Monday, September 30, 2019

Hong Kong Cultural Conversation

Conservation is now recognized worldwide as an important component of sustainable development, particularly in cities undergoing rapid development. In Hong Kong, however, it was not until the recent years that the city's government, citizens and the media have brought more attention to the development of the city's cultural and arts scene and preservation of the former British colony's unique cultural heritage. In response to the social unrest, the government has begun to develop a specific strategy with regard to the arts and culture.One main focus of their strategies lies in the preservation of Hong Kong cultural heritage. However, despite the government’s effort on heritage preservation, what probably is just as frustrating is the Hong Kong government’s awkward attempts at heritage preservation and privatization of public spaces. Is the government making progress to preserve our cultural heritage? Or is it just making progress to transform our heritage into commoditi es and taking further steps to engage in economic exploitation of public space?What elements should be put into consideration when we talk about cultural preservation and urban planning? Where are the missing parts in the design of existing projects to stand a chance of living the metropolitan spaces in accordance with the real needs and hopes of the people who live in the space? Problem that lies behind the positive metropolitan image of Hong Kong Despite the image of Hong Kong as a metropolitan city successful in international finance, commerce and tourism, a deep-rooted problem that lies in Hong Kong people’s heart is a lack of sense of belonging, a lack of Hong Kong identity.During colonial period, Hong Kong has been referred to as a borrowed space and borrowed time. Meanwhile, the differences in culture and civilization between Hong Kong and China created a barrier to Hong Kong people’s identifying themselves as Chinese. â€Å"Hong Kong’s lack of identity is also due to its status as not so much a place as a space of transit, whose residents think of themselves of transients and migrants on their way between China and other cities. Worse still, after the handover in 1977, we have been experiencing limited democracy in our society, as reflected in limited political rights granted to the public and lack of public election mechanism. â€Å"Hong Kong people ruling Hong Kong† therefore remains a political slogan and still a goal. Searching for Hong Kong identity continues, and this psychological barrier partly explains why the Hong Kong brands and products often faced the criticism of lacking a unique identity.Conserving cultural heritage as a way to define self identity The limitations on democracy in post-colonial Hong Kong is causing more public outcry to seek expression or confirmation of their identities through preservation of arts and culture. It has been argued that the role of art and culture in Hong Kong has taken on incr easing significance in the city's search for an identity over the past 13 years since China resumed sovereignty over the territory. More and more people identify themselves as Hongkonger and less as Chinese or British colonist.People are defining themselves as Hongkongers and conserving Hong Kong’s heritage, especially architectures and sites where their collective memories came from is part of that self-defining. Along with these attempts is a change in societal expectations. Hong Kong used to be a developers’ dream as economic prosperity over the past 30 years has been largely due to its immense rate of construction. Now people see the paradox that as they are advancing to become a global city they are also losing parts of their lives, thus there emerged voices on conservation.While the Hong Kong government’s heritage policies—or lack thereof—are threatening to destroy what is left of our past that constitutes our cultural identity in the name of development, people start to speak out on preserving what they grew up with and feel it is important to taking the lead in mentoring the next generation about Hong Kong’s history and cultural heritage. The public space in Hong Kong being a battle field In Hong Kong, every inch of land is labeled with an economic value. The high value of land in Hong Kong heightens the level of control and conflict in land use.In the past few years, we have already seen the tenement houses on Wing Lee Street in Central, the Graham Street Market in Central, Lee Tung Street and Queen’s Pier in Wanchai, all being the landmarks of old Hong Kong, earmarked for destruction. We have also seen the privatization of public space at the expenses of public interests: shopping centers in public housing estates originally managed by the Housing Authority have been privatized by The Link; the development of West Kowloon are tilted towards orporate interests not the livelihood of residents; The harbou r front of Hong Kong Island, cut off from the living space of ordinary people, has turned into the backyard of luxurious private residential complexes or giant shopping mall housing all the big global brands; the Central seafront reclamation area also falls into the same fate -it is designed as an extension of government offices and the huge Mody Mall, instead of being considered for cultural and recreational use as demanded by the Hong Kong public.Urban and social planning on land use and distribution of wealth shows a tendency of being biased towards corporate and capitalists’ interests. Hong Kong people are yet to have a say to the use of their own space and this has given rise to many social problems such as public’s opposition sentiment towards government, self-identity crisis, substitution of local diversity and choices by global demands for homogeneity, widened gap between the rich and the poor, and so on.The turning points that awake the government One of the t urning points in public opinion with respect to heritage preservation was the renewal of Lee Tung Street in Wanchai. This street was well known to all of Hong Kong as â€Å"The Wedding Card Street. † All the little shops provided all the props necessary to have a happy and prosperous Chinese wedding, giving this street an aura of vibrancy and joy. However, the urban renewal authority had targeted the whole street for renewal.Many of the shopkeepers were upset to be pushed out of the area as they felt want to stay here not just for business but also because they had established a community with neighborhoods from a few generations and therefore a strong emotional attachment with the place. There were many protests and banners expressing the dissatisfaction of the shopkeepers. The public outcry did not work to influence the government’s decision and the shops are now all closed awaiting redevelopment.Another turning point is the demolition of the Queen’s Ferry pie r along with its iconic clock tower in Wanchai in December 2006 as part of the traffic development plan for Wanchai. It has led to widely publicized protests and even hunger strikes that the government had not anticipated. Yet the citizens again lost in the battle to fight for public space. The pier was a â€Å"young† 49 years when it was destroyed and was not considered old enough by the authorities and, therefore, it did not have enough heritage value.Yet, to many Hong Kong people, the historic value of the pier is not measured only by its duration or by a number as of years or days, for time is also related to the question of memory, experience, moment. According to Local Action, a local group with hundreds of members that led the protests against the government with the goal of saving Hong Kong’s culture heritage and public space, â€Å"The pier is a symbol of Hong Kong history with strong socio-political significance for many social and political events took plac e at the pier.It had also been used by many royalties and governors as they came to Hong Kong and many demonstrations took place here, signifying its importance as a landmark† People expressed that it is also a place where their memories and experiences came from therefore they have developed a strong attachment to â€Å"their place†. This public reaction echoes John Urry in â€Å"Reinterpreting Local Culture from Consuming Placesâ€Å", in which John remarked that â€Å"the object signifies the place and that if the object were to be demolished or substantially changed then that would signify a threat to the place itself. †

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Crime Examined Through Four Theoretical Perspectives

Crime Examined through Four theoretical Perspectives Crime is defined as a breach of rules or laws that have been set by the government. Society has been given a set of rules that everyone who believes in good morals, follow. A crime would be anyone who has broken these set of laws for personal reasons such as greed. As of 2006, the crime rate of Toronto was 1,000 per 100,000. This has as shown a decrease since 2002. Crime has become an entity that is a part of society, without it, society would not function correctly. In the study of sociology, crime can be explained in four theoretical perspectives; Functionalism, conflict, interactionism, and feminism. Functionalism is a theoretical orientation which views society as a system of interdependent parts whose functions contribute to keep society alive and stable. Crime has been a part of society since the beginning and yet we have not done anything drastic to reduce or even remove it because it is needed for society to function normally. Crime has become the somewhat normal in society because of it creates employment opportunities for everyone. Law enforcement, lawyers and judges, security guards all have jobs built around the negativity of crime. People commit crimes for personal reasons such as to support family, themselves, and/or drug addictions. There are endless reasons to why people commit crimes. When a crime has been committed, it disrupts social by changing the normal function of society. The Conflict theory is a perspective that accentuates the social status, political, and discrimination in the social group. Society has a stereotypical view on those who commit a crime. Race and social status has played a large role in this discrimination. Crimes

Saturday, September 28, 2019

My nursing theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

My nursing theory - Essay Example The primary purpose of the interaction between humans and the environment is adaptation. Humans’ exposure to stressors (stimuli within the environment) triggers the development of coping mechanisms, which enable them to adapt to the changing environment. Each individual has two major subsystems; the regulator and cognator internal processing subsystems, which help them, cope with stimuli from both the external and internal environment. The regulator subsystem functions through the autonomic nervous system (perception and neural pathways, endocrine system) whereby the mechanism prepares individuals for dealing with environmental stimuli. On the other hand, the cognator mechanism comprises of perceptual/information processing, emotions, judgment and learning. The process of perception bridges or connects the two mechanisms. Roy asserts that nursing’s primary goal is to facilitate a patient’s development of health, which she defined as the process of becoming and be ing a whole and integrated person (Roy, 1980). Fundamental to all human beings, is their need to cling to their concept of a Higher Power. For some, acknowledging the existence of an existential being that possesses supernatural powers, which one cannot research quantitatively or qualitatively defines their conceptualization of God (Higher Power). Conversely, others negate the existence of a God, as they instead chose to focus on universal moral principles, which are not culture specific and promote equal and humane treatment of all; for example, they believe that it is wrong to kill or steal as it compromises another person’s quality of life. My personal nursing philosophy is primarily centered on acknowledging the existence of cultural diversity. Cultural diversity influences the differences in individual’s conceptualization of God. As such, it is crucial for nursing professionals to respect each patient’s

Friday, September 27, 2019

Biomedical tecneque and cell biology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Biomedical tecneque and cell biology - Essay Example Animal or plant cells have the tendency to grow if they are kept under specific conditions and grown with the required and exact nutrients that are suitable for growth. If this kind of process is carried out under laboratory supervision it is called as cell culture. Chaudry, Arshad [2004] has to say that â€Å"the culture process allows single cells to act as independent units, much like micro organism such as bacterium or fungus†¦these cells an continue to grow until limited by some culture variable such as nutrient depletion†. Generally speaking a cell culture is carried out with the intentions of either to study the metabolic activity, or to analyze the effect of chemicals and medicine on the cell types. [i]. Producing antibodies: One of the antibodies that is produced using cell culture is the monoclonal antibodies. These anti bodies are very useful in treating human diseases. This could be done by obtaining hybridoma cells from animals. The fusion of two to three more cells of hybrid form derived from animals is capable of producing a single type of antibodies in a continuous fashion. These anti bodies are further useful in diagnostic and therapeutic value. Now a days some bio technicians tried analyzing the activities of the amino acids in the typical mammalian cells. [ii]. Recombinant proteins: these are huge and complex structure proteins that could be produced in bacteria, which later develop the tendency to add sugar to these collected protein. In this method the defensive protein is produced in virto through recombinant method and applied for blistered skin. This is called protein therapy. This could be also applied in correcting deficiency like diabetes, enhance immune response, dissolve blood clots etc. This was done previously by culturing extracts form tissues, urine and blood. [ii]. Virus Vaccinations: The basic cause for the vaccines production werwe found to be

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Rihanna Whats My Name Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Rihanna Whats My Name - Essay Example Rihanna’s vocals are contrasted with Drake’s slight baritone. After the vocals, the song implements a digital drum track that is unique in its patterns. Additionally, it appears that synthesizers are implemented to create both the melody and an off-kilter buzzing sound that adds freshness to the track. This buzzing sound can be heard during the opening five seconds of the song, as well as at other intermittent points. In terms of sound volume, the track juxtaposes loud and soft elements. One considers that during Drake’s opening solo – up until 1:00 – the track generally implements low pitches and soft music. These subdued elements are punctured with Rihanna’s chorus, which comes in at 1:01. In this chorus, Rihanna repeats, ‘oh, nana, what’s my name, oh, nana, what’s my name?’ This chorus takes on a sort of instrument like element that is no doubt helped by Rihanna’s hypnotic voice. In terms of time elements, there are a number of considerations. The song generally implements a mid-tempo form that builds to a crescendo at different times. For instance, following Drake’s solo, Rihanna has an interlude where she speaks. This ultimately reaches such a crescendo at the 1:50 mark. This crescendo is achieved again later in the track. The song’s rhythm follows these mid-tempo patterns. In terms of meter, the song is in the triple . There are a number of organizational elements. In these regards, the song implements both small-scale crescendos, as well as an orchestral type effect. The miniature crescendos largely can be detected in Rihanna’s vocal interludes. In terms of the orchestral effect, the song’s melody and sound elements gradually take on increased loudness and texture. In these regards, up until the 1:00 mark the song implements the drum track and established melody.  

