Medical Devices and the FDA essays

Medical Devices and the FDA essays Marconi Medical Systems Magnetic Resonance division designs, manufactures, and installs MRI systems and associated equipment for the worldwide medical diagnostic imaging market. In addition, Marconi MR imports MRI systems from Nordstar (located in Helsinki, Finland) and installs them in the United States. Associated equipment includes surface coils and physician viewing stations. Surface coils are specialized transducers, which, when used with an MRI machine, produce high-quality images of specific portions of the anatomy. MR designs, manufactures, and installs surface coils as well. Marconi Medical Systems as a whole, is a transnational corporation. While retaining its strength in the United Stated, MRs products have achieved global recognition. Strengths in markets such as Europe and South America have opened doors to Asian countries such as Japan and China. MR has a variety of customers, but focuses primarily on hospitals and imaging centers. MR customers expect high quality systems that are easy to use, have low operating cost, high throughput, and can support new technology. An MR system must provide superior image quality and offer a range of imaging techniques to support diagnosis. Given the high cost of the equipment ($900,000 on average), customers expect smoothly installed, easy to operate, reliable, low maintenance equipment that provides a solid return on investment. To make all this possible, Marconi must pass the Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) stringent policies and procedures for the safe and effective use of a medical device. Unlike x-ray based medical diagnostic techniques such as computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and spectroscopy are techniques that do not employ ionizing radiation. As such, it is considered to be less hazardous than other x-ray imaging techniques. In addition, since x-rays can only discriminate different tissues by electron density, which does not vary greatly...

Interesting Facts About Maya Angelou

Interesting Facts About Maya Angelou Thanks to her award-winning writing, Maya Angelou was internationally known decades before her death at age 86 in 2014. Despite her fame and her many memoirs, many interesting details about her life remain widely unknown to the public. Familiarize yourself with the life and work of Maya Angelou with this list of interesting facts about her life. Family Life She may have risen to fame as â€Å"Maya Angelou,† but she was not born with that first name or with that surname. Instead, Angelou was born Marguerite Annie Johnson on April 4, 1928, in St. Louis. â€Å"Maya† derives from a childhood nickname and Angelou is a shortened version of Angelopulos, the surname of a Greek sailor the writer married in 1952.It’s uncertain how many times Angelou married, the New York Times reported in her obituary. â€Å"Throughout her life, she was cagey about the number of times she married- it appears to have been at least three- for fear, she said, of appearing frivolous,† the Times noted.Although Angelou married a number of times, she bore just one child, a son named Guy Johnson. She gave birth to him at the age of 16. He was the product of a brief romance Angelou had with a neighborhood boy in Northern California. Career During her young adulthood, Angelou became the first black woman to work as a streetcar conductor in San Francisco, according to the Times.Although Angelou stood 6 feet tall, she managed to carve out a career as a dancer as a young woman. She even danced with the likes of Alvin Ailey.Angelou appeared in a number of theatrical productions, earning a Tony nomination for her role in 1973’s â€Å"Look Away,† a play about Mary Todd Lincoln and her seamstress. Friendship With Prominent African Americans Angelou stopped celebrating her birthday because the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., a friend of hers, was assassinated on that day. Instead of celebrating her birthday, Angelou sent flowers to King’s widow, Coretta, according to Biography.com. In addition to King, Angelou was friends with a number of other prominent African Americans, including James Baldwin and Malcolm X, the New York Times reported. Literary Career Angelou rose to fame after the publication of her 1969 memoir, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings. That book made history, as it marked the first time an autobiography by an African-American woman became a best-seller in the United States.Caged Bird was far from Angelou’s only memoir. The writer followed that effort up with Gather Together in My Name (1974), Singin’ and Swingin’ and Gettin’ Merry Like Christmas (1976), The Heart of a Woman (1981), All God’s Children Need Traveling Shoes (1986) and A Song Flung Up to Heaven (2002). Moreover, in 2013, Angelou’s memoir about her relationship with her mother, Mom Me Mom, debuted.Despite the fact that she excelled as a writer above all else, Angelou said that the craft did not come easily to her. In 1990, she told the Paris Review, â€Å"I try to pull the language into such a sharpness that it jumps off the page. It must look easy, but it takes me forever to get it to look so easy. Of course, ther e are those critics- New York critics as a rule- who say, Well, Maya Angelou has a new book out and of course it’s good but then she’s a natural writer. Those are the ones I want to grab by the throat and wrestle to the floor because it takes me forever to get it to sing. I work  at the language.†Ã‚   More About Maya Angelou A globetrotter, Angelou spoke a number of languages, including French, Italian, Spanish, Arabic, and the West African language Fanti, according to her website.Angelou had a seafood allergy. Apparently, it was so severe that she requested people not to eat seafood prior to meeting with her.

Western Worldview on Environment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Western Worldview on Environment - Research Paper Example For example, greenhouse gases that diminish the ozone affect the weather system which in turn affects the lives and homes of people. A hurricane can put out electrical power for several weeks leaving thousands without the ability to heat their homes, store food, and function in the ways they have become accustomed to. People need to stop thinking of only themselves and realize that each one of us is a part of a larger whole. To that whole we each have a responsibility as a member, but it also may turn out that by being environmentally conscious our own lives are also improved. One part of subscribing to the western worldview is the expectation of acquisition. One is reminded of this expectation especially at this time of year when the dominant image is of shopping and acquiring goods. At one time I subscribed to the idea that buying stuff was good: good for me who got stuff, and good for the economy because it helped to keep jobs and move money around. When the economy recently slowe d down, I heard a lot of people talking about getting by with less by recycling and reusing. I started thinking of ways I could participate. Chris Johnstone of the Deep Ecology Institute explains it as â€Å"a holistic approach to facing world problems that brings together thinking, feeling, spirituality and action. It involves moving beyond the individualism of Western culture towards also seeing ourselves as part of the earth. This leads to a deeper connection with life, where Ecology is not just seen as something 'out there', but something we are part of and have a role to play in† (Johnstone). Reusing and/or recycling as a system depends upon and affects the economy as a system and so forth. Admittedly my motive was to save money, but that motive grew as I started thinking of ways to stretch my dollar by being environmentally savvy. For instance, I found out that I actually prefer to wear jeans dried on the clothes line over jeans dried in an electric dryer. However, when I have to use my dryer, I leave the kitchen door open so it helps to heat my kitchen. I also cut down on the use of both my washer and my dryer by wearing my jeans more than once before I wash them. Besides saving money and energy using my dryer and my clothes line, I also stopped driving my car to the store and started riding my bicycle. I have to make more trips more often, but I am not using an energy source other than the one I generate, and by moving about under my own steam instead of some dead dinosaur’s, I am improving my health and my physical appearance. So, the health of the earth’s inhabitants as a system depends upon the environmental system. Last year I started a compost pile in my yard, so when spring rolled around I had some free fertilizer which I added to some dirt. Then I planted tomatoes, green beans, and some peppers in the pile of dirt and compost. I got to eat fresh veggies all summer. Again my health is improved by improving the soil (the earth ) and the interrelated systems of the natural world demonstrate dependence on each other. Some people believe that they are excluded from being a part of the whole when it comes to environmental consciousness. These people are Christians. As a child I was taught that Jesus was going to return to earth and take all the believers to heaven with him. This was supposed to happen at any moment, so there was no reason for preserving the natural resources because the world would not be around much longer. I no longer believe that, but many people do and that causes these people to discount the importance of preserving the environment. Unfortunately, if anyone dares to speak out against this policy, others would accuse them

