Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Foreseeability in law Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Foreseeability in law - Coursework Example There are numerous arguments claiming this requirement is unjust and that the defendant should be held responsible for the actual consequences of any careless conduct that results in injury, whether foreseeable or not. However, this broadens the scope of the tort considerably and would open up an endlessness of liability. Further, foreseeability ensures fairness for the defendant. Is would be unjust to hold a defendant liable for conduct which they could not have anticipated would result in injury. Being penalized for conduct which does not foreseeably cause injury would result in numerous frivolous claims. Accidents occur all of the time. While it would be fantastic for the injured party to always have recourse for legal action, it would not be fair to those defendants of whom are undeserving. There are some injuries no one could predict and no one but the forces of fate should be held responsible and certainly no one should be penalized. This may be unfortunate for the injured party, but the blame cannot always be laid at someone else's feet. Foreseeability ensures blame can only be laid at the feet of those who should have reasonably foreseen the consequences of their actions. This is fair. This is just. Taking away the requirement of forseeability would make the opposite true.

Monday, October 28, 2019

Key Points for the Defense of American Exceptionalism Essay Example for Free

Key Points for the Defense of American Exceptionalism Essay American Exceptionalism is the idea that America is founded on a creed. That creed is to spread liberty, freedom, and democracy to the rest of the world. G.K. Chesterton stated, â€Å"America is the only nation in the world that is founded on a creed.† The creed he mentions is stated in the Declaration of Independence. In the preamble, it is said that, â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. † In saying this, we affirm that everyone should be treated equally with all of their basic rights. However many countries in the world do not support this view. We, as citizens of the United States of America, are to spread this ideal throughout the world. Many Americans support this theory of American Exceptionalism by fighting for America, supporting or working for the American government, or just going out into the world to underprivileged, developing nations as an American. American Exceptionalism is still thriving today and has throughout the history of America. As Seymour Martin Lipset states in his book, American Exceptionalism: A Double Edged Sword, America is not like the other European nations that our Founding Fathers came from. He states that if you are a Frenchman, it is not because you believe in French values; it is because you live in France. You are American by believing in American values. You can’t be un-French, un-British, or un-German just because y ou don’t agree with what the nation stands for. However, you can be un-American by not believing in American values or what America stands for. This sets America apart from other nations. America has a national identity. We have a common set of values and beliefs unlike any other nation in the world. These values and beliefs are at the very core of American Exceptionalism. These are that America should be a light to the world. America has a duty, and this duty is to spread freedom and liberty to the oppressed, the poor, the mislead, and the entire world. It is these values that have driven America to take some of the actions it has in its  past. For example, America decided to intervene in the Vietnam and Korean wars. In both cases America intervened to stop the spread of Communism. In The Limits of Power by Andrew J. Eacezich, he argues that the governement is using the idea of American Exceptionalism to cover their own agenda. He says that American Exceptionalism is a false ideal created by the government to get people to go along with the wars supported by the government. The reason that this is a incorrect theory, is that American Exceptionalism was created by the people, not the government. The people believe in American Exceptionalism because they know that it is true and that it exists. If there was no support for American Exceptionalism, then there would be know way that we would still be able to have our troops in the Middle East. American Exceptionalism one of the reasons that we went over and it is the sole reason that we have been able to stay over there without a major outcry from the general public. Most people think about American Exceptionalism being through wars and conquest, however it has a peaceful aspect to it also. For example, the United States Navy has two hospital ships that sail around the world to provide comfort and relief to developing nations and nations in need around the world. They currently have two hospital ships in service, the USNS Comfort and the USNS Mercy. These ships provide relief to people who are desperate for medical attention. These are people in places that would likely not be able to aquire medical treatment if not for these ships. They treat everything from minor bacterial infections, to life-threatening tumors growing inside of people. This exemplifies American Exceptionalism because it is setting an example for the rest of the world. These ships are quality medical centers staffed by trained medical personnel. The United States also runs multiple other programs around the world to help with relief and support. For example, the United States has multiple relief programs in Africa for refugees. The refugees come from countries where there is civil war tearing apart their communites. They are forced to flee for their saftey, their freedom, and even their lives. The United States helps support refugee camps throughout the world so these people can return to their former lives as soon as possible. However, American Exceptionalism is not limited to just actions of the government. The American people are also spreading the creed of liberty, freedom, and democracy. For example, the American government is not the only source of  supplies for African refugees. The Red Cross is also a huge source of supplies for refugees. They accept donations to buy massive quantities of relief foods and other supplies to help people around the world. The Red Cross also provides relief for people affected by natural disasters. An example of this would be the tsunami that affected most of the countries on the Indian Ocean in 2004. Another one would be when the tsunami hit in Japan 2011 and caused the nuclear leaks along with the regular affects. In both of these cases American citizens sent support to the rest of the world through donations and direct volunteering for the Red Cross. Americans also go on many mission trips throughout the world. These people are usually on missions for churches to spread their religion with people in other countries. However, while they are over there, they also typically help improve the quality of life for the natives as much as they can. This involves building schools, washing them, and many other things like it. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the United States saw a big surge in immigration from other countries. Many people decided to come to the United States because they heard about how great it was. They would come on huge ships from Europe and be greeted by the Statue of Liberty when they arrived. If American Exceptionalism did not exist, then what reason did they immigrants have for taking the dangerous journey across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans in a rickety ship? When the immigrants arrived, there were some cases where they were treated rudely, but for the most part, the immigrants were accepted into the society. Most people went into the society and mixed right in. This is the reason that America is called the â€Å"mixing pot of the world.† These reasons show ho w American Exceptionalism is still here today. There are many supporting details that show how American Exceptionalism does exist and that the age of American Exceptionalism is not over. From the government to the people of the United States, everybody helps to spread the creed America was founded on. Works Cited Chesterton, G. K. What I Saw in America. New York, New York: Hodder and Stoughton, 1922. Eacezich, Andrew J. The Limits of Power. New York, New York: Metropolitan Books, 2008. Lewis, V. Bradley. American Exceptionalism. America 3 10 2011: 19-22. Lipset, Seymour Martin. American Exceptionalism: A Double Edged Sword. New York, New York: W. W. Norton Co., 1996. National Archives of the United States of America. Declaration of Independence. National Archives. 30 11 2012.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Copper And Molybdenum Deposits In The United States :: essays research papers

Copper and Molybdenum Deposits in the United States   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Copper and molybdenum resources were not recognized as valuable commodities until economic needs demanded the collection and processing of these minerals in large amounts. The most expansive deposits of copper and molybdenum occur in massive low grade ores and are found in intrusive porphyry formations, although many smaller sized but higher grade ores are located in non-porphyry areas. The nation has abundant domestic copper ore reserves but because of many detrimental economic factors much of the copper used by the U.S. industry is imported. Molybdenum ore is profuse and exports of it are high to fulfill the needs of foreign demand.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Copper was first used by people around 4000 B.C. in the manufacture of tools because of its malleability and later became an important additive in harder, more useful metals such as bronze (copper+tin; 2500 B.C.) and brass (copper+zinc; 0 A.D.). The growth of copper production in the United States has been a relatively recent occurrence. North American French explorers knew of sources of native copper in the region of Lake Superior and the area natives had copper jewelry and ornamentation. Earnest copper mining began in Simsbury, Connecticut about 1709 and copper was actually exported to England after a source was discovered in New Jersey around 1719. In later times domestic copper resources did not satisfy national needs until the discovery of gold in California shifted the focus of mineral exploration westward and strikes of rich copper ores occurred in Tennessee and the Cordilleran base regions. The Civil War caused copper demand to increase greatly in order to manufacture cartridges and canned goods, this resulted in the openings of numerous copper mines of which more than 90% were in the Lake Superior area giving an important advantage to the Union armies. Major copper production districts then shifted to Montana and Arizona in the early 1890's. Production increased to reach peak levels of 900,000 tons a year during World War I and in 1970 1,600,000 tons of copper were produced but recent levels are lower, fluctuating between 1-1.5 million tons a year. Technology has aided in increasing production efficiency wich resulted in spectacular resource development in the U.S. and around the world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Molybdenum has been a major mineral since 1898 when it was discovered to harden steel as an additive and useful in compounding chemicals and dyes. Substantial mining began in 1900 in the southwest but the demand was so low that activity ceased in 1900. In 1906 the molybdenum industry boomed and with the dawn of WWI the need for quality steel further increased the necessity for this

Thursday, October 24, 2019

My Reflection of Ethics

A great philosopher of Ethics is Aristotle. His theory was originally introduced in ancient Greek times. Aristotle was a great believer in virtues and the meaning of virtue to him meant being able to fulfill one's functions. Some base ethics on pure reason, while others ground ethics in feelings or intuitions. Aristotle says that those who do lead a virtuous life are very happy and have sense of well-being. Happiness is the ultimate goal for everyone in life. Utilitarian’s believe ethics becomes a matter of calculating how to produce the greatest balance of pleasure over suffering.To become a better person, we must practice virtuous acts regularly. After a while, these acts will become a habit and so the virtuous acts part of our every day life and the person will be leading a virtuous life. For example, if a singer practices singing everyday, they will become better at it and used to doing it. People who practice their virtues improve their skills and therefore becoming happi er. When a person learns how to use the virtues, they become the characteristic of the person. For example, a person who has learned the virtue of generosity is often called a generous person because he or she is generous in all situations.Aristotle says we are most likely to acquire virtues by observing others in our society. If we experience other people being kind to us and see the happiness it creates we are more likely to practice this virtue then if we were just told to practice it. Social contract theorists believe ethical principals are made, not found. They also believe ethics are constructed by social groups, and exists for the benefit of those groups. Social contract theory is an examination of the justice and fairness of political and social and ethical systems.An example of this would be that I would never accept a rule that says, ‘women should have less opportunity to become president, or that African Americans should have less chance of going to college or be re stricted in the places they can live’. I wouldn’t accept such rules, because there’s a chance that I might step out from behind the ‘veil of ignorance’ and discover that I am an African-American woman. So I would favor setting up a society in which everyone has equal opportunity to compete for everything. Social contract theory forges an ethical system with no help from God or â€Å"natural law† or transcendent truths or powers of intuition.Egoism comes in two varieties. First is psychological egoism: the view that-as a matter of empirical psychological fact-all our behavior is selfish, or self-interested. Second is ethical egoism, which is the very different claim that we ought to always act in a way that is self-interested. If the claim is that everyone pursuing their own selfish interest will result in the greatest benefit for everyone, it is difficult to find any empirical grounds-biological, economic, or otherwise-for that universal egoi stic article of faith. Ethical relativism is the thesis that what is right is relative to each culture.Virtues in one country or society may not be the same as virtues in another. As virtues have evolved through society it is possible that good actions may be perceived as bad actions in another society. However the virtues stay the same in every community as well as the ultimate aim which is supreme happiness. Aristotle explains that all actions are done in order to reach an aim or goal. A series of actions are also leading towards an aim, for example getting up in to morning to go to work, leads to making money, leads to feeding our families, leads to going on holidays, etc.The utmost ultimate aim is to make people happy; everything is subordinate to the supreme good, which is happiness. Relative morality is based on the theory that truth and rightness is different for different people or cultures. Moral relativism states that morality is dependent on the society. It states that th ere are no moral absolutes and that there is no definite right or wrong. In some societies certain behavior is seen as morally right whereas in others the same behavior is not acceptable. To be a relativist is to accept this principle and not to judge others for their behavior.Moral relativists accept that whether a moral code exists because of tradition or religion, it may be needed to keep the society together. Some people may argue that any moral code is better than no moral code however the absence of moral rules would be disastrous for any society, it would not survive. People need set rules or moral codes to live by in order to make the right decisions and to keep society together in the long run. Without a set moral code everyone would have the opinion that their ideas and thinking is right; no one would be able to compromise.It would be much easier for everyone to be living under the same ‘rules'. This way people will know what is right and wrong without any disagreeme nts. Care ethics does not ignore or disparage reason, but it does emphasize the importance of empathy and affection, friendships and relationships: elements of ethics (from the perspective of care ethics) Kantian systems woefully neglect. Care ethics also diverges significantly from the impersonal calculations of utilitarianism. Another distinctive feature of care ethics is on certain views, our duties tend to be impersonal.We have duties and obligations to others, of course, but they are duties due to anyone in the same position. On the care view, we may also have impersonal duties, but at least as important are duties of a very personal and individual nature: duties we owe specifically to family and friends, are not to just any generic moral placeholder. These duties are owed not because we are reciprocating benefits we have received but because of our special relations. Furthermore, such duties are typically not based on choices or voluntary contracts.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Logical vs. Psychological

