How far was the growth of the American economy in the years 1890 to 1914 due to the rise of big business? Essay

During the period 1890 to 1914 the American economy grew considerably due to the growth of its capacity to produce, rapid industrialisation and increased domestic consumption. This was, to a large extent, driven by big business. Oil was more readily available which made the transport of goods easier and encouraged development of machinery and industry. Through the dominance of Rockefeller and large oil companies, oil was exploited to the benefit of everyone and especially the embryonic car industry. In 1913, Henry Ford, adopted the moving assembly line, which meant that cars could be produced quickly which made them more affordable and increased sales boosting the economy. Through the work of the steel magnate Carnegie, steel became more readily available due to mass production which supported the development of heavy engineering and production which provided employment. JP Morgan had a leading role in reorganising American railroads which made transport of goods easier and cheaper. Due to ruthless big business culture, smaller companies which were less profitable could not survive, but the economy benefited from streamlined monopolies due to economy of scale. This meant that prices of goods went down and this spurred on the domestic market to buy more. By strictly controlling costs and increasing efficiency, big business moguls such as Vanderbilt, Rockefeller and Carnegie were particularly influential in this respect. In support of the economy banking became more stabilized due to financiers such as JP Morgan who directed the banking coalition that stopped the panic of 1907. This financial crisis almost crippled the American economy due to mass bank closures and major New York banks were on the verge of bankruptcy. The consequence of the intervention of JP Morgan was that banks were then able to provide credit to finance businesses and industry which boosted the American economy. Big business had considerable political influence and exerted pressure on the  government and states consequently passed laws to help big business. The government even extended protection through the Supreme Court such as keeping trade unions weak via super injunctions and the 14th amendment. This enshrined the rights and privileges of the individual, which allowed the development of a laissez-faire business culture. There were however a number of factors which supported the economy which were not directly related to big business. The development of agriculture across the Plains resulted in the cultivation of more land. Technological innovations such as barbed wire helped in this respect because land could be better protected. Innovations such as higher-yielding hybrid wheat made farming much more productive and profitable; this resulted in America becoming a ‘bread basket’ with surplus wheat for export. Likewise the development of technology such as refrigeration was important to farming and the economy. The development of the refrigerated rail car allowed perishable produce to be transported all across America. However, undoubtedly big business helped to fund and channel innovation into even greater profitability. Cheap labour, resulting from immigration, was particularly important to developing the economy and also brought additional skills to the country. As productivity increased trade with Asia created additional markets and demands for products. Indirectly advertising was another area that helped the American economy. Full page adverts in newspapers both in the USA and the rest of the world made people want products and therefore boosted sales and profits. Also the door-to-door salesman developed in this period as new products arrived fuelled demand. In conclusion big business was clearly extremely important in developing the American economy from 1890 to 1914 but many factors interrelate and arguably the government creating a capitalist free market economy through the political influence of big business was a major factor in helping businesses and the economy to grow.

Cultural Differences In Education Essay

It has been a widely known fact that the cultures differ in their educational goals and there is major difference in this respect when Asian and American cultures are taken into consideration. However there are several positives and negatives in both form of cultures in terms of cultural difference in education but at the same time it could be stated that each culture can learn the positive aspect from the other to proceed towards the betterment of the generations to come. The topic would be evaluated and analyzed with explicit connections back to writings of Ho in Cross-Cultural Roots of Minority Child Development in your paper. Since family is such a basic and vital social unit in all societies, persons of all political persuasions have at-times visceral opinions about what things promote the institution and what forces degrade it. In the United States, conservatives and liberals view family very differently. In extended families, more than two generations of the same kinship line lived together, either in the same residence or in nearby dwellings as mostly in Asian family structure. All adults in these extended families shared responsibility for child-rearing which is distinctly different from the Western method. This important social change would have profound effects on how children were raised. In their book Cross-Cultural Roots of Minority Child Development Greenfield and Cooking mention that â€Å"the key fact about human culture is its intergenerational transmission through the socialization process. Socialization is used in the broadest sense to include informal education in the family as well as formal education†. (Greenfield, 1994) According to David Y F Ho in his text Cognitive Socialization in Confucian heritage cultures he mentions that family and community subjects are part of the curriculum. The kids know that we are all different. These same youngsters also know we are all alike in other ways. In today’s society the American people represent many different cultures. Each one has its own viewpoint, traditions, values and political ideas. The challenge is to cement them all together as one. The multicultural education system is the way to go. Not only does it educate the children. The kids go home and pass the information on to their parents and other siblings. Also the teacher learns as the lesson is delivered. Thus, all of society begins to learn about each others, each other. Culture can be defined as the way a particular group of people, live their lives at a certain time. The question we are waiting for is what can Asian and American cultures learn from another? American Civilization is basically a multi cultural objective that has the essence of freedom and opportunity. There are multi strata perspectives of history and history without these layers becomes meaningless academic foliage. These layers of history could be defined as perspective and perceptions related to politics, economic, sociology, cultural and religious. Without the intervention or analysis of these subjects and subsequent incorporation and investigation in accordance to these subjects history would be wrongly incepted. Thus the streamline of education in this regard stands in a midpoint where the system demands an open format to enable maximum space available. This is where Asian culture of philosophy and self development can excel and help the overall perspective of the American education and thereby influence the way of life in the positive aspects. On the other hand it can be said that the Asian perspective of like and attitude towards education appears to be some what rigid and outdated. In this context the implementation of American system of education would certainly be beneficial for the future generations to come. So it can be said that it is eastern philosophy for the Americans and the American system for the Asians and thus a confluence would be formed that would be beneficial for all. However in the modern world the perception and goal of education and its purpose is guided by a large number of variables and can be termed as heavily accountable to the society as a whole. One such variable can be enumerated as the financial factor that is involved in the comparatively higher strata of education system. Standers are set and limitations are imposed regarding the social, economical and financial variables. To precede the higher range of education a subject needs the accumulation of finance. The subject needs to incorporate it in the respective educational institution that has other obligations too like lodgings and such other detailed expenses. For the accumulation of this finance, therefore, the subject must work out a method like part time job which would simultaneously curb away valuable study time and energy. Thus the end purpose of education would be lost by a margin in the process. Moreover there are family obligation whereby an individual is forced to provide for the family in terms of both economics and social quality timings. This also depletes the purpose or end goal of education where it becomes difficult to pursue the availability of education in the first place. (Lamb, 2004) However, the norms of the society are high and difficult to achieve but one must achieve it at the end by formulating the individual priorities in accordance to his or her needs. It should be understood that the education or knowledge is a power in certain senses and to achieve this power one needs to pay a price. This price may be in form of economy or social obligations like devoting time for the family. The idea of education a tool of power has been recognized down the ages. At the time of slavery in the United States slaves were barred from education. This helped their owners to operate them in a better and effective manner as the slaves were unable to conceptualize the actual situation and outcome in a proper manner. More so they were not able to estimate the brighter opportunities of tomorrow thereby were locked in the pothole of slavery. This was just one example how education develops the human mind or being deprived of education depletes it. If this example is taken into account and exercised in practical ways of the modern world the same would stand to be true as the motive of education is to yield awareness and awareness can be utilize into harvesting success. However it should be noted that the main concern is the individual and it is up to the individual who would be responsible in the end to formulate an individual time and energy management process. The society does have its share of obligations but the achievement of an individual must sort a way out beyond limitations. Nothing should be considered as a free meal in this existence of modern world and it is determination of an individual that would be instrumental in achieving the target in the end. All in all it can be stated that the end purpose of education is to prepare a person to deal with all seen and unseen problems and overcome them. References: Greenfield, Patricia M & Cocking Rodney edited; 1994; Cross-Cultural Roots of Minority Child Development; Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers; Hillsdale, New Jersey Hove, UK Lamb, Davis; 2004; Cult to Culture: The Development of Civilization on the Strategic Strata; National Book Trust.

Morality without religious belief is impossible Essay

Many would agree with the statement that morality without religious belief is impossible, because religions provide an unchanging moral code whereas secular morality varies depending on society and culture. Documents such as the Decalogue transcend time, but constitutions and laws of man are constantly being amended and reviewed. Morality without God is merely subjective; two people will have different ideas on what is to be considered moral. This will only lead to confusion. For example, some cultures today still regard the beating of wives and children to be moral even though our western society would disagree. Without a religious standard, who is to say we hold the correct opinion? It is worth noting that majority of people that are revered for their good works and ethics are religious, such as Mother Theresa and the Dali Lama. Correspondingly, some of the most notorious criminals such as Hitler and Stalin were staunch atheists – this is not to say that all atheists are on the level of these men, but it is evident that when a society attempts to crush religion rampant immorality will soon follow. You cannot look to a leader of a country for your morals because they are fallible humans just like you. You need a perfect standard to look up to: God. Atheists lack this perfect standard to base their morality off. On the other hand, many would assert that you can be moral without a religious belief. In Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, he states that morality can be achieved once five basic conditions are met: food water, shelter, homeostasis and sex. Religion is not one of his points. Additionally, atheists have a conscience. They feel guilt just like a religious person would when they do wrong. Even the smallest child knows that certain actions are wrong without any understanding of religion. This suggests that an adult’s morality could owe more to upbringing than religious understanding; this would explain why standards of morality vary between people. Moreover, religions have been known to cause vast immorality. An early example of this would be the Crusades, when Christians butchered Muslims in the name of religion. A more modern example would be the rise of Islamic extremism, causing incidents such as 9/11 and the 7/7 bombings. If religions are supposed to inspire morality, why do they cause so much harm and bloodshed? Finally, morality can be achieved through legal means. Human laws prevent us from harming ourselves or others through our actions. An atheist can follow these laws and be a good person without religious beliefs.

