Smoking research paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Smoking - Research Paper Example Mr. Prabhat Jha has also stated in the his online publication â€Å"Analysis† that, â€Å"unless there is widespread cessation of smoking, approximately 450 million deaths will have occurred as a result of smoking by 2050 and most of these will occur in current smokers†( 655). Here is some light thrown on the data about smoking prevalence worldwide with reference to Center for Disease Control and Prevention, â€Å"An estimated 45.3 million people, or 19.3% of all adults (aged 18 years or older), in the United States smoke cigarettes. Cigarette smoking is more common among men (21.5%) than women (17.3%)† (â€Å"Center for Disease Control and Prevention†). â€Å"Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, accounting for approximately 443,000 deaths, or 1 of every 5 deaths, in the United States each year† (â€Å"Center for Disease Control and Prevention†). As per Mr. Jha publication, around 1.1 billion peopl e smoke across the globe out which almost 80% belong to developing nations. Ratio of male to female smoker is 49:8 in such nation in contrast to developed nation where ratio is 37:21.China has the highest smoking population above 15 years of age followed by India, Indonesia, Russia, United States, Japan, Brazil, Bangladesh, Germany and Turkey (655). Graph curtsey - (Cancer Research UK) 2012. This graph represents worldwide tobacco epidemic, demonstrates initial rise and subsequent drop in the rate. Countries from northern Europe have shown remarkable drop in the percentage of smokers compared to rest of the world. (Cancer Research UK) Smoking is injurious to health- As per the National Cancer Institut

The Emotions Explored in the Poems Essay Example for Free

The Emotions Explored in the Poems Essay What Emotions does Tennyson explore in the poems ‘Mariana’ and ‘In the Valley of Cauteretz’ and what methods does he use to convey a range of emotions effectively? Tennyson explores many emotions throughout Marianna, In the Valley of Cauteretz which have been reflected from his life. Born to a large family of 12, Alfred Tennyson had many fears and worries in his life. Some of these worries included money due to the fact that Aunt Elizabeth Russell and Uncle Charles Tennyson had a great deal of wealth than that of his own family. Tennyson also had a lifelong fear of developing a mental illness as several of the men in his family had a mild form of epilepsy. In those days it was thought to be a shameful disease which was made worse by the fact that his father was an alcoholic. His fathers’ condition worsened and he became paranoid, abusive, and violent. Marianna is a poem about Marianna, a woman who has been waiting for her true love and has become more and more desperate in an old lonely grange with a moat. Tennyson uses a range of techniques to portray Marianna’s emotions. The idea of loneliness and grief is highlighted with the use of pathetic fallacy and nature ‘after the flitting of the bats when the thickest dark did trance the sky’. Tennyson stresses her desperation at the last four lines of each stanza which recurs but with slight modifications ‘She only said,’ my life is dreary, He cometh not,’ she said; She said, ‘I am aweary, aweary, I would that I were dead! ’ It is almost a death wish which slowly she believes. In ‘In the valley of Cauteretz’ it is clear that grief, sorrow and loneliness are recurring themes in Tennyson’s work. Right from the beginning of this short poem the effect the reader gets is that he is writing about a time in his life from experience and he is trying to go back to when he was happiest. ‘I walked with one I loved two and thirty years ago. All along the valley, while I walked today’. Tennyson tries to hide the bad times and think about the positive ‘the voice of the dead was a living voice to me’ showing that even though someone is dead, to him he is still alive. Tennyson had a friend called Arthur Hallam who died at a very young age hich was a great shock, because of this he presented the preciousness of youth in his poems by creating images which stress youthful joy. In the valley of Cauteretz describes an experience on revisiting a valley in the Pyrenees, years after he had been there with his now dead friend. This valley appears to shoe the reader a great psychological significance. As Tennyson describes himself travelling the valley, there are different elements which are triggered and crafter to create a lasting sense of how his friends’ death still affects himself decades later. Tennyson uses a range of different poetic techniques to convey all these emotions effectively. Some may think that the use of repetition highlights the desperation and sadness of the ‘characters’ he writes about in his poems however the dactylic, experimental rhythm in my opinion helps make sentences stand out and in ‘in the valley of Cauteretz’ makes him want to portray his friend as different and that they didn’t have just an ordinary friendship but a very string bond. Tennyson makes it clear to the reader that the valley was a place he had been before and had many memories from that place and he goes back in time using language making it seem as though the past has come alive ‘i walked with one I loves two and thirty years ago. All along the valley, while i walked today; two and thirty years were a mist that rolls away. Tennyson also used rhyming couplets which add effect of time passing by and to show that nothing has changed. In Mariana Tennyson also uses some of these techniques but for different reasons. He uses nature and sounds to show that there was nothing there, no feeling, no life. The mood of ‘Marianna’ does contrast to that of ‘In the Valley of Cauteretz’ however the themes throughout both are the same and based on Tennyson’s life experiences. Marianna is a poem about a woman in a daydream that she will be rescued by her love and swept away from this forlorn, dreary place. It is clear that in the final stanza Marianna has finally accepted that she will not be rescued by her true love and her final death wish is flooded with sadness ‘The sparrows chirrup on the roof, The slow clock ticking and the sound, Which to the wooing wind aloof, The poplar made, did all confound, Her sense; but most she loathed the hour, When the thick-moted sunbeam lay, Athwart the chambers, and the day, Was sloping toward his western bower. Then, said she, I am very dreary, He will not come, she said; she wept, I am aweary, aweary, Oh God, that I were dead! In conclusion Tennyson explored many emotions linked to grief, sadness and loneliness effectively with the use of exciting language, repetition and metaphors referring to all the good times with his friend. Word Count: 886

Baldwins Father in Notes of a Native Son Essay -- James Baldwin

Playgrounds of Harlem Narrative is a form of writing used by writers to convey their experiences to an audience. James Baldwin is a renowned author for bringing his experience to literature. He grew up Harlem in the 1940’s and 1950’s, a crucial point in history for America due to the escalading conflict between people of different races marked by the race riots of Harlem and Detroit. This environment that Baldwin grew up in inspires and influences him to write the narrative â€Å"Notes of a Native Son,† which is based on his experience with racism and the Jim-Crow Laws. The narrative is about his father and his influence on Baldwin’s life, which he analyzes and compares to his own experiences. When Baldwin comes into contact with the harshness of America, he realizes the problems and conflicts he runs into are the same his father faced, and that they will have the same affect on him as they did his father. Baldwin’s father died a broken and ruined man on July 29th, 1943. This only paralleled the chaos occurring around him at the time, such as the race riots of Detroit and Harlem which Baldwin describes to be as â€Å"spoils of injustice, anarchy, discontent, and hatred.† (63) His father was born in New Orleans, the first generation of â€Å"free men† in a land where â€Å"opportunities, real and fancied, are thicker than anywhere else.† (63) Although free from slavery, African-Americans still faced the hardships of racism and were still oppressed from any opportunities, which is a factor that led Baldwin’s father to going mad and eventually being committed. Baldwin would also later learn how â€Å"†¦white people would do anything to keep a Negro down.† (68) For a preacher, there was little trust and faith his father ... ...his father had acted the way he did, which caused him to be committed. He was facing the same experiences and the same side-effects his father once felt. However, faced with this dilemma between acceptance and equal power, Baldwin looks to the only man he can trust to help him, his father. He trusts his father because he knows that his father went through the same dilemma he is going through, he has seen the same affects in his father’s rage and hate. However, his father already passed away, and what help that could have been gathered from his father is gone; Baldwin can only piece together his memories of his father’s character and life and compare it to his own to see how the two are really alike. Works Cited Baldwin, James. â€Å"Notes of a Native Son.† 1955. James Baldwin: Collected Essays. Ed. Toni Morrison. New York: Library of America, 1998. 63-84.

