Offshore Internet Gambling and the World Trade Organization Essay

Case Study Analysis of the Offshore Internet Gambling and the Wto Case Study Analysis: Offshore Internet Gambling and the World Trade Organization Running Head: Case Study Analysis of the Offshore Internet Gambling and the WTO Case Study Analysis: Offshore Internet Gambling and the World Trade Organization Ayman Naguib Abstract This case study analysis discusses the central issue of the case presented in the article, as well as the most relevant facts and assumptions with respect to the case under investigation. Furthermore, patterns that arise from reflection on these facts and assumptions with relation to external environment perspectives are described. The analysis also examines the consequences of not addressing the central issue of the case, and provides suggested actions in order to resolve it in the short and long term. Introduction The World Trade Organization (WTO) has been established as the world’s single international organization dealing with the rules and regulations governing trade between nations. In principal, the WTO is concerned with helping producers of goods and services, exporters, and importers conduct their business within a competitive, non-discriminatory, open and transparent global trade framework. However, in reality, achieving these objectives is far from being e asy. The complexity of the WTO agreements signed by the majority of the world’s trading nations and collisions with national legislative frameworks, economic policies of the individual member states and political issues are the main hurdles in the way of achieving the objectives of the WTO. Consequently, several disputes have surfaced during the past decade. One of the most remarkable cases involved the Offshore Internet Gambling activities that take place in Antigua, a Caribbean island state. The importance of this case can be attributed to the fact that it was the first attempt by the WTO to examine cross-border electronic services as has been shown by Pontell, H., Geis, G., and Brown, G. (2007). The roots of the dispute between the USA and Antigua are undoubtedly related to the criminal prosecution of Jay Cohen, an American citizen that cofounded and ran an online gambling business licensed in Antigua. The basis of the prosecution was an alleged violation of the US Wire Act (U.S. Code, Title 18  §1604) (United States v. Cohen, 2001). The aforementioned statue was enacted in 1961, decades before the internet became publicly accessible. Antigua claimed that the USA has been using the complexity and opacity of its own legal system to deflect attention from the fundamental issue which is to retain revenues from internet Running Head: Case Study Analysis of the Offshore Internet Gambling and the WTO gambling within the US, which contradicts with the USA’s obligations as per the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) that the USA ratified. On the other hand, the USA claimed that the disputed activity poses financial and social threats to its citizens. Identification of the Central Issue While the GATS explicitly concedes the right of sovereign states to regulate and to devise laws on the supply of services within their countries to meet national policies and strategies (Krajweski and Marcus, 2003), aligning such regulations, legislative instruments and policies to the commitments of the individual states that are signatory to the GATS and vice versa is often a problematic affair that has led to a majority of the recent disputes handled by the WTO. This is clearly the case in the Internet Gambling dispute. Another issue is maintaining a balance between the special needs of developing and poorer countries and those of the richer and already developed countries, as far as the liberalization of service trade is concerned. Notably, a study of the WTO dispute settlement cases during the period from 1995 to 2006 (World Trade Organization [WTO], 2006) shows that the USA has been involved in approximately 38% of all disputes handled by the organization during that period. Most of these disputes involved developing countries. Notable Facts and Assumptions Based on a study of the facts and assumptions stated in the article, the following facts can be identified: ï‚ · ï‚ · The GATS was applicable to betting and gambling and the USA was in violation of the GATS treaty; The WTO mechanism allows sovereign states to restrict that trade of certain products or services that are deemed to pose risks to public morals and/or public order, provided that such products or services are the production of such products or rendering of such services should not be allowed domestically. However, as far as the USA is involved, gambling activities are permitted in several states, such as Nevada, Michigan and Ohio, amongst others; The American legal framework is complicated and somehow obscure due to the variation between State level laws and Federal laws; and The USA has ratified the GATS without making exclusions pertaining to gambling activities, unlike the Senegal which made an explicit exclusion in its agreement to rule out crossborder betting (WTO, 2005, p. 63); Similarly, the following assumptions can be pointed out: ï‚ · Antigua has demonstrated that it has devised rules and regulations aiming at addressing, as far as reasonably practicable, the concerns over fraud and under-age betting. In fact, the measures taken by the Antigua appear to be more stringent than those enforced within the US; Running Head: Case Study Analysis of the Offshore Internet Gambling and the WTO ï‚ · Suspicions have arisen as to the true motives behind the USA’s claims, which could indicate that the claim was driven by the desire to retain revenues generated from internet gambling; and Restrictions that the USA tried to impose over Internet gambling activities, would negatively affect the Antiguan economy. Arising Patterns and the External Environment The arising patterns suggest that on the technological environment, new technologies such as the internet and related technologies pose a challenge to national legislations and international regulatory frameworks which need to address the implications of such advancements. Furthermore, the political environment is affected by issues arising from the power that the more developed and rich nations try to exercise on poorer developing nations in order to enforce their national strategies, which can sometimes be in contradiction to the global inclination towards facilitating the growth of developing nations. As far as the economic environment is concerned, the consequences of such disputes may be greatly harmful for developing countries such as Antigua, compared to the impact it might have on developed nations such as the USA. For example, in 1999, 10 percent of Antigua’s gross national product (US$ 0.6 Billion) was generated from online gambling, which was equivalent to only 0.006 percent of the gross national product of the US during the same year. Consequences There are several consequences of not addressing the central issue identified in this analysis, the most significant amongst which is making agreements such as the GATS ineffective due to the collision between national interests of the more powerful countries and the brisk needs of developing countries. Furthermore, trade  imbalances and discriminatory global wealth distribution will be inevitable, which will clearly be inclined towards the more powerful and developed nations will have control. Recommended Actions In light of this analysis, the short-term actions that are suggested to resolve the central issue entail working towards streamlining the internet gambling business in Antigua in collaboration with the USA to ensure that concerns over fraud and underage gambling is reasonably addressed. Furthermore, the USA should adopt a more transparent approach that avoids double standards in deeming the legality of internet gambling. On the long term, an international framework is required in order to establish a more effective and transparent mechanism to maximise the alignment of national legislation with international treaties, without compromising the rights of each nation over its legislative instruments. Additionally, the WTO’s should enforce provisions that are meant to give developing nations a special and a more Running Head: Case Study Analysis of the Offshore Internet Gambling and the WTO lenient status when liberalisation of trade is concerned. These provisions should also be protected against unjust practices from developed nations. On the other hand, the WTO and particularly its developed nations’ members should assist developing countries to implement legislative reforms that ensure that such countries to achieve better governance and compliance in adopting more fair trade practices. Running Head: Case Study Analysis of the Offshore Internet Gambling and the WTO References CIA 2008. Antigua and Barbuda. The World Factbook, Updated August 7. Retrieved from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ac.html. Djordjevic M (2002) Domestic Regulation and Free Trade in Services – A Balancing Act. Legal issues on Economic Integration, vol 29, no 3. Krajweski, Marcus (2003). National Regulation and Trade Liberalization in Services: The Legal Impact of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) on National Regulatory Autonomy; Kluwer Law International, The Hague-London-New York. Lang, Andrew (2004) The GATS and Regulatory Autonomy:  A Case Study of Social regulation of the Water Industry, Journal of international Economic Law, 7(4). Mattoo Aaditya and Sauvà ¨, Pierre, Editors (2004. Domestic Regulation and Services Trade liberalization. World Bank and Oxford University Press. Pontell, H., Geis, G., and Brown, G. (2007). Offshore Internet gambling and the World Trade Organization: Is it criminal behavior or a commodity? International Journal of Cyber Criminology, 1(1), 119-136. Scott Sinclair and Jim Grieshaber-Otto (2002) Facing the Facts: A guide to the GATS Debate, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Ottawa. World Trade Organization (2007). WTO Dispute Settlement : One-Page Case Summaries : 1995September 2006. Geneva: WTO Publications.

Cormac Mccarthy’s the Road- Theme of Hope

The Road is set sometime in the future after a global catastrophe. The Road follows the story of a nameless father and son, possibly the last of the â€Å"good guys†, as they travel along an abandoned stretch of highway populated with occasional marauders and cannibals. The post-apocalyptic setting plays upon the public’s fear of terrorism, pandemics, genocide, and weapons of mass destruction. Since the cause of the destruction remains unanswered, it is left open to the mind to make assumptions.The Roadi is set somewhere in the south eastern United States. There is mention of distant mountains, several rivers and creeks, and a coastline. The landscape and the air are soaked in thick, gray ash. Vegetation has been destroyed. There are no fish in the water. When snow falls, it collects the ash in the air and falls to the earth already gray. The setting is the main antagonist in the book, because it is the number one adversity the father and son have to endure. This create s the theme as the father continually struggles to keep his faith and â€Å"carry the fire†.The hardship he faces with his son makes him question his faith in humanity and god, but in the end, it is his son who makes him see that your can always have hope in the most difficult of times. The boy and the man continually search among the debris in the aftermath of the cataclysmic event for morsels of food and warmth. Though they are forced to breathe thick ash in the air and travel in constant cold, they continually trudge forward. It is apparent that the father is slowly losing his faith in humanity and their situation, and parts of him wish it could just all be over.They must find food and clean water, and they must constantly hide. There are marauding groups of cannibals who look upon the man and boy as nothing more than meat. The lone bullet in the man’s gun is saved for the boy, who has been instructed on how to kill himself should something happen to the man. This y oung boy, the only hope in a dismal environment, is all that matters to the man. â€Å"You know how to do it. You put it in your mouth and point it up. Do it quick and hard. Do you understand? Stop crying. Do you understand? † (113).This shows that the father does not trust his son to be able to survive in this environment, and he would much rather have him die easily than have to attempt survival and risk suffering. The man and boy encounter few people in this story. Most of Abraham 2 those they do come across are brutish because everyone is starving and fighting for survival. Almost all the people in this story are constantly on the move. The father trusts no one, his goal is to make it to the south, to the coastline. However, neither warmth nor bounties of food are found once the man and the boy finally reach the edge of the water.The shoreline is just as cold as the mountains were, and everything is the same: drained of life, bitterly cold, and hopeless. Though the boy wa nts to write a message in the sand to the â€Å"good guys† the father finds it hard to stay positive. â€Å"What if the bad guys saw it? †¦ I shouldn’t have said that, we could write them a letter† (245). Though through it all the boy is still able to hold on to hope that there is still good in the world. Yet, father also starts to question his faith in god, which contributes to his pessimistic attitude.The father subconsciously focuses attention on the questions of God, does he exist? If so, is he present, or has he vacated the premises? Is he good? Does he care? It become clear that the father’s faith in god is shaky after all the incidences he has witnessed. In one case, when he meets an elderly blind man, the father tells him how only god could know what is going to happen. The blind man then says, â€Å"There is no god and we are his prophets† (170). This shows that the old man has lost all faith in god. He believes that they have been le ft there to fend for themselves.The father says nothing to oppose the statement and seems to push it in to the back of his mind. The old man later mention, â€Å"Where men can’t live gods fare no better† (172). Referring to how it is near impossible to keep your faith in such hard times. Later in the novel when they find a flare gun, the father shoots it off as a celebration. His son asks if anyone could see it, to which the father asks â€Å"Like god? † (246). The flare is symbolic in the sense that they shot it in to nothing but smog and pollution but could still make it out, even though no one from any further away would be able to.This make the father realize that god can work in the same way, and even though you can’t see him, he could still be present. Over time, the boy’s optimism starts to work on the fathers hope in the future. He starts to trust in his son and understands that he is able to make the right decisions. He also regains some o f his hope for the future through it all. â€Å"We’re still here. Alot of bad things Abraham 3 have happened but we’re still here† (269) His love for his son continues to make him strong and he braves each day even though he knows he will die soon from sickness.At one point the boy asks him what the bravest thing he has ever done was. The man replies, â€Å"Getting up this morning† (272). In time the father comes to see how much his son has matured and is able to make the right decisions. The father notices how the boy always went out of his way to help people and had a good moral compass. The child begged to give food to the old man even though they knew he would die, as well as returning clothes to a thief even though he didn’t deserve it. The father tells the boy that he has been carrying the fire himself this whole time inside of him, â€Å"It’s inside you. It was always there. I can see it† (279).In the end, the father realizes t hat he must trust his son to survive on his own and that there is hope for the future. He promises the boy that he will never leave him, but he cannot keep death at bay. The man finally succumbs. And the boy still young in years, but aged through his challenging experiences must find his own way. Despite the setting, the father learned from his son that you can always keep hope alive, no matter how hard times get. â€Å"You have my whole heart. You always did. You’re the best guy. You always were. If I’m not here you can still talk to me. You can talk to me and I’ll talk to you. You’ll see† (279).

