Hamptons International in UAE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Hamptons International in UAE - Essay Example The paper is divided into separate sections with each section analyzing one component of the business. There is a section on applying Porter’s Five Forces and another on the BCG or the Boston Consulting Group Matrix as applied to Hamptons. A section provides the value chain analysis and another section covers the financial analysis with the conclusion recommending a set of strategies for the company going forward. Each section flows into the next in an attempt to provide a holistic and well rounded analysis of the company and its operations. Before concluding this Executive Summary, one needs to remember the words about Hamptons being a quintessentially British company which invokes images of history and elegance that is now under a different ownership that is moving aggressively to capture new markets and grow its business. It is this conflation of old world work ethic and modern business practices that make Hamptons International a unique and singular company to

Analyzing the Argumentation and Persuasive Tactics in Song Lyrics Essay Example for Free

Analyzing the Argumentation and Persuasive Tactics in Song Lyrics Essay Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Tupac Amaru Shakur also known as 2Pac or Makaveli was an American rapper. He is a successful recording artist in his genre of Rap, a successful film actor, and a social activist.   He was recognized in Guiness Book of World Records as the highest-selling rap artist with over 75,000,000 albums sold worldwide, including over 50,000,000 in United States.   Above all that achievement, his first album was entitled 2Pacalypse Now which was not successful and sold so few.   The single entitled â€Å"Keep Ya Head Up,† was one of the different singles that was included in the Top 10 Billboard Singles which was on 1993.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The single â€Å"Keep Ya Head Up† was one of the most played songs of 2Pac.   The song centered on being   able to fight violence and how to rise above abuse.   2Pac showed his compassionate side in this song which paved way for a significance in women’s attitude towards abuse.   2Pac has focused in this song the significance of hope and being able to pick up oneself after a hardship and abuse.   Just like the other songs of 2Pac, the single â€Å"Keep Ya Head Up† also aimed at the problems of young black females, growing up, violence, and hardship in racism problems.   He has emphasized the importance of keeping the head up and never giving up in spite the difficulties. Statement of Fact   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The song of 2Pac entitled â€Å"Keep Ya Head Up† has focused on being able to stand up after a fall and never lose hope.   It is evident in the song that hope is a major theme in it, as seen in these stanzas: â€Å"Baby don’t cry, you got to keep your head up even when the road is hard, never give up (you’ll be alright) Baby don’t cry, you got to keep your head up even when the road is hard, never give up (you’ll be alright).†Ã‚   2Pac has even emphasized the reality in what has been happening in the real world which is said as, â€Å"Now here’s a story bout a woman with dreams so picture perfect at thirteen, an ebony queen beneath the surface it was more than just a crooked smile nobody knew about her secret so it took a while I could see a tear fall down her black cheek sheddin quiet tears in the back seat; so when she asked me. What would you do if it was you?.†   Ã‚  As well in this lines, â€Å"Couldn’t answer such a horrible pain to live through I tried to trade places in the tragedy I couldn’t picture three crazed niggaz grabbin me For just a moment I was trapped in the pain, Lord come and take me Four niggaz violated, they chased and raped me Even though it wasn’t me, could feel the grief Thinkin with your brains blown that would make the pain go No! You got to find a way to survive cause they win when your soul dies.   The significance of the obvious oppression and abuse to women are seen in the society just given a bigger picture in this song. III. Argument   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2Pac’s song â€Å"Keep Ya Head Up† has open my mind to the importance of hope and never giving up in times of difficulties and hardship which was more focused in women’s abuse in this song that gives compassion to women in distress.   Different from other songs of 2Pac which tackled on ghettos and racism, this song of hope has even risen from other 2Pac’s singles.   This song has been a chart topper in the Billboards in the year 1993 which was obvious that the audience and people are aware and has given interest in the song â€Å"Keep Ya Head Up†, and people can relate to such issue of today. Definition of Terms: Ya – other word for â€Å"your† Hope – expectation and desire combined Keep – retain possession Niggaz – African American or Black Americans Refutation and Counterarguments   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The song â€Å"Keep Ya Head Up† was a very inspiring song of hope and never giving up but has some deficiencies in it in it’s delivery of words and using inappropriate language of referring to   person like the ones mentioned in the song like: â€Å"nigga,† â€Å"niggaz,† and â€Å"wild-ass.†Ã‚   These languages are not appropriate for children and teens that will be listening to it and may give way for improper conduct due to lack of education to the right words to be said.   No question about the theme and purpose of the song but the point stressed is the courtesy of referring women in a decent and proper way.   No word greater than the word â€Å"woman, lady or girl,† is describable of. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2Pac’s purpose of the song â€Å"Keep Ya Head Up,† is greatly appreciated in spite of the words used.   In memory of Tupac Amaru Shakur or 2Pac who passed away last September 13, 1996 due to a shooting incident, his legacy will always be remembered and be always in our hearts as well as his songs left with us.   In the single â€Å"Keep Ya Head Up,† 2Pac’s compassion, hope, never giving up, and concern to women’s welfare was evident and seen in this perspective.   Together with Makaveli’s passing, was an honor of his achievements and continuous appreciation of his work and talents in music and being a social activists in human rights. Sources: Keep Ya Head Up Lyrics. Vibe Magazine November 1996 Issue. Baltake, Joe.   Tupac Taps Into Cultural Marvel, Sacramento Bee, November 14, 2003 P.TK26.

Free Will in Oedipus the King Essay -- Sophocles Oedipus Rex Essays

Free Will in Oedipus the King Oedipus the King by Sophocles is the story of a man who was destined to kill his father and marry his mother. The story continues in the tradition of classic Greek plays, which were based upon the Greeks’ beliefs at the time. The ancient Greeks believed that their gods decided what would ultimately happen to each and every person. Since those gods destined Oedipus to kill his father and marry his mother, Oedipus’ life was definitely fated. However, the gods only decided where Oedipus’ life would eventually lead; they never planned the route he would take to get there. All the decisions that Oedipus made in order to fulfill his destiny, and the decisions he made after the fact, were of his own free will, and were largely shaped by his mien. Probably the most relevant examples of the exercise of free will are in the events which lead up to the play and which fulfill Oedipus’ prophecy. When Laius and Jocasta hear of their newborn son’s fate, their first instinct is to kill Baby Oedipus. But they cannot do the deed outright; they instead make the choice to pin his feet together and leave him on a mountainside. This turns out not to be the best choice for them, but at least it was a choice. Perhaps the most barefaced example of free will is in the murder of Laius and his men—not so much the murders themselves but the circumstances surrounding the murders. This is how Oedipus describes the incident to Jocasta: Making my way toward this triple crossroad I began to see a herald, then a brace of colts drawing a wagon, and mounted on the bench†¦a man, just as you’ve described him, coming face-to-face, and the one in the lead and the old man himself were about to thrust me off the road—brute force— a... ...is eyes out and Jocasta would hang herself. The people involved were completely responsible for their actions. Technically, everything that happened in the play was outside the realm of the prophecy since the prophecy was fulfilled before the story even started, so therefore, there is no fate in Oedipus the King! Free will is abound in Oedipus the King; any character who makes a decision of their own accord is a testament to that. Even Oedipus, whose life was fated from the start, made many decisions, ranging from how to fulfill his destiny to how to punish himself after finding out he had indeed murdered his father and married his mother, and most of which were shaped largely by his personality. WORKS CITED Sophocles. â€Å"Oedipus the King.† The Bedford Introduction to Literature. Ed. Michael Meyer. 6th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2002. 1289-1331.

