Saturday, August 31, 2019

Indentured Servitude DBQ Essay

Due to the end of slavery, the demand for cheap labor in the Americas partnered with multiple peoples willing to leave their home countries to create an influx of indentured servants. These unfortunates, though seeking a better life, often ended up facing awful conditions for the duration of their contract. Document three shows the beginnings of indentured servitude, in a way. This document, a map, shows where all the indentured servants came from, with the two most prominent locations being China and India. Most of them ended up somewhere in the Caribbean, likely to raise cash crops like sugar. There is also a noticeable lack of indentured servants from European countries. This may be due to Europeans being the main ones who hired these servants, and they may not have had their fellow countrymen sign such a contract. It also may be due to racism; all the countries are either Asian or African, places where whites would be few and far between. Document four supports these ideas, with the only origin points the document notes are China, India, and Japan, with over a million indentured servants flowing into the Americas (or South Africa) in this time, most of whom came from India. Document nine shows just how many indentured servants there were. In Mauritius, just Indian indentured servants counted for seventy one percent of the population. That’s a lot. The document doesn’t even list indentured servants from other countries either. With just another nine percent of the population being in indentured servitude, there would be four servants for every truly free member of society in that area. Document six, another chart, shows how slavery and indentured servitude is related. In the early to mid-eighteen hundreds, the amount of former slaves steadily declined, as more and more indentured servants, specifically Indians, came into the country, rising from barely over a thousand in 1835 to almost eighty thousand by 1851, an eight thousand percent increase in just sixteen years. Document eight shows the life of an indentured servant. This document is written in a very â€Å"oh, woe is me† manner, the writer complaining about how terrible his life is. Then again, if I worked fifteen hour days without food breaks, I’d be pretty upset too. While he may be exaggerating to make his  plight seem more dire to the Protector of Immigrants, document seven shows that he may have a legitimate point. While this may not be the contract Ramana signed, I feel it’s safe to assume most of the contracts would be similar to this one, with Sundays off and only seven to ten hours of work on the other days. The document also specifically mentions the pay for those in servitude, with one shilling to grown men, and 2/3 of a shilling to women and minors. While I don’t know how much a shilling is worth, seeing as the servants get shelter, medicine, and three months of rations from whoever hired them, it stands to reason that they would be able to have enough coinage to be able to support themselves. Document five seems to support document eight though, with a European supervisor commanding Indian servants. This image makes indentured servitude look incredibly similar to slavery, especially due to the whip help in the supervisor’s hand. However, this treatment didn’t stop the flood of available immigrants; the same document shows over fifty newly arrived Indians, ready to start their lives in the New World. The final two documents, numbers one and two, show the British take on indentured servitude. Document one defends the idea of slavery, with the author stating that while it isn’t the best route for immigrants, it isn’t nearly as bad as slavery. He goes on to compare it to military service, basically saying that the servants are trained specifically to do their jobs. However, as a prominent British member of Britain’s colonies, it is likely that he owns or profits from indentured servants in some way. He wouldn’t speak out against it if it’s making him money. Document two is considerably more blunt, speaking of the need for foreign labor to turn a profit. The writer of this document seems to believe he’s far above indentured servants, as he talks of them as nothing more than resources, not actual people. He goes on to say how they’ll need more of servants as time goes on. The dispassionate and unattached way he speaks of the servants is profound; in fact, it’s almost as if he’s talking about how much coal one would need to keep a factory running. One missing document I would’ve liked would be from a former indentured servant, five to ten years after he was released from his contract. It would be interesting to see how they did in the New World once they were free. Another document I would’ve liked is one from one of the ship captains who transport the servants, comparing life he saw in their home countries to the lives they’d experience  in their new homes.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Electronic Commerce in Malaysia

LAWS OF MALAYSIA Act 658 ELECTRONIC COMMERCE ACT 2006 2 Laws of Malaysia ACT 658 Date of Royal Assent Date of publication in the Gazette †¦ †¦ †¦ †¦ 30 August 2006 31 August 2006 Publisher’s Copyright C PERCETAKAN NASIONAL MALAYSIA BERHAD All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording and/or otherwise without the prior permission of Percetakan Nasional Malaysia Berhad (Appointed Printer to the Government of Malaysia).Electronic Commerce LAWS OF MALAYSIA Act 658 ELECTRONIC COMMERCE ACT 2006 3 ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS PART I PRELIMINARY Section 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Short title and commencement Application Use not mandatory Reference to other written laws Interpretation PART II LEGAL RECOGNITION OF ELECTRONIC MESSAGE 6. 7. Legal recognition of electronic message Formation and validity of contract PART III FULFILMENT OF LEGAL REQ UIREMENTS BY ELECTRONIC MEANS 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13.Writing Signature Seal Witness Original Retention of document 4 Section Laws of Malaysia 14. 15. 16. Copy Prescribed form Service and delivery PART IV COMMUNICATION OF ELECTRONIC MESSAGE ACT 658 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. Attribution of electronic message Contents of electronic message Each electronic message to be regarded separately Time of dispatch Time of receipt Place of dispatch Place of receipt Acknowledgement of receipt PART V MISCELLANEOUS 25. Regulations SCHEDULEElectronic Commerce LAWS OF MALAYSIA Act 658 ELECTRONIC COMMERCE ACT 2006 5 An Act to provide for legal recognition of electronic messages in commercial transactions, the use of the electronic messages to fulfill legal requirements and to enable and facilitate commercial transactions through the use of electronic means and other matters connected therewith. [ ENACTED by the Parliament of Malaysia as follows: PART I PRELIMINARY ] Short title and commencement 1. (1) This Act may be cited as the Electronic Commerce Act 2006. 2) This Act comes into operation on a date to be appointed by the Minister by notification in the Gazette. Application 2. (1) Subject to section 3, this Act shall apply to any commercial transaction conducted through electronic means including commercial transactions by the Federal and State Governments. (2) This Act shall not apply to the transactions or documents specified in the Schedule. 6 Laws of Malaysia ACT 658 (3) The Minister may by order amend, vary, delete from or add to the Schedule. Use not mandatory 3. 1) Nothing in this Act shall make it mandatory for a person to use, provide or accept any electronic message in any commercial transaction unless the person consents to the using, providing or accepting of the electronic message. (2) A person’s consent to use, provide or accept any electronic message in any commercial transaction may be inferred from the person’s conduct. Reference to other wri tten laws 4. The application of this Act shall be supplemental and without prejudice to any other laws regulating commercial transactions. Interpretation 5.In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires— â€Å"electronic† means the technology of utilizing electrical, optical, magnetic, electromagnetic, biometric, photonic or other similar technology; â€Å"Minister† means the Minister charged with the responsibility for domestic trade and consumer affairs; â€Å"electronic message† means an information generated, sent, received or stored by electronic means; â€Å"originator† means a person by whom or on whose behalf, the electronic message is generated or sent; â€Å"addressee† means a person who is intended by the originator to receive the electronic message; Electronic Commerce â€Å"information processing system† means an electronic system for generating, sending, receiving, storing or processing the electronic message;  "electronic signature† means any letter, character, number, sound or any other symbol or any combination thereof created in an electronic form adopted by a person as a signature; â€Å"commercial transactions† means a single communication or multiple communications of a commercial nature, whether contractual or not, which includes any matters relating to the supply or exchange of goods or services, agency, investments, financing, banking and insurance. PART IILEGAL RECOGNITION OF ELECTRONIC MESSAGE Legal recognition of electronic message 6. (1) Any information shall not be denied legal effect, validity or enforceability on the ground that it is wholly or partly in an electronic form. (2) Any information shall not be denied legal effect, validity or enforceability on the ground that the information is not contained in the electronic message that gives rise to such legal effect, but is merely referred to in that electronic message, provided that the information being refe rred to is accessible to the person against whom the referred information might be used.Formation and validity of contract 7. (1) In the formation of a contract, the communication of proposals, acceptance of proposals, and revocation of proposals and acceptances or any related communication may be expressed by an electronic message. (2) A contract shall not be denied legal effect, validity or enforceability on the ground that an electronic message is used in its formation. Laws of Malaysia PART III FULFILMENT OF LEGAL REQUIREMENTS BY ELECTRONIC MEANS ACT 658 Writing 8. Where any law requires information to be in writing, the requirement of the law is fulfilled if the information is contained in an electronic message that is accessible and intelligible so as to be usable for subsequent reference. Signature 9. 1) Where any law requires a signature of a person on a document, the requirement of the law is fulfilled, if the document is in the form of an electronic message, by an electron ic signature which— (a) is attached to or is logically associated with the electronic message; (b) adequately identifies the person and adequately indicates the person’s approval of the information to which the signature relates; and (c) is as reliable as is appropriate given the purpose for which, and the circumstances in which, the signature is required. 2) For the purposes of paragraph (1)(c), an electronic signature is as reliable as is appropriate if— (a) the means of creating the electronic signature is linked to and under the control of that person only; (b) any alteration made to the electronic signature after the time of signing is detectable; and (c) any alteration made to that document after the time of signing is detectable. 3) The Digital Signature Act 1997 [Act 562] shall continue to apply to any digital signature used as an electronic signature in any commercial transaction. Electronic Commerce Seal 9 10. (1) Where any law requires a seal to be af fixed to a document, the requirement of the law is fulfilled, if the document is in the form of an electronic message, by a digital signature as provided under the Digital Signature Act 1997. 2) Notwithstanding subsection (1), the Minister may, by order in the Gazette, prescribe any other electronic signature that fulfills the requirement of affixing a seal in an electronic message. Witness 11. Where any law requires the signature of a witness on a document, the requirement of the law is fulfilled, if the document is in the form of an electronic message, by an electronic signature of the witness that complies with the requirements of section 9.Original 12. (1) Where any law requires any document to be in its original form, the requirement of the law is fulfilled by a document in the form of an electronic message if— (a) there exists a reliable assurance as to the integrity of the information contained in the electronic message from the time it is first generated in its final form; and (b) the electronic message is accessible and intelligible so as to be usable for subsequent reference. 2) For the purposes of paragraph (1)(a)— (a) the criteria for assessing the integrity of the information shall be whether the information has remained complete and unaltered, apart from the addition of any endorsement or any change which arises in the normal course of communication, storage and display; and (b) the standard of reliability required shall be assessed in the light of the purpose for which the document was generated and in the light of all other relevant circumstances. 10 Laws of Malaysia ACT 658 Retention of document 13.Where any law requires any document to be retained, the requirement of the law is fulfilled by retaining the document in the form of an electronic message if the electronic message— (a) is retained in the format in which it is generated, sent or received, or in a format that does not materially change the information contained i n the electronic message that was originally generated, sent or received; (b) is accessible and intelligible so as to be usable for subsequent reference; and (c) identifies the origin and destination of the electronic message and the date and time it is sent or received.Copy 14. Where any law requires any document to be retained, served, sent or delivered in more than one copy, the requirement of the law is fulfilled, if the document is in the form of an electronic message, by retention, service, sending or delivery of the document in one copy. Prescribed form 15.Where any law requires any document to be in a prescribed form, the requirement of the law is fulfilled by a document in the form of an electronic message if the electronic message is— (a) formatted in the same or substantially the same way as the prescribed form; (b) accessible and intelligible so as to be usable for subsequent reference; and (c) capable of being retained by the other person. Service and delivery 16 . (1) Where any law requires any document to be served, sent or delivered, the requirement of the law is fulfilled by the Electronic Commerce 11 ervice, sending or delivery of the document by an electronic means if an information processing system is in place— (a) to identify the origin, destination, time and date of service, sending or delivery; and (b) for the acknowledgement of receipt, of the document. (2) This section does not apply to— (a) any notice of default, notice of demand, notice to show cause, notice of repossession or any similar notices which are required to be served prior to commencing a legal proceeding; and (b) any originating process, pleading, affidavit or other documents which are required to be served pursuant to a legal proceeding.PART IV COMMUNICATION OF ELECTRONIC MESSAGE Attribution of electronic message 17. (1) An electronic message is that of the originator if it is sent by the originator himself. (2) As between the originator and the addr essee, an electronic message is deemed to be that of the originator if it is sent by— (a) a person who has the authority to act on behalf of the originator in respect of that electronic message; or (b) an information processing system programmed by, or on behalf of, the originator to operate automatically. 3) As between the originator and the addressee, the addressee is entitled to regard an electronic message as being that of the originator, and to act on that presumption, if— (a) the addressee properly applies an authentication method agreed between the originator and the addressee for ascertaining whether the electronic message was that of the originator; or 2 Laws of Malaysia ACT 658 (b) the electronic message as received by the addressee resulted from the actions of a person whose relationship with the originator or any agent of the originator enabled that person to gain access to an authentication method used by the originator to identify electronic message as it s own. 4) Subsection (3) does not apply if— (a) the addressee has received a notice from the originator that the electronic message is not that of the originator and has reasonable time to act accordingly; or (b) the addressee knew or should have known that the electronic message was not that of the originator had he exercised reasonable care or used any authentication method agreed between the originator and the addressee. Contents of electronic message 18.Where an addressee receives an electronic message, the addressee is entitled to regard the electronic message as being what the originator intended to send, and to act on that presumption, unless the addressee knew or should have known, had he exercised reasonable care or used any agreed procedure, that the transmission resulted in any error in the electronic message as received. Each electronic message to be regarded separately 19.Where an addressee receives an electronic message, the addressee is entitled to regard each electronic message received as a separate electronic message and to act on that presumption, unless the addressee knew or should have known, had he exercised reasonable care or used any agreed procedure, that the electronic message was a duplicate. Time of dispatch 20. Unless otherwise agreed between the originator and the addressee, an electronic message is deemed sent when it enters an information processing system outside the control of the originator.Electronic Commerce Time of receipt 13 21. Unless otherwise agreed between the originator and the addressee, an electronic message is deemed received— (a) where the addressee has designated an information processing system for the purpose of receiving electronic messages, when the electronic message enters the designated information processing system; or (b) where the addressee has not designated an information processing system for the purpose of receiving electronic messages, when the electronic message comes to the knowled ge of the addressee. Place of dispatch 22.Unless otherwise agreed between the originator and the addressee, an electronic message is deemed sent from the originator’s place of business, and— (a) where the originator has more than one place of business, from the place of business that has the closest relationship with the transaction or where there is no place of business that has the closest relationship with the transaction, from the originator’s principal place of business; or (b) where the originator does not have a place of business, from the originator’s ordinary place of residence. Place of receipt 23.Unless otherwise agreed between the originator and the addressee, an electronic message is deemed received at the addressee’s place of business, and— (a) where the addressee has more than one place of business, at the place of business that has the closest relationship with the transaction or where there is no place of business that has t he closest relationship with the underlying transaction, at the addressee’s principal place of business; or (b) where the addressee does not have a place of business, at the addressee’s ordinary place of residence. 4 Laws of Malaysia ACT 658 Acknowledgement of receipt 24. (1) This section applies where, on or before sending an electronic message, or in the electronic message, the originator has requested or agreed with the addressee that receipt of the electronic message is to be acknowledged. (2) Where the originator has requested or agreed with the addressee that receipt of the electronic message is to be acknowledged, the electronic message is treated as though it has never been sent until the acknowledgement is received. 3) Where the originator has not agreed with the addressee that the acknowledgement be given in a particular form or by a particular method, an acknowledgement may be given by— (a) any communication by the addressee, automated or otherwise; o r (b) any conduct of the addressee sufficient to indicate to the originator that the electronic message has been received. 4) Where the acknowledgement has not been received by the originator within the time specified or agreed or, if no time has been specified or agreed, within a reasonable time, the originator may— (a) give notice to the addressee stating that no acknowledgement has been received and specifying a reasonable time by which the acknowledgement must be received; and (b) if the acknowledgement is not received within the time specified in paragraph (a), give notice to the addressee to treat the electronic message as though it had never been sent and exercise any other rights he may have. 5) Where the originator receives the addressee’s acknowledgement of receipt, it is presumed that the addressee received the related electronic message. (6) Where the received acknowledgement states that the related electronic message fulfills technical requirements, either agreed upon or set forth in applicable standards, it is presumed that those requirements have been fulfilled. Electronic Commerce PART V MISCELLANEOUS 15 Regulations 25.The Minister may make such regulations as are necessary or expedient for giving full effect to the provisions of this Act. SCHEDULE (Section 2) This Act shall not apply to the following transactions or documents: 1. 2. 3. 4. Power of attorney The creation of wills and codicils The creation of trusts Negotiable instruments DICETAK OLEH PERCETAKAN NASIONAL MALAYSIA BERHAD, KUALA LUMPUR BAGI PIHAK DAN DENGAN PERINTAH KERAJAAN MALAYSIA

