MUSIC IS EDUCATION Essays - Human Communication,

MUSIC IS EDUCATION THESIS STATEMENT Music in education is essential to our children because it increases their listening skills and is a common method of communication for cultures worldwide. Music is Education There are schools attempting to eliminate teaching musical arts to our children. The board of education claims they must provide education by concentrating on the basic academic courses, but what they don't realize is that music is a major part of basic education. We must not allow them to pull the teaching of music out of our school curriculums because music is an essential form of communication. Our children do not have to be fluent in the arts to receive the value of broad exposure to the different musical dialogues. Deprivation of a very valuable part of education occurs if we do not teach them to appreciate a wide variety of music. Metaphorically speaking, we often associate the terms language and grammar with the term music. This association leads us to believe that music is a form of language, possibly because no symbol system other than language has the same potential as music of infinite productivity and precision. It takes a multitude of directions and phonetic-type symbolism to produce a pleasant sounding musical composition. This relates very closely to the requirements of everyday language. The primary objective of any spoken language is to convey a person's thoughts in a comprehensible fashion, but we must remember that everyone thinks and comprehends everything differently. Musical language contains vast quantities of words to help people understand how original composers intended to play a specific piece. Musical language also has directions that allow and encourage some scope of original interpretation and minor departures from the written score, resulting in no two performances sounding exactly alike. The English language, as we know it, carries a very strong parallel to these same interpretable words. Dialect and slang are just two of the many connotative forms to speak different languages. All languages contain these variations and reinforce the need for striving toward understanding a basically generic language. It would be very difficult to speak to a non-English speaking person and clearly convey a message unless both persons were familiar with basic terminology. It would be just as unlikely to communicate a musical message to someone not educated or interested in musical interpretation. The term music in itself has many different connotations. One in the United States may not have the same perceptions as one whose origin is France or Australia, or elsewhere in the world. In my travels through Europe and South America I had a hard time finding any truly original, locally produced music. The majority of the music I searched through were also popular in the United States. It was very easy to find foreigners singing an American song using their interpretation of our language. The entire world seems to be able to communicate with music and seems to understand it enough to share their own musical interpretation. Music is a language of it's own and depending on how we speak it, it too can accomplish a multitude of results. People are no more able to understand a foreign language without education than they are to understand the unspoken language of music without proper musical education. A single score of music interpreted with a few of many available musical directions can tell as many stories as there are variations. For example, playing Cristofori's Dream by David Lanz entirely lento-pianisimo (slow and very soft), creates a very peaceful and tranquil mood. Played again allegro-forte (lively, brisk, and loud), emits an uplifting feeling. Yet, by using both interpretations progressively and regressively within this identical musical score, one could feel depleted and elated in the same timeframe. This is perhaps the most ascribable reason to pursue a knowledge of musical semantics. Within music one expresses many emotions, speaks many languages, conveys complex messages, and ! tells many stories. Music can be a selfish form of conversation and it is not always necessary to have a recipient to convey a message. One has only to listen while playing music to communicate with themselves, yet most would suspect the stability of a person who attempted this scenario by simply talking and responding while alone. Music merges the physical

Zhidao - I Know in Mandarin Chinese

Zhidao - I Know in Mandarin Chinese When learning a new language and practicing it with native speakers, you often need to indicate your knowledge of the topic. In Mandarin you use zhÄ «dao (know) and bà ¹ zhÄ «do (don’t know). These are used as you would expect if translated directly from English. If you get asked a question, the most natural way of saying you dont know is  wÇ’Â  bà ¹ zhÄ «do (I don’t know). ZhÄ «dao is made up of two characters: çŸ ¥Ã© â€œ. The first character çŸ ¥ (zhÄ «) means to know,† or â€Å"to be aware† and the second character é â€œ (do) means â€Å"truth,† or â€Å"principle.† Do also means â€Å"direction† or â€Å"path† and in this context it forms the first character of â€Å"Daoism† (Taoism). Pleas note that this word is also commonly pronounced with a neutral tone on the second syllable, so both  zhÄ «dao and zhÄ «do are common. Examples of Zhidao QÇ ngwà ¨n, sheà ­ zhÄ «dao nÇŽli yÇ’u yà ³ujà º?è «â€¹Ã¥â€¢ , è ª °Ã§Å¸ ¥Ã© â€œÃ¥â€œ ªÃ¨ £ ¡Ã¦Å"‰éÆ' µÃ¥ ±â‚¬?è ¯ ·Ã©â€" ®, è ° Ã§Å¸ ¥Ã© â€œÃ¥â€œ ªÃ©â€¡Å'æÅ"‰é‚ ®Ã¥ ±â‚¬?Excuse me, does anyone know where the post office is?WÇ’ bà ¹ zhÄ «do.我ä ¸ Ã§Å¸ ¥Ã© â€œÃ¦Ë†â€˜Ã¤ ¸ Ã§Å¸ ¥Ã© â€œI don’t know. There are more words that have a similar meaning in Mandarin, so lets look at how  zhÄ «do related to words like 明ç™ ½ (mà ­ngbai) and ä ºâ€ Ã¨ § £ (liÇŽojiÄ›). Both these are better translated as understand, compared to just knowing about something.  Ã¦ËœÅ½Ã§â„¢ ½ (mà ­ngbai) has the added meaning that something is not just understood, but also clear. This is typically used to ask if someone understands something that was just explained or to express that you understand what your teacher just explained. ZhÄ «do is more commonly used when you just want to say that you have noted a fact someone mentioned or that youre aware of something. Update:  This article was significantly updated by  Olle Linge  on May 7thth, 2016.

Descriptive Statistics Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Descriptive Statistics Paper - Essay Example In the preceeding page is a pie chart that shows a set of nominal data of respondents according to gender. Notice that there are more females (52%) than the male respondents (48%). This differences in frequency in terms of population may affect the the result of data. Based on models, the disparities can be due to related factors such as demographic data and skills of the workers (Autor, Katz and Kearney, 2008), that demographic as well as factors that are non-economic can greatly affect the wages. The second chart above reveals the average years of work experiences between males and females. There is difference in the said years of experience according to gender and this is reflected on the chart. More female was found to have higher work experiences (21.11%) than the males (19.74%). Figure 3 presents the box plot chart shows that average wage per industry in areas of construction ($ 42, 225.07), manufacturing ($26, 402.29) and others ($31, 347.88) have variations. For these industries, employees in the construction had the highest wages followed by those in the field of manufacturing and the rest of other industries. Finally, figure 5 below depicts the fact that men receive salary far from the amount received by females. Comparison can be considered serious due to the continuous increase in gap between the wages of the male and female members of the workforce (Welch, 2000). The said study presents one of the specific problematic areas related to wage and wage earners. Welch, F. (2000). Women’s Labor-Market Gains in the 1980’s and Future Prospects: Growth in Women’s Relative Wages and in Inequality among Men: One Phenomenon or Two? AEA Papers and Proceedings, 90 (2),

Rich Dad Poor Dad Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Rich Dad Poor Dad - Essay Example He tells the reader that financial literacy and intelligence is important in acquiring wealth. According to him, the difference between the rich and poor is that the former has financial education. The author wants to express that the rich people have their own businesses and poor people work for people. For this one need to have determination and drive. According to him, people can have tax advantages by owning business. The author states that owning a corporation, one get access to tax breaks that is not available to employees. By starting business, rich people make money using their skill and opportunities. The employees need to use their current job to learn skill and proceed to start business of their own. People need to acquire wealth in the right way that is by using education, intelligence and experience which are the key elements in the book. The philosophy of acquiring wealth by the author is justifiable as it makes sense and seems practical. A person can work for ages in a career and earn nothing. He might have the experience, talent and drive for it but may hesitate to start a business for lack of confidence or money. One needs to be financially independent which means that without it people can never prosper in life. Many investment opportunities are available which can help people to start business. Moreover the financial literacy is an important aspect to become rich. A person needs to enhance his financial knowledge to acquire wealth. Only having money would not make one acquire wealth but he needs to use it in a constructive way. The entrepreneurs get the advantage of tax and this is one thing missed by the employees. The author is right in saying that one need to make use of opportunities to acquire wealth. Wealth never comes by its won it need her work, intelligence, determination and risk taking. Rich people invest money and make others work for them. Rich

