Comparison of Economic Systems: Germany and the UAE

Comparison of Economic Systems: Germany and the UAE Introduction â€Å"Economy is the state of a country or region in terms of the production and consumption of goods and services, and the supply of money†(Oxford Dictionaries 2012). Before profound studying about the mentioned countries one important aspect should be taken into consideration the similarity between these two countries is their critical role in their region, both of those countries has a significant influence on the political and economy climate in their respective regions. Germany is located in Central Europe, south of Denmark, between Poland and the Netherlands. It has a direct access to North and Baltic seas. The countrys total area is 357,022 sq.km and the population around 82 million people. Historically, Germany has evolved couple of unifications and reunifications including the last one in 1990. Excellent infrastructure, location, skilled workforce and moderate wage rate make Germany very attractive for business. Notwithstanding, there are some environmental problems, such as air and water pollution, soil erosion, diminishing biodiversity and shortage of resources. The United Arab Emirates is located on the eastern part of Arabian Peninsula and shares borders with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the south, Oman to the east and sea sharing borders with Qatar. Also, country has a direct access to Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean. The UAEs total area is much smaller, only 83,600 sq. km. The United Arab Emirates thrift and stability is substantiating by its considerable oil wealth that was discovered in 1960th, most of which is concentrated in Abu Dhabi the countrys capital (â€Å"United Arab Emirates profile’ 2012). Although, the UAE will remain be contingent on the oil reserves for many years to come, nevertheless, its level of dependency is gradually declining. The main role in development was taken by Dubai, which has become a regional financial, commercial powerhouse and o one the prime tourism centers of the Gulf Region. Moreover, a strong combination of oil prices, plentiful financial and fiscal resources, political stability, regulator y reforms and infrastructure development will backing the UAEs country risk profile. Germany represents a federal parliamentary, representative republic with a six main political parties, dominated by the Christian Democratic Union, the Christian Social Union of Bavaria and the Social Democratic parties. The head of the government who exercises executive power is a Chancellor Angela Merkel. Nevertheless, due to the fact that Germany is a member of European Union and G8, policies are subordinated with those organizations. As the biggest economy in Europe, Germany contributes 25% of Eurozones GDP. The political structure of the United Arab Emirates is a federation of seven monarchical emirates. His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan is an emir of Abu Dhabi and the President of the country. The federal system of government includes the President, the Prime Minister, the Supreme Council, Crown Princes and Deputy Rulers, the Federal National Council,the Council of Ministers (UAE Government 2012). Although, Germany has the second largest population in Europe, it faces an aging population. This implies some long term problems, such as increase in governmental welfare expenditures, healthcare expenses, pension’s payments and loss in income tax. Nevertheless, countrys immigration policies and laws set up favorable conditions for immigrants, and immigration rate exceeds emigration level. 10% of Germanys population consists of non-native nations, such as Turkish, Greek, Italian, Russian, Polish, Spanish and Serbo-Croatian. According to World Bank, UAE’s locals constitute only 16.5% of the total population. Meanwhile, the number of expatriates increasing over time, Indians accounts the biggest part with a 1.7 million people. Also, most of native representatives tend to work in public sectors, benefiting with a higher salaries, shorter working hours, greater job security, while 98% of private-sector workplaces are occupied by expatriates. As the graphs below represent the population pyramids for compared countries, we can mention the aging population in Germany, as was described previously. Also we pay attention on difference in population composition of those countries. Almost in every age group Germany’s population is somewhat balanced between male and female genders. On the other hand, we can see the drastic difference between male and female composition of United Arab Emirates’ population. Age groups from 20-64 is highly dominated by males; this caused by the fact that most of them are expatriates and they are coming to the country in search of a job, leaving their families in home countries. Source: US Census Bureau, International Data base (IDB) GDP Growth The economy of Germany continues