Socrates versus Nelson Mandela Essay - 1723 Words

As an Athenian philosopher, Socrates spent his life in constant pursuit of insight. He loved engaging in conversations that helped him derive philosophical views on a number of different issues. The birth of ideas through critical reasoning can be credited back to his method of teaching, which is now known as the Socratic Method. Although widely respected today, many of his teachings were found controversial in Athenian times. Socrates was placed on trial and put to death soon after because of the disapproval of his ideas. Even with the anticipation of death linguring in his path, Socrates remained composed and curious. During his defense, he made it clear that death was nothing to fear, but rather an accepted inevitability of†¦show more content†¦Socrates, in skepticism, began a search for those with a reputation of wisdom. After studying men and their knowledge, he reasoned that the only true wisdom consists in knowing that you know nothing. Although one may have extensive understanding in one area, there is way too much knowledge in the world to be contained by one man. Socrates stated, â€Å"I found that the men most in repute were all but the most foolish, and that some inferior men were really wiser and better† (Plato, 23). Those who believed that they knew it all could not be more ignorant, and those who admitted ignorance achieved the highest wisdom attainable on earth. Socrates accepted the idea that he, just like all men, contained very little or no wisdom at all. He was content with knowing this, and upon meeting others that lacked this philosophy, felt he was superior to them. He was unsure of the limitations the afterlife had on wisdom, but he was aware of it’s constraints on earth. This self awareness is what gifted him with the highest sense of enlightenment. With such a positive outlook on death, Socrates also developed a philosophy on suicide. When Cebes came to Socrates and suggested suicide, he protested the idea. Although he did accept that death in some cases may be better than life, he did not think that man was in the position to makeShow MoreRelatedA Critical Review of â€Å"the Ambiguities of Football, Politics, Culture, and Social Transformation in Latin America† by Tamir Bar-on.14147 Words   |  57 Pagesincompetency was deemed to be the reason for the football sides slide of losses and failure to reach the 1998 World Cup finals. 3.11 In diverse regions of the world, it is a political truism that football garners popular support. In 1996, Nelson Mandela was at the national stadium to celebrate the victory of the first, multi-racial South African side against Tunisia in the finals of the African Nations Cup. At the 1996 edition of the European Nations Championship in England, the anti-immigrantRead MoreVerbal and Nonverbal Communication11225 Words   |  45 Pagessymbol of water as a sign of life or purity, as in the ritual washing in religious ceremonies. Likewise, people sometimes serve as symbolic signs, such as Adolph Hitler being considered as a face of hatred, Mother Teresa as a face of compassion, or Nelson Mandela or Malcolm X as faces of human struggle for dignity. An index points to something beyond itself. It is an indicator, such as words like big and arrows. An index also is sometimes called a natural sign because the relationship between the wordRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 PagesDeveloping subordinates Processing paperwork Planning and goal setting STUDY ⠝  RESPONDENTS †¢ FOCUS ⠝  Luthans, Rosenkrantz, and Hennessey (1985) †¢ 52 managers in 3 organizations †¢ Participant observation of skills demonstrated by most effective versus least effective managers ⠝  Curtis, Winsor, and Stephens (1989) †¢ 428 members of the American Society of Personnel Administrators in the United States †¢ (1) Skills needed to obtain employment †¢ (2) Skills important for successful job performance †¢

Sun it’s Microsystems Free Essays

string(122) " any assumptions made based on the 1999 figures will be distorted until the final effects of the merger can be evaluated\." With an employee workforce of four, Sun Microsystems was incorporated in 1982 by Andreas Bechtolsheim, Vinod Khosla, Bill Joy, and Scott McNealy. Originally began for Stanford University Network, Sun Microsystems has been a global leader in innovating products, services and support solutions for constructing and maintaining network computer systems. The first system built by Sun, the Sun-1 was introduced in late 1982 and was a high performance, UNIX based computer constructed of inexpensive materials. We will write a custom essay sample on Sun it’s Microsystems or any similar topic only for you Order Now Within a year of incorporation Sun was operating in Europe, and soon spread throughout the world. From Sun†s birth, there was always a corporate emphasis on the power of the internet and networking. A belief that the internet was the future was inherent in the corporate culture and was built into the company framework through the mission statement: â€Å"We enable customers to create breakaway business strategies by using our network computing products, solutions and services. In an age where information is power. Sun provides the technology, innovation and partnerships that enable individuals or entire organizations to access information . . . from anywhere . . . to anything . . . on any device . . . allowing users to better differentiate and more effectively create breakaway business products and services.† This strong belief is reiterated in Sun†s vision statement: â€Å"Sun is network computing. Everything we bring to the market is predicated upon the existence of the network, where Java is on every client and every server. Sun†s vision is for a networked computing future driven by the needs and choices of the customer. It is a vision in which every man, woman, and child has access to collective planetary wisdom that resides on the network.† These strong networking and internet beliefs made Sun the prime company when, in 1994, there was a huge surge in internet usage. At that time, roughly 30% of servers were made by Sun.    Sun is a leading supplier of enterprise network computing products, and has a full range of services and support. The company†s products are used for commercial and technical applications worldwide. As a global competitor, Sun is subject to exchange rate risks. There are a few markets Sun should be especially cautious of, including: Japanese Yen, British Pound, French Franc, and German Marc. Sun holds a large position in these potentially volatile markets. Despite its current recovery, Sun should be wary of the Japanese Market. Any major shift in this market could negatively impact its revenues. Another consideration it the value of the dollar. As the dollar strengthens in the US, the dollar value of non-US dollar based sales abroad decreases. In order to hedge these risks, Sun routinely uses options futures contracts in foreign countries.    Currently, revenues outside the United States are increasing. This is primarily due to the continued market acceptance of Sun†s network computing and product services. Approximately one half of the increases in revenue are due the continued strong demand for enterprise and work group servers, as well as increased revenues for their storage products division. Recently, the company has made an overall shift to premium service and support contracts in the service division. This change is advantageous due to the large installed base of high-end server products, and is primarily responsible for the increased unit sales in the service division. Sun has also experienced increased revenue from their professional and educational products. The company continuously evaluates the competitiveness of its products and service offerings. These evaluations could result in re-pricing actions adversely affecting revenues in the short term. This is due to the company†s belief that to keep the competitive edge in the market place, a company must continually improve existing products as well as introduce new ones. The company will achieve this even if it means the cannibalization of existing products. Financial Statements and Ratio Analysis After reviewing the company†s annual reports and other historical figures, we can evaluate the current stock pricing trends and financial well being of the company. Based from this information, the company†s net revenues have continuously increased over the last five years reaching 11.726 billion in fiscal year June 30, 1999. A common-size income statement analysis of the company shows us that Sun†s cost of sales as a percentage of net revenues has decreased in 1999. In the technology sector, prices for products can often fall faster than manufacturing costs to produce them. Tight control over costs of sales is a positive sign for a company in this industry. This shows us that Sun is maintaining their competitive position in this area. The expenditures on research and development have increased slightly in 1999. This can be attributed to the continuous development necessary to stay competitive in this industry. Tech companies tend to grow much faster than companies in other industries. Because of this, RD expenditures are especially important in the long term health of technology companies. Sun appears to be adequately using funds in this area. The selling, general, and administrative expenses have increased in dollar value but remain constant as a percentage of revenue. Some reasons for the increases in SGA are attributed to its continuous improvement of internal business processes, increased marketing costs, and increased head count needed to meet rising