Honey :: essays research papers

A Tasting Tour of U.S. Honey Varieties   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many choices when it comes to sweeteners. However, no other sweetener has as many varieties as honey. Honey is pure, all natural, and was first sweetener known to man. Honey is made when a bee changes the composition of nectar by adding moisture and enzymes. The product is then stored in bee combs and covered with bees wax.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Honey comes in many shapes, colors, and has a variety of flavors. Different types of honey come from different types of flowers. If there is an area with a large amount of one type of flower, a bee will produce honey with a flavor and color of the   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   plant. In areas with various types of flowers, bees will produce natural blends of honey. Flavors of honey stretch from bland tastes to sweet pleasant ones. Honey colors can range from a light golden color to dark brown depending on the flower. Darker honey means it is a different taste, not that it is low quality.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Different forms of honey are produced and sold in stores. Comb honey is a filled beeswax comb and is stored directly by the bees. Liquid honey is produced by clipping the wax off of the comb and extracting the honey from the cells. Creamy granulated honey is made by mixing granulated honey with liquid honey. Chunk honey is comb honey in a jar, covered with liquid honey.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many common types of honey in the United States. Alfalfa honey is a light colored honey that comes from purple blossoms and has a mild taste. Honey from a dark avocado blossom is avocado honey. Blueberry honey is taken from the blueberry bush which has tiny flowers. Blueberry is sweet and has somewhat of a tart taste. Fireweed is a honey light in color. This comes from a perennial herb found in Northern and Pacific states. Honey with a distinctive taste, golden color, and green cast is tupelo honey. Tupelo honey has a high fructose content, so it takes longer to granulate than other honeys. Wildflower honey is honey that is undefined at could have come from several different flowers. Sourwood honey comes from the sourwood tree which can grow up to 60 feet tall. Sourwood trees mostly grow and the mountains and can be found in Northeast Georgia. This honey has a sour taste. Maple honey is very sweet and tastes

In Harm’s Way

Persuasive Essay: In Harm’s Way The sinking of the USS Indianapolis was a horrible event, which killed hundreds of soldiers, and left hundreds floating adrift in the sea with swarms of sharks circling around them. Captain McVay, the captain of the Indianapolis, was charged with negligence. Truly, Captain McVay did his job with what he had, and should not be the scapegoat for the navy. Generals, Lieutenants, and Commodores are all partially responsible for the sinking due to negligence, miss communication, and important top-secret intelligence. Captain McVay did nothing wrong, and did a great job as Captain with the knowledge and information that he was aware of. Inconsistent communication and information that were out of McVay’s control are responsible for the sinking of the USS Indianapolis. Captain McVay was an experienced captain and knew what needed to be done to run the ship and the procedures to travel safely during a period where Japanese subs were everywhere waiting to take down American ships. When the USS Indianapolis left San Francisco, McVay had a crew that was not experienced. Therefore, he requested to have his crew be trained and was promised that training would take place in Guam when they arrived. When they arrived to Guam the crew was not completely trained. If an emergency were to happen, the crew would not be trained properly, which would result in many deaths. McVay was not being negligent, he knew what needed to be done in advanced and the navy denied his request. With a crew that was not very experienced, McVay was about to sail from the Marianas Sea Frontier into the Philippine Sea Frontier, a passage that had a navy communication conflict between Admiral Nimitz and General MacArthur. The political conflict between Nimitz and MacArthur was somewhat resolved because Nimitiz ended up getting control. However, there was still tension between them that caused information about ships and important facts to sometimes become lost. During this time, the passage was dangerous due to Japanese subs and with inconsistent communication, The USS Indianapolis could be in trouble and communication could get lost. The ship was not equipped with sonar because it wasn’t used for finding and hunting down subs. McVay was aware of this and how dangerous it was to cross to Leyte. Aware of the dangers, McVay requested an escort to assist with a safe sail to Leyte. Lieutenant Waldron, the convoy routing officer then called to request an escort â€Å"Waldron inquired of the officer on duty whether there was an escort leaving for Leyte, with whom the Indianapolis might tag along. Waldron was told that none was necessary†(Stanton 70). McVay did his duty by requesting the escort however; Captain Oliver Naquin was the one who denied it. As Captain, McVay had to rely on mainland communication and intelligence. â€Å"naval command assumed that she could travel safely in the backwater unescorted†(70). Even if McVay disagreed with their decision, he would still have to follow orders. With no escort, McVay follow protocol to steer the ship to decrease the risk of getting hit by a torpedo and requested an intelligence report for the whereabouts of enemy subs. McVay knew to travel in a zigzag direction, which made the ship harder to hit. He was to follow a zigzag course during daylight hours, and at night, at his discretion, during periods of good visibility†(71). McVay followed this order but when the Indianapolis was hit, it was at night when McVay was sleeping and not zigzagging. The Navy blamed McVay for not zigzagging when the ship was hit, Zigzagging was only required by the navy during daylight. Also, the naval command thought it was going to be a safe sail unescorted in which McVay would obviously have to trust and agree with. This ended up being false and making his trip more dangers than expected. McVay took action and requested an intelligence report to be aware of any enemy subs since he had no escort. When McVay received the intelligence report, the most crucial and important information was not given. â€Å"Three days earlier, the USS Underhill, a destroyer escort, had been sunk by a Japanese torpedo†(72). This message was kept a secret, neither McVay or anyone that he was communicating with was aware of this attack. However, this was crucial information for McVay, because the attacked happened in the same route as the USS Indianapolis. Commodore James Carter met with McVay at the CINCPAC headquarters and was aware of the attack but neglected to mention it to McVay. Communication was a big factor in the attack of the USS Indianapolis and even when the ship sank, successful SOS messages did not get communicated right resulting in a delayed rescued mission. Before the ship went down SOS and even the ships coordinates were sent out multiple times to multiple communication stations. One of the messages was received at Leyte and Commodore Gillette sent out tugboats out to the location of the sinking. After seven hours of the twenty-one hours initial trip, Gillette ordered the tugs to abort and come back to Leyte. McVay did the right procedures during the sinking; Gillette on the other hand was negligent and did not further investigate the reported sinking. Many of the other messages that were received were either ignored or thought to be fake distress calls from the Japanese. Throughout World War two, consistent communication was very difficult. Japan was intercepting America’s communication and getting leads throughout the war. This caused inconsistent communication and intelligences, which resulted in disasters such as the USS Indianapolis because information was not being provided correctly. The navy new of such crucial information that was very important to the USS Indianapolis such as, the sinking of a navy ship three days before the Indy. The Indianapolis was carrying atomic bombs making its delivery very important even though very few people knew about the bombs. The navy was negligent for doing this, and if McVay had known about the secret information, he would have changed his tactics to make sure he completed his mission. In Harm’s Way Persuasive Essay: In Harm’s Way The sinking of the USS Indianapolis was a horrible event, which killed hundreds of soldiers, and left hundreds floating adrift in the sea with swarms of sharks circling around them. Captain McVay, the captain of the Indianapolis, was charged with negligence. Truly, Captain McVay did his job with what he had, and should not be the scapegoat for the navy. Generals, Lieutenants, and Commodores are all partially responsible for the sinking due to negligence, miss communication, and important top-secret intelligence. Captain McVay did nothing wrong, and did a great job as Captain with the knowledge and information that he was aware of. Inconsistent communication and information that were out of McVay’s control are responsible for the sinking of the USS Indianapolis. Captain McVay was an experienced captain and knew what needed to be done to run the ship and the procedures to travel safely during a period where Japanese subs were everywhere waiting to take down American ships. When the USS Indianapolis left San Francisco, McVay had a crew that was not experienced. Therefore, he requested to have his crew be trained and was promised that training would take place in Guam when they arrived. When they arrived to Guam the crew was not completely trained. If an emergency were to happen, the crew would not be trained properly, which would result in many deaths. McVay was not being negligent, he knew what needed to be done in advanced and the navy denied his request. With a crew that was not very experienced, McVay was about to sail from the Marianas Sea Frontier into the Philippine Sea Frontier, a passage that had a navy communication conflict between Admiral Nimitz and General MacArthur. The political conflict between Nimitz and MacArthur was somewhat resolved because Nimitiz ended up getting control. However, there was still tension between them that caused information about ships and important facts to sometimes become lost. During this time, the passage was dangerous due to Japanese subs and with inconsistent communication, The USS Indianapolis could be in trouble and communication could get lost. The ship was not equipped with sonar because it wasn’t used for finding and hunting down subs. McVay was aware of this and how dangerous it was to cross to Leyte. Aware of the dangers, McVay requested an escort to assist with a safe sail to Leyte. Lieutenant Waldron, the convoy routing officer then called to request an escort â€Å"Waldron inquired of the officer on duty whether there was an escort leaving for Leyte, with whom the Indianapolis might tag along. Waldron was told that none was necessary†(Stanton 70). McVay did his duty by requesting the escort however; Captain Oliver Naquin was the one who denied it. As Captain, McVay had to rely on mainland communication and intelligence. â€Å"naval command assumed that she could travel safely in the backwater unescorted†(70). Even if McVay disagreed with their decision, he would still have to follow orders. With no escort, McVay follow protocol to steer the ship to decrease the risk of getting hit by a torpedo and requested an intelligence report for the whereabouts of enemy subs. McVay knew to travel in a zigzag direction, which made the ship harder to hit. He was to follow a zigzag course during daylight hours, and at night, at his discretion, during periods of good visibility†(71). McVay followed this order but when the Indianapolis was hit, it was at night when McVay was sleeping and not zigzagging. The Navy blamed McVay for not zigzagging when the ship was hit, Zigzagging was only required by the navy during daylight. Also, the naval command thought it was going to be a safe sail unescorted in which McVay would obviously have to trust and agree with. This ended up being false and making his trip more dangers than expected. McVay took action and requested an intelligence report to be aware of any enemy subs since he had no escort. When McVay received the intelligence report, the most crucial and important information was not given. â€Å"Three days earlier, the USS Underhill, a destroyer escort, had been sunk by a Japanese torpedo†(72). This message was kept a secret, neither McVay or anyone that he was communicating with was aware of this attack. However, this was crucial information for McVay, because the attacked happened in the same route as the USS Indianapolis. Commodore James Carter met with McVay at the CINCPAC headquarters and was aware of the attack but neglected to mention it to McVay. Communication was a big factor in the attack of the USS Indianapolis and even when the ship sank, successful SOS messages did not get communicated right resulting in a delayed rescued mission. Before the ship went down SOS and even the ships coordinates were sent out multiple times to multiple communication stations. One of the messages was received at Leyte and Commodore Gillette sent out tugboats out to the location of the sinking. After seven hours of the twenty-one hours initial trip, Gillette ordered the tugs to abort and come back to Leyte. McVay did the right procedures during the sinking; Gillette on the other hand was negligent and did not further investigate the reported sinking. Many of the other messages that were received were either ignored or thought to be fake distress calls from the Japanese. Throughout World War two, consistent communication was very difficult. Japan was intercepting America’s communication and getting leads throughout the war. This caused inconsistent communication and intelligences, which resulted in disasters such as the USS Indianapolis because information was not being provided correctly. The navy new of such crucial information that was very important to the USS Indianapolis such as, the sinking of a navy ship three days before the Indy. The Indianapolis was carrying atomic bombs making its delivery very important even though very few people knew about the bombs. The navy was negligent for doing this, and if McVay had known about the secret information, he would have changed his tactics to make sure he completed his mission.