to be based on individual consumption and going to strengthen by further investments, meanwhile next exports is still deterring growth. Germany has been decreased its dependence on exports in recent years. In addition, the Social Democratic Party has successfully pushed for an expenditure increase in infrastructural, educational sectors, as well as pension increase and minimum-wage regulation across all country by 2015. Eurozone’s debt-crisis caused uncertainty on consumers’ confidence and future expectations about their personal finances. Income is continuing to be supported by stable employment and increase in average wages. Also the expected perseverance of historically low interest rates will reinforce investment growth during upcoming years. Cheap mortgages will robust construction industry. Exports will recover during 2014, but the Eurozone crisis and geopolitical conflicts in the Ukraine and the Middle East are limiting scope. Although consecutive economic stabilization in the European Union will permit German exports to strengthen, the spikes in rebound trend during end of 2013 and beginning of 2014 – the natural structure of European debt crisis which in turn will limit the speed and vigour of export recovery. Furthermore, incandesce of Ukrainian situation and possible further escalations of actions in Iraq are incrementing world’s uncertainty and keeps internati onal trade back. The expected growth of the GDP of UAE is 4.3% in current year. Compared to the previous year the GDP growth, the highest after Great Recession, has declined. Economic growth had a strong acceleration in 2013 of 5.2%, but then economy faces some difficulties. Oil GDP expands only at a 1.8% rate this year, following 4.8% in 2013. With average global price of $109 per barrel in 2014, UAE oil output – which concentrated within the Abu Dhabi emirate – is going to reach around 2.7-2.8 million barrels per day. Non-oil sectors of the economy will continue to outrun growth driven by oil extraction. Activity in the non-oil sector has been steadily recovering following the downturn in 2009 and will continue to be the driving force of the economy’s growth momentum in 2014. Non-oil GDP is continuing holding on the same level as in 2013 – approximately 5.4%. The UAE has economy is relatively stable amid the disorder in the region. The key non-oil activities such as tourism, retail, and service help to drive the growth. Manufacturing activities led by aluminium and petrochemical industries is going to strengthen the following years. Also strong economic conditions will benefit both the transport and trade sectors. Real estate and construction sectors also improved along with overall market conditions. Infrastructure and development projects also had an additional motivation with Dubai’s award of next Expo city. A set of regulations implemented by authorities will help against a repeat of a boom cycles in Dubai. All these facts regarding Expo 2020 should provide a platform for a stable growth in tourism, construction, transport and hospitality industries in next 5 years. 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Germany -0.38% 1.16% 0.68% 3.70% 3.27% 1.08% -5.14% 4.01% 3.33% 6.89% 4.32% UAE 8.80% 9.57% 4.86% 9.84% 3.18% 3.19% -4.80% 1.67% 3.88% 4.37% .. GDP by type of Expenditure According to the expenditure approach of calculation of Gross Domestic Product, it equals to the sum of such components as consumption (C), investment (I), government purchases (G), and net export, i.e. difference between export and import (NX): Y=C+I+G+NX. Germany UAE Gross capital formation (% of GDP) 17.26 22.66 General government final consumption expenditure (% of GDP) 19.29 6.90 Household final consumption expenditure, etc. (% of GDP) 57.53 49.75 Net Export (% of GDP) 5.92 20.68 Inflation UAE consumer inflation surpassed the 2% mark in April for the first time in five years, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. Housing price inflation was relatively continual with 2.6% year on year in May; Dubai’s inflation has lowered to 3.7% compared to 4.9% in April. Real estate has become the main inflation driver in UAE, excelling food price inflation of 2.1%, even as food prices are increasing at 0.9$ rate per month. Consumer inflation is soon averaging 2.2% in 2014. The recovery of housing prices reflects the prolonged downturn in the real estate market. The annual inflation rate is expected to soar up to 3% by the end of 2014. Mildness of world’s commodity prices is going to benefit the inflationary pressures. The United Arab Emirates could face higher problems in their inflation outlook if commodity and food prices go up. 