demand. However, it is imperative that the investments in SGA should not rise as a percent of revenue for the company to remain competitive. The purchased in-process RD line on the income statement reflects the amount of write-offs associated from newly acquired companies. The information provided from the annual report for year ending 1999 however, is somewhat misleading. Two months after the annual report was filed with the SEC, Sun acquired Star Division Corp. on August 5, 1999. All the capital stock of Star Division shareholders was converted to the right to receive cash. The total purchase price of the company was approximately 60 million. No extraordinary expenses or the associated changes will show until the new annual report is filed for fiscal year 2000. Because of this, any assumptions made based on the 1999 figures will be distorted until the final effects of the merger can be evaluated. You read "Sun it’s Microsystems" in category "Essay examples" It is Suns belief that the Star division will increase revenues with the introduction of new software later this year. Star†s current direction in software development is consistent with Suns software architecture including the use of portal technologies. These technologies will allow users to access office applications via a single server using the Internet from many different devices including cell phones personal data assistants. Sun believes they can harness synergies from this merger to amplify stockholders returns. The future success of this operation may greatly impact the companies competitive position. On a cautious note however, the company should be careful to not neglect the continuous development needed of existing products to remain competitive. Both the company†s quick ratio of 1.94 and current ratio of 2.44 far surpass its industry (Diversified Computer Systems) average of 1.33 1.71 respectively. This shows us that Sun maintains an advantage over its competitors by having substantially more assets compared to liabilities. The 1999 annual report also boasts of having almost no debt compared to equity. However, we know that with the merger of Star Division, Sun has picked up some long term debt raising its debt to equity ratio to .36 from 0. Even with the added debt, Sun is still beating the industry average of .44. This shows much internal strength for the company, but raises some concerns that debt leverage may not be currently utilized to its full potential. The companies ROA and ROI ratios are continuously beating the industry. These values indicate signs of good management from within the firm. The firm received large returns on investment for fiscal year ending 1999. This however, may not be representative of future performance as it is not income generated by the firms primary operations. As such investors and management alike should be cautious. The company†s ROE is slightly trailing the industry. This is probably due to the lack of debt leverage currently being utilized. The company†s asset and inventory turnover ratios are lower than its industry. This can at least be partially explained by the company†s dependence on its suppliers. Sun frequently enters into large contracts that are non-cancelable to retain its suppliers. This results in stockpiling and more importantly wasted or obsolete inventory. The technology sector is continuously changing any inventory not immediately sold runs the increased risk of becoming obsolete in the future. This is an area where Sun could use some refinement. One possibility would be the use of JIT manufacturing or a more vertical integration with its suppliers. The company†s gross margin of 51.96% represents increased demand of higher-end market servers. The operating margin is also solid at 13.86% compared to 10.23% for its industry. This can be attributed to the tight controls on costs of sales as compared to the increasing revenues. Sun†s net profit margin is 9.75%. Although seemingly small compared to the SP 500, this margin significantly beats the industry average of 7.23%. The low profit margins throughout this industry characterize this highly price competitive market as it converts product to revenue. Sun†s stock is rated by Wall Street Analysts as a strong buy. It has been forecasted to perform better than average on 2000 2001. The companies EPS forecast for fiscal year 2000 is $0.90 and judging from its first two quarters, it appears to be right on track. Although Wall Street has high confidence in Sun, the next earnings release will be April 13, 2000 and any significant variation from expected earnings could have very adverse affects on the price of stock. The P/E ratio skyrocketed from just 53.8 in June of 1999 to its current price of 122.16 as of March 15. This indicates that investors are willing to pay a significant premium for Sun†s earnings (about $122 for every dollar of earnings). Both the Sales and EPS growth rates also indicate investors are paying large premiums for growth relative to Sun†s peers. These premiums may indicate an inflated stock price. One of the best ways to value a company can be to forecast future cash flows then discount them back to today†s net present value. Using this technique, we projected earnings 10 years into the future using the net income from the 1999 annual report and a growth rate of 20%. The 20% rate is consistent with the company†s historical growth rate. Next we discounted those future cash flows at a rate of 15% to compensate for changing markets and the cost of capital. By doing this we were able to arrive at a NPV from those cash flows. Finally by subtracting long term debt and dividing by the number of current shares outstanding we were able to arrive at the companies intrinsic value of about $35.00. By comparing this value to the current stock price of $89.81, we can see that Sun appears to be overvalued by investors at this time. This is probably due to the investor excitement from the increased revenues and its strong ROA and ROI. Sun†s management will need to be very cautious of any unexpected changes in earnings. These changes could trigger an adverse affect on the current stock price and curb investor excitement in the company. This could have a negative consequence on the company†s future operations. Management must always look at how the firm is valued from outside sources if it is to continue the goal of maximizing shareholder value. Hewlett Packard (HP) is a leader in the computer industry. They got their start out of a garage in 1938. Considered to be innovators their business has grown over the years. The main focus of Hewlett Packard is to be a global provider of computing and imaging solutions for business and home. This takes into account the rapidly growing internet with an emphasis on e-business. While HP†s performance is strong they are not as volatile as Sun because they own a big chunk of the printer market. They are competing with Sun in the huge server market. Hewlett Packard realizes the expansion of the internet and they will be a competitor for a long time in the future. Next we have Big Blue International Business Machine (IBM) and they have been a global force for many years. Their main focus is to provide customers with solutions through the use of advanced information technology. These solutions include technologies, systems, products, services, software and financing. IBM is a stable company that is trying to maximize shareholder wealth and at the same time recognizes the key to the future. They will be a big competitor of Sun†s due to the growing demand for internet solutions. IBM has formed alliances with Cisco, Intel, Motorola, Nokia, and Palm to start e-service. This is to combat the wireless revolution. IBM in 1998 started to create an infrastructure to take advantage of the fast growing internet. The mission for them is access anytime anywhere. The key to IBM getting more involved is because Experts say that in the near future there will 1 billion wireless subscribers. Everything digital is due to double in the coming years. IBM as well as Sun does not want to be left in the dust. Our third major competitor is Compaq Computer. They were incorporated in 1983. They currently sit as the #2 computer company in the world. They began their onslaught on e-business back in 1988. They use a company called Electronic Data Interchange (EDI). This gave them a direct portal to get information to their customers faster over communications lines. They also use a Just in Time process to cut costs, reduce cycle times. Overall this improves their cycle times. Their main focus is to design, develop, manufacture and market hardware, software, and services to individuals. Don†t let Compaq†s numbers fool you. Compaq has had their problems in the past of growing too fast, and are rebuilding for e-commerce. They are poised and confident that they will lead consumers to a paperless environment. Silicon Graphics is a leader in digital media solutions. They accomplish this through large servers. Their key to success is to engage in production of a broad range of visual computing systems. These systems deliver advanced 3D graphics and computing capabilities. They have a definite power in providing audio and video over the internet. Huge servers store the enormous amounts of data needed to accomplish these types of applications. Clearly they are in a growing mode. There systems have been recognized just recently at the Academy Awards for the Phantom Menace, Stuart Little, and The Matrix. To this point Silicon Graphics is in the red but with the growth available to them, they could steal market share. Sun really has to watch out for this mover and shaker. How to cite Sun it’s Microsystems, Essay examples