Thursday, August 29, 2019

A Study of Change Management in Coca Cola

A Study of Change Management in Coca Cola Introduction According to a Greek philosopher Heraclitus â€Å"there is nothing permanent than change†. He believed that change is the core of universe. This quote describes the importance of managing change in human as well as organizational life. A structured approach to transfer organization, its people and processes from current state to a desired future state is called change management. This process gives employees the ability to accept changes in the existing environment of the business. Change can be of different type for example, change in technology, operations or strategies etc. company needs to implement individual strategies to cope with each type of change. Organizations need to change and adopt dynamic survival strategies to stay alive in uncertain political, social and economic environment (Hiatt and Creasy, 2003). All environmental factors present in the nature experience change on continuous basis. Human nature resists change, so managing that resistance req uires well planned change management strategies. This report is aimed at describing the importance of change management for organization its motives and objectives, change management processes, how company can involve all the stakeholders for successful implantation of change management and the strategies that an organization can adopt to implement the successful change. Reasons for adopting change Organizations need change for the following reasons: To respond to the rapidly changing environment To improve the overall performance of the company To rapidly respond to the customers’ demands To improve the effectiveness and efficiency To increase the employee performance To create the best practices inside the organization and setting standards for the industry To improve profitability and return on overall investment Change management is needed for organizational survival. So the company should adopt to change management techniques in order to maintain its worth in the industr y. Importance of change management In a study 327 project managers had responded to the question that â€Å"if you had a chance to do it again, what would you do differently?† Most of them responded that we will implement an effective change management program planned way before starting the project. This study highlights the importance of change management in an organizational perspective. Change management moderates the risks that can cause failure (Jeff and Creasey, 2003). The change management process Change management is being studied by the philosophers, researchers and business experts for many years. A number of change management theories, approaches and philosophies are developed by psychologists and management professionals to implement successful change in the organization (Paton and MacCalman, 2008). There are three phases of change management i.e. preparing for change, managing change and reinforcing change. Preparation for change phase includes assessment of cha nge capabilities and capacity and developing a strategy that fit to those capabilities. Second phase i.e. â€Å"managing change† phase includes processes like planning and implementation of strategies made in the first phase. Last phase which is the reinforcement of change includes the processes like collection and analyzing of feedback data, finding out gaps and coping with determined degree of resistance from inside and outside the organization and taking corrective actions to successfully conclude the change management process (change management learning center, 1996-2011).

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

What is gender culture With reference to Sabrina Petra Ramet's paper Essay

What is gender culture With reference to Sabrina Petra Ramet's paper Gender Reversals and Gender Cultures - Essay Example ies regarding the type of gender differences, the levels of gender inequality, and the amount of violence that is necessary to maintain both systems of difference and domination. Following Ramet (1996): ]Gender culture† â€Å"is meant a society’s understanding of what is possible, proper, and perverse in gender-linked behavior, and more specifically, that set of values, mores, and assumptions which establishes which behaviors are to be seen as gender –linked† (2). Gender culture is a socially constructed phenomenon which reflects social values and perception of male and female members by others. This process occurs through a complex interaction of identification processes, symbol systems, and social institutions, gender differences are produced--typically in the form of a dichotomy that not only opposes masculinity to femininity but also translates these oppositional differences into gender hierarchy, the privileging of traits and activities defined as masculine over those defined as feminine. Ramet (1996) explains that: â€Å"gender cultures also define the limits of social tolerance and, in this regard, may be seen within the scope of the overarching cultural system as a whole† (3). Similar ideas are expressed by Moir and Jessel (1992) who stated that it is important to recognize the cultural variation in how gender differences are formed and expressed, it is also important to stress the political nature of gender as a system of diff erence construction and hierarchical dichotomy production that is constitutive of almost all contemporary societies. In societies, gender is about power, and power is gendered (115). Dress, make-up and occupation are vivid examples of ‘gender culture’ For instance, â€Å"Casting a woman in the role of King Lear or Hamlet tantalizes the audience with veiled allusions to female gender culture, and prompts questions about the gender ambiguity of behavior â€Å"(Ramet 7). Ramet underlines that sexual differences in certain adaptive

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

What role did popular music play in the American civil rights movement Essay

What role did popular music play in the American civil rights movement Your answer should include at least two case studies which connect musicians to particular historical events of the 1950s or 1960s - Essay Example It will be vital to mention that the Civil Rights Movement, which took place during the time of 1960’s, was more closely related to music as compared to other American based social movements held in the stated period. In this similar context, it can be apparently observed that certain prisoners sung freedom songs for keeping up their spirits in gaining national freedom. Apart from this, various folksingers, including blacks as well as whites, wrote songs about various themes related to the Civil Rights Movement. These themes were ascertained to be pains, paradoxes and racist activities among others. Thus, with this concern, it can be affirmed that the connection of music with the Civil Rights Movement is much apparent during the episode of 1960’s (RRAS, n.d.). In relation to the above context, the essay intends to discuss and analyse the role that popular music played in the American Civil Rights Movement. In the circumstance of explaining the role played by popular music in the American Civil Rights Movement, certain popular music genres in the period of 1960’s were found to exist. In this similar context, the popular music genres that persisted during the period of 1960’s were Acapella, Motown/R&B, British Invasion, Roots Rock and Hard Rock, Folk Rock and Protest Music and Surf Rock and Psychedelic Rock. The popular music genre of British Invasion comprised certain pop artists as well as rock brands belonging to Britain that presented certain American pop and rock songs. Such artists were reckoned as The Beatles, Donovan, The Animals, The Kinks and Dusty Springfield among others. Specially mentioning, Motown/R&B acted as one of the most popular music genres, which had importance in the Civil Rights Movement. The importance of this particular popular music genre could be determined based on the efforts made by the same in integrating American community during the