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Germany 2.6% 0.3% 1.1% 2.1% 2.0% UAE 12.3% 1.6% 0.9% 0.9% 0.7% Germany’s nationwide inflation should remain at a very kind level between 1% and 2% in near future. Following the consumer prices inflation leaped from a 22-year low of -0.5% in 2009 to around 2.5% in 2011, the economic deceleration caused by the Europe’s debt crisis during 2012 and early 2013 have led to a softening below 1.5% that will remain during 2014. On balance, core inflation should move broadly sideways to around 1.5% during 2014, as a boosting effect from the Germany’s economic recovery is offset by the continuing restraints of the Eurozone debt crisis, also the anticipated downward tendency of oil prices due to global supply factors. Although, monetary policy of the European Central Bank (ECB) will be much lighter than Germany’s economy is demanding. Germans’ traditional disinclines to inflation should limit the extent to which Germany’s inflation will exceed the European average. Also, inflation will be stacked the level ECB considers unproblematic. Also due to pressure on ECB to buy Eurozone’s governments’ bonds and to allow higher inflation rates is enduring upward economic risk within the region. 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Germany 96.1 98.6 98.9 100 102.1 UAE 87 97.6 99.1 100 100.9 Human Development Index The Human Development Index summarizes the long-term development of a particular country or region. It includes three basic parameters: living standard, knowledge accessibility and health and longevity. The HDI is primarily based on international data provided by the United Nations Population Division, the United Nations Educational. In year 2013, The United Arab Emirates had a very high HDI value of 0.827— which places the country on 40 out of 187 countries. From the very beginning of its existence as a government, the United Arab Emirates HDI had value increased from 0.640 to 0.827, and soared up for 29.2 percent. This gives us the average increase of about 0.78 percent per year. The Table below reviews the United Arab Emirates progress of the HDI indicator. Between 1980 and 2013, that was achieved by couple of factors: the United Arab Emirates life expectancy at birth increased by 9.2 years, average years of schooling increased by 5.5 years and expected years of studying increased by 4.7 years. On the other hand, the United Arab Emirates GNI per capita has decreased by about 62.2 percent between 1980 and 2013, due to tremendous increase in expatriate population. UAE Germany GNI per capita (2011 PPP$) HDI value GNI per capita (2011 PPP$) HDI value 1980 153,654 0.64 25,588 0.739 1985 139,421 0.686 27,355 0.752 1990 97,141 0.725 31,002 0.782 1995 102,203 0.764 32,643 0.825 2000 103,798 0.797 35,497 0.854 2005 104,668 0.823 37,259 0.887 2010 57,360 0.824 40,542 0.904 2011 56,393 0.824 41,907 0.908 2012 57,095 0.825 42,965 0.911 2013 58,068 0.827 43,049 0.911 The recent Germany’s HDI value is 0.911— which in turns is one of the highest on the globe —positioning the country at 6 out of 187 countries and territories. Taking the same time range as for UAE, 1980 and 2013, Germany’s HDI value increased from 0.739 to 0.911, an increase of 23.3 percent or an average annual increase of about 0.64 percent. This in comparison to UAE is slightly lower. The table reviews Germany’s progress in the HDI index. The increase in HDI is consisting of: Germany’s life expectancy at birth increased by 7.7 years, mean years of schooling increased by 7.2 years and expected years of schooling increased by 1.9 years. In terms of GNI, Germany’s per capita increased by about 68.2 conversely to UAE, during the same period of time.

Night World : Secret Vampire Chapter 5

James dodged as Poppy lobbed a paper back book athim. â€Å"Poppy† â€Å"You jerk! You snake! How can you dothis to me? You spoiled, selfish, immature-â€Å" â€Å"Shhh! They're going to hear you â€Å"Let them! Here I am, and I've just found out that I'mgoing to die,and all you can think of is playing a joke on me. A stupid, sickjoke. I can't believethis. Do youthink that'sfunny?†She ran out of breath to rave with.,James, who had been making quieting motions withhis hands, now gave up and looked toward the door. â€Å"Here comes the nurse,† he said. â€Å"Good, and I'm going to ask her to throw you out, â€Å"Poppy said. Her anger had collapsed, leaving her neartears. She had never felt so utterly betrayed andabandoned. â€Å"I hate you, you know,† she said. The door opened. It was the nurse with the flowered blouse and green scrub pants. â€Å"Is anything the matter here?