Ordinary Feelings in Judith Guests Ordinary People :: Judith Guest Ordinary People Essays

Ordinary Feelings in Ordinary People    Ordinary People is a book that examines the life of a typical American family that seems to have it all together. It exposes the major conflicts among them; pain, misunderstanding, hurt, forgiveness, and ultimately if possible healing. Conrad - with the story told mostly through his perspective, he being the one furthering the resulting course of events and at the same time the protagonist and antagonist ? is the main character of the story. While boating on a lake with his older brother, a fierce gale picks up capsizing their boat and eventually leading to the death of his brother when he drowns. A failed suicide attempt by Conrad reveals how much he blames himself for the tragic turn of events and the lack of communication between him and his parents. The process of healing is painfully slow till the end. Conrad visits a psychiatrist, the conflict with his mother continues to grow and he somewhat patches up the relationship with his father. In the very end, Conrad learn s he cannot replace his dead brother and can only be himself; he is prepared for whatever might come.    There are many important themes and subjects addressed in the book. Most importantly is how Conrad deals with his emotions and comes to accept and forgive what has happened to him. And the author shows us that this can only be done by love, support, and trust. Conrad thinks by not expressing his emotions he is less vulnerable but instead he drifts farther apart from his family. The ordeal of attempted suicide and treatment has left him feeling insecure and vulnerable and he instinctively puts up shields. Trying to appear calm and determined on the outside, he is still very confused, angry and is afraid he slip away again only to kill himself. He still feels responsible for his brother's death due to the fact his mom doesn't want to forgive him and the only way to punish himself is to deny, suppress, and control his feelings lest they give him away. It is not until the very end when Conrad?s father, Calvin finally stops skirting around the subject but tells him that he lov es him and that they finally develop a sense of trust and security in one another: -

