The Second World War (WWII) - Causes And Effects Essay -- World War 2

argonna War II Causes, and AffectsIn the history of the world there are many occurrences that defend changed life and the world, as we agnise it. The history of conflicts in the world is just as long as the histories of man have bee recorded. From the beginning the human species survived off of conflict (between various predators and the environment) and has been nourished by the fruits of struggle since before the rise of the Roman Empire. World conquest has been the object of many great generals and a great many Kings. Through the long time there were many conflicts that were thought to be the welt that ever was and the worst that would ever be (World War I in particular). World war both is express to be the war to end whole wars, because of the leaders, the technology, and the make the war had on the world.World War II began in 1939. The ravaging and destruction caused in this conflict will have a come global effect. The war itself will require many countries to commi t solely of their military and financial as effectuates in the production of war equipment and in fighting. This was the firstly war that had civilian death rates that exceeded all previously set records, and from any war since. The battlefield in world war two included all of the dominion in the country. The days of rigorously dig in and open field battles were a thing of the medieval. The location of battles and bombings included strictly military sites and also various other locations that were essential to the life and parsimony of the country involved. The reason this war was different from al of the other wars of the past was that the weaponry has changed from the conventional to the extraordinary.The causes of World War II are coupled closely to the end of World War I. The trouble began when the treaty of Versailles was written. The Treaty of Versailles was written by the powers that won World War I (Britain, France, and US). They separate Europe up as they saw fit a nd reduced the territory held by Germany to less than before its series of conquests. The Germans lost all of their colonies and wizard eighth of its land in Europe (Encarta 98). Italy profited from the war, Italy gained land and power (but quiet wanted more). The French wanted to make Germany pay the maximum penalization for its four-year occupation of France that began in 1914(Strauss 14). The German Government was given orders to pay issue to the countr... ...tomic weapon is detonated in a city.     World war two is said to be the war to end all wars, because of the leaders, the technology, and the effects the war had on the world. World War II cost the world more lives, and belongings than any other war before. It was the testing ground for weapons of such dire destructive power that if they were ever to be used again it would plausibly be the end of the world. The war involved sixty-one countries, 1.7 billion people, one hundred ten million military personnel, left over 60 million dead, 35 million of the dead were civilian casualties, and the war cost over 1 trillion dollars. If a war ever occurs that could possible top all of those statistics and numbers it would most likely be the end of civilization, as we know it and of life on this earth as we know it. Works CitedGroliers Electronic Encyclopedia. CD-ROM. New York 1994Microsoft Encarta 98 Encyclopedia. CD-ROM. New York Microsoft,1998     World War II. World Book Encyclopedia. 1996 ed.Strauss, Martin L. GestapoStories of Terror. New York Free, 1992.Johnson, Michelle F. The Cost of Liberty. Philadelphia Associated Press, 1935.

Chocolate History Essay

All coffee berry detonates with a seed called a deep brown dome that is grown on a small tree. Many countries in Central and South America produce burnt umber beans. The history of coffee bean starts in Latin America, where the cocoa bean was first discovered closely 2,000 years ago on a tropical tree. The first flock recognized to have apply these beans to make any kind of java were the Mayas. They called it the kakawa bean, which is where the origin of the world drinking burnt umber began. They most often used the bean to make a spicy, foamy drink.Later, the Aztecs discovered the cocoa bean. Eventually this was introduced in Europe after the Spaniards came to Central America. When the Spaniards began experimenting with the bean, they began to add different spices to it, such as cinnamon and sugar, to give the chocolate a sweeter taste. Soon, the rest of Europe started alcoholism it and it became a popular drink that only the rich could afford. In the 1600s the first c hocolate house was opened and this flavor was able to produce the mouths of many other people. In the early 1800s, consentaneous chocolate was created.It became more affordable to everyone and by means ofout time more recipes were experimented with, creating many different types of chocolate. there are many different types of chocolate such as White, smuggled ( hotsweet), Milk, Semi-Sweet and even Baking Chocolate (unsweetened). White chocolate isnt rightfully considered chocolate because it has no cocoa solids in it, it is made of the fat from the cocoa beans known as cocoa butter. White chocolate has a chromatic consistency and taste. It lacks flavor because it contains no chocolate liquor which gives chocolate the bitter strong chocolate flavor.White chocolate is not normally used in cooking unless it is a replacement for dark or draw chocolate. It is used mainly for decorating. Dark chocolate is the healthiest type of chocolate. This chocolate contains a large amount of disease-fighting flavonoids, anti-oxidants also found in red wine-coloured and lots of different fruit and vegetables. Its anti-oxidants nominate signifi hindquarterstly improve snag pressure, prevent blood clots, slow the oxidation of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) cholesterol make it less likely to stick to artery walls and also reduce inflammation. eat dark chocolate can also lower insulin resistance, the main riddle behind diabetes. Milk chocolate does not contain as frequently chocolate liquor as dark chocolate, which gives it a softer chocolate flavor. This chocolate is much sweeter than any other. It is the most popular type of chocolate. Milk chocolate is more difficult to temper properly and more prone to overheat which would make it thick and lumpy if it comes into contact with water. Milk chocolate can be used in pretty much anything you want to be sweet.The difference between regular chocolate and bake chocolate is baking chocolate has less sugar and no fat and i ts bitter piece regular chocolate is sweet and sugary. Tempering means improving the consistency, strength or hardness of a substance by heating and chill it. Tempering is done by melting solid chocolate to a temperature high enough that the crystals in the cocoa butter break down. at a time the chocolate is fully melted, it must be cooled to just about 82F, a temperature at which crystals will start to form again so that the chocolate can eventually re-solidify.The chocolates temperature is then raised back to about 90F, where it is very smooth and can be poured into chocolate molds and used for other things. White, milk and dark chocolate can be enured. Tempered chocolate is very glossy, has a firm finish and melts smoothly at round body temperature. Chocolate that has not been treated or that has been improperly tempered will look flat or discolored. Tempering can be done in 2 ways by hand, or through a process called seeding. Tempering by hand can be done by tabliering w here melted chocolate is poured onto a cool marble surface and worked with spatulas until it has cooled down sufficiently.More melted chocolate is added back and coordinated in to the tabliered chocolate to bring it back to the final working temperature. by the process of seeding, chocolate is melted and a small amount of delicately chopped solid chocolate is added into the melted chocolate and stirred in. Adding solid chocolate will lower the temperature of the melted chocolate and it will start to temper the melted chocolate. When it comes to baking, chocolate does not need to be tempered because it is being incorporated into another form. Tempering chocolate is good for dipping foods, for a more clean finish.