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Technology, Strategy and Innovation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Technology, Strategy and Innovation - Essay Example In Europe, firms with less than 10-49 employees are termed small firms, whereas firms with 50 to 249 employees fall under the definition of SMEs. SMEs usually tend to have greater market power than small firms and constitute around 99% of the total global enterprises (Shapira, n.d.). Despite their strength in numbers, a heavily competitive and globalized business environment is causing SMEs to struggle in order to compete effectively with large corporate companies. Particularly so because large companies have greater resources to influence the market power of SMEs. Their vast resources of manpower, materials, machines and money can be used to counter any competitive threat from SMEs. Under such circumstances, innovation in new products and business strategies becomes the only way for SMEs to survive. According to Fagerberg (2004), innovation is the process through which firms create and develop knowledge to develop new and improved products and services. On the other hand, Bordia et al. (2005) define innovation as the ability to define and develop new products and services and deliver them to market. According to Susman et al. (2006, p.16), innovation usually takes place in products, processes and markets. This paper discusses the importance of innovation in SMEs and how it is practiced. Innovation in small enterprises Innovation in firms is usually practiced through six channels: product, process, activities, non-technological, organizational, and marketing. The chart below provides a comparison of the popularity of various innovation channels in SMEs and large organizations. (Shapira, n.d., p. 2) From the chart, it is evident that process and organizational innovation in large organizations is carried out on a larger scale than in SMEs. In all other innovation channels, SMEs are not far behind large organizations. Product and process innovation together are termed as technological innovation because utilization of new technology is an essential characteristic of both. Product innovation utilizes new technology to develop innovative products. The iPhone is a good example of product innovation. When all other mobile phone manufacturers were concentrating on manufacturing traditional mobile phones, Apple came out with a touchscreen phone and created history. Many people have the illusion that technological innovation is the sole monopoly of large organizations. However, such innovation is possible in SMEs too. Bennet (1994, p.147) points out that smaller organizations are even more technologically advanced than the larger ones. It should be noted that when Hotmail was first introduced by Sabeer Bhatia and Jack Smith it was an innovative service. After witnessing its popularity and realizing its potential, Microsoft acquired Hotmail later. Companies such as Google and Apple are busy acquiring the patents of many innovative products and services from SMEs. In short, product innovation in SMEs is not facing any barriers. On the other hand, pr ocess innovation in SMEs is taking place at a slower pace. Process innovation refers to improvements in production and delivery methods. Six Sigma implemented at Motorola is an example of process innovation. The core of process innovation is to eliminate or reduce costs of production, reduce waste, improve marketing and logistics operations, etc. Process innovati

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Review of the Literature Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Review of the Literature - Research Paper Example â€Å"Relationship between psychiatric nurse work environments and nurse burnout in acute care general hospitals (Hanrahan, 2010).† The article analyzed the degree to which organizational components of the inpatient psychiatric situations are connected with psychiatric staff burnout. Organizational parts were measured by an instrument supported by the National Quality Forum. This study furnishes a percentage of the first confirmation that the nature of the inpatient psychiatric medical attendant work environment is connected with word related push of psychiatric attendants (Hanrahan, 2010). Nonetheless, prospective studies are required to confirm if quiet aspects alter these relationships and if tolerant conclusions are influenced by organizational variables of the forethought environment and psychiatric medical attendant burnout. Therefore, the organizational elements analyzed in this study are modifiable. Hence, supervisors can utilize the organizational elements distinguish ed as a part of this study to center quality change programs. For instance, modifiable organizational components incorporate esteeming the commitment of medical caretakers captivating the attendants in dynamic quality change projects, guaranteeing administrators are talented, distinguishing and tending to issues that show riffs in medical caretaker and doctor joint efforts and furnishing the satisfactory psychiatric medical caretaker staffing (Hanrahan, 2010). The MBI and the PES-NWI could be utilized to measure advance in these regions. Enhancing inpatient psychiatric attendant practice situations will help to draw in new attendants and hold the individuals who are right now in the workforce. In â€Å"The Relationships between Attitudes toward Seclusion, Staff Satisfaction, Levels of Burnout and Therapeutic Optimism in a District Health Service (Dares, Happell, Russell, Cokell, & Gaskin, 2012).

Monday, September 23, 2019

Firm behaviour which seeks to give considerable weight to ethical Essay - 1

Firm behaviour which seeks to give considerable weight to ethical concerns must do so at the expense of profit. Discuss ma - Essay Example Having established a definition of ethics, the question as to whether or not a business can sustain very prominent ethical principles without sacrificing profitability requires significant examination. According to Milton Friedman (2003), a respected business theorist and philosopher, the only genuine goal of a business is to ensure shareholder satisfaction and earn a profit; this over all other objectives. Friedman’s view is that attainment of profit, by which some individuals in society believe this objective to be akin to greed and materialism, supersedes the demand for sustaining the highest standards of moral and decent behaviours. For many in society, however, this is deemed unethical behaviour requiring further focus on social responsibility. There is, however, ample evidence that both profit achievement and production of ethical behaviours can be effectively balanced. Why ethics and profit can achieve equilibrium Within a business dynamic, it is recognised that leaders who publicly exhibit high standards of ethical behaviour are more apt to gain trust from employee followers, making it more motivational for employees to follow the established mission and vision of the leader (Watts 2008; Resick, Hanges, Dickson and Mitchellson 2006). According to the literature, transparency and trust are two key dimensions for establishing a cohesive organisational culture (Barrett 2011). Since ethics and trust go hand-in-hand, theoretically the ethical leader will be able to establish an organisational culture that remains unified and consistently working toward modelling ethical behaviours that have been openly demonstrated by the leadership. Business theory and marketing theory, further, indicate that once a very cohesive and cooperative organisational culture has been established, it is easier for the firm to sustain competitive advantages that are attributed to human capital development. For instance, Armstrong (2007) indicates that once trust and cohesion have been established, employee followers of the ethical leader are more committed to attaining organisational goals and more loyal to the business due to the fact that the ethical leader was able to speak to the hearts and minds of employees. Why is this important to understanding whether ethics and profit can be balanced? When an organisation is perceived by external investors to sustain a very cohesive organisational culture, they are considered to be world class organisations with much more incentive for investment potential (Very, Lubatkin, Calori and Viega 1997). The ethical leader described in the aforementioned example has managed, theoretically, to build more loyalty and commitment simply by exhibiting ethical behaviours. Concurrently, the external investor now witnesses the human capital advantages of establishing a cooperative team environment and subsequently provides investment that assists the organisation in its long-term strategic plans and objectives, such as new ca pital machinery for production or improving the marketing function. In this example, ethical behaviours served as the absolute catalyst for improving the financial situation of the business. Without having exhibited ethical behaviours, the leader would not be creating an organisation

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Depreciation and Cost Essay Example for Free

Depreciation and Cost Essay 1. The primary cause of the current system to fail is the use of a single burden rate. Burden costs of the testing rooms as well as other costs such as admin were grouped into a single cost pool and then divided by the total labor dollars. This resulted to a single burden rate of 145% of direct labor dollars (cost driver). This method is not appropriate for Seligram because the information on the case present that direct labor hours and machine hours vary by product line and activity. In addition, the burden cost of the main and test room also significantly vary. Therefore, using a single burden rate does not provide the true cost of the product, as it assumes all products consume direct labor and overhead in the same proportion. 2. Cost for each system are as follows: 3. I prefer the system proposed by the consultant because it is the most detailed, therefore will produce more accurate costs. 4. The ideal allocation base should have a direct cause-and-effect relation with the costs incurred. Based on the data provided in the case, it appears that the consultant’s proposed cost system is adequate because it considers the appropriate cost pool and allocation base. However, it should be noted that developing a cost system that is more detailed require the use of more time and resources. There needs to be a proper balance between accuracy and cost. 5. There is significant cost involved in the purchase of new equipment. Although the machine will be located in the Main Room, I would use a separate cost pool when calculating the burden rate of the new machine. The purchase price of the machine is $2 million. I will add the one-time installation and programming cost to the acquisition cost of the machine since these costs are required in order to get the machine ready for use. I will calculate depreciation based on the machine’s practical capacity over its estimated life, instead of double declining method. It seems that the use of double declining balance method of depreciation is inappropriate for allocation of costs because this method incurs higher depreciation in the early years, although the utilization is lower in the early years. By using practical capacity as the base, I am able to properly match the cost with the use of the machine.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

