Competition Between Private and Public Schools, Vouchers, and Peer-Group Effects

t American Economic Association Competition among Private and Public Schools, Vouchers, and Peer-Group Effects Author(s): Dennis Epple and Richard E. Romano Source: The American Economic Review, Vol. 88, No. 1 (Mar. , 1998), pp. 33-62 Published by: American Economic Association Stable URL: http://www. jstor. organization/stable/116817 . Gotten to: 01/02/2011 12:55 Your utilization of the JSTOR document demonstrates your acknowledgment of JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use, accessible at . http://www. jstor. organization/page/data/about/arrangements/terms. jsp.JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use gives, to some degree, that except if you have gotten earlier authorization, you may not download a whole issue of a diary or various duplicates of articles, and you may utilize content in the JSTOR document just for your own, non-business use. It would be ideal if you contact the distributer with respect to any further utilization of this work. Distributer contact data might be acquired at . http://www. jstor. organization/activity/showPublisher? publisherCode=aea. . Each duplicate of any piece of a JSTOR transmission must contain a similar copyright notice that shows up on the screen or printed page of such transmission.JSTOR is a not-revenue driven assistance that helps researchers, scientists, and understudies find, use, and expand upon a wide scope of substance in a confided in computerized file. We use data innovation and instruments to expand profitability and encourage new types of grant. For more data about JSTOR, if you don't mind contact [emailâ protected] organization. American Economic Association is teaming up with JSTOR to digitize, save and stretch out access to The American Economic Review. http://www. jstor. organization CompetitionBetween Privateand Public Schools, Vouchers, and Peer-GroupEffectsBy DENNIS EPPLE AND RICHARD E. ROMANO* A hypothetical and computational model with charge financed, educational cost free state funded schools and serious, e ducational cost financedprivate schools is created. Understudies vary by capacity and pay. Accomplishment relies upon own capacity and on companions' capacities. Balance has a severe chain of importance of school characteristics and twodimensional understudy arranging with delineation by capacity and pay. In non-public schools, high-capacity, low-pay understudies get educational cost limits, while lowability, high-salary understudies pay educational cost premia.Tuition vouchers increment the overall size of the private part and the degree of understudy arranging, and advantage high-capacity understudies comparative with low-capacity understudies. (JEL H42, 128) Discontent in the United States with the essential and optional instructive framework has become the standard. The decrease in SAT scores in the 1970's, embarrassinginternationalcomparisons of understudy accomplishment, slow development in profitability gauges, and expanding uniqueness in income all raise doubt about the natu re of the instructive framework. ‘ Education strategy figured noticeably in recenit presidential elections.The banter has fixated on issues of school decision, including voucher frameworks (Karen De Witt, 1992). Regular voucher recommendations give understudies going to non-public schools an assessment financed, school-redeemable voucher of fixed sum toward (or conceivably covering) educational cost. Albeit a 1993 California referendumfor vouchers was vanquished, strategy change at state and nearby levels proliferates, as changes in the private instructive division. The province of Minnesota and school regions in 30 states permit inhabitants to pick the government funded school their kids join in. 2The city of Milwaukee presented a voucher framework in the 1989-1990 school year.A - number f private o school and private-government funded school activities are creating (see e. g. , John F. Witte et al. , 1993; Steve Forbes, 1994; Steven Glazerman and RobertH. Meyer, 1994; Joe Na than, 1994; Newsweek, 1994; Wall Street Journal, 1994; Steven Baker, 1995; Jay P. Green et al. , 1996). Instructive change underlining expanded school rivalry with an expanded * Epple: GraduateSchool of IndustrialAdministration, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213; Romano: Department of Economics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611.We significantly value the remarks of Linda Argote, Richard Arnott, Lawrence Kenny, Tracy Lewis, David Sappington, Suzanne Scotchmer, and three unknown officials, notwithstanding workshop members at Carnegie Mellon University, Florida State University, Indiana University, Northwestern University, Princeton University, the University of Chicago, the University of Colorado, the University of Florida, the University of Illinois, the University of Kansas, the University of Virginia, Yale University, the 1993 Public Choice gatherings, and the 1994 American Economic Association meetings.We thank the National Science Foundation, and Romano thanks the Public Policy Research Center at the University of Florida for monetary help. Epple recognizes the supportof Northwestern University, where a portion of this exploration was led. Anv mistakes are our own. 2 Public subsidizing of nonsecular schools and impressive opportunity of school decision has been practicedfor years in England (Daphne Johnson, 1990) and a lot of Canada (Nick Kach and Kas Mazurek, 1986). These decision frameworks bolster even separation in tutoring and shields exist to confine vertical (quality) differentiation.Our investigation is concerned fundamentally with the impacts of a voucher framework on vertical separation. ‘The provocatively named report of the National Commission on Excellence in Education (1983), A Nation at Risk, subtleties the decay of execution of U. S. understudies in the 1970's. Later information can be found in Daniel M. Koretz ( 1987). Unobtrusive gains in performanceon normalized accomplishment tests, trailed by a leveling off, well underneath top scores of the mid 1960's, describes the late 1980's and 1990's. 33 34 THE AMERICANECONOMICREVIEW job of the private segment is at the cutting edge of he strategy discussion and late approach activities. The cutting edge financial case for vouchers and expanded instructive decision was made by Milton Friedman (1962). The scholarly instructive and political-theory callings have since thought about the advantages and disadvantages of voucher frameworks and instructive decision (John E. Coons and Stephen D. Sugarman, 1978; Myron Liberman, 1989; John Chubb and Terry Moe, 1990). Monetary examination of the communication among open and non-public schools, and of related strategy instrumentslike vouchers, is just starting to rise. This paper proceeds with the investigation of the â€Å"market† for ducation by building up a model that centers around the interactionbetween the general population and private instructive areas and furthermore looks at the outcome s of vouchers. We depict the balance attributes of the market for training with an open-enrollmentpublic segment and a serious private area. Our model typifies two key components of the instructive procedure. In the first place, understudies contrast in their capacities. Higher capacity is accepted to build an understudy's instructive accomplishment and that of friends in the school joined in. Second, family units contrast in their livelihoods, with higher salary expanding the interest for instructive achievement.A studentin our model is then characterizedby a capacity and a family unit pay, a draw from a ceaseless bivariate conveyance. A school's quality is dictated by the mean capacity of the understudy body, mirroring the model's friend groupeffect. We characterizethe equilibriumdistributionof studenttypes across open and non-public schools and look at the educational cost structure of non-public schools, expecting that understudy types are unquestionable. We build up a hypotheti cal and computational model in equal, with the last aligned to existing appraisals of boundary esteems. Equilibria are recreated for a scope of voucher values.Key characteristicsof an equilibriumare the accompanying. A hierarchyof school characteristics will be available, with the arrangement of (homogeneous) government funded schools having the most minimal capacity peer gathering and an exacting capacity groupranking of non-public schools. The balance understudy assemblages of schools relate to a segment of the capacity pay type space of understudies with MARCH 1998 delineation by pay and, as a rule, stratificationby capacity. As Figure 1 from our computational model outlines, type space is then cut into corner to corner cuts with each higher cut creation up a tuition based school's understudy body and with the base lice involving the open area. The typicality of interest for a decent companion bunch leads moderately high-pay studentsto cross finance the tutoring of generally high -capacity understudies, creating the last parcel. Non-public schools draw in high-capacity, low-salary understudies by offering them educational cost limits, in some cases partnerships. Indeed, even with free passage, schools cost separate by salary against understudies who are not on the edge between exchanging schools. The harmony separation of schools and economies of scale in training block ideal rivalry for each kind of student.Nevertheless, this cost discriminationdoes not disturb the disguise of the companion bunch externality by non-public schools. A harmony without an open division is Paretoefficient given the balance number of schools. Since free government funded schools don't value the companion bunch externality, an equilibriumwith state funded schools is Pareto wasteful. In the computational model, we utilize a Cobb-Douglas detail of utility and instructive accomplishment which incorporatesthe peer-bunch impact. The boundaries are adjusted to U. S. information from dif ferent sources. We process rough equilibria for voucher alues running from $0 to $4,200 per understudy ($4,222 approaches the use per understudy in state funded schools in 1988). ‘ With no vouchers, the anticipated level of understudies in the open area is 90 percent (the genuine incentive for the United States is 88 percent). As the voucher is expanded, the size of and mean capacity in the open segment decline. With a $2,000 voucher, for instance, the level of understudies remaini

