Friendship in The Pact :: The Pact Relationships Essays

Friendship in The Pact Friendship is a huge part of everyone's life, whether they know it or not. In some way shape or form everyone needs relationships. In the book The Pact, friendship is huge. Three boys George, Sam, and Rameck become best friends and you could say that they save each others lives. Not physically but in a sense that without the pact they made there lives might not be where they are today. I can relate this book to a very good friend of mine that got caught up in a bad situation. I’ll use the name â€Å"Bob†. We live in the small town of Cape May, NJ and everyone knows everyone. Not always the best situation for people like Bob. He and I became friends before any of these awful things started to happen. Bob got caught up in the wrong crowd one summer and begandealing cocaine. At the time I was un- aware of this. I began to notice a change in him around the middle of the summer, I asked him if there was anything wrong or if I could do anything for him. Bob wouldn’t tell me what was going on, he said, â€Å"I don’t want to hurt you.† With this statement, â€Å"I don’t want to hurt you.† I immediately knew that something was seriously wrong. At the time I didn’t know what, but I was going to find out. So I started snooping around, and I did my own investigation. Some may say that it was me being nosy, but I know that I’m sure glad I was. It’s a good thing I did too. In my snooping around I found out that Bob was dealing cocaine. It was at this time that I realized Bob’s situation was real, and I would have to do something about it. I thought Bob simply needed to get away from where he knew everyone, and drugs were so easily accessible. Bob and I then sat down to talk. This was not easy for me to do and I’m sure it wasn’t easy for him to hear. I mean, picture someone you think of as a little sister sitting you down and saying, â€Å"Bob, I know all about you dealing cocaine.† It takes a lot to stand up to your friends, but it takes a lot more to just sit and watch their lives go down the drain.