BugUSA, Inc. †Case Scenario Essay Example for Free

BugUSA, Inc. – Case Scenario Essay This scenario presents the case of BugUSA, Inc.; as a team, we endeavor to address the legal ramifications of each companys activities. BugUSA, Inc. has legal rights to intellectual property protection, and this paper explores the options available within that realm. WIRETAP, Inc. will face civil liability claims if caught in its underhanded measures, and possibly a civil RICO suit; BugUSAs security guard Walter, however, has also created a case against its own interests. When another company owns the rights to a web domain that suits BugUSAs needs, it faces the challenge of how to acquire the domain with as little hassle and as much protection as possible. A robbed vendor may present new tort liabilities for BugUSA, and we explore potential defenses. Finally, an injured police officer may have further claims against BugUSA in light of the companys manufacturing decisions. A. Define the different type(s) of legal protections BUG should have for its intellectual property. Explain why these protections are necessary. A patent would protects BugUSA, Inc. from having other parties copy the design of their electronic devices for 20 years from the date they file with the United States Patent and Trademark Office; a copyright would protect the object codes and source codes of any computer programs created by BugUSA, Inc. or its employees that are used in conjunction with their surveillance equipment; finally, a trademark would protect BugUSAs ladybug logo from being copied by competitors (Mallon, Barnes, Bowers Langvardt, 2004). Trademarks, like patents, must be registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office registration lasts for 10 years rather than 20, but can be renewed for additional 10-year periods (Mallon et al., 2004). B. Earlier this year, WIRETIME, Inc., a relatively new company trying to compete with BugUSA Inc., sent an employee to BugUSA, Inc. to get a job. BugUSA, Inc., not realizing Steve was an employee of WIRETIME, hired him to work in its research and development department located in Any State, U.S.A. While working at BugUSA Inc., Steve forwarded any BugUSA, Inc. e-mail he received to WIRETIME Inc. This included e-mail between BugUSA, Inc. officers (both domestic and abroad) that Steve intercepted using his hacking ability.  At the end of each week, Steve met with his boss at WIRETIME, Inc. and gave him all the information he obtained about the BugUSA, Inc. product lines. Discuss in detail what type(s), if any, of civil liability Steve and/or WIRETIME Inc. face if caught. Steve and WIRETIME may face several types of civil liability to include patent infringement, misappropriation of a trade secret, and interference with prospective advantage. WIRETIME would be liable for patent infringement if they used any information or sold any product that contained elements of a patented invention, which they might have received information on from Steve. They would also be liable if a recently designed or changed product had similar elements to any product that BugUSA, Inc. had patented, even if the product was different in design. Since Steve assisted WIRETIME in obtaining information, he could also be liable for contributory infringement, if the information he obtained was used to infringe on the patentees rights. Depending on the information received and used by WIRETIME, they might or might not be liable for patent infringement. Though they might not be held liable for patent infringement, they have are at risk of being liable for misappropriation of a trade secret. A trade secret is defined as, any secret formula, pattern, process, program, device, method, technique, or compilation of information used in the owners business, if it gives its owner an advantage over competitors who do not know it or use it (Mallon et al., 2004). If the information that WIRETIME received was considered a secret and of potential value, WIRETIME will most likely be held responsible for misappropriation liability. A misappropriation liability occurs when a secret is acquired by improper means or an individual breached a duty of confidentiality regarding the secret. In Steves case, both were committed. First, WIRETIME committed fraud by sending one of their employees to be hired by BugUSA, Inc. in order to gain inside access to the company. Secondly, Steve intercepted certain emails by using his hacking ability and broke his confidentiality agreement by giving WIRETIME information that was probably confidential. The last civil liability WIRETIME might face is interference with prospective advantage. Since WIRETIME intentionally interfered by stealing certain information, BugUSA, Inc. could argue that they lost an advantage in their industry because of information that was placed into the wrong hands. In order for WIRETIME to be liable, BugUSA, Inc. would have to prove that they had an advantage and that the advantage was lost by the illegal actions of one of their competitors. C. Walter, a security guard for BugUSA, learns that Steve really works for WIRETIME. Walter takes Steve to a small soundproof room where he keeps him for six hours. During this time, Walter continues to ask Steve what he is doing at BugUSA and what information he has given WIRETIME. Walter tells Steve that he will hurt him if he does not tell him everything. Steve finally tells Walter what he wants to know. Walter then lets Steve go home. Has Walter committed any torts? If so, explain. Discuss any liability BugUSA may have for Walters actions. Walter has committed at least two torts. The first one is false imprisonment and the second is assault. The definition of false imprisonment is the intentional confinement of another person for an appreciable time without his consent (Mallor et al., 2004, p. 173). Walter took Steve to a soundproof room and kept him there for six hours, questioning him about what information Steve has given to WIRETIME. When Walter tells Steve that he will hurt Steve if he does not tell him everything, Walter has committed the tort of assault. Assault is a tort which merely requires the threat of unwanted touching of the victim, while battery requires an actual unwanted touching (Mallor et al., 2004, p. 175). According to this definition assault was committed, however since Walter apparently did not actually hurt Steve, Walter did not commit battery. D. BugUSA has come to you for advice regarding interstate and international e-commerce. BugUSA wants to sell its products through the Internet. BugUSA is concerned about privacy, security, infringement issues, email contract validity, and various other things. BugUSA is also concerned because a  company that buys famous and/or company name domain names seems to own the rights to BugUSA.com. The company is willing to sell the domain name for a high price. Advise BugUSA on all e-commerce issues that could possibly affect them. Be detailed in your response. When dealing with business in the United States, copyright, US patent and trademark laws can help BugUSA in selling products through the internet. When dealing with overseas businesses, BugUSA may turn to the Tariff Act of 1930, the Lanham Act, and patent statute, and the Copyright Act (Mallor et al., 2004). If goods are counterfeited, BugUSA can use the Trademark Counterfeitng Act of 1984 to pursue both civil and criminal actions against the perpetrators. This act allows the company to recover three times the actual damages caused by such acts. When using the domain name, BugUSA should become a member of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, This registration would aid in any disputes that might arise. Also, members of the corporation agree to be bound by arbitration would is usually a faster way to resolve disputes than using the Courts. Therefore, BugUSA should use all protections afforded to the company. Becoming a member of different organizations will aid in protections for the company. E. Shady Town, U.S.A. has been plagued with a recent crime wave. The BugUSA plant in Shady Town has experienced vandalized vehicles in its parking lot and some second shift employees have been robbed as they walked to their cars at night. BugUSA receives shipments of parts and other items from vendors at its receiving/shipping dock located at the rear of each plant. The parking lot and dock areas are well lit; however, some lights are now out. While waiting for the dock manager to return from lunch, a vendor was attacked and robbed of his wallet and electronic chips he was delivering. Discuss what, if any, tort liability BugUSA may have to the vendor and to the BugUSA employees that were attacked. What defenses may be available to BugUSA? Explain your answers. Both the employees and vendor are considered invitees. An invitee is someone  who is on the premises to conduct business, directly or indirectly. As such, the possessor or owner of the premises owes a duty to protect both the employees and vendor from harm arising out of a condition on the premises. Two criteria exist:1.The risk from the harm is unreasonable; and2.The owner of the property knew about the risk. BugUSA knew both conditions existed. BugUSA knew that the crime in the area had risen. BugUSA knew that crime had reached the premises of BugUSA because employees had already been robbed. Furthermore, BugUSA was responsible for replacing the lights in the parking lot and had not done so. Defenses available to BugUSA would be that no vendor had been robbed before this time. BugUSA could also say that one step taken to aid in the security of the area was that it was well lit. F. The attorneys for BugUSA have completed their investigation of WIRETIME and its employee, Steve. If they want to bring a successful action against WIRETIME for civil RICO, what do they need to prove? What type(s) of damages could BugUSA receive?To qualify for civil RICO action, BugUSA will face two challenges. The first is demonstrating that WIRETIME is guilty of two or more violations of RICO anti-racketeering provisions within the previous 10 years without predicate criminal offenses that constitute the necessary pattern of racketeering activity (Mallor et al., 2004, p. 157), long-term racketeering activity will be improvable. Further, the company must show that it was damaged by the activities it alleges to be RICO violations; given the Supreme Court decisions that individuals are inherently separate from business entities (Mallor et al., 2004), it is likely that it would not face difficulty in establishing that a person committed the offense. Should BugUSA present a successful action against WIRETIME, it could receive triple the amount of damages claimed; WIRETIME could also see its assets frozen and the individuals involved would face substantial fines and imprisonment for up to 20 years (Mallor et al., 2004, p. 157).G. Sally DoGood, a police officer in Shady Town, was sitting in a police van monitoring wiretaps placed in the Crime Boss hideout. The equipment she was  using, which was an older model purchased from BugUSA, short-circuited and injured Sally. An insulator that could have prevented the possibility of shorts was not included in the original design because of its effect on production costs. The newer models, not yet purchased by the Shady Town Police, have the insulator installed. Sally may have a successful case against BugUSA for what tort(s)? Explain your answer(s). Sally may have a successful against BugUSA for negligence. In order to prove negligence a plaintiff must show that the defendant owed a duty of care to the plaintiff; that the defendant committed a breach of this duty; and that this breach was the actual and proximate cause of injury experienced by the plaintiff (Mallor et al., 2004, p. 202).When the police purchased the equipment from BugUSA they did so with a reasonable expectation that the equipment was safe to use. BugUSA committed a breach of this duty when they decided to not install the insulator in the equipment even though BugUSA knew there was a possibility of shorts without the use of the insulator. When the equipment short-circuited and injured Sally, BugUSA became liable for personal injury to Sally. Because BugUSA knew the insulator was needed on the equipment used by Sally, when Sally became injured, she would have been eligible for punitive damages as well because BugUSA made a conscious or reckless disregard for the safety of those likely to be affected by the goods (Mallor et al., 2004, p. 506) when they decided to save money and not install the insulator. Strict liability would apply in this case because the company, as a whole, knowingly sold a defective product. A defective product is defined as one with a defect in the design that would have a foreseeable risk of harm. In this case this happened because of the decision to not install the insulator. References Mallor, J. P., Barnes, A.J., Bowers, T., Langvardt, A. W. (2004). Business law: The ethical, global, and e-commerce environment. (13th edition). The McGraw Hill Companies.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Issues of Alcohol Misuse