1. Read the first three paragraphs of â€Å"white Women and Slavery in the Caribbean, (page 181, Blooming with the Pouis) and identify two(2) examples of appeal to ethos. First example of appeal to ethos is found in paragraph two(2) sentence three(3): To date the primary focus of research (and this is reflected in the structure of historiography) is the black woman, with the coloured woman running a competitive second, and the white woman trailing behind at a distance†. The second example of appeal to ethos is found in paragraph three (3) sentence three(3): â€Å"Studies of the rise and fall of the planter class in Caribbean societies, for instance, have not paid systematic attention to the planter’s wife as a socio-economic agent†. 2. Read the last three paragraphs of chapter 32 in Blooming with the Pouis and identify what you consider to be the use of emotional proof (pathos). What type of claim (policy, cause, fact, definition, value) does the writer begin with (Problem parents neglect†¦)? What I consider to be the use of emotional proof (pathos) is: â€Å"There are also reports of parents sending their daughters to work in night clubs as scantily dressed dancers in order to earn money for their families, their sons to ‘hustle’ in the streets, and of fathers who feel that it is their ‘right’ to demand sexual intercourse from their daughters because they had undertaken the responsibility of their upbringing†. The type of claim is cause: â€Å"Problem parents neglect and abuse their children, often with serious consequences†.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

IMPACT OF CULTURAL ON INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS Essays

IMPACT OF CULTURAL ON INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS Essays IMPACT OF CULTURAL ON INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS Essay IMPACT OF CULTURAL ON INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS Essay Impact of Cultural on International Business Name: Institution: Course: Tutor: Date: Impact of Cultural on International Business The saying that â€Å"one man’s meat is another man’s poison† is true and applicable in many areas and fields. The business sector is not an exception. This is mainly applicable when it comes to dealing in cultural matters. Doing business outside a country that is of a different culture other than yours can be quite a daunting task. Lack of knowledge of that particular country’s culture can lead to disaster if not failure in making a deal more often than not. Countries in the Asian continent have very different cultures than countries in America especially the U.S. It is important for one to know the culture of the people one is going to do business with. One might end up doing more harm than good. The â€Å"A-Okay† sign in the U.S., for instance, is a very offensive gesture in Brazil. It is the equivalent of the middle finger sign. Most business people do this sign with the aim of showing the other party that everything is okay but end up loosing a business deal as a Brazilian may see it as offensive: a sign of disrespect and humiliation. In the countries that practice the Muslim religion, showing the sole of the foot is seen as dirty and very disrespectful. It would not be very advisable to cross ones feet or one foot on top of the knee (casual sitting), as the Americans do, when trying to strike a deal with a Muslim in the Muslim countries. Shaking of the head does not necessarily mean â€Å"no† in Bulgaria. People shake their heads in order to show that they are listening. Most Americans and other people not familiar with this sign take it as though the Bulgarians are negative towards them. Alcohol plays a very big role in business dealings in some countries. This is contrary to the American way of doing business. In most Asian countries, liquor or beer may be shared in many business social events at any time of the day. Apricot brandy is served even in the morning in a country like Hungary. Refusing such an offer is seen as if one is being rude or cannot be trusted, unless one has a very good excuse. In other cases, punctuality is not as important in some countries as it is in others. For example, people in Sweden and Germany are strict timekeepers as compared to those in Spain, Costa Rica and Italy who are more flexible. Giving a gift to a Japanese businessperson, especially when wrapped with gold or red, can lead one into getting a good business deal. It is considered a good gesture; however, the gift should not be opened in front of the giver. It is considered disrespectful. When it comes to decision-making, people in a country such as Germany value decisions made b y panels while on the other hand, Americans advocate individual decision-making. The Ann Arbor, Mich., Company had its share of problems when it went international. When the company took its operations to Japan, it had to alter the way it delivered the pizzas from what it was used to in the U.S. Addresses there are determined by a building’s age rather than a particular sequence. The company’s business in Aruba also had to adjust to a number of differences. Motorcycles could no longer be used due to the strong island winds. Trucks had to be purchased in order to solve the problem. The situation in Philippine was not any better. The location of stores was carried out using feng shui, an art from China that positions buildings in accordance to a spiritual flow. The stores had to be kept open for more hours than in other areas as people stayed up more hours. In Italy, the people complained of the way the pizzas were made. The sauce was too bold and there were heavy toppings. Unfortunately, the pizza delivery company closed down and left the country. All these are cultural challenges that can be overcome if a company does thorough research before moving its business to the appointed location. For example, the company should have enquired about the environmental condition of Aruba before moving there. This could have saved the company the extra expensive of buying the motorcycles then buying the trucks. The inconveniences experienced in that situation would have been absent. It would also be advisable to have collaboration or an alliance with one or two business people who know the cultures of the appointed location and the origin of the mother company. In this way, these people will advice accordingly. For example, the company could have gotten Japanese people who know about the address system of the U.S and of Japan. In this way, the address situation could have been solved earlier. If a solution had not been found, then the business would not have been set at all in that part of the world. This applies to the situation in Phili ppine as well. The business in Italy had to adjust its way of preparing pizzas to the Italian style. It was necessary to close the business down. Conclusion As Ace, a company that went international even to Shanghai, China did, it is important to adjust to the cultures and business conditions of the country in which one is establishing a business. If it means including a native of China on the team establishing the business in order to get more knowledge and more access to the people in China for instance, then companies should do so. Doing the American way of doing business when trying to establish a business in Spain may not be advisable, if it is at the expense of the business itself. It is important for businesspersons to know the cultures of the countries or places where they are willing to establish a business. It would make business deals and transactions much easier. References Carlo, A. M. (Oct. 2006). Overseas Adjustment: Shanghai DC Lifts Ace’s Prospects. Home Channel News. New York, Volume 32, Issue 13: 26-28 Gibson, R. (Sep. 25, 2006). Small Business. Wall Street Journal, Page R. 8 Wade, J., (2004). The Pitfalls of Cross-Cultural Business. Risk Management, 51(3): 38-42.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Thanking a Professor for Writing a Recommendation Letter

Thanking a Professor for Writing a Recommendation Letter Recommendation letters are vital to your graduate school application. Its likely that you will need at least three letters and it can be hard to determine who to ask. Once you have professors in mind, they  agree to write a letter, and your application is submitted, your next step should be a simple thank you note showing your appreciation. Letters of recommendation  are a lot of work for professors and they  are asked to write a number of them each year. Unfortunately, the majority of students dont bother with a follow-up. Why Send a Thank-You Note? At its most basic, taking a few minutes to send a thank-you note is a common act of courtesy for someone who has taken the time to do you a favor, but it can also work to your benefit.A thank-you note helps you stand out from the other students and will help keep you in the writers good graces. After all, you may need a letter again in the future for another school or even a job. Recommendation Letters An effective grad school recommendation letter explains the basis for the evaluation. It may be based on your performance in the classroom, your  work as a research assistant  or a mentee, or any other interaction you had with faculty. Professors often take great pains to write letters that honestly discuss your potential for graduate study. They will take the time to include  specific details and examples that illustrate why youre a  good fit for the graduate program. They will also consider other factors to suggest that you will be successful in grad school and beyond. Their letters are not simply saying, Shell do great. Writing helpful letters takes time, effort, and considerable thought. Professors do not take this lightly and theyre not required to do it.  Whenever someone does something of this magnitude for you, its nice to  show your appreciation for their time and attention. Offer a Simple Thank You Graduate school is a big deal  and your professors are playing an important role in helping you get there. A thank you letter need not be lengthy or overly detailed. A  simple note will do. You can do this as soon as the application is in, though you might also want to follow-up once youre accepted to share your good news. Your thank you letter can be a nice email. Its certainly the quicker option, but your professors may also appreciate a simple card. Mailing a letter is not out of style and a handwritten letter has a personal  touch. It shows that you wanted to spend extra time to thank them for the time they put into your letter. Now that youre convinced that sending a letter is a good idea, what do you write? Below is a sample but you should tailor it to your situation and your relationship with your professor. A Sample Thank You Note Dear Dr. Smith, Thank you for taking the time to write on my behalf for my graduate school application. I appreciate your support throughout this process. I will keep you updated about my progress in applying to graduate school. Thanks again for your assistance. It is much appreciated. Sincerely, Sally