Negotiation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 7

Negotiation - Essay Example This study employed the dual-concern model in order to carry out the research objective. Dual-concern model is widely used theoretical model of conflict resolution styles and has considered by many researchers in their studies. This conflict resolution model has linked with the two frequently used variables of intercultural research such as individualism-collectivism and masculinity-femininity. Dual-concern model has two main dimensions. The first dimension includes the concern for the individual own outcome and the second dimension involves the concern for outcomes of others. These two dimensions of this model give way to four basic styles of conflict resolution process. These four basic styles are avoidance, accommodation, competition and collaboration. Avoidance is basically a strategy people adopt to go the conflict unsettled or allow others to resolve the problem. In this model, avoidance has low in concern for both self and others. Accommodation is basically sacrificing owns goal in order to fulfill the necessity of others. This style of resolving conflicts is low in concern for self but high in concern for others. Competition is mainly a win-lose style. It is an attempt to fully benefit own self while forget about others therefore competition is high in concern for self but low in concern for others. Collaboration is categorized as win-win proposition. This style has high in concern for self and for others as well. Individual who are collaboration oriented will resolve the conflict if really exists in a way that both the parties are equally satisfied and compensated. People belong to individualism culture consider themselves as a distinctive body. The people belongs from this culture are highly in concern for satisfying their own personal needs. However the people from collectivism culture are totally in contrast to individualism. They are not self oriented people. They

