Cu1520 Promote Child and Young Person Development. Essay

CU1520: PROMOTE CHILD AND YOUNG PERSON DEVELOPMENT. 1.1 Explain the factors that need to be taken into account when assessing development. When assessing a child you must be careful to take into account confidentiality before carrying out an observation you must have parents and the settings permission and not to leave confidential material lying around they must be secured in a locked cabinet. Only talk to authorized personal about confidential material. This confidentially can only be broken when a child is at real risk. When carrying out observations you must take account of the child’s wishes and feelings if a child is upset or wants you to stop then you must stop. Ethnic, cultural and linguistic backgrounds when we asses†¦show more content†¦More information is gained. Disadvantage: observer chooses what to record and the child is aware he is being recorded and this may change their usual behaviour. * Information from parents and colleagues- parents and colleagues see children in different situations and so may have a different view of the child’s development. However they may show observer bias. CU1520 PROMOTE CHILD AND YOUNG PERSON DEVELOPMENT 2.3 Explain the importance of a person centred and inclusive approach and give example of how this is implemented in own work. Any plan that involves supporting an individual should be focused on their needs and interest and wherever possible the children should be involved in the planning process. A child centred planning takes into consideration what is best for the child as well as how it might engage and involve the child. It is also important in planning that a child is not segregated from others but consider ways in which other children can become involved in the activity too. CU1520 PROMOTE CHILD AND YOUNG PERSON DEVELOPMENT 3.1 Explain the features of an environment or service that promotes the development of children and young people. The physical and emotional environment that we create for children has a huge impact on their development. Features to consider while planning the environment includes the following. * Stimulating and attractive: theShow MoreRelatedPsychology and Care Plan Essay1218 Words   |  5 PagesUNIT CU1520 Questions 1 – Be able to assess the development needs of children or young people and repare a development plan. 1.1 – Explain factors that need to be taken into account when assessing development. * Progress * Improvement * Behaviours * Look at goals within care plan are they on track? * What activities they are partaking in and how well are they dealing with them. * Whether they are interested, compliant and accepting or not. 1.2 – AssessRead MoreChildhood Essay1669 Words   |  7 PagesCU1520 – Promote Child and Young Person Development 1.1 – Explain the factors that need to be taken into account when assessing development Confidentiality – it is important when assessing a child that you have permission from parents or carers to have written records of their child. Most parents will be happy for you to have written observations of their child but will not want these to be seen by other parents; therefore we should not leave notepads lying around for others to see. It is also

Corruption And Ethics And Integrity Enforcement Agencies

In the current world, corruption has been rampant across all the sectors of the global economy. There are many instances when corruption cases have been filed within legal and ethics and integrity enforcement agencies. Corruption ranges from the normal citizens of a nation to the top officials of the nation. It develops from the selfish and greedy nature of people. The effect of corruption on the economies of individual states and nations is often dire, especially when it is large scale. These effects get magnified and worse when corruption involves public commodities and resources. This happens when officials of a nation engage in corruption and other morally and ethically questionable transactions with the public resources. The fight against corruption has of late been serious as states and nations have mandated anti-corruption agencies that are fighting and seeking to control instances of corruption. The following paper is about a case of corruption in China where Bo Xilai, a reno wned leader who had served in the communist regime of China, was charged and convicted for serious corruption charges. Mr. Bo Xilai, who had once served as the Chinese minister for commerce, was charged with corruption where it was alleged that he accepted bribes and abused power during his tenure. It was dubbed the Chinese trial of the century given the hype it received on the international media. He was accused of accepting bribes whose worth was approximated to be $3.5 million from a numberShow MoreRelatedThe Law Enforcement System And The Criminal Justice System Essay1657 Words   |  7 PagesThe Law enforcement system is one of the major components within the Criminal Justice System. According to the National Center for Victims of Crime (2008), The Law enforcement system plays a critical key role within the Criminal Justice system, since â€Å"Law enforcement officers take reports for crimes that happen in the area, then the officers investigate crimes and both gather and pro tect evidence, officers may arrest offenders, give testimony during the court process, and conduct follow up investigationsRead MoreThe Ethics Of The Police Agency Essay1715 Words   |  7 PagesPolice agencies have been traumatized with allegations of corruption and misconduct almost since the inception of law enforcement. In most organizations, an employee investigation is a sensitive issue. The employee being investigated can become unsettled, many times mentally and emotionally exhausted. Employees directly and indirectly involved can also become emotionally drained. Consider the impact an internal affairs investigation has within a police agency as it struggles to maintain the confidenceRead MorePolice Codes Of Conduct And Police Code Of Ethics1560 Words   |  7 Pagesand police code of ethics. Many police departments have their own code of conduct which are to be followed by the officers. Just like any other profession, there are no fool proof rules and standards. People will (for whatever reason ) try to beat the system or just plain fall short of whats required of them. That’s why ethics and codes of conduct are so important. They basically let an employee know whats expected of them. There is no difference when it comes to law enforcement. The rules of conductRead MoreTraining Day - Police Corruption Misconduct1160 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿ â€Å"Training Day† Police Corruption and Misconduct L**** C**** Ogeechee Technical College Criminal Justice Criminal Justice Practicum (CRJU2090) Neal Owens June 8, 2014 â€Å"Training Day† – Police Corruption and Misconduct Special units in police forces are essential to the function of any organization, however some of these special units might evolve into feeling superior to the rest of the agency. The mentality of doing it their own way sets in and more likely than not thisRead MoreEssay about The Problem of Police Corruption1190 Words   |  5 Pages Police corruption is legally, morally, and ethically wrong. The art of corruption has existed from the beginning of policing to the present day. Investigations have uncovered several acts of dishonesty and crime ranging from petty theft to murder. To help combat corruption the government creates commissions such as the Knapp and Wickersham Commission to investigate allegations of corruption. If acts of corruption are found and substantiated the commission takes criminal action against theRead MoreEthics And Character Analysis Interviews1677 Words   |  7 PagesEthics and Character Analysis Interviews Introduction Many law enforcement officers in the United States are good, dedicated and committed to serving the people by protecting them and their property. In most cases, however, we hear news of police officer involvement in criminal activities or unethical behavior such as theft, robbery, abuse of authority and excessive coercion. The indication of police using force against suspects and committing crimes does not appear favorable to the public becauseRead MoreThe Unwritten Code1350 Words   |  6 PagesUnwritten Code The Police â€Å"Code of Silence† is an unspoken rule among many police agencies in the country. It is a code of â€Å"honor† in the police brotherhood where giving information about another police officers wrongdoings is considered an act of betrayal. Other terms for the code include: â€Å"The Thin Blue Line,† and â€Å"The Wall of Silence.† Police academies across the nation are close-knit communities of law enforcement. From the first day on the job to the last, every officer is supposed to count onRead MoreEthics : Defining Police Ethics1455 Words   |  6 PagesPolice ethics play a major role in law enforcement today, ethics are fundamental towards helping law enforcement build trust within communities, provide public safety, and stop crime. Into today’s law enforcement, ethics is posing a major role with police corruption and police brutality. Police brutality has also been amplified majorly though the force multiplier or as we better know as the â€Å"media†. Defining police ethics come down to good police officer to bad police officer, or living by theRead MoreInter-Office Memo1514 Words   |  7 Pagestimes become more aggressive than the criminals themselves. How much corruption there is and knowing its characteristics are important steps to understanding corruption and then being able to successfully control corruption without illegal means is what is done. We uphold the laws, not bend them or break them to apprehend suspects, and criminals, â€Å"the bad guys.† Because of these reports, there is a serious threat to our law enforcement, which could compromise the values of our profession and our highRead MoreEthical Issues Affecting Society Is Its Lack Of Ethics And Standards1234 Words   |  5 PagesOne of the major issues affecting society is its lack of ethics and standards. Ethical standards determine moral conduct. No matter where one looks, the erosion of ethics and basic moral principles of right and wrong have taken us to the point where trust in our institutions and the very systems that make our society work are in imminent danger of oblivion. Ethical dilemmas are not clear choices between breaking the law and being law-abiding; they are at times complex moral mazes with no easy

Essay on Right to Privacy on Social Networking Sites Essay Example For Students

Essay on Right to Privacy on Social Networking Sites Essay Photos from a lively party, intricate inside jokes, instant and personalized communication someone’s life and personality neatly tucked away in the cyber-universe. With the quiet tapping of keys and simple clicks of a mouse, a complex and ever expanding social world thrives inside the digital world of the Internet. Social networking sites have grown immensely as more people take advantage of the Internet to connect with friends and expand their social horizons. Chat features of these social networking sites have become popular as well, giving users the ability to converse instantly and intimately with their friends. But this broadening of social horizons in general has also given radical organizations the medium to widen their agenda. Many issues have come to the forefront of American public culture due to the expansive outreach of social networking sites. But the two most prominent issues that coincide with this trend are privacy concerns and terrorism counteraction. These matters go hand-in-hand as the government tries to strike a delicate balance between monitoring the Internet to prevent terrorist activity and not infringing upon citizens’ fundamental rights to privacy. The popularity of social networking sites in todays society is growing rapidly. For example, Facebook has become probably the most widely used social networking sites in the country. According to statistics from the company, around one-fourth of 400 million active users of the website are from the United States. Also, Facebook is the most viewed website in the nation as of March 2010 (Complaint In the Matter of Facebook, Inc.†). One of the most popular features of social networking sites such as Facebook is their instant-messaging systems, commonly ref. . that chat monitoring is not wanted nor accepted. Privacy and international security are equally important in today’s society, and as such, the government must strike a balance between the two. Chat surveillance does not strike this balance in the least as it clearly infringes on the public’s right to privacy and does not substantially counteract cyber-terrorist activity. There is no doubt that the Big Brother of today’s society is watching citizens and has been watching them for a long time. Public surveillance is a necessary tactic to insure safety, but only when this monitoring does not delve too deeply into citizens personal lives. It is inevitably so that Big Brother’s eyes are peering down upon citizens, but when these eyes peer into the highly personal instant-messaging systems of social networking sites, the fine line between privacy and safety is crossed.

