Declining Efficiency of Investment :: essays papers

Declining Efficiency of Investment It may be useful to put the discussion of performance constraints of the Thai economy briefly in perspective. Over the past 2 decades, the Thai economy has been one of the best performing economies in the world, characterized by sustained high growth rates, averaging 10.3% 1985-90, and 8% in the years prior to the crisis (1990-96). This growth was accompanied by a dramatic decline in the incidence of absolute poverty, from 57% in 1962 to 14% in 1992, with per capita income increasing from $700 per annum in the late 1960s, to $2,700 in 1996. At the same time, rapid growth was accompanied by environmental degradation, resource depletion, and an increasingly unequal distribution of income and wealth. However, on balance a remarkable record of development. During this period of rapid growth and economic transformation, Thailand became increasingly integrated into the world economy through trade and investment flows, and production linkages. As the economy expanded rapidly and became more complex in structure, it posed more and new types of strains and challenges to economic management or â€Å"governance† systems at both the macro (i.e. public policy) and micro (enterprise) levels. As the relative role of the private sector increased in the economy, the importance of enterprise management and performance correspondingly increased. Looking more deeply at Thailand’s performance, manufactured exports grew by about 23% per year between 1980 and 1995, almost doubling during 1992-1995. However, in 1996 export growth fell practically to 0 per cent, with labor-intensive exports usually identified as the main culprit. Certain factors are generally cited as responsible fo r this abrupt and dramatic decline:  · External factors cited included the emergence of new competitors, with the coming on stream of new production facilities in lower income/lower wage countries such as China, Indochina, Philippines, further complicated by the30% devaluation of the Chinese yen in 1994;  · Domestic factors cited generally relate to rising wage rates and overvalued exchange rates. Domestic wage rates during 1991-95 rose about 11%, on average or about 5% increase in real wages per year, cited as the key factor in the slowdown in growth of labor intensive exports. The real effective exchange rate of the baht is estimated to have appreciated by about 15% during 1995-97, primarily because of the linkage to the US$, which appreciated against the yen. While the above factors suggest that Thailand was losing its edge in low cost, labor intensive exports, these are at best partial explanations for the overall decline in export performance.

Greatest Speeches of All Time †Franklin Roosevelt’s Speech Essay

In his first paragraph, Roosevelt states that he is certain that his fellow Americans expect he will address them with honesty and a decision which the people will push forward. He also states that this is the distinguished time to speak the truth. That Americans should not shrink from honestly facing conditions in their country today. America will endure as it has endured and will revive and flourish. So first of all, he will support his firm belief that the only thing they have to fear is fear itself- unjustified terror which stops needed efforts to transform retreat into advance. He makes a point about how values have shrunken dramatically as taxes have risen, ability to pay has fallen, the government is faced by diminishment of income, exchange means are frozen in trade, the industrial enterprise is falling (â€Å"withered leaves†), farmers cannot sell produce, savings of families are gone and there are going to be more unemployed citizens. He speaks about how America doesn’t have the problems they once had with loss of produce and how â€Å"our forefathers conquered† and that American’s should appreciate it. He says that the country has many resources and shouldn’t waste them, like leaders have wasted resources before, whether it was because they stubborn or just plain dumb, they have passed on these habits to their future rulers. He acknowledges that they have tried, but their efforts were in vain. They have only ever proposed the lending of money. People before him have not had the choice to lure people to follow him by using money promises; they resorted to persuading the people through â€Å"pleading tearfully for restored confidence. These people had no vision and only knew the rules of a generation of self-seekers, and with this vision people perish. He acknowledges that social values are more important than money values and that is where the restoration should begin. He also acknowledges that money doesn’t bring you happiness but the joy of achievement does. He also acknowledges that the joy and moral side of work no longer need to be forgotten in the chase of diminishing profits. He also states that recognition of material wealth being the standard of success being a false idea going hand in hand with the â€Å"abandonment of the false belief that public office and political position are to be valued only by the standards of pride of place and personal profit†, also that there must be an end to the wrong doing to the citizens who trust in banking and in business. If the nation is to be restored both ethics must be changed and action must be taken. He