Leading Retailer Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Leading Retailer - Case Study Example The main aim of the company is to help people save money to help live better. The growth of the company over the years has been immense. The company pays a lot of attentions to the needs of the stakeholders and helps provide the stakeholders with the desired results. The biggest retailer in the world with over 971 discount stores, 2447 super centres, 132 neighborhood markets, and 591 Sam's clubs in the US, Wal - Mart has been able to very smoothly make its way to the top of the retailing industry. The company is spread over the 14 countries and employees almost over 2.1 million people. The company has made enormous revenue of over $378,799 million for the year - end January 2008. Being the largest retailer in the world, Wal - Mart is faced with a lot of competition and making all the happenings, issues, events etc of Wal -Mart always in the limelight (Money Central, 2008). The company works on the basic values which mainly revolve around the respect for individuals, service to customers and striving for excellence. The management of the company is said to be very efficient and the managers are known to be work by the values of the firm. However the company still faces a number of issues pertaining it employees, each of whom are known as associates in the company. The vision of the company is to become the leaders of the retail industry. This however can only be achieved by ensuring that the customers receive what they desire out of the company. The mission of the company highlights their constant need to improve the services provided to exceed customer expectations and to provide customers with reasonably priced goods of great quality. The company's basic va lues of respect for individuals, service to customers and striving for excellence speaks for itself. Wal - Mart has tried to ensure it reaches out to the majority of the American population and the major customer groups accounting to almost 23 percent belong to families where the annual income is lesser than $25,000. It was also noted that almost half of the customers of the superstore are blue-collar workers and most of the families are either unemployed or elderly (Featherstone, 2005). The Issues: Wal - Mart in some recent reports has been accused of not treating their employees fairly and making the employees work over the shift hours. The company has also been accused for paying the employees much lower than what they should receive. According to a number of reports the employees have actually disclosed the fact that they receive pays which are way below the minimum level of pay that has to be given to the employees. The company claims to give importance to the employee's growth and careers. The company's website claims to provide the employees with a competitive pay, skills development and health benefits for the employee and family. However a recent article in Business Week highlighted the fact that the company has been paying employees about $8.23 per hour, or $13,861 a year. This pay is well below the federal poverty line of $14, 630 for a family of three. Other

