Comparison of a leader and a manager Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Comparison of a leader and a manager - Essay Example In addition to that, there is difference in the motivation level and control between a leader and a manager. According to (Nielson), a leader sets new and unique direction. Therefore, he should be able to justify the changes he suggests and show the validity of his approach. A manager helps in the application of ideas suggested by a leader and is responsible to make sure that the assigned tasks are completed by employees in time. In spite of these differences, a leader and a manager apparently share several important responsibilities. Both make heads of a team and coordinate teams to reach a goal. A final similarity between the two is that both exchange information in order to plan and direct. To sum up, leader and manager are much different, and yet alike. Although they differ in many areas such as people out look and motivation, they have several points in common. Furthermore, it can be said that both seek success.

Article Analysis by Geoffrey Ribbans Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Article Analysis by Geoffrey Ribbans - Essay Example 2. Article Summary Ribbans in his article explore one of the major thematic concerns of the play La Verdad Sospechosa i.e. lying. In this article the writer throws light on the pros and cons of lying as well as he also illustrates various human behaviors to the common habit of lying. Moreover the play as well as the article supports the cliche that a lie is never a solution for a problem because one lie always leads to another and consequently leads to a series of lies in order to hide one truth. Ribbans has used various textual excerpts from the play to support his understanding and interpretation of each lie that is spoken in the play and he points out that each act of the play introduces a new lie that gives a new dimension to the plot of the play consequently the play comprises of four major lies followed by other meager lies. 2.1. Analysis Ribbans in this article reiterates the purpose of the Alarcon’s use of the theme of lie. He states that the writer makes use of his wr iting technique to mock the double standards and hypocrisy of the society and the nobility.

Middle Ages Literature Essay Example for Free

Middle Ages Literature Essay The Middle Ages had many interesting characteristics concerning the literature of that time period. The important literary works â€Å"incorporated elements and values drawn from different and conflicting traditions (Patterson 1143). For every opinion, there was another opinion to counter it. Many of the pieces of literature at this time had contradictory ideas in them or had competing interests (Patterson 1144). The literature of this time shows us that â€Å"many people took the central doctrine of Christianity so much for granted that their daily lives seem largely untroubled by the moral and spiritual demands of religion† (Patterson 1144). Another characteristic of the literature was that it alerts us to the â€Å"complexities and dilemmas that any faith poses† (Patterson 1144). The Middle Ages is also called the â€Å"age of chivalry† (Patterson 1144). The literature mainly â€Å"expresses the values of the most powerful members of society, the aristocracy† (Patterson 1144). The aristocracy achieved their power through â€Å"military might† (Patterson 1144). There was also an â€Å"explicit code of chivalry† (Patterson 1145). The values were â€Å"never entirely consistent with each other† (Patterson 1145). Characters of literature had to choose whether to be a lover or a warrior (Patterson 1145). The main concerns of the literature were â€Å"the demands of religious faith and appropriate use of physical force, and the individual human being working out his or her individual destiny† (Patterson 1145). The literature during this time contributed to a list of vivid characters to the world of literature (Patterson 1145). Writers created unforgettable, complex literary characters to deal with the themes (Patterson 1145). The Middle Ages contrasted to the Renaissance because the Renaissance’s characters had â€Å"greater autonomy and fully realized personalities† (James 1883). The Renaissance’s literature did not judge â€Å"human action by right and wrong but by beauty, memorability, and effectiveness† (James 1886). During the Renaissance, the presence of God was much less dominating (James 1887). Medieval men and women were more concerned with the afterlife, while in the Renaissance they had a preoccupation with this life (James 1886). The Canterbury Tales fits into the Middle Ages well with some characteristics and not quite as well concerning others. For example, the Pardoner in The Canterbury Tales preaches the word of God on a daily basis, yet he is morally corrupt in his everyday life (Chaucer 1759). He preaches of greed, yet is greedy himself (Chaucer 1759). The Pardoner steals from the church, as well as innocent people (Chaucer 1758). Chaucer showed us that people took the doctrine of the church for granted. Other characters in The Canterbury Tales spoke of God and were Christians, yet didn’t bother with feeling morally obligated to act right. The dilemmas of being a Christian in real-life are seen. Some of the characters are Christian but it is more complex and takes an effort to be a Christian. The Canterbury Tales