† she said, turning on the light. Thenshe saw James. â€Å"Now, let'ssee; you don't look like family,† she said. She was smiling, but her voice hadthe ring of authority about to be enforced. â€Å"He's not, and I want him out of here,† Poppy said. The nurse fluffed up Poppy's pillows, put a gentle hand on her forehead. â€Å"Only family members are allowed to stay overnight,† she said to James. Poppy stared at the TV and waited for James to go.He didn't. He walked around the bed to stand by the nurse, who looked up at him while she continuedstraightening Poppy's blankets. Then her hands slowed and stopped moving. Poppy glanced at her sideways in surprise. The nurse was just staring at James. Hands limpon the blankets, she gazed at him as if she were mesmerized. And James was just staring back. With the lighton, Poppy couldseeJames's face-and again she had that odd feeling of not recognizing him. He was verypale and almost stern looking, as if he were doing something that required an effort. His jaw was tight and his eyes-his eyes were the color of silver. Real silver, shining in the light. For some reason, Poppy thought of a starvingpanther. â€Å"So you see there's nothing wrong here,† Jamessaid to the nurse, as if continuing a conversation they'd been having. The nurse blinked once, then looked around theroom as if she'd just awakened from a doze. â€Å"No,no; everything's fine,† she said.† Call me if †¦Ã¢â‚¬  She looked briefly distracted again, then murmured, â€Å"If, um, you need anything.† She walked out. Poppy watched her, forgetting to breathe. Then, slowly, moving only her eyes, she looked at James. â€Å"I know it's a cliche,† James said. â€Å"An overuseddemonstration of power. But it gets the job done.† â€Å"You set this up with her,† Poppy said in a bare whisper. â€Å"No.† â€Å"Or else it's some kind of psychic trick. The Amazing Whatshisname.† â€Å"No,†James said, and sat down on an orange plastic chair. â€Å"Then I'm going crazy. † For the first time that evening Poppy wasn't thinking about her illness. She couldn't think properly about anything; her mindwas a whirling, crashing jumble of confusion. She felt like Dorothy's house after it had been picked up by the tornado. â€Å"You're not crazy. I probably did this the wrongway; I said I didn't know how to explain it. Look, I know how hard it is for you to believe. My people arrange it that way; they do everything they can to keep humans not believing. Their lives depend on it.† â€Å"James, I'm sorry; I just—† Poppy found that herhands were trembling. She shut her eyes. â€Å"Maybe you'd better just-â€Å" â€Å"Poppy, look at me.I'm telling you the truth. I swear it.† He stared at her face a moment, then let out a breath. â€Å"Okay. I didn't want to have to do this, but †¦Ã¢â‚¬  He stood, leaning close to Poppy. She refused toflinch, but she could feel her eyes widening. â€Å"Now, look,† he said, and his lips skinned backfrom his teeth. A simple action-but the effect was astonishing.Transforming. In that instant he changed from the pale but fairly ordinary James of a moment ago-intosomething Poppy had never seen before. A different species of human being. His eyes flared silver and his entire face took on a predatory look. But Poppy scarcely noticed that; she was staring at his teeth. Not teeth. Fangs. He had canines like a cat's. Elongated and curving, ending in delicate, piercing points. They were nothing like the fake vampire fangs soldat novelty stores. They looked very strong and very sharp and very real. Poppy screamed. James clapped a hand over her mouth. â€Å"We don'twant that nurse back in here.† When he lifted the hand, Poppy said, â€Å"Oh, myGod; oh, my God†¦.† , â€Å"All those times whenyousaid I could read yourmind,† James said. â€Å"Remember? And the times when I heard things you didn't hear, or moved faster than you could move?† â€Å"Oh. my God.† â€Å"It's true, Poppy.† He picked up the orange chairand twisted one of the metal legs out of shape. He did it easily, gracefully. â€Å"We're stronger than humans,† he said. He twisted the leg back and put thechair down. â€Å"We see better in the dark. We're builtfor hunting.† Poppy finally managed tocapture an entirethought. â€Å"I don't care what youcan do,† she saidshrilly. â€Å"You can't be a vampire. I've known yousince you were five years old. And you've gottenolder every year, just like me. Explain that.† â€Å"Everything you know is wrong.† When she juststared at him, he sighed again and said, â€Å"Everything you think you know about vampires, you've picked up from books or TV. And it's all written by humans, I'll guarantee that. Nobody in the Night World wouldbreak the code of secrecy.† â€Å"The Night World. Where's the Night World?† â€Å"It's not a place. It's like a secret society-for vampires and witches and werewolves. All the best people. And I'll explain about it later,† Jamessaidgrimly. â€Å"For now-look, it's simple. I'm a vampire because my parents are vampires. I was bornthatway. We're the lamia.† All Poppy could think of was Mr. and Mrs. Rasmussen with their luxury ranch-style house and their gold Mercedes. â€Å"Your parents?† â€Å"Lamia isjust an old word for vampires, but for usit means the ones who're born that way,† James said, ignoring her. â€Å"We're born and we age like humans-except that we can stop aging whenever we want. We breathe. We walk around in the daylight. We can even eat regular food.† â€Å"Your parents,† Poppy said again faintly. He looked at her. â€Å"Yeah. My parents. Look, why doyou think my mom does interior decorating? Not because they need the money. She meets a lot of peoplethat way, and so does my dad, the society shrink. It only takes a few minutes alone with somebody, andthe human never remembers it afterward.