Monday, August 26, 2019

Civil Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Civil Rights - Essay Example (Suffrage) This has brought us to the issue of Selma Civil Rights Movement, which happened sometimes many years back. It’s occurred due to the violation of Blacks right to Vote. â€Å"In 1963, Selma, Alabama, was a small town of about 30,000 people. It was located in Dallas County, where only 1% of eligible blacks were registered to vote. Many blacks were apathetic about voting, which they saw as "white folks business." As in Mississippi, it was supremely difficult for blacks to register to vote†. (Birmingham) It’s also another movement made of Civil Right. Is â€Å"often referred to as the SCLC, was one of the most significant participants in the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s†. (Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)) â€Å"The SCLC had its origins in several mid-twentieth-century phenomena. Blacks returning from service in World War II (1941-45) were no longer willing to accept injustices at home that they had fought against abroad; black southern churches were powerful social institutions; blacks were becoming more involved in the Democratic Party;†. (Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) ‘Sit in at Technical College, was also part of the Civil Right Movement in the United State, which occurred in the year 1960. â€Å"In 1960 four freshmen from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical College in Greensboro strolled into the F. W. Woolworth store and quietly sat down at the lunch counter.†. (Sits In Freedom Rides and Demonstrations) They were the first blacks to attend school mixed with white. â€Å"They later came to be called, were the first black teenagers to attend all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957. These remarkable young African-American students challenged segregation in the deep South and won. Although Brown v. Board of Education outlawed segregation in schools, many racist school systems defied the law by

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Assessment of drug Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Assessment of drug - Essay Example each year in interdiction efforts. Nevertheless, in 2004, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) reported about 166,000 heroin users in the United States, out of more than 19 million people age 12 and over who reported using an illicit drug within the past month (SAMSHA report, section 1.4). Chronic heroin users may resort to stealing, prostitution and other crimes to pay for their habit. New users turn to snorting and smoking the drug, giving them less of a high but also carrying less of a stigma and avoiding the telltale track marks. The tenacity of heroin's hold on humanity begs the question: Would the United States be better off if heroin -- or some form of poppy-derived opiate -- were legalized Would it be best to let the government, or approved non-governmental organizations and charities, handle maintenance and long-term treatment of heroin users, with the goal of curing them of their addiction The experience in other countries, coupled with medical evidence, shows that it is certainly worth exploring some form of legalization that removes the criminal profit motive and focuses on reducing demand for drugs by treating drug use as a public health concern, rather than a crime. Since Richard Nixon declared war on drugs in 1973, the United States has spent billions in a losing cause trying to eradicate the use of â€Å"illegal† drugs in America. For the 2007 fiscal year alone, the Bush administration requested $12.7 billion for federal drug control efforts (National Drug Control Strategy, 2006, 1), a figure that doesn’t begin to cover state and local law enforcement, court, prison and health care costs, or more esoteric costs such as lost productivity in the workforce. This paper focuses on the potential benefits and risks of partial legalization of heroin -- which, along with cocaine, particularly crack cocaine, probably faces the highest stigma of all illicit drugs. However, the same problems that make heroin so reviled, including its addictiveness and potential for harming the user, are what make heroin an ideal test case for "controlled legalization" along a medical/public health model. Rather than continuing to fight a war that cannot be w on, the United States should beat a strategic retreat -- and seek a true victory elsewhere, looking to actually solve the problem by acknowledging the medical and psychological reasons for drug use in the first place. Then, the nation could focus on addressing those issues head on, without apology, and with an eye on continuous improvement for the betterment of its citizens and communities. Legalization in any form is seen by many as a moral failure. The thinking is, if something is "wrong," it is wrong not to stop it or outlaw it. It has proven difficult, however, in almost a century of legislation, to curtail the use of drugs like heroin, cocaine and marijuana. Instead, the laws have created a pervasive and profitable black market controlled by criminals, who pocket the cash while the American taxpayer foots the bill. Legalization in some form, with the intent of controlling demand, could go a long way toward eliminating criminal trafficking, deaths and overdoses due to impure/too pure product and the spread of deadly diseases such as AIDS and hepatitis. Refocusing heroin as a sign of a medical condition, not a criminal or moral failing, would bring users into treatment where they

A Case Study of the Impact of Cultural Differences on the HRM of Dissertation

A Case Study of the Impact of Cultural Differences on the HRM of Foreign Companies in China - Dissertation Example This incongruity between, for instance, Western management values and those of employees in China can create difficulties in establishing effective human resource management policies and systems. Economic globalisation has created the necessity for MNEs to expand overseas and thus is creating fierce competition. Many companies that have expanded into China whilst still maintaining their host operations overseas seek to exploit their human capital as a means of gaining competitive advantage effectively over their competing companies in similar markets. Because the human capital is considered one of the most important and crucial elements of establishing this advantage, it becomes extremely necessary for businesses to understand how to bridge cultural and social differences in order to build loyalty, motivation and productivity with individuals in China. China is a country that is ruled by rituals that often express significant differences in status at the social level. Those with high er resources often do not exploit or display their material wealth in order to illustrate their superiority over the lower or middle class citizens (Bell 2008). However, significant changes to social policy in the 19th Century had the wealthy citizens in China driving lower class citizens from their land and poorer people grew increasingly angry over their exploitation by the wealthy (Bell). Because of this, individuals who fit the lower and middle class categories of citizens and workers have had it instilled into their social systems and mindsets that one must constantly fight to gain economic freedom by amassing wealth. Generation after generation have found that material wealth is the most important method to gain influence and social freedoms and continue to fight to gain this type of prestige through finance (Creative Media Applications 1999). Why is this important for the study? Chinese management have a

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Gender Roles Set in Stone Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Gender Roles Set in Stone - Essay Example They glorified their nudities not only as a mode of stratification but also as a type of life. Woman of Willendorf is a perfect representation of a woman in the early societies. Just as with any other sculpture at the time, the woman is nude. In her nudity, her fertility features are conspicuous. Such features as her large breasts, developed hips and a large pelvic girdle are visible. Such features portray the vital role the women played in the society. Women embodied reproduction in the society. Her fertility features show this thereby presenting her as an established woman of the time. The sculptor emphasized her fertility and child bearing features owing to the childbearing role that women played. A perfect woman was fertile thus had children. Additionally, the sculpture lacks a definite face. The wears a unique headgear hat covers both her head and parts of her face thus concealing her face. Other primary feature of the sculpture was its lack of legs. The statue does not stand on its own. The lack of legs coupled with the concealed face is two primary features included in the sculpture deliberately in an attempt to portray gender roles. Women relied on their husbands and the rest of the society by extrapolation. As such, they relied on their male counterparts who provided and protected the families. The concealed face has a spiritual connotation. Women in the prehistoric society upheld stringent religious values, which they believed, played significant roles in enhancing their fertility and childbearing role. Additionally, concealing the face of the woman shows the society’s interest in her face among other externalities (Adovasio, Jake and Olga 112). Statue of a kouros on the other hand presents the position and roles of the youth in the society. The youthful nude male stands majestically in perfect symmetry. This portrays the features of the youth in the prehistoric society as captured by

Friday, August 23, 2019

Workforce 2020 Executive Report - DHSOS Assignment

Workforce 2020 Executive Report - DHSOS - Assignment Example Future trends – forecast 6 3.1 Economic, social, demographic, and workforce parameters that are expected to be in the U.S. in the year 2020 6 3.2 What are the general trends in leadership/management that are impacting your organization? 7 4. Recommendations – changes needed for the future in order for the organization to meet the expected challenges of 2020 8 4.1 Leadership actions that the organization should take 8 4.2 Competencies that will be needed 9 4.3 What does the organization need to do to be prepared? 10 References 11 Summary The standardization of organizational performance in the long term is a challenging task. Firms that tend to perform high on annual basis may face periods of downturns; this phenomenon has been related to problems in the organization’s internal environment, especially in regard to the leadership style and the workforce structure. Managers in DHSOS, a medium-size firm of the US computer industry, face the following dilemma: should they try to support the firm’s existing leadership practices or they should promote major changes in regard to the firm’s leadership style and workforce structure? The first choice has been considered as rather risky; the second one, i.e. the emphasis on changes on the specific sectors has been chosen. The particular plan can secure, at higher level, the limitation of a series of organizational problems that would result to severe delays in the firm’s performance up to 2020. 1. Introduction The ability of an organization to survive in the modern market is depended on certain criteria. Issues, such as the organization’s leadership style, its workforce diversity but also the quality and the level of communication are critical for the long-term success of the organization in its industry. On the other hand, in high competitive industries, the challenges for organizations of all sizes can be significant, at least compared to less competitive industries. DHSOS is one of the most promising firms in the computer industry in USA. The firm focuses on the provision of IT consultancy services in large firms. The firm was first established in New York in March of 2009, i.e. about 3 years before. During this time, the firm has managed to develop its customer base at least by 80%, a fact that it is quite promising for the firm’s performance in the future. Currently, the firm’s employees are estimated to 540, across the firm’s branches in New York, Chicago and Illinois. Up to the end of 2011, the firm’s performance seemed to be continuously developed, with no sign of a potential downturn. However, during the first half of this year, the firm seems to be unable to control employee performance, which tends to change unexpectedly leading to important losses, as compared to the same period of last year. A careful review of the organization’s key trends, such as its structure, its leadership style and its workforce ch aracteristics leads to the assumption that a series of changes need to be made in regard to the particular organizational sectors. These changes are highlighted in this paper, which can be used, as a manual for the firm’s workforce needs by 2020. 2. DHSOS – Presentation and analysis of key organizational trends 2.1 Organizational structure Since its establishment, DHSOS has been a highly centralized organization. In fact, its leadership style can be characterized as autocratic. The leader of the organization sets the key criteria on which workforce structure and employee performance would be evaluated. Moreover, the promotion of team – work within the organization is rather limited. Tasks are assigned to individuals are need to be completed by them, usually without cooperation with other colleagues. This practice has resulted, in many cases, to

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Richard Riodriquezs memoir of a bilingual childhood Essay Example for Free