The Progressives impatience with the Constitution Essays

The Progressives' impatience with the Constitution, their antipathy for checks on government, and their longing to delegate power to administrative experts all have had a lasting impact on today's politics, as Progressivism has gradually been carried forward in successive liberal waves throughout the 20th and now 21st centuries. The Progressives believed, by contrast, that this filtering of public opinion through political institutions had resulted in a stifling of the public will altogether. They believed that human nature had progressed to the point where democratic majorities could be trusted with more direct control of government and that the time had come to get the institutions out of the way. A few of the benefits progressives thought direct d emocracy would bring was give voters a sense of direct control, access to more information, and offer fulfillment of people's wishes . They believed d ire ct-democratic issue voting could deal with issues that ha ve not been discussed at general elections. The policy offered citizens additional and more specific instruments of political control during terms of office, particularly initiative proposals and citizen-demanded referendums to reject new leg islation or delete existing law. One major area of controversy deals with information, competence, and the quality of decision making. While representative institutions may indeed hold intense deliberations on many subjects, direct-democratic decision-making processes can also provide for specific issues the opportunity of intense and widespread public debates, during which citizens can become informed about controversial value and factual considerations. Yet as voters are often described as badly informed and incompetent, the danger of manipulation by resourceful actors (parties, strong interest organizations, corporations, and media ) is a major issue. Those who opposed direct d emocracy viewed it as significantly flawed . One flaw would be that public involvement would drop. D irect democracy best serves the interest of the people when most people take part in it. As the time required for debating and voting increases, public interest and participation in the process would quickly decrease, leading to decisions which did not truly reflect the will of the majority. In the end, sm all groups of people often highly determined to grind could control the government. Secondly you would have one tense situation after the other; there is no absolute guarantee that we would get a majority vote on most issues, not peacefully anyways. It can cause corruption and manipulation. With direct democracy in place, every individual can vote directly, creating room for manipulation and corruption, like what can be seen in indirect democracy. With the complexity of some issues, it would be eas y for one party or another to flood the streets with promotional materials to try and influence the way people would decide to vote. Another flaw is i t instills the fear of instability. In the past, there have been many situations when the consensus, popular vote was not the right one, which made civil rights immediately coming to mind. It was not until later in the movement that these rights would have passed a popular vote, but by employing indirect democracy with people who are able to see the bigger picture, there was a greater deal of security and continuity in the election processes, while a quick change is hindered and instability can quickly grow in direct democracy. After reading both sides and analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of Direct Democracy I agree with people who feel that Direct Democracy is the instrument of those special interest groups that have enough money to manipulate the political process . In my opinion if we had a do-it-yourself government ran by citizens threatens the interests of political, economic, ethnic, racial, religious, or sexual minorities. The minority groups would never be able to make change that would favor them, and many of the things that are put into effect through direct democracy would not bear in mind their unique situations. One of the biggest disadvantages with direct democracy is that most citizens are not qualified or educated enough to make a rational and good decision on things as important as laws and policies. While it may inspire some to learn, most will not and only cast their vote based on face value of the ballot.

In praise of a snail’s pace by Ellen Goodman Essays

In praise of a snail’s pace by Ellen Goodman Essays In praise of a snail’s pace by Ellen Goodman Essay In praise of a snail’s pace by Ellen Goodman Essay Name: Instructor: Course: Date: In praise of a snail’s pace by Ellen Goodman The author says that some rituals cannot be done faster without destroying them. This is because people want to send them via technology. She says this method will not deliver the message with the required impact since it will sound plain. Another example is communication between a teenager and the parent. The parent fears that phones and email will underestimate the significance of her message. Goodman tries to show technology can make people lose attention of some important thing in life. The world seems to be so connected through technology but there is still a problem. People have been carried away by the convenience of technology and they seem to abuse it. Goodman gives an example of a lover who uses abbreviation to write a text message. She says he is too distracted even to write short words. She narrates how she used snail mail to send condolences and says people want to do this via email. This is unacceptable to her because it is not effective. The message will look simple, which is not the sender’s intention. Teenagers are trying to multi task when they do homework, send text messages and download music simultaneously. This is not possible yet they do it due to the effect of technology on them. Continuous partial attention is people’s way of multi tasking. It results to divided attention, which might make them ineffective. For instance, when the teenagers are involved in many activities along doing homework, they will do their homework inappropriately. According to traditional practices, people did one task at a time. Students also did their homework without any other distraction. The culture of multi tasking is instilling partial attention in people. They cannot pay full attention to one thing. This is why even lovers cannot have enough time to write a text message in correct grammar. The phrase sums up our era because many people have embraced having partial attention. This is why a person will opt to send a condolences note with email. He or she does not take time to think about the significance of the message. He or she does not realize it shows insensitivity to do such a thing. Traditional methods like sending mails via snail mail maintain the importance of certain actions like appreciation or expressing sympathy to the concerned people. Goodman is unhappy to realize that people are too busy and preoccupied to realize such important things. Continuous partial attention is a problem to the people. It might affect their effectiveness eventually. If a person cannot pay enough attention to one thing, efficiency will be reduced. For instance, students will do their homework wrongly if their attention is divided. Lovers who just send improper text messages may have relationship problems because they do not pay enough attention to it. People should learn to regulate their activities and take one task at a time. It is important to think about the positive and negative impact of technology in life. Technology plays a significant role in people’s life but they must control it influence on them. Goodman says she specifically takes a trip to the mailbox via road. She is aware of other faster means but she wants to have a moment when she is not hurrying. People in the world insist on using faster means of doing things because they are always in a hurry. Goodman intends to tell the people they cannot apply speed in everything. For instance, O’Keeffe says it is not possible to increase the growth of leeches in a garden. A grieving friend can never recover fast through the help of technology. Some things are naturally slow and no technology can make them increase their speed.

Slink, Shrink, and Wink

Slink, Shrink, and Wink Slink, Shrink, and Wink Slink, Shrink, and Wink By Maeve Maddox Last week I found the word slinked in manuscripts submitted by two different members of my writers’ group. In both mss I drew a wavy line under it to represent the shudder that the -ed past ending on this verb stirred in me. The principal parts of slink are slink/slunk/slunk.: Then I got to thinking about various verbs that rhyme with slink and realized that although slinked pushed my shudder button, I have no problem with winked. And while I accept slunk as the simple past of slink, I’ll never become reconciled to the movie title Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. I want it to be Honey, I Shrank the Kids. The verb shrink has an additional kink: the attributive form shrunken. Ex. My sweater has shrunk in the wash. BUT Just look at this shrunken sweater! Here are some more verbs that rhyme with slink. Ill define only those that I think may be unfamiliar to some readers. clink/clinked/clinked â€Å"to make a sharp, abrupt metallic sound† The chain clinked as he walked. blink/blinked/blinked The prisoner blinked in the bright sun. drink/drank/drunk Like shrink, drink has an attributive form ending in -en: He walks like a drunken sailor. fink/finked/finked â€Å"to inform on† The petty criminal finked on his boss. kink/kinked/kinked â€Å"to twist or curl stiffly, especially at one point. The hose kinked at the worst possible time. pink/pinked/pinked â€Å"to cut or perforate† The tailor pinked the edges of the cloth. stink/stank/stunk The garbage stank up the house. The Compact OED gives stunk as an option for the simple past. think/thought/thought He thought a long time before making a decision. ink/inked/inked Her job was to ink the platen press. link/linked/linked The blogger linked to several sites. sink/sank/sunk The boat sank in a squall. Like shrink and drink, sink has an attributive form ending in -en: He’s looking for sunken treasure. skink/skinked/skinked Yes, this is a word in the OED: skink: v. trans. To draw or pour out (alcoholic drink), to decant; to offer or serve (wine, etc.) to a person. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Coordinating vs. Subordinating Conjunctions"Confused With" and "Confused About"50+ Words That Describe Animals (Including Humans)

What can every nurse do to influence policy that improves quality Essay

What can every nurse do to influence policy that improves quality - Essay Example Further emphasis should be on assimilating leadership concept and comprehensive business procedures across the program and around the field of clinical practice. The governmental and public-private healthcare policy making bodies at each level must have nursing representatives on their administrative management teams, boards, and in major leadership positions. This paper will illustrate ways in which nurses can influence policymaking at every level of the system. Nursing is placed to have a noteworthy influence in the healthcare structure. The degree of that influence is utterly reliant on the inclination of the career to cultivate the role aptitudes and leadership crucial to make a transformation in guaranteeing quality, reachable healthcare in a transformed and transmuting health structure (ANA, 2008). Nevertheless, it is without doubt that it is up to the nursing profession, and its frontrunners to establish the professional and political maturity. This will enable the profession to parley the compound setting of interdisciplinary cooperation; the tenacity of contrasting support positions; placing of nurses at major legislative, organizational, and policymaking boards; also stating nursing's valid part in decisions and actions that advance efficient quality healthcare. (Cherry & Trotter 2005). 1) To impact institutional policy, every nurse, regardless of setting or specialty, has expertise to contribute to the discussions focused on health care improvement. List Ways that nurses can contribute to the discussion focused on health care improvement. Nurses should demonstrate capabilities as the main players in the field of healthcare policymaking. Nurses must view policy as a thing they are obligated to fashion rather than something they have no control over. In inter-disciplinary healthcare environs, actual partnership necessitates assumption of complete responsibility. Nurses can influence institutional policy by coordinating, and leading endeavors that ident ify problems related to care improvement, waste, tracking quality enhancement, and achieving established goals. Another way that nurses can contribute in policymaking is by devising collaborative strategies that are indispensable to good practice (ANA, 2008). The modern healthcare environment is progressively interdependent hence; a new type of partnership-centered leadership is essential to reduce errors, improve patient outcomes, and influence staff involvement and satisfaction. By refining their inborn adaptive capacity to advance their ability to incorporate the continually changing healthcare dynamic, nurses can successfully engage others in transforming care. It is up to nurses to break historic perceptions, biases, gender references and inaccurate perceptions of nurses as those who perform the instructions of others (Cohen et al., 2003). 2) To impact local or community policies: List ways that nurses can contribute to the discussion focused on health care improvement There is a need for capable and strong leadership if the goal for transmuting healthcare is to be achieved. The nursing profession should have leaders at each level of the organization. Nurses should accept major leadership positions in politics, organizations, practice, and most importantly in policymaking. Nurses must display leadership capability, and high-level concerted skills as provisions for transformation and execution of health modification demand. These skills should display at each level and in every manner that influence the advancing potential for modern premium patient care. To influence local or communit

U01d2 Health Care Regulation Search Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

U01d2 Health Care Regulation Search - Essay Example House of Representatives. Since 1926, the United States Code has been published every six years. In between editions, annual cumulative supplements are published in order to present the most current information’ (GPO Access - USC, 2010). The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) on the other hand is published by the Executive departments and the agencies of the Federal Government. It has been defined as, ‘The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) is the codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government. It is divided into 50 titles that represent broad areas subject to Federal regulation. Each volume of the CFR is updated once each calendar year and is issued on a quarterly basis† (GPO Access, 2010). Similar to the United States Code, the Extensive Federal Regulation is also divided into 50 titles and these are updated once every calendar year and are issued once every quarter. The Federal Register has been defined as, ‘Published by the Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), the Federal Register is the official daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and not ices of Federal agencies and organizations, as well as executive orders and other presidential documents’ (The Federal Register (FR), 2010). These reports are structured and developed in chapters which have been titled and also been well divided and explained with a deep explanation of the regulations and the rules. These form a major part of the countries documentation and need to be reviewed and updated each time to ensure that the coding and rating are all kept up to date. The report also includes an Appendix C, which locates the list of agencies for the chapters and provides details of the agencies and all the information pertaining to them. The Federal Register is also an important document of

Language of Hysteria Essay Example for Free

Language of Hysteria Essay During the 1690s, there was a mass hysteria due to beliefs of the existence of witches. With this fact came the Salem Witch Trials which occurred in Salem Village, Massachusetts. A young child began to exhibit abnormal behaviour and so she was taken in to be examined, they found nothing that could cause her to behave in such a manner. The entire village began to panick and started praying to God to get rid of evil. Conspiracies began to take rise in the village that made the villagers believe that there were witches in their village. Three women were accused of having relations with the Satan. Accusations grew larger and soon there were people who were tried and were killed. These events led to the Salem Witch Trials. The hysteria grew and began to worry people of high standings and soon the assumptions of witchcraft ended. Due to misconceptions and assumptions the Salem Witch Trials began. During the 1930s there was a mass hysteria of alien invasions. This became known as the War of the Worlds radio broadcast sent out by Orson Welles. Welles adds in effects that could cause the people to go into a state of panic. He got the idea from H. G. Wells’ novel The War of the Worlds. Bad timing became the cause of this mass hysteria. Due to the fact that during those times many people had radios and most families were listening to popular shows and by the time they got to Welles’ they were not able to listen to his introduction. They heard music being interrupted and surprising news of explosions and other sounds that exemplify an alien invasion. The people that tuned in to the radio broadcast late misunderstood and developed a fear and this one of the many causes of the mass hysteria in the 1930s. During the 1690s and the 1930s there mass hysterias like the Salem Witch Trials and the War of the Worlds radio broadcast that caused people to go into panic. These panic attacks were due to misconceptions and misunderstandings. The connection between these two mass hysterias is that the people misunderstood in both situations and caused them to start to panic. These two events have the common factor of how the events occurred.