recognises action needs to be taken so that more people are in the workforce and are able to get into the workforce. He states that we must recognise that most of the population lives in the city and that the land should be put to better use. This can be achieved by raising the value of agricultural products and with this power to purchase the output of cities. It can be helped by preventing the tragedy of the growing loss of small homes and farms. It also helped by insistence that the federal, state and local governments act on demand to have their costs reduced. If national planning for supervision of all forms of transportation and communication were in place it would also help. He states that it cannot merely be helped by talking about it and actions must be put in place quickly. He states that to return to the safeguard of work there must be strict supervision of all banking and credits and investment, there must be end to speculation with other people’s money and there must be provision for an adequate but sound currency. He goes on to explain how he will fill his duties in a fulfilling way. The event the speech addresses: The event the speech addresses was Inauguration Day, 1933. This marked the commencement of a four year term. On this day there was a swearing in ceremony which consisted of Roosevelt taking an oath of office and delivering a speech. This speech outlined that Roosevelt understood that the American Constitution had proved itself as an enduring modern political mechanism and how Roosevelt planned to ease the effects of the Great Depression. Profile of Franklin Roosevelt: Franklin Delano Roosevelt was born in 1882 at Hyde Park, New York. Hyde Park (New York) is most famous for being the hometown of Roosevelt and his grandfathers’ home is located near the Riverview Circle of the Hudson River. He was born as the only child of James Roosevelt and Sara Ann Delano Roosevelt. He was born into a family of riches and the sense of self importance. He was educated by tutors and governesses and his upbringing was far different from the common people. In 1896 he attended Groton school for boys where he found it hard to fit in as most of the boys excelled at athletics while he did not. After graduating in 1900, Roosevelt attended Harvard University and Columbia Law School but in 1907 he passed the bar exam yet didn’t receive a degree. In 1905, on St. Patrick’s Day he married Eleanor Roosevelt, his fifth cousin, niece of Theodore Roosevelt, also his fifth cousin. Theodore Roosevelt was Franklin Roosevelt’s idol and Roosevelt aimed to follow in his footsteps. Theodore Roosevelt became commander-in-chief in 1901 after William McKinley was assassinated and president in 1904 after winning second term. Roosevelt won a seat in the New York senate in 1901. He was stricken with Polio in 1921, but not many people knew exactly how paralysed he was as he was never seen in a wheelchair. He fought to regain the use of his legs though hydrotherapy. Franklin Roosevelt was the only president to be elected four times. Roosevelt had become the 32nd President of the United States in 1933. In 1935 many members of the public were against Roosevelt’s New Deal program even though the Nation had received some measure of recovery as national product went up and unemployment went down. The New Deal program was a series of domestic programs enacted in the United States between 1933 and 1936. Roosevelt was re-elected in 1936 by a huge margin. Roosevelt had pledged the United States to the â€Å"good neighbour† policy, when France fell and England came under siege in 1940, he began to send Great Britain all possible aid short of actual military involvement. Hopes of keeping America out of the war ended on December 7, 1941 when Japan attacked Pearl Harbour. Roosevelt helped in the area of advising military personnel and did this successfully in 1942 in an invasion on South Africa, in 1943 in both Italy and Sicily and followed by the D-Day invasion in Europe in 1944. During this time Roosevelt also promoted the formation of the United Nations (UN). Also in 1944 Roosevelt had been tested and diagnosed with many problems but despite this he ran for president with his running mate Harry S. Truman who he nominated as his senator and won 36 of 48 states, yet again becoming president. In February, 1945, Roosevelt attended the Yalta Conference which was held to discuss after-war reorganisation with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet General Secretary Joseph Stalin. Roosevelt died on the afternoon of April 12th in 1945, as the World War II came to a close from a cerebral haemorrhage. His passing shocked America even though people knew he looked exhausted in photographs and news reels, no one was prepared for his passing. Historical Analysis: Roosevelt’s presidency had forever changed the United States and the way it was run. He led a country through the Great Depression, as well as the greatest war in human history, and his social programs during the Great Depression have redefined the role of government in Americans’ lives. He established the United States leadership on the world stage through his role in World War II. The 12 years he spent in the White House had redefined liberalism and set a precedent for the expansion of presidential power for future generations.

Analysis Of The Book Expectations Without Fear By...