didn’t seem to have contradictory themes necessarily. Chaucer makes his views of various social ranks known through a use of satire. The characters themselves are contradictory, as we see with the Pardoner once again (Chaucer 1758). Since Chaucer has every type of social rank represented, we see his view of these ranks, which does contradict some of the jobs or moral obligations of various people. The characters in the story itself did compete for various interests. They all held different values or beliefs about the world. Chaucer lived during this time period, so it is in a way a more realistic view rather than contradictory. The explicit code of chivalry isn’t necessarily a large component of The Canterbury Tales except for perhaps the Knight and his tale. Chaucer shows that some people were focused on the chivalry act during this time. The Canterbury Tales doesn’t focus on pleasing the aristocracy either. Chaucer wrote from the perspective of every social rank so his book was meant for the poor and rich. Its subject matter was meant to be appealing to all Medieval people. The final characteristic that The Canterbury Tales does follow is the well developed characters. Chaucer had a whole list of realistic, complex characters. These characters could rival the Renaissance’s characters to me. I enjoyed reading about the characters and reading even more of The Canterbury Tales online. The Canterbury Tales fits well with the characteristics of the Middle Ages for the most part. The individual characters do have an individual goal in mind. Chaucer seemed as if he cared about his characters and wanted readers to his get to know them on an individual level, which seems more ahead of his time.

Concepts Of Time And Eternity

Concepts Of Time And Eternity Before beginning to look at time and eternity it is necessary to ask two questions; what is time and what is eternity? Eternity is most often thought of as existence for a limitless amount of time although many use it to mean a timeless existence altogether, an existence outside of time itself. So our concept of eternity is in many ways dependant on our concept of time. So then what is time? This has been discussed and pondered by many philosophers beginning with Aristotle, who speculated that time may be motion. He did however add that motion could be slower or faster but time could not be, it was a constant. Aristotle obviously did not know about Einsteins theory of relativity in which time can also change. Also when Einstein was working on his theory of general relativity and proposed his then revolutionary idea that mass can curve space, he was not aware that the universe was expanding. So our concept or definition of time is still something which, with our further discoveries of how the Universe is constructed, we are still developing. So we will then take a look at how time and eternity have been viewed historically by philosophers and how this has been developed up to the present day. Let us first take a look at the progression of our concept of time. In ancient Greek philosophy Plato speaks about the Demiurge. The demiurge is a term for an artisan-like figure which is responsible for the fashioning and maintenance of the physical universe. The demiurge however is not the creator figure in the monotheistic religious sense, both the demiurge itself and the material from which the demiurge fashions the universe are considered either uncreated and eternal, or the product of some other being. Plato speculates that the Demiurge creates order in the universe. The Demiurge is a force that provides order and stability of a kind and has an important place in Platos thought on time. In the Timaeus, several possible arguments can be chosen concerning the nature, beginning or indeed no beginning of time. Aristotle in contrast to Plato tries to prove in his Physics, that time neither has a beginning nor an end. His main argument revolves around the point that time or motion always was. If something that had the qualities of motion of movement existed, then it would either have to have been in constant movement or begun to move. Therefore, something that begins must too end. That the heaven as a whole neither came into being nor admits of destruction, as some assert, but is one and eternal, with no end or beginning of its total duration, containing and embracing in itself the infinity of time, we may convince ourselves not only by the arguments already set forth but also by a consideration of the views of those who differ from us in providing for its generation.  [1]  For Aristotle time can have no beginning or end. Something which begins cannot continue on for eternity. His thought also applies to ideas such as the beginning of the world, since for the world to change, or begin, G od or the Creator would have to be subject to a god changing his mind but this would be impossible. Simply put the idea of their being a beginning to time is contrary to Aristotles thought. If we go back to Augustine, we see the importance of Scripture in the Confessions. Therefore in relation to time, if we take the following passage from the Book of Genesis, then we shall see the basic workings or the initial starting point for Augustines theory on time. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, Let there be light, and there was light.  [2]   It is clear that in the beginning there must have been a first step taken for the world and indeed the universe to come into existence, and this was the will of God. Augustine begins Book XI by asking O Lord, since eternity is Yours, are You ignorant of the things which I say unto You? Or see Thou at the time that which comes to pass in time? Why, therefore, do I place before You so many relations of things?  [3]  Augustine appears to be afraid that God is somehow frozen in Eternity, truly without change, without any role to play. However, he does take comfort in the hope that we also pray, and yet Truth says, Your Father knows what things you have need of before you ask Him. (Matt 6:8)  [4]  So God will provide for Augustine, or at least he hopes and believes having red scripture that God provides for him. So too has God given us the world and the universe. That he has created all of these things is enough for Augustine, as he says in Chap. 4 of book XI They [the heavens and the earth] also proclaim that they made not themselves; therefore we are, because we have been made; we were not therefore before we were, so that we could have made ourselves.  [5]   Here we see Augustine marvel at God in his creation of the universe. For Augustine he is trying to show how time came into existence with the creation of Heaven and Earth. God created this universe and everything in it and time, as we know it, began with creation, In the beginning. Yet there are some questions that need to be answered as St. Augustine shows us. And no times are co-eternal with You, because You remain for ever; but should these continue, they would not be times. For what is time? Who can easily and briefly explain it? Who even in thought can comprehend it, even to the pronouncing of a word concerning it? But what in speaking do we refer to more familiarly and knowingly than time? And certainly we understand when we speak of it; we understand also when we hear it spoken of by another. What, then, is time?  [6]  This is a very good question, but is there an answer? Augustine does not seem to be able to find one. When he comments on people who ask what God was doing before time began he says Behold, I answer to him who asks, What was God doing before He made heaven and earth? I answer not, as a certain person is reported to have done facetiously (avoiding the pressure of the question), He was preparing hell, says he, for those who pry into myst eries I boldly say, That before God made heaven and earth, He made not anything. For if He did, what did He make unless the creature? And would that I knew whatever I desire to know to my advantage, as I know that no creature was made before any creature was made.  [7]   Augustine does try to explain eternity being a moment of time, But should the present be always present, and should it not pass into time past, time truly it could not be, but eternity.  [8]  Time then, as opposed to eternity, is always moving and it is always in motion, as Aristotle said. Eternity, however, remains constant, unchanging and complete. But still we are left with that seemingly simple question; what is time? If we look at time as motion, constantly moving on, then we can look at past time or uture time. It is difficult to try and make any concrete claims over the issue of past, present and future. For example, if we say that the past day has been a long one, are we not talking about a day or a state that no longer exists? This is also the case if we speak about the future. How can we comment on the future, e.g. it will be a cold week or a warm day, if it does not exist. But can we measure time in the present? Augustine launches into discussion of the present time that shows the futility to grasp what time is. But we measure times passing when we measure them by perceiving them; but past times, which now are not, or future times, which as yet are not, who can measure them? Unless, perchance, any one will dare to say, that that can be measured which is not. When, therefore, time is passing, it can be perceived and measured; but when it has passed, it cannot, since it is not.  [9]  Augu stine continues to narrow down the present time into days, hours, moments, heartbeats and eventually into a single moment, If any portion of time be conceived which cannot now be divided into even the minutest particles of moments, this only is that which may be called present; which, however, flies so rapidly from future to past, that it cannot be extended by any delay. For if it be extended, it is divided into the past and future; but the present has no space.  [10]  We have come to a stage whereby it is almost pointless trying to even understand time, whether past, present or future. Augustines discussion on time is impressive but he is faced with that question again, that still has not been answered. What is time? It is too difficult, perhaps impossible, to offer plausible explanations. The answer to the question of time is to be found, paradoxically, outside of time.. in eternity We exist in this temporal world, but do not understand fully what time is to us. We are simply not in a position to fully comprehend time. After much searching, debating and discussing, Saint Augustine slowly winds down to a prayer, a prayer of acceptance and hope. You unchangeably eternal, that is, the truly eternal Creator of minds. As, then, Thou in the Beginning knew the heaven and the earth without any change of Your knowledge, so in the Beginning Thou made heaven and earth without any distraction of Your action. Let him who understands confess unto You; and let him who understands not, confess unto You. Oh, how exalted are You, and yet the humble in heart are Your dwelling-place; for Thou raisest up those that are bowed down, and they whose exaltation You are fall not.  [11]   God exists outside of Time. Time is a creature created by God. Gods Will is not temporal like our own. That Eternal God exists allows for everything we know. So, we ask again, what is time? According to Augustine, and other Christian writers and thinkers, It is a creation, just like you or me. We exist in it and travel in this temporal world, universe towards something. What that something is, in Christianity anyway, is eternity. So then we now ask ourselves the question, what is eternity? Concepts of eternity have developed along with the development of the concept of God in a Western context. Eternity has been viewed in history both as timelessness and as everlastingness and following the work of Boethius and St. Augustine divine timelessness became the dominant view. The two views were however very different. Boethius presented the idea of divine eternity as straightforward and relatively problem-free, while Augustine wrestled with the idea and expresses continual puzzlement and indeed amazement at the idea of time itself and with it the contrasting idea of divine eternality.  [12]  We have already looked at Augustines struggles with what time is, but what does Boethius say? It is the common judgement, then, of all creatures that live by reason that God is eternal. So let us consider the nature of eternity, for this will make clear to us both the nature of God and his manner of knowing. Eternity, then, is the complete, simultaneous and perfect possession of everlasting life; this will be clear from a comparison with creatures that exist in timeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ for it is one thing to progress like the world in Platos theory through everlasting life, and another thing to have embraced the whole of everlasting life in one simultaneous present.  [13]   Boethius asks the questions about eternity in regard to providence, how can God know about something before it happens, but not then control or influence the free will which he gave to human beings? His answer is to do with the mind of God. God does not know the world in the same way that human beings do because God exists outside of time, so he doesnt view the world as a progression of events. He does not see past present and future as we might but at the same time he knows all future acts and remembers all past acts. He sees the world in one single act, which includes knowledge of every choice of every human being from the beginning of the world to the end. Therefore he doesnt influence the free will or choices of human beings but he did, and indeed does, already know them. In metaphysical terms eternity could be summed up by asking the question can anything be said to exist outside of time and space and if it can how can it and, maybe more importantly, why? Many religions say that God is eternally existent but how we understand this depends on which definition of eternity we use. God might exist in eternity which means a timeless existence where the past, present, and future just do not mean anything. On the other hand, God might exist for eternity, which means he has already existed for an infinite amount of time and will continue to exist for an infinite amount of time. There is another definition that states that God exists outside the human concept of time, but also inside of time because if God did not exist both outside and inside time he would not be able to interact with humans as he does through answering prayers etc. Whichever definition of eternity we use it is safe to say that humans cannot fully understand eternity, since it is either an infinite amount of time or something other than the time and space we know. If we use the concept of God as Creator, as a being completely independent of everything else that exists because God created everything else. If this premise is true, then it follows that God is independent of both space and time, since these are properties of the universe. So then, according to this notion, God existed before time even began, he exists during all moments in time, and he will continue to exist after the universe and time itself will cease to exist. St. Thomas Aquinas in his Summae Theoligica argues against Boethius concept of time and eternity, he says As we attain to the knowledge of simple things by way of compound things, so must we reach to the knowledge of eternity by means of time, which is nothing but the numbering of movement by before and after. For since succession occurs in every movement, and one part comes after another, the fact that we reckon before and after in movement, makes us apprehend time, which is nothing else but the measure of before and after in movement. Now in a thing bereft of movement, which is always the same, there is no before or after. As therefore the idea of time consists in the numbering of before and after in movement; so likewise in the apprehension of the uniformity of what is outside of movement, consists the idea of eternity.  [14]  He is saying that what is eternal is interminable, that it has no beginning nor end and that because eternity has no succession like time, moment after moment in past present and future, it is therefore simultaneously whole. He says also that The idea of eternity follows immutability, as the idea of time follows movement, as appears from the preceding article. Hence, as God is supremely immutable, it supremely belongs to Him to be eternal. Nor is He eternal only; but He is His own eternity; whereas, no other being is its own duration, as no other is its own being. Now God is His own uniform being; and hence as He is His own essence, so He is His own eternity. Is it therefore the case that when we speak of eternity we speak of God? Is God the only thing that can be eternal? Certainly it is true that scientifically the only things we can know are those we experience in life but eternity, although almost universally accepted as a fact, is unknowable to us at least in our lifetimes. When we go, as Christians and others believe, to eternal life after this life, then we may have knowledge of eternity as we have experience of it with God as he is, but here and now we can ask what is eternity but we can never re ally answer it. According to William Lane Craig, on a relational view of time God would exist timelessly and independently prior to creation; at creation, which he has willed from eternity to appear temporally, time begins, and God subjects himself to time by being related to changing things. On the other hand, the Newtonian would say God exists in absolute time changelessly and independently prior to creation and that creation simply marks the first event in time.  [15]  According to the Christian doctrine, still taught to this day, of creatio ex nihilo, the universe began to exist a finite amount of time ago. And this doctrine, according to Craig, receives philosophical confirmation from arguments demonstrating the absurdity of an infinite temporal regress of events and empirical confirmation from the evidence for the so-called big-bang model of the universe.  [16]  But while we might agree that the universe began to exist, does this also mean a beginning to time? If one believes that time exists separately from events in the sense that if there were no events there would still be time, then there need not be a beginning to time as it exists outside of events. To say that the universe began to exist on such a time scale would simply be to say that a finite time ago there were no physical objects. However if one accepts that time cannot exist apart from events, then this means that the beginning of events, or beginning of the universe, would also be a beginning of time. So then is eternity simply a never ending period of time? Or does it exist separately and independently of time? We might ask in regard to God what does it mean to say that God is eternal? It can mean that he exists in divine timelessness or in divine temporality. Divine timelessness is the traditional view of God as being outside of time. It is the position advocated by Augustine, Boethius and Aquinas who we have looked at and also others such as St. Anselm. Divine temporality also holds the notion that God is omniscient and omnipotent. It is important to say that Gods temporality is not to be interpreted as a limit to his power, knowledge or being. Those who uphold a divine temporality view have problems with the views of the divine timelessness of God and indeed it has recently come under criticism by some philosophers and also by some theologians. Oscar Cullmann, a theologian, wrote that Primitive Christianity knows nothing of a timeless God. The eternal God is he who was in the beginning, is now and will be in all the future, who is, who was, and who will be (Rev 1:4). Accordingly, his eternity can and must be expresses in this naive way, in terms of endless time.  [17]   Richard Swinburne, a philosopher, wrote that the claim that God is timeless seems to contain an inner incoherence and also to be incompatible with most things which theists ever wish to say about God.  [18]  In this view Gods eternalness is expressed as being everlasting, without beginning and end, but he experiences time and is therefore able to work within time, and so is involved and working in time with us. This divine temporality is indeed a modern Christian view. It has often been stated in sermons around Christmas time that the birth of Jesus, the incarnation, God becoming man, signalled God entering into time and space with us and he continues to be with us in that same way. John M. Frame states that On Christmas, we celebrate something quite wonderful: God entering our time and space. The eternal becomes temporal; the infinite becomes finite; the Word that created all things becomes flesh.  [19]  He does also note a paradox though in this notion of God entering Space and time by saying From day to day, from hour to hour, the changeless God endures change. But God the Son incarnate is still God, still transcendent. As he responds to events in time, he also looks down on the world from above time and space, ruling all the events of nature and history.  [20]  So why enter time at all? The Christian answer is that he did this to show us how much he loves us, by dying for us, in our place, so that we might have eternal life. Even now God is both God and man, forever, so that he doesnt just rule is from above, but walks with us in every step, in every experience of our lives. As Frame puts it; So Christmas reveals in a wonderful way that God acts in time as well as above it. It shows us wonderfully how God relates to us, not only as a mysterious being from another realm, but as a person in our own time and place: interacting with us, hearing our prayers, guiding us step by step, chastising us with fatherly discipline, comforting us with the wonderful promises of the blessings of Christ. Truly he is Immanuel, the God who is really with us, who is nonetheless eternally the sovereign Lord of all.  [21]   Taking Christ as a pointer to God in both eternity and in time we see in Johns Gospel Jesus say of himself Before Abraham was, I am (John 8:58). With the use of two different tenses, past in reference to Abraham and present in terms of Christ even though logically it should be past tense we are given an insight maybe into what eternity is, separate to time, at least as we know and understand it. Arthur C. Custance says in his book Time and Eternity that The really important thing to notice is that time stands in the same relation to eternity, in one sense, as a large number does to infinity. There is a sense in which infinity includes a very large number, yet it is quite fundamentally different and independent of it. And by analogy, eternity includes time and yet is fundamentally something other. The reduction of time until it gets smaller and smaller is still not eternity; nor do we reach eternity by an extension of time to great length. There is no direct pathway between time and eternity: they are different categories of experiences.  [22]  Therefore we experience time and cannot have a full understanding of eternity due to the fact it is beyond any experience we can have. So then why even ask about it, or even entertain the thought of it? Christoph and Johann Blumhardt in their book Now is Eternity give our reasons for asking about ternity quite simply when they say that The deepest need each of us has, even if we are not conscious of it, is that of eternal life.  [23]   In the book they discuss the impact that the loss of any awareness of eternity has had on the modern world. They say that for most people in todays world it is the temporal and transitory things of life that are most important for them. This is because these things are immediate, tangible, and visible. But it means that the eternal dimension of life that part of it that is divine and thus enduring is never acknowledged or sometimes never even realised that it is there. They go on to say that When eternity is forgotten, human destiny is robbed of its real significance, and the goal of life limited to the search for fulfilment on an earthly plane. Remembered, it enlarges our view and, through what is best and noblest in us, reminds us of the promise of another home on a higher plane: the world from which we come, and to which we must one day return. To be mindful of eternity is to know that our earthly existence will one day be overshadowed by the eternal reality of everlasting life.  [24]  Eternity is a part of who we are just as much as time is. We may live in time now but when we die we go to eternity, it is as much of what makes us human than anything else and therefore as we are destined for eternity we have that innate yearning and calling to know it and understand it, as with every other aspect of our being, but never will until we can experience it. When we read Augustines wonder and amazement when he is pondering time it is something qui te remarkable. It shows a man who has genuinely tried to walk the path of enlightenment. Augustine was faced with some problematic questions that were unanswerable, at least by the human mind and condition. Time is a creature that is so real in our lives, but is as fleeting as the wind, we cannot truly grasp it. Searching for time in the past, present, and future Augustine finds that it is a fruitless act. The answer to the nature of time is to be found in Eternity. That something so great, with a life span that has stretched from the beginning is a creature willed into existence by the Eternal God. That God is, guarantees our existence. God provides for Time and for Creation by His existence. We move also then to talk of eternity, if the nature of time is to be found in Eternity then we must ask what is eternity? The answer to this question then is again impossible to grasp, but the best clues to its answer are found in scripture. In the Old Testament God is referred to in the pres ent, I am, not I was or I will be but I am. This eternal state of being constantly in the present is our greatest insight into what eternity is. After wrestling with all these thoughts of time and eternity and what they are or, more accurately as we cannot fully grasp the concepts, what they might be, we are left back with Augustine and his ultimate belief that the mysteries in which he engaged only turn us towards something greater, something final, and that something is God. Ultimately the path to eternity, that is God, requires not an enlightened mind but a ready faith. We can ask all the questions we want, but in the end we must wait until we are with God, because at it says in the Eucharitic prayer at Mass On that day we shall see you, our God, as you are.  [25]  And then we shall grasp the concept of not only eternity but time and every other thing that we could not grasp here on earth, coming to true knowledge of God and therefore full knowledge of the Truth.