Tips for Teachers to Avoid Compromising Situations

Tips for Teachers to Avoid Compromising Situations Educators are often looked upon to be moral leaders for a community. They have such a profound impact on and contact with youth that they are often held to higher moral standards than the average person. They are expected to avoid compromising situations. Whether you agree or disagree with this sentiment, it is still a reality and one that should be taken into consideration for anyone thinking about becoming a teacher. It seems like you cannot open a newspaper or watch the news without seeing another educator that failed to avoid a compromising situation. These situations do not typically occur on whimsy, but instead, develop over a period of time. They almost always begin because the educator lacked good judgment and put themselves in a compromising situation. The situation continues and progresses for many different reasons. It likely could have been avoided if the educator would have acted rationally and worked to avoid the initial compromising situation. Educators would avoid 99% of these situations if they simply use good common sense. Once they make the initial error in judgment, it is almost impossible to correct the mistake without there being consequences. Educators cannot put themselves in a compromising situation. You must be proactive in avoiding these situations. There are several simple strategies to protect you from losing your career and going through unnecessary personal strife. Avoid Social Media Society is bombarded by social media every single day. Sites such as Facebook and Twitter will not be going away anytime soon. These sites offer all users the unique chance to allow friends and family to stay connected. The majority of students have one or multiple social media accounts, and they are on them all the time. Educators have to be careful when creating and using their own personal social media accounts. The first and most important rule is that students should never be accepted as friends or allowed to follow your personal site. It is a disaster waiting to happen. If for nothing else, students do not need to know all the personal information made readily available when given access to your site. Document/Report Situation if Unavoidable On occasion, there are some situations that cannot be avoided. This is especially true for coaches or coaches who may students waiting to be picked up when they are finished. Eventually, only one could be left. In that case, the coach/tutor could choose to go sit out in the car by themselves while the student waits at the doors inside the building. It would still be advantageous to let the building principal know the next morning and to document the situation, just to cover themselves. Never Be Truly Alone There are times when it may seem necessary to be alone with a student, but there is almost always a way to avoid it. If you need to have a conference with a student, especially with a student of the opposite sex, it is always wise to ask another teacher to sit in on the conference. If no other teacher is available to sit in on the conference, it may be better to postpone it, than to have it. At the very least, you can leave your door open and make sure others in the building are aware of what is going on. Do not put yourself in a situation where it could be a he said/she said type of deal. Never Befriend Students Many first year teachers fall victim to trying to be their students’ friend instead of being a solid, effective teacher. Very little good can come out of being a student’s friend. You are setting yourself up for trouble especially if you teach middle school or high school students. It is far better to be a good, hard nose teacher that most students do not like than it is to be one that is best friends with everyone. Students will take advantage of the latter and it often easily leads to compromising situations at some point. Never Exchange Cell Phone Numbers There are not many solid reasons to have a student’s phone number or for them to have yours. If you have given a student your cell phone number, you are simply asking for trouble. The texting era has led to an increase in compromising situations. Students, who would not dare say anything inappropriate to a teacher’s face, will be bold and brazen through a text. By giving a student your cell phone number, you open the door to those possibilities. If you do receive an inappropriate message, you could ignore it or report it, but why open yourself to that possibility when you can just keep your number private. Never Give Students a Ride Providing a student with a ride puts you in a liable situation. First of all, if you have a wreck and the student is injured or killed, you will be held responsible. That should be enough to deter this practice. People are also easily seen in cars. This can give people a false perspective that can lead to trouble. Let’s say that you innocently give a student whose car broke down a ride home. Someone in the community sees you and begins a rumor saying that you are having an inappropriate relationship with that student. It could ruin your credibility. It simply isn’t worth it, because there were likely other options. Never Respond to Personal Questions Students of all ages will ask personal questions. Set limits immediately when the school year begins and refuse to allow your students or yourself to cross that personal line. This is especially true if you are unmarried. It is no student’s business as to whether or not you have a boyfriend or girlfriend. If they cross the line by asking something too personal, tell them they crossed a line and then immediately report it to an administrator. Students often fish for information and will take things as far as you let them.

Classic Airlines and Marketing

Classic Airlines and Marketing Classic Airlines is the fifth largest airline in the world with 25 years of experience and profitable revenue. Even though the industry is in a financial downfall, Classic Airlines is not immune to pressure. Competitive pressure and increased lower-fare travel have combined to cause passenger revenue in a long-term trend.The five environmental forces in businesses must monitor: social, economic, technological, competitive and regulatory. By identifying trends related to each of these forces businesses can develop and maintain successful marketing programs (Kerin, Hartley, Berkowitz Rudelius, 2005). The airline industry has reached a low point since the September 11th attacks that has contributed to the airline economics in addition to the worldwide economic viability. Worldwide including The United States has been impacted by the market decrease and has the airline business striving to regain and improve profitability. In spite of financial issues the airline industry remains compet itive and as shown in Exhibit A, Classic Airlines Financials negative numbers are starting to show more each month (Course Materials, 2009).English: Screenshot from WebCRMSituation BackgroundBy an increased uncertainly about flying there has been a concerned investment community on the watch, the airline industry operates with a microscope watching over them.The consumers' confidence appears to be waving. Classic's declining rewards program measured a decrease in reference to the lower number of Classic reward member which, turns to the lower amount of flights. The loyal customer's that Classic Airlines has had are not been happy and they are going somewhere else. Rising costs, such as labor and fuel has limited Classic's ability to compete for a valued perk for the frequent flier.Classic is now facing a mandated cost reduction to take place over the next year and the Board of Directors has not released much information on the company's current state and this may be...

