Bless Me Ultima Theme Analysis Essay

Chinua Achebe and Rudolfo Anaya write stories about two people that must over come struggles and difficulties in life. The characters in both stories must overcome internal and external conflict. A theme expressed in both stories is that everyone has conflicted and struggles in their life but they must overcome and make the best of the situation. This theme is expressed through character thoughts, symbolism and character experiences. In Anaya’s story, Bless Me Ultima, the main character, Antonio must over come many different obstacles, in one summer. Throughout Antonio’s summer he experiences death everywhere, he experiences the death of a stranger, family friend, and 2 close friends, but some how through it all he stays strong. He witnesses the death of a dear friend, â€Å" the lonely river was a sad place to be when one is a small boy who has just seen a friend die† (Anaya, 231). Antonio wintness the death of someone from town, Lupito, although he did not really know the man, witnessing the death of anyone can be saddening, â€Å" I saw Lupito lifted off his feet and hurled backwards by the bullets. (Anaya 20) Not only did Antonio have to say goodbye to the people who died, shortly after his brothers returned from war, they were gone again, â€Å"I wondered if I would ever really know my brothers, or would the remain but phantoms of my dream. † ( Anya, 178) Although Antonio was not a smiling laughing child through the course of the story, he did remain positive and continued moving forward. In Achebe’s short story Civil Peace, the main character Jonathan Iwegbu and his family go through a devastating 3 year war, however he continues to stay strong, this shows through comparisons and symbolism. Instead of the character being depressed and whoa it is me, he is thankful and feels he is blessed, â€Å"He had come of the war with five inestimable blessings- his head, his wife Maria’s head, and the head of the three of their four children. † (Achebe, 358) Things we take forgranted in America Jonathan considered them miracles. â€Å"As a bonus he also has his old bicycle- a miracle too†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Achebe, 359) Another example, â€Å"the newest miracle was his little house in Ogui Overside†¦..  Of course the doors and windows were missing and five sheets of the roof† (Achebe 359). Rusted bike, and damaged house, these our things many people would be disappointed to have, Jonathan is just grateful to have anything, with everything he has been through, he finds the better side of the situation. The thoughts and words of both characters is clear evidence of perseverance and determination to continue moving forward. â€Å" Let it go where everything el se has gone. Nothing puzzles God† (Achebe, 364). Jonathan says this after the robbers come to his house, he is saying that let them take the money, more was taken in the war, and that God knows what he is doing. Even after all the money he has worked hard for is taken Jonathan still does not get down on himself, like Antonio. â€Å"The rest of the summer was good for me, good in a sense that is was filled with its richness and I made strength from everything that had happened to me, so that in the end even the final tragedy could not defeat me† (Anaya, 237). This though Antonio had sums up the theme of both stories all in one. Both characters will take what the world throws at them and use it to make them stronger, and they will continue to live. These stories were both straightforward and easy to keep up with, but they had deeper meanings within the story. There wasn’t only the one theme I have described for you, but many other ones. However the theme that popped out at me, was basically what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. Which is No matter what people go through they must find the strength within to persevere and continue living their life.

Pinnacle Manufacturing Essay

1. External users’ reliance on financial statements External users rely heavily on the financial statement of Pinnacle Manufacturing. Although, Pinnacle manufacturing is a privately held company it incurs a large amount of debt. As a result potential users rely heavily on financial statements. Pinnacle is selling the machine tech division to focus on engine manufacturing, the company’s core operations. This causes buyers to also rely heavily on financial statements. In No. 6 the board chooses to finance the construction project mentioned in No. 4 by raising more debt. Again bringing focus to the Financial statements. Likelihood of financial difficulties The Solar Power engine business is focused on habitual transformation of technology, which makes the business riskier than other business and brings about a greater chance of bankruptcy. In No. 1, concerns are expressed about Pinnacle’s Solar-Electro Division. No. 9 identifies restrictive covenants. The requirements are to keep the current ratio above 2.0 and the debt-to-equity below 1.0. In Part I, the calculation of the current ratio fell below the requirement and thus the need for the loan. Management Integrity In No. 8 there is a significant turnover amongst higher-level positions. This turnover is possibly intentional and thus a greater chance for fraudulent activities. 2. No.1 – The acceptable audit risk is Medium. The auditor would have to prove that the articles are material. No. 6 – Pinnacle Manufacturing is a risky client and the auditors should check and verify each account. The acceptable audit risk is assessed as low. No. 8 – Management is  changing its internal audit team. New members would learn the company and the way the audits are done. The audit risk is low because auditors would not rely on management representation. No. 9 – Because the current ratio and debt-to-equity ratio are below the requirements management will constantly check to either increase or decrease current assets to meet criteria. Thus the audit risk is low.

A View of Sexism Evident in Nike’s Athletic Promotion

A View of Sexism Evident in Nike’s Athletic Promotion What’s One More Thing for Men to Rule: Finding Women’s place in Athletics This text is questioning why men are looked as being the superior athletes in comparison to women in sports, and more specifically in long distance running. It also questions why we as society feel the need to compare them. The Men Vs. Women challenge advertisement campaign put on by Nike plus acts as the representative example for this text in order to see how society still values male athletes more than female athletes. The author consulted Robert Degner’s work, which explains how men have experienced a longer predisposition to being competitive. The author also joined a conversation with Christine Wegner about her research regarding statistics of female marathon runners. It was found that the number has plateaued and it speculated that this is caused by social norms restricting women from spending extra time on training that they are using right now to raise children. One more thing for men to rule, is the caption on the advertisement of the Men vs. Women challenge put on by Nike Plus (Gould). This particular ad is obviously supporting the men in the challenge. One more thing for men to rule. Is it supposed to intimidate women? Or empower men? Did Nike even think about the fact that the ad might come off as offensive? What exactly are they trying to accomplish? But mainly, why are we making it a competition between men and women? With all this being said, if society knows that there are limitations that have held women back from being as physically capable as men and, if male and female bodies are created differently, why does society continue to value male athletes as more capable and superior to female athletes? My initial hypothesis is that because men have been participating in sports for a much longer period of time than women have, we tend to value them more than female athletes. The Nike Plus ad, which I will be analyzing as my representative example, was part of a campaign originally to get more women to join Nike plus, an app that connects to your iPod or phone to track your mileage and pace. I chose to use this advertisement as my representative example because Nike is a pretty well known company and they are still ignoring gender equality just for one of their campaigns. The employees at Nike decided that the best way to get women to join the app was to start a battle of the sexes. On the ad in favor of the men’s side there is a guy running wearing Nike running clothes. He looks very focused. There are big white words in front of him saying â€Å"one more thing for men to rule.† and then under that in smaller letters are words saying â€Å"join the men vs. women challenge at nikeplus.com.† He looks like he knows what he is doing, like he is an experienced runner (correct form, proper running clothes, defined muscles, etc.). There was an ad similar to the men’s ad supporting the women. There is an experienced, focused female runner with words in front of her saying, â€Å"Ladies First. Men second.† It seems ironic that they chose to say ladies first because at no point in history have women dominated sports. Men have a vastly different athletic background than women do. The Olympics have been around for thousands of years, running events have been included in all of them. Except, only for men. Women weren’t able to participate until 1900 and didn’t start competing in running events until the 1928 Olympics (The History of Women’s Running). A handful of women were able to compete in the 800m run in 1928, however a lot of them collapsed at the end of the race so it was banned until 1960. This seems really unfair because even though they were allowed to finally run they hadn’t gone through proper training, or education on how to race an 800m. After that event there became a rule that women could not race more than 1.5 miles because they physiologically incapable of running more than that. The marathon was not incorporated into the games for women until 1984 after a group of women fought long and hard to prove that they should have the rights to race more than 1.5 miles (The History of Women’s Running). Women have not had nearly enough time to adapt their bodies for maximum potential because our history did not include lots of physical activity. Why were men participating in sports when women weren’t? Men on the other hand have had plenty of time to adapt their bodies for physical activity. Robert Deaner and some of his colleagues published an article exploring the evidence that men have had an evolutionary history of physical competition, they hypothesized that because men were involved in more physical activity, â€Å"Men have experienced a longer predisposition to be competitive, which has driven them to be more interested in sports†¦Societies have documented female participation in sports but men were always shown to be more involved.† (Deaner) While they did document women participating in sports they weren’t nearly as competitive or involved in them as men were. Could this biological response have been influenced by the social norms of that time? Where these social norms influencing females drive for competition as well? How has women’s biology played a role into their athletic participation? Why was it acceptable for men to play sports while women stayed inside and cared for children? Women are still evolving their bodies to be capable of maximum athletic performance. Russell Pate and Jennifer O’Neill published a paper about the advances women have made in the sport of marathon running. They looked into the trend of the best marathon times for women over the span of 30 years to see how they have changed. It was discovered that women improved their marathon times by 15.6% over thirty years, while the best male marathon times have remained fairly constant for recent decades. They also looked at the physiological differences between male and female runners. â€Å"The male runners had statistically significant higher values of height, weight, sum of 6-site skinfolds, V ?O2max and V ?E compared with the female runners.† (Pate). These biological differences have been adapted over many centuries so that men could run to catch food or fight off enemies. It’s okay to compare males and females. However, we need to draw the line when comparison turns int o a hierarchical comparison and a placement of women and men on a scale based on factors that shouldn’t be compared. This is why I found the Nike ad destructive to the work that many people have put their entire lives into for gender equality. Does being a child bearer mean that women’s bodies aren’t as physically capable of athletic performance because their bodies are able to bear children? It seems like we’ve made a lot of progress with feminism but we still have a lot of work to do. Social norms of women and mothers being the primary caregivers for children have had an impact on the number of women participating in sports. Christine Wegner did a study about the number of women running full marathons and discovered that â€Å"While the percentage of female runners at every distance up to and including the half marathon has increased continually over the past 10 years, the percentage of women participating in full marathons has plateaued since 2006, with women still representing the minority in this distance at 43%.† (Wegner) Women are now the majority of half marathon runners at 61%. They suggested that women have found their spot in running and have become most comfortable running half marathons. They continue and say, â€Å"The environmental filter that once precluded women from distance running has appeared to shift, moving the exclusionary barriers, and now seems to apply only to the longest race distances of 26.2 miles and beyond.† (Wegner) The article mentioned that it is not difficult for women to start running initially, that we have jumped that hurdle but it does become difficult for women to up the amount of time they spend training for races longer than the half marathon (Wegner). They speculate this is because it takes more time out of each day to train for a full marathon that most women using to take care of their children. So have we really jumped over social norms? Society used to see women as exclusively caregivers and nothing else. Their job was to stay at home, care for the kids, and clean the house. Now, it’s socially acceptable for women to run and race but they still have to devote their main priorities to caring for children, given that they are mothers, but running is something they can do if they have spare time. Men have less of a hard time fitting running into their schedules because of they aren’t expected to see to their children as much as women are. Another issue with society’s hierarchy or gender is the pay scale for women compared to men. This article titled, â€Å"Heres why its fair that female athletes make less than men† by Shane Ferro discussed why its fair that women get paid less. It’s because not as many people come to watch female athletics. This specific article looked into soccer players but this is common among most sports. The writers used â€Å"fair† in the sense that what their sport makes is relatively equal to what each athletes makes. They went on to point out that what we really need to be focusing on is why, why are people less inclined to go see women compete, and put less time and money into female sporting events? â€Å"The real question is not why female athletes are paid less. People should be asking why fans and sponsors are less interested in supporting womens sports — and this is what they should be outraged about.†(Ferro) Once again it all goes back to socia l norms that male sports are dominate, which somehow makes them more interesting. Why? Could this difference in pay scale discourage women from running? Could it also empower them to fight for their rights to have equal pay? If we know that our historical differences have led to different biological capabilities than why are we still initiating competitions between men and women? Who is this healthy for? Could this be potentially harmful to men as well? Men too feel pressure from the hierarchy that we have created as well. Except, they don’t worry about whether they will be able to compete in a sport, rather they worry If they will be able to keep up with the expectations that society has set for them as ‘fit males’. When men see that women can beat them in a race they feel intimidated and embarrassed that a girl could beat them. This hierarchy has led to many male athletes afraid because they are supposed to be better, according to society. If they aren’t though, they can feel pressure from other males as well as media to be better, stronger and faster. Athletes will go to extreme measures to prove to society that they are the top dog. One common way they do this is by abusing performance-enhancing drugs. A document released by The American College of Sports Medicine stated that, â€Å"Lifetime prevalence rates for steroid use among male adolescents generally range between 4 and 12 percent and between .5 and 2 percent for female adolescents.†(Yesalis) This is showing that males have a higher chance of using steroids, this article also mentioned that drug use can start pretty early in life, signaling that it could be due to social pressures. If kids are using steroids so early in life it could be hard for them to stop later in life and also change their mindset that they don’t need to use steroids to be great athletes. How do we move forward? I think we have done a lot to get women in sports to where we are today, but yet we still see sexist acts and comments being made on a large scale. Eric Anderson did a study on the cultural forces that are affecting male athlete’s attitude towards sexism. He says in his research, â€Å"Competitive male team sport athletes might maintain socio-negative attitudes toward women even in a time when institutional sexism has been shown to be decreasing.† (Anderson 258). He used data from heterosexual men who played football in high school, a much masculinized sport, and then went on to join collegiate cheerleading in college. He found that the guys largely changed their views regarding women’s athletics. They respected women’s leadership abilities and valued their friendship. While this is all well and good, it astonishes me that men have to actually see women participating in sports close up and interact with them for us to gain their res pect. It shouldn’t have to be like this, but if it helps men take women more seriously in the athletic world then we need to continue in that direction. Maybe this means that we just need to combine more sports and allow men to see that we are just as willing to put in the work as they are. Is this the right way right that we should be going about trying to demolish gender norms? I don’t think there is a â€Å"right† way to do it, however, we need to continue to talk about gender norms and help break them down. There really is no need for comparison, we should be able to respect each other’s differences whether it be due to biological differences or others, but at the same time be able to support one another. Athletics is about bettering yourself and improving your health, ultimately.