4MAT Book Review of Share Jesus Without Fear by William Fay Todd Bush EVAN 525: Contemporary Evangelism Instructor: Dr. Jeff Ward June 11, 2016 Abstract William Fay lays out the structure of how a Christian can adequately and courageously share their confidence in Share Jesus Without Fear. The book sets up extremely well as Fay s techniques are pragmatic and conversational. The inquiries and Scriptures that he directs the peruser through are not hard to recall or comprehend, and are composed with the goal that anybody will feel more great in sharing their confidence – from the new devotee, to the tepid Christian, to the person who essentially needs a push or needs direction in what to say or how to say it. The general substance of the book is not domineering which makes for a moderately simple read, while testing the peruser to make that additional push to be evangelistic. Christ himself called his devotees to be an evangelistic people (Matt. 28:19-20, Acts 1:8). Fay tries to separate the evangelism is scary and not for me dividers of uncertainty inside the adherent. He does this from numerous points of view. In the first place, he says ahead of schedule in the book that success is sharing your faith and living your life for Jesus Christ. It has nothing whatsoever to do with bringing anyone to the Lord. It has everything to do with obedience. Even if you do not have the privilege to see someone respond the first time you share your faith, you haveShow MoreRelatedFinancial Statement Frauds29904 Words   |  120 PagesManagement – Revenue Recognition......................... 28 3.7 Summary .................................................................................... 31 4 Case Analysis. Why Auditors Have Not Detected Fraud? ............... 33 4.1 Introduction to Three Case Studies............................................ 33 4.2 Analysis of the Three Cases....................................................... 35 4.3 Reasons Why Auditors Have Not Detected Fraud .................... 48 4.4 Summary .....Read MoreEssay about Phd Comprehensive Exam. in Leadership15004 Words   |  61 Pagesresearchers utilize three basic designs; observation, experimentation and survey. (Baker, 2001) Observation is usually the first step in the scientific method. It is not simple viewing rather â€Å"observation consists of the systematic gathering, recording and analysis of data† (Baker, 2001). Experimental research design is â€Å"usually undertaken to determine if there is a causal relationship between the variables under investigation† (Baker, 2001). However, in social research there are serious questionsRead MoreStrategic Human Resource Management View.Pdf Uploaded Successfully133347 Words   |  534 Pagesconsideration of factors relevant to strategy-based human resource investment decisions. Factors to be discussed include the organization’s managerial values, risk and return trade-offs, the economic rationale for investments in training, the investment analysis approach of utility theory, and outsourcing as an alternative to investments in human resources. Following the discussion of these factors, specific investments in strategy-related training and development will be considered. This discussion willRead MoreFundamentals of Hrm263904 Words   |  1056 PagesSinclair Sandra Dumas Susan McLaughlin Kevin Murphy Laura Ierardi Allison Morris Hila ry Newman mb editorial services David Levy  ©Michael Eudenbach/Getty Images, Inc. This book was set in 10/12 ITC Legacy Serif Book by Aptaracorp, Inc. and printed and bound by Courier/Kendallville. The cover was printed by Courier/Kendallville. This book is printed on acid free paper. Copyright  © 2010, 2007, 2005, 2002 John Wiley Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored inRead MoreMetz Film Language a Semiotics of the Cinema PDF100902 Words   |  316 PagesPhenomenology of the Narrative, 16 II Problems of Film Semiotics Chapter 3. Chapter 4. Chapter 5. The Cinema: Language or Language System? 31 Some Points in the Semiotics of the Cinema, 92 Problems of Denotation in the Fiction Film, 108 III Syntagmatic Analysis of the Image Track Chapter 6. Outline of the Autonomous Segments in Jacques Rozier s film Adieu Philippine, 149 Chapter 7. Syntagmatic Study of Jacques Rozier s Film Adieu Philippine, 177 vii viii CONTENTS IV The Modern Cinema: Some TheoreticalRead MoreHuman Resources Management150900 Words   |  604 Pagesaccomplish the organizational goals. As human resources have become viewed as more critical to organizational success, many organizations have realized that it is the people in an organization that can provide a competitive advantage.2 Throughout the book it will be emphasized that the people as human resources contribute to and affect the competitive success of the organization. Human Resource (HR) management deals with the design of formal systems in an organization to ensure the effective and efficient

Lowering The Alcohol Drinking Age - 1602 Words

Lowering The Alcohol Drinking Age Now a day’s teens that are under the age of twenty-one are out in trouble and drinking. They know that they are not old enough to drink and that is what makes them want to drink even more. Teens drink when they are not suppose to, but they know that when they drink, they must stay out of trouble. Lowering the alcohol drinking age will keep a bunch of teens out of trouble. If teens can stay safe while drinking then they should allow eighteen year olds to drink. Eighteen year olds are young adults and are responsible for what they do so they know that they need to be careful while drinking. Even though people do not agree because alcohol is dangerous and some teens can’t control themselves, I personally think they can so they should lower the alcohol drinking age to eighteen. It will help teens stay out of trouble, stay safe, and learn how to be careful while drinking. Help lower the drinking age so we can make the U.S a safer