19th Century English Architecture Essay

Introduction * The 19th century heralded the arrival of the Industrial Revolution, which wrought unprecedented socioeconomic and technological changes in England, transforming it into a modern industrial society. This essay examines the impact that these changes have had on the design and construction of two new building types, namely the railway station and prison. * This essay argues that the design and construction of railway stations in England had to be adapted to the changes wrought by the Industrial Revolution, such as widespread rural-urban migration, rapid urban growth and rising affluence in English society. On the pragmatic side, station builders also had to look for alternative materials resistant to corrosion from steam and smoke emitted by locomotives. This essay also examines the social changes and penal reforms in 19th century England which caused a shift in societal perspectives towards crime and punishment, and how these impacted the design of three major prisons at that time. See more: Examples of satire in adventures of huckfinn essay Railway Stations Due to the rapid economic growth and development resulting from the Industrial Revolution, many urban areas expanded at a dizzying rate as people in the countryside flocked to towns and cities looking for employment. Historian Eric Evans notes that Glasgow grew by 46 percent in the 1810s and Manchester by 44 percent in the 1820s. Social problems such as overcrowding, congestion and crime soon followed. These changes resulted in new functional needs and requirements for buildings. * Prior to the 19th century, trains were primarily built for transporting cargo. At the turn of the century, railway stations had to be adapted to cater to the increase in passengers travelling through England for work and leisure. They served as terminals and interchanges for many trains from the different rail companies, as well as waiting areas and temporary accommodation for passengers. From an architectural standpoint, they were important buildings because their * construction incorporated all the major architectural movements of the 19th century, in terms of materials, style and structure. * The first English railway station at Crown Street, Liverpool (fig. 1), like all railway stations, was built mainly to provide shelter for its occupants – passengers and trains. In addition, the preceding modes of transportation – the canal and the century-old turnpike system – had specially catered architecture for its passengers; inns were used instead as departure points, relay stations and terminals. As there was no precedent for this building type, most early railway stations, including Crown Street, had their shelters constructed based on the design of sheds built for cattle and wagon. However, the style of railway station evolved in the mid-19th century, due to unprecedented urban growth in cities in England, the increasing social significance of stations and opposition to railway construction. As railway companies began to expand their networks, more people started moving to the cities. Growth in traffic and migration led to overcrowding and congestion in the cities and soon there was a need for a re-evaluation of the station designs. * Railway stations bore social significance in 19th century England as they were iconic landmarks. Driven by the idea that â€Å"the station was to the modern city what the city gate was to the ancient city†, the station’s design was the first impression that travellers got of the city/town. Rising affluence among the English due to the industrial boom meant that the public would also use the station’s design to get a feel of the city and gauge how attractive it was to live in or travel to. One such example is Euston station, universally lauded by the English public for its majestic Doric Arch entrance. As rail travel quickly became affordable for the masses in the 19th century, the design of railway stations also had to take into account class differences in English society. Therefore, the Crown Street station, and many other stations after it, also had different booking areas/waiting rooms designated for first-class and second-class passengers. * The wide-scale construction of railways throughout England faced much opposition from many locals, who criticised the pollution, noise and encroachment it made to rural landscapes. Therefore, builders used design and local building materials to absorb railways into the rural scene. Country stations were designed to look like cottages, gate lodges and farmhouses, using materials such as red brick in the Midlands, golden limestone in the Cotswolds and pale grey in Derbyshire. In the mid-19th century, station builders sought to achieve architectural feats due to increasing competition between companies. One such example was Paddington (fig.2) – which boasted of having the widest single-span train shed at that time to cater to the technical demands of the changes in occupant load and social identity. This became an example for other railway stations which were built after it. At the turn of the mid-19th century, due to a significant increase in new building material production, iron became increasingly available and was more frequently used in architecture. At the same time, railway stations were expanding in size due to increasing demand. Wider-span train sheds were needed to accommodate the growing occupant loads on trains. With the previous completion of works demonstrating the potential of iron in achieving wider-span roofs, railway builders started using it. Wide-span roofs allowed greater flexibility in accommodating the growing crowd and the alteration of track and platform beneath it. In addition, iron was regarded as the most suitable choice for railway sheds. As timber (the common material used before iron) deteriorated rapidly under the exposure to sulphurous steam produced by trains, iron, which was more resistant, was used as a substitute. This is a clear example of station builders adapting their materials to peculiar conditions in rail stations. Prisons Prisons in England before the 19th century were places of temporary custody, where inmates regardless of age, gender or offence were locked together in a method known as congregate confinement. Such confinements were overcrowded and