IT entrepreneurship Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

IT entrepreneurship - Assignment Example Exterior Security from the Office The medical institution is to be named St. Mary’s Hospital and will have 126 employees that will majorly work with the Information Technology perspective. One of the key aspects to ensure is the physical security of the premises. Fifteen employees will be directed towards this feature. The training of these employees will ensure increased safety of the other employees and the information in the medical office. The responsibility of these employees comprises the watching over of the exterior part of the facility. The employees are supposed to observe who goes through the gate and ensure that they run their identification cards through the laser machine present at the gate. The running of the identification card will ensure that their information gets fed into the system and thus accounting for their presence. Shifts are required in this sector and the job will be run by 10 employees during the day and vigilance taken over by the other 5 during the night. The importance of the shifts is to ensure that the workers get enough rest to keep watch at all times. Exterior Security at the Gates For the optimal results of this strategy, the Information Technology officers in the medical facility should communicate with the officers guarding the gates physically. The cooperation involves the security officers in the medical office informing the gate guards that they have recorded information about the visitors in their database and thus they have the freedom to access the facility. With this collaboration, there is the assurance of maximum security concerning the physical accessibility to the facility. Two physical security guards are required during the day that will bear professional IT gadgets to scan the cars and people that enter the facility. At night, the shift is taken over by two other employees. Reception Upon entrance into the facility, the visitors head straight to the reception area. This area involves around ten employ ees running the systems. At this point, the visitors offer their information such as the department that they are interested in visiting and feed the receptionists information on the purpose of their visit. After this, the receptionist responsible for the visitor feeds information into the database and includes data about the purpose of the visit. This information having location in the database system increases the security of the organization, fast service and optimal pleasure for the visitors. Internal Security Another responsibility taken is the assurance of security for the office internally. Despite the fact that the organization is small, security in terms of cameras is very important. There should be the employment of these cameras to ensure that activities run effectively without any form of hitches. Corruption is one of the components of many of the offices in the 21st century, due to this; the manager should allocate around 2 employees the responsibility of watching over the running of the organization through the cameras. Moreover, the camera reception should not only run by the security office but also a live feed should run to the manager’s office. It is also important to note that the manager should have at least two personal assistances that will assist in the coordination of phone calls and data running to the

Aesthetics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Aesthetics - Essay Example The interchangeability and kaleidoscopic dimensions of art is a forecast of profound divergences, aspects, and opinions in every realm of existence. Art is ubiquitous †¦ it is seen everywhere and is created by everyone. Karl Marx stated in so many words that the history of the world is the history of class struggle and while this may be true to a point, the history of the world may very well be the history and development of art and the body of philosophy called aesthetics. â€Å"In short, the history of human experience is a history of the development of arts (Cohoon 2000).† Often time’s art is representative of political ideas and statements and because of these ideas and statements, art can narrowly, and at times broadly, be construed to have definition. A definition of aesthetics is a branch of philosophy concerned with the perception and quintessence of what regards artistic merit versus lack of artistic merit. Aesthetics also concerns inquiries into whether a rtistic qualities underlie objectively qualified definitions of a particular mode or character of what constitutes aesthetics. With respect to this topic, Philosophers ask many questions about whether a work of art is beautiful or ugly (i.e., ugly meaning that which cannot be considered having artistic value), and ultimately weight in a multitude of various interpretations of what a work of art represents.

Business Intelligence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business Intelligence - Essay Example to make maximum utilization of the information in hand to produce at the utmost capacity. Furthermore, with continuous advancements in the business environment, managers are facing increased stress to develop their credibility (Khan & Quadri, 2012). With this regard, the essay intends to develop the specifications that are associated with the needs of developing business intelligence. In correspondence to the above stated facts, the essay also focuses on developing an in depth understanding towards the challenges that may crop up in the course of implementation and helps in maintaining dashboards. The essay intends to develop a better understanding towards maintaining dashboards and includes the management of diverse challenges that could surface during the management of different needs. Managing business intelligence has been of complex and dynamic nature that imposes a challenge for enhancing the scenarios that are prevalent within the social domain. In this respect, the overall management of the business has been imposing enormous level of complexity that could initiate diverse needs of the system and enhance effectiveness of the managers to meet with the needs of the business. Dashboards help in developing a better insight towards the issues and enhance the ability to meet with the complexes that are associated with the business operations. Dashboards enable a business to monitor the needs of managing business intelligence and increase the effectiveness through successful development of the business operations (Bara & et. al., 2009). With the increasing amount of complexities, there has been a huge shift within the management of the diverse business strategies. This could be identifiable that management of information system has been a complicated job for the pe ople who are managing the diverse approaches within the system for enhancing the effectiveness of the business (Khan & Quadri, 2012). The

