Wedding Speech for a Maid of Honor or Best Woman :: Wedding Toasts Roasts Speeches

Wedding Speech for a Maid of Honor or Best Woman My role of today is that of a Maid of Honor, and my name is Popen. Alison and I have known each other since tenth grade, eight years, which quite frankly, seems just like yesterday on one hand†¦and like a million years ago on the other! Have you ever really thought about what friendship truly means to you? Well, I have especially when it comes to Alison and I. My friendship with her has been special to me, because she was a great person to go through the trauma of our teenage years with! No matter how much we have been through, we have always been there for each other through thick and thin. We support each other and stick up for one another when the other needs us most. We have gotten a lot closer over the years. We have seen other through the good, the bad and the ugly. I have loved watching this romance bloom. Nanen is a great guy! He’s funny, friendly, really easy to get along with and really talkative especially once you get him going. Alison has just blossomed since Nanen came into her life. When Alison met Nanen it was obvious from the very beginning that he was the one. There was something different about him. She seemed to sparkle more than ever before. She’s become happier and has a better outlook on life in general. I look so forward to the future for these two. I know that Alison and Nanen will last a lifetime with each other. They just seem to have that certain something about them, and I know that theirs will truly be – a match made in heaven.

Frostbite Chapter 20

Twenty We NEEDED AN ESCAPE PLAN, and we needed it fast. Unfortunately, my only ideas called for things that really weren't under my control. Like us being left completely alone so we could sneak off. Or having stupid guards whom we could easily fool and slip away from. At the very least, we should have been sloppily secured so that we could break free. None of that was happening, though. After almost twenty-four hours, our situations hadn't really changed. We were still prisoners, still securely bound. Our captors stayed vigilant, almost as efficient as any group of guardians. Almost. The closest we got to freedom was heavily supervised- and extremely embarrassing- bathroom breaks. The men gave us no food or water. That was rough on me, but the human and vampire mix made dhampirs hardy. I could handle being uncomfortable, even though I was fast reaching a point where I would have killed for a cheeseburger and some really, really greasy french fries. For Mia and Christian†¦well, things were a little harder. Moroi could go weeks without food and water if they were still getting blood. Without blood, they could manage a few days before getting sick and weak, so long as they still had other sustenance. That was how Lissa and I had managed while living on our own, since I hadn't been able to feed her every day. Take away food, blood, and water, and Moroi endurance dropped through the floor. I was hungry, but Mia and Christian were ravenous. Already, their faces looked gaunt, their eyes almost feverish. Isaiah made matters worse during his subsequent visits. Each time, he would come down and ramble on in his annoying, taunting way. Then, before leaving, he'd take another drink from Eddie. By the third visit, I could practically see Mia and Christian salivating. Between the endorphins and lack of food, I was pretty sure Eddie didn't even know where we were. I couldn't really sleep under these conditions, but during the second day, I started nodding off now and then. Starvation and exhaustion will do that to you. At one point, I actually dreamed, surprising since I didn't really think I could fall into a deep slumber under such insane conditions. In the dream- and I knew perfectly well that it was a dream- I stood on a beach. It took me a moment to recognize just which beach it was. It was along the Oregon coast- sandy and warm, with the Pacific unfolding in the distance. Lissa and I had traveled out here once when we lived in Portland. It had been a gorgeous day, but she couldn't handle being out in that much sun. We'd kept the visit short as a result, but I'd always wished I could have stayed longer and basked in all that. Now I had all the light and warmth I could want. â€Å"Little dhampir,† said a voice behind me. â€Å"It's about time.† I turned around in surprise and found Adrian Ivashkov watching me. He had on khakis and a loose shirt and- in a surprisingly casual style for him- wore no shoes. Wind ruffled his brown hair, and he kept his hands stuffed in his pockets as he regarded me with that trademark smirk of his. â€Å"Still got your protection,† he added. Frowning, I thought for a moment he was staring at my chest. Then I realized his eyes were on my stomach. I had on jeans and a bikini top, and once again, the little blue eye pendant dangled from my belly-button. The chotki was on my wrist. â€Å"And you're in the sun again,† I said. â€Å"So I suppose it's your dream.† â€Å"It's our dream.† I wiggled my toes in the sand. â€Å"How can two people share a dream?† â€Å"People share dreams all the time, Rose.† I looked up at him with a frown. â€Å"I need to know what you mean. About there being darkness around me. What does it mean?† â€Å"Honestly, I don't know. Everyone has light around them, except for you. You have shadows. You take them from Lissa.