Introduction to Ideologies Essay Example

Prologue to Ideologies Essay Do the assignments in as much detail as you discover important to gain proficiency with the material. Save your notes for study purposes. Results: 1 . To acknowledge different viewpoints in regards to personality and belief system and the connection among independence and the benefit of all. 2. To investigate factors that many impact individual and aggregate convictions and qualities (culture, language, media, relationship to land, condition, sexual orientation, religion( otherworldliness, philosophy). 3. To look at articulations of independence and community and the dynamic among independence and the basic go( contemporary social orders. . To look at qualities of philosophy (translations of history, convictions about human instinct, convictions about the Truckee of society, dreams for the future); the subjects of belief systems (country class, relationship to land, condition, religion, progressivism); and the connection among perspectives and philosophy. 5. To examine independence a nd the benefit of everyone as establishments of belief system. II. Learning Activities Students will finish 7 Learning exercises utilizing this learning guide, the course book Perspectives on Ideology; and various Internet sites. The course reading material Perspectives on Ideology is accessible in the Library. Sick. Assessment Spoon fruition of this learning guide understudies will compose a test in the Test Center comprising of 25 various decision things. Movement l: Consider the accompanying concerning pages 7 18, 23 24 and 49 50 01 Perspectives on Ideology 1 . Quickly distinguish various convictions about human instinct, nature of society, understandings of history and dreams of things to come 2. Clarify what is implied by independence and cooperation. 3. Clarify the job of qualities in impacting individual personality and aggregate objectives. 4. Recognize the variables that impact convictions and qualities. 5. Thoroughly analyze the perspectives on Locke, Hobbes and Rousseau on human instinct. 6. Think about the source on page 13. Whatever degree are the unmistakably European thoughts of Locke and Hobbes dependent on comparable qualities? 7. Depict the significance and job of philosophy in human issues. Establishments OF IDEOLOGY The well known seventeenth C logical way to deal with understanding normal wonder disconnecting, decreasing, analyzing, and isolating was adjusted for utilize a social instrument, a political range with expectations of uncovering the constituent pieces of political conviction. We will compose a custom paper test on Introduction to Ideologies explicitly for you for just $16.38 $13.9/page Request now We will compose a custom article test on Introduction to Ideologies explicitly for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Recruit Writer We will compose a custom article test on Introduction to Ideologies explicitly for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Recruit Writer A political range is a method of looking at or imagining political convictions by setting them on a hub. The range places conservatism on the right, verbalism focus left and communism left of that. Socialism and Fascism involve positions on the outrageous left and right separately. While the range is an off base proportion of conviction, the accompanying qualities are commonly acknowledged: An accentuation on uniformity is viewed as left-wing and accentuation on freedom is conservative Government monetary interventionism is radical; restricted government is conservative. Availability to change is left-wing; support for custom and the state of affairs is conservative. The Political Spectrum Political thoughts are frequently ordered by their situation on a political Spectrum. The political range originally came into utilization not long after the French Revolution in 1789. (The individuals who sat on the left half of the chamber needed critical change in government; those on the privilege needed practically zero change. ) The Political Spectrum: as a declaration of people groups availability to acknowledge change: NOTE: The articulation business as usual methods the present framework or the status quo now. On the off chance that you want change, at that point that implies changing the state of affairs. In the event that you leave things the manner in which they are, at that point you are keeping up the state of affairs. Business as usual) Radical Moderate Reactionary Radical: A fanatic of the political left. Radicals need change to business as usual that is quick and clearing and are set up to utilize savagery to accomplish their progressive object ives. Moderate: Someone who is commonly happy with business as usual. Conservatives incorporate the two nonconformists who bolster advance and acknowledge change as a methods for improving conditions for people and society, and traditionalists who oppose change accepting that customs, benefit and lawfulness are basic to keeping up an edified society. Reactionary: A fanatic of the political right. Reactionaries dismiss hang and favor an arrival to conventional qualities, foundations and the genuine or envisioned wonders of the past. Ideological Belief and the Political Spectrum: In the twentieth Century, radical Communists accepted a global laborers upheaval would bring about aggregate proprietorship and a ridiculous society. Moderate communists looked for fairness through majority rule implies. Nonconformists scanned for more extensive individual rights in an equitable society. Traditionalists guarded benefit and independence. Extremists were reactionaries who contradicted correspondence, advanced consistency and bolstered an arrival to national magnificence and domain. Socialism verbalism Conservatism Fascism Note: On the range, change moves to one side; thusly, after some time, values that once appeared to be increasingly radical step by step become acknowledged and in the end may speak to the norm. Nonconformists in the 1 ninth century upheld constrained government, singular rights however not all inclusive testimonial (it was acknowledged that specific gatherings, ladies for instance, ought not reserve the option to cast a ballot). Unexpectedly, in contemporary society, it is conservatism that contends for constrained government and radicalism that accepts government has a significant task to carry out in making a progressively libertarian culture. Conservatism, as usual, means to safeguard business as usual and its inborn customs and benefits. A range speaking to the degree of Government Control Political and monetary frameworks can likewise be arranged by how much control the administration has over its residents. The outrageous right and left of the range favor absolute government control to accomplish their targets. Communists accept that legislature has a critical job in controlling imperative businesses and offices. Nonconformists accept government has a job in molding a superior society. Traditionalists accept the job Of government ought to be constrained. Rebels are so skeptical of the intensity of government that they trust it ought to be abrogated. These perspectives can be spoken to in various manners: Anarchism No Government (Anarchy) Limited Government (Democracy) Total Government (Dictatorship) Government Control Freedom _ Liberalism Individual TOTALITARIANISM MODERATES ANARCHISM Totalitarianism: An authoritarian state is managed by a solitary head and gathering. The official has absolute power over all elements of the state and residents are relied upon to give their full devotion to their legislature. Such a state could be Communist or Fascist (additionally named dictator, absolutist, despotic, actuarial, one-party state). Conservatives: Moderates offset singular opportunity with the benefit of all. Moderate states advance pluralism which perceives the normal privileges of a differing populace to effectively take an interest in the overseeing of the nation. The intensity of the administration is constrained by the constitution and rule of law. A division of forces guarantees that no part of government can use phenomenal force without the assent of the represented. Turmoil: Anarchists accept that all administration authority is self-serving, conceivably degenerate and treacherous, and that people ought to be ere from outside offices. Seen from every other situation on the range, insurgency is dismissed as a framework that would bring about political agitation (disorder); in any case, this mirrors the point of view of the individuals who bolster government an a foundation. Investigating THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM The Spectrum as a Grid The trouble of setting complex convictions on a left-right range prompted the us of a matrix framework. Along these lines, a belief system that esteemed monetary opportunity however affable limitation could be separated from one that lectured both financial and political opportunity. Monetary Freedom Political Freedom Fascists dismiss political opportunities in an express that commends initiative and national destinations. They ensure private possession however control monetary dynamic. Socialists dismiss political and monetary opportunities so as to make another socialist state. Hypothetically government control closes when an uncouth society is accomplished. Libertarians dismiss government interruption in the lives of residents. Libertarians accept people ought to be allowed to do anything they need, insofar as they don't encroach upon the privileges of others. They dismiss aggregate qualities and are dubious of government interruption in their lives. Communists utilize the law based forces of government to accomplish libertarian targets. The accompanying case of a two-pivot framework demonstrates that it is feasible for an individual to be one of four blends of Liberal/Conservative. For example, somebody could be a monetary traditionalist On financial issues (I. E. Has faith in free markets, restricted government, low expenses) and a social liberal on issues, for example, minority rights. Ranges are helpful in that they give a visual methods for differentiating convictions on a continuum but since they rearrange data they have constrained use in pinpointing complex political and monetary thoughts. Movement 2: Consider the accompanying regarding what you have quite recently found out about The political Spectrum. You may likewise consider online sources, for example, http://www. Policewomans. Organization http://www. Learnable. Ca/content/espies/record. HTML http://en. Wisped. Organization/wick/political_spectrum 1 . Quickly recognize the

Emerging Accounting Issues Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Developing Accounting Issues - Research Paper Example These issues should be in accordance with the FASB Accounting Standards Codification. This paper tries to the feature the job of EITF and its relationship with pioneering elements in the US. Question #1 The EITF was intended to advertise the execution direction of sound bookkeeping standards inside the structure of the Accounting Standards Codification (ASC). This was intended to decrease assorted variety on a convenient premise, and to limit the requirement for the FASB to invest energy and invest time in tending to limit usage, and application (Wahlen, Jones, and Pagach, 2012). The EITF was intended to make more space for the FASB to assign on different issues while the EITF managed reliable rising issues that can be dissected inside the GAAP. A typical relationship that exists between the FASB and EITF separated from the way that EITF was framed from the proposals of the FASB is the EIFT individuals. Individuals from this organization are drawn from a cross segment of the FASB wor k power in its different voting public. These faculty incorporate preparers, reviewers and fiscal summary clients. The EITF is intended to go about as a taskforce that comprises people with the capacity to recognize developing issues before they show themselves as boundless dissimilar practices that become dug in. This is to guarantee that bookkeeping standards and practices that don't serve the eventual benefits of the general population are not left unregulated. This gives the EITF command to found administrative measures and conventions that guarantee a specific business substance sticks to standard practice. The obligations of the EITF are couple with those of the FASB; as in activities that can't be practiced by EITF are taken up by the FASB. EITF’s viability in discovering goals is pegged on its capacity to recognize developing bookkeeping and money related issues in an opportune way all together influence its administrative job skillfully (Bragg, 2012). The agency†™s goals definition is established on the standards of consultative discourse with the partners and pertinent experts in the fields of money related bookkeeping. To this end, EITF holds open gatherings routinely to think on new issues and get contribution from proposition and proposals it should make. As characterized by its structure, the EIFT best practices, proposition and suggestions are seen as the best to serve the open great. Constitution of bookkeepers from huge bookkeeping firms implies that all the present patterns by and by are insightful with EITF’s obligations and capacities. EITF accomplishes compelling goals of rising issues by explicitly creating answers and answers for each developing issue. This is on the grounds that accomplished perception has prompted the end that the advancement of an incorporating medicinal technique doesn't ensure in general viability. Best practice and goals of developing bookkeeping issues independently has been refered to as the m ost ideal way EITF adequacy and proficiency. Question #2 The EITF issue No. 13-C is worried about the introduction of unrecognized tax reduction when a net working shortfall convey forward or charge credit convey forward exists (Hyman, 2010). During the introduction of an announcement of money related position, disclosure of unrecognized tax reductions on personal assessment isn't expressly required. There exist differing rehearses with regards to the disclosure