B.C. (or BC) - Counting and Numbering Pre-Roman Time

B.C. (or BC) - Counting and Numbering Pre-Roman Time The term BC (or B.C.) is used by most people in the west to refer to pre-Roman dates in the Gregorian Calendar (our current calendar of choice). BC refers to Before Christ, meaning before the putative birth year of the prophet/philosopher Jesus Christ, or at least before the date once thought to be that of Christs birth (the year AD 1). The first surviving use of the BC/AD convention was by the Carthaginian bishop Victor of Tunnuna (died AD 570). Victor was working on a text called Chronicon, a history of the world begun by Christian bishops in the 2nd century AD. BC/AD was also used by the British monk the Venerable Bede, who wrote over a century after Victors death. The BC/AD convention was probably established as early as the first or second century AD, if not widely used until much later. But the decision to mark years AD/BC at all is only the most prevalent convention of our current western calendar in use today, and it was devised only after some tens of thousands of years of mathematical and astronomical investigations. Calendars BC The people who likely devised the earliest calendars are thought to have been motivated by food: the need to track seasonal  growth rates in plants and migrations in animals. These early astronomers marked time by the only way possible: by learning the motions of celestial objects such as the sun, moon, and stars. These earliest calendars were developed all over the world, by hunter-gatherers whose lives depended on knowing when and where the next meal was coming from. Artifacts that may represent this important first step are called tally sticks, bone and stone objects which bear incised marks that may refer to the numbers of days between moons. The most elaborate of such objects is the (somewhat controversial of course) Blanchard Plaque, a 30,000-year old piece of bone from the Upper Paleolithic site of Abri Blanchard, in the Dordogne valley of France; but there are tallies from much older sites that may or may not represent calendrical observations. The domestication of plants and animals brought an additional layer of complexity: people were dependent on knowing when their crops would ripen or when their animals would gestate. Neolithic calendars must include the stone circles and megalithic monuments of Europe and elsewhere, some of which mark the important solar events such as solstices and equinoxes. The earliest possible first written calendar identified to date is the Gezer calendar, inscribed in ancient Hebrew and dated to 950 BC. Shang dynasty oracle bones [ca 1250-1046 BC] may also have had a calendrical notation. Counting and Numbering Hours, Days, Years While we take it for granted today, the crucial human requirement of capturing events and predicting future events based on your observations is a truly mind-blowing problem. It seems quite likely that much of our science, mathematics, and astronomy are a direct outgrowth of our attempts to make a reliable calendar. And as scientists learn more about measuring time, it becomes clear how enormously complex the problem truly is. For example, youd think figuring out how long a day was would be simple enoughbut we now know that the sidereal daythe absolute chunk of the solar yearlasts 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4.09 seconds, and is gradually lengthening. According to growth rings in mollusks and corals, 500 million years ago there may have been as many as 400 days per solar year. Our astronomical geek ancestors had to figure out how many days there were in a solar year  when the days and years varied in length. And in an attempt to know enough about the future, they did the same for a lunar yearhow often did the moon wax and wane and when does it rise and set. And those kinds of calendars arent migratable: sunrise and sunset occur at different times at different parts of the year and different places in the world, and the moons location in the sky is different for different people. Really, the calendar on your wall is a remarkable feat. How Many Days? Fortunately, we can track the failures and successes of that process through surviving, if patchy historical documentation. The earliest Babylonian calendar reckoned the year to be 360 days longthats why we have 360 degrees in a circle, 60 minutes to an hour, 60 seconds to the minute. By about 2,000 years ago, societies in Egypt, Babylon, China, and Greece had figured out that the year was actually 365 days and a fraction. The problem becamehow do you deal with a fraction of a day? Those fractions built up over time: eventually, the calendar that you were relying on to schedule events and tell you when to plant became off by several days: a disaster. In 46 BC, the Roman ruler Julius Caesar established the Julian calendar, which was built solely on the solar year: it was instituted with 365.25 days and ignored the lunar cycle entirely. A leap day was built in every four years to account for the .25, and that worked pretty well. But today we know our solar year is actually 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 46 seconds long, which is not (quite) 1/4 of a day. The Julian calendar was off by 11 minutes per year, or a day every 128 years. That doesnt sound too bad, right? But, by 1582, the Julian calendar was off by 12 days and cried out to be corrected. Other Common Calendar Designations A.D.B.P.RCYBPcal BPA.H.B.C.E.C.E. Sources This glossary entry is part of the About.com Guide to Calendar Designations and the Dictionary of Archaeology. Dutka J. 1988. On the Gregorian revision of the Julian calendar. The Mathematical Intelligencer 30(1):56-64. Marshack A, and DErrico F. 1989. On Wishful Thinking and Lunar Calendars. Current Anthropology 30(4):491-500. Peters JD. 2009. Calendar, clock, tower. MIT6 Stone and Papyrus: Storage and Transmission. Cambridge: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Richards EG. 1999. Mapping Time: The Calendar and its History. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Sivan D. 1998. The Gezer Calendar and Northwest Semitic Linguistics. Israel Exploration Journal 48(1/2):101-105. Taylor T. 2008. Prehistory vs. Archaeology: Terms of Engagement. Journal of World Prehistory 21:1–18.

McCarthy Witchhunts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

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Chinese Accounting Standards Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Chinese Accounting Standards - Essay Example China is world's second largest economy. Over a period of liberalization Chinese accounting standards have shifted from a centrally control economy to an open market economy. But the developments of Chinese accounting standards have been highly influenced from the political environment of the country. Because of these constraints there are still major differences between Chinese accounting framework and FIRSs of International Accounting Standards (IAS). In PRC, Ministry of Finance sets out accounting standards. These government-defined standards are often less value relevant as the government has its own political compunctions [5]. This situation is again complicated due to weak capital market infrastructure. The main areas where there is appreciable difference between PRC GAAP and IFRS includes the valuation of fixed assets over a period of time i.e. depreciation measurements and the amortization of intangible assets, the methods of accounting for income taxes, measuring goodwill and intangible assets, amortization of goodwill and intangible asset, mineral rights, the expenditure to explore develop and extract minerals, and research and development costs [2]. Though Ministry of Finance (MOF) of Peoples Republic of China is trying to fill in the gaps between Chinese GAAP and IFRS there are still many areas where these two accounting standards are differentiate... areas of inventory and temporary investment valuation, provision for bad debts, depreciation and revaluation of fixed assets, and amortization of intangible assets. Chinese GAAP rules require the inventories for an organization to be calculated at historical costs whereas IFRS rules evaluate the inventories according to lower of cost and market (LOCAM) principles. According to Chinese GAAP long-term investment companies having less than 50% share holding can choose among cost and equity methods for their financial auditing. Chinese GAAP is followed for managerial opportunistic purposes though it is quite similar to IFRS in practice. Chinese GAAP allows unrestricted use of accruals by capital expenses for operating leases and unsymmetrical allocation of costs between finished and running work processes. Ways in which Chinese rules differ from IFRS There are many differences between Chinese GAAP and IFRS arising due to non-accounting government regulations. Financial Rules for Enterprises framed by MOF of PRC defines the rules for cost depreciation, residual value and useful life of different fixed assets. Chinese GAAP accounting practices are more practical in measuring depreciation of assets; it is based on historical cost of assets or measures the inventory at a planned price, which is in contrast to fare value oriented valuation of IFRS standards [2]. Financial Rules for Enterprises stases that assets of certain categories should be amortized over a period of minimum ten years, which may be an impractical dictate as these assets needs more than ten years to yield any economic benefits. Many industries related to welfare, pension and other special reserves generally require more than ten years to give any tangible economic benefits. The way Chinese accounting

Free Trade Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Free Trade - Article Example The problem with this type of outsourcing is that it can critically harm the domestic labor market. Ease of service outsourcing has made millions of domestic jobs vulnerable to being outsourced overseas (Wessel & Davis, 2007). The local labor market is likely to suffer shortage in labor supply as labor demand exacerbates. This scenario would likely trigger economic chaos in the affected economy. On the other hand, countries where most services are outsourced to would experience an influx, similarly causing economic imbalances in labor demand and supply. This type of outsourcing has its benefits too. The process keeps globalization running, thereby enhancing global interdependence in trade. Outsourcing along this line also creates opportunities for poor economic performers when they interact with tiger economies. To enhance competition along free trade and communication technology aspects, outsourcing practices should be subject to globally agreed upon regulation procedures. The flow of outsourced services should be controlled by taking into account the economic potential of all economies involved. This would ensure that the magnitude of outsourced services matches the economic potential of the destination country. All variables of free trade would also have to be factored in in enhancing

Comparing the Cosby Show and Married with Children Essay

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Answer the 4 questions from the provided uploaded information and the Research Paper