Richard Riodriquezs memoir of a bilingual childhood Essay Richard Riodriquez in his A Memoir Of a Bilingual Childhood is recalling his memories about how he felt as a bilingual child in the American society. While doing so and reflecting on these memories, he refutes the idea of alienating the bilingual children by educating them through their native language. He presents very interesting thoughts about the true reflections of intimacy and how that relates to language. Choosing certain words to convey his feelings, Riodriquez engages his readers to sense the change of his attitude towards his identity as an American citizen of foreigner parents. When he reflects on his early childhood, he repetitively uses the words distant, foreigners, strain, confused and hard to describe his and his familys interactions with the others, los gringos. For him, his safety and family intimacy were all symbolized just by speaking their own private language that separates them from the public. This way, he felt secure as an individual rather than a member of a mysterious huge crowd. Richard Riodriquezs tone overall is a reflective emotional one that triggers the readers emotions to feel the same as the writer and agree with what he says. He beautifully uses different tools to achieve that. One tool was his excessive descriptions for his feelings by using clear sentences with many different adjectives throughout his essay. Another tool was his repetitive using figurative language to clarify his thoughts. For example, he wrote as confused as the threads of blue and green oil in the puddle next to my shoes. as well as the clash of two worlds. Rhetorical questions like But I would have delayed postponed for how long? are another tools that Richard Riodriquez uses to convince his readers. I liked the beauty of the language Riodriquez expressed his thoughts. Some of the analogies and metaphors he drew were quite powerful and made me feel the gloominess or excitement he felt. I also liked the way he explored and defined identity and intimacy. As he grew up, he found out that interacting with the others and speaking their language does not mean losing neither his identity nor the intimacy with his different family. Individuality is not by separating oneself from the community as many others believe but it can still be achieved while mingling with the society and owning a public  identity. I liked how he clearly concluded that intimacy, which he was struggling to protect in his childhood, is not by speaking the same language for example but it is by the meanings behind the words spoken.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Definition Of Culture By Hofstede Cultural Studies Essay

Definition Of Culture By Hofstede Cultural Studies Essay -Introduction Globalization of a companys hiring process becomes quite critical when it has to deal with external barriers; especially the ones relating to culture. It becomes equally challenging for an employee coming from a different cultural background to adjust in the new country and simultaneously adapt to their culture. However, in this world of instantaneous communication and global interactions, an international perspective can make ones business as well as an individuals career significantly more competitive. In order to have a good experience in the new environment and keeping away from depression one has to learn about the ways of interacting with the culture. This can be done by understanding a few aspects of the culture in the country one is going to. Each culture comes with its own personality, own way of doing things, ways of acting, ways of communicating with the world. Coming from one culture and moving to another, one can often pick out intriguing similarities and disheartening d ifferences. Hence, every culture is unique and depending on it, various behavioural patterns can be observed. In order to facilitate our understanding about the extent of how dynamic a culture is, Hofstedes cultural theory can be used. In the following research, a link will be established between Hofstedes cultural dimensions and how I will use these observations in order to adjust myself culturally to the new environment so that I do not have cross-cultural problems living in Japan for the next five years. Additionally a comparison between my culture (Indian) and Japanese culture will also be discussed. Definition of Culture by Hofstede Culture is the collective programming of the human mind that distinguishes the members of one human group from those of another. Culture in this sense is a system of collectively held values.- Geert Hofstede (Hofstede, 1991) Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions Power Distance: it is the degree of inequality that is expected and accepted in a given society by subordinates. It relates to power, status, authority that you command from individuals in a given context. For the most part, often the less powerful members are dominated by more powerful members and that dimension is accepted by the less powerful and expected by the most powerful. The societies with high power distance deal with autocratic style of management while the democratic style of management is observed within societies with less power distance. Uncertainty Avoidance: is the degree of risk that is accepted by people in any given society. It is the level to which the members of a society feel uncertain or ambiguous about a particular situation. The societies that avoid uncertainties are often the underdeveloped and the developing ones; whereas the developed societies are more tolerant towards uncertainties. Individualism/Collectivism: a society where everyone is expected to take care of themselves is an individualistic one. Here, me, I is more important as against we, us in collectivist societies. The attachment between people in individualistic societies is very insecurely defined. Society may have a tendency to be materialistic. Individual work is greatly appreciated rather than team work in collectivist societies. Extended families influenced by religion are a peculiar feature of collectivism. Masculinity/Feminism: the degree of difference that is observed between men and women describes this dimension. Societies driven by power, status, competitive depict masculinity, whereas, feminism illustrates values of modesty and concern. The former tends to be less emotional and expressive than latter. Long term orientation/Short term orientation: Long term relates to rewarding responsibility with an intention in mind. However, short term relates to respect for tradition and values. The former is more perseverant and the latter imparts sense security and protects ones reputation. (Hofstede, 1991) Differences between Japanese and Indian Culture according to Hofstede (Hofstede, 2003) Both these cultures instil collectivistic traits. In such cultures the actions of the individual are influenced by various concepts such as the opinion of ones family, extended family, neighbours, work group and other such wider social networks that one has some affiliation toward. The Power Distance Index of India in comparison with Japan is comparatively higher. India is a diverse country with a combination of various cultures and wealth in this country is unequally distributed and hence, there are different types of classes with uneven disposable income. This depicts why the power distance is quite high. On the other hand, Japan is a mildly hierarchical society. Japanese are always conscious of their hierarchical position in any social setting and act accordingly. However, Japan is quite developed and the fact that equality prevails makes the power distance lower than India and uncertainty avoidance higher. Moreover, the absence of corruption, low level of inflation and other econ omic factors make its uncertainty avoidance higher. Comparatively, India is quite corrupt and people are only concerned with making more and more money regardless of the overall growth. People in India generally do not feel driven and compelled to take action-initiatives and comfortably settle into established rolls and routines without questioning whereas the Japanese do not settle for anything less and are very competitive in nature making them more masculine. India is masculine too, but mostly in terms of visual display of success and power. On the contrary, Japanese are very modest and show the strength of power only when necessary. Japan is also a very fast growing economy and the people a very determined to create a living for them expressing why it is long term oriented. The idea behind it is that the companies are not here to make money every quarter for the shareholders, but to serve the stake holders and society at large for many generations to come. India is also long ter m oriented but comparatively lesser than Japan as Indian society has great tolerance for religious views and this culture typically forgives lack of punctuality where nothing is planned from start. (Hofstede, 2003) Dealing with Cultural Shock Living abroad and experiencing all the newness of the society combined with absence of people who can support might cause a degree of anxiety. This type of anxiety is called cultural shock and everyone deals with some degree of it during this stage. Basically it can be divided into four phases. Once familiar with these stages one will be better able to combat it and the willingness to adapt will increase. However, not everybody goes through all these stages or sometimes it is possible to experience these in different order. These stages are: The Honeymoon Stage   This occurs in the first few days of you arriving in your host country.   In this stage everything seems exciting and new. The focus is on the sense of success in being in the new culture; curiosity and interest in the novelty of the new surroundings; and an appreciation and anticipation of the opportunities to be found in the new culture. Most people feel energetic and enthusiastic during this stage. The Cultural Shock Stage In this stage, the primary focus is on the differences between ones home culture and the new culture and the conflicts that arise due to these differences,  including having to use a foreign language, not being sure how to interact with people in authority, not having a clear idea of how to make friends with people from different cultures, finding that food and eating customs are different, religious practices are different, and experiencing either the country is laid back or very fast paced. The Recovery Stage After having spent some time in the new culture, people begin to resolve some of the conflicts they may have experienced and also begin to regain a sense of appreciation that they might have experienced in the first stage. They have learned more about the new culture and are able to have a better understanding of external and internal resources that help in managing demands and conflicts that might arise. Feelings typical of this stage are a mixture of the first two stages. The Adaptation Stage This stage consists of people developing a realistic understanding of the similarities and differences between their home cultures and the new culture, so that they have clearer ideas about what they like and dislike in each. Many people move in the direction of becoming bicultural i.e. being able to value and appreciate the aspects of both cultures that they wish retain or include in their lives. This stage may be characterized by a sense of confidence, maturity, flexibility and tolerance. The Reverse Culture Shock- This is an often unexpected part of the cultural adaptation process. Based on the above stages, people eventually become relatively comfortable with the new culture, and are able to learn and incorporate new attitudes and behaviour that allows them to function better in the new culture. However, when this person returns to their home culture (especially if they have not been back for a while), they may sometimes find that the changes in themselves as well as in the home culture while they were away may create the need for an entirely new adjustment process which can be similar to the process described above. This can be especially confusing if the person is expecting to fit in effortlessly into their home culture and neither the person nor members of the home culture are sensitive to the possibility of reverse culture shock. (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2007)   Adapting to the Japanese Culture Having being transferred to a new country can be very challenging yet fun filled task since one has to start to adjust to a new environment that has never been experienced before. All the more, experiencing a new culture has its own set of problems like cultural shock, communication issues, etc. According to me, the only way to overcome a situation like this is to adapt to the place as soon as possible, as they say When in Rome, do as the Romans do.  I will further mention a few aspects of the local culture that I would wish to observe and understand in order to avoid problems of cross-cultural communication. Adjusting in the new environment culturally will make one familiar to the people, the language and will be lot easier to feel the essence of the place. In this situation, I will rid my mind of the stereotypes I ever perceived about Japan or Japanese people, since this is the first step to willingly accept and respect any culture. I will also try to befriend my colleagues at work and stay with them for a while instead of staying at hotels. Reason being, one gets to understand the true culture of the place only when they live with a family rather living alone. This will provide me emotional support while staying away from my family. Joining gym or any other ways of socially connecting to people would be a good idea here. Moreover, since I belong to a collectivistic society myself, it would be easier for me to trust and exchange ideas with groups of people. With this dimension being quite common in both our cultures, I might feel comfortable understanding the Japanese culture. Also in t his era of the world it is quite easy to stay in touch with family and friends back home through internet facilities providing video calling at cheap rates. Communication is the key here so I emphasize on being an active listener and participating in discussions both at work and leisure time that will let them know about the background of my culture as well. I would definitely involve communicating in Japanese in my routine; that will help me communicate with the locals there. English is not the official language of Japan so it will be wrong on my part to assume that they have clearly understood what I am trying to communicate. Hence, it will be better to listen and understand them. This will build their trust and confidence in me, and avoid misunderstandings at the same time. In situations where I am not able to express myself to a local, I would talk by actions or slow down my speed of language so that my words are clearly understood. I would watch TV and read newspapers to obtain information about the locals and their culture. Working in the IT Company will provide me with an opportunity of making friends where I believe I will be accepted keeping in mind the sense of equality that people in Japan have, according to Hofstede. I would be able to create a good rapport with my seniors too. I may not be as competitive as other Japanese employees in my peer group with regards to my background but I will try to come up to their level and be as competitive as them. However, I may have issues when trying to work since most of them rely on try and tested methods of doing work and no one really wants to bring any change in their environment. As for me, I can adjust to their style but I am more used to prioritizing my tasks according to the situation that comes up rather than planning everything right from start till the end and foresee any circumstances that may interfere with the planning like the Japanese do. In addition, leaving Hofstedes theory aside, there are other grounds on which both these cultures are dissimilar and interaction will be an issue in the beginning. If considering rituals, etiquettes, food, sense of humour, routine, etc., both these cultures are different. In India rituals are given a lot of importance but only to the extent of religion, we do not tend to go as far as having opening and closing ceremonies for each year of schooling as the Japanese do. For Japanese, competition is very important as that shows how one would lead his life later on, however, in India, there is competition but it isnt healthy considering our high level of ignorance at other levels for example caste, creed, sex, etc. As far as etiquettes are concerned, Indians these days might forget to greet others in the traditional style of saying Namaste while pressing palms together and fingers pointing upwards. They might say Hello and greet others since we have been influenced a lot by western cultur e for about two decades or so, whereas Japanese would bow down in order to greet. Another aspect of the local culture that is different but I would absolutely love to observe is the food that they have to offer. I cannot expect the spicy kind of food that I am brought up eating; instead I will have to develop a taste that is less spicy than Indian food. Consequently, spending more time with the locals will make me accustomed to their culture and lifestyle. After working through the day I might as well tour the local places so that I can roam without the help of maps. Furthermore, the environment plays a role in the adaptation of a culture. The level to which a community is ready to accept strangers into their environment is quite important. If a community is not open to new comers, that could hinder a persons ability to adapt in such host culture. Some environments are more accepting of some individual and less accepting of others. However, as per the facts presented about Japan above, it seems that I being an Indian would not go through much of a struggle to adapt as long as I respect them, their culture and stay at par and polite with them.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