† My confusion grew. â€Å"I don't understand.† â€Å"I can't get into it right now,† he told me. â€Å"That's not why I'm here.† â€Å"You're here for a reason?† I asked, my eyes wandering to the blue-gray water. It was hypnotic. â€Å"You aren't just†¦here to be here?† He stepped forward and caught my hand, forcing me to look up at him. All amusement was gone. He was dead serious. â€Å"Where are you?† â€Å"Here,† I said, puzzled. â€Å"Just like you.† Adrian shook his head. â€Å"No, that's not what I mean. In the real world. Where are you?† The real world? Around us, the beach suddenly blurred, like a film going out of focus. Moments later, everything steadied itself. I racked my brain. The real world. Images came to me. Chairs. Guards. Flex-cuffs. â€Å"In a basement †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I said slowly. Alarm suddenly shattered the beauty of the moment as everything came back to me. â€Å"Oh God, Adrian. You've got to help Mia and Christian. I can't- â€Å" Adrian's grip on my hand tightened. â€Å"Where?† The world shimmered again, and this time it didn't refocus. He swore. â€Å"Where are you, Rose?† The world began to disintegrate. Adrian began to disintegrate. â€Å"A basement. In a house. In- â€Å" He was gone. I woke up. The sound of the room's door opening startled me back to reality. Isaiah swept in with Elena in tow. I had to fight a sneer when I saw her. He was arrogant and mean and all-around evil. But he was that way because he was a leader. He had the strength and power to back up his cruelty- even if I didn't like it. But Elena? She was a lackey. She threatened us and made snide comments, but most of her ability to do so came from being his sidekick. She was a total suck-up. â€Å"Hello, children,† he said. â€Å"How are we doing today?† Sullen glares answered him. He strolled over to Mia and Christian, hands folded behind his back. â€Å"Any changes of heart since my last visit? You're taking an awfully long time, and it's upsetting Elena. She's very hungry, you see, but- I suspect- not as hungry as you two.† Christian narrowed his eyes. â€Å"Fuck off,† he said through gritted teeth. Elena snarled and lunged forward. â€Å"Don't you dare- â€Å" Isaiah waved her off. â€Å"Leave him alone. It just means we wait a little longer, and really, it's an entertaining wait.† Elena's eyes shot daggers at Christian. â€Å"Honestly,† continued Isaiah, watching Christian, â€Å"I can't decide which I want more: to kill you or have you join us. Either option offers its own amusements.† â€Å"Don't you get tired of hearing yourself talk?† asked Christian. Isaiah considered. â€Å"No. Not really. And I don't get tired of this, either.† He turned around and walked toward Eddie. Poor Eddie could barely sit upright in his chair anymore after all the feedings he'd gone through. Worse, Isaiah didn't even need to use compulsion. Eddie's face simply lit up with a stupid grin, eager for the next bite. He was as addicted as a feeder. Anger and disgust flooded through me. â€Å"Damn it!† I yelled. â€Å"Leave him alone!† Isaiah glanced back at me. â€Å"Be silent, girl. I don't find you nearly as amusing as I do Mr. Ozera.† â€Å"Yeah?† I snarled. â€Å"If I piss you off so much, then use me to prove your stupid point. Bite me instead. Put me in my place, and show me what a badass you are.† â€Å"No!† exclaimed Mason. â€Å"Use me.† Isaiah rolled his eyes. â€Å"Good God. What a noble lot. You're all Spartacus, aren't you?† He strolled away from Eddie and put a finger under Mason's chin, tilting his head up. â€Å"But you,† Isaiah said, â€Å"don't really mean it. You only offer because of her.† He released Mason and walked in front of me, staring down with those black, black eyes. â€Å"And you †¦ I didn't really believe you at first either. But now?† He knelt down so that he was at my height. I refused to look away from his eyes, even though I knew that put me at risk of compulsion. â€Å"I think you really mean it. And it's not all nobility, either. You do want it. You really have been bitten before.† His voice was magical. Hypnotic. He wasn't using compulsion, exactly, but he definitely had an unnatural charisma surrounding him. Like Lissa and Adrian. I hung on his every word. â€Å"Lots of times, I'd guess,† he added. He leaned toward me, breath hot against my neck. Somewhere beyond him, I could hear Mason shouting something, but all of my focus was on how close Isaiah's teeth were to my skin. In the last few months, I'd only been bitten once- and that was when Lissa had had an emergency. Before then, she'd bitten me at least twice a week for two years, and I had only recently come to realize how addicted to that I'd been. There is nothing- nothing- in the world like a Moroi bite, like the flood of bliss it sends into you. Of course, by all accounts, Strigoi bites were even more powerful†¦. I swallowed, suddenly aware of my own heavy breathing and racing heart. Isaiah gave a low chuckle. â€Å"Yes. You're a blood whore in the making. Unfortunate for you- because I'm not going to give you what you want.† He backed away, and I slumped forward in my chair. Without further delay, he returned to Eddie and drank. I couldn't watch, but it was because of envy this time, not disgust. Longing burned inside of me. I ached for that bite, ached for it with every nerve in my body. When Isaiah finished, he started to leave the room, then paused. He directed his words at Mia and Christian. â€Å"Don't delay,† he warned. â€Å"Seize your opportunity to be saved.