Welfare and Drug Testing

The welfare program was designed to be a temporary solution to help families in need to get back on their feet, and meet their basic needs. It Is estimated that 50 to 80 percent of family based services involve drugs or alcohol abuse (Chug 2001). Some advantages of mandatory drug testing for welfare recipients are that it fosters self-reliance, averts abuse of the welfare system, gives people an opportunity to receive treatment, and ensures correct allocation of tax dollars. So why not drug test the recipients before a person an get qualified for services? Drug abuse has been a problem in the United States for a very long time.In the beginning before there were regulations narcotics were freely used In elixirs and other medical and homemade remedies. It was not until the effects of these drugs were known, and the damage was already done that government regulations were put into place. It has been determined that the use of drugs has been the main cause of most crimes in the United St ates. Statistically it has been shown that nearly half of the current inmate population has some history of drug abuse. It has been brought to the attention of legislators that there is a drug abuse problem within the welfare system.When the welfare reform act of 1996 was passed there was a provision stated to allow drug testing on an as needed basis. This protocol has not been widely used, and seems to have been forgotten, until now that is. The government has identified a problem within the welfare system, and would like to recoup some of the losses, and also help some of the individuals that do have a problem. Welfare was meant to be a temporary fix† to help a person get back on their feet. If a drug problem Is present, a person will tend to stay on the system, not be employable, and use the benefits for which they were not Intended.To get this issue in check law makers would like to see people be drug tested before being approved for benefits, and periodic random tests whi le they are receiving them as well. There are also provisions for persons who have a drug problem to receive the treatment they need. This pale chart represents the results off poll Fox News did In 2010. The question was, â€Å"Do you Delves welfare recipients snouts De Aragua tested There are many different types of tests used to detect drugs in a person's yester. The type of testing used will be determined on the types of drugs being tested for and the cost effectiveness and time allotment.Some states are proposing the individual will pay for the testing, but will be reimbursed once the results come back negative. Other states are proposing the amount of money they will save by cutting back on benefit fraud will be more than enough to cover the costs of testing. The most cost effective and time efficient method of testing is urinalysis. This test can be administered in an office setting and the results are available immediately. The only down fall to this test is it can be beat b y taking herbal supplements that are made to mask the drug.It is also not accurate in testing for substances like cocaine and alcohol as they are not testable in the urine after 3 days. Hair testing is another option. This test is administered in a clinical setting, and requires small amounts of hair taken from different areas of the head. One inch of hair gives the clinician sixty days of history, and cannot be faked. Blood tests also require a clinical setting and a laboratory to read the results. With the last two options of testing turnaround time an be days, weeks, or months, and can be quite expensive.There are already a few states such as Michigan, Florida, and New Hampshire that have this protocol in place. The strongest argument for the testing of individuals is having such a program in place will help reduce the miss use and miss appropriation of taxpayer's monies. Governor Rick Scott, R Florida, states † It's not right for taxpayer money to be paying for somebody's drug addiction, On top of that, this is going to increase personal responsibility, personal accountability. We shouldn't be subsidizing people's addiction. (Scott, 2011). The state of Florida approved this bill that took effect July 1, 2011.Governor Scott also stated â€Å"It's the right thing for taxpayers,† Scott said after signing the measure. â€Å"It's the right thing for citizens of this state that need public assistance. We don't want to waste tax dollars. And also, we want to give people an incentive to not use drugs. † (Scott, 2011) It is perceived it would help reduce domestic violence and other drug related crimes. Individuals would also receive intervention and care they might not normally have access to without this program. If an individual were to fail a drug test they would be given the option to enter a state treatment program.If the person was to refuse treatment or have a second offense after completing the treatment they would lose their benefits fo r a period of one year. As with all new laws trying to be passed there are also those who are against it. Opponents of drug testing believe that it is violating the constitutional protections in the Fourth Amendment. The Fourth Amendment to the U. S Constitution states, the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated.Columnist William Safari in The New York Times writes, Not only is my home my castle, my body is my citadel. Unless I give you a probable cause to suspect me of a crime, what goes on in my home and body and mind is my business Robin Merrill of Maine Equal Justice, which provides legal services for the poor states, â€Å"Random drug testing is very questionable legally with respect to constitutional issues. If the government has the right to drug- test people based on receipt of aid from public assistance programs, what is to stop en government Trot requiring Aragua tes ting Tort anyone won receives a student loan or any other government benefit?This law would create a very slippery slope with respect to infringement on people's right to privacy. † Another point in question is will this really save the tax payers any money? How much will the added administrative personal and the testing itself cost? The Miami Herald reports that the savings in Florida could reach one hundred thousand dollars, but no reports of administrative costs have been reported. Adversaries also raise the question about discrimination and alienation. They believe that singling out individuals because of their financial status could be disastrous and have negative effects.Cutting off families benefits because of the actions of an individual could do more harm than good. Just because an individual has a substance abuse problem, how can you prove they are not using their benefits appropriately? (Dona 2005) Whether you are in favor or opposed to welfare recipients being drug tested, the issue is one that most people will encounter on Election Day. People who are in favor say testing will allow people to get help that otherwise would fall through the cracks. It would also raise the UN employment rate by allowing those individuals to become better qualified to obtain and keep Jobs.

Compare and Contrast Sainte-Foy and the Chartres Essay

Both the Chartres cathedral and the Saint-Foy have many things in common and also many things that differentiate them from one another. Firstly they are both Christian churches, so they were made to worship Jesus Christ as the lord and savior. They are both located in northern Europe ; the Chartres in Chartres, France as it is named after the town, and then the Saint-Foy in Conques, France. Both of them were undertakings in which they were paid for by the leaders of the cities they reside in. They both are very much a part of the towns they are in, whereas there are building and houses right next to the churches. They were both built in the cross as most Christian churches are built to symbolize the cross of Jesus, their savior. They were both made of stone which proved to have a lot to do with the architecture of the structures. For the most part those are the major similarities. The differences outweigh the similarities though. The construction and architecture of the buildings (outside of the cross shaped naive) would probably be the main differences. The roofs of the structures are built with different support systems. The Sainte-Foy has a rounded arch on the ceiling. While the Chartres has a triangular arch system that use ribs as the main support structure to keep the building up rather than a sturdy rounded arch. The Chartres cathedral was built mostly of rib like beams that connected at the ceilings so that they could make room for the stained glass windows that are to prevalent on the walls. The stained glass allowed for a more holy feeling to the church, in a sense where you stepped into a piece of heaven when inside, as the light reflected off the pieces of glass as they told stories of the life of Jesus and other Christian stories. Sainte-Foy didn’t have that much glass; it was a lot more structurally sound with its walls being made up mostly by stone. The walls of the churches are built differently where the Chartres cathedral has to have flying buttresses on the outsides of them so that there is more support on the building due to the fact that the infrastructure is made up lots of glass. The Chartres cathedral was very much built with a more vertical feel to it than did Sainte-Foy. At almost every instant there is something in the Chartres that is almost pulling your attention upward towards the heavens whether you were inside or outside of the church.