Effective Accounting Systems within a Business

Questions: Task 1: Importance of effective accounting systems within a business Task 2: Management control system of a business Task 3: Planning and conduct of an audit assignment Task 4: Audit Report Answers: Task 1 Importance of effective accounting systems within a business 1.1 Explain the purpose and use of different accounting records The accounting records can be defined as All books and documentation related with preparing financial statements or accounting records that enable financial audits and reviews (Bowsher, 2003). The accounting records comprise records related with financial transactions, journals, ledgers, assets and liabilities apart from other documents like checks and invoices. The two main books of accounts that capture the accounting process include Journal and Ledger. Both journal and ledger facilitate the commitments of maintaining accurate record of all financial transaction. In fact the process of writing the transaction is similar in nature they serve to cater to different role with various function and purpose of their won in context to the books of accounts. Journal In accounting records a journal can be defined as process of book keeping that record all financial transaction with the help of book, spread sheet, and/or accounting package. It documents all financial transaction related with the business. This information is recorded from receipts, invoices, sales tickets, cash register tapes and other sources of data that depicts financial transaction. The Journal helps in capturing the business transaction in a chronological manner that is helpful for business (Bowsher, 2003). Before the advent of Computer the company used the physical log book that has multiple columns for maintaining the journal entries. The present business uses the computer and financial software packages to record the financial transaction. This can be assigned to particular ledger with the help of chart of accounts number provided by the software. It supports the preparation of profit and loss account, financial account and other financial documents. The main purpose and u se of Journal include Identifying the date of financial transaction Determining the accounting effect of the transaction Recording the accurate financial transaction Identification of the type of transaction Ledger A ledger can be defined as the log book that is physical or software and spread sheet that is in computer facilitating recording of financial transaction. A general ledger includes the summary of all financial transaction maintained in subsidiary ledger. This is basically recording of transaction based on accounting classification. One of the dissimilarities drawn between journal and ledger is how they serve the accounting process (Garrison and Noreen, 2008). The journal represents the primary book of accounts where all the transaction is maintained in the initial stage. This is defined as an original entry in the accounting process. This is followed by the ledger entry based on accounting classification that facilitate analysis and decision making. The order in which the entries are recorded in journal and ledger differ from each other. The main purpose and use of ledger include Assists preparation of financial statements by sourcing data Classify the debtors from the creditors All types of information are summarised It helps in controlling accounts Use of accounting records Both journal and ledger help in making financial reports namely balance sheet of the company, income and expenses statement, and profit and loss accounts. Each transaction is identified as debtor and creditors in the journal entry (Garrison and Noreen, 2008). When it is further entered in the ledger it signify the amount of money to gained as revenue or to be given as expenses or incorporated as profit or loss. As such it is used for decision making by the company. 1.2 Importance and meaning of the fundamental accounting concepts The fundamental accounting concepts explain the basic accounting process that forms the backbone of all accounting records. All the advanced accounting process used by the company is based on the fundamental accounting (Albrecht and Skousen,2002). In other work it explains the success and failure of an organization. The six accounting concepts practiced by business entity are assessed below Going concern concept This accounting concept promotes the fact that the company intends to continue the business and has sufficient resources to do so. The importance of Going concern concept is the company needs to follow the standard accounting practices and an external auditors inspect the financial statement on yearly basis to decide if the company is going concern or not. Business entity concept This accounting concept is based on the fact that the business organization and the owner of the business are two separate entities (Albrecht and Skousen,2002).. The importance of the business entity concept is that it separates the business profits and liability separate from the personal liability of the owner. Accrual system concept The financial statements of a company are prepared based on accrual system concept. It signifies the income and expenditure of the company pertaining to a specific time period and defined in terms of cash. The importance of accrual system concept is that it states the cash flow and its implication on the financial position with relevance to the accounting period. As such the company can calculate the total income earned within that period. It also helps to identify the accrued income earned during that period. Prudence concept This concept is essential at the time of preparation of financial statement. In case of any doubt related with the preparing this statement, it will be taken as the loss of time. The importance of prudence concept is that it checks the over estimation of revenue and under estimation of expenditure by the accountant (Windal, 2003). As such it enables the process of deriving actual financial result for particular accounting period. Consistency concept This concept emphasise the importance of using the same techniques to measure accounting process by the company. The importance of consistency concept is that it helps in avoiding any type of error, discrepancies and misguidance. As such it brings consistency in the accounting process. Materiality concept The concept emphasise the importance of keeping away all immaterial and impractical facts from the accounting processs (Windal, 2003). The importance of materiality concept is it saves time energy and money and helps in achieving actual results. As such it reduces the risk of external auditors. 1.3 Factors influencing the nature and structure of accounting There are various factors influencing the nature and structure of accounting and they are evaluated below Manual accounting system The manual accounting system depends on the journal entry that records the initial transaction and ledger entry that record the classified entry. The accountant preparing the ledger based on manual accounting system needs to use the T table. It include column for running debtors, creditors, balance and remaining balance of debt or credit (Gowans, Hughes and Newby, 2004). It has no impact on starting balance of the accounts. It is time consuming process for an accountant. Computer accounting system The computer accounting system is the modern and updated accounting system using the software package. The computer accounting system emphasise on the starting balance of every account along with the months to date total transaction. It facilitates the recording of every fiscal period related with individual accounts (Gowans, Hughes and Newby, 2004). The starting balance and running balance are attuned in the computer accounting to calculate the ending balance for the accounting period. The computer accounting system is time saving and enable to track information easily. Economic status Economic growth impacts every business big, small and medium. In this context the capability (absorbing problem) and human resource of the company helps to make better use of growth opportunity. If the capability of the company in terms of financial resources is good it can take advantage of growth or handle economic recession (Kieso, Weygandt, and Warfield, 2012).The nature and structure of accounting process is influenced by economic growth that leads to more business resulting in more financial transaction. On the other hand the economic recession can impact the business activity thereby requiring simple structure of accounting. Compatibility with business Different company adopt different accounting system based on the nature and structure of the business and complexity of the financial transaction. The small company will have different accounting structure compared to the medium and big business. But every industry has a standard accounting standard (Mascarenhas Sienkiewicz, 2004). The computer accounting using ERP software has a definite structure. The manufacturing industry has a different accounting compared to service industry. Perception of Management The nature and structure of accounting is directly related with perception of the management and how transparent and standard they intend to make the accounting system of the company (Kieso, Weygandt, and Warfield, 2012). Many big companies incorporate global accounting standard making it more system oriented and error free. It enables better decision making by providing quality financial information. Training of employees As most of the company are computerized accounting system and some of them are even using the SAP or ERP package the level of skills and training is an important factor influencing the nature and structure of accounting system adopted by the company (Mascarenhas Sienkiewicz, 2004). Under such circumstance the nature and structure of accounting process is more in accordance with the global practice. Implementation process The effectiveness of the accounting system is influenced by the proper implementation of the accounting process with easy structure and regular monitoring of the system to find any deviation and more in tune with the nature of business. The result of poor implementation is ineffective accounting system and poor decision making process. Task 2 Management control system of a business 2.1 Different components of business risk Business risk can be defined as the possibility of not receiving return on investment (ROI) and it is an essential part of every business. There are various external factors that are beyond the control of the business increasing the business risk. It is essential to handle the business risk effectively (Pickett, 2006). The probability of loss related with operation and environment namely competition, economic condition and technology that can impact the business. The operational risk along with the financial risk like debt and credit lead to increasing business risk. The five components of business risk are examined below Product risk The various risks related with product include designing product and service that are not serving the need of the customer resulting in loss for a company both professionally and economically. Similarly producing cheap products or not providing value for money increases business risk for the company (Pickett, 2006). As such the company should undertake market survey and product testing to understand the customer needs to design better product and reduce product risk. Market risk The various risk related with market is related lack of proper distribution impacting the customer and demand in the market. The market risk is also related with negative publicity of the company in the market impacting the stock price of the company (Russell, 2000). The competition reducing the price can also lead to market risk. The company can reduce market risk by effective market information management and media relation. Finance risk Finance risk is related with fault of interest payment or loan payment by the company. When the credit customers of the company default payment on time and it impacts the payment schedule of the company towards supplier, vendor and banks. When loans from banks, excessive credit are used to support operation by the company it leads to increasing the financial risk (Russell, 2000). In this context the public limited company have the scope to use the stock sales to finance the operation but again excessive release of stock can impact earnings and investment in stocks. This can be reduced by effective credit management and financial planning by the company. Execution risk The execution of planned strategy effectively is a big challenge for the company and it can be related with the product, market and finance. The company may have a great idea related with product but if it is not supported by effective product development plan. It can be related with raw material, stock management, labour cost, operation cost and marketing cost leading to increasing execution risk (Spira, 2002). It will increase cost of the product and reduce the profit margin thereby leading to execution risk. The company needs to implement the strategy with proper coordination between production, marketing and fianc to reduce execution risk. 2.2 Control system in place in a business Internal control is strategic measures undertaken by the company with a view to manage the system, structure, staff, and information effectively. It is a strategy designed by the company to reduce fraud that leads to auditing issues (Spira, 2002). The main objective of internal control system is detecting wrong doing within the company and takes the corrective measures. The process of analyzing the control system in place in business the steps taken include The existing control system must be reviewed and any shortcomings identified should be corrected. The risk management plan must be designed with a view to identify possibilities in context to various business risks and how to handle them. Each risk control measures should explain in detail how to handle the risk in the present and reducing the future risk. There should be a separate risk management department that monitor the risk on regular basis. The people in the department need to be well aware of the various risk and aware of the risk management tool. The two major type of control system used by the company are examined below Preventive control system In this the company promotes the concept of precaution that aims at preventing the business risk by avoiding wrong action on the part of employees and management. In this controlling system irregularities and errors are taken care in the initial stage of the activity so that they are identified and corrected as precaution. Detective control system Detective control system is applied with a view to control the risk already identified. It is done with the help of risk management policy, hedging, reports and action guidelines (Todman, 2005). The detective control system is designed on the basis of the past risk analysis. In addition it also focuses on the modification and correction of the existing risk policy for betterment. 