Issues of Alcohol Misuse Ethyl alcohol, also known as ethanol, is a chemical, liquid, colorless, flammable compound used industrially for the manufacture of medicines, perfumes, sprays and spirits as well as wine, beer, whiskey and others.There are two main methods for their production by the fermentation of sugars, the most common, or from the ethylene by a synthetic method. The production by fermentation of sugars is from macerated grain, fruit juices, honey, milk, potatoes or molasses, using yeast that create an enzymatic reaction that converts complex sugars into simple and then in alcohol.94 History There is evidence that consumption of intoxicating substances has been around since the Paleolithic era, although the purpose of its use is unknown, and the frequency of use in the Neolithic born an alcoholic beer-like product, which was obtained from barley fermentation. Wine was used almost exclusively by Roman settlers of origin and citizenship and this part of the imperial refined cuisine.95 Pharmacodynamics Alcoholis consumed by the oral route, after being ingested 20% of it is absorbed in the stomach and 80% in the small intestine, the absorption process is completed in an average of 30 to 60 minutes, even if a food intake simultaneously may be delayed up to 3 hours.Alcohol circulate freely in plasma, its metabolism occurs in the liver at a rate of between 7 to 10 grams per hour, this is removed from the body in small amounts so as respiratory renally.96 Metabolism The alcohol is oxidized to acetaldehyde by alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), which is saturated with low levels of blood alcohol concentration, then acetaldehyde is converted to acetate by aldehyde dehydrogenase.Under normal situations acetaldehyde is metabolized rapidly and fails to accumulate normally, however when large amounts of alcohol consumed, the accumulation of acetaldehyde can cause symptoms such as headaches, nausea, dizziness and gastritis, which is a possible hangover.97 Types of alcoholic beverages Alcohol is industrialized in different presentations of the same, varying in taste, odor and color each time, the proportion of use of each type of alcohol varies between different social groups, both age and sex, as with social class the person.In this research the types of alcohol used in the universitys population.  Cervezabe defined, is the product of fermentation of malted barley, is one of the oldest alcoholic beverages.The basic elements of beer are malted barley, hops, yeast and water.The beer is known for being a little bitter and foamy and usually, except in special beers, it looks bright and clear.  Whiskey and Vodka  are distillated starch, distilled Vodka is produced from the fermentation broth of starch.Whiskey is distilled from the broth produced by fermenting grain and aged in wooden casks.  Ron,  is an alcoholic beverage obtained from the distillation of molasses and cane juice sugar and is colored with caramel.  Came,  we obtain fermentation of grape j uice, wine to distill methanol, aldehydes, esters, acids and higher alcohols is obtained.The obtained ethyl alcohol, also called heart, is essentially wine.98 Effects on the body Alcohol is part of our lives and culture, but the overuse of this can trigger serious health problems. Alcohol can not only lead to accidents or dependency, but alcohol abuse can cause organ damage, weaken the immune system and promote the development of neoplasms.99 Because alcohol potentially affects physical and mental health, chronic use both as a high intake at one time may increase the risk of death, directly, in the case of alcohol poisoning, or indirectly by altering behavior and induces violence.100 Immune and bloodsystem,the alcohol in excessive amounts can suppress the immune system making this way harder fight both viral and bacterial infections.Chronic use of large amounts of alcohol can also develop anemia and low platelets in the user. Bones andmuscles,Moderate use of some types of alcohol can prevent the development of osteoporosis, however when used excessively, this interferes with the absorption of calcium and contrary then develop into finalinstance osteoporosis.A great use alcohol chronically has also been associated with muscle weakness. Brain and nervoussystem,being under the influence of alcohol impairment involves judgment and concentration, lethargy involve extremely high amounts and in worst cases, coma.It is equally common temporary memory loss in those drinkers high rate of consumption.Brain tissue damage in people who use large amounts of alcohol, thiamine deficiency (vitamin B1), which can be caused by poor dietary intake or associates because alcohol reduces absorption and interferes with the use of this in the body, thiamine deficiency can evolve in a severe condition called Wernicke encephalopathy.Chronic alcohol use can likewise alter the cerebellum, which is responsible for balance and coordination of movement.Furthermore,peripheral nerves are also affected, causing pain and weakness. Heart and bloodpressure,excessive alcohol use increases the risk of coronary artery disease.Have been recorded cases of sudden cardiac death in patients with a history of heavy alcohol consumption, irregular heartbeat and chronic disease of the heart muscle.A high alcohol intake is linked to high blood pressure more frequently in men. Intestines,alcohol can lead to developing malnutrition because it blocks the absorption of many important vitamins and nutrients. Kidneys,alcohol intake leads to fluid loss since this acts as a diuretic, which can cause dehydration.Similarly von lost fluids can escape minerals and salts from the body, such as magnesium, phosphorus, sodium and potassium. Liver,chronic use of alcohol can damage the liver, with conditions ranging from fatty liver to alcoholic hepatitis and eventually cirrhosis.It is very common in fatty liver drinkers large amounts of alcohol, although this is reversible when the alcohol intake ceases.Alcoholic hepatitis is developed by a 10 to 35% and leads to symptoms such as fatigue and malaise, death from liver failure may occur in severe cases.Cirrhosis becomes suffered by 5 to 15% of you large consumers of alcohol, at this stage the liver has suffered irreparable harm where the affected cells are replaced by fibrous tissue. Lungs,drunkenness increases the risk of pneumonia, since high concentrations of alcohol in the blood are sedative and relax the mouth and throat, suppressing reflections and reduces the ability of the lungs to clear mucus and foreign bodies.Chronic alcohol use has also been associated with an increased risk of pneumonia, tuberculosis and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Mentalhealth,alcohol affects mood in different ways, leading the person to feel happy, sad or aggressive.There is a risk of dependence when alcohol intake is given by anxiety or stress relief.Because alcohol increases aggressiveness and affects judgment, is often associated with people who have attempted or completed suicide.In people who drink large amounts of alcohol, mood disorders, including depression, anxiety and psychosis, alcohol abuse and dependence develop is also common in people with pre-existing mental condition.100 Reasons for use Young,  the reasons why young people use alcohol involve several factors such as the environment in which the person was raised during his childhood, peer pressure, social activities, and inadequate parental control.Children born in an environment where the sale of alcohol is part of the family economy are more likely to use it when they grow up, as well as children whose parents abused alcohol.The abundance of spirit with which society has today, also plays an important role in the development of the habit of using alcohol.  Adults,  there are similarities between the reasons that young people and adults consume alcohol, social and therapeutic reasons , stress, need for stimulation, pressure from peers.Adults report that alcohol offers relaxation after a busy day at work.101 Consumption patterns in university In universities there are students who are not consumers of alcohol, and sometimes consumers and consumers of high amounts of alcohol, there are predisposing reasons for students to consume alcohol or not, including the influence of family and friends.The fact that a student has consumed alcohol at some point in your life does not make an active consumer, however those who consume alcohol regularly, consumers can be classified into low-risk and high-risk consumers.Studies say that about 20.9% of adolescents report being regular drinkers.102 Toxic Dose It is established that the lethal dose of pure ethanol is 300 to 400ml in less than an hour in adults being potentially lethal dose of 10 ml / kg in children and 5ml / kg, as children are highly sensitive to ethyl alcohol.The clinical manifestations of alcohol intoxication will be related to blood alcohol concentration of10 to 50mgis still in a state of sobriety, so the stage is asymptomatic;30to120mg,produces euphoria, covering motor incoordination, emotional instability, restlessness, inattention and association of ideas;90to 250mgexcitability appears where irritability, dysarthria, muscular incoordination, hypoglycemia, lactic acidosis and visual disturbances seen;180to 300mgcomes the confusion, including sleep, drowsiness, marked incoordination, hypothermia and temporary amnesia;270 to 450mgof the patient falls into a coma, expressed punctate miosis, respiratory depression, areflexia, superficial and profound analgesia, metabolic acidosis, hypoglycemia and seizures;increased to45 0mg,death occurs from paralysis of Cardiorespiratory Centre.103 Alcohol Dependence When the individual has used his body to chronic alcohol intake, this begins to develop addiction and dependency, worsening by more consumed, inadequate intake of alcohol causes malaise, called withdrawal.WHO defines alcohol dependence as a mental and physical state usually also resulting from the ingestion of alcohol, characterized by responsesbehaviorand others, which always include a compulsion to drink alcohol continuously or periodically to experience its psychic effects and sometimes way to avoid the discomfort of withdrawal;tolerance may have or may not be present.104 Alcohol tolerance When high amounts of alcohol are ingested for prolonged periods, the body tends to develop a series of adaptive responses due to the constant presence of ethanol in the bloodstream.Studies demonstrated that continuous exposure to ethanol, results in a significant loss of activity of membrane in neurons besides adaptive changes in electrophysiological responses from them.105 Abuse in young The percentage of college students who ate five or more alcoholic beverages for a period of one month is 41.7% to 45.2% according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).Of those university students who inferred alcohol, 26.1% to 29.2% driving under the effects of alcoholic beverages.106 The age with the highest incidence of alcohol use are those being 21 and 23 years of age, the percentages being 49.9% at 21, 46.6% at 22 and 47.7% at 23, the fact that the highest percentage is at 21, it may be that in the most populous countries the legal age to consume alcohol is 21 years, the freedom to consume alcohol upon reaching the required age encourages young people to get alcohol as a sign that they are already adults.Anyway as young people themselves is easy to get alcohol even when you are under 21 years of age, this being expressed by 87% of students.106 Diagnostic criteria for alcohol abuse. There are four criteria according to DSM-IV avalà ºan if the consumer is within the range of alcohol, then it is enunciated identically to DSM-IV: a)  Recurrent use of alcohol, which leads to the violation of obligations at work, school or at home (eg, repeated absences or poor work performance related to substance use,.. Substance related absences, suspensions or expulsions school, neglect of children or household duties). b)  Recurrent alcohol use in situations in which it is physically hazardous (p. Example., Driving an automobile or operating a machine when impaired by substance use). c)  Repeated legal problems related to alcohol (p. Example., Arrests for alcohol-related disorderly conduct). d)  Continued alcohol use despite having persistent or recurrent social problems caused or exacerbated by the effects of alcohol interpersonal problems (p. Example., Arguments with spouse about consequences of intoxication, physical fights).107 Legality Across America the use of alcohol is allowed, however it is restricted to certain ages depending on the country.Some countries do not have regulationsfor the age at which it is allowed to use alcohol, this representing a risk for young people to develop negative behaviors on the use of alcohol.108 Alcohol and energy drinks The use of alcohol and energy drinks with high caffeine content has become popular in recent times.Previously the use of caffeine to maintain sobriety after having ingested alcohol was known for a large proportion of frequent drinkers today, because of this trend, there are drinks energy properties included in its composition, ie, according to studies allows the user not feel drunk even if you are at a stage where the alcohol in your system is categorized as intoxicated.109 Alcohol is addictive in a large proportion of people have used these once your palate to this, just as energy drinks with addictive substances like caffeine, alcohol and energy drinks use sum the probability that the individual will develop addiction to this such substances.Another property that has this binding substance is to increase the desire to continue taking more alcohol, increasing the risk of over-consumption and worsening the caudate damage by alcohol, since with increasing alcohol consumption people show less inhibitions.110 Due to the large increase in the simultaneous use of these substances the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug administration) issued notices care about inconsiderate alcoholic and energy drinks.Since the population is currently the most affected population is mostly young university, the FDA called the authorities to consider studies to understand clearly and precisely as these substances affect both together and individually, to college students in health and academic activity.111 There are many risks that bring the use of these substances from the increased likelihood of developing dependence to a greater chance of developing alcohol poisoning.The use of energy drinks during the same period in which they are drinking alcohol keeps an alert position and gives the perception of a lesser degree of intoxication which leads people to consume greater quantities of alcohol.Drinking alcohol and energy drinks together is associated with a decline in the notion of deteriorating mental and physical health caused by alcohol.112 The use of energy drinks is associated in many cases people who have a problem with alcohol.Studies show that in people where a problem is reported in the consumption of energy drinks, usually a high frequency of episodes of high alcohol intake, and problems resulting from consumption of alcohol and increased symptoms of alcohol dependence were reported.113 Regarding susceptibility possessing people ingest energy drinks tend to develop alcohol dependence, studies show that people who used energy drinks with high frequency had begun to consume alcohol and become intoxicated at a younger age than those who do not frequently consumed energy drinks, like having drunk more alcohol in the past year and more drinks on a typical night of drinking alcohol, plus they were more likely to meet diagnostic criteria for alcohol dependence.114 There are several reasons that motivate young people to consume alcohol with energy drinks, in fact these are the drinks consumed while on holiday and that adding some kind of energy drink alcohol improves the taste of the beverage.Observations indicate that college students who visited a bar reported greater use of alcohol in those who had consumed energy drinks, these students also had a threefold increased risk was after leaving the bar highly intoxicated by alcohol.115 Among the factors that influence the use of alcohol with energy drinks among young people is equally the fact that these young people mostly believe in the idea thatwill look better in front of others if they consume these types of drinks, associating greater popularity with the same classmates. College students report that if they are seen with some energy drink while consuming alcohol, they feel somehow more striking and interesting manner.116

Thursday, September 19, 2019

An Annotation of T.S. Eliots The Waste Land, Part 4, Death By Water Es

An Annotation of T.S. Eliot's The Waste Land, Part 4, Death By Water Each of us has our own personal wasteland. The wasteland may manifest itself in many things; school, loss of love, loneliness, work, fear or doubt. In any case, a wasteland is a part of us that is clearly missing something and causes a distinct lack of completeness and a sense of uncertainty about our future. T.S. Eliot manages to capture the essence of that dry and forsaken feeling in his five-part poem entitled, The Wasteland. Using five different sections, Eliot ties weaves together an enchanting story that was influenced by the book by Jessie L. Weston entitled From Ritual to Romance. Her book tells the ancient myth of the Fisher King, who lived as the impotent King of the Wasteland. The myth introduces a figure called the "Deliverer" who is also known as the Phlebas the Phoenician Sailor, who must sacrifice his life to save that of the dying Fisher King in hopes of restoring the dry and fertile land once again. Although based off of an ancient myth, the poem is drenched with Bib lical references and symbolic characters that offer connections to the life and death of Christ leading any reader to believe that Phlebas has every right to represent the person of Christ. Section four of the poem contains a problem that must be solved before the end of the work. Section IV entitled Death by Water holds the death of the figure that represents the "Deliverer" of Christ. A mere ten lines in length so much depends upon the interpretation of that death. Two strong interpretations can be made from the lines, however they leave the reader with the very same question to ponder. The conclusion that the two interpretations share is the idea and existence of life afte... ...ce of the wasteland. Humans running back and forth, never really accomplishing anything because they sense no greater purpose of meaning; they live in a dry, weary, compromised world†¦much like the life Eliot describes in part five where peoples faces "sneer and snarl (344)." The entire poem the wasteland is a searching, a struggle for the truth, for salvation of the dry, arid, and deserted time Eliot is living in. Eliot recognizes that there needs to be some sort of a renewal, a salvation that is offered to all. He establishes the first part of that renewal in Part 4 with the death of Phlebas. Whether we look at Phlebas as Christ and his sacrifice for the world, or we see Phlebas as a mere mortal, we see that in order to bring peace, re-birth, and renewal, death must precede that new beginning. Work Cited "Consider." Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. 1995.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Public Surveillance in the USA Essay -- CCTV, Privacy Rights, Right of

1. Introduction All the developed countries (developing countries are also in no way lagging behind) the incidence of the people being monitored under various surveillance systems is high of which closed circuit television system (CCTV) is gaining dominance. For instance, the UK has over 4.2 million of them, giving it a ratio of one for every 14 persons and the USA is reported to have been installing it on a rapid pace in every conceivable location as town centers, schools, public transportation systems etc with a spiraling budget estimated at $100 million. With the terrorists attacks looming large in the wake of 9/11 attacks and despite the killing of Osama Bin Laden, the trends are going towards more and more technology oriented surveillance methods. This has naturally caused widespread concerns about the privacy issues and necessitated more evidence based research to inform policy and practice. The critical issue that needs to be addressed in the argument for or against the use of public surveillance system in the USA is which one takes precedence, viz, whether safety of the public and property at large or the invasion of the rights of the individuals who are subjected to some sort of interference in their privacy. In other words, does a citizen have an unfettered right to privacy even when it comes to issues relating to the enforcement of law in prevention of terrorist attacks, crime and restoring security and peace of the citizens at large? I propose to argue in this paper in favor of the need for public surveillance system by advancing the reasons for its imperative and take the view that it does not amount to prima facie violation of individuals' rights and in contravention to the rights guaranteed under the constitution... ...lsh. "Public Area CCTV and Crime Prevention: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis." Justice Quarterly 26.4 (2009): 716-745. Web. 24 Apr. 2011 Print Gill, M., & Turbin, V. (1998). CCTV and shop theft: Towards a realistic evaluation: In C. Norris, J. Moran, & G. Armstrong (Eds.), Surveillance, closed circuit television and social control (1998) (pp. 189-204):. Aldershot: Ashgate: Print Slobogin, Christopher. Privacy at Risk: The New Government Surveillance and the Fourth Amendment. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 2007. Print Sutton, Adam, and Dean Wilson. "Watched over or over-watched? open street CCTV in Australia." Australian & New Zealand Journal of Criminology 27.2 (2004): 211-230. Print. White, R., & Sutton, A.: Crime prevention, urban space and social exclusion. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Sociology, 31(1): 1995: 82-99. Print