had poor ventilation, lighting and sanitation. Among the inmates, there were ill people, drunkards and lunatics. Due to lack of public funding, prisons were also poorly staffed and inmates’ welfare was usually neglected. Official statistics show that crime rates rose in the first half of the 19th century, before eventually falling in the second. The rise coincided with the rapid urban growth in the early years, which led to a demand for more prisons to be built, especially in the cities. In fact, 90 prisons were built or added to between 1842 and 1877. Notable prisons during that time include Millbank, Newgate and Pentonville. The design of these three prisons were affected by ongoing social changes and prison reform movements. The 19th century also saw major reforms to the prison system in England, namely the mass building of large prisons and changes to the treatment of prisoners, due to a shift in societal perspectives. Firstly, severe punishment, often through public execution, became less favoured compared to calibrated punishment proportional to the crime. Secondly, thinkers like Foucault saw prison as a tool for disciplining the offender, for correction and reform. Social reformers like John Howard lobbied for prisoners to be separated according to their gender, crime and health, by solitary confinement and imposition of silence to encourage reflection and penitence among the prisoners. Another social reformer, Jeremy Bentham, conceptualised the â€Å"Panopticon† scheme for a model prison, which consisted of prisoners occupying cells in the circumference of a circular building, allowing fewer guards to survey them from a central observation point. While the design was never implemented in its whole, the key idea of surveillance did take hold in certain prisons. Millbank prison incorporated this idea by building small storey surveillance towers for its staff from which they could receive and give information. To deter potential offenders, the architecture style of prisons was adapted to ensure maximum secrecy and communicate the severity of crime. For example, in Pentonville, the imposing Gothic style was used to great effect, with a portcullis entrance and castellation around the walls, which featured in subsequent prison building. Such barriers kept the public fenced out and sent an implicit message about what went on inside. Another example would be the felons’ door in Newgate which was also ominous and foreboding with â€Å"overpoweringly grim character†. Such designs gave prisons their own peculiar appearance, which eventually became recognized by the public. Prison architects also sought to enforce the separation/confinement school of thought in their design of internal arrangements. Large rooms for congregated confinement were replaced with smaller individual solitary confinement cells. Partitions were erected in spaces whereby prisoners were gathered, such as chapels and workshops (fig.X). These designs were imposed to prevent interaction among prisoners and to emphasise penitence. At Newgate, the chapel was designed such that male felons, debtors and women would enter it through isolated corridors. The chapel feature was novel for its time, adhering to reformers’ belief that moral penitence could rehabilitate offenders. In Millbank, prisoners were separated in silent cells and could only graduate to work together in groups through good behaviour. Conclusion The 19th century is widely seen as the era in which England developed into a modern state, owing to the Industrial Revolution which saw the inception of important inventions such as the steam engine and the development of the railroad and iron industries. Such technological changes also gave rise to socioeconomic changes in England, which affected the style, structure and materials of buildings. Railway stations had to be designed to cope with population growth in urban areas driven by economic development, but also be aesthetically pleasing – some became iconic landmarks embedded in the public consciousness. The use of materials also had to take into account the practicalities of rail operations. On the other hand, prisons were more affected by social changes and penal reforms arising from public debate over crime and punishment. Prisons were expected to incorporate elements of rehabilitation in addition to punishment. Humanitarian reformers like Bentham and Howard also lobbied for the separation of prisoners rather than congregation confinement. These movements changed the way prisons were designed and built in the 19th century. Both building types changed and evolved greatly in the 19th century not merely because of technological breakthroughs, but due to changing beliefs, values and attitudes in English society, which was going through an era of Enlightenment. Given the far reach of the British Empire then, these changes not only impacted England at that time but also its colonies throughout the world and remain visible today. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Eric Evans, 2001, The Forging of the Modern State: Early Industrial Britain, 1783-1870 by (3rd edition) London: Longman Pearson [ 2 ]. Carroll L. V. Meeks, 1956, The Railway Station An Architectural History, Yale University Press, USA, Pp. 27 [ 3 ]. Christian Barman, 1950, An Introduction to Railway Architecture, Art and Technics, London, Pp. 16 [ 4 ]. * Carroll L. V. Meeks, 1956, The Railway Station An Architectural History, Yale University Press, USA, Pp. 39 [ 5 ]. The Inception of the English Railway Station [ 6 ]. Jack Simmons, 2003, The Impact of the Railway on Society in Britain, Ashgate Publishing, Ltd, Pp. 122 [ 7 ]. E2BN, 2006, â€Å"Victorian Crime and Punishment from E2BN†. East of England Broadband Network. Web. 5 Oct 2012 [ 8 ]. Robin Evans, 1982. The Fabrication of Virtue: English Prison Architecture, 1750-1840. Cambridge University Press, pp 247 [ 9 ]. John Pratt, 1993. ‘This Is Not a Prison’: Foucault, the Panopticon and Pentonville. Social & Legal Studies December 1993, pp 373-395 [ 10 ]. Harold D. Kalman, 1969. Newgate Prison. Architectural History, Vol 12 1969. pp.7 [ 11 ]. Harold D. Kalman, 1969. Newgate Prison. Architectural History, Vol 12 1969. pp.5 [ 12 ]. David Wilson, 2002. Millbank, Panopticon and their Victorian Audiences. The Howard Journal, Vol 41 No. 4 September 2002. Pp 369

