Angels Demons Chapter 32-35 Free Essays

string(56) " churned in neutral as Langdon and Vittoria approached\." 32 Langdon held his breath as the X-33 spiraled into Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci International Airport. Vittoria sat across from him, eyes closed as if trying to will the situation into control. The craft touched down and taxied to a private hangar. We will write a custom essay sample on Angels Demons Chapter 32-35 or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"Sorry for the slow flight,† the pilot apologized, emerging from the cockpit. â€Å"Had to trim her back. Noise regulations over populated areas.† Langdon checked his watch. They had been airborne thirty-seven minutes. The pilot popped the outer door. â€Å"Anybody want to tell me what’s going on?† Neither Vittoria nor Langdon responded. â€Å"Fine,† he said, stretching. â€Å"I’ll be in the cockpit with the air-conditioning and my music. Just me and Garth.† The late-afternoon sun blazed outside the hangar. Langdon carried his tweed jacket over his shoulder. Vittoria turned her face skyward and inhaled deeply, as if the sun’s rays somehow transferred to her some mystical replenishing energy. Mediterraneans, Langdon mused, already sweating. â€Å"Little old for cartoons, aren’t you?† Vittoria asked, without opening her eyes. â€Å"I’m sorry?† â€Å"Your wristwatch. I saw it on the plane.† Langdon flushed slightly. He was accustomed to having to defend his timepiece. The collector’s edition Mickey Mouse watch had been a childhood gift from his parents. Despite the contorted foolishness of Mickey’s outstretched arms designating the hour, it was the only watch Langdon had ever worn. Waterproof and glow-in-the-dark, it was perfect for swimming laps or walking unlit college paths at night. When Langdon’s students questioned his fashion sense, he told them he wore Mickey as a daily reminder to stay young at heart. â€Å"It’s six o’clock,† he said. Vittoria nodded, eyes still closed. â€Å"I think our ride’s here.† Langdon heard the distant whine, looked up, and felt a sinking feeling. Approaching from the north was a helicopter, slicing low across the runway. Langdon had been on a helicopter once in the Andean Palpa Valley looking at the Nazca sand drawings and had not enjoyed it one bit. A flying shoebox. After a morning of space plane rides, Langdon had hoped the Vatican would send a car. Apparently not. The chopper slowed overhead, hovered a moment, and dropped toward the runway in front of them. The craft was white and carried a coat of arms emblazoned on the side – two skeleton keys crossing a shield and papal crown. He knew the symbol well. It was the traditional seal of the Vatican – the sacred symbol of the Holy See or â€Å"holy seat† of government, the seat being literally the ancient throne of St. Peter. The Holy Chopper, Langdon groaned, watching the craft land. He’d forgotten the Vatican owned one of these things, used for transporting the Pope to the airport, to meetings, or to his summer palace in Gandolfo. Langdon definitely would have preferred a car. The pilot jumped from the cockpit and strode toward them across the tarmac. Now it was Vittoria who looked uneasy. â€Å"That’s our pilot?† Langdon shared her concern. â€Å"To fly, or not to fly. That is the question.† The pilot looked like he was festooned for a Shakespearean melodrama. His puffy tunic was vertically striped in brilliant blue and gold. He wore matching pantaloons and spats. On his feet were black flats that looked like slippers. On top of it all, he wore a black felt beret. â€Å"Traditional Swiss Guard uniforms,† Langdon explained. â€Å"Designed by Michelangelo himself.† As the man drew closer, Langdon winced. â€Å"I admit, not one of Michelangelo’s better efforts.† Despite the man’s garish attire, Langdon could tell the pilot meant business. He moved toward them with all the rigidity and dignity of a U.S. Marine. Langdon had read many times about the rigorous requirements for becoming one of the elite Swiss Guard. Recruited from one of Switzerland’s four Catholic cantons, applicants had to be Swiss males between nineteen and thirty years old, at least 5 feet 6 inches, trained by the Swiss Army, and unmarried. This imperial corps was envied by world governments as the most allegiant and deadly security force in the world. â€Å"You are from CERN?† the guard asked, arriving before them. His voice was steely. â€Å"Yes, sir,† Langdon replied. â€Å"You made remarkable time,† he said, giving the X-33 a mystified stare. He turned to Vittoria. â€Å"Ma’am, do you have any other clothing?† â€Å"I beg your pardon?† He motioned to her legs. â€Å"Short pants are not permitted inside Vatican City.† Langdon glanced down at Vittoria’s legs and frowned. He had forgotten. Vatican City had a strict ban on visible legs above the knee – both male and female. The regulation was a way of showing respect for the sanctity of God’s city. â€Å"This is all I have,† she said. â€Å"We came in a hurry.† The guard nodded, clearly displeased. He turned next to Langdon. â€Å"Are you carrying any weapons?† Weapons? Langdon thought. I’m not even carrying a change of underwear! He shook his head. The officer crouched at Langdon’s feet and began patting him down, starting at his socks. Trusting guy, Langdon thought. The guard’s strong hands moved up Langdon’s legs, coming uncomfortably close to his groin. Finally they moved up to his chest and shoulders. Apparently content Langdon was clean, the guard turned to Vittoria. He ran his eyes up her legs and torso. Vittoria glared. â€Å"Don’t even think about it.† The guard fixed Vittoria with a gaze clearly intended to intimidate. Vittoria did not flinch. â€Å"What’s that?† the guard said, pointing to a faint square bulge in the front pocket of her shorts. Vittoria removed an ultrathin cell phone. The guard took it, clicked it on, waited for a dial tone, and then, apparently satisfied that it was indeed nothing more than a phone, returned it to her. Vittoria slid it back into her pocket. â€Å"Turn around, please,† the guard said. Vittoria obliged, holding her arms out and rotating a full 360 degrees. The guard carefully studied her. Langdon had already decided that Vittoria’s form-fitting shorts and blouse were not bulging anywhere they shouldn’t have been. Apparently the guard came to the same conclusion. â€Å"Thank you. This way please.