Tuesday, November 26, 2019

skinheads essays

skinheads essays Skinheads are working class citizens that enjoy music and beer, yet they are continually portrayed as racists and bigots. Skinheads are constantly called Nazis, but skinheads originated as working class men from England many years earlier. Skinheads spend most of their time with other like-minded individuals. A group of skinheads is usually called a crew. Unlike gangs, crews are relatively non-violent unless provoked. They dress in simple and classy style at all times to showcase their working class roots. Most skinheads will continue living the Skinhead lifestyle until the day they die. Skinhead roots began during the late 1960's when the Jamaican rude boy subculture mingled with the British mod subculture. A rude boy is best defined as a "cool super-hooligan." Rude in Jamaican vernacular meant wild, violent, or reckless. These rude boys were best portrayed in such songs as Desmond Dekker's "007 (Shanty Town)", "Rude Boy Train", and many other such releases. A rude boy is now portrayed as a person who listens to reggae and ska music primarily, dressing in nice clothes and suits. The term mod is short for modernist. Mod is a direct outgrowth of Post War Britain, when all the teenagers suddenly had a disposable income and a desire to find an identity beyond a schoolboy or workingman. The product of this marriage would be what we today call a skinhead. Skinheads preferred physical labor to the mod ideals of effortless work. There were several theories on why the skinheads cropped their hair short and began wearing boots. One theory is that "the rougher kids began cutting their hair close, both to aid their fashion and to prevent their hair from hindering them in street fights." The other theory is being that "the shaved head and steel toed boots originated amongst the dock workers who required the safety of steel toed boots and shaved their heads as a precaution against head lice." After work, skinheads would ...

Friday, November 22, 2019

Fahrenheit 451 Themes and Literary Devices

Fahrenheit 451 Themes and Literary Devices Ray Bradbury’s 1953 novel Fahrenheit 451 addresses complex themes of censorship, freedom, and technology. Unlike most science fiction, Fahrenheit 451 does not view technology as a universal good. Rather, the novel explores the potential for technological advancement to make humans less free. Bradbury investigates these concepts with a straightforward writing style, employing several literary devices that add layers of meaning to the story. Freedom of Thought vs. Censorship The central theme of Fahrenheit 451 is the conflict between freedom of thought and censorship. The society that Bradbury depicts has voluntarily given up books and reading, and by and large the people do not feel oppressed or censored. The character of Captain Beatty provides a concise explanation for this phenomenon: the more people learn from books, Beatty tells Montag, the more confusion, uncertainty, and distress arises. Thus, the society decided that it would be safer to destroy the books- thus restricting their access to ideas- and occupy themselves with mindless entertainment. Bradbury shows a society that is clearly in decline despite its technological advances. Montag’s wife Mildred, who serves as a stand-in for society at large, is obsessed with television, numbed by drugs, and suicidal. She is also frightened by new, unfamiliar ideas of any kind. The mindless entertainment has dulled her ability to think critically, and she lives in a state of fear and emotional distress. Clarisse McClellan, the teenager who inspires Montag to question society, stands in direct opposition to Mildred and the other members of society. Clarisse questions the status quo and pursues knowledge for its own sake, and she is exuberant and full of life. The character of Clarisse offers hope for humanity explicitly because she demonstrates that it is still possible to have freedom of thought. The Dark Side of Technology Unlike many other works of science fiction, the society in Fahrenheit 451 is made worse by technology. In fact, all the technology described in the story is ultimately harmful to the people who interact with it. Montag’s flamethrower destroys knowledge and causes him to witness terrible things. The huge televisions hypnotize their viewers, resulting in parents with no emotional connection to their children and a population that cannot think for itself. Robotics are used to chase down and murder dissenters, and nuclear power ultimately destroys civilization itself. In Fahrenheit 451, the only hope for the survival of the human race is a world without technology. The drifters that Montag meets with in the wilderness have memorized books, and they plan to use their memorized knowledge to rebuild society. Their plan involves only human brains and human bodies, which represent ideas and our physical ability to implement them, respectively. The 1950s saw the initial rise of television as a mass medium for entertainment, and Bradbury was very suspicious of it. He saw television as a passive medium that required no critical thinking the way reading did, even light reading done just for amusement. His depiction of a society that has given up reading in favor of the easier, more mindless engagement with television is nightmarish: People have lost their connection to one another, spend their time in a drugged dreamland, and actively conspire to destroy great works of literature- all because they are constantly under the influence of television, which is designed to never disturb or challenge, only to entertain. Obedience vs. Rebellion In Fahrenheit 451, the society at large represents blind obedience and conformity. In fact, the characters of the novel even assist their own oppression by voluntarily banning books. Mildred, for example, actively avoids listening to or engaging with new ideas. Captain Beatty is a former book lover, but he, too, has concluded that books are dangerous and must be burned. Faber agrees with Montags beliefs, but he is fearful of the repercussions of taking action (though he ultimately does so). Montag represents rebellion. Despite the resistance and danger he faces, Montag questions societal norms and steals books. However, its important to note that Montags rebellion is not necessarily pure of heart. Many of his actions can be read as resulting from personal dissatisfaction, such as angrily lashing out at his wife and attempting to make others see his point of view. He does not share the knowledge he gains from the books he hoards, nor does he seem to consider how he might help others. When he flees the city, he saves himself not because he foresaw the nuclear war, but because his instinctive and self-destructive actions have forced him to run. This parallels his wife’s suicide attempts, which he holds in such contempt: Montag’s actions are not thoughtful and purposeful. They are emotional and shallow, showing that Montag is a much a part of society as anyone else. The only people shown to be truly independent are the drifters led by Granger, who live outside of society. Away from the damaging influence of television and the watching eyes of their neighbors, they are able to live in true freedom- the freedom to think as they like. Literary Devices Bradbury’s writing style is florid and energetic, giving a sense of urgency and desperation with lengthy sentences containing sub-clauses that crash into each other: â€Å"Her face was slender and milk-white, and it was a kind of gentle hunger that touched over everything with a tireless curiosity. It was a look of almost pale surprise; the dark eyes were so fixed to the world that no move escaped them.† Additionally, Bradbury uses two main devices to convey an emotional urgency to the reader. Animal Imagery Bradbury uses animal imagery when describing technology and actions in order to show the perverse lack of the natural in his fictional world- this is a society dominated by, and harmed by, a total reliance on technology over the natural, a perversion of the ‛natural order.’ For example, the opening paragraph describes his flamethrower as a ‛great python’: â€Å"It was a pleasure to burn. It was a special pleasure to see things eaten, to see things blackened and changed. With the brass nozzle in his fists, with this great python spitting its venomous kerosene upon the world, the blood pounded in his head, and his hands were the hands of some amazing conductor playing all the symphonies of blazing and burning to bring down the tatters and charcoal ruins of history.† Other imagery also compares technology to animals: the stomach pump is a snake and the helicopters in the sky are insects. Additionally, the weapon of death is the eight-legged Mechanical Hound. (Notably, there are no living animals in the novel.) Repetition and Patterns Fahrenheit 451 also deals in cycles and repeated patterns. The Firemen’s symbol is the Phoenix, which Granger eventually explains in this way: â€Å"There was a silly damn bird called a Phoenix back before Christ: every few hundred years he built a pyre and burned himself up. He must have been first cousin to Man. But every time he burnt himself up he sprang out of the ashes, he got himself born all over again. And it looks like were doing the same thing, over and over, but weve got one damn thing the Phoenix never had. We know the damn silly thing we just did.† The ending of the novel makes it clear that Bradbury views this process as a cycle. Humanity progresses and advances technology, then is destroyed by it, then recovers and repeats the pattern without retaining the knowledge of the previous failure. This cyclical imagery pops up elsewhere, most notably with Mildred’s repeated suicide attempts and inability to remember them as well as Montag’s revelation that he has repeatedly stolen books without doing anything with them.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