Sunday, October 20, 2019

How to Convert Cubic Meters to Cubic Feet

How to Convert Cubic Meters to Cubic Feet Cubic feet and cubic meters are both measures of volume, the former in the imperial and U.S. customary system, and the latter in the metric system. The conversion is most easily explained with an example problem: How many cubic feet of space is enclosed by a box measuring 2m x 2m x 3m? Solution Step 1: Find the volume of the box Volume in m ³ 2m x 2m x 3m 12 m ³ Step 2: Determine how many cubic feet are in 1 cubic meter 1 m 3.28084 ft (1 m) ³ (3.28084 ft) ³ 1 m ³ 35.315 ft ³ Step 3: Convert m ³ to ft ³ Set up the conversion so  that the desired unit will be canceled out. In this case, we want ft ³ to be the remaining unit. Volume in ft ³ Volume in m ³ x 35.315 ft ³/1 m ³ Volume in ft ³ 12 m ³ x 35.315 ft ³/1 m ³ Volume in ft ³ 423.8 ft ³ Answer The volume of space, in cubic feet, enclosed by a box measuring 2m x 2m x 3m is 423.8 ft ³ Cubic Feet To Cubic Meters Example Problem You can work the conversion the other way. As a simple example, convert 50.0 cubic feet to cubic meters. Start with the conversion factor: 1 m3 35.315 ft3 or 1 ft3 0.0283 m3 It doesnt matter which conversion factor you use, providing you set up the problem correctly. Volume in cubic meters 50.0 cubic feet x (1 cubic meter / 35.315 cubic feet) The cubic feet will cancel out, leaving cubic meters: Volume in cubic meters is 1.416 m3.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Nursing - Use of Herbals Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Nursing - Use of Herbals - Research Paper Example Studies have also shown improvements in the control of quality and evaluation of these compounds. Considering that many herbal compounds do not undergo chemical processing, many people think that they are safe, and have no side effects even when taken beyond measure (Cassileth, Yeung, and Gubili & 2008). They also tend to use these compounds alongside prescribed medicines having the impression that they will improve treatment. Despite their proven values, herbals do not have the perceived safety, and neither do they all improve treatment when used alongside prescribed drugs. One of the emerging issues in modern times is that herbal compounds are not as safe as they are thought to be. In fact, they may be counterproductive when used by patients undergoing certain treatments and those on prescription medications. History of herbal medicine use The use of herbals has a long history dating back about ten thousand years. Some of the longest records of the use of herbal medicines include t hose found in Egypt, India and ancient China. Herbals also have a long history in other indigenous cultures including the Native American and African cultures. With the advent of chemical analysis in the 19th century, scientists started extracting and modifying active ingredients contained in plants and came up with pharmaceuticals. Even with the development of pharmaceuticals, natural remedies to human health still represent a significant portion of the US market, and other parts of the globe. In places like Germany, for example, the sales turnover of one herbal product called silymarin amounts to $180 million annually (Breevort, 1996). This herbal compound is used almost exclusively for treating liver problems. Almost a third of outpatients seeking medical care from liver clinics use this product according to Breevort (1996). Breevort (1996) also explains that marketing of herbals between 1992 and 1996 increased threefold. Studies also reveal that over the last two decades, there has been growth in the level of public dissatisfaction with the prices of prescription medications, coupled with a growing interest in organic or natural remedies in the United States. This essentially has led to an increase in herbal medicines use. How herbals work Unlike doctors practicing conventional medicine, herbalists try to find and deal with the underlying causes of a health problem instead of treating individual symptoms. This is done based on the belief that the use of herbal tonics and tinctures can help the body heal itself by restoring harmony and balance, and activating the life force of the body (Cassileth, Yeung, and Gubili & 2008). Just like naturopathic medicine, it aims at supporting the body’s natural ability to achieve optimal health, and facilitating the innate healing mechanisms of the body. The compounds used for conducting herbal treatments are extracted from roots, barks, berries, seeds, leaves, flowers and petals of plants, and are presented as com plex mixtures of many different compounds. Efficacy and safety of herbal products There are a number of scientific literatures that have documented the safety and efficacy of herbal products including their toxic effects. Many of these reports contradict the popular view asserting that herbals are natural compounds and, therefore, are harmless. A study conducted by the National Poison Information Service during the period 1991-1995 recorded 785Â  cases of confirmed or probable cases of adverse reactions to

How Philosophy is Important for Undergraduate Student Essay

How Philosophy is Important for Undergraduate Student - Essay Example I use the term ‘science’ broadly here as rational and empirical investigation,† (Pigliucci n.d.). Reason is important and philosophy cannot provide concrete answers. Objection 2: Philosophy does not matter that much today as Stephen Hawking said, â€Å"Philosophy is dead. Philosophers have not kept up with modern developments in science. Particularly physics† (Warman 2011). Nowadays technological advancement prove to assist the advancement in the realm of physical science overtaking the development of philosophy as the latter cannot prove the exact answers to questions. On the contrary, Philosophy is stated, â€Å"Defining and explaining philosophy is no easy task — the very nature of the subject seems to defy description. The problem is that philosophy, in one way or another, ends up touching upon nearly every aspect of human life. Philosophy has something to say when it comes to science, art, religion, politics, medicine, and a host of other topics ,† (About.com n.d.). In all aspects, philosophy is the very core or basic step. I answer that, Philosophy is important due to the following reasons: All people align their everyday lives to the concept of reality that their beliefs tend to explain as they make use of metaphysical theory, ethical theory and moral theory. They need both metaphysical and moral concepts since they have the freewill and not instincts. They have the capacity to make decisions. They can also prove that throughout history human behavior and the ideas tend to explain their experiences have certain flaws. The correction is done through enough understanding of people about themselves and their surroundings by inquiring and garnering answers for philosophical and scientific questions. Curiosity is part of being a human as he tends to explore and learn about himself and the things around him. Philosophy also includes the rejection on the subjects of philosophy itself and science as they are all philosophic al in nature. They are better than doing nothing about the pursuit for knowledge. Philosophy also encompasses the ideas made by people that are subjected to conflicts toward creation of art or science (Maartensz n.d.). Reply to Objection 1: Science cannot explain the following: the existential truth like a person is not just a container of a brain and is being controlled. The moral truth also cannot be proven by science such as rape being right or wrong. Even the so-called logical truth science may have some problems to prove it like the quote Science is the only way to really know truth. No scientific test can prove the validity of such claim as it requires logic itself. Another thing is historical truth such as the winning of Barack Obama in the 2008 elections as scientific test must be repeatable and historical truth cannot be duplicated. Lastly, experiential truth cannot be verified by science such as the love of a spouse (Hewer n.d.). Reply to Objection 2: Philosophy is not dea d because science still exists. Science cannot exist without philosophy. Science has always been part of philosophy as both of them seek evidences, causations, theory creation, and hypothesis-testing as all of them are done to verify the ideas. Scientists must not ignore the philosophers as the former may fall on to fallacies (Norris 2011). How is it different from other subject areas? Objection 1:

Friday, October 18, 2019

Reaserch Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Reaserch Critique - Essay Example However the research fails to mention the causative agent of pressure ulcer and only dwells on the prevention measures. The purpose of the research is clearly stated as to assess the quality of disease prediction in home health care. This is done by looking into process and procedure used to assess pressure ulcer risk upon admission to home care, frequency with proper timing f risk reassessment and the various interventions used by home health care agencies to prevent pressure ulcer development. By developing a three –part twenty nine item questionnaire, the research question was well applied. Questions were classified in three parts a move aimed at exhausting any important research material. With part one carrying questions with items related to agency size and respondent, part two covering questions on admission on risk appraisal processes and procedures and lastly, part three covering questions on prevention policies and prevention interventions it comes out clearly that the research question heading was well applied. Both provision of fixed responses and open-ended response options were well applied a thing that produced better results. The researcher had a well laid outline where the Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) published clinical practice guidelines on pressure ulcer prediction and prevention. The contents of the guidelines were specified with practice recommendations for identifying those people at risk, maintaining and improving tissue tolerance to pressure, protecting against pressure friction and also the use of education to reduce pressure ulcer occurrence. The appraisal was well formulated where health care is evaluated through process of care and outcome indicators. It takes a wider review on the whole efforts undertaken in the prevention of pressure ulcers. (Bergquist, 2004) The two processes above have been developed through literature review, review of clinical guidelines,

Hrm Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Hrm - Essay Example Shifting of skills that permit completion of tasks in the organization can only be possible through training. This is an explanation of the fact that the employees are able to acquire new dexterities that increase their knowledge in business; thus, an expansion in their career expertise. If this happens to all employees, then it is worth arguing that the entire organization will be effective if training is well done. According to Caple &Buckley (2009), learning and development allows the organizations attain their goals and objectives since the employees have been properly directed on the dos and dons of the business. The human resource department, in this case, must take up the role of training very seriously by evaluating the key sectors of the organization that needs improvement. The most important aspect is to assess the business environment, and then come up with actions that will lead to the employees take part in learner-oriented programs. The HR must then devise strategies that will lead to the employees being ambassadors of change in the organization. These strategies must, however, be in line with the organization’s goals. In relation to the study conducted by John (2002), training and development in the workplace offers a great opportunity for the business to have a working environment, both internally and externally. In the course of learning, the employees are able to learn from their fellow employees on the requirements of the changing business environment. Externally, the HR manager exposes the employees to new skills in the business world by enlightening them on the new business requirements. This can be done by sponsoring the employees to workshops and seminars that boost their careers. In the long run, both the individuals and the organization benefit from the training programs. Though at times many businesses are

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Galileo's Interventionist Notion of Cause Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Galileo's Interventionist Notion of Cause - Essay Example In Galileo's Interventionist Notion of "Cause", Steffen Ducheyne has deliberated on Galileo's development of a "new notion of causality" (p.443), which was primarily based on interventionist school. Steffen used respective studies and analyses from past and current researchers and presented his point of view after contrasting it from pro and con views, thus, highlighted his own point of view in an oblique way. Steffan said that Galileo believed that in order to find a causal link, one should be able to manipulate changes and the resultant changes should be reflected as effects of original changes. Thus, if A causes B and changes in A also affect B, causal relationship is established. Galileo, like a seeker, was looking for the hidden and accidental causes of effects. He was more interested in the "root" than in the "how" of a cause.Analysts have been divided by the question of whether Galileo really presented causal inquiries in his explanations of nature's phenomena as causal explan ations are more easily found in Galileo's earlier works than later ones. An analysis by Ernan supported Galileo by reinterpreting this absence of "cause" in Galileo's later works as an increasing focus on kinematics, which was a precursor of dynamics, since only after properties of motion were described fully, can the respective causal explanations follow. Peter Machammer, however, believed that Galileo's unconcern for causes was reflected by the fact that he was not concerned with extrinsic causes but with "formal and final causes, and sometimes material causes" (Ducheyne, p.446). Galileo in his earliest work De Motu explicitly stated his quest not to seek for apparent causes of observable facts. Galileo's usage of causal language may be analogous to Aristotelian reflection of causes as laid down in Aristotle's Posterior Analysis, and typified by a procedure involving analysis and deduction from observed effect to possible cause and reverse composition from cause to the effect. According to Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Galileo had achieved a remarkable feat of breaking away from traditional stereotyped Aristotelian concepts to scientific concepts that were used as a basis of "new sciences" and the foundation stone of new philosophy. (Peter Machamer, Encyclopedia of Philosophy). It is how Galileo used causal explanation, Steffan believed, would help unravel Galileo's reasoning thread and allow the novel features, the interventionist element, in Galileo's causal explanations to come through. True causes, according to Galileo, should be closest or most efficacious in producing the effects. If an effect is not produced then the concerned element is not the true cause. Discussion Julian Reiss in Causal Instrumental Variables and Interventions argued against taking causal inferences on the basis of causal claims as reliable if these were based on instrumental variables. He said that taking a set of assumptions to fulfill an instrument analogous to James Woodward's intervention and causal inference might be permissible. However, he argued that for the relationship to hold, the set of assumptions might have to be very strong (Julian Reiss, Causal Instrumental Variables and Interventions). Galileo on the other hand is shown to be quite eager to proclaim his universal causality theory for all true causes. Galileo's explanations seem to have improved over his predecessors (Aristotle), however in hindsight specific lacunas or flaws can now be identified. However it goes to Galileo's credit to have improved thinking from set compartmentalized way into what he believed to better and truer explanation. Galileo believed that the phenomenon of tides was the principle proof that the Earth moved. He set out to prove his theory by postulating that an appropriate model could largely reproduce the effect of the tides, whereas other causes (of the tides) that were promulgated at that time could not produce the desired effect. Galileo can be credited with laying seeds of scientific analysis and being able to study