† He tilted his head toward me. â€Å"You even have a willing victim.† He left. Across the room, Christian met my eyes. Somehow, his face looked even gaunter than it had a couple of hours ago. Hunger burned in his gaze, and I knew I wore the complementary one: a desire to sate that hunger. God. We were so screwed. I think Christian realized it at the same time. His lips twisted into a bitter smile. â€Å"You never looked so good, Rose,† he managed, just before the guards told him to shut up. I dozed a little throughout the day, but Adrian didn't return to my dreams. Instead, while hovering just at the edge of consciousness, I found myself slipping into familiar territory: Lissa's head. After all the weirdness of these last two days, being in her mind felt like a homecoming. She was in one of the lodge's banquet rooms, only it was empty. She sat on the floor of the far side of it, trying to stay inconspicuous. Nervousness filled her. She was waiting for something- or rather, someone. A few minutes later, Adrian slipped in. â€Å"Cousin,† he said by way of greeting. He sat down beside her and drew his knees up, unconcerned about his expensive dress pants. â€Å"Sorry I'm late.† â€Å"It's okay,† she said. â€Å"You didn't know I was here until you saw me, did you?† She shook her head, disappointed. I felt more confused than ever. â€Å"And sitting with me †¦ you can't really notice anything?† â€Å"No.† He shrugged. â€Å"Well. Hopefully it'll come soon.† â€Å"How does it look for you?† she asked, burning with curiosity. â€Å"Do you know what auras are?† â€Å"They're like †¦ bands of light around people, right? Some New Age thing?† â€Å"Something like that. Everyone has a sort of spiritual energy that radiates out from them. Well, almost everyone.† His hesitation made me wonder if he was thinking of me and the darkness I allegedly walked in. â€Å"Based on the color and appearance, you can tell a lot about a person†¦well, if anyone could actually see auras, that is.† â€Å"And you can,† she said. â€Å"And you can tell I use spirit from my aura?† â€Å"Yours is mostly gold. Like mine. It'll shift with other colors depending on the situation, but the gold always stays.† â€Å"How many other people out there like us do you know?† â€Å"Not many. I just see them every once in a while. They kind of keep to themselves. You're the first I've actually ever talked to. I didn't even know it was called ‘spirit.' Wish I'd known about this when I didn't specialize. I just figured I was some kind of freak.† Lissa held up her arm and stared, willing herself to see the light shining around it. Nothing. She sighed and let the arm drop. And that's when I got it. Adrian was a spirit user too. That was why he'd been so curious about Lissa, why he'd wanted to talk to her and ask about the bond and her specialization. It also explained a lot of other things- like that charisma I couldn't seem to escape when I was near him. He'd used compulsion that day Lissa and I had been in his room- that was how he'd forced Dimitri to release him. â€Å"So, they finally let you go?† Adrian asked her. â€Å"Yeah. They finally decided I really didn't know anything.† â€Å"Good,† he said. He frowned, and I realized he was sober for a change. â€Å"And you're sure you don't?† â€Å"I already told you that. I can't make the bond work that way.† â€Å"Hmm. Well. You've got to.† She glared. â€Å"What, you think I'm holding back? If I could find her, I would!† â€Å"I know, but to have it at all, you must have a strong connection. Use that to talk to her in her dreams. I tried, but I can't hang on long enough to- â€Å" â€Å"What did you say?† exclaimed Lissa. â€Å"Talk to her in her dreams?† Now he looked puzzled. â€Å"Sure. Don't you know how to do that?† â€Å"No! Are you kidding? How is that even possible?† My dreams †¦ I remembered Lissa talking about unexplained Moroi phenomena, how there might be spirit powers out there beyond healing, things no one even knew about yet. It would appear that Adrian being in my dreams was no coincidence. He'd managed to get inside my head, maybe in a way similar to how I saw Lissa's mind. The thought made me uneasy. Lissa could barely even grasp it. He ran a hand through his hair and tipped his head back, staring at the crystal chandelier above as he pondered. â€Å"Okay. So. You don't see auras, and you don't talk to people in dreams. What do you do?† â€Å"I †¦ I can heal people. Animals. Plants, too. I can bring dead things back to life.† â€Å"Really?† He looked impressed. â€Å"Okay. You get credit for that. What else?† â€Å"Um, I can use compulsion.† â€Å"We can all do that.† â€Å"No, I can really do it. It's not hard. I can make people do anything I want- even bad things.† â€Å"So can I.† His eyes lit up. â€Å"I wonder what would happen if you tried to use it on me†¦.† She hesitated and absentmindedly ran her fingers over the textured red carpet. â€Å"Well†¦ I can't.† â€Å"You just said you could.† â€Å"I can- just not right now. I take this prescription †¦ for depression and other stuff†¦and it cuts me off from the magic.† He threw his arms up in the air. â€Å"How can I teach you to walk through dreams then? How else are we going to find Rose?† â€Å"Look,† she said angrily, â€Å"I don't want to take the meds. But when I was off them †¦ I did really crazy stuff. Dangerous stuff. That's what spirit does to you.