Answer the 4 questions from the provided uploaded information and the provided book - Research Paper Example Likewise, it was asserted by Powell (2008) that â€Å"the death of Jesus Christ is an integral aspect of salvation† (p. 3232) because at the moment of death, it was noted that God forgave the sins of many and became the liberation of the souls from the bondage of sin; thus, opening the gates of heaven to eternal life and to salvation. In addition, it was also contended that â€Å"salvation includes new life in Christ, comprising regeneration (or rebirth) and eternal life. We have this new life as we participate in Jesus’ resurrection† (Powell, 2008, p. 3599). 2. In 150-300 words, compare the theological positions of James Arminius and John Calvin. (10%) James Arminius alleged that man should not be held accountable for the sin of Adam; but only accountable when man transgressed against God’s laws voluntarily. ... As such, children of Christian disciples should be baptized while infants to be participants in the noted new covenant (Powell, 2008, p. 4764). Likewise, his teachings include: (1) total depravity concept where man was believed to be incapable of saving oneself; (2) that God chooses those who go to heaven or hell and man can do nothing to change this; (3) that Jesus allegedly died on the cross not to save mankind; but only those who were elected to go to heaven; (4) that man cannot resist God if and when he chooses to draw man towards Him; and finally, (5) salvation is believe to be left entirely to God. 3. In your own words, write a one to two sentence definition of the following terms or phrases: (5%) Canon of Scripture, as defined, means rule of a collection of writings of the Church which were considered of great value (Powell, 2008, p. 4514). Image of God was allegedly described in the Bible where man was created after the likeness of God, in terms of resemblance to some form of goodness, which is solely attributable to Him. Kenosis is a term which actually meant ‘emptying† which was analogous to Jesus, as the Son of God, who apparently emptied his divinity and assumed the role of a slave (Powell, 2008, p. 5270). Omniscience was noted to be the term which signifies the universality of God’s wisdom, which far exceeds the understanding and grasp of human nature and intellectual faculties of man. Original sin is reported to be a doctrine which presupposed that people are born in a sinful world; and therefore, it is acknowledgement that even before the ability to reason and have the capacity for spirituality, people are born to participate in the natural and universal sinfulness of the world. Orthodoxy was acknowledged to come from the word orthodox, a

Comparing the Cosby Show and Married with Children Essay

Comparing the Cosby Show and Married with Children - Essay Example Moreover the Cosby Show was an effort to promote better social and cultural values while Married with Children took up non-standard topics for its time. Both shows provided enhanced ratings for their host channels and helped to create new trends in entertainment programming on television. The central theme of both shows provides a startling comparison to the way that social existence is viewed in groups with differing cultural backgrounds within the same society. The Cosby Show was centered on the Huxtable family’s life which was portrayed as a well to do African American household living in brownstone (brown collared apartment building in New York) located in Brooklyn Heights. The father was Heathcliff â€Å"Cliff† Huxtable who was shown as an obstetrician as well as the son of a famous jazz trombonist and was played by Bill Cosby. The mother of the household was Clair Huxtable nee Hanks and was shown as an attorney. The family was shown as affluent in order to garner the thought that well to do African American families existed too in prime time television. Before this it was common to portray African American families as blue collar only. Another aspect of the show that made it different was its ability to handle serious topics as well. For example the Cosby Show dealt with the themes of Theo’s (son of the family) struggle in dealing with dyslexia and was inspired by Bill Cosby’s son Ennis who was suffering with the same problem. Another such issue dealt with was teenage pregnancy when Denise’s (daughter of the family) friend gets pregnant. Although these problems were wrapped up in a comedic overtone, however, discussion on these themes showed that the show was in part educational too. It is attributed that Bill Cosby retained a high level of control over the show’s creative direction and imbued educational concepts in it which reflected his background as an educationist. Moreover the entire show was taped in New York in comparison to Los Angeles where most other shows of the time were being taped. Another major difference created by the Cosby Show was its lack of using racial themes unlike contemporary African American comedy shows such as The Jefferson’s routinely banked on racial tones to augment their comedy. On the other hand The Cosby Show did portray African American themes such as that of the Civil Rights Movement in a positive light and it also promoted Afric an American culture and values. The works of myriad African American musicians and artists were presented through The Cosby Show such as the works of James Brown, Jacob Lawrence, Michael Jackson, Duke Ellington etc. While The Cosby Show was praised for promoting African American culture and for portraying successful African Americans, it also came under fire for representing only a certain segment of the African American population. In contrast the show Married with Children featured a Caucasian family at the centre stage as well as their neighbors. The show is based on the lives of Al Bundy who is portrayed as a once famed high school football player but whose luck has forced him to work as a salesman for woman’s shoes. Al has an acrimonious and at times irritating wife Peg as well as an attractive yet â€Å"bimbo† and rather promiscuous daughter Peg and an unpopular son Bud who is intelligent and crazy for girls. The son Bud is portrayed as the only person to have at tended college in the family. On the side are Al’s neighbors Steve Rhoades and his wife Marcy. Later in the series Marcy gets married to a white collar criminal Jefferson D’

Financial Research Report Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

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Intellectual Property Essay Example for Free

Intellectual Property Essay Welcome to the online discussion topic for GSP171. I look forward to this being a participative and collaborative discussion so that we can all share our experiences and learn from each other. This discussion topic will focus on the key ideas and concepts covered in Chapters 1 and 2 of the Study Units/Course Guide. INSTRUCTIONS 1. The discussion starts at noon of 7 August 2013 and will last until 2359 hours of 18 August 2013 (â€Å"Discussion Period†) 2. During the Discussion Period, you should make a minimum of two (02) posts of 70 to 150 words each for the discussion topic. 3. At least one of your posts must be in direct response to the discussion question below, while additional posts should be in response to those from other students. 4. Do not post in batches (for example, all posts in one day); instead, space out your posts regularly. 5. In your posts, you need to demonstrate that: †¢You have read the materials †¢ You understand the legal concepts and how to apply them; and †¢ You are able to bring together all the materials to show new and deep understanding of the discussion at hand. 6. Read what other students have posted and respond to them; you will also be graded for the amount and quality of engagement with the ideas of others. Hence, at least one of your posts should comment on or respond to what other students have posted (have they got their facts and theories right; have they applied them correctly and in what way; and in what way have you learned from what they write?) 7. This assignment will be graded, and relevant criteria will be no. of postings, relevance, reflection and interpretation, generating learning and evidence of practical application. 8. Please note that the rules on academic honesty and plagiarism apply to this Graded Discussion Board assessment. You should use your own words and ideas as much as possible, and cite any external sources that you refer to. You should be able to think of as many points as you can, or for each point as many angles of looking at it as you can. Don’t just get stuck in one thing! Write in full and proper sentences with correct punctuation and spelling, like you would in an essay. Please observe online etiquette. DISCUSSION QUESTION In December 2012, the Media Convergence Review Panel appointed by the Singapore Government released its Final Report on Media Convergence. The report is available online at http://www.mda.gov.sg/Reports/Documents/Media%20Convergence%20Review%20Final%20Report.pdf. Chapter 5 of the report addresses Policy and Regulatory Responses to Copyright and Digital Piracy, and debates the views from different stakeholders, ie, content owners, content users and technology providers. After reading Chapter 5 of the report, consider and discuss the following: a.In your view, would the availability of legitimate content sources affect digital piracy rates in Singapore? Has the opening of new online stores such as iTunes and Spotify in Singapore changed the way by which Singaporeans consume digital content? b.What are the arguments for and against doing more to respond to copyright challenges in the online environment in Singapore? c.Do you agree with the recommendations of the Panel (as summarised in section 5.6), or would you have adopted other responses? Have a fruitful discussion!