The End of Savannah State University Essay Topics

The End of Savannah State University Essay Topics Application essays about challenges reveal how you respond to difficulty to folks who are quite interested in how you'll handle the subsequent four years all on your own. Debating is a helpful practice for all people as a result of the experience and skills it provides you. Stephen connects his previous experience to his present-day maturity through self-knowledge. Admission is granted for a certain semester and is validated by registration for this semester. Applicants have to be admitted to the Graduate School before they are entitled to register. Students know the way to be creative. They lead busy lives and often forget about an upcoming deadline. The next graphic shows the way the cost of getting a degree at Georgia State University compares to other similar excellent colleges nationwide. FCS schools play with no more than 63 scholarships. Whenever you have the last score that you're contented with, after that you can send only that score to all of your schools. Individual schools sometimes need supplemental essays. Students don't need to write about a big turning point in their essay, Soule states. Possessing a very clear and structured plan is the foundation for any fantastic bit of writing, and a college essay is not any different. The scientific use of words and phrases related medicine is named Medical Terminology. Quite simply, all the tasks and college essays you're requested to complete should be OK, well-structured, cited correctly and submitted in time. Fortunately, colleges will think something similar about you in case you choose to incorporate your love of literature in your essay. Continue reading for more tips on the best way to compose a fantastic college essay, even when you don't feel you've got anything interesting to write about. When you're writing a college admission essay, you should finish the just one paper. Writing the college application essay is a challenging gig. Successful essay and productive topic for college essay is typically a specific one. Since you may see, there's a multitude of different argumentative paper titles you may utilize. When you get your completed essay, be sure to tell all your friends what a terrific service it is and what's the perfect place to obtain cheap essays. Although it is obvious for a narrative essay, it might be unclear why one ought to offer enough details for a persuasive or maybe a process essay, alongside with the rest of the types. Choosing our service, you are going to understand that studying can be simple if you gain from the help of competent experts. Because it is simpler to kick around the exact same ideas over and over again. The topics can fluctuate, but they all are directed at supplying the information about a student's potential. The scholarship covers the price of tuition and offers a stipend for books for as many as 120 credit hours. Savannah State University Essay Topics and Savannah State University Essay Topics - The Perfect Combination Writing by hand is a little bit of romantic, but in the event you really need to get into college, you've got to be fully equipped' with the best technologies. The essay is easily among the most troublesome portions of the college application approach. Your essay is the opportunity to invigorate your application. College application essays are often the most difficult portion of the application procedure. The absolute most important quick thing you can do to help your essay is to be sure there aren't any typos or grammatical errors. Think carefully and you'll find what you have to have in your past. You might decide to write about something unexpected and the way you pursue your interest. Suddenly, you're in an entirely new situation, and will need to do something, but you need zero idea what. The Birth of Savannah State University Essay Topics Women in HBCU presidencies have not obtained the exact same chance to acquire it wrong and to learn to receive it right. Colleges are not searching for perfe ct folks. Not each time you prepare for debate you'll have to be serious. Consider your feelings about the scenario, how it affected you and what you learned from the experience instead of just simply recalling the circumstance or the individual you lost. Needless to say, you might select any topic, nobody could ever know that you're describing experience that you never actually had, but don't forget that it is always simpler to tell the truth than to invent lies. The moment itself isn't important. The Principles of Savannah State University Essay Topics That You Will be Able to Benefit From Starting Immediately Somehow, it's even more difficult to decide on an essay topic, since you have to abide by reflective or narrative style, and you've got zero decision. Essay topics for college needs to be paid a specific attention to. Deciding on an appropriate essay topic is extremely important. Choosing topics for argumentative essays is critical for your general success. Topics like death and divorce are cautionary as they can be exceedingly challenging to write about. Different types of couples' relationship also alter the expression of self in authentic method.

Book Report on Sun Tzu Art of War and Management

A Peak from a Perspective A deep breath. We’re waging a war. It seems that in any kind of business, there is somewhat of a battle to be fought, whether with the company itself or with other organizations vis-à  -vis the company. As to how to skate through the rocky atmosphere with a graceful land from a triple hoop axel jump is discussed in the book, Sun Tzu: Art of War and Management although in a different view. Through its different principles in war, each concept is translated as to how it can be used in the business showground. The principles begin from making a decision whether waging a war is practical or not. In business perspective, this translates to the idea whether entering into a business would be rational. The viability of†¦show more content†¦They realized that not only fertilizer was needed but also chemicals such as pesticides and insecticides to irrigate the farmland. They capitalized on the opportunity that the market is not yet fully saturated or occupied. This follows th e concept of appraising the terrain, whether it is open or constricted. They don’t have much concern regarding their competitors because as long as they have cheaper sources of their products, they have an advantage over their rivals. But unlike Hi-Fern Marketing which doesn’t have enemies in the battlefield of business, the fierce competition of Alto Broadcasting System-Chronicles Broadcasting Network (ABS-CBN) and Gozon Marketing Association (GMA) is one of the popular rivalries present in the country. Each network’s objective is high ratings which translate into a heftier slice of the multi-billion peso advertising pie. For quite a while, ABS-CBN had a commanding lead over GMA. The latter was content to be a strong number two. Ironically, GMA was the number one station during the martial law era in the 70s under the stewardship of current ABS-CBN chief operating officer Freddie Garcia. When the Lopezes got back ABS-CBN after the Edsa Revolt in 1986, the late Geny Lopez was able to convince Garcia to return to his mother station. This exemplifies the concept of headhunting under the various principles advocated by Sun Tzu. It was Garcia who liftedShow MoreRelatedStudying Management Unit : Formativ e Assignment1631 Words   |  7 Pages 2ND NOVEMBER 2015 Candidate number: 23639 Tutor: Peter Nicholls STUDYING MANAGEMENT UNIT – FORMATIVE ASSIGNMENT Discuss whether knowing the history of management is useful for studying management today THE VALUE OF HISTORY OF MANAGEMENT 1. 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Essay on Americas War on Drugs - 5842 Words

In 1968, President Richard Nixon initiated the War on Drugs when American soldiers were coming home from the Vietnam War addicted to heroin. More than a decade later, President Ronald Reagan launches the South Florida Drug Task force, headed by then Vice-President George Bush, in response to the city of Miami’s demand for help. In 1981, Miami was the financial and import central for cocaine and marijuana, and the residents were fed up. Thanks to the task force, drug arrests went up by 27%, and drug seizures went up by 50%. With that, the need for prosecutors and judges also rose. Despite these increased arrests and seizures, marijuana and cocaine still poured into south Florida. At this stage, the root of the problem, the Colombian†¦show more content†¦The Colombians, who want no Colombians in American Jails, oppose this. The drug dealers both respected and feared extradition, and recognized the threat. When the Colombian Justice Minister openly supported extradition, he was assassinated. Still, the U.S. pressures the extradition issue. In 1985, anti-Government Guerillas, mainly composed of the drug dealers, attack the Colombian Supreme Court. The extradition requests were destroyed, and eleven Supreme Court Justices were killed. In total, over 200 people lost their lives. At this point, the drug lords are using terrorism to force the Colombian government to back off the extradition issue. During the 1980s, it appeared that Central America was awash in drugs, and drug money. The violence continues today, through drug related gang violence, to botched drug raids. Drug dealers often carry weapons, some illegal, to defend themselves and their drugs. The drugs themselves do not cause violence; it is the fact that they are illegal that causes the violence. If two drug dealers have a dispute, they have no legal way for it to be settled. The only option for them is violence. At this time, the Parent’s Movement is focusing its attentions on marijuana and children. Nancy Reagan makes her famous â€Å"Just say No!† speech and President Reagan makes marijuana a top priority. Upon examining the relationship between marijuana use andShow MoreRelatedAmericas War On Drugs1528 Words   |  7 PagesAmerica’s war on drugs has failed. After millions of dollars and untold man hours spent enforcing the prohibition of illegal drugs, there is little, if any, success to show for it. Illicit drugs are still available on most American street corners, drug usage rates have not decreased, and the scourge of drug related violence continues to spread like wildfire. Sadly, the war on drugs has also resulted in the incarceration of millions of Americans for petty possession offenses and has created a blackRead More America’s Drug War Essay3563 Words   |  15 PagesThe War on Drugs, like the war on Terrorism, is a war that America may not be able to afford to win. For over forty years the United States has been fighting the War on Drugs and there is no end in sight. It has turned into a war that is about politics and economics rather than about drugs and cri minals. The victims of this war are numerous; but perhaps they are not as numerous as those who benefit from the war itself. History of U.S Drug Policy: While laws prohibiting the use of drugs, in oneRead MoreWar on Drugs: Americas Fight against Drugs1278 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Americas War on Drugs: In the past 40 years, the American government has spent more than $2.5 trillion dollars on the war against drugs. The huge expenditure has been coupled by numerous the ad campaigns, clean-up on smuggling, and increase in illicit drug users and incarceration rates. Actually, the increase in illicit drug users currently stands at 19.9 million in the United States with huge supplies from Mexico. With the increase in both the expenditure and number of illegal drug users, thereRead MoreAmericas Unjust Drug War Essay1172 Words   |  5 PagesThe argument over drug reform and the current prohibition has been going on for years. It seems to be an argument between a wise parent and a young teenager, but as generations change more and more of the parents seem to switch sides. While prohibitionists say the mainstream drugs like cocaine, heroin, LSD, and marijuana are harmful and immoral, legalizers argue the opposite (Rachels 223). While they are both valid and interesting arguments the drugs named above still remain illegal. Many organizationsRead More America’s War on Drugs vs. Legalization Essay3396 Words   |  14 PagesAmerica’s War on Drugs vs. Legalization The United States has spent over 30 years fighting the war on drugs. Americans have paid a heavy price financially. The drug enforcement budget is now $40 billion. A lot of time, effort, and money go into America’s attempt in eliminating trafficking, dealing, and the use of illegal drugs. Many believe that this is a war worth fighting, while others feel that America will never conquer the war on drugs. The latter suggest legalization as an alternativeRead MoreAmerica’s Failing War on Drugs and the Culture of Incarceration2483 Words   |  10 PagesAmerica’s failing War on Drugs and the Culture of Incarceration Richard B. Carpenter Adams State College America’s failing War on Drugs and the Culture of Incarceration Richard B. Carpenter Adams State College Abstract For over a century, America has waged a failing war on drugs even as it feeds a cultural apathetic and underground acceptance of drug and alcohol use. The views of the dominate group have placed blame on society’s ills on the evilsRead MoreAmericas War on Drugs - The Prison Industrial Complex Essay911 Words   |  4 PagesAfter viewing the documentary: Americas War on Drugs - The Prison Industrial Complex, it is clear that the Criminal Justice System is in desperate need of reconstruction and repair with policies such as the mandatory minimum sentencing act which has proven to be unsuccessful and unjust in its efforts to deter criminals from committing illegal acts as seen with the increase of incarcerations of the American people and the devastating effect it has had on those in prison and the family members ofRead MoreThe Rockefeller Drug Laws: Americas War on Drugs: a War We Are Causing, a War We Can Solve1814 Words   |  8 Pagesthe Rockefeller Drug Laws were passed in 1973 under Governor Nelson Rockefeller, New York State has had the harshest sentencing for low-level, non-violent drug offenders of any other state in the nation. Under these laws, those convicted of drug offenses face the same penalties as those convicted of murder, and harsher penalties that those convicted of rape. (Sullum, 1) Though the laws were first enacted to curb the late-1960s-early-1970s psychedelic drug epidemic, New Yorks drug problem in factRead MoreThe Flawed Drug Policy of America1691 Words   |  7 PagesAmericas Flawed Drug Policy Introduction: As a major policy issue in the United States, the War on Drugs has been one of the most monumental failures on modern record. At a cost of billions of taxpayer dollars, thousands of lives lost and many thousands of others ruined by untreated addiction or incarceration, Americas policy orientation concerning drug laws is due for reconsideration. Indeed, the very philosophical orientation of the War on Drugs and of the current drug policy in the UnitedRead MoreAmerica s War On Drugs1539 Words   |  7 Pages On June 17th, 1971, President Richard Nixon declared drug abuse to be â€Å"America’s Public Enemy #1† in a press conference in which he called for an â€Å"all out offensive† against this enemy, an initiative that would later be known as America’s War on Drugs. By giving this speech, thus starting â€Å"The War on Drugs,† President Nixon created what would eventually become one of the most catastrophic failures in United States political histo ry. Analysis of the historical events surrounding Nixon’s declaration