Limitation of International Trade Essay -- Economics

Limitation of International Trade One limitation of International Trade is "dumping." The Investopedia states that, "dumping in international trade occurs when one country exports a significant number of goods to another country at prices lower than in the domestic market (Investopedia. 2010)". For example, if a country decides to sell exported products cheaper than it does to its residents, the process is known as dumping. Romadia has to decide whether to impose tariffs, or set a quota on its import products. Dumping has created a probability that an adverse effect can happen because the result of the adverse effect is a shortage and increases in the prices of the products. Price increases lower the demand for the products. The country’s growth progress hindered because dumping is hurting those countries competing. Four Key Points The four points from the simulation are the supply and demand of the items and the cost factors that came with cheese, corn, watches, and DVD players; the balance of trade; opportunity cost; and dumping. This means that the supply and demand of the items and the cost factors were cheap to receive the items and have the items imported in than to make them locally. The balance of trade was discussed in the simulation. The balance of trade is the difference between what goods a country produces and how many goods the buys from overseas. For example, it was the difference between the value of the goods from Uthania and Alfazia exports and the value of the goods to Rodamia imports. The concept of opportunity cost provides for differences in comparative advantage among countries because it is the cost of passing up the next best choice when making a decision. Each county has a different mix of ... ... trade derives from being strong-minded against trade, not concerns based on ideological concerns. Works Cited Investopedia (c) 2010. Dumping. Retrieved from http//www.investopedia.com/terms/d/dumping.asp. Retrieved on August 18, 2010 Lee. Dwight R. "Comparative Advantages Continued" The Freeman:Ideas on Liberty-October 1999. Retrieved from www.http\\www.CommonSenseeconomic/Reading/ComparativeAdvantage. Carbaugh, Robert, Wassink, Darwin. (1992). International dumping: final and intermediate products. Retrieved on August 19, 2010, from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6W53-45JK7H1-1M&_user=10&_coverDate=07%2F01%2F1992&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1436752361&_rerunOrigin=google&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=68fed43879d5ff1560c8af4c96253305

Mean World Syndrome Essay

â€Å"Mean World Syndrome† In the film, â€Å"The Mean World Syndrome†, George Gerbner argues that people who watch a large amount of television tended to think of the world as an intimidating and unforgiving place. Gerbner researched the effects of television on society. He focused on the commercial media system that thrived on violence, stereotypes, and the cultivation of anxiety. The film argues that the more television people watch, the more likely they are to be insecure and afraid of others. Is it the media that makes us more violent or do we become more scared of violence happening to us? Mass media made viewers believe that the world was more dangerous than it actually was. The film showed how these media-induced fears and anxieties provided grounds for intolerance, extremism, and a paranoid style of politics that threatened basic democratic values. He talked about the government’s power over the mass media that leaves Americans in a state of perpetual fear. The result was a fascinating and exposed introduction to debates about media violence and media effects. Yet across the board, on issue after issue, studies have repeatedly shown that the very things that scare Americans the most have little to no basis in fact. Media violence inundated every home with choreographed brutality. It was and still is a relentless exposure to violence. All of the information that he provided was astonishing and really opened my eyes. A few statistics that he talked about where that children see on average 8,000 murders by the end of elementary school and 200,000 acts of violence by age 18. This is absolutely ridiculous. It makes me think twice about letting my children someday television. There is even â€Å"happy violence,’’ meaning that most fairytales, artistic shows, or journalistic features lead to a happy ending. It’s simply sugar coated with humor or â€Å"happy violence.† Now really thinking about it, it is so true. We don’t even realize it but mass media messages have a direct influence on the audience. As I am writing this paper I have the news on and 80% of the news seems to be negative. It is all about killings, stabbings, robberies, fires, or some sort of crime in the area. In the film they stated that 61% of all stories on the news are crime, violence, deaths or fires. This Mean World causes us  to magnify our fears. In a violent and threatening world we are readier to fear ‘others’. We mistrust more, and retract into our groups in pursuit of the protection. A Mean World is a more divided world, less able to achieve compromise and progress. A Mean World makes us more prone to the ill effects of chronic stress. And as Gerbner put it â€Å"†¦a society in which most people or many people already expect a higher degree of victimization, sooner or later they are going to get it.† Media doe project violence every day into our homes and lives. A world that feels more violent and threatening than it is makes us all more worried than we need to be. For me this film has opened my eyes about what I read and what I watch on the television. I think Gerbner did a great job of bringing awareness to this issue. Now with all the mass killings that have gone one, we really have to look at what our young children are watching and listening to these days. If the mass media is pumping this violence into our homes and lives then maybe it really does have a long term affect on our culture. â€Å"[Viewers] integrate and absorb a sense of danger, of mistrust, of meanness in the world – it is what we call the Mean World Syndrome.† – George Gerbner