UK law property management practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

UK law property management practice - Essay Example Consideration of alternative market leases, general and specific situational advantages and disadvantages analysis of such alternative forms of leases in the market A lease in UK law pertains to the granting of exclusivity in land possession for a term that is well-defined and for a term that is shorter than that for which the grantor of the lease has himself or herself has legal land possession. As the definition implies, there are three aspects to the lease. The first has to do with the exclusivity of the possession. The second has to do with the fixed nature of the lease in terms of time. The third is that the term of the lease has to be shorter than the lawful time to which the grantor of the lease has possession of the land (In Brief 2013). Taking a step back, the Crown in theory has ownership of all land in the UK, and that other persons usually hold either a lease on the land, or else has a freehold relationship with the land, which is the strongest form of land ownership unde r UK law, outside of the Crown’s absolute ownership of all land (In Brief 2013b). ... he leaseholder in this sense becomes a tenant too in the definition of the law, meaning that within the terms of a legally binding lease agreement, the tenant is the recognized land owner under the law. In this sense, as owner of the land, he is able to legally make use of the land as other owners of the land do, with the caveat that those uses for which the land is made use of by the owner is within the confines of the requirements set forth by statutes. On the other hand, rights extend only so far as the owner of the lease has the right to occupy the land absolutely, until the leaseholder does not fulfill the contractual obligations, such as in instances when the leaseholder fails to make good on rent payments. Outside of this, the grantor of the lease is unable to end the lease before the date of expiration or the end of the period of tenancy, except with the serving of a notice strictly ruled by fixed and specified conditions. On the other hand, the institutional lease is said to be the cornerstone of commercial property law and the market for such leases in the UK. This is characterized by long terms, usually a quarter of a century, and is, as specified above, FRI type leases, meaning that they are full repairing as well as full insuring. Due to the integrity and predictability of such leases, with the rent reviews being done predictably too, every five years for the lease duration, these have become investible from the point of view of institutions such as pension firms as discussed above. Here the returns are predictable and guaranteed to a certain extent, as long as the tenants make good on their rent payments and their other related contractual obligations to the land and property (Mleyshon n.d.). That the institutional lease has become the foundation of

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

U.S. and Nevada Constitutions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