Jerome Bruner free essay sample

He attended and received his B. A. from Duke University in 1937 and his Ph. D from Harvard University in 1941. As an American psychologist, he has contributed greatly to cognitive psychology and the cognitive learning theory in educational psychology, as well as to history and the general philosophy of education. He was on the faculty in the Department of Psychology at Harvard University from 1952 – 1972. He published his book â€Å"The Process of Education† in 1960. This book influenced many young researchers and led to a great deal of experimentation and a wide range of educational programs. In the early 70’s, he left Harvard University to become a tutor at the University of Oxford up until 1979, after which he returned to Harvard University. Later he joined the New York University of Law, where he became a Senior Researcher (at the age of 93). THEORY Jerome Bruner is one of the founding fathers of Constructivist Theory. Constructivism is an extensive theoretical framework with several perspectives, and Bruners is only one. Bruners hypothetical framework is based on the theme that learners create new ideas or concepts based upon existing knowledge. Learning is an active process. Aspects of the process include selection and transformation of information, decision making, generating hypotheses, and making meaning from information and experiences. Jerome Bruner believes that teachers need: †¢To understand the relationship between motivation and learning; †¢To understand how structure relates to the whole; To learn to form â€Å"global concepts†; †¢ To learn how to build â€Å"coherent patterns† of learning; †¢To understand that facts without meaning are not learned; and †¢To believe that any subject can be taught to any child. (â€Å"Any subject can be taught effectively in some intellectually honest form to any child at any stage of development† (Bruner, 1960, p. 33). Four Key themes emerged in Bruners early work. These were: a)the Structure which refers to relationships among factual elements and techniques. )the Spiral Curriculum which refers to the idea of reiterating basic ideas over and over, building upon them and elaborating on the concepts to the level of full understanding and mastery. Bruner believed that any subject could be taught at any stage of development in a way that fit the childs cognitive abilities. c)intuitive and analytical thinking which Bruner considered should both be rewarded and encouraged. d)motivation for learning which he felt that interest in the subject matter was the best stimulus for learning. Ideally, Jerome Bruner writes, interest in the material to be learned is the best stimulus to learning, rather than such external goals as grades or later competitive advantage (ibid. : 14). The following are the four features of Bruner’s Theory of Instruction. a)Predisposition to learn: This aspect in particular states the experiences which move the learner toward a love of learning in general, or of learning something specifically. Motivational, cultural, and personal factors contribute to this. Bruner accentuated social factors and early teachers’ and parents influence on this. He believed learning and problem solving emerged out of exploration. Part of the task of a teacher is to preserve and guide a childs natural explorations. b)The Structure of Knowledge: In this feature, he believes that it is possible to structure knowledge in such a way that enables the learner to more readily grasp the information. c)Modes of Representation: He believes that children go through three stages of intellectual development or main changes before reaching maturity. These are: the enactive stage; the iconic stage; and the symbolic stage. i)The enactive stage: â€Å"knowledge is stored primarily in the form of motor responses. † (Alexander 2002). In this stage, children learn through the form of motor skills and experimentation by the manipulation of objects in their environment. e. g. a child may see a colourful toy and become fascinated by it, but the said toy only becomes real to the child if the child can see, touch or manipulate it. This stage spans from birth t o eighteen months of age. (ii)The iconic stage: â€Å"knowledge is stored primarily in the form of visual images† (Alexander 2002. In this stage, a child learns through viewing of objects. The individual is able to develop mental images of events. e. g. (iii)The symbolic stage: â€Å"knowledge is stored primarily as words, mathematical symbols, or in other symbol systems† (Alexander 2002). In this stage, the learner develops the capacity to think in abstract terms and uses language or other symbols to represent information. e. g. knowing that x + 2 = 6, therefore the value of x must be 4. Based on this three-stage notion, Bruner recommended that using a combination of concrete, pictorial and then symbolic activities will lead to more effective learning. However, unlike Jean Piaget’s theory, Bruner does not restrict these developmental stages to any specific age group but believes that these can be applied all through life. This example is taken from Bruner (1973): The concept of prime numbers appears to be more readily grasped when the child, through construction, discovers that certain handfuls of beans cannot be laid out in completed rows and columns. Such quantities have either to be laid out in a single file or in an incomplete row-column design in which there is always one extra or one too few to fill the pattern. These patterns, the child learns, happen to be called prime. It is easy for the child to go from this step to the recognition that a multiple table, so called, is a record sheet of quantities in completed multiple rows and columns. Here is factoring, multiplication and primes in a construction that can be visualized. Figure 1 A child would begin at the bottom of the pyramid and eventually escalate to the peak. d)Effective sequencing which suggests that learning takes place in the order of the aforementioned modes of representation. Bruners theories emphasize the significance of categorization in learning. To perceive is to categorize, to conceptualize is to categorize, to learn is to form categories, to make decisions is to categorize. Interpreting information and experiences by similarities and differences is a key concept. (Jerome Bruner) SECTION B Scaffolding can be very useful in the learning process. This is a key derived from Vygotsky’s notion of social learning (Wood, Bruner, Ross, 1976). This is basically the assistance provided by adults or more competent peers in the process of learning. This provides the child with a great deal of support in the earlier stages of learning, and then lessens that support or help when the child becomes more confident and is able to carry out given tasks on its own. Some types of scaffolding are: i) Reciprocal Scaffolding – A teacher in the classroom may use reciprocal scaffolding as a means to help pupils further understand a concept that is taught. This can come in the form of grouping students together (this can be a small group of about three or four pupils). These pupils should also have a diversity of levels whereas they would be able to learn from each other’s knowledge and experience. Assign a task to these pupils and allow them to come up with their own solution to the problem. According to the theory, this method gives the weaker child the opportunity to develop higher-level thinking skills. ii) Contingent Scaffolding – With this type of scaffolding, a teacher may circulate around the classroom giving each pupil the opportunity to converse with him/ her on a one-on-one basis. The teacher would be able to view and question each child’s methods individually and be able to provide constructive feedback. According to the encyclopedia of primary education, (Hayes, 2010) Discovery Learning is an open ended form of problem solving in which the teacher provides an introductory activity or stimulus on a relevant theme or topic to gain the children’s interest, stir their natural curiosity and raise the level of enthusiasm and motivation. One type of discovery learning is: i)Guided Discovery – this is a reflective teaching technique. With guided discovery, a teacher may provide pupils with adequate background information on a specific topic. The pupils are then given the opportunity and much of the responsibility for finding relationships and organizing knowledge. The teacher may ask pupils to discuss familiar topics. The teacher is careful to provide the necessary guidance to ensure that discovery and learning occur. Guided discovery is generally more effective than open discovery learning (Mayer, 2002).