Fashion of Men's Clothing in the Culture of Qatar Essay

Fashion of Men's Clothing in the Culture of Qatar - Essay Example The essay "Fashion of Men's Clothing in the Culture of Qatar" presents a business plan for the foundation of a fashion company of men’s clothing in Qatar overviewing all the important aspect of the culture in this country. Qatar is endowed with huge reserves of natural resources and is currently one of the most developing countries in the world. It is important to study the culture of Qatar before venturing in the market.Qatar people associate American companies with high capitalism and high-profit motives. Qatar people prefer to establish good relationships before starting any serious business conversation. It is important to understand the norms and values of Qatar people, especially while interacting with people of the opposite gender. The business will have to use professionals to analyze the similarities and differences of US and Qatar culture. The personnel must be able to communicate Arabic using Qatari accent to easily gain acceptance by the local population. Qatar men take pride in their culture and traditional clothing. Men wear a long thou with stylish collars and buttons. During winter, men prefer either heavy fabric for the thous which are mainly gray, brown or black color. Young men prefer embroidered caps and cover their heads with folded square cloth. During ceremonial occasions, Qatar men wear a black-gold cloak and keep one hand free in order to allow for handshakes. During the winter, men also prefer woolen sleeveless waistcoat that mainly contains camel hair. (Torstrick 88). The target market The business will sell new men’s clothing fashion to Qatar people. The clothes will be customised to Qatar culture in order to attract a lot of demand. Qatar is endowed with large gas and oil reserves and the per capita GDP is one of the largest in the world. Qatar enjoys political stability and cordial relationships with the USA government. The country is favorable for US exports and has no foreign exchange controls and has allowe d 100 percent foreign ownership of businesses in some sectors such as health, education and exploitation of the natural resources. The business will benefit from expanded market, reduced business risks due to diversification and increased global recognition. Qatar market offers viable opportunity from fashion men’s clothing due toe increase in the number of citizens living in the urban areas (Orr 198). Marketing strategy The target market consists of Qatar men who prefer customized clothing. Due to the increasing educated young men who prefer western clothing that is customised to their culture, the business will experience minimal resistance in penetrating the market. Customer satisfaction is key to the success of the business thus good relationships will be maintained with all the customers. The business will use Arabic language in the media advertisements and advertising themes will not be offensive to Islamic religion. In addition, the color in the advertisements will hav e to be grey or white in order to appeal to the culture of Qatar. The marketing staff will follow Qatar norms since male staff will not be allowed to shake hands with female customers. The business will avoid giving free gifts to first time customers since free gifts in the first business transactions may be declined by the customers. The

Long-Term Impact of the Slave Trade on the Atlantic World Essay

Long-Term Impact of the Slave Trade on the Atlantic World - Essay Example It is known as the triangular slave trade as it involved three continents, Africa, America, and Europe. There were two significant parts of this slave trade. The first was the voyage of Europeans from England to Africa with their own goods such as rum for trade with manufactured goods. In West Africa, there existed a form of barter trade where these goods were exchanged with slaves. Consequently, these slaves were gathered together in ships and transported to the new world in West Indies where they were forced to work in sugar plantations. However, most of them died on the way due to diseases, mistreatment, and harsh conditions. After slaves were sold in the region, the profit from the transaction was used to buy sugar, molasses, and other commodities and these were shipped back to England. In this trade Ships were used to carry slaves, rum, sugar, molasses, tobacco, and other type of crops, which maintained this trade (Rawley & Behrendt,2005, p.189-190). This paper seeks to discuss the long-term impact of slave trade on the Atlantic world. The Atlantic slave trade had its impact on the Atlantic region. These regions were Africa, Europe, and America (new world). These long-term effects were either positive or negative. The impact of Atlantic slave trade had detrimental effect on Africa’s demographics. ... This caused a decline in population of West African states for a long time such as upper guinea. Population growth stagnated in the first in the second decades of the 19th century. Additionally, social unrest started due to intertribal warfare and capturing of slaves for the new market from the Europeans. This fuelled major disasters such as famine and drought as people shifted their efforts from economic activities to fights and slave trade. This was complicated further as there were fewer people to produce for the society and this led to further decline of the population. Moreover, the continued mix of different people at this time led to spread of diseases and further decline of population especially in the state of Angola (Thornton, 1998, p. 326-329). Additionally, Atlantic trade had an impact on African economy. There was a profound social and political change, which had a significant role in underdevelopment of Africa economy as well as ethnic fictionalization and disruption of effective states. It is worth noting that most of the slaves were taken from weaker states. The trade led to taking away of skilled and strong labor force that could have played a role in the progress of African region. Consequently, the only population that remained in most of these regions was old and could not do anything meaningful in economic development leading to stagnation and regression of the African states. Many communities relocated to other regions far away from the trade routes, which led to decline in their technological and economic development and most of the energy was dedicated to their security. In addition, relations between kingdoms, ethnic groups, and religious functions were changed. Actually, the present religious, ethnic,

The Consequences of Alcohol Abuse in Seminole County Florida Research Paper

The Consequences of Alcohol Abuse in Seminole County Florida - Research Paper Example Etiology, Prevalence and Effect of the Alcohol Abuse in the Nation and in the Seminole County Florida The Etiology of the Alcohol Abuse The alcohol abuse is commonly recognized as a medical problem. The exact reason behind the alcohol abuse is yet not confirmed. Alcohol abuse is also known as alcoholism and it basically rises due to the surroundings and the alcohol practices in the family or friends. But in most of the cases, the reason behind alcoholism is a psychiatric problem such as, depression, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, isolation, poverty, and shyness among others. The other reason for alcohol abuse can be the acceptance and the desire to feel the same outcomes repeatedly due to the alcohol intake (HelpGuide, 2011). Prevalence of Alcohol Abuse According to the survey among the students of Florida in 2006, it was noticed that 58.4% students have tested alcohol at least once in their life time. The report also stated that the rate of consumption of alcohol among the studen ts of the middle school was 40.4% and for the students of the high school the rate was 72.0%. Comparing this report with the 2010 statistics, it was observed that the usage of alcohol is relatively lower than the year 2006. The statistics for the Seminole County students have revealed that prevalence of indulgent drinking reduced by 1.5% points among the students of middle school and among the ‘high school students’ the reduction was 3.4% points. This survey was done in relation to the youth of Florida and their alcohol habits (Florida Department of Children & Families, 2006; Florida Department of Children & Families, 2010). The Effects of Alcohol Abuse on the Health of the Nation The effects of the alcohol abuse have a huge impact on the health of the nation. The economy of a country gets affected by the cost for alcoholism. Alcohol abuse creates problems in the families worldwide, and it also affects the country and its economy. The families of the sufferer spend a lo t for the diseases caused by the alcohol abuse. A survey in the US says that the cost for drunk driving is wasting a considerable part of the economy of the country, also many people died due to such act. The other affect on the nation is the social and the medical cost for the alcohol abuse, as alcoholism can damage the society and its properties. Even in the workplace the alcohol abused employees affect the environment of the office. And the organization also generally has to pay the medical cost for the alcohol abused employee. Not only the costs, the alcoholism also affects the employment and the job potential. Due to the alcoholism an employee can harm the process of a work in the work place. The increase in alcoholism would increase the violence in the society. Alcohol abuse has become a threat to the nation all over the world (MacPherson, 2007). The Aggregate Population at Risk Alcoholism or alcohol abuse is a problem which involves not only a particular group of people rathe r affects almost everyone in the society. Alcoholism is a threat to the society and it includes the users as well as the non users of alcohol. In a particular society the effect of alcoholism is active for the dependent users and the effect is passive for the non users. Whenever a person drinks heavily his or her family, friends, and child get affected. When a person is

The Recruitment Method and Selection Procedures Applied at the Research Paper

The Recruitment Method and Selection Procedures Applied at the McDonalds Corporation - Research Paper Example This paper seeks to assess the effectiveness and appropriateness of the recruitment method and selection procedures applied at the McDonald's corporation. It will also address the use of the internet as a recruitment tool at McDonald's. it is expected that proper recommendations for improvement will be presented after an evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of the recruitment policies and procedures applied at McDonald's. McDonald's opened its door to the UK public in 1974 and as of the end of 2004, there were over 1330 McDonald's UK restaurants, with 60 % being company owned, employing 43, 491 individuals and the rest being franchises, employing 25, 000 individuals. For each McDonald's restaurant, its management is responsible for maintaining its own independent operations, accounting, inventory control, training and Human Resource functions. There are two groups of employees; the hourly-paid, also known as the crew members, and are charged with the task of carrying tasks that ensure a restaurant runs efficiently. The other groups are the salaried managers who manage operations and oversee the business and crew members' performance. McDonald's established that for the organization to register improved organizational outcomes, it is imperative that effective recruitment and selection practices are applied.   McDonald's prides itself in being an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate along gender, nationality, race, colour, marital status, age, religion, political affiliation or any other unjustified reason. In 1992, McDonald's put in place the Equal Opportunities Group that was aimed at encouraging a workplace that was characterized by equality and diversity.