U.S. and Nevada Constitutions - Essay Example ed by Bowers that â€Å"the incredibly short span of three years from territory to statehood and the events predating and surrounding that transition make the Nevada Constitution a truly exceptional document† (12). Due to several amendments made to this constitution, it has ended up with more words and more details as compared to the United States constitution; it is more deeply descriptive, while the U.S.’s is more general in terms of its structure. As per the constitution of Nevada, it has 19 articles that describe the basic laws ranging from the organization of the government, power distribution within the government institutions, and the bill of rights meant to protect the people from any form of oppression. In most cases, the Nevada constitution resembles that of the U.S. though in some other instances, there are variations which result in differences in length, for example the omission of individual rights from the U.S. constitution, but present in the Nevada constitution. According to Bowers (15), Nevada’s constitution provides a more direct means of separation of powers into three most basic divisions and has an additional system for checks and balances moreover this constitution has a system for amendments and revision whereby the judiciary has been vested with such powers. These additional clauses makes it longer that the U.S constitution. There are various factors that define the length and details of a state constitution. According to Berman, â€Å"a broad historical factor accounting for this condition was the loss of popular confidence in state legislators† (77). Constitutional amendments made after the civil wars had extensive and detailed policies to prevent corruptions and mismanagement that marred the nation. The ease of amendments provided by the Nevada’s constitution has made it easier to add additional values by the concerned parties. In general, most of the state constitutions are noteworthy constitutions; the differences can be

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Apply a Marxist Essay Example for Free

Apply a Marxist Essay If was released in 1968 by director Lindsay Anderson. It is a film from a Marxist perspective based on a privileged boys boarding school in the 1960s, and the rebellion against the traditional functionalist system enforced there. Lindsay Anderson was a Marxist born in India in April 1923 whose father was a Scottish army officer. Educated at Cheltenham College, he announced there his intention to rebel and spent the rest of his life carrying out this aim. The film If reflects this as it shows a group of boys known as the Crusaders form a rebellion against not only the strict regime of the school, but society itself. The film is structured into episodes under different headings to describe the different areas of interest such as college, term time, ritual and romance, discipline and resistance. Andersons film shows Marxist, Functionalist and Feminist perspectives throughout and their ideals in correspondence to the issues included. The school system is strict and teaches the boys to conform to the norms and values of a capitalist society. They tell the boys to help the house and the house will help you which encourages the boys to obey the rules. 6th form students who follow all the rules are made into whips who are then able to set and enforce rules which can also allow them to punish those who do not follow the system. The system does not allow individuality or creativity and privileges are given to those who conform. The school has assemblies, which socialise the students into the same norms and values, and imposes discipline. The army within the school system shows a form of social control and authority and the boys are expected to involve themselves in reconstructions of war situations in order for them to train. This coincides with the element of team games which encourage competition. The Catholic faith is present within the school although the priest is corrupt and is shown to abuse the boys sexually in lessons, their confessions are also hypocritical as a student confesses to having sexual thoughts and is told that he is sinful to do so. The functionalist perspective is shown largely in the system as the elite pupils dominate everything and also that education is shown to shape beliefs and moral values and is a major mechanism for role allocation. The students are taught to cooperate with those who are neither their kin nor their friends.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

P. H. Delamotte Photograph of the Interior of the Crystal Palace Essay

P. H. Delamotte Photograph of the Interior of the Crystal Palace After a successful year of housing the Great Exposition, the Crystal Palace by Joseph Paxton was disassembled and moved to Sydenham, where it stood for the next 85 years (Hobhouse, 32). The Palace, built for the 1851 World's Fair in London, was an architectural and engineering wonder modeled after the bridge and train shed construction of the mid-nineteenth century. The structure had been designed to be quickly assembled out of prefabricated members and easily rebuilt elsewhere. Its light construction was made possible to use of thin cast iron prefabricated elements combined with wood and a glazed outer shell. The Crystal Palace housed the most spectacular collection of artistic and industrial wonders ever assembled in one place thus far. Visitors came from all over the world to see this display of power at the "Exhibition of the Works of All Nations" which was organized by Prince Albert and Henry Cole (Beaver, 12). The success of the Crystal Palace that cost "a penny per cubic foot" (Hobhouse, 39) brought Joseph Paxton much praise as well as a knighthood. The structure at Hyde Park was designed as a temporary building, able to be constructed and disassembled easily. During the Great Exposition the Crystal Palace housed the works of craftsmen, engineers and artists. The most popular of these exhibits was a crystal fountain made especially for the exhibition (Beaver, 47). The full 33,000,000 cubic feet of Crystal Palace was filled with displays and people crowding the aisles examining these wonders (Hobhouse, 39). When the Fair closed the fate of the Crystal Palace was a topic of extreme importance. Its popularity was obvious and Paxton suggested transforming... ...reat Britain. London: The Arts Council, 1965. Beaver, Patrick. The Crystal Palace, 1851-1936: a portrait of Victorian enterprise. London, Hugh Evelyn Ltd., 1970. Briggs, Asa. Iron Bridge to Crystal Palace: impact and images of the Industrial Revolution. London: Thames and Hudson in collaboration with the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, c1979. Hitchcock, Henry Russell. The Crystal Palace: the structure, its antecedents and its immediate progeny: and exhibition. Northampton, Mass.: Smith College Museum of Art, 1952. Hobhouse, Christopher. 1851 and the Crystal Palace; being an account of the Great Exhibition and its contents; of Sir Joseph Paxton; and the erection, the subsequent history and the destruction of his masterpiece. London, Murray, 1950. Newhall, Beaumont. The History of Photography: from 1839 to the present. New York: Museum of Modern Art. 1982.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Nur Jahan