Social world Essay Example

Social world Paper The conformity studies show group influence by peers, but Milgram (1974, cited by Brown 1996) distinguished this situation from the influence of persons of authority in hierarchical situations. Milgram investigated the strength of pressure to obey with a now-famous methodology. Milgrams subjects were led to believe that they were giving electric shocks to learners (actor confederates), and they were prompted to do so a clearly marked dangerous levels despite the pre-recorded cries of the learners. The subjects exhibited signs of nervous tension, but in the situation where they were alone twenty-six of forty subjects administered the highest shock level. In a variation of this Milgram demonstrated the positive influence of peer pressure in a group situation. The subject was joined by two confederates who were instructed to resist the experimenters authority. In this case the subject joined the peer rebellion and defied the experimenter in thirty-six out of forty trials.  This can be interpreted in different ways. If the subject is seen as a pliant stooge, then this is a demonstration of group influences in a more complex, real way. There are competing influences in most situations which must be incorporated by the individual. It could be that in group situations the individual is affected to a greater extent by a peer than somebody in authority. Equally, it could be a simple aggregated effect with two confederates outnumbering the single experimenter. More positively, if we assume that the subject really does not want to shock the learner, then it may show the enabling effect of the support of others. We will write a custom essay sample on Social world specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Social world specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Social world specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Taken together these experiments begin to suggest that the process of influence in groups is not clear-cut or homogenous. As Brown (1996, p19) puts it [T]here is no universal way in which individuals respond to group pressureparticipants will be affected by the meaning a situation has for them which itself may be influenced by cultural variables. This is a theme that was taken up in experiments into minority influence. Mucovici et al. (1969, cited in Brown 1996) showed the effects of different kinds of peer behaviour on the strength of influence. Groups of six including two confederates were required to name the colour of a slide. The confederates called blue slides as green either consistently or consistently. Results showed that the minority influence was only significant where a consistent behavioural style was evident.  Mugny (1975, cited in Brown 1996) held group discussions on topics of contemporary concern and found that the influence of a minority required that an appropriate argument style be employed. Where differences in opinion were large a flexible negotiation style was more effective, but with smaller differences a more rigid style was more influential. Such experiments show a tendency towards reductionism, groups are reduced to peers, authorities, majorities and minorities. Group pressures become types of influence and influence becomes behavioural style. The more specific that group experiments become the less that they seem to be talking about groups and the more they refer to individuals and circumstances. However, some experiments may have more universal implications. Wetherell (1996, p203) refers to two series of experiments that may indicate that [G]roup membership in itself has profound effects upon the psychology of the individual regardless of personality and individual differences. The Summer Camp Experiments of Sherif and Sherif (1969, cited in Wetherell 1996). used a process of in-group formation and inter-group competition which led to positive identification with the in-group and to overt out-group hostility. They found that specific psychological tendencies were not necessary for this to occur, and concluded that [T]he objective relationship between two groups causes the various subjective or psychological states characteristic of intergroup relations. Tajfel and Turners (1979, cited in Wetherell 1996) Social Identity Theory (S.I.T) based on the findings of the Minimal Group Experiments goes further in identifying the particular processes that occur in individuals when they are in groups. The minimal group idea removed circumstantial factors by taking the extreme case of a group defined by the mere recognition of it. Using schoolchildren, groups were created ostensibly from arbitrary categorisation according to stated preference for the work of either Klee or Kandinsky. Tasks showed that individuals consistently gave preferential treatment to their own group even where there was no-contact between members and there was no overt self-interest involved. They concluded that competition for goals is not required for group conflict, but that conflict occurs due to the self-esteem of the individual being tied to the status of the group. This happens through a process of social categorization, social identification where individuals self-categorizes themselves as group members and attach value to that membership, and social comparison with out-groups. Some of the problems of S.I.T. reflect the wider limitations of experimental work on groups. The sense of belongingness required for defining a group seems to be activated too easily by the individual in isolation. This presents two problems. First, such sensitive activation makes it difficult to determine which single or combination of groups an individual is being influenced by at any one time. Second, if I read the Financial Times and feel a sense of belonging and esteem by doing so, it is not clear whether this says anything at all about the group called Financial Times Readers. Whilst group conflict experiments show that no particular personality traits or circumstances are needed for individuals to be affected by group membership, the analysis still fails to enter the domain of the group because the processes identified are not essentially at the system level. Sapsfords (1996, p70) Domains of Analysis tool might usefully be employed to examine the experimental approach to groups. Group experiments based on participants having effects on each other are within the interpersonal/personal domain which [T]reats the person as a whole living interaction and relationship with other people, but analytically separate from the.[which] presupposes the idea of the individual or person as something distinct from the social world. The experimental methodology therefore prevents work on groups from being located, as might be expected, in the domain of the group. This domain [I]s concerned with what people create between them though not primarily with what participating individuals do and think; the focus is either on the system of which the individuals are a part or the meanings they create between them. Social constructionist and psychodynamic perspectives on groups fit more neatly into this domain, since the group itself is seen as the fundamental unit of analysis. The group psychodynamic paradigm offers a more inclusive vision of group processes. Aschbach and Schermer (1994, adapted in Morgan and Thomas, 1996, p77) describe the paradigm across three systems. First, the internal/intrapsychic systems of each individual in the group including unconscious motivations; Second, systems of communications, both conscious and unconscious between two or more individuals; Finally, The group as group. Some psychodynamic work on groups differs in assumptions from the experimental approach whilst still retaining a focus on what happens to individuals in groups. Instead of measurable behaviour there is an emphasis on subjective experience, a dynamic unconscious and the influence of primitive motivations within the group context. However, it is in the notion of the group mind that the approaches can be most clearly distinguished. Turner (1984, cited in Morgan and Thomas 1996, p68) forthrightly rejects the concept: It is a basic assumption of modern psychology that psychological processes reside only in individuals in the most literal sense, at least, there is no such thing as a group mind'. Thus it would seem that there are no surprises in what experimental evidence can tell us about what goes on in groups. Scientific positivism is scientific positivism. Whilst it is shown that individuals are complex and do not react in just one way, patterns of influence are described in cause-and-effect terms without recourse to emergent properties. The value that we place on this evidence depends on how we define a group. If it is simply a collection of people with affiliation then we must accept that group experiments are some of the most interesting and telling in psychology. But, if we incorporate the possibility of a groupishness (Bions word) beyond that collection, then experiments can contribute little to our knowledge of the group so defined.

Bose, Marketing Paper essays

Bose, Marketing Paper essays Bose is the most technological and scientific speaker produced on the market right now. The company, Bose has been around for awhile producing excellent sound systems for homes and cars. Bose has conducted an extreme amount of research on the quality of sound and speakers made around the world to set them selves for ahead of every other manufactures. Their Website, www.Bose.com, is extremely easy to remember. Bose website is pretty technological and requires a certain browsers' plug-in to get to certain parts of their website. Bose gives you their plug-in for free and shows you how to download and install it. With people moving into the twenty- first century computers and online shopping are going to be the wave of the future. Shopping on Bose website makes in easy and they have lower price than what you would get at a retail store. You are able to search for whatever speaker system you desire; all the way from computers, to home theater systems. You dont have to become a membe r to shop on Bose website either, like some other online stereo sites make you do. Target Market = the target market for Bose is more for the middle class and up. The product that Bose offers is high quality sound system equipment; all the way from home theater systems, automobile speakers to computer surround sound. Their web page is set up as a very technological site, meaning that their product is of high quality and a little bit more expensive than if you were to go to Wal-Mart looking for a stereo system. You can see some promotional effort with their car stereo system. Bose uses certain cars like Acura, Audi, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Infiniti, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and Pontiac to help the target market see where they range. I think the age group that Bose is trying to reach is of an older group starting at nineteen and up. Every one listens to something and they love to listen to it on a good quality sound system. In my opinion,...

About the University Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

About the University - Case Study Example The organization will also be focused on offering a chance to pursue various programs without interferences, thereby eliminating hindrances brought about by various internal and external factors. Besides, this organization will be located in an area with tranquility in order to provide students with favorable environment for studying. Developing Global Goals for the Organization Social cognitive theory focuses on self-efficacy or self-direction, which is considered crucial being a predictor of people’s behaviors. Bandura (1997) establishes a shift regarding people’s reaction towards the past, present and future. Moreover, he argues that human behaviors are guided by their goals and results, which are projected into their future (Bandura, 1997). Crucial reflection of people’s self-efficacy is facilitated by their ability to control themselves and establish a self-reflection. There are situation that in this organization people may fail to live up to the standards that they have set for themselves. Nonetheless, there are researchers, which have been conducted by Bandura (1977) in the field of social cognitive theory, whereby he recognizes the actions that results to people’s ability to process information and make choices in accordance to the things they know in regard to consequences of their actions or actions of others. Team Development and Leadership Perspective As the team leader there is need to set dates for checking on the progress with the other members of team in order to facilitate its development. Moreover, this helped us to maintain the cohesiveness of the group and ensure that everyone behaving in accordance to the expectations of the group. There are three of the most  substantial  traits that a good leader should have in order to facilitate team development; in fact, these traits  are elaborated on the basis of leadership theories. According to Fiedler and Garcia (1987), one of the traits  is explained  in the Contingency Theories which expects the  successful  leaders be able to identify the clues in the environment and that they adapt with their leader behavior in order to meet the differentiated needs of their followers. The Vroom  leadership  theory expects them to participate in decision making. It also provides a set of rules for determination of participative decision making. The third trait is Transformational  leadership  that combines the behavioral theories with the trait theories, while being a Transactional leader I will guide  my group in the  direction  that will establish  objective  by clarify task requirements. Human Development Perspective While managing the human resource in this university, there will be need to focus on satisfying employees psychological and social needs. In this case, the psychological needs will involve motivating them to exercise persona control of their actions and self-efficacy. On the other hand, satisfaction of their soc ial needs will be achieved by empowering them by modeling programs of personal control in terms of the way they can cope with stress or criticism; in fact, this will involve offering them skills to enables them cope with circumstances that they are likely to face during their daily operations. In addition, empowerment will involve provision of relevant sources of knowledge, skills, and convictions, which can allow employees to control their lives. Diversity/Multicultural Perspective There is an interpretation of diversity, which includes the ways in

CIS206 U5 Research Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

CIS206 U5 Research Assignment - Essay Example Some of these basic UNIX objects are such as files, devices, processes, file system layout, privilege, and groups and users. Files, for example, are where programs and data are stored, and the administrator has to monitor three attributes of files namely; user, dates, and sets of permissions. Processes are the basic units of executing programs in UNIX and can be in states such as waiting for data, ready to run, or running. Processes are specific to users or groups, and this regulates who can send or access signals to a particular process (Malone 2011). Another aspect covered in the article pertains to the tools used by administrators. The author identifies the man command as the most valuable tool for a UNIX administrator because it gives access to the online manual pages. Other essential tools used by the UNIX administrator to administer the user environment are such as grep, awk, find, sort, uniq, sed, diff, head, tail, and diff. The author also touches on how to monitor the UNIX system. Monitoring is done on a daily basis in order to make changes whenever necessary. The administrator oversees some important aspects such as network performance, log files, available disk space, and running processes (Malone

Elasticity on Demand, Breakeven Analysis and Pricing Decisions Essay Example for Free

Elasticity on Demand, Breakeven Analysis and Pricing Decisions Essay When a firm changes prices, the effect on profits is more important than the effect on revenue. There is a simple formula to calculate the critical Price Elasticity of demand which is just sufficient to maintain the contribution to overheads and profits. This will be greater than that required to maintain revenue. A common issue in business and in business studies is whether a firm should change the prices at which products are offered. The calculations begin with estimates of the reaction of customers to the new prices. This reaction is represented as Price Elasticity of Demand (PED), the ratio of the proportionate changes in volume and price. Students are always told and some students even remember that Elastic Demand (PED gt;1) means more revenue from a lower price and less from a higher one; and Inelastic Demand (PED But who wants the same revenue with lower profits? Any change in price will have a much bigger impact, proportionately, on the contribution per item for the firm than on the asking price to the customer. It follows that an increase in price may succeed in raising profits, even though revenue falls; and that a lower price may reduce profits even though revenue increases. So the critical question is not whether the PED is greater or less than one, but whether it is sufficiently high (for a lower price) or sufficiently low (for a price increase) to improve profits. The critical level of PED can be found by an application of breakeven analysis. We can take the current level of contribution to overheads and profit; and ask what the volume (units sold) must be to give the same level of contribution at the alternative price. Having found this critical volume, we can then compute what the PED would be to give us this volume at the new price, compared with the existing price and quantity. This then will be the Critical Price Elasticity of Demand (CPED). If we are raising prices, any PED less than CPED will increase profits; if we are lowering price, we want PED to be more than CPED. And while there is no way, short of trying the price change, to know what the PED actually is, a firm may well have sensible ideas about the likelihood of its being significantly greater or less than a specified value. It may seem that calculating the CPED is rather a waste of time, since we should have to calculate the required change in quantity first; and might just as well reckon our chances of getting this volume after our price change, without entering into Elasticity computations at all. However it turns out that there is a very simple formula for calculating the CPED.