Cleopatra and the Peasant

Cleopatra and the Peasant Free Online Research Papers The French Romantic painter Eugene Delacroix painted the beautiful and vivid â€Å"Cleopatra and the Peasant† in 1838. This impressive piece of art draws the viewers’ attention through its superb style, choice of vibrant colors, and its emotional tone. Paul Valà ©ry once said, â€Å"The veritable tradition in great things is not to repeat what others have done, but to rediscover the spirit that created these great things.† In his masterpiece, Eugà ¨ne Delacroix finds inspiration in William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Antony and Cleopatra, and uses this prototype to depict Act IV, Scene II. The motivations of the characters in Shakespeare’s play are parallel to the motivations of the two figures in Delacroix’s Cleopatra and the Peasant. Not only does the play influence Delacroix’s artistic style, but it shapes the painting itself (Johnson 81). The late 1800s brought about a new age of art as well as a new Romantic attitude. It started as an artistic and intellectual movement that emphasized a rebellion against established values such as social order and religion. Romanticism exalted individualism, imagination, and emotions emotion over reason and senses over intellect. Artists of the time, including Eugà ¨ne Delacroix, enjoyed depicting the extreme (Athanassoglou-Kallmyer 62-63). Whether it be the heroes of ancient Greek myths, the remote passage of St. Gothard, or the noble Washington as he crossed the Delaware, Romanticism depicted what ordinary people only dared to imagine. In Delacroix’s Cleopatra and the Peasant, the viewer observes the sense of wonder that denotes a painting of the Romantic era (Trapp 338). Delacroix’s artwork, similarly to Shakespeare’s, first draws the audience’s attention to Cleopatra. When viewing Delacroix’s Cleopatra and the Peasant, the eye instantly falls upon the beautiful, white face of the queen. Her pristine skin illuminates the chamber in which she sits and her jewelry sparkles brilliantly. Luxurious jewels adorn her right arm, her neck and her crown, reinforcing the contrast with her pale flesh as well as giving away her royal status. Delacroix immediately bestows upon her an almost immortal persona with her radiance and extensive signs of wealth. Shakespeare paints a similar picture of the fair queen within his play. The audience first sees Cleopatra in her Alexandrian Palace, as eunuchs fan her and her court stands around her. Immediately Shakespeare establishes her nobility and her importance. To Antony, she is worth his reputation; she is worth everything he owns. He risks his country, his name, and his pride for her lo ve. Cleopatra’s beauty and sexuality, which, as Enobarbus points out in his famous description of her in Act II, scene II, is awe-inspiring. However, Cleopatra, captured by the Romans, faces humiliation, degradation, and belittlement as she sits in her chamber. Her love, Antony, has fallen at the hand of Caesar, while she, his beautiful wife, waits captive. The Romans plan to parade her through their streets, destroying the status she has held for so long, and to perform a play about her in which Cleopatra will be played by a young boy, belittling her royally (Shakespeare 133). Above all else, her lover has been killed; she has a choice to make. This ambiguity between a life of humiliation and death is what Delacroix’s has tried to depict. At second glance of his painting, the viewer notices that darkness exists there. Shadowed, her most beautiful feature contrasts her glow, suddenly changing the once-noble gaze to an ominous stare. Focusing on no object in particular, Cleopatra instills worry in her viewer’s heart. A looming darkness made up of blacks, browns, and tans forces her to the left side of her ornate chair. As she rests on her right arm, Cleopatra beckons the audience to discover the motivation for the sudden sense of doom. The eye travels left to the burly figure serving his queen. A male servant stands, slouched with a basket in hand. One first notices the contrast in his darkened face. An unrestrained beard provides an unbounded masculinity. Dark, monstrous muscles and huge, knotty hands add to his manliness. His rough face casts shadows over his jagged collarbone and dirty fingernails. Where Cleopatra possesses light pinks and blues to highlight her skin, this peasant possesses red. In every corner of his body, Delacroix uses shades of red and burgundy to delineate and elucidate. He wears a red garment about his waist and a rugged leopard skin over his shoulder, concealing the basket he presents to the queen. Interestingly, in the play, the peasant’s name is Clown. When one thinks of a clown, a sense of exaggeration comes to mind. Delacroix’s character definitely possesses embellished characteristics. He brings comfort to his queen, and this is apparent in his stance and sm ile. A closer look at the peasant’s load reveals the image of a snake nested in the basket of fig-leaves and fruit, raising her head