The Theory of Optimum Currency Areas Essay -- Eurozone Countries, Comm

The theory of optimum currency areas (OCA) explores the conditions under which a common currency can maximize the economic efficiency of a region. It strives to identify the essential characteristics for forming a common currency zone as well as its possible costs and benefits. The research has also provided much insight into the area of optimum exchange rate management. The phrase ‘optimum currency area’ was first coined by Mundell in 1961 in his seminal paper entitled â€Å"A Theory of Optimum Currency Areas†. Since then the theory has seen little development and the subject area has often lacked attention from economists. However, the formation of a European Monetary Union (EMU) has stimulated a resurgence of interest in the topic. (Citation) The creation of the EMU has been an ambition of the European Union (EU) since the late 1960s. However, the timeline for achieving the EMU and a common currency was not agreed upon until the signing of the Maastricht Treaty of 1992. The treaty eliminated the national barriers to the movement of goods, labour and capital within the EU, as well as planning the creation of the euro currency and the European Central Bank. (Bean, 1992) The euro was finally adopted on the 1st Dec 1999 by eleven of the EU countries - as well as the Vatican, Andorra, Monaco and San Marino - and has subsequently been expanded further to Greece, Slovenia, Cyprus, Malta, Slovakia, Montenegro and Estonia. (Citation) When Mundell introduced the OCA theory, the EMU was not a consideration and it was merely seen as an academic question. Mundell began by defining a currency area as â€Å"a domain within which exchange rates are fixed† and posed the prominent question â€Å"What is the appropriate domain of a currency area?†. To tackl... ...f incomes and extent of trade amoung the members. The OCA line is downward sloping as the advantages of a common currency depend positively on trade and negatively on income correlation. The higher and further right the points are the more benefitial a common currency would be. Points that are low and left should float their own individual currency. He declared that a common currency for Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and Netherlands would be advantageous but would be a hindrance for Europe as a whole. However, Frankel outlined that â€Å"The OCA Criterion Might Be Satisfied Ex Post, Even If Not Ex Ante†. He expanded by stating that through the formation of a common currency area countries that were below the OCA line could end up above it. Frankel indentified this would happen due to increased trade integration which causes a higher income correlation. (Frankel, 1999)

Motivelessness :: Violence Personal Narrative Papers

Motivelessness The city of Tucson is quite literally surrounded on all sides by exquisitely rugged natural beauty. To the north lie the Santa Catalina mountains, home of Mt. Lemmon and the southernmost ski resort in the continental US. To the east are the Rincons, after which many local Tucson businesses are named. To the west are the Tucson mountains, from which one can on a clear day (clear days abound) see California. To the south are the Santa Ritas and eventually the mysterious Mexican Madres. Some people like the utter suburbanness of the place, or the weather; but, if you ask Tucsonians why they decided to relocate in Tucson of all places from New York or LA or Mexico City, they'll tell you that they love the Tucson sunsets. The quality of Tucson that the sunset epitomizes, attracts hippies and cowboys and big city folk alike to my home town. The sun rises over Salsa Verde to the Rincons and ever so slowly eases down like prickly pear jelly among the Tucson mountains in the late afternoon. I f you make the hike up to Gate's Pass, there's nothing but sunset and desert for a million miles to Hollywood. Either I was talking about the sunset, or it was sunset, because I definitely remember the sun, when I was walking and talking with my hippie friend Adam outside Agua Caliente park three years ago. I also remember that I was wearing baggy green corduroy pants and a black t-shirt with the picture of a South American tree frog perched on it (we were nature-lovers), and that Adam wore a sandlewood beaded necklace. The clothes we were wearing would later become critically important after the six teenagers who attacked us claimed to the police that the attack had been gang-related and retaliatory. I wasn't hurt at all. Frankly, my assault had more the character of a badly choreographed TV rumble than the military precision one finds in big city violent crime. Adam was slightly worse off than I was, probably because his attacker was the older and more emotionally unbalanced leader of the group, Raymond G. Harder, who was armed with what later turned out to be a metal pipe stuck in a wooden door handle. Ultimately, Ray was the only one of the group that Adam and I would send to juvie with the signing of a pen, thanks to the provisions of the Arizona Victims of Violent Crime Act.