† â€Å"I don't take anything. I'm okay,† he said. No, he wasn't, I realized. Lissa realized it too. â€Å"You got really weird that day when Dimitri was in your room,† she pointed out. â€Å"You started rambling, and you didn't make any sense.† â€Å"Oh, that? Yeah †¦ it happens now and then. But seriously, not often. Once a month, if that.† He sounded sincere. Lissa stared at him, suddenly reevaluating everything. What if Adrian could do it? What if he could use spirit without pills and without any harmful side effects? It would be everything she had been hoping for. Besides, she wasn't even sure if the pills would keep working anymore†¦. He smiled, guessing what she was thinking. â€Å"What do you say, cousin?† he asked. He didn't need to use compulsion. His offer was plenty tempting in its own right. â€Å"I can teach you everything I know if you're able to touch the magic. It'll take a while for the pills to get out of your system, but once they do †¦Ã¢â‚¬ 

Inmate Rights in Americas System

Inmate Rights in Americas System Introduction Like other criminal justice systems around the world, America’s system has undergone significant changes to become what it is today. During the 19th century, the â€Å"hands-off doctrine† described the relationship between American courts and the correctional system of the country (Schmalleger Smykla, 2012).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Inmate Rights in America’s System specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Prisoners were largely viewed by the law as slaves of the nation, without human rights which take place today. Judges in the criminal justice department argued that prisoners lacked rights because of their criminal charges. As a result, courts took no responsibility in interfering with the management of prisons in order to avoid conflict of power between two state departments. Nonetheless, the â€Å"hands-off doctrine† did not last forever; it was changed in the sec ond half of the 20th century after American courts were convinced that they had a responsibility in resolving several legal claims, which were being raised by inmates. Proponents also sought to challenge the constitution in ensuring that the voice of the inmates was heard, concerning their prison life. Through several amendments, the American courts today recognize the rights of prisoners even though they are limited as compared to those enjoyed by free citizens (Schmalleger Smykla, 2012). This paper discuses the rights of inmates in America as compared to those enjoyed by prisoners in other countries like the United Kingdom, and Canada. Inmate Rights in the United States Right to Free Speech American inmates have freedom of speech conceived in 1970. It requires justification as to why an inmate should be denied this right at any given moment. In regards to this, prisoners challenged the states’ censorship on mails in 1974 arguing that it was a move aimed at undermining thei r right to freedom of speech.Advertising Looking for research paper on criminal law? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Even though this move was considered to be unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, it was ruled that inmates’ freedom could only be limited if it was a security threat to the state (Schmalleger Smykla, 2012). Additionally, the limitation can be justified only within the boundaries of protecting the interests of the federal government. Besides this, prisoners’ degree of association is limited by the activities of their labor union. This implies that inmates can only interact as directed by the union, which designs and executes prison activities. Access to Courts It has been argued that the right for an inmate to access courts during their prison life is very important and can be seen as the most essential right among others. This is supported by the Civil Rights Act of 1871, which has cont inuously served as the backbone of promoting inmates’ rights. Victory emanating from such lawsuits has also played a major role in ensuring that inmates are provided with a jailhouse lawyer, who offers any required legal advice (Schmalleger Smykla, 2012). In essence, a jailhouse lawyer is an inmate who advises other prisoners on various legal matters. Moreover, inmates have the right to access law libraries, which play a fundamental role in helping them to understand their rights as defined by the state. Knowledge obtained from these libraries is equally important in helping them to understand their criminal offenses, punishment, and court processes. Disciplinary Proceedings According to the 5th and 14th Amendments, all American citizens are guaranteed the due process. In this context, courts have the responsibility of putting in place relevant procedures to curb cases of inmates being deprived off their right of freedom. Similarly, inmates are supposed to have knowledge of the charges, before they appear in court for hearings. It is responsibility of the court to ensure that inmates are served with required notices early enough (Dervan, 2011).