† Poppy shifted uncomfortably. â€Å"So you, um, drinkpeople's blood, huh?† Even after everything she'd seen, she couldn't say it without half-laughing. James looked at the laces of his Adidas. â€Å"Yes. Yes,I sure do,† he said softly. Then he looked up andmet her gaze directly. His eyes were pure silver. Poppy leaned back against the pile of pillows onher bed. Maybe it was easier to believe him because the unbelievable had already happened to her earliertoday. Reality had already been turned upsidedown-so, honestly, what did one more impossibility matter? I'm going to die and my best friend is a bloodsucking monster, she thought. The argument was over, and she was out of energy. She and James looked at each other in silence. â€Å"Okay,† she said finally, and it meant everythingshe'd just realized. â€Å"I didn't tell you this just to get it off my chest,†James said, his voice still muted. â€Å"I said I could save you, remember?† â€Å"Vaguely.† Poppy blinked slowly, then said moresharply, â€Å"Save me how?† His gaze shifted to empty air. â€Å"The way you'rethinking.† â€Å"Jamie, Ican'tthink anymore.† Gently, without looking at her, he put a hand on her shin under the blanket. He shook her leg slightly, a gesture of affection. â€Å"I'm gonna turn you into a vampire, kid.† Poppy put both fists to her face and began to cry. â€Å"Hey.† He let go of her shin and put an awkwardarm around her, pulling her to sit up. â€Å"Don't do that. It's okay. It's better than the alternative.† â€Å"You're . . .freaking . . .crazy,† Poppy sobbed.Once the tears had started, they flowed too easily she couldn't stop them. There was comfort in crying, and -in being held by James. He felt strong and reliable and he smelled good. â€Å"You said you had to be born one,† she addedblurrily, between sobs. â€Å"No, I didn't. I said I was born one. There areplenty of the other kind around. Made vampires. There would be more, but there's a law against justmaking any jerk off the street into one.† â€Å"But I can't.I'm just what I am; I'm me. Ican'tbe-like that.† He put her gently away so he could look into herface. â€Å"Then you're going to die. You don't have any other choice. I checked around-even asked a witch.There's nothing elseinthe Night World to help you. What it comes down to is: Do you want to live ornot?† Poppy's mind, which had been swamped in confusion again, suddenly fixed on this question. It was like a flash light beam in a pitch-black room. Did she want to live? Oh, God, of courseshe did. Until today she'd assumed it was her unconditional right to live. She hadn't even been grateful for the privilege. But now she knew it wasn't something totake for granted-and she also knew it was some thing she'd fight for. Wake up, Poppy! This is the voice of reason calling.He says he can save your life. â€Å"Wait a minute. I've got to think,† Poppy saidtightly to James. Her tears had stopped. She pushed him away completely and stared fiercely at the white hospital blanket. Okay. Okay. Now get your head straight, girl. You knew James had a secret. So you never imagined it was anything like this, so what? He's still James. He may be some godawful undead fiend, buthe still cares about you. And there's nobody else to help you. She found herself clutching at James's hand without looking at him. â€Å"What's it like?† she said through clenched teeth. Steady and matter-of-fact, he said, â€Å"It'sdifferent. It's not something I'd recommend if there was another choice, but †¦it's okay. You'll be sick while your body's changing, but afterward you'll never get any kind of disease again.You'llbestrongandquick-and immortal.† â€Å"I'd live forever? But would I be able to stop aging?†She had visions of herself as an immortal crone. He grimaced. â€Å"Poppy-you'd stop aging now.That'swhat happens to made vampires. Essentially, you're dying as a mortal. You'll look dead and be unconscious for a while. And then†¦you'll wake up.† â€Å"I see.† Sort of like Juliet in the tomb, Poppythought. And then she thought, Oh, God†¦Momand Phil. â€Å"There's another thing you should know,† Jameswas saying. â€Å"A certain percentage of people don't make it.† â€Å"Don't make it?† â€Å"Through the change. People over twenty almost never do. They don't everwake up. Their bodies can't adjust to the new form and they burn out. Teenagersusually live through it, but not always.† Oddly enough, this was comforting to Poppy. Aqualified hope seemed more believable than an absolute one. To live, she would have to take a chance. She looked at James. â€Å"How do you do it?† â€Å"The traditional way,† he said with the ghost of asmile. Then, gravely: â€Å"We exchange blood.† Oh, great, Poppy thought. And I was afraid of asimple shot. Now I'm going to have my blood drawn by fangs. She swallowed and blinked,staring atnothing. â€Å"It's your choice, Poppy. It's up to you.† There was a long pause, and then she said, â€Å"I want to live, Jamie.