Knowledge, Experience, and Morality in The Sufi Masters’ parable The Tale of the Sands :: essays research papers

The knowledge and experience that is gained through everyday life forms the basis of wisdom. Wisdom can be attained through numerous ways. For example, it can be created from performing a personal mistake. Lessons can be learned from those mistakes, which in turn, form knowledge and experience. The Sufi Masters’ parable â€Å"The Tale of the Sands† illustrates how knowledge can be attained from other people. The Stream of Life gains knowledge, experience, and morality from passing through the desert to its destiny. Knowledge is one of the many building blocks of wisdom. For example, the sand gives information to the Stream of Life by telling it to â€Å"be absorbed by the wind† (930). The sand is providing advice to the stream on how to solve its predicament. Knowledge is being passed from the sand to the stream. The stream is now gaining more knowledge, which builds upon its growing wisdom. Furthermore, the sand advises the stream to â€Å"let the wind carry you over the desert and towards your destination† (930). The stream is expanding its own knowledge even more with the help of a supplementary set of instructions from the sand. The stream is constantly getting wiser after comprehending every piece of knowledge that has been given to it. Understanding builds upon insight of the individual that comprehends the actual knowledge. Experience is an elemental unit of wisdom. For example, the Stream of Life runs through â€Å"the far-off mountains†¦and through the countryside† (929). The stream gains experience by going through the mountains and countryside. The wisdom of the stream is constantly growing from overcoming the obstacles of crossing the mountains and countryside. Moreover, the stream â€Å"raised his vapor into the welcoming arms of the wind†¦ which gently carried it over the desert† (930). The stream is now conquering another obstacle in its path to its destination. It is gaining the experience of having the wind deliver it over the desert. Another essential part of wisdom is experience. The morality of the situation is also a key part of wisdom, morality leads to wisdom overtime. For example, the Stream of Life asks itself, â€Å" ‘how do I know if this is right’?† (930). The stream is questioning itself that if letting the wind carry it over is the right thing to do. It is not sure if the action that is about take place is moral. Furthermore, the sand gives moral thought before it â€Å"extends the riverside all the way to the mountain† (930). Knowledge, Experience, and Morality in The Sufi Masters’ parable The Tale of the Sands :: essays research papers The knowledge and experience that is gained through everyday life forms the basis of wisdom. Wisdom can be attained through numerous ways. For example, it can be created from performing a personal mistake. Lessons can be learned from those mistakes, which in turn, form knowledge and experience. The Sufi Masters’ parable â€Å"The Tale of the Sands† illustrates how knowledge can be attained from other people. The Stream of Life gains knowledge, experience, and morality from passing through the desert to its destiny. Knowledge is one of the many building blocks of wisdom. For example, the sand gives information to the Stream of Life by telling it to â€Å"be absorbed by the wind† (930). The sand is providing advice to the stream on how to solve its predicament. Knowledge is being passed from the sand to the stream. The stream is now gaining more knowledge, which builds upon its growing wisdom. Furthermore, the sand advises the stream to â€Å"let the wind carry you over the desert and towards your destination† (930). The stream is expanding its own knowledge even more with the help of a supplementary set of instructions from the sand. The stream is constantly getting wiser after comprehending every piece of knowledge that has been given to it. Understanding builds upon insight of the individual that comprehends the actual knowledge. Experience is an elemental unit of wisdom. For example, the Stream of Life runs through â€Å"the far-off mountains†¦and through the countryside† (929). The stream gains experience by going through the mountains and countryside. The wisdom of the stream is constantly growing from overcoming the obstacles of crossing the mountains and countryside. Moreover, the stream â€Å"raised his vapor into the welcoming arms of the wind†¦ which gently carried it over the desert† (930). The stream is now conquering another obstacle in its path to its destination. It is gaining the experience of having the wind deliver it over the desert. Another essential part of wisdom is experience. The morality of the situation is also a key part of wisdom, morality leads to wisdom overtime. For example, the Stream of Life asks itself, â€Å" ‘how do I know if this is right’?† (930). The stream is questioning itself that if letting the wind carry it over is the right thing to do. It is not sure if the action that is about take place is moral. Furthermore, the sand gives moral thought before it â€Å"extends the riverside all the way to the mountain† (930).