Tinnitus: Causes and Treatments

Tinnitus: Causes and Treatments What is Tinnitus? Tinnitus is one of the most common conditions, 1 of every 5 persons suffers from it, but despite of popular belief it is not a disease. So, what is really tinnitus? Tinnitus is a condition that makes the patient hear a sound like ringing, buzzing, hissing or other sounds, when they aren’t really made by any exterior factors. The noise can have different levels of volume, and it is usually easier to notice in a silent environment when there are no other sounds. Most people are concerned that this condition could cause hearing loss. The people who have this condition have no hearing problems; in rare cases some of the people even develop a hypersensitive sense of hearing. Tinnitus can be persistent or it can come and go, it can affect just one ear or both. Even though it doesn’t cause hearing loss and it is not a serious condition, it still is a matter of concern for some people, sometimes they find it hard to concentrate because of the high-pitched noise they hear, and it even interferes with their sleep. When the condition reaches a level when it affects the patients sleep and concentration the patient must definitely take action. The causes of tinnitus are many, but the condition manifests when the inner cells of the ear are damaged. One of the most commonly experienced causes for tinnitus is the loud noise/sound exposure. Depending on the period of the loud noise exposure, the tinnitus can last from a few hours to many days, weeks, or until treated if a person has been exposed to loud noise for a long amount of time. Another common cause for tinnitus is the hearing loss due to age. Yes, even though tinnitus doesn’t cause hearing loss, hearing loss can cause tinnitus, especially amongst elders. The blockage of the earwax is also a common cause for tinnitus. The earwax is produce naturally by the ear for protection, but sometimes, it forms a blockage that can irritate the eardrum, or cause hearing loss, both of them leading to tinnitus. The good news in this case, is that if the tinnitus is caused by blockage, it can be easily taken away with a visit to the doctor. The first step toward healing the tinnitus is a visit to the doctor. Because it can have many causes, it is important to pay a visit to the doctor, and not just visit the pharmacy. Only the doctor can determine the cause of the condition and offer proper medication for it. The doctor can also provide more information about the condition according to the patient’s questions. Signs and symptoms of tinnitus Tinnitus is not a serious condition but it can cause complication on some patients, mostly because in some cases it affects the sleep or the concentration. Even if it does not cause hearing loss, it is very important to treat it, and the first step towards treatment is knowledge. The first thing everyone should know about tinnitus is how to recognize the signs of this condition. Knowing the signs may help determine earlier if the condition exists and get treatment. One of the earlier signs of tinnitus, and the most easily to notice is a ringing sound the patient hears. Most of the time the ringing can be a high pitched sound, but it can also be a low pitched sound. It can sound as a buzz, a hiss, a ringing or a whooshing. The sound can be persistent or not, it may progress or begin suddenly and it can best be observed in quiet places, when no other sounds interfere. Another sign of tinnitus is sleep deprivation and lack of concentration, all of this being caused by the noise the patient hears, regardless of the fact that the patient is or not fully aware of it at all times. The symptoms of the tinnitus depend on the type of tinnitus the patient has. There are two types of tinnitus: subjective and objective. The subjective tinnitus is very common, 95% of the patients suffering from tinnitus have this type of condition. The symptoms of the subjective tinnitus are often associated with many other ear afflictions and disorders. The most common symptom is the hearing of a buzzing, hassle or ringing but there are other symptoms as well, which may vary from one patient to another, according to their condition and the patient’s reaction to it. Therefore, a patient with subjective tinnitus may also have some of the following symptoms: stress, inducted by the lack of sleep or lack of concentration and in some cases even anxiety. The other type of tinnitus is the objective tinnitus, and this type is only affecting 5% of the persons who suffer from tinnitus. This type of tinnitus is rare and it is often related to a muscular disorder or a vascular disorder. The patient suffering from objective tinnitus can be cured; this type may be observed by the doctor, who can hear with the stethoscope the ringing or buzzing in the patient’s ears. In some cases a sign of objective tinnitus is observed when the ringing sound in the ears is synchronized with the patient’s heartbeat. In both the cases of tinnitus, the signs and symptoms vary from one patient to another, which is why a person should visit the doctor at the first sign of ringing in their ears, in order to determine what condition they have. Learn how to treat tinnitus in a few steps Tinnitus is most of the time nothing serious and it is in fact a condition, not a disease. Tinnitus is, in many cases the condition of another underlying condition and it can be easily cured. There are a few simple steps which every patient has to follow in order to get better: The first and most important step towards healing tinnitus is a visit to the doctor. By taking this step the patient is going to find out the cause of the tinnitus and the underlying condition and get the proper treatment for it. Counseling. Regardless of the cause and treatment for tinnitus, a patient should get counseling from a specialist, to understand tinnitus, talk about it and learn how it affects them as well as how to cope with the condition. Sound. Since tinnitus is most easily observed in silent environments, sound therapy has been proved to be a very efficient way to deal with it. The patient can use a sound generator to be able to sleep, or a distraction from the tinnitus. Relaxation. The patients who suffer from stress because of tinnitus may find it helpful to do some meditation, exercise or even take yoga classes to relax and take their mind of the condition. Earwax removal. There are many cases of tinnitus caused by excessive earwax, and fortunately this can be easily cured with a quick visit to the hospital. Once the earwax is removed the tinnitus will go away, if earwax is the only cause for it. Medication. The tinnitus condition has no known medication cure, but depending on the cause of the condition, some medication can be taken to ease the symptoms. For example, if one of the symptoms is depression, the doctor will recommend antidepressants. Avoid certain substances. If one of the causes for tinnitus is blood flow associated, the patient must avoid substances rich in caffeine and alcohol. Supplements and vitamins. There are some supplements and vitamins that are known to ease the tinnitus symptoms such as magnesium, zinc and B vitamin. The doctor can recommend on or more of them, according to the patients needs. Music. A pleasant and simple way to make the tinnitus less disturbing is music. It can calm and relax the patient, as well as help with sleep and meditation. Avoid loud sound. Whenever possible, loud sound must be avoided, for it is one of the main causes for tinnitus. Even though not all of the patients suffering from tinnitus can be cured, there are a lot of ways to deal with the condition. The treatment is different for every patient, which is why a visit to the doctor is a must in order to get proper care. Learn to prevent tinnitus Tinnitus is not a serious condition, and it can sometimes be cured, by dealing with the underlying health problem that caused it, but it is always easier to prevent than deal with, which is why is important to learn how to prevent tinnitus. There are a few methods and precautions that can be used to prevent the tinnitus. Hearing protection. One of the most common causes for tinnitus is exposure to loud noise, which is why in order to prevent tinnitus one must wear protection when exposed to loud noises. Check your medicine. Some medicines have been known to have tinnitus as a side effect, so a patient must ask their doctor to check the medicine their using. There have been cases when the patient’s tinnitus has been cured when their medication was changed, because the tinnitus was only a side effect of the previous medicine. Stay healthy. Tinnitus is often a condition associated with blood vessel disorders, so a way to prevent tinnitus is to stay healthy with proper exercise, meditation and nutrition. Lower the headphones volume. It is well-know that many people use headphones for music, phone conversation, and radio and so on. Long exposure to loud volume can damage the hearing, thus causing tinnitus. The proper way to use headphone without getting tinnitus and hearing problems is to set the volume as low as hearing what goes around you as well. Avoid places with loud sound or loud music. Exposure to loud sounds and music can cause tinnitus. In most cases the tinnitus induced by loud sound exposure is temporary, but if the ears are exposed to loud sound for large periods of time, then the tinnitus may become permanent. Ease up on caffeine and alcohol. If a person has a blood vessel condition that person is more likely to develop tinnitus when consuming large amounts of caffeine and alcoholic beverages. Hearing aids. Most of the persons who have hearing problems may develop tinnitus, so that case it is important to use hearing aids for tinnitus prevention. Watch your weight. Tinnitus is more likely to develop if the person is obese because obesity is often related to heart problems. Proper alimentation can help maintain a healthy weight, as well as exercise. Tinnitus may not be a serious condition but it is, however unpleasant, and in certain cases it can be complicated, which is why it is better to prevent it. A healthy lifestyle and alimentation, exercise and proper care will definitely help you prevent tinnitus. All you need to know about tinnitus Tinnitus is a very spread condition. Despite to popular belief it is not a disease, but a condition often induced by other health problems. Most of the time the health problems that induce the tinnitus condition are ear related or blood vessel related. Even though in most of the cases the