Food Security Bill Essay

The bill was truncated from the NAC version at the first stage when the government finalized it and then the parliamentary standing committee went along similar lines and recommended further paring down of the benefits. Sources said concerns were raised by the Congress leadership about reducing existing benefits under the Antodaya Anna Yojana to the 2. 5 crore poorest families as well as the recommendation of the standing committee to remove the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) from the mandate of the bill, which was advised by the women and child development ministry. Sources said the party leadership was unhappy with the move to reduce existing entitlements under UPA’s flagship scheme instead of providing larger benefits. The government is likely to revise the bill keeping these views in mind and look at a much higher coverage in at least the 250 poorest districts of the country. The standing committee had recommended providing 5 kg of rations per person to 75% of rural population and 50% of urban India – a formula the government was happy with till the party leadership intervened. The standing committee had recommended doing away with two categories of beneficiaries with differential benefits – a move the government had contemplated anyway after having sent the bill to Parliament. But curtailing the total number of beneficiaries and reducing the benefits to the poorest has not found acceptance with the party leadership, sources said. The government could now consider restoring the monthly allocation to the poorest back to 35 kg of rations per family. Under an apex court order, the poorest and most disadvantaged are provided 35 kg rations at present. With the party keen to see the bill in Parliament during the budget session, a revised version could see the ICDS scheme coming back under the purview of the bill as a legally guaranteed right along with other food delivery mechanisms such as community kitchens. The UPA has already been caught on the back foot with opposition-ruled states providing cheaper rations to greater numbers under their own schemes following the lead of Chhattisgarh. The delay in pushing the bill through, coupled with the constant and often publicly expressed differences between different arms of the government and the UPA on the shape of the legislation have taken the sheen off UPA-2’s big ticket scheme Food Security Bill is affordable The subsidies meant for the poor are always under attack, while the rest are able to retain their privileges. The additional allocation in grain and money terms will neither distort the grain market nor place a burden on the fisc. Many recent commentators have portrayed the National Food Security Bill (NFSB) as an â€Å"unbearable burden† on the exchequer. The facts, however, do no substantiate the claim. The NFSB has been trashed from time to time in the English dailies. For instance, Business Line (March 21, 2013) published an article titled â€Å"Food Security Bill will torpedo Budget†. Another national daily claims that the Bill has a â€Å"fundamental flaw† that places â€Å"an unbearable burden† and â€Å"distorts agriculture† (Indian Express, March 19, 2013). Quite often, the claims are partly due to a misconception that the government is making new financial and grain commitments under the NFSB. In fact, the NFSB does little more than turning into legal entitlements pre-existing food security schemes such as the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme, Mid-Day Meal (MDM) Scheme, Public Distribution System (PDS) and maternity entitlements. Some commentators have said that it is precisely the legal commitment that will lead to problems in the future — for example, the fear of the emergence of a government monopoly in the grain market. This fear is not borne out by the facts. Under the PDS, ICDS and MDM, the government currently allocates about 58 million tonnes of grain. To meet this commitment, the government currently procures about 30 per cent of grain. The NFSB commits 62 million tonnes, i. e. , an additional 4 million tonnes. The Budget of 2013-14 allocates Rs. 31,000 crore for two children’s food schemes — school meals and the ICDS which reaches children under six. The Budget allocation for the food subsidy in 2013-14 is Rs 90,000 crore. According to our estimates, the food subsidy will increase from Rs 80,000 crore (in 2012-13) to Rs 1,11,221 crore, under the NFSB. Thus, the NFSB implies an increase of just over Rs 30,000 crores in financial terms and 4 million tonnes in real (grain) terms. Can India afford this? Speaking at a panel discussion at IIT Delhi in February, Deputy Chairperson of the Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, said â€Å"it would be dishonest† to say that we cannot afford the Food Bill, and that the subsidies that we need to target are those enjoyed by the middle classes (e. g. , fuel). Speaking at the same discussion, Amartya Sen made a pertinent point — that the reason why it is more difficult to reduce subsidies enjoyed by the middle classes (fuels such as LPG, petrol and diesel) is that the beneficiaries of those are more vocal than the rural poor or children under six who benefit from the food subsidies. This point is well illustrated by the events following last year’s Budget. The Budget 2012-13 announced a 1 per cent excise duty on unbranded jewellery and doubled custom duty on gold to 4 per cent. Gold is the country’s second biggest import, after crude oil. This burden on the current account deficit was an important reason for doubling the customs duty. Following this, the All India Gems and Jewellery Trade Federation and others initiated a strike which went on for 21 days. They argued that the industry, including the â€Å"large† number of people it employs, and buyers of gold, would suffer. A massive media campaign was launched, following which the Finance Minister withdrew the excise duty. According to the revenue foregone statement presented along with the Budget 2013-14, the revenue foregone from the gold and diamond industry for the previous financial year was Rs. 5,000 crore. Such tax breaks are often justified on the grounds of the employment potential of the gems and jewellery industry. According to Invest India, a website of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, â€Å"The sector provides employment to around 1. 8 million people. In the next five years, the sector is expected to create additional employment for around 1. 1 million people. † According to the National Sample Survey Organisation, 2009-10, the size of the Indian workforce is between 430-471 million persons. If the gems and jewellery industry employs 3 million people as per the Ministry’s target, this would be 0. per cent of the workforce. An industry that employs less than one per cent of the Indian workforce is currently enjoying tax benefits amounting to Rs 65,000 crore (nearly 20 per cent of all revenue foregone). The Food Bill will benefit 67 per cent of the population at an additional cost of Rs 30,000 crore, yet it is said that it will â€Å"torpedo† the Budget. If anything, the NFSB does not go far enough. The NFSB tabled in Parliament in December 2011 included special provisions for the destitute and other vulnerable groups (e. g. , community kitchens and social security pensions). These have been discarded in the version cleared by Cabinet on March 19, 2013. In many rural areas, the Block is already too far to go to complain, yet for violations of rights under the NFSB, grievance redressal only begins at the District level. Viewed in this comparative perspective (for example, it is approximately 1 per cent of the GDP), few can question the affordability or desirability of the NFSB. In absolute terms it is not a small amount. One might argue whether such expenditure is worth it, given the â€Å"fact† that the programmes in its ambit, for example, the PDS, are â€Å"dysfunctional† (Indian Express, March 19, 2013). However, recent data from the National Sample Survey of 2004-05 and 2009-10 suggest that while the functioning of the PDS is far from perfect, we do need to update our â€Å"facts†. In joint research with Jean Dreze, we show that the implicit subsidy from the PDS eliminates 18 per cent (14 per cent) of the â€Å"poverty gap† — or the difference between the poverty line level of income and the median income (or monthly per capita consumption expenditure) of poor households — among poor rural (urban) households. Again, there are marked inter-State contrasts — in Tamil Nadu the corresponding figure is 60 per cent and in Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh it is nearly 40 per cent. The real question then is not whether India can afford to have a right to food but as the Food Minister said in a recent interview, â€Å"Can we afford not to? † Food as a right In its latest form, the National Food Security Bill, 2013 promises to address the extreme irony of an ambitious nation holding mountains of food in storage, while masses of its people are undernourished or even starving. The right to food is finally on the threshold of being legislated. Every step taken to widen the coverage of food security schemes is an advance. Yet, the empirical truth is that incremental measures at targeting the needy are a poor substitute for a cohesive, rights-based universal system of food entitlements. There are, no doubt, many positives to the new legislation, such as coverage of up to 75 per cent of eligible priority households in rural areas, the importance given to women as the head of the household for issue of ration cards, inclusion of pregnant and lactating women for free meals (some in government wanted to take away this entitlement from women ho bear more than two children but the idea was sensibly dropped), and setting up of State Food Commissions to investigate violations of entitlements. Under the proposed law, it will be up to the States to frame criteria and choose the priority households for food entitlements, an exercise that will inevitably be accompanied by the well-documented troubles associated with targeting any welfare scheme. Exclusion of any deserving household is unfair and divisive. It poses a challenge to States that wish to provide universal access, an issue that is bound to be felt acutely in urban areas attracting tens of thousands of migrant labourers. The Centre is unwilling to countenance a Universal Public Distribution System on the ground that too much money is involved. Even under the latest Bill, it is argued, the exchequer would have to bear a heavy expenditure of Rs. 1. 24 lakh crore. Yet, the government has not hesitated to build up expensive food stocks over the years, some of which is left to rot, mainly to pay the high support prices demanded by influential sections of the farm lobby. Moreover, the policy orientation is disproportionately favourable towards some sectors such as infrastructure, compared to food and health care. Evidently, the Food Bill can and should do a lot more, to become near-universal and win over sceptics such as Tamil Nadu, which has opposed it on the ground that it is inferior to the universal PDS in the State. Also noteworthy is the fact that the Chhattisgarh Food Security Act has done better than the Centre’s proposed law in some respects — by supplying subsidised pulses and covering 90 per cent of households, for example.