2.3 Risk of Fraud within a business and suggesting methods for detection If the company misrepresent the financial information and furnish wrong financial report to the stakeholders of the company it is defined as fraud. Such fraud conducted by the company is considered as unlawful work done intentionally and it is a criminal offence (Todman, 2005). The manipulation done with the financial report can be detected by the auditors during the audit and this is called the risk of fraud. If the auditing process is effective then it increases the risk of fraud. The attributes related with effective auditors and the risk of fraud are mentioned below The individual authorization process practiced by the company. The process of book keeping followed by the company and how closely it follows the auditing specification. The people given the authority of transaction and the monitoring process. The process of record retention followed by the company. Operating supervision practiced by the company to make sure systems are followed strictly. Monitoring the auditors who conduct the internal audit for the company whether they are following the auditing procedures strictly. Security related with the information technology to avoid leakage of confidential financial information of the company. Top level security adopted by the company and how effective it is in making the risk high for fraud. Controlling over IT processing used by the company in relevance to the financial The company can detect the fraud happening in the financial department by adopting different fraud control methods. Some of the methods are discussed below. Process control method The most effective method used to detect fraud occurring in the company is the process control method. This aims at making the process transparent and systematic thereby leaving no space for committing fraud (Verschoor, 2008). In addition the regular audit undertaken by the company also ensures detecting any fraud immediately. Apart from this the regular inspection by the manager and monthly financial review also helps to any detect any fraud. Proactive control method The proactive control method focuses on timely identification of fraud and error thereby increasing the risk of fraud. It is done by regular assessment of data for a specific period of time. In the process of evaluating the financial data and information the company gets an insight into the relationship between people and events and how the data is manipulated resulting in the fraud, thereby helping to identify the anomaly and variance (Verschoor, 2008). The proactive control method helps in identifying the fraud within the company on time so that the corrective actions can also be taken on time. Whistle blower online Whistle blower online is system available in the internet supporting detection of fraud. The company can use the whistle blower online to identify and report any fraud conducted by any employee of the organization and report the same in a secured manner (Windal, 2003). It is direct hotline connecting the fraud detection department with the top management of the company so that the confidentiality of the information is maintained. It is an effective method of fraud detection and completely system oriented process. Task 3 Planning and conduct of an audit assignment 3.1 Planning an audit with reference to scope, materiality and risk The planning of an audit is directly related with the overall financial report and operational report that are provided by the business entity and this pertains to a defined accounting period and the report related with that period (Windal, 2003). It is with the help of gathering sufficient evidence that an auditors conduct the audit of the company by inspecting all the financial and operational report and reviewing if they follow the auditing policies and procedures. The audit planning is done with reference to scope, materiality and risk for a manufacturing company The scope, materiality and risk related with the audit planning are related with the financial report and data that are provided by the management of the company at the end of the accounting period. It is also related with the framework adopted by the company in maintain the financial report of the company. The other important factor related with the planning of an audit includes if the company followed the standard that is defined for the industry and the auditor considers this in context to the scope, materiality and risk (Yates, 2004). The planning of an audit also include the reporting requirement objective that emphasis on the deadline orientation and regular communication with the top management of the company who are responsible of the corporate governance of ethical practice of the company An effective audit planning comprise of the major factor that explain the significance of the business entity with reference to the materiality, the fundamental characteristic of the financial report which can act as major threat based on the misrepresentation of the material. The detection of the material signify the financial transaction related with the company and the proper posting of the transaction along with checking the account balances in context to the business transaction (Yates, 2004). With a view to study the effectiveness of the internal control system of purchase account it was extensively tested and the weakness identified and presented to the management of the company. The efficient planning of audit has positive impact on the business. With reference to the scope, materiality and risk the auditors is responsible to make the internal audit department take care of Performing engagement related with client relationship. Engagement in context to the specific audit. Ensuring the ethical requirement is followed by the company. The independency of the audit people is ensured. Ensuring the terms of engagement is established properly. With reference to the scope, materiality and risk the internal audit and external audit differs and it is explained in the table Internal Audit External Audit It is part of the company and integrated with the accounting department. It is outside the company and integrate with the financial association. Internal audit is responsible auditing the company. External audit is responsible for auditing the internal audit report for accuracy. The internal audit benefits the management at different level of the company. The external audit benefit is board members, shareholders and administrators. It is used for taking financial decision. It is used for evaluating the internal audit report. The scope of internal audit is related with assessing all segment of the business. The scope of external audit is related with assessing the public entity. 3.2 Identify and use appropriate audit Tests The audit test can be defined as the test undertaken by the auditors with due authorization of the top management of the company and prescribed in the accounting and auditing policy of the company. The main objective behind the internal audit and external audit undertaken by the company is related with maintaining the accuracy of the financial statement prepared and presented by the accounting department of the company (Blanco, 2001). The financial report highlights the performance of the company financially and the importance of this financial report is immense as this plays a crucial role in encouraging the existing investors to increase the investment and attract new investors. As such it is essential to provide fair and accurate information to the investors and other stakeholder interested in the business of the company. In this context it is the duty of the auditors to identify and use appropriate audit test so that the interest and investment of various stakeholder are safeguar ded. Tests of control It is essential for an auditors to conduct audit test when it is observed that the internal audit control are not operating effectively or when it is found that substantive procedures in itself is not able to provide enough suitable evidence during the assertion stage. The test of control identify three area of testing and they are Ensuring appropriate designing of internal control system. Proper implementation of operation related with internal control. Monitoring the internal control and measuring the efficiency. Substantive Testing The material misstatements at the assertion stage are identified with the help of substantive testing (Blanco, 2001). It comprises of testing of details in context ot the classes of transactions, balances and disclosure of accounts and substantive procedures of accounting. It includes The agreement of financial statement with the accounting record of the company. It assesses the journal entries related with the material in context to the financial statements. 3.3 Record the audit process in an appropriate manner The productive association between internal audit and external audit leads to interactive working enriching the audit process of the company (Braiotta, 2004). The audit process is special activity and conducting an audit process in an appropriate manner follows three distinct stages and they are recorded below Narrative Notes In context to the audit process the narrative notes give step by step explanation of the audited business entitys main operation and systems. The main objective of narrative notes is to describe the major activities of control (Braiotta, 2004). The required information for making narrative notes is collected by reviewing the procedures manuals and other system documentation. The personal interview is also conducted to get information. Working papers The working papers helps the auditors to make the audit management effective with the help of automation software and auto audit management by overcoming the personal error of the auditor and increasing the efficiency (Chandler, 2003). The working helps the auditors in making plan for annual audit, audit findings, risk assessment and management report. Flow charts The graphical representation of information through the flow of activities is known as the flowcharts in the audit process. It facilitates the operation by enabling the visualization of the audit process (Chandler, 2003). It assists the auditor in evaluating operation, identifying inefficiencies in process and controlling weakness. It is recognized as one of the valuable tool that helps the auditor to process documents. Task 4 Audit Report 4.1 Draft audit report Title Audit of financial statements Addressee The Audit committee Introduction The current audit is conducted with the objective of examining the financial statement of manufacturing company with a view to identify if the company is following the prescribed auditing policies and procedures and the financial information is accurate (Engel, 2005). The audit process conducted includes risk assessment, process deviation and conclusion along with the recommendation. Roles and responsibilities of directors and auditors The main role and responsibility of the directors of the company include incorporating the standard audit of the industry in the company and prescribing the appropriate accounting policies based on the industry standard and ensuring all the accounting policies are implemented by the finance department (Engel, 2005). On the other hand the role and responsibility of the auditors comprise of conducting proper audit of the financial statement and record and providing unbiased opinion based on audit result and any changes that has happened in context to the key performance indicator. Basis of opinion The opinion of auditors is based on the result of the audit conducted and it includes the recognition process, management feedback, and employee feedback and data analysis (Frase, 2000). Opinion provided by the auditors in context to what is identified in context to the organizational profile, quality and capability of the management, experience of the employees and the result of the analysis and assessment. Opinion The result of the audit supports the fact that the financial statement of the company is in accordance with the prescribed auditing standards, organization policies and regulation. However the performance of the company in current accounting period compared to the earlier accounting period exhibit deteriorations from the year 2013 to 2014 in terms of profitability, asset management and capital reserve (Frase, 2000). The suggestion given to the management for improving the above mentioned attributes are as below. The management needs to improve the operation management, inventory control and receivable with a view to improve the performance of the company. The management needs to take conduct periodical assessment of key performance indicator like net profit margin, short term and long term asset turnover ratio, net cash flow, average collection period and debt equity ratio. The management needs to focus on the time period related with debt recovery, reduction of bad debts and effective inventory management techniques. The management needs to work on economies of scale with a view to make the operation effective. Signature and Date 4.2 Management letter on statutory audit Definition Statutory audit can be defined as the process of reviewing accuracy or appropriateness of financial records of an organisation and this process of review is required legally (Kremer, 2009). In other words, statutory audit can be referred as the audit that is prescribed by statute or law. Purpose The main purpose of a statutory audit is to determine whether fair and precise demonstration of financial position is done on the part of an organisation and this is done through prompt examination of information such as financial transactions, book keeping records and bank balances. Objectives The main objectives of statutory audit are to Assess extent of representations of true and fair organizational financial position Assess internal control and auditing accounts Assess compliance of an organization with accounting standards, Companys Act, UK GAAp and other statutes Auditors Statutory audit can be performed on the part of a qualified accounting firm with the main goal of assessment of an organizations financial position (McMillan, 2006). The main objective of a statutory auditor is to make sure that the audited organisation issues accurate financial statements and keep compliance with UK GAAP. Inclusions The process of statutory Audit encompass Assessment of historical financials Assessment of accounts Assessment of financial risks Steps involved The steps involved in the process of statutory auditing are as follows Attainment of appointment letter and resolution copy from the board Attainment of no objection certificate from previous auditor Filing no disqualification status to the organisation Obtaining letter of engagement Assessment f internal control Formulation of action plan for internal audit program Execution of the audit process based on UK GAAP, Companys Act, auditing standards and accounting standards Formulation of opinion regarding financial statement prepared and produced on the part of the organisation Reporting to shareholders Attending Annual General Meeting Conclusion From the above generated information regarding statutory audit, it is clear that statutory audit is that type of audit which is prescribed by statute or law of a country. Statutory audit is a very efficient mechanism of ensuring that financial statements have been prepared and presented in a true and fair manner (Wyld and Ginman, 2013). This in turn aids in depicting whether or not a company has represented accurate and appropriate affairs of its business. In this regard, the main activities that fall under statutory audit are assessments of financials, accounts and financial risks. References Albrecht, W. and Skousen, K. (2002). Accounting concepts applications. Cincinnati, Ohio: South-Western. Blanco, J. (2001) Business fraud. Huntington, WV: Humanomics Pub. Bowsher, C. (2003) Financial management. [Washington, D.C.]: The Office. Braiotta, L. (2004) The audit committee handbook. New York: Wiley. Chandler, P. (2003) Trust accounts. London: Butterworth Co. Engel, G. (2005) Financial audits. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Accountability Office. Frase, L. (2000) The curriculum management audit. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press. Garrison, R. and Noreen, E. (2008). Managerial accounting. Burr Ridge, Ill.: Irwin. Gowans, R., Hughes, G. and Newby, G. (2004). Accounting records reports. Collingwood, Vic.: VCTA Pub. Kieso, D., Weygandt, J. and Warfield, T. (2012). Intermediate accounting. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Kremer, B. (2009). Audit. Luxembourg: Casino Luxembourg. Mascarenhas, A. Sienkiewicz, T. (2004) Accounts and audit of pension schemes. London: Butterworths. McMillan, E. (2006). The audit. Churchton, MD: Harwood Pub. Pickett, K. (2006) Audit planning. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley. Russell, J. (2000) The quality audit handbook. Milwaukee, Wis.: ASQ Quality Press. Shiner, L. (2006). Analysis and recommendations for the accounting system of the nature conservancy. Berkeley: University of California. Spira, L. (2002) The audit committee. Boston: Kluwer Academic. Todman, F. (2005). Wall street accounting. New York: The Ronald Press Company. Verschoor, C. (2008) Audit committee essentials. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley Sons, Inc. Windal, F. (2003). The accounting concept of realization. East Lansing: Bureau of Business and Economic Research, Graduate School of Business Administration, Michigan State University. Wyld, R. and Ginman, P. (2013). Statutory audit requirements. London: Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales Yates, J. (2004). Control through communication. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.