tinnitus is not a serious problem, it is important to stay informed and learn about it. One of the most important things to know about tinnitus is that up to this day there is no cure or medicine for it. However, depending on the case, the tinnitus can go away. If the tinnitus is cause by an earwax blockage, once the blockage is removed, the tinnitus will fade. Also if the cause of the tinnitus is another health issue, when that issue is solved the tinnitus may disappear as well. When the tinnitus cannot be healed, it is imperative to know that its symptoms can be diminished. Depending on the type and cause of the tinnitus, a set of measures may be taken to relieve the patient’s symptoms and help him cope with the condition. If one of the patient’s symptoms is depression, antidepressants may help with the condition, as well as meditation and exercise may help in case of stress. Another important thing to know about tinnitus is that every case is different, so a visit to the doctor should be the first thing on the list. The doctor can set the diagnosis, find the cause of the tinnitus, and cure it in case it is possible, or provide methods of help in case the condition cannot be cured. Preventing is easier than curing, so it is important to know that tinnitus can be easily prevented by following a few steps: avoid loud noise exposure or use hearing protection when exposed to loud noise, avoid long term use of the headphone with a loud volume, exercise, eat healthy, prevent obesity. It is vital to know that tinnitus is not a serious condition and that it can’t affect your life, abilities or personal relationships. Many people have had complications with tinnitus because they worried too much about it, instead on learning how to cope with it, thus leading to depression, stress and lack of sleep. Tinnitus can be easily prevented, however if you do get it remember that even if it can be cured all you have to do is be calm about it and remember it is not a serious issue and it can be easy to deal with. Country Comparison of Prices: Rice and Cocoa Country Comparison of Prices: Rice and Cocoa Surname: KAREKLA Name: MARIA Subject 1: As noted by Thompson (2001) absolute advantage occurs when a good is produced with the lower labor input per unit and comparative advantage â€Å"when relatively less of other goods must be sacrificed to produce a unit of the specialized good†(1). So, in this case, the amount of labor requirements per unit of output are: RICE COCOA NORWAY 1 1/3 ARGENTINA 3/2 3/2 So, Norway has an absolute advantage in producing both products, since its labor requirements are lower both in rice, 1 Furthermore, in the following table Opportunity cost table RICE COCOA NORWAY =3 =1/3 ARGENTINA =1 =1 it is shown that for Norway the opportunity cost for producing 1 ton of rice is =3 tons of cocoa and the opportunity cost for producing 1 ton of cocoa is =1/3 tons of rice. In Argentina, the opportunity cost for producing 1 ton of rice is =1 ton of cocoa and the opportunity cost of producing 1 ton of cocoa is =1 ton of rice. So, Norway has a comparative advantage in producing cocoa, since it has a lower opportunity cost in producing it (1/3 b) In autarky the Production Possibility Frontier (PPF) is the same with the Consumption Possibility Frontier(2). So, henceforth, LN and LA is the labor endowment in Norway and Argentina respectively, aNLR, aNLC and aALR, aALC is the amount of labor per unit of rice and cocoa in Norway and Argentina respectively, R and C is the quantity of rice and cocoa respectively(3). In Norway the PPF is: LN=aNLR ·R+aNLC ·C 130=1 ·R+1/3 ·C It takes 1 worker to produce a unit of rice and 1/3 to produce a unit of cocoa. As noted by Thompson (2001) employment in rice production plus employment in cocoa production sums the labor force of Norway(3). If 0 cocoa is produced: 130=(1 ·R)+(1/3 ·0) R=130/1=130 If 0 rice is produced: 130=(1 ·0)+(1/3 ·C) C==390 So, the autarky PPF,CPF diagram of Norway is as follows: As noted by Thompson (2001) Norway produces at the two endpoints of the PPF, (130,0) or (0,390) or at any other point between them(3). In the same way, in Argentina the PPF is: LA=aALR ·R+ aALC ·C 390=(3/2 ·R)+(3/2 ·C) If 0 cocoa is produced: 390=(3/2 ·R)+(3/2 ·0) R==260 If 0 rice is produced: 390=(3/2 ·0)+(3/2 ·C) C==260 So, the autarky PPF,CPF diagram of Argentina is as follows: Furthermore, the relative price of rice in Norway is 3 and of cocoa is 1/3, the opportunity cost of one relative to the other. The relative price of rice and cocoa in Argentina is 1 for each one of them. So, in autarky cocoa is relatively cheaper in Norway, since 1/31. Consequently, as noted by Agiomirgianakis, and Vlassis (2005) the international relative price of rice will be between 1 and 3. If it’s above 3 both countries produce rice. If it’s below 1, both countries produce cocoa. Since the international relative price of rice is 3/2, between 3 and 1, Argentina specializes in rice, producing 390.000.0001=390.000.000 tons of rice, and Norway in cocoa, producing 130.000.0003=390.000.000 tons of cocoa(4). Continuing, in free trade and since the world equilibrium price of rice is Pr/Pc=3/2. This is the Norway’s new Consumption Possibility Frontier(5): PrΆ¡qr+PcΆ¡qc=PcΆ¡390 (PrΆ¡qr+PcΆ¡qc)/Pc=390 (PrΆ¡qr/Pc)+(PcΆ¡qc/Pc)=390 [(Pr /Pc)Ά¡qr]+qc=390 qc=390-[(Pr /Pc)Ά¡qr] and since Pr/Pc=3/2 (the world equilibrium relative price of rice) qc=390-(3/2Ά¡qr) The slope of the free trade CPF is -3/2 and the diagram as follows: This is the Argentina’s new Consumption Possibility Frontier(5): PrΆ¡qr+PcΆ¡qc=PrΆ¡260 (PrΆ¡qr+PcΆ¡qc)/Pr=260 (PrΆ¡qr/Pr)+(PcΆ¡qc/Pr)=260 [(Pc /Pr)Ά¡qc]+qr=260 qr=260-[(Pc /Pr)Ά¡qc] and since Pr/Pc=3/2 and Pc/Pr=2/3 qr=260-(2/3Ά¡qc) The slope of the free trade CPF is -2/3 and the diagram as follows: As noted by Karagiannis, Katranidis, Palivos and Stoforos (2014) under free trade both countries can â€Å"consume combinations of the two goods that are not produced within the country†(5). c) As noted Karagiannis, Katranidis, Palivos and Stoforos (2014) the wage rates in Argentina can be calculated by WA=Pr/aALR and the wage rates in Norway by WN=Pc/aNLC. So, the wage in Argentina relative to wage in Norway can be calculated as WA/WN=(Pr/Pc)x(aNLC/aALR)=3/2x=x==1/2.(6) So, the wages in Argentina are the  ½ (half) of the wages of Norway and Argentinian workers would want to immigrate to Norway. Furthermore, as noted by Agiomirgianakis, and Vlassis (2005) one of the factors that affect the wage rates of the countries is the terms of trade, which is actually the world equilibrium price of the traded goods(7). d) As explained by Thompson (2001)(8) when a country opens to free trade and due to comparative advantage specializes in one good, importing another, the domestic firms that produced this other product in autarky but at higher prices than the world price, would have reasons to object to free international trade, since they would go out of business. Their stockholders and investors would strongly oppose to such an opening to free trade since they would lose their money. Also, a lot of specialized workers would also object to free international trade since they would have to retrain to find a job in the firms of the good their country specializes from now on. However, even though the cost of retraining workers and reforming the firms to the new specialised market will be considerable, it will also be temporary and the economy, after a small transition period, will readjust to the new conditions and in long term the gains from free trade will prevail. The producers will see their market and income increase and consumers will enjoy more cheaper goods. SUBJECT 2(9): a) In autarky the equilibrium price and quantity is where the supply and demand curve intersect, where Qs=Qd. So, Qs=Qd 2P=600-P 2P+P=600 3P=600 P=600/3=200 â‚ ¬ is the autarky equilibrium price. Having found the price, we can find the equilibrium quantity: Qd=Qs=2P=2200=400 b) On free trade the world price is Pw=125, the quantity supplied (QSw) and demanded (QDw) in the country is: QDw=600-P=600-125=475 QSw=2P=2125=250 The country’s quantity demanded of steel is 475, which is less than the quantity supplied (250), and consequently there will be QDw-QSw=475-250=225 imports. c) Tariff=T and price under the tariff is the world price plus the tariff: P2=Pw+T So, the new quantities supplied(Qs2) and demanded(Qd2) are: Qs2=2P2 Qs2=2x(Pw+T) Qs2=2x(125+T) Qs2=250+2T Qd2=600-P2 Qd2=600-(Pw+T) Qd2=600-(125+T) Qd2=600-125-T Qd2=475-T The amount that the government wants to raise, 3,750 Euros, equals the tariff times the imports(10), which are the quantity demanded(Qd2) minus the quantity supplied(Qs2), 3,750=T x (Qd2-Qs2) So, T=3,750/(Qd2-Qs2) T=3,750/[(475-T)-(250+2T)] T=3,750/(225-3T) T x (225-3T)=3,750 -3T2+225T-3,750=0 [With Δ=2252-(4 ·-3 ·-3,750)=50,625-45,000=5,625 and since it is positive:] T1=(-225-) /(2x-3)= -300/-6=50 T2=(-225+) /(2x-3)= -150/-6=25 So, the government can raise 3,750 â‚ ¬ by imposing a tariff on imports of either T1=50 or T2=25. Which one the government should choose depends on the consumers and producers gains and losses and the net effect of each tariff, relative to which part its politicians wants to protect the most. So, for tariff T1: The new price is PT1=PW+T1=125+50=175 and the quantity supplied and demanded is: QST1=2PT1=2175=350, QDT1=600-PT1=600-175=425. So, the change in consumer surplus is the difference between consumer surplus with the tariff minus the consumer surplus on free trade and can be seen on the diagram as -(a+b+c+d) areas(9). So,{[(600-175)x425]/2}-{[(600-125)x475]/2}=90,312.50-112,812.50= -22,500 â‚ ¬ the money consumers lose due to the tariff. The change in producers surplus is the difference between producers surplus with the tariff minus producers surplus on free trade and can be seen on the diagram as the scheme a(9). [(PT1-PW) ·QST1]–([(PT1-PW) ·(QST1-QSW)]/2}=[(175-125)x350]-{[(175-125)x(350-250)]/2}=17,500-2,500=15,000 â‚ ¬ the producers gain. The net effect of tariff T1=50 can be seen on the scheme by the two triangles b and d and is calculated as –(b+d), being actually the deadweight loss for society(9): -(b+d)= -{{[(QST1-QsW)xT1]/2}+{[(QDW-QDT1)xT1]/2}}= -{{[(350-250)x50]/2}+{[(475-425)x50]/2}}=-(2,500+1,250)= -3,750 â‚ ¬ the net effect. So, for tariff T2: The new price is PT2=PW+T2=125+25=150 and the quantity supplied and demanded is: QST2=2PT2=2150=300, QDT2=600-PT2=600-150=450. So, the change in consumer surplus is, as can be seen on the diagram, -(a+b+c+d) (9). So,{[(600-150)x450]/2}-{[(600-125)x475]/2}=101,250-112,812.50= -11,562.50 