Second Variety

Second variety is a wonderful and influential short story written by Philip K. Dick. This is a science fiction which describes the destruction caused to earth surface by nuclear wars making it uninhabitable for human beings. This short story is full of suspense, violence and thrill. In the process of evolution, the second variety is very well equipped to kill the already existing once. Initially it may appear bit difficult to get along the plot, once getting hold then all the turns and twist are amazing.This is a classic piece of literature which conveys a great message to protect human race on earth from the lethal weapons created by man himself. It mainly depicts the destructions caused by nuclear wars. Defeated by Russia, American government flees to moon base and develops advanced technologies to fight back. They develop robots called claws, the killing machine. Soldiers of UN forces are protected by a special kind of wrist tab. They were produced and designed in an unmanned fact ory. Within the span of six years the claws have destroyed the entire Russian army.But later machine overtook man and there was a threat of great disaster. UN forces were urgently summoned by Russians for policy meeting. Major Hendricks is sent for negotiation with Russians On his way he was accompanied by a boy who later turn out to be a 1-V robot. It was reveal that the US wrist tab became ineffective against claws. Along with three Russian soldiers, Hendricks set on a journey to prevent the destruction. And it becomes very difficult for Hendricks to find out who is the second variety robot among his Russian companions. Dick’s short story â€Å"Second Variety† also presented human-like machines, the claws.These machines were made for a world war and eventually broke free of human control, developing machines that could pass as humans (as our smart phones will do someday). Unlike the replicants, the claws were always intent on killing humans-thus necessitating a means to tell them apart. The early models were easily recognized as being non-humans. Unfortunately for the humans in the story, the only way they could tell the most advanced models from humans was by seeing multiple claws of the same variety together. Otherwise, they easily passed as humans right up until the point they started killing.It seems worth considering that the same might apply to psychopaths. To be specific, normal people can catch the psychopaths that are poor mimics, have poor impulse control, have difficulty with behaving responsibly, and possess a poor capacity for assessing consequences. However, the psychopaths that are better mimics, have better impulse control, can seem to act responsibly, and can assess consequences would be far more difficult to spot. Such psychopaths could easily pass as normal humans, much like Glaucon’s unjust man is able to conceal his true nature.As such, perhaps the experts think that these specific traits are part of what it is to be a psychopath because these traits are possessed by the psychopaths they have caught. However, as with the more advanced claws, perhaps the most dangerous psychopaths are eluding detection. At least until it is too late. â€Å"Second Variety† occurs in the aftermath of an extensive nuclear war between the Soviet Union (sometimes referred to as Russia) and the United Nations. Early Soviet victories forced the North American government and production to flee to a Moon Base, leaving the majority of their troops behind.To counter the almost complete Soviet victory, U. N. technicians develop robots, nicknamed claws—the basic models are â€Å"a churning sphere of blades and metal† that ambush their unsuspecting victims â€Å"spinning, creeping, shaking themselves up suddenly from the gray ash and darting toward†¦ [any warm body]. † U. N. forces are protected from the claws by a special radiation-emitting wrist tab. Within six years, the sophisticated and i ndependent claws have destroyed the Soviet forces, repairing and redesigning themselves in automated underground factories run without any human oversight.The U. N. forces receive a message from the Soviets asking for a policy-level officer to go to them for a gravely urgent conference. The U. N. victory was costlier than they had expected. Major Joseph Hendricks is sent to negotiate with the Soviets. En route to the rendezvous, he meets a small boy named â€Å"David† who asks to accompany Hendricks. When they near the Soviet bunker, soldiers immediately kill the boy, revealing him to be a robot. The claws' development program has evolved to develop sophisticated robots identical to humans designed to infiltrate and kill.The three Soviets met by Major Hendricks—Klaus, Rudi and Tasso—reveal that the entire Soviet army and command structure collapsed under the onslaught of the new robots. From salvaged internal metal identification plates, two varieties are identi fied: I-V, a wounded soldier, and III-V, David. The II-V—the â€Å"second variety†Ã¢â‚¬â€remains unknown. The different models are produced independently of each other in different factories. The Soviets also reveal that the U. N. protective tabs are ineffective against the new robots. Hendricks attempts to transmit a warning to his H. Q. unker, but is unable to do so. During the night, Klaus kills Rudi, mistakenly believing he is the II-V. The next morning, Hendricks and the two remaining Soviets return to the U. N. lines. When they reach the bunker, they discover it overrun: a crowd of David and Wounded Soldier model robots attack, but Tasso destroys them with a very powerful hand grenade, stating that it was designed to destroy the robots. Hendricks and Tasso flee, leaving Klaus to the old-style claws. However, Klaus survives both the claws and the bomb blast only to be shot by Tasso, sending â€Å"gears and wheels† flying.Tasso tells Hendricks that Klaus mu st have been the II-V robot. Hendricks, now suffering from a wounded arm and internal injuries, hopes to escape to the Moon Base. He and Tasso search for a hidden escape rocket, which is revealed as a single-seat spacecraft. Hendricks attempts to leave, but Tasso quickly subdues him. She convinces him to let her leave and send back help. In his injured state, he has no choice but to agree. Hendricks provides Tasso with the signal code needed to find the Moon Base.Alone and armed with Tasso's pistol, Hendricks returns to Klaus's remains and discovers from the parts that the robot was not a II-V, but a IV-V. A group of robots then attack Hendricks, including Davids, Wounded Soldiers, and several Tasso—the true II-V—models. Hendricks recognizes that he has doomed the Moon Base by sending a robot to them, and that he cannot withstand the onslaught of robots attacking him. As the Tasso models approach, Hendricks notices the bombs clipped to their belts, and recalls that the first Tasso used one to destroy other claws.At his end, Hendricks is vaguely comforted by the thought that the claws are designing, developing, and producing weapons meant for killing other claws. Dick said of the story: â€Å"My grand theme—who is human and who only appears (masquerading) as human? —emerges most fully. Unless we can individually and collectively be certain of the answer to this question, we face what is, in my view, the most serious problem possible. Without answering it adequately, we cannot even be certain of our own selves. I cannot even know myself, let alone you. So I keep working on this theme; to me nothing is as important a question.And the answer comes very hard. â€Å"[1] Reviewing the story, critic Zack Handlen wrote, â€Å"‘Second Variety' is grim, violent, and suspenseful. There’s enough characterization to keep the protagonists from being indistinguishable, but not much beyond that. While most of the twists are easy to s pot once you discover the main plot—basically [an] ‘Are you or aren’t you a machine' deal—they still have an impact, and Dick makes his point quite clearly. Which isn’t something you can say for much of his other work—[‘Second Variety'] is the most user-friendly piece of his I’ve read.There’s enough uncertainty to know it’s Dick; questions of identity keep popping up, and the good guys/bad guys line is pretty well obliterated by the end. But the plot is logical, and there is a point A to point B to point C evolution that you can follow without too much trouble. † He also remarked on the similarities between â€Å"Second Variety† and the Terminator films, writing: â€Å"When the claws/screamers start changing, their newest models take human forms for much the same reasons the T-800 was created. â€Å"

Healthcare Delivery Systems

Chapter 1 – Health Care Delivery Systems There are many interesting and important points in this chapter. Some of them include: Pennsylvania Hospital founded by Ben Franklin was the 1st US hospital University of PA was the US first medical school The AMA was founded in Philadelphia in 1847. The Flexner Report was published in 1910 and impacted the status of medical school education. Hill-Burton Act of 1948 provided federal monies to update hospitals JCAH which is now JCAHO was created in 1951. JCAHO is an independent accreditation agency for health care facilities (all types).Medicare and Medicaid were enacted by Congress in 1965 Privacy Act of 1974 – protect the privacy of information systems in federal health care facilities HCFA (now called CMS) was created in 1977 TEFRA in 1982 established the first Medicare prospective payment system EMTALA of 1985 protected patients against â€Å"dumping† HIPAA was passed in 1996 with components on standardization, simplica tion, privacy, and security SCHIP was established in 1997 to provide health insurance to infants and children not covered under Medicaid Notice all of the abbreviations used in chapter 1!The use of abbreviations and acronyms is very prevalent in the health care and HIM field. Important Concepts in Chapter 1 Continuum of Care – primary care, secondary care, and tertiary care. Most of us are familiar with primary care, care sought by a patient with medical professionals for current problem or maintenance of a problem. Secondary care is seeing a specialist, dermatologist, neurologist, etc. for a problem, often referred by your primary care or family doctor. Tertiary care is often provided in specialty hospitals.This can include specialty radiograph (PET scan, MRI), burn treatment, cancer treatment centers, etc. Health care facility ownership, there are three kinds of facility ownership in general; government, for profit, and not-for-profit non government (Faith-based hospitals f or example). Hospitals are organized with a governing body at the top, sometimes referred to as a board of trustees. Within the hospital and most larger health care facilities (rehab, clinics) there will be an Health Information Management (HIM) or Medical Records Department.However, Medical Records is an older term. Typical functions of an HIM department include, coding, chart abstraction, record processing, record storage and retrieval, medical transcription, release of information (ROI), cancer registry, and index complying and retrieving. The size of the HIM department staff will vary and is usually based on the bed size of the facility and/or annual visits processed (discharged, ED, Outpatient surgery etc. ). One of the most visible components of a health care facility and an HIM department is the coding function.Coding is also seen in outpatient area for physician office and other types of non-hospital based healthcare. This is based partially on the fact the coding is tied to reimbursement and funding for the facility/provider. In the US there are two main coding systems used; ICD-9-CM and HCPCS. HCPCS contains CPT codes which are often thought of as a separate system but CPT is part of HCPCS. CPT codes are used to report physician services regardless of the place of service (hospital, office, ED, clinic, etc. ).ICD-9-CM classification contains diagnoses codes which are used by all providers for coding. ICD-9-CM volume 3 is only used to report inpatient or acute care hospital procedures. Note: CPT does not have any diagnoses codes in it. If a physician uses CPT to code/bill for procedures, ICD-9-CM must also be used. A complete picture must be captured with the procedure and the diagnosis(ies) of the patient for coding/billing to be correct! Licensure and accreditation – your textbook makes a distinction between these wo. Licensure is often governed by state and can be for an individual or a facility. Licensure is most often required for a health care provider or facility to operate in that specific state. Accreditation is for a facility and is most often voluntary. JCAHO is one accreditation body, others include; AAAHC, AOA, CARF, NCQA, NCCHC. New Developments: When the implementation of more digital technology in the area of health care and specifically in the HIM area.Electronic health records (EHR) are being discussed and used more and more in the US. With this type of record gathering and storage, methods of authentication have been updated for the digital age. These include electronic signature. Security measures have also been updated which include smart cards and biometrics. Your textbook also includes some excellent websites for concepts in this chapter. You may also want to refer to this list when you are looking for journal articles to complete lab assignment 2-5 which will be due next week.