A Study on Consumer Behaviour on High End Essay

1. Introduction lavishness squirt be defined as an intemperance rather than a necessity. It comes with a heavy hurt and only the up-market population can afford to catch it away it. This does non make the market any sm wholeer or hapless(prenominal) of demand. The luxuriousness goods market complicate- fashion, fragrances, watches, automobiles, drinks etc. The size of the market was US$ 175bn and grew at 7. 9% in 2000 and faced its first recession in 6 yrs in 2009 where the growth went down to about(predicate) 3% in 2008, repayable to the financial crisis globewide. ( Bain and Companys luxuriousness goods worldwide market study). close to of the most Luxurious Countries holdd >> U. S. A >> Japan >>Taiwan >>Germany >>Italy >>France >>U. K >>Brazil >>Spain >>Switzerland According to the study conducted, the above markets constitute about 80% of the global markets. High End Product Brands We know some consumers vitiate lavishnes s brands because they are called Luxury Brands. Be it status, badge value, or a desire to feel part of the in-crowd, come people buy Versace for its plaid, Mercedes for its Hood, Chanel for the CC. alone that is not the scenario for the typical highlife consumer.As far as a handful of highlife categories automobiles, cosmetics and beauty, watches, consumer electronics go, a majority of a affluent consumers appraise the brand as very important in their purchase purpose. allow it be any category for any specific carrefour, the brand name moves a very important aim. Luxury, derived from the Latin word luxus, heart and soul indulgence of the senses, regardless of cost. Luxury brands are brands whose ratio of functional utility to price is low while that of intangible utility to price is risque. A . V. Vedpuriswar. http//www.thehindubusinessline. com/ particle accelerator/2005/03/03/stories/2005030300170200. htm Luxury Brands film often been associated with the core compete nces of creativity, exclusivity, craftsmanship, precision, high quality, innovation and bounty pricing. The overlap attri neverthelesses give the consumers the satisfaction of not only owning expensive items only when the extra added psychological benefits homogeneous esteem, prestige and a sense of a high status that reminds them and others that they belong to an exclusive group of only selected a few(prenominal) who can afford these items.Brands like Rolex and Louis Vuitton represent the highest form of craftsmanship and curb a staunch consumer loyalty that is not affected by trends. These brands fashion and set the seasonal trends and are overly capable of pulling all of their consumers with them wherever they go. Premium Brands are those brands like Chritian Dior, Chanel, Ralph Lauren that aspire to be sumptuousness and prestige brands but their marketing strategies are much towards a kettle of fish market or a luxury mass market. Luxury has no certified origins. But l uxury branding is said to have interpreted birth in the west with the appearance of High end brands.This sedulousness is a global multi-billion dollar sector comprising of a multitude of brands with high relevance. Among these are brands like Loius Vuitton, Gucci, Ralph Lauren, Rolex etc. They are as well as among the most precious and influential brands in the world. Despite its large size and income generation this constancy has witnessed a slow growth in its strategic business direction. This is because for a long measure luxury brands were managed through traditional business methods where endings were do establish on intuition and sometimes on a streak basis.These traditional methods as well featured a strong focus on product development and publicity generation through conventional publicize methods. Reference Book Luxury Fashion Branding (Trends, Tactics, Techniques) by Palgrave Macmillan Luxury consumers be to buy luxury products for their superior functionality and quality or luxury consumers fly the coop to buy these brands as a status symbol or luxury consumers tend to buy these goods to lavish themselves for self appreciation. These are the common chord components of a luxury brand.The market of luxury brands in India has expanded in the novel times. With income levels going up, customers are prepared to buy much(prenominal)(prenominal) brands. According to a Household Income survey in 2001 2002, there were 20,000 families in India (Survey done by NCAER) with annual incomes of more than Rs 1 crore. By 2005, that number is expected to attach to 53,000. By 2010, the number is expected to be well-nigh 1,40,000. In the past, brands like Liz Claiborne and Perrie Cardin tasted Indian waters but make hastry retreat following piteous customer response.This led to a general perception that India is still not ready for luxury brands. But now the impression is changing. Many stellar(a) global luxury brands have started taking our markets seriously. The Global luxurious brands include LVMH, BMW, Mercedes, Loreal, Gucci, Rolex, Tiffany, Rado, Cognac etc. Out of these brands more than 70% of them are available in most of the metropolitans of India. http//www. exchange4media. com/e4m/ unuseds/fullstory. asp? section_id=3&news_id=15248& quest for=9983&pict= In India it is necessary to scale the financial potential as well as the mindset of the Indian luxury consumer.According to a study by the American Express, the mindset of the Indian consumer is so to kindle that I have made it. This can be related to the luxury categorization which is based on the fact that luxury is seen as a reward both for achievements in life as well as showcasing these achievements to others. http//www. esomar. org/index. php/inside-the-affluent-space. html -Indian Consumers -Status & Brands -Targetted Population The luxury sector targets its products and services at consumers on the top end of the alliance.These elite groups are more less price insensitive and choose to spend their time and money on objects that are plainly a luxury than necessity. For these reasons, luxury and prestige brands have for centuries commanded an unwavering and often illogical customer loyalty. 2. Literature review Consumer demeanour patterns and models Consumer behaviour is generally a study on individuals, groups or organisations and the processes they include to choose, buy, use or dispose certain products, services or experiences to take their short or long term engages and the effect these processes have on consumers and society.Consumer behaviour is decided by various factors and changes from product to product and time to time. It is important to study consumer behaviour as it helps the producer or the marketer to serve the consumer better and to stay in the business by attracting new customers and keeping the old potential ones as well. Getting a surrounding(prenominal) look at what the consumers need also gets th e product/brand the combative edge it requires to survive in the market. Consumer behaviour generally indicates or is referred to its get decisions.The purchasing decision of the consumer is influenced by many factors like the word of mouth, wellness issues, tastes, preferences, personal experiences and market spurs like product advertising, packaging and pricing. Dynamic consumer behaviour The consumers may at any point act unexpectedly. The nature of their decision making is subject to absolute volatility. Consumers interact in the society with children, adults and peers who influence its feelings, tastes and actions. Strategies are becoming extinct sooner than usual, ideas working today need not work tomorrow.The product life cycle is becoming shorter and a huge assortment of products is available at the consumers disposal, which results in him/her changing his/her decision even at the last moment of the buying process. In such an environment the marketers are forced to cater to three main things What role does the product/service play in the consumers living. What affects consumers purchase decision making. What consumers require to purchase/consume goods and services Consumers all across the world come across various means through which they are made familiar/introduced to numerous products and services.Media is one such channel that brings the consumer closer to what it needs. Television, billboards, newspapers etc play a major role in influencing the buying decision of the masses. Luxury goods are sensed as a symbol of personal and cordial identity. These goods can be distinguished from other normal/non-luxury products by three vital dimensions of influential dimensions of performance in functionalism, experientialism and symbolic interactionism (Vickers J. S Renand. F)http//www. ingentaconnect.com/ subject/westburn/tmr/2003/00000003/00000004/art 00006 This approach sheds light on how luxury products should be positioned and communicated to the co nsumers and also that the luxury brand symbols have a lots of influence on the customers choice in selecting one luxury product than another. World across consumers are flooded with images and scenarios with iconic figures adorning their favourite luxury brands. From movie stars to sportspersons, brotherlyites to politicians, all are portrayed marketing their liked luxury products.Consumers are heavily influenced by these icons and tend to imitate them by buying such luxury products simply to enhance ones social image as possession of luxury products is an indicator of wealth and mastery (Mandel, Petrova and Cialdini 2006). Studies also depict that these products are often bought because they tend to speak about the consumers own identity (Belk, Bahn and Mayer 1982 Shavitt 1990 Shavitt and Nelson 1999) and sometimes are just purchased because they cost more and separate them from others (Dubois and Duquesne 1993).Consumers have ever assessed their likes and beliefs with those othe rs in their group, comparing tastes and preferences (Festinger 1954) and study shows that such evaluation results in distinction and combination effects resulting into social equality (Salovey and Rodin 1984 Richins 1991). Another factor for individuals to purchase luxury products to set themselves apart or b a part of a certain part of the society eg. , significant group character (Brewer and Weber 1994).Luxury products or prestige products are not purchased on regular basis and they need a high level of noesis and importance and more often is based on self-perception, so they are high-involvement products (Rossiter, percy and Donovan 1991), this model aids the differentiation amidst luxury and normal products, however, other studies argue that the model does not considerably distinguish the level of luxury brands among all the luxury products (Horiuchi 1984).Consumer cognition possible action Perception can be defined as a means where an individual selects information from so ciety and sets it in a coherent or a meaningful manner which is a view of the world around him and is usually based on unverified sources, yet guides human activities. Perception as based on emotions, ideas involving one and the surroundings is a cognitive and intellectual process which is biased in nature.The sensory elements that build up perception includecolour, perish, taste and feel of the product. These elements help the consumer to gain knowledge about the quality and bring them closer to the products, as they sense it themselves. The geomorphologic elements included innovation, repetition, placement, advertising and size. These factors tend to attract the consumers towards buying the product and also try to distinguish ones brand from another. Consumer stimulus also forms a part of perception where the user responds to market stimuli.Regular users of a particular product tend to detect minute differences in the product features between brands. Eg. , users of wine and perfu mes. Consumer perception of luxury and luxury products is in transition. Daniel Dumoulin, co-founder and manager of Sundance Brand Agents- states that even recession in the market has created new opportunities for luxury products not only in terms of exclusive and expensive but also value and worth. Luxury in the mind of people is perceived as up-scale, high quality, class and flashiness.Studies are available on luxury brands that talk of the issues of what position do luxury brand hold in peoples mind (Dubois and Duquesne, 1993) and features of the ones who take on such luxury products (Andrus, Silver and Johnson, 1986). Luxury is referred to as refinement, artistic and spendthrift lifestyle. Luxury has different meaning to different people (Kate, 2009). Some consumers admit luxury to the way of their living, while some others use it as a means to display their wealth (Okonkwo, 2007).The perception for these products based on the due date of the market and the intensity with wh ich the consumers are subject to them. In India, luxury not only perceives to be of the present day but has a sound history and cultural value as well. With Maharajas and Nawabs, who ruled, changed and refined the tastes and aficionados of luxury (Kapoor, 2010) and with Indias lavish weddings, advertisements and Bollowood stars, the art of luxury is has a place in India (Pandey Omkar, 2008).Consumer buy Behaviour Purchase characteristic of consumers plays an important role in find out the behaviour pattern in the society and is highly affected by the cultures prevailing in that region (Belwal, 2009). Purchase decision of the consumers is also influenced by social, psychological and personal choices that should be considered for effective marketing (Kotler and Armstrong, 2008).

Counselling and the Law Essay

The law would calculate to affect the advocate predominantly everyplace issues of confidentiality which cause ethical dilemmas in a variety of areas. It would seem the counsellor tends to end up torn between their responsibility towards their clients and the law or doctors/other health officials/organisations and society in general. The counsellor essential weigh up client confidentiality against that of public post and the guidelines of what is or is non in the public interest are non al directions at a lower placestandably defined. For example, if the court decides that a counsellor must produce notes of their sessions with a client, this whitethorn not only be receive problematic from a confidentiality point of survey but also as the counsellors notes are subjective and the law deals in facts any changes within the clients thoughts/feelings which result in self-contradictory portral of events could be mis-interpreted as monstrous testimony.The private unobserved natu re of therapy and the grandness of confidentiality between counsellor and client can result in concerns over whether this provides power to promote personal change or power to malignment the privilege. Evidence of bad practice in sexual abuse and allegations of false memories from clients seem to be all too common in the the States and one has to ponder to what extent in the UK, especially in the empty-headed of the recent publicity of the alleged abuse casefuls of Saville.If any counsellors or those in a counselling role were involved in any dash with the children he had contact with it begs the question were they aware of something amiss and afraid to come forward because of who he was or for fear of repurcussions within their organisation? Thus, the counsellor can be put in a legally dangerous position whereby they are liable to pass information on to the employer under their contract and potentially liable to their client for breach of confidentiality.Counsellors may not only find themselves in an ethical dilemma regarding client self-sufficiency and client self harm or the client potentially harming others from a paid standards point of view as the law may be unclear about their legal responsibilities as well. When one thinks of the tragic case of Anna, although the counsellor did not face any legal repercussions, the law is not clear on rules or regulations to help minimise their legal vulnerability when making decisions as to what action to take or not take. code is much more clear cut in the areas of adoption and antisepsis than in other areas but still thither are un reliableties and conflicts of interest for the counsellor to wrestle with. The counsellor is presented with conflicting rights of the parent and their right to confidentiality on the one hand and the right of the child to know who their parents are on the other. When considering the case where a counsellor had to assess the degree of personal put on the line posed to the bi rth mother if personal information was released-it becomes clear that there are no clear guidelines for the counsellor which are laid raven by law. Thus, ethical and legal dilemmas could arise between the right of the single(a) to records and the right of the birth parent to privacy.Similarly, the counsellor is left to weigh up the gravity of keeping information confidential in cases of AIDS and human immunodeficiency virus whereby the client has the right to privacy but the partner has the right to be informed as they could be at risk of harm.According to Jenkins (1996), establishing a clear relationship with the law is one of the elements which is associated with acquiring full professional precondition. That is to say, a profession such as medicine, which has a recognised status in legislation and case law, is authorised to carry out certain activities and can delegate some of the responsibility for self-discipline and the maintenance of steep standards of practice.But, the l egal dimensions of therapy are not recognised in the same way and thus the legal obligations and responsibilities of the counsellor and the law remain unclear and select further exploration of the legal context in which the counsellor works. cardinal would hope that this dilemma would be worked on indepth to help counsellors to counsel effectively and of course, to avoid the fear of being sued as a result of infirm knowledge of the law or inadvertent negligence.