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Inmate Rights in America’s System specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Besides being notified, inmates have the right to invite witnesses during the hearings to witness in their favor as a way of convincing the court. Apart from this, American inmates have the right to be helped during the presentation of a defense in court proceedings. However, this does not compel the court to provide an attorney for the accused. They also have the right to support their evidence with written statements, which offer an explanation of the evidence. Equal Protection As stated under the Fourteenth Amendment, all citizens have equal protection of the laws of the state. Though this is the case, lawsuits against racial seg regation are common in the United States (Dervan, 2011). On the other hand, gender-based biasness occurs mainly in workplaces and educational centers, and most of the cases involve women, who are considered to be more prone than men. Throughout the implementation of the law that guarantees this right, courts have upheld that female and male inmates deserve equal privileges at any given moment. Right to Privacy Unlike other citizens, American inmates lack the Fourth Amendment right, which protects people against unfair search and seizure by security agents. As a result, correctional centers are allowed to monitor the movement of prisoners in cells and carry out searches that are not warranted. During Hudson v. Palmer (1984), the court upheld that prisoners did not have privacy coverage under the Fourth Amendment of the American law (Dervan, 2011).Advertising Looking for research paper on criminal law? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More While this was the case, it had been argued that prisoners lacked entitlement to privacy because of security reasons, which demanded that inspections and searches were carried out randomly. Rights in Conflict Under this category of rights, there are cases of conflicting rights and interests. For instance, there have been lawsuits filed against correctional officers of the opposite sex observing inmates during a prison search. The conflict arises from the fact that inmates and correctional administrators have their legal rights (Dervan, 2011). For example, inmates are usually concerned about their privacy, while the officers have equal job opportunities in spite of their gender, while prison officials have been mandated to ensure that the correctional centers are safe. In some states, like Alabama, the court does not allow women to work in maximum-security centers to eliminate the risk posed by male inmates on female officers. Rights upon Release Though inmates may be set free accord ing to court procedures, they find it hard to fit back in the society because of legal obstacles. For instance, ex-convicts of murder are deprived of the right to vote or take specific job positions in certain fields. Moreover, civil death terminates all the civil rights, although there is no state in America, which uses the law. It has been argued that voter disenfranchisement is one of the worst penalties against former inmates (Schmalleger Smykla, 2012). As a result, there are millions of black ex-convicts who are not allowed to participate in any voting exercise. Inmate Rights in the United Kingdom Like the United States, England recognizes some rights for those people who are held in prisons because of different reasons. Some of these rights give details on how inmates can make complaints through the ombudsman and their accessibility to lawyers for the sake of making legal proceedings at any given moment. Reception Upon reception, the UK law allows prison officers to search al l inmates and take their photographs if it is necessary. Among other reasons, the search ensures that prisoners do not possess items, which are not permitted by the law. In order to enforce this, prisoners are usually given a list of items to go through upon arrival at any correctional center before signing it (Owers, 2010). Additionally, prisoners are not allowed to be in a possession of cash but rather pay it using account under the management of the governor. An information book is also given to all prisoners as a way of helping them to adapt to the new environment outside of the society. On the other hand, prison rules are only given to those who request them from prison officers. Access to Lawyers According to prison laws in the United Kingdom, inmates are allowed to be visited by their solicitors and even communicate with them. Importantly, a prisoner is free to contact the solicitor without necessarily contacting the prison authorities. Furthermore, complaints about prison li fe can only be revealed in public after the solicitor has legally advised the prisoner (Owers, 2010). The law was first applied by the European Court of Human Rights and the court took stern measures to avoid any interference. The right also guarantees inmates the confidentiality on any material, which prisoners are permitted to posses. Letters Prisoners are allowed to send a statutory letter in a week, whose payment is made and another privilege letter whose postage fee is paid with money, which is not directly drawn from the private cash allowance. It is worth noting that no correctional center is allowed to interfere with the statutory letter as a way of disciplining an inmate (Murray, 2011). In cases where inmates are granted special letters, it is essential to note that such letters are independent from existing privileges. Prisoners are also issued with a special letter, which allows them to settle their businesses in cases where they have been transferred to other centers or released. While these restrictions exist in correctional