Financial Analysis - residual earnings Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Financial Analysis - residual earnings - Essay Example Pinto (2010) explains that one of the drivers of residual earnings is book value growth. Residual earnings depend on the growth in the value of the invested assets in the business. When investment is made in a business, the invested resources then start to produce earnings. With a well growing business, the investments will produce more earnings which then lead to the increased book value of the capital beyond the expected returns (Wahlen, et al 2010). This then delivers the residual earnings. Return on common equity also is a driver of residual returns. The general returns that a business earns excess of the shareholders equity is what defines the residual earnings (Easton, 2009). When these returns therefore exceed the returns on capital that the business set to achieve, it delivers residual earnings. However, critical analysis shows that return on capital is the same as residual earnings. Diebold, F. X., Doherty, N. A., & Herring, R. 2012. The known, the unknown, and the unknowable in financial risk management: Measurement and theory advancing practice. Princeton, N.J: Princeton University

Relationship Between Food And Mood outline Assignment

Relationship Between Food And Mood outline - Assignment Example Introduction Attention-Getting Device: Do you know why we consume different food items while we are experiencing different states of mood? Credibility: I have conducted immense research which has helped me in identifying the food ingredients can helping changes the state of our mood. Relevance: If you are feeling depressed or you are suffering from a negative state of mood, you can consume specific foods to stabilize and alter the state of your mood. Thesis: The food an individual consumes has the ability to alter the mood of an individual because food contains ingredients to alter and stabilize the mood of the consumer. Enumerated Preview: †¢ First, I will talk the impact of caffeine and carbohydrates on state of mood. †¢ Secondly, I will focus on impact of omega3-fatty acids on state of mood. †¢ Next, I will focus on impact of vegetables and fruits on state of mood. †¢ Finally, I will provide a conclusion to my speech. Body I. Carbohydrates And State Of Mood A. Individuals consume chocolates when they are depressed. 1. Chocolates contain heavy amount of carbohydrates when they feel depressed. a. Rose et al. identified that individuals who are prone to depression consume excessive amount of chocolates (Rose et al. 699) b. Chocolates are rich in carbohydrates which help in stabilizing mood.

Strategic Groups Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Strategic Groups - Essay Example This paper aims at discussing the rivalry that strategic groups face and how they aim at neutralizing the competition. The paper discusses the rivalry between Google Incorporation and other rivalry groups that offer similar services and products. Google and Microsoft have been on market command wars while Samsung and Apple have also been battling it on the mobile phone productions. Google in particular has several strategic advantages that have enabled it to emerge the strongest internet provider in the world. Google has been able to employ strategies such as product and service diversity that has provides the company with greater sales. Google also possess one of the largest geographic coverage in the world. In addition to this, Google has several numbers of market segments that it is serving. Apart from internet production, the company also provides image and graphic production software. The company also provides mobile phone applications in addition to mobile phone production. The company also enjoys good distribution channels that provide it with the best strategic advantages. The extent at which Google brands its product cannot be compared to other rival companies. This is because the company is bale to brand and market its products cheaply and efficiently through the internet that the company owns. The degree of vertical market integration in Google Company is also very efficient. Product and pricing policies for the company has also been superb enabling the company to enjoy wider markets and retain most of their loyal companies (Porter, 1980). On the other hand, Microsoft Incorporation enjoys the best PC software producer in the World. It is estimated that almost 90% of the PC’s in the world uses Microsoft Software. Analysts argue that without Microsoft, Google would find no base for their supplies since the internet utilizes Microsoft applications in computers. Yahoo Incorporation is also another strategic group of company that offers similar ser vices like Google. The rivalry has led to the attempt of Google trying to purchase Yahoo. Background Information and Strategic Benefits Larry Page and Sergey Brin studied at Stanford University and own 16% of the total company’s shares formed Google Inc. they are the founders of Google Inc. The company came into existence in 1998 as a private company but later went public in 2004 when the company invited other shareholders into the company. The two friends invited their fellow student Craig Silverstein who also studied computer science as their first employee. The company runs on a vision of organizing all the information in the world and making it readily available for all the users in the world. The company also runs on a slogan â€Å"don’t be evil† which has helped it in its growth (Why is Google so great 2007). The Company’s history dates back in 1998 when Larry and Sergey decided to upgrade Backrub a search engine that was operating on Stanford sever s for almost more than one year. The two friends decided to change the name from Backrub to Google which is a mathematical term that is used in referring 1 then the digit is followed by 100 zero digits. Their decision to land on the term was later used in forming the vision. The number of zeros signifies infinity, which means looking for all the world information, which is almost impossible. The same year the company received a donation of $100,000 from Andy Bechtolsheim who is now the co-founder of the company. In December, the same year the company was recognized as one of the best 100 websites in the world and it had an efficient way of providing feedback to its users. In 1999, the company improved its employees to eight and therefore had to shift into a larger working place. The following year

Chinese shadow banking and how it affects other countries Essay

Chinese shadow banking and how it affects other countries - Essay Example IMF is of the opinion that shadow banking is existent around the globe, and the same practice has both practical and negative implications on the countries that choose to embrace the form of banking. China has been on the frontline to embrace the shadow banking. As seen in the research conducted by Suzuki, the improvement of shadow banking among the Chinese was set to ensure that China’s economy is transformed to an extent that the country would avoid a massive downturn (35). This aspect, as the author indicates, is linked to the fact that China’s shadow banking was linked to direct finance where the investors directly incurred the costs and risks of procuring primary securities supplied by different firms in the capital markets (Suzuki 36). The author continues to accredit the success of China’s shadow banking to the support of the political sphere (Suzuki 38). Through the political good will in China, shadow banking is said to have revolutionized China’s economy to a positive side and even placed China at a better place to compete with other countries on the regional level. The success of shadow banking as Suzuki indicates, has seen its success thanks to governments control on the chief economic resources such as the loans given by the banks (38). From the International Monetary Fund’s research, China has been rated as the fifth in regard to FSB rating (74). Going with these statistics, China has reported growth in terms of GDP with its bank credits expanding with the day. This will indeed have impacts on other countries in terms of trade with other countries such as Malaysia that has recorded an increased household debts as well as Thailand that id recording debts since 2007 (International Monetary Fund 77). From these statistics, it is almost obvious that China’s shadow banking has helped China compete strongly with other partners in the global market and even outdo some of the

UK National Health Services Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

UK National Health Services - Essay Example The UK National Health Services has long delivered care and public health programmes through primary care. The community oriented primary care based on general practice populations and other health workers has debatably been able to make a significant headway against all odds mainly because of failure of primary care population failing to assume responsibility and proactive ownership of the process involved in improving the health of the population. The ideal would have been tailoring the primary care according to the local needs to a personalized care. Despite predominantly biomedical and humanist orientation, general practice in the United Kingdom has long been infused with knowledge and skills traditionally associated with public health medicine. The philosophy involves protecting, maintaining, and generating good health through a combination of individual and family assessments and provision of a supportive environment. This policy, to be able to be successful, demands closer working relationships between the public and the professional and the system acting as an integrating catalyst between the two and the policies building the ground rules for close collaboration and exchanges. The clinician in this framework has essentially dual responsibility in the sense that he needs to devise and implement anticipatory measures to reduce the risk of a future illness within the guidelines of the framework as well as to treat the disease in case of an incidence. Assuming the responsibility of both community and clinical function is painstaking since this calls for establishment of a new alliance between the health professionals and patient population to co-produce health in a joint venture. Unfortunately even though, this is sound theoretically, practically, the market-oriented reforms in the health services in an attempt to redefine and strengthen the discipline of health services did not help much to improv e the perceived the decline in the quality of care. This happened essentially due to a fault in the framework itself. The desired result and improvement was never achieved since the internal market within the service framework tended to separate the roles of health authorities and practitioners. The public health professionals sought to develop strategic planning and purchasing functions within the health authorities mainly to remain in control as they were, and in contrast, the fund holders dismissed the constraining disciplines of needs assessment and service evaluations (Majeed, A., 2003). Child Health Services: It is important to consider child health services in the framework. It is an important indicator for quality of care services. United Kingdom health services pay particular attention to the children in need. Children in need are defined as those who will be unable to achieve and maintain a reasonable standard of health or those whose health or development is likely to be significantly impaired or further impaired without services. This puts in place services for the children in need, for the children with disabilities, with family difficulties, and with poverty. Using school health as an example, the problems are known to be encountered liaising with the education

Tissot Watch Company Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Tissot Watch Company Analysis - Essay Example The first and foremost is brand recognition. Tissot relies heavily on different strategies that require lots of investment in advertising to create product value. As Tissot involved well known personalities to promote their products, this acted in their favour create brand recognition in the industry. The consumer base of the company has been strong enough which enabled the organisation to take steps into new products which in turn will attract new customers and cement the consumer base. Marketing and communication sets Tissot stand differently from its competitors. The design of the watches is built in such a way so that it attracts every level of consumers if not income wise but choice wise. Tissot took the step in distributing their products in different markets which not only raised their sells but penetrate other markets and drive out their competitors. The Swiss watch manufacturer has large and highly skilled pool of labor. They are trained for the specific purposes and latest innovations and techniques are injected into the products which affects the sales of the company. The price of the products is set at such a level which attracts targeted customers. The prices are competitive with other competitors in the industry and technological advancement is the factor which differentiates its products from other competitors. A huge product base is also offered for the customers with different price ranges. Luxury watches are defined as those watches which have a factory gate price of over CHF 500, and corresponds to more or less to sale price of over CHF 1500. A Harvard Business School Professor stated a ‘five forces model’ to make an analysis of the watch industry. There is the threat of new entrants which may be able to attract the consumer bases of the already existing players. There is rivalry among the players in terms of pricing, branding and advertisements. The only difference the watch industry has from all other industries is that it is n ot possible to deliver substitutable products. That is why the other aspects of business are foremost in this industry [Gautschi, 2005, pp. 7-8]. (Gold, Godsey, Cernusca, 2003, p. 9) The key to sustain in the Swiss watch industry is in fulfilling the strategic and operational goals of an organisation. Tissot has been able to capture a consumer base but in order to sustain in the industry the need of the time is inject new technologies and pricing strategies. Injection of new technologies will involve investments and the current needs of the market need to be identified. Once the needs are identified, new products are injected into the market using appropriate process strategies. Tissot should also have adequate back up plans for sudden entry of new competitors into the market. These unexpected moves are required to be handled efficiently. Research and development is one of the key areas which cannot be eliminated from any company in order to sustain in an industry (Adler and Shenhar , 1989, p. 10). Time should be spent on new product innovation and marketing of the products around the globe. Elasticity: One of the important concepts that can influence the pricing strategy is price elasticity of demand which shows the change in the quantity demanded of a certain product due to change in the price of the same product. Tissot will have to