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Bloodlines Chapter Four

ABE HAD THE KIND OF APPEARANCE that could leave many people speechless, even if they knew nothing about him. Oblivious to the heat outside, the Moroi man was dressed in a full suit and tie. The suit was white, at least, but it still looked like it would be warm. His shirt and tie were purple, as was the rose tucked into his pocket. Gold glittered in his ears and at his throat. He was originally from Turkey and had more color to him than most Moroi but was still paler than humans like me and Keith. Abe's complexion actually reminded me of a tanned person who'd been sick for a while. â€Å"Hello,† I said stiffly. His smile split into a full grin. â€Å"So nice to see you again.† â€Å"Always a pleasure.† My lie sounded robotic, but hopefully it was better than sounding afraid. â€Å"No, no,† he said. â€Å"The pleasure's all mine.† â€Å"If you say so,† I said. This amused him further. Keith had frozen up again, so I strode over to the old Moroi man and extended my hand so that at least one of us would look like we had manners. â€Å"Are you Mr. Donahue? I'm Sydney Sage.† Clarence smiled and clasped my hand in his wrinkled one. I didn't flinch, even though the urge was there. Unlike most Moroi I'd met, he didn't conceal his fangs when he smiled, which almost made my facade crack. Another reminder that no matter how human they seemed at times, these were still vampires. â€Å"I am so pleased to meet you,† he said. â€Å"I've heard wonderful things about you.† â€Å"Oh?† I asked, arching an eyebrow and wondering who'd been talking about me. Clarence nodded emphatically. â€Å"You are welcome in my home. It's delightful to have so much company.† Introductions were made for everyone else. Eddie and Jill were a little reserved, but both friendly. Keith didn't shake any hands, but he at least stopped acting like a drooling fool. He took a chair when offered and put on an arrogant expression, which was probably supposed to look like confidence. I hoped he wouldn't embarrass us. â€Å"I'm sorry,† said Abe, leaning forward. His dark eyes glittered. â€Å"Did you say your name was Keith Darnell?† â€Å"Yes,† said Keith. He studied Abe curiously, no doubt recalling the Alchemists' conversation back in Salt Lake City. Even through the bravado Keith was attempting to put on, I could see a sliver of unease. Abe had that effect. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"No reason,† said Abe. His eyes flicked to me and then to Keith. â€Å"It just sounds familiar, that's all.† â€Å"My father's a very important man among the Alchemists,† said Keith loftily. He'd relaxed a little, probably thinking the stories about Abe were overrated. Fool. â€Å"You've undoubtedly heard of him.† â€Å"Undoubtedly,† said Abe. â€Å"I'm sure that's what it is.† He spoke so casually that no one would suspect he wasn't telling the truth. Only I knew the real reason Abe knew who Keith was, but I certainly didn't want that revealed. I also didn't want Abe dropping any more hints, which I suspected he was doing just to irk me. I tried to steer the subject away – and get some answers for myself. â€Å"I wasn't aware you were joining us, Mr. Mazur.† The sweetness in my voice matched his. â€Å"Please,† he said. â€Å"You know you can call me Abe. And I won't be staying, unfortunately. I simply came along to make sure this group arrived safely – and to meet Clarence in person.† â€Å"That's very nice of you,† I said dryly, sincerely doubting Abe's motives were as simple as that. If I'd learned anything, it was that things were never simple when Abe Mazur was involved. He was a puppet master of sorts. He not only wanted to observe things, he also wanted to control them. He smiled winningly. â€Å"Well, I always aim to help others in need.† â€Å"Yeah,† a new voice suddenly said. â€Å"That's exactly what comes to mind when I think of you, old man.† I hadn't thought anyone could shock me more than Abe, but I was wrong. â€Å"Rose?† The name came out as a question from my lips, even though there could be no doubt about who this newcomer was. There was only one Rose Hathaway, after all. â€Å"Hey, Sydney,† she said, giving me a small, crooked smile as she entered the room. Her flashing, dark eyes were friendly, but they were also assessing everything in the room, much as Eddie's gaze was. It was a guardian thing. Rose was about my height and dressed very casually in jeans and a red tank top. But, as always, there was something exotic and dangerous about her beauty that made her stand out from everyone else. She was like a tropical flower in this dark, stuffy room. One that could kill you. I'd never seen her mother, but it was easy to tell that some of her looks came from Abe's Turkish influence, like her long, dark brown hair. In the dim lighting, that hair looked nearly black. Her eyes rested on Keith, and she nodded politely. â€Å"Hey, other Alchemist.† Keith stared at her wide-eyed, but whether that was a reaction to us being further outnumbered or simply a response to Rose's extraordinary nature, I couldn't say. â€Å"I-I'm Keith,† he stammered at last. â€Å"Rose Hathaway,† she told him. His eyes bugged even more as he recognized the name. She strode across the room, toward Clarence, and I noted that half of her allure was simply in the way she dominated her surroundings. Her expression softened as she regarded the elderly man. â€Å"I checked the house's perimeter like you asked. It's about as safe as you can make it, though your back door's lock should probably be replaced.† â€Å"Are you sure?† asked Clarence in disbelief. â€Å"It's brand new.† â€Å"Maybe when this house was built,† came yet another new voice. Looking over to the doorway, I realized now that someone else had been with Rose when she arrived, but I'd been too startled by her to notice. Again, that was a Rose thing. She always drew the attention. â€Å"It's been rusted since we moved here.† This newcomer was a Moroi, which set me on edge again. That brought the count up to four Moroi and two dhampirs. I was trying very hard not to adopt Keith's attitude – especially since I already knew some of the people here – but it was hard to shake that overwhelming sense of Us and Them. Moroi aged like humans, and at a guess, I thought this new guy was close to my age, maybe Keith's at most. He had nice features, I supposed, with black curling hair and gray eyes. The smile he offered seemed sincere, though there was a slight sense of uneasiness in the way he stood. His gaze was fixed on Keith and me, intrigued, and I wondered if maybe he didn't spend a lot of time with humans. Most Moroi didn't, though they didn't share the same fears about our race as we did about theirs. But then, ours didn't use theirs as food. â€Å"I'm Lee Donahue,† he said, extending his hand. Once again, Keith didn't take it, but I did and introduced us. Lee looked back and forth between me and Keith, face full of wonder. â€Å"Alchemists, right? I've never met one of you. The tattoos you guys have are beautiful,† he said, eyeing the gold lily on my cheek. â€Å"I've heard about what they can do.† â€Å"Donahue?† asked Keith. He glanced between Lee and Clarence. â€Å"Are you related?† Lee gave Clarence an indulgent look. â€Å"Father and son.† Keith frowned. â€Å"But you don't live here, do you?† I was surprised that this, of all things, would draw him out. Maybe he didn't like the idea that his intel was faulty. He was Palm Springs' Alchemist, after all, and he'd believed Clarence was the only Moroi in the area. â€Å"Not regularly, no,† said Lee. â€Å"I go to college in LA, but my schedule's just part-time this semester. So, I want to try to spend more time with Dad.† Abe glanced at Rose. â€Å"You see that?† he said. â€Å"Now that's devotion.† She rolled her eyes at him. Keith looked like he had more questions about this, but Clarence's mind was still back in the conversation. â€Å"I could've sworn I had that lock replaced.† â€Å"Well, I can replace it soon for you if you want,† said Lee. â€Å"Can't be that hard.† â€Å"I think it's fine.† Clarence rose unsteadily to his feet. â€Å"I'm going to take a look.† Lee hurried to his side and shot us an apologetic look. â€Å"Does it have to be right now?† When it appeared that it did, Lee said, â€Å"I'll go with you.† I got the impression that Clarence frequently followed his whims, and Lee was used to it. I used the Donahues' absence to get some answers I'd been dying to know. I turned to Jill. â€Å"You didn't have any problems getting here, did you? No more, um, incidents?† â€Å"We ran into a couple dissidents before we left Court,† said Rose, a dangerous note in her voice. â€Å"Nothing we couldn't handle. The rest was uneventful.† â€Å"And it's going to stay that way,† said Eddie matter-of-factly. He crossed his arms over his chest. â€Å"At least if I have anything to do with it.† I glanced between them, puzzled. â€Å"I was told there'd be a dhampir along†¦ did they decide to send two?† â€Å"Rose invited herself along,† said Abe. â€Å"Just to make sure the rest of us didn't miss anything. Eddie's the one who will be joining you at Amberwood.† Rose scowled. â€Å"I should be the one staying. I should be Jill's roommate. No offense, Sydney. We need you for the paperwork, but I'm the one who's gotta kick anyone's ass who gives Jill trouble.† I certainly wasn't going to argue against that. â€Å"No,† said Jill, with surprising intensity. She'd been quiet and hesitant the last time I'd seen her, but her eyes grew fierce at the thought of being a burden to Rose. â€Å"You need to stay with Lissa and keep her safe. I've got Eddie, and besides, no one even knows I'm here. Nothing else is going to happen.† The look in Rose's eyes said she was skeptical. I also suspected she didn't truly believe anyone could protect either Vasilisa or Jill as well as she could. That was saying something, considering the young queen was surrounded in bodyguards. But even Rose couldn't be everywhere at once, and she must have had to choose. Her words made me turn my attention back to Jill. â€Å"What did happen?† I asked. â€Å"Were you hurt? We heard stories about an attack but no confirmation.† There was a heavy pause in the room. Everyone except Keith and me seemed distinctly uncomfortable. Well, we were uncomfortable – but for other reasons. â€Å"I'm fine,† said Jill at last, after a sharp look from Rose. â€Å"There was an attack, yeah, but none of us were hurt. I mean, not seriously. We were in the middle of a royal dinner when we were attacked by Moroi – like, Moroi assassins. They made it look like they were going for Lis – for the queen, but instead came for me.† She hesitated and dropped her eyes, letting her long, curly brown hair fall forward. â€Å"I was saved, though, and the guardians rounded them up.† There was a nervous energy to Jill that I remembered from before. It was cute and made her seem very much like the shy teenager she was. â€Å"But we don't think they're all gone, which is why we have to stay away from Court,† explained Eddie. Even as he directed his words to Keith and me, he radiated a protectiveness toward Jill, daring anyone to challenge the girl he was in charge of keeping safe. â€Å"And we don't know where the traitors in our own ranks are. So, until then, here we all are.† â€Å"Hopefully not for long,† said Keith. I gave him a warning look, and he seemed to realize his comment could be perceived as rude. â€Å"I mean, this place can't be all that fun for you guys, with the sun and everything.† â€Å"It's safe,† said Eddie. â€Å"That's what counts.† Clarence and Lee returned, and there was no more mention of Jill's background or the attack. As far as father and son knew, Jill, Eddie, and Adrian had simply fallen out of favor with important royal Moroi and were in exile here. The two Moroi men didn't know who Jill really was and believed that the Alchemists were helping her due to Abe's influence. It was a web of lies but a necessary one. Even if Clarence was in self-imposed exile, we couldn't risk him (or Lee now) accidentally letting outsiders know the queen's sister was holed up here. Eddie glanced over at the older Moroi. â€Å"You said you've never heard of any Strigoi being around here, right?† Clarence's eyes went unfocused for a moment as his thoughts turned inward. â€Å"No†¦ but there are worse things than Strigoi†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Lee groaned. â€Å"Dad, please. Not that.† Rose and Eddie were on their feet in an instant, and it was a wonder they didn't pull out weapons. â€Å"What are you talking about?† demanded Rose. â€Å"What other dangers are there?† asked Eddie, his voice like steel. Lee was actually blushing. â€Å"Nothing†¦ please. It's a delusion of his, that's all.† ‘†Delusion?'† asked Clarence, narrowing his eyes at his son. â€Å"Was your cousin's death a delusion? Is the fact that those high-ups at Court let Tamara go unavenged a delusion?† My mind spun back to a conversation I'd had with Keith in the car. I gave Clarence what I hoped was a reassuring look. â€Å"Tamara was your niece, right? What happened to her, sir?† â€Å"She was killed,† he said. There was a dramatic pause. â€Å"By vampire hunters.† â€Å"I'm sorry, by what?† I asked, certain I'd misheard. â€Å"Vampire hunters,† repeated Clarence. Everyone in the room looked as surprised as I felt, which was a small relief. Even some of Rose and Eddie's fierceness wavered. â€Å"Oh, you won't find that anywhere – not even in your records. We were living in Los Angeles when they got her. I reported it to the guardians, demanded they hunt the culprits down. Do you know what they said?