† He nodded. â€Å"It'll mean going away from here.Leaving your parents. They can't know.† â€Å"Yeah, I was just realizing that. Sort of like gettinga new identity from the FBI, huh?† â€Å"More than that. You'll be living in a new world,the Night World. And it's a lonely world, full of secrets. But you'll be walking around in it, instead oflying in the ground.† He squeezed her hand. Thenhe said very quietly and seriously, â€Å"Do you want tostart now?† All Poppy could think of to do was shut her eyesand brace herself the way she did for an injection.†I'm ready,† she said through stiff lips. James laughed again-this time as if he couldn'thelp it. Then he folded the bed rail down and settled beside her. â€Å"I'm used to people being hypnotized when I do this. It's weird to have you awake.† â€Å"Yeah, well, if I scream you can hypnotize me,†Poppy said, not opening her eyes. Relax, she told herself firmly. No matter how muchit hurts, no matter how awful it is, you can deal with it. You haveto. Your life depends on it. Her heart was thumping hard enough to shake her body. â€Å"Right here,† James said, touching her throat with cool fingers as if feeling for a pulse. Just do it, Poppy thought. Get it over with. She could feel warmth as James leaned close toher, taking her carefully by the shoulders. Every nerve ending in her skin was aware of him. Then she felt cool breath on her throat, and quickly, before she could recoil, a double sting. Those fangs, burying themselves in her flesh. Making two little wounds so he could drink her blood†¦ Now it's reallygoing to hurt, Poppy thought. Shecouldn't brace herself anymore. Her life was in the hands of a hunter. She was a rabbit trapped in thecoils of a snake, a mouse under the claws of a cat. She didn't feel like James's best friend, she felt like lunch†¦. Poppy, what are you doing? Don't fight it. It hurts whenyou resist. James was speaking to her-but the warm mouthon her throat hadn't moved. The voice was in her head. I'm not resisting, Poppy thought. I'm just ready forit to hurt, that's all. There was a burning where his teeth pierced her.She waited for it to get worse-but it didn't.It changed. Oh, Poppy thought. The feeling of heat was actually pleasant. A sensation of release, of giving. And closeness. She and James were getting closerand loser, like two drops of water moving together until they merged. She could sense James's mind. His thoughts-andhis feelings. His emotions flowed into her, throughher. Tenderness†¦concern†¦ caring. A cold black rage at the disease that was threatening her. Despair that there was no other way to help her. And long ing-longing to share with her, to make her happy. Yes, Poppy thought. A wave of sweetness made her dizzy. She foundherself groping for James'shand, their fingers intertwining. James,she thought with wonder and joy. Her communication to him a tentative caress. Poppy.She could feel his own surprise and delight. And all the time the dreamy pleasure was building.Making Poppy shiver with its intensity. How could I have been so stupid? Poppy thought. To be afraid of this. It isn't terrible. It's.. . . right. She had never been so close to anybody. It was as if they were one being, together, not predator and prey, but partners in a dance. Poppy-and-James. She could touch his soul. Strangely enough, he was afraid of that. She couldsense it. Poppy,don't-so many dark things-I don't want you to see †¦ Dark, yes, Poppy thought. But not dark and terrible. Dark and lonely. Such utter loneliness. A feeling of not belonging in either of the two worlds he knew.Not belonging anywhere. Except †¦ Suddenly Poppy was seeing an image of herself. Inhis mind she was fragile and graceful, an emeraldeyed spirit of the air. A sylph-with a core of puresteel. I'm not really like that, she thought. I'm not talland beautiful like Jacklyn or Michaela†¦. The words she heard in answer didn't seem directed toward her-she had the feeling they were something James was thinking to himself, or remembering from some long-forgotten book. You don't love a girl because of beauty. You love her because she sings a song only you can understand†¦. With the thought came a strong feeling of protectiveness. So this was how James felt about her-she knew at last. As if she were something precious,something to be protected at all costs†¦. At all costs. No matter what happened to him.Poppy tried to follow the thought deeper into hismind, to find out what it meant. She got an impression of rules-no, laws †¦ Poppy, it's bad manners to search somebody's mind when you're not invited.The words were tinged with desperation. Poppy pulled back mentally. She hadn't meant topry. She just wanted to help†¦. I know,James's thought came to her, and with ita rush of warmth and gratitude. Poppy relaxed and simply enjoyed the feeling of oneness with him. I wish it could last forever, she thought-and justthen it stopped. The warmth at her neck disappeared, and James pulled away, straightening. Poppy made a sound of protest and tried to draghim back. He wouldn't let her. â€Å"No-there's something else we have to do,† hewhispered. But he didn't do anything else. He just held her, his lips against her forehead. Poppy feltpeaceful and languid. â€Å"You didn't tell me it would be like that,† she said. â€Å"I didn't know,† James said simply. â€Å"It never hasbeen before.