Impact of International Trade and Globalisation on Corporate Strategy

Impact of International Trade and Globalisation on Corporate Strategy - Essay Example This word of "Globalisation" is not strange to a lot of people. The globe is getting in imperative respects, a solitary social arrangement owing to globalization which is made up by the association and interconnection amongst the societies and states. Such association and linkage is a multi-dimensional course but not the latest one -in the end, of19th century, there was previously unfasten global financial system, with a great deal of business, including business in currency (Gratton, Hope, Stiles & Truss C, 2008, 45). The blurry perception of globalization has been clearly explained in financial vocabulary. Corporate globalization may be viewed as the movement of items, services, and money assets or savings across global boundaries and in this manner turned into a predominately financial happenings of the world, all over which, national organisations develop into international corporations and countries are no longer seen as self-governing and closed monarch states, but as a fraction of single large financial system. If we abide by the 'best fit' theory in order to achieve the objectives of the corporate strategy, these elements must be continuously linked back, in order to reflect the business strategy employed. 1. Employee relations. This relates to the partnership between employers, and employees. It has strong connotations of 'involvement' and several key theorists advocate that without this, the strategy cannot work; it must demand a commitment to overall objectives and be practiced on every level of the business. (Macdonald, 2006, 07).

Northern and Southern British Colonies of North America Essay Example for Free

Northern and Southern British Colonies of North America Essay The views of Northern and Southern British Colonies of North America developed different culturally factors including economically and political views, education, and religious instruction. Colonies in the north and south developed their own characteristics making them significant for the main land, and later becomes the new nation itself. Economic wise, the colonies had more differences than similarities. The North had small farms while the south had larger plantations. The northern colonies developed important trades on furs, timber, and other natural resources. The northern colonies developed into shipping center at New York, which originally belonging to the Dutch until 1664, where goods were stored. The English develop the harbors around New York and it became a major shipping center of the colonies. Meanwhile, the south developed important trades on agriculture, cotton, rice, and tea. At the time, the south had fewer raw materials than the North and mostly traded cotton. The cotton crop was the most important trade to the Southern colonies, it was nicknamed King Cotton. The reason of the South’s plantation out-sizing the North’s plantation was because the social aspect of each side. The Northern colony life mainly revolved the church members, when the south had more focus on the wealthy land owner. However, The North and south economics were similar to each other as well; for example, Tobacco and slavery. The North and South both also supported the use of indentured servants, people who came to America and was placed under contract to work for land owners for over a period of time, usually about seven year. Politically, the North and South had differences on who had the bigger voice in the society. In the North, Church membership was the only way to be accepted in to the colony. The church in the north controlled the laws and were the most accepted in the colony. Meanwhile, in the South, instead of the church members being superior, the land owners who wealthiest had control over the law. The Southerners tended not to be very religious due to the number of churches and religious institution in the south. Almost all the population of the South live on plantation and the plantation were very important to them more than the religious beliefs. Since The North was large on plantation, thousands of slaves were forced to work on the plantations. Politics in the colonies were empowered by charter called The General Court. The General Court made laws and governed the company. The colonists adapted the general court concept and used it to rule their colonies. The General Court ruled that freeman could only be male and a church member in order to make sure only religious men could decide government issues. The southern colonies were ruled by the oldest legislative called the House of Burgesses. The House of Burgesses established for judicial and administration which will runs by the representatives from each region in the colonies. Mercantilism played an important role in the lives of New Englanders because it was an economic theory and system that supported the establishment of the colonies. New England adopted the policy of mercantilism in order to control over the trade of the colonies. The colonies were influenced by the mercantilism policy due to the numerous trading prohibitions and taxes that applied on goods. The first mercantile regulation was the Acts of Trade and Navigation which established three main rules for colonial trade. Firstly, trade between the colonies could only be transported on English or colonial-built ships and operated by English or colonial crews; secondly, all goods could only pass through English port; and thirdly, certain numbered goods from the colonies could only be exported to England, including tobacco and sugar. But in the Southern Colonies, the Navigation Act had lowered tobacco prices which made the economies suffered. The slave population in the South vastly increased in order to maintain their wealth that dominated trade and politics throughout the colonies. Later on, there will be more similar acts to those of trade and navigation, such as the Staple Act of 1663, The Duty Act of 1673, and the Wool Act of 1699 which limited trade of good. Over time, the concept of mercantilism would rehabilitate due to the changing ideas and theories of various economic scholar such as Adam Smith, Abraham Lincoln, and Alexander Hamilton. Educations also played such an important role in the lives of New Englanders because people were really religious in the American colonies. In the New England colonies, the Puritans built their society based on the principles of Bible. The Puritans valued education because they believed that Satan was keeping those who couldn’t read from the scriptures. Education in this time period enabled people to read the Bible; therefore, parents able to teach their children to read the Bible, which was often the only book they had. Wealthy families usually sent their older children to study at colleges and universities. Girls usually learned their education in household skills at home. The education in the southern colonies, children normally began their education at home. Because farms and plantations created difficulty, plantation owners usually hired tutors to teach their children math, science, geography, history, and plantation management. Girls in the South usually taught to learn enough reading, writing, and math to run a house household and to attract a husband. As we speak of Education, The King James Bible had influence the culture of these two diverse regions because it was the only English translated book from the bible. The King James Bible established at Jamestown, Virginia in 1607; for the next few hundred years, just every English-speaking American grew up knowing the King James Bible better than any other book. It was the only book that has over one billion copies in print. Because of the well-known bible at its era, both colonies were persuaded the children to learn from King James Bible either from homeschooled or universities. The impact of the King James Bible on English language and western culture is beyond estimation; therefore, Education of the North and the South were always involved with the King James Bible. Works Cited. Channing, Edward. The Navigation Acts. Thenagain.info. Thenagain.info, n.d. Web. 31 Jan. 2013. Grischy, Janet. The Economic and Social Differences between the North and the South as a Cause of the Civil War. Helium. Helium, 23 Apr. 2009. Web. 30 Jan. 2013. Hockett, Homer C. Political and Social Growth of the American People 1492-1865. (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1940). KIRSCH, ADAM. Heirs to the Throne. The New Republic. Www.newrepublic.com, 11 May 2010. Web. 25 Jan. 2013. The King James Version: Its Influence on English and American History. The King James Version: Its Influence on English and American History. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2013.

Qualitative Data Essay Example for Free

Qualitative Data Essay VOCABULARY – I consider vocabulary as the easiest because with the use of context clues, I can easily understand the meaning of the word. – 7 respondents have the same reason. I consider vocabulary as the easiest because you only have to be familiar with words. – 2 respondents have the same reason. I consider vocabulary as the easiest because I’m a wide reader at a young age. – 2 respondents have the same reason SENTENCE/SYNTAX I consider Sentence/Syntax as the easiest because you just have to familiarize grammatical rules. 2 respondents have the same reason GETTING THE MAIN IDEA I consider Getting the Main Idea as the easiest because by understanding the passage, you can get the whole idea. 9 respondents have the same reason I consider Getting the Main Idea as the easiest because there are no rules on understanding the passage I consider Getting the Main Idea as the easiest because it is mainly asking what the text is all about. 2 respondents have the same reason I consider Getting the Main Idea as the easiest because it is mostly found at the beginning of the paragraph. COMPREHENSION I consider Comprehension as the easiest because by simply reading. I can comprehend what the paragraph is all about. DIFFICULT: VOCABULARY – I consider vocabulary as the hardest because I have limited words stocks. – 4 respondents have the same reason. I consider vocabulary as the hardest because I still need to consult the dictionary to know the meaning of the. – 2 respondents have the same reason. I consider vocabulary as the hardest because I have a poor memory to retain word meanings. I consider vocabulary as the hardest because I’m not a wide reader. SENTENCE/SYNTAX I consider Sentence/Syntax as the hardest because it’s hard to analyze sentence structures and grammatical rules. 2 respondents have the same reason GETTING THE MAIN IDEA I consider Getting the Main Idea as the hardest because it’s hard to deal with the writing styles of the author and confused if I have to dwell with my own understanding. – 2 respondents have the same reason I consider Getting the Main Idea as the hardest because words are confusing. I consider Getting the Main Idea as the hardest because it is requires comprehension and focus. 2 respondents have the same reason I consider Getting the Main Idea as the hardest you have to identify the specific details of the story. COMPREHENSION I consider Comprehension as the hardest because there are articles that are difficult to understand. 3 respondents have the same reason I consider Comprehension as the hardest because you have to check the deeper meaning of the text. I consider Comprehension as the hardest because you have to consider everything (sentence structure, grammatical rules, vocabulary etc.) to get the meaning. I consider Comprehension as the hardest because it’s difficult to retain everything I’ve read. 2 respondents have the same reason I consider Comprehension as the hardest because of the unfamiliar words. I consider Comprehension as the hardest because it requires prior knowledge. I consider Comprehension as the hardest because of the author’s ambiguous ideas. I consider Comprehension as the hardest because it needs fast digestion of the contexts. 3. What possible intervention could have been done to help you develop your reading skills at the point of your education? The following are recommended reading interventions: to become a wide reader 19 respondents have the same suggestion study more vocabulary words 6 respondents have the same suggestion involve in more reading activities 12 respondents have the same suggestion watch more films 2 respondents have the same suggestion teachers should stimulate motivation 3 respondents have the same suggestion teachers should conduct more tutorial 3 respondents have the same suggestion teachers should unlock difficulties before starting the lesson proper practice reflective reading COMPREHENSION I consider Comprehension as the hardest because I’m having a hard time to understand texts heard. – 2 respondents have the same reason I consider Comprehension as the hardest because I consider myself as a visual learner. I consider Comprehension as the hardest because I easily lose focus 3. What possible intervention could have been done to help you develop your listening skills at the point of your education? The following are recommended reading interventions: get acquainted with correct pronunciation through practice – 3 respondents have the same suggestion learn different kinds of accents watch more films 3R’s- Read, Read or Read stay focused and listen keenly – 6 respondents have the same suggestion engage in more listening activities– 14 respondents have the same suggestion tele-conferencing with someone who has a different accent educators should encourage developing listening skills