Last Sacrifice Chapter Four

AND WHEN I SAY THEY blew up, I mean they blew up. Flames and smoke unfurled like petals from a newly opened flower as those poor monarchs exploded into pieces of rock. For a moment, I was stunned. It was like watching an action movie, the explosion cracking the air and shaking the ground. Then, guardian training kicked in. Critical observation and calculation took over. I immediately noticed that the bulk of the statue's material blew toward the outer sides of the garden. Small stone pieces and dust rained down on the funeral procession, but no large chunks of rock hit Lissa or anyone standing nearby. Assuming the statues had not spontaneously combusted, whoever had blown them up had done so in a precise way. The logistics aside, huge billowing pillars of flame are still pretty scary. Chaos broke loose as everyone tried to get away. Only, they all took different routes, so collisions and entanglements occurred. Even the pallbearers set down their precious burden and took off. Ambrose was the last to do so, his mouth agape and eyes w ide as he stared at Tatiana, but another look at the statues sent him off into the mob. A few guardians tried to keep order, herding people back down the funeral path, but it didn't do a lot of good. Everyone was out for themselves, too terrified and panicked to think reasonably. Well, everyone except for Lissa. To my surprise, she wasn't surprised. She had been expecting the explosion. She didn't run right away, despite people pushing past and shoving her aside. She stood rooted where she'd been when the statues blew up, studying them and the wreckage they'd caused. In particular, she seemed concerned about anyone in the crowd who might have been hurt by the blasts. But, no. As I'd already observed, there seemed to be no injuries. And if there were, it was going to be because of the stampede. Satisfied, Lissa turned and began walking away with the others. (Well, she was walking; they were running). She'd only gone a little distance when she saw a huge group of guardians hurrying toward the church, faces grim. Some of them stopped to aid those escaping the destruction, but most of the guardians were on their way to the blast site to see what had happened. Lissa paused again, causing the guy behind her to slam into her back, but she barely felt the impact. She intently watched the guardians, taking note of how many there were, and then moved on once more. Her hidden thoughts were starting to unravel. Finally, I began to see pieces of the plan she'd kept hidden from me. She was pleased. Nervous, too. But overall, she felt– A commotion back at the jail snapped me into my own mind. The usual quiet of the holding area had shattered and was now filled with grunts and exclamations. I leapt up from where I'd been sitting and pressed against the bars, straining to see what was happening. Was this building about to explode too? My cell only faced a wall in the hallway, with no view of the rest of the corridor or its entrance. I did, however, see the guardians who usually stood at the hall's far end come tearing past me, toward whatever altercation was occurring. I didn't know what this meant for me and braced for anything, friend or foe. For all I knew, there could be some political fringe group launching attacks on the Court to make a statement against the Moroi government. Peering around the cell, I swore silently, wishing I had anything to defend myself. The closest I had was Abe's book, which was no good at all. If he was the badass he pretended to be, he really would have slipped a file into it. Or gotten me something bigger, like War and Peace. The scuffling died down and footsteps thundered toward me. Clenching my fists, I took a few steps back, ready to defend myself against anyone. â€Å"Anyone' turned out to be Eddie Castile. And Mikhail Tanner. Friendly faces were not what I had expected. Eddie was a longtime friend from St. Vladimir's, another new guardian like me and someone who'd stuck by me through a lot of misadventures, including the Victor Dashkov prison break. Mikhail was older than us, mid-twenties, and had helped us restore Dimitri in the hopes that Sonya Karp–a woman Mikhail had loved who had turned Strigoi–might be saved as well. I glanced back and forth between the two guys' faces. â€Å"What's going on?' I demanded. â€Å"Nice to see you too,' said Eddie. He was sweating and keyed up with battle fervor, a few purple marks on his face showing he'd met someone's fist tonight. In his hand was a weapon I'd seen in the guardians' arsenal: a baton-type thing used to incapacitate people without killing them. But Mikhail held something much more valuable: the keycard and mechanical key to open my cell. My friends were staging a prison break. Unbelievable. Crazy was usually my specialty. â€Å"Did you guys †¦' I frowned. The thought of escape filled me with joy, but the logistics were sobering. Clearly, they'd been responsible for the fight with my guards that I'd just heard. Getting down here in the first place wasn't that easy either. â€Å"Did you two just take on every guardian in this building?' Mikhail finished unlocking the door, and I didn't waste any time in hurrying out. After feeling so oppressed and smothered for days, it was like stepping onto a mountain ledge, wind and space all around me. â€Å"Rose, there are no guardians in this building. Well, maybe one. And these guys.' Eddie gestured in the direction of the earlier fight, where I assumed my guards lay unconscious. Surely my friends hadn't killed anyone. â€Å"The rest of the guardians are all checking out the explosion,' I realized. Pieces began coming together–including Lissa's lack of surprise over the commotion. â€Å"Oh no. You had Christian blow up ancient Moroi artifacts.' â€Å"Of course not,' said Eddie. He seemed shocked that I would have suggested such an atrocity. â€Å"Other fire users would be able to tell if he did.' â€Å"Well, that's something,' I said. I should have had more faith in their sanity. Or maybe not. â€Å"We used C4,' explained Mikhail. â€Å"Where on earth did you–‘ My tongue locked up when I saw who was standing at the end of the hallway. Dimitri. Not knowing how he was during my imprisonment had been frustrating. Christian and Tasha's report had been only a tease. Well, here was the answer. Dimitri stood near the hall's entrance in all his six-foot-seven glory, as imperious and intimidating as any god. His sharp brown eyes assessed everything in an instant, and his strong, lean body was tensed and ready for any threat. The look on his face was so focused, so filled with passion, that I couldn't believe anyone ever could have thought he was a Strigoi. Dimitri burned with life and energy. In fact, looking at him now, I was again reminded of how he'd stood up for me at my arrest. He wore that same expression. Really, it was the same one I'd seen countless times. It was the one people feared and admired. It was the one I had loved. â€Å"You're here too?' I tried reminding myself that my muddled romantic history wasn't the most important thing in the world for a change. â€Å"Aren't you under house arrest?' â€Å"He escaped,' said Eddie slyly. I caught the real meaning: he and Mikhail had helped Dimitri escape. â€Å"It's what people would expect some violent probably-still-a- Strigoi guy to do, right?' â€Å"You'd also expect him to come bust you out,' added Mikhail, playing along with the game. â€Å"Especially considering how he fought for you last week. Really, everyone is going to think he busted you out alone. Not with us.' Dimitri said nothing. His eyes, while still carefully watching our surroundings, were also assessing me. He was making sure I was okay and uninjured. He looked relieved that I was. â€Å"Come on,' Dimitri finally said. â€Å"We don't have much time.' That was an understatement, but there was one thing bugging me about my friends' â€Å"brilliant' plan. â€Å"There's no way they'll think he did it alone!' I exclaimed, realizing what Mikhail was getting at. They were setting Dimitri up as the culprit in this escape. I gestured to the unconscious guardians at our feet. â€Å"They saw your faces.' â€Å"Not really,' a new voice said. â€Å"Not after a little spirit-induced amnesia. By the time they wake up, the only person they'll remember seeing will be that unstable Russian guy. No offense.' â€Å"None taken,' said Dimitri, as Adrian stepped through the doorway. I stared, trying not to gape. There they were together, the two men in my life. Adrian hardly looked like he could jump into a fistfight, but he was as alert and serious as the other fighters here. His lovely eyes were clear and full of the cunning I knew they could possess when he really tried. That's when it hit me: he showed no sign of intoxication whatsoever. Had what I'd seen the other day been a ruse? Or had he forced himself to take control? Either way, I felt a slow grin creeping over my face. â€Å"Lissa lied to your mom earlier,' I said. â€Å"You're supposed to be passed out drunk somewhere.' He rewarded me with one of his cynical smiles. â€Å"Well, yes, that would probably be the smarter–and more enjoyable–thing to be doing right now. And hopefully, that's what everyone thinks I'm doing.' â€Å"We need to go,' said Dimitri, growing agitated. We turned toward him. Our jokes vanished. That attitude I'd noticed about Dimitri, the one that said he could do anything and would always lead you to victory, made people want to follow him unconditionally. The expressions on Mikhail and Eddie's faces–as they grew serious–showed that was exactly how they felt. It seemed natural to me too. Even Adrian looked like he believed in Dimitri, and in that moment, I admired Adrian for putting aside any jealousy–and also for risking himself like this. Especially since Adrian had made it clear on more than one occasion he didn't want to be involved with any dangerous adventures or use his spirit in a covert way. In Las Vegas, for example, he'd simply accompanied us in an observer's role. Of course, he'd also been drunk most of the time, but that probably made no difference. I took a few steps forward, but Adrian suddenly held out a hand to stop me. â€Å"Wait– before you go with us, you need to know something.' Dimitri started to protest, eyes glinting with impatience. â€Å"She does,' argued Adrian, meeting Dimitri's gaze squarely. â€Å"Rose, if you escape †¦ you're more or less confirming your guilt. You'll be a fugitive. If the guardians find you, they aren't going to need a trial or sentence to kill you on sight.' Four sets of eyes rested on me as the full meaning sank in. If I ran now and was caught, I was dead for sure. If I stayed, I had the slim chance that in my short time before trial, we might find evidence to save me. It wasn't impossible. But if nothing turned up, I was also most certainly dead. Either option was a gamble. Either one had the strong possibility of me not surviving. Adrian looked as conflicted as I felt. We both knew I didn't have any good choices. He was simply worried and wanted me to know what I was risking. Dimitri, however †¦ for him, there was no debate. I could see it all over his face. He was an advocate of rules and doing the proper thing. But in this case? With such bad odds? It was better to risk living as a fugitive, and if death came, better to face it fighting. My death will not be penciled in on someone's calendar. â€Å"Let's go,' I said. We hurried out of the building, anxious to get moving with the plan. I couldn't help but comment to Adrian, â€Å"You've got to be using a lot of spirit to pull off all those illusions on the guards.' â€Å"I am,' he agreed. â€Å"And I don't really have the power to do it for very long. Lissa could probably make a dozen guardians think they'd seen ghosts. Me? I can barely make a few forget Eddie and Mikhail. That's why there had to be someone they remembered to attract the attention, and Dimitri's the ideal scapegoat.' â€Å"Well, thank you.' I gave his hand a gentle squeeze. As warmth flowed between us, I didn't bother telling him I was a long way from being free yet. It would diminish his heroics. We had a lot of obstacles ahead, but I still appreciated him stepping up like this and respecting my decision to go along with the escape plan. Adrian shot me a sidelong glance. â€Å"Yeah, well, I'm supposed to be crazy, right?' A flash of affection shone in his eyes. â€Å"And there isn't much I wouldn't do for you. The stupider, the better.' We emerged to the main floor, and I saw that Eddie had been right about guardian security. The halls and rooms were virtually deserted. Without a second glance, we hurried outdoors, and the fresh air seemed to renew my energy. â€Å"Now what?' I asked my rescuers. â€Å"Now we take you to the getaway car,' said Eddie. The garages weren't far, but they weren't close either. â€Å"That's a lot of open ground to cover,' I said. I didn't bring up the obvious problem: me being killed if spotted. â€Å"I'm using spirit to keep us all vague and nondescript,' said Adrian. More testing of his magic. He couldn't handle much more. â€Å"People won't recognize us unless they stop and stare directly at us.' â€Å"Which they probably won't,' said Mikhail. â€Å"If anyone even notices us at all. Everyone's too worried about themselves to pay much attention to others in all this chaos.' Looking around outside, I could see he was right. The jail building was far from the church, but by now, people who'd been near the blast had made their way to this part of Court. Some were running into their residences. Some were seeking guardians, hoping for protection. And some †¦ some were going the same direction we were, toward the garages. â€Å"People are freaked out enough to actually try to leave Court,' I realized. Our group was moving as fast as we could with Adrian, who wasn't in the shame shape as dhampirs. â€Å"The garages will be crowded.' Both official Court vehicles and visiting guests parked in the same area. â€Å"That could help us,' said Mikhail. â€Å"More chaos.' With so many distractions in my own reality, I couldn't plunge completely into Lissa's. A light brush of the bond found her safe, over in the palace. â€Å"What's Lissa doing during all of this?' I asked. Believe me, I was glad she wasn't involved with this busting-me-out-of-jail madness. But, as Adrian had noted, her ability with spirit could have gone much farther than his here. And now, looking back on it all, it was obvious she had known about this plan. That had been her secret. â€Å"Lissa needs to stay innocent. She can't be linked to any part of the