Case Study †Art Critical and Historical Studies Essay Example for Free

Case Study – Art Critical and Historical Studies Essay Task Description: Select three artworks that use the physical environment as their inspiration/theme. One is to be a traditional European/early Australian landscape, one a Modernist work and one a Post Modern work. Write an Analysis of each, showing your understanding of how the four frames can provide different ways of appreciating artworks. As a result of the invention of photography the physical environment has been a source of artist inspiration. The evolution of the interpretation of the world around artists can be demonstrated by the exploration of the practice of traditional artist Eugene Von Guerard, modernist artist Rosalie Gascoigne and post-modern artist Janet Laurence. It is from this the audience is able to determine how the physical environment has influenced art and in turn provide insight to the varying perspectives on the appreciation of artworks. Eugene Von Guerard (b. Austria 1811 – d. London 1901) is a traditional European artist who explored the western physical environment. Living in Italy, Germany, Australia and England we can observe the influence which the environs had on his art marking. In the 1830’s Von Guerard trained in Giovanibattista Bassi’s art school in Rome and later studied landscape painting in Germany at the Dusseldorf Academy. Whilst primarily an artist, he also considered himself an explorer taking long treks in Australia and New Zealand. It was from these trips that had created finely detailed pencil drawings in sketch books. These were later used as the bases for his paintings. Von Guerard expressed nature as he remembered it both its overwhelming beauty and terror at times. It is evident in his works the observations he made on the light and colour within nature. He predominately worked in the convention at the time of oil painting. He used the medium meticulously in painstaking detail. Von Guerard’s deep examination of the land around him enabled him to gain an intense relationship with it which in turn reflected in his art making. Von Guerard being a romantic artist, observed the connections between art and nature. He gave a sense of place in the grandeur and beauty of the landscape. Von Guerard investigated the development of colonial art and found issues in the isolation parochialism (of narrow local interest) and within European traditions. His aversion to this resulted in his contribution to the movement away from English landscape tradition. This personal artist style was heavily influenced by Claude Lorraine, Nicolas Poussiu and Salvator Rosa. He was further inspired by the German Romantic landscape tradition; this is exemplified by Casper Friedrich who attempted to link man and God through nature. His influence to the art world saw him being appointed in 1870 to be the first master of school of painting at the National Gallery of Victoria. Here he influenced artist training for eleven years particularly Frederick McCubbin and Tom Roberts. During this period Von Guerard was renowned for his rigid adherence to picturesque subject matter and detailed treatment. It can be observed within North-East view from the Northern Top of Mount Kosciusko (1863) the romantic style of Von Guerard’s practice. North-East view from the Northern Top of Mount Kosciusko, an oil painting on canvas is immensely large scale at 66. 5 by 116. 8cm. Its meticulous detail heightens the overwhelming size exposing the grandeur of the mountains surrounding the artist. The areas of the foreground and the mound of large boulders on the left are particularly perplexing. The boulders are said to be introduced to emphasise human insignificance and enforce a sense of drama. They serve to provide a link between the foreground, the distant mountains and the sky, that records the passage from heavy rain to bright sunshine. These rocks echo those on peaks at the centre of the composition, gloriously patterned by the snow that has melted to reveal the grassy slopes underneath. The rich purples and oranges and lush greens, matched with the brutality of the rocks and the blankness of the white snow, capture a natural beauty that changes with the time of day and weather conditions. This exemplifies Von Guerard’s passionate emotions towards the landscape and the disappointment as the storm cuts the expedition short. The billowing rainclouds entering from the left create dark shadows over the foreground, the crisp greys and blues suggesting the cool temperatures of the area. Within the foreground the audience observes a narrative in the group of Professor Neumayers scientific expedition undertaking a magnetic survey. The central figure is speculated to Von Guerard to the left is Neumayer. In the distant sky he has captured an approaching storm. The inclusion of the human figures signals both the sense of isolation and the peacefulness of the scene, while also highlighting the vastness of the mountain. It is evident from examination of photographs, the topographical accuracy that Von Guerard evoked. The influence which the conventions at the time had on North-East view from the Northern Top of Mount Kosciusko is highly evident with the composition of the artwork. The framing by the rocks on the left was readily enforced at art schools during this period. Influences of the western world are apparent with relationships between science and art and god and nature. However Von Guerard has moved away from traditional English conventions with his sense of isolation, unknown location and anti-parochial views. By using meticulous detail he strived to depict beauty at its highest form. This meaning North-East view from the Northern Top of Mount Kosciusko was sublime, large and majestic. Unfortunately for Von Guerard this technique employed in North-East view from the Northern Top of Mount Kosciusko was considered a commercial failure. The isolation made it insignificant for the at the time audience to comprehend, this was fuelled with its sublime, grandeur nature. His raw dramatic approach to nature was poorly received. James Smith an influential critic, who had always been an enthusiastic supporter, dismissed Von Guerard’s work for its â€Å"microscopism†. Von Guerard ultimately had to sell the painting himself in Vienna, 1873. James Gleeson found it 100 years after it creation and passed it on to the Australian National Gallery. Von Guerard’s paintings are often praised by contemporary critics for their grandeur and faithfulness to nature, although they were also criticised for their photographic nature. Art Curator Candice Bruce who brought Von Guerard’s work back into the light in 1980, spoke of the work in a positive regard telling of the â€Å"high complexity and depth†¦ exposing audiences to the subtle charm of this fantastic land of monstrosities†. This positive reception is enforced by Geelong Galleries, Geoffrey Edwards who articulates of the â€Å"remarkable masterpiece†, that is â€Å"a golden vista†¦beautifully lit†¦ shines off its colonial enterprise† and has â€Å"no substitute†. Today Von Guerard’s paintings are valued for the compositions and executions as for the subject matter. His strong interest in Romantic association has resulted in a heavy influence in his art making. His practice is highly nationalistic in representation; this is evident in the exaggerated poetic purpose in North-East view from the Northern Top of Mount Kosciusko. Von Guerard’s practice a century later influenced Imants Tillers (b. Australia 1950) to create the appropriation of North-East view from the Northern Top of Mount Kosciusko, titled Mount Analogue (1985). Mount Analogue is an immensely large scale (279. 5 by 571. 5cm) oil stick and synthetic polymer paint on 165 canvas boards. It is a reinterpretation of the exact view of Von Guerard’s. His work challenges the authenticity of the original as it too is an interpretation, however it can be observed the different interpretations of the physical landscape. The examination of the practice of Von Guerard has determined the significant influence the physical landscape has had upon his inspiration as an artist. The audience is able to observe through the decomposition of his artwork North-East view from the Northern Top of Mount Kosciusko the vast perspectives in which we can appreciate artworks. Similarly, Modernist artist Rosalie Gascoigne (b. New Zealand 1917 – d. Australia 1999) draws inspiration from the Australian. Living in rural town of Monaro in the Southwest of New South Wales it is evident within her art making the influence the physical environment had. Rosalie Gascoigne became an â€Å"artist† late in life. She had studied literature at university, acquiring an abiding love of poetry. She later would come to describe her working practice by quoting Wordsworth on â€Å"emotion recollected in tranquillity†. Gascoigne never attempted to paint and never sought to go to art school. I’ve always known how hopeless I was at painting or drawing†. She spent many long days in solitude where she developed her highly original powers of observation. She broke the status quo of her time by creating assemblages of found materials including wood, iron, wire, feathers, signs, boxes, crates, lino, enamelware, galvanised tin, corrugated iron and masonite. These objects rather than accurately depict, elements of the world around her: the landscape around her home and the materials and textures of rural life. Travelling around the countryside collecting materials was integral to Gascoigne’s art practice. Gascoigne a bored 1950’s housewife having no training as an artist created works without considering conventions of the period. Her singular vision of the landscape was expressed in stunning decisive constructions made from the worn and weathered objects she found within it. She found the Australian landscape had a degree of personal freedom in it and became absorbed by â€Å"the width and the rock under your feet and the high sky†. She was not interested in describing the visual reality, picturesque beauty or stores of the Australian landscape, and chose to capture the essence of the landscape’s opography, space, air, vegetation and the daily and seasonal natural rhythms of nature, in compositions that were often startling in their refined simplicity. This was further influenced by the poetry of Peter Porter and David Campbell who also evoked their work around the landscape of Canberra. Gascoigne intricately has woven glimpses of her past feelings and experiences into her work creating art of an extraordinarily transcendent nature. Piece to Walk Around (1981) highlights the unique nature of Gascoigne’s practice. Piece to Walk Around, is comprised of bundles of saffron thistle sticks arranged into 20 squares each 80 by 80 by 1. 5 cm. These squares lay directly on the floor in a patchwork; one bundle running one way, then one other. The criss-cross formation recalls the undulating countryside, the ordering of agriculture and industry and the mottled effects of light and shadow on it. The work conveys a sense of infinite expansiveness and liberation experienced in the country, as manifested through the grid, here understood as an open-ended structure to which additional bundles of thistles could be theoretically added or subtracted. In Piece to Walk Around the literal depiction of the environment is stripped back to its very essence and the work becomes a microcosm of the landscape. The title is used to draw attention to the changing visual effects as one circles the work and the shifting play on the natural material. It is evident from the innovative nature of Piece to Walk Around that western conventions had little impact on Gascoigne’s practice. However Japanese influence is demonstrated through the formal composition and precise organisation of the bundles. The absence of art school allowed for Gascoigne to be singularly influenced by the world around her and not by conventions enforced by the art masters. The resolved use and order of her â€Å"found† materials reflects the influence her interest in flower arranging induced. The isolation of which she endured in the country allowed ability to entirely appreciate and observe the world around her before drawing inspiration from it. Piece to Walk Around was well received by the art world. Its simplicity made it easy for the audience to comprehend fulfilling Gascoigne’s aim to make art accessible to everyone. Gascoigne proposed that whilst â€Å"the viewer’s response to the landscape may differ† she hopes that â€Å"this picture will convey some sense of the countryside† and â€Å"induce in the viewer the liberating feeling of being in the open country†. Her Sydney dealer of over 10 years Roslyn Oxley said â€Å"she was very strong and to the point; there is never anything timid about her work†. Critic Sebastian Smee noted that â€Å"Gascoigne resembles a scavenging bowerbird in a world where the production of blue plastic has ceased. What to do? What to do†¦.? Nest while you can! †. This quote illuminates practice precisely highlighting the beauty and simplicity of her work from the influence of nature. Australian Art Collector reporter Judith White spoke of Piece to Walk Around being a â€Å"unique and imperishable contribution to art†. In 1994 Gascoigne was awarded an Order of Australia for services to art signifying her contribution to the art world. Piece to Walk Around was donated by the Gascoigne family after Roslyn Gascoigne’s death to the Museum of Contemporary Art allowing for a broader audience and the ability for her artwork to inspire a new generation. It was Gascoigne’s innovative practice that resulted in her success. Gascoigne’s engages minimalism’s sense of order in an original take on the physical environment. She employs a mixture Japanese of formal composition and rough Australian nature to break traditional conventions that define the individual styles. Gascoigne’s concepts from Piece to Walk Around were evident amongst a broad range of her artworks. Untitled 12 squares of 6 (1980-81) is another segment from the series in which Piece to Walk Around is derived from. It is created with identical composition as Piece to Walk Around however constructed from sawn weather wood to a large 90 by 119. 5cm. This artwork demonstrates the concept of how individuals can gather varying interpretations from the physical landscape and that this inspiration can impact upon the broad material practice of an artist. Through the analysis of Gascoigne’s practice, it can be observed the substantial influence that the physical landscape has had upon the artist. The audience is able to compare through the decomposition of Gascoigne’s artwork Piece to Walk Around the varying influences that the environment around them has had. It is through this the audience is able to full appreciate the construction of these artworks. It seems the influence of the physical environment has had on artists has continued to the present day through the examination of Post Modern artist Janet Laurence (b. Sydney, Australia 1947 ). Living in the city of Sydney it is exceedingly evident within the strong messages within her artwork the influence the physical environment had upon her.