Palestine and Israel Essay Example for Free

Palestine and Israel Essay Before a conflict takes place, there is usually a disagreement between the concerned parties. In the case of the Israel and Palestine, aggressive dialogue has never been set to foster talk rather than war. When this is absolutely put in to practice, the result will be successful owing to the fact that three will be a less possibility of the occurrence of the war therefore saving the lives of the people that would have been lost during the war. Conflict basically entails a situation where two parties are not in agreement about an issue. In this case the parties usually engage in confrontation therefore limiting any diplomatic relations between the two sides. From the perspective of Israel, Palestinians are considered as caring out terrorist activities, therefore in order to cub such activities, they have to distort and prevent them from doing so. This forces them to deploy troops to Gaza to try and stop this kind of terrorist attacks to its citizens. This however ought not to be the case since the deployment of the troop without talk signifies that one party is not in any attempt tom embrace dialogue which would have solved the problem. Terrorism as considered by Israel is an act that leads to violence or a type of violence. It is the experience of fear or terror as the proximate intend of that brutality. .Terrorism may also be defined as the performance of acts of violence directed against a state or a group of people with the aim of intimidating them so as to achieve ones political goals. It entails making other people suffer so as to send certain messages to the relevant authorities about dissatisfactions or certain grievances. War is not justified at all in the case of the isrealites and the Palestine since they all suffer the consequences. For whichever reason a group of people or an individual decides to perform acts of terror, it just can’t be justified because there are better ways of solving disputes. For an action to be termed as justified, its end result should be good enough to justify the act. War is not because the end result is fear, frustration and terror to a certain group of people. Taking cases like the recent Israel invasion into Gaza is not justified since many innocent lives were lost and property destroyed. That is not a morally right end result since it only leads to suffering and misery to the innocent Palestinians who were caught in the commotion. This coupled with the fact that the objective is not always achieved this way, renders war inappropriate and should not be given a chance at all. War only victimizes people who are very innocent. All these victims only act as objects being used by a certain group of people to achieve their own unique absurd missions. The innocent victims who perish are used to terrify a certain group of people or governments. The ones who are sent to commit such an activity are also being used as objects by their masters to achieve their objectives. They are human beings and most often than not they end up perishing together with the innocent victims. There are better ways of settling personal differences without necessarily having to express ones frustrations through taking away innocent lives During the confrontation between the two sides, war crimes are usually committed where there is usually a breech of contract set by the international organizations about activities not to performed on the civilians,. This entails aspect that is carried upon with the main intentions of causing aggravation or harm to the immediate neighbor not necessarily for revenge purposes. When the Israelites and the Palestine engage in war, there is usually destruction of property and the loss of lives of civilians a factor that clearly results to psychological problems to the people who are caught up in the cross fire . In this case, those affected usually end up suffering and as a result the economic growth of the countries are hindered. Within the destruction of the facilities such as schools most of the youth and children end up engaging in a reengage mission and this in turn results to their influx in more terrorism attacks (Verhoeven,J eds) . Their can be understating within the two group in the event that all the previous are laid forward and analyzed critically through dialogue since by engaging in war, no sounding solution will be achieved. In the event that there is peaceful negotiation within the two groups, the society will totally benefit since there will be absence of the destruction of property and the two groups will embrace each others culture and live together in harmony . The society will also develop economically owing to the absence of sanctions that hinder a particular side from transaction and trading with the other. When things are clearly talked out between the Israelites and the Palestine it is depicted that there will be an agreement if each side decides to forget what was in the past and follow concepts that will sustain the future of the children of the two countries (Simon Schuster) . On the other hand, dialogue is the key aspect to a successful ceasefire since all the two sides will be able to come up with their proposal and at the end of the day a consensus can be attained if they are all willing to let loose what was seen as a conflicting situation. . In a normal circumstance the issue of dialogue when there is conflict always solves the problems, since human being are bound to conflict and at the same time they can reach an understanding. When the palatines and the isrealites embrace this aspect, the truth can be clearly seen therefore at the end of the day the two sides have to agree on whether to adopt the changes or not. Talking other than war on the other hand will shows the intenders of the war on the negative impact that can be produced in the event that it happens. When a person is convinced that when he or she goes to war death will be the consequence, then resulting result will be a change in that thought. â€Å"One will definitely consider his or her life other than death† (Barry). Therefore, the use of dialogue is a more concerned issue. In this scenario talking outshines the idea of war since, with appropriate dialogue between two parties at war, there will be no or a small chance of the occurrence of the war. Conclusion Talking thins out other than war is the only solution that will make it possible for most of the people who might be caught up during the commotion to be safe. In reality, the safety of and individual is very vital. talking other than war definitely is a good idea since the Palestine and the isrealites will be able to look back on how the situation has be devastated as a result of the war and in return think of building and sorting their issues without indulging in war. The impact of war carries a social problem since with total destruction of the facilities that people are able to obtain their basic commodities, lives are usually lost. In some case there is disease outbreak and food shortages therefore resulting to starvation of the affected individuals. Work cited Barry, R The Truth about Syria, Palgrave MacMillan, 2007 – Verhoeven,J eds. : Peace creation in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Lynne Reinner, London and Bolder, CO, 20 Simon Schuster,. The peace within Palestine not apartheid, 2006 Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Brief History retrieved on 23rd February from http://www. mideastweb. org/briefhistory. htm The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict in a Nutshell on 23rd February from http://www. mideastweb. org/nutshell. htm A Synopsis of the Israel/Palestine Conflict on 23rd February from http://www. ifamericansknew. org/history/