escape or explosion,' replied Dimitri, eyes fixed ahead on his goal. His tone was firm. He still regarded her as his savior. â€Å"She has to keep herself visible with the other royals. So does Christian.' He almost smiled. Almost. â€Å"Those two would certainly be my first suspects if something exploded.' â€Å"But the guardians won't suspect them once they realize the blast wasn't caused by magic,' I mused. Mikhail's earlier words returned to me. â€Å"And hey, where did you guys get a hold of C4? Military grade explosives are kind of extreme, even for you.' No one answered me because three guardians suddenly leapt out into our path. Apparently, they weren't all out at the church. Dimitri and I surged ahead of our group, moving as one, just as we always had in battle together. Adrian had said the illusion he'd stretched over our group wouldn't hold if anyone was facing us directly. I wanted to make sure Dimitri and I were the first line of contact with these guardians, in the hopes they wouldn't recognize the others behind us. I threw myself into the fight without hesitation, defensive instincts kicking in. But in those milliseconds, the reality of what I was doing truly sank in. I'd fought guardians before and always felt guilty about it. I'd taken on the ones at Tarasov Prison, as well as the queen's guard during my arrest. I hadn't really known any of them, though. Just realizing they were my colleagues had been bad enough †¦ but now? Now I was facing one of the most difficult challenges in my life, as small as it seemed. After all, three guardians were an easy match for me and Dimitri. The problem was–I knew these guardians. Two of them I'd run into quite a bit after graduation. They worked at Court and had always been kind to me. The third guardian wasn't just someone I knew–she was a friend. Meredith, one of the few girls in my class at St. Vladimir's. I saw the flash of uneasiness in her eyes, a sentiment mirroring my own. This felt wrong to her too. But, she was a guardian now, and like me, she had had duty drilled into her throughout her life. She believed I was a criminal. She could see I was free and in attack mode. Procedure dictated she take me down, and honestly, I wouldn't have expected anything less. It's what I would have done had our roles been reversed. This was life and death. Dimitri was on the other two guys, as fast and badass as ever. Meredith and I went for each other. At first, she tried to knock me down by virtue of her weight, probably in the hopes of pinning me down until backup could help grab me. Only, I was stronger. She should have known that. How many times had we sparred in the school's gym? I'd almost always won. And this was no game, no practice drill. I pushed back at her attack, punching her on the side of her jaw and desperately praying I didn't break anything. She kept moving through the pain, but–again–I was superior. I caught a hold of her shoulders and threw her down. Her head hit hard, but she remained conscious. I didn't know whether to be grateful or not. Maintaining my grip, I put her in a chokehold, waiting until her eyes closed. I released as soon as I was sure she was out, my heart twisting in my chest. Glancing over, I saw Dimitri had also taken down his opponents. Our group kept moving as though nothing had happened, but I glanced at Eddie, knowing there was grief on my face. He looked pained too but sought to reassure me as we hurried along. â€Å"You did what you had to,' he said. â€Å"She'll be okay. Banged up, but okay.' â€Å"I hit her hard.' â€Å"The medics can deal with concussions. Hell, how many did we get in practice?' I hoped he was right. The lines between right and wrong were getting confusing. The one good thing, I supposed, was that Meredith had been so occupied by the sight of me that she probably hadn't noticed Eddie and the others. They'd held back from the fight, hopefully keeping on Adrian's veil of spirit while Dimitri and I took the attention. We finally reached the garages, which were indeed more crowded than usual. Some Moroi had already driven off. One royal was hysterical because her driver had her car's keys, and she didn't know where he was. She was shouting to passers-by to see if anyone could hotwire the car for her. Dimitri led us purposefully forward, never wavering. He knew exactly where we were going. There had been a lot of planning, I realized. Most of which had probably happened yesterday. Why had Lissa obscured it from me? Wouldn't it have been better for me to have a heads-up on the plan? We scurried through the people, heading toward the garage on the very farthest side. There, sitting just outside of it and seemingly ready to go, was a drab gray Honda Civic. A man stood near it, arms crossed as he examined the windshield. Hearing our approach, he turned around. â€Å"Abe!' I exclaimed. My illustrious father turned and gave me one of those charming smiles that could lure the unwary to their doom. â€Å"What are you doing here?' demanded Dimitri. â€Å"You'll be on the list of suspects too! You were supposed to stay back with the others.' Abe shrugged. He looked remarkably unconcerned at Dimitri's angry expression. I wouldn't have wanted that fury directed at me. â€Å"Vasilisa will make sure a few people at the palace swear they saw me there during suspicious times.' He turned his dark eyes toward me. â€Å"Besides, I couldn't leave without telling you goodbye, could I?' I shook my head in exasperation. â€Å"Was this all part of your plan as my lawyer? I don't recall explosive escapes being part of legal training.' â€Å"Well, I'm sure it wasn't part of Damon Tarus's legal training.' Abe's smile never wavered. â€Å"I told you, Rose. You will never face execution–or even a trial, if I can help it.' He paused. â€Å"Which, of course, I can.' I hesitated, glancing toward the car. Dimitri stood by it with a set of keys, looking impatient. Adrian's words echoed in my memory. â€Å"If I run, it's just going to make me seem that much more guilty.' â€Å"They already think you're guilty,' said Abe. â€Å"You wasting away in that cell won't change that. This just ensures we now have more time to do what we need to without your execution looming over us.' â€Å"And what are you going to do exactly?' â€Å"Prove you're innocent,' said Adrian. â€Å"Or, well, that you didn't kill my aunt. I've known for a while you aren't all that innocent.' â€Å"What, are you guys going to destroy the evidence?' I asked, ignoring the dig. â€Å"No,' said Eddie. â€Å"We have to find who really did kill her.' â€Å"You guys shouldn't be involved with that, now that I'm free. It's my problem. Isn't that why you got me out?' â€Å"It's a problem you can't solve while you're at Court,' said Abe. â€Å"We need you gone and safe.' â€Å"Yeah, but I–‘ â€Å"We're wasting time arguing,' said Dimitri. His gaze fell on the other garages. The crowds were still chaotic, too busy with their own fears to notice us yet. That didn't affect Dimitri's concern. He handed me a silver stake, and I didn't question the reasons. It was a weapon, something I couldn't turn down. â€Å"I know everything looks disorganized, but you'll be amazed at how quickly the guardians will restore order. And when they do, they're going to lock this place down.' â€Å"They don't need to,' I said slowly, my mind spinning. â€Å"We're already going to have trouble going out of Court. We'll be stopped–if we can even get to the gate. There are going to be cars lined up for miles!' â€Å"Ah, well,' said Abe, idly studying his fingertips. â€Å"I have it on good authority there's going to be a new â€Å"gate' opening up soon over on the south side of the wall.' The truth dawned on me. â€Å"Oh lord. You're the one who's been doling out C4.' â€Å"You make it sound so easy,' he said with a frown. â€Å"That stuff's hard to get a hold of.' Dimitri's patience was at an end. â€Å"All of you: Rose needs to leave now. She's in danger. I'll drag her out if I have to.' â€Å"You don't have to go with me,' I shot back, kind of offended at the presumption. Memories of our recent arguments emerged, of Dimitri saying he couldn't love me and didn't even want to be friends. â€Å"I'll take care of myself. No one else needs to get in trouble. Give me the keys.' Instead, Dimitri gave me one of those rueful looks that said he thought I was being utterly ridiculous. We could have been back in class at St. Vladimir's Academy. â€Å"Rose, I can't really get in any more trouble. Someone has to be responsible for helping you, and I'm the best choice.' I wasn't so sure of that. If Tatiana really had made progress in convincing people Dimitri wasn't a threat, this escapade would ruin it all. â€Å"Go,' said Eddie, surprising me with a quick hug. â€Å"We'll be in touch through Lissa.' I realized then that I was fighting a losing battle with this group. It really was time to leave. I hugged Mikhail too, murmuring in his ear, â€Å"Thank you. Thank you so much for your help. I swear, we'll find her. We'll find Sonya.' He gave me that sad smile of his and didn't reply. Adrian was the hardest to leave behind. I could tell it was difficult for him too, no matter how relaxed his grin seemed. He couldn't be happy about me going off with Dimitri. Our hug lasted a little bit longer than the others, and he gave me a soft, brief kiss on the lips. I almost felt like crying after how brave he'd been tonight. I wished he could go with me but knew he'd be safer here. â€Å"Adrian, thank you for–‘ He held up his hand. â€Å"It's not goodbye, little dhampir. I'll see you in your dreams.' â€Å"If you stay sober enough.' He winked. â€Å"For you I just might.' A loud booming noise interrupted us, and we saw a flash of light off to my right. People near the other garages screamed. â€Å"There, you see?' asked Abe, quite pleased with himself. â€Å"A new gate. Perfect timing.' I gave him a reluctant hug too and was surprised when he didn't pull back right away. He smiled at me †¦ fondly. â€Å"Ah, my daughter,' he said. â€Å"Eighteen, and already you've been accused of murder, aided felons, and acquired a death count higher than most guardians will ever see.' He paused. â€Å"I couldn't be prouder.' I rolled my eyes. â€Å"Goodbye, old man. And thanks.' I didn't bother asking him about the â€Å"felons' part. Abe wasn't stupid. After I'd asked him about a prison that had later been breeched, he'd probably figured out who was behind Victor Dashkov's escape. And like that, Dimitri and I were in the car, speeding off toward Abe's â€Å"new gate.' I regretted not being able to say goodbye to Lissa. We were never truly apart with the bond, but it couldn't take the place of face-to-face communication. Still, it was worth it to know she would be safe and free of any connection to my escape. I hoped. Like always, Dimitri drove, which I still thought was totally unfair. It had been one thing when I was his student, but now? Wouldn't he ever give up that wheel? This didn't seem like the time to discuss it, though–particularly since I didn't plan on us staying together much longer. A few people had come out to see where the wall had blown up, but no one official had surfaced yet. Dimitri raced through the gap as impressively as Eddie had when he'd driven through Tarasov Prison's gate, only the Civic didn't handle the bumpy, grassy terrain as well as the SUV in Alaska. The problem with making your own exit was that it didn't come with an actual road. Even that was beyond Abe. â€Å"Why is our getaway car a Civic?' I asked. â€Å"It's not really great for off-roading.' Dimitri didn't look at me but continued navigating over the rough ground toward a more drivable area. â€Å"Because Civics are one of the most common cars out there and don't attract attention. And this should be the only off-roading we do. Once we hit a freeway, we're putting as much distance between us and Court as we can–before abandoning the car, of course.' â€Å"Abandon–‘ I shook my head, letting it go. We reached a dirt road that felt like the smoothest surface on earth after that jolting start. â€Å"Look, now that we're out of there, I want you to know that I mean it: you don't have to come with me. I appreciate your help in the escape. Really. But hanging out with me won't do you any favors. They'll be hunting for me more than you. If you take off, you can live somewhere around humans and not be treated like a lab animal. You might even be able to slink back to Court. Tasha would put up a fight for you.' Dimitri didn't answer for a long time. It drove me crazy. I wasn't the kind of person who handled silence well. It made me want to chatter and fill the void. Plus, the longer I sat there, the more it hit me that I was alone with Dimitri. Like, really and truly alone for the first time since he'd become a dhampir. I felt like a fool, but in spite of the dangers we still risked †¦ well, I was still overwhelmed by him. There was something so powerful about his presence. Even when he made me angry, I still found him attractive. Maybe the adrenaline pounding through me was addling my brain. Whatever it was, I was consumed by more than just his physical aspects–though they were certainly distracting. The hair, the face, his closeness to me, his scent †¦ I felt it all, and it made my blood burn. But the inner Dimitri–the Dimitri who'd just led a small army through a prison break–captivated me just as much. It took me a moment to realize why this was so powerful: I was seeing the old Dimitri again, the one I'd worried was gone forever. He wasn't. He was back. At long last, Dimitri replied, â€Å"I'm not leaving you. None of your Rose-logic arguments are going to work. And if you try to get away from me, I'll just find you.' I didn't doubt he could, which just made the situation more confusing. â€Å"But why? I don't want you with me.' I still felt a lingering attraction for him, yes, but that didn't change the fact that he had hurt me in breaking things off between us. He had rejected me, and I needed to harden my heart, particularly if I wanted to move on with Adrian. Clearing my name and leading a normal life seemed far away right now, but if it happened, I wanted to be able to return to Adrian with open arms. â€Å"It doesn't matter what you want,' he said. â€Å"Or what I want.' Ouch. â€Å"Lissa asked me to protect you.' â€Å"Hey, I don't need anyone to–‘ â€Å"And,' he continued, â€Å"I meant what I said to her. I swore I'd serve her and help her for the rest of my life, anything she asks. If she wants me to be your bodyguard, then that's what I'll be.' He gave me a dangerous look. â€Å"There's no way you're getting rid of me anytime soon.'