† He peered at each person in turn. â€Å"Do you?† â€Å"No,† said Jill meekly. â€Å"What did they say?† Lee sighed and looked miserable. Clarence snorted. â€Å"They said there was no such thing. That there was no evidence to support my claim. They ruled it a Strigoi killing and said there was nothing anyone could do, that I should be grateful she wasn't turned.† I looked at Keith, who again seemed startled by this story. He apparently didn't know Clarence as well as he'd claimed. Keith had known the old man had a hang-up involving his niece, but not the extent of it. Keith gave me a small shrug that seemed to say, See? What did I tell you? Crazy. â€Å"The guardians are very thorough,† said Eddie. His tone and words were both clearly chosen with care, striving not to offend. He sat back down next to Jill. â€Å"I'm sure they had their reasons.† â€Å"Reasons?† asked Clarence. â€Å"If you consider denial and living a delusional life reasons, then I suppose so. They just don't want to accept that vampire hunters are out there. But tell me this. If my Tamara was killed by Strigoi, why did they cut her throat? It was cut cleanly with a blade.† He made a slashing motion under his chin. Jill flinched and cowered into her chair. Rose, Eddie, and Abe also looked taken aback, which surprised me because I didn't think anything would make that group squeamish. â€Å"Why not use fangs? Makes it easier to drink. I pointed that out to the guardians, and they said that since about half of her blood had been drunk, it was obviously a Strigoi. But I say a vampire hunter did it and made it look like they took her blood. Strigoi would have no reason to use a knife.† Rose started to speak, paused, and then began again. â€Å"It is strange,† she said calmly. I had a feeling she'd probably been about to blurt out how ridiculous this conspiracy theory was, but had thought better of it. â€Å"But I'm sure there's another explanation, Mr. Donahue.† I wondered if mentioning that the Alchemists had no records of vampire hunters – not in several centuries, at least – would be helpful or not. Keith suddenly took the conversation in an unexpected direction. He met Clarence's gaze levelly. â€Å"It might seem strange for Strigoi, but they do all sorts of vicious things for no reason. I know from personal experience.† My stomach sank. Oh no. All eyes turned to Keith. â€Å"Oh?† asked Abe, smoothing his black goatee. â€Å"What happened?† Keith pointed to his glass eye. â€Å"I was attacked by Strigoi earlier this year. They beat me up and ripped out my eye. Then they left me.† Eddie frowned. â€Å"Without drinking or killing? That is really weird. That doesn't sound like normal Strigoi behavior.† â€Å"I'm not sure you can really expect Strigoi to do anything ‘normal,'† pointed out Abe. I gritted my teeth, wishing he wouldn't engage Keith in this. Please don't ask about the eye, I thought. Let it go. That was too much to expect, of course, because Abe's next question was, â€Å"They only took the one eye? They didn't try for both?† â€Å"Excuse me.† I rose before Keith could answer. I couldn't sit through this conversation and listen to Abe bait Keith, simply for the fun of tormenting me. I needed to escape. â€Å"I†¦ I don't feel well. I'm going to get some air.† â€Å"Of course, of course,† said Clarence, looking as though he wanted to rise as well. â€Å"Should I have my housekeeper get you some water? I can ring the bell – â€Å" â€Å"No, no,† I said, moving toward the door. â€Å"I just†¦ I just need a minute.† I hurried out and heard Abe saying, â€Å"Such delicate sensibilities. You'd think she wouldn't be so squeamish, considering her profession. But you, young man, seem like you can handle talking about blood†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Abe's ego-stroking worked, and Keith launched into the one story I most definitely didn't want to hear. I went back down the dark hallway and emerged outside. The fresh air was welcome, even if it was more than twenty degrees warmer than what I'd come from. I took a deep, steadying breath, forcing myself to stay calm. Everything was going to be okay. Abe would be leaving soon. Keith would return to his own apartment. I would go back to Amberwood with Jill and Eddie, who really didn't seem like bad companions, considering who I could have ended up with. With no real destination in mind, I decided to walk around and scope out Clarence's home – more like an estate, really. I picked a side of the house at random and walked around, admiring the detailed sculpting of the house's exterior. Even if it was hopelessly out of place in the southern California landscape, it was still impressive. I had always loved studying architecture – a subject my father thought was pointless – and was impressed by my surroundings. Glancing around, I noted that the grounds didn't match the rest of what we'd driven through to get here. A lot of the land in this region had gone brown from summer and lack of rain, but Clarence had clearly spent a fortune to keep his sprawling yard lush and green. Non-native trees – beautiful and full of flowers – were artfully arranged to make walking paths and courtyards. After several minutes of my nature stroll, I turned around and headed back toward the front of the house. I came to a stop when I heard someone. â€Å"Where are you?† a voice asked. Abe. Great. He was looking for me. â€Å"Over here,† I just barely heard Adrian say. His voice came from the far side of the house, opposite the side I was on. I heard someone walk across the gravel driveway, the footsteps coming to a halt when they reached what I gauged to be the back door where Abe stood. I bit my lip and stayed where I was, concealed by the house. I was almost afraid to breathe. With their hearing, Moroi could pick up the tiniest detail. â€Å"Were you ever coming back?† asked Abe, amused. â€Å"Didn't see the point,† was Adrian's laconic response. â€Å"The point is politeness. You could have made an effort to meet the Alchemists.† â€Å"They don't want to meet me. Especially the guy.† There was concealed laughter in Adrian's voice. â€Å"You should have seen his face when I ran into him at the door. I wish I'd had a cape on. The girl's at least got some nerve.† â€Å"Nevertheless, they play a crucial role in your stay here – and Jill's. You know how important it is that she remain safe.† â€Å"Yeah, I get that. And I get why she's here. What I don't get is why I'm here.† â€Å"Don't you?† asked Abe. â€Å"I'd assume it's obvious to both Jill and you. You have to stay near her.† There was a pause. â€Å"That's what everyone says†¦ but I'm still not sure it's necessary. I don't think she needs me close by, no matter what Rose and Lissa claim.† â€Å"You have something better to do?† â€Å"That's not the point.† Adrian sounded annoyed, and I was glad that I wasn't the only one Abe had that effect on. â€Å"That's exactly the point,† Abe said. â€Å"You were wasting away at Court, drowning in your own self-pity – among other things. Here, you have a chance to be useful.† â€Å"To you.† â€Å"To yourself as well. This is an opportunity for you to make something of your life.† â€Å"Except you won't tell me what it is I'm supposed to do!† said Adrian irritably. â€Å"Aside from Jill, what is this great task you have for me?† â€Å"Listen. Listen and watch.† I could perfectly picture Abe stroking his chin in that mastermind way of his again as he spoke. â€Å"Watch everyone – Clarence, Lee, the Alchemists, Jill and Eddie. Pay attention to every word, every detail, and report it to me later. It may all be useful.† â€Å"I don't know that that really clears things up.† â€Å"You have potential, Adrian. Too much potential to waste. I'm very sorry for what happened with Rose, but you have to move on. Maybe things don't make sense now, but they will later. Trust me.† I almost felt bad for Adrian. Abe had once told me to trust him too, and look how things had turned out. I waited until the two Moroi returned inside and then followed a minute later. In the living room, Keith was still wearing his cocky attitude but looked relieved to have me back. We discussed more details and worked out a schedule for feedings, one I was in charge of maintaining since I'd have to drive Jill (and Eddie, since he didn't want to let her out of his sight) back and forth to Clarence's. â€Å"How are you going to get to feedings?† I asked Adrian. After hearing his conversation with Abe, I was now more curious than ever about his role here. Adrian was standing against the wall, on the opposite side of the room. His arms were crossed defensively, and there was a rigidness to his posture that conflicted with the lazy smile he wore. I couldn't be sure, but it looked as though he was purposely positioning himself as far from Rose as possible. â€Å"By walking down the hall.† Seeing my puzzled look, Clarence explained, â€Å"Adrian will be staying here with me. It will be nice to have someone else in these old walls.† â€Å"Oh,† I said. To myself, I muttered, â€Å"How very Secret Garden.† â€Å"Hmm?† asked Adrian, tilting his head toward me. I flinched. Their hearing was good. â€Å"Nothing. I was just thinking of a book I read.† â€Å"Oh,† said Adrian dismissively, glancing away. The way he said the word seemed to be a condemnation of books everywhere. â€Å"Don't forget me,† said Lee, grinning at his father. â€Å"I told you I'll be around more.† â€Å"Maybe young Adrian here will keep you out of trouble, then,† declared Clarence. No one said anything to that, but I saw Adrian's friends exchange a few amused glances. Keith didn't look nearly as freaked out as he had when we'd arrived, but there was a new air of impatience and irritability in him that I didn't quite understand. â€Å"Well,† he said, after clearing his throat. â€Å"I need to get home and take care of some business. And since you're my ride, Sydney†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He left the words hanging but looked at me meaningfully. From what I'd learned, I was more convinced than ever that Palm Springs was the least active vampire area anywhere. I couldn't honestly figure out what â€Å"business† Keith would have to take care of, but we had to leave here sooner or later. Eddie and Jill went to gather their luggage, and Rose used the opportunity to pull me aside. â€Å"How have you been?† she asked in a low voice. Her smile was genuine. â€Å"I've been worried about you, ever since†¦ well, you know. No one would tell me what happened to you.† The last time I'd seen her, I'd been held prisoner in a hotel by guardians while the Moroi tried to figure out how big my role had been in Rose's escape. â€Å"I was in a little trouble at first,† I said. â€Å"But it's past.† What was a small lie between friends? Rose was so strong that I couldn't stand the thought of looking weak in front of her. I didn't want her to know that I still lived in fear of the Alchemists, forced to do whatever it took to get back in their good graces. â€Å"I'm glad,† she said. â€Å"They told me originally it was your sister that was going to be here.† Those words reminded me again how Zoe could replace me at any moment. â€Å"It was a mix-up.† Rose nodded. â€Å"Well, I feel a little better with you here, but it's still hard†¦ I still feel like I should protect Jill. But I need to protect Lissa too. They think Jill's the easier target, but they're still going after Lissa.† The inner turmoil shone in her dark eyes, and I felt a pang of pity. This was what I'd had trouble explaining to the other Alchemists, how dhampirs and vampires could seem so human at times. â€Å"It's been crazy, you know. Ever since Lissa took the throne? I thought I'd finally get to relax with Dimitri.† Her smile broadened. â€Å"I should've known nothing's ever simple with us. We've spent all our time looking out for Lissa and Jill.† â€Å"Jill will be okay. As long as the dissidents don't know she's here, it should all be easy. Boring, even.† She was still smiling, but her smile had dimmed a little. â€Å"I hope so. If you only knew what had happened†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Her expression changed as some memory seized her. I started to insist she tell me what had happened, but she shifted the subject before I could. â€Å"We're working on changing the law – the one that says Lissa needs one family member in order to stay queen. Once that's done, both she and Jill will be out of danger. But that just means those who want to take out Jill are more insane than ever, because they know the clock's ticking.† â€Å"How long?† I asked. â€Å"How long will it take to change the law?† â€Å"I don't know. A few months, maybe? Legal stuff†¦ well, it's not my thing. Not the details of it, at least.† She grimaced briefly and then became battle tough again. She tossed her hair over one shoulder. â€Å"Crazy people who want to hurt my friends? That is my thing, and believe me, I know how to deal with it.† â€Å"I remember,† I said. It was weird. I thought of Rose as one of the strongest people I knew, yet it seemed as though she needed my assurance. â€Å"Look, you go do what you do, and I'll do what I do. I'll make sure Jill blends in. You guys got her out without anyone knowing. She's off the grid now.† â€Å"I hope so,† Rose repeated, voice grim. â€Å"Because if she's not, your little group here doesn't stand a chance against those crazy rebels.†