RGB Components Color Images Encryption in FRT Ranges

RGB Components Color Images Encryption in FRT Ranges RGB Components Color Images Encryption in FRT Ranges Somayeh Komeylian Department of Tel-Communication Engineering, Islamic Azad University South Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran Armin Mehrabian Department of Medical, Mashhad Medical Science University, Mashhad, Iran Saeed Komeylian Factory of graduated students, Department of Tel-Communication Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran Latest works are doing on date encryption/color Image in optic range as well as Digital ranges. In this research, color Images encryption has been done by RGB components in FRT ranges for any kind of encryption random phase codes. Moreover, one single-part encryption method has been performed for color twin images. Encrypted twin RGB images by their color map converted to indexed format. One Algorithm used for incorporating two images in order to encrypt in FRT domain. Outlined Algorithm of 15entering parameter involved generally that random phases could be considered as keys for encryption. Unsuitable selection of any keys during encryption will have negative results. Presence of many keys help in building system thats intensely safe against unpermitted accessibility it could be seen that encrypted images were completely safe against unpermitted time accessibility that has false fractional commands in all three channels. Keywords: RGB Components; Color Images; Encryption. By developing Multimedia network, connection and publication techniques, tendency to send and gain Digital Date, especially images, extended a lot. Protecting individual and hiding things for permitted users and ensuring accessibility for legal Data and security considered as the most important subject in connections and image storage. One of the certain ways for immunity is encryption different optic methods recommended well for Digital methods and encrypting images. That consisted of good recognition of (DRPE) Double random phase encryption [1-3]. This method statistically uses Double Random phase in entrance and Fourier phase for input image encryption into a stationary white noise. This method generalization conducted toward fractional Fourier domain and then considerable help has been done by authors and researchers [7, 8]. In addition, many remarkable works are doing on date encryption/color Image in optic range as well as Digital ranges. In the other related works for color Im ages encryption, RGB color Image RGB components in FRT ranges used for any kind of encryption random phase codes and FRT fractional commands as keys [6]. Moreover, one single-part encryption method has been performed for color twin images [5]. Encrypted twin RGB images by their color map converted to indexed format. One Algorithm used for incorporating two images in order to encrypt in FRT domain. Mentioned Method is Single-part and permitted processing in a simple direction [4]. A. Definition of FRT Conventionally, The nth order FRT fn(xn) Of a function f(x) is calculated using integral transform kernel given by follow equation [4]. (1) Where (2) Moreover, X and xn represent the coordinate systems for the input (zero order) domain and the output (nth order) fractional domain respectively. The FRT is linear and has the property that it is index additive: (3) Where a and b are different fractional orders of the FRT. It is possible to extend the definition of the FRT order beyond  ±2 (4) Where m is an integer. B. Concept of Colored Indexed Images Colored image in our context is represented as fn(x. y), where   x and y are spatial coordinates and n denotes the index of primary color components (n=0, 1, 2) f0(x. y), f1(x. y) and f2(x. y) correspond to RGB color components respectively. A colored image con be viewed as a stack as a stack of RGB components forming a m-n-3 array, with each pixel as a triplet corresponding to the values of the primary color components. On the other hand, an indexed image consists of a data matrix and a color map matrix. The color map matrix is an m-3 array of class double containing floating point values in the range [0, 1], where m is a function of the color system and it defines the number of colors it defines. Each row of the color map matrix specifies the red, green, and blue components of a single color. An indexed image uses direct mapping of the pixel intensity values to color map values. The color of each image pixel is determined by using the corresponding value of the data matrix as a pointer into color map. Unlike a colored image (Which is a 3-D matrix), an indexed image is a 2-D array, and simplifies the encryption as the color map is uniquely defined for a given color system. The same can be extracted from the color image and only a 2-D indexed image can be encrypted. Thus the process of encryption and decryption can be carried out in a single channel similar to the gray scale images, and the colored image can be retrieved after adding the color map to the decrypted indexed image [4]. A. Recommended Encryption Algorithm Colored image in our context is represented as follow equation: (5) Where, x and y are spatial coordinates and n denotes the index of primary color components (n=0, 1, 2) f0(x. y), f1(x. y) and f2(x. y) correspond to red, green, and blue color components respectively. Each of these components is segregated and the input RGB image p(x, y), to be encrypted, is converted into its indexed format pi (x, y), by extracting the color map and with each of these components are added. Each of these components encrypted independently using fractional Fourier encryption. The schematic of the proposed encryption technique is shown in Figure (1). The colored image to be encrypted is decomposed in red, green, and blue components and each of these components are combined with indexed image pi (x, y), and each component is multiplied with random phase functions ÃŽ ¦r1(x, y), ÃŽ ¦g1(x, y), and ÃŽ ¦b1(x, y). The random functions used above are statistically independent of each other. The FRT with different fractional orders along each spatial coordinate is performed for all the color components i. e (arx, ary) for red, (agx, agy) for green, and (abx, aby) for blue respectively. The transformed primary color images are then multiplied with three random phase functions ÃŽ ¦r2(u, Ï…), ÃŽ ¦g2(u, Ï…) and ÃŽ ¦b2(u, Ï…) in the fractional domain, where u and Ï… denote the coordinates in the respective fractional domain. Another FRT is performed subsequently on these images independently with different fractional orders along each spatial coordinates i.e. (brx, bry) for red (bgx, bgy) for green and (bbx, bby) for blue, in order to obtain the encrypted images for each of the three color components. In the final step, these three encrypted image are combined to get the colored encrypted image e(x, y). Figure 1: The color image encryption algorithm B. Recommended Decryption Algorithm The decryption process is described in Figure (2). The encrypted image is first decomposed into three primary color components. FRT of fractional orders (-brx, -bry), (-bgx, -bgy) and (-bbx, -bby) are calculated for the red, green, and blue color components, respectively and are subsequently multiplied with random phase functions ÃŽ ¦*r2(u, v), ÃŽ ¦*g2(u, v), and ÃŽ ¦*b2(u, v) in the fractional domain, where * denotes complex conjugate. In the next step, the FRTs of the fractional orders (-arx,-ary) for red, (-agx,-agy) for green- and (-abx,-aby) for blue-color images are calculated. Furthermore, indexed image pi (x, y) is segregated and finally these three components color images are combined to get the decrypted image. Figure 2: The color image decryption algorithm Figure (3a) is the main Image of globe and our main Image that will be encrypted. Figure (3b) is lena picture that would be index image incorporated with the main image. P(x,y) that has been shown in Figure (3b), and index image has been shown in Figure (3c) and finally encrypted image resulted as Figure (3d). Now, in encryption process, we must arrange it like this and see that encrypted image of globe will be as follows after separation. Figure 3: The Result of encryption In the previous part, observed results of encryption and decryption. Outlined Algorithm of 15entering parameter involved generally that random phases could be considered as keys for encryption. Unsuitable selection of any keys during encryption will have negative results. Presence of many keys help in building system thats intensely safe against unpermitted accessibility it could be seen that encrypted images were completely safe against unpermitted time accessibility that has false fractional commands in all three channels. References   P. Refregier, B. Javidi, (1995), Double random Fourier plane encoding, Opt. Lett. 20(1): 767-778. B. M. Hennelly, J. T. Sheridan, (2003), Image encryption and the fractional Fourier transform, Optik, 114(2): 6-15. B. M. Hennelly, J. T. Sheridan, (2003), Double random fractional Fourier plane encoding, Optik, 114(1): 251-262. M. Joshi, K. Singh, (2007), Color image encryption and decryption for twin images in fractional Fourier domain, Optics Communications, 281(1): 5713-20. M. Joshi, K. Singh, (2007), Color image encryption and decryption using fractional Fourier transform, Optics Communications, 279(1):35-42. Z. Liu, S. Li, (2007), Double image encryption based on iterative fractional Fourier transforms, Optics Communications, 275(1): 324-329. Y. Wang, S. Zhou, (2011), A Novel Image Encryption Algorithm Based on Fractional Fourier Transform, IEEE, 978(1): 4244. X. Feng, X. Tian, Sh. Xia, (2011), A Novel Image Encryption Algorithm Based On Fractional Fourier Transform and Magic Cube Rotation, IEEE, 978(1): 4244-9306

Monday, August 19, 2019

Education Goals and Philosophy :: Teaching Teachers Education Essays

Education Goals and Philosophy As a high school student, I often witnessed special education students being mistreated and made fun of. I had a very special teacher that guided me in the direction of stopping this abuse and making these students feel that they were special. She mentored me throughout my four years of high school, and I learned what kind of person I truly wanted to be. It took me some time in college to decide what I wanted to do, but there wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t think about how special she had been to me throughout my school years. She made a remarkable difference not only in my life, but in other students’ lives as well. After debating several different careers, I realized my heart was still with the children that did not receive the care and attention they deserved. Once I realized how passionate my feelings were to making a difference in lives, I knew where I belonged – the classroom. During my observation experience, I noticed that the classroom environment helps to enhance the student’s learning. The bulletin boards and other displays on the walls were not only magnificent with light and color, but they reinforced the student’s learning as well. For example, if I were teaching kindergarten, my bulletin board would include a calendar with the current month and current day of the week. It would also include the seasons and the weather conditions outside. I will also be teaching my students about multiculturalism, because I believe unity is very essential in today’s society. Therefore, we will be recognizing a majority of the holidays, not just participating in the celebrations we are accustomed to. We would sample foods from different cultures and talk about issues that are important to them. I will use all approaches for my students to benefit from a multicultural education, starting from the contribution approach and worki ng our way into the transformation approach. I strongly believe that students should have fun while learning. I agree with the philosophy of Jean–Paul Sartre.