Astronomy5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Astronomy5 - Essay Example It is proved that there is the existence of a planet that resembles Jupiter which has got large mass with asteroids that surround the planet. For the stability of the earth there are tectonics of plates which prove that life is not such easier for the survivor. There is a seed that supports the earth which is produced by the mars like small planet. This also ensures that there is life by providing a good temperature and pressure. The galaxy is also a support in that it has got heavy elements that are elliptical to the system. 3. Human beings and nature have one thing in common since the human beings destroy the environment in which most of the people believe so. Although most of the people do not understand the reason why the environment is destroyed. There are reasons why people destroy the environment where they have an understanding towards the nature of the environment giving out the right reasons. The main reason for the destruction is the using of the resources. The resources are used in different forms just like the trees being used for making papers. In the process the resources are made to be scarce becoming rare species. More of people’s voice tends to protect the environment and stop the people from destroying the natural resources. Human beings are not easy to be related to the environment and understanding the phenomena is not an easy thing. Human beings this days have interest on protecting the environment more so the natural

HRM, Leadership Learning and Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

HRM, Leadership Learning and Development - Essay Example The typical procedure involves presentation of a neutral stimulus along with a stimulus of some significance (unconditional stimulus). The neutral stimulus (also known as conditional stimulus) can produce the same behavioural response as the stimulus of some significance. This response was called conditional response (Pavlov, 1927). The speed and strength of this conditional response is directly proportional to the predictive value of the conditional stimulus relative to the unconditional stimulus (Rescorla and Wagner, 1972). Pavlov’s theories are among the few models from psychology which have permeated popular culture. Despite some shortcomings, the theory continues to receive a good deal of respectful consideration in academia as well (Bitterman, 2005). The implications from the theory are also exploited in media and advertising (Allen, 1989). Pavlov’s unconscious conditioning does not produce new behaviour, but recreates the reflexive behaviour in the presence of ne w stimuli. The implications for workplace can be significant. The conditional stimulus couple with unconditional stimulus can produce the desired emotional behaviour (Merle, 2001). For example, an executive can convey a good news in person and the bad news can be delivered through an impersonal email. Thus, as interactions with the manager or leader are associated with good news and the employees can look forward to follow his lead. 2.2 Advantages and Disadvantages of Pavlov's unconscious conditioning in enabling learning The relationship between a conditional stimulus and conditional response is not fixed but is influenced by a number of external variables. Thus, the process for associating conditional stimulation with conditional response is not often reduced to a neat mathematical model. In most cases, practitioners have to rely on a more intuitive approach to pair a stimulus with a response. If the pairing of conditional stimulus and conditional response is weakened then the res ponse may diminish with time (Heth, 2009). Here again, managers have to rely on an intuitive approach to sense that the desired response is diminishing. To extend the example mentioned before, a manager will no longer be associated with good news, if he mismanages a couple of projects (even though he continues to distribute all the bad news through impersonal memos). Often, a novel stimulus similar to the conditional stimulus can elicit the same response as the conditional stimulus and the phenomenon is termed as respondent stimulus generalization (). The greater the physical similarity between novel stimulus and conditional stimulus more is the likelihood of a similar response (Merle, 2001). For instance an employee, who was injured by a drill machine, may develop an aversion to other machine tools as well. 3.1 Skinnerian conditioning Skinner (1938) demonstrated that rats kept hungry can be trained to press levers on a wall, when the action of pressing the levers produces food item s (reinforcements). The functional equivalent of food in workplace is rewards or incentives. It is generally well accepted that incentives can produce desired behaviour. But the Skinnerian conditioning theories give us further insights on the subject. For instance, the schedule of reinforcement has a significant bearing on the pattern of behaviour produced

E-Portfolio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

E-Portfolio - Essay Example The course will concentrate on creating a thorough syllabus that will help the students generate and interpret ideas (O'Malley & Pierce). The social studies theme chosen for this curriculum is known as "The American Dream". It will focus on creating an individual who is educated and enlightened in all spheres of life. The theme will cover a variety of diverse subjects including history, geography and social etiquette. It will contain hidden undertones that emphasize the greatness of America and the roots taken for her to achieve success. The title of the book will remind the children of the motto held by the great state in ensuring its citizens provide and achieve the best from it. Thus, if later in life the student ever stumbles in their path to make a difference, this social studies book will be a perfect reminder of the Declaration of Independence which asks all Americans to strive in the pursuit of happiness because the state can indeed provide it. The units created in this essay will be Mystery History, YOU and Now your turn. All three topics will vary in the education they provide to the students. Starting with Mystery History, it will focus on the time before the Declaration of Independence was signed. It will cover a wide range of material from the time of colonialism to the Boston Tea Party, the Colonial Wars and success leading to the Declaration of Independence. Without going into the intricate details of these events, the topic will cover the bare essentials, mostly focusing on the reasons and consequences behind certain events. An idea like this cannot be taught without dates but it shall be ensured that only the most basic of dates are given such as the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This topic will touch the history of America and will instill the idea of the sacrifices made to achieve the status it has today. Thus ensuring that at a very young age the student knows the cost at which their freedom was a chieved and the necessity to maintain it. The second topic will be known merely as "YOU". This topic will refer to the rights each American citizen has in his country. Because this topic is too extensive and complicated for a young student, many might defer from using it. However, if taught it will form a basis of what the student should expect from life in the future and will be the breeding ground for true American freedom. This topic will be in quick succession after the history of American Independence because it will create a connection with what has been achieved by the students' ancestors. It will focus on the basics of the Declaration of Independence, ensuring that the student realizes that this is practiced even today: All men are created equal. They have unalienable rights amongst them are those of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The third topic will be titled "Now your turn". Its connection with the second title will come because it shows the student their responsibility to return to America what the country has given it. This topic will cover a wide range of ethics that a student must learn from something trivial to throwing garbage in the trash can to helping an elderly woman cross the road.

Answer the 4 questions from the provided uploaded information and the Research Paper

Answer the 4 questions from the provided uploaded information and the provided book - Research Paper Example Likewise, it was asserted by Powell (2008) that â€Å"the death of Jesus Christ is an integral aspect of salvation† (p. 3232) because at the moment of death, it was noted that God forgave the sins of many and became the liberation of the souls from the bondage of sin; thus, opening the gates of heaven to eternal life and to salvation. In addition, it was also contended that â€Å"salvation includes new life in Christ, comprising regeneration (or rebirth) and eternal life. We have this new life as we participate in Jesus’ resurrection† (Powell, 2008, p. 3599). 2. In 150-300 words, compare the theological positions of James Arminius and John Calvin. (10%) James Arminius alleged that man should not be held accountable for the sin of Adam; but only accountable when man transgressed against God’s laws voluntarily. ... As such, children of Christian disciples should be baptized while infants to be participants in the noted new covenant (Powell, 2008, p. 4764). Likewise, his teachings include: (1) total depravity concept where man was believed to be incapable of saving oneself; (2) that God chooses those who go to heaven or hell and man can do nothing to change this; (3) that Jesus allegedly died on the cross not to save mankind; but only those who were elected to go to heaven; (4) that man cannot resist God if and when he chooses to draw man towards Him; and finally, (5) salvation is believe to be left entirely to God. 3. In your own words, write a one to two sentence definition of the following terms or phrases: (5%) Canon of Scripture, as defined, means rule of a collection of writings of the Church which were considered of great value (Powell, 2008, p. 4514). Image of God was allegedly described in the Bible where man was created after the likeness of God, in terms of resemblance to some form of goodness, which is solely attributable to Him. Kenosis is a term which actually meant ‘emptying† which was analogous to Jesus, as the Son of God, who apparently emptied his divinity and assumed the role of a slave (Powell, 2008, p. 5270). Omniscience was noted to be the term which signifies the universality of God’s wisdom, which far exceeds the understanding and grasp of human nature and intellectual faculties of man. Original sin is reported to be a doctrine which presupposed that people are born in a sinful world; and therefore, it is acknowledgement that even before the ability to reason and have the capacity for spirituality, people are born to participate in the natural and universal sinfulness of the world. Orthodoxy was acknowledged to come from the word orthodox, a

Identify components of a typical contract Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Identify components of a typical contract - Essay Example Contract law is set on the principle which states that agreements between individuals must be reserved. Literally, it stands for maintaining a set of agreements (Ewan, 2005). In order to take either side of the two parties present in this scenario, it is necessary to understand a significant element of a contract as stated in many jurisdictions. The most significant element of a contract states that if one party sets a bid for an arrangement, then another party has to accept the accord. This can be referred to as an arrangement of meeting of the minds or wills of diverse sides (Ewan, 2005). The final accord is contested by the parties involved. The winner of the contest has the final say in the accord. The observable doubt is that a law court cannot interpret the minds of the parties involved. This leads to the contract being judged without bias, with only limited space for questioning the contract’s intention. There ought to be confirmation that the parties had both, from an objective view, engaged in a conduct that made clear their agreement. The confirmation should lead to a contract being created if the sides have arrived at such a state. An objective view means that it is only essential that an individual gives the sense of accepting or offering contractual conditions. This condition should be in view of a realistic individual, who in reality looks to create a legible contract (Barnett, 2003). Jud Wheeler bought the 10 acre piece of land from Krause Company at an agreed price that the two parties settled. The Krause Company later came to the understanding that it had sold its land at a low value which it thought that the buyer, Jud Wheeler, had enticed them to sell. The agreements of the two parties go with the element of a contract that states if one party sets a bid for an arrangement, then the other party has to accept the accord. Jud Wheeler came up