â‚ ¬ the money consumers lose due to the tariff. The change in producers surplus is the difference between producers surplus with the tariff minus producers surplus on free trade and can be seen on the diagram as the scheme a(9). [(PT2-PW) ·QST2]–([(PT2-PW) ·(QST2-QSW)]/2}=[(150-125)x300]-{[(150-125)x(300-250)]/2}=7,500-625 =6,875 â‚ ¬ the producers gain. The net effect of tariff T2=2 is as before –(b+d) (9): -(b+d)= -{{[(QST2-QSW)xT2]/2}+{[(QDW-QDT2)xT2]/2}}= -{{[(300-250)x25]/2}+{[(475-450)x25]/2}}=-(625+312.50)= -937.50 â‚ ¬ the net effect. Consequently, if the government wants to protect the consumers more than the producers, it should impose tariff T2=25 since consumers will lose less and the net effect is smaller, but if it prefers to protect producers it should impose tariff T1=50 since they gain more with it (15,000>6,875), even though the net effect is bigger. d) As noted by Thompson (2001) â€Å"a quota is a quantitative restriction on the level of imports†(10). So the quota is the difference between the quantity demanded and the quantity supplied under new price. Quota =QDq-QSq and the new price under the quota is the world price plus q: Pq=Pw+q So the new quantities supplied and demanded are: QSq=2Pq =2 ·(Pw+q)=2 ·(125+q) QSq=250+2q QDq=600-Pq=600-(Pw+q) QDq=600-(125+q) QDq=475-q The amount that the government wants to raise, 3,750 â‚ ¬, equals q (the price raise due to the quota) times the imports [the quantity demanded (QDq) minus the quantity supplied (QSq)], 3,750=q ·(QDq-QSq) So q=3,750/(QDq-QSq) q=3,750/[(475-q)-(250+2q)] q=3,750/(225-3q) q ·(225-3q)=3,750 -3q2+225q-3,750=0 [With Δ=2252-(4 ·-3 ·-3,750)=50,625-45,000=5,625 and since it is positive:] q1=(-225-) /(2x-3)= -300/-6=50 q2=(-225+) /(2x-3)= -150/-6=25 With q1=50, Pq1=125+50=175, and QSq1=2Pq1=2175=350, QDq1=600-Pq1=600-175=425 and so the Quota=QDq1-QSq1=425-350=75 With q2=25, Pq2=125+25=150, and QSq2=2Pq2=2150=300, QDq2=600-Pq2=600-150=450 and so the Quota=QDq2-QSq2=450-300=150 As in the previous answer (c), the government can choose between a quota of 75 and 150 imports, with the same result for its income. If the government wants to protect its consumers, it will impose a quota of 150 imports since it will set a smaller price than with a quota of 75 imports (150425. But if the government wants to protect producers it will impose a quota of 75 imports, since with it the producers sell more (350>300) and gain more (350175=61250 > 45000=300150)]. Subject 3: a) In autarky the equilibrium price (P) and quantity (Q) can be found setting quantity supplied and demanded equal: QD=QS 180-30P=20+10P 180-20=30P+10P 160=40P 160/40=P Since P=4, quantity is Q=QD=QS=20+10P=20+(104)=60 On free trade price=Pw=2 and the quantities supplied(QSw) and demanded(QDw) are: QDw=180-30Pw=180-(302)=120 QSw=20+10Pw=20+(102)=40 The export subsidy would put the price Ps=PW+2.5=2+2.5=4.5 â‚ ¬ and the quantities supplied and demanded: QDs=180-30Ps=180-(304.5)=45 QSs=20+10Ps=20+(104.5)=65 On free trade 40 units are supplied but 120 units are demanded, so (120-40=) 80 units are imported. The price is the world price, 2 â‚ ¬. With the export subsidy 65 units are supplied but only 45 are demanded in the country, so (65-45=) 20 units are exported. The new price is 4.5 â‚ ¬. Consumers consume less units that are more expensive. The consumers lose from the export subsidy and their income decrease can be calculated by ΔCS= -(a+b+e+f+g) areas of the diagram(11): a+e=(PS-PW)xQDS=(4.5-2)x45=112.5 b+f+g=[(PS-PW)x(QDw-QDs)]/2=[(4.5-2)x(120-45)]/2=187/2=93.75 So, -(a+b+e+f+g)= -(112.5+93.75)= -206.25 â‚ ¬ Producers gain from the export subsidy. On free trade they sell 40 units for only 2 â‚ ¬, but with the export subsidy they sell 65 units, (65-40=) 25 units more, for 4.5 â‚ ¬. The producers gain (income increase) can be calculated by ΔPS=a+b+c areas on the diagram(11): [(PS-PW)xQSs]–{[(QSs-QSW)x(PS-PW)]/2}=[(4.5-2)x65]-{[(65-40)x(4.5-2)]/2}=162.5-31.25=131.25 â‚ ¬ The government loses from the export subsidy. Its loss is the budget effect and can be calculated by –(b+c+d+f) areas of the diagram(11): –(b+c+d+f)= -[(PS-PW)x(QSs-QDs)]= -[(4.5-2)x(65-45)]= -50 â‚ ¬. The net effect, the deadweight loss of society, can be calculated by adding consumers lose+producers gain+budget effect= -206.25+131.25-50= -125 â‚ ¬ b) With the production subsidy the producers gain 2 (the world price) +2.5 (the subsidy)=4.5 â‚ ¬ per unit of output, which is the new price (PS) for them only(12). Consumers buy still at 2 â‚ ¬. The new quantity produced with the new price is Qs=20+10P=20+(104.5)=20+45=65. The quantity demanded didn’t change(120), so if there in no imports prohibition, consumers buy 65 from the country’s producers and (120-65=)55 are imported, all for 2â‚ ¬. So, consumers have no gains or loss from the production subsidy(12). The government loses the amount of the subsidy: 65unitsX2.5â‚ ¬= -162.5 â‚ ¬, the –(a+b+c+d) areas of the diagram(12). The Net effect can be calculated by the –(c+d) areas of the diagram(12): -(c+d)= -{[(QS-QSw)x(PS-PW)]/2}= -{[(65-40)x2.5]/2}=-(62.5/2)= -31.25 â‚ ¬ Producers gain from the production subsidy and their gains can be calculated by the a+b areas of the diagram(12): a+b= (a+b+c+d)-(c+d)=162.5-31.25=131.25 â‚ ¬ Subject 4: Several politicians in developed countries are in favor of free trade of goods between countries but strongly against immigration and free exchange of workers among countries. The question is whether one can be in favor of the first and against the second, especially since they are actually against free trade of the production factor of labor. According to the supporters of the above, immigration is created due to the differences of wages among countries and a certain equalization of wages would eliminate that reason, ignoring actually that a large part of immigration is due to asylum seekers. Continuing, according to them, free trade of goods between countries can provide the less developed ones with a really large market, the international one, to which they could export the goods at which they have a comparative advantage due to cheap labor, creating the conditions for the price of those goods to rise in a long term base due to the increasing demand for the exporting good. Increased demand for the good leads to an increased demand for labor and consequently, a raise on wages. In that way, free trade would eliminate the abovementioned reason for immigration. Based on that, for example Mundell (1957) sees free trade and immigration as substitutes, arguing that restrictions on free trade create immigration and restrictions of labor factors promotes free trade (13). According to the supporters of the above idea, immigration also reduces the labor endowment of the home country of the immigrants, and consequently the number of consumers. The market of the home country is in other words shrinking. In the same time, immigration increases the host country’s costs for health, security and other public services. Finally, some support that a large amount of foreign workers in a country might create serious unemployment problems to its citizens(14). However, the above arguments are not generally accepted. Markusen (1983) has proved that free trade and immigration are actually complements in cases where international trade is created for example due to differences in technology, preferences or lack of perfect competition(14). There are also others who argue that immigrants in a free trade environment create a whole new market for trade with goods for which there was no demand before immigration(15). Immigrants also pay taxes in the host country(14). In conclusion, the idea that a country should promote free international trade and prohibit immigration isn’t always the best solution, since it can be beneficial only under certain circumstances that are not always attainable. BIBLIOGRAPHY: (1) THOMPSON, H. (2001) â€Å"International Economics: Global Markets and International Competition†. Singapore: World Scientific, p.29,48. (2) KARAGIANNIS, G., KATRANIDIS, S., PALIVOS, T., STOFOROS, C. (2014) International Economics. 2nd Tutorial Meeting, MBA50: Economics for Managers, Hellenic Open University, 6th December 2014,p.10. (3) THOMPSON, H. (2001) â€Å"International Economics: Global Markets and International Competition†. Singapore: World Scientific,p.29,40-41. (4) AGIOMIRGIANAKIS, G.M., VLASSIS, M. (2005) Economics for Managers: Volume 1 International Economic Environment. Patras: Hellenic Open University, p.41. (5) KARAGIANNIS, G., KATRANIDIS, S., PALIVOS, T., STOFOROS, C. (2014) International Economics. 2nd Tutorial Meeting, MBA50: Economics for Managers, Hellenic Open University, 6th December 2014,p.15. (6) KARAGIANNIS, G., KATRANIDIS, S., PALIVOS, T., STOFOROS, C. (2014) International Economics. 2nd Tutorial Meeting, MBA50: Economics for Managers, Hellenic Open University, 6th December 2014,p.18-19. (7) AGIOMIRGIANAKIS, G.M., VLASSIS, M. (2005) Economics for Managers: Volume 1 International Economic Environment. Patras: Hellenic Open University, p.45. (8) THOMPSON, H. (2001) â€Å"International Economics: Global Markets and International Competition†. Singapore: World Scientific,p.89-91. (9) THOMPSON, H. (2001) â€Å"International Economics: Global Markets and International Competition†. Singapore: World Scientific,p.117-8. (10) THOMPSON, H. (2001) â€Å"International Economics: Global Markets and International Competition†. Singapore: World Scientific,p.121-2. (11) KARAGIANNIS, G., KATRANIDIS, S., PALIVOS, T., STOFOROS, C. (2014) International Economics. 2nd Tutorial Meeting, MBA50: Economics for Managers, Hellenic Open University, 6th December 2014,p.39. (12) SURANOVIC, S.M., (2003) International Trade Theory and Policy. [Online], Chapter 95-1B, Available from: http://internationalecon.com/Trade/Tch95/T95-1B.php[Accessed: 9th January 2014]. (13) AGIOMIRGIANAKIS, G.M., VLASSIS, M. (2005) Economics for Managers: Volume 1 International Economic Environment. Patras: Hellenic Open University, p.138-150. (14) SCHIFF, M., Migration, Investment and Trade: Substitutes or Complements?.[Online] Agent Franà §aise de Dà ©veloppement. Availlable from: http://www.afd.fr/webdav/shared/PORTAILS/PUBLICATIONS/EUDN/EUDN2006/Schiff.pdf[Accessed: 14th January 2015]. (15) MARJIT, S., BELADI, H. Complementarily between Trade and Factor Movement: Revisiting Mundell-Markusen Propositions. KeiO Associated Repository of Academic Resources. Available from: http://koara.lib.keio.ac.jp/xoonips/modules/xoonips/download.php/AA00260492-20020001-0057.pdf?file_id=28397[Accessed: 14th January 2015].