place. By lowering the drinking age, The U.S would be a much safer place. There would be less accidents because teens will stay home and drink now that they’re old enough to drink they won’t be out getting into trouble. They will stay off the streets and won’t be out stealing and running around doing bad things. If lowering the alcohol drinking age means it will make the U.S a safer place, then they should pass a law that says the legal drinking age has been changed to eighteen. Please help make the U.S a saferShow MoreRelatedAlcohol: Lowering the Legal Drinking Age1900 Words   |  8 PagesAlcohol: Lowering the Legal Drinking Age Karita Lockwood Professor O’Quinn COM 323 October 29, 2012 Introduction Alcohol is a drink that is made from corn, barley or a beverage containing ethyl. There is currently an ongoing debate as to if the legal age limit for alcohol consumption should be lowered. Despite the dangers, everyday in the United States more than 13,000 children and teens consume alcohol. The age range between eleven and eighteen is the most influential period when youthsRead MoreThe Legal Drinking Age Of The United States Essay1385 Words   |  6 PagesTolerance People believe that alcohol is essential to have a great party. People use alcohol for many reasons; peer pressure, anxiety, and to curb insomnia are some of the few reasons. Alcohol affects the parts of the brain that controls movement, speech, judgement, and memory. This is why some people cannot remember the night before when they went out drinking. It is a common fact that most teenagers have had a drink of alcohol before their twenty-first birthday. Most teenagers drink regularlyRead MoreThe Legal Drinking Age At The United States Of America1698 Words   |  7 Pagesthe legal age to drink alcoholic beverages in the United States of America. Some otherwise intelligent people want to lower the legal drinking age to eighteen rather than keep it at twenty-one, the current federally mandated drinking age. In Time Magazine Mary Cary, author of Time to Lower the Drinking Age, puts forth the position that lowering the drinking age would actually be beneficial to society. Though lowe ring the drinking age to eighteen may lead to solutions to underage drinking, many otherRead MoreThe Minimum Legal Drinking Age1594 Words   |  7 PagesThe Drinking Age is Safer than You Thought As Americans, we are always wondering what we can do to save lives. We suspect cancer, disease, suicide, violence, and distracted driving as taking the lives of our fellow Americans. What you may not know, is that we are already saving lives, and we have been since 1984 because of one simple law. The Uniform Drinking Age Act of 1984 moved the minimum legal drinking age from 18 to 21. Lowering the drinking age is a step backward for our safety and ourRead MoreTo Lower or Not to Lower the Legal Drinking Age to 18, That Is the Question881 Words   |  4 Pagesthat binge drinking is on the rise among college students (Eisenberg n.p.). With an increase of alcohol consumption by underage drinkers, it only seems logical to lower the drinking age to prevent binge drinking, however there are far more consequences to be seen. Lowering the drinking age to 18 will not solve the binge drinking problem among college students but will cause more problems. In this paper I will explain the rea son why lowering the drinking age will not stop binge drinking and the adverseRead MoreBinge Drinking vs the Drinking Age Essays829 Words   |  4 PagesEnglish 101 March 13, 2013 Binge Drinking VS the Drinking Age Presidents of college campuses around the nation face issues of underage drinking and binge drinking on a regular basis and realizes that it is a danger and a problem. â€Å"Alcohol consumption is the third leading cause of death in the U.S., a major contributing factor to unintentional injuries, the leading cause of death for youths and young adults, and accounts for an estimated 75,000 or more deaths in the United States annually† (WechslerRead MoreThe Legal Drinking Age Should Not Be Lowered973 Words   |  4 Pages The Legal Age for Drinking Alcohol Should Not Be Lowered To 18 In the United States. Every state has the right to set its own legal drinking age. However, according to George Will in an article he wrote in the Washington Post about the legal drinking age, â€Å"drinking age paradox† â€Å"lowering the drinking age will cost the state ten percent of its federal highway funds and cause a significant uproar from contractors and construction unions.† It is therefore in the best interest of every citizenRead MoreAccording To â€Å"College Drinking,† Almost Two Out Of Three1388 Words   |  6 PagesAccording to â€Å"College Drinking,† almost two out of three college students engage in binge drinking. Binge drinking is a pattern of drinking that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels to 0.08 g/dL or higher (â€Å"College Drinking†). Many parents, guardians, and psychologists believe that college students binge drink because they think drinking is an integral part of their higher education. Similar to peer pressure, college students drink because the rest of the student body drinks. FurthermoreRead MoreLowering the Drinking Age1223 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"What we’re doing now to prevent underage drinking isn’t working; it’s time to try something else.† Although many people argue that the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1964, which lowed the drinking age from eighteen to twenty one, was a good idea. David J Hanson a professor in the State University of New York believed that something needs to be done to make the United States a safer place to live. Is it fair that people in the United States can serve in the military, vote in elections, serveRead MoreLowering The Drinking Age From Twenty857 Words   |  4 PagesAt eighteen years of age a teenager becomes an adult. They can choose to move out of their parents home, vote, marry, joining the military and buy tobacco and lottery tickets, but it isn’t illegal to purchase alcohol. However, in twe nty-nine states it is legal to consume alcohol at eighteen, but not to purchase alcohol. Becoming an adult has many responsibilities; therefore, citizens should be able to drink at eighteen. The United States should lower the drinking age from twenty-one to eighteen because