Begum Nur Jahan (Persian, Urdu: ) (alternative spelling Noor Jahan, Nur Jehan, Nor Jahan, etc. ) (31 May 1577–17 December 1645), also known as Mehr-un-Nisaa, was Empress of the Mughal Empire that covered much of the Indian subcontinent. She was an aunt of Empress Mumtaz Mahal, Emperor Shah Jahan's wife for whom the Taj Mahal was made. Begum Nur Jahan was the twentieth and favourite wife of Mughal Emperor Jahangir, who was her second husband. The story of the couple's infatuation for each other and the relationship that abided between them is the stuff of many (often apocryphal) legends.She remains historically significant for the sheer amount of imperial authority she wielded – the true â€Å"power behind the throne,† as Jehangir was battling serious addictions to alcohol and opium throughout her reign – and is known as one of the most powerful women who ruled India with an iron fist. Contents [hide] 1 Birth 2 Marriage with Sher Afghan 3 Marriage with Ja hangir 4 Mughal empress 5 Death 6 Nur Jahan in pop culture 7 See also 8 References 9 Further reading 10 External links [edit]BirthKandahar (Candahar), Nur Jahan's place of birth, is now southern Afghanistan Nur Jahan was born on May 31 1577 in Kandahar (now in Afghanistan) to traveling Persian, Mirza Ghiyas Beg from Tehran (now in Iran). Her Persian-born grandfather, who was in the service of Shah Tahmasp I, died in Yazd, laden with honours. His heirs, however, soon fell upon hard times. His son Mirza Ghias Beg (known as Itmad-ud-Daulah, â€Å"Pillar of the State†, a title conferred on him by Akbar) travelled to South Asia with his family where he rose to become an administrative official in the Mughal court.For their journey, Ghias Beg and his wife, Asmat Begum, joined a caravan travelling southward under the leadership of a merchant noble named Malik Masud. While still in Persian territory, less than half the way to their destination, Ghias Beg's party was attacked by robbe rs and the family lost almost everything it owned. Left with only two mules, Ghias Beg, his expectant wife, their children, Muhammad Sharif, Abdul Hasan Asaf Khan, and one daughter, took turns riding on the backs of the animals.When the group reached Kandahar, Asmat Begum gave birth to her fourth child and second daughter, Mehr-un-Nisaa. [edit]Marriage with Sher Afghan Mehr-Un-Nisaa was married to Sher Afghan Quli Khan when she was seventeen in 1594, the marriage arranged by Akbar. Sher Afghan was the governor of Burdwan, in Bengal. In 1605, Mehr-Un-Nisaa gave birth to a daughter, also called Mehr-Un-Nisaa (later at court she was named Ladli), Mehr-Un-Nisaa was the one and only child she ever had. In 1607, Sher Afghan Quli Khan was killed during a misunderstanding.During this time Sher Afgan Quli Khan had held the title of Sher Afgan, granted to him by Jahangir as Quli saved his life from an angry tigress. Also, during this time, Jahangir may have been asking Sher Afgan Quli Khan to give Mehr-Un-Nisaa to him, for his harem, although the truth of this is uncertain, as Jahangir married her in 1611, after she had been at court (see below) for four years. [edit]Marriage with Jahangir The Mughal Emperor Jahangir and Prince Khurram with Nur Jahan.The emperor Akbar died in 1605 and was succeeded by prince Salim, who took the regal name Jahangir. After her husband Sher Afghan (who was appointed as jagirdar of Bardhaman, a city in Bengal) was killed in 1607, Mehr-un-Nisaa became a lady-in-waiting to one of the Jahangir's stepmothers, Ruqayya Sultana Begum. Ruqayya was the most senior woman in the harem and had been Akbar's first and principal wife and was also the daughter of Mirza Hindal. The father of Mehr-un-Nisaa was, at that time, a diwan to an amir-ul-umra, decidedly not a very high post.The year 1607 had not been particularly good for Mehr-un-Nisaa. Her family had fallen into disgrace. Her father, who had been holding important posts under Akbar and Jahangir, ha d succumbed to his only weakness, money, and had been charged with embezzlement. Moreover, due to possible involvement in the pro-Khusrau assassination attempt on Jahangir in 1607, two of Mehr-un-Nisaa's family members (one brother named Muhammad Sharif and her mother's cousin) were executed on the orders of the Emperor. In March 1611, her fortune took a turn for the better.She met the emperor Jahangir at the palace meena bazaar during the spring festival Nowruz new year. Jahangir grew so infatuated by her beauty that he proposed immediately and they were married on May 25 of the same year becoming his twentieth wife. [edit]Mughal empress Silver coins minted with Nur Jahan's name on it. For Mehr-un-Nisaa's own immediate family, marriage to Jahangir became a great boon with several members receiving sizeable endowments and promotions as a result. This affection led to Nur Jahan wielding a great deal of actual power in affairs of state.The Mughal state gave absolute power to the emper or, and those who exercised influence over the emperor gained immense influence and prestige. Jahangir's addiction to opium and alcohol made it easier for Nur Jahan to exert her influence. For many years, she effectively wielded imperial power and was recognized as the real force behind the Mughal throne. She even gave audiences at her palace and the ministers consulted with her on most matters. Indeed, Jahangir even permitted coinage to be struck in her name, something that traditionally defined sovereignty.Through Nur Jahan's influence, her family, including her brother Asaf Khan, consolidated their position at court. Asaf Khan was appointed grand Wazir (minister) to Jahangir, and his daughter Arjumand Banu Begum (later known as Mumtaz Mahal) was wed to Prince Khurram (the future Shah Jahan), the third son of Jahangir, born by the Rajput princess, Jagat Gosaini. Jahangir's eldest son Khusrau had rebelled against the Emperor and was blinded as a result. The second son, Parviz, was weak and addicted to alcohol. The fourth son was Prince Shahryar, born by a royal concubine.Khurram rebelled against his father and a war of succession broke out. Due to Khurram's intransigence, Nur Jahan shifted her support to his younger brother, Shahryar. She arranged the marriage of her own daughter Ladli Begum, born of her first marriage, to her stepson Shahryar. [1] The two weddings ensured that one way or another, the influence of Nur Jahan's family would extend over the Mughal Empire for at least another generation. Jahangir was captured by rebels in 1626 while he was on his way to Kashmir. Nur Jahan intervened to get her husband released.Jahangir was rescued but died on October 28, 1627. After Jahangir's death, Nur Jahan devoted some of her life to the making of perfume, particularly using falanja, an art form her mother had passed down. [edit]Death Nur Jahan's Mausoleum in Shahdara Bagh, Lahore, Pakistan When Jahangir died in 1627, Nur Jahan's brother Asaf Khan took the si de of his son-in-law Khurrum against his sister. It was Khurram who became the new Mughal emperor under the regal name Shah Jahan. Nur Jahan was confined to a comfortable mansion for the rest of her life.During this period, paid for and oversaw the construction of her father's mausoleum in Agra, known now as Itmad-Ud-Daulah's Tomb, and occasionally composed Persian poems under the assumed name of Makhfi. [1] Nur Jahan died in 17 December 1645 at age 68, and is buried at Shahdara Bagh in Lahore, Pakistan in a tomb she had built herself, near the tomb of Jahangir. Her brother Asaf Khan's tomb is also located nearby. The tomb attracts many visitors, both Pakistani and foreign, who come to enjoy pleasant walks in its gardens.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Crazy Eddie Essay

