Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Military Service Should be Mandatory Essay -- Papers

Military Service Should be Mandatory Americans, especially baby boomers, should be ashamed of themselves. How can the world's richest population let its military go begging for recruits? Each year, the military services -- Air Force, Army, Marines, Navy -- establish recruiting goals to maintain adequate numbers of personnel. The numbers change annually depending on, among other factors, service needs, recruitment figures the year before and retention of current troops. Most informed folks are familiar with the sorry statistics, but let me repeat them for the record: The Air Force has a goal of 33,800 for this year; it expects to fall short by 1,700. The Army needs 74,500 but will miss the mark by 6,300. Currently short of its goal of 53,200, the Navy expects to have enough recruits by week's end. Because of its unique tradition, the Marine Corps is the only branch that consistently fills its quota. In all, according to the Associated Press, the services need 197,115 recruits to maintain a force of 1.4-million. Why are the services having such a hard time recruiting? One obvious reason, according to the New York Times, is that the number of people between ages 18 and 22, the prime age for recruits, has dropped to approximately 21-million, 5-million fewer than in 1980. Another major reason, of course, is that the economy has opened job opportunities to those who otherwise might see the military as an option. These two are real reasons for the shrinking recruiting pool, but I see another reason, one that is perhaps at the heart of the problem: As a group, those between 18 and 22 are not patriotic. And perhaps even worse, too many baby-boomer parents and other "influencers" -- teachers and coaches -- bad-mouth the milita... ...y" if we expect to recruit effectively. Where I am from, we call such thinking bass ackward. No, we need to scrap the all-volunteer army concept and draft everyone -- including the children of the rich and the powerful in gated enclaves -- who does not volunteer. I leave the logistics to the experts. Unfortunately, money drives everything these days. When parents advise their children on career choices, fewer of them ever mention the military. It is not an option. The New York Times quotes a 17-year-old senior in the class of 2000 about the attitudes of his peers toward the military. His response? "It's not even in their vocabularies." As a nation, we should be ashamed. President Clinton is not to blame for this one, folks. All of us -- especially parents, teachers and coaches -- are blameworthy. Everyone who enjoys the freedom of living in America should serve.

Monday, January 13, 2020

Compare and Contrast Bodies of Work by Two Artists

2. Compare and contrast bodies of work by two artists you have studied. In your discussion, address the significance of intentions to their practise. The intention of practitioners is pivotal to their practice, these intentions may be different or similar between artists, and two artists whose body of works will be discussed throughout this response include Chris O’Doherty (b. 1951) a contemporary Australian artist and Lin Onus (b. 1948 d. 1996) a contemporary Indigenous Australian artist.The artworks in which will be compared and contrasted are Chris O’Doherty’s Aussie Jesus series, including â€Å"Aussie Jesus at the Football† (1996) available in poster, calendar and t-shirt form and Lin Onus’ three metre mixed media installation â€Å"Fruit Bats†(1990) Although both artists are Australian, Chris O’Doherty is an Anglo-Saxon Australian and was raised as a Christian and has a commercial background, as a rock musician he conveys his int entions in pop culture with many of his artworks placed on T-shirts, posters and calendars, an example of this is his artwork â€Å"Jesus at the Football†, whereas Lin Onus is not influenced by a commercial background, growing up as a man who had experienced the segregation and assimilation of the aboriginal peoples, Lin onus’ artworks are made to illustrate the loss and hope for aboriginal culture and how it has mixed with western culture, this can be seen in his artwork â€Å"Fruit bats† he is an Indigenous Australian raised in Aboriginal culture. However despite these differences they both identify with Australian contemporary culture. In this way that an artist’s world impacts their body of work.Chris O’Doherty’s intentions were directly influenced by him being a commercial artist, as when he was in the band â€Å"Mad as Anything† he would design their album covers, and other promotional merchandise, this relates to many of his wo rks such as â€Å"Aussie Jesus at the Football† which can be bought in the form of a poster, calendar, and shirts, this is a direct reference to O’Doherty’s use of popular culture in order to spread his art to a wide Audience O’Doherty also uses his artwork to educate his audience on spiritual aspects in contemporary Australia, while using humour in order to better communicate what he is trying to express, this can be seen in many of his â€Å"Aussie Jesus† works, specifically â€Å"Aussie Jesus at the football† (1996) through the use of the reinterpreted form of ‘Jesus’ if he was Australian, O’Doherty re-invents The bible story of ‘ The Miracle of the Loaves and the Fishes’ into a new Australian setting of ‘the Miracle of the pies and beer† in which allows him to reinterpret the original moral lesson, and to make a contemporary comment about the nature of worship in our culture today, in terms of our worship of food, beer and sports more than things such as family or church. Similarly Lin Onus aims to educate his audience on the Traditional Aboriginal culture, how it has become moulded to western culture and how it affects the Aboriginal peoples.The installation â€Å"Fruit Bats†(1990) is a collection in which displays the fruit bats hanging of a Hill Hoist (clothesline) a symbol of western culture, in which is a direct reference to the effect of suburbia on the land and how these indigenous animals have adapted through them hanging of the clothesline and not a tree. However there is also a use of humour in his work, the small disks located on the floor and up the post of the hills hoist are symbols of the bats’ droppings, however display a flower like pattern. In this way Onus wishes to reflect on his culture in terms of the progression of the intertwining of Aboriginal and Western cultures.Lin Onus also uses the medium of an installation in the artwork †Å"Fruit Bats† (1990) which enables the audience to participate with the work and therefore is available for a wider audience much like O’Doherty. The artworks Differ in their medium, Lin Onus’ â€Å"Fruit Bats† (1990) is an installation piece made up of mixed media, whereas many of O’Doherty’s works such as â€Å"Aussie Jesus at the Football† are purchasable items in the form of posters, Calenders, shirts and much more, these are however linked to their common ability to communicate to a larger audience as O’Doherty’s work can be bought by many and Onus’ â€Å"Fruit Bats† can involve a large audience.Another contrasting aspect of these works is the religion imbued in the work where as â€Å"Aussie Jesus† implies the artworks Christian nature Chis O’Doherty’s work is subtly Indigenous through the use of Traditional aboriginal symbols and techniques seen in â€Å"Fruit Bats†(1990), this then leads to the differences in the artistic style of the bodies of work, O’Doherty uses a comic like style in his illustrations of the bible in contemporary terms, while Onus mixes Western and Traditional Aboriginal art styles such as the Arnhem land crosshatching seen on the wings of the fruit bats in the artwork â€Å"Fruit Bats† (1990), in this way both collections of work communicate culture and spirituality. The artworks also contrast in their subject matters while Chris O’Doherty deals with the ideas of worship and contemporary Australian culture in his â€Å"Aussie Jesus† specifically â€Å"Aussie Jesus at the Football†(1996), Lin Onus focuses on the mixing of Western culture and Indigenous Australian culture and its effect on Aboriginal Australians. Finally Both artworks deal with Humour in their works while still pertaining to communicate a more serious message. O’Doherty uses humour in that he re-contextualises the bible sto ries into more comedic modern terms while making a point on Australian contemporary culture and worship.Lin Onus also uses humour in his work â€Å"Fruit Bats† through the disks with flower patterns scattered over and around the Hills Hoist actually representing the bat droppings, however still communicating the more serious notion of the adaption of the Aboriginal people to western culture. It is evident that Both Lin Onus and Chris O’Doherty address the significance of intention to their practise. This has been demonstrated by comparing their bodies of work, including Chis O’Doherty’s â€Å"Aussie Jesus† series and Lin Onus’ installation piece â€Å"Fruit Bats† (1990). While these artists are completely different in their artistic styles, subject matter and mediums they share a common interest in their intentions of their art practise, showing their view on Australian culture and heritage, while imbuing their works with spirituality , humour and making it more accessible to a wide audience.