between the man’s muscular right arm and his spotted pelt. The snake’s writhing form seems to be the only moving object in the painting and together with its green and yellow scales make it the painting’s most realistic element. Once the snake’s presence is noted, the painting has new significance. It becomes evident that Cleopatra’s face is turned towards the basket of figs and her solemn facial expression is probably influenced by the presence of the snake. Nevertheless, the peasant’s smile now looks somehow inviting and it creates the impression that he is offering the basket of figs to Cleopatra. Yet, despite the unusual offer, the Egyptian queen’s expression does not show any trace of fear. Shakespeare writes a brief scene between the queen and Clown which clarifies that the â€Å"pretty worm of Nilus† has a bite from which those bitten â€Å"seldom or never recover† (134). As soon as Clown convinces Cleopatra of its certain danger, she sends him out. She has the information she needs; her plan is set. Before the servant leaves the chamber, he emphasizes the snake’s power, â€Å"Look you, the worm is not to be trusted but in the keeping of wise people, for indeed there is no goodness in the worm† (135). Still Cleopatra bids him leave. On his exit, the peasant wishes the queen the â€Å"joy o’ th’ worm† (135). This final comment adds just the right amount of irony to the entire situation, and the viewer can detect this irony in the peasant’s strange stare. Stepping back and viewing Delacroix’s piece as a whole with a vague sense of what is about to take place, a viewer notices small details that fortify his dark hypothesis. Elements such as the dirt under the man’s fingernails, the individual fingerprints, and the folds of skin above his knuckles become more apparent and lucid the closer they are to the snake. The snake appears to be highlighted by detail. More symbolically, the peasant’s left hand is uncovering the basket, and above this hand, the dark leopard skin folds over to reveal perfect whiteness. This portion of the fur is the lightest, smoothest feature on the left side of the painting, luring the woman. The queen cowers from the darkness behind her denoting the terrible events which have occurred, and that she is turning to her only means of escape. To highlight the themes of his work, Delacroix employs a great deal of contrast in his painting. The space behind Cleopatra and the peasant is entirely painted in dark colors. By concealing any details about the background, the artist emphasizes the significance of this moment between Cleopatra and the peasant. The peasant wears a slight smile that contrasts with the woman’s solemn stare. The clear size contrast between the figures creates an intense feeling and gives the impression of uncertainty. The queen, the image of paramount femininity, chooses death over a darkened life while his peasant, a seemingly brutish juggernaut, offers her a simplistic solution. Delacroix contrasts beauty and ugliness, illustrating the juxtaposition of the sublime and the grotesque. In between the two he places that which is deadly, symbolically contrasting life and death in the mind of the entranced Cleopatra, whose next move is imminent. In Shakespeare’s writings, as Cleopatra ap plies the asp to her bosom she cries to the guard, â€Å"Peace, peace! Do you not see my baby at my breast, that sucks the nurse asleep?† She dies instantly (Shakespeare 150). The two contrary individuals create a balanced irony as the eye races over their chamber. Cleopatra and the Peasant leads us to discover the complexities Delacroix so ingeniously hid in the work and their correlation to Shakespeare’s play. Delacroix’s subtle clues, hidden in the delicate details not only lead the viewer to the source of Cleopatra’s suffering, but also to the beauty and mystery behind her actions. Delacroix’s interpretation of Shakespeare’s play contains a level of genius that is apparent through his style, rich, luminous color, vibrant brushwork, and turbulent composition that nevertheless contribute to the intense emotional tone of the painting. After viewing Cleopatra and the Peasant one possesses a deeper understanding of Shakespeare’s tone as well as his themes of honor, reason, and emotion. Athanassoglou-Kallmyer, Nina Maria. Eugà ¨ne Delacroix: Prints, Politics and Satire (1814-1822). New Haven: Yale University Press, 1991. Johnson, Lee. The Paintings of Eugà ¨ne Delacroix: A Critical Catalogue. New York: Oxford University Press, 1986. Shakespeare, William. Anthony and Cleopatra. Ed. A.R. Braunmuller. New York: Penguin Books , 1999. Trapp, Frank Alexander. The Attainment of Delacroix. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins Press, 1970. Research Papers on Cleopatra and the PeasantHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementWhere Wild and West MeetMind TravelAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeThe Spring and AutumnThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andComparison: Letter from Birmingham and Crito