The Evolution of the Spinning Wheel

The Evolution of the Spinning Wheel The spinning wheel is an ancient invention used to transform various plant and animal fibers into thread or yarn, which are subsequently woven into cloth on a loom. No one knows for certain when the first spinning wheel was invented. Historians have come up with several theories. In Ancient History of the Spinning Wheel, German author and science historian Franz Maria Feldhaus traces the origins of the spinning wheel back to ancient Egypt, however, other historical documentation suggests that it debuted in India between 500 and 1000 A.D., while other evidence cites China as the point of origin. For those who accept the latter theory, the belief is that the technology migrated from China to Iran, and then from Iran to India, and finally, from India to Europe during the late Middle Ages and early  Renaissance. The Evolution of Spinning Technology A distaff, a stick or spindle upon which wool,  flax or other fibers are spun by hand is held horizontally in a frame and turned by a wheel-driven belt. Generally, the distaff was held in the left hand, while the wheel belt was slowly turned by the right. Evidence of early handheld spindles, from which spinning wheels would eventually evolve, have been found in Middle Eastern excavation sites that date back as far as 5000 BCE. Distaffs were used to create threads for the fabrics in which Egyptian mummies were wrapped, and were also the primary tools for spinning ropes and the material from which ship sails were constructed. Since spinning by hand was time-consuming and best-suited to small-scale production, finding a way to mechanize the process  was a natural progression. Although it would be some time before the technology reached Europe, by the 14th century, the Chinese had come up with water-powered spinning wheels. Around the year 1533, a spinning wheel featuring a stationary vertical rod and bobbin mechanism with the addition of a foot pedal debuted in the Saxony region of Germany. Foot power freed up the hands for spinning, making the process much faster. The flyer, which twisted the yarn as it was spun was another 16th-century advancement that increased the rate of yarn and thread production dramatically. The Industrialization of the Spinning Wheel At the dawn of the 18th century, the technology to produce thread and yarn was falling behind the ever-increasing demands for plentiful, high-quality textiles. Resulting yarn shortages led to an era of innovation that would eventually culminate in the mechanization of the spinning process. With British carpenter/weaver James Hargreaves 1764 invention of the spinning jenny, a hand-powered device featuring multiple spools, spinning became industrialized for the first time. Although a vast improvement over its hand-powered predecessors, the thread spun by Hargreaves invention wasnt of the best quality. Further improvements came via inventors  Richard Arkwright,  inventor of the water frame and Samuel Crompton, whose spinning mule incorporated both water frame and spinning jenny technology. The improved machines produced yarn and thread that was much stronger, finer, and of higher quality than that produced on the spinning jenny. Output was greatly increased as well, ushering in the birth of the  factory system. Spinning Wheel in Myth and Folklore The spinning wheel trope has been a popular plot device in folklore for thousands of years. Spinning is cited in the Bible and also makes its appearance in Greco-Roman mythology, as well as various folktales throughout Europe and Asia. Sleeping Beauty The earliest version of Sleeping Beauty appearance made its appearance in a French work, Perceforest (Le Roman de Perceforest) written sometime between  1330 and 1345. The story was adapted in the collected tales of the Brothers Grimm but is best known as a popular animated film from the studio of Walt Disney. In the story, a king and queen invite seven good fairies to be the godmothers of their infant princess. At the christening, the fairies are fà ªted by the king and queen, but unfortunately, there was one fairy who, through an oversight, never got an invitation but shows up anyway. Six of the other seven fairies have already bestowed gifts of beauty, wit, grace, dance, song, and goodness on the baby girl. Out of spite, the miffed fairy puts an evil spell on the princess: The girl is to die on her 16th birthday by pricking her finger on a poisoned spindle. While the seventh fairy can’t lift the curse, with her gift, she can lighten it. Instead of dying, the girl will sleep for a hundred years- until she’s awakened by the kiss of a prince. In some versions, the king and queen hide their daughter in the forest and change her name, hoping that the curse won’t find her. In others, the king orders every spinning wheel and spindle in the kingdom be destroyed, but on the day of her birthday, the princess happens on an old woman (the evil fairy in disguise), spinning away at her wheel. The princess, who has never seen a spinning wheel, asks to try it, and of course, pricks her finger and falls into an enchanted slumber. As time passes, a great thorny forest grows up around the castle where the girl lies sleeping but eventually, the handsome prince arrives and braves the briars, finally awakening her with his kiss. Arachne and Athena (Minerva) There are several versions of the cautionary tale of Arachne in Greek and Roman mythology. In the one told in Ovid’s Metamorphosis, Arachne was a talented spinner and weaver who boasted that her skills exceeded those of the goddess Athena (Minerva to the Romans). Hearing the boast, the goddess challenged her mortal rival to a weaving contest. Athenas work pictured four tableaux of mortals being punished for daring to think they equaled or surpassed the gods, while Arachnes showed gods abusing their powers. Sadly for Arachne, her work was not only superior to Athena’s, the theme she’d chosen only added insult to injury. Enraged, the goddess tore her competitor’s work to shreds and beat her about the head. In desolation, Arachne hanged herself. But the goddess wasn’t through with her yet. Live on then, and yet hang, condemned one,† Athena said, â€Å"but, lest you are careless in future, this same condition is declared, in punishment, against your descendants, to the last generation! After pronouncing her curse, Athena sprinkled Arachnes body with the juice of Hecates herb, â€Å"and immediately at the touch of this dark poison, Arachnes hair fell out. With it went her nose and ears, her head shrank to the smallest size, and her whole body became tiny. Her slender fingers stuck to her sides as legs, the rest is belly, from which she still spins a thread, and, as a spider, weaves her ancient web. Rumplestiltskin This fairytale of German origin was collected by the  Brothers Grimm  for the 1812 edition of  their Childrens and Household Tales. The story revolves around a social-climbing miller who tries to impress the king by telling him his daughter can spin straw into gold- which of course, she cant. The king locks the girl in a tower with a roomful of straw and orders her to spin it into gold by the next morning- or else face a harsh punishment (either decapitation or lifelong imprisonment in a dungeon, depending on the version). The girl is at her wits end and terrified. Hearing her cries, a tiny demon appears and tells her he will do whats been asked of her in exchange for a trade. She gives him her necklace and by morning, the straw has been spun into gold. But the king still isnt satisfied. He takes the girl to a larger room filled with straw and commands her to spin it into gold by the next morning, again or else. The imp comes back and this time the girl gives him her ring in trade for his work. The following morning, the king is impressed but still not satisfied. He takes the girl to an enormous room filled with straw and tells her if she can spin it into gold before morning, he will marry her- if not, she can rot in the dungeon for the rest of her days. When the demon arrives, she has nothing left to trade but the demon comes up with a plan. Hell spin the straw into gold- in exchange for her first-born child. Reluctantly, the girl consents. A year later, she and the king are happily married and she has given birth to a son. The imp returns to claim the baby. Now a wealthy queen, the girl begs him to leave the baby and take all her worldly goods but he refuses. The queen is so distraught, he makes her a bargain: If she can guess his name he will leave the baby. He gives her three days. Since no one knows his name (other than himself), he figures its a done deal. After failing to learn his name and exhausting as many guesses as she can come up with over the course of two days, the queen flees the castle and runs into the woods in despair. Eventually, she happens on a small cottage where she chances to hear its occupant- none other than the awful imp- singing: Tonight, tonight, my plans I make, tomorrow tomorrow, the baby I take. The queen will never win the game, for Rumpelstiltskin is my name. Armed with the knowledge, the queen returns to the castle. When the imp shows up the next day to take the baby, she calls out the evil tricksters name, Rumpelstiltskin! In a fury, he disappears, never to be seen again (in some versions, he gets so mad he actually explodes; in others, he drives his foot into the ground in a fit of rage and a chasm opens up and swallows him).

Free Essays on An Ideal Criminal Law Process.

Introduction Criminal law is the prosecution of a person for an act that is classified as a crime, an unacceptable act in the limit of conduct in society. In an ideal criminal law process prosecution for crimes would be swift and just. Certain crimes demand certain punishments and the punishments must fit the crime. In an ideal society, of course there would be no crime. In order for this to happen things would have to change in society. Morality for one, Morality is defined as the principals of right and wrong. Humans as moral creatures deserve praise for good deeds and punishment for bad ones In societies past, punishments were swifter. For example, on September 28, 1953, a young boy was abducted from his school in Kansas City, Missouri. A ransom was demanded and the FBI became involved. The suspects subsequently murdered the young boy on the day of his abduction before the first ransom request was made. This was unbeknownst to the parents and a ransom of $600,000 was paid. On October 6, 1953 the FBI caught the suspects. They appeared before a judge on October 30, 1953, and plead guilty. The jury after hearing the evidence recommended the death penalty after only one hour and eight minutes of deliberation. They were executed on December 18, 1953. (FBI Library) Less than three months after the crime was committed, the punishment was handed out and followed through on. We can learn something from this; the crime was so horrid that the jury had no trouble finding the suspects guilty and to hand down the death penalty. Today that is not usually the case; lawyers try to stack the juries in their favor. To have that one juror to vote his or her way and no matter what the evidence says, that juror will usually vote the opposite of everyone else. A lot of times this is because they feel sorry for the accused. But if the shoe was on the other foot and it was a crime against them they might not feel the same way. To sh... Free Essays on An Ideal Criminal Law Process. Free Essays on An Ideal Criminal Law Process. Introduction Criminal law is the prosecution of a person for an act that is classified as a crime, an unacceptable act in the limit of conduct in society. In an ideal criminal law process prosecution for crimes would be swift and just. Certain crimes demand certain punishments and the punishments must fit the crime. In an ideal society, of course there would be no crime. In order for this to happen things would have to change in society. Morality for one, Morality is defined as the principals of right and wrong. Humans as moral creatures deserve praise for good deeds and punishment for bad ones In societies past, punishments were swifter. For example, on September 28, 1953, a young boy was abducted from his school in Kansas City, Missouri. A ransom was demanded and the FBI became involved. The suspects subsequently murdered the young boy on the day of his abduction before the first ransom request was made. This was unbeknownst to the parents and a ransom of $600,000 was paid. On October 6, 1953 the FBI caught the suspects. They appeared before a judge on October 30, 1953, and plead guilty. The jury after hearing the evidence recommended the death penalty after only one hour and eight minutes of deliberation. They were executed on December 18, 1953. (FBI Library) Less than three months after the crime was committed, the punishment was handed out and followed through on. We can learn something from this; the crime was so horrid that the jury had no trouble finding the suspects guilty and to hand down the death penalty. Today that is not usually the case; lawyers try to stack the juries in their favor. To have that one juror to vote his or her way and no matter what the evidence says, that juror will usually vote the opposite of everyone else. A lot of times this is because they feel sorry for the accused. But if the shoe was on the other foot and it was a crime against them they might not feel the same way. To sh...