Mobility essay Essay

The Unites States is the land of opportunities where people pursuit the American dream to have a better life. American life is built on the faith that it is possible to rise from humble origins to economic heights. In that case social mobility plays a big role in todays society. Social mobility refers to the ability to change the positions within a social stratification system. In other words, when people improve or decrease their economic status in the way that it affects their social class, they experience either pward or downward social mobility. With this in mind, the social mobility in United States appears to be stalled or in decline. One of the main reasons is poverty that is causing a decline. Furthermore, the rich-poor gap that widens also has an effect on mobility causing income inequality. Also, European social mobility is much better than that one in the United States. Some other factors that influence social mobility include race, income, mother and father occupation, and ethnicity. Certainly, one of the reasons why social mobility in United States appears to be talled or in decline is because of poverty. The higher the individual starts on the social ladder the more likely that individual will end up higher than where he or she first started. The more income the parents have will guarantee more opportunities for that person. According to Economic Mobility Project, 40% of Americans that are born in the bottom quintile remain stuck there as adults (â€Å"Upper bound†). That means that that almost half of that social group doesn’t change their position within a social stratification system. That doesn’t mean it is their fault because people that are poor start with a disadvantage. For example, according to Eric Wanner, president of the Russell Sage Foundation, â€Å"Upper-income families can invest more in their children’s education and they may have a better understanding of what it takes to get a good education. † (â€Å"Harder for Americans to Rise From Lower Rungs† by Jason DeParle). That means that a child that comes from a richer family has more educational opportunities than a child coming from the poor. Furthermore, a child oming from rich family will have a better understanding on how to succeed in school where on the other hand, child from poor family doesn’t have that opportunity. However, Just 8% of American men at the bottom rose to the top fifth. That shows that even though it is difficult it is still possible. Generally speaking, the rich-poor gap that widens also has an effect on mobility causing income inequality. As the gap between rich and the poor has widened since 1970, the odds that a child that is born in poverty will climb to wealth remain stuck. Same goes to child that is born rich will fall into middle class. One reason for mobility gap may be the depth of American poverty which leaves poor children starting especially far behind. Most of the time it is determined by the father and mother occupation. Based on the new data gathered by Bhashkar Mazumder of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, he argued that 60% of a son’s income is determined by the level of income of the father. (â€Å"Goodbye, Horatio Alger†). This means that more than half of men are dependable on their father’s income. Furthermore, this shows that the higher the income ot parents, the more opportunities the child example, researchers now estimate the elasticity of father-son earnings at 0. 5%. That means that for every 1% increase in father’s income, his sons’ income will be increased or expected to increase by about 0. 5%. ((â€Å"Harder for Americans to Rise From Lower Rungs†). In other words, the better the income of the father, the better the income of the son. So the family background is very important in social mobility. In contrast, European social mobility is much better than that one in the United States. European countries have made serious investments to create equality of opportunity for all. According to Fareed Zakaria in â€Å"The downward path of upward mobility,† they have extremely good childhood health and nutrition programs, and they have far better public educations systems than the United States does. Furthermore, poor children compete on a more equal footing against the rich and in the United States poor children compete for better education few steps behind then others.