Accounting Ratio to Manipulate Accounting

Accounting Ratio to Manipulate Accounting Companies use accounting ratios to manipulate their accounts Table of Contents (Jump to) Abstract Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 Introduction 1.1 Aims and objectives Hypothesis 1 1.2. Overview Chapter 2 Critical Literature Review 2.1 Introduction 2.2. International Financial Reporting Standards 2.2.1 Coverage and aims of the standards 2.2.2 Areas of concern 2.3. The art and purpose of Creative Accounting or financial statement Manipulation 2.5 The impact of Creative accounting on Financial Ratios 2.5.1 Definition and purpose of financial ratios 2.5.2 Manipulation of financial ratios Chapter 3 Research Methodology 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Issues considered 3.2 Options of research methods 3.2.1 Quantitative and qualitative 3.2.2 Deductive and inductive methods 3.3 Choice of research method 3.4 Performance of the research Chapter 4. Findings and evaluations 4.1. Introduction 4.2. Findings Abstract Financial ratios have become part of the process by which investors, financial observers and other stakeholders within the market make their decisions and about the activities, profitability and liquidity of a particular corporation. As such, it is therefore important that these reflect the same level of accuracy and compliance to the financial reporting standards as the financial statements. However, it has become increasingly apparent over recent years that the practice of manipulation has been extended in its use to influence these ratios. This dissertation set out with the aim of confirming whether this is the case. It was also intended to identify the particular areas of concern that this practice is generating. It is found that there is evidence of manipulation of financial ratios and that this is particularly relevant in relation to the manipulation of fair valuation and the treatment of off balance sheet items. Although the study has been limited in terms of sample size, the findings are that the practice is particularly apparent in the financial markets sector and this has contributed to the current financial and economic crises. There is a need for a clearer framework for the calculation of fair valuation and a more robust method of regulating the activities of corporate management in an effort to reduce the longer term detrimental impact of this practice. Chapter One: Introduction 1.1 Introduction Following collapses of major global corporations such as Enron, as well as increasing pressure from shareholders and other stakeholders for a more open and understandable system of financial reporting, governments worldwide as well as those involved in international corporate controls came together to bring about one of the biggest changes in controls and governance. Using the offices of the IASB[1] (2008), there followed the introduction of international standards to be used for both accounting procedures and the preparation and presentation of financial statements. The intention of these standards is to create a situation where financial statements have a level of â€Å"understandability, relevance, reliability and comparability† (Lindsall 2005, p.2) that meets the needs of those stakeholders who rely upon these statements. The ISAB confirmed this purpose in an early statement of mission which read that their aim was: â€Å"To develop, in the public interest, a single set of high-quality, understandable, and enforceable global accounting standards that require high-quality, transparent and comparable information in financial statements and other financial reporting to help participants in the various capital markets of the world and other users to make economic decisions† (Gregoriou and Gaber 2006, p.16). In other words, part of the aims of these standards was to endeavour to eliminate the practice of manipulating financial statements. Nevertheless, despite these good intentions subsequent events have shown that the aims and objectives of these standards are still a long way from being achieved, with concern regarding the understandability, relevance, reliability and comparability of financial statements increasing rather the opposite direction hoped for by the authorities. In fact, many believe that the standards themselves, due to ambiguities, have created a platform for the increase in what has increasingly become known as â€Å"Creative Accounting† (Griffiths 1988). This in reality is another term for the process by which management and/.or their financial advisers and auditors are able to manipulate the figures reported within the financial statements in a manner that can lead to these being misrepresented and, what’s more, it is legal. Opponents of the practice bel ieve it to be damaging to investor and other corporate stakeholders, including shareholders and creditors. Indeed some have even gone as far as suggesting that manipulation of financial statements is the root cause of the current â€Å"credit crunch† (Letters 2008). Since the time of Ian Griffiths (1988) book on the issue of creative accounting and manipulation of financial statements there has been a plethora of academic studies into this phenomenon, as will be shown within the literature review in chapter two of this dissertation, and a growing debate between those who applaud and oppose this situation. Understandably, most of this literature is concentrated upon the physical changes that take place within the financial statements themselves However, one area of manipulation in financial reporting that does not appear to have received nearly as much attention. This area is financial ratios! This assumption and discovery is supported by Stolowy and Breton (2000) (see appendix 2). Whilst it is accepted that, in a technical sense financial ratios are not considered a part of the financial statements that come within the context or control of the international standards, as they are using equated by those financial external to the company, they are nonetheless considered an important measurement of corporate performance (Bragg 2007). For example, expert financial observers often quote ratios when advising upon the investment value of a particular corporation and many busy investors will take notice and make financial decision based upon what these ratios reveal. Therefore, manipulation by corporations and their advisors might be considered equally as misleading as the practice being used in any other aspect of financial reporting. It is this perceived gap in literature relating to this issue, together with the desire to access how prolific manipulation of financial ratios might be that has generated the author’s interest in researching the subject. 1.1 Aims and objectives With the concentration of the majority of literature relating to creative accounting and manipulation focusing upon the actual results contained within the financial statement, it is the author’s intention to address its deeper impact. Financial ratios are used by many stakeholders as a quick guide to the appropriateness of a corporation as an investment vehicle. Manipulation of these ratios can therefore have an immediate impact upon decision making by stakeholders. To address this issue, the following hypothesis has been set for this dissertation: â€Å"That company management and their advisors are aware that manipulation of financial ratios can have as much, if not more of an impact upon investment decisions as manipulations in the financial statements.† Further, to test the accuracy of the comment made regarding manipulation and the credit crunch, a second hypothesis will be included: Hypothesis 2 â€Å"That manipulation of financial ratios within the banking sector contributed to the current global financial market crisis.† In order to ensure that the aims of this research, and resolution of the research hypothesis, is achieved in a robust manner and provide a valuable conclusion, a framework of objectives has been devised, based on the following: Financial reporting framework and standards The intention is to analyse and assess the component elements of the current regulatory standards, evaluate their stated intentions and the robustness with which these can be transitioned into the practical reporting environment and identify their current limitations. Creative accounting Based upon current literature the dissertation will provide an understanding of the term creative accounting, identify the areas of its potential use within financial reporting and identify the main purposes and beneficiaries of such actions. Financial ratios The objective with regard to financial ratios is to provide an understanding of their purpose and intentions, which includes identifying their strengths and weaknesses. In addition, using primary data, the dissertation will explain how these ratios can be manipulated as well as identifying the reasons for this conduct. Future improvements Resulting from the previous objectives, it is the author’s intention to provide recommendations that will be designed to reduce the current impact of the manipulation of financial ratios and/or methods by which these manipulations can be identified and revised to reflect actual movements. 1.2 Overview To provide the reader with a clear understanding of this research, it aims and the manner in which it has been performed, this dissertation has been presented in the following order. This introductory chapter has set the scene and provided the background to the issues that for the core focus of the research. Immediately following, in chapter two, there is a critical review of current and appropriate literature relative to these issues. This includes an evaluation of the published frameworks of financial reporting standards, the concept of creative accounting, importance and significance of financial ratios and the effects of manipulation. Chapter three outlines the research methodology choices that were available to the author, identifying the method chosen together with the reasons for this choice. The findings of the secondary and primary research are then presented, compared and discussed in further depth in chapter four before recommendations are outlined in chapter five. Finally , the dissertation is concluded in chapter six. Added to the main body of the dissertation had been attached a complete list of all the references used within the body of the text. Furthermore, to add clarity and further understanding for the reader, additional information in the form of appendices has also been attached. Chapter Two: Critical Literature Review 2.1 Introduction The critical review conducted within this chapter has been designed to concentrate upon the literature relating to the issues being studied within this dissertation that has been published in the main within the past two decades as these represent the standards and practices that are currently in use within financial statements. For ease of reference the chapter has been segmented and analysed into appropriate sections 2.2. International Financial Reporting Standards As Swanson and Miller’s (1989) research shows, the issue of interpreting financial statements had been a subject of debate for many decades prior to the interest in international standards developed. Understanding the different systems of measurement used by management and accountants in financial statements had long proved difficult for investors and other interest parties. It was these areas of concern fuelled the move towards the creation and adoption of an internationally agreed and legally binding framework of accounting and financial reporting standards (Choi et al 2005 and Jones 2006). Amongst these concerns was included the lack of comparability and understanding available to potential investors and other stakeholders when analysing financial statements that were prepared under differing national codes and regulations and the difficulty experienced even when trying to compare accounts of corporations within the same industry (Tarca 2002 and Nobes and Parker 2006). However, as many academic authors had suggested (Nobes 1998, Blake and Lunt 2000, Lee 2006 and Mizra et al 2006 included) another core issue was the growing unease about the practice of â€Å"Creative accounting† and the negative impact this was creating in terms of stakeholder trust and confidence in financial reporting (Lee 2006). Whilst in essence such practices were not illegal, they were becoming a contentious issue in many financial circles, a fact evidenced by the comments of Lord Dearing (1988, p.12) in his committees report on the need for international accounting standards, when he said: â€Å"There is little evidence that companies are engaging in flagrant breaches of accounting standards †¦ However †¦ there is strong pressure on auditors from time to time to accept interpretations of accounting standards which conform to the interests of the preparers rather than with the spirit of the standard.† During the course of the decade following this report government representatives, accounting bodies and other interest financial parties spent a considerable amount of time discussing and agreeing standards that would help to address these anomalies, inconsistencies and concerns, which culminated in the creation of an international accounting and financial framework of standards (IASB[2] 2001 and PWC 2008). These standards were to be designed and operated by the IASB (Feature 2003). However, it still took a number of years to encourage individual national governments to adopt these measures. However the UK government decided that, â€Å"from 2005 UK listed companies must use IFRS for their consolidated statements† (Nobes and Parker, 2006, p.103). Furthermore, the financial reports have to include a statement by directors and auditors, which confirms †applicable accounting standards† were used or giving reasons for this not being the case (Nobes and Parker, 2006, p. 287). 