Changes to the Global Economy

Changes to the Global Economy As an introduction, it is important to remember that the historical background meaning the first and the second World War and the cold war created deep economic problems. The economic global system crossed a lot of significant events, from the great depression to the stagflation. One of the major development in the world economy from 1980 is the massive neo-liberalism wave. We will consider the Washington Consensus as the roots of our analysis. Formulated by John Williamson in 1990, it is a set of economic policies within the international communities working at the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. It is a redirection of public expenditure priorities toward fields offering both economic returns and the potential to improve income distribution to help failing economies in front of their massive debts. Then, the term was linked with neo-liberalism process or even globalization process. The neo-liberalism that the world is handling was spreaded out from the anglo-saxon world to the Occidental world and then to the whole world and based on the privatization, cross-border trade, reduction of the deficit spending But these system has some limits and in 2008, speculation exploded in USA. The 15th of September, a big investment bank called Lehman Broth ers defaulted, spreading a global financial crisis. US, UK and European governments were involved into rescue plan within institutions avoiding a world paralysis of the system. A second major development in the world economy from 1980 is a switch of the balance of powers between countries. The developed countries run over the developing countries. The economic system permits to enrich the richer and impoverish the poorer but not only between countries but as well within countries. The gap became bigger not only between developed and developing countries but also between poor and rich people within developed and developing countries. It is kind of a vicious circle because the economy part it closely linked to the poverty problem. According to Fisher, â€Å"as far as economics is concerned, the big challenge is poverty[1]†. As an evidence of poverty and global inequalities, there are two main available indicators. The first one, given by the World Bank, is the ratio of absolute poverty. It is â€Å" the percentage of the population living on less than $1.25 a day at 2005 international prices[2]†. At the time the text was written, the ratio consi dered people leaving on less $1 a day at 1993 international prices. Even if from 1987 to 1999, the world ratio of absolute poverty decreased from 28,3 % to 23,2 %, the same ratio without China and in term of absolute number increased from 880 millions to 945 millions. Indeed, Chinas population accounted for 38 %[3] of the world population at that time (19 % today) so nuances between countries need to be specified to have a good understanding of the overall world situation. The second one, given by the United Nation Development program, is the Human Indicator Index. It ranks countries according to their level of development. It measures three dimensions, long and healthy life, acquire knowledge and decent standard of leaving, and integrate into one index[4]. Again, if from 1980 to 2000, the global HDI increased, that does not mean that â€Å"everyone in the developing countries is doing better[5]†. So as a conclusion, indicators have to be manipulated really carefully as well as the weight of every countries and their individual situation. The economic situation is more and more complex because there is an increasing number of emerging countries which are redefining the concept of power. Within the developing countries, there is huge development and wealth inequalities. The BRICs appear to be a consensus within this definition. So who are they? It is in 2001 that the notion appears, permitting to describe a temporary and spontaneous world balance. In 2014, the four BRIC countries became the BRICS corresponding to five countries: Brazil, Russia, India and China. They represent 25 % of the earths land surface, 42 % of the world population and 15% of the world GDP. Each of these five countries offer comparative advantages. Agricultural products for Brazil, energetic resources for Russia and Africa, manufactured goods for China and tertiary services for India. The last ten years, they underwent an important average annual growth whereas the European union one was only 1,5 and became major actors of the world economy. Despite of disparities, they have a lot of assets to weight against the giants of this world. They are nuclear giant, energetic giant, demographic giant and permanent member of the security council. Their economic development can be explained by different reasons. First of all, there were an opening from these countries where before the economy was controlled like Russia, India or China. Then, they increased the work force available at a global level. Finally, they decreased the cost of manufacturing goods and indeed, favoring the growth of other part of the world. These growth increased the demand of goods, consumption and mineral, involving the growth of some other parts of the world. Commercial trade increased by 4 since 1990. They are also fighting for a more fair position within the international organization like united nation security council, and for rebalanced the voting right within the World Bank and the the International Monetary Fund[6]. In spite of their global influence, they are getting out of breath since couple of months. That is why, some economists, like Laurence Daziano[7], predict the coming of a new group of countries, the BENIVMs: Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Vietnam and Mexico These time, Daziano created more clear, coherent, fix and long run criteria. She considers five criteria: economic growth, population of at least 100 millions inhabitants, urbanization (need of infrastructures) and political stability. But it is a realist critic against the BRICS? During the last decades the world has witnessed a worldwide trend away from rather closed economic systems (Import-Substitution Industrialization, Socialist Planned Economies) towards more open and more market-based systems. Why this has happened and what did it bring? To explain this phenomenon, I will support the modernization theory who explains the development notion through an historical origin. Different criteria can explain this evolution: the rise of the US as a superpower after the Second World War and as a model to follow; the birth to many new nation-states in the Third World which were in search of development model, the US identified the threat of communism in post-war Europe and in the Third World believing that economic recovery and modernization and moved them along the path of the US, and thus they would move away from communism; the economic recovery of Western Europe strengthened the ideology. Development is a universal, spontaneous, irreversible process inherent in every single society rather than a concrete historical process taking place in specific societies during specific periods. Development is regarded as an evolutionary perspective. Modernization policies are not only seen as elements of a development strategy, but as un iversal historical forces. It bears a strong resemblance to the transition from feudalism to capitalism in Western economic history. Development implies structural differentiation and functional specialization. The process of development can be divided into distinct stages showing the level of development achieved by each society. There were five stages through which all developing societies had to pass: the traditional society (limited production, absence of modern science and technology, agricultural based, clan-based polity, and fatalistic mentality); the pre-take-off society (many traditional characteristics removed, agricultural productivity increased, effective infrastructure created, new mentality and new class appeared); take-off (most crucial, economic development obstacles removed, national income raised, certain sectors developed faster); the road to maturity (modern technology disseminated from the leading sector, the whole economy moves to mass consumption) and the mass consumption society (today in the West) According to Kornai, this switch from socialism to capitalism brought two obvious positive changes. The first one is that capitalism means democracy. It is historically proved than a democratic model is not possible in an another system than capitalism. Ones of the mains features of a capitalist society is the individual property and market forces. Kornai assesses that â€Å"there has been no country with a democratic political sphere, past or present, whose economy has not been dominated by private ownership and market coordination[8]†. But as a critic, he admits that this condition is not enough by itself in the long run. The second positive contribution of a capitalist system is the mechanic improvement. The dynamic of a capitalist system leads to a wish of increasing the profit and by doing so an improvement of innovation which is bringing  improvement of telecommunitions: facilitate trades, mobile phone, way sheaper and accessible in all aprt of the world. There is a raise of internet, all over and all aprts became possible and more easily accessible. References Janos Kornai. â€Å"What the Change of System From Socialism to Capitalism Does and Does Not Mean†, Journal of Economic Perspectives Volume 12, no 1 (2000): 36 [1]  Stanley Fisher. â€Å"Globalization and its challenges†. AEA Papers and Proceedings Volume 93, no 2 (2003):2 [2]  The World Bank Group. â€Å"Poverty† in Data by Topic, (2014) http://data.worldbank.org/topic/poverty> [10 April 2014] [3]  Fisher, Ibid., 6-10 [4]  United Nations Development Programme. â€Å"Human Development Index† in Human Devlopment Reports (2014) http://hdr.undp.org/en/content/human-development-index-hdi> [10 April 2014] [5]  Fisher. Ibid. 9 [6]  Les dessous des cartes. â€Å"Le basculement de la richesse† (2011) http://ddc.arte.tv/nos-cartes/le-basculement-de-la-richesse> [10 April 2014] [7]  Laurence Daziano. â€Å"Emergents : aprà ¨s les BRICS, les BENIVMs ?† (2014) http://www.franceculture.fr/player/reecouter?play=4813724> [10 April 2014] [8]  Janos Kornai. â€Å"What the Change of System From Socialism to Capitalism Does and Does Not Mean†, Journal of Economic Perspectives Volume 12, no 1 (2000): 36

Holocaust Rememberance Day :: Free Essays

Then they came for me - and there was no one left to speak for me.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We’ve been taught that it is important to know history so that we can understand and learn from past mistakes and avoid repeating them in the future. On May 2nd, millions of people worldwide will remember the victims of the Holocaust as we observe the Holocaust Remembrance Day.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Holocaust is the term that refers to the tragedy of the World War II, specifically the ethnic cleansing carried out by the Nazis. Counting around 11 million deaths, it is undoubtedly one of the most horrendous crimes committed against humanity. Holocaust encompasses the time period from 1938 to 1945; its victims range from Jews to physically disabled. Singled out as the primary target, the Jewish people suffered around 6 million deaths during the Holocaust, that being nearly 65% of European Jewry. However, they were not the only ones.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Germans sought to really â€Å"cleanse† the human race. They targeted all the people who were somehow different from their â€Å"norms†. 5 million people other than Jews were killed during the Holocaust; these included homosexuals, gypsies, disabled, Jehova’s witnesses and Polish people, the list goes on and on. Asides from all the deaths, Nazis are famous for notorious experiments that they performed on â€Å"lower† races in and outside of their concentration camps. They tore apart families, often making parents watch their children being escorted to the gas chambers. 11 million people fled during the Holocaust, imagine how many lost their families.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On May 2nd you will see black tablecloths and burning candles on them. You can also see some movies and statistics. When you do see this, stop for just a second and think about those 11 million. If anything good can ever come out of the Holocaust, let it be the lesson for future generations. This lesson can be summarized in words of Martin Niemoller, an anti-Nazi German

Decision-Making: Taking Action with Reason Essay -- essays research pa

Decision-Making: Taking Action with Reason The end result of any decision is action. Action based on reason, intuition, planning, or circumstance it is still action. The best course of action often is determined by the implementation of a decision making process. This process or model can be rational based or intuitive base. It is possible to combine the intuitive and rational decision models. The OODA (Observation, Orientation, Decision, Action) Loop acknowledges the existence of intuition within the context of reason. Col. John Boyd, USAF (Ret) is credited with the formalization of this thought process. The concept breaks the decision making process into four elements: Observation, Orientation, Decision, and Action. Observation is the information gathering stage. This includes situation assessment, outcome determination, research, and determining the variables impacting the situation. Orientation encompasses experiences, cultural influences, genetics, and forthcoming information. Decision is the application of the Observation and Orientation stages to form a viable plan of execution. Action is the execution of the decided plan. A key element to this model is that all stages are part of an ongoing process that can be utilized to make quick, effective decisions. (MindSim Corporation [MindSim Corp.], 2000) The OODA Loop is currently in use for my company’s conversion project. We are consolidating divisions, systems, and resources in addition to converting one division’s ...