Current Event -Values, Attitudes & Perceptions Essay

Current Event -Values, Attitudes & Perceptions - Essay Example Current Event on Values, Attitudes & Perceptions: The Definition of Workplace Values Summary The article entitled The Definition of Workplace Values written by Juarez on January 18, 2011 and published by Demand Media, Inc. aimed to determine the factors that define values, attitudes and perceptions in the workplace. As initially averred, these factors are ultimately grounded from cultural orientations that have been specifically examined by Dr. Geert Hofstede who founded five specific patterns in cultural dimensions, to wit: power distance, individualism, gender, avoidance and traditions. Background The author based the contents of the article from Hofstede’s Cultures and Organizations that examined the five dimensions of culture, found to be instrumental in determining expressions and manifestations of values and attitudes in organizational setting. The author aimed to write a concise abstract of each dimension as applicable in the workplace. The study of organizational behav ior manifests the inclusion of diversity in culture to provide a more comprehensive understanding of why and how people behave the way they do. Findings The author clearly averred that â€Å"different cultures have different workplace values along five cultural dimensions, which help us define our own workplace values† (Juarez, 2011, par. 1).

Ncm 512 session long project module 4 Negotiation Styles and Essay

Ncm 512 session long project module 4 Negotiation Styles and Communication (unites states post office) - Essay Example The shooting led to 6 people being killed on the spot and one person was seriously injured in this event. The underlying issue of this shooting was that the person was waiting for a long time and was not being served. The parties to the conflict include the lady shooter and the employees of the postal service. The chosen party for this paper is the postal service employees. There was no clear negotiation that was brought out here in this case. The angry lady instead of taking up the issue with the employees went on to take a serious step of opening fire to the building. There was a slight negotiation that was present where the lady showed signs of urgency and her body language did show a level of urgency. However my side of the parties seems to have ignored this urgency and have not been able to provide the required service to the lady. There was clearly no verbal message that was shown by the lady except the one request of asking the employees to deal with her requested service. The negotiation method adopted for this case was not a cooperative one in any manner and there was more of a competitive behavior that was seen which led the lady to take the intense step of shooting at the employees of the organization. Considering myself in this position as the employee at the counter, I would have acknowledged the request of the lady and would have explained to her that once I was done with the other customer, she would be attended to next. If there was a possibility for another employee to cater to her, I would have requested my coworker to deal with the situation. Also, based on this experience, I would have suggested to the company the need for two counters one which dealt with the urgent requests while the other which deals with the normal work. The conflict is one which cannot be anticipated, hence any decision taken at the spur of the moment would be the best that one could do. Hence I personally believe that nothing could

Stigma Against Methadone Essay Example for Free

Stigma Against Methadone Essay The purpose of this research is to identify a stigma against methadone users and those in the healthcare field who are trying to help them become drug free. Methadone is a synthetic drug brought to America in the 1960’s to help with opiate addiction. During the fifty years since then, it has been a very successful treatment drug, but a stigma has developed that to use this drug is to be considered a â€Å"junkie†. This is not the case; this paper will also discuss ways in which to educate about and overcome the stigma against those who work with or take methadone. What is a Stigma? According to sociologist Erving Goffman, â€Å"a stigma refers to characteristics that discredit people†¦ the stigma can become a person’s master status, defining him or her as deviant† (Henslin, 2012). Whether or not the accused person actually takes part the activities and behaviors the stigma depicts, they are still discredited, judged, and even ostracized because of others like them who do participate in the stigma’s behaviors. Anyone associated with a deviant behavior automatically gets grouped together, whether they take part in it or not, hence the stigma. What is Methadone? Methadone is a man-made drug originally synthesized in Germany in 1937. Thirty years later, in the 1960’s, it was introduced to the United States as a treatment for drug addiction. Since then, for over fifty years, methadone has been used to help drug addicts get clean of opiates and regain stability; during that time, there has been no evidence that taking methadone for long periods of time causes damage to the body (Drug Policy Alliance, 2006). The Drug Policy Alliance, an organization committed to identifying, acknowledging, and promoting health-centered alternatives to drugs (2011), supports the use of methadone to treat opiate addiction and states that when used appropriately and a proper dose is reached, opioid â€Å"cravings stop, without creating the effects of euphoria, sedation, or an analgesic effect† (2006, p. 8). In other words, the human brain has receptors that when stimulated by drugs, create a drug user’s â€Å"high†. Methadone covers those receptors so that the user does not feel the need to take drugs, yet they will not get high from the methadone either. This is called â€Å"the blockade effect† and allows for drug-dependent people the opportunity to stabilize, maintain a job, buy a car, get an apartment or housing, and keep healthy relationships, among other things. A Stigma against Methadone Methadone is used for both chronic pain and opiate addiction, yet the majority of society has the assumption that if one is to use methadone, they must be drug addicts. Yes, there are many people in society who are trying to free themselves from drug use, but there are others who take methadone simply because it helps them with their chronic pain when nothing else does. Also, when society hears the word methadone, a picture of an addict getting drugs off the street and overdosing from heroin and cocaine comes to mind immediately. However, this is not the entire picture; at a methadone clinic in Westbrook, Maine, only twenty five percent of the patients who come to get their dose are people who are detoxing from street drugs. That means that there are an additional seventy five percent dosing every day. Why are they patients at the clinic? Because they are there to clear themselves from drugs that their own physicians have prescribed to them. Even though three quarters of the population coming in every day are there because of their doctors, and not because they were addicted to street drugs, patients still have a difficult time entering methadone maintenance treatment. Walter Ginter, director of the National Alliance of Methadone Advocates (NAMA), reported the following to Alcoholism Drug Abuse Weekly: Many of the public think of methadone as just a ‘substitute’ for another addictive drug and that even methadone patients themselves sometimes doubt that they can be in recovery, as long as they are on methadone†¦ partly because they have so little support in the community. The stigma is so great that nobody wants to say they’re a methadone patient. Even people who are successful in treatment don’t want anybody to know about it. (2007, p. 1) Many patients who enter treatment start thinking of tapering off methadone almost as soon as they begin their treatment, for the desire to get off methadone and away from the stigma associated with it is so great. The fact of the matter is, however, that seventy percent of patients who taper off methadone too soon or too quickly will relapse into drug use again (Ginter, 2007). Healthcare providers who work in methadone clinics and assist addicts in their recovery are subject to judgments as much as the patients are, even among fellow healthcare providers. A lot of patients look to their clinics to help them find â€Å"methadone-friendly doctors,† so that they can share the fact that they are taking methadone without having to fear judgment and reprimand. One patient at the clinic I work at has a doctor who discovered that she was taking benzodiazepines for anxiety along with her methadone, which can be dangerous when mixed in large amounts. The patient’s dose was not high enough to be quite as dangerous, but her doctor decided to stop her prescription for benzodiazepines immediately, with no tapering down; one can only imagine what that act did to the patient, both physically and emotionally; the patient presented at the clinic extremely anxious and shared the following with the dosing nurses when they asked if she wanted to talk about her situation with them: They (the doctors) just don’t understand. They don’t know that they can’t just take you off one drug cold turkey (the benzodiazepines) while leaving you on another (the methadone); it just doesn’t work like that. They just don’t care about people like me (anonymous patient #1, 2012). I have also been subject to the stigma and prejudice against methadone, just because I work with the addict population; when I first obtained the job, friends, family, and strangers alike would ask where I worked, and then promptly changed their expressions from interest to shock, horror, and even revulsion. It would have been quite amusing to me if it weren’t for the fact that their reactions were towards my patients. I once even had a friend’s mother say to me, â€Å"you be careful – don’t trust them for a second. They are dangerous people. † I would immediately start educating them about what these patient were really like and how I believed that it was a privilege to be helping them with their addiction treatment. In addition, I would throw out the statistics of how many people were coming in to get clean from doctors’ prescriptions, to show that not all of the patients were â€Å"junkies† and that they all chose to be in treatment to take control of their lives again. This helped to ease fears against my working there, and since then everyone asks how work has been going, with sincere interest, rather than with suspicion or doubt that I could actually enjoy working there. Though many healthcare providers who work with the addict population speak out against the stigma and the judgments against them, to defend both themselves and their patients against unjust prejudice, there are some who say nothing about where they work or what they do for work so as to avoid the negative attitudes directed at them from that moment on. Though it is understandable to say nothing about working in methadone treatment or defend the patients working hard to get clean, it does nothing but add to the stigma, and will make it that much harder to overcome in the future. Methadone Helps despite the Stigma I have worked in a methadone clinic for the past six months, and just in that short time, I have already witnessed extraordinary transformations. The nurses and I don’t just dose the patients and have them leave; when the patients come in and we give them a quick once-over assessment to make sure they can dose, we also talk to them. We are sincerely interested in how their life is doing, and though every person has ups and downs (even those who do not have an addiction), so much of the time I will hear of how someone’s life has changed so much for the better, and that they are so appreciative of this one thing that has helped them to live their lives again. One patient stated the following to me just a couple of weeks ago: I’ve got my life back again – I’ve got my family back, I’ve got an apartment, I’ve got a new car. I’d probably be dead right now if it wasn’t for this clinic. Methadone is the reason that I’ve been clean for seven years and will continue to be in the future (anonymous patient #2, 2012). Another patient who was coming in for her last dose at the clinic before tapering out for good, shared what she was feeling on her last day: â€Å"I finally have my life together again. It’s been eighteen years of being miserable and now I’m finally ready. For the first time in so long I can be happy, and I’m ready for that† (anonymous patient #2, 2012). She was a little nervous about what was to come, but the determination to stay on track was easily visible on her face, and so far, she has been out of the clinic for almost three months without any problems or relapse. How to Help To help fight against the stigma of methadone users and the healthcare providers who serve to help them, education is the only option. By providing science- based education and materials from peers, patients, educators, and healthcare professionals, people can learn that methadone is simply the medication part of opiate recovery. Patients must have emphasis on the fact that they are not â€Å"junkies† just because they take part in methadone maintenance. This stigma creates problems when trying to advocate for methadone maintenance and its patients. The best way to advocate for methadone treatment is to have patients appear publicly to provide testimony that methadone is not just a drug to replace another drug, and that long term maintenance provides stability and opportunity for those who use it. The problem is, â€Å"it can be difficult for everyone to be outspoken about being a methadone patient as people in recovery are afraid for their own recovery, due to stigma† (Ginter, 2007, p. 2). Conclusion  By educating society of the benefits of methadone and dispelling the myths and stigmas about it, recovering addicts can be less afraid for their physical and emotional well-being, healthcare providers don’t need to feel the need to hide what field they work in from others, and society can see what methadone maintenance really is. With education, understanding, and eventual acceptance, society will see that there are significant changes taking place in the recovery field at this very moment and there will continue to be changes as time moves forward.