Exam review Essays

Exam review Essays Exam review Essay Exam review Essay Race and ethnicity: Most marriages are between members of same race Age: typical pattern is marriage within 2-3 years of ones own age Residential Propinquity: Within a geographically limited locale, the likelihood of marriage decreases as distance increases Religion: 35% of married people, married someone of different religion 2009) Marriage gradient: -The tendency for women to marry men of higher status. -Tendency for men to marry women slightly below them in age, education Early Marriage transitions: Marital task: 1. Establish marital and family roles 2. Provide emotional support 3. Adjust personal habits Establishing boundaries: The critical task is to form a family that is interdependent rather than independent or dependent. Marriage as a legal contract: Marriage in itself is a legal entity by rules and regulations. Factors such as gender, age, family relationship, and number of spouses apply. ,138 statutory provisions in which marital status is a factor in determining benefits, rights, and privileges Benefits, tax filings, inheritance, custodial rights, domestic violence protection, next of kin status. Access to family-only services, relocation and employment assistance for military spouses The Defense of Marriage Act(DOOM): Act that denied federal recognition to same-sex couples and gave states the right to legally ignore gay or lesbian marriages should they gain legal recognition in Hawaii or any other state. Signed into law by President Bill Clinton. Same-Sex Marriage: As of March 2013, 9 states (Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, Maine, Maryland, Washington, and the District of Columbia) allow same-sex marriage. Civil Union: A legal status created by the state of Vermont in 2000. It is a separate status for same-sex couples. It provides legal protection to couples at the state law level, but emits federal protections. Only applies to the state where issued. Different than marriage: Portability across states, various rights not given in civil unions that married couples have. Domestic Partnership: Legal relationship available to same- sex couples. It affords couples (most but not all) of the same rights, protections, and benefits of married people. Common Law Marriage: To be defined as a common law marriage a couple must (1) live as husband and wife and present themselves as married, and (2) agree that they are married, (3) some states have a time period of 6 years or more. Common law marriage was prevalent in most states pre-1920 because the availability of officials who could perform marriage ceremonies grew. Commuter marriage: An arrangement al earner couples. US census bureau reports 3. 6 million married Americans were living apart from their spouses not including those who were legally separated, this number has doubled since 1990. Not a new concept, traveling salesmen, migrant workers, soldiers on deployment have always been in this type of relationship. Interracial marriage: When two people of different racial groups marry This is a form of heterogamous Throughout US history, legal marriage has been denied to certain groups, such as blacks. After slavery, laws were enacted to prevent marriage between racial groups Even Asian immigrants were subject to laws that prevented them from marrying white US citizens Gallops recent minority rights and relations survey asks Americans if they approve or disapprove marriage between blacks and whites: 77% approved, 17% disapproved. 4. 6% of all marriages in the US in 2008 were between spouses of different racial backgrounds 8% overall are interracial, 9% whites, 15% blacks, 26% Hispanic, 31% Asians married someone from a dif race. Child Marriage: Marriage before the age of 16. Presently, 100 million girls will marry over the decade. Prevalent n areas of Africa, Bangladesh, India, Nepal(less educated, poor-more likely to marry young) Arranged Marriage: Viewed as a social, cultural , and economic necessity, the terms at which are agreed upon by the families of the future groom and bride. Estimated that 55% of marriage worldwide are arranged with a divorce rate of 4% for these marriages. Accepted practice in Iran, Afghanistan, Japan(10%), India (90%) Arranging marriages in US clashes cultures Is a common practice among US immigrant groups Polygamy(Plural): Where a man has multiple wives. Estimated 30,000-50,000 people vive polygamist lifestyle in the US, many in fundamentalist sects of the Mormon Church. Plural marriages are not legally recognized. East Asia: Before modernization, east Asian countries, china, Japan, Vietnam, permitted similar practices of polygamy South Asia: Permitted under Islamic Law; Present amongst some Muslims in South Asia. Illegal in India for the Hindus and other religious groups under the Marriage Act. Africa: Including Kenya, Sudan, And Nigeria Polyandry: Fraternal Polyandry: A group of brothers share a wife. Concentrated largely in Southeast Asia-India, Tibet, and Nepal. It is sporadically distributed in areas of Africa. Non-Fraternal Polyandry: A womans husbands are not related. Transnational Marriage: A marriage between two people from different countries Internet Brides(mail-order): A form of marriage by a middle man or agency. It has become increasingly prevalent in Russia and Asia. Marriage Tourism Industry: provides opportunity for men to get across to foreign women. Trend towards women living in less-developed countries seeking men in more developed countries. Majority of these women are from Southeast Asia (South Korea, Philippines) Countries of the former Soviet Union (Russia, Ukraine, and Latin America(Columbia). International Marriage Broker Regulation Act of 2005(lumbar): BUSH: A U. S. Federal statue that requires background checks for all marriage VISA sponsors and limits serial visa applications. Concern about fraud and abuse of foreign brides Community Property States: State in which all marital property is divided equally Washington, and Wisconsin. Non-community Property States(Common law states): Property may be divided by equitable distribution. Property that each partner brings into the marriage or receives by gift is called separate property. Property that is owned by once spouse before the marriage is separate property. Divorce: Legal termination of marriage Annulment: Legal retardation of the existence of the marriage Miscegenation: The interbreeding of people considered to be of different racial types Successful Marriages: Background factors: Age at marriage, level of education, race, parental marital status Contextual Factors: Support and approval from friends and freedom from pressures to marry Individual traits and behaviors: Level of sell-esteem, inter-personal skills, physical health Couple characteristics: Being from similar backgrounds, possessing minimal values, attitudes, beliefs, gender-role expectations; communication and conflict management skills Enduring Marriages: 1 . Conflict-habituated: Tension, arguing, and conflict permeate the relationship 2. Passive-congenial: Begin without the emotional spark or intensity contained in our romantic idealizations of marriage. May be marriages of convenience that satisfy practical needs in both spouses lives. 3. Devastative: Begin with high levels of emotional intensity that dwindles over time. Eventually look like passive-congenial marriages but have a more intense history, Obligation keeps them together. . Vital: Appeal more to romantic notions of marriage because they begin and continue with high levels of emotional intensity. Conflict is not absent, but it is managed in such a manner as to make a quick resolution. 5. Total: relationships in which characteristics of vital relationships are present but to a wider and deeper degree. Spouses appear to share everything. African-American Families: 1. Have long-history of being dual-earner families as a result of economic need 2. Marital relations show signs of greater distress than the general population 3. Kinship bonds provide economic assistance and emotional support in time of need 4. Strong tradition of families with an important role played by intergenerational ties 5. African-American community values children high 6. More likely than Caucasians to live in extended households Short Answer: Factors contributing to higher levels of marital strength and satisfaction: 1. Having spouse who is a best friend and whom you like as a person 2. Believing in marriage as a long-term commitment and sacred institution 3. Consensus on such fundamentals as aims and goals and philosophy of life 4. Shared humor

Stadia and Aquaria

Stadia and Aquaria Stadia and Aquaria Stadia and Aquaria By Maeve Maddox Every so often I receive a comment like this one: Why do you and your countrymen insist on changing the English language? The plural of aquarium is aquaria, stadium is stadia, etc. etc. I like to believe that such comments are meant playfully, to get a rise out of the American. For one thing, the commenter must know that the English language was changing long before there were Americans to speak it. King James I, for whom the first permanent settlement in Virginia was named, would not have understood the English spoken by his predecessor King Alfred. And Queen Elizabeth II does not speak or write the same English that was spoken by King James I. Today’s standard British English and standard American English are different dialects. Considering that both diverged from a form of English spoken 400 years ago in England, they remain remarkably similar. As for the plural of nouns in -um, stadiums and aquariums have become the normal plurals in British periodicals as well as in American. Both dialects do retain the plural stadia in the context of Roman history. The plural aquaria may still be common among British speakers, but in the US, the Latinate plural is more likely to be used by scientists and serious aquarists than by non-specialists. The style guide for The Guardian and The Observer states this policy: Latinate -um neuter endings that are a part of the language (eg stadium) take an -s plural. Note: This style guide does not use periods with e.g., a fact that seems odd to an American: eg no full points. The Guardian/Observer guide has separate entries for the following -um nouns: addendum, plural addendums aquarium, plural aquariums memorandum, plural memorandums, not memoranda referendum, plural referendums, not referenda It also addresses the datum/data debate: data takes a singular verb (like agenda), though strictly a plural; no one ever uses â€Å"agendum† or â€Å"datum.† The Associated Press Stylebook specifies stadiums as the plural of stadium. The Chicago Manual of Style advises writers to consult a dictionary for â€Å"certain words of Latin or Greek origin such as crocus, datum, or alumna.† Here are some of the plural choices given in Merriam-Webster Unabridged: aquarium plural aquariums or aquaria compendium plural compendiums or compendia crematorium plural crematoria or crematoriums encomium plural encomiums or encomia momentum plural momenta or momentums stadium plural stadia in the context of ancient Rome; otherwise, stadiums maximum plural maximums or maxima memorandum plural memorandums or memoranda When in doubt, look up the plural of Latinate -um words in a dictionary that targets your standard dialect of English. When a choice is offered, consider the context in which the word is to be used. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Program vs. ProgrammeDo you "orient" yourself, or "orientate" yourself?50 Tips on How to Write Good

Write a response paper to the book Out of Poverty by Paul Polak Essay

Write a response paper to the book Out of Poverty by Paul Polak - Essay Example According to Polak the group is a massive consumer but lack the financial ability to purchase the products. Additionally, he discovers that the group comprises of viable entrepreneurs. When designing products for the group, Polak advises that an entrepreneur consider the consumption pattern of the group. Firstly, the poor have minimal finances they therefore attach more importance on the price of the commodes they purchase often at the expense of the quality of the products. An entrepreneur must therefore devise cost effective means of production to ensure the manufacture of cheap products that will fit the budgets of the group. Additionally, the group is huge. At 90% of the world population, it is therefore the greatest market and after designing products that appeal to the group, the next big feature of such a business becomes the mass production and determination of effective retail services. Of all the ideas Polak fosters in his book, among the most surprising findings is his claim that the 90% of the world’s population is poor. Additionally,, the scholar claims that the 90% drive the world economy. However, he breaks down his points to validate his claim by explaining the financial movement in the market economies thus validating his claims. According to his explanation, it becomes factual that a larger percentage of the world’s population is poor but still controls the global economy. I agree with most of his ideas. I like the idea that products that target the poor often sell faster and better than those targeting the wealthy in the market do. Just as he explains it, the poor are the majority this widens the base of the market for any product or service that targets the population. An entrepreneur must therefore determine the best way of producing such products at cheap costs but in bulk. As a marketing strategy, by targeting the poor, an entrepreneur earns smaller profit margins per product but sell many

Textual Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Textual Analysis - Essay Example She tries to compare the human ears with the dried peach halves (Forche 1). The use of this simile brings out a stark image where she shows how lifeless the ears were but after dropping them in water, they became lively. The contrast and comparison elaborates on the Colonel’s brutality. Simile has also been used to compare the window gratings in the house with those that are found in the liquor stores. The use of irony is evident in the poems title â€Å"the Colonel† where Forsche is treated to a very sumptuous dinner. They are served with lamb racks, wine and green mangoes which tend to reflect a feast. However, they are also served with bread, which they do not know its type. As the writer puts it, there is a golden bell which is used to summon the maid. It is ironical to have a golden bell just to summon the domestic worker. Another type of irony is evident where the parrot joins their conversation on governance issues. On another perspective, the parrot does not com prehend anything on governance since it is not human but from the poem, it contributes to the interesting topic. The parrot reinforces the ugly events that the Colonel is talking explaining. It is also ironical in situations where the writer nods her head to agree to the Colonel’s stories that are brutal and horrifying (Forche 1). Irony is also evident in the scene where Forche claims that her friend talked to her with her eyes so that she should not say anything after the Colonel kicks the parrot out. The author also brings irony where she talks about the fence that had broken bottle glass, which would rip off and individual’s kneecaps. Repetition has also been used to create emphasis of the story. The writer has emphasized on the use of the word ‘some’, which has been used three times. For example, the Colonel says ‘something for your poetry’. The word has also been used in cases where Forche says ‘some of the ears on the floor’ . The use of ‘some of the’ has been used twice at the end of the poem to emphasize of the number of ears that had been thrown on the floor. Repetition is used in poems to create a rhythm that will help the reader. In this poem, repetition has been used to express emotions that have come up due to the Colonel’s brutality. For poets to come up with good poems, most of them employ the use of repetition since it creates a rhythm and alliteration for the reader. How the visual special devices affect the viewer and their effectiveness In the poem â€Å"The Colonel†, the writer has used visual impacts to reveal the image of the Colonel and his brutal acts. From the start of the poem, the poet tries to bring out a clear picture of the Colonel’s house. The author starts by describing the family members, the house, and its surroundings and later brings out the aspect of brutality after the Colonel brings out the ears. For emphasize on brutality, the author al so says that there is a pistol put on a cushion beside the Colonel. The author has also included every single detail that is happening in the house to create an imaginary house in the reader’s mind. She also explains what was on the television as they walked into the house. These special devices have led to visual imagery in the poem. According to the poem’s structure, the author has presented her work in just one paragraph that emphasizes on concrete poetry. The line placements and flow of words in the poem brings visual imagery. The longest lines in the poem try to

World Civilization - Ideologies Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