The Issue Of Human Trafficking - 2669 Words

Human Trafficking Defining my topic human trafficking is when people are really slaved and by selling their body well being told to do it. My topic is a human rights issue because it is part of slavery. In spite of the fact that servitude is generally thought to be a relic of times gone by, human trafficking still exists today all through the United States and all inclusive when traffickers utilization power, misrepresentation, or pressure to control other individuals with the end goal of participating in business sex or constraining them to give work administrations without wanting to. Traffickers use brutality, dangers, misdirection, obligation servitude, and other manipulative strategies to trap exploited people in awful circumstances consistently in America. Every single trafficking exploited person imparts one fundamental experience the loss of flexibility. In the United States, sex trafficking ordinarily happens in online escort administrations, private massage parlors, bawdyho uses masked as back rub organizations or spas, and in road prostitution. Work trafficking has been found in local subjugation circumstances, and additionally deals teams, substantial ranches, eateries, jamborees, and that s only the tip of the iceberg. There are two essential variables driving the spread of human trafficking: high benefits and generally safe. Like medication and arms trafficking, human trafficking isShow MoreRelatedThe Issue of Human Trafficking1116 Words   |  5 Pagesis still a very prevalent issue today, under the name of human trafficking. Human traffickers are those who victimize others in their desire to profit from the existing demand. People of all ages, even children, are recruited and taken from all around the world and forced into acts such as prostitution, war, and extreme labor. Many people are not aware of these events occurring at all, and more awareness needs to be brought to this topic. Human trafficking exists for a few reasons. OneRead MoreThe Issue of Human Trafficking1512 Words   |  7 Pagesslavery† is the illegal trade of human beings for forced labor and exploitation; referring to using others for sexual exploitation, organ trafficking, and forced labor. This international crime is happening all around us and little to nothing is being done by governments. â€Å"Roughly two hundred thousand slaves are working here in America† (Madox). So the land of the free, well, it might not be so free after all. Coming in second after drug trafficking, â€Å"human trafficking generates about 35 billion dollarsRead MoreThe Issue Of Human Trafficking1481 Words   |  6 Pages Human trafficking is defined by the United Nations as the acquisition of people by improper means such as force, fraud or deception, with the aim of exploiting them. Unfortunately, human trafficking is a crime that occurs globally with many men, women, and children being forced to work as laborers and or sex workers. As is the case with many crimes, the statistics regarding human trafficking are sensationalized, making it seem as if it is more prevalent than it actually is. Many tag the SuperRead MoreThe Issue Of Human Trafficking875 Words   |  4 Pageswide misconception among Americans that support the idea that human trafficking is something that only occurs overseas and not something that takes place in the United States. As a country that puts a huge value on freedom of choice, many U.S. citizens naively wish to believe that such an inhumane offense could never occur on our own free soil. Unfortunately, this notion is not true at all and domestic trafficking is an ongoing iss ue that needs to be addressed within our own borders. In additionRead MoreThe Issue Of Human Trafficking779 Words   |  4 Pages14. Human trafficking was not defined in international, regional, and national laws until the late 2000s in Article 3, paragraph (a) of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons, supplementing the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime (Trafficking Protocol) , and the optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution, and Child Pornography (CRC Protocol) . 15. At the same token, RwandaRead MoreHuman Trafficking Is An Issue1348 Words   |  6 Pagesthat slavery is no longer existent, it still is very popular, and it’s human trafficking. Human trafficking is an issue everywhere, but it has always been a major issue in Bangladesh. Human trafficking is still an issue because it s still legal in some areas, and the government doesn t make an effort to help the young women and children who are as young as twelve in the trafficking business. The truth is, human trafficking is happening right in front of our faces, and in every country.These peopleRead MoreThe Issue Of Human Trafficking2654 Words   |  11 PagesAccording to the UNDOC, human trafficking is the acquisition of people by illegal means such as force, fraud, deception, abduction or coercion for the purpose of exploiting them. This vice is one of the main international policy concerns of the 21st century that is spreading at an alarming rate. Often, human trafficking is confused with human migration and smuggling even though the three terms are completely different. Unlike human trafficking, human migration and smuggling involves migration/transportationRead MoreThe Issue Of Human Trafficking Essay1836 Words   |  8 Pagescommunity, better known as human trafficking by society. Human trafficking is the illegal traffic of individuals for the