Sunday, January 5, 2020

Undercover Ethical Dilemmas - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1702 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2019/05/15 Category Society Essay Level High school Topics: Ethical Dilemma Essay Did you like this example? Undercover Ethical Dilemmas Abstract When an officer goes on an undercover assignment, it is more psychological for the officer than anything else. Undercover assignments can cause havoc on the officers marriage, family relationships and even on his self. When officers go deep undercover for long periods of time, it sometimes can cause them to go rogue and become on the other side of the law. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Undercover Ethical Dilemmas" essay for you Create order There are certain rules and regulations that officers have to follow while undercover, this paper will discuss these rules and regulations of being undercover as well as reviewing all the ethical dilemmas the two undercover officers faced while on assignment. Also, how a new supervisor could prevent that type of behavior with future undercover officers will also be discussed in this paper. It is so essential for someone that goes on undercover, to not get lost while on assignment. The focus is essential; they cannot lose focus. It may be exciting for some but some; it could lead them on a road of continuous unethical decision making. Introduction On many occasions, undercover officers are forced to be away from their family and friends for long periods of time. It can reek havoc on that family relationship because some officers attitudes change as well as their absence from the home. If they have children, it makes it that much worse. It is necessary for officers who go undercover always to follow the rules and regulations to avoid falling on the other side of the law and going rogue. If the officer does not follow the rules and regulations exactly, it is easy for them to get caught up in illegal activities. Undercover officers face ethical dilemmas all the time; it is up to them to make the right decision over the wrong one. If the officer makes the wrong decision, it can not only put them and the rest of the teams lives in danger, but it could also cost them their career and land them potentially behind bars with the same criminals they put behind those same bars. Rules and Regulations of Undercover Assignments There are not many rules that are known to the public for the simple reason of not allowing the public to weed out those who are undercover. However, there is a two-drink maximum rule in place where officers are only allowed to consume two alcoholic drinks per night while undercover. However, while permitting specific illegal behavior on behalf of the police who are undercover, the public will lose trust in the police for the simple fact the police were allowed to legally break the law when if the people of the community did the same thing, they would be arrested and charged with no questions asked. Having public trust and moral authority is essential for the police in a democratic society (Joh, 2009). It is allowing the officers to be free of following the basic rule of law principles that are set in place. Every state has their own set of undercover rules and regulations, and they may differ from state to state. However, for the state of Oregan, the covert operations are explained in detail of what is and is not allowed while conducting an undercover investigation (0640.95 Undercover Safety and Operation Procedures | 0600 Field Operations | The City of Portland, Oregon, 2018). Officers who work undercover could work the assignment alone or with two or more team members. The most crucial thing for an officer to remember is never to have any clothing or items that are visible to the naked eyes that would reveal theyre true identity. So this would include, their badge, uniform, holster, anything that would be recognized as a police uniform (0640.95 Undercover Safety and Operation Procedures, 2018). In Portland, there are a few different rules that must be followed by the officers going undercover. A few of those rules include: The officer cannot consume any controlled substances. If a situation arises that the officer is being forced to use, they should refuse. However, if the suspect pushes more, the officer should take their self out of the situation and terminate the assignment. Another rule is for the officer always to be armed no matter where they are at (0640.95 Undercover Safety and Operation Procedures, 2018). Also, officers should not drink alcohol when on assignment, however, if the situation arises that they must they should refrain from drinking in excess. Nevertheless, if alcohol was consumed, then the officer should report it immediately and cannot participate in any police activity until the effects of the alcohol have worn off (0640.95 Undercover Safety and Operation Procedures, 2018). The Ethical Dilemmas Officers Face In the scenario, both officers made numerous unethical decisions that could have cost them both their career or even their life. When the officers get caught by their superiors of committing police misconduct, and they see no punishment for their actions, then it leaves the officer to continue their behavior and sometimes even escalate their behavior. For example, the more experienced officer, Tony, consumed many drinks, bought cigarettes and even played pool on the contingency funds. He also has purchased Marijuana with the same funds. Tonys informant even gets paid fifty dollars from the funds needed for the investigation. However, when Tony seess the informant, he not only kisses her but also grabs her behind and makes an offensive statement to her. This is not necessary to keep his cover. He sounds like a jerk especially since he does not like to work as a team. He prefers to work alone. Even though Tony logged the expenses into the book does not mean all that he logged was accur ate. When he paid the informant the fifty dollars, the receipt was not witnessed by Johnny until the next day. He was asked to witness the receipt of the transaction between Tony and his informant, but he lied because he was not there when the transaction occurred so he can not say for sure where that fifty dollars went. Over the past three years, Johnny has many accomplishments but also has had to face the consequences relating to a traffic accident while using an undercover car, being late as well as using inappropriate language and turning his reports in late. Noticeably, the more Johnny is around Tony, the more he is becoming just like him. He is disregarding his job, his family and other outside commitments. They both ditch work and go to the bar and drink until their shift ends. So now they are driving home intoxicated. Johnny has become just like Tony in regards to not being a team player. Tony has negatively influenced Johnny. Instead of showing him the right way to do things, he showed him the way he does things. However, by doing this, Johnny is now lying to his wife about his whereabouts as well as drinking excessively on the job which entails driving intoxicated. Coming in all hours of the night when he was not working or way after his shift ended. This is not the type of behavior of an o fficer, whether uniformed or undercover, should act. Johnny even using his unmarked car for pleasure without asking or notifying his superior. Preventing the Same Behavior in the Future When a new supervisor comes into the department, they should have an idea of how they want their unit ran. No matter how long any of the officers have been there, it is the supervisors job to make sure things are running efficiently as well as avoiding any misconduct from their officers (Dwyer, 2008). There is a set of code of ethics that is separate from the formalized rules and regulations. The supervisor should take the code of ethics and print them on a card for each officer. A small card they can carry around with them at all times, in their wallet or pocket. Every time they put they hand in their pocket; they will feel the card and glance at it. The problem with many departments, is some of the officers do not give the code of ethics a second thought (Dwyer, 2008). When these code of ethics have been violated by an officer, the consequence should be enforced and not pushed under the rug. The example should be made of these officers because then the newer officers will get the idea that the supervisor nor the department is something to take lightly. Control their officers behavior as they see fit is essential when trying to accomplish the agencys service goals and mission. Having the courts back the departments is also necessary. Rarely, officers who have made attempts to persuade the courts to make the departments relax the dictates has been deterred (Dwyer, 2008). It is so important to have a department that has stability, and once the balance is shaken, the officer who is trying to go against it should be handled right then and there. There should not be a chance after chance because all that tell the officers is that its okay do not do it again, in which they do (Dwyer, 2008). Conclusion Every officer, whether in uniform or undercover, should have a code of ethics they follow. Most people are raised up with morals, and some carry those morals as they grow up, but some forget those morals after they leave home. Not only should a person have their own set of ethics to follow but also they should follow their departments code of ethics. If more officers were reprimanded for violating any of the code of ethics set by their department, then maybe there would be less misconduct within the criminal justice system. There is no officer better than the other. Being on the police force means having a team of officers, not a solo officer who feels they can take on the world by their self. When the officers have that mentality, they sometimes end up on the other side of the law. References 0640.95 Undercover Safety and Operation Procedures | 0600 Field Operations | The City of Portland, Oregon. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.portlandoregon.gov/police/article/529154 Dwyer, T. (2008). Codes of ethics and officer discipline. Retrieved from https://www.policeone.com/legal/articles/1743985-Codes-of-ethics-and-officer-discipline/ Joh, E. (2009). Breaking the Law to Enforce it: Undercover Police Participation in Crime. Stanford Law Review, 62.