Healthcare Information Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Healthcare Information Systems - Essay Example Alternatively, the discipline is divided into four different categories; the clinical information systems, strategic decision support, management and e-health applications. In the healthcare information systems, the clinical information system is the kind of system that supports patient care. Alternatively, this system entails the computerized patient record systems, patient monitoring systems, automated medical instrumentation, nursing information systems, clinical decision support systems, pharmacy information systems and the laboratory information systems (Ginter, 2013). Most of these systems tend to support clinical education and research. In the contemporary word, the clinical information systems tend to create a significant competitive advantage due to its effectiveness and efficiency when it comes to patient care (Ginter, 2013). The clinical information systems also act as a health problems dictionary for clinicians since they offer a perfect background of patient’s health. Management information system or rather the administrative information system is the type of system that tends to support different health care areas apart from the direct patient care. In most cases, the management information system includes the financial information systems, payroll, human resources systems, materials and facilities management, purchasing, billing, office automation, outpatient clinic scheduling among others (Wager, 2013). Also known as the strategic information system, this healthcare information system attempts to take immense unorganized data quantities and turn the data into useful information that enables administrators to make better decision (Ginter, 2013). Most of these decisions regarding the information systems involve the organization of data and the interpretation of the output involved. E-health application is a contemporary term in health care practice that is mainly supported by electronic communications

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Galileo's Interventionist Notion of Cause Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Galileo's Interventionist Notion of Cause - Essay Example In Galileo's Interventionist Notion of "Cause", Steffen Ducheyne has deliberated on Galileo's development of a "new notion of causality" (p.443), which was primarily based on interventionist school. Steffen used respective studies and analyses from past and current researchers and presented his point of view after contrasting it from pro and con views, thus, highlighted his own point of view in an oblique way. Steffan said that Galileo believed that in order to find a causal link, one should be able to manipulate changes and the resultant changes should be reflected as effects of original changes. Thus, if A causes B and changes in A also affect B, causal relationship is established. Galileo, like a seeker, was looking for the hidden and accidental causes of effects. He was more interested in the "root" than in the "how" of a cause.Analysts have been divided by the question of whether Galileo really presented causal inquiries in his explanations of nature's phenomena as causal explan ations are more easily found in Galileo's earlier works than later ones. An analysis by Ernan supported Galileo by reinterpreting this absence of "cause" in Galileo's later works as an increasing focus on kinematics, which was a precursor of dynamics, since only after properties of motion were described fully, can the respective causal explanations follow. Peter Machammer, however, believed that Galileo's unconcern for causes was reflected by the fact that he was not concerned with extrinsic causes but with "formal and final causes, and sometimes material causes" (Ducheyne, p.446). Galileo in his earliest work De Motu explicitly stated his quest not to seek for apparent causes of observable facts. Galileo's usage of causal language may be analogous to Aristotelian reflection of causes as laid down in Aristotle's Posterior Analysis, and typified by a procedure involving analysis and deduction from observed effect to possible cause and reverse composition from cause to the effect. According to Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Galileo had achieved a remarkable feat of breaking away from traditional stereotyped Aristotelian concepts to scientific concepts that were used as a basis of "new sciences" and the foundation stone of new philosophy. (Peter Machamer, Encyclopedia of Philosophy). It is how Galileo used causal explanation, Steffan believed, would help unravel Galileo's reasoning thread and allow the novel features, the interventionist element, in Galileo's causal explanations to come through. True causes, according to Galileo, should be closest or most efficacious in producing the effects. If an effect is not produced then the concerned element is not the true cause. Discussion Julian Reiss in Causal Instrumental Variables and Interventions argued against taking causal inferences on the basis of causal claims as reliable if these were based on instrumental variables. He said that taking a set of assumptions to fulfill an instrument analogous to James Woodward's intervention and causal inference might be permissible. However, he argued that for the relationship to hold, the set of assumptions might have to be very strong (Julian Reiss, Causal Instrumental Variables and Interventions). Galileo on the other hand is shown to be quite eager to proclaim his universal causality theory for all true causes. Galileo's explanations seem to have improved over his predecessors (Aristotle), however in hindsight specific lacunas or flaws can now be identified. However it goes to Galileo's credit to have improved thinking from set compartmentalized way into what he believed to better and truer explanation. Galileo believed that the phenomenon of tides was the principle proof that the Earth moved. He set out to prove his theory by postulating that an appropriate model could largely reproduce the effect of the tides, whereas other causes (of the tides) that were promulgated at that time could not produce the desired effect. Galileo can be credited with laying seeds of scientific analysis and being able to study

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Primary recovery goal and steps for reaching the goal Assignment

Primary recovery goal and steps for reaching the goal - Assignment Example He would then subject non-critical patients, in hospital, to neurological test, and then conduct the test on patients who were not taken to the hospital. This would identify all victims by their needs and help in the recovery of all of them. Victims who are more likely to need crisis intervention. People whose positions or actions put in danger or whose actions endanger others are the ones likely to require crisis intervention (Government of Victoria, 2010, p. 42, 43). This is because recovery initiatives aim at managing current conditions of patients and preventing further harm. The category of patient is, however, likely to cause harm, and therefore delay recovery objective, and this establishes the significance of focusing on their stability. Some major health concerns after a disaster that may affect the community and possible actions for improving the health concerns The disaster has many health concerns that the community may face. Wildfire increases the risk of â€Å"asthma, emphysema, and cardiovascular diseases† among members of the society. The disaster is also likely to worsen conditions of a member of the community who already suffer from heart complications. High incidence of cancer, due to a carcinogen in smoke, stress, and mental complications are also likely. Wayne can organize for counseling sessions on stress management and ways of reducing further exposure to toxins from the wildfires. This will help in elevating depression and mental illnesses and in reducing the risk of the terminal diseases.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Evolution of Management Essay Example for Free

Evolution of Management Essay From the Biblical times we find monarchies of the time use some form of management to lord over the great kingdoms such as the Egyptians who used hierarchy management to build the pyramids, Moses leading the Israelites through the desert to the promised land and King David when he was in charge of the kingdom of Israel. In Ancient civilizations, the Roman Empire made use of devolved government to manage the vast empires resources. This was done through governors’ who were in charge of certain areas as we see in the bible during the birth of Jesus Christ. We can find artifacts that in old cities such as Jerusalem where we find aqueducts that give us an idea of how they managed the water resources. Modernization of the world led to cities and towns that brought about the need to manage the resources in order to provide services to the people living within them. We also find management in the church and military before the industrial revolution. The Roman Catholic Church is one example that has had an impact on management as we see in the catholic hierarchy led by the pope and includes cardinals, patriarchs, and bishops. The Military has greatly influenced management through power vested in positions in the chain of command. Management continued to evolve and we find individuals in history who have made contributions to the art of management as we know it; Luka Pacioli was an Italian mathematician considered the father of accounting. He invented the double entry accounting system. Adam Smith was a political economist whose concepts on economics at the beginning of the industrial revolution contributed greatly to management today. Robert Owens, Charles Babbage, Henry Vernum Poor and Henry Robinson Towne are other individuals who were influential to management in this era. With the onset of the industrial revolution, new ways of management came into play as new generations looked to increase productivity of organizations. Classical Era Scientific Management Scientific management was pioneered by Frederick W. Taylor a mechanical engineer who sought to improve industrial efficiency. He saw the need to have management design jobs properly and provide incentives to motivate workers to achieve higher productivity. His ideology was to find the best practice, decompose the task into its constituent elements and get rid of things that do not add value. Taylor’s scientific management gave way to specialization and is considered the basis to many other management systems that came after. Taylor was supported in this new way of management by Henry Gantt who is accredited with the Gantt chart that is widely used for project management. Frank and Lillian Gilbreth were also early advocates of the scientific management system. Through the motion study, Frank sought to make the processes more efficient by reducing the motions while Lillian’s interest was on the human aspect of work. The human aspect of the scientific management principles seek to understand the workers personality and needs. Administrative Management Henri Fayol, was a French engineer and manager of the mines developed the administrative theory of management. He viewed management as an activity common to all human undertakings. He is credited to giving us the first comprehensive functions of management; 1.Planning  2.Organizing 3.Command/Direct 4.Coordinate 5.Control He urged that management was an all encompassing activity that should be taught in schools, colleges and universities. This approach proposed that management is a skill which can be acquired if its principles are understood and rejected the idea that â€Å"managers are born, not made†. Bureaucratic Management A German Sociologist, Max Weber’s approach to management was by focusing on the organizational structure. His views divided organizations into hierarchies with clear lines of authority and control, divided labor such that authority and responsibility are clearly defined and legitimized, organizational officials are appointed and not elected, organization members are selected on the basis of their technical qualification obtained through formal education and training. Organizations are to treat all employees and customers equally and not be influenced by differences. Weber’s principles on organizing can create stable, organized and systematic organizations but make it difficult for the organization to adapt to changing environments and new challenges. Neo-Classical Era Operations Management (Research) Operations management, also known as quantitative management, gives a quantitative basis for decision making. It is characterised by the search for the optimal answer to a problem by using quantitative models. It specially deals with the development of mathematical models to aid in decision making and problem solving. This theory holds that managing is a logical and rationale process, so it can be expressed in terms of mathematical models.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Native american Essay -- essays research papers

People had already been living in the Americas for thousands of years before the Europeans â€Å"discovered† the Americas. When the Europeans invaded this land they brought with them diseases such as smallpox, malaria, yellow fever, plague, typhus, and influenza contagions that repeatedly spread through the Native American peoples, killing them in high numbers. At the time the United States was settled by Europeans, it was abundantly populated by dozens of separate nations with diverse civilizations and cultures. Despite their initial confusion to their situation after the arrival of Europeans, the Native Americans did not take their disenfranchisement from their own land lying down. Native Americans have a long history of "fighting back" against invaders encroaching on the land that they had lived on for as long as they could remember. Before the arrival of white people to the continent, Native Americans still engaged in war between the various different tribes. Their reasons for fighting each other were drastically different than the reasons they had when fighting non-Native Americans. Some Native American battles were fought for revenge. The most common cause of war between Native American groups was probably to defend or enlarge tribal territory. Later, their conflicts with white people were fought for trying to prevent the theft of their land, or in raids for food and supplies they were denied. When the Europeans invaded this country the native American people we...