purposes of sexual exploitation and commercial achievements. Individuals are misplaced and forced into slavery throughout the state. The targets of human trafficking are mostly women and children, some children are as young as 13 years old, and this act is called â€Å"child-trafficking†. This issue is not only of a safety matter but also of a public health issue. The victims are kept inRead MoreThe Issue Of Human Trafficking4049 Words   |  17 Pageshave been raised over the years in regards to the issue of human trafficking. Countless international groups such as charities have tried to increase pub lic awareness around the issue of trafficking of human beings and at the same time have encouraged governmental bodies to acknowledge this problem that its affecting people around the world and which has increased dramatically over the past years (Newburn, 2013,pp.430-431). The trafficking of human beings has reached a global level, with thousandsRead MoreCombatting the Issue of Human Trafficking1294 Words   |  5 Pagesresolutions for combating the issue of human trafficking , both locally and nationally. I chose to investigate two existing social awareness campaigns located in Ohio. The reasons I decided to explore these two organizations is because of the obvious, that my classmates and I are in the state of Ohio but overall, it is due to the fact that this state ranks number five in the nation for human trafficking. There are explanations behind the ranking of Ohio for this issue. The first explanation

Succubus on Top CHAPTER 20 Free Essays

Striking Sol with that tiny piece of wood was like dropping a nuclear warhead into the room. The blast threw me off the couch, and I hit the floor with a jarring, painful thud. Small objects flew into the walls. We will write a custom essay sample on Succubus on Top CHAPTER 20 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Art tumbled to the ground. The windows in the room blew out in a sparkling shower of shards. And it was raining inside. Blood and glitter fell down around me in red, gleaming streaks. Mine wasn’t the only true nature to be revealed. In the instant before Sol had exploded, I had felt him. Really felt him. Yes, he was part of a different system than mine, but he was no minor immortal player looking to stir up a little trouble. He was a god. A bona fide, honest to goodness god. Now, I should point out that gods come and go in the world based on belief. Godly power is directly proportional to the faith of their believers. So, those whose names no one remembers often walk around literally as bums, no different from humans save for their immortality. Sol, however, had had a fair amount of power. Not like Krishna power or God with a capital G power, but a lot. Certainly more than me. Holy shit. I had just destroyed a god. I straightened up from my fetal curl and looked around. Everything was still except for a light wind blowing in though the now-open windows. My skin and clothing were spattered with sticky scarlet blood, like I’d been at the wrong end of a paintbrush at the Mortensens,. My heart rate refused to slow. A moment later, I heard the pounding of footsteps on the stairs. Alec burst into the room, drawn by the noise and the shaking. He looked around, his lower jaw practically dropping to the floor as he came to a screeching stop. My intoxication had not passed with Sol’s destruction. That fucking ambrosia was still in my system, and it was actually getting worse. Still, my anger at Alec was such that I again overcame my befuddled senses and reflexes, and with a speed that came as a surprise even to me, I sprang at him and knocked him to the ground. A moment’s shape-shifting, and my short and slim frame suddenly held considerably more muscle and strength than its appearance suggested. I straddled Alec with my legs and arms, and panic blazed on his face when he realized he couldn’t budge an inch from my grip. I hit him hard across the face. My coordination might have been off, but it didn’t take much to apply brute force. â€Å"Who the hell was he? Sol?† â€Å"I don’t know!† I hit him again. â€Å"Honest, I don’t. I don’t know,† blathered Alec. â€Å"He was just this guy†¦he found me and made me a deal.† â€Å"What was the deal? Why’d you bring me to him?† He swallowed, blinking back tears. â€Å"Sex. He wanted sex. Lots of lovers all the time. Didn’t matter if they were guys or girls, just as long as they were good-looking. I wasn’t supposed to touch them. I just hooked them up with the potion until they wanted to meet Sol. Then he, you know†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Fucked them and dumped them,† I finished angrily. I thought about Casey and the Abercrombie model guy in the coffee shop. I recalled Alec’s desire to get me on the ambrosia but his reluctance to touch me, no matter how much he wanted to. I was meant for Sol. â€Å"So that wasn’t ambros – er, potion in my cup tonight. That really was some date-rape drug.† â€Å"I don’t know,† Alec whimpered. â€Å"Come on, let me go.† I tightened my grip and shook him. It took a moment since my fingers had a little trouble keeping hold. I had to work to maintain the fierceness of my face and voice. † What’d he give you? Did he pay you or something?† â€Å"No. He just†¦he just gave me more of the potion. All I wanted, so long as I kept the people coming.† â€Å"And you gave it to the band,† I realized. â€Å"Yeah. It was the only way†¦the only way we could get big. It’s all I’ve ever wanted. To land a record deal and get famous. This was the only way.† â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"It was just the fastest way.† â€Å"Look, what’d you do to Sol? What are you going to do to me?† â€Å"What am I going to do?† I yelled, my anger rising through the drug. I shook him, knocking his head against the floor. â€Å"I should kill you too! Do you know what you’ve done to all these people? To the band? Doug’s in the hospital right now because of you.