The Growing Threat to Civil Liberties Essay -- Rights Freedom Essays

The Growing Threat To Civil Liberties The United States has long been respected for the principled thoroughness with which it has upheld the right to freedom of speech embodied in the first amendment to the constitution. We owe part of our own freedom of speech to the Americans who have upheld freedom of speech on the Internet against pressure from other countries who are angry that their citizens can call up forms of speech banned at home. The US consistently refuses to sign international agreements that would infringe the purity of its own constitutional guarantees of freedom of speech. It is thus distressing to read in David Bernstein’s excellent book how anti-discrimination laws are being used to undermine civil liberties, such as the freedom of speech, in the very home of liberty itself. The US courts have in the past upheld freedom of speech, even where it might seem to encourage crime or subversion, but they have allowed anti-discrimination laws to over-rule freedom of speech. Once again the drive for equality is revealed as the greatest enemy of individual freedom. One of the most striking examples of this is the substantial numbers of individuals who have been sacked (and also in consequence lost their medical care) because their employer’s lawyers were afraid that remarks that these individuals had made might lead to some other indignant and affronted employee suing the employer for allowing them to be subjected to a ‘hostile work environment’. A member of a legally privileged ‘minority’ might well then be awarded vast damages for some trivial remark. In consequence employers now even snoop on conversations and e-mails between two friendly consenting employees lest they contain a comment which might be unco... ...ights, but she was only awarded one dollar plus her costs. It sums up the priorities of PC AmSoc America. A trivial anti- discrimination claim is worth a million times as much as freedom of speech and expression. David Bernstein is to be congratulated on so clearly, vividly, analytically and accurately showing seriousness of these new threats to free speech and civil liberties in the US. The Cato Institute also deserves credit for publishing the book since in Bernstein’s words ‘authors who take politically incorrect positions . . . face a particularly difficult time finding publishers among leading trade presses’ (p. ix). Cato at least is still the land of the free and the home of the brave. You Can't Say That: The Growing Threat To Civil Liberties From Antidiscrimination Laws Washington, DC: Cato Institute, 180pp., ISBN: 1 930 865 538, $20.00 (hb), 2003

Factual reporting, interpretation and distortion Essay

How are distinctions made between factual reporting, interpretation and distortion? This essay is going to tell the differences between factual reporting, interpretation and distortion. Factual reporting means that an answer or a statement is based on facts that are true and proven. Interpretation is an individual’s opinion and appreciation about a subject. It is not based on facts but just on opinions and theories. Distortion is a way of delivering wrong information, twisted and wrongly explained information. It is based on facts but kind of turns them around. Factual reporting is the way of delivering an opinion/theory based on true facts. An example of this is an article I read in Metro today, which was about conspiracies. The one that caught my eye was one that stated that an airplane never crashed into the Pentagon. This theory was based on facts, which I never had heard of. For example, the surveillance camera of the Pentagon didn’t show an airplane but only a white line in the sky. Another thing was that the hole in the Pentagon was way too small to have been creased by an airplane. The write stated that the US Air force shot down flight 77, and to cover this up they blew up a part of the building without the workers knowing anything about it. Also no big wreck parts from the plane were found. This is a factual reporting as it’s based on true facts and it not created by opinions or own thoughts as in an interpretation. Also the moon landing is believed to be a fake. There are many facts that point against it. In a video ‘from the moon’ the flag that Neil Armstrong put up was waving in the wind. And there’s not supposed to be any wind on the moon. Also the shadows go in different directions and the shadow of the space shuttle should fall on Armstrong, a good example of factual reporting. A theory based on facts. Interpretation is a theory based an individual’s own opinion. A great example of this is racists. The Nazis believe that black or people with darker skin than westerners are worth less. This is a great example as this theory of theirs is based on their own opinions and have no actual facts to base it on. There is no proof that colored people are worth less than white people. This is why it’s an interpretation. No facts or proof are involved in the theory. Another example of interpretation is Bin Ladin. The US government doesn’t know that he’s alive. The videos that they got from him are old now and he could be dead already. The US government think that he is alive because of the videos, but they have been bombing caves, cities and other places in hope of killing him, so he could be dead. This is interpretation as they base it on what they believe. There is no proof that he’s alive. Distortion is when facts are wrong, twisted or inaccurate. Another definition is when two people disagree with one another. An example is if I say to Andreas, we have homework for tomorrow and he says we don’t. This is distortion in a way. Another example is all kinds of magazines and television shows as they tent not to show all of their footage information. They cut what they don’t want people to hear, which helps them things look negative and positive. This is a typical example of distortion as it twists the truth or the reality. Often when you experience something and they write about it the next day in a newspaper, it’s never the same. You always say to yourself, â€Å"That’s not exactly what happened.† Sometimes the media exaggerate to find a big audience. They do what I like to call, ‘Stretch reality.’ It’s a clear case of distortion because they twist the truth or give an inaccurate point of view. As a conclusion or to answer the question I would like to say that the difference or the distinctions between factual reporting, interpretation and distortion is the amount of facts they are based on. Factual reporting is based on only facts to make a clear image of a theory, event or opinion. Interpretation is based on opinions but no facts. Only the people who made the theory, it’s only based on things that are going on inside those people’s heads. Distortion is based on facts but mostly told the opposite way or twisted to change the way people think of it. It often tries to make the facts inaccurate.

What types of memory are typically impaired in amnesia?

Abstract Amnesia is a condition that impacts many people worldwide. This essay illustrates the basic overview of the condition alongside the primary components that make up the condition. Evidence demonstrates that neurological amnesia can be caused by many separate influences, which can serve to directly impact a person’s life. This study will be of use to the further development of data regarding amnesia. Introduction The problem to the process of learning new information or recalling the past is known as Amnesia (Nissan, Abrahams and Sala 2012). This condition is characterized by two variant conditions: functional amnesia and neurological amnesia. Functional amnesia is not as prevalent as neurological amnesia and can be caused by nonphysical elements (Rugg 1997). In some cases extreme emotion can trigger functional amnesia. In cases that present the functional amnesia condition, the pattern of development is significantly distinct from the neurological amnesia. Amnesia Within the field of neuropsychology, or the discipline of addressing the treatment of memory disorder, the area of Declarative memory, or the section of the brain that deals with conscious facts and day to day events is directly impacted by neurological amnesia (Parkin 2013). Conversely, modern studies suggest that many of the non-conscious or non-declarative forms of knowledge remain intact during these cases. The terms implicit and explicit memory are secondary methods of reference for the areas of non-declarative and declarative memory impacted in the cases of neurological amnesia (Ibid).Most often, neurological amnesia is credited to a traumatic event to the brain including disease that targets the medial diencephalon or the medial temporal lobe or amnesia could be caused by blunt force to the head (Rugg 1997). Two areas are identified within the scope of the functional and neurological amnesia condition: Retrograde and Anterograde (Ellis and Young 1996). The area of neurological amnesia that creates an impediment when patients attempt to learn new facts or acquire new knowledge is known as Anterograde amnesia. The form of neurological amnesia that takes the form of difficulty remembering details that occurred before the trauma is known as retrograde amnesia (Ibid). In nearly every case functional amnesia will be identified by the presence of retrograde amnesia alongside the lack of any anterograde amnesia (Parkin 2013). The functional form of amnesia is classified as a psychological disorder with no specific section of the brain credited with healing. Yet, a common factor of functional amnesia is physical damage to the brain. A distinguishing element present in neurological amnesia is the damage to the function of either the temporal lobe or the diencephalic midline (Rugg 1997). When this form of damage is taken it is labelled as material-specific amnesia. When both sections are involved the results can take any form of functional or neurological amnesia (Ibid). Damage to the left side of the brain is credited with impacting memory for verbal material, while any damage on the right side produces issues with memories in the nonverbal material (Parkin 2013). Alzheimer’s, temporal lobe surgery, extreme illness, alcohol or drug abuse, blunt trauma, ischemia, anoxia or the disruption to an artery aneurism can all be credited with the onset of neurological amnesia. In every case there is a trigger. Case studies In some cases surgery to relieve unassociated conditions can be credited with causing amnesia in both human and animal models (Clark and Squire 2010). In the case of H.M. in the year 1953, surgery was deemed the best option for addressing the patient’s epileptic condition (Ellis and Young 1996). To accomplish this objective surgery removed the medial temporal lobe cortices bilaterally; this was made up of the entorhinal cortex and the majority of the perirhinal cortex. The overall results produced a mixed bag with the rate of epileptic seizures diminishing, yet, the appearance and subsequent persistence of amnesia were noted (Ibid). H.M. was noted to suffer impaired recollection of object locations among other spacial, recall and recognition diminishments. This case illustrates that damage in the hippocampal region has the potential to inflict substantial impairment limited only by the scope of the damage. In areas that exhibit larger medial lesions the tendency to more extre me forms of amnesia is likely (Clark and Squire 2010). An evaluation of this study illustrates the impact that surgery can have on this form of neurological amnesia (Ibid). The onset of this condition was dependant on the trauma caused while undergoing a non-related procedure, resulting in the amnesia diagnosis. The patient NA suffered an injury during a ‘mock duel’ when a portion of the fencing foil entered the right nostril and punctured the base of the brain (Ellis and Young 1996). Following this incident NA exhibited a form of registration amnesia, or issues with acquiring new memories in context with previous memories. In this case the patient had good recall of events that transpired prior to the accident, but very little in the twenty year span since (Ibid). In many ways, his life was suspended at the moment of the trauma. Testing NA produced the knowledge that the subject’s amnesia was considerably tilted towards the verbal over the non-verbal material. NA was much better at syllables and figures than with words (Ibid). In NA’s case his amnesia impacted his ability to incorporate his verbal recall more so than his non-verbal recall capacity. An evaluation of this case illustrates that clear correlation between specific hemisphere damage and resultant amnesia diagnosis. In this case, the targeted area of damage leads to the diagnosis of neurological amnesia. In summary Amnesia is the condition of problems with learning new information or recalling old information. Two separate conditions, functional and neurological forms of amnesia exist. Neuropsychology is concerned with treating memory issues with the Declarative memory, or the day to day operations. Anterograde refers to issues acquiring new knowledge while Retrograde refers to the condition of failing to recall memories. Damage to the right side of the brain impacts memories and nonverbal material while damage to the left side influence verbal memories. Blunt trauma, surgery or illness can produce neuropsychological amnesia. The case of H.M. demonstrates how surgery that impacts the temporal lobe of the can adversely impact memory function, creating a form of neurological amnesia. While surgery did diminish the primary condition, the subsequent result was substantial. Secondarily, the trauma of a puncture to the brain for NA was credited for the onset of neurological amnesia. This condition impacted his verbal retention more so than the non-verbal capacity, creating the perception that the patient was frozen during the period of time in which the trauma occurred. References Clark, R. and Squire, L. 2010. An animal model of recognition memory and medial temporal lobe amnesia: History and current issues. Neuropsychologia, 48 (8), pp. 2234–2244. Ellis, A. and Young, A. 1996. Human cognitive neuropsychology. Hove: Psychology Press. Nissan, J., Abrahams, S. and Della Sala, S. 2012. Amnesiacs might get the gist: Reduced false recognition in amnesia may be the result of impaired item-specific memory. Neurocase, (ahead-of-print), pp. 1–11. Parkin, A. 2013. Memory and Amnesia. Taylor & Francis. Rugg, M. 1997. Cognitive neuroscience. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.