John Edwards Essay Example for Free

John Edwards Essay On the eve of Super Tuesday, there is one notable figure that is absent on the Democratic Ticket: John Edwards. To the dismay of some and to the delight of others, John Edwards recently dropped out of the Presidential Race. Edwards also ran in 2004 and was placed on the ticket with John Kerry who together, was narrowly beaten by George Bush and Dick Cheney that year. John Edwards did, during his run, attract a wide array of people who, never before, were interested in politics. There are many who believe that politicians who will only say what they believe will get them elected. John Edwards has been one of the few candidates who says what he believes and when he feels that he was on the wrong side of history, is quick to apologize for that vote. Some pundits would call that pandering but those who know John Edwards and those who have voted for him in the past and were planning on doing it again in the future, know the reality of the situation to be otherwise. It would then behoove those who find the democratic process in America fascinating and an example of the greatest example of representative democracy in the world, to explore one of the most successful candidates in modern American political history, who never became president but who had the voice of millions of Americans. John Edwards was born on June 10, 1953 in South Carolina. Upon entering college at Clemson University, Edwards was the first in his family to enroll in college. Edwards made the most of his time in college where he graduated with high honors and left Clemson with a degree in textile technology. It was also at this time where Edwards met and married Elizabeth Anania and together, had four children. Edwards has always had a close bond with his family and through his wife, Elizabeth, has found the strength to begin a life as a politician. Elizabeth Edwards, upon revealing that her cancer has come back and is indeed terminal, has become an inspiration to millions who admire her courage and/or have cancer themselves or have been affected by the deadly disease. They have not kept their struggle private but have instead voiced their experiences with the rest of the country. Focusing on Edwards’ career in the public forum: It first began in 1978 when Edwards became a lawyer at the law office of Dearborn Ewing. It soon became obvious that Edwards had a real talent for the law profession and soon was winning some of the highest settlements for his clients in North Carolina History which totaled more than $70 million. The most notable case occurred in 1997 when Edwards took the case of a family whose young daughter had been disemboweled by a pool company who failed, after being warned of the dangers, of placing protective covers on the highly powerful suctions which are used to keep the pool water clean. The family was awarded a $25 million settlement. (Pear, 2008 pg. 18) Edwards, the family said, was selected to be their lawyer, because he had accepted less than the standard 33% legal fee of the judgment if the family lost the case or the settlement was small. The case served as a stepping stone for Edwards as it eventually prompted him to seek political office. Edwards won election to the U. S. Senate in 1998 as a Democrat in a state that was once known as a strong hold for the Republican Party. Edwards helped to break that mold and would remain a senator from 1998 until 2005 when he would eventually vacate his seat to seek the presidential nomination from his party. During his time in the Senate, Edwards sponsored 203 bills. (Krugman, 2008 pg. 6) It was here that Edwards’ voting record was established and his beliefs on some of the most pressing and important issues of the day, were set in motion. Due to the fact that John Edwards dropped out of the race before â€Å"Super Tuesday† he does not have campaign headquarters in Illinois. The main site of his campaign headquarters was in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. During his campaign, his main form of advertisement was divided between radio ads, television ads and on the internet. With regard to the Internet, ads were placed on his own personal website: www. johnedwards. com, online ads could also be found on websites such as www. myspace. com and www. youtube. com as well as with what has become known as â€Å"blogs† or online editorials from both his staff, supporters and those within the general community who supported John Edwards and believed that he would be the best choice for the country’s next president. All of the above mentioned were concentrated on the mediums that people that lived in the primary states, were going to see it as it would have been fiscally unwise to advertise in Washington State, when any candidate first needed to have a favorable showing in the Iowa caucus or the New Hampshire primary for example. One of the most important issues facing America today, and which is brought up in every campaign and promises to remain a controversial issue, is the war in Iraq. Edwards, like Hillary Clinton, voted for the Iraq War Resolution, only to reverse their opinions. Edwards stated in October 2002, after 9/11 and before the war in Iraq began: â€Å"Almost no one disagrees with these basic facts: that Saddam Hussein is a tyrant and a menace; that he has weapons of mass destruction and that he is doing everything in his power to get nuclear weapons; that he has supported terrorists; that he is a grave threat to the region, to vital allies like Israel, and to the United States; and that he is thwarting the will of the international community and undermining the United Nations credibility. † (Washington Post, 2008 pg. ) Two years later, Edwards defended his vote by stating: â€Å"I would have voted for the resolution knowing what I know today, because it was the right thing to do to give the president the authority to confront Saddam Hussein I think Saddam Hussein was a very serious threat. I stand by that, and thats why [John Kerry and I] stand behind our vote on the resolution. † (Washington Post, 2008 pg. 2) It has been an issue that he later apologized as he officially changed` his mind on the issue. This has been viewed as weakness and pandering to some but has shown the human side of Edwards and humility. Many voters today are stating that the economy, to them, is the most important issue. This is understandable as many economists believe that a recession is coming, if she is not already here. Edwards advocated the rolling back of President Bush’s tax cuts which the Democrats perceived to be economic measures that are used only to benefit the rich. However, Edwards was in support of the President’s recent stimulus package which involves over $150 billion in rebate checks. The belief being that people will quickly place the money back into the economy which as an s results will help to avoid a further downward spiral of the economy. However, Edwards has differed from the president in the fact that he has called for the stimulus package to include rebates for the unemployed and uninsured; a wider range of individuals and people who, Edwards believes, deserves a larger share of the economic stimulus rebates. In the area of health care, Edwards has advocated that America follow the lead of Europe through the socialization of medicine. Edwards stated: â€Å"One of the reasons that I want to be President of the United States, is to make sure that every woman and every person in America, gets the same kind of things we have. John Edwards was commenting on this in reaction to the news that his wife’s cancer has come back with a redoubled vigor. Others who do not have the same financial abilities as the affluent Edwards family, can expect far inferior treatment. John Edwards seeks to change this. However, Edwards is careful to advocate universal health care and wants to show the difference between universal health care which most Americans want as opposed to socialism, which most people do not want. John Edwards has pledged to raise taxes $200 billion in order to pay for the program. Such sentiments raise a great deal of fear with those who believe in capitalism; the economic and social system that has given so much to America. If the aforementioned scare tactic were true, then one might have a credible reason for their objection. â€Å"There would be free choice of health care providers under a single payer universal health care system, unlike our current managed care system in which people are forced to see providers on the insurer’s panel to obtain medical benefits. Also, in regard to governmental involvement in universal health care, such fears are without merit. Taxes, fees and benefits would be decided by the insurer which would be under the control of a diverse board representing consumers, providers, business and government†¦ ‘The system would be run by a public trust, not the government. † (Krugman, 2008 pg. 3) John Edwards, like most Democrats, were critical of President Bush’s 2002 No Child Left Behind Act from its inception. Edwards agreed that the public school system is in deep trouble but states that NCLB does not go far enough â€Å"They didnt fund the mandates that they put on the schools all over this country. Thats one of the reasons 800 teachers have been laid off in Cleveland. 1/3 of our public schools are failing under the Bush administration. Half of African-Americans are dropping out of high school. Half of Hispanic-American is dropping out of high school. We have a clear plan to improve our public schools that starts with getting our best teachers into the schools where we need them the most by creating incentives for them to go there. † (Washington Post, 2008 pg. 7) Increased funding and a greater concentration on the reasons why students are failing instead of relying mostly on tests. That has been the emphasis of John Edwards’ view on education. John Edwards voted for the Patriot Act and had been rather hawkish at first, in Democratic terms, about the defense of the nation in this post 9/11 world. Edwards has been instrumental in the passage of The Biological and Chemical Weapons Preparedness Act. The bill, introduced by John Edwards with Chuck Hagel (`R-NE`), establishes a coordinated national plan for responding to biological and chemical weapons attacks and directs states to develop plans for dealing with such attacks. Edwards has also been hailed as a friend of the environment who has pushed for a greater government role in pursuing the reduction of emissions from some of the country’s biggest factories. The League of Conversation Voters has stated about Edwards: An excellent choice that sends a clear message about the need for change and renewed optimism in our nations leadership for conservation, public health, and other issues important to the American people, Yet another strong environmental leader [on] the Democratic presidential ticket, (Griscom, 2008 www. rist. org) This stance has helped Edwards to gain support from a wide array of the political spectrum and has resembled the Democratic Party’s renewed interest in the environment. During the 2008 Presidential Campaign, the Edwards camp raised more than $34 million and has spent $36 on campaigning, ads in Iowa and New Hampshire. He has ranked third behind Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in campaigning finance and has ranked t hird in the polls as well. Unfortunately, there has been for some time in American politics, a direct correlation between the amount of money raised and the votes that a particular candidate, whether Republican or Democrat can acquire. This has been the case for John Edwards who for the time being, has dropped out of the 2008 Presidential Campaign but who could emerge as a Vice Presidential Candidate as he did in 2004.