World Civilization - Ideologies - Term Paper Example Neither the USA nor the USSR ever actually fought a war, but they did fight proxy wars, each one supplying arms and ammunition to the side that believed in their ideology. The war between North and South Vietnam is a case in point. Although both the USA and the USSR stayed out of the war, South Vietnam which was anti communist had the backing of the Americans and was supplied with the materials needed to fight the North Vietnamese who were communists. The USSR in its turn, backed the North Vietnamese and supplied them with war material. One would have thought that if Russia and America fought side by side during the second world war, there would be a friendly relationship between them. However, a closer look reveals that it was only the common enemy - Hitler, who brought these two nations together and their underlying differences took a backseat till the end of the war. Once the war was over, as Winston Churchill famously remarked, "From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriat ic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent." (Churchill, 1946) No one person can be held responsible for the cold war. The clash of ideologies - USSR’s Communism and Socialism versus America’s Democracy and Capitalism; and the fact that each thought that her own ideology was best, and felt threatened by the opposing ideology, is the real cause of the cold war. One could argue, that the cold war came about due to Russia’s aggression in Eastern Europe. On the other hand, if the US had only had the good sense to see that Russia was just trying to create a buffer zone between the east and the west, possibly to prevent further invasion from Germany; perhaps the world might have been spared the tensions and problems created by over four decades of the cold war. Each side viewed the ideology of the other with suspicion and fear, and was lulled into a false belief that it alone held the key that would ensure the happiness and prosperity of mankind. It seems that both the USA and the USSR tried to push their own interests, and in so doing created misunderstandings, that at times brought them to the brink of nuclear war. In the beginning, the cold war was limited to taking sides in wars that were fought by other nations, that subscribed to opposing ideologies; but the real danger was posed when both the USA and the USSR began to amass weapons of mass destruction. Although the cold war was spread over a period of over four decades, it went through periods of high tension followed by phases of relative calm. The Bay of Pigs crisis in Cuba in 1962, when the two superpowers came to the brink of war, had the effect of sobering the two nations, who decided to set up a hotline between them to be able to speak directly in times of crisis. Soon after this both the USA and the USSR agreed to a Nuclear test ban Treaty. According to some historians, this was the beginning of the end of the cold war. In 1972, the USSR and the USA led by Brezhnev and Nixon, announced a policy of peaceful coexistence, strengthening economic ties and signing agreements for increased trade. By the time Reagan became president, the Soviet Union had once again become the â€Å"empire of evil†, till in the second term of his presidency, Reagan was lauded as the architect of ending the cold war. Jack Matlock Jr, who was the US ambassador to Moscow under Reagan, says, Reagan "wanted to reduce the threat of war, to convince the Soviet leaders that cooperation could serve the Soviet peoples better than confrontation and to encourage openness and democracy in the Soviet Union." (Matlock, Reagan and Gorbachev: How the Cold War Ended) At the time the USSR too had got a leader whose ideas