Succubus on Top CHAPTER 13

Min, Doug's saxophonist, rummaged through the array of liquor bottles on Wyatt's counter. â€Å"I don't think he has any,† he finally said. â€Å"Can you make a gimlet without lime juice?† â€Å"Um, no,† I replied. â€Å"That kind of defeats the whole purpose. â€Å" â€Å"Oh. Okay. Well, then, you just want a shot or something?† He held up a bottle of – God help me – Skyy vodka. â€Å"I think I'll pass.† I surveyed the humming, thumping party around me. Tons of people had showed up as usual; I doubted the band even knew half of them. The wages of fame, I guessed. Also as usual, there were drugs and drinks aplenty for those who wanted such things – as long as one's vices didn't stray to lime juice, apparently. I turned back to Min. â€Å"You seen Alec tonight?† â€Å"Nope. Said he'd be here. I hope he shows soon.† Min shifted restlessly, and I wondered just how many people Alec was stringing along. The whole band, after all, had displayed that crazy, uncaring behavior. I'd spent most of the day planning for tonight, trying to figure out what it would take to get information and possibly the drug itself from Alec. Finally, as the party drew nearer, I accepted that I was overthinking the matter. Alec was hardly a criminal mastermind. If I wanted something from him, it was a safe bet that the removal of clothing and an orifice would suffice. With that in mind, I'd dressed for the part in another little dress. Like the one I'd worn to the last concert, this too had a V-neck, straps, and short skirt. Unlike that one – which had been cotton and more like a sundress – this one was silk and looked kind of like a nightgown. Its rich, emerald green mirrored the green flecks in my eyes. I'd made sure of that, enhancing the color in both. â€Å"Finally,† I muttered to myself, catching sight of Alec's blue-streaked hair across the crowd. He saw me, and I waved, making him grin smugly at my acknowledgment. â€Å"Hey,† he said, looking me over. â€Å"Wow.† â€Å"About time you showed,† berated Min, handing over a beer. They greeted each other with some kind of weird, shoulder-punching guy thing. Then Min held up a bottle of Tropical Soiree Key Lime Schnapps. â€Å"Hey, look what I found. Will this work?† â€Å"Sure. Whatever,† I said. I wanted to start working Alec, putting him at ease. If it involved some unholy drink concoction, then I'd have to take that risk. Min handed me a plastic cup filled with bright green liquid, and Alec and I wandered off to mingle. â€Å"You're letting Min experiment on you?† he asked, pointing at the cup. Inspiration hit. â€Å"He's been experimenting on me all night.† I laughed, a bit too loudly and held on to his arm. Alec didn't need to know this was my first drink. â€Å"But none of the other stuff he made looked this bad.† He smiled and casually placed his arm around my waist. â€Å"Have I told you how great you look?† â€Å"Yeah, I kind of got the message,† I told him. Sniffing the cup, I detected nothing but sugar. Tentatively, I brought the cup to my lips and tasted. Bleh. It was like Kool-Aid and mouthwash. Fortunately, I don't have much of a gag reflex, so I managed to swallow without choking. Alec flattered me a little more, and then I steered him toward the one topic guaranteed to captivate him: himself. It worked. Within a few minutes, I discovered that subject area was even more limited than I'd suspected. He only wanted to talk about the band. â€Å"So yeah, we figure we should start expanding out of Seattle and hit some of the other big cities in the area. You know, like Portland and Vancouver. If we can start getting a following in the Northwest, we can hit the rest of the west coast, you know? And Corey's dad knows this guy who knows someone at a record company, and he's going to send him the review that was in the SeattleTimes†¦ â€Å" I let him go on, nodding my head and saying â€Å"uh-huh† a lot. I should point out that I really was interested in Nocturnal Admission's success. I believed in them and their talent. Just not tonight. Other things demanded my attention. â€Å"You know,† he suddenly said out of nowhere, â€Å"I didn't think you really liked me.† Yeah. Good observation. I smiled. â€Å"Sorry about that. There are so many jerks out there that I come off a little bitchy at first, until I know a guy. But the rest of the band swears by you, and I trust them. Besides† – I leaned closer, lowering my voice to a sultry purr – â€Å"I know you now, and I definitely like you now.† To my astonishment, Alec broke away from me. How unexpected was that? Weirder still was that I saw interest in his eyes but only his eyes. The rest of him was plainly distressed about something. My surprise must have been reflected in my expression, because a moment later, he laughed like nothing had happened and returned the hand to my waist. â€Å"I wouldn't really trust the guys on much, but hey, if they've convinced you, whatever.† I turned the smile back on, pretending I hadn't noticed the weird reaction. We started talking again, and I continued to let him dictate the parameters of our conversation. When he brought up skateboarding and the benefits of one board brand over another, I decided Doug didn't appreciate the extent of my love for him. Slightly bored, I leaned into Alec and drank from the cup without thinking about it. â€Å"Son of a bitch!† I swore, tasting that mess again. â€Å"What?† â€Å"This.† I set the cup down on a rickety coffee table, sloshing the green liquid. â€Å"It's terrible.† I realized this was my opening. â€Å"God, I've had such a fucked-up week.† I turned so that I stood even closer, resting a hand on his back, sliding it down to his waist. â€Å"I'm glad you had this party. You guys must need to get a little crazy too to handle all the stuff you've been doing.† He seemed happy about my proximity but didn't move his hand from my waist. â€Å"We know when to work, and we know when to play.† He spoke with a ridiculous swagger, again attempting to project a wisdom he was too young to have. I grinned at him. â€Å"I like to play too.† Like before, the look in his eyes said he did want to play – especially if we played doctor. But his body language didn't match it. He was holding himself back for some reason, which didn't fit with my image of him as a womanizing drug lord. But he kept smiling, even if the rest of him was stiff. â€Å"How do you like to play?† â€Å"Not with that.† I pointed at the jettisoned cup and looked back up at him with doe eyes, both innocent and provocative. I tried to recall the stupid expression he'd used at the first party. â€Å"You maybe got anything†¦harder?† A pleased and – unless I was mistaken – relieved smile danced on his face. â€Å"Maybe I do.† I punched him lightly, then snaked my arm around his neck. â€Å"I know you do. I saw you give it to Doug. You guys are in on something good, and you won't share. Whereas me†¦well, I always share†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He still didn't take the physical bait or go for my over-the-top vixen lines, but the rest had piqued his interest. â€Å"I've got something,† he said, glancing around carefully. â€Å"Let's go talk in the bedroom. â€Å" Ah. Now we were getting somewhere. I followed him back to Wyatt's small messy bedroom which miraculously wasn't occupied yet. I sat on the unmade bed, crossing my legs, keeping my body language as open and relaxed as possible. â€Å"Are we going to play now?† He answered with a question of his own: â€Å"You sure you can handle the hard stuff?† I arched an eyebrow. â€Å"Baby, I can take it as hard as you can give it. â€Å" Reaching into his coat pocket, he sat down on the bed beside me and held up a tiny plastic bag, much smaller than the bag Reese kept his pot in. In the poor lighting, I could discern tiny glittering crystals. Almost like red sugar. â€Å"This,† he said in a low voice, â€Å"is what you've been waiting for your whole life. This is the stuff that's going to change your world. Make you who you were born to be.† I was rendered speechless, but not from his melodramatic prologue. It was the crystals. This close to them, I†¦well, felt them. They had an aura, almost the same way an immortal has a signature. Only this wasn't exactly a pleasant aura. The crystals felt strange to me. They sent little Shockwaves into the air. They made my skin crawl. And weirdest of all, I'd felt them before. Once with Doug, once with the band. I hoped Alec would interpret my frown as cute confusion. â€Å"What is that?† A sly smile spread over his face. â€Å"A magic potion, Georgina.† I smiled back, not having to feign puzzlement. â€Å"I don't believe in magic.† â€Å"Oh, you will after this.† He pressed the bag into my palm, and I squelched a sharp cry. I didn't like touching the crystals. â€Å"Go grab something to drink and put them in it. Mix it all up and then drink – preferably as fast as you can. You'll get the effects sooner.† â€Å"What'll they do?† â€Å"Something good. Something you'll like.† He ran his hand through the strands of my hair. â€Å"Man, I can't wait to see how you react to them.† How I reacted? I didn't like the sound of that. Maybe I wasn't getting the same thing as Doug after all. Maybe I was getting the date-rape drug. Of course, with as inviting as I was trying to be, he had to realize those kinds of extremes weren't necessary. I pushed the unease out of my head. â€Å"What do I owe you for these?† The smoke in my voice clearly told him how I'd like him to extract payment. â€Å"Nothing. It's a gift.† â€Å"Nothing?† I trailed my hand across his leg. Believe me, I really didn't want to sleep with this guy, but I wanted to stay in his good graces to figure out what the hell this stuff was. And yeah, okay, I sort of wanted to see him suffer from the energy loss. â€Å"Are you sure?† I slid my body closer to his, gently pushing him back on the bed. His eyes widened as I lay down next to him, brushing my lips over his neck. Turning his face toward mine, I moved my lips closer to his, lightly kissing the area just by his mouth. â€Å"Are you really sure?† I asked, voice lower. His breathing grew heavy, and he stroked my side, tracing the shape of my hip and moving down to my bare leg. Looking half-terrified, he moistened his lips in anticipation. My tongue snaked up to them, dancing around their edges before gently probing inside. He stifled a moan and then pushed me aside. â€Å"No†¦I†¦no. No.† He sat up, shaking. â€Å"Not yet.† I sat up as well, moving in one fluid and graceful motion. Tossing my hair over one shoulder, I gave him a languid smile. â€Å"Come on, I want to.† â€Å"I can't†¦but maybe, well maybe later we can work something out.† Both longing and reluctance showed in his expression, which I found relieving. Nice to know my charms were still working and he wasn't all business after all. Maybe this was just a first-one's-free type of deal, and he'd be more thorough in his demands later. Fine by me. It wasn't the end of the world if I didn't sleep with him, and hopefully we wouldn't even need the second batch. â€Å"Here.† Having seized control of himself, Alec held out his beer to me. â€Å"Huh?† â€Å"Go ahead and try them. You can mix them in this.† I looked down at the sparkling red granules. They almost had a light of their own. That weird sensation pulsed out at me, grating my immortal senses. No way was I going to ingest the contents of this bag. I shook my head. â€Å"I can't right now. I've got to go to another party. I promised a friend. I'll try them later, okay?† He didn't look happy about that. â€Å"I wanted you to try it now.† â€Å"What's wrong with later?† â€Å"Nothing I guess†¦just, look, don't let anyone else know, okay? I don't have a lot of this stuff. If word gets out, everyone'll want some. Right now I'm only letting special people try it.† â€Å"Am I special?† I teased. Alec gave me a long, searching look, blatantly studying my face and the way the silk fit me. Again, the appreciation and attraction shone in his eyes, but he held himself back from my smile of invitation. â€Å"Very special.† I managed to extract myself from the party shortly thereafter but not before Alec had warned me again to keep the crystals to myself. He also urged me to let him know how I liked them. â€Å"The second dose is even better,† he promised. Finally escaping, I breathed a sigh of relief, alone in the cool night air. As I walked to my car, I shoved the crystals into my purse, still creeped out by how they felt. They were supernatural; that much was obvious. I knew I had to get them to someone who could identify them. That, however, would have to wait a little longer since I was already past when I'd said I'd call Seth. Happily, I discovered I could no longer sense the packet once it was encased in the fabric. That was something, at least. â€Å"Where are you at?† I asked Seth when he answered his cell phone. â€Å"Terry and Andrea's. You want to come over?† Spending the evening with his family sounded refreshingly ordinary after the sleaze and debauchery of Alec and that party. In fact, compared to everything else weird in my life at the moment, it sounded downright wonderful. Identical blonde faces greeted me at the door when I arrived, both sets of lips forming a perfect ‘o' when they saw me. A moment later, Brandy appeared behind her little twin sisters. â€Å"Oh, Georgina, that dress is so pretty.† She pushed Morgan and McKenna out of the way, both still starstruck. I stepped inside the Mortensen home and found complete chaos. Sheets of clear plastic lay everywhere. Masking tape covered the wall trim. Most of the furniture had been pushed out of the living room, shoved into a pile in the hallway beyond. Those items remaining were wrapped in thick cocoons of more plastic sheeting. Paint buckets, trays, and brushes littered most of the free space, and everything – the people included – was splattered with yellow paint. â€Å"Georgina!† squealed eight-year old Kendall, tearing toward me. Her mother, walking into the room, leapt out and tackled her daughter. â€Å"Don't touch her!† Andrea exclaimed, tumbling to the ground. â€Å"Not in that dress.† I laughed, wanting to sweep up each one of the girls in an enormous hug, the dress be damned. â€Å"Seth,† chastised Terry, standing on top of a ladder, â€Å"why didn't you tell her this was a war zone?