The Aftermath of the Enron Scandal

The Aftermath of the Enron Scandal Introduction The Enron Scandal, uncovered in 2001, was one of the largest accounting frauds in history. The fraud occurred as a result of accounting gaps and poor financial reporting which allowed top executives to conceal billions of debts from failed deals and projects. The company’s CFO and other executives not only lied to its BOD and audit team on risky accounting norms, but also pressed Arthur Andersen to ignore the issues.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Aftermath of the Enron Scandal specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Arthur Andersen was handling Enron’s auditing activities during this period. As a result of the Enron scandal, shareholders lost billions of dollars and the company was eventually declared bankrupt. Arthur Andersen willingly surrendered its licenses to practice auditing in the US and sold most of its practices (Healy Palepu, 2003). As a result of the scandal, a number of regulat ions were implemented by the government to prevent similar activities from happening again. The most common piece of legislation implemented was the Sarbanes–Oxley Act. Sarbanes–Oxley Act This act was signed into law in 200 and hence sometimes referred to as the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002. The act set new or improved standards for all American-based public company boards, management and public accounting and auditing companies (Kuschnik, 2008). The act was enacted following a series of accounting scandals by large corporations in the US, including Enron, Tyco International and WorldCom. The scandals cost shareholders and tax collection agencies billions in dollars, affected share prices, and led to the collapse of some of the companies. The Sarbanes–Oxley Act comprises of 11 titles ranging from supplementary management board roles to criminal penalties, and compels the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to implement the outlines of the act. Key prov isions of the act include disclosure controls, improper influence on conduct of audits, disclosures in quarterly reports, evaluation of internal controls, and criminal penalties for violating the provisions of the act (Farrell, 2005). Under disclosure controls, the Act sets out internal processes aimed at ensuring accurate financial reporting. The signing officers must verify that they are â€Å"responsible for establishing and maintaining internal controls† and the officers must have assessed the efficiency of the firm’s internal controls as current three months prior to the report (Kuschnik, 2008). Further, external auditors are obliged to provide their opinions on the effectiveness of the internal controls during financial reporting (Kuschnik, 2008). The title on improper influence on conduct of audits states that is illegal for an officer (or any other person acting under the commission’s mandate) to partake in any activity meant to falsely sway, force, infl uence, or misinform any independent public or certified accountant undertaking audit of the financial statements of that company.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Under the title on disclosures in quarterly (or periodic) reports, the Act requires the disclosure of all material off-balance sheet items. The SEC is further expected to monitor the use of such instruments and whether accounting doctrines have been thoroughly adhered to in the use of such instruments. Finally, under evaluation of internal control, management is obliged to give an â€Å"internal control report† that confirms the management’s role of setting up and maintaining an acceptable internal control structure and techniques for financial reporting (Kuschnik, 2008). The report must also contain an evaluation as of the end of the most recent financial year of the firm, of the efficiency of the internal control structures and processes. The Sarbanes–Oxley Act has been commended by a number of financial industry experts, quoting enhanced investor confidence and more precise periodic and fiscal financial reports. References Farrell, G. (2005). America Robbed Blind. Texas: Wizard Academy Press. Healy, P. M. Palepu, K. G. (2003). The Fall of Enron. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 17(2), 7. Kuschnik, B. (2008). The Sarbanes Oxley Act. Business Law Journal, 18(6), 64 – 95.