Saturday, December 28, 2019

Criminal Law and Police Administration - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 8 Words: 2382 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Law Essay Type Research paper Topics: Criminal Law Essay Police Essay Did you like this example? ELEMENTS OF CRIMINOLOGY, CRIMINAL LAW AND POLICE ADMINISTRATION PROJECT A Project Report CONTENTS Table Contents List of Table and Figures Preface 1. Introduction 1.1 Law 1 1.2 United States constitution 2 2. Miranda Rights 2.1 Definition 3 2.2 History 3 2.3 The lines and its interpretation 4 2.4 Exceptions to Miranda Rights 5 2.5 Waiver 6 2.6 Violation 8 2.7 Consequences 8 References LIST OF FIGURES 1.1 1 1.2 3 2.1 Table 2.1 PREFACE The constitution of any country is the most important law which regulates all the activities of the citizens. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Criminal Law and Police Administration" essay for you Create order In this project, we will look at the Fifth Amendment of the US constitution which includes the Miranda Rights. The matter looked into is the definition, the lines of the Miranda Rights, exceptions, waiver rule, consequences and violation of Miranda Rights. A brief description has also been given on à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"What is law?à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ and the United States Constitution. This project has been made solely by the two authors with the help of few reference guidelines. The aim of this report is to help educate the reader about the need and importance of Miranda Rights. Introduction to law Law is a set of rules that governs the functioning of a society or country by regulating the action of its members. This applies to every citizen. According to Thomas Hobbes, law is a type of glue that holds all diverse societies together. Definition of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"lawà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ by different systems of society: Legal Positivism John Austin à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Province of Jurisprudence Determined A rule laid down for the guidance of an intelligent being by an intelligent being having power over him. Professor Hart -The Concept of Law (1961) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Law is a system of rules, a union of primary and secondary rules.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Marxist theory- they believe that law is a tool of oppression used by capitalists to control the people. Natural Law. Plato and Aristotle à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“An embodiment of Reason, whether in the individual or the communityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢. Max Weber (German Sociologist): Lawà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦exist if it is externally guaranteed by the probability of coercion (physical or psychological) to bring about conformity or avenge violation, and is applied by a staff of people holding themselves specially ready for that purpose. United States Constitution: Introduction The Constitution is the most important and highest law in United States. All laws are stated in the Constitution. Each state has its own constitution. It is responsible for the election and governing of the president, the political parties and the Supreme Court. The Constitution has been changed several times and as of 2006, there are 27 amendments. The first ten amendments list the rights of the people, called the Bill of Rights. The Constitution of US was written in 1787 by a group of men known as the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"farmersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ which included James Madison, Ben Franklin and George Washington. The Bill of Rights includes the Miranda Warnings, Studentsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ Rights as well as Constitutional Rights and Responsibility. The Fifth Amendment is part of the Bill of Rights and protects against unfair treatment of people in legal processes. It states that all criminals should be tried by a grand jury. Miranda Rights is a part of the Fifth Amendment which protects an individual while interrogation by the police. Miranda Warning Miranda warnings or Miranda Rights is a warning, usually given by the police in US to the criminals at the time of arrest or before any interrogation. It is a must for the police administration to inform these rights to the suspect. This is used to preserve the admissibility of their statements when presented in court. However a police need not read the Miranda rights to a person if he doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t use his statements as evidence in court. These rights need to be read only if the police questions a suspect. For example, for a particular crime, the police may question the witnesses without reading them their rights. However this is still admissible in court as the person is free to make the choice and will not be arrested. According to Section 504 of Rehabilitation Act of 1973, police administration must provide qualified interpreters to inform deaf persons of their Miranda Rights. Only after a suspect has been detained, but before interrogation, the police must read him his rights. However if the police arrests a person and interrogates him without reading him his rights, his charges will not be dismissed but his statements will not be admissible in court. This is used to protect the individual who is in custody and the law enforcement is required to follow them. It was created in the 1960s to protect the rights of those questioned by the police in a threatening manner. History The term à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Miranda Rightsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ was developed after the Arizona v. Miranda case. In 1963, Ernesto Miranda was arrested for armed robbery of a bank worker. H e had a record for attempted rape and kidnapping of an 18-year-old girl, assault, burglary and armed robbery. Upon interrogation by the police, he confessed to kidnapping and raping the girl. However his statement was ruled invalid in court as his attorneys appealed that Miranda did not know that he had the right to remain silent and it was believed that Miranda gave in due to threatening by the police official. However Miranda was convicted later when the prosecutors retried the case using evidences other than his statement. He served 11 years in prison. Miranda died at the age of 32 after being stabbed and killed in a bar fight. A suspect accused of killing Miranda was arrested but exercised his rights to remain silent. The lines for à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Miranda rightsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ was then finalized by California deputy attorney general Doris Maier and district attorney Harold Berliner in 1968. The Lines à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“ Meaning of each line: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"You have the right to remain silent.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢- This line means that the suspect has the right to remain silent and not answer any question asked. Otherwise one can wish to freely answer the questions asked by the police official without an attorney as well or can speak freely in the presence of an attorney. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Statements and answers given by the suspect serve as a source of evidence in the court which may at times work against him. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"You have the right to an attorney.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢- The suspect can answers or speak in the presence of his attorney if he wants. This helps him to consult with his attorney before givin g an answer. However if the suspect wishes to speak without the presence of his attorney, he can do so, but he can also terminate the interrogation at any time by asking for an attorney. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢- if a suspect cannot afford a lawyer, a public defender will be assigned to by the courts. Additional Question: Along with these lines, the police may also add the following questions to see the suspect understands their rights: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Do you understand each of these rights I have explained to you? Having these rights in mind, do you wish to talk to us now?à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“We have no way of giving you a lawyer, but one will be appointed for you, if you wish, if and when you go to court.