Thomas Hobbes Answer to Davenants Preface to Gondibert :: Answer to Davenants Preface to Gondibert

Thomas Hobbes' Answer to Davenant's Preface to Gondibert    In his "Answer to Davenant's Preface to Gondibert," Thomas Hobbes takes a stab at literary theory. He is prompted to write the reply because Davenant mentions Hobbes in the preface to the epic poem, Gondibert. Hobbes notes up front that he is hindered in two ways because he is 1) incompetent in poetry and 2) flattered by the praise Davenant has lauded him. These hindrances don't prevent Hobbes from detailing a general theory of poetry. He delineates the different types of poetry, discusses the poet and mode of composition, and addresses issues of form, content, and style. His ideas are based largely on his philosophy of rational thought and empirical evidence.    Hobbes begins by dividing poetry into three types that correspond with the three types of philosophy and the three "regions of mankind." Philosopy can be divided into "celestial, aerial, and terrestrial." Mankind divides itself into "court, city, and country." Poets write about these three different regions of mankind in "three sorts of poesy, heroic, scommatic, and pastoral." Each of these types of poetry can be conveyed in either a narrative or dramatic form. Hobbes writes:    the heroic poem narrative...is called an epic poem. The heroic poem dramatic is tragedy. The scommatic narrative is satire, dramatic is comedy. The pastoral narrative is called simply pastoral...; the same dramatic, pastoral comedy.    In this way he describes the "six sorts of poesy;" there can be no more or less than that. On the subject of what is a poem, Hobbes reiterates the Aristotelian concept that verse alone does not make poetry. Hobbes sums up the difference between historical or philosophical verse and poetic verse like so:    But the subject of a poem is the manners of men, not natural causes; manners presented, not dictated; and manners feigned, as the name of poesy imports, not found in men.    He goes on to allow that "fictions writ in prose" may be given entrance into the world of poetry because prose delights both in fiction and in style, but, were prose and poetry to contend toe-to-toe, it would be as if prose were "on foot against the strength and wings of Pegasus."    Hobbes addresses briefly the conventions of verse and rhyme in poetry. He iterates that ancient poets created verse to go along with musical accompaniment, which was necessary because of their religious beliefs.