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Power Relations in Melville’s The Paradise of Bachelors and the Tartarus of Maids :: Comparison Compare Contrast Essays

Power Relations in Melville’s The Paradise of Bachelors and the Tartarus of Maids In the mid-nineteenth century, the United States heralded the coming of the â€Å"new industrial order.† With the advent of railroads, industrialization went into full swing. Factories and mills appeared and multiplied, and the push for economic progress became the grand narrative of the country. Still, there was a conscious effort to avoid the filth and poverty so prevalent in European factory towns. Specifically, the town of Lowell, Massachusetts, was held up as an exemplary model of industrial utopia. The mill town included beautiful landscaping and dormitories for the women workers. Indeed, it looked much like a university campus (Klein 231). Nevertheless, this idealized vision eventually gave way to the reality of human greed. The female factory workers worked long hours for little pay as their health deteriorated from the hazardous conditions (238). (Specifically, Carson’s Mill in Dalton, Massachusetts, served as the model for Melville’s short stor y [Melville 2437].) In this way, industrialization (and the subsequent desire for economic wealth) became incompatible with democratic principles. Originally, the prevailing consciousness was that industrialization would further democracy and the two would become a complimentary pair. However, the reality was that these societal changes brought economic divisions; the boundaries were drawn more clearly between the privileged class and the working class. Industrialization finally results in the separation of the classes and the subsequent dialectical tension of production and consumption. This dualistic separation is made possible through the machine, the integral element that cements the unequal distribution of power. In his moral diptych, Melville questions industrialization by exploring these class divisions and the power relations within them. Ultimately, he concludes that it results in an exploitative system that thrives on both connection and isolation. Although the two spheres are physically and emotionally separated, they depend on each other for their continuation. Melville’s â€Å"The Paradise of Bachelors and the Tartarus of Maids† expertly shows this interrelationship between the owners of the means of production (the bachelors) and the workers (the maids), and how it finally results in the oppression of the workers. The first part of the tale illustrates the paradoxical life of the industrial class; they are gluttonous consumers and yet live out an empty existence. This wealthy class is represented in the form of bachelor lawyers.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Carlos P. Garcia Term Paper

PRESIDENT CARLOS P. GARCIA A TERM PAPER PRESENTED TO MS. EMELITA P. SAMALA HISTORY DEPARTMENT UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS ALFREDO M. VELAYO COLLEGE OF ACCOUNTANCY IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR PHISTPG 1ST SEMESTER S. Y. 2012-2013 BY KELVIN ANGELES SHAIRA BRAVO AIA CHAN ANA DOCALLOS SEPTEMBER 24, 2012 INTRODUCTION Carlos P. Garcia is the eighth president of the Philippines and the fourth president of the Third Republic of the Philippines after he succeeded the remaining eight months of the term left by Pres. Ramon Magsasysay after dying from a plane crash.He was president again after winning the 1957 election. He was one of the presidents who has been exposed to politics for long and have had many experiences. He has been a governor, congressman, senator, and vice- president. Indeed, he is one of those educated presidents, proven by a Law degree. Even before he was president, he has already shown his willingness to make Philippines a better country. He was one of those who helped in collaborating with USA to seek for assistance just for the recovery and reconstruction of the Philippines from the war.The highlights of his administration were the Filipino First Policy (which is said to be what he is known for), Austerity Program (that didn’t became that successful), Bohlen–Serrano Agreement, and many more. They said that the main focus of his administration is to improve the economy of the Philippines and make it independent to other countries from its needs. Can we really consider former Pres. C. P. Garcia one of the best presidents of the Philippines? Did his programs and laws benefited and made Philippines a better country? Did he fulfill conscientiously all his duties as a president?Let us know more about the economic policies Pres. C. P. Garcia has made for the improvement of the Philippines. But first, let us discover who Carlos P. Garcia before he became a president. BIOGRAPHY Carlos Polistico Garcia was born in Talibon, Bohol o n November 4, 1896. His parents, Policronio Garcia and Ambrosia Polistico, were both natives of Bangued, Abra. His father, Policronio was a sailor and farmer who became the town mayor of Talibon for fifteen consecutive years. While his mother, Ambrosia was a devout Catholic and an exemplary housewife who was proficient in leading the novena or prayers for the patron saints.He had four brothers; Leoncio, Cosme, Cipriano and Lucio and one sister named Primitiva being him the second to the oldest. Garcia pursued the primary course in the Talibon Central Elementary School during the school year 1903-1904. His first teacher in Spanish and the vernacular was Catalina Auguis Torrefiel (â€Å"Maestra Talina†). Lucio Alingasa, Sr. was his first teacher in English. He completed his elementary education in Talibon graduating at the head of his class in 1910. He then studied in the Cebu High School completing only the second of the secondary course.His father Policronio, advised him to b ecome a public school teacher in the belief that at the age of sixteen he was yet too young to pursue his studies. After two years of teaching in the public schools of Trinidad and Ubay, he resigned to continue his studies. As a classroom teacher, he was under regular status at P25. 00 per month. He took his third year secondary studies at Silliman Institute in Dumaguete, Negros Oriental. In his senior year in high school, he decided to return to the Cebu High School graduating as class valedictorian in 1916.It was during this time when he won the Carlock gold medal for excellence in oratory. He was once an editor of the school paper when he was in the Cebu High School. He was at the same time a reporter of Cebu’s weekly newspapers in English. He took law at Philippine Law School, now Philippine College of Criminology in the school year 1919-1923. He was permitted to pursue the law course because at that time a preparatory law course was not required for admission. He obtaine d many titles and won prizes in different contests. In 1919, he was elected president of the freshman class.He was also elected speaker pro-tempore of the Junior House and senator of the Junior Senate. He became secretary of the law school’s Club Cervatino, member of the Lex Club, and the 1921 winner of the Callaghan prize in oratory. In 1922, he was awarded the West Publishing Company prize for obtaining the highest general average during his first year in the College of Law. The Lawyer’s cooperative Publishing Company Prize was awarded to him as law class valedictorian in 1923. He had been recipient of the Malcolm’s four-year law course scholarship prizes for academic excellence.He finished the Bachelor of Laws degree in 1923, at the Philippine Law School as Valedictorian (magna cum laude). He placed 7th in the bar examinations of 1923 despite serious illness, obtaining the highest rating among the Manila law class valedictorians of that year. Rather than prac tice law right away, he worked as a teacher for two years at Bohol Provincial High School. He became famous for his poetry in Bohol, where he earned the nickname â€Å"Prince of Visayan Poets† and the â€Å"Bard from Bohol†. He started his political career on 1925.In 1925, he was elected as Congressman of the third District of Bohol and served for three consecutive terms. In 1933, he was elected as Governor of Bohol. He was elected as a senator in 1941, but his service was interrupted by the war in the Pacific. But he did not surrender and he did not serve in the government sponsored by Japanese of the Philippines. He joined the guerillas and went to the mountains. He was married to Leonila Dimataga on May 24, 1933. Leonila was known as â€Å"Inday†, a native of Opon and a professional pharmacist. They had only one child named Linda Garcia-Ocampos.When the Commonwealth government was re-instated, he reassumed his position as a senator and became the Majority Flo or Leader. He participated in several missions to Washington to work for the approval of the Philippine Rehabilitation and War Damage Claims. He was a delegate to the World Conference at San Francisco to draft the charter of the United Nations Organization in May 1945. He was elected again as a senator in the 1946 elections. When he was in the Senate, he was chairman and member of numerous key committees, among them government reorganization, foreign affairs, public works, army and navy, and justice.He was also a member of the Senate Electoral Tribunal. From 1947 to 1953 he was vice president of the Nacionalista party directorate Garcia He was the running mate of Ramon Magsaysay in the presidential election of 1953. He was appointed Secretary of Foreign Affairs by President Ramon Magsaysay, for four years concurrently serving as vice-president. As secretary of foreign affairs, he negotiated to Japan to end the nine-year technical state of war between Japan and the Philippines, leadi ng to an agreement in April 1954. He maintained the strong ties with the United States and stood for opposition of communism.He acted as chairman of the Southeast Asian Security Conference held in Manila in September 1954, which led to the development of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization, known as SEATO. He was in a conference in Australia when President Magsaysay died in an airplane accident on March 17, 1957 in Cebu. He became his successor, having been elected vice president in November 1953. He became president of the Philippines starting March 18, 1957 and lasted for eight months. In the elections of 1957 he won over three other candidates and became fourth president of the republic since its independence in 1946.He exercised the Filipino First Policy, for which he was known and popularized the â€Å"Buy Filipino† program. This policy heavily favored Filipino businessmen over foreign investors. Programs were initiated to improve Filipino production. He also encourag ed the renewal of interest in Philippine culture. He also initiated what has been called â€Å"The Austerity Program† that characterized his administration. However, he was criticized for his travels at the time of Austerity Program. He was accused of graft and corruption which had damaged his image. He was defeated in the 1961 presidential elections to Diosdado Macapagal partly due to these ontroversies. Garcia lived as a private citizen in Tagbilaran, Bohol after his defeat from the election. Garcia was elected delegate of the 1971 Constitutional Convention on June 1, 1971. The convention delegates elected him as the President of the Convention. However, just days after his election, he passed away. He died because of heart attack on June 14, 1971 in Tagbilaran City, Bohol. Garcia became the first president to have his remains lie in-state at the Manila Cathedral and the first president to be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. STRENGTHS OF HIS ADMINISTRATIONCarlos P. Gar cia’s significance in the Philippine history is that he has made Philippines to be one of the innovative countries in Asia during his administration. Philippines was just recovering. And because of this, Pres. Carlos Garcia made programs that helped Philippines, especially with its current situation. He saw the need for economic independence because Philippines depended on products from America although they can produce with their own. Among these is the Filipino First Policy that is said to be the most significant act during his administration.It gave Filipino businessmen opportunities to widen their business and provide for the Filipinos. Their products were preferred more than imported ones and was given more priority. Through this act, local products were expanded