Life is Glamorous Essays -- essays research papers fc

â€Å"Life Is Glamorous†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Whether you wander down random roads or plan precise paths, the exciting journey we call life involves many choices. The decisions we make on a day-to-day basis affect everything. Questions such as, â€Å"What should I wear today?† or â€Å"Should I really be eating this?† are asked by many people everyday. Sure, a simple beauty magazine could probably answer both questions in one article, but in order to live a happy, healthy life there are more important questions to be resolved. Glamour magazine answers every question, and includes unique highlights. Because of its superiority in the periodical market, Glamour has won over 75 editorial awards since 1990 (PRNewire 2). Much of this is due to its effective design in which the magazine is split up into seven main sections: beauty, fashion, health & body book, [men, sex & love], life & happiness, glamour news, and glamour buzz. Although there are numerous sections, they all tie into helping educate wom en on how to be happy with who they are and how to also make the most of what that is. Each part proceeds to give detailed professional advice on these topics. Also by understanding the broad range of potential readers, this periodical includes less inappropriately intimate articles like some other fashion/beauty magazines do. By providing factual information that is also interesting, Glamour makes it easy to find the answers to every quintessential question one might have about being a woman, and in doing so, empowers them with the knowledge needed to enhance their lives   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A visible enhancement Glamour can provide deals with physical appearance. Beauty is a very important part of womanhood. Many people weight their self-esteem solely on this alone, and although this may be unhealthy, it is a common occurrence in today’s society. To help relieve some of the pressures of societal demands, Glamour features articles that inform readers of the most recent methods to help them look their best. In the beauty section, the magazine includes reviews on new beauty products and the latest technology. This proves to be very helpful when purchasing cosmetics, moisturizers, and cleansers, or when pondering a surgical enhancement of some kind. The product reviews detail how effective each product is and if the dollar value is reasonable for t... ...en need someone to tell them they are beautiful just the way they are (Bear 1). Glamour knows that with exceptional beauty, fashion, and health knowledge every woman can look and feel their best. The professional advice on men and relationships helps a woman expand socially, as do the various styles of news. By educating them on all of these levels, the magazine empowers women with the knowledge and capability to improve their quality of life. In doing this, Glamour magazine proves to be comprised of quality worthwhile journalism, equipped with factual and entertaining information that profoundly benefits all women. Works Cited 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bear, Merryl. Friend Indeed. Winnipeg; Jul/Aug 2003. Vol. 20, Iss. 3; p.1, 1p. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Craig, Courtney. Great-fitting Jackets for All Shapes; Feb 2005. p.77, 1p. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hudephohl, Dana. The Dangers of Yo-yo Dieting; Feb 2005. p.92, 1p. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ostrow, Melissa. Jamie Lee Curtis: No Barbie doll. Mar/Apr 2003, Vol. 33 Iss. 3/4, p7, 1p. 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  PRNewswire. The American Society of Magazine Editors; Mar 21, 2004. p.2, 2p.

