CHEMISTRY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

CHEMISTRY - Essay Example In the US, two antithyroid medications are being used, propylthiouracil (PTU) and methimazole, while in Europe and Asia, carbimazole which has a similar action to methimazole, is being used (Fenton 2006a). Carbimazole is converted to methimazole inside the body (Ross 2008a). The three antithyroid medications mentioned belong to the class of compounds known as thionamides and these medications inhibit thyroid hormone biosynthesis by decreasing the oxidation of iodide and iodination of tyrosine (Fenton 2006b). PTU also blocks the conversion of T4 (thyroxine) hormone to the more metabolically active T3 (triiodothyronine) hormone (MedicineNet 2005a). The chemical IUPAC name of methimazole is 1-methyl-3H-imidazole-2-thione, its chemical formula is C4H6N2S, its average molecular weight is 114.1688 g/mol, its melting point is 146 degrees Celsius, its experimental water solubility is 275g/L, and it has a half life of five to six hours (DrugBank 2007a). The following statements describe the mechanism of action of methimazole: ‘Methimazole binds to thyroid peroxidase and thereby inhibits the conversion of iodide to iodine. Thyroid peroxidase normally converts iodide to iodine (via hydrogen peroxide as a cofactor) and also catalyzes the incorporation of the resulting iodide molecule onto both the three and/or five positions of the phenol rings of tyrosines found in thyroglobulin. Thyroglobulin is degraded to produce thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), which are the main hormones produced by the thyroid gland. So methimazole effectively inhibits the production of new thyroid hormones.’ The chemical IUPAC name of propylthiouracil is 6-propyl-2-sulfanylidene-1H-pyrimidin-4-one, its chemical formula is C7H10N2OS, its average molecular weight is 170.2321 g/mol, its melting point is 219 Â °C, its experimental water solubility is 219 Â °C, and its half life is two hours (DrugBank 2007c). The chemical IUPAC name of carbimazole is

Danielle Steels novel Fine Things Essay Example for Free

Danielle Steels novel Fine Things Essay Novel Title: Fine ThingsAuthor: Danielle SteelSummaryBernard Fine is a successful bachelor managing of the biggest stores in California. Bernie (nickname) runs into a little girl who is very lost and decides to help her out while. Her mother Liz comes to pick up her seven year old daughter Jane Calloway. The two newly met became friends (Bernie and Liz) and eventually fell in love and got married (much to the liking of Jane). Everything goes well and shortly after their marriage Liz gives birth to a son but the doctors decided that Liz has to stay in the hospital for a while and when Bernie asks why, they said that she must be tested for something but they never mentioned anything else to the overly concerned husband. A week later Liz is out of the hospital and with Bernie she finds out that shes a victim of the deadly disease cancer. Liz soon grows so weak that she looses her life and the long and painful journey for the young step-father Bernie has finally hit the saddest dead end. He tried to put up with his lost of his wife with the help of his parents. Bernie has no trouble at all raising Alexander and Jane all by himself then one day he met Janes biological father, Carter, and Bernie believes that custody should be his because Carter abandoned his wife and daughter long before. Carter defends himself while Bernie doesnt believe him but somehow the man gains custody of his daughter then all of a sudden Bernie hears from his agent that Jane is the middle of a drug smuggling havoc in Mexico. He begs to the police that he should go with them to rescue Jane. Bernie drives down to the motel waited for a while until the agent finally has Jane out of the motel and back in her fathers arms. Bernie begins to move on emotionally, and becomes involved with a beautiful doctor, but Jane is still loyal to her mother and cant accept this new woman but later on realized that his step father deserves to be happy and knew that her late mother would let him to be happy with someone new. Reaction:The story of the novel is not far from happening in real life. To keep a happy and complete family is always a challenge. In this novel, Bernie Fine struggles with the lost of his wife from the early stage of their marriage, leaving him the responsibility of raising their children and the longing of having someone special again. It showed the vulnerability of a man when it comes to losing a very important person forever. Reference: Fine Things by Danielle Steel

Murder in Shakespeares Macbeth :: essays research papers

Macbeth is a true Shakespearian tragedy, in which mast murders take place, in order for one man and women to take the throne and become king and queen. It starts with Duncan’s murder, which is done because Macbeth did not want to see Duncan’s son next in line for the throne and the only way to prevent that was by eliminating Duncan. The nest murder was that of Banquo. Banquo is a friend of Macbeth and his murder is un-predictable. Macbeth may have feared that if he did not kill Banquo, Banquo would kill him in order to gain a position power seeing that the witch’s just informed both Macbeth and Banquo that Macbeth will be the next King of Scotland and Banquo will never have the chance to hold the throne. Once Banquo is out of the way, Macbeth turns his attention to his real target, King MaCduff. Although at first hesitant about killing MaCduff, Macbeth chooses to murder MaCduff, a man who Macbeth himself said was a good man and a fine leader. The last mur der is of MaCduff’s family. Macbeth can not take any chances and must kill any associated with the former king (King MaCduff). The murder of MaCduff’s wife and son is the most vicious crime of them all because for one we see the killing on stage and number two a child is murdered, the most vicious and horrific thing one can show. Macbeth murders for personal gain and has no regrets or else he would not have continued his mass slaughtering. Macbeth is responsible for these murders because he commits them himself, without any assistance, he kills everyone out of necessity, and because all these acts were done out of free will. The underlining fact in the play is that Macbeth kills these people all by himself, there is no accomplice and therefore if this were brought to a court of law the only person who would be found guilty of murder would be Macbeth. There is no crime for saying â€Å"go and kill that person,† there is only a crime for actually killing a person. Also, Macbeth’s killings resulted in Macbeth gaining a position of power he wanted. He says â€Å"The Prince of Cumberland! That is a step on which I must fall down, or else o'erleap, for in my way it lies.

Mermaid Swims In Essays -- Personal Narrative Aquariums Papers

Mermaid Swims In I am new to the hobby of keeping and maintaining an aquarium. My boyfriend, Andrew, gave me an aquarium for my birthday two months ago. I was very excited. When I was little, my family had two goldfish in a small, round bowl. Watching my mother clean out the tank was the extent to which I knew how to care for fish. The aquarium that Andrew gave me is an Eclipse 6; a six-gallon aquarium equipped with a bio-wheel filtration system. The bio-wheel system is a three-step filtration system: the water is sucked out of the aquarium into a tube, passed along a carbon filter, and then into a chamber that houses a bio-wheel-a small rotating filter that absorbs impurities from the water. Finally, the water is dropped back into the aquarium via waterfall. Eclipse aquariums have wonderful reputations; I am confident in saying that it is one of the best if not the best aquarium on the market. As you can imagine, maintaining this aquarium is a lot different from caring for the small fishbowl that I grew up with. At first, I knew not how involved the process was and decided to start stocking my aquarium. I purchased four plants (all plastic) because I was told that beginners should not start with live plants, which can alter the chemical levels in the water. My final purchase was the gravel and I quickly assumed I was ready to get started. Was I ever wrong. Keeping a healthy aquarium turned out to be much more work than I had ever imagined. However, I did not find this out until I failed several times. After killing five fish I was afraid to try again. I was overwhelmed with how much there was to learn. I wondered if I would ever be able to learn all I needed to be able to keep a healthy aquarium. Thus... ... is that they seem to "suck you in". I found myself happily chatting to people for what seemed like minutes and later realize I had been sitting in front of the computer for countless hours. It is somewhat worse than watching television because it completely draws you in. There are no commercial breaks where you can dart to the bathroom before the show starts. This is the downside of the Internet for me. I feel guilty when I am stuck in my house on the computer and it is a beautiful day outside. The time I spend on the Internet also seems to cut into the time I am supposed to be doing schoolwork or cleaning my house. Oh well! It is fun! WORKS CITED Aquaria Central. http://www.aquariacentral.com/. (01 May 99) Fish Link Central. http://www.fishlinkcentral.com/. (01 May 99) The Aquaria. http://www.actwin.com/fish/index.cgi. (01 May 99) Mermaid Swims In Essays -- Personal Narrative Aquariums Papers Mermaid Swims In I am new to the hobby of keeping and maintaining an aquarium. My boyfriend, Andrew, gave me an aquarium for my birthday two months ago. I was very excited. When I was little, my family had two goldfish in a small, round bowl. Watching my mother clean out the tank was the extent to which I knew how to care for fish. The aquarium that Andrew gave me is an Eclipse 6; a six-gallon aquarium equipped with a bio-wheel filtration system. The bio-wheel system is a three-step filtration system: the water is sucked out of the aquarium into a tube, passed along a carbon filter, and then into a chamber that houses a bio-wheel-a small rotating filter that absorbs impurities from the water. Finally, the water is dropped back into the aquarium via waterfall. Eclipse aquariums have wonderful reputations; I am confident in saying that it is one of the best if not the best aquarium on the market. As you can imagine, maintaining this aquarium is a lot different from caring for the small fishbowl that I grew up with. At first, I knew not how involved the process was and decided to start stocking my aquarium. I purchased four plants (all plastic) because I was told that beginners should not start with live plants, which can alter the chemical levels in the water. My final purchase was the gravel and I quickly assumed I was ready to get started. Was I ever wrong. Keeping a healthy aquarium turned out to be much more work than I had ever imagined. However, I did not find this out until I failed several times. After killing five fish I was afraid to try again. I was overwhelmed with how much there was to learn. I wondered if I would ever be able to learn all I needed to be able to keep a healthy aquarium. Thus... ... is that they seem to "suck you in". I found myself happily chatting to people for what seemed like minutes and later realize I had been sitting in front of the computer for countless hours. It is somewhat worse than watching television because it completely draws you in. There are no commercial breaks where you can dart to the bathroom before the show starts. This is the downside of the Internet for me. I feel guilty when I am stuck in my house on the computer and it is a beautiful day outside. The time I spend on the Internet also seems to cut into the time I am supposed to be doing schoolwork or cleaning my house. Oh well! It is fun! WORKS CITED Aquaria Central. http://www.aquariacentral.com/. (01 May 99) Fish Link Central. http://www.fishlinkcentral.com/. (01 May 99) The Aquaria. http://www.actwin.com/fish/index.cgi. (01 May 99)