Califonia Consort: Piano Quintet Essay

The consert was my archetypal eon and delightful that I had a opportunity to see to realal euphony through the first concert, two mild Quintets performed by Karen Follingstad, Alyze Dreiling, Susan Ung, Lorie Kirkell, Bert Turetzky at the prosopopoeia Lutheran Church on February, 19, 2012. The performance consisted of two personas and the first piece performed was Piano quintet, Op 87 written by J.N. Hummel in the end of classic era and the molybdenum piece was Piano Quintet, Op 114 written by F. Schubert, the likewise as well known as The Trout. It was interesting that Hummel composed this quintet in 1802, almost 20 years before Schubert wrote the Trout in 1819 and their spell were widely contend during their lifetime in addition, the both of them have a common in that those two are famous Piano quintets. I thought that the melodies were quite and resounded magnificently in my mind. I could eve subconsciously focus on the notes and release feelings of tension.First of all, the Quintet Op.87 is a chef-doeuvre the first movement (Allegro E Risoluto Assai) at once captives and impresses the hearer with its advocator and passion. After this follows the Menuetto Y Trio, Largo, Allegra Agitato, is full of light-hearted merriment and ends with a brilliant and effective close. While listen to it, the melody reminded me of Mozarts pianistic style and The Trout, which would be performed incisively next to it and, actually, Hummel studied with Mozart. Especially, the first movement of Quintet, OP.87 sounded like tango to me and it started with the violin by Alyze Dreiling, then, the sub overdued sounded to make union. I felt that the lenient sound was extremely live and rhythmical, whereas, the new(prenominal)s created nervous tension for making concordance with the piano. As I said above, everything including Violin, Viola, Cello and Contrabass go tomed to be harmony with another, the sound reflected to be able to emphasize each instrument and piano quintet.The second movement, Menuetto Y Trio, Allegro con fuoco, started quietly but, soon, it make a juicyly elated atmosphere which I was going into and let myself to the persist of continuing intensive melody. On the other hand, it sounded for me to ease tension occasionally. At that time, I could even felt melancholy strain. It repeated to raise tensions constantly, which it was the first time that the melody made me high tension perceptionally and I was  impress by the harmony of the piano quintet because I had never been to any orchestra or concert. After that, the trine chapter, Largo, started and then, the sound of piano a bit went up with its fast pace and increased tension to a greater extent and more, which I felt like sadness and depressed emotion however, I could retrieve my mental stability by focusing on comprehend to it.My sentiment was raising highly as it was flowing fast diminished by tiny and, finally, was connected to the Finale, Allegra Agitat o, the last movement. In the last movement, it became mild, impregnable and brighter once again as if the first movement, the violin and cello sound practically attracted my circumspection because of the wonderful and lilting sound. In the end of the Finale, it went up with high pace again and presented the peculiar principal theme which was of a some martial birth. It ended up with the climax, tension of harmony. I could understand little why it is particularly interesting in its scoring and receive hummels great dramatic works by listening to it.Secondly, after Piano quintet, Op 87 performed, they played Piano Quintet, Op 114, widely known as The Trout. It was not first time to hear it but was first time to see the performance at the concert. It consists of five parts and is also immensely frequent and famous because it was made by F .Schubert. As the name is The Trout, I felt the piano sound was fresh and animated as if trout was liquid lively from the first movement. Whe n hiking the mountain and seeing the irrigate of a brook, we fuck feel being full of life, animation and restfulness. I felt just like when I see the water of a brook and could even imagine the figure of trout. In the first movement, Allegro Vivace, the four instruments made harmony slowly based on the piano sound and, especially, the violin and cello stood out clearly. The powerful sound of the cello by Lorie Kirkell was so great and played a role as bridge. I was impressed by a merit of cello sound again and again.The second movement, Andante, was so lyrical melody that I could feel stability and grandeur like I had lived in village and been satisfied with my life in addition, The three of the violin, viola and cello melodies definitely showed to advantage. I personally would like to listen to the harmony with lyricism because it radiates feeling of relaxation. From this part, I started to think this furrow was made for cello because the cello sounded ever-greater part of this music. After the second chapter, the third movement, Scherzo, was as if the piano and others were talking to each other to make harmony. It was greatly cheerful that it made me pleasant and it went up with fast pace. The light each sounds added zest to the melody. The reason why I listen to it again and again is this part because its flow was interesting to me like trout was playing in the water. In the fourth movement, Andantino, I felt different sensation of lilting due to the many times of playing a variation and found the other liveliness by hearing this chapter.This part was why it was named The Trout because it impresses that trout settles down to active, indeed. I also could imagine that trout was going all over in the water and playing moreover, I could know this part was made of cheerful feature entirely. The Finale, Allegro Giusto, also was brimful of vigor. The four strand instrument played theme and the piano repeated it in high speed. This part also made an impres sion which was fulfilled of vitality to me. I would like the music going on continuously fresh tune of the four string instruments sound. Somehow it made me feel like Hungary wanderer too because of the delightful melody. This performance was fascinating enough to hold attention of audiences. I was captivated by the great wonderful sound.By listening to these two piano quintets, I took a new step on the classic music. I was unfamiliar with classic music but, now, since I be this concert, I sometimes listen to classic music and relieve stress. without delay I realized that classical music has its own distinct arrest compared to new age and the impression from the melody could be amplified when I comprehended musical pieces on the spot. It was today when I sank into a deep emotion with classic music, precious harvest to attend the great concert and listen to classic music.

Marketing (Repositioning) Essay

There is a wide crease of forces acting upon organizations which make the rent for table service reposition inevitable. The main forces imply changing technology and expectations of customers, increased competition and changing nature of frugal relations, etc. Today, displace of existing service crack becomes a outline which helps companies to sustain strong merchandise position and resist competition. Following Lovelock and Wirtz (2003) displace advise be described as changing service characteristics aimed to tinct bracing market conditions. The main primps of conditions for service shift include (1) a market declension, (2) competition and (3) changing customers unavoidably. Therefore, repositioning is about the sweet mess of the company in the customers minds. It is about earning customers trust to make them willingly fall out the company.Market decline is the main reason which forces companies to reposition their service religious offering to remain profitabl e. For instance, if tr vitamin As of return are below competitive rate it can result in withdrawal from the attention and a decline in activity and competition. In this situation, companies inquire to reposition their service offering in decree to find novelborn markets and new target groups. shift is the best strategy used by companies to enter new markets native for the opportunities and new competitive positioning. For instance, in order to survive Fast accompany created a strategy aimed to reposition the magazine in the minds of advertisersa occupation that depends on first repositioning in the minds of readersand then executing (Lind assure, 2005). airway carriers use repositioning strategy to avoid market failure and decline. (Essential repositioning of the Airline. Luxair, n.d. atomic number 63s Winners and Losers, 2001). Also, this industry repositions itself in order to maintain mettlesome growth through optimization of a product mix and expert innovation. Very o ften, companies reposition their service offering using a type/ expense strategy. Some airline carriers have positi oned their chumps selling for twice the price of services emphasizing their national origins, demonstrating how quality and price can be reinforced (Essential repositioning of the Airline. Luxair, n.d.). It is possible to say that airline carriers look to change the experience of buying and using a service (the service benefit) to prove a price position (Lovelock and Wirtz, 2003).Increased competition and new market entrants can force companies to reposition their service offerings. On the one hand, new entrants to an industry bring new capacity, a desire to meet market share and position and new approaches to serving customer necessitate. It is distinguished to none that new competitors can have a negative touch on prices. Their strategy can result in reduced industry profitability (Lovelock and Wirtz, 2003). In this case, repositioning their service offering, companies try to find new service benefits to soak up potential consumers.For instance, tourism market in Jamaica needs a reposition in order to compete on the market and remain competitive. Golding, a leader of Jamaica Labour Party, says that the industry is running a risk right now because in that respect is significant increase in the number of rooms, particularly with the Spanish investments (Reposition tourism merchandise, 2006). Also, Golding admits that There is a need for a whole new approach to attraction development because there are so little offerings for the tourists, particularly at nights (Reposition tourism marketing, 2006). On the other hand, multinational companies like Vodafone mobile operator can daring a threat of service adaptation and can become a victim of global competitors (Calling for a rethink, 2006).In some cases, the companies need repositioning strategy to relocate the brand in consumers minds creating a competitive advantage.  This reposition ing strategy ensures the customers credibly (Lovelock and Wirtz, 2003). Repositioning helps companies to establish trustworthiness, confidence, and competence for customers. It is possible to say that repositioning becomes the best strategy to keep the companys identity and personality in the customers minds. The company can force customers to buy their products creating new image of the brand. In the era of globalization, repositioning strategy can help to differentiate the brand image from competitors proposing distinct features of the service offering. So, repositioning is not just about persuading and creating new image in the consumers minds, it is about earning consumers trust (Calling for a rethink, 2006).Another set of conditions under which it is appropriate to reposition an existing service offerings deals with future needs and wants of the customers and their changing expectations. Customers needs and wants have changed over time. These causes require companies to find ne w strategies and directions to deliver customer satisfaction. For instance, the main problems faced by WHO is that Like many an(prenominal) middle-aged organizations, a lot of the WHOs problems stem from the fact that it has not changed with the times (Repositioning the WHO, 1998).In this case, repositioning is needed to provide satisfaction of members genial needs, and a sense of personal identity. Also, WHO organizations regard government action as automatically good, profit as automatically evil, and intellectual property as theft (Repositioning the WHO, 1998). Advances in technology and innovations require new positioning strategies to attract potential customers around the world. In this situation, repositioning becomes a response to the need of customers and increased market competition.It is possible to conclude that managing repositioning effectively is a complex and challenging task. Although firms need to meet expectations of their customers and resist competitors in ord er to remain profitable. For many organizations, repositioning is measured as profits in one form or another, while for others they may be the accomplishment of social needs. Today, repositioning strategy is one of the most important elements of marketing which helps companies to respond effectively to changing demands and new economic environment.ReferencesCalling for a rethink. 2006. The Economist. http//www.economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=5444969 (accessed 19 elevated 2006)Essential repositioning of the Airline. Luxair. n.d.  http//www.luxair.lu/luxair/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=642&a=6662&l=en (accessed 19 fearful 2006).Europes Winners and Losers. The Continents slump will change the landscape. 2001. line of business Week. October 15.  http//www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/01_42/b3753136.htm (accessed 19 August 2006)Lindsay, J. 2005. Super Service How to raise The Business Publication You Just Bought for $35 Million. June 26.  http//www.medi abistro.com/articles/cache/a4669.asp (accessed 19 August 2006)Lovelock, Ch., Wirtz, J. 2003. Services Marketing, People, Technology, Strategy. Prentice Hall 5 ed.Reposition tourism marketing, says Golding. 2006. August 15. http//www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/html/20060812T210000-0500_111077_OBS_REPOSITION_TOURISM_MARKETING__SAYS_GOLDING_.asp (accessed 19 August 2006)Repositioning the WHO. 1998. The Economist. http//www.economist.com/research/backgrounders/displaystory.cfm?story_id=127783 (accessed 19 August 2006) 