Succubus Shadows Chapter 24

â€Å"This†¦isn't possible,† I said. â€Å"I don't know,† said Roman dryly. â€Å"Looks pretty possible to me.† â€Å"But Seth's an author. These kinds of magazines don't care about people like him.† â€Å"He's so commonplace for you that you don't realize how famous he is. And, hey, if it's a slow week, they probably take what they can get. Sex sells – and that's pretty sexy.† I looked down at it again. It was pretty sexy. They'd taken it when I'd been lying on top of Seth, and the sarong had slipped enough that I was showing an awful lot of skin. Nausea rolled through me. â€Å"Maybe no one will see this.† Yet, even as the words left my lips, I knew that was wishful thinking on my part. As I'd noted before, this magazine was a favorite at the store, largely because of its outrageously ridiculous articles. Someone, somewhere was going to see this picture. And while the articles might be fabrications, a photo like this – which clearly showed our faces – could hardly lie. I let the magazine fall to the floor. â€Å"I can't†¦I can't deal with this. Not after everything else.† Roman frowned, legitimate concern filling his features. I don't think he was happy about either the picture or Seth's new resolve, but it had to be obvious that more than these bits of news were plaguing me. â€Å"Georgina, what else is – â€Å" I held a hand up. â€Å"Not now. Tomorrow. We'll talk tomorrow. Too much†¦too much has happened tonight.† Erik's lifeless eyes flashed in my mind. â€Å"It makes this seem like nothing.† He hesitated, then nodded. â€Å"Okay. You want to set aside some time for tomorrow night? I don't mean a date. Just, I don't know. Get dinner, talk about all this so it doesn't eat you up. I really am worried about you.† I started to say he shouldn't worry, that I'd be okay, but I backed off. I really didn't know if I was. â€Å"I'd like that,† I said honestly. â€Å"If my damage control doesn't conflict, then sure. I'll tell you all about it.† I stood up wearily. â€Å"But now – bed.† He let me retreat to my bedroom, his heart in his eyes. It made me feel worse, largely because of what a low priority his feelings were for me right now. Obviously, they were important to him, and I appreciated his ardor. And his feelings did mean something to me. There was something very sweet and comforting in his offer to breathe and just talk. But in light of everything else going on? I couldn't allow myself to process anything too deep with our relationship right now. Particularly when I had to face the gauntlet at the bookstore the next day. I'd had a number of past times entering Emerald City where I'd been met with curious and covert looks. More often than not, it had been over something ridiculous, and I'd had no clue until later. Today, I knew exactly what was going on. There was no question that the damned magazine had gotten around. And the looks this time weren't inquisitive or smug. They were accusatory. Disdainful. I couldn't face them. Not yet. I hurried through the store as quickly as I could, seeking my office – which I vowed not to leave for the rest of my shift. It was pretty hypocritical, considering my judgment on Seth avoiding his problems. Only, I didn't have as much luck getting away from mine. Maddie was sitting at my desk. I hadn't seen her in a week, not since she'd come to my condo. I'd told her then she could have indefinite leave from work and hadn't expected to see her back anytime soon. Now she stopped me dead in my tracks. Her face was much calmer than I would have expected. No, it was more than calm. It was still. Perfectly, eerily still. Like a sculpture. And when she looked up at me, it was like looking into the eyes of the dead. Cold. Emotionless. Nonetheless, I shut the door, fearing what was to come. â€Å"I had a million theories, you know.† Her voice was as flat as her expression. â€Å"Never, ever did I consider this one. I mean, I wondered if there could have been another woman. But I never thought it'd be you.† It took an impossibly long time for my lips to move. â€Å"No†¦it wasn't that. It wasn't like that at all. That's not why he did it†¦.† I couldn't finish and suddenly questioned my words. Wasn't that – by which I meant, me – exactly the reason he'd left her? Maybe our beach interlude hadn't been the direct cause, but I had certainly been the catalyst. The magazine lay on my desk, open to the guilty page. She picked it up, studying it with a calculating look. â€Å"So what then? You were just comforting him after the fact?† â€Å"Actually†¦well, actually, yeah. That shot was taken afterward.† It still sounded lame, and we both knew it. She threw the magazine down, and finally, the emotion came to her face. â€Å"What, and that makes it okay?† she cried. â€Å"You – one of my best friends – running off with my fianc? ¦ the day after he dumps me?† â€Å"It wasn't like that,† I repeated. â€Å"I went to find him†¦to see if he was okay.† â€Å"And then you made sure he was okay?† she demanded. Her words were sarcastic, but tears glittered in her eyes. â€Å"No†¦I didn't expect anything like that to happen. And really, nothing much did happen. The thing is†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I took a deep breath. â€Å"We used to date. Before you guys were together. We never told anyone. Things ended†¦well, pretty much just before you started going out.† Like, almost the day before. That caught her off guard. Her eyes went wide. â€Å"What? You had a past†¦you went out with my boyfriend and never told me? He never told me?† â€Å"We thought it'd be easier.† â€Å"Easier? Easier?† She pointed at the magazine again. â€Å"You think seeing you guys back together in full color was easier?† â€Å"We aren't back together,† I said quickly. â€Å"He didn't end things because he was cheating – † Again, I had to admit the truth to myself. He hadn't been cheating on her when he broke the engagement, but we'd slept together earlier in the relationship. â€Å"I was as surprised as you were. And I was worried. I told you, I went to find him, but we didn't sleep together. Then I left. That's it.† The tears were on her cheeks now. â€Å"It wouldn't have mattered if you had slept together. You guys keeping that past from me – you guys lying is worse. I trusted you! I trusted both of you! How could you do this? What kind of person does this to their friend?† A damned soul, I thought. But I didn't say that. I didn't say anything. Maddie shot up from the desk, futilely trying to wipe away the tears that were still coming. â€Å"Doug warned me once, you know. He said there was this way you guys always looked at each other that made him wonder. I told him he was crazy. I told him he was imagining it – that it was impossible. That you guys would never do that to me.† â€Å"Maddie, I'm sorry – â€Å" She hurried to the door, pushing past me. â€Å"Not as sorry as I am for putting my trust in you. For putting my trust in both of you. I'm quitting. Right now. Don't expect to see me again.† She jerked the door open. â€Å"I don't know how you can live with yourself. You two deserve each other!† The door slammed loudly, rattling my ears. I stayed where I was, staring blankly at the desk, unable to move. Unable to think or react or do anything useful. I don't know how you can live with yourself. Me either. â€Å"Boy, things are pretty screwed up for you.† Carter materialized beside me, his angelic signature filling the room. Dressed as ratty as always – except for his hat – he strolled casually to the desk and picked up the magazine. â€Å"That's a good shot of you, though.† â€Å"Shut up,† I said. The agony I'd tried to keep locked up with Maddie began to burst out. â€Å"Just shut up! I can't handle your commentary right now, okay? Not with everything else. Certainly not with this†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I sank to the floor, leaning against the door and raking my hands through my hair. When I looked up at Carter, I expected one of his laconic smiles, but his face was all seriousness. â€Å"I wasn't being sarcastic,† he said. â€Å"Things are screwed up.† I suddenly wished I had a cigarette. â€Å"Yes. They certainly are. Erik's dead, you know.† â€Å"I know.† I closed my eyes for a moment, allowing myself to feel the full grief over that. With so much going on, it didn't seem like I'd really allowed any of these problems to have the full mourning they deserved. Someone, I realized, would have to do the proper things for Erik now. Did he have family somewhere? Dante of all people might know. Otherwise, I was willing to take on any funeral arrangements – no matter the cost or work. I owed Erik that much. I owed him so much more. â€Å"It wasn't a coincidence,† I said softly. â€Å"It couldn't have been. Jerome says it was some revenge from the Oneroi's master†¦but I don't believe that. Erik had been trying to figure out my contract. Before he died†¦before he†¦Ã¢â‚¬  My voice caught as I recalled how I had been the one to take that last breath. â€Å"He told me there were two contracts. That it wasn't mine that was the problem. I don't know what that means.† Carter still said nothing, but his eyes were fixed so intently on me that they might as well have been pinning me to the wall. â€Å"But you know, don't you?† I asked him. â€Å"You've always known. And Simone†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I frowned. â€Å"Before Jerome sent her away, he mentioned something about her knowing Niphon and ‘fucking up things even more.' That's a piece of all this too, isn't it?† Carter still remained silent. I gave a harsh laugh. â€Å"But, of course, you can't say anything. You can't do anything. Hell's always got its hands in mortal affairs – or even lesser immortal affairs – but you guys? Nothing. How can you be a force for good in this world? You don't help bring it about! You just wait and hope it happens on its own.† â€Å"Most of the good in this world happens without any of our help,† he said evasively. â€Å"Oh good God. What a lovely answer from you. And you know what? I don't believe there is any good in this world. All this time†¦ever since I sold my soul, I've been clinging to this idea that there is something pure and decent out there. That there was something to give me hope that even if I was a lost cause, at least there was something bright and good in the world. But there isn't. If there was, Seth wouldn't have fallen. Erik wouldn't have died. Andrea Mortensen wouldn't be dying.† â€Å"Good can still exist when bad things happen, just as evil persists when good things happen.† â€Å"What good comes from Andrea dying? What good comes from leaving five little girls alone and motherless in the world?† I was choking on my own sobs. â€Å"If you – if any of you – could really affect the world, you wouldn't let that happen.† â€Å"I can't change fate. I'm not God.† He was still so fucking calm that I wanted to punch him. Yet, what could I expect? Jerome had no attachment to humans, and at the end of the day, angels and demons weren't so different. I buried my face in my hands. â€Å"You can't change anything. None of us can change anything. We're resigned to our fates, just like Nyx showed.† â€Å"Humans change their fates all the time. Even lesser immortals do. It starts small, but it happens.† I was suddenly tired. So, so tired. I shouldn't have come here today. I should never have left my bed. I no longer had the energy to argue with him or berate his frustratingly useless attitude. â€Å"Can Seth change?† I asked at last. â€Å"Are good intentions enough to redeem a soul?† â€Å"All things are possible. And I don't mean that as a clich? ¦,† he added, no doubt seeing the scowl on my face. â€Å"It's true. Mortals and mortals-turned-immortals don't always believe that – which is why Hell has such a foothold in the world. And I'm not saying that if you believe it, it will happen. Things don't always turn out for the best, but miracles are real, Georgina. You've just got to lift yourself out of the muck to make them. You've got to take the chance.† Yes, I was definitely getting a cigarette after this. Carter probably had one on him. I gave him as much of a smile as I could muster. â€Å"Easy for you to say. Can you make miracles?† â€Å"I try,† he said. â€Å"I try. Will you?† And with that, he vanished before I could bum a cigarette. Fucking angels. But his words stayed with me when I went home that night, maybe because even as depressing as they seemed, they were still more cheerful than enduring that shift. My managerial mandates were still obeyed, but otherwise, I could see the seething disapproval and condemnation in the eyes of my colleagues. It was a startling reminder of my village's reaction when everyone had found out I'd cheated on Kyriakos. Only this time, I had no way to blot it from these people's minds. I had nothing more to bargain with Hell. At the condo, I found a note from Roman, saying he'd be staying at the school for a while that evening to finish up some setup. If I wanted, though, he'd be happy to take me out for dinner as he'd promised. That gave me time to stretch out on the couch, seeing as I was still exhausted from the emotional miasma I'd been wading through this last week. No sleep came, just a kind of bleak malaise as I stared at the ceiling. Probably just as well. God only knew what I'd dream. Dream. I sighed. The man in the dream. It had been bugging me over and over in my subconscious, and without even mentioning it, Carter had somehow brought it back to the fore-front of my mind. The Oneroi had claimed Seth was the man in the dream. I told myself for the hundredth time that it was a ridiculous fantasy. I couldn't have any real relationship with a mortal. Seth had fallen from grace, and I'd refused him. It was all impossible now. All things are possible. Erik and Mei had said it was impossible for Seth to find my soul across the vastness of the dream world – yet he had. Kristin had told me my contract was airtight – yet Erik had sworn there was a flaw somewhere. He'd died for that knowledge, I was certain. Seth had claimed nothing could bring him back to Seattle – yet I had. Everyone who worked for Hell had told me darkened souls almost never redeemed themselves – yet Seth was striving to regain my good opinion. He was also sacrificing what he loved – his writing – to help the family he loved more. Would that be enough? Could he be saved? All things are possible. I sat up from the couch, my gaze falling on the spot where Aubrey and Godiva slept next to each other. Godiva had come to me after I'd dreamed her. The dream I still maintained was impossible. Miracles are real, Georgina. You've just got to lift yourself out of the muck to make them. You've got to take the chance. Could I? Would I? Was there a miracle somewhere in the muck of this despair, heartache, death, and betrayal? I couldn't see through it. I didn't know where to start. Carter had said change happened through small acts. All I had to do was pick something. Anything. Take the chance. Again, I focused on Godiva. The man in the dream. Maybe it was Seth. Maybe it wasn't. Maybe I could make it him. His love had been great enough to rescue me and then try to rescue himself. I realized now what had been bothering me. He was doing all of this – how could I do any less? All my life, I'd hidden from hard choices. I'd always found some compromise to avoid bad things, the results of which never really turned out that great. If anything, they'd become worse. My love for Seth was no less than his for me, but I hadn't been willing to do the things that might hurt. He'd told me there was no way the universe would let us stay apart. He was right – and this time, I would be the one who made sure we came together again. I wouldn't abandon him. I was moving toward the door, my coat and purse in hand, when Roman came home, carrying flowers. He took one look at me and offered a small bitter laugh that carried all the woe and resignation in the world. The bouquet sagged in his hands. â€Å"You're going to Seth.† â€Å"How did you know?† â€Å"Because†¦because you're shining. Because you look like you've found all the answers in the universe.† â€Å"I don't know about that,† I said. â€Å"But I've found some kind of answer. He's risked so much for me†¦. We found each other across all the other souls in the world†¦.† I trailed off, feeling horrible. My decision about Seth burned brightly in me, but Roman's face†¦there seemed to be nothing in this world that didn't end up causing someone pain. â€Å"I was wrong to abandon him. Especially now.† â€Å"Sounds like you better go to him,† said Roman at last. â€Å"Roman – â€Å" He shook his head. â€Å"Go.† I went. I hadn't been to Seth's condo in so long, not in the flesh. Walking up to the door, a barrage of memories flooded me, particularly that first night I'd stayed over when he had taken care of me†¦. It wasn't that late, but when he opened the door, there was a scattered, mussed look to him that made me think he'd been sleeping. Or maybe he'd just been too consumed by writing to properly groom. It happened sometimes when he got caught up with the worlds in his mind. From the look on his face, it was clear he was in this world now. I don't think he'd believed he'd see me for a very long time. I wondered if I was still shining the way Roman had claimed I was because Seth's eyes regarded me with more than just surprise. There was wonder and awe there. I'd only driven across town, made one impulse decision to come here, but we might as well have been meeting across time and space again. â€Å"Georgina,† he breathed. â€Å"What are you – â€Å" I didn't let him finish. I threw myself into his arms and kissed him. And this time, I didn't pull back.