† His eyes went wide. â€Å"I didn’t know that. Honest. I didn’t want to hurt him†¦I-I just couldn’t get the stuff on time. Not until I delivered you.† He spoke of me and the other victims like we were commodities. I wanted to pick him up and throw him out the window. I could do it too. Humans were indeed fragile things, and while my succubus shape-shifting didn’t have the power to maintain this  §r-strong shape all night, I could hold it long enough to do some major damage. Despite my normal abhorrence of violence, I have to admit that throwing people around a room is actually more satisfying than you’d think. After Dominique had died, I tracked down the corrupt doctor who had botched her abortion. I had changed from Josephine and wore the shape of an apish, seven-foot-tall man with bulging muscles. Storming into the doctor’s small, sinister office, I didn’t waste any time. I grabbed him as if he weighed nothing and tossed him against the wall, knocking down shelves of curiosities and so-called medical implements. It felt fantastic. Striding over, I picked him up by the front of his shirt and punched him hard in the side of the head, ten times harder than I’d hit Alec. The doctor staggered and fell but still had enough life to scramble backwards, crab-style, in an effort to get away. â€Å"Who are you?† he cried. â€Å"You killed a girl tonight,† I told him, moving menacingly. â€Å"A blond dancer.† His eyes bulged. â€Å"It happens. I told her. She knew the risks.† I knelt down so that we were at eye level. â€Å"You cut her open and took her money. You didn’t care what happened to her.† â€Å"Look, if you want the money back – â€Å" â€Å"I want her back. Can you do that?† He only stared, shaking with fear. I stared back at him, shaking with my own power. I had the ability to kill him. To throw him again or snap his neck or choke the breath from him. It was terrible and wrong, but seized by my own rage, I couldn’t control myself. Honestly, it’s fortunate in the long run that most incubi and succubi have mild personalities more bent on pleasure than on pain. With the ability to take on any shape, we can be pretty deadly to mortals if we’re pissed off enough. They can’t really stand against us. This doctor sure as hell couldn’t. But another immortal could. â€Å"Josephine,† murmured Bastien’s voice behind me. Then:† Fleur .† When I still didn’t respond or loosen my grip, Bastien said, â€Å"Letha.† My birth name penetrated the bloodlust pulsing through me. â€Å"Let him go. He isn’t worth your time.† â€Å"And Dominique isn’t worth avenging?† I demanded, my eyes never leaving the wretched human before me. â€Å"Dominique is dead. Her soul is in the next world. Killing this man won’t change that.† â€Å"It’ll make me feel better.† â€Å"Maybe,† conceded Bastien. â€Å"But it isn’t your place to mete out punishment to mortals. That’s reserved for higher powers.† â€Å"I am a higher power.† The incubus rested a gentle hand on my shoulder. I flinched. â€Å"We play a different role. We don’t kill mortals.† â€Å"You and I have both killed before, Bas.† â€Å"In defense. Protecting a village from raiders isn’t the same as cold-blooded murder. You may be damned, but you aren’t this far gone.† I released my hold on the doctor and leaned back on my knees. He stayed frozen. â€Å"I loved Dominique,† I whispered. â€Å"I know. That’s the problem with mortals. They’re easy to love and quick to perish. Better for all of us to keep our distance.† I didn’t touch the doctor, but I didn’t move either. Bastien gave me a gentle tug, still quietly reasonable. â€Å"Come on, let’s go. Leave him. You don’t have the right to end his life.† I let Bastien lead me out. Once in the dark alley flanking the doctor’s office, I shape-shifted back to my more natural-feeling Josephine form. â€Å"I want to leave Paris,† I told him bleakly. â€Å"I want to go somewhere where there is no death.† He put an arm around me, and I leaned into his soothing presence. â€Å"No such place exists, Fleur.† In Sol’s house, I still bore down on Alec, again empowered with the ability to crush his life if I chose. But Bastien’s words echoed within me, and I realized with an ache how much I regretted my current hostility with the incubus. Regardless, he was still correct after all these years. Revenge killings were not my right. It was unfair for an immortal to take advantage of a much weaker mortal. I would be no better than Sol. And looking at Alec underneath me, I realized just how terribly young he was. Not much older than Dominique. And anyway, my strength and coherence were failing by the second. I leaned in menacingly to Alec. â€Å"G-get out,† I mumbled through numbed lips. â€Å"I want you to get out. Out of Seattle. Don’t ever contact Doug or anyone else from the band again. If I find out you’re still in the city tomorrow night†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I struggled for an appropriate threat. My mental processes were grinding to a halt. â€Å"You, um, won’t like it. Do you understand?† My bluff worked; he was clearly terrified. I climbed off him and sat crouched because I couldn’t stand. He scrambled up, gave me a last terrified look, and tore out of the room. As soon as the door closed, I passed out. How to cite Succubus on Top CHAPTER 20, Essay examples

English phonetic interference Essay Example For Students