Economical Analysis Essay

In this section, an economicalal analysis will be carried forbidden to comp ar the genesis bell of electricity from two different denotations. The propagation woo of electricity ($/kWh) from PV schema as well as ball up turbine will be considered. The computation for monetary value of electricity irrespective of the starting time depends on some(prenominal) factors such as the personify of great, the productivity and the sprightliness of the plant as well as the fuel and summons and charge costs. renewable sources have distinct characteristic of eliminating fuel cost and, as a consequence once the plant is setup, the vigor costs atomic number 18 largely fixed and inflation has a slight affect.However, productivity is extremely dependent on the site or mend hence the cost of vigor gougenot be uniquely defined. Generation of electricity by burn down fogey fuels incurs elements of costs, which conventionally argon not directly attributed to these offshootes. T hese costs argon termed External costs. They originate, for example, in subsidies such as tote upitionally provided infrastructure and look into and Development and environmental pollution. In contrast, renewable competency technologies incur fringy external costs. Generation costs may simply be evaluated as follows G = C R + f + m E where G is the whole cost of slide fastener ($/kWh)C is the initial capital cost ($) R is the annual charge rate (%) E is the annual cipher yield (kWh/kW) f is the fuel cost per unit ($/kWh) m is the operation and maintenance cost per unit ($/kWh) The capital recovery factor varies match to the period over which the capital is to be recovered, n long time, and the test bank force out rate, r, thus R = r / (1-(1+r) n) The cost of electricity from a particular proposition source of supply is in that locationfore dependent upon the particular combination of lever of these variables. Table (2) estimates the cost of kWh production from PV systems and gunman Turbine unit.To calculate the multiplication cost of the Gas Turbine, we assumed 25 years of units lifetime, 8% discount rate, and the unit will operate at its rated power for 8 hours for 9 months a year (2,160 hrs). On the other hand, the generation cost of the PV cells was estimated utilise PV arrays with panels facing south (Tilt angle 25o), the yearly estimated generated vigour was closely 1964 kWh/m2/yr and the panel cost of $5/Wp. The calculations indicated that under the assumed rank of interest and capital cost the unit generation cost using PV cells is more than three folds the generation cost of the Gas Turbine.A predisposition analysis was carried out by varying institution capital cost, and discount rate, Table (1). The results indicate that PV generation sewer be warlike to that from Gas Turbine when the capital cost drops to $2/Wp and at 8% interest level. The capital cost of PV generation is 30% higher than that of a gun for hire turbine system for the specified parameters. This is contributed to the high generalisation cost of the PV system and the low vicissitude efficiency. Further sensitivity analysis of some parameters, namely, conversion efficiency and installation cost were carried out.The results argon illustrated in table (2). The results suggested that a reduction of installation cost to 4 $/Wp the generation cost can be competitive to that of a gas turbine. Concluding that 1. The mathematical modeling indicate that the best tilt angle for a plane facing south is 25oC in the State of Qatar, and the year average total daily radiation was a bout 5. 295 kWh/m2. day for 25oC compared to 5. 062 kWh/m2. day for a horizontal surface. 2. Using a photovoltaic system can be more expensive than buy power from the local utility, through the electrical outlet in your wall.However, it is dramatically less expensive than running a power line to a remote area that is currently with out service. 3. Finance rate and impart te rm are critical economic elements because photovoltaic is capital intensive. The establishment of solar bank that makes capital readily available for solar energy systems and below market interest rates with more than 20 years terms should be pursued. 4. The basic economical evaluation of electricity generation in the State of Qatar suggests that photovoltaic technology is not far from beingness economically workable.The advanced technology and wide market demand of photovoltaic systems result in improved conversion efficiency and lower unit cost. However, it should be emphasized that photovoltaic systems are clean source of energy and their positive impact on the environment should be taken into consideration. PV systems convey power intermittently because they work only when the lie is shining. More electricity is produced on a clear, sunny day with more intense sunshine and with a more direct light angle, as when the sun is upright to the surface of the PV modules.Cloudy da ys can significantly reduce output, and of die hard no power is produced at night. PV systems work best during summer months when the sun is higher in the sky and the days are longer. Because of these variations, it is difficult for PV systems to furnish all the power you bespeak, and are typically use in concomitant with utility-supplied electricity Renewable Resources In 1987, a United Nations commission chaired by Gro Harlem Brundtland, the then Norwegian Prime Minister, was formed to determine how to reconcile economic development with environmental protection.The term sustainable development was first used in the commissions report, Our Common Future. The report recognized that renewable energy sources are essential for sustainable development because they provide us with constant sources of energy with fewer effects on the environment. It also identified that globally, there was the need for more efficient use of energy and that the industrialized world, especially, had to improve its saving efforts to lessen the impact of economic development on the environment. Renewable energy sources have been used for centuries.Until the mid-1800s, most of our energy came from two biomass sources, wood and peat. The location of many large plants and mills during the industrial era in atomic number 63 and North America was determined by the availability of fast flowing streams to generate power. It was not until the latter stages of the Industrial Revolution, the mid-1850s, and following the widespread internalisation of the steam-engine into factories, that fossil fuel use, mainly coal and oil, became commonplace. By incorporating fossil fuels into the manufacturing process instead of using water, industrialists were not limited to locations by rivers or streams.Plants could be located closer to sources of raw materials, markets or major shipping ports Renewable energy sources has been constantly being sought upon to replace dwindling fossil fuel reserves. Th e main question is where to look for these renewable energy sources. or so of them, like biomass, have already begun to contribute significantly to power generation in several developed nations like the US. Photvoltaic cells are economically possible in some locations and wind energy, though so far bring only a tiny fraction, is rapidly expanding in the US and several European nations.The search for renewable energy sources points to photovoltaics, wind, solar thermal electricity, and biomass-produced electricity. These are highly prized due to the ease at which electricity can be transported and converted into othe forms, with the none or low polluting energy that these bestow and because of the effectiveness that these sources may contribute in the near future. The earths atm acts like glass in a greenhouse sunlight can pass through, but the resulting heat cannot escape. Gases, such as carbon dioxide, are particularly effective at trapping heat.When burned, coal, oil and natu ral gas increase the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and the earths average temperature is raised. Renewable energy initiatives will result in lessen demand for fossil-fuelled electricity generation, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions These renewable sources once proven to be technically practical and economically feasible to provide required quantities of power, then there is no doubt that they would be greatly preferrable replace existing energy generation methods.An energy source can be classified as renewable provided the passed the following criterias 1. there should be and indefinite supply or at to the lowest degree can be harnessed for an extreme length of time. 2. there would be a great reduction in the world pollution. Or at least the pollution released by the manufacturing and generation of power using these resources would not add up to current contributors to pollution. 3. and lastly, the must be able to provide energy self-sufficiency or at the very least provide a great reduction in the energy dependency.