Lanthanides Definition in Chemistry

Lanthanides Definition in Chemistry Below the main body of the periodic table are two rows of elements. These are the lanthanides and the actinides. If you look at the atomic numbers of the elements, youll notice they fit in the spaces below scandium and yttrium. The reason they arent (usually) listed there is because this would make the table too wide to print on paper. Each of these rows of elements has characteristic properties. Key Takeaways: What Are the Lanthanides? The lanthanides are the elements in the top of the two rows located below the main body of the periodic table.While there is disagreement over exactly which elements should be included, many chemists state the lanthanides are elements with atomic numbers 58 through 71.Atoms of these elements are characterized by having a partially filled 4f sublevel.These elements have several names, including the lanthanide series and the rare earth elements. The IUPAC preferred name is actually lanthanoids. Lanthanides Definition The lanthanides are generally considered to be elements with atomic numbers 58-71 (lanthanum to lutetium). The lanthanide series is the group of elements in which the 4f sublevel is being filled. All of these elements are metals (specifically, transition metals). They share several common properties. However, there is some dispute over exactly where the lanthanides begin and end. Technically, either lanthanum or lutetium is a d-block element rather than f-block element. Yet, the two elements share characteristics with other elements in the group. Nomenclature The lanthanides are indicated by the chemical symbol Ln when discussing general lanthanide chemistry. The group of elements actually goes by any of several names: lanthanides, lanthanide series, rare earth metals, rare earth elements, common earth elements, inner transition metals, and lanthanoids. The IUPAC formally prefers the use of the term lanthanoids because the suffix -ide has a specific meaning in chemistry. However, the group acknowledges the term lanthanide predates this decision, so it is generally accepted. Lanthanide Elements The lanthanides are: Lanthanum, atomic number 58Cerium, atomic number 58Praseodymium, atomic number 60Neodymium, atomic number 61Samarium, atomic number 62Europium, atomic number 63Gadolinium, atomic number 64Terbium, atomic number 65Dysprosium, atomic number 66Holmium, atomic number 67Erbium, atomic number 68Thulium, atomic number 69Ytterbium, atomic number 70Lutetium, atomic number 71 General Properties All of the lanthanides are shiny, silver-colored transition metals. Like other transition metals, they form colored solutions, however, lanthanide solutions tend to be pale in color. The lanthanides tend to be soft metals that can be cut with a knife. While the atoms can exhibit any of several oxidation states, the 3 state is most common. The metals are generally quite reactive and form an oxide coating upon exposure to air. Lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, and europium are so reactive they are stored in mineral oil. However, gadolinium and lutetium only slowly tarnish in air. Most lanthanides and their alloys quickly dissolve in acid, ignite in air around 150-200  °C, and react with halogens, sulfur, hydrogen, carbon, or nitrogen upon heating. Elements of the lanthanide series also display a phenomenon called lanthanide contraction. In lanthanide contraction, the 5s and 5p orbitals penetrate into the 4f subshell. Because the 4f subshell is not fully shielded from the effects of the positive nuclear charge, the atomic radius of the lanthanide atoms successively decreasing moving across the periodic table from left to right. (Note: This is, in fact, the general trend for atomic radius moving across the periodic table.) Occurrence in Nature Lanthanide minerals tend to contain all elements within the series. However, the vary according to the abundance of each element. The mineral euxenite contains lanthanides in nearly equal proportions. Monazite contains mainly lighter lanthanides, while xenotime contains mostly heavier lanthanides. Sources Cotton, Simon (2006).  Lanthanide and Actinide Chemistry. John Wiley Sons Ltd.Gray, Theodore (2009). The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe. New York: Black Dog Leventhal Publishers. p. 240. ISBN 978-1-57912-814-2.Greenwood, Norman N.; Earnshaw, Alan (1997). Chemistry of the Elements (2nd ed.). Butterworth-Heinemann. pp. 1230–1242. ISBN 978-0-08-037941-8.Krishnamurthy, Nagaiyar and Gupta, Chiranjib Kumar (2004). Extractive Metallurgy of Rare Earths. CRC Press. ISBN 0-415-33340-7.Wells, A. F. (1984). Structural Inorganic Chemistry (5th ed.). Oxford Science Publication. ISBN 978-0-19-855370-0.

Partitioning of Africa essays

Partitioning of Africa essays Sub Saharan Africa stayed isolated for a long time while areas around it and in other parts of the world were being colonized and urbanized. This fact is due to a few but important factors: geography, religion/war, and technology. The southern part of Africa is geographically isolated by the largest desert (Sahara) to the north and the Atlantic and Indian oceans to east and west, which also wrap around the southern end of the Cape of Good Hope. If an explorer did make it through the desert he would encounter some of the world's thickest jungles in the Congo region; if he ventured south down the Nile river, he would find the waters become increasingly more treacherous until they become almost impossible to navigate. The only group to have any access to southern Africa, in the beginning, was Muslim merchants and traders. They controlled the only land route to Africa via the present day Suez Canal area. They had already established trade routes and spread Islamic faith through some of the northern areas of Africa also. This also helped keep southern Africa isolated for a while because for any European power to pass through the land route or northern Africa meant to pass through and area controlled by and inhabited by the Muslim empires, who were always at war and odds the Christian European empires. It would be like traveling behind enemy lines. This left only one other route to southern Africa and all her valuable resources: the sea. But the sea route would have to wait on technology. At first, ships could only sail where the wind took them, and to sail to southern Africa and around the tip to the southeast side would mean sailing into the wind. Finally, a triangular sail that allowed ships to sail into the wind was invented, and the race was on. But even this was more daunting a task than originally thought. Voyages would spend months and even years at sea. Crews often came back with less than a third of the men still aliv...

Kanzas City Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Kanzas City - Essay Example t the OPC overstates compensation expenses by expensing bonuses in the year in which they are paid and states that bonuses are part of compensation package and should be divided equally throughout the player’s contract period for accounting purposes. However, the OPC is right in using the above manner because the deferred compensation should only be expensed when players earn it, that is, it is an expected expense for the OPC (Palepu, Healy, & Bernard, 2007). The OPC is right to because bonus depreciation is a legal process available to all businesses and it allows firms to deduct an extra depreciation expense for the qualifying item, which is taken right away in the year that the item in question is put in use (IRS, 2013). It is a method of accelerated depreciation used on new items only. Nonetheless, the process creates a loophole in valuation by helping businesses to make tax losses thus raises concern for the PBPA. The above expense is associated with the salaries paid to players who no longer provide services to the team but whose contracts with the team have not expired. The OPC is right to expense the whole amount in one year because the affected players do not contribute to the team’s current revenues. Corporate financial reporting uses accrual as opposed to cash accounting where expected cash outflows from economic transactions are recognized as expenses when computing the net income (Palepu & Healy, 2012). Accrual accounting fills the gap left by cash accounting when closing accounting books since the latter does not report full economic repercussions of transactions undertaken in a certain period and gives incomplete information about a firm’s periodic performance. Since the stadium’s owners are also shareholders in Zephyrs, then it is possible that the rent could be overcharged given that managers can use disclosure policies that make it difficult for external users to discover the firm’s true economic picture and such overlapping revenues

Business Through The Eyes of Faith Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business Through The Eyes of Faith - Essay Example This is a company formed in 1987, which has over time provided critical technological services to markets, administrations, institutions, and more (Business: Is There A Christian Perspective p. 15). Management team at the company is largely Christians and in equal measure pursues Christian principles in their activities. The expression made in this case is that, business is part of Christian activity that cannot be separated from the wider role and duty of Christians. Business is a social activity and the essence for it to act morally and ethically is inevitable. Christians and the larger human body that have direct or indirect involvement in business have a duty to honor God by pursuing ethical and moral business practices at all times. People can honor and remain obedient to God when they shoe ethical and moral value of their business activities. When one honors God’s creation (the people) then the person in same measure is able to honor God. Ethics and morals are seen to be fundamental principles that define success or failure of any particular given business, although, it has to be known that an individual or a corporation can have strong ethical values and morals but still fail to achieve its objectives when it ignores multi-dimensional perspective of the business. The author of this chapter introduces the concept of ‘Law of Nature’ which he subsequently transforms into an argument based on moral laws. The author contends that Law of Nature is a creation of a human who in one way or the other tries to control or manipulates the behavior of the other human being (The Law of Human Nature 1). Laws of Nature are intended to define what is right and what is wrong, thereby categorizing the appropriate behaviors, which society can accept or not (The Law of Human Nature p.1). Although Laws of Nature provide these guidelines for appropriate behavior, they