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  this is an additional sentence said by some polices administration in New Jersey, Nevada, Indiana and Alaska. Miranda Exception The warnings that should be re ad to the suspects are: To inform his or her rights to remain silent The right to not say until in the presence attorney. If he or she cannot afford an attorney, an attorney will be given to him by the state. If wished he can waive his rights. However there are some situations where the Miranda rights need not to read to a certain individual. These situations include: Public safety exception. Undercover agent exception. Routine booking questions exception. PUBLIC SAFETY EXCEPTION It is when an officer needs information from a suspect without a waiver, which can help save a life or save someone from a threat. Mirandaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s public safety exception is helpful for quick action so as complete the police procedure or to fasten the investigation. The investigating officer may ask to a suspect without warning about the Miranda rights to them, if and only if the interrogation is necessary for the public safety. Requirements: The public safety exception applies if the officer who questioned should reasonably believe the information they got was necessary to protect life or property. Their questions should be limited to obtain the information. UNDERCOVER AGENTS/ JAIL HOUSE INFORMENT EXCEPTIONS It is the situation when the suspect doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t know that the person interrogating is an undercover agent. That is, when a suspect is in custody, Miranda is not required if he or she doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t know that their voluntarily talking to a police officer. The officer and the suspect negotiation are not considered as interrogation. ROUTINE BOOKING EXCEPTIONS Questions which are routinely asked as a part of administrative process are not part of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“interrogationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . Booking questions are not in violation to the Miranda rights. They simple involve questions such as if the suspect suffers from any contagious disease or where is he employed or if he does drugs etc. These statements cannot be used as evidence in court. Miranda Waiver A Waiver is defined as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“intentional relinquishment or abandonment of a known right à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“. Miranda waiver must be both à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“knowingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“understandingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . The suspect must voluntarily waive their rights before questioning can proceed. They can also turn down and need not answer. Usually these waiver questions are asked by some police administration, to understand whether the suspect has understood his rights: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Do you understand each of these rights I have explained to you? Having these rights in mind, do you wish to talk to us now? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“KNOWNINGà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  WAIVER: The person should be informed correctly about their rights and the consequences. Even though the court knows that the suspect might be aware of their Miranda rights, the investigation officer are said to enumerate the suspect as the prosecution have the burden to prove the knowledge by direct means of evidence. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Right to remain silentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ - suspect must be told about the Fifth Amendment right to not answer a question. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Anything you sayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ - suspect should be made aware of consequences of waiving their rights. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Right to counselà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ - Miranda rights to counsel has three components: The right to consult to his or her attorney before answering a question. The right to keep an attorney while questioning is going on. The right to have an attorney appointed if the person cannot afford one. MIRANDA CARD: A Standard Miranda card is used to make sure that none of the important information is inadvertently omitted, and it would be easy for the prosecutors to prove that the officer did not make any mistake in the Miranda rights. NO ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Officers are not needed to provide any additional information, even though the suspect finds it helpful in deciding whether to waive or invoke. INCORRECT MIRANDA WARNINGS: If the nature of Miranda right or the consequence of waiving it is not represented properly, such a waiver is not valid on the ground it was not knowingly and intelligent. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“INTELLIGENTà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  WAIVER The person should not only know his or her rights in the abstract, they should have to understand them. This is what the court mean by waiver must be à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“intelligentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . EXPRESS STATEMENT OF UNDERSTANDING: It is not necessary for the officer to obtain an express statement from the suspect that he understood the rights. CLARIFYING THE RIGHTS: If the suspect conveys he or she did not understand his rights, at that time the investigating officer should try to make him clarify them about their rights. CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE OF UNDERSTANDING: If the suspect agreed that he or she understood their rights, but claimed in court that the suspect, that time the court will consider as circumstantial evidence of understanding. The circumstance is frequently on the bases of the suspectà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s age, experience, education, background, and intelligence and also whether the same person has been previously invoked about the rights. MENTALLY IMPARIED SUSPECTS: A Suspect says he or she has understood but later on says or claims that he didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t as the suspect mental condition is not proper due to over consumption of or alcohol or drugs or if suffering with a mental disorder. In such cases nothing in the record is taken to indicate that the defendant did not understand his or her rights. VOLUNTARY WAIVER Along with the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“knowingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“intelligentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  the Miranda waiver should be à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“voluntary à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“. This means that the investigating officer should not have to get the waiver by threats or promises or any other ways. Violation of Miranda Rights If an officer fails to read the Miranda Rights, the charges of the suspect will not be dismissed; instead his statements made will not hold an evidential value in the court. These cannot be used by prosecutors or defense lawyers. However a police official can question anyone at any time even if he wants to arrest or detain any person. But any statements made by him during interrogation will be ruled admissible in court. Consequences of Miranda Rights DECLINE IN CONFESSIONS : As People are much more aware of what they should say and what not say, Confession rates has fell by about 16 percentage after Miranda . CRIME CLEARANCE RATES: Due to this the number of criminal case solved has fell down as the confession rate has declined, it is being more difficult for the police officer to solve the crime. It affects the police success in dealing with the professional criminal. The recent studies say that the chance for a case to be solved is declining every year because of Miranda. References (2000-2008, M Souper). Law and Morality-What is law?. Retrieved from https://www.sixthformlaw.info (April, 2013). Miranda Rights. Retrieved from https://www.en.wikipedia.org Ruschmann, Paul (Jan 1, 2009). Miranda Rights. Infobase Publishing, US Montaldo, Charles (Crime Expert).Origin of Miranda Rights and Warning. Retrieved from https://crime.about.com Burgan, Michael (Jul 1, 2006). Miranda V. Arizona: The Rights of the Accused. Capstone Publishers,Minnesota, US. United States Constitution. Retrieved from https://www.usconstitution.net.