Hsm310 Hipaa Assignment

| You Decide| Activity| Assignment Responses| Part I| From the Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) perspective on HIPAA, contemplate the three basic areas which HIT professionals must be most concerned with are: (1) Privacy Rules (2) Security Rules, and (3) Standardized transaction code sets| Write a paragraph on each of the 3 critical areas of HIPAA for a training session of your staff. Explain what they are, why they are important and how they impact staff duties and the organization. | HIPAA Rules(1)Privacy Rules: According to the U. S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the HIPAA Privacy Rule establishes national standards to protect individuals’ medical records and other personal health information and applies to health plans, health care clearinghouses, and those health care providers that conduct certain health care transactions electronically. It’s important because the Rule requires appropriate safeguards to protect the privacy of personal health information, and sets limits and conditions on the uses and disclosures that may be made of such information without patient authorization. This rule impacts the staff by: Not sharing the information with others who have no need to know, including co-workers, family members or friends, minimizing opportunities for patient information to be overheard by others, never sharing passwords, disposing of information containing PHI properly such as shredding paper files(2)Security Rules: The HIPAA Security Rule establishes national standards to protect individuals’ electronic personal health information that is created, received, used, or maintained by a covered entity. The Security Rule is important because it requires appropriate administrative, physical and technical safeguards to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and security of electronic protected health information. It impacts the organization by forcing the healthcare industry to adopt uniform electronic transaction standards for Healthcare information, . (3)Standardized transaction code sets rules: This rule is designed to improve claims and management revenue cycle. It important because it helps save physicians thousands of dollars annually by using the standard transactions. It impacts the organization because some health insurers still have not adopted all of the standard transactions and because of the inconsistency it creates a burden for physician practices| Part II| Leading experts in HIPAA implementation agree that the first step toward HIPAA compliance is to Inventory the organization’s data| Fill out the attached HIPAA inventory form for your organization. List the various departments from where you have retrieved data. Indicate how the data will be used. | Department HIPAA Inventory (1) Health Information Management Services: a. A critical issue would be who can and cannot have access to health information b. Having only access at a specific time frame. For instance, only Monday- Friday between 8 and 4, but to patients only. (2) Clinical Nursing Services: c. A critical issue concerning Clinical Nursing Services is the staffing. The staffing effects patient safety and quality care. d. The issue can be addressed by cutting spending for other personnel, such as unlicensed caregivers, housekeepers, and other support staff. The amount of non-nursing work performed by RNs in inpatient units could increase, and investments in medical technology and facilities to improve the quality of care could be deferred. (3) Credit Department: e. A critical issue would be hospitals continue to face volume declines, which negatively impact the bottom line. f. Since patient experience impacts the bottom line, with the increase in consumer savvy patients and the emergence of ratings sites, recognition programs, and other efforts, the issue can be addressed by incorporating pay-for-performance programs based on satisfaction outcomes as part of their financial arrangements. This should make the financial implications greater than ever. According to â€Å"healthcare industry news† An increasing amount of research and writing has been done on the subject, offering healthcare managers an â€Å"evidence-based† case for improving the service encounter. | Part III| In a modern US hospital, the individual responsible for assembling a HIPAA implementation team generally holds the title  Chief Compliance Officer, with the Chief Information Officer (CIO) in the primary role of electronic communication, and all data compliance. The CCO assures the CIO and HIMS Director that they may in fact release private health information (PHI) for TPO with a written authorization. What is TPO and why is the CCO correct under HIPAA? | Operational Activities and HIPAATreatment (T) is when a health care professional provides, coordinates or manages the health care services of one or more providers. Payment (P) means the activities we perform to get reimbursed for the health care services we have provided. Operations (O): include activities that ensure our effective business operations. These include, conducting quality assessment and improvement activities, reviewing the competence or qualifications of health care professionals, evaluating practitioner and provider performance, etc The CCO is correct under HIPAA because The HIPAA Privacy Rule permits a health care provider to disclose protected health information about an individual, without the individual’s authorization, to another health care provider for that provider’s treatment of the individual. | Fill in the areas required to complete the assignment questions above Works Cited Health Information Privacy. (n. d. ). Retrieved December 2011, from http://www. hhs. gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/administrative/securityrule/index. html Hospital Impact. (n. d. ). Retrieved December 2011, from http://www. hospitalimpact. org/index. php/2011/12/01/p3571 Hospital Nurse Staffing and Quality of care. (n. d. ). Retrieved December 2011, from http://www. ahrq. gov/research/nursestaffing/nursestaff. htm#Strategies