The reasons companies create and maintain accounting systems

The reasons companies create and maintain accounting systems Running a business successfully requires the business owner many skills. One of the necessary skills is the knowledge about the accounting system. The accounting always plays an important role in the financial management of business. Many different accounting aspects affect the business success, so the more the business owners acknowledge the accounting systems, the more chances they get to succeed. There is an old saying in business, you cannot manage what you cannot measure. Therefore, without the accounting system, the business owners cannot find out the most suitable way to run their businesses as successfully as they expect. Without the accounting system, the business owners cannot know the business is really making a profit or a loss. Also, they cannot predict cash flow shortages, and worst of all, they cannot accurately keep track of those slow paying customers. The accounting systems bring many benefits to the business management:: accurate reporting of business transactions, easy access to financial statements, up to date reports in accounting pay and fee, excellent management tool, and minimize problems with IRS and other tax authorities The basic structures of assets, liabilities, and stockholders equity Assets Assets are something valuable that an entity owns, benefits from, or has use of, in generating income; especially that which could be converted to cash. Assets are recorded in the balance sheet. From the accounting perspective, assets are divided into the following categories: current assets (cash, account receivable, and other liquid items), long-term assets (real estate, plant, equipment), prepaid and deferred assets (expenditures for future costs, such as insurance, rent, interest), and intangible assets (trademarks, patents, copyrights, goodwill). Liabilities Liabilities are obligations that legally bind an individual or company to settle a debt for the future payment of assets or the future performance of services that result from past transactions. Liabilities are recorded in the balance sheet. There are two perspectives of liabilities: Current liabilities: expected to be satisfied within one year or the normal operating cycle, whichever is longer Long-term liabilities: due beyond one year or beyond the normal operating cycle. Stockholders equity Stockholders equity represents the claims by the owners of a business to the assets of the business. Stockholders equity is residual equity that remains after deducting liabilities from assets. Stockholders equity could be paid in capital, donated capital or retained earnings ( not yet paid out by the company). Relationships of assets, liabilities, stockholders equity Assets = Liabilities + Stockholders equity The above formula describes the relationships of three major parts of accounting. Total of liabilities and stockholders equity is assets. The four basic financial statements Income statement The income statement reports the success or failure of the companys operations for a period of time. Financial users are interested in net income because it provides useful information for predicting future net income. Investors buy and sell stock based on their beliefs about the companys future performance. Creditors also use income statement to predict future earnings. The net income equals to the revenues subtract the expenses: Net income = Revenues Expenses. In addition, amounts received from issuing stock are not revenues, and amounts paid out as dividends are not expenses. Retain earnings statement The retain earnings statement shows the amounts and causes of changes in retain earnings during the period. The time period is the same with the period of income statement. The first line in retain earnings statement is the beginning retain earnings amount, then the company adds net income and subtracts dividends to have the retain earnings at the end of period. Balance sheet The balance sheet reports assets and claims of assets (liabilities and stockholders equity). According to the basic accounting equation: Assets = Liabilities + Stockholders equity Assets must balance with the claims of assets. Statement of cash flows This statement provides the financial information about the cash receipt and cash payments of a business for a specific period of time. It reports the cash effects of a companys operating, investing, and financing activities to help financial users. The financial users are interested in the statement of cash flows because they want to know what is happening to a companys most important resources. The difference between net income and cash flow statements Many things that affect the cash flow of a business are not directly related to its income statement. For example, a company buys a new truck; the cash outlay affects the cash flow statement, but the truck is considered as an asset in the balance sheet. It will start to hit the income statement in small pieces when the company depreciates it. Moreover, the income statement is updated with any sales made or revenues earned as soon as the deal is done, and payments for such sales may be actually received much later. Therefore, though the income statement shows profits and the entrepreneur has made money, it is not yet available as cash flow and cannot be spent. Closing statement At the end of accounting period, the balances is temporary accounts are transferred to an income statement and retain earnings statement, thereby resetting the balance of the temporary accounts to zero to begin the next accounting period. Accountants close temporary accounts to permanent accounts because permanent accounts (assets, liabilities, and the owners capital account) always the starting balance in the subsequent accounting period. When an accountant closes an account, the account balance returns to zero. Starting with zero balances in the temporary accounts each year makes it easier to track revenues, expenses and to compare from one year to the next.