Friday, December 20, 2019

The Atekpc Project Management Office - 8319 Words

9-308-049 OCTOBER 11, 2007 F. WARREN MCFARLAN MARK KEIL JOHN HUPP The AtekPC Project Management Office A rain had started in the early evening of March 3, 2007, and the streets of Metropolis were cold and grey where the AtekPC headquarters were located. As John Strider, CIO for AtekPC, packed up his briefcase at the end of the day, his thoughts returned to the new Project Management Office (PMO) that he had approved several months ago. During his tenure of over twenty years at AtekPC, Strider had never witnessed the kinds of pressures that were now facing the personal computer (PC) industry. Strider recognized that the industry was in transition and that his Information Technology (IT) organization would be involved in some critically†¦show more content†¦There was little margin for mistakes at AtekPC in these changing times. Industry Background The PC industry was experiencing tremendous cost pressure and was undergoing a period of consolidation. As profit margins fell, PC makers were launching cost reduction strategies aimed at further improving the efficiency of their supply chains, while lowering the cost of distribution. According to a recent newspaper article: The latest financial results for PC makers show a slow down in both sales and profitability. Both corporations and consumers are holding on to their PCs for a longer period of time to avoid the cost and hassles associated with upgrading their equipment. As a result, purchases are being deferred and PC makers are looking at new markets for growth opportunities. The industry appears to be undergoing a wave of consolidation as cost control and scale become more important than ever before.1 In 2007, a major news magazine ran a cover article entitled â€Å"Whither the PC?† The threats reported in their analysis were worldwide and stemmed from a variety of facto rs including the growing popularity of mobile phones, PDAs and web-based application software. For most people, email is the most important application that they use. For a long period of time, sending and receiving email necessitated having a full-fledged PC. Nowadays, though, businesspeople and consumers want toShow MoreRelatedThe Atekpc Project Management Office2166 Words   |  9 PagesThe AtekPC Project Management Office: Situation: John Strider the CEO of AtekPC is faced with pressure that is facing the PC industry as a result of the industry transition. Strider had in the past thought of a Project Management Office which if implemented would of great benefit to AtekPC in the long run. He however did not want to implement this idea in a rush because he had concerns of the effect it would have if they tried to push hard with the idea. There were questions on how PMO ProgramRead MoreHarvard Business School: the Atekpc Project Management Office1550 Words   |  7 PagesApplied Project Management Individual  Assignment Identify the main purpose and mission of a PMO and what are the main challenges and obstacles in implementing a PMO? (HBS: The AtekPC Project Management Office) Submitted by: KMO Greene Introduction The AtekPC Company found in 1984 has grown in size and scope to become a mid-sized technology PC manufacturer. The company now boasts 2100 fulltime employees with an additional 200 part time workers and revenues of $1.9 billion. AtekPC findsRead MoreCase Study Management : Project Management1223 Words   |  5 PagesFundamentals Case Study #1 What is one of the biggest challenges for IT industry companies is implementing project management practice within a constantly changing environment and not flexible inner culture of the company. This paper is based on the case by Harvard Business School that is describing challenges and failure of AtekPC during the implementation of Project Management Office. AtekPC is a PC maker founded 1984 with the headquarters in Metropolis. In 2006, it was a middle-sized company withRead MoreAtekpc Case Write Up Essay1399 Words   |  6 Pagespurpose and mission of a PMO? As according to the AtekPC Project Management Office case, the purpose1 of a PMO is to fulfill the need for greater discipline in managing IT projects. Moreover, it establishes or enhances project management skills, process, and governance structures within an organization (Applegate Pg. 462). The director of Application Development, Richard Steinberg, described AtekPC’s PMO’s purpose as a â€Å"methodology† for managing projects with standardized practices. As stated withinRead MoreAtek Pc Pmo700 Words   |  3 PagesAn Analysis of AtekPC Howard Kleinberg, Mark Grover As we walk through our analysis of this case, please keep the following questions in mind: 1. What mistakes did AtekPC make in implementing its PMO? 2. What should AtekPC have done to successfully implement its PMO? Industry Background Proliferation of mobile phones, PDAs and web-based applications slowed PC popularity. Industry was undergoing a wave of Director Application Development consolidation as cost control and scale Richard SteinbergRead MoreAtekpc1604 Words   |  7 PagesCase Analysis The AtekPC Project Management Office Case Overview AtekPC is a mid-sized U.S PC maker with sales of $ 1.9 billion and employed 2100 full time employees and additional 200 part time workers. This case discusses most of the obstacles to establishing a PMO (Project management Office) are beyond the CIO and PMO Managers control. We see a lot of problems faced by the CIO in implementing a PMO in the enterprise. Regardless of the technical challenges during the implementation, the coreRead MoreProject Management Office1795 Words   |  8 Pagescase Project Context: AtekPC founded in 1984, has grown to become a mid-sized U.S PC maker, with 2100 employees, $1.9m revenues in 2006. With the transition of PC industry from a growth market to that of a maturing market, AtekPC was experiencing tremendous cost pressure and changing management urgency. In order to positioning the organization for the future, John Strider, CIO for AtekPC, had strong convictions that the PMO-light model1was the way to go. PMO issues involved at AtekPC includedRead MoreThe Project Management Office: An Overview1572 Words   |  6 PagesProject Management Office The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), published by the Project Management Institute, addresses the objective of a Project Management Office (PMO) as follows: PMO is an organizational body or entity assigned various responsibilities related to the centralized and coordinated management of those projects under its domain. The responsibilities of a PMO can range from providing project management support functions to actually being responsible for the directRead MoreManagement and Teaching Note19520 Words   |  79 Pages207-058-4 EXCHANGE RATE VOLATILITY AND RESERVE BANK INTERVENTION: THE CASE OF NEW ZEALAND Structured assignment Gonela, SK; Panuganti, SM IBSCDC 14pp; Teaching note 207-058-8 (11pp) 207-046-1 GERMANY’S ‘GREEN DOT’WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM George, SS; Govind, S ICMR Center for Management Research 21pp; Teaching note 207-046-8 (3pp) 207-059-1 GLOBAL INFLATION: MONETARY POLICY DEBATE Gonela, SK; Kompella, R IBSCDC 8pp; Teaching note 207-059-8 (13pp) 207-059-4 GLOBAL INFLATION: MONETARY POLICY DEBATE Structured