Homosexuality in the Works of Oscar Wilde Essay -- Biography Biographi

Homosexuality in Oscar Wilde's Work      Ã‚  Ã‚   "I turned half way around and saw Dorian Gray for the first time. I knew that I had come face to face with someone whose mere personality was so fascinating that, if I allowed it to do so, it would absorb my whole nature, my whole soul, my very art itself" (7). During the Victorian era, this was a dangerous quote. The Victorian era was about progress. It was an attempt aimed at cleaning up the society and setting a moral standard. The Victorian era was a time of relative peace and economic stability (Marshall 783). Victorians did not want anything "unclean" or "unacceptable" to interfere with their idea of perfection. Therefore, this quote, taken from Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray, brimming with homosexual undertones, was considered inappropriate. Due to the time period's standards, Oscar Wilde was forced to hide behind a thin layer of inference and parallel. Wilde was obsessed with the perfect image. Although he dressed more flamboyantly than the contemporary dress, it was to create an image of himself. Wilde was terrified of revealing his homosexuality because he knew that he would be alienated and ostracized from the society. Through his works, Oscar Wilde implicitly reflected his homosexual lifestyle because he feared the repercussions from the conservative Victorian era in which he lived.    Oscar Wilde was born in 1854 and led a normal childhood. After high school, Wilde attended Oxford College and received a B.A. in 1878. During this time, he wrote Vera and The Importance of Being Earnest. In addition, "for two years Wilde had dressed in outlandish outfits, courted famous people and built his public image" (Stayley 317). Doing so earned Wilde a job with Rich... ...me, to make no mystery of his fall, and to regard him as a star which, looking at its own reflection in some dank marsh, fell down and smirched itself, and then became extinct ere it had time to soar aloft again" (Graham qtd. Tucker).       Work Cited Wilde, Oscar. The Portable Oscar Wilde. Aldington, Richard, ed. New York: Penguin Books, 1977. "The Making of the Motion Picture Wilde." (Online)(Internet) Samuelson Entertainment. 6/16/99. Available: http://www.oscarwilde.com Kilvert, Ian Scott, ed. British Writers. Vol. 5. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1982. Marshall, Kristine E., ed. Elements of Literature. New York: Harcourt Brace and Company, 1997. Stayley, Thomas T., ed. The Dictionary of Literary Biograph. Vol. 34. Michigan: Book Tower, 1985. Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. New York: The Modern Library, 1992.

Amiri Baraka “Soul Food”, Gore Vidal “Drugs”, Phyllis Mcginley “Woman Are Better Drivers”