The Great Depression of the 1930s in Canada Essay -- World History

The Great Depression of the 1930s in Canada The Great Depression of the 1930's is a benchmark for all depressions and recessions in the past and in the future. In the booklet "The Great Depression of the 1930s in Canada" , Michiel Horn gives an intellectual dissection of the events that occurred during the Great Depression. Michiel Horn's approach leaves the reader with a foul taste for the Dirty Thirties. This essay will summarize Michiel Horns key points as well as discuss the ability of Michiel Horn to report his findings. Michiel Horn is currently the Chairman of the History Department at York University. His interests in the Great Depression revolve around the history of taxation. Therefore, he is interested in making sure that this sequence of events is fully understood so that future generations never allow it to happen again. There are several causes of the Great Depression which Michiel Horn touches on throughout his writings. The initial tool that he used to help understand the situation was to look at statistical data from that time. Through use of this data, a greater understanding of the physical hardships could be quantified and compared to present day. The reading begins with statistics about the shocking rate of unemployment. In 1933, at the height of the depression, the unemployment rate was between 19.3and 27 percent. The industrial activity in 1933 was only 57 percent of the average activity for the years 1925-29. The causes for the Great Depression were easy to see, but hard to fix. The problems included the inability of foreign countries to purchase surplus goods produced by other countries. Before the Great Depression, the British used this tactic to stabilize the market. Unfort... ...ults of the recession. In order for this never to happen again, there is a need to learn from the mistakes in the past and to look for the warning signs. The problem is not just restricted to one country, but is a global problem and needs to be addressed as such. The Great Depression often seems very distant to people of the 21st century. This article is a good reminder of potential problems that may reoccur. The article showed in a very literal way the idea that a depression can bring a growing country to its knees. The overall ramifications of the event were never discussed in detail, but the historical significance is that people's lives were put on hold while they tried to struggle through an extremely difficult time. Bibliography Michiel, Horn. The Great Depression of the 1930s in Canada. Ottawa: The Canadian Historical Association, 1984.

responsiblity of the media :: essays research papers

The Media  · an agency, means, or instrument to disseminate information  · defines our shared perceptions of the world, society, and politics  · selects what information is directed to us  · media presents views of an issue  · influences on media coverage o producers of the news o sources of the news o audience for the news Power and Responsibility of the Media  · investigate wrong doing  · publicize and explain government action  · evaluate programs and politicians  · bring matters to the public attention that might otherwise by hidden by government  · reconcile campaign promises with government action  · media shapes our perceptions of the government through reporting Media rests upon the First Amendment  · "Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of the press." o instrumental to a free society o if people are given full information of their affairs they will exercise sound judgment (Jefferson)  · American media may openly oppose the government o Near v. Minnesota (1931) extended free press to states  § "complexity of government and opportunity for corruption increases the need for a vigilant press" Organization of the Media  · local orientation o learn about what is around us  · nationalization of the news o same sets of events, presented in a similar way  § wire services supply local newspapers with national and international stories  § cost effective  § every newspaper can not have a media corespondent in Beijing  · network news o national program carried by local affiliates o national newspapers (elite papers influence the influential people)  · national nagazines (Time, Newsweek, US News) o very similar in coverage o middle of the road  · nationalization of media contributed to the nationalization of politics Impact of Private Ownership of Media  · profit motivated o attract large, diverse audiences o programming appeals to certain advertisers o subscribers are consumers of advertising Preferences of Mass Media  · entertainment  · personalized stories about familiar people  · short, simple stories Distates of Public  · political stories  · repetition Media Regulation  · broadcast media is regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) o electromagnetic spectrum is publicly owned and it should benefit all  · equal time rule o broadcasters must provide candidates for the same office an equal opportunity to buy commercial time  · right of rebuttal - individuals must be given time to respond to personal attacks o Red Lion Broadcasting Company v. FCC  § upheld right of rebuttal  § allowed a liberal author an opportunity to respond to an attack by a conservative  § "the views expressed in the program are not necessarily those of the producers of the program"  · fairness doctrine o broadcasters were required to air programs with opposing views o made obsolete in 1985 by FCC o diversity of media presented different views