Current Purchasing Power Accounting Accounting Essay

Current Purchasing Power Accounting Accounting Essay Accounting theory is a set of basic assumptions, definitions, principles, and concepts surrounding the accounting rule. It includes the reporting of accounting and financial information to relevant or interested parties. There are several approaches that are used in the development of accounting theory. The two main ones are normative theory approach and the positive theory approach. Normative theory approach is a theory that is not based on observation. It is based on how things in the accounting process should be done. This approach comprises of different approaches to have a single but effective accounting approach (Khandelwal, Jain, 2008). This kind of approach uses a formula to come up with an income based on value, not costs. On the other hand, positive or descriptive theoretical approach to accounting theory is a set of theories that is concerned with what accountants actually do (Rosenfield, 2006). These theories rely on a process of inductive thinking, which involves making observations and drawing inferences from them. The main purpose of making observations is to identify certain similarities, identify the number of instances that the similarities are actually observed to deduce a certain degree of assurance necessary to set up a theory about all the similar instances (Ackert, Deaves, 2009). Each of these accounting theoretical approaches are applicable in any business today. However, it would be difficult to apply them together at the same time, since each of them has different objectives (Ackert, Deaves, 2009). It is therefore up to an accountant to decide what approach is most accurate or best suited for what situation. This calls for the right judgment of accountants to be able to make the right decision in every situation or challenge that a business entity is faced with. Normative Theory Approach There are several approaches covered in this approach. Each of these theories is best suited for a different situation (Belkaoui, 2004). Below are these different theories and various situations where each theory is best to be applied. Historical Cost Accounting This theory is applied in times when the costs or prices for things are on the rise (Murphy, 2008). The Historical cost accounting theory is based on the assumption that money holds a constant purchasing power. The main challenge with this theory is that it assumes that the monetary unit is fixed and constant over time. This theory is however based on three components. One is that there are specific levels in price levels, which may be characterized by technological factors and changes of consumer demands. Another component is that there is usually a general change in price levels, which is what is known as inflation (Murphy, 2008). The third component is fluctuation in the exchange rates for different currencies. Due to these three components, the book value of a business should show the current value of assets when preparing financial reports (Murphy, 2008). As stated earlier, historical cost accounting is used when a company is experiencing rising prices. Prices are expected to raise every now and then, and this may render the approach useless in most of these situations. Companies that make use of this approach are safe from overstating profits especially in times when prices are on the rise (Whittington, 2007). Distribution of profits in such situations can affect the purchasing power of a company. This kind of approach may not be viable to use since it affects the operating results of the current year as it includes gains asserted in previous periods of the companyà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s existence. More to that, capital maintenance depends on maintaining an intact financial capital and purchasing power (Murphy, 2008). Using actual current values as they are presently in the market may give a certain measure of profits which should be well distributed to maintain a physical operating capital. Current Purchasing Power Accounting This theoretical approach is best suited in situations where accountants need to maintain capital and the purchasing power of a company. The Current purchasing power accounting theory was developed on the basis that if a company distributes its profits as is required by historical accounting, then the real value of a company has to be reduced (Murphy, 2008). This means that the company would have to distribute a certain amount of its capital. This approach applies indices and is hence easy and cheaper to apply when in such a situation (Rosenfield, 2006). This is because any adjustment that needs to be done is done at the end of a period, and on records made from historical cost accounting. Under this approach, non-monetary assets are termed as assets that monetary value may change overtime due to inflation. Such assets include the machinery in a factory. On the other hand, net-monetary assets are defined as monetary assets minus the monetary liabilities. With this theoretical approach, changes in the purchasing power of a company are not attributed to the non-monetary assets. The loss of purchasing power comes about as a result of holding net-monetary assets (Murphy, 2008). In general circumstances of price level accounting, non-monetary assets are listed to the current purchasing power and as thus, no profits or losses are recognized. This theoretical approach is not reliable when making decisions for the company. Current Cost Accounting This approach is best suited when trying to maintain the purchasing power of a company during times if inflation, or fluctuation of exchange rates of currencies, because it is based on actual valuations. This theoretical approach cuts a clear line between profits that are made after sales, and the gains that come with holding an asset, be it a net-monetary asset or a non-monetary asset (Murphy, 2008). Scholars have argued that a physical or real approach to maintaining capital yields the best results in any business entity, especially in terms of income. This approach values as asset on the basis of replacement costs (Murphy, 2008). Operating income of the asset is valued as realized revenue, minus the replacement costs of that particular asset. This approach of calculating replacement costs is best for calculating operating profit. This makes it possible to maintain the operation capacity of the business at a constant level. The current cost operating profits before absorbing gains and losses, and the realized gains of holding an asset are both counted as revenues, and thus the sum of the two equates to historical cost profit (Rosenfield, 2006). Gains of holding an asset are different from gains after making sales (Porwal, 2001). This is because are the two are dependent on differing factors in the market, most of which are beyond the control of the management in a business. There is an uncertainty surrounding the prevalence of replacement costs though. Current cost accounting is founded on two business concepts; current operating profit and realizable cost savings. Current operating profit is defined as the excess of the present value of the output sold, over the cost of related inputs. Realizable cost savings, also termed as the holding gains or losses, are the increase of the present cost of assets that the company is holding in a given period. Holding gains or losses of an asset can be realized or unrealized. For example, the holding gain of an excess in revaluation in unrealized, but is still considered as part of the business profit in the income statement (Whittington, 2007). In the event that there are two companies that were started at different times, the company that was started earlier will have a larger operating profit. This is because it has less depreciation costs. Any one would think that this company has a more efficient system of running its operations in the current years than other companies that were started later. The actual case is that the management made a wise decision when starting the company. The fact that they bought their assets back in time is a contributing factor. This is a good illustration of the concept of realizable cost savings. Exit Price Accounting This approach argues that assets should be valued as per their exit or market prices, non-marketable reproducible assets at replacement costs, and seasonal no marketable, non-reproducible assets be valued at the original cost (Rosenfield, 2006). The theory also argues that financial statements should be structured in a way to show how much a company is able to adapt to different situations and environments, and that income should be inclusive of all profits and losses, those that have been realized and those that have not been unrealized. This approach is suitable especially when the management has to make decisions about the future of a company. The fact that it gives a straight on focus on the adaptability of a company, makes it stand out of other theories (Whittington, 2007). The adaptability of a business entity is based on how liquid or sellable its assets are. This kind of approach would come in handy at a time when a company is considering to sell some of its assets to counteract inflations in the market. Positive Theories Approach As defined earlier, positive theories are used to explain and predict a phenomenon after making observations (Deegan, Samkin, 2011). Positive theories are based on the assumption that if one makes a series of observations on a behavior, they are able to develop a certain patter which they use to make conclusions and predictions. Examples of positive theories include the stakeholder theory and the legitimacy theory (Deegan, Samkin, 2011). PAT is mainly involved with relationships between people or entities that provide resources to a business organization (Deegan, Samkin, 2011). For instance, the relationship between the management of an organization and its owners. The main elements of most of the relationships according to this theory involve the delegation of decision making from one party (possibly the owners or management who act as the principle) and the agent (second party). If the principle makes wrong decisions, then the two parties are likely to suffer losses, and increased costs due to inefficiency. Such expenses are known as agency costs. The Positive Accounting theory seeks to find a way to reduce agency costs by use of contractual arrangements. It is thus based on the assumption that stakeholders will act in favor of their own interests, and will therefore grab any opportunity available to increase their wealth (Deegan, Samkin, 2011). With this assumption, morality and loyalty are definitely not characteristics of this theory (Ketz, 2006). The positive accounting theory states an organization is usually a collection of people who have individual self-interests, but are willing to cooperate to achieve collective goals, while at the same time, working on their personal goals (Alexander, Brittan, Joseen, 2007). One prediction of the PAT is that organizations will execute measures that align the interests of the whole organization to self-interests. Most of these measures are based on the output of the accounting system, where the stakeholders get to share the excesses of the organization. Such mechanisms need to be backed up by financial statements. According to PAT, managers should commit themselves to preparing the financial statements (Freedman, Jaggi, 2010). This is an expensive activity and the costs incurred are known as bonding costs. Bonding costs can therefore be defines as costs incurred to relevant authorities or agents when establishing means to communicate to the principals, so that they may act in a way that will not affect goals of the organization or the individuals involved. Being part of the stakeholders, the management officials too, have their own self-interests. Based on this assumption, PAT states that the financial statements that are prepared by the management should be audited (Alexander, Brittan, Joseen, 2007). This would help avoid possibilities of the agents to act or manipulate figures in the financial statements to suit their interests. On this note, PAT assumes that not all opportunistic actions can be controlled by contractual arrangements such as the auditing exercise, therefore, there will always be residual costs. Costs incurred during the auditing exercise are known as monitoring costs. Decisions or investigations that are based on the Positive accounting theory adopt an efficiency perspective or an opportunistic perspective. The efficiency perspective seeks to find mechanisms that can be executed so as to reduce agency costs (Freedman, Jaggi, 2010). A good example of this is that when companies produce financial statements that have been audited, they reduce real costs since there are no hidden figures that are not well accounted for. The audited financial statement therefore serves as an efficient perspective, and thus the organization can be termed as efficient (Deegan, Samkin, 2011). Still from the efficiency perspective, accounting practices of an organization should reflect the underlying financial performance of the organization. Organizations adopt different accounting methods, which can be explained by various organizational characteristics. A good example of this is goodwill. If a company is able to provide reliable information about its performance, potential investors will not need to go out looking for more information from other sources. This saves time and reduces costs (Schroeder, Clark, Cathey, 2011). A company will pick an accounting method that will best show its underlying performance. This means that placing certain limitations or regulations on how companies prepare their financial statements can lead to a company incurring more costs than necessary, and probably not achieve their goal. Based on this, this theory recommends that companies should be allowed to prepare their financial statements in a way that best suits their operations, and that will show their underlying performances well (Deegan, Samkin, 2011). As for the opportunistic perspective, PAT seeks to explain and predict opportunistic behavior likely to happen after getting into a contractual agreement. For example, when trying to minimize agency costs, the management of a given organization can negotiate a contractual arrangement to increase their bonuses on profits made. This would align the interests of the managers with those of the owners of the business entity. With the agreement in place, the management can then find other mechanisms to ensure that more profits are generated (Freedman, Jaggi, 2010). The more profits are made, the better the bonus that both the management and the owners will enjoy. These mechanisms that the management adopts may not be reflected on the set up of the organization or its assets. The opportunistic perspective assumes that owners of an organization predict that managers will at some point act opportunistic (Deegan, Samkin, 2011). The principles are therefore likely to set what accounting methods should be used. For instance, a bonus plan agreement may have a stipulation that a depreciation method be used to calculate income inform of bonuses. The management may find it a bit costly to stick to the stipulated plan, and may seek an alternative method. Following such a possibility, PAT states that agents will always have an upper hand in deciding what accounting method to use. Conclusion The above theories are applicable in different situations. According to the analysis put above, the two theories address different issues, and thus, it would yield contradicting results to combine them. For instance, normative theories are best applied when a company is faced with various externalities like fluctuations of currencies and inflation of prices. These affect the purchasing power of a company and thus, the theories come in handy to help the management to make decisions on how to survive such challenges. As for the positive theories to accounting theory, these come in handy when dealing with issues that affect the relationship between the major stakeholders of any business; the owners and the management. The two parties may have contradicting interests, and the positive theories come in handy best in such situations.