Television Broadcasts Limited

Television Broadcasts Limited, commonly known as TVB, is the first wireless commercial television station in Hong Kong. It was first established on 19 November 1967 with only about 200 staff. The Group has now grown to a size of about 4,200 including contract artistes and staff in overseas subsidiary companies. The major activities of TVB are television broadcasting, programme production and other broadcasting related activities such as programme licensing, video distribution and satellite broadcasting etc.It transmits over 17,000 hours of programming on its Chinese Jade channel and English Pearl channel free of charge to 2. 34 million homes in Hong Kong. It is one of the largest producers of Chinese language programming in the world. Many of the Chinese programmes are dubbed into other languages and are distributed to more than 40 countries and cities, accessible to over 300 million households. During the prime time viewing hours, the Chinese Jade Channel and English Pearl Channel a chieve a remarkable average of 87% and 80% of Hong Kong’s television audience share respectively.To cope with future development, the Company invested HK$2. 2 billion in the construction of a new state-of-the-art TVB City in Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estate. The management and production facilities, with a building area of over 110,000 sq metres, 30% more than the TV City at Clear Water Bay Road, came into full operation in October 2003. There are two outdoor shooting locations and 22 production studios in TVB City. The new TVB City is fully digitized to enhance its services to the public.On 31 December 2007, TVB officially launched its 24-hour HD channel, HD Jade, providing diverse and brand new audio/visual entertainment in the digital era. In addition to the simulcast of digital Jade and Pearl channel, TVB started operating J2 and iNews digital channels in June 2008 and January 2009 respectively. The Company has always been striving for excellence in serving the people of H ong Kong and its efforts are widely recognized. The Company, has thus received 450 international awards for its various television programming and programme promotions in the past.In 1997, TVB has also been awarded as one of Asia’s 50 most competitive companies; one of the top 20 companies in Hong Kong and one of the Asia’s 200 Leading Companies. In 2001, it was also awarded the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) International Broadcasting Excellence Award 2001 for its outstanding contributions to the community. Now, let me sum up our proposal. Our mission is to develop a diverse development company. In the past, we have developed magazine industry, music industry, film industry and internet industry.In the future, we plan to develop agency industry, which are combine advertisements and sales. We plan to operate online sales thought the television and earn the commission. There are several reasons that can support our proposal to be a successful one. First of a ll, we have an excellent financial situation now and we have cash balance total HK$3,604 million in 2012. If the our proposal is implemented, more sponsorship in the clothing and jewelry of the TV series or some annual TV shows. It can decrease the cost of production. nline shopping become more popular, this development of this kind of business can really help the company to generate more earning. Secondary, TVB have already a huge fixed amount of audience and we believe that more audience will be attracted by the new scheme, which means that more customers are provided. Moreover, nowadays, online shopping has become a tendency in Hong Kong since it is convenient. When you are taking the train, on your way to work; or lying on the sofa, enjoy your weekend at home, you can watch our programs though your cell phone and TV.Our artists wear the fashion items that you want, you can only touch that item on the screen to get it. The details of the item will be shown after you touching the screen. If you decide to buy, you can add the item to your shopping bag and confirm you order. You can use any of the payment types listed on the screen to pay for your order, for example VISA, PAYPAL, AMERICAN EXPRESS. Your details are safe with us as we take security very seriously indeed. U may doubt that whether the proposal is feasible. It can surely give u an answer.Yes! We plan to cooperate with SONY to make the technology of touch screen can be perfected and fixed with this proposal. SONY which is an initiate company always seeks for a breakthrough has a strong technology to support us. It can match with the technology that our plan needs. TVB has been serving the audience for 44 years. It will continue to keep its promise, delivering excellence in programming and cutting-edge broadcasting technology to the people of Hong Kong and to Chinese communities around the world. umanitarian initiative Apart from fighting for greater profits, it is our obligation to perform our human itarian initiative. After shooting dramas, we can ask our clients for their clothes for charity sale. All income from charity sale will be donated to charities. Clothes which are abandoned can donate to charities as well. Our actors and actress are also willing to donate their clothes either for the charity sale or the charities. establish a new department in response for the agency job.

The work and biography of Leonardo Davinci Essay

The work and biography of Leonardo Davinci - Essay Example Later on, da Vinci moved back to stay with his father’s new family where he did not face condemnation but a warm welcome. He spent his earlier years at Vinci on his father’s family estate. His uncle was a great influence during this time of his life. His uncle loved nature. This influenced da Vinci’s paintings and other works later in life (Byfield 52). He was so fascinated by the beauty of nature in his original home (Tuscany) that he opted to learn all about nature and its workings. Copying nature, controlling it or learning from it was a motivation in Leonardo’s inventions. Leonardo’s true potential was a result of his driven and positive attitude with his limitless energy originating from his inner insight to complete his goals. When he was young, his cleverness made it easy for him to grasp arithmetic and music. With a natural talent for singing, he hired a tutor to learn the lyre and further develop that skill. He went on to become a painting novice under the tutelage of Andrea Del Verrocchio who was a skilled artisan, artist, sculptor, goldsmith and painter. He implemented the science he learned on the paintings he made. He sketched and studied rock formations fossils and caves. His brilliance was also seen in creating things like diving suits, helicopter and submarines during his period as an apprentice (Spielvogel 20). After completing his education, he lived with Andrea del Verrocchio helping him in his works until 1478 when he became completely independent. His first renowned and commissioned work was done around this time. This was the work he did for Scopeto monastery based in San Donato in Florence namely the Adoration of the Magi. However, he never completed this work because his love for Milan made him leave to go and work as a painter, engineer and sculptor for the Sforza ruling dynasty. While there, his jobs were diverse ranging from artillery designing, to river