and favored. This gave way for the Philippines to supply their own personal need for everyday living and it also helped in improving the economy that time. He wanted the Filipinos to provide for their own so the re would not need imports from foreign countries. Thus, it would lessen their expenses.One of the Filipino businessmen who was benefited with the Filipino First Policy was Filemon Rodriguez, who founded a management company and became the co-founder of FILOIL, the first Filipino-owned oil refining company. The concern of his administration was to make Philippines a self sustaining and independent country. Also one of the strength of his term is that he was able to revive the culture. He placed an emphasis to our culture because colonization took over and he felt that he needed to revive it. This helped the Filipinos to know their own culture and to be proud of it.He awarded some Filipino artists, scientist, historians and writers to encourage them. Although there were many economic problems arising, Pres. Carlos P. Garcia managed his country well enough. He was able to prioritize Filipinos and made laws that would increase the economic growth in the Philippines. Pres. Carlos Garcia did his part for the improvement of the Philippines. He promoted our local products and at the same time promoted it worldwide. It showed how much he is really aiming for the improvement of the lives of his Filipino people. The Garcia administration supported the local industries.He was able to shape and have Philippines to its good condition. Stated below are some of the achievements of Carlos P. Garcia’s administration. ACHIEVEMENTS There were many achievements made by President Carlo P. Garcia. These are as follows; As secretary of foreign affairs, he opened formal reparation negotiations in an effort to end the nine-year technical state of war between Japan and the Philippines, leading to an agreement in April 1954. During the Geneva Conference on Korean unification and other Asian problems, Garcia as chairman of the Philippine delegation attacked communist promises in Asia and defended the U.S. policy in the Far East. In a speech on May 7, 1954, the day of the fall of Di en Bien Phu, Garcia repeated the Philippine stand for nationalism and opposition of communism. After much discussion, both official and public, the Congress of the Philippines, finally, approved a bill outlawing the Communist Party of the Philippines. Despite the pressure exerted against the congressional measure, President Carlos P. Garcia signed the said bill into law as Republic Act No. 1700 on June 19, 1957. With this legislative piece, the sustained government campaign for peace and order achieved considerable progress and success.He also acted on the Bohlen–Serrano Agreement which shortened the lease of the US Bases from 99 years to 25 years and made it renewable after every five years. President Garcia initiated what has been called â€Å"The Austerity Program†. Garcia's administration was characterized by its austerity program and its insistence on a comprehensive nationalist policy. On March 3, 1960, he affirmed the need for complete economic freedom and added that the government no longer would tolerate the dominance of foreign interests (especially American) in the national economy.He promised to shake off â€Å"the yoke of alien domination in business, trade, commerce and industry. † Garcia was also credited with his role in reviving Filipino cultural arts. The main points of the Austerity Program were: 1) The government would tighten up its controls to prevent abuses in the over shipment of exports under license and in under-pricing as well. 2) There would be a more rigid enforcement of the existing regulations on barter shipments. 3) Government imports themselves were to be restricted to essential items. 4) The government also would reduce rice imports to a minimum. ) An overhauling of the local transportation system would be attempted so as to reduce the importation of gasoline and spare parts. 6) The tax system would be revised so as to attain more equitable distribution of the payment-burden and achieve more effective coll ection from those with ability to pay. 7)There would be an intensification of food production. President Garcia exercised the Resolution No. 204 also called as the Filipino First Policy, for which he was known. This policy heavily favored Filipino businessmen over foreign investors.From the word itself, Filipinos and local products were prioritized more than foreign and imported products. Local enterprises were also given assistance. It also encouraged the Filipino businessmen to be part in the economy in the Philippines. Through this, the country was able to provide their own needs and lessen the imported products from foreign countries. In line with the Filipino First Policy, he also made Laws for local Industries like the Republic Act 2207 that is about the Rice and Corn Import Ban that prohibited imported rice and corn by any corporation.This helped the local producers to broaden their business. The effects of these are shown with the informations we have browsed. â€Å"Since i ts enactment in 1958, new Filipino-owned business organizations continued tosprout. Total capital investments of new Filipino businesses in 1958 was only P108,831,000whereas the Americans had P2,537,000. By 1959, new Filipinos businesses’ investments rose toP143,012,000 and those of the Americans declined to P2,433,000. In the 1960, the trendcontinued. Filipinos had P157,631,000 and Americans had P1,375,000. Although, investments of newAmerican businesses rose to P2,881,000 in 1961, those of Filipinos still had the bigger advantage with an increase to P209,398,000. † Not only that, his administration increased the employment rate and reduced the unemployment rate too. There is no perfect administration. President C. P. Garcia also faced many controversies. Which will be discussed in the next. WEAKNESSES/ ISSUES/ CONTROVERSIES During the time of Carlos P. Garcia, he made the policy called â€Å"Pilipino Muna†. In this policy as stated above, he wanted to steer awa y the country from a colonial dependence.He limited the imports so that the domestic industry would be encouraged and its production will increase. Magsaysay is a Business oligarch. He restricted foreign ownership so that the Americans could only own 40 % of the business. Compared to the countries that can be considered progressive, this policy the ‘’foreign owner restriction’’, is not a good policy if you want your country to make your country progressive. The only mistake Carlos P. Garcia made during his term is for being an anti-US business platform. And due to this there were many who criticized him and there is also much hearsay about that.Many people hated Garcia just like Macapagal, who said that Garcia was just using economic nationalism to cover up the corruption on his own government. The policy ‘Filipino First’ by Garcia should have been first consulted to the Americans. This policy hurt the Americans, which are why they are against the administration of Garcia. During Garcia’s administration, there’s always a room for misunderstanding between Garcia and foreign business importers (especially Americans) that thought that the aim of this policy is just a cover up of his fallacies. And this resulted many oppositions to Carlos Garcia.One of these is the American CIA, who again misunderstood the objective of Garcia. That’s why the US disliked Garcia and wanted another Magsaysay. And his Magsaysay that will be the follower of Americans that will agree on whatever the Americans want. And it’s Diosdado Macapagal, vice president during the time of Garcia, who is the next opponent of Garcia on the 1961 elections. CONCLUSION Throughout Garcia’s administration, he was faced with a great challenge, specifically in its economis issues. He stated the problems and made solutions to fix this.Philippines was dependent to foreign countries, resulting to some disadvantages like higher exchange rates. He was known for Filipino First Policy. It was because he wanted Philippines to be independent, industrialized, self-sustaining and wouldn’t rely to anyone but themselves for everyday needs. He didn’t tolerate foreign and imported products because he wants local firms to expand nationally so that local stocks would increase and will help in the economy growth of the Philppines and thus he was successful because employment rate increased, there has been imrovement and growth in the economy.He was able to make Philippines in a good shape, but not in best. Also through his Austerity Program, he tried to lessen and if possible, eliminate graft and corruption that was exisiting in the past administration and also to his as well, and also to teach moral values to the leaders of the country. Garcia was also known as he revived Filipino cultural arts. At the end of his term, Garcia was criticized by many because they say that programs were not enough for the common peop le. That is why he lost the elections to Pres. Diosdado Macapagal. VALUES LEARNEDEverything you do, there are people what you love to do. Just like Carlos P. Garcia, he was hated by the Americans by helping his fellow Filipinos. (Kelvin Angeles) The value that i learned from Carlos P. Garcia is to love my own country. He emphasized nationalism. He was the one who exercised the Filipino First Policy, wherein Filipinos where given priority over foreign investors. He passed bills that made the Philppines more peaceful and inorder. He gave importance to the Filipino businesses and gave them the economic freedom that they've wanted for a long time.He taught me to patronize local goods over imported products, which i usually buy because i thought that it was stronger and safer to use. He taught me to give importance to our country and be proud to be a Filipino. (Shaira Bravo) I learned that the environment you grew up really affects the way you act and think. Former Carlos P. Garcia grew up in a middle class family that enabled him to study in school. Having also a father that was a farmer then became a politician, he saw how the poor and the rich lived and acted. He was opened to a broad environment and saw the world not a simple place to live.He learned that this world composed of different class of people and each class had responsibilities to perform service in the country. This knowledge led him to take up public service as his life career. He lived his life serving Filipinos. I also learned that Garcia was a man that lived with his principles. He fought for what he knows right for the people. He was a symbol of nationalism and an epitome of democracy and justice. (Ahiah Chan) I can say that by doing this term paper, I have browsed the Speech made by former President Carlos Garcia. And in the concluding part, I read this†¦But man is finite and God is infinite and eternal and so we need Him in all our national efforts. Let us therefore pray for His guidance and mercy and that He abide with us forever and fill our days with the abundance of His blessings. â€Å"For His Kingdom is a Kingdom of all ages, and dominion endureth throughout all generations. They shall publish the memory of the abundance of His sweetness and shall rejoice in His Justice. † (Psalm 144) With Him nothing is impossible; without Him nothing. I thank you. It tells me that in whatever we do; God will always be with us.Anything is possible if we keep on believing in God. Pres. C. P. Garcia did not forget God and he put his trust on God so he would be successful in attaining all his plans for the Philippines. Also in His Austerity program, he focused not only in the economy but also for the values of the Filipinos, teaching them to be thrift, to be efficient, to save money, and to live simply, avoiding luxurious materials. It showed that he was also after the morals of the Filipinos. (Ana Docallos) REFERENCES Carlos Garcia. (n. d. ) Retrieved on Sept 17, 2012, http://www. cribd. com/doc/72422288/ CARLOS-GARCIA Carlos P. Garcia. (n. d. ) Retrieved on September 18, 2012, http://www. scribd. com/doc/37537872/ Carlos-P-Garcia Carlos P. Garcia biography. (n. d. ) Retrieved on September 18, 2012, http://www. bookrags. com/ biography/carlos-p-garcia/ Carlos P. Garcia. (n. d. ) Retrieved on September 18, 2012, http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Carlos_P. _Garcia Philippine Economy under President Garcia. (n. d. ) Retrieved on September 16, 2012,http://www. scribd. com/doc/36176205/Philippine-Economy-under-President-Garcia