Neutrality of money

The dis elicit of bullion refers to the nonion that the effect of changes in an economys token(a) proviso of coin will father no set up on the surely variables like the real GDP, role and con matchption and only the nominal variables such as the prices, pay and the transform rate be affected. It was the standard feature of the mere1 macrostinting model of unemployment and flash that was based upon the assumption of quickly clearing perfectly competitive markets and the bullion market was governed by the quantity guess (Ackley, 1978).This resulted in what was known as the classical music dichotomy the real and monetary sectors of the economy could be analysed severally as real variables like create, employment and real touch rank would not be affected by whatever was going on in the nominal segment of the economy and vice-versa. The objective of the present assay is to explore this concept of neutrality by delving into its theoretical motivations and basis and thereby introspecting upon the extent to which distinguishing between go around do and coarse run neutrality are important before briefly exploring the achievable methods of empirically investigation the notion and concluding.In the standard classical macroeconomic model, which was the basis of answering all macroeconomic questions before Keyness General theory brought frontward its capturing assault onto it, the connection between the bullion put out and the price aim was made through the quantity theory thusly implying that the price level would vary to ensure the real come occupy, which was assumed to be a procedure of the real coin hand over, was in alignment with the available yield of output unconquerable in the market for grok.The quantity theory just posits that real property balances are guideed in proportion to real income. This put up be expressed asMD/ P = (1/v).Y where MD represents the nominal demand for money balances, P the price level, v the ve locity of circulation of money and finally Y the real GDP. Now by assumption, v is unvarying MD equals the supply of money which is exogenous (MD, = MS = M) in counterpoise and Y is fixed at its equilibrium value (Y= Y*) determined in the labour market. As a result the quantity theory equation essentially becomes an equation that determines the price level for different levels of money. We devote, P = v.(M/Y*) .Evidently, changes in the money supply now shall only enamor the prices. This is the basis of the notion of neutrality of money which therefore is a assume derivative of the assumption of the quantity theory itself (Carlin and Soskice, 1990).An augment in the supply of money initially leads to a rise in the aggregate demand above the real output (Y*, which is exogenous to the money market) collectable to change magnitude availability of cash balances. Due to the excess demand line the prices are pushed up until the demand for real output reduces to equal the supply of it. origin that in the classical system, the rate of pursuance plays the role of equating savings and investment at full employment and does not enter the money market.However, in the 1930s the great depression which was essentially a smear of cascading mass unemployment had no convincing explanation in terms of the classical modelling which proposed that an economy would always operate at full employment. This situation of mass unemployment and the lack of forthcoming explanations of the phenomenon in terms of the classical full-employment framework provided the context for the introduction of the Keynesian model of unemployment.Although he upheld the assumption of perfectly competitive markets, he assumed prices to be fixed and money wages to be rigid and in elastic especially in the downward command in the short run thereby implying the inability of the prices and wages to array to excess supply situations in the labour market employment and output were determined by the effective aggregate demand in the growth market. Consumption was assumed to be a function of real income implying savings, essentially the remainder of real income after consumption to be a function of real income as well sooner than a function of real rate of interest as in the classical framework, and aggregate demand was made up of the planned expenses for consumption, investment and government expenses (for a unlikeable economy).Contrary to the classical model, in the Keynesian framework the rate of interest serves in equating real demand and supply of money rather than equating investment and full employment savings. This set up not only brings forth the possibility of equilibrium with unemployment prevalent in the labour market, it also dispels the concept of neutrality of money. An exogenous increase in the money supply through its effect on the real rate of interest affects the amount of investment and through that causes a change in the aggregate demand and thus in the r eal output and employment. So, this framework proves the non-neutrality of money the short run (Mankiw, 2000).But in the long run, money corporation be deemed to have neutral effects through the following reasoning. An increase in the money supply will reduce the interest pass judgment and increase investment. However, as the money supply rises, the real stock of money balances exceeds the desired level thus necessitating the expenditure on goods to be raised(a) in order to re-establish the optimum and in that creating an excess demand in the goods market. In the long run prices and wages are perfectly flexible and in the presence of excess demand, there is a rise in the price level until the excess demand is satisfied, at the cutting equilibrium. again this rise in prices leads to an increase in the demand for money and thus leads to a restoration of the real interest rates and investments to their initial levels (Patinkin, 1987). Therefore, in the long run money supply increas es have no effects on real interest rates, investment, or output in the long run. So, we find that although money is actually non-neutral in the long run due to the wage-price inflexibility in the short run, in the long run money has neutral effects. Infact, Patinkin (1956) notes that not only is money neutral in the short run but this short run neutrality is absolutely demand for the quantity theory to hold. If this non-neutrality is denied and the classical dichotomy is accepted, then there is no theory of money, quantity theory or otherwise.Testing the neutrality of money would require one to measure the effects of altered money supply has on real variables like the real GDP, employment and real interest rate. One approach possible would be to use a metre serial publication data set with values for these variables.A regression would be run to ascertain the extent of effects if any, the changes in money supply over time has had on the real variables. In fact, Fisher and Seater ( 1993) have used time series data in this manner to examine the neutrality of money. Their methodology however requires the usage of advanced econometric tools. numerous consequent studies2 have adopted this methodology to test time series data for different regions and check for neutrality of money.Another option would be to use cross section data with different regions specified by different money supply values. By gauging the differences in the values of the real variables of these regions and relating these with the differences in the money supply values through regression synopsis can be another way of testing for neutrality of money.So, to sum up, we have seen that although short run neutrality of money is not a valid proposition, money does not have real effects in the long run. In the final section we have suggested two possible approaches to testing the neutrality of money.ReferencesAckley, G., (1978). Macroeconomics Theory and Policy, New York MacmillanBoschen, J.F. &typ e A Otrok, C.M., (1994) Long run neutrality and superneutrality in anARIMA framework comment, American economical Review 84, 1470-1473.Carlin, W., & Soskice, D., (1990) Macroeconomics and the Wage Bargain A Modern Approach to Employment, Inflation, and the Exchange Rate, U.K. Oxford University shoveFisher, M.E. & Seater, J.J., (1993) Long run neutrality and superneutrality in an ARIMA framework, American Economic Review 83, 402-415.Mankiw, N.G., (2000) macroeconomics 4th ed, Worth publishers, New YorkPatinkin., D. (1987) Neutrality of money, The New Palgrave A Dictionary of Economics, v. 3, pp. 639-4Patinkin, D., (1956) Money, interest and prices An integration of monetary and value theory, New York course of instruction Peterson 1 One should be beware of the misleading potential of the term classical and note its distinct presence in macroeconomics and its modern adoptions in the forms of new classical economics and thereby avoid confusing it with the school of economic th ought associated with Marx, Smith and Ricardo. 2 e.g., Boschen and Otrok (1994) for the US

Gwen Harwood Essay

To what extent does your response to Father and Child allege your judgement of this poem and Harwoods poetry as a exclusively? (In your essay refer to at least one other poem) For a true appreciation of the sanctity of aliveness and for true spiritual maturation, an respective(prenominal) must accept and come to terms with the frail mortality of human being lifetime. Harwoods poetry holds truly harrowing language to convey how her bear personal contracts and relationships have led her to an en igniteened state of being, with continual use of religious metaphor and allusion to convey her ameliorateed spirituality.One of her poems that shows this is, At Mornington, is a upbraiding of her life, from her early tikehood experiences at the beach, to her empower middle-aged self, by the grave of her parents. Another that examines this is Father and Child, which is in two separate sections, the first portraying her initial confrontation with oddment as a child and the sancti on conveying her acceptance of mortality when she is forced to part ways with her demise father. Life is a fleeting and impermanent state that must be treated with an almost religious sanctity in preserving and protecting it.In Father and Child, Harwood uses the innocent and protected narrative voice of a child to convey the distressing emotions she experiences while watching the pain and suffering of a barn owl, and her shock when witnessing the true nature of death. This is shown in the recurring hookup of graphic, pathologic imagery of the owl as this obscene bundle of lunge that dropped, and dribbled by loose straw, tangling in bowels. This confrontation leads her into a self-discovery of her own ferociousness (in the metaphor eyes mirror my cruelty) and the need to preserve life.It similarly develops her mental and spiritual maturation while coming to terms with the briefness of life. Experiences and relationships can also shape ones appreciation of life and discernmen t of the nature of death. This is shown in part two of the poem, Night Fall, when, through a mature narrative voice, Harwood explores how, through loss, we can accept the morbid nature of death and truly appreciate life, as evidenced in the last two lines of accumulation as the narrator mourns the loss of her father, pornographic to learn what sorrows, in the end, no ords, no tears can purify. This ultimately furthers her ability to realise the value in appreciating the sanctity of life and accepting the inevitability of death. An acceptance of the transient nature of life is an inborn part in achieving an enriched state of being and acknowledging the limits of human existence. The second poem, At Mornington, juxtaposes the innocence of youth in her first stanza with the mature and understanding of her present self, throughout the rest of the poem, to signify the changing perspectives induced by experience and age.The recurring water motif in caught by a beckon among rattling sh ells on what flood are they borne fugitive as light in a sea-wet shell is symbolic of the various stages of her life and the conflict nature of emotion, conveying the impermanent and fragile nature of life as she comes to an understanding of its sanctity. Upon reflection, an individual may also find an acceptance of death in an understanding of the transient nature of life, through reminiscing old memories and appreciating the varied yet cyclical nature of life.This is shown through the consideration of past sentiments in the last stanza, using symbolism, metaphor and an accepting tone in the love-in-idleness of this day will shine like light on the event of the waters that bear me away for ever. Harwood is able to convey this kernel through her poetry so that a responder may be able to reflect upon their own experiences and come to a better understanding and acceptance of life, giving one the opportunity to further their own experiences and enrich their own lives with these wi sdoms.It also leads an individual into a self-discovery of their own personal truths in terms of an appreciation of the life they live. For it is only through an acceptance of the tenuity of human life and the inevitability of death that an individual can move over true spiritual maturation and fully appreciate life.

Homework Assignment Essay

1.Prepare an analysis of the automobile manufacturing industry exploitation Porters tail fin forces framework. For each component force can support for your conclusion. In addition, at the completion of your analysis will a conclusion, along with support, of whether you expect the automobile industry to report high or low profitability in the near future.2. Tremble high society manufactures clear wear for women. During 2009, the company reported the following items that affected cash.Required maneuver whether each of these items is a cash flow from operating activities (O), investing activities (I), or financing activities (F).A. salaried cash for suppliesB. Purchased equipment by paying cashC. stack away cash on account from customersD. Paid dividends to stockholdersE. Paid suppliers for fabricF. Borrowed specie from a bank on a long-term noteG. Paid interest to bank on the noteH. Paid wages to employeesI. interchange shares of common stock to new stockholders3. The followi ng selected financial data refer to four companies a hotel, a travel agency, a meat wadding company and a pharmaceutical company.Required Match each with the financial information and explain why you made your choice as you did. difference Sheet data(component percentages)Company1Company2Company 3Company 4 immediate payment7.222.06.011.2Accounts Receivable28.040.03.423.0Inventory21.40.50.927.4Property, Plant & Equipment 32.019.075.125.0Income Statement Data(component percentages)Gross Profit15.2Not ApplicableNot Applicable44.0Profit before Taxes1.83.32.57.0RatiosCurrent ratio (over the last five years)1.61.30.51.8Inventory turnover ratio27.8Not ApplicableNot Applicable 3.4 Debt-to-equity ratio1.82.35.81.44. Use the current asset component of the balance sheets of the El Paso Company as of January 31, 2012 and 2011 presented below to answer the questions that follow.2012 2011Cash and cash equivalents$ 75,000$ 58,800Trade accounts receivable, net 157,500 193,200Inventory 208,2 00 253,400Other current assets 18,400 15,500 innate current assets$ 459,100$ 520,900Total assets$2,650,000$3,430,000Required(a) In the spaces provided below, complete a theatrical role deepen analysis of the current asset section of El Paso Companys balance sheet for 2012, using the following format to provide your answers for the amount of dollar change and the amount of percentage change, rounding % Change to one decimal place, e.g., 8.3%.Accounts$ Change% Change(b) Provide a go around evaluation of this analysis.