5 Resume Tips to Guarantee an Interview

5 Resume Tips to Guarantee an Interview You’ve sent out countless resumes and pored over endless classified job ads, but you still don’t have a bite on an interview. What are you doing wrong? The following tips can help you improve your resume  so it gets noticed by the hiring manager and can practically guarantee an interview. Instead of moping or thinking of planting a vegetable garden for sustenance, give it a try, and you may be pleasantly surprised by the results. We have also compiled a list of best resume tips in 2016 to help you land that interview. 1. Make Your Language  CompellingUse the first few seconds it takes to read your resume to present a compelling statement about why you are perfect for the job. That doesn’t mean you need to be able to write like a famous author with a bestseller. Use spare language and detail to explain what you can do to benefit the company. Write the reasons why you were essential in your former job. Connect your old job to the new job by using parallels to s how how you would be a valuable asset to the company.2. Include Relevant KeywordsUse the job description to find relevant keywords  (those words   special to the job classification), and place  them in your resume. Companies use specific keywords to help them find the right person for the job. A hiring manager or recruiter will be scanning resumes for these keywords to find potential candidates.For example, recruiters for administrative assistant jobs may look for words such as scheduling, record-keeping, or communication skills. If an employer uses a tracking system for applicants, keywords that appear near the top of a resume or more often get boosted up toward the top of the pile of applications. Also, use specific word groupings that appear in the job description. If the word used in the job description is record-keeping, use that term- not bookkeeping.3. Have a Good FlowA resume should be easily readable and have good flow- just like a good  story. Your story includes y our accomplishments, your creativeness and special abilities, where you worked, and how you benefited previous employers.4. Make It  Neat and ProfessionalA resume that uses a fancy font, curlicues, or little hearts will get zero attention from a hiring manager. This is not the place to present your creative talents, unless you are applying for a position as an artist or something similar. Leave out graphic elements except for bullet points. Underlining can make a hiring manager think you are including a hyperlink, so just leave it out.5. Use Line Spacing When NeededAlthough you want your resume to be in chronological order like a story, you don’t want it to look like the page out of an old history book. Resumes with too much information crammed onto one page are difficult to read, boring, and look like too much work to extract relevant data. Breaking your resume up with line spaces that are strategically placed can do wonders. It can also be helpful to use blocks of informa tion with spaces in between to make it easily scannable and readable. That way, the hiring manager will get a clear picture of your work and accomplishments. If you have so much to include in a resume that using a few line spaces isn’t possible, your resume is too long, and you need to start cutting.A resume that is well-written, neat and informative goes a long way toward getting you that important interview if you have the right job qualifications. Doing your job search through job ads is one way to hunt for that new position. TheJobNetwork expands on job hunting by doing your job search for you and sending you email alerts when positions fitting your qualifications come up. In this way, you are being proactive and are not going to miss out on any potential employers that might be right for you. After you list your job interests and qualifications, you can also search among our over 2 million job listings yourself. Sign up with TheJobNetwork to get started.

The Kitchen is a Fickle Mistress Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Kitchen is a Fickle Mistress - Essay Example The author is quick to remind us of the housewife's complaints of centuries past, and the difficulty in maintaining an elegant domesticity. She tells of the American pioneer woman, carrying wood, heating water, and toiling over the laundry in an all day undertaking. The washing machine, one of the most laudable household helpers, has changed little since its inception. The wood stove was introduced to be sold to women, but actually saved the man from having to cut as much wood. Still, it is the vacuum cleaner that Rosen uses to illustrate our love of cleanliness and how it has become possible to remain immaculate without the aid of servants. It was these devices that gave the housewife the illusion of being a little more royal than maybe she actually was. The article agrees that while all the modern miracles of housework may not save time, and certainly not money, they have made our society better organized. We are cleaner, we have more options for storing and cooking food, and by all such measures we should be happier. Yet, the author argues that the modern housewife is actually doing the work of several servants and, "electric servants did not easily translate into spending less time on housework". Marketers have simply made the experience seem a little more aristocratic. We have every kitchen appliance available to make our cooking experience quick, clean,

Employment Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Employment Relations - Essay Example This paper is an assessment of a case study which involves several issues with regard to potential health and safety problems of employers. It also involves issues of wrongful information and retirement of an employee due to injury. The assessment will be done with regard to the following two areas namely, the relevant statutes and acts which can be used here and the options available to the injured or affected parties. This will be in the form of an advice which can be accepted or rejected by those concerned. This writer had been appointed as an office assistant in a firm engaged in the business of life insurers in the UK called Ricky Gervais & Co Ltd. Many factors that have potential negative effects for employees within the office premises are noticed after reporting for work. The secretaries are not provided with proper chairs that have correct supports. They are made to work for long hours sitting in such chairs and are provided with outdated computer screens. A isolated incident of employee injury due to the prank of another employee also occurred as a result of which the injured party had to leave his current job and work for a lower pay. The company had done nothing with regard to this injured employee. The writer has also found that employee assessment by previous employees had been vindictive and untrue. It contained many false allegations with regard to performance, competence, and dependability. Relevant statutes: There are many recourses of law in the UK which could possibly used by the affected employees. They include the Employment Act of 2008, Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, Employment Rights Act 1996, Employment Relations Act 1999, Employer's Liability (Defective Equipment) Act 1969 and Disability Discrimination Act 1995. They can also take recourse of the employment tribunals in the UK if they so choose as per the provisions of the Employment Tribunals Act 1996. The Employment Act is more of a corrective act is primarily for "repealing and amending existing legislation in the field of employment and trade union law." (Explanatory notes to employment act 2008 2008). Hence it can be used only if it amends or repeals any of the provisions in the other Acts mentioned above. The Employment Relations Act is with regard to trade union relations and hence not very valid here. There is no mention of trade union involvement within the company and hence it can be assumed that Ricky Gervais & Co Ltd is not unionized or even it is so, the strength and bargaining power is low. Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 is directly related with the health and safety of the employees in the workplace and deals with whatever safety measures taken or not taken by the employer. The Act specifically states that employers are duty bound to see that the workplace is a safe one and should take steps that are as far as practical to ensure that the health and safety of the employers are protected. The Employment Rights Act 1996 related to the rights of employees in several areas of work and this includes safety issues as well. The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 also is useful for the injured employee, Geoff. The act states that alternated duties and jobs are to be provided in case employees are unable to perform their

Policemen of the World Thesis and Outline Assignment - 1

Policemen of the World Thesis and Outline - Assignment Example The first war was between 1798 and 1800 with France. The war was instigated by land controversy in the now Dominican republic. In the 20th century, United States of America was involved in a fierce war against Cambodia and Vietnam (Collier, 1993). The most recent war between 1990 to date has been to nations such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and Egypt among other countries. There have been controversies surrounding the USA involvement in the global wars. The controversies within the nation are on the constitutional mandates that give the president power to invade a nation without consulting the senate and the congress (Kornbluh, 2003). The congress demands for a proper clause that the president must always seek for their opinion before he execute his plan to attack a worrying nation. Controversies have also arose on the countries being attacked by the USA troops. There were controversies in Iraq when the USA troops invaded them and ousted Sadam Hussein that the country had nuclear weapons but the country never had any weapon. The question now is why did USA have to attack another nation on false claims? (Steinhauer, 2011) The united states of America need to have a clear investigation before attacking any nation. The wars usually lead to the deaths of many civilians majority of whom are innocent. It should be noted that war does not bring any benefit, but a loss to the life of human

BATNA Basics Assignment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

BATNA Basics Assignment - Research Paper Example It is, therefore, before this stage that an individual takes time to think about all other possible options available, including the possible no-deal options (NMR 1). If the individual think and explore best options, then he or she has higher chances of proper and satisfying outcomes. Evaluate your alternatives. After listing all the possible options available, an individual moves to give the options a close examination and calculates the value attached to each of them before pursuance of each. Establish your BATNA. At this step, the individual must be careful to choose only courses of action that are viable in terms of yielding the expected value. The individual pursues the BATNA if the ongoing negotiation fails. It must have high chances of providing a positive solution. Calculate your value of reservation. In this step, the individual calculates his or her reservation value. The lowest proposed value deal that would be acceptable to the individual must not be lower than the reservation value chosen. If the proposed reservation value is lower than his reservation value, then the individual better rejects and subsequently pursues the original BATNA. However, if the reservation offer has higher value than the calculated reservation value, then accept it. Forgoing options after investing your resources in it creates a feeling of wastage. It thus requires that the individual find way of counterbalancing the situation (NMR 1). In addition, negotiations that are more costly during strong BATNA development may deter an individual’s efforts and behavior. The other hazard is that the negotiating individual may feel disappointed and exposed if all the details he reveals fail to yield expected outcomes. Prior investments have high likelihood of compromising ethical standards and emerging from sunk cost shadow cast become

Entrepreneur - Mark Constantine and Their Company Strategy - Lush Assignment

Entrepreneur - Mark Constantine and Their Company Strategy - Lush Company - Assignment Example According to the paper, they established a strong business relationship with Anita, which enabled them to supply most of their products to Anita’s shop. The business developed very first and other founders were incorporated to the business such as Rowena Bird, Helen Ambrosen, Paul Greaves and Karl Bygrave joined the team to make the company a success. The headquarters of the company are locate in Poole, England. There were various beliefs and values that inspired the start of the company, they believed in the manufacture of fresh handmade products from natural ingredients and vital oils for personal care. Today the company has more than 650 stores across the globe with mail order services in 12 countries. The products in the company are made by hand and does its own distribution to its own retail stores. The company is associated withthe sale of cosmetic products and other innovative related product such as shampoo bars, bath ballistics and bubble bar slices. The main products though include, shower products, face and beauty products, bath products, hair products, body lotion and perfume. Innovation standards are very high in Lush Company and aspects such as differentiation, environmentally-friendly packaging and use of fresh ingredient are used to enhance their theme of innovation. Vegetables and fresh fruits are used in the manufacture of these products, which depending with the producer artisanal look and color are impeded to the product. They encourage that packaging is done with recyclable materials as a form of ethic. Lush company can be described as a company that deals with introduction of improved or new goods or services.Mission of the of the company can be described as the core strategy of the company, other core strategies include the scope of the products.