Storm Born Chapter Eight

The keep was like a cross between Sleeping Beauty's castle and a gothic church. Towers jauntily sprang up to impossible heights, creating black patches across the evening sky. We'd lost our light now, but I could still see that a lot of the windows looked as though they contained stained glass. I imagined they'd be beautiful in full sunlight. And framing everything, of course, were those brilliant, yellow-orange trees. Volusian had told me that the kingdoms' seasons were dependent on their rulers' whims and could last for extremely long times. This was beautiful, but I couldn't imagine living in a place that was perpetually autumn. I knew some claimed Arizona was perpetually summer, but, then, the people who said that didn't actually live there. The seasons were subtle, but they were there. I had to keep reminding myself I wasn't in some kind of wacky movie as Rurik and his gang led us through twisted hallways lit with torches. People passed, giving us curious looks as they went about whatever one did in a medieval castle. Churning butter. Flogging peasants. I really didn't know, and I didn't care. I just wanted to get out of there. â€Å"Wait here,† Rurik told us when we reached a large set of double oak doors. â€Å"I will speak to the king before you're shown into the throne room.† Wow. An honest-to-goodness throne room. He disappeared behind the doors, and a couple guards watched us but kept their distance. â€Å"Volusian,† I said softly, â€Å"did you purposely lead us here?† â€Å"My only purpose, mistress, is to keep you alive. Being here will increase your chances.† â€Å"You didn't answer the question.† â€Å"You will also increase your chances,† he continued, â€Å"if you are nice to King Dorian.† â€Å"Nice? They just assaulted me and threatened to rape me.† He gave me an exasperated look. â€Å"The king will see you now,† said Rurik dramatically, returning from inside the room. He held the door open for us. Trumpets wouldn't have surprised me. The throne room was not what I expected. Sure, there was a dais with a chair on it, just like in the movies, but the rest of the room was in a state of disarray. A large space ran through the middle, for dancing or processions, perhaps, but the rest had an almost lounge sort of look. Small couches, chaises, and chairs were arranged around low tables set with goblets and platters of fruit. Men and women, again dressed in sort of a goth-Renaissance style, draped themselves on the furniture and on each other, picking idly at the fruit as they watched me. I was put in mind of the way Romans used to dine. More than gentry lounged around, however. Spirits and sprites and trowes and wraiths were also in attendance, along with an assortment of Otherworld creatures. The monsters of human imagining, side by side with magical refugees who had immigrated to this world. I wondered then if any other shaman had been this far into gentry society. I remembered Roland's warning, that I could be taken right into the heart of their world. If only our kind had some sort of scholarly journal. The Journal of Shamanic Assassination and Otherworldly Encounters. I could have used this â€Å"research† to write a compelling article to share with my fellow professionals. Conversation dropped to a low hum as the gentry leaned over and whispered to each other, eyes on me. Smirks and scowls alike lit their faces, and I put on the blank expression I would wear going to meet a new client. Meanwhile, my pulse raced into overdrive and breathing became a bit difficult. Volusian trailed near me on one side while Rurik walked on the other. Wil and the others moved behind us. â€Å"Why all these people?† I murmured to Volusian. â€Å"Is he having a party?† â€Å"Dorian is a social king. He likes keeping people around, most likely so he can mock them. He keeps a full court and regularly invites his nobles to dine here.† We came to a stop. On the throne sat a man, Dorian, I presumed. He looked bored. He leaned into the arm of his chair, one elbow propped on it so he could rest his chin in his hand. It sort of made him view us at an angle. Long auburn hair, reminiscent of the trees outside, hung around him, highlighted with every shade of red and gold conceivable. He could have been autumn incarnate. He had the most perfect skin I'd ever seen in such a vivid redhead: smooth and ivory, with no freckles or rosy color. A cloak of forest-green velvet covered unremarkable dark pants and a loose, white button-up shirt. He had well-shaped cheekbones and delicate features. â€Å"Kneel before the king,† ordered Rurik, â€Å"and get used to being on your knees.† I gave him a withering glance. He smiled. â€Å"I'll be happy to make you,† he warned. â€Å"Bah, enough. Leave her in peace,† intoned Dorian laconically. He didn't change posture. Only his eyes portrayed any sort of interest in these goings-on. â€Å"If she's been with you for the last hour, she deserves a break. Go sit down.† Rurik's smugness flashed to embarrassment, but he bowed before the throne and backed off. That left Dorian and me staring at each other. He grinned. â€Å"Well, come here. If you won't kneel, I at least want to get a good look at the ‘terrible monster' they've brought to me. They all seem quite afraid of you. I confess, I didn't really believe it was you when they told me. I thought Rurik had been into the mushrooms again.† â€Å"Do you know how many of our people she has killed and forcibly banished, sire?† exclaimed Shaya from somewhere behind me. â€Å"She took out three in under a minute just now.† â€Å"Yes, yes. She's quite terrifying. I can see that.† Dorian looked at me expectantly. I shook my head. â€Å"I'm not moving until you offer us hospitality.† This made him sit up. He kept smiling. â€Å"She's clever too, though, admittedly, asking for hospitality before you crossed our humble threshold would have been more clever still since any of my subjects could have attacked you just now.† He shrugged. â€Å"But we've made it this far. So, tell me, Eugenie, why – er, wait. Do you prefer Eugenie or Miss Markham?† I considered. â€Å"I prefer Odile.† That smile twitched. â€Å"Ah. We're still clinging to that, are we? Very well, then, Odile, tell me what brings the shining ones' most feared enemy to my door, asking for hospitality. As you might imagine, this is without precedence.† I glanced around at all the watching, listening people. Ignore them, ignore them, an inner voice whispered. Focus on Dorian for now. â€Å"I don't really want to talk about it in front of the peanut gallery. I'd rather meet with you in private.† â€Å"Oh.† He pitched his voice for the crowd. â€Å"Well, well. Odile wants to meet with me in private.† I blushed, hating myself for doing it. Nervous laughter ran around the room, soon growing stronger and more confident as the king's did. Interesting, I thought. I remembered Volusian's comments about Dorian, and his soldiers' hesitation about his wrath. These gathered people were sheep, obviously, ready to dance or laugh at Dorian's command, but suddenly I wondered if they were sheep who also feared the whims of their capricious shepherd. I wondered if I should be afraid too. I kept my silence, not acknowledging his joke. He leaned forward, putting both elbows on his knees, letting his chin rest in both hands now. â€Å"If I offer you hospitality, you must reciprocate in kind. I'll see that no one harms you in my household, but in return, you can harm no one under my roof.† I glanced back at Volusian. â€Å"You didn't mention that.† â€Å"Oh, for God's sake,† he hissed, displaying a rare loss of patience. â€Å"What did you expect? Take it before your imminent death becomes more imminent and robs me of my chance to kill you myself.† I turned back to Dorian. I didn't like this turn of events. I didn't like being in a nest of gentry, nor did I want to be at one's mercy. Why was I here again? In my head, I summoned an image of little Jasmine Delaney, imagining her being tormented in a similar way over at Aeson's court. Only she would be subject to more than just mockery. â€Å"I accept,† I said. Dorian regarded me in silence and then nodded. â€Å"As do I.† He looked up at the crowd. â€Å"Odile Dark Swan is now under the protection of my hospitality. Anyone who so much as lays a finger on her will get his own fingers chopped off and fed back to him.† He issued the threat with as much cheer as Volusian might have. A buzz spread through the crowd, not entirely pleased. â€Å"What's to keep her from breaking her oath?† I heard someone mutter. Another said loudly, â€Å"She could slay us all!† Dorian's eyes flicked back to me. â€Å"Did you have any idea what a creature of nightmare you are around here? Mothers tell their children Odile Dark Swan will come for them if they're bad.† â€Å"Hey, I don't seek them out. I only come for them if they come for me first.† â€Å"Interesting,† he said, arching an eyebrow. â€Å"But if that's how you like it, so be it. I always admire women who know what they want in the bedroom.† â€Å"Hey, that's not what I – † I hadn't realized the extent to which our slang had permeated the gentry world. Theirs was a reflection of my own; things seeped through. He cut me off with a gesture. â€Å"I gave you hospitality, now come up here. I want to see the terror that haunts the darkness.† I hesitated, both from distrust and defiance to his taunting. Volusian's voice whispered in my ear. â€Å"He will not harm you now that he's given his word.† â€Å"I don't know if I can really believe that.† â€Å"I do.† My minion's voice was calmly serious. â€Å"You know I can't lie to you.† Turning back to Dorian, I took the steps until I stood at the same level as his chair. I met his gaze evenly. â€Å"Look at those eyes,† he sighed happily. â€Å"Like violets in the snow. You smell like them too.† Beyond us, I heard another rise of murmurs in the crowd. â€Å"What's got them all worked up now?† They couldn't hear our discourse. His own eyes danced. They were golden-brown, the color of autumn leaves falling from the trees. â€Å"You've broken protocol. They expected you to stop one step lower. Instead, you've put yourself at the same level as me. The fact that I'm not chastising you means I'm treating you as an equal, like royalty. You should be flattered.† I crossed my arms. â€Å"I'll be more flattered when we have the private talk.† He tsked me. â€Å"So impatient. So human. You've asked for my hospitality. You can't expect me to not give it now.† He made a gesture with his hands, and spirit servants appeared, bearing serving platters of food. For some reason, I suddenly started thinking of the song â€Å"Hotel California.† â€Å"We were about to eat when you so kindly dropped in. Dine with us, and then we'll have as many ‘private encounters' as you like.† â€Å"I'm not stupid. I won't eat anything in the Otherworld. You have to know that.† He shrugged, still sprawled out on his throne like a comfortable cat. â€Å"Your loss. You can sit and watch, then.† He rose gracefully and offered me his hand. I stared at it blankly. Shaking his head with mirth, he simply walked with me down the steps, not touching. â€Å"Where's the rest of my group?† â€Å"Your servants and human friend are safe, I assure you. We've given them their own accommodations since they don't have a guest-of-honor seat at my table, that's all.† He beckoned toward a low, polished table, a bit larger than the others in the room. Like the rest, it was surrounded by sumptuous-looking chairs and sofas, patterned in bright brocades and velvets. Dorian settled down onto a small loveseat and patted the spot beside him. â€Å"Keep me company?