The argument of fact that Baraka was explaining is how black Americans have their own language and their own characteristic food because a young Negro novelist mentions that there is a flaw with black Americans. For example, the young novelist proclaimed that blacks neither have their own characteristic food nor their own language and how many people do not know what soul food is. Also, some slang terms have developed the names for soul food which creates the foods own uniqueness.1. Baraka simply is stating some types of food they ate but he wants to prove his point about what people thought how some of the food was made and prepared. Also, Baraka argument of fact establishes that many people do not know anything about soul food or its history or how it is served and eaten. Yes, the author did accomplish his purpose because he explains where people can buy soul food and many different types of foods that were introduced by black Americans. Baraka feels that more people need to know m ore about soul food and making stereotypes and wrong predictions about the food.Furthermore, if the soul food were lost without their slang terms there would be a loss chapter of history of the African American food and part of their past culture would be missing. People keep the names of the food to remember where it all had came from their despite that the food is delightful and different. The soul food has a history from where it was created and came from. 2. The author Baraka uses slang in the composition to make the reader visualize how tasty the soul food was and he used some slang words give the reader’s attention.Also, the author uses the slang term to keep in mind where the food came from and the values of the term â€Å"soul food† came from. 3. The methods the author illustrates about how African Americans have their own cuisine is that there are many foods they had came up with. For example, Fried chicken, grits, mustard greens, pig feet, chitterlings, okra, corn meal, neck bones, black eyed peas, etc. The author reference to â€Å"uptown† is that he went to an upper part of the town to see where soul food is made and the way some soul food is to be eaten and made.First, the food is different from other cultures food. Also, many people don’t know how some of the way soul food is to be eaten to really know about soul food. Many restaurants uptown do not serve soul food. Baraka concludes that people who are at Nedicks are considered outcast because in every restaurant in Harlem, Nedicks is the only restaurant that does not serve soul food. Baracka’s argument claims that some African Americans do not know their own food culture, etc. Soul food was made from the slaves.It was food they came up with since the whites only left them with certain scraps and pieces of unwanted food whites would eat and many whites gave the slaves typical type of food such as cornmeal. Gore Vidal â€Å"Drugs† Vidal proclaims that it i s possible for people stop most of the drug addiction and make all drugs on sell for people but make the drugs at a certain cost. Also, Vidal explains how United States was created so that any man has the right to do anything with their own free will as long as it doesn’t bother anyone else.But therefore, it makes the United States laws hypocritical because it is a crime to do drugs. 1. The sound reason logic is where he talks about how in the United States has learned nothing from the past. For instance, when the United States prohibited alcohol and by forbidding alcohol it caused thousands of deaths. Vidal claims that if we the United States makes drug use legal at a certain cost there probably wouldn’t be many crimes and many drug dealer businesses such as the Mafia and Bureau of Narcotics. Vidal explains how it’s the United States Governments fault because the crime spree would be decreased.Vidal also believes that fighting against drugs is nearly as a big b usiness as trying to stop them because people always want what they can't have. By legalizing drugs will enable people easier access to them but also, taking away the thrill of getting them. For example, giving people their wants only makes the person lose less value of their excitement which has to do a big role in reverse psychology. To confuse people of their wants and needs. 2. Vidal addresses my concerns because drug dealing and the mafia business will decrease rapidly and there would not be as much crimes in the American society.Yes, Vidal does consider both sides of the issue because he there is a combination of sin and money between the mafia and the American people. Both of the combinations of sin and money are two most valuable things because are irresistible and it has been repeated for many centuries. In addition, Vidal claims that forbidding people to do something they hold in interest of will only cause the person to pursue their interest more. 3. The effect in Vidal l ast paragraph is that he tries to persuade the reader for a change because in time things will only get worse if things don’t change.The reasonable solution to America’s drug problem is unrealistic because people will pursue things they cannot have or things they hold their interest of and of course no matter what there will always be some people who will be always become a drug addict and for the people who are sane will have the choice if they want to do drugs or not. It’s up to the person if they want to destroy their life because it shouldn’t be up to another person to decide your own life or your own fate. In addition, prohibition of drugs will be a failure just like the prohibition of alcohol in the past. . Vidal establishes himself as an authority on drug use because he personally tried them himself. He personally finds none of the drugs appealing and he also proved the Fu Manchu theory wrong because one single sniff of opium will enslave a personà ¢â‚¬â„¢s mind and it didn’t enslave him. He also thinks certain drugs are really bad for the exception of some people and should be provided with a good thought out reason why they should not do drugs. Vidal argument would be less persuasive if he left out his background because he wouldn’t have any personal experience to support his main idea.His personal experience gives the reader to know what it’s like to be on drugs and how it feels through his point of perspective. Phyllis McGinley â€Å"Woman Are Better Drivers† McGinley explains how woman are better driver than men. She compares and contrasts both of the subjects and different points. McGinley uses her own life experience to persuade the reader about her perspective. 1. The author illustrates that men are more stubborn and less cautious when driving especially when they are being told what to do. Men try to be the center of attention in driving or trying to make a good impression to people.On the other hand women are more cautious and are well aware of things and the take advice from others instead of taking it offensive. Also, McGinley’s major reasons why women are better drivers than men are because women always drive doing many different errands than men. By doing so many errands women get more practice driving around than men. She also explains that the cost of car insurance is higher for man under 25 than women. Another example is that men get distracted easily while driving more than women.2. McGinley addresses her values because she not only gives examples of how it occurs in her own life but also she explains how men and women drive differently. Yes I find her argument persuasive because she compares them with her husband to make her own point of perspective to the readers. Also, McGinley compares how males see there automobiles. 3. The tone McGinley uses is calm and she also is very informative. The arguing assists her thesis because the arguing proves her po ints about the differences between men and women and how we both are wired up differently. . The dialogue gave suspense and anticipation in the opening paragraph because when the author McGinley talked about how men are good at many things for example they are brave, talented, etc. And then she talks about what women are good at two things is having babies and driving. But it seems as if she is also being sarcastic about the ways of men and what they are good at. 5. When the author concludes her essay with the comment on what it would be like to drive through â€Å"the Pearly Gates† with her husband.McGinley explains that her husband is more strict and firm about the directions while she is happy to view sites. The author illustrates that the attitudes for men are more demanding and seem easily frustrated and irritated while they are more vulnerable while driving. While women are more cautious, calm, and are more patient when it comes to driving. The mind set for men is that men ignore issues instead of taking advice or either men tend to not care what someone else is telling them. Woman mind set are that they are open minded and use advice for their own knowledge.

Rossi Inc. Essay

Background Rossi Inc. is a diversified manufacturer of industrial products. In 2008, Rossi updated its asbestos litigation liability, including the costs of settlement payments and defense costs relating to currently pending claims and future claims projected to be filed against the Company through 2017 for losses incurred to date. Before 2008, the Company’s previous estimate was for claims projected to be filed through 2011. As part of the 2008 update to the asbestos litigation liability, Rossi engaged Thompson and Associates, a consulting firm, to serve as an external specialist to estimate the claims liability for December 31, 2008. As a result of the 2008 update and the external specialist claims estimate, the Company significantly increased its recorded asbestos litigation liability by $586 million, arriving at a total liability estimate of $1,055 million as of December 31, 2008. During 2009, additional payments against the reserve reduced the recorded liability to $962 million. As of December 31, 2009, the Company performed an analysis of the asbestos litigation reserve and determined that the asbestos litigation liability should remain at $962 million. In 2009, Rossi Inc.’s average cost per claim litigation increased from $29,000 in 2008, to $34,000 due to management’s aggressive approach. This resulted in Thompson concluding that the litigation liability account should have a carrying value of $1,124 Million instead of $962 Million. Management of Rossi Inc. thinks that there aggressive approach to litigation claims in 2009 and revised defense strategy will decrease litigation cost and defense cost in the future. Research Question: You have been asked by the engagement partner to review the client’s accounting for the asbestos litigation liability and determine the appropriate accounting literature for Rossi’s recognition and measurement of the asbestos litigation liability. Relevant Literature Accounting Standards Codification 450-20-25-1 & 2 Loss Contingency Recognition â€Å"25-1 When a loss contingency exists, the likelihood that the future event or events will confirm the loss or impairment of an asset or the incurrence of a liability can range from probable to remote. As  indicated in the definition of contingency, the term loss is used for convenience to include many charges against income that are commonly referred to as expenses and others that are commonly referred to as losses. The Contingencies Topic uses the terms probable, reasonably possible, and remote to identify three areas within that range. 25-2 An estimated loss from a loss contingency shall be accrued by a charge to income if both of the following conditions are met: a. Information available before the financial statements are issued or are available to be issued (as discussed in Section 855-10-25) indicates that it is probable that an asset had been impaired or a liability had been incurred at the date of the financial statements. Date of the financial statements means the end of the most recent accounting period for which financial statements are being presented. It is implicit in this condition that it must be probable that one or more future events will occur confirming the fact of the loss. b. The amount of loss can be reasonably estimated.† Management’s Application Rossi Inc. records indicate that litigation liabilities exist and that un-asserted litigations will arise in the future for events which occurred before December 31st, 2009. These claims can be reasonably estimated based a frequency severity method used in many asbestos litigation cases. Therefore, Management of Rossi Inc. has met both conditions and correctly accrued the reasonably estimated cost of the litigation liabilities. Accounting Standards Codification 450-20-30-1 Initial Measurement â€Å"If some amount within a range of loss appears at the time to be a better estimate than any other amount within the range, that amount shall be accrued. When no amount within the range is a better estimate than any other amount, however, the minimum amount in the range shall be accrued. Even though the minimum amount in the range is not necessarily the amount of loss that will be ultimately determined, it is not likely that the ultimate loss will be less than the minimum amount.† Application According to the Internal Actuarial Specialist Report, the estimated cost of litigation ranges from $907 million to $1,514 million. Accounting Standards Codification 450-20-30-1 says that Rossi Inc. must accrue the lower amount of the range which is $907 million. The company must also create a disclosure note acknowledging that it is possible the litigation liabilities could cost as much as $1,514 million if the excess is reasonably probable. Research Question: What additional audit procedures, if any, should you suggest to the engagement partner in order to evaluate the appropriateness of the asbestos litigation liability as of December 31, 2009? Relevant Literature Statements on Audit Standards No. 12- AU section 337 Paragraph 6 & 7 â€Å".06 An auditor ordinarily does not possess legal skills and, therefore, cannot make legal judgments concerning information coming to his attention. Accordingly, the auditor should request the client’s management to send a letter of inquiry to those lawyers with whom management consulted concerning litigation, claims, and assessments. .07 The audit normally includes certain other procedures undertaken for different purposes that might also disclose litigation, claims, and assessments. Examples of such procedures are as follows: Reading minutes of meetings of stockholders, directors, and appropriate committees held during and subsequent to the period being audited. Reading contracts, loan agreements, leases, and correspondence from taxing or other governmental agencies, and similar documents. Obtaining information concerning guarantees from bank confirmation forms. Inspecting other documents for possible guarantees by the client.† Application The engagement partner should ask management to send their legal counsel a letter of inquiry, outlining all litigation procedures currently in progress and claims or assertions for future litigation. Because of attorney-client confidentiality, the lawyer may refuse to response to the letter of inquiry; alternatively, the engagement partner can obtain this information from other sources. The engagement partner can read the documented minutes of meetings of directors and company committees, as well as, contracts created between Rossi Inc. and its customers for possible grounds for future lawsuits. The auditor should also strive to understand how Rossi Inc. management developed its estimate for the litigation liability, then he/she should review and test those procedures used by management. Research Question: Considering the range of the estimated claims liabilities, do you believe that there is an uncorrected likely misstatement that the engagement partner should request the client to correct? Interpretation The engagement team has already determined that the litigation liabilities account is a material account with materiality for the audit set at $12.5 million. The litigation liabilities account currently has a balance of $962 million; however, ASC 450-20-30-1 states that account should reflect the lower amount of the reasonably measured range of possible litigation cost. The amount which should be recorded is $907 million which is $55 million less than the currently recorded amount. With materiality set at $12.5 million, the engagement partner should request Rossi Inc. correct the amount of the litigation liabilities account to fix the likely misstatement. Conclusion: Rossi Inc. has met both conditions of ASC 450-20-25-2 because it is probable the company will have litigation losses in the future from events which occurred during or before this accounting period. These losses have been reasonably estimated into a range of $907 to $1,514 million. According to ASC 450-20-30-1, when a range exists and no number in the range is more likely to occur the company should accrue the lowest amount of the range. The audit should also inquiry about the accuracy of the litigation estimate. This can be accomplished by complying data obtained from inquiry letters to the client’s lawyers, reading of minutes for meetings conducted by management or directors and by evaluating contracts between the client and their customers. The auditor must also evaluate the method of estimating the litigation liability. Finally, the engagement partner must ask Rossi Inc.’s management to correct the likely misstatement due to the litigation liabilities account being overstated.