The Evolution Of The World Essays (535 words) - Pseudoscience

The evolution of the world The Greek geographers of the later Roman period developed systematic calculations for the mapping and shaping of the earth. However, what would come to replace these systematic calculations? Why were the ideologies of a flat earth accepted and why were those of a spherical earth ridiculed? The answer to this question is very simple and can be answered by one clear and concise word: Religion. "Thus saith the Lord God; This is Jerusalem: I have set it in the midst of the nations and countries that are round about her." (Ezekiel 5:5) This verse from the of book Ezekiel simply states that the city of Jerusalem should be in the center of all maps created. This eliminated the need for any latitude or longitude. Before hand, there had been more than six hundred maps created, not one having this holy city as the center. There was nothing new about putting "the most sacred place at the center" says Boorstin. The Hindus placed Mount Meru, a mythological 70,000 foot high mountain at the center of their map. In the Muslim faith, the Ka'bah in Mecca was the highest point on earth and the polestar showed the city of Mecca to be opposite the center of the sky. As one can clearly see, many maps, had different centers. Each map had a different center, each based on a different religion. Many years before the birth of Jesus Christ, the Greeks theorized that the earth was a globe. But after that, there was a period in history called "The Great Interruption." This period was categorized by a complete silence where people in general, forgot about the issue of whether the earth was flat or whether it was a globe. Another reason that brought the theories of a globular world to rest was because the priests told the general public that the earth was flat. Priests such as St. Augustine and others invented the Antipode theory, which stated that a world shaped like a globe is impossible because objects would be hanging downwards and growing backwards. Once again, religion played a major part in this argument that would rage on for many years to come. To conclude, much like the theories of the priests in the first 400 years after the birth of Jesus Christ, who said that Jerusalem was the center of a flat earth, one might be able to relate this period in time to a much more recent and modern one. Prior to the French Revolution in 1789, France was ruled by an absolute divine right monarchy. The institution that had the most power at the time was the Catholic church. No one in France would ever dare question the word of the Church. Everything the Church said had to be true and that was that. This is further reinforced by the church's persecution of Copernicus who later again theorized that the earth was not the center of the solar system. This illustrates that 1000 years later, religion remained the backbone of society, and to a lesser extent, the same still holds true today in certain societies.

The Psychologicat Effects of the Dust Bowl Essays

The Psychologicat Effects of the Dust Bowl Essays The Psychologicat Effects of the Dust Bowl Paper The Psychologicat Effects of the Dust Bowl Paper The Psychological Affects of the Dust Bowl The Dust Bowl was an added devastation accompanying the Great Depression. It lasted from 1930 to 1939 and is sometimes referred to as the â€Å"Dirty Thirties†. (Bonnifield) Lack of crop rotation and a heavy drought caused this trying time in American history. Over one third of the United States was swallowed up by dust storms with the concentration of storms being located in northern Texas, the panhandle of Oklahoma, the entire western half of Kansas, south east Colorado, and north east New Mexico. Gazit) One psychological affect experienced as a result of this great historic disaster must have been depression. With over a decade of soil misuse and a severe drought that started in 1930 the top soil virtually turned to dust and blew away with the wind. This catastrophe could have been adverted with the practice of crop rotation. Crop rotation is a technique that has been traced back to Roman times. This method prevents the buildup of pests and/or pathogens. A known occurrence when the same crop is used season after season. Specifically the rotation of deep rooted and shallow rooted crops would have helped to prevent this era in American history. This grave agricultural mistake served to devastate a large population of people. Because of the lack of top soil crops could not grow therefore farmers and their families became stricken with poverty. Soon after the dust started blowing away it created dust storms which their most fierce covered the sky and there was little to no visibility on the ground, even worse than a blizzard of today the storms were given the name â€Å"Black Blizzard† (Gazit). Entire farm machinery virtually disappeared under a blanket of dust deposits left behind by these storms. Even with the aid of relief programs from the federal government entire families still had to pick up and leave behind their land, homes, and way of life. Most of these families were referred to as â€Å"Okies† because the majority came from Oklahoma and nearly all headed west to California to escape the storms. (Ganzel) Meeting basic human needs was a day to day struggle. Because the vast majority of the families were poor they had little to no money for food often fought over food that they may have shared with others just years earlier. Another health concern during this time was the onset of dust pneumonia which is the disproportionate exposure to dust where as dust literally fills the lungs. (Cook) The condition was so common that several musicians wrote song with the most famous being Woody Guthrie’s â€Å"Dust Pneumonia Blues†. Lack of employment was another common trauma that could easily lead to depression. Having previously been able to provide food and a place of warmth and wellbeing was no longer possible for males and single mothers of the day. The conditions were so extreme families were sometimes encouraged to give their children to government agencies so they could be better cared for. Not only did the Dust Bowl affect farmers but also white collar and professional workers who now had to fend for themselves in conditions and livelihoods they were not accustomed to. J. D. Bilbro, a child of the Dust Bowl recalls being trapped within a dust storm during a day known as â€Å"Black Sunday†. He talks about how he, a friend, and their two sisters ran through the storm and it was â€Å"black as midnight, rolling and boiling along the earth like a runaway tidal wave†. (Westbrook) The Grapes of Wrath written in 1939 by John Steinbeck and published by The Viking Press is a fictional story about a family traveling across the country to California during the Dust Bowl just in hope to find jobs as fruit pickers. In preparation for writing the book Mr. Steinbeck traveled as a migrant worker for two years so that he could get a feel and understanding for how the people of this era felt and survived. Bio) In the PBS history series American Experience: Surviving the Dust Bowl in an interview conducted in 2009 with Margie Daniel-Hooker of Oklahoma, she says that even as a child she could tell her father was depressed. She says it was noticeable by the way he would just stare off into space. In the same series Mrs. Daniel-Hooker goes on to talk about her younger brother who had pneumonia three times. She speaks about how she believes her brother caught pneumonia every time due to the dust storms. Mrs. Daniel-Hooker recalls her mother giving her little brother a spoonful of medicine each night and how the both of them sat up all night with him. Then one time as her mother was giving him a spoonful of medicine he leaned back in her arms and died. She tells how her mother screamed and held him very tightly then goes on to talk about how she had many more children but after the loss of that one child was never the same again. Mrs. Daniel-Hooker spoke about how she cried herself to sleep for an extensive period and how she will never forgive herself for bringing home the Measles and how he caught them. She explains how one could overcome pneumonia but never pneumonia and measles coupled together. Both Mrs. Daniel-Hooker, and her mother suffered long term from these experiences. As with the beginning of national media photography showed and still shows today the affects the Dust Bowl had on America. Dorothea Lange was a photographer who worked for the Farm Security Administration to document the plight of the Dust Bowl and was made famous for six pictures (one in particular) she took of Florence Owens-Thompson. (Dunn) Although the pictures accurately depicted life during this era Mrs. Thompson said she was told the pictures that were taken of her would not be published. But Ms. Lange sent the pictures to the San Francisco News and the Resettlement Administration in the nation’s capital. The most well known was entitled â€Å"The Migrant Mother†. Over forty years later the nation was enlightened as to whom the Migrant Mother was. In December 2008 Mrs. Owens-Thompson’s daughter, Katherine who was also seen in the picture at an early age publicly said the picture shamed the family because it pointed out just how poor they were. Gutierrez) Although the famous photos did much for public awareness and government change, they disturbed the family members depicted for a lifetime. As a result of the Dust Bowl and complications of the Great Depression large numbers of families lives were drastically changed. Loss of homes, jobs, and poor healthcare would have encouraged psychological complications such as depression. The day to day struggle to meet basi c family needs and difficulties arising from trying to accomplish these tasks led many Dust Bowl sufferers to develop and suffer with this depraved mental state. About The Dust Bowl. Welcome to English  « Department of English, College of LAS, University of Illinois. N. p. , n. d. Web. 28 Nov. 2010. . Biography Page. Welcome to the Official Woody Guthrie Website. N. p. , n. d. Web. 28 Nov. 2010. . Bonnifield, Paul. â€Å"May, it seemed like the wind, and dirt had been blowing for an. 1930 Dust Bowl. cimarron county chamber of commerce. N. p. , n. d. Web. 28 Nov. 2010. . Cook, Ben, Ron Miller, and Richard Seager. Dust storms in the 1930s Dust Bowl. Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory | . N. p. , n. d. Web. 28 Nov. 2010. . Drought in the Dust Bowl Years. Welcome to the National Drought Mitigation Center website!. N. p. , n. d. Web. 28 Nov. 2010. . Dunn, Geoffrey. New Times San Luis Obispo Cover Story Photographic license. Internet Archive: Wayback Machine. N. p. , n. d. Web. 28 Nov. 2010. . Freedman, Russell. Children of the Great Depression . New York: Clarion Books, 2005. Print. Ganzel, Bill. The Dust Bowl of the 1930s. The Wessels Living History Farm, the Story of Agricultural Innovation. N. p. , n. d. Web. 28 Nov. 2010. . Gazit, Chana. WGBH American Experience . Surviving the Dust Bowl . Complete Program Transcript | PBS. PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. N. p. , n. d. Web. 28 Nov. 2010. . Gerrig, Richard J. , and Philip G. Zimbardo. Psychology and life . 19th ed. Boston: Allyn Bacon, 2010. Print. Gutierrez, Thelma, and Wayne Drash CNN. Girl from iconic Great Depression photo: We were ashamed CNN. com. CNN. com Breaking News, U. S. , World, Weather, Entertainment Video News. N. p. , n. d. Web. 28 Nov. 2010. . Hariman, Robert, and John Louis Lucaites. No caption needed: iconic photographs, public culture, and liberal democracy. Chicago: University Of Chicago Press, 2007. Print. John Steinbeck Biography Biography. om. Biography. com. N. p. , n. d. Web. 28 Nov. 2010. . Popper, Deborah Epstein, and Frank J. Popper. Outstanding Articles. Internet Archive: Wayback Machine. N. p. , n. d. Web. 28 Nov. 2010. . RuneHQVideos. YouTube-Woody Guthrie Dust Bowl Blues . YouTube. N. p. , n. d. Web. 28 Nov. 2010. . Steinbeck, John. The grapes of wrath . New York: Viking Press, 1939. Print. s The Dust Bowl. United States History. N. p. , n. d. Web. 28 Nov. 2010. . WGBH American Experience . Surviving the Dust Bowl . Timeline | PBS. PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. N. p. , n. d. Web. 28 Nov. 2010. .