Romanticism in Friedrich’s “The Monk by the Sea”

Darkness, emotions, and mysticismthese are just some of the terms that send away be used to describe Fried loadeds The Monk by the sea. Produced in 1809, this oil on fuckingvass ideally characterizes the period to which the creative person belongs the Romanticism. With its subject, simulation, style, and national, the operative madely evokes the main tenets common during the Romantic advance. socio-economic classalist and thematic analyses of the fix whoremaster lead modern beders to a better understanding of the execute and the message that the artist wants to convey. Brief BackgroundCaspar David Friedrich was a German jaguar born in 1774 in Greifswald, Germany. Despite poverty, the artist received full-dress art study from artist Johann Gottfried Quistorp, who conducted art sessions outdoors. Exposure to the local color and environment thus helped the artist master the art of landscape. His paintings, which generally chance on tenets of the Romantic Age, make him hotshot of the most important artists during his while. (Vaughan, 1972, 65). Particularly, as Murray (2004, 338) notes, his landscapes get off the captureers gaze towards metaphysical dimension.His seascape titled, Monk by the Sea won admiration even from the 15-year-old King Frederick III Wilhelm of Prussia, whose purchase in 1810 declared the artists throw as his masterpiece. Analysis of Form A formalist analysis of the painting suggests the artists overall craftsmanship. minimal art best defines the style that the artist employed in his work. Basically, the see to it of the monastic, which appears precise minimal and solitary, helps achieve emphasis on the subject.The minimalist use of a variety of colors for the total background readily implies the contrast in the midst of shadower and slack that the artist wants to portray. Specifically, the submission of sliminess to loose or vice versa narrows down the color and texture of the painting. This minimalism of colo r and complex body part thus allows the author to present some characteristics ideal to Romantic art. The whole count on can be divided horizontally into three contrary parts, namely, the sky, the sea, and the land.The great expanse of the sky, which covers at least five-sixths of the canvass (Web Gallery of Art, n. d. ), attracts assist considering the light it sheds on the whole image. Through devoting much space to the sky, the artist achieves artistic drama, which is very typical of the Romantic Movement. Specifically, the center clouds where a rich combination of colors is applied, capture the motion of light breaking into the shamefulness and at the same time the darkness eating up the light. much(prenominal) drama found in genius suggests some Romantic thoughts that perplex out sentimentality from the sense of hearing.Depicting the sea with great darkness, Friedrich made it a point to limit this part to at least single-eights of the canvass. This allows the other im ages, such as the sky, the land, and the monk to take form, while it allows the purpose of showing the mend of the monk at the same time. On the one hand, the element of darkness suggests the artists dip to contemplate on the darkness of genius and its mystery. On the other, it in any case suggests the themes of death and the obscure, which other painters similarly dealt on during this time (i. e. Goya, Delaroix). The monk standing by the sea seems lost and forlorn, thus otiose to see the great storm coming. In a description by Marie von Kugelgen, one of Friedrichs followers, the lady wrote to her friend Friederike Volkmann A vast everlasting expanse of sky still, no wind, no moon, no storm thence a storm would have been some consolation for then one would at least see life and movement On the double-dyed(a) sea there is no boat, no ship, not even a sea monster, which make the loneliness even more desolate and tremendous (Web Gallery of Art).This clearly shows the initia l attention that the work garnered from the open. Widely acknowledge for the great landscapes he formerly depicted, the artist moldiness have surprise his followers with the dark portrayal of the sea coupled by the view of the monk who seems to submit himself unrelentingly to the vast rupturing sky and the deep dark sea in front of him. Nevertheless, the purchase of King Frederick III Wilhelm helped the work gain much favor it deserved. Later on, Clemens Brentanos description of the work suggests the acceptance of the work by the public.From the horrible experience the work elicited in Kugelgen, Brentano notes the splendid, infinite loneliness of the monk by the shore (Held, 2003). This shows the publics appreciation of the work, following its acceptance by the king. In Brentanos critique, we may note the contemporary viewers appreciation of the work, scorn the loneliness it presents. This also shows the ability of the viewer to occupy to the monks experience, thus reflecting the positive attitude toward the theme of death, which other Romantic artists and writers debate in their works.Further to the thematic analysis of the work, one can embrace the artists idea of communing with nature. The idea of the monk leaving the monastery in order to enjoy or contemplate the quietness and simplicity of nature strongly suggests a Romantic attitude. However, aside from portraying the greatness of nature, the view also shows that while the Romanticists regard nature as beautiful and powerful, they also view it with sensuous nuance. The dark colors of the sky and the sea affect the coming of a destructive storm.This reflects Friedrichs attempt to break the common concept of a beautiful sky at midday. Anticipating the great storm, the sense of hearing may feel a trusted concern for the monk, some fretfulness that destructs quiet contemplation. In addition, the combination of darkness and light yields the artists spontaneity and freedom. Since the monk is the o nly figure meant to appear at vertical angle, the rest of the image appears to be painted with free hand and brushstrokes that provoke at some point with a vanishing effect in the light colors of the sky.Furthermore, the solitariness of the monk asserts the Romantic idea of individualism. Using the monk as subject reveals Friedrichs attempt to explore on the thoughts and emotions of a common man. Normally looked upon for their wisdom and strength, the image of the monk amid the darkness and light somehow distracts the idea of perfection among the religious members of the society. This characteristic adheres to the Romantic Age by the artists rejection of traditional values of social social organization and religion. (Worldwide Art Resources Web Site, n. d. ) Through the use of nature, the artist reveals the monks seeming confusion and loneliness as he casts view at the sea. Although the audience may have different perceptions of the experience that the monk undergoes, the image n evertheless suggests the imperfection in the life of a monk, the loneliness that they undergo, and the request to take part in the usual activity of nature. Centering on a single hero, the work portrays the individual struggle of every monk.By making the monk turn his back from the audience, the artist portrays his contemplation. More importantly, however, this portrayal makes the monk anonymous. Depicting a monk in this way makes his experiencehis struggles and lonelinessuniversal in nature. It also suggests the commonness of the place, the scenery, and the emotion, to which viewers can possibly relate. Brentanos description of the work reflects the artists successful attempt to make the meaning universal.According to the author, the scenery allows the viewers to relate to the scene, making one feel that one has gone there, that one must return, that one would like to cross over This implies that despite the centrality of the work to the image of the monk, the audience can still r elate to the contemplative experience that Friedrich depicts. The catholicity of the subject and the surroundings makes one long to reflect on a similar struggle the audience may have had at certain points in their lives.Another Romantic characteristic that the work reflects is the artists interest in the mystical aspect of life, which he portrays through the bass and vast skies and the dark sea. As Brentano claims, these evoke mixed feelings, from the horror of one viewer, comes a grayness of the other (Held, 2003, 84). Such combination of emotions that the artist draws from the audience signifies its successful portrayal of the mystical motifs in life, such as the coalition between darkness and light, the Apocalyptic view of the skies, and the solitude that such a view creates in everyone who witnesses it.Showing the figure of the monk amid the chaotic tendency of nature suggests the mystic relation among Gods creation. Overall, the coordinate and theme that Friedrich employs i n his work consistently reflect valuable characteristics of Romantic art. Up to now, the darkness, emotions, and mysticism that the artist projects through his choice of subject, color combination, tone and structure still provide the modern audience with the same experience that viewers of the painting had in 1809.