† They sat together quietly, with James gently stroking her hair. So strange, Poppy thought. Everything is thesame-but everything's different. It was as if she'd pulled herself up on dry land after almost drowningin the ocean. The terror that had been pounding inside her all day was gone, and for the first time inher life she felt completely safe. After another minute or so James shook his head,rousing himself. â€Å"What else do we have to do?† Poppy asked. For an answer, James lifted his own wrist to hismouth. He made a quick jerking motion with hishead, as if tearing a strip of cloth held in his teeth. When he lowered the wrist, Poppy saw blood. It was running in a little stream down his arm. So red it almost didn't look real. Poppy gulped and shook her head. â€Å"It's not that bad,† James said softly. â€Å"And you have to do it. Without my blood in you, you won't become a vampire when you die, you'll just die.Likeany other human victim.† And I want to live, Poppy thought. All right, then.Shutting her eyes, she allowed James to guide her head to his wrist. It didn't taste like blood, or at least not like theblood she'd tasted when she bit her tongue or put a cut finger in her mouth. It tasted–strange. Richand potent. Like some magic elixir, Poppy thoughtdizzily.Andonce again she felt the touch of James's mind. Intoxi cated with the closeness, she kept drinking. That's right. You've got to take a lot,James told her.But his mental voice was weaker than it had been. Instantly Poppy felt a surge of alarm. But what will it do to you? â€Å"I'll be all right,† James said aloud. â€Å"It's you I'mworried about. If you don't get enough, you'll bein danger.† Well, he was the expert. And Poppy was happy tolet the strange, heady potion keep flowing into her. She basked in the glow that seemed to be lighting herfrom the inside out. She felt so tranquil, so calm†¦. And then, without warning, the calm was shattered. A voice broke into it, a voice full of harshsurprise. â€Å"What are you doing?† the voice said, and Poppylooked up to see Phillip in the doorway.

Intimate Partner Violence ( Tanf ) And Post Traumatic...

Intimate partner violence (IPV) has been prevalent throughout the years, specifically in the state of South Carolina. There are numerous accounts where the system fails the victim or the victim fails to receive adequate help, and kills their batterers. When this came into existence many legal justifications came about, including Battered Woman Syndrome (BWS) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), as a form of self defense. Before a final verdict is made in such cases, I feel that there are several factors that should be considered. These mitigating factors should include whether the victim tried to get help, and if so what all was done, whether the victim was awarded an order of protection from the offender and did they stay in contact afterwards, etc. BWS was first introduced in the 1970’s due to the phenomenon of women killing their batterers. This legal justification has criteria that must have been in place for this justification to come back with a not guilty verdict. The central criteria are that the threat must have been imminent, there was a recent battering and the victim must feel that the abuse will continue and eventually cause death. The victim ultimately fears for her life, and her children, and therefore feel that her only way out of the situation is to kill her intimate partner. More than ever today, PTSD is used to justify a broad range of mental health problems that enables someone to commit crime, including women who kill their batterers.Show MoreRelatedWomen And Domestic Violence : Lauren Lys Essay1699 Words   |  7 Pages Women and Domestic Violence Lauren Lys Eastern Michigan University Abstract Domestic violence, also called intimate partner violence, is a pattern of behavior used to establish power and control over another person through fear and intimidation, often including the threat or use of violence. Statically women are the victims of domestic violence; this has been happening for a long time. In 1994 Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act, for the first time providing recognitionRead More SOLVED SOCI212 Quizzes 1 86149 Words   |  25 Pagessociety in many ways.   C.how poverty is an arena of political struggle.   D.how poverty is a result of those in power exploiting those with little or no power. Question 20 of 20 1.0/ 1.0 Points 20. Under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) welfare program, there is a federal lifetime limit of __________ of assistance, though states may put shorter limits on benefits.   A.48 months.   B.60 months.   C.36 months.   D.50 months. Quiz Two Return to Assessment List Part 1 of 1 - 20