Coming of Age-Portrait of an Artist

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is a complete work of art, complete in the sense that it gives such great insight to human nature and the people of the world. The title is essentially what this novel represents. The â€Å"coming of age† is represented like a portrait because it takes a long time, with many different attempts, to reach the final work of art. In even greater context, the protagonist experiences a series of epiphanies in which he gains insight into his own nature and into the people of the world. In the main characters â€Å"coming of age† there are crucial components that are lost and gained, which can be derived from his love of family, religion, and art. Stephen Dedalus, the main character, is what many would consider a typical boy with a normal childhood. His family loves him and they support him with essentially anything he would need. Stephen is taught well as a young boy whose parents grapple with many problems for themselves, yet always seem to show the difference between right and wrong. As Stephen grows older his family’s struggles become his own problem whenever finances force them to move, therefore making Stephen the new kid at school. †No life or youth stirred in him as it had stirred in [his father and his friends]. He had known neither the pleasure of companionship with others nor the vigour of rude male health nor filial piety. Nothing stirred within his soul but a cold and cruel and loveless lust. His childhood was dead or lost and with it his soul capable of simple joys and he was drifting amid life like the barren shell of the moon. (76) School shows to be a challenge in itself as he has problems fitting in, but eventually he finds his place in the â€Å"social circle†. As Stephen grows even older and moving now into his teenage years family is becoming one of his lesser problems. Although his family may not always physically be there, Stephen has roots for his mind and soul which his family created for him. In a way these ideals can be looked at as good or bad, the good being that he is from Ireland and it is tradition, the bad being that his family may be the source of the rest of his problems later in life. Religion to Stephen is a very important matter. From the time he was a little boy, the Catholic religion and the fear of God had been instilled in him. For this, Stephens traditional Irish upbringing is to blame. As for religion becoming a problem for him, it arose after his first sexual experience with a prostitute. †His soul had arisen from the grave of boyhood, spurning her grave-clothes. Yes! Yes! Yes! He would create proudly out of the freedom and power of his soul, as the great artificer whose name he bore, a living thing, new and soaring and beautiful, impalpable, imperishable. (133) Stephen had been introduced to the world of sin and was now indulging in gluttony and greed. †He turned to appease the fierce longings of his heart before which everything else was idle and alien. He cared little that he was in mortal sin, that his life had grown to be a tissue of subterfuge and falsehood. Beside the savage desire within him to realize the enormities which he brooded on nothing was sacred. †(79)Stephen is happy at first by the man he has become, but after he has a religious retreat, things quickly change. This is where his first epiphany comes in and he decides that he must seek god’s forgiveness and straighten his life out. It seems as if this small streak of sin was a minor setback for Stephen, and he is now disgusted with himself knowing what awaits him after death if he continues. As time goes by Stephen becomes more religious and manages to block out his temptations. The fact that the temptations are still there though worries him, and he wonders if he has really corrected himself. Stephen then faces many problems, from home to school, where he begins to question faith and religion once again. This is where the second epiphany comes in. After some thought Stephen decides that he must pursue his ambitions and live his life freely without inhibitions. Throughout Stephen’s early life the idea of art is almost lost for him. Stephen always has the idea of art in his mind and can be considered his one true love. The ambition of art did not always influence his thinking and ideals until later in his teenage years. The challenges and mental boundaries he experiences can contribute to the artist he wants to become, therefore making him very open minded artist with traditional Irish roots. Stephen was a confused boy who was on his own personal pursuit of happiness. Stephen was fortunate enough to realize that the choices he made before adulthood would effect the rest of his life. With that in mind, Stephen’s â€Å"coming of age† causes him to lose some things, while at the same time gaining others. The main part of Stephens â€Å"coming of age† was his transformation between one of religious conformity and one free of inhibitions as an artist. â€Å"I mean, said Stephen, that I was not myself as I am now, as I had to become. †(193)