Linguistic Arbitrariness

Linguistic Arbitrariness In linguistics, arbitrariness  is the absence of any natural or necessary connection between a words meaning and its sound or form. An antithesis to  sound symbolism, which does exhibit an apparent connection between sound and sense, arbitrariness is one of the characteristics shared between all languages. As R.L. Trask points out in ​Language: The Basics: the overwhelming presence of arbitrariness in language is the chief reason it takes so long to learn the  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹vocabulary  of a foreign language. This is largely due to confusion over similar-sounding words in a secondary language.​ Trask goes on to use the example of trying to guess the names of creatures in a foreign language based on the sound and form alone, providing a list of Basque words - zaldi, igel, txori, oilo, behi, sagu, which mean horse, frog, bird, hen, cow, and mouse respectively - then observing that arbitrariness is not unique to humans but instead exists within all forms of communication.   Language Is Arbitrary   Therefore, all language can be assumed to be arbitrary, at least in this linguistic definition of the word, despite occasional iconic characteristics. Instead of universal rules and uniformity, then, language relies on associations of word meanings deriving from cultural conventions. To break this concept down further, linguist Edward Finegan wrote in Language: Its Structure and Use  about the difference between nonarbitrary and arbitrary semiotic signs through an observation of a mother and son burning rice. Imagine a parent trying to catch a few minutes of the televised evening news while preparing dinner, he writes. Suddenly a strong aroma of burning rice wafts into the TV room. This nonarbitrary sign  will send the parent scurrying to salvage dinner. The little boy, he posits, might also signal to his mother that the rice is burning by saying something like The rice is burning! However, Finegan argues that while the utterance is likely to elicit the same result of the mother checking on her cooking, the words themselves are arbitrary - it is a set of facts about  English  (not about burning rice) that enables the utterance to alert the parent, which makes the utterance an arbitrary  sign. Different Languages, Different Conventions As a result of languages reliance on cultural conventions, different languages naturally have different conventions, that can and do change - which is part of the reason that there are different languages in the first place! Second language learners must, therefore, learn each new word individually as its generally impossible to guess the meaning of an unfamiliar word - even when given clues to the words meaning.   Even linguistic rules are considered to be slightly arbitrary. However, Timothy Endicott writes in ​The Value of Vagueness that: with all norms of language, there is a good reason to have such norms for the use of words in such ways. That good reason is that it is actually necessary to do so to achieve the coordination that enables communication, self-expression and all the other priceless benefits of having a language.