English phonetic interference Essay It is unusual and perhaps impossible for an emigre’s native language to remain unaffected after living abroad for several years. Phonetic and spelling rules that may have been drilled into their minds in childhood quickly disappear while the emigre struggles to master the language of their new home. Almost all people claim to read in their second language more proficiently than they speak1, however, emigres who attend high school and college in a foreign country often find themselves writing more often in their second language than in their first. After time, the second language becomes the default language of writing for these emigres and the spelling in their native language deteriorates2.As the second language becomes more frequently relied on than the first, several aspects of the second language will affect the first, which is why many emigre Russians will speak Russian with American accents or with English intonation. In this project, I wanted to test emigre Russians in America on their spelling and test the interference of English phonetic rules on Russian spelling. Preliminary Work This phenomenon captured my attention three years ago, while I was living with a Russian emigre student. I would ask her to correct my Russian homework each night, but she often corrected my homework rather poorly, as her spelling was less than stellar. She claimed that since leaving the Soviet Union 6 years earlier, she had only spoken Russian and having almost no reason to write in Russian, she had forgotten some of the most basic spelling rules. Further, she claimed that spelling in Russian was different than spelling in English. This last comment puzzled me until I lived in Russia last year and approached this topic with Russians. A good friend of mine took a diktant at Moscow University and made 45 spelling mistakes (the acceptable number was 6).A native of Moscow, he had been living in France for the previous 6 years and had only returned to Moscow one month pri or to the diktant. When looking at his paper, I noticed that he had made the same mistakes over and over again: single instead of double ‘’, ‘’ instead of unstressed ‘, ‘’ after the intrinsically hard consonants instead of ‘’, and soft signs in unnecessary places but usually before soft vowels- some of the most common mistakes made by my former roommate. We had a long discussion about how he was â€Å"spelling in Russian like he did in French†.He too claimed that he had been taught to spell in Russian differently than he had been taught to spell in French, and while living in France had little or no reason to ever write in Russian. I decided to test for phonetic influence using a diktant in two parts, the first part being a simple paragraph and the second being a more complex selection, including words that the older Russians in my group should not have used on an everyday basis3. The Diktant Takers and Selected Proced ureI selected 6 Russians and 6 advanced American students of Russian for my experiment. Four of the Russians were heritage speakers, and two had emigrated to America at 14, having studied English in school for 4 years. The Americans had been studying Russian for just over three years and had lived in Russia for at least 5 months. All of the Russian subjects, save one young man, claimed that their English was better than their Russian, due to their higher education in America (all of them studied in average of 3 years in American high schools, and also universities). The young man in exception had been in America for 6 years and claimed to use his Russian much more frequently than his English.All students were taught English using a form of the New Word methodThe Americans were less important to me as subjects, as Americans learn Russian through a much more phonetically-intense method, as they are not studying in the intense immersion situation that most Russians face when first emig rating to America. I wanted to compare their results to the Russians’ in order to compare the types of mistakes made as well as the number. When giving the diktanty, I observed how the subjects hesitated on their spelling, counted how many times they asked me to stop the tape and re-play certain sections, and noted which sections proved to be the most troublesome for each group.4 I selected the diktanty pieces from a second-year Russian textbook, and wrote the second, much simpler piece myself.I spoke with the Russian subjects briefly beforehand, to inquire about the number of years they had been in America, how many years they had studied Russian and English in school, and how they remembered being taught to read and spell. Following the diktanty, I asked if they considered themselves to be good spellers, what sounds or groups of letters are difficult to spell correctly, and how they think their English has influenced their Russian.I asked the Americans which sounds they con sidered to be the most difficult for them to spell, how much easier or harder it was to spell in English as opposed to Russian, and how their Russian has influenced their spelling in English. .uc367dbaf4266c388257130970f2f236f , .uc367dbaf4266c388257130970f2f236f .postImageUrl , .uc367dbaf4266c388257130970f2f236f .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uc367dbaf4266c388257130970f2f236f , .uc367dbaf4266c388257130970f2f236f:hover , .uc367dbaf4266c388257130970f2f236f:visited , .uc367dbaf4266c388257130970f2f236f:active { border:0!important; } .uc367dbaf4266c388257130970f2f236f .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uc367dbaf4266c388257130970f2f236f { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uc367dbaf4266c388257130970f2f236f:active , .uc367dbaf4266c388257130970f2f236f:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uc367dbaf4266c388257130970f2f236f .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uc367dbaf4266c388257130970f2f236f .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uc367dbaf4266c388257130970f2f236f .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uc367dbaf4266c388257130970f2f236f .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uc367dbaf4266c388257130970f2f236f:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uc367dbaf4266c388257130970f2f236f .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uc367dbaf4266c388257130970f2f236f .uc367dbaf4266c388257130970f2f236f-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uc367dbaf4266c388257130970f2f236f:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Procrastination Essay