† The Swiss Guard chopper churned in neutral as Langdon and Vittoria approached. You read "Angels Demons Chapter 32-35" in category "Essay examples" Vittoria boarded first, like a seasoned pro, barely even stooping as she passed beneath the whirling rotors. Langdon held back a moment. â€Å"No chance of a car?† he yelled, half-joking to the Swiss Guard, who was climbing in the pilot’s seat. The man did not answer. Langdon knew that with Rome’s maniacal drivers, flying was probably safer anyway. He took a deep breath and boarded, stooping cautiously as he passed beneath the spinning rotors. As the guard fired up the engines, Vittoria called out, â€Å"Have you located the canister?† The guard glanced over his shoulder, looking confused. â€Å"The what?† â€Å"The canister. You called CERN about a canister?† The man shrugged. â€Å"No idea what you’re talking about. We’ve been very busy today. My commander told me to pick you up. That’s all I know.† Vittoria gave Langdon an unsettled look. â€Å"Buckle up, please,† the pilot said as the engine revved. Langdon reached for his seat belt and strapped himself in. The tiny fuselage seemed to shrink around him. Then with a roar, the craft shot up and banked sharply north toward Rome. Rome†¦ the caput mundi, where Caesar once ruled, where St. Peter was crucified. The cradle of modern civilization. And at its core†¦ a ticking bomb. 33 Rome from the air is a labyrinth – an indecipherable maze of ancient roadways winding around buildings, fountains, and crumbling ruins. The Vatican chopper stayed low in the sky as it sliced northwest through the permanent smog layer coughed up by the congestion below. Langdon gazed down at the mopeds, sight-seeing buses, and armies of miniature Fiat sedans buzzing around rotaries in all directions. Koyaanisqatsi, he thought, recalling the Hopi term for â€Å"life out of balance.† Vittoria sat in silent determination in the seat beside him. The chopper banked hard. His stomach dropping, Langdon gazed farther into the distance. His eyes found the crumbling ruins of the Roman Coliseum. The Coliseum, Langdon had always thought, was one of history’s greatest ironies. Now a dignified symbol for the rise of human culture and civilization, the stadium had been built to host centuries of barbaric events – hungry lions shredding prisoners, armies of slaves battling to the death, gang rapes of exotic women captured from far-off lands, as well as public beheadings and castrations. It was ironic, Langdon thought, or perhaps fitting, that the Coliseum had served as the architectural blueprint for Harvard’s Soldier Field – the football stadium where the ancient traditions of savagery were reenacted every fall†¦ crazed fans screaming for bloodshed as Harvard battled Yale. As the chopper headed north, Langdon spied the Roman Forum – the heart of pre-Christian Rome. The decaying columns looked like toppled gravestones in a cemetery that had somehow avoided being swallowed by the metropolis surrounding it. To the west the wide basin of the Tiber River wound enormous arcs across the city. Even from the air Langdon could tell the water was deep. The churning currents were brown, filled with silt and foam from heavy rains. â€Å"Straight ahead,† the pilot said, climbing higher. Langdon and Vittoria looked out and saw it. Like a mountain parting the morning fog, the colossal dome rose out of the haze before them: St. Peter’s Basilica. â€Å"Now that,† Langdon said to Vittoria, â€Å"is something Michelangelo got right.† Langdon had never seen St. Peter’s from the air. The marble faà §ade blazed like fire in the afternoon sun. Adorned with 140 statues of saints, martyrs, and angels, the Herculean edifice stretched two football fields wide and a staggering six long. The cavernous interior of the basilica had room for over 60,000 worshipers†¦ over one hundred times the population of Vatican City, the smallest country in the world. Incredibly, though, not even a citadel of this magnitude could dwarf the piazza before it. A sprawling expanse of granite, St. Peter’s Square was a staggering open space in the congestion of Rome, like a classical Central Park. In front of the basilica, bordering the vast oval common, 284 columns swept outward in four concentric arcs of diminishing size†¦ an architectural trompe de l’oiel used to heighten the piazza’s sense of grandeur. As he stared at the magnificent shrine before him, Langdon wondered what St. Peter would think if he were here now. The Saint had died a gruesome death, crucified upside down on this very spot. Now he rested in the most sacred of tombs, buried five stories down, directly beneath the central cupola of the basilica. â€Å"Vatican City,† the pilot said, sounding anything but welcoming. Langdon looked out at the towering stone bastions that loomed ahead – impenetrable fortifications surrounding the complex†¦ a strangely earthly defense for a spiritual world of secrets, power, and mystery. â€Å"Look!† Vittoria said suddenly, grabbing Langdon’s arm. She motioned frantically downward toward St. Peter’s Square directly beneath them. Langdon put his face to the window and looked. â€Å"Over there,† she said, pointing. Langdon looked. The rear of the piazza looked like a parking lot crowded with a dozen or so trailer trucks. Huge satellite dishes pointed skyward from the roof of every truck. The dishes were emblazoned with familiar names: Televisor Europea Video Italia BBC United Press International Langdon felt suddenly confused, wondering if the news of the antimatter had already leaked out. Vittoria seemed suddenly tense. â€Å"Why is the press here? What’s going on?† The pilot turned and gave her an odd look over his shoulder. â€Å"What’s going on? You don’t know?† â€Å"No,† she fired back, her accent husky and strong. â€Å"Il Conclavo,† he said. â€Å"It is to be sealed in about an hour. The whole world is watching.