Properties of PVC/ABS blends

Properties of PVC/ABS blends Introduction Polymer blending is one of the fastest growing areas of polymer technology. Blending of polymer has become an increasingly important technique because it is an economical, viable and versatile way in which new material can be produced with a wide range of properties by merely using conventional processing equipment such as extruder or internal mixer. Polyvinyl chloride is most versatile material in plastic family and second largest consumption material in plastic industries compared to polyolefin’s. It is characterized by rigidity, hardness, excellent tensile modulus and low cost. However, it has low impact strength and poor thermal stability. Which limit’s it’s used. Similarly, Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene (ABS) is one of most largely used engineering plastics. It has excellent mechanical, thermal, electrical & chemical properties. Followed by inferior properties such as poor weather resistance, highly flammable and merely high cost. Polyvinyl c hloride is largely blended with number of polymers and rubbers. In most cases, to improve properties of PVC and rarely to improve properties of other materials. One of most inferior properties of PVC is low impact strength. To overcome this problem, it is blended with many rubbery materials. It has been shown that impact strength of PVC increases by blending with rubbery material such as NBR, SBR etc. But, it follows the decrease in tensile strength, rigidity and in most cases thermal stability. Hence to achieve high impact strength, better thermal properties along with rigidity, PVC is blended with ABS. The blend of PVC and ABS posses their advantage of impact strength, rigidity, chemical resistance, electrical properties and overall low cost. In ABS, generally the rubbery phase is made of emulsion polymerized polybutadiene, which constitutes the main polymer chain. The glassy phase is made of styrene and acrylonitrile grafted on Polybutadiene. Thus, it combines the impact strength of rubber and tensile strength, heat stability of styrene Acrylonitrile (SAN) Matrix. Thus properties of styrene acrylonitrile (SAN) and polybutadiene are imparted in PVC/ABS blend. Compatibility of Polyblend of PVC/ABS blends Compatibility is characteristics, which shows that components of blends are soluble in one another in all proportion. However, compatible blends are susceptible to phase separation at elevated temperature. While preparing blend, it is necessary to consider compatibility of components of blend with each other, which are used to prepare blends. In case of PVC/ABS blend, PVC and ABS are used as blend components. ABS is made by emulsion polymerization of SAN grafted by Polybutadiene. Polystyrene and Polybutadiene, have solubility parameter close to PVC. Although, solubility parameter of PS and Polybutadiene are close to PVC, they do not have good compatibility because of their being non-polar nature. While Acrylonitrile imparts good compatibility because of itâ⠂¬â„¢s polar nature (as shown in table). Solubility parameter of components of PVC/ABS blend    Yodouchi and Seto reported that in ABS material, the brittle and glassy component ( PS and SAN) improves tensile strength while Polybutadine contribute to toughness. The mechanical properties have been shown to be affected by type of ABS used, due to different Polybutadiene content.

Evidence, Proof, Argument AND Criminal Law Speech or Presentation

Evidence, Proof, Argument AND Criminal Law - Speech or Presentation Example In the case, your honor, the defendant confronted the victim for raping his girlfriend. The defendant stabbed the victim and he died. He was convicted of murder, but later appealed on the defense of loss of control. The defendant’s appeal was dismissed on the grounds that he was aware of what he was doing. It was established in the ruling that loss of temper cannot be confused with loss of control. Loss of control is defence only where the mind is not in control of the body. The defendant in the case before us today was aware of what was going on around him during the attack If it pleases your Honour, I would go through the qualifying triggers under section 55 (3) (4) of the Act in relation to the case at hand, to demonstrate why loss of control should be withdrawn. The defendant did not express any serious fear towards the victim either by words or actions. The victim was merely acting in defense of his friend, knowing a little more than what he saw after being woken up. Instead of fighting back, was it possible for the defendant to surrender? In the case of R v Martin (Anthony) [2002] WRL1; [2002] CAR 27 Crim LR 136; the defendant shot a burglar (the victim) and argued that it was out of self defence. The defence was not available because the level of force used was more than reasonable. The defendant was convicted of murder. In his witness, Detective Sergeant Philip Dennis said that the defendant was examined and it was found that the damage was not too severe and he was fit to be detained and interviewed. This shows that the victim attack did not threaten the life of the defendant and it was unreasonable to stab him. In the tape recording of the interview, the defendant expressed no remorse that the victim was dead. Was the defendant in this case your honour seriously wronged by the victim’s words and actions leading him to act out of character? I believe not. The defendant’s behaviour provoked