The Visions of Ezekiel

God choses whomever He wants to give His messages to His people. In the Old Testament, God chose very specific people to give His message to Israel. Ezekiel, was a great man of God and very faithful to Him. The messages he received from God were intense and different than other prophets of Israel. The Lord allowed Ezekiel to have visions of which he traveled through, and heard the voice of the Lord. Ezekiel was obedient to the visions and listened to God’s voice and what He instructed him to do, no matter what the consequence was or how strange, terrifying, weird the message may have been for Israel.These visions can even be applied today in the modern day church and show how much God loves His people despite repetitive sin. The book of Ezekiel opens up with a vision that is quite startling in itself. The first major vision can be found in Ezekiel 1:4-28. A long passage with much detail, Ezekiel describes his first word from the Lord. After the vision, the Lord speaks directly to Ezekiel and gives him instruction. â€Å"And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet and I will speak unto thee. And the spirit entered into me when He spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard Him that speak unto me. (2:1-2) We find that the prophet was so penetrated with awe at the sight of the glory of God in the mystical chariot, that â€Å"he fell upon his face;† and, while he was in this posture of adoration, he heard the voice mentioned here†¦. he who is sent by the God of all grace to the convert sinners must be influenced by the Holy Ghost; otherwise he can neither be saved himself, nor become the instrument of salvation to others. â€Å"and set me on my feet†Ã¢â‚¬â€œthat he might stand as a servant before his master, to receive orders. [1] This was Ezekiel’s reaction of the vision God imparted to him. Read Essay In Westminster Abbey AnalysisHe was a humble servant, he stood before his Master ready to do whatever He had for him. When he heard from the Lord that he was going to be going to a rebellious nation, the Lord instructed him to speak that the nation was going to fall if they did not change their ways. They had become such a defiled nation, the Lord was determined to show them just how awful they had become. Throughout the book of Ezekiel, he writes of the symbolic actions the Lord asks of him. Some of these consist of Ezekiel eating the scroll that God gave him to eat (3:1-3), sleeping on his side symbolizing the sin of the ouse of Israel (4:4) , shaving, burning and scattering his hair (5:1-17) packing his belongings and leaving for exile as a sign to the prince of Jerusalem (12:1-16). Ezekiel was a faithful servant that loved his Master. It did not matter if the request was too ludicrous, he trusted that whatever the Lord asked of him, it was for a reason. Not only did th ese actions give signs to Israel, but they also revealed to Ezekiel the heart of the Lord. His desires for a holy nation. Important Vision #2: Ezekiel 8-11. In chapter 8 Ezekiel’s vision starts out and talks about false values.What is amiss with the nation is that it is corrupt at this center, that as repudiated the God who made it a people and has replaced him by the gods of the surrounding countries. A false religion perverts its life and threatens catastrophe. [2] This issue of idolatry is not just a new problem for Israel. This has been a consistent problem throughout history. God made these people His and they are turning from Him. God always displays His glory to Israel, yet they fail to obey Him. Ezekiel goes through many different types of idolatry and images that the Israelites use to take the place of Father God.In this passage, Ezekiel also finds evidence of the worship of the Babylonian deity Tammus (8:14) and of the sun god (8:16). Because of these and other impu re practices, Ezekiel declares that Yahweh will destroy the city. His words are so power that one of the Judean idolaters, a man named Pelatiah, falls down dead (11:13)[3] Ezekiel must not have been too pleased with that event, but he knew he needed to listen to the voice of the Lord speaking unto him. Important Vision #3 Ezekiel 37:1-14. This is perhaps the most well known passage in Ezekiel. â€Å"The Dry Bones. In this vision the Lord is as a teacher and instructs Ezekiel. Ezekiel is brought to a valley of dry bones and the Lord asks him to prophesy of the dry bones. When he did that, the flesh reappear on these bodies. The Lord explains the meaning of he vision in verses 11-14. The bones symbolize the â€Å"whole house of Israel,† which had given up any hope of being revived as a nation. They had been buried, as it were, in the foreign lands to which they had been exiled. But the Lord would open their graves and bring them back to the land. His Spirit would infuse the na tion, and it would once again life. 4] â€Å"I will put my ruach within you. : What does the word mean this time? What can it mean, but Holy Spirit? Israel’s restoration lies beyond human power, but not beyond the power of God. Notice the sequence of promised event. First, â€Å"you shall live. † Before the physical restoration can take place, there must be a renewal of faith. Second, â€Å"I will place you in your own land. † The physical restoration will take place. And third, â€Å"you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken, and I have done it. † In 36:31 Ezekiel shows the turned exiles in bitter repentance as they think upon the past.Here he shows them lost in reverence as they acknowledge the power and unshakable moral purpose of God. [5] Now, in the book of Ezekiel, there is not much, if any, information on how Israel responded or how Ezekiel shared these prophecies. However, as mentioned above, he was a faithful servant. Everything that he said came directly from the Lord. How interesting it must have been to be a friend of Ezekiel during that time; God speaking so clearly and so specifically about Israel, His plans for the sinners, the righteous, the enemies, anyone, and how to return to the Lord God of Israel.With Ezekiel, God did not force Israel to listen, He gave the option and they had to choose. This is a reminder that God does pursue those whom He loves, but He also wants His people to come to Him out of freedom. The Last Major Vision of Ezekiel: 40-48. This last section has extreme detail of the temple and how it should be built. Furthermore, the Lord gives instructions to Ezekiel to tell the Israelites that it is time to rebuild God’s house. This is a reminder to the Israelites. It would be extremely humbling to them for them to have to rebuild their worship place to God.But, God did not do this for embarrassment, He did this to remind the people of Israel that He was still going to be their God and that H e still desperately wanted to be loved and served by them. He chose them for a reason, and He wanted them to know His love like no other. This portion is as a reestablishment of the law and how to live according to the law. In Ezekiel 43:10-12 it says, â€Å"Son of man, describe the temple to the people of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their sins.Let them consider the plan, and if they are ashamed of all they have done, make known to them the design of the temple-its arrangement, its exit and entrances–its whole design and all its regulations and laws. Write these down before them so that they may be faithful to its design and follow all its regulations. This is the law of the temple: all the surrounding area on top of the mountain will be most holy, such is the law of the temple. † This passage gives an answer of how the Lord expects the Israelites to respond to His message of repentance.The idea of building the temple will draw them to repentance and reveal the ir sin to them regardless. Throughout the book of Ezekiel, one sees the closeness that he has with the Lord. He takes Ezekiel by the hand and carefully explains what He says to Israel, and He reveals His very personal feelings and plans with Ezekiel. How wonderfully scary it must have been for Ezekiel to experience His strong glory and presence for so many years. â€Å"It was nineteen years since Ezekiel had seen the vision of the glory of the Lord leaving His temple (10:18-22; 11: 22-24).Now he sees His return, to occupy and to consecrate this new building to be His holy sanctuary. His appearance was the same as it had been before by the river Chebar (yet another link which this closing vision has with Ezekiel’s earlier work) and it prompted the same response of awe and adoration. The angelic guide is still with Ezekiel and will continue to explain and instruct him in the law of the temple, but at this point there is a special word from the Lord out of the temple, which is virtually a statement of consecration. [6]†In a couple passages above, the writer talks about the word ruach being used. This word is parallel to the Greek word in the New Testament, Pneuma, which is typically used for describing the Holy Spirit. This is an extremely fascinating word that the Lord uses. As many people assume that the Holy Spirit is not active in the Old Testament, the Lord proves every one of those people wrong. In the example of â€Å"The Dry Bones† Ezekiel prophesy’s to the bones, then prophesy’s to the actual Holy Spirit to breathe life into those dry bones.He willed it to happen out of obedience to the Lord and what He told him to prophesy over and to these dry bones. Not only does the Holy Spirit speak to him, but He actually transports him to different spots. [7] This particular study of Ezekiel has taught me of God’s heart for His nation. Although they have all sinned greatly against Him, it is His heart to have them serving Him again. Not as slaves, but having a real relationship with Him. That is why He created human beings to begin with, God is a relational God.As much as I knew this before, I think it is far too easy to assume that because you may not visually see God doing and working things out in your life, that He does not care or exist. In Ezekiel, you see that God uses every part of Himself to draw His people back to Him, almost in an underlying message to say, â€Å"Please come back to Me, I just love you so much and I miss you. I miss you Israel, I just want to be with you again, I want you to want Me again. I want you to see what you have done against Me, not so that I can punish you, but so that there will not be anything between us again and we can freely commune.Look! I’ll even give you instructions of how to build the temple and the laws that I have for you to follow. Just please come back, not because I need you, but because I want you. † As God gives this message to His people, through Ezekiel, I think that Ezekiel also senses this great love for a disobedient people. Because Ezekiel can feel the Lord’s heart towards Israel, being so fully devoted to God, it allows the Father to take control of Ezekiel’s heart and reveal incredible love to him. The OT in general and the prophets in particular presuppose and teach God’s sovereignty over all creation, over people and nations and the course of history. And nowhere in the Bible are God’s initiative and control expressed more clearly and pervasively than in the book of Ezekiel. From the first chapter, which graphically describes the overwhelming invasion of the divine presence into Ezekiel’s world, to the last phrase of Ezekiel’s vision (â€Å"the Lord is there†) the book sounds and echoes God’s sovereignty.This sovereign God resolved that he would be known and acknowledged. Approximately 65 occurrences of the clause (or variations) â€Å"Then the y will know that I am the Lord† testify to that divine desire and intention (see note on 6:7). Overall, chs. 1–24 teach that God will be revealed in the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple; chs. 25–32 teach that the nations likewise will know God through his judgments; and chs. 33–48 promise that God will be known through the restoration and spiritual renewal of Israel.God’s total sovereignty is also evident in his mobility. He is not limited to the temple in Jerusalem. He can respond to his people’s sin by leaving his sanctuary in Israel, and he can graciously condescend to visit his exiled children in Babylon. God is free to judge, and he is equally free to be gracious. His stern judgments on Israel ultimately reflect his grace. He allows the total dismemberment of Israel’s political and religious life so that her renewed life and his presence with her will be clearly seen as a gift from the Lord of the universe.Furth ermore, as God’s spokesman, Ezekiel’s â€Å"son of man† status (see note on 2:1) testifies to the sovereign God he was commissioned to serve. [8] This last statement is incredible. God consistently refers to Ezekiel as the Son of man, it shows that God trusts him and that He had a specific plan for him to serve Him. In application to my life, I think that the biggest lesson one can learn is how to submit to the Lord and listen to His voice no matter what it is saying.Sometimes He may make no sense and it can be very scary, but just as Jesus says in John 10:27, â€Å"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;† When one’s heart is devoted to God, he can be sure that the Lord will direct his steps. Another important lesson, God really, really, REALLY loves His kids. It does not matter how awful we are, how many times we walk away thinking that we can do a better job at running our life than He can, how many times we break His heart, it is His desire to be with us, even if that means us leaving Him a hundred times, His love will draw us back a hundred and one times. ———————- [1] Adam Clarke, Clarkes Commentary: Job Malachi (Nashville: Abingdon Pr, 1977), 428 [2] Buttrick, George Arthur. The Interpreter's Bible: The Holy Scriptures in the King James and Revised Standard Versions with General Articles and Introduction, Exegesis, Exposition for Each Book of the Bible. (New York: Abingdon-Cokesbury Press, 1951), 105 [3] James D. Newsome and Jr, The Hebrew Prophets (Atlanta, GA: Westminster John Knox Press, 1986), 126 [4] Robert B.Chisholm and Jr, Handbook On the Prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Minor Prophets (Grand Rapids, Mich. : Baker Academic, 2002), 270 [5] Andrew W. Blackwood Jr. and Ezekiel-Prophecy of Hope (Grand Rapids, Mich. : Baker Book House,1965), 224-225 [6] John B. Taylor, Ezekiel (tyndale Old Testament Commentaries), 1ST ed. ( Downers Grove, Ill,; Intervarsity Pr, 1969), 264 [7] Leon J. Wood, Prophets of Israel, The (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1998), 358 [8] http://www. biblica. com/niv/study-bible/ezekiel/ accessed March 8th, 2013. The