† Il Conclavo. The word rang a long moment in Langdon’s ears before dropping like a brick to the pit of his stomach. Il Conclavo. The Vatican Conclave. How could he have forgotten? It had been in the news recently. Fifteen days ago, the Pope, after a tremendously popular twelve-year reign, had passed away. Every paper in the world had carried the story about the Pope’s fatal stroke while sleeping – a sudden and unexpected death many whispered was suspicious. But now, in keeping with the sacred tradition, fifteen days after the death of a Pope, the Vatican was holding Il Conclavo – the sacred ceremony in which the 165 cardinals of the world – the most powerful men in Christendom – gathered in Vatican City to elect the new Pope. Every cardinal on the planet is here today, Langdon thought as the chopper passed over St. Peter’s Basilica. The expansive inner world of Vatican City spread out beneath him. The entire power structure of the Roman Catholic Church is sitting on a time bomb. 34 Cardinal Mortati gazed up at the lavish ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and tried to find a moment of quiet reflection. The frescoed walls echoed with the voices of cardinals from nations around the globe. The men jostled in the candlelit tabernacle, whispering excitedly and consulting with one another in numerous languages, the universal tongues being English, Italian, and Spanish. The light in the chapel was usually sublime – long rays of tinted sun slicing through the darkness like rays from heaven – but not today. As was the custom, all of the chapel’s windows had been covered in black velvet in the name of secrecy. This ensured that no one on the inside could send signals or communicate in any way with the outside world. The result was a profound darkness lit only by candles†¦ a shimmering radiance that seemed to purify everyone it touched, making them all ghostly†¦ like saints. What privilege, Mortati thought, that I am to oversee this sanctified event. Cardinals over eighty years of age were too old to be eligible for election and did not attend conclave, but at seventy-nine years old, Mortati was the most senior cardinal here and had been appointed to oversee the proceedings. Following tradition, the cardinals gathered here two hours before conclave to catch up with friends and engage in last-minute discussion. At 7 P.M., the late Pope’s chamberlain would arrive, give opening prayer, and then leave. Then the Swiss Guard would seal the doors and lock all the cardinals inside. It was then that the oldest and most secretive political ritual in the world would begin. The cardinals would not be released until they decided who among them would be the next Pope. Conclave. Even the name was secretive. â€Å"Con clave† literally meant â€Å"locked with a key.† The cardinals were permitted no contact whatsoever with the outside world. No phone calls. No messages. No whispers through doorways. Conclave was a vacuum, not to be influenced by anything in the outside world. This would ensure that the cardinals kept Solum Dum prae oculis†¦ only God before their eyes. Outside the walls of the chapel, of course, the media watched and waited, speculating as to which of the cardinals would become the ruler of one billion Catholics worldwide. Conclaves created an intense, politically charged atmosphere, and over the centuries they had turned deadly: poisonings, fist fights, and even murder had erupted within the sacred walls. Ancient history, Mortati thought. Tonight’s conclave will be unified, blissful, and above all†¦ brief. Or at least that had been his speculation. Now, however, an unexpected development had emerged. Mystifyingly, four cardinals were absent from the chapel. Mortati knew that all the exits to Vatican City were guarded, and the missing cardinals could not have gone far, but still, with less than an hour before opening prayer, he was feeling disconcerted. After all, the four missing men were no ordinary cardinals. They were the cardinals. The chosen four. As overseer of the conclave, Mortati had already sent word through the proper channels to the Swiss Guard alerting them to the cardinals’ absence. He had yet to hear back. Other cardinals had now noticed the puzzling absence. The anxious whispers had begun. Of all cardinals, these four should be on time! Cardinal Mortati was starting to fear it might be a long evening after all. He had no idea. 35 The Vatican’s helipad, for reasons of safety and noise control, is located in the northwest tip of Vatican City, as far from St. Peter’s Basilica as possible. â€Å"Terra firma,† the pilot announced as they touched down. He exited and opened the sliding door for Langdon and Vittoria. Langdon descended from the craft and turned to help Vittoria, but she had already dropped effortlessly to the ground. Every muscle in her body seemed tuned to one objective – finding the antimatter before it left a horrific legacy. After stretching a reflective sun tarp across the cockpit window, the pilot ushered them to an oversized electric golf cart waiting near the helipad. The cart whisked them silently alongside the country’s western border – a fifty-foot-tall cement bulwark thick enough to ward off attacks even by tanks. Lining the interior of the wall, posted at fifty-meter intervals, Swiss Guards stood at attention, surveying the interior of the grounds. The cart turned sharply right onto Via della Osservatorio. Signs pointed in all directions: Palazzio Governatorio Collegio Ethiopiana Basilica San Pietro Capella Sistina They accelerated up the manicured road past a squat building marked Radio Vaticana. This, Langdon realized to his amazement, was the hub of the world’s most listened-to radio programming – Radio Vaticana – spreading the word of God to millions of listeners around the globe. â€Å"Attenzione,† the pilot said, turning sharply into a rotary. As the cart wound round, Langdon could barely believe the sight now coming into view. Giardini Vaticani, he thought. The heart of Vatican City. Directly ahead rose the rear of St. Peter’s Basilica, a view, Langdon realized, most people never saw. To the right loomed the Palace of the Tribunal, the lush papal residence rivaled only by Versailles in its baroque embellishment. The severe-looking Governatorato building was now behind them, housing Vatican City’s administration. And up ahead on the left, the massive rectangular edifice of the Vatican Museum. Langdon knew there would be no time for a museum visit this trip. â€Å"Where is everyone?