Explanations of crime deviance Essay

The right realist perspective on crime is mainly associated with the American sociologist W.J Wilson. This perspective became very influential on home office policy-making during the conservatives period in office. The right realist approach assumes that human beings are naturally selfish, individualistic and greedy. Therefore ther are ‘naturally inclined’ to further their interest, even if this means comitting crime. They also believe the origins of crime are misunderstood, that is policies aimed at tackling crime by removing social and economic inequalities. Wilson noted that the Great Depression in the USA did not result in a rise in crime. Another right realist explanation is that the welfare state has undermined our sense of obligation to support each other, andthat community controls, i.e. informal controls imposed by neighbours, family and peer groups are breaking down. Right realists stress that attempts to explain the causes of crime should be abandoned and that sociologists should instead focus on finding practical solutions to slow the growth of crime. This developed the control theory. Hirschi argues that crime is opportunistic and anyone would commit crime if the situation was right and there was little chance of being caught. He says that sociologists should not focus on whypeople commit crime but why more people do not. He maintains that most people are rational in their choices and that there are controls that operate to make most people keep their actions within the bounds of the law. They are, Attachment- commitment to family relationships which could be threatened by criminal acts, Commitment- years of education, building a career, buying a home and aquiring a good reputation, all this could be lost by commiting crime, Involvement- some people are activley involved in community life as volunteers, parentgovernors for schools etc. all this would be jepordized by criminal behaviour. Right realists believe the way to control crime is to take practical measures to make sure the cost of crime outweighs the benefits. Left realists such as Lea and Young attempt to explain street crime in urban areas. Theirvictim survey of inner-city Islington showed that working class, black peopleand especially elderly women, had a realistic fear of street crime. Lea and Young argue that despite evidence of police racism, criminal statistics are largely correct as working classes and Afro-Caribbean’s do commit the most crime. They agreed thatwhite-collar and crimes go largely undetected and under punished, they do not point out however that they do not have the same negative impact on society as crimes such as mugging or burglary.Lea and Young maintain the reason why working class and Afro-Caribbean people commit crime is to do with feelings of ‘relative deprivation,’ such as comparing themselves to middle class or white youth with regard to life chances, living standards and income. Such groups feel frustrated with their lack of power. Negative treatment by the police and authorities leave groups feeling hostile and resentful, consequnently they are marginalized. Some mayform subcultures to help copewith the statusfrustration and marginalization. Hughes notes that left realists should be valued for the challenge they posed to radical criminology’s thinking on the issues of intra-class and intra-ethnic crimes. Left realism has drawn attention to the brutalising effects of street crimes in the inner-city and the fact that some theories of crime have romanticised offenders, it has highlighted the effects of crime for victims, a group neglected by most theories of crime. It realistically acknowledges that the police amplify the presence of some groups in the criminal statistics through the use of stop and search, but points out that policing is quite rightly focusing on those groups most likley to commit crime. There is no emperical evidence to support the view that young working class or black criminals interpret their realities in the way described by Lea and Young. Research on the motives of offenders is required. Lea and Young do not really explain why the majority of working class and Afro-Caribbean youth do not turn to crime. Left realism only focuses on collective or subcultural criminal responses and does not explain crimes such as burglary, which are  commited by individuals rather than gangs. It focuses exclusivley on street crime and ignores other serious crimes such as fraud and it fails to account for oppurtunistic crime commited by adults.