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Effects of Globalisation on Brazil

Discuss the impact of globalisation on Brazil: Orientation: Globalisation refers to the integration between different countries and economies and the increased impact of international influences on all aspects of life and economic activity. Brazil is one of the fastest growing economies and superpower of South America. In the recent decade Globalisation has allowed Brazil’s economy to sustain stable economic growth, this was proven when Brazil experienced a very mild recession during the Global Financial Crisis of 2008.Due to the high levels of economic growth as well as increases in GNI per Capita Brazil’s government has also been able to implement successful macroeconomic policies that have allowed for consistent economic development. Though Brazil has benefited greatly from Globalisation they also have experienced many problems including the currency crises in the 1980-90’s which caused the country to undergo a complete economic restructure.Brazil also faces p roblems with environmental deconstruction that due to globalisation that are yet to be solved. Globalisation impact on Brazil Economically: Brazil’s failure to embrace Globalisation in the 1960’s 1970’s and 1980’s caused Brazil to be unable to fund its foreign debt and ultimately experience a currency crisis in the early 1980’s. Through the 1960’s and 1970’s successive governments sought to create a large industrial base and minimise Brazil’s dependency on imported manufactured goods.Brazil relied on foreign debt borrowing to fund this industrialisation movement but rather than increasing its economic integration the purpose of this industrialisation was for Brazil to become less heavily dependent on imports and more self sufficient; reducing reliance on the global economy and going against principals of globalisation in becoming more integrated. Due to large amount of foreign debt and Brazil’s inability to service this debt due to small amounts of export revenue Brazil’s debt servicing ratio reached 102% and, unable to service the debt Brazil’s currency depleted.For Brazil this outcome was among the most undesirable impacts of globalisation as it caused extreme volatility in Brazil’s exchange rate. From 1980 due to Brazil’s inability to repay debt, the Brazilian economy experience many exchange rate crises due to concerns that Brazil could not meet the debt repayments; this caused extreme inflation of over 1000%. Inflation was due to the rising cost of imports for Brazil as currency value fell sharply.In order to prevent/reduce the occurrence of extreme currency fluctuation and extreme inflation Brazil adopted the ‘Real Plan’ strategy in which a new currency known as the ‘real would be pegged 1 to 1 against the US dollar to control inflation. However this had to be abandoned as the currency had to once again be floated as investors pulled out of Brazi l in the wake of the East Asian financial crisis which spread to other developing nations. Brazil now continues to floats the currency relies on strong values of exports, keeping foreign debt low and consistent economic growth in order to reduce fluctuating currency.Brazil has also established a currency reserve to buy back currency and increase its price if financial speculation causes to fall to low. After embracing globalisation, Economically Brazil has greatly benefited from Globalisation as foreign direct investment (DFI) flows have allowed Brazil to become competitive in the world market. Brazil receives the highest level of FDI inflows in Latin American and the 5th highest in the world; this has led to sustained economic growth and greater economic stability.Investment by transnational corporations has helped Brazil develop telecommunications, chemical, pharmaceutical, automotive and mechanical industries. After FDI inflows falling to only 345million in 1986 due to lack of co nfidence in Brazil’s ability to repay foreign debt, Brazil’s economic situation has been consistently improving as the government strategies for industrialisation were restructured with a movement more to funding industrialisation through FDI rather than borrowing from Foreign markets. In 1996 FDI inflows had increased to 11 Billion and in 2011 FDI inflows stood at their peak of 66 Billion US dollars.Through FDI inflows employment was created as transnational corporations such as L’Oreal and FIAT group began expanding into the Brazilian market. Lowered unemployment combined with reductions in income in-equality among the people of the Brazil provided sought after government revenue. This government revenue allowed for the Brazilian government to fund national activities in the areas of transportation, industry and trade as well as energy and mining which all helped in the growth of Brazils manufacturing industry.Growth of the manufacturing industry is now the la rgest contributor to Brazil’s exports comprising of 45%. The manufacturing industry and other large industries that contribute to Brazils exports have allowed for Brazil to increase GDP levels from 385Million in 1980 to 2. 4 Trillion in 2010. Due to the efficiency of industries and economic growth, globalisation also allowed for sustained economic stability to also be achieved.This was made evident during the 2008-09 Global Financial crises where due to the integration of financial markets across the world many markets entered large recessions and therefore loss of confidence for investment Brazil only experienced a mild recession of -0. 6% growth in 2009. From this recession however growth soared to 7% the following year as market confidence was immediately restored with FDI inflows bouncing back from the reduced amount of $26 Billion to $49 Billion the following year, almost doubling.It is clear that in Brazil’s ability to embrace FDI inflows and investment by transn ational corporations have allowed Brazil to form and specialise in competitive industries such as the manufacturing industry. These industries then have the ability to sell the produced product to a world demand that has been created through improvements in technology and the breaking down of trade barriers, which are all effects of globalisation.Globalisation effect on Brazil Socially: Globalisation has also significantly affected Brazil socially. Investment into the country as well as demand for Brazil’s exported goods and services have allowed Brazil to substantially reduce income inequality and achieve economic development. As globalisation lifts economic growth rates in the Brazilian economy, it also raises the income levels of society and provides the government with greater amounts of revenue.After the Brazilian government received higher revenue due to increases in the country’s GDP, the government’s aim was to increase the quality of life among the peop le of Brazil, reducing poverty, increasing education level and increasing health and life expectancy. Programs such as the Fome Zero (zero hunger) program was widely regarded as one of the most successful government funded programs. It provided 11. 4 Million of Brazil’s poorest family’s sufficient income to be able to sustain basic needs in life.The policy was one of many that aimed or the government to reduce inequality by margining income distribution payments. Brazil has also achieved a substantial degree of progress in the economic development due to economic growth of the country through principles of globalisation. Through improvements in the government’s health care system as well as reduction in the cost of medicine as Brazilian companies begin producing pharmaceutical products of their own Brazil rank on the HDO increased from 0. 68 in 1980 to 0. 699 in 2010, mainly reflecting improvements in health care and income levels.Conversely, Brazil is still neg lecting the significant problems that globalisation has cause to the natural environment. As Brazil is still as a majority a low income country it is desperate to obtain as much foreign investment as possible in order to earn higher export revenue; because of this is engages in some economic behaviour that harms the environment. For Brazil this environment destruction occurs in the form of large scale deforestation that Brazil undertakes mainly for paper and wood chips but as well as government income received through selling rainforest/forest land.Not only does this practice allow for foreign investors to have rights to Brazils agricultural land but is also causes for many species of plants and animals to become extinct and many rainforest plants hold value due to undiscovered possible medicinal purposes. Due to the large scale deforestation that Brazil undertakes, Brazil is now the 4th largest emitter of carbon emissions in the world. The High carbon emissions add to the most seri ous environmental problem of the 21st century which is climate change.In order to reduce this environmental destruction Brazil committed in 2009 to reduce deforestation by 80% by 2020. Conclusion: It can be concluded that Brazil has become a large beneficiary of globalisation. Brazil is attracting more foreign investment, expanding its own businesses offshore, enjoying strong sustained growth in exports, in particular in the resources sector, and government policies have been effective in making sure that the macroeconomic successes of recent years are resulting in improvements in living standards for the people of Brazil.