BATNA Basics Assignment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

BATNA Basics Assignment - Research Paper Example It is, therefore, before this stage that an individual takes time to think about all other possible options available, including the possible no-deal options (NMR 1). If the individual think and explore best options, then he or she has higher chances of proper and satisfying outcomes. Evaluate your alternatives. After listing all the possible options available, an individual moves to give the options a close examination and calculates the value attached to each of them before pursuance of each. Establish your BATNA. At this step, the individual must be careful to choose only courses of action that are viable in terms of yielding the expected value. The individual pursues the BATNA if the ongoing negotiation fails. It must have high chances of providing a positive solution. Calculate your value of reservation. In this step, the individual calculates his or her reservation value. The lowest proposed value deal that would be acceptable to the individual must not be lower than the reservation value chosen. If the proposed reservation value is lower than his reservation value, then the individual better rejects and subsequently pursues the original BATNA. However, if the reservation offer has higher value than the calculated reservation value, then accept it. Forgoing options after investing your resources in it creates a feeling of wastage. It thus requires that the individual find way of counterbalancing the situation (NMR 1). In addition, negotiations that are more costly during strong BATNA development may deter an individual’s efforts and behavior. The other hazard is that the negotiating individual may feel disappointed and exposed if all the details he reveals fail to yield expected outcomes. Prior investments have high likelihood of compromising ethical standards and emerging from sunk cost shadow cast become

Evocative Object Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Evocative Object - Essay Example ICT refers to technologies that guarantee passage of information through telecommunications. The effects of information and communication technologies reflect on how humans do things in present day life as compared to how they used to in the agrarian economy. The information and communication technologies affect various human fields including health, education, modes of transport, communication, agriculture, governance, security, entertainment, sports, industrialization, and others (Seyler 1). The advancement of information and communication technologies is a continuous process that becomes complex and more effective every day. Nevertheless, these advancements equally have negative effects on the environment where they lead to pollution and security where they promote terrorism. Moreover, they come at a price. However, in most cases the inherent benefits of information and communication technologies are more than the costs accrued. Actually, the benefits of information and communicat ion technologies depend on the mode of application, the gadget itself, government policies, and other external factors. Some of the most common and advanced information and communication technologies include cell phones and computers (Seyler 21). Indeed, there are different versions of computers and cell phones with variant applications that continue to flood the global market. Personally, I have had experiences with technology in many cases in my course of life. However, this paper will illustrate my experience with a cell phone as a form of information and communication technologies. It will equally relate my experience to the society in the context of its technological application. The use of cell phones is growing in the modern world due to the friendly, effective, and advanced applications they contain. Its use varies from different personalities including students, business personalities, doctors, service men, pilots, engineers, and the general society (Seyler 26). As a studen t, I have various uses of my cell phone both inn school and outside school. Indeed, in my very first day in college, I was new in town had a vague idea on where my school is. As such, it was physically impossible to access my school on the registration day. However, iPhone had a GPRS and could thus access Google maps application forming a trusted source of direction. There with just a click on my phones keyboard the goggle maps directed me on the shortest direction from the airport to the school free of charge. This application was so beneficial that my mother actually had to buy an iPhone on her way from work. Again, while at school I have used my cell phone in various significant roles. Indeed, I still remember the day that my friend had an accident along the highway far from town. I used my cell phone again to take pictures of the accident using the video recorder and call the police and the ambulance at the scene of the accident. This saved the life of my friend, reduced traffic snarl at the highway, and ensured timely notification to the authorities. Indeed, I equally used the cell phone to inform my friend’s parents of the accident. Back in school, I use my cell phone in different studies and research. Since my cell phone can access the internet and has a capacity to download and store online information, I frequently use it to further my education. Actually, I use my phone to access emails from my tutors, download assignments, find research materials, and forward my assignments. I do this by connecting my phone to my computer at home using a cable and subsequently use my phone as a modem through tethering. This makes my studying more effective and convenient. In addition, my phone has a calculator that is very relevant in doing calculations at school. Indeed, I use my