Précis Definition and Examples

A prà ©cis is a  brief summary of a book, article, speech, or other text. The basic characteristics of an effective prà ©cis are conciseness, clarity, completeness, unity, and coherence. According to  Barun K. Mitra, PhD, in Effective Technical Communication: A Guide for Scientists and Engineers, The most important task is to ensure that the original sequence of events and the flow of ideas remain unchanged. Pronunciation: PRAY-see Also known as: abstract, summary, executive summary, synopsis Plural: prà ©cis Alternate spelling: precis Etymology: From the Old French, condensed Examples and Observations I would say that the ability to write a prà ©cis is the central language skill. For a start, it is a craft essential in all professions and businesses; indeed, anyone whose work includes dealing with documents at some time (and that accounts for most people) will need prà ©cis skills as a matter of course... Such vocational considerations, though important, are not in my view the most telling, however. The fundamental value of prà ©cis is that it tests and exercises every aspect of linguistic competence,  says Richard Palmer in Write in Style: A Guide to Good English.[O]rganization of ideas, logical sequencing of points, clear and meaningful expression, [and the] use of language suitable to the situation are essential for writing prà ©cis effectively. The writer of prà ©cis must be able to identify the essential ideas in a given passage and separate them from nonessential ideas. But at the same time a prà ©cis is not a [type of] creative writing, inasmuch as it is merely a co ndensed restatement of the original writers ideas, points, etc., says Aruna Koneru in Professional Communication. Sample Prà ©cis Original passage from Aristotles Rhetoric (199 words):It is evident that those in the prime of life will be between the young and the old in character, subtracting the excess of either, and neither exceedingly conï ¬ dent (rashness is such) nor too fearful but having the right amount of both, neither trusting nor distrusting everybody but rather making realistic judgments and not directing their lives only to what is ï ¬ ne or what is advantageous but to both and neither to frugality nor to extravagance but to what is ï ¬ tting. Similarly in regard to impulse and desire. And they combine prudence with courage and courage with prudence, while among the young and the old these things are separated; for the young are brave and lack self-restraint, the older prudent and cowardly. To speak in general terms, whatever advantages youth and old age have separately, [those in their prime] combine, and whatever the former have to excess or in deï ¬ ciency, the latter have in due measure and in a ï ¬ tting way. The body is in its prime from the age of thirty to thirty-ï ¬ ve, the mind about age forty-nine. Let this much be said about the kinds of character of youth and old age and the prime of life.Prà ©cis from A Synoptic History of Classical Rhetoric (68 words):The character of those in the prime of life lies midway between that of youth and of age. Neither rash nor timid, neither skeptical nor overtrusting, they usually make choices on a true basis. They are not given to excess in desire, nor to lack of feeling or parsimony. They live respecting both honor and expediency. In short, the most useful traits of youth and age are theirs. Methods and Purpose A prà ©cis is not an outline, but a summary or digest. It is useful as an exercise in grasping the essential ideas of an already completed composition and in stating these ideas in concentrated form. The prà ©cis shears away all elaborations of the thought and gives only what is left, in such a way as to make the summary a complete composition. It does not, therefore, skeletonize the original composition so much as it reduces its scale. Many of the articles in The Readers Digest are only prà ©cis, so skillfully done that the average reader does not know that he is reading a summary. Since the prà ©cis says a great deal within a brief space, it is of great service in taking notes on library assignments and general reading, says Donald Davidson in American Composition and Rhetoric. Sources Aristotle. Rhetoric, book 2, chapter 14. Aristotle, On Rhetoric: A Theory of Civic Discourse. Translated by George A. Kennedy, Oxford University Press, 1991. Davidson, Donald. American Composition and Rhetoric. Scribners, 1968. Koneru, Aruna. Professional Communication. Tata McGraw-Hill, 2008. Mitra, Barun K., PhD. Effective Technical Communication: A Guide for Scientists and Engineers. Oxford Publishing, 2006. Murphy, James J. and Richard A. Katula. A Synoptic History of Classical Rhetoric. 3rd ed, Hermagoras Press, 2003. Palmer, Richard. Write in Style: A Guide to Good English. 2nd ed, Routledge, 2002.