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Organisational Governance Reforms Management †Free Samples

Question: Discuss about the Organisational Governance Reforms. Answer: Introduction The topic discusses the organizational governance and management of performances based on the different types of health and social reforms that are managed within the health and social care organizations in Australia. The health care reforms are managed to determine the ways of creating the most important health policies and check the changes along with Governmental policies that are implemented for creating an impact on the delivery of health care services to people. The laws, rules and regulations that are implemented create financial impact according to the present health condition and age of individuals within a particular community. The health care reforms are used to increase the number of people who are insured and ensure that high quality health care services are delivered to the people suffering from some kinds of diseases or illnesses through reduction of costs of services that have been delivered. The health care reforms can create impact on both the employers and employee s of the organization who need to abide by the rules, regulations and relevant changes, which have been made by implementing the health reforms and policies (Bao et al., 2013). Organisational Governance reforms The health system governance is undertaken for protecting as well as promoting good health of people within the community through setting up of strategic direction, goals and objectives and even changing the policies, laws, rules and regulations for ensuring successful deployment of resources and accomplish the organizational goals and objectives with ease and effectiveness. By enabling proper organizational governance and performancemanagement systems, it could be even easy for implementation of health reforms and even improve the efficiency of setting a strategic vision, manage participation of the health care staffs, ensure transparency, responsiveness, equity along with the values and ethics properly maintained (Bititci et al., 2012). The health reforms are established to deliver high quality, safe and sustainable public health system in Australia and make the health care workers understand the vision of the organization and focus on greater accountability and transparency within the workforce. In Australia, the new health governance reform such as The Health Services Act is a welcome addition that has not only helped in supporting the workforce but also has resulted in improving themanagement of financial aspects along with development of string partnership, furthermore ensuring successful delivery of Information and Communication system and support services too (Collins et al., 2015). The Governance reforms on the other hand have lead to making of certain changes to the way health system is governed. It is essential for ensuring greater accountability and improves the efficiency of decision-making process, furthermore improving the patient care and delivery of services with ease and effectiveness too (Driouchi Bennett, 2012). It also allowed for local participation, empowering the community and even managed involvement in projects related to the implementation of health reforms. Theperformance management approaches were undertaken to check whether the workers of the heal th care organizations in Australia had been working properly or not and then implement a health reform based on which necessary changes could be done (Keehan et al., 2012). Implementation of Governance reforms One of the recent governance reforms related to the health system is the National Health Reform. The NHR agreement was managed during the year 2012 after lots of discussions between the States and Commonwealth. It is a kind of document that sets various goals and objectives for implementing a reform program properly and manage delivery of good quality services to people in Australia. Previously, there were a lot of issues and concerns related to the public health hospitals such as lack of safety and poor quality services delivered, overcrowded emergency departments and long waiting list for management of surgeries as well (Filatotchev Nakajima, 2014). Blames and criticism on the Government of Australia were experienced and had been told about lack of proper funding to meet the growing demands and preferences of the people and poor management. A huge segment of the population started blaming the Australian Government about a single level of management responsible for the health care services and other responsibilities. After much debates and discussions, finally, the National Health Reform was introduced with the involvement of Government of Australia and this further implemented many changes in the health system with exclusion of various recommendations by the Commission too (Keehan et al., 2012). As a manger of a health care organization, it is my responsibility to ensure that all the principles of the National Health Reform are supported to manage proper decision making at all the levels of the health system, manage activity based funding for the health care organizations and ensure successful public performance reporting. The implementation of the reform could allow for local decision making through establishment of Local health networks for management of hospitals and deliverance of good quality services for the people (Keehan et al., 2015). With the implementation of this reform, various policies and procedures will be changed, furthermore allow for managing the budgetary procedures at the hospitals and delivering the required services to the people of Australia. The National Health Reform could also change the responsibilities of the States and make sure that the operational processes, gaining oversight and management of health system are done properly. By implementing t he reform, it would also be easy for managing the activity based funding and develop a national health system to select the most appropriate coding technique, manage proper collections of data and information and even determine the right price that should be set for the health services offered (Liaw et al., 2012). Link between strategic and operational planning As a manager, from my perspective, it is evident that strategic planning is an important aspect to identify the vision, mission, goals and objectives and even make necessary plans to become successful in the future. The strategic planning is experienced at the corporate level and proper rules and regulations are followed to make the operational planning successful at the functional level. The vision of the organization is to deliver good quality care services to the people of Australia through implementation of governance reforms for proper management of changes in policies, procedures and implementing laws, rules and regulations too (McGorry, Bates Birchwood, 2013). As the report focuses on the implementation of health reform, it is the responsibility of the top-level management to manage the strategic planning process and understand the vision, mission, goals and objectives by examining the micro and macro environmental factors. This would help in setting priorities and develop a path to reach towards the ultimate goal with ease. The PEST and SWOT analysis should be done for managing the strategic planning process by identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the organization and its introduced reform and even determine the various factors that could create impact on the operational planning (Mir Pinnington, 2014). As soon as the strategic planning process is completed, the operational planning is done to support it and determine the long as well as short term goals and objectives. The middle level management manages the operational planning process by managing the planning process at various levels of the organization through alignment with the strategic planning, reforms of the health system to achieve the vision. The objectives of implementing the reform must be clearly set, performances should be measured to check whether the organizational staffs are aware of the changes or not and lastly maintain the quality standards (Moynihan, Pandey Wright, 