International Business Research Question and Answer

International Business Research Question and Answer Question 3 You are the CEO of a company that has to choose between making a $100 million investment in Russia or Poland. Both investments promise the same long-run return so your choice is driven by risk considerations. Assess the various risks of doing business in each of these nations. Which investment would you favour and why? Answer INTRODUCTION International Business International Business is evolved from international trade and international marketing. International business is a crucial venture due to the influence of varied social, cultural, political, economic, natural factor and government policies and laws. According to Michael H. Moffett, â€Å"International business is the process of focusing on the resources of the globe and objectives of the organizations on global opportunities and threats in order to produce, buy, sell or exchange of goods and services world-wide. Factors Lead to International Business Establishment of WTO Globalization of Economies Rapid technological Advancement Enlargement of European Union Increase in competition Higher growth rate of GDP in developing Countries Increase in business alliances in degree and variety Emergence of supportive institution RUSSIA Russia is the worlds largest country in terms of territory. Its consumer market consists of over 140 million people. It has vast resources, a highly educated workforce, and technologically advanced research and production capabilities. Still, Russias economic potential remains largely untapped. Many investors shy of Russia amid growing concerns that the political system in the country is breeding dissent among the population. As such, the economy has been in a state of flux in recent months and its close proximity to Europe amid the financial crisis remains a pivotal danger. However, none of these things change what Russia has to offer. Its technological capabilities matched with its natural resources give the countrys economy great potential. Political turmoil will only drive prices down, making it a better time to invest in this country. Investment Climate and Opportunities Overview 1. Dynamic Economic Growth 2. One of the Largest Consumer Markets 3. World-Renowned Human Capital 4. Vast Natural Resources 5. Unique Geographic Position 6. Technologically Advanced Economy 7. Attractive Taxation System 8. Extensive Government Support 9. Stable Social and Political System RUSSIA’S ECONOMIC OVERVIEW Russia has undergone significant changes since the collapse of the Soviet Union, moving from a globally-isolated, centrally-planned economy towards a more market-based and globally-integrated economy, but stalling as a partially reformed, statist economy with a high concentration of wealth in officials hands. RUSSIA: RISK ASSESSMENT 1. SLOW DOWN IN GROWTH: Growth has slowed down in Q2. This trend should beconfirmed over the whole of 2012, with the Russian economyhowever holding up in a very depressed internationaleconomic context. Oil production reached a record level inthe middle of the year. On the other hand, industrial productionhas suffered from a fall in demand from the mainpartners of Russia (European Union and China). Investmenthas been curbed by a rise in production costs reducingcompany profits. Private consumption, the main driver ofthe Russian economy, was buoyed in HY1 by the rise inwages and social spending, growth in banking credit aswell as the good state of the employment market. However,the rise in inflation is now affecting the increase in realwages and therefore domestic demand. Inflationary pressurehas increased since June, under the effect of the risein the price of food (increased by the effects of the summerdrought) and public services (energy). The Central Bankraised its refinancing rat e in mid-September (from 8% to8.25%) to try to contain the rise in prices within the limit ofits 6% target. 2. BUDGET CURRENT BALANCES DEPENDENT ON OIL PRICES: The 2012 budget was amended in June to take accountof an expected rise in oil prices (from $100 to $115 a barrel),which increases fiscal revenue and allows expenditureto be maintained. Oil revenue accounts for half of Staterevenue and the price of oil ensuring equilibrium in publicfinances has doubled since 2008. Taking into account therecent change in the price of a barrel, revenue should bebelow that expected while expenditure will not be reviseddownwards. Consequently, the balance should be slightlyin deficit at the end of the year. However, Russian publicfinances remain solid with public debt below 10% of GDP,leaving the government some room for manoeuvre, at leastin the short term. 3. COMPLEX JUDICIAL SYSTEM: Property rights are widely perceived to be contingent on political connections, and intimidation of businesses by the FSB and police for political and financial ends is frequent. Red tape stifles innovation, and lack of transparency makes adequate partner due diligence elusive. The judicial system is also problematic: legislation implementation is broadly unpredictable and the independence and integrity of Russian courts is deeply flawed. 4. CORRUPTION AND LACK OF GOVERNANCE: Corruption and weak corporate transparency is another major ongoing risk for investors. Many analysts admit say that this is a big problem particularly among some of the smaller companies, whose accounts are not particularly transparent. Even well-known and respected companies like IKEA which heavily focus on practicing ethical businesses activities declared a moratorium on subsequent Russian investments due to the ongoing concerns of corruption. Based on the Corruption Perception Index, Russia has a lot of obstacles to fair and efficient business practices. Even Iran, Libya and Pakistan are perceived as having less corruption. 5. POLICIES: Russia’s economic and fiscal policy is not investor-friendly. The tax code is overly complex. Russia also has a distinct penchant for protectionism: despite its WTO accession, it continues to unpredictably implement levies, tariffs and bans on hundreds of imports. Tight relations between business and politics are highly detrimental to the business environment. POLAND Polands economy is much smaller than that of Russia. However, with a strong consumer market of 38 million, it is still one of the biggest markets in Europe. The country benefits greatly from its geographical location, which makes it possible to export goods to all European countries and thus reach over 500 million consumers. Similar to Russia, Poland has a highly educated workforce. Therefore, Poland also falls victim to its proximity to Europe and the ongoing crisis. For these reasons many investors are also shying away from this nation. In these trying times though, Europe still remains a solid economy, and though it has faltered, it has managed to remain intact. As investors flee Europe amid growing concerns over the failure to revive the economy and provide successful solutions, Poland offers a great bargain. Polands economic performance could improve if the country addresses some of the remaining deficiencies in its road and rail infrastructure, business environment, rigid labour code, commercial court system, government red tape, and burdensome tax system. ECONOMIC OVERVIEW OF POLAND Poland has the largest economy in Eastern Europe, and one of the highest levels of foreign investment at $13.9 billion as of 2006. Polands economy has been growing quickly, at about 6%, for the past 5 years, and was growing at an even faster pace before this. Despite its GDP growth, Poland faces numerous economic issues; it has chronic high unemployment, low wages despite significant increase of productivity, massive flight of educated population abroad, and low level of innovativeness and highest percentage of people working for national minimum wage among countries of European Union Poland: Risk Assessment 1. DECELEARTING GROWTH IN 2012: Economic activity remained sustained in 2011, despite a slowdown in growth during the last quarter. Growth has continued to decelerate in 2012. Household spending, which represents 60% of GDP, effectively remains low due to a decline in consumer confidence, in conjunction with an annual inflation rate of 3.8% in August 2012, a public sector wage freeze and deterioration in the employment market (13.3% unemployment). The Polish trade deficit shrank in 2012 following a contraction in domestic demand in Q2 VS. Q1 (-3.1%) and slowing exports (+0.8%). Although exports were impacted by a slowdown in Western Europe, exports towards Russia and Ukraine progressed by more than 20%. The heavy deficit in the income balance wiped out most of the positive effect from the trade improvement. The impact of external trade on GDP was nonetheless limited on account of the low level of trade openness compared to other Central European countries. An expected reduction in i nflation should enable the Polish central bank to modify monetary policy. The governor has committed to cutting rates in the event of an economic slowdown. Despite the decline foreign investment flows will cover the current account deficit. At the end of July 2012 net investment flows covered the deficit, i.e. EUR 8 billion. The private construction sector was weighed down by a fall in household demand. The construction production index published monthly by Euro stat fell 8% over the first 7 months of 2012 compared to 2011. Furthermore, the construction sector was boosted, during several months, by the organisation of the European football championships in June 2012 (stadiums, hotels, road networks †¦) with support from public investment. Corporate credit remained dynamic during Q1, particularly in zloty terms, but investment will decelerate sharply over coming months. 2. STRUCTURE AND HIERARCHY IN POLISH COMPANIES: Organisations in Poland have a strong respect for hierarchy and authority, with structure and delegation coming from above. This hierarchical style is reflected in manyPolish businessformalities and settings, including the decision-making process and the use of professional titles. Seniority in Polish organisations is acknowledged and respected and the corporate hierarchy is often formed on the basis of age and educational background. For this reason, when negotiating, it is advisable to send delegates of a similar status to those of Polish colleagues, both in age and professional qualifications. Rules and regulations are an important part of the Polish business environment so Polish counterparts may expect theirbusiness partners to know and appreciate established etiquette and business protocol. 3. RELATIONSHIPS: Doing business in Poland requires an understanding of the importance of relationships in polish businessculture. Building individual relationships is essential to the success of business objectives, especially in the long term. Polish people take time to establish relationships with business partners and to build trust. Poland has a family-focused society, and poles value building and maintaining close personal relationships. This may be considered as a challenge for many foreigners doing business in poland who are not used to sharing personal information with their business partners. For poles this is one of the stages of the trust-building process. 4. COMPLEX BUREAUCRACY: Although Poland’s per capita GDP is increasing relative to the rest of the EU, it amounts to less than 70% of the EU average. Nonetheless, strong domestic consumption is one of the engines of growth in Poland. Poland has made great strides toward improving the commercial climate, but investors point to an inefficient commercial court system, a rigid labour code, bureaucratic red tape, and a burdensome tax system as challenges for foreign companies. 5. IMPROVEMENTS IN INFRASTRUCTURE: Although many infrastructure improvements have been completed or are underway, Poland still has much work to do in order to modernize its road and railway network. Weaknesses in transportation infrastructure increases the cost of doing business for U.S. businesses by limiting ready access to all of the markets within Poland and diminishes the country’s current attractiveness as a regional distribution hub. Internet access and connection strength is good in the cities, but still very limited in less populated regions. 6. IMPROVING PUBLIC FINANCES: The Public finances development and consolidation plan implemented by the government in order to respect Maastricht criteria from 2013 onwards will be pursued. The public deficit, which reached almost 8% of GDP in 2010, is expected to fall below 4% in 2012, through higher taxes on oil products and an increase in social contributions. As a result, public debt should stabilise at around 55% of GDP. However, as a large proportion of the debt is held by non residents, it is vulnerable to risk aversion among investors. Furthermore, the European recession has weighed on foreign direct investment flows in 2012 which has meant that the only stable capital flows financing the current account deficit have come from European structural funds. The Polish banking system seems relatively robust, with capitalisation ratios in excess of Basel III minimum requirements. However, subsidiaries of foreign banks, which are mostly implanted in the euro zone, represent two-thi rds of the banking sector, which is therefore dependant on foreign capital. Banks remain highly exposed to currency risk, as household loans denominated in foreign currency account for 14% of GDP. Furthermore, the zloty depreciated by 8% of its value against the euro between January and September 2012. 7. A COMPARATIVELY STABLE POLITICAL CONTEXT: -The 2010 presidential election resulted in Bronislaw Komorowski leading a coalition between his centre-right party (PO), which had been in power since October 2007, and the Polish people’s party (PSA). The general elections held on 9 October 2011 confirmed the coalition’s position. The Prime Minister, Donald Tusk has made budget deficit reduction a priority. However, the latest opinion polls highlight growing popular discontent with current fiscal austerity. Furthermore, the adoption of the euro has been postponed due to the single currency’s current lack of appeal according to the Prime Minister. CONCLUSION Both countries have positives and negatives aspect of investment. But after assessing risks Quotient in these two countries one can conclude that it is difficult to set up new facility in Russia. Because there are more factors affecting risk perception in Russia as compared to risk perception in Poland. Poland is better option than Russia REASONS FOR THIS The only EU country to have avoided recession in 2009 FDI appeal is reinforced by the size of the domesticmarket Diversified economy The highest absorption rate of European structuralfunds in emerging Europe