The Relationship Between Exchange Rates Essay Example for Free

The Relationship Between Exchange Rates Essay The relationship between exchange rates, interest rates †¢ In this lecture we will learn how exchange rates accommodate equilibrium in ï ¬ nancial markets. For this purpose we examine the relationship between interest rates and exchange rates. Interest rates are the return to holding interest-bearing ï ¬ nancial assets. In the previous lecture we have pointed out that as being a ï ¬ nancial asset exchange rates tend to adjust more quickly to new information that goods prices. Like exchange rates, interest rates are also the prices of ï ¬ nancial assets and hence adjust quickly to new information. †¢ The proï ¬ t-seeking arbitrage activity will bring about an interest parity relationship between interest rates of two countries and exchange rate between these countries. †¢ A U.S. investor deciding between investing say in New York and in Tokyo must consider several things: – the interest rate in the U.S., i$ , (interest rate in aU.S ¿ dollar denominated bond, or rate of return in a U.S. dollar denominated US stock etc), interest rate in Japan (iY ; – the spot exchange rate, S; and – the future exchange rate for maturity date, forward rate, F . †¢ If the investor did not lock in a future exchange rate now, the unknown future spot exchange rate would make the investment risky. The investor can eliminate the uncertainty over the future dollar value of the investment by covering the investment with a forward exchange contract. †¢ If the investor covers the investment with a forward contract the arbitrage between two investment opportunities results in a covered interest parity (CIP) condition: (1 + i$ ) = (1 + iY ) 1 F S (1) which may be rewritten as (1 + i$ ) F = (1 + iY ) S (2) †¢ The interest rate parity equation can be approximated for small interest rates by: i$ − iY = F −S S (3) †¢ This later equation says that interest diï ¬â‚¬erential between a US denominated investment instrument and a Yen denominated investment instrument is equal to the forward premium or discount on the Yen. †¢ Example: i$ = 5%, iY = 3%. Suppose S = 0.0068 dollars per Yen. What should be the 90-day forward rate? 0.05 − 0.03 = F − 0.0068 0.0068 F = 0.0068 + 0.02 âˆâ€" 0.0068 = 0.00694 Thus we expect that a 90-day forward rate of $0.00694 to give a 90-day forward premium equal to the 0.02 interest diï ¬â‚¬erential. †¢ If the forward exchange rates were not consistent with the respective interest rates, then arbitrageurs could proï ¬ t by immediately changing currency in the spot market, investing it and locking in the proï ¬ table forward exchange rate. These actions in the market would increase the spot rate and lower the forward rate, bringing the forward premium into line with the interest diï ¬â‚¬erential. †¢ Suppose the actual 90-day forward rate is not 0.00694 dollars per yen but 0.0071 dollars per yen. Then proï ¬ t-seeking arbitrageurs could buy Yen spot, then invest and sell the Yen forward for dollars, since the forward price of Yen is higher than that implied by the covered interest parity relation. These actions will tend to increase spot rate and lower the forward rate, thereby bringing the forward premium back in line with the interest diï ¬â‚¬erential. 2 †¢ The interest rate parity condition (CIP) can be used to compute eï ¬â‚¬ective return on a foreign investment. Re-write (3) as: i$ = i Y + F −S S (4) This latter equation says that the return on a US dollar denominated asset (US dollar interest rate) is given by the Japanese interest rate plus the forward premium or discount on Yen. If CIP holds then equation (4) will hold as well. †¢ What happens when an investor does not use the forward market? Then we can not expect eï ¬â‚¬ective return on US dollar denominated asset be given by (4) as the investor in question will not be able to get the premium on Yen (or lose the discount). In this case, we say investor has an uncovered investment. The eï ¬â‚¬ective return then will be determined by the Japanese interest rate plus the change in the spot exchange rate between today and say 90 days from now. Letting it be the domestic interest rate on a domestic currency denominated asset, say US Dollar, between date t and t + 1, and similarly iâˆâ€" stands for foreign interest rate, t the eï ¬â‚¬ective return on a domestic currency denominated ï ¬ nancial asset will be given by: â ˆâ€" it = it + ∆St+1 (5) Which in our example will be i$ = iY + ∆S without time subscript. †¢ Suppose in the example we have been considering so far, the US investor did not use the forward market. After 90 days when the investor go to change Yen back to dollars, she ï ¬ nds that the Yen has appreciated against US dollar say by 1 percent. This means that your Yen buys 1 percent more dollars than they did before. This means that eï ¬â‚¬ective return on Yen investment then will be given by iY + ∆S = 0.03 + 0.01 = 0.04. 3 Hence, the return on a foreign investment plus the expected change in the exchange rate (in the value of Yen) is our expected return on a Yen investment. †¢ If the forward exchange rate is equal to expected future spot rate (Mathematically this means that E [St+1 | given all the available information] = Ft ) then the forward premium/discount is also equal to the expected change in the exchange rate. In this case we say that uncovered interest parity, (UIP) holds. †¢ More formally UIP condition says that the expected change in spot exchange rate is equal to interest diï ¬â‚¬erential. E(St+1) − St = i t − iâˆâ€" t St (6) where for E denotes the expectation operator. At this level you don’t need to worry about what this operator means, you can simply think ESt+1 denoting the expected future value of spot rate. †¢ As above analysis indicate forward exchange rates incorporate expectations about the future spot exchange rates. If the forward exchange rate is equal to the expected future spot rate, then the forward premium is also the expected change in the exchange rate. In this case, UIP is said to hold. †¢ Empirical studies indicate that there are small deviations from CIP. These deviations are possible due to presence of transactions cost, diï ¬â‚¬erential taxation across countries on the returns from investing in ï ¬ nancial markets, government control, and political risk involved in investing in diï ¬â‚¬erent countries. However, these deviations are small enough to assume that CIP holds true almost exactly in the real world data. Therefore, we can say that proï ¬ t-seeking arbitrage activities eliminate proï ¬ t opportunities in the exchange rate markets. Hence, CIP condition can be viewed an equilibrium condition that characterizes the relationship between spot exchange rate, forward rate and interest rates of two countries. 4 †¢ The problem arise in showing if the UIP holds or not in the data. Extensive studies have shown that UIP does not hold in the data especially for the industrialized countries. This means that percentage change in expected future spot rate is not equal to interest diï ¬â‚¬erential. Or, forward rate is not equal to expected future spot rate. Mathematically, this implies that there are deviations from UIP condition stated in (6) above. That is, it − iâˆâ€" − t ESt+1 − St =0 St This means that eï ¬â‚¬ective return diï ¬â‚¬erential is not equal to zero. There are several explanations given in the literature. – there should be proï ¬ t opportunities in the exchange rate market that are being exploited by the investors. That may be possible if the inside trading type of activities are possible and used extensively. In other words, there are informational asymmetries in the market, some investors have more information than others and they make positive proï ¬ ts. Although, this may explain part of the puzzle especially in the very short run, it is hard to believe that these informational asymmetries persist for a long time, especially in ï ¬ nancial markets where information ï ¬â€šow is very rapid and exchange rates adjust rapidly to new information. – It is possible to think that investors are systematically making mistakes in predicting the future value of spot exchange rate. That is, Ft = ESt+1 for a prolonged period of time. This means that forward rate is a biased predictor of future spot rate. Here biased means that it does not correctly predicts the future value of spot exchange rate on average. In other words, an unbiased predictor means that it predicts on average correctly the future value of a price, say exchange rate, so that over the long run the forward rate is just as likely to overpredict the future spot rate as it is to underpredict. Unbiased predictor does not mean that forward rate is a good predictor. What it 5 means is that forward rate is just as likely to guess too high as it is too low future spot rates. There is some evidence that indicates that investors in foreign exchange rate market make systematic mistakes in predicting the future value of spot exchange rate and hence causing systematic deviations from UIP. It may be possible to think scenarios where investors make mistakes in their forecast of future values of asset prices, but the magnitude of these mistakes shouldn’t be that large to account the large deviations we observe in UIP. That is, it is hard to understand why especially over longer time periods investors make big mistakes in a systematic fashion. Over time at least we should expect these errors to shrink a level where deviations from UIP become smaller. – Another explanation is that there should be a premium to take a risk by not covering the investment. This idea is based on the behavior of investors in taking risk. The eï ¬â‚¬ective return diï ¬â‚¬erential between two countries should be dependent on the perceived risk on each asset and the risk aversion of the investors. The risk aversion refers to the tendency of investors to prefer less risk. In terms of investments two investors may agree on the degree of risk associated with two assets, but the more risk-averse investor would require a higher interest rate on the more risky asset to induce her to hold it then the less risky-averse investor would. In ï ¬ nance, by risk we mean the variability of return from any given investment. This is because the more variable the return from an investment is, the less certain we can be about its future value. If investors diï ¬â‚¬er in their risk taking behavior we may observe that deviations from UIP and hence, changes in risk and risk aversion are associated with changes in eï ¬â‚¬ective return diï ¬â‚¬erential (that is interest diï ¬â‚¬erential). That is, it − iâˆâ€" − t ESt+1 â ˆ’ St = f (risk,riskaversion) St 6 The left hand side of this equation is the eï ¬â‚¬ective return diï ¬â‚¬erential (or deviations from UIP). The right hand side can be viewed as the risk premium. âˆâ€" – Since CIP conditionit − it = Ft −St Stholds almost exactly, subtracting ex-pected change in exchange rate from both sides: âˆâ€" it − it − Ft − St ESt+1 − St ESt+1 − St = − St St St Ft − ESt+1 ESt+1 − St = St St (7) or it − iâˆâ€" − t (8) Thus, we ï ¬ nd that the eï ¬â‚¬ective return diï ¬â‚¬erential (or deviations from UIP) is equal to the percentage diï ¬â‚¬erence between forward and expected future spot exchange rate. The right hand side of (7) is usually considered to be a measure of risk premium in the forward exchange rate market. If eï ¬â‚¬ective return diï ¬â‚¬erential is zero, then risk premium will be zero. If it is positive, then there is a positive risk premium on the domestic currency, because the expected future spot price of foreign currency is less than the prevailing forward rate. In other words, traders are oï ¬â‚¬ering to sell foreign currency for domestic currency in the future will receive a premium, in that foreign currency is expected to depreciate (relative to domestic currency) by an amount greater than the current forward rates. Conversely, traders wishing to buy foreign currency for delivery next period will pay a premium to the future sellers to ensure a set future price. The relationship between interest rates and inï ¬â€šation †¢ The real interest rate reï ¬â€šects the nominal interest rate with an adjustment for inï ¬â€šation. In other words, real interest rate is the nominal interest rate adjusted for inï ¬â€šation. †¢ Generally, the nominal interest rate will tend to incorporate inï ¬â€šation expectations. The relationship between interest rates and inï ¬â€šation is given by the Fisher equation: i=r+Ï€ (9) where i is the nominal interest rate, r is the real interest rate and Ï€ is the expected inï ¬â€šation rate. An increase in Ï€ will tend to increase the nominal interest rate. †¢ If the real rate of interest is the same across countries, then the Fisher can be combined with CIP equation: i$ − iY = Ï€U S − Ï€J = F −S S (10) This latter equation says that if real interest rates are the same internationally, then nominal interest rate diï ¬â‚¬erential diï ¬â‚¬er solely by diï ¬â‚¬erences in expected inï ¬â€šation. †¢ Note that relative exchange rate is given by the inï ¬â€šation diï ¬â‚¬erential and assuming that PPP, Fisher equation, and interest rate diï ¬â‚¬erential hold then real interest rates are equalized across countries. The expected exchange rates and the interest rates †¢ The pattern of interest rates over diï ¬â‚¬erent time periods for diï ¬â‚¬erent investment opportunities is known as term structure of interest rates. There are several interest rates. Short run interest rates, long run interest rates, namely 1 month, 3-month, 6-months etc. There are several theories explaining the the structure of interest rates on diï ¬â‚¬erent investment opportunities over time. – Expectations: the long term interest rates tend to equal to the average of short-term rates expected over the holding period. The expected return that will be generated from holding a 10 year bond should be on average be the the sum of holding a series of short term bonds, say 30-day bond rates. – Liquidity premium: Long term investment instruments must incorporate a risk premium since investors prefer short term investments. As the term of 8 holding an instrument rises, the interest rate on that instrument should rise as well. – Preferred Habitat: There exists separate markets for short and long term assets, with interest rates determined by conditions in each market. †¢ Under conditions of freely ï ¬â€šowing capital across countries, the term structures in diï ¬â‚¬erent currencies infer expected exchange rate changes, even if forward exchange markets for these currencies do not exist. †¢ If the term structure lines for two currencies are: – parallel, then exchange rate changes are expected to be constant; – diverging, then the high interest rate currency is expected to depreciate at an increasing rate over time; – converging, then the high-interest rate currency is expected to depreciate at a declining rate relative to the low-interest rate currency.