What if anything, can the study of family law gain from an Essay

What if anything, can the study of family law gain from an understanding of theoretical approaches towards the relationship between law and families - Essay Example or alternative non-marriage arrangements as well as frequent divorce are making the once-solidly-defined English nuclear family resemble something else entirely, something else that is thus-far undefined, vague and nebulous. In this changing atmosphere, family law will be of increasing importance in managing conflict, creating harmony and resolving issues before they arise, creating amicable arrangements when disasters do occur, and organizing society. Major theoretical approaches like feminist theory, the public-private divide and functionalist theory deserve analysis, but the most salient for modern circumstances is feminist theory, at least insofar as it recognizes gender differences and difficulties. The changing nature of the British family deserves special comment and analysis. â€Å"Earlier this year, women became the majority of the workforce for the first time in U.S. history. Most managers are now women too. And for every two men who get a college degree this year, three women will do the same. For years, women’s progress has been cast as a struggle for equality. But what if equality isn’t the end point? What if modern, postindustrial society is simply better suited to women?† (Rosin, 2010). Rosins question is obviously somewhat hyperbolic, but there is an underlying fear and anxiety there. Girls are being preferred over boys for in vitro fertilisation in America, and similar phenomena are occurring in Britain. The delocation and loss of jobs caused by the recent economic meltdown have only exacerbated this phenomenon. â€Å"He writes on the board: $85,000. â€Å"This is her salary.† Then: $12,000. â€Å"This is your salary. Who’s the d amn man? Who’s the man now?† A murmur rises. â€Å"That’s right. She’s the man† (Rosin, 2010). This basic conflict between men and women in terms of new gender norms will cause major issues for family law. Add in the other factors such as cohabitation, gay marriage and civil unions, other changing sexual orientation

Performance and Reward Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Performance and Reward Management - Essay Example A good performance strategy entails a good competitive strategy, organizational structure, corporate structure and good human resources processes that include a reward management (Shields 2007). Reward strategy and management Reward strategy means achieving a balance between the human resource strategies, the environment that the organization operates in including the culture, technology and the external environment. It sets out to establish the purpose and intent of the organization on how its policies and processes on rewards meet the objectives of the business (Molander, et al 1994). Companies are increasingly trying to involve employees in the decision making processes and training them so as to attract and maintain them. Reward management involves managing all those rewards that are given to employees due to their contribution towards the growth and development of a company. It also involves identifying the strategies, systems, processes and policies that enable an organization to achieve its objectives by rewarding and attracting people they require by way of motivating them. It aims at meeting the individual, organizations and team performance as per the objectives set out. According to Williams and MacDerine, proper management of the rewards system usually leads to an enhanced employee behavior and well being, a well balanced relationship between life and work and eventually it increases the motivation and performance of the employees (Cornelius, 2001). A good reward system must be able to prioritize reward plans that are in line with the human resource and business strategies. A good reward strategy has four main guiding principles which include equity, constitency, transparency and fairness. The strategy must be fair... Reward strategy means achieving a balance between the human resource strategies, the environment that the organization operates in including the culture, technology and the external environment. It sets out to establish the purpose and intent of the organization on how its policies and processes on rewards meet the objectives of the business (Molander, et al 1994).Companies are increasingly trying to involve employees in the decision making processes and training them so as to attract and maintain them. Reward management involves managing all those rewards that are given to employees due to their contribution towards the growth and development of a company. It also involves identifying the strategies, systems, processes and policies that enable an organization to achieve its objectives by rewarding and attracting people they require by way of motivating them.   It aims at meeting the individual, organizations and team performance as per the objectives set out. According to Williams and MacDerine, proper management of the rewards system usually leads to an enhanced employee behavior and well being, a well balanced relationship between life and work and eventually it increases the motivation and performance of the employees (Cornelius, 2001).  A good reward system must be able to prioritize reward plans that are in line with the human resource and business strategies. People will always feel treated fairly according to how they are paid and depending on the value of their work to the company.