† Vittoria asked, surveying the deserted lawns and walkways. The guard checked his black, military-style chronograph – an odd anachronism beneath his puffy sleeve. â€Å"The cardinals are convened in the Sistine Chapel. Conclave begins in a little under an hour.† Langdon nodded, vaguely recalling that before conclave the cardinals spent two hours inside the Sistine Chapel in quiet reflection and visitations with their fellow cardinals from around the globe. The time was meant to renew old friendships among the cardinals and facilitate a less heated election process. â€Å"And the rest of the residents and staff?† â€Å"Banned from the city for secrecy and security until the conclave concludes.† â€Å"And when does it conclude?† The guard shrugged. â€Å"God only knows.† The words sounded oddly literal. After parking the cart on the wide lawn directly behind St. Peter’s Basilica, the guard escorted Langdon and Vittoria up a stone escarpment to a marble plaza off the back of the basilica. Crossing the plaza, they approached the rear wall of the basilica and followed it through a triangular courtyard, across Via Belvedere, and into a series of buildings closely huddled together. Langdon’s art history had taught him enough Italian to pick out signs for the Vatican Printing Office, the Tapestry Restoration Lab, Post Office Management, and the Church of St. Ann. They crossed another small square and arrived at their destination. The Office of the Swiss Guard is housed adjacent to Il Corpo di Vigilanza, directly northeast of St. Peter’s Basilica. The office is a squat, stone building. On either side of the entrance, like two stone statues, stood a pair of guards. Langdon had to admit, these guards did not look quite so comical. Although they also wore the blue and gold uniform, each wielded the traditional â€Å"Vatican long sword† – an eight-foot spear with a razor-sharp scythe – rumored to have decapitated countless Muslims while defending the Christian crusaders in the fifteenth century. As Langdon and Vittoria approached, the two guards stepped forward, crossing their long swords, blocking the entrance. One looked up at the pilot in confusion. â€Å"I pantaloni,† he said, motioning to Vittoria’s shorts. The pilot waved them off. â€Å"Il comandante vuole vederli subito.† The guards frowned. Reluctantly they stepped aside. Inside, the air was cool. It looked nothing like the administrative security offices Langdon would have imagined. Ornate and impeccably furnished, the hallways contained paintings Langdon was certain any museum worldwide would gladly have featured in its main gallery. The pilot pointed down a steep set of stairs. â€Å"Down, please.† Langdon and Vittoria followed the white marble treads as they descended between a gauntlet of nude male sculptures. Each statue wore a fig leaf that was lighter in color than the rest of the body. The Great Castration, Langdon thought. It was one of the most horrific tragedies in Renaissance art. In 1857, Pope Pius IX decided that the accurate representation of the male form might incite lust inside the Vatican. So he got a chisel and mallet and hacked off the genitalia of every single male statue inside Vatican City. He defaced works by Michelangelo, Bramante, and Bernini. Plaster fig leaves were used to patch the damage. Hundreds of sculptures had been emasculated. Langdon had often wondered if there was a huge crate of stone penises someplace. â€Å"Here,† the guard announced. They reached the bottom of the stairs and dead-ended at a heavy, steel door. The guard typed an entry code, and the door slid open. Langdon and Vittoria entered. Beyond the threshold was absolute mayhem. How to cite Angels Demons Chapter 32-35, Essay examples

Economic Impact of WSD Outbreak

Question: Discuss about the Economic Impact of WSD Outbreak. Answer: Introduction: Australian Prawn market plays a significant role in the economy as well as society of Australia. The current outbreak of White Spot Disease (WSD) has immensely affected the prawn market. Millions of prawns have been dumped in three days due to the sudden crisis of WSD. Moreover, the government has been forced to ban the import of green prawn, which has been rumored to be major cause of this outbreak. The current assessment would be focused on identifying the economic impact of this sudden outbreak of WSD on the overall Australian Prawn industry. In addition to that, this particular study would also concentrate on analyzing various economic developments occurred from this sudden crisis. The impact on the consumer as well as producer would be major focus of this study. Furthermore, the study would be able to suggest most helpful government intervention strategies for managing the market predicament. Critical Overview of the Queensland Prawn Market: The Australian Prawn farming industry is one of the most attractive and crucial livelihood for Australian people. Currently, the industry produces more than 5000 tons of prawns annually, which accounts for nearly $87.7 million. The Australian Prawn Industry is based mainly in Queensland on 12 hatcheries as well as 900 hectares of ponds. In addition to that, the Australian Prawn Industry is also noted to provide more than 300 jobs for the Australian local populace (Emery et al., 2017). Although, the prawn industry is considered as the volumetric producers, the productivity of this industry yields more than 9000 kg / hectare. The entire prawn industry is located in two major states of Australia, which are Queensland as well as New South Wales. It has been observed that environmental as well as economic contribution of the prawn farming is highly substantial to the local community. According to Guy, McIlgorm and Waterman, (2014), the Australian Prawn farming is considered as one of the largest Australian aquaculture sectors. The farmers has created the Association that addresses their issue and create