Monday, September 16, 2019

Mexico

Being one of the largest countries in the world, Mexico boosts its territorial area amassing almost 2 million square kilometers of land. Apart from this, Mexico also has a diverse topography as manifested by its favorable climate. At any time of the year, it has been said that Mexico has a perfect climate especially in many parts of its central highlands and some of its coastal locations.Although this has been the case, Mexico's economy is said to be mostly driven by tourism, industrial production, oil and gas production, textiles and clothing, and agriculture. It has also been a worldwide fact that Americans visit Mexico more often than any other countries in the world because of its attractive and favorable tourist destinations. In addition, there has been numerous factories which have been built to take advantage of the lower labor costs of Mexico. Aside from the vast industrial milieu, Mexico also has been contributing almost 1/5 of the world’s oil reserves. Mexico's seemi ngly progressive economic activity is mainly attributed to its wide production as well as exports on a wide selection of agricultural goods.Meanwhile, it has long been said that the economy of Mexico is characterized by a free market. In recent times, its gross domestic product has surpassed almost a trillion dollars which makes it one of the largest economies in the world. It is also firmly established as an upper middle-income country with the highest income per capita in Latin America in market exchange rates. However, Mexico is the only Latin American country to be member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.Since the 1994 crisis, subsequent administrations were said to have greatly influenced the improvement in the macroeconomic fundamentals of Mexico. After its slow growth in 2001, it eventually managed to maintain a small positive growth. Although Moody's (in March 2000) and Fitch IBCA (in January 2002) have issued favorable investment-grade ratings fo r its sovereign debt, Mexico still needs to look for possible remedies to alleviate societal problems. Even if there has obtained a certain level of macroeconomic stability that has reduced inflation and interest rates to record lows and increased income per capita, there still exists problems regarding social inequities. These problems include the need to upgrade infrastructure, modernize the tax system and labor laws and reduce income inequality.The economy of Mexico contains a mixture of modern and outmoded industry and agriculture. These economic segments of Mexico are said to be mostly dominated by the private sector. However, recent administrations have expanded competition in sea ports, railroads, telecommunications, electricity generation, natural gas distribution and airports with the aim of upgrading infrastructure. Meanwhile, about 90% of its trade — considering that Mexico is an export-oriented economy — is under free trade agreements (FTAs).The Free trade agreement is composed and agreed upon by almost   40 countries including the European Union, Japan, Israel and many countries in Central and South America. However, the most influential among all free trade agreements is the NAFTA. NAFTA has said to have existed in 1994 and was signed in 1992 by the governments of the United States, Canada and Mexico. In 2006, trade with its northern partners accounted for close to 90% of Mexico's exports and 55% of its imports, with the great help from the free trade agreements.After five decades of political turbulence after independence in Mexico, the four consecutive administrations of President Porfirio Dà ­az was said to be the igniting factor for the economic progress of Mexico. During his term, the last quarter of the 19th century in Mexico has brought about economic growth as manifested with numerous foreign investments and by immigration. Also with his term, President Diaz was able to develop an efficient railroad system as well as the great use of natural resources.It has also been said that during Diaz' term, the gross domestic product of Mexico was also reaching those of Argentina and Uruguay during circa 1900 and it was almost three times more than the gross domestic product of Brazil and Venezuela. Its annual economic growth between 1876 and 1910 has also averaged by 3.3%. However, its inequitable land distribution system led to the Mexican Revolution in 1910-1917, which has transformed the important aspects of Mexican living. This armed conflict was said to be due to political repression and fraud as well as huge income inequalities. Then, large haciendas were mostly owned by a few but worked by millions of underpaid peasants living in precarious conditions.Meanwhile, during 1930 to 1970 Mexico was dubbed by economic historians as the â€Å"Mexican Miracle†. This period is said to be characterized by economic growth as spurred by a model of import-substitution industrialization (ISI). This model has p rotected and promoted the development of national industries. Through the ISI model, the country experienced an economic boom through which industries rapidly expanded their production.Important changes in the economic structure included the free land distribution to peasants under the concept of ejido, the nationalization of the oil and railroad companies, the introduction of social rights into the constitution, the birth of large and influential labor unions, and the upgrading of infrastructure. From 1940 to 1970 GDP increased six fold, whereas population doubled. The ISI model had reached its peaked in the late 1960s.During the 1970s, the administrations of Echeverrà ­a and Là ³pez Portillo tried to revive the economy and began to include social development in their policies, an effort that entailed more public spending. However, the government decided to borrow from international capital markets to invest in the state-owned oil company — which in turn seemed to provide a long-run income source to promote social welfare — in the advent of the discovery of huge oil fields during those times where oil prices were surging and international interest rates were low and even negative.In fact, this method has produced a remarkable growth in public expenditure, and President Là ³pez Portillo announced that the time had come to learn to â€Å"manage prosperity†. This period of prosperity, however, was accompanied by the mismanagement of resources and inflation.In 1981-1982, the international panorama changed abruptly. This has been manifested by oil prices eventually plunging as well as the detrimental increase in   interest rates. In 1982, President Là ³pez Portillo before ending his administration decided to suspend payments of foreign debt, devalued the peso and nationalized the banking system along with many other industries that were severely affected by the crisis.While import substitution had produced an era of industrialization in previous decades, it was evident that that protracted protection had produced an uncompetitive industrial sector with low productivity gains. Meanwhile, President de la Madrid was the first in the series of presidents that began to implement neoliberal reforms.After the crisis of 1982, lenders were unwilling to return to Mexico and in order to keep the current account in balance. With this, the government has decided to resort to currency devaluations which has produced an effect that sparked unprecedented inflation.   Its inflation rate has reached its historical high in 1987 at approximately 159.7%.In order to stabilize all the untoward economic activities in Mexico, Mexico has decided to liberalize its trade policies. It has been said that the first step toward the liberalization of its trade was the incorporation of Mexico's signature of GATT in 1986. During the Salinas administration in Mexico, state-owned companies were privatized with the notable exception of the oil indust ry and energy since these industries were primarily protected by their constitution. In addition, the North American Free Trade Agreement was signed in 1992 between the United States, Canada and Mexico.Soon after, the signature of two additional supplements on environments and labor standards came into effect on January 1, 1994. Aside from these, the Salinas administration also introduced strict price controls and negotiated smaller minimum wage increments with labor unions with the aim of curbing inflation. While his strategy was successful in reducing inflation, economic growth pf Mexico has averaged only 2.8 percent a year. Although this has been the case, it barely shows that little by little Mexico is slowly recovering from the past mistakes of previous administrations. Also, the move to liberalize the trade policies would really help them ensure that there would exist positive economic growth for the people.After several administrations trying to pose remedy on seemingly diffi cult-situated economy of Mexico, the Salinas government proved that Mexico can still be at par with the economic activities of other countries in the world. Meanwhile, the Mexican economy rather its official money gained strength by enforcing a fixed exchange rate. It has been said that the peso has become overvalued while the consumer spending increased. With this Mexico's current account deficit to reach 7% of gross domestic product in 1994, which was primarily financed through public debt instruments called tesobonos.This financing system has reassured Mexico's payment in dollars. However, the momentary economic growth was again placed in a bad light after the Chiapas revolt and the assassinations of the most-likely to win presidential candidate as well as the nation's prosecutor in 1994, which eventually sent an unfavorable message to investors, both existing and potential.Meanwhile, public debt holders rapidly sold their tesobonos which depleted the Central Bank's reserves. Por tfolio investments, on the other hand, which had made up 90% of total investment flows, left the country as fast as they had come in. This unsustainable situation eventually forced the Zedillo administration to abandon the fixed exchange rate because this seemingly has not proved great worth to the Mexican economy.During that time, the peso sharply devalued and the country entered into an economic crisis in 1995. The boom in exports as well as an international rescue package crafted by American president Bill Clinton in a certain way helped cushion the crisis. And after less than 18 months, the economy of Mexico was seen to be slowly recovering again. During that 18 months, the annual growth rate of Mexico was aid to have averaged for about 5.1 percent between 1995 and 2000.President Zedillo and President Fox continued with trade liberalization. During their administrations, several free trade agreements were signed with Latin American and European countries as well as in Japan and Israel in order to maintain macroeconomic stability. With this, Mexico became one of the most open countries in the world to trade and its economy base shifted accordingly. The total trade of Mexico with the United States and Canada eventually tripled and its total exports and imports almost quadrupled between 1991 and 2003. Mexico's economy is now characterized with a favorable rating as foreign investment was changed from portfolio to foreign-direct investment (FDI).During the last quarter of 2000, it has been said that the Mexican economy grew at an annual rate of 5.1 percent which has marked its twentieth consecutive quarter of economic growth. For the entire year, the gross domestic product of Mexico then increased by 6.9 percent, the second highest growth rate in two decades. Indeed, the implementation of sound fiscal and monetary policies during 2000 enabled Mexico to achieve, and in most cases outperform, the main economic targets established at the beginning of the year.In addition, Mexico’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2000 grew by 6.9 percent in real terms, 2.4 percentage points higher than the original target of 4.5 percent. In current prices, its GDP amounted to 5,432.3 billion pesos (approximately US$574.8 billion). This increase was brought about by the 10 percent expansion in gross fixed capital formation which was supported by the increase in private investments, and by an 8.7 percent growth in private consumption. On the other hand, public spending was said to have registered only a moderate 3.5 percent increase during the year.The most vigorous component of aggregate demand during that time was the export sector, which expanded at an annual growth rate of 16 percent. For 2000 as a whole, the value of exports totaled US$166.4 billion. In terms of sector performance, the primary sector which included the agriculture, livestock, fishing and forestry has expanded at a rate of 3.4 percent in 2000. Meanwhile, the industrial sector which included the mining, manufacturing, construction and electricity as well as the services sector, which included commerce, transportation, communication and financial services, grew only by 6.6 and 7.4 percent, respectively.In an article written by Dickerson, however, Mexico's economy slowed in the last three months of 2006. This was aid to have been brought about by the   consequences in the United States: Tough times in Mexico typically fuel immigration north of the border. In the same year, it has been said that Mexico's gross domestic product only expanded 4.3% in the October-to-December period from the final quarter of 2005 based on the figures released by the finance ministry. It was said to be the third consecutive period of slower growth in the nation's economic output as manifested with a sharp decline from the 5.5% expansion registered in the first quarter. The deceleration was blamed largely on a sluggish factory sector and a slowdown in exports to Mexico's principal cus tomer, the United States.In 2006, Mexico only posted GDP growth of 4.8% which has been considered the strongest since 2000. High oil prices pumped record tax revenue into government coffers. The economy of the United States, Mexico's biggest trading partner, is also weakening. Meanwhile, Mexico's inflation has been rising, its oil production is slipping, and the nation's bellwether auto sector has hit a speed bump. Its inflation has been greatly manifested by soaring unemployment as well as rising prices on basics including tortillas, milk and eggs have sparked street protests. The unemployment rate of most of its people was also affected with the slower rate of remittance by those working outside their country.It has been said that most Mexican families only rely on the remittances sent home. Remittances