Visions of Ezekiel God choses whomever He wants to give His messages to His people. In the Old Testament, God chose very specific people to give His message to Israel. Ezekiel, was a great man of God and very faithful to Him. The messages he received from God were intense and different than other prophets of Israel. The Lord allowed Ezekiel to have visions of which he traveled through, and heard the voice of the Lord. Ezekiel was obedient to the visions and listened to God’s voice and what He instructed him to do, no matter what the consequence was or how strange, terrifying, weird the message may have been for Israel.These visions can even be applied today in the modern day church and show how much God loves His people despite repetitive sin. The book of Ezekiel opens up with a vision that is quite startling in itself. The first major vision can be found in Ezekiel 1:4-28. A long passage with much detail, Ezekiel describes his first word from the Lord. After the vision, the Lord speaks directly to Ezekiel and gives him instruction. â€Å"And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet and I will speak unto thee. And the spirit entered into me when He spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard Him that speak unto me. (2:1-2) We find that the prophet was so penetrated with awe at the sight of the glory of God in the mystical chariot, that â€Å"he fell upon his face;† and, while he was in this posture of adoration, he heard the voice mentioned here†¦. he who is sent by the God of all grace to the convert sinners must be influenced by the Holy Ghost; otherwise he can neither be saved himself, nor become the instrument of salvation to others. â€Å"and set me on my feet†Ã¢â‚¬â€œthat he might stand as a servant before his master, to receive orders. [1] This was Ezekiel’s reaction of the vision God imparted to him. Read Essay In Westminster Abbey AnalysisHe was a humble servant, he stood before his Master ready to do whatever He had for him. When he heard from the Lord that he was going to be going to a rebellious nation, the Lord instructed him to speak that the nation was going to fall if they did not change their ways. They had become such a defiled nation, the Lord was determined to show them just how awful they had become. Throughout the book of Ezekiel, he writes of the symbolic actions the Lord asks of him. Some of these consist of Ezekiel eating the scroll that God gave him to eat (3:1-3), sleeping on his side symbolizing the sin of the ouse of Israel (4:4) , shaving, burning and scattering his hair (5:1-17) packing his belongings and leaving for exile as a sign to the prince of Jerusalem (12:1-16). Ezekiel was a faithful servant that loved his Master. It did not matter if the request was too ludicrous, he trusted that whatever the Lord asked of him, it was for a reason. Not only did th ese actions give signs to Israel, but they also revealed to Ezekiel the heart of the Lord. His desires for a holy nation. Important Vision #2: Ezekiel 8-11. In chapter 8 Ezekiel’s vision starts out and talks about false values.What is amiss with the nation is that it is corrupt at this center, that as repudiated the God who made it a people and has replaced him by the gods of the surrounding countries. A false religion perverts its life and threatens catastrophe. [2] This issue of idolatry is not just a new problem for Israel. This has been a consistent problem throughout history. God made these people His and they are turning from Him. God always displays His glory to Israel, yet they fail to obey Him. Ezekiel goes through many different types of idolatry and images that the Israelites use to take the place of Father God.In this passage, Ezekiel also finds evidence of the worship of the Babylonian deity Tammus (8:14) and of the sun god (8:16). Because of these and other impu re practices, Ezekiel declares that Yahweh will destroy the city. His words are so power that one of the Judean idolaters, a man named Pelatiah, falls down dead (11:13)[3] Ezekiel must not have been too pleased with that event, but he knew he needed to listen to the voice of the Lord speaking unto him. Important Vision #3 Ezekiel 37:1-14. This is perhaps the most well known passage in Ezekiel. â€Å"The Dry Bones. In this vision the Lord is as a teacher and instructs Ezekiel. Ezekiel is brought to a valley of dry bones and the Lord asks him to prophesy of the dry bones. When he did that, the flesh reappear on these bodies. The Lord explains the meaning of he vision in verses 11-14. The bones symbolize the â€Å"whole house of Israel,† which had given up any hope of being revived as a nation. They had been buried, as it were, in the foreign lands to which they had been exiled. But the Lord would open their graves and bring them back to the land. His Spirit would infuse the na tion, and it would once again life. 4] â€Å"I will put my ruach within you. : What does the word mean this time? What can it mean, but Holy Spirit? Israel’s restoration lies beyond human power, but not beyond the power of God. Notice the sequence of promised event. First, â€Å"you shall live. † Before the physical restoration can take place, there must be a renewal of faith. Second, â€Å"I will place you in your own land. † The physical restoration will take place. And third, â€Å"you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken, and I have done it. † In 36:31 Ezekiel shows the turned exiles in bitter repentance as they think upon the past.Here he shows them lost in reverence as they acknowledge the power and unshakable moral purpose of God. [5] Now, in the book of Ezekiel, there is not much, if any, information on how Israel responded or how Ezekiel shared these prophecies. However, as mentioned above, he was a faithful servant. Everything that he said came directly from the Lord. How interesting it must have been to be a friend of Ezekiel during that time; God speaking so clearly and so specifically about Israel, His plans for the sinners, the righteous, the enemies, anyone, and how to return to the Lord God of Israel.With Ezekiel, God did not force Israel to listen, He gave the option and they had to choose. This is a reminder that God does pursue those whom He loves, but He also wants His people to come to Him out of freedom. The Last Major Vision of Ezekiel: 40-48. This last section has extreme detail of the temple and how it should be built. Furthermore, the Lord gives instructions to Ezekiel to tell the Israelites that it is time to rebuild God’s house. This is a reminder to the Israelites. It would be extremely humbling to them for them to have to rebuild their worship place to God.But, God did not do this for embarrassment, He did this to remind the people of Israel that He was still going to be their God and that H e still desperately wanted to be loved and served by them. He chose them for a reason, and He wanted them to know His love like no other. This portion is as a reestablishment of the law and how to live according to the law. In Ezekiel 43:10-12 it says, â€Å"Son of man, describe the temple to the people of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their sins.Let them consider the plan, and if they are ashamed of all they have done, make known to them the design of the temple-its arrangement, its exit and entrances–its whole design and all its regulations and laws. Write these down before them so that they may be faithful to its design and follow all its regulations. This is the law of the temple: all the surrounding area on top of the mountain will be most holy, such is the law of the temple. † This passage gives an answer of how the Lord expects the Israelites to respond to His message of repentance.The idea of building the temple will draw them to repentance and reveal the ir sin to them regardless. Throughout the book of Ezekiel, one sees the closeness that he has with the Lord. He takes Ezekiel by the hand and carefully explains what He says to Israel, and He reveals His very personal feelings and plans with Ezekiel. How wonderfully scary it must have been for Ezekiel to experience His strong glory and presence for so many years. â€Å"It was nineteen years since Ezekiel had seen the vision of the glory of the Lord leaving His temple (10:18-22; 11: 22-24).Now he sees His return, to occupy and to consecrate this new building to be His holy sanctuary. His appearance was the same as it had been before by the river Chebar (yet another link which this closing vision has with Ezekiel’s earlier work) and it prompted the same response of awe and adoration. The angelic guide is still with Ezekiel and will continue to explain and instruct him in the law of the temple, but at this point there is a special word from the Lord out of the temple, which is virtually a statement of consecration. [6]†In a couple passages above, the writer talks about the word ruach being used. This word is parallel to the Greek word in the New Testament, Pneuma, which is typically used for describing the Holy Spirit. This is an extremely fascinating word that the Lord uses. As many people assume that the Holy Spirit is not active in the Old Testament, the Lord proves every one of those people wrong. In the example of â€Å"The Dry Bones† Ezekiel prophesy’s to the bones, then prophesy’s to the actual Holy Spirit to breathe life into those dry bones.He willed it to happen out of obedience to the Lord and what He told him to prophesy over and to these dry bones. Not only does the Holy Spirit speak to him, but He actually transports him to different spots. [7] This particular study of Ezekiel has taught me of God’s heart for His nation. Although they have all sinned greatly against Him, it is His heart to have them serving Him again. Not as slaves, but having a real relationship with Him. That is why He created human beings to begin with, God is a relational God.As much as I knew this before, I think it is far too easy to assume that because you may not visually see God doing and working things out in your life, that He does not care or exist. In Ezekiel, you see that God uses every part of Himself to draw His people back to Him, almost in an underlying message to say, â€Å"Please come back to Me, I just love you so much and I miss you. I miss you Israel, I just want to be with you again, I want you to want Me again. I want you to see what you have done against Me, not so that I can punish you, but so that there will not be anything between us again and we can freely commune.Look! I’ll even give you instructions of how to build the temple and the laws that I have for you to follow. Just please come back, not because I need you, but because I want you. † As God gives this message to His people, through Ezekiel, I think that Ezekiel also senses this great love for a disobedient people. Because Ezekiel can feel the Lord’s heart towards Israel, being so fully devoted to God, it allows the Father to take control of Ezekiel’s heart and reveal incredible love to him. The OT in general and the prophets in particular presuppose and teach God’s sovereignty over all creation, over people and nations and the course of history. And nowhere in the Bible are God’s initiative and control expressed more clearly and pervasively than in the book of Ezekiel. From the first chapter, which graphically describes the overwhelming invasion of the divine presence into Ezekiel’s world, to the last phrase of Ezekiel’s vision (â€Å"the Lord is there†) the book sounds and echoes God’s sovereignty.This sovereign God resolved that he would be known and acknowledged. Approximately 65 occurrences of the clause (or variations) â€Å"Then the y will know that I am the Lord† testify to that divine desire and intention (see note on 6:7). Overall, chs. 1–24 teach that God will be revealed in the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple; chs. 25–32 teach that the nations likewise will know God through his judgments; and chs. 33–48 promise that God will be known through the restoration and spiritual renewal of Israel.God’s total sovereignty is also evident in his mobility. He is not limited to the temple in Jerusalem. He can respond to his people’s sin by leaving his sanctuary in Israel, and he can graciously condescend to visit his exiled children in Babylon. God is free to judge, and he is equally free to be gracious. His stern judgments on Israel ultimately reflect his grace. He allows the total dismemberment of Israel’s political and religious life so that her renewed life and his presence with her will be clearly seen as a gift from the Lord of the universe.Furth ermore, as God’s spokesman, Ezekiel’s â€Å"son of man† status (see note on 2:1) testifies to the sovereign God he was commissioned to serve. [8] This last statement is incredible. God consistently refers to Ezekiel as the Son of man, it shows that God trusts him and that He had a specific plan for him to serve Him. In application to my life, I think that the biggest lesson one can learn is how to submit to the Lord and listen to His voice no matter what it is saying.Sometimes He may make no sense and it can be very scary, but just as Jesus says in John 10:27, â€Å"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;† When one’s heart is devoted to God, he can be sure that the Lord will direct his steps. Another important lesson, God really, really, REALLY loves His kids. It does not matter how awful we are, how many times we walk away thinking that we can do a better job at running our life than He can, how many times we break His heart, it is His desire to be with us, even if that means us leaving Him a hundred times, His love will draw us back a hundred and one times. ———————- [1] Adam Clarke, Clarkes Commentary: Job Malachi (Nashville: Abingdon Pr, 1977), 428 [2] Buttrick, George Arthur. The Interpreter's Bible: The Holy Scriptures in the King James and Revised Standard Versions with General Articles and Introduction, Exegesis, Exposition for Each Book of the Bible. (New York: Abingdon-Cokesbury Press, 1951), 105 [3] James D. Newsome and Jr, The Hebrew Prophets (Atlanta, GA: Westminster John Knox Press, 1986), 126 [4] Robert B.Chisholm and Jr, Handbook On the Prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Minor Prophets (Grand Rapids, Mich. : Baker Academic, 2002), 270 [5] Andrew W. Blackwood Jr. and Ezekiel-Prophecy of Hope (Grand Rapids, Mich. : Baker Book House,1965), 224-225 [6] John B. Taylor, Ezekiel (tyndale Old Testament Commentaries), 1ST ed. ( Downers Grove, Ill,; Intervarsity Pr, 1969), 264 [7] Leon J. Wood, Prophets of Israel, The (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1998), 358 [8] http://www. biblica. com/niv/study-bible/ezekiel/ accessed March 8th, 2013.