2012). Issues arisen during implementation and adverse effects of reforms The major issues faced during the implementation of the Governance reforms are spending of lots of money, change in new tax and regulatory aspects and even lack of knowledge and skills among the health care staffs. The implementation of new reforms can often be something new for the workers of the health care organization, which they may fail to understand properly and this can lead to further complexities. Due to the new tax and regulatory requirements, the prices of services might change, which could further result in making the people within the community unable to purchase the desired quality services from the health care organizations. One such legislation could be the Affordable Care Act that had forced to implement changes within the industry and put a lot of pressures to the health are professionals as well (Shields et al., 2015). The health care workers faced stress and had been incapable of handling the new reforms and adjust with the working environment consisting of chang es in policies and implementation of new health reforms. The ACA, Australia also imposed penalty on the employers of the organization who had failed to deliver coverage to their employees, though it had been seen that the real coverage that employers provided had been inadequate. This kind of legislation or health reform Act does not have a proper way of obtaining penalty, due to which, it had resulted in other complexities and issues too (Sturmberg et al., 2012). It was also seen that though the National Health reform was implemented and changes in policies were made, still the quality of few services from the health system had not been satisfactory, which made the service users unsatisfied. The health care workers were not properly trained, which made them less skilled and even suffered from lack of knowledge and expertise to handle the services delivered properly (Too Weaver, 2014). Feedbacks obtained leading to advancement in development of health As a manager, it is my responsibility to monitor the performances of the organization and its workers consistently so that the areas of weaknesses can be overcome and the health system can be developed. The various stakeholders involved are customers or service users, suppliers, Government, regulatory bodies, managers, etc. It is important to gain the responses and feedbacks of the service users to check whether they are provided with the right kinds of care services or not and whether they have been satisfied or not (Walls, Berrone Phan, 2012). The suppliers must be communicated with to make an assumption and find out whether they have been paid well for the raw materials and resources provided to manage the production of services. The Government of Australia must support the external stakeholders to ensure that the reforms, policies and legislations are implemented properly to ensure successful functioning of the health care organization with efficiency. The Independent Hospital P ricing Authority or IHPA should also provide their feedbacks and discuss about the efficient prices that should be set for the kinds of services delivered to the service users. Based on this, the health system could be implemented with certain changes for successful achievement of organizational vision. The sparse population in Australia had resulted in lesser quantity of services and higher fixed costs. The agreement of reforms had further helped in allowing the funding activities to be managed properly and ensure that successful corporate governance is maintained to achieve the aim of delivering good quality care services at a reasonable cost for the service users (Wu, Straub Liang, 2015). Conclusion The report focused on the most important aspects of organizational governance and management of performances related to the implementation of National Health Reform in Australias health system. The management of performances is done as well for understanding the weak areas and make necessary changes to improve the quality of health system. The implementation of Governance reform has been done to improve the health system, manage proper collection of data and set right prices for the services offered to the people. The operational planning was based on the strategic planning and it had been effective for achievement of goals and objectives with ease and effectiveness. Few issues related to the implementation of reform are new tax and law rules, difficulties for the workers to adjust with the new reforms, policies, etc. Lastly, the feedbacks of various stakeholders were gathered to implement relevant changes to the governance and ensured that the health reforms had been implemented to improve the process of development of the health system. This would even lead to successful advancement and improvement of the health system in Australia too. References Bao, G., Wang, X., Larsen, G. L., Morgan, D. F. (2013). Beyond new public governance: a value-based global framework for performance management, governance, and leadership. Administration Society, 45(4), 443-467. Bititci, U., Garengo, P., Drfler, V., Nudurupati, S. (2012). Performance measurement: challenges for tomorrow. International Journal ofManagement Reviews, 14(3), 305-327. Collins, S. R., Rasmussen, P. W., Doty, M. M., Beutel, S. (2015). The rise in health care coverage and affordability since health reform took effect. Commonwealth Fund: Washington, DC. Driouchi, T., Bennett, D. J. (2012). Real options in management and organizational strategy: A review of decision?making and performance implications. International Journal of Management Reviews, 14(1), 39-62. Filatotchev, I., Nakajima, C. (2014). Corporate governance, responsible managerial behavior, and corporate social responsibility: organizational efficiency versus organizational legitimacy?. The Academy of Management Perspectives, 28(3), 289-306. Keehan, S. P., Cuckler, G. A., Sisko, A. M., Madison, A. J., Smith, S. D., Lizonitz, J. M., ... Wolfe, C. J. (2012). National health expenditure projections: modest annual growth until coverage expands and economic growth accelerates. Health Affairs, 10-1377. Keehan, S. P., Cuckler, G. A., Sisko, A. M., Madison, A. J., Smith, S. D., Stone, D. A., ... Lizonitz, J. M. (2015). National health expenditure projections, 201424: spending growth faster than recent trends. Health Affairs, 34(8), 1407-1417. Liaw, S. T., Chen, H. Y., Maneze, D., Taggart, J., Dennis, S., Vagholkar, S., Bunker, J. (2012). Health reform: is routinely collected electronic information fit for purpose?. Emergency Medicine Australasia, 24(1), 57-63. McGorry, P., Bates, T., Birchwood, M. (2013). Designing youth mental health services for the 21st century: examples from Australia, Ireland and the UK. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 202(s54), s30-s35. Mir, F. A., Pinnington, A. H. (2014). Exploring the value of project management: linking project management performance and project success. International journal of project management, 32(2), 202-217. Moynihan, D. P., Pandey, S. K., Wright, B. E. (2012). Prosocial values and performance management theory: Linking perceived social impact and performance information use. Governance, 25(3), 463-483. Shields, J., Brown, M., Kaine, S., Dolle-Samuel, C., North-Samardzic, A., McLean, P., ... Plimmer, G. (2015). Managing Employee Performance Reward: Concepts, Practices, Strategies. Cambridge University Press. Sturmberg, J. P., O'halloran, D. M., Martin, C. M. (2012). Understanding health system reforma complex adaptive systems perspective. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 18(1), 202-208. Too, E. G., Weaver, P. (2014). The management of project management: A conceptual framework for project governance. International Journal of Project Management, 32(8), 1382-1394. Walls, J. L., Berrone, P., Phan, P. H. (2012). Corporate governance and environmental performance: Is there really a link?. Strategic Management Journal, 33(8), 885-913. Wu, S. P. J., Straub, D. W., Liang, T. P. (2015). How information technology governance mechanisms and strategic alignment influence organizational performance: Insights from a matched survey of business and it managers. Mis Quarterly, 39(2), 497-518.