centers, all inmates in open prisons are free to send any number of letters without legal restriction. Moreover, un-convicted prisoners are allowed to pay for as many letters as they can even though they are also entitled to two weekly letters, which are paid by the prison (Murray, 2011). Censorship According to the law, mails are only opened in correctional centers holding high-risk inmates while other prisoners receive their mails without being opened by the facility authority. While this is the case, officials may check letters, which are sent by criminals convicted of sexual-related crimes. In terms of content, the governor may resend the letters to the initial correspondent if they are too long and beyond recommended length. The letters may also be resend if they are rejected by the prisoner, regarded as the addressee (Easton, 2008). Special requests and complaints are usually made by filling a general application form, a nd prisoners are allowed to contact their lawyers where it is necessary. Inmates who break prison rules go through disciplinary proceedings to determine their punishment. Either an independent adjudicator or a governor can hear and determine the case. Inmate Rights in Canada Like in the United States, early years saw Canadian prisoners suffer in the hands of courts due to the lack of recognition of their rights. In most cases, inmates had to clear their jail terms or willfully choose to die, without being granted a fair trial in court. In other words, inmates lost all their civil rights and survived at the mercies of the correctional center (Grossman Roberts, 2011). It was horrible for a person to be imprisoned since prison life was more horrifying than dwelling of beggars in the streets. As a result, prisoners were the most inferior members of the society. It is believed that this trend was adopted after a public outcry arguing that prisoners enjoyed life more than free and innoce nt citizens. It was therefore necessary for them to be deprived of their civil rights. However, the manner in which inmates are treated in Canada today has significantly changed, and people are guaranteed several civil rights, which are contained in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (Grossman Roberts, 2011). These rights are important in ensuring that procedural rights for inmates are upheld by the court and correctional centers. Among others, the charter guarantees inmates the freedom of religion, association, security, life, equality, liberty, and protection from detention. Timely and Fair Trial Like other citizens, inmates have the right for unbiased trial in a court of law within a reasonable time frame. This implies that impartial trial is not enough when the court takes unreasonable trial time that is almost equivalent to the jail term. However, it is worth noting that most judicial systems around the world experience slow processing of trials, thus detaining inmate s who end up winning their cases. Some legal experts have argued that there is a gap in the Canadian justice system, especially when referring to reasonable time of trial (Grossman Roberts, 2011). While this is the case, the system gives direction regarding the time within which certain actions are carried out. Most offences take a maximum of thirty days before being concluded while those that involve serious crimes may take between twenty three and forty one days. On the other hand, minor cases in which the accused is innocent may take a minimum of fourteen days before determination (Grossman Roberts, 2011). Like in America and the United Kingdom, Canadian law allows inmates to receive legal assistance and representation during court proceedings. The right to a defense ensures that the accused can defend himself through the assistance of the counsel. Nevertheless, prisoners do not have an automatic assurance of the counsel. Conclusion From the above discussion, it is evident that most countries transformed their criminal justice systems in order to protect the rights of inmates, which had not existed during the middle of the 20th century. America, the UK, and Canada have laws, which ensure that inmates are not deprived of certain rights in spite of their criminal records and current state. Common rights include right to life, protection, access to courts and protection against discrimination among others. However, the United Kingdom has more protection of inmates compared to America. As a result, British inmates enjoy more rights than their counterparts in the USA and Canada. Above all, rights of inmates cannot be equal to the rights of free citizens. References Dervan, E. (2011). American prison culture in an international context: an examination of prisons in America, the Netherlands, and Israel. Stanford Law Policy Review, 22(2), 413-428. Easton, S. (2008). Constructing Citizenship: Making Room for Prisoners Rights. Journal Of Social Welfare Family Law , 30 (2), 127-146. Grossman, M., Roberts, J. (2011). Criminal Justice in Canada: A Reader. Connecticut: Cengage Learning. Murray, C. (2011). Playing for Time: Prisoner Disenfranchisement under the ECHR after Hirst v United Kingdom. Kings Law Journal, 22(3), 309-334. Owers, A. (2010). Prison Inspection and the Protection of Prisoners Rights. Pace Law Review, 30 (5), 1535-1547. Schmalleger, F., Smykla, J. (2012). Corrections in the 21st Century. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies.