The Persian Empire of Ancient Iran

The Persian Empire of Ancient Iran Irans history as a nation of people speaking an Indo-European language did not begin until the middle of the second millennium B.C. Before then, Iran was occupied by peoples with a variety of cultures. There are numerous artifacts attesting to settled agriculture, permanent sun-dried- brick dwellings, and pottery-making from the sixth millennium B.C. The most advanced area technologically was ancient Susiana, present-day Khuzestan Province. By the fourth millennium, the inhabitants of Susiana, the Elamites, were using semipictographic writing, probably learned from the highly advanced civilization of Sumer in Mesopotamia (ancient name for much of the area now known as Iraq), to the west. Sumerian influence in art, literature, and religion also became particularly strong when the Elamites were occupied by, or at least came under the domination of, two Mesopotamian cultures, those of Akkad and Ur, during the middle of the third millennium. By 2000 B.C. the Elamites had become sufficiently unified to destroy the city of Ur. Elamite civilization developed rapidly from that point, and, by the fourteenth century B.C., its art was at its most impressive. Immigration of the Medes and the Persians Small groups of nomadic, horse-riding peoples speaking Indo-European languages began moving into the Iranian cultural area from Central Asia near the end of the second millennium B.C. Population pressures, overgrazing in their home area, and hostile neighbors may have prompted these migrations. Some of the groups settled in eastern Iran, but others, those who were to leave significant historical records, pushed farther west toward the Zagros Mountains. Three major groups are identifiablethe Scythians, the Medes (the Amadai or Mada), and the Persians (also known as the Parsua or Parsa). The Scythians established themselves in the northern Zagros Mountains and clung to a seminomadic existence in which raiding was the chief form of economic enterprise. The Medes settled over a huge area, reaching as far as modern Tabriz in the north and Esfahan in the south. They had their capital at Ecbatana (present-day Hamadan) and annually paid tribute to the Assyrians. The Persians were established in three areas: to the south of Lake Urmia (the tradional name, also cited as Lake Orumiyeh, to which it has reverted after being called Lake Rezaiyeh under the Pahlavis), on the northern border of the kingdom of the Elamites; and in the environs of modern Shiraz, which would be their eventual settling place and to which they would give the name Parsa (what is roughly present-day Fars Province). During the seventh century B.C., the Persians were led by Hakamanish (Achaemenes, in Greek), ancestor of the Achaemenid dynasty. A descendant, Cyrus II (also known as Cyrus the Great or Cyrus the Elder), led the combined forces of the Medes and the Persians to establish the most extensive empire known in the ancient world. By 546 B.C., Cyrus had defeated Croesus*, the Lydian king of fabled wealth, and had secured control of the Aegean coast of Asia Minor, Armenia, and the  Greek colonies  along the Levant. Moving east, he took Parthia (land of the Arsacids, not to be confused with Parsa, which was to the southwest), Chorasmis, and Bactria. He besieged and captured Babylon in 539 and released the Jews who had been held captive there, thus earning his immortalization in the Book of Isaiah. When he died in 529**, Cyruss kingdom extended as far east as the Hindu Kush in present-day Afghanistan. His successors were less successful. Cyruss unstable son, Cambyses II, conquered Egypt but later committed suicide during a revolt led by a priest, Gaumata, who usurped the throne until overthrown in 522 by a member of a lateral branch of the Achaemenid family, Darius I (also known as Darayarahush or Darius the Great). Darius attacked the Greek mainland, which had supported rebellious Greek colonies under his aegis, but as a result of his defeat at the  Battle of Marathon in 490  was forced to retract the limits of the empire to  Asia Minor. The Achaemenids thereafter consolidated areas firmly under their control. It was Cyrus and Darius who, by sound and farsighted administrative planning, brilliant military maneuvering, and a humanistic worldview, established the greatness of the Achaemenids and in less than thirty years raised them from an obscure tribe to a world power. The quality of the Achaemenids as rulers began to disintegrate, however, after the death of Darius in 486. His son and successor, Xerxes, was chiefly occupied with suppressing revolts in Egypt and Babylonia. He also attempted to conquer the Greek Peloponnesus, but encouraged by a victory at Thermopylae, he overextended his forces and suffered overwhelming defeats at Salamis and Plataea. By the time his successor, Artaxerxes I, died in 424, the imperial court was beset by factionalism among the lateral family branches, a condition that persisted until the death in 330 of the last of the Achaemenids, Darius III, at the hands of his own subjects. The Achaemenids were enlightened despots who allowed a certain amount of regional autonomy in the form of the satrapy system. A satrapy was an administrative unit, usually organized on a geographical basis. A satrap (governor) administered the region, a general supervised military recruitment and ensured order, and a state secretary kept official records. The general and the state secretary reported directly to the central government. The twenty satrapies were linked by a 2,500-kilometer highway, the most impressive stretch being the  royal road  from Susa to Sardis, built by command of Darius. Relays of mounted couriers could reach the most remote areas in fifteen days. Despite the relative local independence afforded by the satrapy system, however, royal inspectors, the eyes and ears of the king, toured the empire and reported on local conditions, and the king maintained a personal bodyguard of 10,000 men, called the Immortals. The language in greatest use in the empire was Aramaic. Old Persian was the official language of the empire but was used only for inscriptions and royal proclamations. Darius revolutionized the economy by placing it on a silver and gold coinage system. Trade was extensive, and under the  Achaemenids  there was an efficient infrastructure that facilitated the exchange of commodities among the far reaches of the empire. As a result of this commercial activity, Persian words for typical items of trade became prevalent throughout the  Middle East  and eventually entered the English language; examples are, bazaar, shawl, sash, turquoise, tiara, orange, lemon, melon, peach, spinach, and asparagus. Trade was one of the empires main sources of revenue, along with agriculture and tribute. Other accomplishments of Dariuss reign included codification of the data, a universal legal system upon which much of later Iranian law would be based, and construction of a new capital at Persepolis, where vassal states would offer their yearly tribute at the festival celebrating the spring equinox. In its art and architecture, Persepolis reflected Dariuss percept ion of himself as the leader of conglomerates of people to whom he had given a new and single identity. The Achaemenid art and architecture found there is at once distinctive and also highly eclectic. The Achaemenids took the art forms and the cultural and religious traditions of many of the ancient Middle Eastern peoples and combined them into a single form. This Achaemenid artistic style is evident in the iconography of Persepolis, which celebrates the king and the office of the monarch. Envisioning a new world empire based on a fusion of Greek and Iranian culture and  ideals,  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹Alexander the Great  of Macedon accelerated the disintegration of the Achaemenid Empire. He was first accepted as leader by the fractious Greeks in 336 B.C. and by 334 had advanced to Asia Minor, an Iranian satrapy. In quick  succession,  he took Egypt, Babylonia, and then, over the course of two years, the heart of the  Achaemenid EmpireSusa, Ecbatana, and Persepolisthe last of which he burned. Alexander married Roxana (Roshanak), the daughter of the most powerful of the Bactrian chiefs (Oxyartes, who revolted in present-day Tadzhikistan), and in 324 commanded his officers and 10,000 of his soldiers to marry Iranian women. The mass wedding, held at Susa, was a model of Alexanders desire to consummate the union of the Greek and Iranian peoples. These plans ended in 323 B.C., however, when Alexander was struck with fever and died in Babylon, leaving no heir. His empire was d ivided among four of his generals. Seleucus, one of these generals, who became ruler of Babylon in 312, gradually reconquered most of Iran. Under Seleucuss son, Antiochus I, many Greeks entered Iran, and Hellenistic motifs in art, architecture, and urban planning became prevalent. Although the Seleucids faced challenges from the  Ptolemies of Egypt  and from the growing power of Rome, the main threat came from the province of Fars (Partha to the Greeks). Arsaces (of the seminomadic Parni tribe), whose name was used by all subsequent Parthian kings, revolted against the Seleucid governor in 247 B.C. and established a dynasty, the Arsacids, or Parthians. During the second century, the Parthians were able to extend their rule to Bactria, Babylonia, Susiana, and Media, and, under Mithradates II (123-87 B.C.), Parthian conquests stretched from India to Armenia. After the victories of Mithradates II, the Parthians began to claim descent from both the Greeks and the Achaemenids. They spoke a language similar to that of the Achaemenids, used the Pahlavi script, and established an administrative system based on Achaemenid precedents. Meanwhile, Ardeshir, son of the priest Papak, who claimed descent from the legendary hero Sasan, had become the Parthian governor in the Achaemenid home province of Persis (Fars). In A.D. 224 he overthrew the last Parthian king and established the Sassanid dynasty, which was to last 400 years. The Sassanids established an empire roughly within the frontiers achieved by the Achaemenids  [c, 550-330 B.C.;  with the capital at Ctesiphon. The Sassanids consciously sought to resuscitate Iranian traditions and to obliterate Greek cultural influence. Their rule was characterized by considerable centralization, ambitious urban planning, agricultural development, and technological improvements. Sassanid rulers adopted the title of shahanshah (king of kings), as sovereigns over numerous petty rulers, known as  shahrdars. Historians believe that society was divided into four classes: the priests, warriors, secretaries, and commoners. The royal princes, petty rulers, great landlords, and priests together constituted a privileged stratum, and the social system appears to have been fairly rigid. Sassanid rule and the system of social stratification were reinforced by Zoroastrianism, which became the state religion. The Zoroastrian priesthood became immensely powerful. The head of the priestly class, the  mobadan  mobad, along with the military commander, the  eran  spahbod, and the head of the bureaucracy, were among the great men of the state. Rome, with its capital at  Constantinople, had replaced Greece as Irans principal Western enemy, and hostilities between the two empires were frequent. Shahpur I (241-72), son and successor of Ardeshir, waged successful campaigns against the Romans and in 260 even took the emperor Valerian prisoner. Chosroes I (531-79), also known as Anushirvan the Just, is the most celebrated of the Sassanid rulers. He reformed the tax system and reorganized the army and the bureaucracy, tying the army more closely to the central government than to local lords. His reign witnessed the rise of the  dihqans  (literally, village lords), the petty landholding nobility who were the backbone of later Sassanid provincial administration and the tax collection system. Chosroes was a great builder, embellishing his capital, founding new towns, and constructing new buildings. Under his auspices, too, many books were brought from India and translated into Pahlavi. Some of these later found their way into the literature of the Islamic world. The reign of Chosroes II (591-628) was characterized by the wasteful splendor and lavishness of the court. Toward the end of his  reign  Chosroes IIs power declined. In renewed fighting with the Byzantines, he enjoyed initial successes, captured Damascus, and seized the Holy Cross in Jerusalem. But counterattacks by the Byzantine emperor Heraclius brought enemy forces deep into Sassanid territory. Years of warfare exhausted both the Byzantines and the Iranians. The later Sassanids were further weakened by economic decline, heavy taxation, religious unrest, rigid social stratification, the increasing power of the provincial landholders, and a rapid turnover of rulers. These factors facilitated the Arab invasion in the seventh century. Data as of December 1987Source: Library of Congress Country Studies Corrections *Jona Lendering  points out that a 547/546 date for the fall of Croesus is based on the  Nabonidus Chronicle  whose reading is uncertain. Rather than  Croesus  it may have been the ruler of Uratu. Lendering says the fall of Lydia should be listed as the 540s. **He also advises that cuneiform sources start to mention Cambyses as sole ruler in August 530, so the date of his death the following year is wrong.