Essay --

Melville didn’t name the chapter in the novel, Moby-Dick, randomly. It is evident in this chapter that his syntax, diction, and the vivid descriptions truly depict a symphony. A symphony is a piece of music created for an orchestra and typically has four parts, or movements: Allegro, Andante, Adagio, and Presto. This chapter’s organization can be compared with the parts of a symphony, hence the reasoning behind Melville’s title: The Symphony. In the beginning of the chapter, Ishmael enjoys the clear steel-blue day. Clear steel-blue day is imagery and a metaphor, painting a picture in my mind of a very cerulean blue sky with no clouds. Melville describes the air as being pure, soft, and feminine whereas he describes the sea as robust, strong, and masculine. He is using personification by giving the air and sea, feminine and masculine features, respectively. He then again uses personification by describing the fish of the sea as strong, troubled, and having murderous thinkings. The panorama depicts an ideal view for a day of relaxation. This description is the Allegro of The Symphony...

Zeynep Tons A Minimum Wage Essay -- elastic supply, demand, employees

The article that I am studying is Zeynep Ton's A minimum wage hike could help employers, too, in the Harvard Business Review. This article is a speculative piece about the effects of proposed minimum wage increases at the federal level. The author takes a look at companies that superior wages and benefits for their industry. The underlying theme is that this is juxtaposed against a common argument that raising the minimum wage will be universally harmful. The common argument takes beginner's level supply and demand graphs and uses them as the basis for the claim. The basic elastic supply and demand graph shows that as the cost of a good increases, demand for that good declines. Thus, if the minimum wage increases, businesses will face higher costs, will pass those costs onto consumers, will suffer lower profits or will reduce employment, or some combination of these negative outcomes. The author here is pointing out that the world is a heck of a lot more complex than that. Microeconomics does not end with the study of rudimentary supply and demand graphs, but incorporates a broader range of considerations into its arguments. The author highlights a couple of those arguments. The first is the "good jobs strategy". The second is the efficiency concept. The two are at times related. First, microeconomic principles can be used to examine the good jobs strategy. The author cites four firms in particular – Trader Joe's, Costco, Spanish supermarket chain Mercadona and convenience store chain QuikTrip. The author acknowledges that these companies do not have too many similarities, perhaps except for the nature of the goods they sell – they are all in convenience and food retailing. This industry is characterized by a st... ...vers. Better people won't work for minimum wage, but better people make for stronger companies. And what of customers? There are price elasticities of demand to consider in this argument. They are not relevant at Costco, and Trader Joe's is good value for its competitive niche, but many Americans are perfectly willing to pay a higher price for better quality. Yes, there are other considerations not mentioned here – the effect of minimum wage on overall inflation and things like that – but the article is a great starting point for understanding the complexity of microeconomic analysis that goes beyond the superficial analysis we often see in the media. Works Cited Ton, Z. (2014). A minimum wage hike could help employers, too. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved February 2, 2014 from http://blogs.hbr.org/2014/01/a-minimum-wage-hike-would-help-employers-too/

Pictures :: essays research papers

Pictures The main conflict in the text is about having different religions. It's about how a little girl is having problems about understanding why she can't paint religious persons with dark skin. At school the teacher says that Amina can take the picture to show her mom. Amina doesn't understand why it can't hang on the wall together with the other childrens'. But the teacher gives another excuse and Amina "surrenders", and takes the picture home. But as her mother sees the picture she tears it apart, and tells Amina to never say anything to Amina's father and she tells Amina explicitly not to draw anymore pictures of the Prophet of Nazareth. It is obvious that Amina's mother is scared of how the father will react if he sees that her daughter has painted people from the Bible. Amina and her family are muslims, that's why her mother can't accept the drawing Amina brings home. The reason why she doesn't want the father to know is that he's the dominant one in the family. Maybe the mother is scared that he will punish Amina, or maybe even the mother, for not bringing up her daughter properly. Then Amina's mother teaches her to draw patterns from the Koran. Amina likes to draw the patterns and she is no more confused. Next day at school, they're all going to draw nice Christmas cards. Amina draws the patterns that her mother has just taught her. The teacher tells her to draw people instead, and she throws away the Christmas card with patterns on it. Amina refuses to draw people, and reminds the teacher of what she'd told Amina the other day. The teacher tries to behave nice and convinces Amina that she will put Amina's picture next to the others'. During the two discussions the teacher and Amina are having, the teacher is having a hard time justifying what she is actually doing. She gives no particular reason for telling Amina to take home the picture. Just as well as she gives no explanation for, why Amina can't draw patterns from the Koran. Instead she tries to flatter Amina by telling her that she is good at painting. Even more confused, Amina draws people instead. At school she's told to draw people from the Christian Bible and at home she's told that's wrong. At home her mom tells her to draw patterns from the Muslim Koran, but when she comes to school she is told to draw people, - no wonder she is confused! The ending is from the parents' point of view very contradictive ( I assume that the

