Why?† I felt I knew the answer to Carlisle's question, and yet at the same time I didn't. Renesmee was the reason why, I was sure. Somehow I'd known from the very beginning that they would come for her. My subconscious had warned me before I'd known I was carrying her. It felt oddly expected now. As if I'd somehow always known that the Volturi would come to take my happiness from me. But that still didn't answer the question. â€Å"Go back, Alice,† Jasper pleaded. â€Å"Look for the trigger. Search.† Alice shook her head slowly, her shoulders sagging. â€Å"It came out of nowhere, Jazz. I wasn't looking for them, or even for us. I was just looking for Irina. She wasn't where I expected her to be†¦.† Alice trailed off, her eyes drifting again. She stared at nothing for a long second. And then her head jerked up, her eyes hard as flint. I heard Edward catch his breath. â€Å"She decided to go to them,† Alice said. â€Å"Irina decided to go to the Volturi. And then they will decide†¦. It's as if they're waiting for her. Like their decision was already made, and just waiting on her___† It was silent again as we digested this. What would Irina tell the Volturi that would result in Alice's appalling vision? â€Å"Can we stop her?† Jasper asked. â€Å"There's no way. She's almost there.† â€Å"What is she doing?† Carlisle was asking, but I wasn't paying attention to the discussion now. All my focus was on the picture that was painstakingly coming together in my head. I pictured Irina poised on the cliff, watching. What had she seen? A vampire and a werewolf who were best friends. I'd been focused on that image, one that would obviously explain her reaction. But that was not all that she'd seen. She'd also seen a child. An exquisitely beautiful child, showing off in the falling snow, clearly more than human†¦ Irina†¦ the orphaned sisters†¦ Carlisle had said that losing their mother to the Volturi's justice had made Tanya, Kate, and Irina purists when it came to the law. Just half a minute ago, Jasper had said the words himself: Not even when they were hunting the immortal children†¦. The immortal children – the unmentionable bane, the appalling taboo†¦ With Irina's past, how could she apply any other reading to what she'd seen that day in the narrow field? She had not been close enough to hear Renesmee's heart, to feel the heat radiating from her body. Renesmee's rosy cheeks could have been a trick on our part for all she knew. After all, the Cullens were in league with werewolves. From Irina's point of view, maybe this meant nothing was beyond us†¦. Irina, wringing her hands in the snowy wilderness – not mourning Laurent, after all, but knowing it was her duty to turn the Cullens in, knowing what would happen to them if she did. Apparently her conscience had won out over the centuries of friendship. And the Volturi's response to this kind of infraction was so automatic, it was already decided. I turned and draped myself over Renesmee's sleeping body, covering her with my hair, burying my face in her curls. â€Å"Think of what she saw that afternoon,† I said in a low voice, interrupting whatever Emmett was beginning to say. â€Å"To someone who'd lost a mother because of the immortal children, what would Renesmee look like?† Everything was silent again as the others caught up to where I was already. â€Å"An immortal child,† Carlisle whispered. I felt Edward kneel beside me, wrap his arms over us both. â€Å"But she's wrong,† I went on. â€Å"Renesmee isn't like those other children. They were frozen, but she grows so much every day. They were out of control, but she never hurts Charlie or Sue or even shows them things that would upset them. She can control herself. She's already smarter than most adults. There would be no reason___† I babbled on, waiting for someone to exhale with relief, waiting for the icy tension in the room to relax as they realized I was right. The room just seemed to get colder. Eventually my small voice trailed off into silence. No one spoke for a long time. Then Edward whispered into my hair. â€Å"It's not the kind of crime they hold a trial for, love,† he said quietly. â€Å"Aro's seen Irina's proof in her thoughts. They come to destroy, not to be reasoned with.† â€Å"But they're wrong,† I said stubbornly. â€Å"They won't wait for us to show them that.† His voice was still quiet, gentle, velvet†¦ and yet the pain and desolation in the sound was unavoidable. His voice was like Alice's eyes before – like the inside of a tomb. â€Å"What can we do?† I demanded. Renesmee was so warm and perfect in my arms, dreaming peacefully. I'd worried so much about Renesmee's speeding age – worried that she would only have little over a decade of life†¦. That terror seemed ironic now. Little over a month†¦ Was this the limit, then? I'd had more happiness than most people ever experienced. Was there some natural law that demanded equal shares of happiness and misery in the world? Was my joy overthrowing the balance? Was four months all I could have? It was Emmett who answered my rhetorical question. â€Å"We fight,† he said calmly. â€Å"We can't win,† Jasper growled. I could imagine how his face would look, how his body would curve protectively over Alice's. â€Å"Well, we can't run. Not with Demetri around.