Problem question in contract law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Problem question in contract law - Essay Example 14). The acceptance of an offer results in a valid contract. The offeree makes the acceptance in response to the offer made by the offeror. Acceptance must be unqualified, and unambiguous (Barry, 1992, p. 14). The offer made by the offeror to the offeree has to be accepted by the latter, if a binding contract is to ensue. The offeror has the choice of specifying the manner in which the offeree has communicate acceptance of the offer. This makes it incumbent upon the offeree to communicate acceptance without any deviation (Kelly, et al., 2011, p. 234). As such, in certain contracts, one of the parties promises to perform some action, if the other party does some specific act, even though the other party does not promise to perform that act. Such contracts are termed as unilateral contracts. As such, acceptance may be construed from conduct and there is no necessity for it to be communicated (Marson, 2010, p. 16). The readiness to accept offers or to enter into negotiations constitutes an invitation to treat. The main issues to be considered for solving the problem are: Whether there is a valid contract between Julia and O’Brien. Whether the telephonic acceptance by O’Brien concludes a contract between Parsons and O’Brien. ... This enraged Julia, who left the shop. An offer must be unambiguous and can be express or implied. The display of goods in a shop does not constitute an offer. It is merely, an invitation to treat. The offer comes into being when the customer selects some goods and expresses his willingness to purchase them (Barry, 1992, p. 14). Thus, it is the customer who makes the offer, in such instances. In Fisher v Bell, it was held that the display of items with a price tag in shop windows was an invitation to treat (Young, 2010, p. 13). In Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball Company, the defendants were the producers of a medicinal product called the carbolic smoke ball. This company gave an advertisement in the local newspapers, wherein it promised a reward of ?100 to anyone who contacted influenza or any other disease resulting from catching a cold, after having used their product. It also prescribed the dosage of the carbolic ball to be used, in its advertisement. The company also declared that one ball would last a family for several months (O'Sullivan & Hilliard, 2010, p. 15). The plaintiff Mrs. Carlill bought a smoke ball duly believing the contents of the advertisement, and used the medicine as directed by the company. However, she was infected by influenza, despite using the smoke ball for the required period and in the prescribed manner (O'Sullivan & Hilliard, 2010, p. 16). The Court held that the newspaper advertisement, in this case constituted an offer. In addition, it was held in Grainger Son v Gough that the circulation of a catalogue by a seller of goods does not constitute an offer and that it was merely an invitation to treat. This reiterated in Fisher v Bell, wherein the display of goods in a shop window, was deemed an invitation to treat and not

9.2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

9.2 - Essay Example Apart from this lack of orderliness, other mistakes can be easily corrected and then the work written to make a more cohesive and coherent document. Such an action of rearrangement will entail subdividing the paper into sections with clear subheadings. The focus of this paper is on why need-based scholarships should replace merit-based scholarships. Although this should be a thesis based argument or paper, what appears to be the thesis is unfortunately found in the third paragraph. It claims that the need-based scholarships will increase access to education for students from low income and minority families which will eventually increase the gap between the rich and poor. Apart from the heading that gives a hint of what the paper is about, it is not until the third paragraph that one starts to get an idea of what the paper is talking about. There are no sections and what the paper does is to provide reasons that support the thesis without giving clear indications on what perspective the reasons are based. The subject matter of the paper has been explained thoroughly through supportive ideas but it has not been subdivided into sections. In terms of argument, the article has adopted argument by authority whereby it closely follows ideas of others although in many instances it fails to quote the originators of the ideas. Many of the arguments are well thought and logical which make the overall reasoning of the paper very strong. As such, there are no hasty generalizations and supporting ideas are well balanced and thought out. Generally, the introduction and conclusion have not been well done. The introduction lacks the thesis statement owing to the fact that the first paragraph is always considered the introductory paragraph where the thesis is usually located. On the part of the conclusion, there is no special technique applied and it should have summarized the main points of the paper besides re-stating the