Experiencing Salvation in as I Lay Dying

Experiencing Salvation in As I Lay Dying ENGLISH 215 October 31, 2011 William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying centers on the absurd journey that the Bundren family takes to Jefferson to bury their dead mother, Addie. Faulkner frames this journey through the lens of various narrators with a specific focus on the characters’ innermost thoughts and deep interior monologues. Although the novel’s plot revolves around the Bundren family, characters outside of the family are essential to provide an objective view. Without these outside characters, much of Faulkner’s commentary would be lost.One of the most important characters outside of the Bundren family is Cora Tull. It is through her character that Faulkner makes his most potent commentary on the ideas of sin, salvation, and hypocrisy. With the strong irony that is employed throughout the novel, Faulkner twists Cora’s seemingly ideal moral character and uses her instead as an example of what not to be. Throu gh the juxtaposition of Addie and Cora, Faulkner seeks to highlight religious hypocrisy and show that Cora’s idea of religious salvation is faulty.Instead, Faulkner believes (as demonstrated through Addie) that true salvation consists of an enlightened state of self-awareness and concrete understanding of one’s own sin. Religion is echoed in every facet of Cora’s life. On the surface, she appears to be a warm-hearted Christian spirit, but it becomes quickly evident that Cora’s perception of religion is skewed. Cora is always seen serving her neighbors but Cora’s charity is not genuine. She serves not out of love, but to keep up a Christian appearance and receive a promised heavenly reward (23, 93).When Cora attempts to serve, even her husband (Vernon Tull) comments that she tries to â€Å"crowd the other folks away and get in closer than anybody else (71). †She is very concerned with the eternal state of others around her, but again, her con cern is not out of love. Cora states that only God can see into the heart (167), but in her piety Cora criticizes others and believes that they will only be saved if they adopt her works based religion.Cora’s life experiences have only increased her desire to serve more dutifully because she has earned the respect of others in the community. In this ironic way, Cora’s hypocrisy has served her well on this earth. In contrast, Addie’s life experiences have molded her into a defiant, unfulfilled and bitter woman. Through Cora’s eyes, Addie is a bad mother and is in desperate need of repentance. Cora believes that Addie is blind to her own sin and that it is sacrilegious to trust in Jewel instead of turning to God for salvation.However, it is Cora that cannot see and passes judgment blindly. Cora does not know the implications behind Addie’s favoritism to Jewel and that the man Cora has placed on such a holy pedestal (Minister Whitfield) is in fact a s ource of Addie’s sin. Cora does not know that it was Minister Whitfield that wanted to cover up the affair and that Addie’s consent to remain quiet were out of love for the brief satisfaction she had found in him – Addie has always remained genuine; she had no desire to be deceitful.Cora’s misinformed judgments are full of words that â€Å"go straight up in a thin line, quick and harmless (173). † In Addie’s section in the novel, she describes the scene where Cora wants Addie to pray with her to receive a salvation (168, 174). The reason Cora thought that Addie could receive salvation by saying a prayer is because Cora’s religion is empty, full of mindless words and â€Å"people to whom sin is just a matter of words, to them salvation is just words too (176). Cora’s word-oriented religious hypocrisy is a direct manifestation of Addie’s idea that words lack meaning and are just â€Å"shape(s) to fill a lack (172). † In distinguishing the differences between Addie and Cora, it is made clear who can ultimately experience salvation. Even though pious Cora may have experienced some worldly success, Faulkner is suggesting that she will never obtain salvation because she is blinded in her hypocrisy and is consumed with duty and a works-based religion. Cora knows sin as it can be expressed in words but not in practice.Addie knows the extent of sin because (unlike Cora) she has truly experienced it. Even though Addie expresses discontent, she is at least aware of her sin and its relationship to the nature of her being. Faulkner criticizes Cora’s judgmental, insincere, and pious character and instead presents Addie’s self-aware, authentic, and pragmatic understanding as the way to experience sanctification in this life. It is Addie, not Cora, who will receive the reward of true enlightenment and salvation.

Children`s early learning Essay

Key research findings which show the importance of parental involvement in their children`s learning in their early years, including fathers involvement have shown that parents are the child`s first educators and role models and have a strong influence on their learning. When a parent either mum or dad is actively involved in their child`s education this has a positive effect on the child`s achievement. If a parent takes interest in their child`s education by talking with them, monitoring homework, actively involved in school activities, attending parents evening, then the child will have the chance to achieve their full potential as they will have the best support. The Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky pointed out the importance of talking especially when an adult helps a child in problem solving. This showed that a child can achieve more if they have the help and support and skills from someone rather than left to their own devices. Within the early years, The Effective Provision of Pre-School Education (EPPE) (Sylva et al 2004) did a study of development of around 3,000 children between the ages of 3-7, research found that parents actively involved with reading, numbers and learning letters helped reduce the risk of special educational needs (SEN).The EPPE also found that parents who created regular opportunities for their children to play with friends at home and taking their children out were all associated with higher intellectual and social behaviour.