Anecdote and Anecdotal

Anecdote and Anecdotal Anecdote and Anecdotal Anecdote and Anecdotal By Maeve Maddox The historian Procopius of Caesarea lived during the reign of the Roman emperor Justinian (482-565). His history of the wars of Justinian was published during his lifetime, but another of his works, now referred to as The Secret History, remained unpublished until the manuscript was discovered in the Vatican Library and published in 1623. Although unpublished for centuries, the existence of The Secret History was known earlier, because it is mentioned in a 10th century encyclopedia called the Suda; there, the work is referred to by the Greek word Anekdota, which in Latin is Anecdota, â€Å"unpublished writings.† A very good reason that the work was not published in the time of Justinian is the fact that it contains extremely unflattering stories about the private lives of the emperor and his wife. The earliest meaning of anecdote in English is â€Å"Secret, private, or hitherto unpublished narratives or details of history.† Later, the word came to have its present meaning: â€Å"The narrative of a detached incident, or of a single event, told as being in itself interesting or striking.† As Vice-President, Coolidge and his vivacious wife Grace were invited to quite a few parties, where the legend of Silent Cal was born. It is from this time that most of the jokes and anecdotes involving Coolidge originate. The adjective anecdotal dates from the 18th century. It can mean simply â€Å"pertaining to anecdotes,† but in modern usage it is often used in the sense of â€Å"unreliable.† anecdotal: based on or consisting of reports or observations of usually unscientific observers Merriam-Webster Unabridged anecdotal: (of an account) not necessarily true or reliable, because based on personal accounts rather than facts or research. OxfordDictionaries The legal term hearsay refers to â€Å"anecdotal evidence/testimony†: hearsay: second-hand evidence in which the witness is not telling what he/she knows personally, but what others have said to him/her. Legal Dictionary at law.com Examples of the use of anecdotal and anecdotally: I hope you realize that youre using the same rhetoric that the people who dont believe in climate change use. Youre using anecdotal warmth in a particular part of the globe to prove climate change. The medical community has soundly refuted these theories [that autism is caused by vaccines], but a very passionate group of parents and researchers continue to disagree, based on anecdotal evidence. The recent medical controversy over whether vaccinations cause autism reveals a habit of human cognition- thinking anecdotally comes naturally, whereas thinking scientifically does not. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:30 Synonyms for â€Å"Meeting†Work of Art TitlesWriting Styles (with Examples)

Collateral mortgage obligations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 16250 words

Collateral mortgage obligations - Essay Example This descriptive research aimed at studying the numerous valuation methodologies of prepayment speeds with Collateralized Mortgage Obligations (CMO) tranches in order to analyze the importance of these valuation methods in dealing with the complexities of the current economic scenes. The chief objective of the study mainly scrutinized the relevance of these CMOs to the current economic situations. Collateralized Mortgage Obligations have been referred to as claims that arise from cash flows from large pools of home mortgages. The CMOs are designed such that principals and interests once received from mortgage holders are distributed to the tranches. As debt derivatives, they provide retail and institutional investors the possibility of higher yields with a Standard & Poor ratings AA or AAA ratings. CMO present interest rate risk, as well as prepayment risk that make it very sensitive. The 2007 financial bubble was one of the reasons that led to the decline in CMOs due to their inabil ity to prevent the above mentioned risks. Therefore, the study set out to establish a standardized valuation model for CMO retail custodian platforms using historical data from FNMA, collection of empirical data from direct observation and unstructured questionnaires from the FINRA firms. From the investigation of the two major forms of valuation, namely ‘Fixed-rate mortgage’ and ‘adjustable –rate credit valuation’ methodologies, it was possible to actually determine a standard valuation of a five-tranche CMO that can be applied to the pricing model. This proposed quantitative descriptive research study discusses the various valuation methodologies of prepayment speeds with Collateralized Mortgage Obligations (CMO) tranches and analyzes the way the prevalent valuation methods are useful in current complex economic scenarios. The objective of this study is primarily to examine the applicability of various methods of valuation for pricing the CMOs so as to determine their