Thorn Queen Chapter Twenty-Four

It tasted as bitter as always, but as I drank, Markelle lifted her eyes. There was nothing obvious in them, no wink, no expectation. Yet, somehow, I knew. I knew. It was the fake again. Satisfied that I'd swallowed it all, Abigail gave me a withering glance. â€Å"We need you cleaned up. That fool is coming for you again later tonight, and he did a number on that dress last time. He wants you looking good, though, so†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She gave a half-hearted shrug. Naturally, I couldn't tell her that my dress's rumpled and slightly torn state had nothing to do with Leith's sexual aggression, but, rather, an angry spirit bent on killing me. Markelle's eyes were downcast once more. â€Å"Should I get her a new dress?† â€Å"No. You've got to clean up too. Art's going to be here in a little while for you.† The girl flinched, but Abigail didn't seem to notice. But then, why would she? She didn't notice any of these girls, not really. And I knew what those words meant. Markelle's time had come. â€Å"I'll send in that freckled one, once she wakes up again.† I realized that she was me and that I should allegedly be going under. I sank back against the covers, blinking like I was trying to stay awake. The two of them left, Markelle giving me one last fleeting glance. There were a lot of things in her wide eyes as she looked at me. Fear. Hope. Anxiety. I exhaled once they were gone and sat up. Plan time. My muscles were still weak, but they reminded me more of what you'd feel after a hard run. What had Markelle said before? Twelve hours was the normal dose? I was at that point. The nightshade had to be significantly wearing off. Theoretically, my magic should be returning too and- â€Å"Why, hello,† I murmured. I'd sent my mind out into the room and had just barely-barely-felt the tingle of air and water. I wasn't going to be blowing anyone apart soon, but the magic was coming back. And when it did, these assholes were fucked. But I needed to wait this out. I wasn't going to jump the gun like I had with Volusian. Every minute brought the magic and my strength back. I had to use this downtime to assess the situation. Abigail was in the house still. Art and Leith were eventually coming back-together or apart, I didn't know. The one thing I felt confident of was that I did not want to face all of them at the same time. That meant Abigail had to be taken out first, but I was going to need help. In what must have been a little over an hour, Cariena slipped in with a pink silk dress. It reminded me of something Maiwenn would wear. Apparently, no one had gotten the memo that redheads don't wear pink. I stood up and took the dress from Cariena, promptly tossing it on the bed. She looked aghast that I'd gotten up without falling over. Considering all that had happened recently, I couldn't blame her. â€Å"Your m-majesty, what-â€Å" â€Å"Cariena, we're getting out of here.† â€Å"We can't!† â€Å"Oh, we can, and we are. Where's Markelle?† I had a feeling I was going to need an accomplice with a bit more boldness. â€Å"And Raina?† I rarely saw the third gentry girl around here and had no clue to her attitude, but she needed to be accounted for. â€Å"Raina's in her room. She was-disrespectful. And Markelle is preparing herself.† Preparing herself for a lifetime as a sex slave. I grimaced. â€Å"And Abigail?† â€Å"She's upstairs. Watching†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Cariena groped for the unfamiliar word. â€Å"†¦the television.† â€Å"Okay, okay.† My mind was spinning now. It seemed to be recovering faster than my body. â€Å"Here's the deal. I need a weapon. Is there anything you've seen that would work as one?† â€Å"We can't do this. We can't-â€Å" â€Å"We can,† I ordered, making my voice hard and fierce. This girl had been beaten into weakness, and if those shamans scared her, I would make sure that I-her queen-scared her more. â€Å"And you will obey me. You're my subject. You'll get out of this alive-I swear it. You'll see your family.† She was still scared out of her mind, but she gave a weak nod. â€Å"I see Abigail and the Red Snake Man carry weapons, but there are none around. I couldn't touch them anyway.† â€Å"Alright. We'll make do with†¦hey, is the garage attached to the house?† â€Å"Garage?† â€Å"Another building. One where they keep cars.† I recalled the garage but didn't know if it connected directly to the house. Surely she knew what a car was. She nodded. â€Å"Yes. They go in and out of it sometimes. It's attached to the kitchen.† â€Å"When you come down here, whose room do you pass first out there in the hall? Mine or Markelle's?† â€Å"Yours†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Cariena was clearly puzzled now. â€Å"Perfect. I know what we're going to do. Take me to Markelle.† There was a moment's hesitation, and I knew this was the turning point of whether she could help or not. The door was unlocked; I didn't need her. But if I didn't have her assistance, I'd have to knock her out to keep her out of the way. â€Å"This way,† she said at last. Markelle nearly threw herself into my arms when we walked into her room. â€Å"Your majesty! I knew you'd do it. I knew you could†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She wore a strappy little red sundress and had been applying makeup. Funny. I got dressed up like gentry royalty, and the girls here were dressed like human whores. â€Å"Shh,† I said. â€Å"We're not out of here yet.† I hastily whispered my plan to them. Markelle understood instantly, and although Cariena still seemed terrified, she also appeared determined. I returned to my room, body tensed for action as I waited for my plan to unfold. Pressing my ear to the closed door, I listened as Cariena's feet thudded up the stairs. Presumably she spoke to Abigail, but I couldn't hear anything. A few moments later, two sets of feet came downstairs, walked past my room, and went to Markelle's. I opened my door a crack to make sure the hall was empty. Next door, I could hear Markelle having the nervous breakdown we'd planned-saying she was afraid to leave, afraid to meet this man, didn't know what to wear†¦. Abigail, clearly irritated, began to scold her, much as she had responded to Leith's whining. I waited to hear no more and turned in the opposite direction, heading for the stairs. When I reached the main floor, I did a double-take. The house was beautiful, all new construction and designer decorating as befitted the neighborhood Art lived in. The gentry sex dungeon below us kind of detracted from the maple cupboards and crown molding, though. All the curtains were closed, the windows covered with iron grating, and outside I could just barely make out the Sleeping Beauty hedges blocking the windows too. Art's lawn maintenance had been about more than aesthetics. The patio drapes I'd so admired weren't laced with silver thread. It was iron. The garage was adjacent to the kitchen, just as Cariena had said. The top half of the door leading out to it had a window covered with more iron grating. I turned the doorknob. Locked. There were no signs of keys anywhere, which meant I'd have to do it the hard way. First, I double-checked the kitchen and living room, looking for any other weapon options. On a good day, I could have taken Abigail with my own fists. This was not a good day. Kitchen drawers revealed butter knives, nothing sharper. With a sigh, I returned to the garage door. This was it. The grating was loosely bolted, enough to keep it up and prevent the girls from touching it. Hoping I'd gained enough strength, I gripped the sides of it and tried to jerk it off. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, in one movement, it ripped from the wood. I froze, waiting to see if anyone downstairs had heard, but the deed appeared to have been performed fairly silently. The next part, I knew, would not be so quiet. I dragged a chair up to the door and then grabbed a smaller stool used to get into high cupboards. It was metal and had some heft to it. Would it be enough? I stood on the chair and swung the stool forward into the door's window. Yup. Enough heft. More than half of the glass broke. One more swing got the rest of it out, and I climbed through the hole into the garage. The whole maneuver was a bit awkward on my part; I wasn't in that good of shape yet. But, I made it through, incurring only a few cuts on my arms and legs. I knew, however, I was seconds away from Abigail's arrival. There was no way that breaking glass had gone unnoticed. Small patches of light streamed into the darkened garage from narrow windows as I peered around. Yes, it was a normal garage-albeit it one with a Jaguar in it. I guessed that was why Art had to keep the SUV in the driveway. Part of me wanted to go kick in the car's door, but there was no time. I had to assess the garage's other contents. Scattered tools. Bags of fertilizer. Art's gardening equipment. A heavy metal wrench held my attention for a moment, but then I decided I needed more leverage with my weakened state. I selected a shovel from Art's gardening stash, its scoop heavy metal and wooden handle sturdy. From inside the house, I could hear shouting. It wasn't going to take Abigail long to figure out where I'd gone when she saw the glass. Grateful for the darkness, I darted over to the side of the door that led into the house, pressing myself as flat as I could against the wall. There was a click as the door from the kitchen opened, but no one came out right away. I could picture Abigail standing there, looking around for any sign of me. After several heavy seconds, I saw a hand holding a blade-an athame-come out the door first, defensively positioned in case I came charging at her. That wasn't my intent, though. I wanted to get her from behind. She took one step out, still cautious and slow, looking around everywhere. I had to give her credit for that. She didn't just barrel forward; she knew I might be waiting by the door. And in fact, when she looked in my direction, that's exactly what I was doing. My shovel hit her in the side of the head before she could react. She crumpled to the ground, athame clattering against the concrete floor as it fell from her hands. I knelt down and immediately scooped it up and left the shovel. There was a bloody mark where I'd struck her, and her eyes were only half-open. My hand checked her pulse and found she wasn't dead yet. She was going to have a hell of a headache or concussion when she woke up-which wasn't something I could allow to happen any time soon. I left her lying there on the garage floor and stepped back into the kitchen. I opened a few cupboards and found what I'd hoped I would: the household's stash of medicine. Tylenol, multivitamins, et cetera. Behind them were a couple of prescription bottles. One I didn't recognize, but I thought it was some sort of heart medication. The other was Ambien, and I smiled. Just like me, a lot of shamans were insomniacs. I popped a pill out of the bottle, reconsidered, and grabbed a second. I then propped up Abigail and managed to shove the pills down her throat, with the help of a glass of water and some acrobatics with my fingers. â€Å"Payback's a bitch,† I said when her reflexes kicked in and she swallowed the pills the rest of the way. She wouldn't be waking up any time soon. I stepped back into the kitchen and saw all three gentry girls standing there and staring at me. Cariena and Raina looked afraid. Markelle, though she bore a red slap mark on her face from the confrontation earlier with Abigail, looked excited and defiant. I ordered them to carry Abigail downstairs and lock her in one of the rooms. I didn't know which way Art would enter the house and couldn't risk him finding her on the garage floor. Of course, if he did come in through the garage, the shattered glass was going to be a dead giveaway that something was up. Before they took Abigail away, I frisked her, hoping to find another weapon. Nope. Just the athame I'd already taken. I did, however, discover something nearly as useful: a set of keys. On the ring were several tiny keys, the ones that opened up the iron cuffs and bracelets the girls wore. Once they'd stashed Abigail away, I removed all the iron. Relief flooded the girls' faces, and I scowled when I saw the welts and bruises left from where iron reacted with gentry skin. â€Å"You should have your magic back,† I said, reaching for the phone. â€Å"We can use it when we get out of here. What can you guys do?† I was dialing Roland's cell phone, and the girls described their magic to me as the line rang. Cariena had a knack for helping plants grow, kind of like Shaya. Raina had some healing ability. Markelle could summon beams and balls of light. I disconnected when I got Roland's voice mail and promptly dialed Kiyo. â€Å"Son of a bitch,† I muttered. None of the girls' powers were going to help us. And honestly? It wasn't a surprise. If I were Leith and had wanted to catch girls who would make docile servants, I too would have picked ones with little or no offensive magic. Kiyo's phone rang only once before going to voice mail, meaning it was off or he was in the Otherworld. I hung up and prepared to dial my parents' home number. If Roland hadn't answered his cell, he likely wasn't home either, but I had to try. Before I could punch in the numbers, I heard the sound of keys at the front door on the far side of the house. I turned to the girls. â€Å"Downstairs!† I hissed. â€Å"Now!† Markelle looked like she would have stayed, but a stern glance from me sent her scurrying down with the others. Meanwhile, Art's voice rang through the house. â€Å"Abigail?† I'm not sure how he knew something was wrong. For all he knew, Abigail could have just been downstairs. Maybe it was just some sixth sense, but I heard him hurrying down the hall toward the kitchen, footsteps fast on the hardwood floor. I had a split second to react, no chance to find a hiding spot as I had with Abigail. Surprise was my greatest weapon now. As soon as he entered the room, I leapt on him with the athame. The thing that gave me a fighting chance was that he'd armed himself too well in his wariness, a gun in one hand and an athame of his own in the other. Full hands prevented him from fully deflecting my attack, though in many ways, the strength of his arms were more than good enough to block the worst of it. I got a swipe in on his face, however, gaining a fair amount of satisfaction in seeing the blood it produced. â€Å"You bitch,† he said, circling with me in the kitchen as we each sized each other up for an attack. â€Å"Where's Abigail?† â€Å"Taking a nap,† I said. I gave him a wicked smile, hoping I sounded stronger than I felt. With that one shove alone, I'd been painfully reminded that I was not in peak condition quite yet. I couldn't let him know how weak I was. â€Å"Don't worry. You can join her.† â€Å"I knew I shouldn't have let him keep you here,† Art growled. â€Å"I should have made him drag you back by your hair to your own fucking world like a caveman. But he was too afraid they'd find you.† â€Å"It's too late. They know I'm here already. See the phone? I got a call in just before you arrived.† A lie, but an effective one as it turned out. Art's eyes flicked to the portable phone lying on the kitchen floor. It had come open when I dropped it, and the battery lay nearby. With that slight distraction, I tried again, lunging toward him. I got a kick in-not as strong as one of my usual ones, particularly since I was still in that fucking gentry dress-but enough to throw him off-balance. He was still stronger and faster, though. He'd dropped the athame earlier and grabbed me with that free hand, wrenching my arm painfully to get me to drop my athame. In his other hand, he held the gun but seemed hesitant to use it. At last, his hand was too strong, and my fingers unclenched, releasing the blade and leaving me defenseless. Triumphant, Art slammed me back against the cupboard and tried to turn me around, probably to bind my hands. I'd noticed a glitter near his pocket earlier and suspected he had handcuffs on him. I fought him the whole time, refusing to turn around, and with only one hand free, he had a bit of difficulty in maneuvering me. â€Å"Stop struggling, or I'll blow your head off,† he yelled. â€Å"No one's coming, and you know it. Play nice, or there's nothing that Leith can offer me to keep you alive.† â€Å"I doubt that. Your whoring operation seems to bring in a lot of money. Are you going to give that up so easily?† â€Å"There are other ways to get gentry girls,† he grunted, still trying to shove me around and subdue me. The unfortunate thing was, he was getting closer. My strength was rapidly fading. â€Å"Other people will make deals. I don't need Leith or his half-breed whore to-ah!† I saw the chair before I saw Markelle. It was the one I'd used to climb through the garage door. Abigail had shoved it aside when she went outside, and now Markelle had snuck up and clobbered Art with it from behind. It was hardly a blow to render him unconscious, but it caused him to release me and stagger back. Markelle immediately scrambled away, but Art's attention wasn't on her. His eyes were back on me. Weak or not, I knew I had to use that opening to take him down. I surged forward again, fists ready and- He shot me. So help me, that bastard shot me. The bullet took me in the right shoulder, and I flew back against the cupboards, sinking down to the floor as my left hand instinctively flew to the wound to stop the blood. Art walked swiftly toward me, gun pointed down. â€Å"The next one goes through your heart,† he said. â€Å"Now turn around and put your hands behind your back.† â€Å"I'm kind of fucking bleeding here,† I snapped back. My shoulder was on fire, and I couldn't even really move my arm. â€Å"How much more incapacitated could I get?† His smile was bitter. â€Å"Eugenie, you won't be incapacitated enough until you're dead.† I saw Markelle come up behind him again. Her chair was gone, but her fists were out as she pounded him on the back, desperately trying to get him away from me. It was noble and tugged at my heart, but I wanted to yell at her to get the hell out of here. She was no more than a mosquito to him. With ease, he turned around and backhanded her, and I swear, she hit the floor harder than I had when I was shot. In those fleeting seconds, I snaked one of my feet out as hard as I could manage and hit Art in the shin. He stumbled, leg buckling, but didn't fall. The gun, however, did fall from his hands. It hit the floor with a clatter and slid far out of my reach-but not out of Cariena's. She'd apparently been standing on the far side of the kitchen this entire time. When the gun slid up to her, the timid girl didn't hesitate. She picked it up-screaming as her fingers made contact with the metal and polymers-and slid it back across the floor to me. I grabbed it. All the while, Art's eyes had been following the gun's journey, so when it came to my hand, he was facing me. I had the gun aimed in a flash, and while I wasn't a great shot with my left hand, I wasn't horrible either. No hesitation: I fired. The bullet bit into his chest, and he fell backward, blood immediately pouring from the wound. I'd hit the mark. Markelle and Cariena ran up to me, Raina following moments later. â€Å"Are you all right?† exclaimed Markelle. â€Å"Me?† I asked incredulously. â€Å"He smacked you across the room.† She shrugged. â€Å"They've done worse since I've been here.† Between the three of them, they managed to help me to my feet without putting too much pressure on the wounded shoulder. Raina attempted some of her healing magic-maybe I'd been too quick to dismiss their powers after all-and we found bandages to wrap the wound. Her power only lessened the pain; she could do nothing more extensive. â€Å"It's made of iron,† she said apologetically. Of course it was. Art would have had it loaded for wayward gentry. â€Å"It's okay. I'm fine.† We were back in the kitchen, and I was leaning against the counter, attempting to straighten the bandage. We were all kind of trying to ignore Art's body. â€Å"Okay. I can try to call for help again, but I think we need to get out of here on foot. I know where the gateway is, and it's kind of a long ways, but we should be able to-â€Å" â€Å"Eugenie? What's going on?† I'd set the gun on the counter while tugging my bandages straight, but in the blink of an eye, the revolver was back in my left hand, pointed toward the new addition in the kitchen. I knew the voice before I saw the face. How could I not? I'd been listening to that voice over and over this whole week, both sleeping and awake. A voice that was a contradiction because it promised love and devotion while only delivering pain and humiliation. I'd numbed out the worst of it with sheer will and the nightshade's effects. But now, pumped full of adrenaline, on the verge of escape and in control of my senses, the true magnitude of it all slammed into me. The horror. The terror. The helplessness. Emotion after emotion burned through me, but in the space of a breath, my mind immediately dispatched any feelings that wouldn't help me right now. That left only the dark ones. Rage. Fury. Malice. I tightened my hold on the gun and narrowed my eyes at the man I hated most in the world. â€Å"Hello, Leith.†