Zoe’s Tale PART II Chapter Nineteen

And wouldnt you bash. slightly function big was arranged.The colonial articulation showed up.The shuttle come and a little green man popped bring out. And I fantasy, This count onms familiar. It was even the comparable little green man ecumenical Rybicki. only when thither were differences. The archetypal quantify I axiom General Rybicki, he was in my research yard, and it was upright him and me. This clock his shuttle landed in the grassy vault of heaven right in front end of Croatoans gate, and a large chunk of the sm both town had rancid out to learn him land. He was our first imageor since we came to Roanoke, and his show commandmed to give the idea that maybe we would fin each(prenominal)y be out of exile.General Rybicki s similarlyd in front of the shuttle and looked at the plenty in front of him. He waved.They cheered wildly. This went on for s eeral minutes. Its similar people had neer seen psyche wave forrader.Fin each(prenominal)y the general spoke. Colonists of Roanoke, he utter. I bring you trump in proclaimigence agency. Your days of hiding argon over. This was interrupted by a nonher gouty arthritis of cheering. When it calmed down, the general continued. As I speak to you, my ship to a higher place is inst bothation your communications sa declaimite. Soon you willing be able to load messages to friends and ac grappleledge mavins back on your home planets. And from here on out, each the electronic and communication equipment you had been legitimate to stop using will be returned to you. This got a huge whoop from the teenage sectors of the crowd.We k instantaneously that we suck asked much from you, Rybicki state. I am here to single out you that your sacrifice has non been wasted. We bank that actu any(prenominal) toldy briefly now the enemy that has threatened you will be contained and non further contained, b atomic number 18ly defeated. We couldnt have through with(p) this without you . So for tout ensemble of the colonial totality, I thank you.More cheering and non find. The general seemed to be enjoying his second base in the sun. promptly I must speak with your settlement drawing cardship to discuss how to reintegrate you into the compound Union. Some of this may take nearly time, so I ask you to be a little patient. solely until hence, let me just say this Welcome back to civilizationNow the crowd re every last(predicate)y went nuts. I rolled my eyes and looked down at Babar, who went with me to the landing. This is what happens when you spend a year out in the wilderness, I said. all dumb affair looks similar landtainment. Babar looked up at me and lolled his tongue out I could tell he agreed with me. Come on, accordingly, I said. And we walked through with(predicate) the crowd to the general, who I was supposed to escort back to my dad.General Rybicki saw Babar before he saw me. Hey he said, and bent down for his slobbering, which Babar punct ually and enthusiastically applied. He was a good dog however non a hugely accurate judge of character. I call up you, he said to Babar, petting him. He looked up and saw me. I reappendage you, too.Hello, General, I said, politely. The crowd was still milling around us simply quickly dispersing as folks raced to all corners of the liquidation to pass on what they were told.You look taller, he said.Its been a year, I said. And I am a growing girl. This despite macrocosm kept in the dark all this time.The general seemed not to catch this. Your m other said that you would be escorting me to see them. Im a little surprised that they didnt come out themselves, he said.Theyve had a busy couple of days, I said. As have we all.So colony life is to a greater extent exciting than you thought it would be, the general said.Something similar that, I said, and because moti iodind. I lie with my dad is very interested in confabulationing to you, General. Lets not keep him waiting.I he ld my labor organizer in my hand. at that place was roundthing not quite right more or less it.Gretchen noticed it too. It feels weird, she said. Its been so persistent since we carried one around. Its manage Ive forgotten how to do it.You seemed to remember pretty healthful when we were using the ones in the development center, I said, inciteing her of how wed spent a comme il faut inwardness of the kick the bucket year.Its as crystaliseed, she said. I didnt say Id forgotten how to enforce one. Im state Ive forgotten what it was like to carry one around. Two different things.You could everlastingly give it back, I said.I didnt say that, Gretchen said, quickly. Then she smiled. Still, you have to wonder. In the last year people here very did manage to pay a vast without them just fine. All the hootenannies and the plays and the other stuff. She looked at her PDA. Makes you wonder if theyre all going to go away now.I look theyre segment of who we are now, I said. As Roanokers, I mean.Maybe, Gretchen said. Its a nice thought. Well have to see if its actually true.We could practice a virgin song, I said. hickory says Dickorys been lacking to try something new for a while now.Thats funny, Gretchen said. One of your bodyguards has become a musical fiend.Hes a Roanoker too, I said.I guess he is, Gretchen said. Thats funny, too.My PDA blinked something happened with Gretchens as well. She peered at hers. Its a message from Magdy, she said. This is going to be bad. She moved(p) the PDA to open it. Yup, she said, and showed me the picture. Magdy sent a short video of him mooning us.Some people are overhearting back into the swing of things sooner than others, I said.Unfortunately, Gretchen said. She tapped onto her PDA. There, she said. I do a note to kick his ass the following(a) time I see him. She motioned at my PDA. He send it to you, too?Yes, I said. I gestate Ill refrain from opening it.Coward, Gretchen said. Well, whence, what is goi ng to be your first official act on your PDA?Im going to send a message to a certain deuce someones, I said. And tell them that I neediness to see them alone.We apologize for being late, hickory tree said to me, as it and Dickory stepped into my bedroom. study Perry and General Rybicki gave us priority status on a data packet so that we could communicate with our governing. It took some time to prepare the data.What did you send? I asked. boththing, hickory tree said.Everything, I said. Every whiz thing you two and I did in the last year.Yes, hickory said. A digest of events now, and a more comprehensive report as soon as we can. Our people will be desperate to know what has happened with you since they last heard from us. They expect to know you are well and un sufferinged.This includes what happened last night, I said. All of it. Including the part where you oh so lightly mentioned your plans to murder my parents.Yes, hickory tree said. We are sorry to have upset you, Zoe. We would not have gazeed to do that. notwith behaveing you offered us no alternative when you told us to speak the truth to your parents.And what roughly to me? I asked.We have always told you the truth, hickory tree said.Yes, but not all of it, have you? I said. You told pa that you had information somewhat the conclave that you didnt tell him approximately. besides you didnt tell it to me, either. You kept secrets from me, Hickory. You and Dickory both.You never asked, Hickory said.Oh, dont give me that crap, I said. Were not playing word games here, Hickory. You kept us in the dark. You kept me in the dark. And the more Ive thought or so it, the more I recognize how you acted on what you knew without telling me. All those alien races you had me and Gretchen study in the information center. All the races you trained us how to weightlift. Hardly both of them were in the crew. Beca intention you knew that if the junto gear up us first, theyd try everything not to fight us.Yes, Hickory said.Dont you cypher I should have known that? I asked. Dont you take it would have mattered to me? To all of us? To the entire colony?We are sorry, Zoe, Hickory said. We had orders from our government not to reveal information to your parents that they did not already know, until such time as it became absolutely necessary. That would have only been if the Conclave were to appear in your sky. Until wherefore, we were essential to exercise care. If we had spoken to you about it, you would have subjectively informed your parents. And so we decided that we would not bring these things up with you, unless you asked us at present about them.And why would I do that? I asked.Indeed, Hickory said. We trouble the necessity. just now we saw no other alternative.Listen to me, both of you, I said, and then halt. Youre recording this now, arent you.Yes, Hickory said. We always record, unless you tell us otherwise. Would you like us to stop recording?No, I said. I actual ly want all of you to hear this. First, I forbid you to harm my parents in any way. Ever.Major Perry has already informed us that he would surrender the colony or else than destroy it, Hickory said. Since this is true in that respect is no creator to harm either him or Lieutenant Sagan.It doesnt matter, I said. Who knows if theres going to be other time you decide its going to be necessary to try to seize rid of John and Jane?It seems un liable(predicate), Hickory said.I dont care if its more likely that I was going to sprout wings, I said. I didnt think it was ever possible that you powerfulness think to kill my parents, Hickory. I was wrong about that. Im not going to be wrong about it again. So bank it. Swear you will never harm my parents.Hickory spoke briefly to Dickory in their own language. We swear it, Hickory said.Swear it for all Obin, I said.We cannot, Hickory said. That is not something we can promise. It is not within our power. merely neither Dickory nor I will seek to harm your parents. And we will defend them against all those who would try to harm them. Even other Obin. This we swear to you, Zoe.It was the last part of this that do me mean Hickory. I hadnt asked him to defend John and Jane, just not harm them. Hickory added it in. They both did. convey you, I said. I tangle as if I were suddenly coming unwound until that second I didnt hold how maneuvered up I was just sitting there, talking about this. Thank you both. I really need to hear that.You are welcome, Zoe, Hickory said. Is there something else you want to ask us?You have files on the Conclave, I said.Yes, Hickory said. We have already given them to Lieutenant Sagan for analysis.That made perfect sense Jane had been an intelligence officer when she was in the Special Forces. I want to see them, too, I said. Everything you have.We will provide them to you, Hickory said. But there is a lot of information, and not all of it is easy to transform. Lieutenant Sagan is far mo re qualified to work with this information.Im not saying give it to me and not her, I said. I just want to see it too.If you wish, Hickory said.And anything else that you might foreshorten from your government on the Conclave, I said. And I mean all of it, Hickory. no(prenominal) of this you didnt ask directly junk from now on. Were done with that. Do you understand me?Yes, Hickory said. You understand that the information we receive might in itself be incomplete. We are not told everything.I know, I said. But you still seem to know more than we do. And I want to understand what were up against. Or were, anyway.why do you say were? Hickory asked.General Rybicki told the crowd today that the Conclave was about to be defeated, I said. Why? Do you know any different?We do not know any different, Hickory said. But we do not think that just because General Rybicki says something in everyday to a large crowd, it essence he is telling the truth. Nor does it mean that Roanoke itself is alone out of hazard.But that doesnt make any sense, I said. I held up my PDA to Hickory. We were told we can use these again. That we can use all of our electronics again. We had stopped using them because they would give us away. If were allowed to use them again, we dont have to worry about being given away.That is one interpretation of the data, Hickory said.Theres another? I asked.The general did not say that the Conclave had been defeated, but that he believed they would be defeated, Hickory said. That is correct?Yes, I said.Then it is possible that the general means for Roanoke to play a part in the defeat of the Conclave, Hickory said. In which case, it is not that you are being allowed to use your electronics because it is safe. You are being allowed to use them because you are now bait.You think the Colonial Union is leading the Conclave here, I said, after a minute.We offer no opinion one way or another, Hickory said. We note only that it is possible. And it fits what da ta we have. leave you told my dad about this? I asked.We have not Hickory began, but I was already out the door.Close the door behind you, daddy said.I did.Who have you talked to about this? he asked.Hickory and Dickory, obviously, I said. No one else.No one? popping asked. non even Gretchen?No, I said. Gretchen had gone off to harass Magdy for sending her that video. I was beginning to wish I had gone with her instead of devising Hickory and Dickory come to my room.Good, Dad said. Then you need to keep quiet about it, Zoe. You and the alien twins.You dont think what Hickory is saying is going to happen, do you? I asked.Dad looked directly at me, and once again I was reminded how much older he was than he appeared. It is going to happen, he said. The Colonial Union has laid a trap for the Conclave. We disappeared a year ago. The Conclave has been looking for us all that time, and the CU has spent all that time preparing the trap. Now its ready, so were being dragged back into view. When General Rybickis ship goes back, theyre going to let it leak where we are. The news will get back to the Conclave. The Conclave will send its transcend here. And the Colonial Union will destroy it. Thats the plan, anyway.Is it going to work? I asked.I dont know, Dad said.What happens if it doesnt? I asked.Dad laughed a very slim and bitter laugh. If it doesnt, then I dont think the Conclave is going to be in any mood for negotiations, he said.Oh, God, I said. We have to tell people, Dad.I know we do, he said. I tried belongings things from the colonists before, and it didnt work very well. He was talking about the werewolves there, and I reminded myself that when all this was done I needed to come clean to him about my own adventures with them. But I also dont need another panic on our hands. tribe have been whipsawed abundant in the last couple of days. I need to figure out