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Two Weeks Notice free essay sample

Two weeks notice Bullock plays Lucy Kelson, a committed left-wing attorney with an immaculate Ivy League background who fights the good fight against the heartless developers of lower Manhattan and the outer boroughs. Complications ensue when she finds herself working for one such figure, George Wade (Grant) in exchange for his preserving a Coney Island landmark near her childhood home. Wades not a bad guy, but hes frightfully dependent on Lucy for everything. When it seems possible she might at last get clear of him, she begins to have second thoughts about letting him go. The Movie Two Weeks Notice stares Saundra Bullock and Hugh Grant premiered in December of 2002. The movie follows a mix match relationship between a strong willed, save the community lawyer named Lucy Kelson, played by Sandra Bullock, and a high status business man, George Wade, played by Hugh Grant. The two in the beginning seem completely different but when Lucy goes to work for George, to keep him from knocking down the neighborhood community center, she realizes how needy he was, and how much she couldnt stand it. When Lucy gives George two weeks notice, George realizes that she is an asset to his company. After much arguing she finally gets out and then they both realize that theyve fallen in love with each other. Since they were too stubborn to admit it, it took a huge argument in the employee lounge to get them to let their guards down. Writer and first time Director, Marc Lawrences Two Weeks Notice is a charming, smart, and genuinely funny romantic comedy with terrific performances by Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant. This a great movie. Inherent in romantic comedies is a degree of predictibility. Two Weeks Notice follows formula, but Lawrence orchestrates enough curves, character insight, and human resonance to make it more than just formula. He also has the great chemistry of Bullock and Grant this is their medium. Sandra Bullock plays Lucy Kelson, a Harvard educated activist lawyer, who is hired by George Wade (Hugh Grant)a handsome, charming, and seemingly shallow multi-millionaire develo per. George hires Lucy as chief legal counsel for Wade Corp. , for $250 K, because his brother Howard (David Haig), the true captain of Wade Corp. requested George hire an attorney who did not attend Bimbo U. Lucy swallows her idealism and poverty, because George also promises to protect her parents community center. Lucy is smart and not intentionally funny, and soon becomes Georges right and left arm he cant to anything without her consult. This only amplifies that Lucy has no life or rather any relationships of merit other than with George. Lucy gives George her Two Weeks Notice. Credit Lawrence and company, when George finally accepts Lucys resignation, it is crystal regarding the unspoken relationship of the two. Wink. Wink. Two Weeks never insults our intelligence, however, it makes us await for an hour and a half. Along with wit and humor Lawrence, Bullock, and Grant provide a a very human touch that resonates throughout the movie. In a very well done scene on the rooftop of Lucys parents New York apartment, Lucy shares with George that she never lived upto her mothers expectations. George says that is different from people having no expectations. This is where movie transforms beyond the opposites attract story. It makes sense of Lucys need to be perfect, and the man that George could be that he is well aware of. In its own light hearted way, Two Weeks looks at where you sell out, where do you become a whore (but in a nice way), and where do you take a stand. And taking a stand is never easy even in a romantic comedy, though it sometimes takes longer. Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant are magic together. They are both smart and their characters are also. Grant as George is charming, witty, and playing someone who has honor and substance that are dimissed by all except Lucy (Bullock). Grant is masterful at hinting at a depth of character. Sandra Bullock is beautiful, smart, and funny as Lucy. She also stretches herself when Lucy drunkenly braggs about her sexual prowess bobcat pretsel thing. Bullock lends compassion and a whacky sensibilty to Lucy who scares men off by being too smart and too perfect, but still not good enough for her mother. Her Lucy only gets a clue when she hires her replacement (a good Alicia Witt) she is in love with George. The exchanges between Grant and Bullock are so natural like conversation, spoken and unspoken. At one point in the movie, Lucy has a breakfast conversation with her Dad (a goofy and wise Robert Klein). She asks him What if people dont change? The point is they will or they dont. Kind of like loving someone is accepting them for who they are and for who they are not. Be open to surprises. Marc Lawrences Two Weeks Notice is an excellent surprise. He along with Bullock and Grant have made a classic romantic comedy and more. Hugh Grant plays George Wade, a property developer who hires Lucy Kelson (Sandra Bullock) as his Chief Counsel. Sick of calls in the middle of the night and appalled at being called away from a wedding just to help her boss decide what to wear for a particular occasion, Lucy gives George two weeks notice. ‘Two Weeks Notice is little more than a predictable romantic comedy and it is only a matter of time before George and Lucy realise that they have fallen for each other. How the film turns out is obvious, but this will not spoil your enjoyment of it. Sandra Bullock fails to convince as a successful lawyer and businesswoman but she is able to convey a vulnerability which makes the audience warm to her. Like her character in ‘While You Were Sleeping, Lucy is a lonely individual. When she is at home she comfort eats Chinese food, always ordering just for one. There are also no surprises with Hugh Grants character as he is much the same as any of his other romantic roles i. e. very likeable and charming. The film succeeds purely because of the actors likeability and the on-screen chemistry between Hugh Grant and Sandra Bullock who are both gifted comedic actors. There are also enough good lines and funny situations to keep you chuckling throughout