1) Red flags were the increase on short-term investment receivables why would an electronic company have short-term investments in the first place. Increase of prepaid inventory in 1987 should be alarm nearly double from 1986. The company gross profit margin was stable of around 13%-16% average there was no need to increase inventory prepaid. Also lack of accounts payable and account receivable was a sign every retail company should have bad debt expense or allowance for doubtful accounts as customers may commit fraud to purchase products. The inventory age of went from 80 in 1986 to 111 in 1987 yet cost of goods sold primarily consisted of inventory was average from 1984 to 1987 2) Several audit procedures could have been performed to attest Crazy Eddie wrong doing A) The falsifying inventory count sheet would be detected if the auditors randomly performed inventory count and compare it to the Crazy Eddie sheet and consulted with inventory experts of how companies can deceive auditors. B) Bogus email could been investigated by requesting back support documentation to support the memos and also if this was mentioned  during executive meetings by reviewing the executive board minutes. Also by contacting the vendor and reconciling their receivables to payables of Crazy Eddie. C) Transhipping sales would have been by reviewing account receivable process from start to finish. Review payment of the sale invoices and checking shipping department log of when transshipment was done and of course contact the buyer to authenticate the sale to place. D) Consignment of inventory is to also audit their inventory and compare it to Crazy Eddie log and review of the contra ct between both parties how they operate the consignment agreement 3) As auditors they analyze the industry they are in and even compare financial records of other companies in the same industry for regularities and irregularities. During the 80’s it was evident that the electronic industry was declining and ever changing leaving certain products to being obsolete. Transhipping made it difficult, as they were able and justify the reasoning for buying large number of products however auditors should be able to communicate with supervisors of the life shelf of products and be able to produce aging schedule for each product they sell. 4) Lowballing in the audit context is to charge a client cheap in order to offer other services at fair or premium costs. Other services perform by the same firm of the independent client does violate its independence as the firm footprint with the company gets bigger and creates conflict of interest as some can be audits of services they provided to the company violating external independence and objectively 5) Member of the audit team if a third of the sample size I requested cannot be find I would suspicious and question if the sale even took place. Also means that I will need to select more sales with that time period to see if more exceptions appear. Also I would receive their sales process and witness the process for deficiencies and evaluate other ways to detect red flags for example selecting sales from shipping department or warehouse department for possible red flags as well. 6) I believe its common for audit members to join clients team as management already know the value he brings and since Sarbanes Oxley and PCAOB does not prohibit the practice will continue on. That person is familiar with their accounting system therefore he will be more efficient that bringing a person new also the relationship with audit firm can be strengthen and less problematic having that person as an liaison during the audit period. The cons are the negative light and question the independence of the audit firm. The person may have extensive knowledge how to deceive and commit unethical transactions without his former employer knowing. Facts Eddie was born in 1947 into a large close Syrian family. and dropped out of high school at the age of 16 years old and peddled television in Brooklyn neighborhood. By 1969 Antar and one of his cousins have funds to open consumer electronic store called Crazy Eddie. Crazy Eddie was nickname given to Antar through his behavior towards customers, vendors, and subordinates. For example Antar would block the exit door even locking door until the individual agreed to buy something anything Antar distinctive trait was the inability to trust anyone outside his big family circle and mostly relatives hold company positions in all capacity. Crazy Eddie was know for marketing advertising antics in 1972 Antar hired radio personality know as Dr. Jerry as Crazy Eddie’s advertising spokesman. Discounting policy was the theme to the campaigns promising to refund the difference of the selling price and lower retail price with the 30 days of purchase. In the early 1980’s electron industry exploded lead to increasing growth to Crazy Eddie by 1987 the company product sales were the following Antar encourage to upsell the customer and to purchase extended warranty as the electronic was already insured by the manufacturer lead to high profit margin Crazy Eddie would purchase large amount of quantity and avoid large concessions expenses that allowed him ‘’transhipper ‘’ commonly known as secondary supplier to smaller stores in the New York City area . In1983 Crazy Eddie decided to go public to raise capital for expansion but  was delayed over year for the IPO as underwriter discovered several discrepancies of the company financial records and relatives role in the business key example his wife and mother received 6 figure salaries for little or no work. Recommended Antar to hire CFO with public company experience and hired his cousin Sam Antar as his CFO. The sale of stock was tremendous success and with the permission of the SEC issued 200,000 more stock. One way to sway financial analyst for positive reviews was to invite them to his store and show his salesman skills to close sales . One analyst wrote ‘’Crazy is a self disciplined competently organized firm with a sophisticated management and a well trained, dedicated staff’’ Based on the 1984-1987 financial statement and rave financial reviews investors from the IPO realized 1,000 percent increase In 1986 Antar resigned from the company but remained chairperson member but after a few weeks he completely withdrew from the company. By 1987 the end of the electronic bubble, increased local competition, diminished supplier leverage, and family issues most notably bitter divorce as a result family members picking sides were the indication of the Crazy Eddie downfall. Mismanagement of the company and poor financial reports plummeted the stock as regulatory officials started investigating. November 1987 the company was taken over by two individuals while performing due diligence they uncovered 65 million inventory storage Extensive investigating SEC alleged Antar was worried about company stock and ordered staff commit fraud by overstate/understate balance sheet items like overstate receivable by 2 million the following yellow understating payables by 9 million dollars. Overstated inventory with non-existent products Prepare bogus memos reports and entered in company accounting records Included consignment & goods to manufacturer as revenue Overstating transshipping inventory transactions Understating COSGS Peat Marwick was the Crazy Eddie accounting firm but the underwriters  suggested to hire bigger recognizable firm and comply to hire Main Hurdman that merged with Marwick was the independent auditor for modest ‘’lowball’’ fee while offering over non-auditing services to make up the difference. Hurdman charged Crazy Eddie 85 thousand for auditing service while charging millions to do their computer inventory systems. Questioning Hurdman independence and objectively as Crazy Eddie accountant were former Hurdman staff. Hurdman defense was Antar would properly stock year end inventory to hide any shortages and systematically conceal documentations of shortages and to junk their computer operated inventory system and return to manual system making difficult to determine actual ending inventory at time period the entire accounting department participating in the collusion to throw off auditors. In 1989 Crazy Eddie lost line of credit and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Antar was arrested with 17 counts of financial fraud in 1993 and publicly admitted to defrauding investors by manipulating accounting records in May of 1996. Lawsuit was settled in 1993 in the amount of 42 million to various defendants including Peat Marwick Analysis Crazy Eddie problems started with the idea to increase its expand the heavily tied family business and decided to take the company public than have venture capitalist provide the capital instead. We can see why it went public electronic started becoming the norm and disposable income complimented the fast growing industry. Crazy Eddie had the advantage similar to Wal-Mart being able to purchase large quantities at a low rate and taking a step forward to being second supplier to small business. Crazy Eddie failed to acknowledge or wasn’t aware of the product cycle and wasn’t able to forecast of where the industry was headed nor did it know the life of technology it was buying would not outpace demand. Management at Crazy Eddie raised concerns regarding experience and education to make sound decisions to operating and financing structure the company needed also family had to be problem as some relatives received a salary just because they’re family. After going public the Antar realized financial ratios had to be sound and used his power to convince the public that his company was  growing despite the current trends. His power was used to commit fraud and deceive the public in order to maintain the stock price like Enron would do a decade later and had the support of the entire accounting finance decision as no one reported to the SEC of their wrong doing Recommendations Recommendations for Crazy Eddie are to have the right management in place from executives to senior positions. Individuals that understand the industry trends and operate as efficiently possible. Finance department needed not only strong accounting department but an even stronger internal audit department that can properly perform Sarbanes Oxley section 404, SAS 69, SAS 99, SAS 109, SAS 115 for internal control practitioners to identify, prioritize, evaluate, and test the controls in place to prevent fraud and other financial statement material errors. Internal audit needs to be candid with external auditors and share information that can benefit external auditors during the financial audit a lot of sensitive valuable information went rogue that could been used to detect operations inventory fraud. References Sarbanes Oxley Section 404 Internal Control Practitioners Statement on Auditing Standards 69 The Meaning of Present Fairly in Conformity With Generally Accepted Accounting Principles Statement on Auditing Standards 99 Consideration of Fraud in a Financial Statement Audit Statement on Auditing Standards 109 Understanding the Entity and Its Environment and Assessing the Risks of Material Misstatement Statement on Auditing Standards 115 Communicating Internal Control Related Matters Identified in an Audit