have become the nation's second-largest source of foreign exchange behind oil revenue. The slowdown in economic growth is attributed also to manufacturing. Mexico's factory or manu facturing sector only expanded 3.1% in the final quarter of the year. In the first three months of the year, it grew by only about 7% which was driven by a rebound in producing automobiles.The Mexican plants of Ford Motor Co., General Motors Corp. and DaimlerChrysler has only accounted for about 70% of the cars assembled in Mexico and most of which end up in American showrooms, not also in Mexico since customers as surely to swarm over luxury vehicles when it would be showcased in the United States. But, the U.S. sales slump has trimmed Mexican production of vehicles as well as its exports after it only acquired a 5% growth rate in December. The trend accelerated in January as exports tumbled to 88,915 vehicles, a 20.7% drop from January 2006.In last year, Mexico's overall export growth also slipped to 6% in November and 4% in December after an average increase of 19% over the first 10 months of the year. Its Industrial production barely grew a 1.6% rate in December, much lower than forecasts made by most economists. Meanwhile, consumer prices have also been predicted to be rising. Mexico ended 2006 with an inflation rate of 4.05%, up from 3.3% in 2005. This was said to be brought about mainly by skyrocketing prices for agricultural products which include tomatoes, tortillas and other basic foodstuffs. However, this phenomenon of skyrocketing agricultural prices could force Mexico's central bank to raise interest rates, which could eventually help put a stop to inflation while become a burden to economic growth.On the other hand, Mexico's oil sector was said to have not contributed much to the economic growth of the country in 2007. This has been manifested by the continuing increase in petroleum prices although it has declined steeply since last summer's record highs, meaning less oil revenue for Mexico's treasury. Production also has fallen sharply at Cantarell, its largest oil field, a major worry in a nation that last year relied on petrodollars to fund ne arly 40% of public spending.As earlier stated, the remittances — which has also become part of the economic activity in Mexico — have shown signs of sluggish growth. Mexican workers last year only remitted almost $23 billion to their families. But the pace of growth decelerated markedly over the course of the year. In the first quarter of 2006, remittances grew 27.5% compared with the January-to-March period in 2005. In the final three months of last year, remittances were up just 5.5% over the same period the year before. However, November and December were seen to actually be stagnated in terms of growth.It has also been said that the slower economic growth of Mexico could be a result of tighter U.S. border enforcement. To some, it is a sign of progress for border agents but a potential blow for Mexico, where remittances have become a pillar of the economy.Agriculture, as a percentage of GDP, has been steadily declining. However, this has been also encountered ny mos t developing nations as it plays a smaller role in the economy. In 2006, the agriculture sector of Mexico has accounted for only 3.9% of GDP, down from 7% in 1980, and 25% in 1970. Nonetheless, given the historic structure of ejidos, it still employs a considerably high percentage of the work force: 18% in 2003 which are mostly of basic crops for subsistence as   compared to 2-5% in developed nations in which production is highly mechanized.In spite of being a staple in Mexican diet, Mexico's comparative advantage in agriculture is not in corn, but in horticulture, tropical fruits and vegetables. Negotiators of   free trade agreements are expected that through liberalization and mechanization of agriculture, two-thirds of Mexican corn-producers would naturally shift from corn production to horticultural and other labor-intensive crops such as fruits, nuts, vegetables, coffee and sugar cane. While horticultural trade has drastically increased due to these agreements, it has not a bsorbed displaced workers from corn production which has been estimated at around 600,000.Moreover, corn production has remained stable as a result of income support to farmers or a reticence to abandon a millenarian tradition in Mexico: not only have peasants grown corn for millennia, corn originated in Mexico. Even today, Mexico is still the fourth largest corn producer in the world.Meanwhile, the industrial sector as a whole have benefited from trade liberalization. In 2000,   it has been said to have accounted for almost 90% of all export earnings. As earlier stated, the most important industrial manufacturer in Mexico is the automotive industry This industry are internationally recognized for their standards of quality. Although this has been the case, the automobile sector in Mexico differs from that in other Latin American countries and developing nations in that it does not function as a mere assembly manufacturer.The industry produces technologically complex components an d engages in some research and development activities. The â€Å"Big Three† which includes General Motors, Ford and Chrysler have been operating in Mexico since the 1930s. Volkswagen and Nissan on the other hand had only built their plants in the 1960s. Now, even other car producers such as Honda, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz have joined in. Given the high requirements of North-American components in the industry, many European and Asian parts suppliers have also moved to Mexico for one reason alone, that is, because most labor oriented employment has been subjected to lower costs.Meanwhile, some large industries of Mexico include Cemex– the third largest cement conglomerate in the world in term of   alcohol beverage industries — has represented a meager amount in the economic activity of the country. It has been said that high-tech industrial production represented 21% of total exports, the highest in Latin America. Apart from Cemex, the alcohol beverage industry i ncludes world-renowned players like Grupo Modelo, or conglomerates like FEMSA, which apart from owning breweries and the OXXO convenience store chain, is also the second-largest Coca-Cola bottler in the world. It also include Gruma, the largest producer of corn flour and tortillas in the world, Bimbo, Telmex, Televisa, and many other high-tech industries, many of which are based in Monterrey.Maquiladoras — or the Mexican factories which take in imported raw materials and produce goods for export —   have become the nucleus of trade in Mexico. This sector has benefited from the free trade agreements being pushed by several administrations in Mexico. The real income in the maquiladora sector has increased 15.5% since 1994, though from the non-maquiladora sector has grown much faster.Contrary to popular belief, this should be no surprise since maquiladora's products could enter the US duty free since the 1960's industry agreement. Other sectors now benefit from the free trade agreement and that the share of exports from non-border states has increased in the last 5 years while the share of exports from maquiladora-border states has decreased.Meanwhile, mineral resources are the â€Å"nation's property† by constitution. As such, the energy sector is administered by the government with varying degrees of private investment. By fact, Mexico is the fifth-largest oil producer in the world with the capacity to produce about 3.8 million barrels per day.   The public company in charge of administering research, exploitation and sales of oil and is considered the largest oil   in Latin America is Pemex, which makes $86 billion in sales a year. Their sales constitutes a sum larger than the GDP of some of the region's countries.However, although it has been said that Pemex is the largest oil company, their growth is temporarily hampered with the imposition of high taxes, which eventually is a significant source of revenue for the government. Witho ut enough money to continue investing in finding new sources or upgrading infrastructure and being protected constitutionally from private and foreign investment, some have predicted the company may face institutional collapse. While the oil industry is still relevant for the government's budget, its importance in GDP and exports has steadily fallen since the 1980s. In 1980 oil exports accounted for 61.6% of total exports; by 2000 it was only 7.3%.On the other hand, the service sector was estimated to account for 70.5% of the country's GDP, and employs 58% of the active population. This section includes transportation, commerce, warehousing, restaurant and hotels, arts and entertainment, health, education, financial and banking services, telecommunications as well as public administration and defense. Mexico's service sector has been strong, and in 2001 it replaced Brazil's as the largest service sector in Latin America in dollar terms.Moreover, the tourism industry is also one of t he most important industries in Mexico. It is the fourth largest source of foreign exchange for the country. Mexico is the eight most visited countries in the world with over 20 million tourists a year.Meanwhie, the financial and banking sector is increasingly dominated by foreign companies or mergers of foreign and Mexican companies with the notable exception of Banorte. The acquisition of Banamex, one of the oldest surviving financial institutions in Mexico, by Citigroup was the largest US-Mexico corporate merger at 12.5 billion USD. Banamex generates almost three times as much revenue than all 16 Citigroup's subsidiaries in the rest of Latin America. In spite of that, the largest financial institution in Mexico is Bancomer associated to the Spanish BBVA.The process of institution building in the financial sector in Mexico has evolved hand in hand with the efforts of financial liberalization and of inserting the economy more fully into world markets. The financial sector is becomi ng stable over the years with the   acquisitions of   foreign institutions such as US-based Citigroup, Spain’s BBVA and the UK’s HSBC. Their presence coupled with a better regulatory framework has allowed Mexico’s banking system to recover from their financial crisis manifested by the peso devaluation.Pubic lending as well as in lending in the private sector is increasing and so is activity in the areas of insurance, leasing and mortgages. However, bank credit accounts for only 22% of GDP, which is significantly low compared to 70% in Chile. Although lending has been widely accepted now in mexico, credit in the agricultural sector has fallen 45.5% in six years from 2001 to 2007 and has now represented about 1% of total bank loans.It has been described by critics that Mexico's economy is like an airplane flying with only one engine, that engine-exports-is powerful enough to keep the country from crashing but not powerful enough to lift the whole country. Unle ss the motor of domestic demand turns over as well, Mexico's economy will never really take off. Mexico's current economic system fails to generate even a fraction of the one million new jobs that Mexicans seek each year, and it does not seem to promise rapid growth in the future. Indeed, one unstated but inescapable conclusion is that Mexico cannot hardly catch up to its free-trade partners in North America even at par with their respective living standards.Mexico's economy which ahs said to be undercapitalized, inefficient, mistrusted, and biased in favor of large enterprises have remained a stigma or a serious barrier to broad-based economic growth. A few thousand large agro industries like exporting fruits, vegetables, and some livestock have found considerable success. Meanwhile, a significant proportion of commercial producers are bankrupt.The peasant maize economy is battered by free trade, but it will not disappear because there is a dearth of alternative employment. Good ag ricultural lands go uncultivated because farmers cannot compete with imports from the United States, while poor peasants deplete natural resources on lands poorly suited to agriculture.A third problem that surface at some points is the collusive nature of business-government relations. Mexico often remains a country where profits are privatized and losses socialized.Underlying many of Mexico's problems is the need for more government revenue. Budget reductions have been responsible for rather striking cuts in government investment, which in turn, have dampened domestic demand and weakened certain sectors of the economy. Tax collection as a percentage of gross domestic products actually fell during the 1990s, a trend that underscores how inadequate has been the focus on the revenue side of Mexico's budget. The problem is especially acute with regard to social spending. Mexico could potentially afford close-to-universal health care coverage and more extensive antipoverty programs; all it would really need to do is raise taxes by about 5 percent of GDP.WORKS CITED:(1996). Mexico Economy. Retrieved 18 April 2007, from Travel Document Systems, Inc. Website:http://www.traveldocs.com/mx/economy.htm.(2003). Economic Report – Mexico. Retrieved 17 April 2007, from Website:unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/APCITY/UNPAN001680.pdf.(2007). Economy of Mexico. Retrieved 17 April 2007, from Website:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexico/Economy.(2007). Mexico's Economy. Retrieved 17 April 2007, from Economist.com Website:http://www.economist.com/research/backgrounders/displaybackgrounder.cfm?bg=629589.Whalen, Christopher (1995). Mexico: What’s Next? Retrieved 17 April 2007, fromWebsite:http://www.cs.uwaterloo.ca/~alopez-o/politics/whatsnext.htmlBaker, Dean (2006). Beat the Press: Surprising News on Mexico at the Washington Post. Retrieved 17 April 2007, from Website: http://beatthepress.blogspot.com/2006/04/surprising-news-on-mexico-at.htmlDickerson, Ma rla, . (2007). Mexico Economy Losses Steam. Retrieved 17 April 2007, from Los Angeles Times Website:http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-mexico17feb17,1,2750169.story?coll=la-headlines-business&ctrack=1&cset=true.Lawson, Chappell, . (2004). Confronting Development: Assessing Mexico's Economic and Social Policy Challenges Latin America. Retrieved 17 April 2007, from Massachusetts Institute of Technology Website:http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa4000/is_200404/ai_n9363872/pg_4.â€Å"Mexico.† Britannica Book of the Year, 2004. 2007. Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica Online. 18   Apr.   2007 Â