the necessary linkages with related sectors including government officials, researchers, technologies, exporters, retailers, finance sector as well as infrastructure suppliers. It has been observed that the Australian Prawn market has been noted to farming three major endemic species of prawn. These prawns are mentioned below: The Black Tiger Prawn The Banana Prawn The Kuruma Prawn Despite the small size of Australian prawn farms, it leads the world market. The major reason of this advancement is continuous government investment in research and development (Gourguet et al., 2014). Currently, it has been observed through international scale of classification that majority of the Australian farms are intensive farms. Economic market analysis Extensive study of the Australian Prawn Market indicates that the prawn market is perfectly competitive market. According to the traditional sense the perfect market is the structure where every firm operates their business by selling identical products (Johns et al., 2016). In addition, in the perfectly competitive market the firms are noted to be price takers instead of controller of market price of their product. The firms in the perfectly competitive market also observed to have very small market share. In addition to that, the buyers also have the necessary information regarding the product and price in the perfectly competitive market (Koschker Mst, 2016). Moreover, in the perfectly competitive market the entry and exit of new organizations are not restricted at all. There are numbers of evidence that can be produced in support of the above argument. First of all, although the prawn market has different varieties of prawn, the general consumers cannot distinguish between them. The differences between three major prawns are quite limited (Gourguet et al., 2016). At the same time, the prawn farms cannot control the price as their supply size of prawns is similar to the others and therefore can easily be considered as the price takers. In addition to that, being an equally distributed and supported industry every farm has similar size and production capabilities. Therefore, they all have relatively small market share. The price of the prawn is informed to the buyers all the time. Association plays a significant role in maintaining the communication with the customers (Rostamian, 2014). Therefore, it can be assumed that the Australian Prawn market fulfill the criteria of being perfectly competitive market. In this context, before the WSD outbreak the Prawn market was in equilibrium, as the volume of supply supported the demand quite effectively. However, after the outbreak of WSD the farm owners had to dispose large numbers of prawns. It has been identified that the amount of disposed prawns accounted for millions of dollars. The disposal of these large amount of prawns coupled with ban on prawn import has significantly increased the demand of prawn in the Australian Market, which has effectively shifted the price from equilibrium (ABC Rural, 2017). Lets assume the original equilibrium price was P1, supply curve was S1 and the quantity was Q1. The immediate stock disposal after the WSD outbreak has significantly shifted the supply curve from S1 to S2. As identified from the study that Australia produces 20000 tons of prawns whereas it used to import 30000 tons of prawns from outside. Moreover, In this context, it is evident that the disposal of 25 millions of white spotted prawns will damage the supply curve significantly (Tham Luo, 2015). It is assumed that more than half of the supply size has been decreased dramatically. Now the price has been increased from P1 to P2 after the outbreak of WSD. It has been also observed that the price of prawns is raised with an immense speed. The price hike was around $10 per kilogram within a week. The scenario has been depicted in the above figure (ABC Rural, 2017). Considering the Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility, we can identify that D (Demand) = MB (Marginal Benefit). At the same time, considering the Law of Diminishing Returns, we can discern that S (Supply) = Marginal Cost. In this context, we can confirm from the above Figure 2 that the total surplus, i.e. sum of consumer surplus and producer surplus is maximized. Therefore, we can effectively conclude that the market is still efficient as there is no deadweight loss. We can easily observe that the all perfectly competitive markets are efficient as producer surplus and consumer surplus is maximized and there is no dead weight loss (Blomquist Simula, 2015). It can be easily observed from the above figure that the consumer surplus as well as producer surplus has decreased due to the movement of supply line in the graph. The change would evidently include greater impact on the consumers and producers. In this context, lets assume price has shifted from P1 to P2. The budget line has been in tangent of the I1, i.e. the utility curve before the crisis of WSD. After the outbreak of WSD the utility curve shifted from I1 to I2. The following figure effectively shows that the budget line is in tangent of utility curve I2 in a higher price level as well as at smaller quantity of prawns (Oliveira-Castro, Cavalcanti Foxall, 2015). Therefore, it can be easily understood that the utility level of the consumers have been significant reduced due to the outbreak of the shift. The contemporary scenarios also indicate towards the fact. The stock of the prawn in Australian market has been noted to run out rapidly. It is assumed that in several days the prawn stock will be empty. It has been also identified that despite of rising prices the customers are not being able to have sufficient quantity of prawns in accordance with their satisfaction. On the other hand, if we assume that average production fixed cost is TFC and the variable cost is TVC. Then the TC (total cost) = TFC + TVC. Now as the outbreak of WSD hit the Australian market the quantity of the production dropped significantly. It has been observed that despite of investing normal production cost the output was null. The farmers had to dispose the diseased prawn so that the disease