Prop 30 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Prop 30 - Research Paper Example In November 2012, elections were conducted all over California in order to evaluate whether people were ready to increase the tax rates so that budget cuts could be prevented in the educational sector. According to the website of California Secretary of State, 54% of the voters favored taxes to be increased to finance education system. On the other hand, almost 46% of the total vote’s caste was in opposition to this initiative. Contextually, it should be mentioned that Jerry Brown, the governor of California had given full support to Prop 30. On the other hand, small businessmen and entrepreneurs opposed this proposition. They said that increasing the taxes would affect the businesses in the state adversely. Hence, that would be compensated by job cuts and shut down of smaller firms. Thesis Prop 30 is based on an utmost democratic approach that not only supports the freedom of expression but also takes on a combinatory political approach that ventures to adjudge popular mental ity on the mandate of free education. Particularly after the Civil War and abolition of slavery, equality has been a key area of both debate and pursuit in the American society, where social stratifications are supposed to be aligned to the merit based parameters. But what if education becomes costly? What if the economically backward children are left behind and the public schools raise their fees? Nevertheless, a just education system should be accessible to the economically backward people too. Hence, if it be necessary to increase taxes on the general public so that the schools can be financed better and broader educational outreach is harnessed, people must take a positive approach. California indeed needs educational reforms and the majority of Californians wish to see reforms. In this way, Temporary Taxes to Fund Education should be supported to provide more wealth to the educational establishments. By the means of public funding, governments can really open up the doors of w elfare economy to fulfill the popular aspirations. In the first go, this all may seem to be politically biased populist measures. But if we think a little deeper then we can accept that Californian education system has some real problems which should be solved with real solutions. Hence, Prop 30 was a move that deserved popular support. Discussion Educational disparities raise serious questions on the credibility of American Dream. â€Å"California leads the United States in the total number of African Americans enrolled in higher education, although the proportion of African American students enrolled in higher education continues to decline. Close to 76% of all African Americans in public elementary school graduate from high school, but only 13% go on to graduate from institutions in the California state higher education systems.† (Allen, Bonous-Hammarth, and Teranishi, 1-2) Higher education prospects in California appear to be parallel to a racially biased apartheid system . It reflects a sort of extreme socioeconomic disparity. An outstanding and reachable public higher education system augmented California’s economic development. But today, the lack of an equal opportunity based educational paradigm is playing a significant role to undermine the future prospects of the African American population. Therefore, educational reforms must be initiated to help California maintain its justifiable vibrancies and democratic institutions. Nevertheless, certain

Language and psycholinguistics method for research Essay

Language and psycholinguistics method for research - Essay Example A fully fledged research was carried out among 28 students in this study. Our results states phonological awareness plays an important role in word reading and the non words arranged similar to the actual words do stimulate the correct word reading extensively. We all read several words daily, from film posters to the major office documents. The ability to understand words is important in every persons life as it is an important factor affecting ones knowledge. Lexical decision checks the ability of the person to differentiate between words and non words and identify phonological and semantically primed words. There are a series of experiments conducted to test a person’s lexical decision. This results correlated are used for several different purposes from understanding how people with disabilities in hearing and the normal humans intercept words to determining how the people lexical decision ability influences their reading skill. Human brain processes millions of words every day. How does it identify the meaning of each different word? Collins and Loftus (1975) stated knowledge is stored and processed in the form of nodes. A semantic network stores millions of nodes. One stimulus arouses several related nodes. For example when a person hears the word "car" he automatically associates it with related nodes like "driver", "road" and "speed" rather than other totally different nodes like "dress" and "television". The experiments carried out by various people like McClelland and Rumelhart (1986) have confirmed this concept of relative nodes awakening. The process is termed as "Priming". The researchers also proposed the Parallel Distributed Processing model to enhance the studies about priming. The concept "Priming" helps us understand the mechanism behind understanding words. Pamela Markek says "a concept is represented by a pattern of activation, rather than by activation of a single node". A person’s brain