Ozzy Osbourne

Ozzy Osbourne is one of the most contradictive persons in the history of contemporary rock music. On the one hand, he is a famous singer being famous for his unique image, clothing and lifestyle and his music is surely beloved by thousands of fans, whereas, on the other hand he has had serious problems with drug and alcohol addictions. Nevertheless, his struggle for survival has to be praised and respected.  It is apparent that literature search revealed over 100 articles and books on the history of rock music and Osbourne’s career. Over half of these were prescriptive and written by practitioners, consultants and journalists.Adams, Deanna R.   Rock ‘n' Roll and the Cleveland Connection. Kent, OH: Kent State University Press, 2002.This book is not intended to be a definitive history of rock music, documenting every fact or thoroughly analyzing every decade. Rather, it is about those people and events responsible for making this the â€Å"Rock ‘n' Roll Capital of the World.† The book presents rather extraordinary and interesting viewpoint concerning Ozzy Osbourne and his musical career.Appleyard, Bryan. â€Å"Blizzard of Oz†, The Sunday Times Magazine, November 27, 2005.The article suggests that Ozzy Osbourne is surely one of the most interesting and at the same time shocking singer due to his unique image, clothing and lifestyle. He is known to shock publicity with extraordinary appearance, hair cuts and colors mixture. Nevertheless, author states that practically every star has his own â€Å"blizzards†. Concerning Osbourne it is his drug and alcohol addictions, though he has managed to cope with disease having proven that he is able to struggle for life and popularity. He underwent treatments for alcohol and drug abuse.   And now he is famous for both musical and TV careers.Davidson, Sandra (ed.) & Winfield, Betty Houchin (ed.). Bleep! Censoring Rock and Rap Music. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1999.The book is ab out societal attempts to control rock and rap music in a democracy. This book explains how governmental statutes, agency regulations, business controls and parents have tried to censor the music and when they have succeeded or why not. The book also focuses on the dilemma of a people who ideally believe in free expression as part of a democracy. It is apparent that attempts to censor Osbourne are also involved in the book.Dodd, P. The Book of Rock. London: Pavilion, 2001.The book is about the individual artists and groups associated with Rock music involving Ozzy Osbourne and his contradictive career and person. It is seen that the book is of great importance for current research, because it provides thorough examination and analysis of rock music history. The book is meant for a wide circle of readers who are fond of rock and Ozzy Osbourne.Exclusive: Ozzy Osbourne on Everything. Sunday Mirror, 2005, April 3: 16.The article presents interview with a famous singer about his private l ife and musical career. Ozzy believes his lavish family home in the English countryside is cursed. It is stated that in spite his millions and his transatlantic lifestyle, Ozzy is astonished at the cost of living in Britain – and feels that the working man is being priced out of the country.Goldberg, Jonah. Ozzy without Harriet: What the Osbournes Tells Us about Drugs. National Review, 54, 11 (2002, June 17): 23-24.The Osbournes, the reality-TV show about the 53-year-old former lead singer of the metal band Black Sabbath and his dysfunctional family, is an unprecedented hit. It receives the highest ratings in MTV's history. The article provides details of the show stating that is one of the most popular as it present daily life of a singer.Gosset, Pol & Leyser, Brady J.   Rock Stars/Pop Stars: A Comprehensive Bibliography, 1955-1994. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1994.This bibliography is a listing of over 3,600 books about the individual artists and groups associated with Rock/Pop music involving Ozzy Osbourne. It is seen that the book is of great importance for current research, because it aims at providing the most accurate and comprehensive bibliography available on Rock/Pop stars.The article says that Wildman rocker was invited to the White House due to the success launch of reality show â€Å"The Osbournes†. According to statistic provided in the article show has more that three million viewers. Family values and problems are incorporated in research. The article touches Osbourne’s problems with drugs and alcohol stating that he has had also problems with crashing hotel rooms and cars.Ozzy Rules: in a Rock World Dominated by Bad Boys, Ozzy Osbourne Stood out. The Daily Mail, 2005, November 19: 16.Newspaper article provides information about Osbourne’s problems with drug and alcohol considering that now he has been cured. The author suggests that Osbourne is really amazed by his new image as a family man. Osbournes has becom e one of Britain's, and America's most famous families. They are laughed at because of their crazy antics, thoih held in affection because of their obvious love for each other.The Ozzy Osbourne of Wolverhampton. The Birmingham Post, 2006, July 19: 5.Actually the article argues about Osbourne’s popularity and states that many fans are willing to behave and look like their music ideal. For example, A parrot-killer who decapitated his beloved pet in a drunken rage has been jailed for five-and-a-half months after a magistrate branded him â€Å"the Ozzy Osbourne of Wolverhampton†.ReferencesAdams, Deanna R.   Rock ‘n' Roll and the Cleveland Connection. Kent, OH: Kent State University Press, 2002.Appleyard, Bryan. â€Å"Blizzard of Oz†, The Sunday Times Magazine, November 27, 2005.Davidson, Sandra (ed.) & Winfield, Betty Houchin (ed.). Bleep! Censoring Rock and Rap Music. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1999.Dodd, P. The Book of Rock. London: Pavilion, 2001.Excl usive: Ozzy Osbourne on Everything. Sunday Mirror, 2005, April 3: 16.Goldberg, Jonah. Ozzy without Harriet: What the Osbournes Tells Us about Drugs. National Review, 54, 11 (2002, June 17): 23-24.Gosset, Pol & Leyser, Brady J.   Rock Stars/Pop Stars: A Comprehensive Bibliography, 1955-1994. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1994.Ozzy Osbourne â€Å"Invited to White House†, 2002, April 4. Avaiable at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/1911033.stmOzzy Rules: in a Rock World Dominated by Bad Boys, Ozzy Osbourne Stood out. The Daily Mail, 2005, November 19: 16.The Ozzy Osbourne of Wolverhampton. The Birmingham Post, 2006, July 19: 5.