† I didn't dignify that with an answer, instead sitting down in the chair next to his sofa. It was a single seat. No one could sit with me. We were soon joined by about a dozen others, including Rurik and Shaya. She reported to Dorian that the people I'd injured had been healed and were recovering. True to my word, I didn't eat any of the food set out before us, but I confess, it looked pretty good. Stuffed Cornish game hens. Fresh bread with steam still rising from it. Desserts I would have committed murder for. But I didn't give in. One of the first rules of the game was to never eat outside your own world. Stories and myths abounded about those foolish enough to ignore that precaution. The other diners tried hard to pretend I didn't exist, but Dorian was fascinated by me. Worse, he flirted with me. At least he wasn't as crass as every other gentry I seemed to encounter, but I didn't rise to any of it – even if it was charming at times. I took it all in with a stoic face, which seemed to delight him that much more. The other women at the table were less resistant. Any look, any word, and they practically melted with lust. In fact, many other people in the room also seemed to melt with lust. Very explicitly so. During and after dinner, I watched as people – couples usually, but sometimes more – touched each other brazenly. It was like being in junior high again. Some of it was just kissing. Some of it was heavy groping – a hand fondling the breast or sliding up the thigh. And some of it was†¦more. Across the room, I saw one woman climb on top of a man and straddle him, moving up and down. I was pretty sure they had nothing on beneath the voluminous folds of her skirt. At a table nearby, one woman was on her knees in front of a man, and she was – I hastily averted my eyes, turning back to my own table. I found Dorian's gaze on me and knew he scrutinized my every reaction. Through some unspoken command, a blond slip of a woman slid into the empty seat beside him, the one I had refused. She draped a leg over his lap and wrapped her arms around him, kissing his neck. He moved one hand up her leg, pushing up the skirt to reveal smooth flesh, but he otherwise seemed oblivious to her as he regarded me and the other guests. Aside from the free love and utterly medieval setting, there was almost something, well, normal about this place. The gentry I'd run into were always causing trouble in my world. Luring humans. Using magic indiscriminately. But this was like any other social occasion or party. People knew each other and regarded their friends with warmth. They discussed love and children and politics. True, they were still foreign and other to me, but I could also almost see them as human. Almost. Needing to do more than sit there and stare, I reached into my coat and pulled out one of the two Milky Way bars I'd brought along. It was also a utilitarian move, seeing as how I was so hungry from watching all the feasting around me. Dorian immediately became intrigued. â€Å"What is that?† I held it up. â€Å"It's a Milky Way. It's†¦candy.† I didn't really know what else to say about it. I wasn't even sure what was in it. Nougat? I had no idea what the hell that foamy stuff was, save that it was delicious. He eyed it curiously, and I broke off a piece, tossing it over to him. He caught it deftly. â€Å"Your majesty,† exclaimed one of the men, â€Å"don't eat it. It's not safe.† â€Å"It won't hurt me here,† rebuked Dorian in annoyance. â€Å"And don't even start in about poison or I'll let Bertha the cook have her way with you again.† The man promptly shut up. Dorian popped the piece into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully. Watching the expressions his face went through was almost hilarious. It took him awhile to work through all that gooey scrumptiousness, and I fostered a compelling image of him with saltwater taffy. â€Å"Entertaining,† he declared when he'd finished. â€Å"What's in it?† â€Å"I don't know. Some chocolate and caramel. A bunch of stuff sort of fused into other stuff.† One woman, her hair curly and brown, fixed me with a combative look. â€Å"That's so typical of them. They twist nature and the elements for the sake of their perverted creations until they no longer know what it is they do. They are an offense to the divine, bringing forth monstrosities and abominations they cannot control.† A snappy retort rose to my lips, but I bit it off. Volusian had warned me to be nice. In light of their relatively civilized behavior at dinner, I could do no less, so my voice stayed calm. â€Å"Our monstrosities do great things. We can fix injuries you can't. We have plumbing and electricity. We have transportation that makes your horses look like dinosaurs.† â€Å"Like what?† asked one of the men. â€Å"Bad analogy,† I replied. Shaya shook her head. â€Å"We can achieve many of the same results with magic.† â€Å"Magic couldn't do much against my gun earlier.† â€Å"Our people survived. Only a human would brag about her ability to wield death.† â€Å"And you in particular would have good reason to,† pointed out Rurik. â€Å"No other human in memory has killed as many of our kind – spirits or shining ones – as you. You would have killed me last week if you'd had the strength. You would have killed our people in the woods today if you could have.† â€Å"I don't always kill. I even avoid it if I can. But sometimes I have to, and when I do†¦well, then, that's the way it goes.† Glowers regarded me all around the table. Only Dorian's face stayed politely curious. â€Å"Rumor has it you've killed your own kind too,† he noted. â€Å"Doesn't it keep you up at night to have so much blood on your hands?† I leaned back in my chair, as always trying to keep my emotions off my face. It did bother me sometimes, but I didn't want them to know. I hadn't killed many humans – only a handful, really – and most of it had been self-defense. They'd been humans working with gentry or other creatures to do harm in my world. That had justified the kills in some ways, but I could never ignore that I was taking a life. A human life. A life like my own. The first time I'd seen the light fade out of someone's eyes – wrought by my hand – I'd had nightmares for weeks. I'd never told Roland about that, and I certainly wasn't going to tell this group. â€Å"Actually, Dorian, I sleep very well, thank you.† â€Å"It's King Dorian,† hissed a plump man across from me. â€Å"Show respect.† Dorian smiled. The others glared further. â€Å"The gods will punish a murderer like you,† warned one of the women. â€Å"I doubt it. I don't murder anyone. I defend. Everyone I've killed was doing damage to my world or – in the case of those humans – helping your kind cause harm. Those who merely trespass, I don't kill. I just send them back. It's not your world, so I protect my own. That's not a crime.† Dorian sent the blonde away with a quick motion of his hand and leaned over the couch so he could speak closer to me. â€Å"But you know it was once our world too.† â€Å"Yes. And your ancestors left it.† Shaya eyed me, cheeks flushing. â€Å"We were driven out.† Dorian ignored the outburst. â€Å"You gave us no choice. Once we were all one people. Then your ancestors turned away from the power within and sought it without. They built. They subdued nature. They created things with their hands and the elements that we had only thought magic capable of. Some even surpassed what magic could do.† â€Å"So what's wrong with that?† â€Å"You tell me, Odile. Has it been worth it? You can't have it both ways. The ability to force ‘magic' from the world killed the magic within. Your lives shortened as a result compared to ours. Your sense of wonder disappeared, short of anything that can be proven by numbers and facts. Your people will soon have no gods but their machines.† â€Å"And despite all this,† observed Shaya bitterly, â€Å"humans continue to flourish. Why haven't they been cursed? Why do they spawn like cats and dogs while our numbers suffer? They are the abominations, not us.† â€Å"Their short lives, their burning need to create before they die, drive that. Their bodies can't help but produce life so readily. We do not feel that urgency.† Dorian grinned. â€Å"Well, physically we do, but subconsciously†¦our souls know we have time.† â€Å"That's another wonder of modern medicine. We can help the infertile.† Dorian frowned, again more curious than angry. â€Å"Enlighten us.† I hesitated, suddenly regretting my comment. In as brief a way as I could, I explained artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization. Even Dorian had trouble stomaching that one. â€Å"This is how your numbers grow?† asked a woman near Shaya. Her voice was an awed whisper. â€Å"Only for some,† I told her. â€Å"Most don't need it. If anything, I think we have too many babies.† Seeing their shocked faces, I felt a little bad about upsetting them with all this. After all, I was a big advocate of respecting cultural diversity. Yet that core belief of mine wavered around these people. Maybe that was unfair, but I had spent my life being taught that they were not human. They might seem so now, but I didn't think one dinner could truly alter my ingrained views. Shaya shook her head, face pale. â€Å"This, then, is what has displaced us from our homeland. These are the things that forced us from the place we came from and into the world of spirits and lost souls. We lost to twisted creatures who breed easily, who rape and pillage the earth in homage to their metal gods.† â€Å"Look, I'm sorry it upsets you all so much, but that's how it is. You guys lost. You have to deal. You did an okay job fighting, I guess. You still show up in a lot of fairy tales and myths. But you still lost. History's like that. There are wars, and unfortunately, in the end, who wins and who loses is more important than who's right or wrong.† â€Å"Are you saying your people were wrong, then?† asked Dorian quietly. â€Å"No,† I said with certainty. â€Å"Absolutely not.† â€Å"You're very loyal to your own kind.† â€Å"Of course I am. I'm human. There's no choice there – especially when your people do nothing but cause trouble for mine when they cross over.† â€Å"Look around this room. Of those gathered†¦I would say only less than twenty have ever visited your world. And of those, only a small amount 'caused trouble.' You have degenerates in your world too. Yet, you wouldn't use them to define your entire race as bad.† â€Å"No,† I agreed. â€Å"But I'd still punish them. Look, maybe I'm overly jaded toward your kind, but then, the only ones I've ever met have been the deviants. It's hard not to judge.† Dorian stared at me for a long time, and I couldn't read him. Everyone else looked like they would have killed me on the spot, if not for the hospitality prohibition. I wondered if I'd made Dorian mad enough to regret giving his oath. His thoughtful face changed to its typical expression, the perpetually amused and lazy one. He rose from his couch, sweeping the cloak behind him. Everyone else hastily followed suit. I took my time getting up. â€Å"I thank you all for a lovely evening, but I must take my leave now.† He spoke loudly, so that his words carried to more than just our table. Conversation in the room dropped. â€Å"I daresay my guest is growing restless and eager for some privacy, and I do so hate to disappoint.† The toadies laughed appreciatively, and I steeled myself not to blush again. Dorian glanced at me as we slowly walked out of the hall. â€Å"If I offered my hand again, I don't suppose you'd take it?† â€Å"Not a chance. I don't want to give them any ideas.† â€Å"Oh. Well. I'm afraid it's too late for that, once they see where we're going.† I cut him a warning look. â€Å"Where are we going?† â€Å"Why, to the most private of places. My bedroom, of course.†