The eNotes Blog 5 Epic Ways to Properly Celebrate Epic PiDay

5 Epic Ways to Properly Celebrate Epic PiDay is chock full of nerds, albeit  nerds who like to party. So with Epic Pie Day coming up (3/14/15 3.1415!) we couldnt resist wanting to give it proper homage. Here are some ideas we came up with for  EPD this  Saturday: 1. Epic  Pizza Party When just regular pepperoni wont slice it for Epic  Pie Day,  this list  does. It includes inspirational creations such as pizza fries, pizza lollipops, Nutella pizza, and ghastly monstrosities such as a McDonalds  Pizza. 2. Epic  Ping Pong Tournament To up the ante on a humdrum Ping Pong tournament, we suggest implementing new rules. Some suggestions Ive personally experienced with much hilarity: Everyone must use non-dominant hand Ball must touch the ceiling each hit Triples! Instead of doubles Balloon ball (not just for kids, trust me!) Allow your cat to play the part of Pi-zilla 3. Epic  Pictionary Pictionary is a great game for groups and parties, and its cost-effective too if you go the DIY route. For more excitement, incorporate these rules: Blindfolded drawing Themed rounds + bonus points for guessing the theme of a round Telephone Pictionary  (this is SUPER fun) 4. Epic  Pie Swap A proper go-to for Pi Day homage. And while a pie swap might not sound super hip, pies are delicious  and deliciousness trumps everything (and hip-ness is overrated). If you incorporate some of these pies into the mix, your Pie Party will undoubtedly get epic-fied. Maybe just dont go dancing, swimming, or any other activity that requires even slight movement after especially if someone brings the Twinkie Pie.   5. Run an Epic  5.05 Pi k If you were put off by  ideas #1 and #4, this might be the suggestion for you. Instead of a 5k, which is approximately 3.106 miles, opt to run  a 5.05k,  which is approximately 3.1415 miles. To make this more epic, skip doing this (because running is the worst) and stuff your face with some  friggin pie. Recommended Reads: Fun Pi Trivia Thirteen Books with Pie in the Title Wonderful Ways To Celebrate Pi(e)  Day