a way to tell people what the CU has mean without putting them in fear for their lives.Desp ite the fact they should be, I said.That is the catch, Dad said, and gave another bitter chuckle. Then he looked at me. Its not right, Zoe. This whole colony is built on a lie. Roanoke was never think to be a real colony, a viable colony. It exists because our government needed a way to thumb its nose at the Conclave, to defy its colony ban, and to buy time to build a trap. Now that its had that time, the only reason our colony exists is to be a goat at a stake. The Colonial Union doesnt care about us for who we are, Zoe. It only cares about us for what we are. What we represent to them. What they can use us for. Who we are doesnt actually enter into it.I know the feeling, I said.Im sorry, Dad said. Im getting both swindle and depressed.Its not abstract, Dad, I said. Youre talking to the girl whose life is a treaty point. I know what it means to be valued for what I am rather than who I am.Dad gave me a hug. Not here, Zoe, he said. We love you for you. Although if you want to te ll your Obin friends to get off their asses and help us, I wouldnt mind.Well, I did get Hickory and Dickory to swear not to kill you, I said. So thats progress, at least.Yes, baby steps in the right direction, Dad said. Itll be nice not to have to worry about being knifed by members of my household.Theres always Mom, I said.Trust me, if I ever annoyed her that much, she wouldnt use something as painless as a knife, Dad said. He kissed me on the cheek. Thanks for coming to tell me what Hickory said, Zoe, he said. And thanks for keeping it to yourself for now.Youre welcome, I said, and then pointednessed for the door. I stopped before I turned the handle. Dad? How long do you think it will take before the Conclave is here?Not long, Zoe, he said. Not long at all.In fact, it took just about two weeks.In that time, we prepared. Dad found a way to tell everyone the truth without having them panic He told them that there was still a good chance the Conclave would find us and that the Colo nial Union was training on making a stand here that there was still insecurity but that we had been in danger before, and that being smart and prepared was our best defense. Colonists called up plans to build bomb shelters and other protections, and used the excavation and construction machinery wed kept packed up before. People kept to their work and stayed optimistic and prepared themselves as best they could, readying themselves for a life on the edge of a war.I spent my time reading the stuff Hickory and Dickory gave me, watching the videos of the colony removals, and poring through the data to see what I could learn. Hickory and Dickory were right, there was just too much of it, and lots of it in formats I couldnt understand. I dont know how Jane managed to keep it all straight in her head. But what was there was tolerable to know a few different things.First, the Conclave was huge everyplace four speed of light races belonged to it, each of them pledging to work together to colonize new worlds rather than compete for them. This was a wild idea up until now all the hundreds of races in our part of space fought with each other to cinch worlds and colonize them, and then once they created a new colony they all fought tooth and nail to keep their own and wipe out everyone elses. But in the Conclave setup, creatures from all sorts of races would live on the same planet. You wouldnt have to compete. In theory, a great idea it beats having to try to kill everyone else in the area but whether it would actually work was still up in the air.Which brought up the second point It was still incredibly new. General Gau, the head of the Conclave, had worked for more than twenty years to put it together, and for most of those years it kept looking like it was going to fall apart. It didnt help that the Colonial Union us humans and a few others expended a lot of life force to break it up even before it got together. But somehow Gau made it happen, and in the l ast couple of years had actually taken it from planning to practicality.That wasnt a good thing for everyone who wasnt part of the Conclave, especially when the Conclave started making decrees, like that no one who wasnt part of the Conclave could colonize any new worlds. Any argument with the Conclave was an argument with every member of the Conclave. It wasnt a one-on-one thing it was a four-hundred-on-one thing. And General Gau made sealed people knew it. When the Conclave started bringing fleets to remove those new colonies that other races planted in defiance, there was one ship in that fleet for every race in the Conclave. I tried to imagine four hundred battle plea certain boats suddenly popping up over Roanoke, and then remembered that if the Colonial Unions plan worked, Id see them soon enough. I stopped trying to imagine it.It was fair to wonder if the Colonial Union was insane for trying to leg it a fight with the Conclave, but as big as it was, its newness worked aga inst it. Every one of those four hundred allies had been enemies not too long ago. Each of them came in to the Conclave with its own plans and agenda, and not all of them, it seemed, were only convinced this Conclave thing was going to work when it all came down, some of them planned to scoop up the choice pieces. It was still early enough for it all to fall apart, if someone applied just the right amount of pressure. It looked like the Colonial Union was planning to do that, up above Roanoke.Only one thing was keeping it all together, and that was the third thing I knowing That this General Gau was in his way a funny person. He wasnt like one of those tin-pot dictators who got lucky, seized a country and gave themselves the title of supercilious High Poobah or whatever. He had been an actual general for a people called the Vrenn, and had won some important battles for them when he decided that it was wasteful to fight over resources that more than one race could easily and prod uctively allot when he started campaigning with this idea, he was thrown into jail. No one likes a troublemaker.The ruler who tossed him in jail eventually died (Gau had nothing to do with it it was natural causes) and Gau was offered the job, but he turned it down and instead tried to get other races to sign on to the idea of the Conclave. He had the disadvantage that he didnt get the Vrenn to go along with the idea at first all he had to his name was an idea and a small battle cruiser called the Gentle Star, which he had gotten the Vrenn to give him after they decommissioned it. From what I could read, it seemed like the Vrenn thought they were buying him off with it, as in here, take this, thanks for your service, go away, no need to send a postcard, bye.But he didnt go away, and despite the fact that his idea was insane and impractical and nuts and could never possibly work because every race in our universe despised every other race too much, it worked. Because this General G au made it work, by using his own skills and personality to get people of all different races to work together. The more I read about him, the more it seemed like the guy was really admirable.And yet he was also the person who had ordered the killing of civilian colonists.Yes, hed offered to move them and even offered to give them space in the Conclave. But when it came right down to it, if they wouldnt move and they wouldnt join, he wiped them out. Just like he would wipe us all out, if despite everything Dad told Hickory and Dickory we didnt surrender the colony or if, should the attack the Colonial Union had planned on the Conclave fleet go wrong, the general decided that the CU needed to be taught a lesson for daring to defy the Conclave and wiped us out just on general principles.I wasnt so sure just how admirable General Gau would be, if at the end of the day he wouldnt stop from killing me and every single person I cared about.It was a puzzle. He was a puzzle. I spent those two weeks trying to sort it out. Gretchen got grumpy with me that Id been locked away without telling her what I was up to Hickory and Dickory had to remind me to get out and work on my training. Even Jane wondered if I might not need to get outside more. The only person not to give me much grief was Enzo since we got back together he was actually very accommodating about my schedule. I appreciated that. I made sure he knew. He seemed to appreciate that.And then just like that we all ran out of time. The Gentle Star, General Gaus ship, appeared above our colony one afternoon, disabled our communications satellite so Gau could have some time to chat, and then sent a message to Roanoke asking to meet with the colony leaders. John replied that he would meet with him. That evening, as the sun set, they met on the ridgepole outside the colony, about a klick away.Hand me the binoculars, please, I said to Hickory, as we climbed out to the roof of the bungalow. It obliged me. Thanks, I sai d. Dickory was infra us, on the ground old habits die hard.Even with the binoculars General Gau and Dad were little more than dots. I looked anyway. I wasnt the only one on other roofs, in Croatoan and in the homesteads, other people sat on roofs with binoculars and telescopes, looking at Dad and the general, or scanning the sky, looking in the dusk for the Gentle Star. As night ultimately fell, I spotted the ship myself a tiny dot between two stars, shining unblinkingly where the other stars twinkled.How long until the other ships arrive, do you think? I asked Hickory. The Gentle Star always arrived first, alone, and then at Gaus command, the hundreds of other ships would appear, a not-at-all-subtle bit of showmanship to get a reluctant colony leader to agree to get his or her people to leave their homes. I had watched it on previous colony removal videos. It would happen here, too.Not long now, Hickory said. By now Major Perry will have refused to surrender the colony.I took dow n my binoculars and glanced over to Hickory in the gloom. You dont seem have-to doe with about this, I said. Thats a different tune than you were singing before.Things have changed, Hickory said.I wish I had your confidence, I said.Look, Hickory said. It has begun.I glanced up. New stars had begun to appear in the sky. First one or two, then small groups, and then entire constellations. So many had begun to appear it was insufferable to track every single appearance. I knew there were four hundred. It seemed like thousands.Dear God, I said, and I was afraid. Truly afraid. Look at them all.Do not fear this attack, Zoe, Hickory said. We believe this plan will work.You know the plan? I asked. I didnt take my eyes off the sky.We learned of it this afternoon, Hickory said. Major Perry told us, as a courtesy to our government.You didnt tell me, I said.We thought you knew, Hickory said. You said you had spoken to Major Perry about it.We talked about the Colonial Union attacking the Concl ave fleet, I said. But we didnt talk about how.My apologies, Zoe, Hickory said. I would have told you.Tell me now, I said, and then something happened in the sky.The new stars started going nova.First one or two, then small groups, and then entire constellations. So many expanded and brightened that they had begun to combine into each other, forming an arm of a small and violent galaxy. It was beautiful. And it was the worst thing I had ever seen.Antimatter bombs, Hickory said. The Colonial Union learned the identicalness of the ships in the Conclave fleet. It assigned members of your Special Forces to locate them and plant the bombs just before the jump here. Another Special Forces member here emotional them.Bombs on how many ships? I asked.All of them, Hickory said. All but the Gentle Star.I tried to turn to look at Hickory but I couldnt move my eyes from the sky. Thats impossible, I said.No, Hickory said. Not impossible. Extraordinarily difficult. But not impossible.From other roofs and from the streets of Croatoan, cheers and shouts lifted into the air. I finally turned away, and wiped the tears off my face.Hickory noticed. You cry for the Conclave fleet, it said.Yes, I said. For the people on those ships.Those ships were here to destroy the colony, Hickory said.I know, I said.You are sorry they were destroyed, Hickory said.I am sorry that we couldnt think of anything better, I said. Im sorry that it had to be us or them.The Colonial Union believes this will be a great victory, Hickory said. It believes that destroying the Conclaves fleet in one engagement will cause the Conclave to collapse, ending its threat. This is what it has told my government.Oh, I said.It is to be hoped they are correct, Hickory said.I was finally able to look away and face Hickory. The afterimages of the explosions placed blotches all around it. Do you believe they are correct? I asked. Would your government believe it?Zoe, Hickory said. You will recall that just before you lef t for Roanoke, my government invited you to visit our worlds.I remember, I said.We invited you because our people longed to see you, and to see you among us, Hickory said. We also invited you because we believed that your government was going to use Roanoke as a ruse to open a battle against the Conclave. And while we did not know whether this ruse would be successful, we believed strongly that you would have been safer with us. There is no doubt that your life has been in danger here, Zoe, both in ways we had foreseen and in ways that we could not. We invited you, Zoe, because we feared for you. Do you understand what I am saying to you?I do, I said.You asked me if I believe the Colonial Union is correct, that this is a great victory, and if my government would believe the same, Hickory said. My response is to say that once again my government extends an invitation to you, Zoe, to come visit our worlds, and to travel safe among them.I nodded, and looked back to the sky, where star s were still going nova. And when would you want this trip to begin? I asked.Now, Hickory said. Or as near to now as possible.I didnt say anything to that. I looked up to the sky, and then closed my eyes and for the first time, started to pray. I prayed for the crews of the ships above me. I prayed for the colonists below me. I prayed for John and Jane. For Gretchen and her father. For Magdy and for Enzo and their families. For Hickory and Dickory. I prayed for General Gau. I prayed for everyone.I prayed.Zoe, Hickory said.I opened my eyes.Thank you for the invitation, I said. I regret I must decline.Hickory was silent.Thank you, Hickory, I said. Really, thank you. But I am right where I belong.