2.2.1 Coverage and aims of the standards As can be seen from the list contained within appendix 1, the scope of the standards was quite extensive. Eight of these standards covered the area of financial statement reporting and presentation (IFRS), which included such issues as business combinations (Group of companies), segmentation and disclosures (Deloitte 2005). A further forty plus standards have been created, which define the accounting methods to be used within the preparation of financial statements (IAS). These laid down the audit principles to be followed Gray and Manson 2004) and covered such issues as the treatment of tangible and intangible assets (Gelb 2002 and FRC 2008). The aim of these standards was, in effect, to create a level playing field for those parties who relied upon corporate financial statements for decision making purposes, be that for investment, lending, extension of credit facilities or simply observance purposes (Chofafas 2004 and Antill and Lee 2005). In other words, the intention is that these statements should comply with four basic principles (IASB 2008), these being: Understandability The objective of this principle was to ensure that the financial statements would be presented in such a manner that they could be relatively easily understood by external stakeholders irrespective of the level of their financial and accounting knowledge, for example the private small investor (Healy et al 1997). Relevance In terms of relevance it was considered important that the information contained within the statements were relevant to the current situation (Saudagaran 2003). In other words it was important that the financial statements reflected current values, prices and other data. Reliability Despite the auditor’s opinion that the financial statements are prepared solely for reporting to the members of the corporation (ICAEW 2008), it has long been accepted that many other stakeholders, including prospective shareholders and creditor rely upon such information. Recognising the importance of this aspect, the IASB extended the principle of reliability to include these other stakeholders (Gregoriou and Gaber 2006). Comparability The need to be able to compare the accounts of individual corporations, even where these are within the same industry sector, whether that is within the national or international marketplace, is a part of the investment decision-making process. Prior to the introduction of the standards this was considered a problem, one which this principle was intended to address (Lindsall 2005, p.2). It should also be noted at this stage that, whilst these standards and principles applied to all corporations, irrespective of their industry sector, certain industry sector have to comply with additional standards. The most noticeable of these is the banking industry, which is further governed by the requirements of the Basel Accords (FSA 2007) and regulated in the UK by the FSA[3]. The focus of these particular industry specific regulations is to ensure that financial institutions retain an appropriate capital adequacy ratio within their balance sheets. However, despite the intentions of all of these standards and regulations, as the plethora of subsequent studies and literature contained within the following section confirm, they have, if anything, added to the areas of concerns that they were meant to address. 2.2.2 Areas of concern As the studies of Tweedie and Wittington (1990), Barth (2006) and Benston (2008) have revealed, a number of serious concerns have been voiced about the international standards, which they and others believe are detracting from the objective of reform and, in some cases, leading to increase volatility being seen in financial statements. In essence, these can be identified within three main areas of financial statement preparation and reporting. Fair Value and choice of valuation measurement Recognition and inclusion of revenue and profits Off balance sheet items Although initially there was no identification of the meaning of the term â€Å"fair value† in the international standards, following representations from accounting bodies, corporate associations and other stakeholders, the IASB introduced a definition, which described it as being: â€Å"the price at which the property could be exchanged between knowledgeable, willing parties in an arm’s length transaction† (IAS 16). However, this description soon came under attack by a number of academics, including Langendijk et al (2003), Bank of England researchers (Staff team 2004), Lindsell 2005)Antill and Lee (2006), Mard and Hitchner (2007) and many others. The criticism of this measurement, rightly identified by these authors, was that it raise questions about the subjectivity and reliability of such valuations. For example, what is considered to be a fair value to one person would not be to another and, furthermore, there might be differing reasons for one party being prepared to pay a greater value for an asset than others consider fair. Evidence of this can be seen in the manner in which companies are valued in times of acquisitions (Antill and Lee 200, King 2006 and Siegal and Borgia 2007). Furthermore, as in most cases the fixed and intangible assets are not intended to be sold at the time of their inclusion within the financial statements, valuation must of necessity be based upon reasonable and expert estimates (Lindsell 2005). The problem to be encountered here is that such expert valuers differ in their opinions of measurement, with some being more optimistic than others (Barth 2006), which can lead to discrepancies. The choice of expert can thus be seen to potentially obscure concrete evidence† of the assets real value (Swanson and Miller 1989, p.1). Furthermore, the standards also allow corporations to make a choice of asset measurement between the historical cost convention and current fair value, which is decided based upon their own judgement (ICAEW 2006 and Mizra et al 2006). Despite many attempts and suggestions aimed at addressing this problem (Benston 2008) to date it has still not been resolved. Recognition of revenue and treatment of profits is another area where differing opinions and purposes of measurement and treatment have been questioned (Bullen and Crook 2005). For example, when engaged upon a project that spans a number of financial years how does the business measure the true value of the revenue and profits to be recorded in each year statements (Mizra et al 2006 and Lee 2006). Some might argue that profit, and thus that element of the revenue, cannot be taken until project completion, whilst others will advocate allocating profit to the completion of project milestones. It is apparent that, given a project of x value spread across say five years, the differences of interpretation outlined above would impact upon the revenues contained within financial statements. The ability for corporations to exclude items from their balance sheets is another issue for many investors and observers (Amat et al 1999). For example, by leasing rather purchasing a piece of equipment this can alter the debt structure of the business, as parts of the leasing contract do not have to be included within the corporate balance sheet. Similarly action can be taken with other assets such as pension schemes (Pitzer 2002). Although there are other issues with the international accounting standards, it is these three areas that appear to raise the most concerns, in particular because they provide the opportunity for firms and their auditors to engage in the practice of manipulation or creative accounting. 2.3. The art and purpose of Creative Accounting or financial statement Manipulation As indicated within the introduction to this dissertation, creative accounting or the ability to manipulate financial statements was an adopted practice before the international reporting standards became a legal requirement for all corporations. However, the increase in concerns since this event makes a study of this issue even more relevant today. Creative accounting is considered by many to be a euphemism for the practice of manipulating the information that is contained within financial statements. In terms of definition for this practice there have been many over the years. In the title of his book about creative accounting, first published in 1988, Ian Griffiths (2005) defined it as â€Å"how to make your profits what you want them to be,† a view supported by Dean and Clarke (2007). Although other academics would refrain from using such a term, as will be seen within this and following sections and chapters of this dissertation, there is more than a grain of truth in this simple description. However, the more considered definition for the type of manipulation that is that it is† a practice that results in a distortion of the figures contained within financial statements.† However, at the same time this manipulation remains strictly within the boundaries of the legal accounting principles, rules and stand ards (Shah 1998 and Balaciu and Cosmina 2008). A simple example of the meaning of these definitions can be seen in the following diagram (figure 1). In this example manipulation is defined as the greying areas between the intentions of the standards and the areas within which the interpretation of these standards can be manipulated, always stopping short of the ultimate boundaries of the legal framework, beyond which such manipulation would be considered as fraud. As can be seen from this diagram manipulation can have two intentions, this being either to produce a negative or positive impact upon the profits and value of the business (Mulford and Comiskev 2002 and Balaciu and Cosmina 2008). It is generally accepted that manipulation is driven by the needs and demands of management (Pierce-Brown and Steele 1999 and Griffiths 2005). For example, if management believes that the business is likely to have a bad year, which will adversely affect their bonus and benefits they might either exacerbate the losses to increase their benefits in a following year or reduce them to protect these benefits. The same methods would be used if the management wishes to influence the corporation’s level of growth (Pierce-Brown and Steele 2006). This practice is known as the â€Å"Big Bath† method (Investopedia 2008). To achieve the required objective the management might use a combination of the flexibility contained within the concepts of fair value, revenue and profit recognition and off-balance sheet items as discussed in section 2.2.2 of this chapter. For example, an employed expert valuer who takes a pessimistic approach would have the effect of reducing the value of asse ts, thus having an adverse effect upon profits. Delaying recognition of revenue or profits would have the same effect (Mulford and Comiskev 2002). Some academic authors have posed the question as to whether such manipulation is ethical (Amat and Dowds 1999 and Blake and Growthorpe 1998). However, whilst the question of ethics might be of concern to those who rely upon the financial statements presented by corporations (Saudagaran 2003), under the present standards, regulations and their measurements it remains legal (Griffiths 2005). 2.4 The impact of Creative accounting on Financial Ratios As Bragg (2007) indicates within the introduction to his study of business ratios and formulas, these can be applied to virtually every aspect of the business and its operations. However for the purpose of this dissertation, the focus regarding ratios will be restricted to those that relate specifically to the information contained within a corporation’s financial statements. 2.4.1 Definition and purpose of financial ratios The term ratio can broadly be defined as a measurement by which the performance of a corporation, in terms of its operations and activities, can be judged and assessed (Bragg 2007, p.1). In terms of the financial statements produced by corporations this judgement is aimed at measuring a number of performance factors (Stolowy and Breton 2000). As can be seen from the descriptions contained within the following example (figure 2) in this respect the intention of these ratios is to provide an assessment of the profitability of the business and its return on investment (Income statement) and its liquidity position (Balance Sheet) (Bragg 2007). Figure 2 Popular financial ratios Financial Ratios 1) Gross Margin Operating earnings (before exceptional and tax) as a percentage of net sales 2) Operating Margin Operating Income (net profit before tax) as a percentage of net sales 3) Profit Margin Net Income (profit after tax) as a percentage of net sales 4) Return on Equity Net Profit after Taxes as a percentage of equity 5) Return on Investment Net Profit after Taxes as a percentage of total assets 6) Return on Capital Employed Net Profit after Taxes as a percentage of average shareholder equity 7) Current ratio Ratio of current assets to current liabilities 8) Quick ratio Ratio of current assets (less inventory) to current liabilities ( less overdraft and other borrowings) 9) Gearing (debt to equity) ratio Ratio of liabilities to equity 10) Earnings per share (EPS) Net profit divided by number of shares issued 11) P/E ratio