could not be spread in the market. Therefore, it can be easily assumed that the farmers have been undergone through a tremendous loss. The sources support the evidence by reporting 25 millions of loss from four major farms in Queensland (ABC Rural, 2017). Governments Intervention strategies: In this context, it has been identified that the government has a significant role in the current scenario. It is highly necessary for the government to intervene in this huge demand of prawns as well as insufficient supply. It has been identified from the above market analysis that the farmers have dealt with greater amount of loss. This kind of high loss cannot be compensated by them (Byrom, Lawley Clements, 2016). Therefore, the government needs to provide nece4ssary subsidies to the farmers so that they can minimize the loss. This kind of high amount of loss would eventually force them to stop the production which would be more catastrophic in the current situation. The lack of production will further decrease the supply and increase the demand in a significant manner. Therefore, the subsidy would be most preferred choice from the government to rejuvenate the economy once again. As identified from the above assessment study it has been observed that the lack of supply has created this kind of huge economic crisis in the Australian Prawn Market. If the supply would get normalized the demand as well as price of the prawn would get normal. Therefore, the market would get to the prior position once again. However, the Australian Government has put ban on the import of prawn from outside. The major reason of the ban is identifying the source of WSD at the first place as it was being rumored that the WSD has been came from the imported prawn. In this context, the government must seek a secure supply chain of prawn. In this aspect, government may also critically check every imported prawn for possible disease. This way the government would also ensure that any diseased prawn is not coming in Australia through the supply line. At the same time, the Australian market would get equilibrium. Conclusion: The above analysis has been quite efficient to identify the economic impact of WSD outbreak in Australian Prawn Industry. First of all, the study has provided necessary overview of the entire prawn industry in Australia. It has been disclosed that despite of the small size, the Australian prawn market is the leading market throughout the world. The study has significantly identified the nature of Australian Prawn market as perfectly competitive market. It has been also able to provide necessary justification of the argument. The study has also effective analyzed the economic impact of WSD outbreak with the help of various economics theories. These theories have been able to discern the impact of this crisis on the customers as well as producers. The study has also used relevant models to better depict the current scenario. The critical sources have been used to justify the argument at every given point of the study. In other words the study has successfully disclosed the current scen ario in a critical and precise manner. Furthermore, the study has been also able to provide necessary suggestions for the government interventions, which will help the market to attain its earlier position. Reference List: ABC Rural. (2017). Another prawn farm tests positive for white spot disease. [online] Available at: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-06/white-spot-disease-spreads-to-sixth-queensland-prawn-farm/8243640 [Accessed 7 Apr. 2017]. ABC Rural. (2017). Prawn industry in crisis mode as disease spreads. [online] Available at: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-04/prawn-virus-white-spot-disease-spreads-queensland/8161410 [Accessed 7 Apr. 2017]. ABC Rural. (2017). White spot outbreak a 'wake-up call' for Australian biosecurity, as prawn farmers blame imports. [online] Available at: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-12-23/qld-prawn-farmers-blame-white-spot-outbreak-on-imported-prawns/8144876 [Accessed 7 Apr. 2017]. Blomquist, S., Simula, L. (2015).Marginal deadweight loss with nonlinear budget sets. Mimeo. Byrom, D., Lawley, M., Clements, M. (2016). 13 Barriers to supply chain integration in the Australian seafood industry.A Stakeholder Approach to Managing Food: Local, National, and Global Issues, 186. Emery, T. J., Gardner, C., Hartmann, K., Cartwright, I. (2017). Incorporating economics into fisheries management frameworks in Australia.Marine Policy,77, 136-143. Gourguet, S., Thebaud, O., Dichmont, C., Jennings, S., Little, L. R., Pascoe, S., ... Doyen, L. (2014). Risk versus economic performance in a mixed fishery.Ecological Economics,99, 110-120. Gourguet, S., Thbaud, O., Jennings, S., Little, L. R., Dichmont, C. M., Pascoe, S., ... Doyen, L. (2016). The cost of co-viability in the Australian northern prawn fishery.Environmental Modeling Assessment,21(3), 371-389. Guy, J. A., McIlgorm, A., Waterman, P. (2014). Aquaculture in Regional Australia: Responding to trade externalities. A Northern NSW case study.Journal of Economic Social Policy,16(1), 115. Johns, C. M., Johns, C. M., Kimber, N., Kimber, N., Howieson, J., Howieson, J., ... Lawley, M. (2016). Evaluating the outcomes of VCA-led improvement projects: a case study of an Australian prawn fishery.British Food Journal,118(12), 2997-3011. Koschker, S., Mst, D. (2016). Perfect competition vs. strategic behaviour models to derive electricity prices and the influence of renewables on market power.OR spectrum,38(3), 661-686. Oliveira-Castro, J. M., Cavalcanti, P. R., Foxall, G. R. (2015). What do consumers maximize?.The Routledge Companion to Consumer Behavior Analysis, 202. Outbreak.gov.au. (2017). Outbreak White spot disease. [online] Available at: https://www.outbreak.gov.au/current-responses-to-outbreaks/white-spot-disease [Accessed 7 Apr. 2017]. Rostamian, H. (2014). Management strategies for controlling diseases in shrimp aquaculture. Tham, C. K., Luo, T. (2015). Quality of contributed service and market equilibrium for participatory sensing.IEEE Transactions on Mobile Computing,14(4), 829-842.