Thursday, November 7, 2019

How Athen took over leadership of sparta after the persian wars essays

How Athen took over leadership of sparta after the persian wars essays HOW ATHENS TOOK OVER LEADERSHIP OF SPARTA AFTER THE PERSIAN WARS During the period of Greek history from the last years of the Persian Wars till the beginning of the First Peloponnesian War, the primacy of Sparta declined whileAthens was gaining increased influence in Greece. The Athenian, Thucydides (460-400 BC), one among few contemporary historians, left behind the most creditable records about this period. Although he did not give enough documentation for many events he described, his Histories remained the main resource of the facts from that time. In consideration of the fact that he was an Athenian and a participant of the Athenian army, future historians could not entirely count upon his writing. In the 480-479 BC there was great anxiety about the strength and magnitude of the Persian threat. Although the Greeks had managed to force Persians retreat from the Greek mainland, the danger of reconquest by the Persians was still present. In the battle of Plataea (479 BC), the Greeks, under the Spartan regent and general Pausanians, obliterated the Persian army. The Greeks also won a naval victory at Mycale. Although the war drugged on for many years, these two victories marked the end of the Persian threat to Europe and the beginning of the period of Greek greatness. The idea of panhellenism - the awareness of Greek unity- appeared as a reaction to the fear of the Persian invasion. This is how Persia helped the Greece to recognise their identity, which gave significance to the year 479 BC to be marked as the beginning of the Classical Greek period. At the other side, the year 479 BC does not represent a vital turning-point in politics. Spartas control over her allies was still unbroken. After the Greeks triumph on Plataea, when the fear of the Persian invasion decreased, the idea of the united Greeks started diminishing. Phthonos (envy) was what characterised the relation...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Full Review Stanford Online High School