Iconic Images of the 1980s

Iconic Images of the 1980s Images of 1980s Speaking of 1980s often people think about Reagan, â€Å"Greed is good†, and funny hair styles. Of course the 80s were more than that, but if you asked me what I am thinking about the 1980s it would be a longest â€Å"Mhm† followed by â€Å"I was not even born yet.† However, images can be a tool for us to study the detail of history. The greatest thing about learning history for a visual person is to look into photos. Each and every photograph has a story to tell. Ever since the technology of modern camera was introduce in the 18 century, people have been using this technique to capture memorable moments.   Ã‚   Photography in the 1980s was personal and political, or a mixture of both. Nevertheless, thanks to the photographers who are there to capture events, the future generation can study them. What happened at the scene of Reagan’s attempted Assassination? How big was the crowed when the Berlin wall fell down at 1989? What did Chernobyl look like after the explosion? I believe those events had already been symbolized. Some say â€Å"history always repeats itself.† That is somehow true if we look deeper into every decades. The world still has the same problems that happened before. What is so special about the 1980s is that is a historical turning point. Through several iconic photos of the 1980s the decade can be seen as one plagued with wars, tragic events and political unrest, but it was also a decade where freedom and human rights were advanced. Afghan Girl, 1985 (See Figure 1) The Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan during 1977-1980 might been seen as a milestone of U.S. history due to the help we have been giving, but due to poor Sharbat Gula and her family it is not an event to be celebrated. In 1985, National Geographic photographer Steve McCurry shot a portrait of a 12 year-old Afghan girl named Sharbat Gula made it to the cover of National Geographic Magazine. However, what people could not see in the photo â€Å"Afghan Girl† was the reason that caused Sharbat Gula’s sorrow eyes. From 1979 to 1989, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan armed with Arab resistance launched a war of aggression and counter-aggression. The evening of December 27, the Soviet Union deployed eight divisions, Special Forces, and airborne troops in a brutal military invasion of Afghanistan. In only three and a half hours, they gained â€Å"complete military and political control of Kabul and large portions of the country† (Office of Historian) Until early 1980, 8.5 million troops invaded which gradually increased to 10 million people. There were almost 10 years long of ongoing civil wars, invasions and conflicts in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, little Sharbat Gula was born into this event. After the Soviet invasion of blatant military, the Afghan people in the nation in danger of life and death, the original anti-government revolutionary activity soon developed into a larger anti-Soviet war against the Soviet Union. According to the article â€Å"A Life Revealed: Along Afghanistans War-torn Frontier† by Debra Denker, Sharbat Gula’s village was bombed and invaded by Soviet Union around the early 80s. Unfortunately, Sharbat Gula’s parents were killed by bombing, about 100 people died from war, 600 million people were forced to flee their homes and become refugees. Later, photographer Steve McCurry visited Afghanistan, and was given a â€Å"war-torn frontier.† tour. In one of the refugee camps, he ca ptured the hunting face of Sharbat Gula among other similar age girls. Sharbat Gula’s portrait became the symbol of post war fear of the Muslim world (Denker). In 1988, under the auspices of the UN Secretary General Javier Perez de Cuellar, the Soviet Union, the United States, Afghanistan and Pakistan met in in Kabul and their four foreign ministers signed in Geneva a political settlement for Afghanistan. The Soviet troops had to withdraw from Afghanistan within nine months, putting an end of a nine-year occupation (Dibb). Wars and conflicts are a never ending nightmare which is still haunting us today. The look on Sharbat Gula’s face fully expressed that. The Reagan Assassination Attempt, 1981 (See figure 2) Same time at the early 80s, the most serious incident which happened to President Ronald Wilson Reagan was when he got shot just outside the Washington Hilton Hotel by a young man named John Hinckley Jr. In the photo of the scene right after the shooting, reporters were making roars within the crowed, few officers holding a gun down on the sidewalk, and the president was thrown into the limo car. It was chaotic. The gunman was held immediately after the shooting. This event shocked the entire society for Reagan had only been elected to be a president for ten weeks. President Reagan was heading to the white house unaware that he had been shot. Shortly after he left the scene, he did not realize one of the ricochets punctured his lung until he started coughing up blood. He then was rushed to George Washington University Hospital. The New York Times reported President Reagan remained in good humor even he was fainted due to the blood loss. He told his doctors, â€Å"Please tell me youà ¢â‚¬â„¢re Republicans† (Raines). Fortunately, President Reagan survived after the operation, and recovered after weeks. The motive to assassinate the President surprisingly had nothing to do with political reasons, but with John Hinckley’s obsession with actress Jodie Foster. This obsession was based on the movie Taxi Driver.† He firmly believed that if he became famous by mimicking the plot from Taxi Driver, would be able to get Jodie Foster’s attention. What happened to gunman John Hinckley afterward was 13 charged against him. However, due to his mental problem, the court sent him to St. Elizabeths Hospital for life instead of prison. The unsuccessful attempted assassination brought dramatic changes to Reagans presidency. His survival boosted a wave of public sympathy and he gained popularity. He was also the first president who survived the assassination (Brands). Although politics was not the reason why John Hinckley opened fire, it is still one of the many major political events in the 1980s. Chernobyl Accident 1986 (See Figure 3) Besides wars and political unrest, there was a major unclear accident happened at Chernobyl, Ukraine. The photo that taken by authorities right after the accident shows the explosion had destroyed the entire building to a hollow hole on the ground. What happened was that event management and technical staff decided to test the turbine in case of a sudden loss of power, the strain of the reactor. This overnight test was neither carefully planned nor authorized by superiors. On the afternoon of April 25, 1986, the unit fourth in accordance with the plan was shut down, when the operation began an experiment related to the security system. The case of this experiment is to understand the plant loses all power, but the rotating turbine has enough energy capable of supplying electric power for 45 seconds, which is the time required to start the emergency diesel generator supply. The reactor power is reduced to half of the rated output, and the emergency reactor core cooling system is turne d off. After 11:10, the staffs did not re-open the emergency cooling system, which was the first major mistake, according to a series of serious negligence operations are: the output power was reduced to one percent of rated output, much lower than the power required for the experiment; the majority of the control rods withdrawn; and the other important safety system was turned off. These operational mistakes made the unit fourth become unstable. Output had been rising rapidly, technical workers lost control of the reactor, output power rose to up to 100 times the rated output, and thus part of the fuel rods ruptures, and the heat burst a lot of things to make the cooling water evaporation, resulting in a steam explosion destroying a weight of about 1,000 tonnes of reactor cover. From May 1 to 6, due to the reactor explosion, more than 26 percent of the radiation dose was released into the outside world, 31 firefighters and two people from the plant lost their lives, most of them have been severely burned from radiation, while 209 suffered severe radiation injuries (U.S.NRC). Strictly speaking, the Chernobyl accident cannot be called a human error. It was more like a willful violation. It seemed following the scheduled timetable was seen as more important than safety. Staff were prohibited from running the operation under low power, and stopped safety device testing. It was like in travel a little faster by car, removing the brakes in the car regardless of rules or safety, and just desperately rushing forward to the destination, leading to a monstrous disaster. 25 years later today, the area outside of Chernobyl nuclear plant still reminds uninhabitable. People’s belongings still stay in the same spots, but not a trace of life in sight. The fall of the Berlin Wall, 1989 (See figure 4) Finally, the voice of freedom is rising at the end of 1980s. After nearly three decades of separation, the Berlin Wall finally fell down on the evening of November 9, 1989. A photo taken by Associated Press captured the moment when demonstrators tore down a piece of the Berlin wall. Berlin Wall and the wall that speared North and South Korea right now is the same product after World War II. After World War II, Germany and Berlin by the Soviet Union, the United States, Britain and France divided Germany into four zones. In 1949, the Soviet Union occupied East Germany, the capital set in East Berlin. West Germany and the US and British law were established in the occupied territories. Initially people in Berlin were able to move around freely between the districts, but with the Cold War, tensions started building up. In order to prevent East Germans from fleeing to West Germany. The border began to close up. From 1949 to 1961, about 2.5 million East Germans who risked being shot by Eas t Germany fled to West Berlin. Berlin Wall started just barbed wires in August 13, 1961. It was later replaced by a large number of real fences more than 155 kilometers long, about 3 to 4 meters high (Behind The Wall). After the construction was completed, a total of more than 5000 people successfully fled to West Berlin, 3000 people were arrested, and over 400 people were killed and injured (Leslie). 25 years ago, the new East German government began to plan to relax travel restrictions for East German people, but due to a misunderstanding of the then East German Politburo on superior orders, mistakenly announced Berlin Wall is about to open, resulting in tens of thousands of people took to the streets, the demolition of the wall, the whole of Germany into a state of extreme excitement. One of the Time reporter Ken Olsen recalled the day when he was in Germany says â€Å"They were screaming, Tor auf! Tor auf! Open the gate!† (Rothman) Although it was not the structure of walls collapsed, it had been removed by people. People climbed the Berlin Wall, removed graffiti, and took pieces of building materials as souvenirs. 11 months later, the two Germanies finally reunited. Tank Man, 1989 (See figure 5) Just several months before the Fall of Berlin Wall, in Tiananmen Square Beijing, China, a Tank man stood in front of type 59 tanks and attempted to block their way. He was pulled away by another man lright after. This thrilling scene happened to be caught by Jeff Widener (The Associated Press) in June 5, 1989 who was inside the Plaza Hotel next to the Tiananmen Square. He hid the negatives in the toilet water tank to avoid police forces’ search or the truth will not have spread around the world (Iyer). What triggered this event can be traced back to the Deng Xiaoping era. He was in power after 1979 and the implement reform and opened up policy on topic such as to industrialized, agriculture, national defense, science and technology, four modernizations. After a decade of reform, social and economic problems, such as a widening wealth gap and serious inflation; workers were dissatisfied because their salaries did not keep up with the pace of inflation, causing large flow of the rural population to the cities to make a living, leading to more homeless beggars and other social issues; official corruption, and other deep complaints. By the end of 1986, students at the University of Science and Technology of China in Hefei held anti-corruption protests. Then, Shanghai, Beijing and other cities have also lead to student protests, they asked the government to carry out democratic reforms. CPC (Communist Party of China) General Secretary Hu Yaobang was tough because of the absence of clearance, and he had been criticized and resigned from office in the following year the General Secretary (Lui). The spring of 1989, the international communist forces collapsed. Democratic movements began in Eastern Europe. Inspired by the movement, in late April 1989, students and Beijing residents’ protests gathered in Tiananmen Square. Since then, the whole country has undergone a similar student protest movement. On June 3 in the evening, the CPC decided to send troops to suppress, to disperse the crowd in and around Tiananmen Square, the army opened fire to the masses, and even tanks shot protesters. By 4 in the morning, the army controlled Square, people were forced to evacuate. The next day, after the first night of the crackdown, Tiananmen Square was cleared. All of the students who were in the movement for several months disappeared without a trace. Everything had been wiped out. The tanks in Tiananmen traveled quickly around, declaring military force. The photo of the â€Å"Tank Man† became a symbol of Tiananmen. It showed the courage of ordinary people fighting on beha lf of freedom. Unsung heroes raised up public concern of their human rights. Before then, people constantly live under fear of the iron fist. To summarize, thanks to the efforts of photographers, the future generation can see the 1980s was not only overwhelmed by national conflicts, politics, and unfortunate accidents, but was also a decade of new beginning. See how photos show the stories of the time. It is not about the photo itself such as how it was constructed, or what kind of the camera photographers used, but it is about the messages that those photos are trying to deliver. Sharbat Gula the Afghan girl’s frightened eyes revealed how it was when international communism was still powerful. Beloved President Reagan survived an attempted assassination, and became a god like figure in the 80s. Later, the Chernobyl Accident happened, and if there were not any photos documented, we would never know how intense it was when an unclear powerful plant melted function. At the end of the 80s, Berlin Wall fell down, and people in China stood up for freedom and human rights. Those two photos quickly became a symbol of free spirits. Visual images are so powerful that they could not only grab people’s attention, but also shout out message that words failed to present. I appreciate those brave photographers who were there at the first scene so we can look into what was going on in the past. Are we learn our lessons from history. 1980s might seem like a problematic period, but people survived to make it a better tomorrow.       Figure 1. McCurry, Steve. Afghan Girl. Digital image. Wikipedia. Wikipedia.com,  Dec. 1984. Web. 28 Nov. 2014. Figure 2. Reagan Assassination Attempt. Digital image. Wikipedia.  Wikipedia.com, 30 Mar. 1981. Web. 28 Nov. 2014. Figure 3. Soviet Authorities. Taken by  the Authorities in the immediate aftermath  of Chernobyl Disaster. Digital image. Wikipedia.  Wikipedia.com, Apr. 1986. Web. 28 Nov. 2014. Figure 4. AP. Fall of the Berlin Wall. Digital image.  The Telegraph. The Telegraph, Nov. 1989. Web. 28 Nov. 2014. Figure 5. Widener, Jeff. The Tank Man was trying to block the way of tanks  with his own body alone during the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. Digital image. Wikipedia. Wikipedia.com, June 1989. Web. 30 Nov. 2014. Work Cited Behind The Wall. New Yorker 90.34 (2014): 31-1. Academic Search Complete. Web. 30 Nov.  2014. Braun, David. How They Found National Geographic’s â€Å"Afghan Girl. National Geographic.  07 Mar 2003. Web. 28 Oct. 2014. Brands, H. W. Reagan Reborn.American History48.3 (2013): 46-51.Academic Search  Complete. Web. 2 Dec. 2014. Chernobyl Accident 1986. Chernobyl. World Nuclear Association, 24 Nov. 2014. Web. 28  Nov. 2014. Denker, Debra. A Life Revealed: Along Afghanistans War-torn Frontier. National  Geographic. 167 (Jun 1985). 2002. Web. 30 Oct. 2014. Dibb, Paul. The Soviet Experience In Afghanistan: Lessons To Be Learned?. Australian  Journal Of International Affairs 64.5 (2010): 495-509. Academic Search Complete. Web. 1 Dec. 2014. Iyer, Pico. The Unknown Rebel. (Cover Story). Time 151.14 (1998): 192. Academic Search  Complete. Web. 4 Dec. 2014. Leslie, John. The Fall Of The Berlin Wall Twenty Years Later. New Zealand International  Review 34.5 (2009): 21-24. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Dec. 2014. Lui, Andrew. Looking Back At Tiananmen Square. Peace Review 12.1 (2000): 139-145.  Academic Search Complete. Web. 30 Nov. 2014. Raines, Howell. Reagan Wounded In Chest By Gunman; Outlook Good After 2-Hour Surgery;  Aide And 2 Guards Shot; Suspect Held. The New York Time Mar. 1981, Late City ed.: 1. Print. Rothman, Lily. Witness To History: Reporters Recall The Berlin Wall’S Fall. Time.Com  (2014): N.PAG. Academic Search Complete. Web. 30 Nov. 2014. United States. Office of the Historian. The Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan and the U.S.Response, 1978–1980. The Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan and the U.S. Response, 1978–1980. Office of the Historian, 31 Oct. 2013. Web. 28 Nov. 2014. United States. U.S.NRC. Backgrounder on Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Accident.  U.S.NRC. United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 25 Apr. 2014. Web. 28 Nov. 2014.