Pterosaurs - The Flying Reptiles - Evolution

Pterosaurs - The Flying Reptiles - Evolution Pterosaurs (winged lizards) hold a special place in the history of life on earth: they were the first creatures, other than insects, to successfully populate the skies. The evolution of pterosaurs roughly paralleled that of their terrestrial cousins, the dinosaurs, as the small, basal species of the late Triassic period gradually gave way to bigger, more advanced forms in the Jurassic and Cretaceous. (See a complete, A to Z list of pterosaurs.) Before we proceed, though, its important to address one important misconception. Paleontologists have found indisputable proof that modern birds are descended not from pterosaurs, but from small, feathered, land-bound dinosaurs (in fact, if you could somehow compare the DNA of a pigeon, a Tyrannosaurus Rex and a Pteranodon, the first two would be more closely related to each other than either would be to the third). This is an example of what biologists call convergent evolution: nature has a way of finding the same solutions (wings, hollow bones, etc.) to the same problem (how to fly). The First Pterosaurs As is the case with dinosaurs, paleontologists dont yet have enough evidence to identify the single ancient, non-dinosaur reptile from which all pterosaurs evolved (the lack of a missing linksay, a terrestrial archosaur with half-developed flaps of skinmay be heartening to creationists, but you have to remember that fossilization is a matter of chance. Most prehistoric species arent represented in the fossil record, simply because they died in conditions that didnt allow for their preservation.) The first pterosaurs for which we have fossil evidence flourished during the middle to late Triassic period, about 230 to 200 million years ago. These flying reptiles were characterized by their small size and long tails, as well as obscure anatomical features (like the bone structures in their wings) that distinguished them from the more advanced pterosaurs that followed. These rhamphorhynchoid pterosaurs, as theyre called, include Eudimorphodon (one of the earliest pterosaurs known), Dorygnathus and Rhamphorhynchus, and they persisted into the early to middle Jurassic period. One problem with identifying the rhamphorhynchoid pterosaurs of the late Triassic and early Jurassic periods is that most specimens have been unearthed in modern-day England and Germany. This isnt because early pterosaurs liked to summer in western Europe; rather, as explained above, we can only find fossils in those areas that lent themselves to fossil formation. There may well have been vast populations of Asian or North American pterosaurs, which may (or may not) have been anatomically distinct from the ones with which were familiar. Later Pterosaurs By the late Jurassic period, rhamphorhynchoid pterosaurs had been pretty much replaced by pterodactyloid pterosaurslarger-winged, shorter-tailed flying reptiles exemplified by the well-known Pterodactylus and Pteranodon. (The earliest identified member of this group, Kryptodrakon, lived about 163 million years ago.) With their larger, more maneuverable wings of skin, these pterosaurs were able to glide farther, faster, and higher up in the sky, swooping down like eagles to pluck fish off the surface of oceans, lakes and rivers. During the Cretaceous period, pterodactyloids took after dinosaurs in one important respect: an increasing trend toward gigantism. In the middle Cretaceous, the skies of South America were ruled by huge, colorful pterosaurs like Tapejara and Tupuxuara, which had wingspans of 16 or 17 feet; still, these big fliers looked like sparrows next to the true giants of the late Cretaceous, Quetzalcoatlus and Zhejiangopterus, the wingspans of which exceeded 30 feet (far larger than the largest eagles alive today). Heres where we come to another all-important but. The enormous size of these azhdarchids (as giant pterosaurs are known) has led some paleontologists to speculate that they never actually flew. For example, a recent analysis of the giraffe-sized Quetzalcoatlus shows that it had some anatomical features (such as small feet and a stiff neck) ideal for stalking small dinosaurs on land. Since evolution tends to repeat the same patterns, this would answer the embarrassing question of why modern birds have never evolved to azhdarchid-like sizes. In any event, by the end of the Cretaceous period, the pterosaursboth large and smallwent extinct along with their cousins, the terrestrial dinosaurs and marine reptiles. Its possible that the ascendancy of true feathered birds spelled doom for slower, less versatile pterosaurs, or that in the aftermath of the K/T Extinction the prehistoric fish that these flying reptiles fed on were drastically reduced in number. Pterosaur Behavior Aside from their relative sizes, the pterosaurs of the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods differed from one another in two important ways: feeding habits and ornamentation. Generally, paleontologists can infer a pterosaurs diet from the size and shape of its jaws, and by looking at analogous behavior in modern birds (such as pelicans and seagulls). Pterosaurs with sharp, narrow beaks most likely subsisted on fish, while anomalous genera like Pterodaustro fed on plankton (this pterosaurs thousand or so tiny teeth formed a filter, like that of a blue whale) and the fanged Jeholopterus may have sucked dinosaur blood like a vampire bat (though most paleontologists dismiss this notion). Like modern birds, some pterosaurs also had rich ornamentationnot brightly colored feathers, which pterosaurs never managed to evolve, but prominent head crests. For example, Tupuxuaras rounded crest was rich in blood vessels, a clue that it may have changed color in mating displays, while Ornithocheirus had matching crests on its upper and lower jaws (though its unclear if these were used for display or feeding purposes). Most controversial, though, are the long, bony crests atop the noggins of pterosaurs like Pteranodon and Nyctosaurus. Some paleontologists believe that Pteranodons crest served as a rudder to help stabilize it in flight, while others speculate that Nyctosaurus may have sported a colorful sail of skin. Its an entertaining idea, but some aerodynamics experts doubt that these adaptations could have been truly functional. Pterosaur Physiology The key trait that distinguished pterosaurs from land-bound feathered dinosaurs that evolved into birds was the nature of their wings which consisted of wide flaps of skin connected to an extended finger on each hand. Although these flat, broad structures provided plenty of lift, they may have been better suited to passive gliding than powered, flapping flight, as evidenced by the dominance of true prehistoric birds by the end of the Cretaceous period (which may be attributed to their increased maneuverability). Although theyre only distantly related, ancient pterosaurs and modern birds may have shared one important feature in common: a warm-blooded metabolism. Theres evidence that some pterosaurs (like Sordes) sported coats of primitive hair, a feature usually associated with warm-blooded mammals, and its unclear if a cold-blooded reptile could have generated enough internal energy to sustain itself in flight. Like modern birds, pterosaurs were also distinguished by their sharp vision (a necessity for hunting from hundreds of feet in the air!), which entailed a bigger-than-average brain than that possessed by terrestrial or aquatic reptiles. Using advanced techniques, scientists have even been able to reconstruct the size and shape of the brains of some pterosaur genera, proving that they contained more advanced coordination centers than comparable reptiles. Pterosaurs (winged lizards) hold a special place in the history of life on earth: they were the first creatures, other than insects, to successfully populate the skies. The evolution of pterosaurs roughly paralleled that of their terrestrial cousins, the dinosaurs, as the small, basal species of the late Triassic period gradually gave way to bigger, more advanced forms in the Jurassic and Cretaceous. Before we proceed, though, its important to address one important misconception. Paleontologists have found indisputable proof that modern birds are descended not from pterosaurs, but from small, feathered, land-bound dinosaurs (in fact, if you could somehow compare the DNA of a pigeon, a Tyrannosaurus Rex and a Pteranodon, the first two would be more closely related to each other than either would be to the third). This is an example of what biologists call convergent evolution: nature has a way of finding the same solutions (wings, hollow bones, etc.) to the same problem (how to fly). The First Pterosaurs As is the case with dinosaurs, paleontologists dont yet have enough evidence to identify the single ancient, non-dinosaur reptile from which all pterosaurs evolved (the lack of a missing linksay, a terrestrial archosaur with half-developed flaps of skinmay be heartening to creationists, but you have to remember that fossilization is a matter of chance. Most prehistoric species arent represented in the fossil record, simply because they died in conditions that didnt allow for their preservation.) The first pterosaurs for which we have fossil evidence flourished during the middle to late Triassic period, about 230 to 200 million years ago. These flying reptiles were characterized by their small size and long tails, as well as obscure anatomical features (like the bone structures in their wings) that distinguished them from the more advanced pterosaurs that followed. These rhamphorhynchoid pterosaurs, as theyre called, include Eudimorphodon (one of the earliest pterosaurs known), Dorygnathus and Rhamphorhynchus, and they persisted into the early to middle Jurassic period. One problem with identifying the rhamphorhynchoid pterosaurs of the late Triassic and early Jurassic periods is that most specimens have been unearthed in modern-day England and Germany. This isnt because early pterosaurs liked to summer in western Europe; rather, as explained above, we can only find fossils in those areas that lent themselves to fossil formation. There may well have been vast populations of Asian or North American pterosaurs, which may (or may not) have been anatomically distinct from the ones with which were familiar. Later Pterosaurs By the late Jurassic period, rhamphorhynchoid pterosaurs had been pretty much replaced by pterodactyloid pterosaurslarger-winged, shorter-tailed flying reptiles exemplified by the well-known Pterodactylus and Pteranodon. (The earliest identified member of this group, Kryptodrakon, lived about 163 million years ago.) With their larger, more maneuverable wings of skin, these pterosaurs were able to glide farther, faster, and higher up in the sky, swooping down like eagles to pluck fish off the surface of oceans, lakes and rivers. During the Cretaceous period, pterodactyloids took after dinosaurs in one important respect: an increasing trend toward gigantism. In the middle Cretaceous, the skies of South America were ruled by huge, colorful pterosaurs like Tapejara and Tupuxuara, which had wingspans of 16 or 17 feet; still, these big fliers looked like sparrows next to the true giants of the late Cretaceous, Quetzalcoatlus and Zhejiangopterus, the wingspans of which exceeded 30 feet (far larger than the largest eagles alive today). Heres where we come to another all-important but. The enormous size of these azhdarchids (as giant pterosaurs are known) has led some paleontologists to speculate that they never actually flew. For example, a recent analysis of the giraffe-sized Quetzalcoatlus shows that it had some anatomical features (such as small feet and a stiff neck) ideal for stalking small dinosaurs on land. Since evolution tends to repeat the same patterns, this would answer the embarrassing question of why modern birds have never evolved to azhdarchid-like sizes. In any event, by the end of the Cretaceous period, the pterosaursboth large and smallwent extinct along with their cousins, the terrestrial dinosaurs and marine reptiles. Its possible that the ascendancy of true feathered birds spelled doom for slower, less versatile pterosaurs, or that in the aftermath of the K/T Extinction the prehistoric fish that these flying reptiles fed on were drastically reduced in number. Pterosaur Behavior Aside from their relative sizes, the pterosaurs of the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods differed from one another in two important ways: feeding habits and ornamentation. Generally, paleontologists can infer a pterosaurs diet from the size and shape of its jaws, and by looking at analogous behavior in modern birds (such as pelicans and seagulls). Pterosaurs with sharp, narrow beaks most likely subsisted on fish, while anomalous genera like Pterodaustro fed on plankton (this pterosaurs thousand or so tiny teeth formed a filter, like that of a blue whale) and the fanged Jeholopterus may have sucked dinosaur blood like a vampire bat (though most paleontologists dismiss this notion). Like modern birds, some pterosaurs also had rich ornamentationnot brightly colored feathers, which pterosaurs never managed to evolve, but prominent head crests. For example, Tupuxuaras rounded crest was rich in blood vessels, a clue that it may have changed color in mating displays, while Ornithocheirus had matching crests on its upper and lower jaws (though its unclear if these were used for display or feeding purposes). Most controversial, though, are the long, bony crests atop the noggins of pterosaurs like Pteranodon and Nyctosaurus. Some paleontologists believe that Pteranodons crest served as a rudder to help stabilize it in flight, while others speculate that Nyctosaurus may have sported a colorful sail of skin. Its an entertaining idea, but some aerodynamics experts doubt that these adaptations could have been truly functional. Pterosaur Physiology The key trait that distinguished pterosaurs from land-bound feathered dinosaurs that evolved into birds was the nature of their wings which consisted of wide flaps of skin connected to an extended finger on each hand. Although these flat, broad structures provided plenty of lift, they may have been better suited to passive gliding than powered, flapping flight, as evidenced by the dominance of true prehistoric birds by the end of the Cretaceous period (which may be attributed to their increased maneuverability). Although theyre only distantly related, ancient pterosaurs and modern birds may have shared one important feature in common: a warm-blooded metabolism. Theres evidence that some pterosaurs (like Sordes) sported coats of primitive hair, a feature usually associated with warm-blooded mammals, and its unclear if a cold-blooded reptile could have generated enough internal energy to sustain itself in flight. Like modern birds, pterosaurs were also distinguished by their sharp vision (a necessity for hunting from hundreds of feet in the air!), which entailed a bigger-than-average brain than that possessed by terrestrial or aquatic reptiles. Using advanced techniques, scientists have even been able to reconstruct the size and shape of the brains of some pterosaur genera, proving that they contained more advanced coordination centers than comparable reptiles.

How to be Professional at Work

How to be Professional at Work While you don’t want to create a phony professional persona at work that doesn’t make you feel comfortable or like you’re being yourself, there are a few words that should be stricken from your vocabulary- at least at the office, if not beyond.These are words that, fairly or unfairly, can easily undermine your credibility and professionalism. Don’t give anyone an excuse to doubt you.Just say no to:â€Å"Like†Ã¢â‚¬Å"I like pizza† is fine. So are similes: â€Å"that sunset is like a painting.† So is the thing you do on Facebook. What isn’t fine is using this word as conversational filler, or a verbal tic. â€Å"She’s, like, so pretty; it, like, hurts to look at her. I’m like†¦ wow.† Do yourself a favor and try to notice every time you say â€Å"like† in these bad ways for a few hours, or a day. Then try and charge yourself a dollar every time you do it. It’s a tough habit to notice- even toug her to break- but it has to be done.â€Å"Almost†There’s nothing wrong with this one, grammatically. It just implies†¦ well, not getting the job done. In a work environment, when you’re trying to convince peers and superiors of your capabilities and butt-kicking potential, you can find a better way to express yourself than â€Å"almost.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"You know†This is a lazy bit of conversational filler. The person you are talking to either does or doesn’t know what you mean. Try reading their cues to see which is which. If they do know, stop talking; you’ve already made your point. If they don’t, try to explain what you mean more clearly.â€Å"Try†This is like â€Å"almost.† In the immortal words of Yoda: â€Å"Do or do not. There is no try.† There are ways to convey failed, yet valiant attempts without using the word and implying that you’ve given up. Try it!â€Å"Wish†If wishes were horses†¦ Well, you get the picture. Every time you’re tempted to say â€Å"wish,† change it to â€Å"will.† You’ll get a whole lot more done if you’re constantly challenging yourself to put your money where your mouth is. Same goes for â€Å"might!†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Literally†This word has been ruined by overuse. Unless you’re very specifically conveying that you are not exaggerating, strike â€Å"literally† from your vocabulary. Most people use it nowadays when they are, in fact, exaggerating- in an ironic way. If you don’t know exactly what you’re trying to convey when using this word, chances are you’re using it wrong. Better not to use it at all.