World War II Timeline From 1939 to 1945

World War II Timeline From 1939 to 1945 World War II (WWII) was a long and bloody war that lasted about six years. Officially beginning on September 1, 1939, when Germany invaded Poland, World War II lasted until both the Germans and the Japanese had surrendered to the Allies in 1945. Here is a timeline of major events during the war. 1939 Sept. 1 may be the official start of World War II, but it didnt start in a vacuum. Europe and Asia had been tense for years prior to 1939 because of the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich in Germany, the Spanish Civil War, the Japanese invasion of China, the German annexation of Austria, and the imprisonment of thousands of Jews in concentration camps. After Germanys occupation of areas of Czechoslovakia not previously agreed to in the Munich Pact and its invasion of Poland, the rest of Europe realized it couldnt try to appease Germany any longer. The United States tried to remain neutral, and the Soviet Union invaded Finland. August 23: Germany and the Soviet Union sign the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact.September 1: Germany invades Poland, starting World War II.September 3: Britain and France declare war on Germany.September: Battle of the Atlantic begins. London after an air raid during the London Blitz, 15th October 1940. Central Press/Getty Images​ 1940 The first full year of the war saw Germany invading its European neighbors: Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, and Romania, and the bombing of Britain lasted for months. The Royal Air Force undertook nighttime raids in Germany in response. Germany, Italy, and Japan signed a joint military and economic agreement, and Italy invaded Egypt, which was controlled by the British, Albania, and Greece. The United States shifted to a stance of nonbelligerancy rather than neutrality so it could find ways to help the Allies, and the Lend-Lease Act (the exchange of materiel aid then for 99-year leases on property to be used for foreign military bases) was proposed late in the year. Popular opinion still didnt want Americans in another war over there. The Soviet Union, meanwhile, took part of Romania and installed Communists in the Baltic States, later annexing them. May: Auschwitz is established.May 10: Germany invades France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.May 26: Evacuation begins of Allied troops from Dunkirk, France.June 10: Italy declares war on France and Great Britain.June 22: France surrenders to Germany.July 10: Battle of Britain begins.September 16: The United States begins its first peacetime draft. German soldiers with Russian prisoners, Russia, 1941.   Print Collector/Getty Images 1941 The year 1941 was one of escalation  around the world. Italy may have been defeated in Greece, but that didnt mean that Germany wouldnt take the country. Then it was on to Yugoslavia and Russia. Germany broke its pact with the Soviet Union and invaded there, but the winter and Soviet counterattack killed many German troops. The Soviets next joined the Allies. Within a week of the Pearl Harbor attack, Japan had invaded Burma, Hong Kong (then under British control), and the Philippines, and the United States was officially in the conflict. March 11: U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Lend-Lease bill.May 24: The British ship Hood is sunk by Germanys Bismarck.May 27: The Bismarck is sunk.June 22: Germany invades the Soviet Union (Operation Barbarossa).August 9: Atlantic Conference begins.September 8: Siege of Leningrad begins.December 7: The Japanese launch a sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.December 11: Germany and Italy declare war on the United States; then the United States declares war on Germany and Italy. Aircraft Carrier Yorktown Being Hit by Japanese Bomber during Battle of Midway. Bettman/Getty Images   1942 U.S. troops first arrived in Britain in January 1942. Also that year, Japan captured Singapore, which was Britains last location in the Pacific, as well as islands such as Borneo and Sumatra. By the middle of the year, though, the Allies started gaining ground, with the Battle of Midway being the turning point there. Germany captured Libya, but the Allies started making gains in Africa, and Soviet counterattacks made progress as well in Stalingrad. January 20: The Wannsee ConferenceFebruary 19: Roosevelt issues Executive Order 9066, which allows the internment of Japanese Americans.April 18: The Doolittle Raid on JapanJune 3: The Battle of Midway begins.July 1: First Battle of El Alamein begins.July 6: Anne Frank and her family go into hiding.August 2: Guadalcanal Campaign begins.August 21: Battle of Stalingrad begins.October 23: Second Battle of El Alamein begins.November 8: The Allies invade North Africa (Operation Torch). German POWs in Stalingrad in 1943. Historical/Getty Images   1943 Stalingrad turned into Germanys first major defeat in 1943, and the North Africa stalemate ended, with the surrender of the Axis powers to the Allies in Tunisia. The tide was finally turning, though not fast enough for the people in the 27 merchant vessels sunk by Germany in the Atlantic in four days in March. But Bletchley codebreakers and long-range aircraft inflicted a serious toll on the U-boats, pretty much ending the Battle of the Atlantic. The autumn of the year saw the fall of Italy to Allied forces, prompting Germany to invade there. The Germans successfully rescued Mussolini, and battles in Italy between forces in the north and south drug on. In the Pacific, Allied forces gained territory in New Guinea- to attempt to protect Australia from Japanese invasion- as well as Guadalcanal. The Soviets continued expelling Germans from their territory, and the Battle of Kursk was key. The end of the year saw Winston Churchill and Josef Stalin meeting in Iran to discuss the invasion o f France. January 14: Casablanca Conference begins.February 2: The Germans surrender at Stalingrad, Soviet Union.April 19: The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising begins.July 5: Battle of Kursk begins.July 25: Mussolini resigns.September 3: Italy surrenders.November 28: Tehran Conference begins. 1944 American troops played a big role in battles to take back France in 1944, including landings on Normandy beaches that caught the Germans by surprise. Italy was finally liberated as well, and the Soviets counterattack pushed the German soldiers back to Warsaw, Poland. Germany lost 100,000 soldiers (captured) during the battle in Minsk. The Battle of the Bulge, however, postponed the Allies marching into Germany for a while. In the Pacific, Japan gained more territory in China, but its success was limited by the Communist troops there. The Allies fought back by taking Saipan and invading the Philippines. January 27: After 900 days, the Siege of Leningrad is finally over.June 6: D-DayJune 19: Battle of the Philippine SeaJuly 20: Assassination attempt against Hitler fails.August 4: Anne Frank and her family are discovered and arrested.August 25: The Allies liberate Paris.October 23: Battle of Leyte Gulf begins.December 16: Battle of the Bulge begins. ors Survivors of Auschwitz leaving the camp at the end of World War II, Poland, February 1945. Galerie Bilderwelt/Getty Images 1945 Liberation of concentration camps, such as Auschwitz, made the extent of the Holocaust clearer to the Allies. Bombs still fell on London and Germany in 1945, but before April was over, two of the Axis leaders would be dead and Germanys surrender would soon follow. Franklin D. Roosevelt also died in April but of natural causes. The war in the Pacific continued, but the Allies made significant progress there through battles at Iwo Jima, the Philippines, and Okinawa, and Japan started to retreat from China. By mid-August, it was all over. Japan surrendered shortly after the second atomic bomb was unleashed on the island nation and Sept. 2, the surrender was formally signed and accepted, officially ending the conflict. Estimates put 50 million dead around the world, including 20 million Russian civilians, and 6 million Jews, one-third of their worldwide population. February 4: Yalta Conference begins.February 13: Allies begin bombing Dresden.February 19: Battle of Iwo Jima begins.April 1: Battle of Okinawa.April 12: Franklin D. Roosevelt dies.April 16: Battle of Berlin begins.April 28: Mussolini is hanged by Italian partisans.April 30: Adolf Hitler commits suicide.May 7: Germany signs an unconditional surrender.July 17: Potsdam Conference begins.August 6: The United States drops the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan.August 9: The United States drops a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan.

Brand Jordan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Brand Jordan - Essay Example Evidently, the five key attributes to Jordan could be listed as great athlete, ultra-competitive champion, well-known African-American, Handsome guy, and fascinating spokesman (‘Case Study’). The leading attribute will be the one that creates a perceptual label within a person’s mind and drags his attentions on encountering the particular personal brand. The leading attribute behind the Brand Jordan was ‘the greatest basketball player of all time’. 2. Team Jordan candidates and the brand attributes One of the candidates suggested for the Brand Jordan with so much popularity was the eminent soccer player David Beckham. He started his career from becoming a winning soccer player at the age of 14 and later was known for his youth empowerment and training programs. Brand Jordan considered Beckham to sustain the reputation of the brand as his career portrayed numerous achievements, like having a free-kick technique named after him, which could drag the att ention of customers. Besides he has been at his best with the Manchester United. Signing with Beckham would be a good start for entering the world of soccer. However, he was in his mid thirties and would be approaching the end of his career soon. Jamie Foxx was at his all time high popularity in 2006. He was an American Academy Award winning actor and a Grammy Award nominated singer and comedian. His noticeable personal attributes were attractive, athletic African-American, and good fit for the lifestyle products. However, Larry Miller, president of Brand Jordan had a second thought whether signing Foxx in a low-profile endorsement would be profitable or would detract from the brand. Another candidate for the team was a professional golfer from Hawaii, Michelle Wie, a 6-feet woman successfully driving back majority of professional women golfers. Wie had a seemingly limitless potential while commonly comparing with the Tiger Woods and Sorenstam. Wie has been eminent in her career and was an incredible athlete, but that was not all enough to decide that whether golf was the right starting point for the Brand Jordan to reach out to women. Chinese market was an important factor for the expansion of the Brand Jordan, and a best way to promote the brand over the China market was signing Liu Xiang, a 22 years old Chinese athlete who was best known for winning the 110 meters hurdles at his first IAAF Grand Prix in Lausanne. His popularity was further increased when he tied the world record of 12.91 seconds of Colin Jackson, a first time achievement of a non-African descent. Another advantage was that this endorsement would diminish the value of rival Reebok’s market. Though the Xiang has been considered the superstar in his home country in whose market the brand had a bright future, which was not all enough to get into a contract with the athlete. A big concern on selecting Xiang was about the Chinese government’s endorsement with him on a cigarette bran d. 3. Importance of celebrity endorsement Obviously, celebrity endorsements have been identified and accepted by the firms as it has direct results that influences the brand the company is trying to send through a person in a way that the customers experience a sense of similarity with the brand. Brand Jordan felt that the celebrity endorsement would be an important factor as the consumers tend more to conceive information from a celebrity whom they know than a person they do not. Besides, the celebrity has the ability to transfer their eminent and