Economy, FDI and Hydropower Sector in Laos

Economy, FDI and Hydropower Sector in Laos Background: Generally speaking, hydropower has various economical, environmental and social and strategic advantages. The hydropower is the largest renewable resource used for electricity and Hydropower is a significant source of electricity worldwide and will likely continue to grow especially in the developing countries. Thus it plays an essential role in economical development especially in many developing countries. Like many countries the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) or Laos is in trend in receiving foreign investment mainly in hydropower sector which comparing by sector from 2000-2010 hydropower sector account more than 33% in total investment (MPI, Laos). Laos nature and climate provide mammoth opportunities for the country to develop hydropower sector which in recent year there has been increased demand for electric power in the region of South-East Asia, however less than 2 percent of the hydropower potential has been developed in Laos over the past 30 years (Laos National Statistic in 2007). During the last few years, the hydropower sector has played an important role in the speedy economic growth of the country recently has experienced, more than 70 hydropower projects are under development, and the hydropower sector makes up an significant part of the export industry in Laos. As the government set the economic outlook from now the year 2020, the National Development Vision to the Year 2020 is to graduate from the status of being a least developed country and become sustainable development nation. To reach and achieve such vision, Laos needs the capital and invests in the human resource capacity, as Laos Government lack of these things. Thus, the foreign investment especially in hydropower sector is playing an important role in increasing the governments revenue (capital generation), job creations and new business system introducing. The hydropower sector is playing the significant role in the Laos economic and social development, the investment law in 1994 introduced the huge incentives mainly tax incentives in order to attract more investment, the question is that are these incentives really work and attract more investment into Laos? Or how did the investment incentive policies effect to hydropower sector in Laos? Thus, the objective or thesis statement of this paper is to analysis the effective of incentive policies offered by government of Laos in attracting investment mainly hydropower sector into Laos. The scope of this paper is not go back beyond the investment law introduced in 1994, but it starts to introduce some basic information about Laos such as the basic information about population, land area, religions and so on (See the Laos at Glance in the table 1 below) and the investment incentive policies provided by the government of Laos. Many scholars explained that, market size and cost of production is the key in attracting investment. Krugman (1991a) argues that the interaction of market, transport costs, and fixed investment costs determines the location of industry. In the Morissets article (2003, p. 253), the impact of tax incentives on FDI is not obvious that it can help in promoting investment. In the past few decades the numerous studies of international investors have indicated that the investment incentive policies are not major factor in their investment location decision. More important factors such as infrastructure, political stability, labor and the cost of production, however in this study is going to explain and provide evidences that investment incentive policies provided by government are the key factor in attracting investment in the case of Laos. Most of the data and information using in here are mainly from the concerning ministries in the Laos as essential. Thus, once again, the scope of this thesis is not covering all aspects of the economic development in country; it will focus only on the laws and regulations applied to foreign investment especially in hydropower sector. Furthermore, there is no any hypothesis test in this paper, as the objective of the paper is to analyze and examine the effective of the Strategic Investment Promotion for Laos. The main study shall be identifying the issues of using incentive policies and drawing out the strategic policies for recommendations. In order to make this paper easy to read and complete, this paper is developed into four chapters. The chapter one is the introduction chapter, where the general information, thesis statement and scope of this paper are drawn. The second chapter is literature reviews related to the foreign investment policies. The third chapter will focuses on overview of Laos economy, FDI and Hydropower Sector in the economic and social development in Laos. In this chapter, the data and figures are illustrated in order to see how changing in hydropower sector in Laos through the policies and incentives offering, plus more specific study on the comparative study, which will focuses on the analyzing of the incentive and disincentive on foreign direct investment. The last chapter is conclusion and recommendations approaches. In this chapter, the policies recommendations are drawn. Then the last part of the paper is the references. Lao PDR at a Glance (Table 1) Name Lao Peoples Democratic Republic Surface Area Population total: 236,800 sq km, land: 230,800 sq km, water: 6,000 sq km 1995 census: 4,574,848 (2007 estimate: 6,677,534) Density 25 people per sq km Land Boundaries total: 5,083 km Borders Myanmar 235 km, Cambodia 541 km, China 423km, Thailand 1,754 km, Viet Nam 2,130 km Languages Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages Climate Tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April) Religion Buddhist 65 percent , animist 32.9 percent , Christian 1.3 percent, other and unspecified 0.8 percent (1995 census) Time Zone UTC+7 Currency Kip (LAK) Exchange Rates As of October 6th, 2008 : 1 Dollar: 8560 Kips 1 Euro: 11680 Kips GDP 39,284 billion Kips (Nominal, 2007 estimate) 4.1 US$ billion GDP per Capita 604 USS (2006) Source: Economic Research Department, MPI, Laos, 2007 Chapter II: Literature Review Foreign Direct Investment Policy Recently, many scholars try to explain and point out the factors for foreign investment location decision in developing countries. On the other hand there are many studies and articles related the FDI and its policies in developing countries. The developing countries try to develop their investment policies and strategic plan in order to attract the foreign investment In the article of Shaukat Ali and Wei Guo (2005) explained the behavior of MNCs in China, with its huge potential market size as the most important factor for attracting FDI to China, with its large population, steady economic growth, trade integrations are the perfect combination in attracting FDI. The authors further point out that the Chinese Government incentive policies are another important factor In the article of Ekrem Tatoglu (2002), it is was found that market size, openness of the economy, and infrastructure of the host country had positive effect, but the lack of exchange rate and economic stability had negative effect but not significant, however to some extent, it has slowed down its efforts to receive much higher volume of foreign investment. In the Morissets article (2003, pp. 253) point out that the relation between investment policy such as tax incentives and FDI is not the most significant whether it can help the host country in gaining the foreign investment. Over the past few decades they are numerous studies from the international investors have indicated that investment policy such as tax incentives are not the most important factor for investment locations, more important factors such as infrastructure, labor and political stability. However it doesnt mean that the investment policy has no effect on attracting foreign investment, one of the good examples is the Irelands tax incentives which have been recognized as key in attracting foreign investors over the past two decades. Moreover, there has been growing support evidence that investment policy influence the location decisions of companies within regional economic groupings, such as the European Union, North American Free Trade Area, and Association of Southea st Asian Nations. No doubt that market size is important to foreign investment in deciding location but other factors such as the investment policy and institutional framework, are essential in influential a countrys attractiveness to FDI. There are three forms of investment incentive policies: tax incentives, subsidies, export processing zones (EPZs). The investment policy can be favorable to foreign investment or unflavored to foreign investment in order to protect local industries The effect of FDI will depend, in part, on the form that FDI takes. FDI directed to heavily protected industries or attracted by very costly incentives may have a low, or even negative, effect on growth and productivity, Attitudinal and empirical research on the effect of tax incentives on FDI has been inconclusive. In the article of Hearnest (2007, pp.25-30) dedicated that if the investment policy such as tax incentives may be good for a country. This is so if some conditions are contents. First, the investment policy must lead to an increased of inflow in FDI into that country by attracting FDI that would not come without the presence of the incentives. Second, these FDI should contribute to the countrys development by offering returns to the country that more than offset (the returns) the foregone tax revenue in form of tax incentives granted to the investors. When trying to find out who should qualify for the tax incentives in Tanzania therefore, the work will focus on some types of investments that would not come to Tanzania without the presence of the incentives, but have the potential of contributing positively to the development of the country. As for who should not qualify, a focus will be on those investments that would come in any circumstance (in this case the absence of tax incentiv es). FDI determinants that MNEs look for are the presence of economic, political and social stability; and rules regulating entry and operations of businesses. Others are standards of treatment of foreign affiliates; business facilitation (including, inter-alia, investment incentives and thereby tax incentives; market size, growth, structure and accessibility; raw materials, low cost but efficient labour force and physical infrastructure in form of ports, roads, power and telecommunication. Specific incentives may not be main determinants of a countrys attractiveness to FDI. A countrys general economic and political conditions, domestic market, natural and other resources may be more important than some specific incentives. However various incentives have been found to influence investments. Since specific incentives may not be main determinants of a countrys attractiveness to FDI. A countrys general economic and political conditions, domestic market, natural and other resources may be more important than some specific incentives. However various incentives have been found to influence investments. In the conclusion for the literature reviews, there are both advantages and disadvantages by offering the investment incentives policy from the host countries to the foreign investors. However, most of the articles presented in there seem to support the investment incentives policy (tax incentives) offered by many developing countries. There is no doubt that this form of investment incentives are dominated in many developing from now and in the future, especially the ASEAN nations, particularly Laos. In this context, this paper will lead through the way that investment incentives are really strategic tools for FDI attracting in Laos. CHAPTER III: Overview of Economy, FDI and Hydropower Sector in Laos 3.1 Current Laos Economic Situation As the Lao government set their development goal which aiming to free the country from being least developed country by the Year 2020, it ultimate goal is to graduate from the status of being a least developed country and become sustainable development nation. To achieve the goal, Laos needs the capital and human resource capacity, as Laoss lack of these things. Thus, the Foreign investment especially in hydropower and mining sector are playing an essential role in increasing the governments revenue (capital generation), job creations and so on. Since the Laos government started their economic liberalization, the new economic mechanism (NEM) in 1986, the Government of Laos has made the development of private sector and attraction of the foreign investment as the strategic priority, thus the implementation of investment policies are very important to investment especially in attracting foreign direct investment. With the advantages such as political stability, natural resources, low labor costs, strategic location and incentive investment policies, both domestic and foreign investment has notably evidenced its contribution to the Laos Social Economic Development. Generally the total (public and private) investment mobilized rose significantly from 21.3 percent of GDP in 2001 to about 29 percent in 2005, and averaged at 27.8 percent for the five-year period which mainly from FDI  [1]  . The foreign investment has provided further drive to Laos economic growth. The government of Lao PDR provided good climate for investment, such as infrastructures, telecommunication, political stability, stable macroeconomic condition and law and regulation related to investment. With the Laos National Social and Economic Development Plan (NSEDP), Laos government had achieved to maintain the economic prospect with an average GDP from year 2000 to 2010 approximately about 7.73 percent (see figure 1), mainly benefiting from expanding natural resources within the country. By encouraging Foreign Direct Investment, Laos economy has been gradually increased in many sectors, especially industry sector and services sector, which by 2009 had reached 70 percent of GDP. (See Figure 2 and 3) Industrial sector has grown in recent year with rapid rate, accounted an average rate about 11.3 percent per year. The mining industry increased by 33.87 percent; tobacco 20.75 percent; food processing 9.17 percent; textiles 20.11 percent; and garments 11.15 percent. The services sector has been positively meet the requirements of production and trading, from 2001to 2005, the growth rate in total revenues from services sector accounted an averaged at 10 percent per year.  [2]  According to National Social and Economic Development Plan, in general Government of Laos (GoL) has performed well with its ambitious economic target and strong economic growth which grounding to free the country from the status of least-development country by 2020. Figure 1: Laos real GDP growth in percentage Source: International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Economic Outlook 2010 Figure 2: Laos GDP composition by sector Source: CIA World Fact Book Figure 3: Laos GDP per capita compared by continent Source: International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Economic Outlook 2010 In recent year the Government of Laos (GoL) continue to work hard and try to boost its foreign trade with the aim to increase more in export, the structure of their economic changed with the shares of the private sector and Foreign Investment in the economy have increased. In particular, Foreign Direct Investment has facilitated the creation of new products and increasing size of the markets including the entry of new markets. The number of foreign direct investments and private domestic in the past five years stood at 9.7 billion USD, in which foreign direct investments accounted for 8 billion USD  [3]  . Thus, the private sector has become more and more essential in the economy of the Laos. The Lao PDR has been headed for business in regional and global economic integration. It is vital to Laos economic with its potential in domestic and foreign investors to guarantee the benefits from the liberalization of trade. Being the member of ASEAN, ATFA and WTO applicant providing opportunity for the country in trade and attracting foreign direct investment increasing the market entry by reduced 98 percent of its tariffs (zero to five percent in 2008). However Laos faced the problem of trade imbalance, in the year of 2007 to 2008 the total trade was 2630.9 million USD which number of export only 822.7 million USD (see Table 2) 3.2 Foreign Direct Investment and Hydropower Trends in Laos Foreign direct investment is playing crucial role in Laos economy, with the implementation of Investment Law in 2004 which the Government of Laos (GoL) given huge investment incentive to foreign investors especially tax incentive, as the resulted in 2005 onward the FDI inflow has been significantly increased especially in mining sectors and hydropower sectors. In 2006 the FDI inflow raised up to 2,699 million USD and in 2009 increased more than 4,312 million USD (see figure 4 and figure 5). Figure 4: Foreign Direct Investment in Laos Source: Raw data from Ministry of Planning and Investment, Laos Figure 5: Foreign Direct Investment by Sector 2000-2010(Jun) Source: Raw Data from Ministry of Planning and Investment, Laos Not yet complete 3.3 Analysis Study of Investment Incentives and Disincentives in Laos 3.3.1 Investment Incentives in Laos Tax exemptions from some major industrial nations: Lao receive the trade privileges from European Union such as GSP privilege. Currently, the receiving GSP is from 42 countries from EU, Japan, Canada, Switzerland, Vietnam and etc. Thus, the garment investment sector is still having comparative advantages in attracting many textile companies to invest in Laos. Mostly, investors are from Taiwan, Japan and Thailand. Furthermore, Laos has sign the Normal Trade Relations (NTR) with USA in December 2004. This is the signal for Laos to join the world trade system (membership of WTO is underway). Such membership leads confident for foreign investors doing business in Laos. Land-linked country: This is going to be trade hub in the Southeast Asia region, which has access to ASEAN market with more than 500 million. Inhabitants including southern part of neighboring China, which adds up together reaching nearly 1 billion people, this is going to be the huge market in the world. Currently, the main roads reaching every corner of the international border pointed have been built. In the next five year, Laos can be the transit goods and connect Southeast Asia to the Northeast and Central Asia. Abundant water resources, rich in mineral resources, and plentiful of productive land: Laoss government still enjoys receiving the application for the development of the hydropower dams and mining concession from foreign investors. These two sectors are main attractive sectors for foreign investors around the world. The abundant water resources help Laos to gain more major foreign investors to invest in the hydropower project, which lead Laos to be the electricity supplier or battery of Asia. Furthermore, unexploitations of mining areas are still existed and waiting for right foreign investors to invest in this sector. Most of the mines are gold, copper, coal, tin, Zink and others. Thus, this is another sector that the Lao governments use to promote and attract foreign investors for investing. Moreover, there are plentiful of productive land for foreign investors to do the plantation projects for the industrial plantation such as sugar, palm trees, eucalyptus, and so on. Currently, many big paper companies are investing for the industrial plantation in Laos such as Oji paper factory (Japan), and Birla Pulp Company (India). Laos Economic Zone: Savannakhet Province is a hub of trade and services in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS). The province is linking Lao PDR with Thailand, and Vietnam on the Road No.9. It is also all along the Road No.13 which runs through Lao PDR, leading north into China and South into Cambodia. The construction of Road and bridge will progress develop Savannakhet as a trade and services zone in near future and will bring an expansion of markets which will create further business opportunities for all the economic sectors in Savannakhet province, thus Savannakhet Special Economic Zone (SSEZ) which linking neighboring countries in the Asian region with a total population of more than 500 million people and thus is a main centre for trade and services. The categories of business activities planned to be developing in the Savannakhet Special Economic Zone (SSEZ) include the following: Export Processing Zone; Free Trade Zone; Free Service and Logistic Centre including tourism, banking and other activities. 3.3.2 Disincentive of Investment in Laos Geographic condition (land locked country) and poor infrastructure: Laos has no border with the sea, thus this is only obstacle for the transportation. The cost of transport goods from Laos to the sea port in Thailand or in Vietnam is quite expensive and may take longer time for the goods to reach the destination due to the documentations and unforeseen events that can happen anytime. Furthermore, the infrastructure in Laos is not quite good especially the road condition in some places or provinces. These cause the transportation cost high and the return on investment or profit is not so high as expected. However, with the support from the international financial organization such as ADB and World Bank, the Lao government has put the budget for the infrastructure development for the main route to the sea ports such as Road R3 connecting Thaiiand-Laos-China, the road No. 9 connecting Thailand-Laos-Vietnam, Road No. 13 run through the whole countries from North to South of Laos. The vision of the government is to change Laos as Land-Locked country to the Land-Linked country. By achieving this goal, the cost of transportation will be reducing for sure. Macroeconomic instability: Lao economic is not independent economic system. Directly and indirectly, the economic depends on the changing of the Thai and Vietnamese economic growth. Now, the Lao economic is more likely to depend to the Chinese economic as well now, as the major foreign investors is Chinese investors. The Lao currency (Kip) is none tradable currency, so it depends on the changing of the US dollars and Thai Baht. For instance, when the financial crisis occurred in 1997, supported that Lao can escape from this crisis, however, it hit hardly by the crisis as most of the commodities goods import from Thailand. Thus, when the global crisis hit Thailand, it will directly and indirectly hurt Lao economy. However, Lao government has put more afford to monitoring the economic development in Laos and try to not depending on one country economy such Thailand. Now, the free flow of goods leads Laos to escape from the dependent economic from Thailand. Laos can gain access to the Vietnam and China market now. Small market: Although the economy sounds goods in recent years, but the total expenditure of the Lao people is still low. Most of the markets in Laos are small in size and number of consumers. Most of the big spending on consumers is in the main city, but not in the rural areas. However, most of people in the city cross the border to Thailand in spending for the commodities goods. In recently, the good economic recovered and increasing in FDI inflow in to the country, Lao people spend more money in commodities and luxury goods. Thus, this is the good sign in increasing Lao people spending. In the near future, the Lao small market is going to graduate to the big market soon. Thailand. Now, the free flow of goods leads Laos to escape from the dependent economic from Thailand. Laos can gain access to the Vietnam and China market now. 3.4 Comparative Study of Investment Law (1994 and 2004) 3.4.1 The Investment Law in 1994 Not yet complete 3.4.2 The Investment Law in 2004 Not yet complete Law on the Promotion and Management of foreign Investment in the Lao PDR (1994) Law on the Promotion of Foreign Investment In the Lao PDR (2004) Form   of FDI à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Ã‚   2 forms of FDI: a) A joint Venture with one or more domestic Lao Investors b)   A 100% foreign- owned enterprises Exemption from import duties for intermediate components and raw materials imported for processing and re-export; Uniform flat rate of 1% of import value of equipment, means of production, spare parts and other materials used in operation of investment projects; No export duties on finished products; Annual profit tax at a uniform flat rate of 20% Special privileges, including reduction or exemption from theprofit-tax rate, are given based on the size of investments and the significant positive impacts that such investments have on the socio- economic development of Lao PDR; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Ã‚   3 forms of FDI: a)   Business Cooperation by contract; b) A joint venture with one or more domestic Lao investors (Foreign equity should not be less than 30% of total investment capital); or c) A 100% foreign- owned enterprise 0% of import duties on production vehicles, machinery, equipment and raw materials No export duties on finished products;    Profit tax is classified into 3 groups: 20%, 15% and 10% and profit tax exemption is offered for a certain period depending on activities, investment areas and size of investment 1) Zone One (area with no economic information infrastructure) 7 years profit tax exemption thereafter a profit tax of 10% 2) Zone Two: (areas with certain level of economic infrastructures) 5 years profit tax exemption 3 years profit tax of 7.5% thereafter a profit tax of 15% 3) Zone Three ( areas with good infrastructure) 2 years profit tax exemption 2 years profit tax of 10% thereafter a profit tax of 20% Other   Incentives Investment term is up to 30 years Freedom to expatriate their earnings back home or to third countries Right to employ foreign expatriates Personal income tax at a flat rate of10% Investment term is up to 75 years Freedom to expatriate their earnings back home or to third countries Right to employ foreign expatriates (not exceed 10% of the enterprises labor) Personal income tax at a flat rate of 10% Source: Ministry of Planning and Investment, Lao PDR Case Study of Foreign Direct Investment on Hydropower Sector in Laos Not yet complete Chapter IV: Conclusion Not yet complete