Historical contributions of a Sigmund Frued to the field of psychology Term Paper

Historical contributions of a Sigmund Frued to the field of psychology - Term Paper Example As such, Freudian concepts, which were widely debated among his followers and scholars, were deemed to be controversial yet remained to be worthy of our examination and understanding. This paper will look back at the historical contributions of a Sigmund Freud to the field of psychology. By examining his early life, one can explore his childhood and its influence on his understanding of human behavior. Also, his theories on dream interpretation, psychosexual development, the id and the ego, psychological repression, and transference will be explored to know more about his controversial theories in psychology. Moreover, by taking a look at three of Freud’s notable followers, Carl Jung, Alfred Adler, and his daughter Dr. Anna Freud, one can explore on how Freud’s ideas have influenced his followers to develop their own theory of the mind. Finally, discussion of Freud’s legacy and contribution to psychology will seal his achievements as one of the most important thi nkers in the 20th century. Early Life On May 6, 1856, Sigismund Schlomo Freud was born in Freiberg, Moravia - a small town which was then part of the Austrian Empire, now known as the Czech Republic. His father, Jacob was a textile dealer and had two children by previous marriage. His mother Amala, who was 20 years younger than his father, gave birth to his first son Sigmund at age 21. Being the first child of eight siblings and in accordance to Jewish tradition, young Sigmund became the favorite in the family. He grew up "partially assimilated, mostly secular Jew†. Soon, Freud would become loyal follower of 19th century positivists in which he pointed the distinction between religious faith (which is not checkable or correctable) and scientific inquiry (which is both). For himself, this meant the denial of truth-value to any religion whatever, including Judaism.   A. Life & Education in Vienna When he was four years old, his father met a business failure and this made his f amily to move from the mountains of Moravia to a cosmopolitan metropolis in Vienna. A bright boy, Freud was admitted to a gymnasium in Leopoldstadt a year ahead of his time in 1865. By the time he graduated in 1873, he was awarded with honors. Initially, Freud intended to study law, but then decided to enter Medical School after having attended a lecture on Goethe's essay On Nature. He then joined the medical faculty at the University of Vienna where he obtained his doctorate in medicine. As early as from  1876  to  1882, Freud worked as a research assistant at the Institute of Physiology under Ernst Brucke, with neurology as his main focus.    In 1885 Freud received a one-year scholarship with Charcot at the "Salpetriere" in Paris. In 1886 Freud opened his first neurologist's office in Vienna, Rathausstrasse 7. Under Jean-Martin Charcot, Freud practiced and observed hypnosis as a clinical technique, and began to formulate the beginnings of his theory on the mind. Freud went on to make nervous ailments his specialty, concentrating on hysteria. B. Published Works By 1895, the year he published  Studies on Hysteria  with Josef Breuer, he had made significant progress in mapping out and defining his own theory of the mind. A period of intense work and self-analysis, further inspired by the death of his father, led Freud to his publication of  The Interpretation of Dreams  in 1900 and of  Psychopathology of Everyday Life  in 1901. The latter work, offering amusing and easily applicable anecdotes of Freudian slips, found a wide audience for his theories of the mind. By 1902 he finally gained the position of associate professor at the University of Vienna. In 1908 Freud established a Psychoanalytic society in Vienna, and thus his

Graphic design( 100 years of art) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Graphic design( 100 years of art) - Essay Example This makes adjustments in art media and necessary design component in the embracing of modernity. In the world of art and media, modernity appears as a definition of evolving the nature of demand for items of art design and media. People are changing in many perspectives in line with the changes that occur in the environment (Murphie and Potts, 2003, p. 23). Either, the methods of production performance and utilization of art services is tremendously improving. The change experienced in these aspects leaves the fields of art a chance to evolve to suit the other changes that take place in these areas. It is in the deep roots of these changes that the term modernism is coined. In this, it represents the ever-changing trends in the society as the society moves along the time span. In the context of this modernism, people will tend to consume things that are in line with their concept of modernism (Murphie and Potts, 2003, p. 23). Therefore, in these arts, media and designs with a perception of not being modern are left without a market of consumption. The term Modernism traces back to the period of the 1850s. During this time, it formed the ground for acceptable to a particular period. As discussed above the condition is highly considerably dynamic. What was considered modern in a particular period will not be after some time. This is because the evolving and changing nature of innovations and technological which creates demand for the improvised forms of art (Murphie and Potts, 2003, p. 27). This makes modernism have features of continuous changes and denunciation of conservative values that will represent a realistic world. From the time of interception, the term has continuously changed to reflect the changes that occur in the society in terms of the art and design preferences. At a particular time, the term modernism will reflect the

Teen smoking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Teen smoking - Essay Example As a child, I remember waking up to my father coughing uncontrollably. I would always dutifully ask if he was okay, to which he answered yes, silencing any of my lingering objections. What could I have done differently? After reflecting on my fathers death, I have come to realize that if the laws were written in such a way to impose severe punishment upon teenage smokers, no one else would have to die from this slow-killing diseases. With laws in place to catch early users before they become life-time users, a multitude of future smokers would be avoided due to such laws. Why not treat cigarette smoking like one would treat alcohol use ? Our laws governing alcohol use is such that no one under the age of 21 can buy or consume alcohol Similarly, if an adult over the age of 21 facilitates a minor with alcohol, they can be charged and fined up to $1,000 for each minor that they outfitted with alcohol. If a teenager spends a night in jail for smoking illegally, then perhaps he or she would think twice about ever picking up a cigarette again. Additionally, the tacking on of fines to a minor who has used a fake ID or a proxy to ascertain cigarettes. Usually when someone is forced to pay a fine for a misdemeanor or is placed on probation, their likelihood of doing the same thing again becomes minimal. Alternatively, perhaps the police should fine the teenager. In â€Å"Teen Smokers Should Worry About Fines,† Eric Zorn suggests, "This isnt a new idea. PUP laws-so named because they ban the purchase, use and possession tobacco by minors-have been around for decades. Chicagos dates to 1992 and calls for a $25 fine for the first offense"(1) Certainly if these fines are the law, Ive never been aware of it - principally because the cops do not enforce the statutes. In the Zorn article, Professor Leonard from DePaul University in Chicago reveals that if the PUP laws had been successfully enforced, numerous teenagers would have quit long ago - or perhaps

Survival strategy for Chinese immigrants in New York Research Paper

Survival strategy for Chinese immigrants in New York - Research Paper Example I will follow the continued growth of Chinatown and its divided two tier society that formed the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association. I will discuss the ramifications of the Exclusion Act and the construction of the Chinese bachelor society. I will conclude with Ping Dong’s story of her entrance into the United States and the subterfuge she had to perpetuate in order to rejoin with her husband, following the lifting of the Exclusion and the entrance of War Brides after World War II. In the 1850’s and 1860’s, Chinese immigration began with arrival in the Port of New York, which was a passageway for westward expansion and the California Gold Rush. , Many men from China moved west to pan for gold and seek their fortune, but instead â€Å"busted† with little success. Unemployed and unwanted, Chinese workers were hired for manual labor to build the railroads, cook and clean. When the railroads were completed, and jobs were more scarce, animosity quickly developed between the â€Å"yellow peril† and the white workers. Enmity grew so much that racism became legal; the Workman’s Party in California adopted the slogan, â€Å"The Chinese Must Go.† ... Most left their families behind, hoping to make a fortune in the gold mines and to send for them, not expecting the backlash of harsh immigration laws aimed directly at their population. Most were poor and uneducated and worked at odd jobs, laundry, cleaning, and household help. Most were â€Å"unassimilated,† staying within the confines of the community for friendship and family, not easily conversant in English. As they were not allowed to become naturalized citizens, nor were they allowed to bring their wives, they were mostly a bachelor society, with men outnumbering women 27 to 1 (Foner 145). The Chinese community was close-knit, in part due to enforced segregation from the white populace, but also to provide for each other and for financial strength. It was common for a two room apartment to have 5-15 people, each with his own limited space. They slept in tri-tiered bunks, two or three to a bed (Burrows 1128). The Chinese looked to their own selves for self-support, they created a self-sustaining society with a government, social services, businesses, and jobs. In order to protect itself, the Chinese created the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association, or the CCBA (McIllwain 215). It was through this association that one could buy a business, get a job, plan a funeral, or arrange for banking. This was self-governing and self-regulating for the Chinese community, a hierarchical system of courts within the community that also decided law and imposed taxes for the New York Chinese. Each section of Chinatown had representation through the Tongs. The Tongs collected the taxes and imposed the protection within the community. Chinese society was two tiered: Uptowners, or the Elite, mainly comprised of investors and businessmen, and Downtowns, or the Workers, made

A Constitution and bylaws for a fictional church Research Paper

A Constitution and bylaws for a fictional church - Research Paper Example It will bear full control over all purchases and leases and to hold all mortgages with the right to dispose of property and assets [c] A reception for new members shall be held on a Sunday appointed by the board of Elders and Deacons for their admission to the church and recognition of all of their rights, privileges and responsibilities to the church. Section V11: The church membership list shall be reviewed before each Annual General Meeting to determine those members who have become inactive by the Board of Elders and Deacons. Any members who are regularly attending another church or who have not supported the church in the preceding twelve months may be placed on an inactive list and notified of this action, by the Pastor, at their last known address. Inactive members shall not be eligible to vote in church matters or receive a letter of transfer. [a] If they have abided by the rules in Article 1V, sections 2a to 2g and requested a letter of transfer. Such letter will be sent by the Clerk of the Church to the Church to which the members has applied. [b] Any member may, for whatever reason, apply to the board of Elders and Deacons to have their name taken from the list of members, without prejudice, and this request will be reviewed by the board of Elders and Deacons. [c] After a review by the board of Elders and Deacons and a vote of the church, a membership may be terminated for behavior regarded as not being in the best interest of the church or against the rules and regulations set out in this constitution. Pastor:[a1] It is the duty of the pastor to conduct all public Public Services of Worship. To perform Baptisms and Communion and all other ministry functions. He will be the leader of his congregation and visit the sick and aged. He will sit on all boards and committees of the church and have full access to all church records upon request. The Pastor will head the Pastors council. [a4] The pastors position may