Diagnostic Imaging for Breast Cancer Symptoms

Diagnostic Imaging for Breast Cancer Symptoms The role of diagnostic imaging in the initial investigation of female patients symptomatic for breast cancer, and its subsequent application in the staging process. Introduction Breast Cancer is the term used for cancers found within the breast tissue. Usually breast cancer is the result of a small change in the regulatory cycles that the tissue goes through. Any changes in these can result in malignant growths within the breast tissue. As stated by Breast Cancer Now (2016), Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women in the UK with over 50,000 new cases diagnosed in women each year, in the UK alone, thus approximately 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with some form of breast malignancy in their lifetime. Furthermore, not all breast cancer occurs in females, in the UK roughly 350 men are also diagnosed with breast cancer each year. The survival rate of breast cancer is quite high at around 90%, states Breast Cancer Care (2016), which highlights how effective treatment currently is. However, it is the most common cause of death in women aged 40-50. Vaidya, J.S. et al (2012a). Per Sestak, I. et al (2012), there are many factors that can predispose a person to the risk of breast cancer. These include: increasing age, geographical variation, breast density, age at first pregnancy, age at menarche and menopause, family history, genes, previous breast disease, radiation, lifestyle, oral contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy. As stated by Vaidya, J.S. et al (2012a), Breast cancer lumps are usually hard and painless, with an irregular shape. They are approximately 2cm before they are palpable and can be felt. Most lumps are found in the upper outer quadrant of the breast. A lump is the most common symptom but there are other signs and symptoms that can be indicative of breast cancer. These other symptoms include: bleeding from the nipple (rare), change in shape or size, ulceration, swelling in breast or arm due to blockage of lymphatic circulation, peau dorange which is usually the result of fluid in the dermis and axillary lumps. These symptoms are not present in all cases and are indicative of the different stages and kinds of breast cancer. Content Discussion People with breast cancer symptoms usually undergo what is known as a Triple Assessment. A triple assessment comprises of a clinical examination, imaging examinations and pathological evaluation. This assessment process is usually able to diagnose 95% of malignant breast cancers. Vaidya, J.S. et al (2012b) Vaidya, J.S. et al (2012b) also states that before a clinical examination occurs, the patients history is taken into consideration, as this can aid the diagnose or other potential causes of the symptoms. Usually the history that is considered includes: the history of the current complaint, family history of breast or ovarian cancers, HRT and oral contraceptives history, previous diseases and surgeries, allergies and smoking history. Clinical Assessment of Breast Cancer As stated before clinical examination is the first step in a triple assessment to diagnose breast cancer. Clinical examination is done to assess dimpling, which is usually an early sign, as it occurs because of the contraction of the ligaments of Cooper. Clinical examination can also distinguish between coarse nodular tissue and an actual lump in the breast tissue. The colour and site of any discharge at the nipple is also recorded and tested for any blood within the discharged fluid. Vaidya, J.S. et al (2012b). Imaging in Diagnosis of Breast Cancer As stated by Vaidya, J.S et al (2012b), Both mammography and ultrasonography have important roles in the diagnosis of breast cancer, but the use of other modalities, such as magnetic resonance and infrared imaging, is being developed. Mammography can detect over 95% of clinically detectable cancers. However, it does not aid the diagnosis of a patient with a discrete lump. In this case diagnosis relies heavier on cytology and histology. It may also be of use in the detection of cancer in patients with coarse nodular breasts and is particularly useful in dense breast tissues. Vaidya, J.S. et al (2012b) Another use for mammography is to accurately assess where the cancer is located. This information can also be used to aid biopsy and surgeries.ÂÂ   Mammography can also reveal that there is an impalpable lump in the other asymptomatic breast which otherwise would have gone undetected. Vaidya, J.S. et al (2012b) If a mass is detected on a mammogram, a range of codes are typically used to determine the potential malignancy of the mass. These are defined by Willet, A. et al, for the Association of Breast Surgery (2010) as: M1 Normal M2 Benign M3 Indeterminate/Likely Benign M4 Suspicion of Malignancy M5 Highly suspicious of Malignancy. Another key imaging technique used in the diagnosis of breast cancer is ultrasonography. Ultrasound shows the difference between a cyst or a more solid mass. Therefore, a mass can be confirmed to be a cyst and can be drained using needle aspiration. However, a blood-stained aspirate may be a result of a cancer within the cyst which was previously unidentified. The sensitivity and specificity of ultrasound in the diagnosis of breast lumps has continued to improve with growing technological advances. Benign lumps appear as well-defined masses with no acoustic shadow. Malignant lumps are ill-defined masses, with a varying echogenicity and/or have evidence of microcalcifications within them. Ultrasound is also the preferred imaging method in women under the age of 30, as their breasts tend to be less dense and are therefore radiosensitive. Vaidya, J.S. et al (2012b). The NICE Guidelines (2015), also state that, ultrasound evaluation of the axilla should be performed for all patients bein g investigated for early invasive breast cancer. Fine-needle aspiration cytology is also used in breast cancer diagnosis by inserting a small needle into a lump which is located during the examination using ultrasound. The aspirate on the needle is then examined under a microscope by a pathologist which can then diagnose a breast cancer with almost 100% specificity depending on their level of skill and training. Vaidya, J.S. et al (2012b) Imaging in Staging of Diagnosed Breast Cancer If the tumour is large and there is extensive lymph-node involvement, preoperative staging is prudent. Vaidya, J.S. et al (2012b) As stated by RCR guidelines (2014), the objectives of staging are to: assess the size of a tumour, assess for other involvement of the skin or chest wall, assess multifocality of tumour, to assess the nodal status and to assess for any metastatic spread. MRI is used in staging any indeterminate lesions. The expense of MRI is now becoming less of an issue as the cost of an MRI breast coil is considered relatively low. The injection of a contrast agent during MRI enables the vascularity of a lesion to be visualised. The downside of this is that a specifically trained team is required to undergo this route of imaging. Vaidya, J.S. et al (2012b) NICE guidelines (2015), state that MRI is not recommended in the preoperative assessment of patients with invasive breast cancer that has been proven by biopsy or ductal carcinoma in-situ. It should only be offered to those where the extent of metastases is indeterminate, breast density has caused mammography to be indefinite or to assess tumour size to aid surgery for invasive lobular cancer. Computed Tomography is stated by the RCR Guidelines (2014), to be used with patients who have advanced symptoms and are suspected to have a further progressed cancer. Reasons for request of a CT to stage breast cancer include: bone pain and breathlessness. If the use of CT for staging is used, intravascular contrast media should be employed during the scan. The scan should include the supraclavicular fossa, the chest and the liver. The RCR Guidelines (2014), state that Photon Emission Tomography should not be used for early stage breast cancer but should be used more to assess metastatic spread. It is also used to assess potentially multi-focal disease or suspected recurrence if a patient has particularly dense breasts. Axially node status is usually assessed by using US, with the use of fine-needle aspiration or biopsy of any suspicious nodes. RCR Guidelines (2014). Vaidya, J.S. et al (2012b) also suggest that routine staging in early breast cancer, as the results are usually less than 4%. Thus, these investigations can slow down the otherwise relatively quick treatment and can cause the patient unnecessary anxiety as they await results. Follow-up and Surveillance after treatment of Breast Cancer It is suggested by Vaidya, J.S. et al (2012b) that patients who have had a mastectomy are at a higher risk of developing cancer in the remaining breast and should therefore undergo regular mammograms for surveillance. They also suggest that colour Doppler ultrasound scanning of a breast that has had a malignant tumour postoperatively is likely to increase the chances of an early diagnosis should there be any recurrence. RCR guidelines (2013) state that women who have been treated for breast cancer under the age of 50 should have a yearly mammogram as surveillance follow up. After 50 the guidelines are unclear but it is currently recommended that surveillance mammograms are routinely performed every 2-3 years. NICE guidelines (2015), also state that an annual mammography should be offered to all those with early breast cancers, including DCIS until they reach the age for screening. These guidelines recommend that patients of the age for screening should have also annual mammograms for 5 years. The NICE guidelines (2015), further suggest that US nor MRI should be offered in post-treatment surveillance for those who have been treated for DCIS or other early stage breast cancers. Conclusion In summary, it is essential that patients presenting symptoms which usually pertain to a breast cancer undergo a thorough assessment, including multiple imaging examinations not just for the diagnosis of the cancer, but also the staging and the follow-up once the cancer has been successfully treated. Mammography and Ultrasound are the two key imaging techniques that are vital in my opinion within diagnosis. They enable a fast and usually efficient result which can then be used for staging. Ultrasound can be seen to have more benefits as it does not use ionising radiation unlike mammography, but mammography is essential is those patients who have highly dense breast tissue. This is usually postmenopausal patients who tend to be the high-risk group of developing breast cancer. CT and Ultrasound are mainly used during staging. This stage is vital in patients with more progressive breast cancer, but if the tumour has been caught in the early stages, staging methods can usually be skipped as it is more efficient to immediately commence treatment methods. Follow-up imaging is also essential as those who have undergone treatment of breast cancer are at higher risk of recurrence in either breast. In conclusion, imaging is one the most essential tools available in the diagnosis, staging and follow-up of breast cancer. Without the current imaging techniques, we have today the 95% survival rate of breast cancer would likely be nowhere near as high. Reference List: Breast Cancer Care. (2016). Prognosis. Available: https://www.breastcancercare.org.uk/information-support/facing-breast-cancer/diagnosed-breast-cancer/diagnosis/prognosis. Last accessed 27th Mar 2017. Breast Cancer Now. (2016). Breast Cancer Statistics. Available: http://breastcancernow.org/about-breast-cancer/what-is-breast-cancer/breast-cancer-statistics. Last accessed 27th Mar 2017. NICE guidelines. (2015). Early and locally advanced breast cancer: diagnosis and treatment. Breast Cancer. Last Accessed: 30th Mar 2017 Sestak, I et al. (2012). Breast Cancer: Epidemiology, Risk Factors and Genetics. In: Dickson, J ABC of Breast Disease. 4th ed. London: BMJ Books. p41-47. The Royal College of Radiologists (2013). Guidance on screening and symptomatic breast imaging. 3rd ed. London: The Royal College of Radiologists.ÂÂ   Pg.7 The Royal College of Radiologists (2014). Recommendations for cross-sectional imaging in cancer management. 2nd ed. London: The Royal College of Radiologists. P2-4 Vaidya, J.S., Joseph, D. Jones, A. (2012b), Fast Facts: Breast Cancer Diagnosis, 4th ed. edn, Health Press Limited, Abingdon.ÂÂ   P47-64 Vaidya, J.S., Joseph, D. Jones, A. (2012a), Fast Facts: Breast Cancer Pathophysiology, 4th ed. edn, Health Press Limited, Abingdon.ÂÂ   P28-46 Willet, A. et al. (2010). Diagnosis and Imaging.ÂÂ   Best Practice Diagnostic Guidelines for Imaging of Symptomatic Patient. Department of Health. p 49.

Nuclear Tension Within North Korea and Iraq :: Korea Iraq Weapons Essays

Nuclear Tension Within North Korea and Iraq Introduction: In recent years the issue of nuclear armament has become a growing concern in world politics. The United States has taken on the self appointed role of world bully on this issue. Believing it self the sole country with the ability to keep nuclear weapons, while belligerently are striking out against other countries that pursue nuclear weapons, or are believed to have them in their possession. Using the events of 9-11 as its cause, the United States has launched a â€Å"War on Terrorism† in which it has bombed Afghanistan in hopes of â€Å"destroying† and â€Å"finding† the terrorists that attacked the United States. Following its strike against Afghanistan the United States turned its attentions to the dictator Saddam Hussein, and his alleged secret stockpile of weapons of mass destruction. Against the will of many other countries the United States invaded Iraq in hope of â€Å"sniffing† out the secret nuclear weapons. As the war was reaching it conclusion it became evident that the United States claims were wrong pertaining to Iraq’s supposed stockpile of illegal weapons. The United States has now invaded Iraq, torn apart its government and left a Viet-Nam type war raging with no real sense of conclusion, all based on a suspicion that Iraq was secretly holding weapons of mass destruction. North Korea near the end of 2003 declared that it has been secretly pursuing uranium enrichment to create nuclear weapons. They claim the reason for this illegal action is solely the fault of the United States, and that the pursuit is only for defense in the case of a United States attack. This paper will study the United States-North Korean relations over the past fifty years, and then analyze the ways in which the issue of nuclear armament is being dealt with. The end will briefly touch on a very similar situation that is arising in Iran, and the constant pressure the United States is putting to have Iran put in violation of the Non-Proliferation Treaty it entered into. History of US and North Korea Relations: The mutual mistrust and animosity between the United States and North Korea began in 1950 during the Korean War. On June, 25 1950 the Northern communists of Korea crossed the 38th parallel and attacked the southern part of Korea. North Korea was aided by Russia, who had supplied them with weapons and tanks.