Accounting :: Accounting Finances Money Essays

Accounting On September 28, 1998, Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Arthur Levitt sounded the call to arms in the financial community. Levitt asked for, "immediate and coordinated action†¦ to assure credibility and transparency" of financial reporting. Levitt’s speech emphasized the importance of clear financial reporting to those gathered at New York University. Reporting which has bowed to the pressures and tricks of earnings management. Levitt specifically addresses five of the most popular tricks used by firms to smooth earnings. Secondly, Levitt outlines an eight part action plan to recover the integrity of financial reporting in the U.S. market place. What are the basic objectives of financial reporting? Generally accepted accounting principles provide information that identifies, measures, and communicates financial information about economic entities to reasonably knowledgeable users. Information that is a source of decision making for a wide array of users, most importantly, by investors and creditors. Investors and creditors who are responsible for effective allocation of capital in our economy. If financial reporting becomes obscure and indecipherable, society loses the benefits of effective capital allocation. Nothing illustrates the importance of transparent information better than the pre-1930’s era of anything goes accounting. An era that left a chasm of misinformation in the market. A chasm that was a contributing factor to the market collapse of 1929 and the years of economic depression. An entire society suffered the repercussions of misinformation. Families, and retirees depend on the credibility of financial reporting for their futures and livelihoods. Levitt describes financial reporting as, a bond between the company and the investor which if damaged can have disastrous, long-lasting consequences. Once again, the bond is being tested. Tested by a financial community fixated on consensus earnings estimates. Th e pressure to achieve consensus estimates has never been so intense. The market demands consistency and punishes those who come up short. Eric Benhamou, former CEO of 3COM Corporation, learned this hard lesson over a few short weeks in 1996. Benhamou and shareholders lost $7 billion in market value when 3COM failed to achieve expectations. The pressures are a tangled web of expectations, and conflicts of interest which Levitt describes as "almost self-perpetuating." With pressures mounting, the answer from U.S. managers has been earnings management with a mix of managed expectations. March of 1997 Fortune magazine reported that for an unprecedented sixteen consecutive quarters, more S&P 500 companies have beat the consensus earnings estimate than missed them.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Domestic Terrorism in America Essay -- Islam Jihad and Terrorism Essay

"We therefore advocate a revolution against the industrial system."   -Ted Kaczynski  Ã‚   The sun rises to a deep spring-blue sky on Sunday the Fifth of May 2017; 51,000 people are converging on downtown Spokane for the 39th running of the Bloomsday road race. Thirty miles to the south, near the town of Fairfield, a small cluster of people watch from a distance as two men in protective coveralls and respirators pour fifty gallons of a clear fluid into the payload compartment of a Bell 300C helicopter. The crop duster, which was purchased for cash in Walla Walla, is a descendent of the Korean War era helicopters depicted on the television series MASH. After the liquid is loaded, and the outside of the helicopter is sanitized, the pilot runs through his preflight checklist and fires up the engine. Thirty minutes later, moments before the starter fires his gun into the air, the helicopter swoops in low over Riverside Avenue, coming from the east so the sun is to the pilot's back. As the pilot reaches the near edge of the crowd, his right hand depresses to trigger on the cont rol stick and begins to spray his payload on the assembled runners. Although the liquid evaporates before reaching the ground, most runners withdraw from the race. The continuing news coverage of the event reports that authorities are unable to trace the aircraft and cannot identify the mysterious liquid. Around 7:30 that same evening, the first of the exposure victims checks in to the Emergency Room at Sacred Heart Medical Center complaining of a general malaise. Before the hour is up, thirty more people are in the waiting room with a similar condition. By midnight, in a scene repeated at all of the Spokane area hospitals, hundreds of people line the hall... ...Port Townsend, WA: Loompanics Unlimited, 1997. "John Brown's Early Life." The John Brown Homepage. Norfolk Academy. http://www.norfacad.pvt.k12.va.us/project/brown/brown.htm. 28 May 2014. Kaczynski, Ted. "Unabomber Manifesto." Time.com. 1997 http://www.time.com/time/reports/unabomber/manifesto_toc.html. 28 May 2014. Kuroda, Tadahisha. "Case Study: Shays Rebellion." GH 322 History and Political Thought of the American Revolution Home Page. Skidmore College. http://www.skidmore.edu/~tkuroda/gh322/shayscase.htm. 28 May 2014. "Meet the E.L.F." Home Page. Earth Liberation Front. 2014 http://www.earthliberationfront.com/about/. 28 May 2014. "Shays' Rebellion." Wintergreen Associates. 2 July 2012 http://shaysnet.com/dshays.html. 28 May 2014. "Terrorism". Federal Emergency Management Agency. 10 Jan. 2013 www.fema.gov. 28 May 2014.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Emily Dickinson Outline Essay

I. Emily Dickinson was an introvert who wrote poems about life, love and death. Dickinson showed her feelings of death and Desire using unusual scenario’s that cause the reader to stretch their thinking and go beyond superficial thought. Emily Dickinson uses imagery, Form, and settings in her poems in â€Å"I Heard a Fly Buzz when I Died† to set the tone of the poem. II. Dickinson uses imagery in â€Å"I Heard a Fly Buzz when I Died† to set the tone for this poem. A. Dickinson works hard and fast to give us a sense of what the atmosphere is like in this room. She wants to build up a sense of how quiet, calm, and stifling it is around this deathbed. Maybe everyone has experienced a death, so she compares the situation to another one that everyone might be more familiar with. B. We don’t actually get to see who else is in the room with the dying speaker, but she does help us out by telling us that there are â€Å"Eyes around.† This helps us to fill in the blanks of the scene. At first we just had a dying person and a fly, but now we can start to imagine the room where this is taking place, complete with crying onlookers. C. When it comes to this image of â€Å"the King.† She is referring to death itself, which runs the show. This could have a more specifically religious meaning. Such as reference to God or Jesus Dickinson’s lyric poem uses form, meter, and scheme to convey its tone, A. Trimeter and tetrameter iambic lines, four stresses in the first and third lines of each stanza, three in the second and fourth lines. A rhythmic insertion of the long dash to interrupt the meter; and an ABCB rhyme scheme. B. All the rhymes before the final stanza are half-rhymes (Room/Storm, firm/Room, be/Fly), while only the rhyme in the final stanza is a full rhyme (me/see). Dickinson uses this technique to build tension; a sense of true completion comes only with the speaker’s death. C. A lyric poem is a short, song like poem that expresses someone’s thoughts or feelings which by the end of the poem where death is quickly approaching you feel the tone is the poem. It was evident that the person dying had plenty of other things to think about but the buzz from the fly seem to distract them, all the way up to the point that the speaker could not see to see.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Prison Environment Essay

  The prison environment could be define as a place to help persons convicted of crimes change their way of lifestyle, if it is a problem and serve out their sentence. The prison discussed in my readings is an environment where anyone from the cook to the janitor could influence someone to make a change in their thinking and their actions. What was once ran like a country under dictatorship, has now become a place where inmates are treated with respect and dignity. The environment of a prison is leaning more to a nurturing way of dealing with the inmates versus a clad iron system. Institutional management and custody are influenced by the constant growing population and the rise of gangs in the system. If there was less turnovers of correction officers in the prison the culture could possibly be change. Secure custody methods play an important role in the prison environment. Secure custody methods are how personnel keep a count of the inmates, keep them safe from one another as wel l as keeping order in the prison. A few of the methods used are; the count which is when personnel count the inmates to make sure that all are accounted for. During this process there is minimum to no activity until the task is complete. Another method is the sally port. This is basically two gates that can’t be opened at the same time. It operates by a person passing through the first gate in order for the next gate to open. Lastly, prison rules and contraband control are the other secure methods. Prison rules are likely broken on a consistent basis so that method of securing is probably not that efficient. The high count of gang members, more than likely play a large role in prison rules being broken as well as contra band being smuggled into the prison. The prison environment has improved over the years, but there is still room for improvement. The methods used to secure the facility should be revised. By revising these methods chances are the prisons will began to make a change towards the better.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Progesterone For Maintenance Tocolytic Therapy after Threatened Preterm Labour Essay

What was the sampling technique used and what are the advantages and disadvantages of using that technique? The researchers used a two-stage sampling method that was non-random in the first stage and randomized in the second stage. The total population was made up of 137 patients who were admitted for preterm labour. Selection from this initial population was non-random because there were exclusion criteria. The seventy women included were randomised to their treatment groups by assigning randomly generated numbers. The main advantage of using the technique was its simplicity and straightforwardness. Every individual who fit the inclusion criteria had equal chance of being selected. The disadvantage of the technique was that there was bias in the initial selection. Such bias could have affected the accuracy of the experiment. Was there randomisation? There was randomisation in the second stage of sampling, where all those women who fit the inclusion criteria were part of the sampling population. Randomisation was done by generating random numbers and assigning numbers to the women included in the study. Was it biased? There were several sources of bias in the study. The fact that the patients were all from the same clinic is already in itself introducing bias. The study was not double blind, which could also be a source of bias. The use of exclusion criteria in the first stage of sampling lessened the bias. In the second stage of sampling, efforts were done to further remove bias by assigning treatment to all included patients. No patient also left the study, thus further reducing bias. Describe the validity and power of the study Based on the researchers’ desired results, the statistical power of the study for improving latency was initially calculated be 80% with an assumption of getting standard deviation (SD) of 12 days at 5% level of significance. However, when their results came out, the power was calculated to be lower (value for this was not presented in the paper). By checking the means and SD for latency, and assuming a two-tailed analysis, power was calculated to be 51% only. This could be attributed to the high standard deviation that could in turn be due to the relatively small number of samples tested. In other similar studies, the sample population is much higher. For example, another study testing the effect of vaginal progesterone on preterm birth used 413 women (Eduardo B. Da Fonseca, et al. , 2007). Despite the low statistical power, the results presented here are valid as preliminary data on the supplementation of tocolytic therapy with vaginal progesterone to control preterm labour. The study was able to show that progesterone treatment had an effect on the other outcomes that were measured (please refer to Table 2 in the text). Background information of the hypothesis Progesterone is a steroid hormone that is widely used in hormone replacement therapy in menopausal women. It is also used to induce menstruation in women who suddenly stop menstruating. Its capacity to control preterm labour was first reported in the 1980s. Oral administration of progesterone induces side effects like migraine, dizziness, vomiting and blurred vision. This was the usual mode of administration of progesterone, which was proven effective to reduce preterm labour (Meis, et al. , 2003). Since 2003, studies have reported on the use of progesterone vaginal suppository to treat preterm labour (E. B. Da Fonseca, Bittar, Carvalho, & Zugaib, 2003) and even in high risk women (Eduardo B. Da Fonseca, et al. , 2007). Until this current study, there were no previous reports on the use of progesterone to supplement tocolytic therapy, using magnesium sulphate and intravenous ampicillin, on women who actually had preterm labour. Hypothesis of the study Null hypothesis: The use of vaginal progesterone after inhibition of preterm labour will not change latency period and recurrence of preterm labour. Alternate hypothesis (what the study really wants to prove): After the inhibition of preterm labour, treatment with vaginal progesterone will result in increased latency period and decreased recurrence of preterm labour. Methodology The study was conducted on 70 women who were had arrested uterine activity after they were treated for premature labour. The women were randomized to two groups; one was administered vaginal progesterone and the other, a placebo, until delivery. Subjects were monitored for days to latency until delivery, recurring preterm labour and other primary and secondary outcomes. Different statistical tests were used to determine if the treatments resulted in significantly different outcomes. Comparisons were done using Student’s t-test for quantitative data; chi-square and Fisher exact tests, among others, were used for categorical data. Conclusion of the study The study concluded that the use of vaginal progesterone after tocolytic therapy was effective in increasing latency to delivery but not in decreasing the incidence of recurrence of preterm labour. Is it a valid assumption based on the data of the study? Describe the applicability and relevance of the paper to clinical practice. The conclusion is valid based on the data of the study. The paper and the results presented are applicable and relevant to clinical practice because it proposes a new means of treating preterm labour for increased latency. Although the recurrence of preterm labour appeared not to be reduced with the treatment, this could be due to the advanced stage of the pregnancy when the preterm labour occurred or due to the small sampling population. It is significant to note that this is the first to report on the supplementation of tocolytic therapy with vaginal progesterone. Further studies can also be done to validate the results.