Full Review Stanford Online High School SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you're reading this article, you've probably heard of Stanford Online High School, but you may not know that much about it. In this guide, you'll find information on what Stanford Online High School is, who it's meant for, and some of the pros and cons of attending. What Is Stanford Online High School? Stanford Online High School, or Stanford OHS (formerly Education Program for Gifted Youth Online High School at Stanford University, or EPGY OHS) is an accredited, independent school for students seventh through twelfth grade, founded by Stanford University. As its previous name suggests, its target audience is gifted youth- those who excel far beyond what their local schools can offer. The curriculum is extremely rigorous in keeping with that mission: the school offers a high number of accelerated, AP, and university-level courses. There are approximately 650 students, 44% of whom attend full-time.The intention is that students will attend at least four years, though there are exceptions to the rule. The price tag is nothing to scoff at: $19,950 for full-time enrollment. The teaching is, by all accounts, top-notch: over two-thirds of Stanford OHS teachers have doctoral degrees, and many of them formerly taught as university professors. Classes are available to students around the globe and are conducted online, in a virtual classroom, in real time. It's a little like a group Skype session, only with more features (like electronically raising hands). You can see and hear the teacher, and you turn your own mic and video on when it's your turn to address the class. You can also message the other students in the classroom as you go. Stanford OHS offers academic advising, counseling, and college counseling to its students. There's also a number of other features presented either online or in-person. Certain academic clubs and extracurricular activities are conducted over the web, like the Ethics Bowl and the Tolkien C.S. Lewis Club. Students are also encouraged to make use of the activities offered locally to them, ranging from club sports to in-person meet-upswith otherstudents attending Stanford OHS. There's even an optional two-week, in-person session at the campus of Stanford over the summer. Students may, as I mentioned before, take classes at Stanford OHS full-time, or they can take classes part-time or on a single-course basis. In this article, we're mostly going to look at full-time students who expect to graduate with a Stanford OHS diploma. And "full-time" here meansvery full-time. More on that below. Who Is Stanford Online High School For? According to the Stanford OHS website, the school seeks "intellectually curious and motivated students with a record of achievement inside and outside the classroom." That's all well and good, but it's pretty vague- let's take a look at what that means in a practical sense. To accept or reject an applicant, Stanford OHS looks at a student's transcript, test results, teacher recommendations, work samples, and personal essays, as well as parent questionnaires. In other words, it's almost like a college application, and the school is looking for the same qualities that colleges are: the desire, motivation, and skills necessary to excel in advanced academics while also maintainingwell-balanced personal development. That being said, that acceptance rate was 70% as recently as 20, according to the New York Times' website- perhaps the result of the schoolnot yet being very well known. Stanford OHS's excellent track record is a testament to the caliber of students it attracts. That excellent track record involves a 2175 mean SAT score and a 32.5 mean ACT score for the class of 2015 (a mere 49 students). Not to mention, 89% of students who took AP courses passedthose courses with a 4 or 5. In other words, Stanford OHS caters to students who are willing and ready to put in the work it take to see results. Students attend Stanford OHS for a variety of reasons. For some, their living situation makes it difficult or impossible to attend a brick-and-mortar high school (one student on the website mentioned living in a houseboat in the middle of the ocean). Others have alocal high school that is not a good fit- perhaps they experience bullying or other social problems. For many, it's a matter of seeking the extreme rigor that Stanford OHS provides. For students whowant a real challenge, Stanford OHS may be the answer. What's It Like to Attend Stanford Online High School? Every student at Stanford OHS adheres to a slightly different schedule. Classes are seminar-style, with groups of roughly 15 students meeting twice a week for 75 minutes. There are a few exceptions to this rule; languages, for instance, meet three times a week. Courses are offered anywhere from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Pacific time, and there's no class on Fridays. The gist of the number of hours of academic work required of students is relatively stable. High school students take, on average, five classes, each requiring eight to ten hours of time a week between attending class, watching recorded lectures, and doing several hours of reading and writing assignments. The average student is expected to put in 40-50 hours of work a week. There are also things like assemblies and homeroom to attend, though these do not add significantly to the workload. All classes are conducted online, as mentioned earlier, and students need to find approved proctors to oversee their testing in person. Some students report that this online experience makes it difficult to get time to chat with classmates outside of school activities, though the hope is that students will get more deeply involved in their own communities to resolve this social deficit. Who has time for forming human friendships when you're doing 50 hours of schoolwork a week? Pros of Stanford OHS Stanford OHS, by all accounts, does an excellent job of preparing already-stellar students for college. Remember the test results I quote earlier? They're not a fluke. Classes are designed to recreate college as nearly as possible, and they cover some very