The Bee free essay sample

Your first word is yoga, said the proctor. Yoga? How was I to spell yoga? I recalled hearing this world many times, but I had never seen it written. I didnt positively know how to spell it, so I went with my instincts. Yoga, Y-O-G-A, I said doubtfully. Thats that is correct, replied the elderly man, as if even he was unsure of the words spelling. In the next few rounds, I spelled each word without the slightest hesitation. There were only ten contestants remaining. I felt the exaltation of possibly winning the spelling bee. I wasnt nervous anymore. I was relaxed and actually felt at ease on the overbearing stage. Okay. Your next word is ambiguity. Ambigooity, I thought what was ambigooity? A frantic rush hit me like a ton of bricks. Was I expected to spell a world that I could hardly pronounce? Its funny, but at the time I was unknowingly thinking of anything I could, except for the arduous task at hand. We will write a custom essay sample on The Bee or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I had thought of the loving support my family had given me throughout my life, my two best friends, the time I had spent preparing for the spelling bee, and all my schooling up to that point. It is safe to say it was then that the world came to me. I had thought of the ambiguous case from my math course class. Was ambiguous a form of ambigooity, the word I was asked to spell? I figured it probably was, so I removed the -ous ending of ambiguous and added an -ity in its place. It seemed risky, but I was correct. So many substantial things had happened in just this one day, this one hour, that I realized it was unnecessary for me to be nervous about something for which I had thoroughly prepared. I will never think of giving up, because anything can happen, as it did that very day. The spelling bee had taught me so much already that the outcome seemed irrelevant to my life. Although I continued to do my best, my thoughts on success were different from the way I felt at the start. One does not necessarily need to be declared the winner in order to feel the thrills of victory within oneself. For me, it was not meant to be. The winner was a woman, of height five-foot-three.

Free Essays on Afrocentrism

Afrocentrism is many things to many people, from the insistent claims of Leonard Jeffries to the commercialism of the mainstream media. In the last five years it has pushed its way into the American consciousness, both as an academic movement and as an attitude. Several years ago I watched Eddy Murphy as Akenaton, Iman as Nfertiti, and Michael Jackson as a Trickster Imhotep in the music video "Remember the Time." MTV had met Afrocentrism? At any rate, it was an ambitious fantasy set in ancient Egypt for the delectation of Black Americans and, perhaps, the consternation of Whites. Afrocentrists argue that Blacks must see themselves through Black eyes, as agents of history, rather than as simply subjects of investigation. Their view must proceed from an "inside place." Most emphasize the civilizations of northeastern Africa, namely Kemet (Egypt), Nubia, Axum, and Meroe. Early on it was truly a "Black Thing," involving as it did its own conferences, publishing and networks. By 1978 Jay Carruthers' Kemetic Institute was established in Chicago. A year later a similar thematic course was taken by the Institute of Pan-African Studies in Los Angeles. A meeting in that city in 1984, the First Annual Ancient Egyptian Studies resulted in the organization of the Association for the Study of Classical African Civilizations. In the same year Ivan Van Sertima's Nile Valley Civilization group held a major conference. His Journal of African Civilization became a major diffusion point in the burgeoning corpus of Afrocentric literature. In spite of criticism (or maybe because of it), Afrocentrism (or Afrocentricity) was and is spreading. Elementary schools in Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and Detroit, as well as other locales, have initiated new curricula, impelled largely by the demands of parents and students. The African American Baseline Essays, created for the Portland, Oregon, school system, have had a wide impact. Covering a number of disciplines,... Free Essays on Afrocentrism Free Essays on Afrocentrism Afrocentrism is many things to many people, from the insistent claims of Leonard Jeffries to the commercialism of the mainstream media. In the last five years it has pushed its way into the American consciousness, both as an academic movement and as an attitude. Several years ago I watched Eddy Murphy as Akenaton, Iman as Nfertiti, and Michael Jackson as a Trickster Imhotep in the music video "Remember the Time." MTV had met Afrocentrism? At any rate, it was an ambitious fantasy set in ancient Egypt for the delectation of Black Americans and, perhaps, the consternation of Whites. Afrocentrists argue that Blacks must see themselves through Black eyes, as agents of history, rather than as simply subjects of investigation. Their view must proceed from an "inside place." Most emphasize the civilizations of northeastern Africa, namely Kemet (Egypt), Nubia, Axum, and Meroe. Early on it was truly a "Black Thing," involving as it did its own conferences, publishing and networks. By 1978 Jay Carruthers' Kemetic Institute was established in Chicago. A year later a similar thematic course was taken by the Institute of Pan-African Studies in Los Angeles. A meeting in that city in 1984, the First Annual Ancient Egyptian Studies resulted in the organization of the Association for the Study of Classical African Civilizations. In the same year Ivan Van Sertima's Nile Valley Civilization group held a major conference. His Journal of African Civilization became a major diffusion point in the burgeoning corpus of Afrocentric literature. In spite of criticism (or maybe because of it), Afrocentrism (or Afrocentricity) was and is spreading. Elementary schools in Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and Detroit, as well as other locales, have initiated new curricula, impelled largely by the demands of parents and students. The African American Baseline Essays, created for the Portland, Oregon, school system, have had a wide impact. Covering a number of disciplines,...