Racism: A Historical and Social Construct in America Essay -- racism,

Racism, will it ever end? The answer is probably not. The United States of America was set up on the basis of race. Even many years ago European settlers looked down upon the Native Americans as inferior. Years later in today’s modern society, racism still exists, although we may not fully realize it. Many people are not aware of how much racism still exists in our schools workforces, and anywhere else where social lives are occurring. Using our sociological imagination, we are capable of applying the role of race to any situation. However, in some situations, race does not play a covert role; it plays a crucial and obvious role. In â€Å"Film Shows Students Battle Racism for Mixed Prom†, Michelle Nichols stated, â€Å"As Barack Obama campaigned to become the first black U.S. President, teenagers in the small Mississippi hometown of Hollywood star Morgan Freeman battled racism to hold their high school’s first integrated prom.† The assumption that racism n o longer exists is false. Racism still exists to the highest degree. Even in the 21st century, prom -- an annual dance for graduating students, is divided and integrated for black and white students at Charleston high school. It’s always about race. Why is racism still rampant in American society? The reason is that even though race is not founded through science, this institution of American society is simply an obsolete combination of historical, social, and cultural construction. It is highly believed by individuals that discrimination in the U.S. has dramatically changed since the 1900s. Blacks were once discriminated against via Jim Crow laws. Today, black Americans have gained the right to eat at public lunch counters, vote, ride public buses, and attend public schools. While the... ...ut hope will happen sometime in our lifetime. Nakashima, Cynthia L. â€Å"Servants of Culture: The Symbolic Role of Mixed-Race in American Discourse,† Pp.35-57 in The Sum of Our Parts: Mixed Heritage. Ed. Teresa Williams-Leà ³n and Cynthia L. Nakashima. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2001. "Racial Clash In Texas" CBS Online. July 22. 2009 Web. 4 June 2015. http://aishamusic.com/Judiciary_Report/racial_clash_in_texas.htm Jane Elliott "Blue Eyes Brown Eyes" Web. 4 June 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQAmdZvKf6M Pounder, C. et.al. "Race: the Power of An Illusion" Corporation for Public Broadcasting,. (2003). San Francisco, Calif. Web. 4 June 2015. http://www.pbs.org/race/000_General/000_00-Home.htm Shelby Steele â€Å"Jefferson’s Blood†, Transcript Web. 4 June 2015. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/jefferson/etc/script.html

The companies were referred to as Texaco

In South Africa there were two companies that were selling shares its the residents.The companies were referred to as Texaco Inc. and Standard Oil Company of California (SOCAL).   The Members of   Interfaith centre that dealt with corporate responsibility   argued that they owned shares in both companies and they were suggesting to terminate their businesses because South Africa was facing political unrest thus their decision to shut down the two companies.Mr. Tim Smith was the Project Director of Interfaith Centre on corporate responsibility.   He was behind the decision of closing the two companies.   In an annual meeting that was held in 1977, it stated that the people of South Africa were being mistreated by the whites who were the minority in the country.The residents human rights were being abused since they were not being given the chance to vote, to trade freely in the country, they were being paid low wages and the blacks were always discriminated against by the wh ites and this issues triggered Mr. Tim Smith to decline to invest in   the country.There were other social crimes that were being experienced by     the residents of the country such as widespread killings, arrests and repression.   These issues continued to affect the human rights of the people of South Africa and thus the level of investment was affected.The Board of Directors of the two companies later agreed that it was reasonable to shut down the two companies due to the abuse of human rights of the residents of South Africa since they contributed to the success of the company and they also enabled the economy of the country to grow.   The Board of Directors urged the government of South Africa to end the crisis so that they could embark on their businesses.(http://164.233.169.104/search?q=cache:-RHK5RrmMQJ)The resolution to close down the two companies was later reviewed by the Board of Directors because they owned an oil company known as Caltex Petroleum Company whi ch was located in the country and was reported to be performing well .   It was reported that the company was owned by the Texaco Inc.   and Standard Oil Company of California (SOCAL) by a rate of 50% shares thus it was impossible for them to leave the business yet it was generating some revenue to the country and the owners were also benefiting from it.They announced that Caltex Company was worth $100 million and the management of the company was planning to expand its refinery plant in Milnerto in South Africa from a capacity of 58,000 barrels a day to a capacity of 108,000 barrels a day and this would increase the supply of oil in South Africa by a rate of 11%, hence it would contribute to greater returns for the country.The management of Texaco and SOCAL resolved to continue with their business besides the political unrest in the country.   They thus urged their stockholders to vote against liquidating their companies .   The management of both companies promised to impr ove the working conditions of its black employees.The Caltex management implemented six principles in its code of conduct.   These were: ensuring that employees were not segregated due to their race; they were equally paid and fairly treated in their   work place.The code of conduct stated that there was a training programme that would be developed and initiated so as to prepare their employers for supervisory, administrative, clerical and technical jobs so as to improve their performance in their activities and hence enable the company to generate as much revenue to the country as possible ( http://www.economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story-id=9767615).The management of a company has legal duties besides ensuring high returns for its shareholders.   It has the duty of ensuring   that the employees comply with the employment law so they do not deviate from what they are expected to do.   The employment law states   that the management of the company should not unf airly dismiss its employees from their   work places since they should be given time to defend their cases before being dismissed.The employers are also requested to ensure that they do not discriminate their employees based on their race since this can affect their performance because no employee knew where he or she was born and brought up.In the case of the South Africa there was racial discrimination that was carried out against the black employees and this affected their performance.   In my view companies should implement laws of ensuring that these practices are not carried out so that the performance of a company cannot be affected. (http://www.economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story-id=9767615)The management of a company also has the obligation of ensuring that the interests of the company do not go against the interests of the society.   It has been noted that society is the final consumer of the products of the company thus it is important for the management t o ensure that they pay attention to the queries that arise in the community so that they can address the employees’ problems effectively since the success of the company’s depend on the employees performance hence they need to protect their rights and also they need to be treated fairly.The management of a company has the responsibility of ensuring that the employees are given health insurance schemes because they are responsible for the production of goods and services of the company.   The issuance of health schemes can prevent workers from leaving the work places due to poor working conditions which affects their productivity.The management of a company should train its employees about the activities of the company so that they can learn what they are expected to do.According to the South African case, Reverend Doctor Leon Sullivani   initiated a training programme that would ensure good performance of the company and this programme was implemented in a code of conduct so that their policy would be followed at all times by the employees of a company and this was a positive move since this would increase their productivity since the time would not be wasted on repeating small issues, yet training highlights all activities of the company thus enabling work to be carried out effectively.The management of a company should not look at the law and the rate of return on its investment as the ultimate criteria for deciding what investment it should make because there are other factors that an investor should take into account when deciding on the type of investment that he should carry out such as time value of money that is whether the returns on an investment are required now or in the future.The investor also   considers the capital outline that is required in starting and maintaining a project until the time it starts to generate returns for the company.   Another criteria the management of a company should     consider is that the typ e of industry in which they would like to set up.   The investors should research from the people about what they prefer most so that the management of a company can have a ready market for their goods and services once the industries start to operate.In case of the South African company, the South African government had imposed some restrictions on the company known as Caltex, that it would not supply its oil products to the military or the police of South Africa.   This was a challenge to the company because such restrictions reduced the returns of the company.It was wrong for the South African government to ban the sale of its petroleum products because the companies should sell their products anywhere in the world and to any potential buyer since the returns of the company are also beneficial to the residents since they can be paid better wages by the companies’ returns, the economy of the country can improve due to the corporate taxes that are collected from these co mpanies .In the case of South African companies, Bishop Desmond Tutu’s decision to impose laws that were beneficial to the black workers was a positive move since the government had failed to recognize the employees who contributed to the success of the company.The laws included providing good working condition by ensuring they were properly accommodated with houses that were near their places of work, by recognizing black trading unions and also by recognizing the right of workers and the   allowance of labor mobility, so as to enhance productivity of workers.   He also enforced a law of ensuring that fair trade practices were being practiced as education and training was conducted so as to eliminate illiteracy among the workers of a company.The company’s should consider various factors when investing because the success of a company depends on them .For instance the workers of a company should be fairly treated they should not be unfairly discriminated against ,t hey should be properly remunerated so that they can not leave their company’s since this can affect their productivity and the reputation of a company can be affected due to the high rate of turnover of their employees.ReferencesWebsite http://www.businessLink.gov.UK/bdotg/action/detail?type=RESOURCE8jter   accessed on 2nd May 2, 2008  Website  Ã‚   http://www.economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story-id=9767615   accessed on 2nd May 2, 2008Website  Ã‚   http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:OyvnSHhOd18J  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ACCESSED ON 2nd May 2, 2008Website  Ã‚   http://164.233.169.104/search?q=cache:-RHK5RrmMQJ  Ã‚   ACCESSED ON 2nd May 2, 2008