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

The Lost Duke of Wyndham Chapter Eighteen

Three minutes,† Jack said, the moment he pulled the door shut. Because truly, he did not think he could last any longer than that. Not when she was dressed in her nightgown. It was an ugly thing, really, all rough and buttoned from chin to toe, but still, it was a nightgown. And she was Grace. â€Å"You will never believe what has happened,† she said. â€Å"Normally an excellent opening,† he acknowledged, â€Å"but after everything that has happened in the last two weeks, I find myself willing to believe almost anything.† He smiled and shrugged. Two pints of fine Irish ale had made him mellow. But then she told him the most amazing story. Thomas had given her a cottage and an income. Grace was now an independent woman. She was free of the dowager. Jack lit the lamp in his room, listening to her excitement. He felt a prickle of jealousy, though not because he did not think she should be receiving gifts from another man – the truth was, she'd more than earned anything the duke chose to portion off to her. Five years with the dowager – Good God, she ought to be given a title in her own right as penance for such as that. No one had done more for England. No, his jealousy was a far more basic stripe. He heard the joy in her voice, and once he'd banished the dark of the room, he saw the joy in her eyes. And quite simply, it just felt wrong that someone else had given her that. He wanted to do it. He wanted to light her eyes with exhilaration. He wanted to be the origin of her smile. â€Å"I will still have to go with you to County Cavan,† Grace was saying. â€Å"I can't stay here by myself, and I wouldn't want Amelia to be alone. This is all terribly difficult for her, you know.† She looked up at him, so he nodded in response. Truthfully, he hadn't been thinking very much of Amelia, selfish as that was. â€Å"I'm sure it will be awkward with the dowager,† Grace continued. â€Å"She was furious.† â€Å"I can imagine,† Jack murmured. â€Å"Oh, no.† Her eyes grew very wide. â€Å"This was extraordinary, even for her.† He pondered that. â€Å"I am not certain if I am sorry or relieved that I missed it.† â€Å"It was probably for the best that you were not present,† Grace replied, grimacing. â€Å"She was rather unkind.† He was about to say that it was difficult to imagine her any other way, but Grace suddenly brightened and said, â€Å"But do you know, I don't care!† She giggled then, the heady sound of someone who can't quite believe her good fortune. He smiled for her. It was infectious, her happiness. He did not intend that she should ever live apart from him, and he rather suspected that Thomas had not given her the cottage with the intention that she live there as Mrs. Jack Audley, but he understood her delight. For the first time in years, Grace had something of her own. â€Å"I'm sorry,† she said, but she could not quite hide her smile. â€Å"I should not be here. I didn't mean to wait up for you, but I was just so excited, and I wanted to tell you, because I knew you'd understand.† And as she stood there, her eyes shining up at him, his demons slipped away, one by one, until he was just a man, standing before the woman he loved. In this room, in this minute, it didn't matter that he was back in Ireland, that there were so many bloody reasons he should be running for the door and finding passage on the next ship to anywhere. In this room, in this minute, she was his everything. â€Å"Grace,† he said, and his hand rose to touch her cheek. She curled into it, and in that moment he knew he was lost. Whatever strength he'd thought he possessed, whatever will to do the right thing – It was gone. â€Å"Kiss me,† he whispered. Her eyes widened. â€Å"Kiss me.† She wanted to. He could see it in her eyes, feel it in the air around them. He leaned down, closer†¦but not enough so their lips touched. â€Å"Kiss me,† he said, one last time. She rose on her toes. She moved nothing else – her hands did not come up to caress him, she did not lean in, allowing her body to rest against his. She just rose on her toes until her lips brushed his. And then she backed away. â€Å"Jack?† she whispered. â€Å"I – † He almost said it. The words were right there, on his lips. I love you. But somehow he knew – he had no idea how, just that he did – if he said it then, if he gave voice to what he was certain she knew in her heart, it would scare her away. â€Å"Stay with me,† he whispered. He was through being noble. The current Duke of Wyndham could spend his life doing nothing but the right thing, but he could not be so unselfish. He kissed her hand. â€Å"I shouldn't,† she whispered. He kissed her other hand. â€Å"Oh, Jack.† He raised them both to his lips, holding them to his face, inhaling her scent. She looked at the door. â€Å"Stay with me,† he said again. And then he touched her chin, tipped her face gently up, and laid one soft kiss on her lips. â€Å"Stay.† He watched her face, saw the conflicted shadows in her eyes. Her lips trembled, and she turned away from him before she spoke. â€Å"If I – † Her voice was a whisper, shaky and unsure. â€Å"If I stay†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He touched her chin but did not guide her back to face him. He waited until she was ready, until she turned on her own. â€Å"If I stay†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She swallowed, and shut her eyes for a moment, as if summoning courage. â€Å"Can you†¦Is there a way you can make sure there is no baby?† For a moment he could not speak. Then he nodded, because yes, he could make sure there was no baby. He had spent his adult life making sure there would be no babies. But that had been with women he did not love, women he did not intend to adore and worship for the rest of their lives. This was Grace, and the idea of making a baby with her suddenly burned within him like a shining, magical dream. He could see them as a family, laughing, teasing. His own childhood had been like that – loud and boisterous, racing across fields with his cousins, fishing in streams and never catching a thing. Meals were never formal affairs; the icy gatherings at Belgrave had been as foreign to him as a Chinese banquet. He wanted all of that, and he wanted it with Grace. Only he hadn't realized just how much until this very moment. â€Å"Grace,† he said, holding her hands tightly. â€Å"It does not matter. I will marry you. I want to marry you.† She shook her head, the motion fast and jerky, almost frenzied. â€Å"No,† she said. â€Å"You can't. Not if you are the duke.† â€Å"I will.† And then, damn it all, he said it anyway. Some things were too big, too true, to keep inside. â€Å"I love you. I love you. I have never said that to another woman, and I never will. I love you, Grace Eversleigh, and I want to marry you.† She shut her eyes, looking almost pained. â€Å"Jack, you can't – â€Å" â€Å"I can. I do. I will.† â€Å"Jack – â€Å" â€Å"I am so tired of everyone telling me what I cannot do,† he burst out, letting go of her hands to stalk across the room. â€Å"Do you understand that I don't care? I don't care about the bloody dukedom and I certainly don't care about the dowager. I care about you, Grace. You.† â€Å"Jack,† she said again, â€Å"if you are the duke, you will be expected to marry a woman of high birth.† He swore under his breath. â€Å"You speak of yourself as if you were some dockside whore.† â€Å"No,† she said, trying to be patient, â€Å"I do not. I know exactly what I am. I am an impoverished young lady of impeccable but undistinguished birth. My father was a country gentleman, my mother the daughter of a country gentleman. We have no connections to the aristocracy. My mother was the second cousin to a baronet, but that is all.† He stared at her as if he hadn't heard a word she'd said. Or as if he'd heard but hadn't listened. No, Grace thought miserably. He'd listened but he hadn't heard. And sure enough, the first words from his mouth were: â€Å"I don't care.† â€Å"But everyone else does,† she persisted. â€Å"And if you are the duke, there will be enough of an uproar as it is. The scandal will be amazing.† â€Å"I don't care.† â€Å"But you should.† She stopped, forcing herself to take a breath before she continued. She wanted to grab her head and press her fingers into her scalp. She wanted to make fists until her fingernails bit into her skin. Anything – anything that would eat away at this awful frustration that was pulling her inside out. Why wasn't he listening? Why couldn't he hear that – â€Å"Grace – † he began. â€Å"No!† She cut him off, perhaps more loudly than she ought, but it had to be said: â€Å"You will need to tread carefully if you wish to be accepted into society. Your wife does not have to be Amelia, but it must be someone like her. With a similar background. Otherwise – â€Å" â€Å"Are you listening to me?† he cut in. He grasped her shoulders, holding her in place until she looked up at him, directly into his eyes. â€Å"I don't care about ‘otherwise.' I don't need for society to accept me. All I need is you, whether I live in a castle, a hovel, or anything in between.† â€Å"Jack†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she began. He was being naive. She loved him for it, nearly wept with joy that he adored her enough to think he could so thoroughly flout convention. But he didn't know. He had not lived at Belgrave for five years. He had not traveled to London with the dowager and seen firsthand what it meant to be a member of such a family. She had. She had watched, and she had observed, and she knew exactly what was expected of the Duke of Wyndham. His duchess could not be a nobody from the neighborhood. Not if he expected anyone to take him seriously. â€Å"Jack,† she said again, trying to find the right words. â€Å"I wish – â€Å" â€Å"Do you love me?† he cut in. She froze. He was staring at her with an intensity that left her breathless, immobile. â€Å"Do you love me?† â€Å"It doesn't – â€Å" â€Å"Do†¦you†¦love me?† She closed her eyes. She didn't want to say it. If she did, she would be lost. She would never be able to resist him – his words, his lips. If she gave him this, she would lose her last defense. â€Å"Grace,† he said, cradling her face in his hands. He leaned down and kissed her – once, with aching tenderness. â€Å"Do you love me?† â€Å"Yes,† she whispered. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Then that is all that matters.† She opened her lips to try one last time to talk sense into him, but he was already kissing her, his mouth hot and passionate on her own. â€Å"I love you,† he said, kissing her cheeks, her brows, her ears. â€Å"I love you.† â€Å"Jack,† she whispered, but her body had already begun to hum with desire. She wanted him. She wanted this. She did not know what tomorrow would bring, but at this moment she was willing to pretend that she did not care. As long as – â€Å"Promise me,† she said urgently, grasping his face firmly in her hands. â€Å"Please. Promise me that there will be no baby.† His eyes shuttered and flared, but finally he said, â€Å"I promise you I will try.† â€Å"You will try?† she echoed. Surely he would not lie about this. He would not ignore her plea and later pretend that he'd â€Å"tried.† â€Å"I will do what I know how to do. It is not completely foolproof.† She loosened her grip and showed her acquiescence by allowing her fingers to trail along his cheeks. â€Å"Thank you,† she whispered, leaning up for a kiss. â€Å"But I promise you this,† he said, sweeping her into his arms, â€Å"you will have our baby. I will marry you. No matter who I am, or what my name is, I will marry you.