Moma Visit – Compare and Contrast Paintings

MoMA visit – Visual analysis Art is an effective way to express beauty. Artists have different ways to express their ideas and communicate nonverbally through their work. In the Early Modern Art period, artists were free to create their pieces in diverse ways that never had been done before. For this essay, I chose the works of two artists of this period to compare and contrast so that the diversity of Modern art can be demonstrated.Even though Vincent Van Gogh and Rene Magritte was born forty five years apart from each other and had different styles, I am interested in analyzing â€Å"The Starry Night† (Vincent van Gogh) and â€Å"The Empire of Light, ii† (Rene Magritte) after my trip to the Museum of Modern Art. At the first analysis, I would like to discuss the famous painting â€Å"The Starry Night† (1889) by Van Gogh. This painting is in oil on canvas and has the dimensions of 73. 7  cm ? 92. 1  cm. Van Gogh depicts the town in Rhone under gasligh t and reflected in the blue river.As it is displayed at MoMA, â€Å"The Starry Night† attracts a great number of visitors to its mysterious blue spirals. The focus of the painting is quite high as the first point drawn to the viewer is at the sky. The spirals meet with each other and the yellow stars are bright throughout the dark blue sky. Van Gogh uses thick brush strokes to draw the mysterious spirals, which occupy most of the center of the painting. The enormous spirals are reproduced images of moving waves in the ocean, but also induce a whirling movement. This technique plays a significant part to create the chaotically moving effect for the picture.Most people who see this picture for the first time feel that the whole scenery somehow shifts, even though it is a still life painting. Moving my view point from the mysterious spirals, I can see the big, extremely dark green cypress tree located in the right part of the picture. Cypress appears in Van gogh’s picture often such as in the â€Å"Cypresses† and â€Å"Wheatfield with cypresses. † Unlike these two pictures above, he uses similar sinuous curves tortured from full cycles one after another in this one to reproduce the brush stroke he uses in the spirals.In the bottom one third of the painting, Rhone town at midnight is peaceful in blue. The clearest part we can see at this town is the church and its bell tower. Although the church only consists of simple sketches, it seems to be the most complicated fragment in the painting. The bell tower points up to the sky and draws attention of the viewers to the spirals once again. Secondly, the next painting I would like to mention is â€Å"The Empire of Light ii† (1950) of Rene Magritte. Its dimensions are of 78. 8 x 99. 1 cm. Magritte wants to demonstrate a nocturnal scene under a daytime sky.When I first saw the painting, the initial thought that came through my mind was to admire the peaceful scenery of an ordinary small town. Then I noticed the paradox in the painting. The upper half of the painting is the light blue sky of a peaceful day with floating white clouds. However, the bottom half is a small town at midnight. Houses and trees are all covered with dark hue as if it is late at night. The town looks as if it has already gone to sleep. The thin and precise brush strokes that Magritte adroitly use make the picture look as real as a photo. The closer and longer I look at the painting, the more confused I become.The serenity of the deep-sleeping town, which is dimly lit by the antique street light, along with the floating clouds, makes me feel so calm and peaceful that I am persuaded into its reality. However, I am still able to notice the contrast between day and night in two halves of the painting. This confusion is the result of the eyes tricked to believe in what we see. The placement of day and night remarkably reminds us about our conscious mind that we use in everyday life, and about our lit unconscious mind that waits for us to use it to brighten our senses.This painting conceals Magritte’s psyche that â€Å"The mind loves the unknown. It loves images whose meaning is unknown, since the meaning of the mind itself is unknown. † On the one hand, there are similarities between two paintings that I notice. Firstly, both painters use oil on canvas for the paintings. They also have the approximate dimensions of about 70cmx95cm. Secondly, mystery is an important fact that makes the two paintings worth seeing. People cannot resist taking a look at the spirals and following the moving effect of the whole picture when seeing â€Å"The Starry Night. The spirals themselves are mysterious since they are echoed the movement of ocean waves. Similarly, ‘The Empire of Light, ii† makes spectators wonder the reality of a nocturnal scene of a small town under a sunny day. Their minds are tricked to believe in the true-to-life scene as well as to question th e paradox. In addition, luminosity is created successfully in two paintings. In â€Å"The Starry Night†, the moon and the stars illuminate the sky as stars and moon are in concentric circles and contrary to the dark blue sky surrounding.The moon is placed at the top right corner of the painting, where the sun usually appears, and produces light together with the stars. Correspondingly, in Magritte’s, light comes from the title of the painting itself. The lamppost, as well as the windows’ dim light, creates the luminosity standing alone in the dark night. Finally, even though both paintings have no sign of human and animals, motion still appears clearly. The whole â€Å"Starry Night† is a chaos, moving and moving freely, while the floating clouds in the sunny sky in the upper half of the painting prevents â€Å"The Empire of Light, ii† from lacking in movement.On the other hand, each picture has its own quality. The first difference between the two paintings is the brush stroke. Vincent van Gogh uses the thick brush stroke in â€Å"The Starry Night,† especially when painting the spirals and the cypress, while Magritte’s extremely thin brush stroke appears everywhere in the painting. As a result, the surfaces of two paintings are different; rough in â€Å"The Starry Night† and smooth in â€Å"The Empire of light, ii. † Also, while â€Å"The Starry Night† has an open shape, â€Å"The Empire of Light, ii† is closed-shaped. In â€Å"Starry Night,† there are no edges coming between the stars and the sky.They just merge with one another and create a beautiful â€Å"Starry Night. † However, the thin brush strokes in â€Å"The Empire of Light† identify all objects distinctively. Edges are clear between houses; clouds and sky are clearly recognized. Thirdly, although both painters use blue, the hue, value and intensity are different. Blue is the spiritual color in â€Å"Th e starry night,† and Van Gogh uses blue that varies from the darkest in the town to the lightest in the inside of the spirals. Blue is also diverse in the sky, together with yellow to make a sky lively.Magritte, however, uses just one value of light blue to paint his sky in a sunny day and the sky looks serene. Last but not least, even though both paintings depict the same subject of a small town at midnight, each painting represents a different style. While â€Å"the starry night† of Van Gogh follows post-impressionism – a style that combines the elements of Impressionism with those of non-Europe to create their own way – â€Å"The Empire of Light, ii† of Magritte is surrealist, whose purposes are to describe the irrational, to examine perception and to create the word and image relationship.In conclusion, â€Å"The starry night† of Vincent van Gogh and â€Å"The Empire of Light, ii† are expressions of aesthetic values. The paintings, either post-impressionist or surrealist, represent the painters’ own way of self-expression and their own way to communicate with the spectators nonverbally. Reference 1. Van Gogh’s letters http://vangoghletters. org/vg/letters/let693/letter. html http://vangoghletters. org/vg/letters/let782/letter. html 2. Magritte’s quotes http://www. rene-magritte. org/rene-magritte-quotes. jsp 3. Other http://www. moma. org/collection/object. php? object_id=78456 http://www. all-art. rg/art_20th_century/magritte1. html The starry night – Vincent van Gogh The Empire of Light, ii – Rene Magritte Claude Monet – Contextual factors influenced his style Claude Monet (1840-1926) was a French artist, who was considered a leader of the Impressionism movement as this style was named after his painting â€Å"Impression, Sunrise† (1872). He is one of the typical artists to mention when we discuss the Early Modern art era. I would like to analyze the contextu al factors that affect his style of painting. First of all, the political circumstances in France from 1870s had effects on Monet’s style.During the Franco-Prussian War (1871-1872), Monet came to England with Pissarro for shelter. He met the dealer Durand Ruel, who then became a great advocator of the Impressionists. Also in England, Monet had chance to study the works of John Constable and Joseph Mallord William Turner, which inspired his innovations in study of colors. After spending a summer (1971) in Amsterdam, Holland, he returned to French, which was damaged by the civil war. He stayed in Argenteuil, which was an industrially growing town near the Seine river until 1878.From 1872-1878, Argenteuil was a center for Impressionist painters to gather after Monet published his painting â€Å"Impression, Sunrise† depicted the Seine river. In addition, innovations in painting manufacture were introduced in public in 19th century. In 1841, John Rahn invented the collapsib le tin paint tube, which revolutionized the color palette and technique of  plein-air oil painting  by offering a range of pre-mixed colors in a convenient medium. This is a major factor to emerge Impressionism. Monet used this plein-air painting as a elementary principle of his art in 1860s,.He sought to combine his Realist investigation with the possibilities of creating a new style of painting. In the paintings produced at La Grenouillere at 1869, Monet found a way establish a challenging tension between appearances and painterly invention that proved sufficient basis for the developed Impressionist manner of the 1870s and after. In 1870s, Monet’s brush stroke became smaller and more diverse. He also tried to conduct experiments to control value contrasts. These experiments with color were played off against and within a traditional framework, essentially perspectives in nature.Finally, 19th century marked the emergence of photography, which had a major effect on Moder n Art. In the first half of the century, cameras were introduced continuously and rapidly improved. For example, in 1814, Joseph Niepce used his  camera obscura  to take picture, but the image required eight hours of light exposure and later faded. In 1851, Frederick Scott Archer invented the  Collodion process, in which images required only two or three seconds of light exposure. Thus, painters were in need of seeking new techniques to innovate their painting. They had to prove that paintings might not be replaced by photos.Thus, Monet sought a way to break the old rules of traditional painting. His brush strokes became thinner; the closed shape in traditional painting became more open as the boundaries between objects were more obscure, as we can see in his â€Å"Impression, Sunrise. † According to the contemporary critics, the painting was rather a sketch than a complete work of art. However, this painting was the first impressionist to be presented. In conclusion, t he political circumstances and developing technique are two crucial factors that affect the style of Monet Claude.After his first painting in 1972, Impressionism became his style for his later life. Work cited MoMA – Monet Claud’s biography http://www. moma. org/collection/artist. php? artist_id=4058 http://www. claude-monet. com/index. jsp House, John, et al. :  Monet in the 20th century, page 2, Yale University Press, 1998 http://www. visual-arts-cork. com/artist-paints/colour-palette-nineteenth-century. htm http://library. brown. edu/cds/paris/finearts. html#impressionism http://inventors. about. com/od/pstartinventions/a/Photography. htm