Survival strategy for Chinese immigrants in New York Research Paper

Survival strategy for Chinese immigrants in New York - Research Paper Example I will follow the continued growth of Chinatown and its divided two tier society that formed the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association. I will discuss the ramifications of the Exclusion Act and the construction of the Chinese bachelor society. I will conclude with Ping Dong’s story of her entrance into the United States and the subterfuge she had to perpetuate in order to rejoin with her husband, following the lifting of the Exclusion and the entrance of War Brides after World War II. In the 1850’s and 1860’s, Chinese immigration began with arrival in the Port of New York, which was a passageway for westward expansion and the California Gold Rush. , Many men from China moved west to pan for gold and seek their fortune, but instead â€Å"busted† with little success. Unemployed and unwanted, Chinese workers were hired for manual labor to build the railroads, cook and clean. When the railroads were completed, and jobs were more scarce, animosity quickly developed between the â€Å"yellow peril† and the white workers. Enmity grew so much that racism became legal; the Workman’s Party in California adopted the slogan, â€Å"The Chinese Must Go.† ... Most left their families behind, hoping to make a fortune in the gold mines and to send for them, not expecting the backlash of harsh immigration laws aimed directly at their population. Most were poor and uneducated and worked at odd jobs, laundry, cleaning, and household help. Most were â€Å"unassimilated,† staying within the confines of the community for friendship and family, not easily conversant in English. As they were not allowed to become naturalized citizens, nor were they allowed to bring their wives, they were mostly a bachelor society, with men outnumbering women 27 to 1 (Foner 145). The Chinese community was close-knit, in part due to enforced segregation from the white populace, but also to provide for each other and for financial strength. It was common for a two room apartment to have 5-15 people, each with his own limited space. They slept in tri-tiered bunks, two or three to a bed (Burrows 1128). The Chinese looked to their own selves for self-support, they created a self-sustaining society with a government, social services, businesses, and jobs. In order to protect itself, the Chinese created the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association, or the CCBA (McIllwain 215). It was through this association that one could buy a business, get a job, plan a funeral, or arrange for banking. This was self-governing and self-regulating for the Chinese community, a hierarchical system of courts within the community that also decided law and imposed taxes for the New York Chinese. Each section of Chinatown had representation through the Tongs. The Tongs collected the taxes and imposed the protection within the community. Chinese society was two tiered: Uptowners, or the Elite, mainly comprised of investors and businessmen, and Downtowns, or the Workers, made

Astronomy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Astronomy - Essay Example b. what is the significance or importance of patterns or cycles in nature to the development of science? Patterns or cycles help science by predicting behavior of seasons, planet movement, and other aspects of our environment. The prediction of these seasons were vital to the survival of ancient people, and still help farmers today. Without these predictions humans would have no food. Astronomy helped ancient civilizations predict the seasons, create temples, invent astronomy and even create gods out of the sky. The practical uses were the making of a calendar to predict seasons. This helped with harvesting food, plan for harsh climates, and gave ancient civilizations a way to document time. 5. describe the apparent motions of the planets in the sky. The planets seem to have the apparent motions of back and forth depending on their orbit and the earth’s position. This proves that all the planets have their own orbits around the sun. 7. how did kepler first try to relate the spacing of the orbits of the planets? Why did kepler find this approach philosophically satisfying? Kepler felt that the spacing of the planet orbits was spiritual. The universe was built in God’s image. The sun was God the Father, the Earth the Son, and everything in between the Holy Spirit. Kepler felt science and religion could compliment each other. On February 4, 1600, Kepler met Tycho Brahe at Benà ¡tky nad Jizerou in Poland. This is where Tychos new observatory was being constructed. This observatory was for Tycho’s studies on Mars. Kepler’s political and religious troubles in Poland plagued the mutual work of Kepler and Tycho. "Since the divine benevolence has vouchsafed us Tycho Brahe, a most diligent observer, from whose observations the 8 error in this Ptolemaic computation is shown, it is fitting that we with thankful mind both acknowledge and honor this benefit of God... For if I had thought I could ignore

Burts Bees Essay Example for Free

Burts Bees Essay A while back in 2007, Burts Bee’s was bought out by Clorox for $913 million. In buying Burts Bee’s Clorox is promising to go green. This was Clorox’s start in buying out other green companies to help them achieve their goal in going completely green. Mr. Shavitz and Ms. Quimby the original owners of Burt’s Bees had a huge fall out that began in the late 1990’s which has been going on ever since. (1) The reason that Clorox was willing to pay almost $1 Billion for Burts Bee’s because they see a big opportunity in the market to make their products green. The Burt’s Bess is really into the whole giving back to the community, and always helping. A few events they have done for the community is Urban Gardening when they teamed up with NEEM, to help make Durham, North Carolina greener, and help them plant more community gardens. Another event that they have done is help create green homes in North Carolina. As I was looking on the Burt’s Bees website on their most frequently asked questions someone asked how they can receive donations, and the answer the company gave threw me aback. â€Å"At this time, Burts Bees is not currently providing product or financial donations. We remain committed to supporting local community organizations committed to The Greater Good† (2) Personally in reading this I feel like if they want to help create that customer satisfaction, they should be willing to help everyone go green and not just the community. Since the buyout according to Clorox, their natural care products already account for over $6 billion in sales and is growing at a fast rate. The sales are climbing to a yearly rate of around 9%. As for the stalk holder Clorox states, they rose from $1. 69, 2. 8%. to $62. 69. This was a huge boost for the stockholders, and for people who wanted to buy into the stalk. As of 25th 2013, the stalks are at $83. 25. (3) This was also helping Clorox’s public relations by helping them get well known. Clorox does a whole bunch of press releases to help show that they have turned green. They also do press releases when they win an award or do contests for people to enter. When you go on the Clorox website they give you three options to choose from, Press Releases, Media Resources, and Press contacts. Since working together with Burt’s Bee’s, Clorox is also trying to get more involved in the community which they never used to do. On their website they state, â€Å"Clorox knows that it cant do it alone and actively seeks partners and other affiliations to help us become a more sustainable company. Clorox also cares. In addition to our work to make Clorox a more sustainable company, we strive to make a positive eco impact beyond Clorox. † (4) Clorox donates nearly $1 million dollars to environmental causes. Some of things they do to help the community is they donate products to the Save the Frogs, and Save the California Oaks. They also have their own foundations to help Keep America Beautiful.

Financial regulatory framework

Financial regulatory framework Regulatory framework for financial reporting The financial regulatory framework in the UK went through significant reforms in 1990-91 and has remained stable for ten years thereafter. Changes are being proposed to the regulatory framework arising out of three major reasons (a) the move by the European Commission towards developing a single capital market (b) the Enron scandal which has stimulated political interest in the regulation of accounting and (c) changes in UKs domestic laws and regulation (Fearnley and Hines, 2003). There have been several changes in the international arena that have also necessitated changes in the financial regulatory framework. Due to globalization, many UK companies are now acquiring subsidiary companies in other countries, which function under different financial parameters and there may be a need to modify the existing regulatory and financial frameworks (Haller and Walton, 2003). When different financial accounting standards exist in different countries, it may be necessary to harmonize them and this can only be achieved through modification of the financial regulatory networks. In this context, a report published by the Institute of chartered accountants in Scotland offers the view that the current position in the context of globalization is such that there is an â€Å"ever increasing volume of accounting rules†, which is not sustainable in the long run (ICAS, 2006:2). Its only principles based accounting is likely to be beneficial Domestic law and regulation has changed in different ways. First, the London Stock exchange was once self regulatory but it is no longer the Listing authority within the U.K. The UKLA (UK Listing Authority) which is a part of the Financial Services Authority (FSA) is now the responsible authority for this purpose. Second, professional bodies which are a part of the UK Accountancy profession, have set up their own private regulatory framework the Accountancy Foundation to provide independent oversight of their auditing standards, ethical standards and regulatory activities, including disciplinary procedures. New regulations have also been issued in respect of limiting the remuneration paid to directors and the Companies Act has also been modified (Fearnley and Hines, 2003). These changes in the domestic law mean that the framework which existed earlier and was largely self-regulatory may no longer be adequate. Bullen and Crook (2005) have explained why a conceptual framework is needed. Both the FSAB and IASB, share a common goal of ensuring that their standards are â€Å"principles based†, which requires that such standards must not be a mere collection of conventions but must be rooted in fundamental concepts. For instance, when the FASB members first attempted to set up a regulatory framework, they experienced considerable difficulty in attaining agreement on standards, which led them to work towards the development of a conceptual framework. If such standards are to produce a coherent financial reporting system, they must be compiled in such a way that they constitute a framework that is sound and consistent internally. Bullen and Crook (2005) have also pointed out differences in concepts and conventions through assets, wherein the concept of a piece of equipment as an asset is based upon viewing it as a source of economic benefits for the future, while the straight line depreci ation of that asset would be viewed as a convention. According to Bullen and Crook (2005), a consistent regulatory accounting framework is required to converge different aspects of expressing the same concepts. The development of an accurate and well developed regulatory framework is essential to prevent accounting fraud and deception such as the financial scandal that erupted at Enron. Secondly, it also provides advantages for investors, such as the ISAB framework for example, which Ball (2005:9) has spelt out as follows: (a) a more efficient valuation in equity markets (b) reduced costs to process financial information because GAAP adjustments are not required (c) reduced costs for being informed in a timely manner and (d) ability to create standardized financial databases. If these standards are implemented consistently, then it provides better comparability and therefore ensures that there is less risk for investors. Thirdly, it enables certain objectives of financial reporting to be met, such as (a) usefulness in making economic decisions (b) useful in assessing cash flow prospects and (c) providing information about enterprise resources, the claims of these resources and the changes that are required. Using ISAB Standards: The existing ISAB framework is similar to the FSAB framework in terms of its structural components, i.e., setting out the objectives, the qualitative characteristics of the information, elements of financial statements, their measurement and display in the statements as well as elements of disclosure. The qualitative characteristics listed for example, include understandability, relevance, reliability and comparability (Zeff 2007:291). There are two specific challenges arising where worldwide financial reporting is concerned: comparability and convergence. Most companies are using the International Financial reporting Standards in order to prepare their financial statements (Zeff, 2007). The differences in business customs and corporate structures, such as the kieretsu in Japan and chaebol in Korea which are actually networks of holding companies with interlocking relationships, raises the question of whether a standard on consolidated financial statements would ensure comparability. It must be noted that there are some factors interfering with worldwide comparability, such as the business and financial culture, the accounting culture, the auditing culture and the regulatory culture (Zeff, 2007). Different countries have different legal frameworks in place to tackle issues of financial regulation and the functioning of companies. For example, in the United States, the Sarbanes Oxley Act tries to regulate the funct ioning of companies, while in the UK, it is the Turnbull report which has guided corporate governance. Achieving similarity between the different legal national systems and their effective implementation across geographical boundaries is also difficult. While there are similar provisions among the laws of different countries, it must be noted that statutory provisions tend to set out legal parameters which may be adequate to express what financial actions would be considered illegal. The Companies Act of 2006, for example, has recently been amended to allow companies greater latitude and flexibility in their operations, such as decision making, company formation, director duties, etc, as well as spelling out limits on remuneration allowable to them. The components of the legal provisions thereby set out detailed parameters about how the company functions and how it is to carry out its business operations. The Companies Act of 2006 also requires that companies establish risk assessment and accountability measures, such as setting up independent auditor function to monitor and check accounting procedures within the Company. But all these aspects are dealt with in generalities rather than specifics in so far as statutory provisions are concerned. But the ISAB framework is much more comprehensive from the perspective of establishing and defining financial parameters. For instance, the ISAB framework defines assets, liabilities and equity clearly. Other information contained in the frameworks includes the characteristics of financial information, such as the elements of financial statements and their recognition, as well as measurement of assets and liabilities. As Ball (2005) points out, investors require high quality financial statements, which would necessitate (a) an accurate depiction of economic outcomes (b) timeliness and (c) a low capacity for manipulation by managers. None of these elements are likely to be components of the law (Ball, 2005:5). The ISAB framework on the other hand, does place an emphasis on reliability and relevance. The objectives spelt out under ISAB include the development of high quality, understandable and enforceable global accounting standards, promoting the rigorous application of those standards and bringing about a convergence in these standards.(Ball, 2005:6). Moreover, the regulatory frameworks place emphasis on reliability and consistency of accounting frameworks which helps to ensure that there is comparability and relevance across geographical boundaries. In conclusion therefore, a regulatory framework for financial reporting is necessary to ensure that there is consistency across financial standards in various countries. Regulatory frameworks also help to define financial parameters more clearly as compared to statutory provisions, which provide a more generalized set of rules and laws that companies are expected to adhere to. It is only when there is a violation in financial conduct that a legal provision can be applied and contested, in order to establish how it applies in the context of the specific incident or allegation that has been brought before the Courts. A financial regulatory framework such as the ISAB framework however, clearly defines financial parameters and allows for the preparation of accurate financial statements which are likely to be more informative for investors, based upon an accurate depiction of economic outcomes. References: * Bullen, Halsey G and Crook, Kimberley, 2005. â€Å"A new conceptual framework project†, Financial Accounting Standards Board. * Fearnley, Stella and Hines, Tony, 2003. â€Å"The regulatory framework for financial reporting and auditing in the United Kingdom: the present position and impending changes†, The international Journal of Accounting, 38: 215-233 * Haller, Axel and Walton, Peter, 2003. â€Å"Country differences and harmonization†, IN Walton, P, â€Å"International Accounting†, London: Thomson:1-34. * Zeff, Stephen A, 2007. â€Å"Some obstacles to global financial reporting comparability and convergence at a high level of quality†, The British Accounting Review, 39:290-302