Interest Group Profile Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Interest Group Profile - Assignment Example It has no board of directors, but rather Norquist makes all broad decisions on objectives, goals, finances etc. himself. The group indicates it has a state chapter in every state, but information on the structures and size of those chapters is not available publically on the group’s website. It has a number of affiliated groups, all of whom have similar low-tax goals. The most prominent of those groups include the cost of government centre, the Stop Etax group, and the Alliance for Worker Freedom, which pushes for so called â€Å"right to work† legislation that weakens union memberships. Grover Norquist and Americans for Tax Reform have one main accomplishment, which is not legislative in nature but has shaped the state of congress for more than a decade. This is called the â€Å"Taxpayer Protection Pledge† – which essentially amounts to a declaration that a Congressperson is asked to sign, indicating that they will never, regardless of circumstances, rais e taxes in any way (meaning, broadly speaking, that they will not allow the government to raise more revenue, so if loopholes are closed then tax rates must be lowered an appropriate amount). To date, every single Republican member of congress has signed this pledge, and it has shaped public policy debate for years, especially in the last four years since Barack Obama was elected as president. It has also pushed the Republican party rightwards historically, as any Republican who refused to sign the pledge would face a primary challenge from someone who would. Though this is not legally binding (obviously), the pledge has provided serious trouble to some politicians in the current environment, when a majority of Americans agree that taxes should be raised on the wealthy. They either have to demonstrate that they do not hold to their election promises, making their chances for re-nomination or re-election much more difficult, or must continue to hold to a pledge that is growing increa singly unpopular and could even mean not doing what they think is right given the circumstances in the economy at the moment. Americans for Tax Reform is structured as a non-for-profit and thus does not have a Super PAC but rather has a 501(c)(4), a separate kind of entity that focuses on â€Å"issue ads† and does not have to disclose its donor roles. It has spent somewhere in the range of the tens of millions of dollars, all of which went to supporting Republican candidates or opposing Democratic ones. It is interesting to note that this group also spends a great deal of money in pushing for particular candidates during Republican primaries, seemingly trying to select the most anti-tax, conservative leaning politician. This non-for-profit technically does not even list itself as a lobbyist, because it does not actively lobby members of congress, rather, it focuses on pushing them to sign pledges before being elected into office. It has, in general, been one of the greatest f orces pushing the country rightwards since 1985, a date from which, it is

Iranian economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Iranian economy - Essay Example The performance of the Iranian economy in the early twenty-first century has witnessed a marked deterioration, in absolute terms as well as relative to other countries in the region. The growth of the economy has slackened drastically (Ramin, 2004). The economy, with a rapidly expanding population, has experienced a marked decline in investment, low labor productivity, a widening trade gap, a fast accumulation of debt and, above all, a sharp decline in the standard of living. What are the determinants of economic performance? There is broad agreement among economists that macroeconomics stability – characterized by moderate and predictable inflation, a small budget deficit, and the relative stability of the real exchange rate – is essential for long-term economic growth (Sciolino, 2005). Several empirical studies suggests that stable prices, a sensible exchange rate that does not discourage exports and good fiscal and monetary disciplines are necessary, though not suffi cient, conditions for a sustainable improvement in living standards. Viewed from this perspective the deterioration of in the performance of the Iranian economy since 1980 can be largely explained by the macroeconomic stability that has characterized this post revolutionary period (Sciolino, 2005).The theme of this proposal is centered on the role of the state in the process of economic and social development in the post revolutionary period. The emphasis, however, is on economic performance.... there is general consensus amongst close observers of the Iranian economy about the 'decisive' historical role of the state. Furthermore, a distinctive feature of the current Iranian state is that sizeable oil revenue accrues to the government because of its monopoly right over oil. The rentier nature of the state provides it with economic power and financial independence, although the state plays a central role in distributing this wealth to the population through direct subsidies and the creation of economic activities. 2. Iran's Economy in a Comparative Context There has been a remarkable deterioration in the growth performance of the Iranian economy since the late 1980s, both relative to its past performance and compared to international standards. This is reflected in the below table, which shows comparative per capita GDP trends for Iran and United States. Though the comparison does show a major difference, it is to be noted that here we have compared a lower middle income economy to a higher economy. Table: Comparative Figures of Iran and US Economy for the years 2003 - 2005 Source: World Bank Data Banks. 3. Economic Policy and Industrial Structure The rapid growth of the Iranian economy during the two decades preceding the 1979 Revolution took place in the context of an import substitution industrialization strategy. The paradoxical result of this strategy was to make the economy increasingly dependent on oil export revenues in order to finance the intermediate and capital goods imports needed by Iran's heavily protected industrial sector (Halliday, 1979). In the immediate aftermath of the revolution a considerable portion of large-scale modern industry, and the entire banking and insurance

Extra Credit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Extra Credit - Essay Example Similarly, the FDA changed terms like â€Å"irradiation† to â€Å"cold pasteurization† to improve sales, as consumers shy away from terms that involve radiation (Unit Six page 5). In these cases the organizations took no action to change processes or procedures, but merely took action to change a products placement in the market. It is surprising to consider the enormous impact these organization must therefore play in product sales, and even which companies are able to succeed in national markets. From this example, I learned that food safety may sometimes not play as large of a role as economics in the food we, as consumers, are led to believe is safe—or even more shockingly the medicines that we take for sicknesses and disabilities. In the future, knowledge of these pressures have convinced me to take a more proactive approach to my health by more closely inspecting health labels and researching processing techniques that may appear as ambiguous statements, su ch as the â€Å"cold pasteurization† example above. By taking a proactive approach, consumers, like myself, can make better, more informed decisions about their health and well-being. The can also act to be more involved in policy making on food and drugs and encourage truth in labeling and advertising. Works Cited Unit Six†¦.