Succubus Shadows Chapter 24

â€Å"This†¦isn't possible,† I said. â€Å"I don't know,† said Roman dryly. â€Å"Looks pretty possible to me.† â€Å"But Seth's an author. These kinds of magazines don't care about people like him.† â€Å"He's so commonplace for you that you don't realize how famous he is. And, hey, if it's a slow week, they probably take what they can get. Sex sells – and that's pretty sexy.† I looked down at it again. It was pretty sexy. They'd taken it when I'd been lying on top of Seth, and the sarong had slipped enough that I was showing an awful lot of skin. Nausea rolled through me. â€Å"Maybe no one will see this.† Yet, even as the words left my lips, I knew that was wishful thinking on my part. As I'd noted before, this magazine was a favorite at the store, largely because of its outrageously ridiculous articles. Someone, somewhere was going to see this picture. And while the articles might be fabrications, a photo like this – which clearly showed our faces – could hardly lie. I let the magazine fall to the floor. â€Å"I can't†¦I can't deal with this. Not after everything else.† Roman frowned, legitimate concern filling his features. I don't think he was happy about either the picture or Seth's new resolve, but it had to be obvious that more than these bits of news were plaguing me. â€Å"Georgina, what else is – â€Å" I held a hand up. â€Å"Not now. Tomorrow. We'll talk tomorrow. Too much†¦too much has happened tonight.† Erik's lifeless eyes flashed in my mind. â€Å"It makes this seem like nothing.† He hesitated, then nodded. â€Å"Okay. You want to set aside some time for tomorrow night? I don't mean a date. Just, I don't know. Get dinner, talk about all this so it doesn't eat you up. I really am worried about you.† I started to say he shouldn't worry, that I'd be okay, but I backed off. I really didn't know if I was. â€Å"I'd like that,† I said honestly. â€Å"If my damage control doesn't conflict, then sure. I'll tell you all about it.† I stood up wearily. â€Å"But now – bed.† He let me retreat to my bedroom, his heart in his eyes. It made me feel worse, largely because of what a low priority his feelings were for me right now. Obviously, they were important to him, and I appreciated his ardor. And his feelings did mean something to me. There was something very sweet and comforting in his offer to breathe and just talk. But in light of everything else going on? I couldn't allow myself to process anything too deep with our relationship right now. Particularly when I had to face the gauntlet at the bookstore the next day. I'd had a number of past times entering Emerald City where I'd been met with curious and covert looks. More often than not, it had been over something ridiculous, and I'd had no clue until later. Today, I knew exactly what was going on. There was no question that the damned magazine had gotten around. And the looks this time weren't inquisitive or smug. They were accusatory. Disdainful. I couldn't face them. Not yet. I hurried through the store as quickly as I could, seeking my office – which I vowed not to leave for the rest of my shift. It was pretty hypocritical, considering my judgment on Seth avoiding his problems. Only, I didn't have as much luck getting away from mine. Maddie was sitting at my desk. I hadn't seen her in a week, not since she'd come to my condo. I'd told her then she could have indefinite leave from work and hadn't expected to see her back anytime soon. Now she stopped me dead in my tracks. Her face was much calmer than I would have expected. No, it was more than calm. It was still. Perfectly, eerily still. Like a sculpture. And when she looked up at me, it was like looking into the eyes of the dead. Cold. Emotionless. Nonetheless, I shut the door, fearing what was to come. â€Å"I had a million theories, you know.† Her voice was as flat as her expression. â€Å"Never, ever did I consider this one. I mean, I wondered if there could have been another woman. But I never thought it'd be you.† It took an impossibly long time for my lips to move. â€Å"No†¦it wasn't that. It wasn't like that at all. That's not why he did it†¦.† I couldn't finish and suddenly questioned my words. Wasn't that – by which I meant, me – exactly the reason he'd left her? Maybe our beach interlude hadn't been the direct cause, but I had certainly been the catalyst. The magazine lay on my desk, open to the guilty page. She picked it up, studying it with a calculating look. â€Å"So what then? You were just comforting him after the fact?† â€Å"Actually†¦well, actually, yeah. That shot was taken afterward.† It still sounded lame, and we both knew it. She threw the magazine down, and finally, the emotion came to her face. â€Å"What, and that makes it okay?† she cried. â€Å"You – one of my best friends – running off with my fianc? ¦ the day after he dumps me?† â€Å"It wasn't like that,† I repeated. â€Å"I went to find him†¦to see if he was okay.† â€Å"And then you made sure he was okay?† she demanded. Her words were sarcastic, but tears glittered in her eyes. â€Å"No†¦I didn't expect anything like that to happen. And really, nothing much did happen. The thing is†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I took a deep breath. â€Å"We used to date. Before you guys were together. We never told anyone. Things ended†¦well, pretty much just before you started going out.† Like, almost the day before. That caught her off guard. Her eyes went wide. â€Å"What? You had a past†¦you went out with my boyfriend and never told me? He never told me?† â€Å"We thought it'd be easier.† â€Å"Easier? Easier?† She pointed at the magazine again. â€Å"You think seeing you guys back together in full color was easier?† â€Å"We aren't back together,† I said quickly. â€Å"He didn't end things because he was cheating – † Again, I had to admit the truth to myself. He hadn't been cheating on her when he broke the engagement, but we'd slept together earlier in the relationship. â€Å"I was as surprised as you were. And I was worried. I told you, I went to find him, but we didn't sleep together. Then I left. That's it.† The tears were on her cheeks now. â€Å"It wouldn't have mattered if you had slept together. You guys keeping that past from me – you guys lying is worse. I trusted you! I trusted both of you! How could you do this? What kind of person does this to their friend?† A damned soul, I thought. But I didn't say that. I didn't say anything. Maddie shot up from the desk, futilely trying to wipe away the tears that were still coming. â€Å"Doug warned me once, you know. He said there was this way you guys always looked at each other that made him wonder. I told him he was crazy. I told him he was imagining it – that it was impossible. That you guys would never do that to me.† â€Å"Maddie, I'm sorry – â€Å" She hurried to the door, pushing past me. â€Å"Not as sorry as I am for putting my trust in you. For putting my trust in both of you. I'm quitting. Right now. Don't expect to see me again.† She jerked the door open. â€Å"I don't know how you can live with yourself. You two deserve each other!† The door slammed loudly, rattling my ears. I stayed where I was, staring blankly at the desk, unable to move. Unable to think or react or do anything useful. I don't know how you can live with yourself. Me either. â€Å"Boy, things are pretty screwed up for you.† Carter materialized beside me, his angelic signature filling the room. Dressed as ratty as always – except for his hat – he strolled casually to the desk and picked up the magazine. â€Å"That's a good shot of you, though.† â€Å"Shut up,† I said. The agony I'd tried to keep locked up with Maddie began to burst out. â€Å"Just shut up! I can't handle your commentary right now, okay? Not with everything else. Certainly not with this†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I sank to the floor, leaning against the door and raking my hands through my hair. When I looked up at Carter, I expected one of his laconic smiles, but his face was all seriousness. â€Å"I wasn't being sarcastic,† he said. â€Å"Things are screwed up.† I suddenly wished I had a cigarette. â€Å"Yes. They certainly are. Erik's dead, you know.† â€Å"I know.† I closed my eyes for a moment, allowing myself to feel the full grief over that. With so much going on, it didn't seem like I'd really allowed any of these problems to have the full mourning they deserved. Someone, I realized, would have to do the proper things for Erik now. Did he have family somewhere? Dante of all people might know. Otherwise, I was willing to take on any funeral arrangements – no matter the cost or work. I owed Erik that much. I owed him so much more. â€Å"It wasn't a coincidence,† I said softly. â€Å"It couldn't have been. Jerome says it was some revenge from the Oneroi's master†¦but I don't believe that. Erik had been trying to figure out my contract. Before he died†¦before he†¦Ã¢â‚¬  My voice caught as I recalled how I had been the one to take that last breath. â€Å"He told me there were two contracts. That it wasn't mine that was the problem. I don't know what that means.† Carter still said nothing, but his eyes were fixed so intently on me that they might as well have been pinning me to the wall. â€Å"But you know, don't you?† I asked him. â€Å"You've always known. And Simone†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I frowned. â€Å"Before Jerome sent her away, he mentioned something about her knowing Niphon and ‘fucking up things even more.' That's a piece of all this too, isn't it?† Carter still remained silent. I gave a harsh laugh. â€Å"But, of course, you can't say anything. You can't do anything. Hell's always got its hands in mortal affairs – or even lesser immortal affairs – but you guys? Nothing. How can you be a force for good in this world? You don't help bring it about! You just wait and hope it happens on its own.† â€Å"Most of the good in this world happens without any of our help,† he said evasively. â€Å"Oh good God. What a lovely answer from you. And you know what? I don't believe there is any good in this world. All this time†¦ever since I sold my soul, I've been clinging to this idea that there is something pure and decent out there. That there was something to give me hope that even if I was a lost cause, at least there was something bright and good in the world. But there isn't. If there was, Seth wouldn't have fallen. Erik wouldn't have died. Andrea Mortensen wouldn't be dying.† â€Å"Good can still exist when bad things happen, just as evil persists when good things happen.† â€Å"What good comes from Andrea dying? What good comes from leaving five little girls alone and motherless in the world?† I was choking on my own sobs. â€Å"If you – if any of you – could really affect the world, you wouldn't let that happen.† â€Å"I can't change fate. I'm not God.† He was still so fucking calm that I wanted to punch him. Yet, what could I expect? Jerome had no attachment to humans, and at the end of the day, angels and demons weren't so different. I buried my face in my hands. â€Å"You can't change anything. None of us can change anything. We're resigned to our fates, just like Nyx showed.† â€Å"Humans change their fates all the time. Even lesser immortals do. It starts small, but it happens.† I was suddenly tired. So, so tired. I shouldn't have come here today. I should never have left my bed. I no longer had the energy to argue with him or berate his frustratingly useless attitude. â€Å"Can Seth change?† I asked at last. â€Å"Are good intentions enough to redeem a soul?† â€Å"All things are possible. And I don't mean that as a clich? ¦,† he added, no doubt seeing the scowl on my face. â€Å"It's true. Mortals and mortals-turned-immortals don't always believe that – which is why Hell has such a foothold in the world. And I'm not saying that if you believe it, it will happen. Things don't always turn out for the best, but miracles are real, Georgina. You've just got to lift yourself out of the muck to make them. You've got to take the chance.† Yes, I was definitely getting a cigarette after this. Carter probably had one on him. I gave him as much of a smile as I could muster. â€Å"Easy for you to say. Can you make miracles?† â€Å"I try,† he said. â€Å"I try. Will you?† And with that, he vanished before I could bum a cigarette. Fucking angels. But his words stayed with me when I went home that night, maybe because even as depressing as they seemed, they were still more cheerful than enduring that shift. My managerial mandates were still obeyed, but otherwise, I could see the seething disapproval and condemnation in the eyes of my colleagues. It was a startling reminder of my village's reaction when everyone had found out I'd cheated on Kyriakos. Only this time, I had no way to blot it from these people's minds. I had nothing more to bargain with Hell. At the condo, I found a note from Roman, saying he'd be staying at the school for a while that evening to finish up some setup. If I wanted, though, he'd be happy to take me out for dinner as he'd promised. That gave me time to stretch out on the couch, seeing as I was still exhausted from the emotional miasma I'd been wading through this last week. No sleep came, just a kind of bleak malaise as I stared at the ceiling. Probably just as well. God only knew what I'd dream. Dream. I sighed. The man in the dream. It had been bugging me over and over in my subconscious, and without even mentioning it, Carter had somehow brought it back to the fore-front of my mind. The Oneroi had claimed Seth was the man in the dream. I told myself for the hundredth time that it was a ridiculous fantasy. I couldn't have any real relationship with a mortal. Seth had fallen from grace, and I'd refused him. It was all impossible now. All things are possible. Erik and Mei had said it was impossible for Seth to find my soul across the vastness of the dream world – yet he had. Kristin had told me my contract was airtight – yet Erik had sworn there was a flaw somewhere. He'd died for that knowledge, I was certain. Seth had claimed nothing could bring him back to Seattle – yet I had. Everyone who worked for Hell had told me darkened souls almost never redeemed themselves – yet Seth was striving to regain my good opinion. He was also sacrificing what he loved – his writing – to help the family he loved more. Would that be enough? Could he be saved? All things are possible. I sat up from the couch, my gaze falling on the spot where Aubrey and Godiva slept next to each other. Godiva had come to me after I'd dreamed her. The dream I still maintained was impossible. Miracles are real, Georgina. You've just got to lift yourself out of the muck to make them. You've got to take the chance. Could I? Would I? Was there a miracle somewhere in the muck of this despair, heartache, death, and betrayal? I couldn't see through it. I didn't know where to start. Carter had said change happened through small acts. All I had to do was pick something. Anything. Take the chance. Again, I focused on Godiva. The man in the dream. Maybe it was Seth. Maybe it wasn't. Maybe I could make it him. His love had been great enough to rescue me and then try to rescue himself. I realized now what had been bothering me. He was doing all of this – how could I do any less? All my life, I'd hidden from hard choices. I'd always found some compromise to avoid bad things, the results of which never really turned out that great. If anything, they'd become worse. My love for Seth was no less than his for me, but I hadn't been willing to do the things that might hurt. He'd told me there was no way the universe would let us stay apart. He was right – and this time, I would be the one who made sure we came together again. I wouldn't abandon him. I was moving toward the door, my coat and purse in hand, when Roman came home, carrying flowers. He took one look at me and offered a small bitter laugh that carried all the woe and resignation in the world. The bouquet sagged in his hands. â€Å"You're going to Seth.† â€Å"How did you know?† â€Å"Because†¦because you're shining. Because you look like you've found all the answers in the universe.† â€Å"I don't know about that,† I said. â€Å"But I've found some kind of answer. He's risked so much for me†¦. We found each other across all the other souls in the world†¦.† I trailed off, feeling horrible. My decision about Seth burned brightly in me, but Roman's face†¦there seemed to be nothing in this world that didn't end up causing someone pain. â€Å"I was wrong to abandon him. Especially now.† â€Å"Sounds like you better go to him,† said Roman at last. â€Å"Roman – â€Å" He shook his head. â€Å"Go.† I went. I hadn't been to Seth's condo in so long, not in the flesh. Walking up to the door, a barrage of memories flooded me, particularly that first night I'd stayed over when he had taken care of me†¦. It wasn't that late, but when he opened the door, there was a scattered, mussed look to him that made me think he'd been sleeping. Or maybe he'd just been too consumed by writing to properly groom. It happened sometimes when he got caught up with the worlds in his mind. From the look on his face, it was clear he was in this world now. I don't think he'd believed he'd see me for a very long time. I wondered if I was still shining the way Roman had claimed I was because Seth's eyes regarded me with more than just surprise. There was wonder and awe there. I'd only driven across town, made one impulse decision to come here, but we might as well have been meeting across time and space again. â€Å"Georgina,† he breathed. â€Å"What are you – â€Å" I didn't let him finish. I threw myself into his arms and kissed him. And this time, I didn't pull back.