The Policies of Olivares and the Problems of Spain :: Olivares Spain Foreign Policies Essays

The Policies of Olivares and the Problems of Spain Introduction ‘The view is rapidly gaining currency that not only did Olivares’ policies for Spain and its empire not differ markedly from those of earlier Spanish statesmen, but that by and large the results of his manifold endeavours were both few and modest.’ This understanding of the historiography of Olivares’ effectiveness from Israel, makes Olivares look unoriginal and ineffectual. However other historians, such as Elliott have been far more sympathetic. ‘†¦the first and the last ruler of Hapsburg Spain who had the breadth of vision to devise plans on a grand scale for the future of a world-wide monarchy: a statesman whose capacity for conceiving great designs was matched only by his consistent incapacity for carrying them through to a successful conclusion.’ Were Olivares’ policies a realistic way out of Spain’s difficulties or did they aggravate the situation? To understand this I am going to look at both Olivares’ foreign policy and domestic policy. Within foreign policy I propose to see how far Olivares pushed the reputacià ³n of the state before domestic crises forced him to seek peace. Among others the best areas to examine would be Olivares’ policies during the Thirty Years War from 1622; the Mantuan War 1628-31 and the great revolts of Catalonia and Portugal in 1640. As for domestic policy I will need to look at Olivares’ initial reforms of 1623, why they fell through and the effect this had. Furthermore it is important to look at the areas where domestic policy coincides with foreign policy (in a defensive sense) in the Great Memorial, including the Union of Arms. I will also have to find out if Olivares’ policies were consistent, or whether they became more and more drastic during his t erm of office. Firstly though, to understand if the policies were realistic or not, I will have to look into the real problems of Spain. Where exactly did these problems lie and what areas required alteration to keep Spain afloat? From this point I will go on to see the policies in action and from this I will gather whether or not they were realistic. 1. The problems with Spain On an international scale, Spain between 1580 and 1620 was at the crest of her wealth and power. Her supremacy was the dread of all other nations, and therefore its destruction was the cherished object of statesmen for a century.

Time Value of Money and Present Value

Date: 14/11/2012 52. Annuities: You are saving for the college education of your two children. They are two years apart in age; one will begin college 15 years from today and the other will begin 17 years from today. You estimate your children’s college expenses to be $23,000 per year per child, payable at the beginning of each school year. The annual interest rate is 5. 5 percent. How much money must you deposit in account each year to fund your children’s education? Your deposits begin one year from today. You will make your last deposit when your oldest child enters college. Assume four years of collegeSolution: Cost of 1 year at university = 23,000 N=4 I=5. 5% PMT=23,000 CPT PV = 80,618. 45 For the first child the PV = 80,618. 45/ (1. 055) ^14 = $38,097. 81 For the second child the PV = 80,618. 45/ (1. 055) ^16 = $34,229. 07 Therefore the total cost today of your children’s college expense will be the addition of the 2 = $72,326. 88 This is the present value of my annual savings, which are an annuity, so to get the amount I am supposed to save each year would be: PV=72,326. 88 N=15 I=5. 5 CPT PMT = 7,205. 6 57. Calculating Annuity Values: Bilbo Baggins wants to save money to meet three objectives.First, he would like to be able to retire 30 years from now with retirement income of $25,000 per month for 20 years, with the first payment received 30 years and 1 month from now. Second, he would like to purchase a cabin in Rivendell in 10 years at an estimated cost of $350,000. Third, after he passes on at the end of the 20 years of withdrawals, he would like to leave an inheritance of $750,000 to his nephew Frodo. He can afford to save $2,100 per month for the next 10 years. If he can earn an 11 percent EAR before he retires and an 8 percent EAR after he retires, how much will he have to save each month in years 11 through 30? Solution:First we get the FV of the 2,100 savings over 10 years Bilbo Baggins can afford to save $2,100 dollars per month for the next 10 years therefore at 10 years he would have saved: PMT = 2,100 I = 10. 48 / 12 = 0. 873 N = 10 x 12 = 120 CPT FV = $442,201. 15 So after 10 years he would be able to purchase his yacht at the price of $350,000, and he would be left with a balance of $92,201. 15 This $92,201. 15 will be our current PV at year 10. At year 30, the year when Bilbo retires, the $92,201. 15 would become 92,201. 15*(1. 11) ^20 = $620,283. 23 Second we have to find out how much the inheritance of 750,000 would be at year 30: 750,000/1. 8^20= $160,911. 16 Third In order for him to be able to withdraw a sum of 25,000 per month for the next 20 years after his retirement, we should now calculate this annuity’s present value: N= 20 x 12 = 240 I= 7. 72 / 12 = 0. 643 PMT= 25,000 CPT PV = $3,052,135. 26 Adding up the PV’s of the $750,000 and the annuity, we will get $3,213,046. 32 We will subtract the future value at year 30 of the $92,201. 15 ($620,283. 23) which we saved at year 10 from $3,213,046. 32 to get $2,592,763. 09 We are now left with an annuity that pays $2,592,763. 09 at year 30, and a time period of 20 years (yr11-30) To calculate the yearly PMT, we haveFV= $2,592,763. 09 I= 10. 48 / 12 = 0. 873 N= 20 x 12 = 240 CPT PMT = 3,207. 33 Therefore the monthly PMT Bilbo would have to save each month through years 11-30 would be = $3,207. 33 34. Valuing bonds: Mallory Corporation has two different bonds, currently outstanding. Bond M has a face value of $20,000 and matures in twenty years. The bond makes no payments for the first six years, then pays $1,200 every 6 months over the subsequent eight years, and finally pays $1,500 every 6 months over the last years. Bond N also has a face value of $20,000 and a maturity of 20 years; it makes n coupon payments over the life of the bond.If the required return on both these bonds is 10% compounded semiannually, what is the current price of bond M? Of bond N? Solution: The price of a bond is equal to PV of ex pected future cash flows Bond M: Face value 20,000 Present value of 20,000 = 20,000/ (1. 05) ^40 = $2,840. 91 First we need to get the present value of the annuity for the 1,500 semiannual PMTs at year 14 Present Value of Annuity = $13,295 $13,295 becomes $3,391 at year 0 We then get the annuity of the 1,200 semiannual PMTs at year 6, and then at Present Value $13,005 at year 6 with a PV of $7,242 at year 0 The sum of the 3 PV’s gives us the value of the bond ,841 + 3,391 + 7,242 = $13,474 Bond N Face value 20,000 Present value of 20,000 = 20,000/ (1. 05) ^40 = $2,840. 91 38. Non-constant growth: Storico Co. just paid a dividend of aud 3. 5 per share. The company will increase its dividend by 20% next year, and will then reduce its dividend growth rate by 5% per year, until it reaches the industry average of 5% industry average growth, after which the company will keep a constant growth rate forever. If the required return on Storico stock is 13%, what will a share of stock s ell for today? Solution  : D0 = $3. 5 D1= 3. 5*1. 2= $4. 2 D2= 4. 2*1. 15= $4. 3 D3=4. 83*1. 1= $5. 31 D4=5. 31*1. 05= $5. 58 Since the first 4 periods are different we get the PV of each one alone, then as of the 4th year we get the perpetuity of the rest, and sum them up to get the final NPV We now get the PV of each Dividend PV D1 = 4. 2/ (1. 13) = $3. 72 PV D2 = 4. 83/ (1. 13) ^2 = $3. 78 PV D3 = 5. 31/ (1. 13) ^3 = $3. 68 So the PVs of D1+D2+D3 = $11. 18 NPV of perpetuity at constant growth = 5. 58(0. 08) / (1. 13) ^3 = 69. 75 / (1. 13) ^3 = $48. 34 NPV perpetuity + NPV dividends = NPV price of stock today 48. 34 + 11. 18 = $59. 52