† The Mortensen Brothers always entertained me. Despite being younger, Terry always seemed exasperated by Seth's scattered behavior and often had to prod him into reality. Seth sat cross-legged on the floor with Kayla, youngest of the Mortensen daughters, on his lap. Like everyone else, he had paint all over him – including his Writers Do It at Their Desks shirt. Looking as serene as a Buddhist monk, he flashed me one of his distracted smiles. â€Å"Because it's always a war zone over here. â€Å" â€Å"Well, get her out of here and take her somewhere nice,† Terry said. â€Å"No need to drag her down into this.† This immediately triggered cries of outrage from the girls. â€Å"I don't mind staying,† I told them. â€Å"I'd like to help.† Andrea rose from her tackle, one arm still around Kendall. â€Å"We're going to have to cover you up then. Come on, let's see if I've got anything that'll fit.† She released Kendall. The little girl took a step toward me but didn't touch anything. â€Å"You look like one of the ladies in the Victoria's Secret catalog.† â€Å"My favorite reading material,† I told her solemnly. â€Å"Daddy's too.† Her mother groaned and led me to her bedroom, forcing us to squeeze through the furniture packed hallway. Being in Terry and Andrea's bedroom was a lot different than being in Dana's. It was messier for one thing, with an unmade bed and piles of laundry on the floor. The color scheme and decorating were a lot less coordinated too, suggesting it had all been pieced together over the years, not preplanned with a designer's cold eye. Pictures of the girls at various ages covered the walls and dressers, and free surfaces held odd pieces of jewelry, books, and change. And yet, despite that clutter, the whole room felt filled with love, like the people who occupied it were happy and cared about each other. It made the place warm and cozy, not sterile and sharp as Dana's had been. It made me feel good to be in here, jealous that I had nothing like it with another person, and almost intrusive to be in such an intimate setting. It was like eavesdropping. â€Å"Ah, here we are,† murmured Andrea, rummaging through drawers. She handed me some clothes. I slipped out of the dress and tried them on. While she had a fantastic body for having birthed five daughters, Andrea was still taller and bigger than me, so the clothes hung loose and long. Changing her mind, she handed me denim overalls instead of the jeans. They had to be rolled up at the cuffs, but the straps kept them on me. I tied my hair in a ponytail and was ready to go. Seth laughed when he saw me. â€Å"Hey,† I said, poking him with my foot, â€Å"be nice.† â€Å"I think this is the first time I've ever seen you look anything less than†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He paused, playing with word choice. â€Å"Well-planned.† â€Å"Why, you silver-tongued romantic devil. That is the look I usually go for. Other women go for sexy or chic or beautiful. But me? Well-planned all the way.† â€Å"You know what I mean. Besides, unplanned isn't a bad look for you. Not bad at all.† His voice sounded deliciously low and dangerous, and something ignited between us as we held each other's eyes. â€Å"You guys can flirt on your own time,† said Terry briskly, handing me a roller and tray of paint. â€Å"Right now, you work for us. Think you can do this part of the wall?† â€Å"Sure.† I glanced over at Seth, whose main job still seemed to be restraining Kayla. â€Å"Why aren't you painting?† â€Å"Because he isn't allowed to,† answered Brandy, painting deftly around a doorway. â€Å"Uncle Seth's a libation,† explained Kendall. â€Å"Liability,† corrected her mother. She grinned at me. â€Å"The odds say you have to be a better painter than him. Correction: the laws of the universe say you have to be.† â€Å"Of course she is. She's good at everything.† Seth watched me apply a smooth, even coat. â€Å"See?† Painting with the Mortensens made for an utterly normal and utterly enjoyable evening. They were so funny and nice that it was hard not to love them. Working side by side, I could almost pretend I was really one of them. Like this could be my own family. They included me in everything and spoke as though Seth and I were a done deal, assuming I would be with them not only for Thanksgiving but also for Christmas and an assortment of other get-togethers. The simple, casually extended affection made me feel happy inside, and sad too. I would never be able to quite fit in with any mortal family, even if this wacky relationship with Seth did ever stabilize. I pushed aside a plastic-covered box and got a peek inside. Moving the sheet further, I smiled down at a framed picture of Terry and Andrea's wedding party – including a much younger Seth. â€Å"Look at you,† I teased. â€Å"You used to shave.† He rubbed the stubble on his lower face. â€Å"I still shave.† â€Å"So this is the infamous occasion Seth almost missed?† â€Å"Yup,† said Terry, a rueful tone in his voice. â€Å"Apparently finishing A Talented Heat was more important than witnessing my nuptials.† â€Å"Oh,† I said neutrally, â€Å"that's a really good one.† I wasn't sure if it was missing-a-wedding good, but it was still one of my favorites. It might have been worth the sacrifice. â€Å"Who's the other guy beside you?† â€Å"Our other brother. Ian.† â€Å"Another Mortensen? You guys are abundant.† â€Å"Tell me about it,† said Terry. â€Å"Ian's the black sheep.† â€Å"I thought I was the black sheep,† said Seth, sounding almost hurt. â€Å"No. You're the unfocused artistic one. I'm the responsible one. Ian's the wild, hedonistic one.† â€Å"What's hedonistic?† asked Kendall. Her father considered. â€Å"It means you run up a lot of credit card bills you can't pay, change jobs a lot, and have a lot of†¦lady friends.† Brandy rolled her eyes. â€Å"Good euphemism, Dad.† Only in the Mortensen family, I decided delightedly, would a fourteen-year old use a word like â€Å"euphemism.† Andrea walked over to the portrait and admired her younger self. In the picture, she wore a long-sleeved lace dress that left her shoulders bare. â€Å"Ah, those were the days,† she sighed. â€Å"Back before pregnancy ruined my body.† â€Å"Well, that wasn't entirely before pregnancy,† observed her husband in an undertone. She shot him a dangerous look. Brandy groaned. Seth tried to hide a smile and changed the subject. â€Å"That church had horrible carpet. Burgundy shag.† He shook his head. â€Å"I think I'm going to get married outdoors.† â€Å"Oh my God,† said Terry with mock horror, â€Å"I can't believe you just acknowledged you might get married. I thought you were married to your writing.† â€Å"Hey, I've never had a problem with polygamy.† Kendall's eyes widened. â€Å"What's polygamy?† Later, when we'd finished the living room, Seth and I offered to start cleaning up while Terry and Andrea put the brood to bed. The girls resisted, clinging to Seth and me, wanting us to talk and come back tomorrow. â€Å"My nieces think you're a rock star,† he observed as we washed brushes in the kitchen. â€Å"I think they like you better than me.† â€Å"I'm not the one they had to tear Kayla from. Hey, does she ever talk?† â€Å"Sometimes. Usually when there's bait involved – like candy or small objects she might choke on.† We washed the brushes in silence until I brought up the topic that had been on my mind ever since he'd mentioned it. â€Å"An outdoor wedding, huh?† The notion of Seth getting married held a perverse fascination for me. Fascinating because I was female and attracted to such things. Perverse because I knew I wouldn't be the bride at such an event. Succubus logistics obviously made that impossible. Then, of course, there was the fact that my mortal marriage had not gone so well. In addition to me cheating and pushing my husband into a debilitating depression, it had later resulted in me selling my soul and joining the ranks of hell. That didn't make for a good matrimonial track record. Seth cut me a look, eyes amused. â€Å"Yup.† â€Å"I didn't know guys ever thought about that kind of stuff.† â€Å"Sometimes we do.† â€Å"You got any other details worked out? Or just the outside lovefest part?† He pondered this as we returned to the living room. He wore the intense expression that seized him when he was trying to write a certain line or think of something clever to say. â€Å"I want a good buffet,† he said. â€Å"Not one of those cheap ones with cold cuts. And no bows on the chairs or anything like that. Man, I hate those.† â€Å"Wow. I guess you've got it all figured out.† I began pulling masking tape off the trim while he knelt down to gather more brushes. He continued on, still considering. â€Å"And I want my bride to wear open-toed shoes.† â€Å"Why open-toed?† He looked up with astonishment. â€Å"Because toes are sexy.† I looked down at my own bare feet. They were small and cute, each toenail painted a pale lavender. Andrea hadn't had any shoes my size. I gave him a sly smile. â€Å"Like these toes?† He looked away and returned to his work. Forgetting my masking tape, I strolled over to him, trying not to laugh. â€Å"Why Seth Mortensen, do you have a fetish?† â€Å"It's not a fetish,† he replied evenly. â€Å"Just an appreciation.† This time I did laugh. â€Å"Oh yeah?† I moved my foot out to tickle his arm, wiggling the toes. â€Å"You appreciate these toes?† â€Å"I appreciate everything about you – even how mean you are.† I crouched beside him and slung an arm around him. â€Å"To think, all this time I've been prancing around you in low-cut shirts and no underwear, in awe of your stalwart resistance, when really it was my toes – â€Å" â€Å"No underwear?† he interrupted. â€Å"Wait. Are you wearing any now?† â€Å"My lips are sealed. You'll have to find out the old-fashioned way. I'm not going to talk. â€Å" â€Å"Oh,† he said in a warning voice, â€Å"we have ways of making you talk.† â€Å"Like what?† In one surprisingly quick motion, Seth sprang up and rolled me onto my back. One arm pinned me and the other held a paintbrush over me, wet with paint. â€Å"Hey!† I cried. â€Å"That's not sexy. That's not even cool.† Actually, being pinned to the floor by him was about as sexy as it got. He stabbed it toward me playfully, never actually making contact, but I flinched anyway. â€Å"What's the problem?† he teased. â€Å"You can just shape-shift it away.† â€Å"Oh! You're a twisted bastard.† His lips quirked into a wicked smile, and he dabbed the brush at my cheek, leaving a small streak of paint. A second later, he added a matching mark on the other cheek. â€Å"Ready for battle,† he declared. I yelped in dismay, then used his momentary satisfaction to break free and reverse the situation, rolling him over. Now I hovered on top of him, one hand on his chest, the other on his arm. â€Å"I'm learning more about you every day,† I observed, leaning my face toward his. My hair had come undone from its haphazard ponytail and now hung down, almost creating a curtain around him. â€Å"You've got a real dark side.† â€Å"Is that a problem?† â€Å"Actually I kind of like it.† I lowered my mouth and gave him what we had now dubbed a â€Å"stealth kiss† – the kind of semi-deep kiss perfected at the concert that just pushed the envelope of succubus absorption. I pulled up a moment later, my lips still tingling from where we'd touched. He shifted one hand to the small of my back while his other tangled itself up in my hair. A lazy and contented smile played on his face. â€Å"You want to go grab something to eat after this?† â€Å"What do you have in mind?† â€Å"Anything. So long as the company stays this good.† I smiled and leaned down to kiss him again, only this time I had trouble keeping the kiss as stealthy as it should have been. When I should have broken away, I kissed him a little harder instead, letting my tongue probe more boldly into his mouth. Surprisingly, what abruptly stopped this indiscretion was not the twinge of energy transfer, but Seth himself. â€Å"Thetis,† he warned, pushing me away – not harshly, but not gently either. I stared, my better judgment suddenly scrambled. I wanted to kiss him again. And again. To hell with the succubus thing. And it wasn't just because of the chemistry or the physical roughhousing, the comments about my toes and lack of underwear. It was about everything tonight. Pretending I was part of his family. Talking about weddings that could never happen. I was suddenly overcome with emotion. Joy and delight over the way just being around him felt. Knowing he loved me for both my inner and outer selves. A warm contentment that his presence naturally brought on. And, of course, the dark emotions were there too. Anger that our relationship could never be complete. Despair that he was not immortal. Jealousy that I could never be his bride. What had Jerome said? That being with me denied Seth all the normal things in life? Kissing him was a base, anxious reaction to all these emotions I couldn't otherwise deal with. â€Å"Thetis,† he repeated, studying my face and whatever crazy expression was on it. â€Å"Come on. You're stronger than this.† He sounded sad and sympathetic, yet stern and parental too. His words snapped me out of my emotional vortex, suddenly making me feel, well, inadequate compared to him. Terry walked back into the living room, looking rightfully startled to see me on top of his brother. â€Å"Do you guys need to go to bed too?† Seth and I exchanged bitter, amused smiles. â€Å"If only,† I said. Once everything was cleaned up, Seth and I left to find a very late dinner. We stayed quiet, neither of us bringing up what had happened earlier. I think he knew I was taking it harder than he had and wanted to say something to cheer me up. But nothing apparently came to mind, so silence reigned until we returned to Terry's house to get our respective cars. â€Å"Georgina,† he said suddenly, hesitantly, as we stood by my car. â€Å"I have to know something.† I looked at him wearily, not liking the seriousness in his voice. I really didn't want to deal with any more weighty issues tonight. I sighed. â€Å"What?† He studied me a moment, apparently assessing my emotional state. â€Å"So†¦ areyou wearing any underwear now?† I blinked in astonishment, taken aback. Then I saw how hard he fought to keep a straight expression. It was too funny. Seth was trying to make me feel better, very much in a goofy way I might have attempted. The tight coil of frustration inside of me unwound. â€Å"Yes,† I told him with a smile. â€Å"Oh,† he said, looking relieved to see me relax but disappointed by the answer. â€Å"But you know what the real beauty of shape-shafting is?† â€Å"What?† â€Å"I'm not anymore.†