Arkansas: A Different State Essay -- American History Essays

Arkansas: A Different State For many people the very mention of the word â€Å"Arkansas† conjures up images that are unflattering and certainly not very complimentary. To suggest that Arkansas is â€Å"a different state† is to guarantee almost immediate agreement from any given audience, but such agreement is usually about the negative aspects of the state instead of the ones making for actual difference. Those negative aspects extend back to the early days of the territory. When Cephas Washburn was on his way to Arkansas in 1819 to serve as a missionary to the Cherokees, he stopped at the present site of Vicksburg, Mississippi, to obtain specific directions to the territory, only to be told that â€Å"the way to get there was wnknown.†1 Other remarks pertaining to Arkansas are even less positive; it was stated that â€Å"Arkansas is not part of the world for which Jesus Christ died,†2 and as late as 1989 one writer was still able to describe Arkansas as â€Å"the least known of the fifty states.†3 One of the most famous publications that helped to give Arkansas a negative image was Thomas W. Jackson’s On A Slow Train Through Arkansas. Published in 1903, this book contained many descriptions about life in the state, including a pitiful account about a traveler who â€Å"stopped at a place where there was one doctor, two shoe makers, and a blacksmith. The doctor killed a man. They didn’t want to be without a doctor, so they hung one of the shoe makers.†4 Jackson’s book helped to convince many readers that people in Arkansas wore no shoes.5 Of the well known national writers to comment about Arkansas, surely H.L. Mencken of the Baltimore Sun was most memorable. In August, 1921, his acid-tipped pen described the state of Arkansas as â€Å"track... ...kansas,† Arkansas Historical Quarterly, XXXVIII (Spring 1979), 63. 7 Ibid., 68. 8 Harry S. Ashmore, Arkansas: A Bicentennial History (New York: W.W. Norton, 1978), xvii. 9 Daniel Pool, What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew: From Fox Hunting to Whist — the Facts of Daily Life in 19th Century England (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1993), 75. 10 Imogene Wolcott, ed., The New England Yankee Cook Book (New York: Coward-McCann, Inc., 1939), 161. 11 Ibid., xiii. 12 Williams, et al., 9. 13 Francis Parkman, La Salle and the Discovery of the Great West (New York: The New Library of American Literature, 1963), 223. 14 Ibid., 228-229. 15 Ibid., 333. 16 Helen McCully and Eleanor Noderer, eds., The American Heritage Cookbook and Illustrated History of American Eating and Drinking, II (n.p.: American Heritage Publishing, 1964), 537.

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Legal Studies Assessment Law to punish miscarriage assaults ASSAULTS on pregnant women leading to the deaths of their unborn children will be punishable by up to 25 years in prison under new New South Wales laws. NSW Attorney-General Bob Debus said the Government would amend the definition of grievous bodily harm under the Crimes Act to include the loss of an unborn child. Mr Debus said the amendment would not interfere with existing abortion laws. He said the amendment was being introduced after the cases of Renee Shields who lost her unborn baby boy Byron in a road rage incident in 2001 and Kylie Flick who lost her unborn child after she was assaulted in 2002. "The amendment is specifically aimed at criminal attacks upon women, enabling the courts to give due recognition to the pain and trauma experienced by women like Renee Shields and Kylie Flick who lost their babies following senseless and brutal attacks," Mr Debus said. This particular article is about a new amendment that has been introduced that if an offender assaults a pregnant woman and causes a miscarriage then the offender will receive up to 25 years. I think this is a good idea, it causes women a lot of stress and emotional damage if they lose a child unborn or born, if a criminal is the cause of a baby’s death then the effect will be compensation of the woman by dealing the maximum punishment. This article concerns administrative law as it is a law introduced to help the rights of citizens. Unprovoked Man jailed for shooting girl February 24, 2005 A FATHER of two has been jailed for at least five years for the unprovoked shooting of a teenage girl. Riannon Pierce required emergency surgery after she was shot in the abdomen by Robin Paul Murdoch at her home at Macclesfield, south-east of Adelaide, during the early hours of January 1, 2003. The South Australian District Court heard Murdoch, 29, of Mount Barker, smiled as he fired the revolver and threatened: "If you tell anyone about this I'm going to shoot you. I'm going to kill you". He had met Riannon, now 17, just moments before the shooting. Halfway through his court trial, Murdoch pleaded guilty to carrying a loaded firearm in a public place and two charges of discharging a firearm with intent to annoy or frighten. He was further convicted by a jury of one charge of shooting with intent to do grievous bodily harm.

Environmental Economic Impact of Pollution in the Chesapeake Bay Essay

The Chesapeake Bay is the nation’s largest estuary with six major tributaries, the James, the Potomac, the Susquehanna, the Patuxent, the York, and the Rappahannock Rivers, feeding into the bay from various locations in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia (Chemical Contaminants in the Chesapeake Bay – Workshop Discussion 1). These areas depend on the Bay as both an environmental and an economic resource. Throughout the last 15 years the Chesapeake Bay has suffered from elevated levels of pollution. Nitrogen and phosphorous from wastewater treatment plants, farmland, air pollution, and development all lead to reduced water clarity and lowered oxygen levels, which harm fish, crabs, oysters and underwater grasses (Key Commission Issues 1). There are other types of pollution in the bay such as toxic chemicals, but because nutrient pollution is the most significant and most widespread in the Bay its effects are the most harmful to fisheries. Ni trogen and phosphorous fuel algal blooms which cloud the water and block sunlight from reaching underwater grass beds that provide food and habitat for waterfowl, juvenile fish, blue crabs, and other species (Blankenship 11-12). Algae plays a vital role in the food chain by providing food for small fish and oysters. However, when there is an overabundance of algae it dies, sinks to the bottom of the Bay, and decomposes in such a manner that depletes the oxygen levels of the Bay (11). The reduced oxygen levels in the Bay reduce the carrying capacity of the environment and these â€Å"dead areas† sometimes kill off species that can not migrate to other areas of the Bay, such as oysters (11). Increased abundance of algal blooms also led to the overabundance of harmful and toxic algae species and microbes such as the microbe Pfiesteria, which was responsible in 1997 for eating fish alive and making dozens of people sick (12). The heightened awareness of diseases that can be cont racted through consumption of contaminated fish also has an economic impact. Therefore, the excess levels of nitrogen and phosphorous have fueled an overabundance of algal blooms, which has reduced water clarity and lowered oxygen levels, affecting many species within the bay and ultimately the industries that rely on these species. The signing of the 1987 Chesapeake Bay Agreement marked the first joint vent... ...able: http://www.virginia-beach.va.us/cityhall/planning/cbay.html (4 Nov. 1999). â€Å"Fish Health in the Chesapeake Bay: †¦Estimate of Seafood History Losses.† Available: http://www.mdsg.umd.edu/fish-health/pfiesteria/pfeconomics/sld005.html. (22 Nov. 1999). Glibert, Patricia M. and Daniel E. Terlizzi. â€Å"Nutrients, Phytoplankton, and Pfiesteria In the Chesapeake Bay.† Available: http://www.arec.umd.edu/policy/Pfiesteria/terlizzi/terlizzi.htm (22 Nov. 1999). â€Å"Impacts of Diseases and †¦ase Resistant Oysters† Available: http://biology.uroregon.edu/classes/bi130/webprojects/15/oyster.html (22 Nov. 1999). â€Å"Key Commission Issues† Available: http://www2.ari.net/cbc/old/cbc_issu.htm (4 Nov. 1999). Lipske, Michael. â€Å"Getting to Know You† National Wildlife, v33. (1995): 24-29. Parker, Doug. â€Å"The Economic Costs of Implementing the Maryland Water Quality Improvement Act of 1998.† Available: http://www.arec.umd.edu/policy/Pfiesteria/parker/parkertext.html (22 Nov. 1999). Santopierro, George D., and Leonard Shabman. â€Å"Can Privatization Be Inefficient?: The Case of the Chesapeake Bay Oyster Fishery.† Journal of Economic Issues, v26 n2 (June 1992): 407-415.