† Emmett made a disgusted noise, and I knew instinctively that he was not upset by the idea of the Volturi's tracker but by the idea of running away. â€Å"And I don't know that we can't win,† he said. â€Å"There are a few options to consider. We don't have to fight alone.† My head snapped up at that. â€Å"We don't have to sentence the Quileutes to death, either, Emmett!† â€Å"Chill, Bella.† His expression was no different from when he was contemplating fighting anacondas. Even the threat of annihilation couldn't change Emmett's perspective, his ability to thrill to a challenge. â€Å"I didn't mean the pack. Be realistic, though – do you think Jacob or Sam is going to ignore an invasion? Even if it wasn't about Nessie? Not to mention that, thanks to Irina, Aro knows about our alliance with the pack now, too. But I was thinking of our other friends.† Carlisle echoed me in a whisper. â€Å"Other friends we don't have to sentence to death.† â€Å"Hey, we'll let them decide,† Emmett said in a placating tone. â€Å"I'm not saying they have to fight with us.† I could see the plan refining itself in his head as he spoke. â€Å"If they'd just stand beside us, just long enough to make the Volturi hesitate. Bella's right, after all. If we could force them to stop and listen. Though that might take away any reason for a fight___† There was a hint of a smile on Emmett's face now. I was surprised no one had hit him yet. I wanted to. â€Å"Yes,† Esme said eagerly. â€Å"That makes sense, Emmett. All we need is for the Volturi to pause for one moment. Just long enough to listen* â€Å"We'd need quite a show of witnesses,† Rosalie said harshly, her voice brittle as glass. Esme nodded in agreement, as if she hadn't heard the sarcasm in Rosalie's tone. â€Å"We can ask that much of our friends. Just to witness.† â€Å"We'd do it for them,† Emmett said. â€Å"We'll have to ask them just right,† Alice murmured. I looked to see her eyes were a dark void again. â€Å"They'll have to be shown very carefully.† â€Å"Shown?†Jasper asked. Alice and Edward both looked down at Renesmee. Then Alice's eyes glazed over. â€Å"Tanya's family,† she said. â€Å"Siobhan's coven. Amun's. Some of the nomads – Garrett and Mary for certain. Maybe Alistair.† â€Å"What about Peter and Charlotte?† Jasper asked half fearfully, as if he hoped the answer was no, and his old brother could be spared from the coming carnage. â€Å"Maybe.† â€Å"The Amazons?† Carlisle asked. â€Å"Kachiri, Zafrina, and Senna?† Alice seemed too deep into her vision to answer at first; finally she shuddered, and her eyes flickered back to the present. She met Carlisle's gaze for the tiniest part of a second, and then looked down. â€Å"I can't see.† â€Å"What was that?† Edward asked, his whisper a demand. â€Å"That part in the jungle. Are we going to look for them?† â€Å"I can't see,† Alice repeated, not meeting his eyes. A flash of confusion crossed Edward's face. â€Å"We'll have to split up and hurry – before the snow sticks to the ground. We have to round up whomever we can and get them here to show them.† She zoned again. â€Å"Ask Eleazar. There is more to this than just an immortal child.† The silence was ominous for another long moment while Alice was in her trance. She blinked slowly when it was over, her eyes peculiarly opaque despite the fact that she was clearly in the present. â€Å"There is so much. We have to hurry,† she whispered. â€Å"Alice?† Edward asked. â€Å"That was too fast – I didn't understand. What was – ?† â€Å"I can't see!† she exploded back at him. â€Å"Jacob's almost here!† Rosalie took a step toward the front door. â€Å"I'll deal with – â€Å" â€Å"No, let him come,† Alice said quickly, her voice straining higher with each word. She grabbed Jasper's hand and began pulling him toward the back door. â€Å"I'll see better away from Nessie, too. I need to go. I need to really concentrate. I need to see everything I can. I have to go. Come on, Jasper, there's no time to waste!† We all could hear Jacob on the stairs. Alice yanked, impatient, on Jasper's hand. He followed quickly, confusion in his eyes just like Edward's. They darted out the door into the silver night. â€Å"Hurry!† she called back to us. â€Å"You have to find them all!† â€Å"Find what?† Jacob asked, shutting the front door behind himself. â€Å"Where'd Alice go?† No one answered; we all just stared. Jacob shook the wet from his hair and pulled his arms through the sleeves of his t-shirt, his eyes on Renesmee. â€Å"Hey, Bells! I thought you guys would've gone home by now___† He looked up to me finally, blinked, and then stared. I watched his expression as the room's atmosphere finally touched him. He glanced down, eyes wide, at the wet spot on the floor, the scattered roses, the fragments of crystal. His fingers quivered. â€Å"What?† he asked flatly. â€Å"What happened?† I couldn't think where to begin. No one else found the words, either. Jacob crossed the room in three long strides and dropped to his knees beside Renesmee and me. I could feel the heat shaking off his body as tremors rolled down his arms to his shaking hands. â€Å"Is she okay?† he demanded, touching her forehead, tilting his head as he listened to her heart. â€Å"Don't mess with me, Bella, please!† â€Å"Nothing's wrong with Renesmee,† I choked out, the words breaking in strange places. â€Å"Then who?† â€Å"All of us, Jacob,† I whispered. And it was there in my voice, too – the sound of the inside of a grave. â€Å"It's over. We've all been sentenced to die.†