† But she no longer had the will to argue with him. Not now, not when he was carrying her to his bed. He laid her down atop the covers and stepped back, quickly undoing the top buttons of his shirt so he could pull it over his head. And then he was back, half beside her, half atop her, kissing her as if his life depended upon it. â€Å"My God,† he almost grunted, â€Å"this thing is ugly,† and Grace could not help but giggle as his fingers attempted to do their magic on her buttons. He let out a frustrated growl when they did not comply, and he actually grasped the two sides of her nightgown, clearly intending to wrench it apart and let the buttons fly where they might. â€Å"No, Jack, you can't!† She was laughing as she said it; she didn't know why it was so funny – surely de-flowerings were meant to be serious, life-altering affairs. But there was so much joy bubbling within her. It was difficult to keep it contained. Especially when he was trying so hard to complete such a simple task and failing so miserably. â€Å"Are you sure?† His face was almost comical in its frustration. â€Å"Because I am fairly certain that I do a service to all mankind by destroying this.† She tried not to laugh. â€Å"It's my only nightgown.† This, he appeared to find interesting. â€Å"Are you saying that if I tear it off, you will have to sleep naked for the duration of our journey?† She quickly moved his hand from her bodice. â€Å"Don't,† she warned him. â€Å"But it's so tempting.† â€Å"Jack†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He sat back on his heels, gazing down at her with a mixture of hunger and amusement that made her shiver. â€Å"Very well,† he said, â€Å"you do it.† She had been intending to do just that, but now, with him watching her so intently, his eyes heavy-lidded with desire, she felt almost frozen in place. How could she be so brazen as to strip before him? To peel her clothing from her body – to do it herself. There was a difference, she realized, in taking off her own clothing and allowing herself to be seduced. Slowly, fingers trembling, she reached for the top button of her nightgown. She couldn't see it; it was far too high, almost to her chin. But her fingers knew the motions, knew the buttons, and almost without thinking, she slipped one free. Jack sucked in his breath. â€Å"Another.† She obeyed. â€Å"Another.† And again. And again, until she reached the one that lay between her breasts. He reached down then, his large hands slowly spreading the two sides of her gown open. It did not reveal her to him; she'd not unbuttoned enough for that. But she felt the cool air on her skin, felt the soft tickle of his breath as he leaned down to place one kiss on the flat plane of her chest. â€Å"You are beautiful,† he whispered. And when his fingers moved this time to the buttons on her nightgown, he mastered them with no difficulty at all. He took her hand and gave it a gentle tug, indicating for her to sit up. She did, closing her eyes as the nightgown fell away. With her vision dark, she felt more keenly, and the fabric – nothing but a plain, serviceable cotton – raised shivers of sensation as it slid along her skin. Or maybe it was just that she knew he was looking at her. Was this what it had felt like for that woman? The one in the painting? She must have been a woman of some experience by the time she'd posed for Monsieur Boucher, but surely there had to be a first time for her, as well. Had she, too, closed her eyes so she could feel a man's gaze upon her body? She felt Jack's hand touching her face, the tips of his fingers softly trailing along the line of her neck to the hollow of her shoulder. He paused there, but only for a moment, and Grace sucked in her breath, waiting for the intimacy that awaited her. â€Å"Why are your eyes closed?† he murmured. â€Å"I don't know.† â€Å"Are you afraid?† â€Å"No.† She waited. She gasped. She even jumped, just a little, when his fingers slid along the outer curve of her breast. She felt herself arching. It was strange. She'd never thought about this, never even wondered what it might be like to have a man's hands stroking her in this way, but now that the moment was upon her, she knew exactly what she wanted him to do. She wanted to feel him cupping her, holding her entirely in his palm. She wanted to feel his hand brushing against her nipples. She wanted him to touch her†¦dear God, she wanted him to touch her so badly, and it was spreading. It had moved from her breasts to her belly, to the hidden spot between her legs. She felt hot, and tingly, and searingly hungry. Hungry†¦ there. It was without a doubt the strangest and most compelling sensation. She could not ignore it. She didn't want to ignore it. She wanted to feed it, indulge it, let him teach her how to quench it. â€Å"Jack,† she moaned, and his hands moved until he was cradling both of her breasts. And then he kissed her. Her eyes flew open. His mouth was on her now, on the very tip, and she actually clasped one of her hands to her mouth, lest she scream with the pleasure of it. She hadn't imagined†¦She'd thought she'd known what she wanted, but this†¦ She hadn't known. She clutched at his head, using him for support. It was torture, and it was bliss, and she was barely able to breathe by the time he dragged his mouth back up to hers. â€Å"Grace†¦Grace†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he murmured, over and over, his voice sliding into her skin. It felt as if he was kissing her everywhere, and maybe he was – one moment it was her mouth, and next her ear, and then her neck. And his hands – they were wicked. And relentless. He never stopped moving, never stopped touching her. His hands were on her shoulders, and then her hips, and then one of them started sliding down her leg, tugging at her nightgown until it slipped off her entirely. She should have been embarrassed. She should have felt awkward. But she didn't. Not with him. Not when he was gazing down at her with such love and devotion. He loved her. He'd said he did, and she believed him, but now she felt it. The heat, the warmth. It shone from his eyes. And she understood now how a woman might find herself ruined. How could anyone resist this? How could she resist him? He stood then, breathing hard, working at the fastenings of his breeches with frantic fingers. His chest was already bare, and all she could think was – He's beautiful. How could a man be so beautiful? He'd not led a life of leisure; this, she could see. His body was lean and firm, his skin marred here and there with scars and calluses. â€Å"Were you shot?† she asked, her eyes falling on a puckered scar on his upper arm. He looked down, even as he pushed off his breeches. â€Å"A French sniper,† he confirmed. He smiled, rather lopsidedly. â€Å"I am fortunate he was not better at his craft.† It should not have been so amusing. But the statement was so†¦ him. So matter of fact, so understated and dry. She smiled in return. â€Å"I almost died, too.† â€Å"Really?† â€Å"Fever.† He winced. â€Å"I hate fevers.† She nodded, pinching the corners of her lips to keep from smiling. â€Å"I should hate to be shot.† He looked back at her, his eyes alight with humor. â€Å"I don't recommend it.† And then she did laugh, because it was all so ludicrous. He was standing there naked, for heaven's sake, clearly aroused, and they were discussing the relative unpleasantness of gunshot wounds and fevers. He crawled onto the bed, looming over her with a predatory expression. â€Å"Grace?† he murmured. She looked up at him and nearly melted. â€Å"Yes?† He smiled wolfishly. â€Å"I'm all better now.† And with that, there were no more words. When he kissed her this time, it was with an intensity and fervor that she knew would carry them through to completion. She felt it, too – this desire, this relentless need – and when he nudged his leg between hers, she opened to him immediately, without reservation, without fear. How long he kissed her, she couldn't possibly have known. It seemed like nothing. It seemed like forever. It felt like she had been born for this moment, with this man. As if somehow, on the day of her birth, this had all been preordained – on October the twenty-eighth, the year of our Lord 1819, she would be in Room 14 of the Queen's Arms Inn, and she would give herself to this man, John Augustus Cavendish-Audley. Nothing else could possibly have happened. This was how it was meant to be. She kissed him back with equal abandon, clutching at his shoulders, his arms, anywhere she could gain purchase. And then, just when she thought she could handle no more, his hand slipped between her legs. His touch was gentle, but still, she thought she might scream from the shock and wonder of it. â€Å"Jack,† she gasped, not because she wanted him to stop, but because there was no way she could remain silent amidst the onslaught of sensation brought forth by that simple touch. He tickled and teased, and she panted and writhed. And then she realized that he was no longer just touching her, he was inside of her, his fingers exploring her in a manner so intimate it left her breathless. She could feel herself clench around him, her muscles begging for more. She didn't know what to do, didn't know anything except that she wanted him. She wanted him, and something only he could give her. He shifted position, and his fingers moved away. His body lifted off hers, and when Grace looked up at him, he seemed to be straining against some irresistible force. He was holding himself above her, supporting himself on his forearms. Her tongue moved, preparing to say his name, but just then she felt him at her entrance, pressing gently forward. Their eyes met. â€Å"Shhh,† he murmured. â€Å"Just wait†¦I promise†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I'm not scared,† she whispered. His mouth moved into a lopsided smile. â€Å"I am.† She wanted to ask what he meant and why he was smiling, but he began to move forward, opening her, stretching her, and it was the strangest, most amazing thing, but he was inside of her. That one person could enter another seemed the most spectacular thing. They were joined. She could not think of any other way to describe it. â€Å"Am I hurting you?† he whispered. She shook her head. â€Å"I like it,† she whispered back. He groaned at that, and thrust forward, the sudden motion sending a wave of sensation and pressure through her. She gasped his name and grabbed his shoulders, and then she found herself in an ancient rhythm, moving with him, as one. Moving, and pulsing, and straining, and then – She shattered. She arched, she moaned, she nearly screamed. And when she finally came down and found the strength to breathe, she could not imagine how she could possibly still be alive. Surely a body could not feel that way and live to repeat it. Then, abruptly, he pulled out of her and turned away, grunting and groaning his own satisfaction. She touched his shoulder, feeling the spasms of his body. And when he cried out, she did not just hear it. She felt it, through his skin, through her body. To her heart. For a few moments he did not move, just lay there, his breathing slowly returning to normal. But then he rolled back over and gathered her into his arms. He whispered her name and kissed the top of her head. And then he did it again. And again. And when she finally fell asleep, that was what she heard in her dreams. Jack's voice. Soft, whispering her name. Jack knew the exact moment she fell asleep. He was not sure what it was – her breathing had already softened to a slow, even sigh, and her body had long since stilled. But when she fell asleep, he knew. He kissed her one last time, on her temple. And as he looked down at her peaceful face, he whispered, â€Å"I will marry you, Grace Eversleigh.† It did not matter who he was. He would not let her go.