advanced topics. The school is flexible for those who live around the globe or who are farfrom a school with rigorous academic options. If you're living in the middle of the woods, that's fine, as long as you have internet access. The school provides a platform for high-performing students to gather and feed off each other's skills and inspiration. "By far one of the most important aspects of OHS," says an anonymous reviewer on quora.com, "is- other OHSers! If you're the smartest one in the room, you need tofind another room. OHS is an awesome answer to that call..." The school is well-loved by attendees, earning ratings of 4.9 out of 5 on multipleschool-rating websites for parents and students. Cons of Stanford OHS At $19,950 a year, full-time tuition is prohibitive for many students. At $4,150 a year, even single-course tuition can be out of reach. (About 15% of students do receive financial aid.) Additionally, despite the school's best efforts to make sure students get appropriate social interaction, this doesn't change the fact that students are dedicating roughly50 hours a week to school and only ever interacting with classmates online. The same anonymous reviewer quoted above says, "My impression is that useful and deep social interaction at OHS is pretty difficult for many (maybe most) students," and, "My impression is that not enough OHSers (me included, last year) get outside or exercise or interact socially..." Also, Stanford OHS is currently a school with low visibility and low recognition. One student expressed that many college admission officers were skeptical at first, though it also turns out that this point was a good conversation-starter. Finally, courses are extremely rigorous which can add a lot to a student's stress level. In many ways, attending Stanford OHS islike starting college early.That's a great way to be prepared, but you also lose the days of your high school experience, and that only comes around once. Is Stanford Online High School Right for You? Stanford OHS is a great option if you are unable to attend a brick-and-mortar high school for reasons ranging from your living arrangements to the difficulty of navigating the peculiar social world of your local school. It can also be agreat optionif you want anunusually rigorous experience to prepare you for the demands of college. If IB and AP don't sound like enough, Stanford OHS may be the way to go. That being said, you need to have a good session of soul-searching before you apply to Stanford OHS. Ask yourself some tough questions.First, can you afford the high tuition costs? Are you going to become socially isolated without daily in-person interaction with classmates? Are you, quite honestly, disciplined enough to deal with the relative flexibility of a Stanford OHS schedule and the lack of constant supervision? Are you earnestly excited by the prospect of Stanford OHS, despite the cons discussed above? Really think about your answers before you begin the process of applying. Stanford OHS is a great path to learning, but it's not the only one. Find what's right for you. Conclusion Stanford OHS is a rigorous independent school with a number of great features. By all accounts, it does an excellent job of preparing outstanding students for topuniversities around the world. That being said, there are some downsides, including the cost, the possibility of social isolation, and the stress of taking on so much so soon. Stanford OHS is an excellent option for students who are fully committed to getting everything possible from their academic careers (and who have already proventhemselves to be academically gifted). It's less ideal for students who enjoy the full experience of socializing with classmates in the halls, playing school sports, and enjoyinga few last years at a relatively slower pace before the pressures of adulthood take full hold. What's Next? If you're pondering whether online high school is the right option for you, read our article on that very topic. If you're going for an IB education, you may also want to read about the possibility of taking IB classes online. On the other hand, if you're going the AP route, we've got information on taking AP classes online. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 4

Law - Essay Example A contract is usually considered binding once the acceptance is made to the offer and communicated to the offeror. The rules apply to the negotiations that have been made till that point to know to what extend are the parties obliged to fulfill their promises. There is no halfway through, the negotiations will either be binding in the contract or not binding at all. An offer is communicated when the offeror indicates the terms on which he wants to make the offer such as the price of the goods, and gives a clear indication that he intends to be bound by those terms if accepted. Acceptance means that the offeree has unconditionally accepted all the terms of the contract put by the offeror (Andrews, 2011, p. 7). The second element of the contract is that the agreement made under offer and acceptance must not have vague or incomplete negotiations. The agreement must be certain to make sure that the contract is binding. For example when the offeror makes an offer saying that the salary will be mutually arranged between us, the courts hold no agreement between them since the agreement was not certain between them. Some of the factors that affect the certainty of a contract are provisions for clarification, the terms implied by statutes and the previous course of dealings. If there is a provision given to clear the terms later then the agreement will be binding. Secondly, if there are some terms that are implied by statutes though not being agreed by the parties, the contract will be binding. Thirdly, if there are some terms that are understood due to the previous dealings between the parties, the contract will be binding (Harriman,  2009, p. 13). The third element is the intention to create legal relations with the other party. If there will be no intention the courts will consider that no contract is valid between the parties. However if to the onlookers the parties seem to be intending to create