Homework Assignment Essay

1.Prepare an analysis of the automobile manufacturing industry using Porter’s five forces framework. For each component force provide support for your conclusion. In addition, at the completion of your analysis provide a conclusion, along with support, of whether you expect the automobile industry to report high or low profitability in the near future. 2. Tremble Company manufactures outdoors wear for women. During 2009, the company reported the following items that affected cash. Required: Indicate whether each of these items is a cash flow from operating activities (O), investing activities (I), or financing activities (F). A. Paid cash for supplies B. Purchased equipment by paying cash C. Collected cash on account from customers D. Paid dividends to stockholders E. Paid suppliers for fabric F. Borrowed money from a bank on a long-term note G. Paid interest to bank on the note H. Paid wages to employees I. Sold shares of common stock to new stockholders 3. The following selected financial data pertain to four companies: a hotel, a travel agency, a meat packing company and a pharmaceutical company. Required: Match each with the financial information and explain why you made your choice as you did. Balance Sheet Data (component percentages)Company 1Company 2Company 3Company 4 Cash7.222.06.011.2 Accounts Receivable28.040.03.423.0 Inventory21.40.50.927.4 Property, Plant & Equipment 32.019.075.125.0 Income Statement Data (component percentages) Gross Profit15.2Not ApplicableNot Applicable44.0 Profit before Taxes1.83.32.57.0 Ratios Current ratio (over the last five years)1.61.30.51.8 Inventory turnover ratio27.8Not ApplicableNot Applicable 3.4 Debt-to-equity ratio1.82.35.81.4 4. Use the current asset section 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 2011 Cash and cash equivalents$ 75,000$ 58,800 Trade accounts receivable, net 157,500 193,200 Inventory 208,200 253,400 Other current assets 18,400 15,500 Total current assets$ 459,100$ 520,900 Total assets$2,650,000$3,430,000 Required: (a) In the spaces provided below, complete a Percentage Change analysis of the current asset section of El Paso Company’s balance sheet for 2012, using the following format to provide your answers for the amount of dollar change and the amount of percentage change, rounding â€Å"% Change† to one decimal place, e.g., 8.3%. Accounts$ Change% Change (b) Provide a short evaluation of this analysis.

Communication and Its Importance in Creating Conflict Essay

Conflict is essential in all works of fiction, whether it might a simple disagreement in a marriage or internally trying to deal with guilt. The real life situations of Interpreter of Maladies connect the problems with communication with conflict that will arise. In Interpreter of Maladies, communication problems in the short stories â€Å"A Temporary Matter†, â€Å"This Blessed House†, and â€Å"Interpreter of Maladies† resulted in conflict. In â€Å"A Temporary Matter†, the conflict in was the game that Shoba and Shukamar played, referring to the revealing one truth about oneself when there were not any lights, and the game where they were hiding from each other, hoping to avoid awkward encounters. This was an internal conflict from Shukumar’s perspective because Shukumar was thinking of how to play his next move in order to effectively restore the relationship. †Now he had to struggle to say something that interested he, something that made her look up from her plate, or from proofreading files.† Shukumar thought the purpose of the game where the couple would share previously unknown facts was that it would restore their relationship. Shukumar thought the game was used in order to reconcile and reform the marriage. But he was gravely mistaken. Shoba used this game to tell him that she was moving out. â€Å"It sickened Shukumar, knowing that she had spent these past evening s preparing for a life without him.† (21). The internal conflict in Shukumar was a result of miscommunication on Shoba’s part. She rarely communicated her thoughts and feelings after the stillbirth, and Shukumar took this as a sign to not talk. This resulted in their relationship slowing fading, and finally to the point of avoidance. In â€Å"This Blessed House† Sanjeev and Twinkle had many fights throughout the story because of the Christian artifacts that were laid throughout the house. Sanjeev believed it was impractical, since both he and Twinkle were not Christian. When he kept on insisting on eradicating the religious objects, Twinkle insisted on keeping them. While Sanjeev had a practical and logical reason of why, he never effectively compromised with Twinkle, and kept on believing that he was right. And without the proper compromise and communication, it resulted in Sanjeev not understanding Twinkle’s emotions. He was quite surprised when he saw Twinkle cry in the bath. â€Å"Oh God, please, Twinkle, I didn’t mean it.† But Finally in the end, they reached a compromise and managed to continue on to the party. But the conflict arose because of Sanjeev’s inconsideration and not communicating his thoughts along with listening to Twinkle’s approach. â€Å"In the end they settled on a compromise: the statue would be placed in a recess at the side of the house, so that it wasn’t obvious to passerby, but was still clearly visible to all who came.† Even though they come to a compromise, it was after Sanjeev made Twinkle cry, which is a poor example of effective communication. In â€Å"Interpreter of Maladies†, Mr. Karpasi was under a delusion that Mrs. Das was interested in him. The conflict was Mr. Karpasi’s internal struggle interpreting Mrs. Das’s actions and determining whether she liked him or not. â€Å"As he stole glances in the rear view mirror, wrapping elastic bands around Tina’s hair, he wondered how he might make this tour a little longer.† He stated that he was an interpreter in the story. Mrs. Das inferred that he was some sort of psychologist or therapist that would cure her of her guilt that she had been holding in. However she was mistaken, Mr Karpasi essentially was a translator for a doctor. â€Å"†¦But many people do not speak Gujarati in this area, including the doctor. And so the doctor asked me to work in his office interpreting what the patients say.† He did not process any knowledge in the field of which Mrs. Das was interested in. When Mrs. Das was asked by Mr. Karpasi about why she told him about the illegitimate child, Mrs. Das said, â€Å"Well don’t you have anything to say? I thought that it as your job.† Mr. Karpasi responded with, â€Å"My job is to give tours, Mrs. Das.† Mrs. Das continued with, â€Å"Not that. Your other job. As an interpreter.† Mrs. Karpasi answered with, â€Å"But we do not face a language barrier. What need is there for an interpreter?† Mrs. Das completely misunderstood Mr. Karpasi in what he meant as an interpreter. She was only interested in Mr. Karpasi because she believed that Mr. Karpasi would cure of her guilt. On the contrary, Mr. Karpasi thought that Mrs. Das was interested in him in an attracting fashion. In Interpreter of Maladies, communication problems in the short stories â€Å"A Temporary Matter†, â€Å"This Blessed House†, and â€Å"Interpreter of Maladies† resulted in conflict. In â€Å"A Temporary Matter†, Shoba gave Shukumar the impression that she was trying to reform their marriage when her true purpose was to end it. She also is responsible for their avoidance with each other. In â€Å"This Blessed House†, Sanjeev was oblivious to Twinkle’s connections to the Mary statue, and kept on pressing his belief. This resulted in a fight in which Sanjeev finally realized his misdemeanor. In â€Å"Interpreter of Maladies†, Mr. Karpasi miscommunicated what his job was, which then resulted Mrs. Das giving him a problem that he could not solve. Mrs. Das regarded Mr. Karpasi with interest because she believed that Mr. Karpasi can help her. However this resulted in her humiliation when she told Mr. Karpasi her biggest secret that she believed he could resolve. Communication is essential to the everyday life of humans. A small mistake in communication can destroy a relationship or start an unwanted situation. It is essential that people would communicate in order to create a more stable relationship.