Constructionist Model in Apple Inc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Constructionist Model in Apple Inc - Essay Example Individuals are driven by some forces which make them confident to buy a product after gaining full knowledge about it or the drives can often be negative which does not lead to the purchase of the product. The famous multinationals like Apple Inc. gives a lot of effort on their PR activities so that they are successful in communicating their message regarding the new products to the mass. The public relation activities by the companies involve communication of the useful ideas and the message regarding the changes and modification of the products. It also includes the launch of new products. The communication process is executed through various technologies which are mediated by the Public Medias some of which are also face to face communications. Background Brief about Apple Inc Apple Inc. which is formerly known as the Apple Computer, Inc. is a multinational corporation that is headquartered in California. It develops designs and sells, computer software, consumer electronics and personal computers. The best product line of the company is the Mac line of computers, iPhone Smartphone, iPod music player and iPad tablet computers. Its consumer software comprises the iOS and OS X operating systems, Safari web browser, iWork creativity iTunes media browser and iLife and productivity suites. The company was inaugurated on April 1, 1976 and was incorporated as Apple Computer, Inc. on January 3, 197. Apple is the second largest information technology company in the world after the famous Samsung Electronics and the third largest mobile phone makers after the established companies like Nokia and Samsung. Apple Inc. belongs to the computer hardware and software industry which have experienced incessant changes for the past five years. The changes are due to the advancement in technology and invention of new computer designs. The introduction of the new tablet computers has created huge demand for the retailers. In spite of the demand for the new technologies, sales ha ve faced erosion because of price deflation. Methodology and findings In the Part A-Portfolio-Media Analysis, the study has used multiple tasks in order to understand dimensions of advertising promotion of iPad of Apple Inc such as Placement of the advertisement, Audience Reach, Length of the advertisement, Tone and pertinent stakeholders for the advertisement. Is the study used mentioned task purely in Ad Hoc basis? Not really, because certain well defined public relation theories have guided the researcher to select the mentioned tasks. The researcher has taken help of traditional public relation theories in order to highlight role of each task within the communication cycle. Therefore, it can be said that In the Part A-Portfolio-Media Analysis, the study covered application of PR theories while key objective of this section is to make direct reference to academic text that are being the theoretical concept behind the tasks mentioned in Part A. In such backdrop, next sections of t he study will dig deep into the theoretical context of public relation and communication cycle. Public Relation (PR) Public relations (PR) can be defined as the practice of administration of the wide spread information between the organization and an individual or public. It may comprise of individual or organization which gains exposure by communicating with the audience using their interest and this activity does not require direct payment.

Tootsie Roll Industries Inc. Loan Package Essay Example for Free

Tootsie Roll Industries Inc. Loan Package Essay Tootsie Roll Industries Inc. and its branches makes and sells candy including â€Å"Andes mints, Junior Mints, Charleston Chew, Mason Dots, Sugar Daddy, and the ever popular Tootsie Roll, which has been made from the same formula for over a 100 years† (Hoovers Academics, 2012) Tootsie Roll Industry’s customers include a wide variety of supermarkets, dollar stores, discount warehouse clubs, fund-raising charitable organizations, and the United States Military (Reuters, 2012). Team â€Å"A† studied various financial statements, such as the income statements, statements of cash flows and performed a ratio analysis to look at the Financial Condition of Tootsie Roll Industries. A ratio analysis helps explain the relations between the different statements to help manage the company’s opportunity for improvement when looking at each individual financial statement (Kimmel, Weygandt, Kieso, 2009). The financial review revealed that â€Å"product sales have decreased 2.8% from the previous year in the first quarter and cost of goods sold as a percentage of net sales increased from 64.3% to 67.1%† (Tootsie Roll Industries Inc. 10-Q, 2008). As a result of higher total costs from an increase on the costs of ingredients, packaging material costs, and the Canadian dollar foreign exchange rate Fair Value of financial assets of Tootsie Roll Industries (expressed in thousands) for fiscal year 2007 was reported at $73,928. The company has tried to reduce the use of raw materials by using derivative hedging instruments to reduce the market price exposure, to swings, and increase their net profit (Tootsie Roll Industries, Inc. Financial position, 2008). Tootsie Roll Industries Inc. affronts various risks in the market including the fluctuations in prices for the ingredients to make its’ candies and the cost of packaging and fuel for delivery of its products. The Canadian Dollar exchange rate increases the company’s total costs. The company needs to use Canadian dollars to buy a portion of raw and packaging materials as well as to pay for the company’s operating expenses in Canadian plants. Tootsie Roll Industries, Inc. limits its’ exposure to fluctuations in the markets interest rates by investing in and generally holding securities with a maturity rate of at least three years (Tootsie Roll Industries, Inc. 10-Q,  2008). After Team â€Å"A† reviewed the financial statements of Tootsie Roll Industries, Inc. the team members agreed to the decision that it would be advantageous to open a factory in the United States. This strategy will create job opportunities, and decrease the negative effect of th e foreign exchange rate that the company has been experiencing with the Canadian dollar. The decision of opening a new factory promotes good will in the United States with opportunities to expand the business. Tootsie Roll Industries, Inc. management and stockholders analyzed its financial statements to create the new action plan based on the company’s needs. The accountants and financial advisors completed a deep analysis of the company financial ratios, to identify, and compute the liquidity ratios to determine the company’s ability to repay the debt. The solvency ratios determine if the company will survive over a long term, and the profitability ratios predestine the operating success of the company. The profitability ratios, such as the profit margin ratio result very low 10.4% but still profitable, the debt to assets total ratio was 21. 5%, and with the new loan will increase to 31.5% which is still good for such a large company and the times interest earn ratio increased 5.2 times slightly improving the company’s solvency. The current ratio improved 3.44% demonstrating the company’s liquidity (Appendix 1) Tootsie Roll Industries is thinking about opening a factory in the United States and how this will create more job opportunities and also reduce the negative effects on the foreign exchange rate with the Canadian dollar. The best type of loan to seek is CDC/504 program. This program will allow Tootsie Roll to provide jobs for the community while also improving on its interest rates. The requirements for the loan is to provide financial statements, such as the balance sheet, income statement, statement of cash flow, and retained earnings statement for the past three years. The information provided to a lender for the purpose of borrowing money to build a new facility in the United States. The amount of the loan that Tootsie Roll is asking for is $1million to purchase a facility, or build a new facility in the United States. This would be for building purchase, land, equipment, supplies, and any other soft costs needs. The loan requirements according to Small Business Administration (SBA) structure 40% of total project costs by the participating lending company, 50% covering total project costs and 10% covered by Tootsie Roll (SBA, 2012) Therefore, Tootsie  Roll meets the CDC/504 requirements for the loan by either building or renovating a building. The key is to provide new jobs to the community with the possibility of expansion in the near future. The life of the loan is 20 years at a fixed rate with 90% of financing. This type of loan does not require a balloon payment, however Tootsie Roll will be able to make monthly payments until the debt is paid off. Tootsie Roll can offer it is assets for collateral if the debt is not repaid. These assets can be the other property, plant, and equipment (SBA, 2012) Conclusions Team â€Å"A† discussed the reasons for the company to obtain a loan, and the destination benefits of the funds. Another topic discussed was the loan requirements and how to overcome those requirements with a detailed business plan and strategy to expand the business and offer new jobs to help the economy and the community development. Finally the company had to show the financial statements to present a loan package offer to the selected lender, disclosing the new debt ratio, to demonstrate the company’s ability of repayment for the loan. Present and explain how this loan will benefit the community and its benchmarking strategy to compete in the market with top performance companies and increased their market share. Even though the company is adding another debt to its liabilities, it will still help the company’s growth, and lead the industry. References: (n.d.). Retrieved March 10, 2012, from www.hoovers.com: www.hoovers.com/company/Tootsie_Roll_Industries../rrcsif-1.html (n.d.). Retrieved March 10, 2012, from www. reuters.com/finance/stocks/companyProfile?rpc=66..TR: www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/companyProfile?rpc=66..TR Tootsie Roll Industires From 10-Q. (2008, March 29). The United States Securities and Exchange Commision Form 10-Q. Washington, D.C. Tootsie Roll Industries, Inc. and subsidiariescondensed consolidated statements of financial position. (2008, November 11). Tootsie Roll Industries, Inc. 10-Q. Kimmel, P. D., Weygandt, J. J., Kieso, D. E. (2009). Accounting: Tools for business decision making. Hoboken: John Wiley Sons, Inc. www.sba.gov retrieved 12 March 2012

Moral Theories :: essays research papers

Moral Theories A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Morality comes from God. Therefore, moral behavior is that behavior that conforms to the will of God. Immoral behavior defies the will of God. The will of God is correctly interpreted by the Church. Rating: 6. I was feeling this one, until the last sentence. There are so many denominations, and the reason is that they disagree with one another. Many religions interpret what the will of God is differently, not to mention incorrectly. I do believe that a big part of morality comes from God. B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Rating:1! Ahhh, the Golden Rule-you gotta love it. I suppose the only problem is like the example in the book of the African tribe that eats their dead, if I died there, they would eat me because they would want to be eaten. Very tricky. C.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Be whatever you are; do whatever you want to do—just as long as you don’t hurt anybody. Rating:7. This sounds to me like humanism, although I’m not sure anymore if I know what that is. If this were something we lived our lives around, then it doesn’t sound like there would be many people helping out others, just themselves. D.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The end justifies the means. An action is â€Å"right† if it ultimately produces largely beneficial effects, â€Å"wrong† if it produces harmful effects. Rating: 2. I like this one, and I say it quite often (I’m not sure if that is good or bad). Someone used the example of war, and I agree with that. E.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There is no universal morality. Moral values come from the laws and norms of the society. Therefore, what is morally right in one society could be morally wrong in another. Rating 4. Doesn’t the answer to this one really decide if you are an objectivist or realist? My husband and I argued this one, and he is a strong objectivist. I am caught in the middle because I don’t understand how you can truly impose your beliefs on people that have no idea what we consider to be right. What if people tried to do that to us? F.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  People never act immorally deliberately. When a person acts immorally, it is because he or she has a mistaken notion of what is truly good. Immoral behavior is ignorance or stupidity, not wickedness. Rating 9. Whoa, do I disagree with this one. I do believe many people do wrong things because of ignorance, but there are many people who do things wrong and they do it knowing that it is wrong.

A Background on William Blake Essay

A child of the Romantic Period, William Blake was a poet born into the lively grounds of Soho, England. Since childhood, people observed in him a keen sense of imagination. This recognition then encouraged his parents to support his career path as an artist (Merriman n. p. ). Blake was largely considered as eccentric or demented by his contemporaries, causing him to be denied in his lifetime the recognition he deserved. However, literary critics now consider him an influential force in the development of Romanticism (Barker n. p. ). Blake’s works and style of writing cannot be classified into a single category or genre. However, his works showed recurring themes of knowledge and innocence, heaven and hell, external reality and internal reality, and most of all, good and evil (Merriman n. p. ). Most of his works are expressed with simplicity, except for some of his later works. With this simplicity, Blake was able to portray opposing aspects of human nature. He achieved this superbly by using one literary piece to present the negative side of another earlier literary work. Sorrow: the Antithesis of Joy This style of Blake was highlighted in his two poems Infant Joy and Infant Sorrow. Infant Joy was presented to dwell on the joys of life, childbirth, and existence. Then, in contrast, Infant Sorrow came to life to demonstrate the sadness of life and human existence. Content Comparison. In Infant Sorrow, the infant’s realization that the world is an unhappy place to live in summed up human existence. This poem renders a bleak understanding of human conditions and strongly contrasts with the earlier poem, Infant Joy. This other poem celebrates childbirth, as shown by the infant christening herself as ‘Joy. ’ The voice of her mother celebrates with her baby too. However, the poem’s too-evident joyfulness invites suspicion. The mask of exaggeration can be unfurled to reveal a deeper understanding of human existence. Both poems share similar strong emotions in describing birth, and both use little to no figurative language. However, they differ in structures and in the portrayal of human oppression. The poems both describe the sentiments that surround the birth of a child. Infant Joy portrays the happiness of an infant for being alive (Blake 4-5). There is a sense of gladness because human existence is worth celebrating. When one is born, he/she is given civil rights and freedoms that are worth being born for. Nonetheless, the infant cannot realistically even be aware of herself in such a way. A source even notes that it is still the mother who provides the infant’s voice: she merely projects herself unto her baby’s seeming happiness (Gilham 3). Still, the mother’s voice (as herself) is also present in the poem. She also feels exuberant, so she sings for her baby (Blake 11). On the other hand, Infant Sorrow depicts the infant’s feelings of lack of safety and security, as well as experiences of oppression (Blake 5). The parents in this poem also express resounding emotions, as the â€Å"mother groaned† and the â€Å"father wept† (Blake 1). This first line of the poem emphasized the parents’ sadness and misery about the baby’s birth. Thus, both poems explore the avalanche of powerful feelings that come with childbirth. Use of Figurative Language. Both poems similarly employ little to no figurative language. For Infant Sorrow, the most striking figurative language is the simile, â€Å"Like a fiend hid in the cloud† (Blake 4). This indicates that the baby is like a criminal in the clouds of happiness. The irony stands out: here is a two-day old infant who normally feels peaceful and happy, but in reality should really feel like another criminal who cannot hide anywhere, not even in the comfort of his dreams. Another figurative speech is the pun of â€Å"sulk,† instead of â€Å"suck† (Blake 8). The baby sulks in being fed by her mother, which is confounding, because there should be a natural connection between feeding and existence, a connection that is more positive than depressing. For Infant Joy, there are no evident figures of speech. This makes the poem very straightforward to some extent. Curran calls this as having no word â€Å"in excess† (6), which have made the poem a pithy rendition of childbirth happiness. Structure and Rhyming Patterns. The poems also diverge in different aspects, beginning with their dissimilar rhyming patterns. In Infant Sorrow, Blake uses a regular AABB rhyme scheme for its two stanzas, but in Infant Joy, he utilizes ABCDAC for the first stanza and ABCDDC for the second. The dissimilar rhyming patterns depict the underlying chaos behind the sweet joy of the infant. This rhyming style suggests the incongruence that exists between what is said and what is not said in Infant Joy. Furthermore, the most distinct pattern in Infant Joy is the double rhyme that recurs in lines three, six, nine, and twelve. This rhyming pattern contrasts with the more stable rhyme of Infant Sorrow. As pointed out already, this signifies an uncertainty in the voice of the mother in Infant Joy, as she wishes her child a happy life. The mother could be suppressing the reality that happiness is rarely attainable, when human existence cannot be described as joyful at all. Other Structures. Both poems possess different structures that also impact their meanings. These poems use different strategies in illustrating human oppression. Infant Joy uses two voices of happiness and the theme of innocence to mask the latent doubts of insecurity in the mother’s voice. The voices come from an infant and mother who believe that human life is joyful and so being born into it must be a cause of cheerful disposition. The poem portrays the happiness of an infant in being born: â€Å"I happy am. /Joy is my name† (Blake 4-5). The mother feels high-spirited also and she sings for her baby. The poem also celebrates innocence by repeating the phrase â€Å"sweet joy† five times over in lines 6, 8, 9, and 12. The repetition emphasizes the sweetness of being born and being so young. Infant Joy, however, somehow masks an uncertainty. The mother keeps on saying that the baby is only two days old. In a way, it indicates that this is the main reason why the baby feels too happy; she is still too young to experience the harshness of living. Furthermore, there is a tone of wishful thinking about happiness from the mother. When she says â€Å"Sweet joy befall thee! † (Blake 12), it is more of a benediction rather than a conviction (Gilham 3). In here, human innocence has resembled a mask, a charade for a mother who wishes a form of short-term happiness for her baby. Blake undermines the happiness of human existence through Infant Sorrow, which directly assaults human innocence through dark symbolism, imagery, and figurative expressions. It is quite shocking that an infant would describe a new world as dangerous, one where the infant’s parents would weep or groan, as if in terror. Parents should be happy when they see their baby, but this poem paints an extremely contrasting picture. This point of view can be explained by the fact that Blake lived in a time of war (Curran 6). Thus, in the author’s context, he was right to say that a child born in such a society only â€Å"leapt to a dangerous world† (Blake 2). An infant described as a fiend is also hardly anticipated. This image is quite perplexing, because innocence has been plunged into the murky waters of evil (Blake 4). At the same time, the infant, who has just been born, already feels â€Å"bound and weary† (Blake 7). A baby should be free of the world’s numerous worries, but this infant is like an adult who has been disillusioned by the burdens of human life. The infant even sulks upon his mother’s breast. â€Å"Sulk† is a pun for â€Å"suck,† which renders a different interpretation of depending on a mother for nurturance (Carson 150; Bender and Mellor 300). â€Å"Sulk† underscores the resistance to the passive role of the baby in society (Gilham 4). The struggles of the infant symbolize the struggles of adults against the oppression from political and economic forces of society. The â€Å"swaddling bands† indicate how people also struggle to fight the institutions that make it impossible for them to enjoy their civil liberties. Infant Sorrow, hence, takes the voice of an adult who has briskly shaken off the pretensions of modern liberties. Blake used infants as the starting point of his argument about human existence. Conclusion Infant Joy and Infant Sorrow may directly oppose each other in the choice of words, structure and rhyming pattern.  Underneath them, however, are the same strong human emotions, portrayed simply with little use of figurative language. These poems possess the voice of a weary and dissatisfied adult who wants to escape but cannot wholly leave society. The innocence and happiness was a mere mask for the realities of life. They also express inconspicuously the voice of a human being who constantly fights the battle against dominant social institutions that trample on civil liberties. Ultimately, both poems remarkably render in diverse ways, the tortures of human existence.