THE LEGAL ENVIRONMENT OF BUSINESS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

THE LEGAL ENVIRONMENT OF BUSINESS - Essay Example The Chief Financial Officer and other senior officers are known to have misled the audit committee when it came to issues of high-risk accounting practices. Following the confusion brought about by the Enron’s complex financial statements to both the shareholders and analysts, speculations were raised enquiring on the sustainability of the company. One partnership created by Enron had allowed it to keep $600 debt off the books it availed to the government and its shareholders. The problem in the company became evident in 2001. In August the same year, Jeffrey Skilling the CEO of the company tabled his departure. His position was resumed by Lay. On March, Bethany Mclean, a Fortune Magazine writer wrote an article inquiring Enron’s ways of making money. The reality of its collapse surfaced on October 16th when the company announced a loss of $638 million in connection with its internet investment failure (Barbara, 12). The shareholders of the company filed a $40 billion c ase after the stock price fell from us$ 90.75 per share in mid-2000 nose-dived to less than 1$ by the end of November 2001. The U.S Security and Exchange Commission launched (SEC) an investigation in October. The investigation later exposed the multifaceted web of partnership specifically engineered to hide the debt (Barbara, 14). In November, it was revealed that the company had overstated its earnings for the past four years by $586 million. It was also revealed that Enron owed over $6 billion in debt by the following year. This is what led to the drastic fall of its stock prices that saw investors lose billions of money. The company agreed to repay its investors immediately. It could not come up with the money to repay the debt therefore it filed for bankruptcy in accordance with chapter 11. In pursuant of justice, many senior executive officers were brought to trial which formed a point of reckon for the many citizens whose lives had been destroy. Fastow, the then Chief Financia l Officer and his wife, Lea, pleaded guilty for the charges against them. He had been initially charged with 98 counts of money laundering, fraud and conspiracy among other crimes. He pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy and was sentenced to 10 years without parole in a plea bargain to testify against Lay, Skilling and Causey. His wife Lea was sentenced to year imprisonment for aiding her husband hide government income. Lay and Skilling were brought to trial in January 2006 (Barbara, 15). Skilling was convicted of 19 of 28 counts of murder. He pleaded not guilty and attributed the cause of the company’s downfall to Fastow. Lay was found guilty of 6 counts of security and wire fraud and was subjected to a total of 45 years in prison. Unfortunately, Lay passed away in July, 2006 before his sentence was scheduled. Rick Causey the then Chief Accounting Officer was charged with six wrongdoing charges for non-exposure of Enron’s financial condition during his term. He was sentenced to seven years in penitentiary after pleading guilty. Arthur Andersen was charged with impediment of justice because of destroying documents, erasing emails and files that were affiliated to his auditing firm dealings with Enron. He was found guilty and was sentenced and his company was made to surrender its CPA license in August 2002

New Business Venture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

New Business Venture - Essay Example In this case, it is advised to look in for a more structured form of finance rather than unstructured financing option like funds from relatives and friends. This is because structured finance has several advantages which funds from relatives may not have. 2. Decision Making: Moreover, just as in the case of "Gift Baskets", the fund giver has to be given a say in the decision making and strategic moves of the business. This may also result in delay in decision making. 3. Partnership: When one approaches a relative or friend for investment in the business, it is generally done by an offer of partnership. This means an additional person would be there to share the profits of the business. However, the other funding options do not require this. 4. No Expertise: The promoters of the business may be well aware of the industry and the market scenario. However, the relative who contributes to the business capital as an investment may not have similar expertise. This will result in hassles, when some necessary move is to be taken in the business and the relative does not agree with it. 5. Revelation of Secrets: The business happens to be the brain child of the promoters. A partner who can fund your business can as well take up your business idea and start his own business, if the matter is money. Banks are one of the known forms of funding the business financ... Let us now view a couple of structured funding options with their working and risks. Banks are one of the known forms of funding the business finance gap. However, banks are normally considered conservative lenders. One can avail long term loans for premises, machinery, furniture etc. with his choice of payment horizon or short term loans renewed per year for working capital with collateral of stock and book debts. Generally, banks prefer to fund the business on the creditworthiness of the promoter's future scope of the business and the value of the collateral. They also expect secondary collateral in the form of some asset like insurance policies, fixed deposits, land, building etc. Positives Funds happen to be less expensive Bank credit happens to build up reputation of the business A choice of variety of loans suiting business requirements. Integration is possible with other financial services No infringement in business decisions Risks Conservative covenants and condition Delay in sanction of loans Paper work and requirement of business paper fulfilling all laws High collateral or mortgage Venture Capital Venture capitalists look for funding businesses with good future prospects and have an aim of having good returns through capital appreciation. This requires a solid and clear business plan with a long term view. However, they would also intend to have certain rights of control over the business. But, it would be right to note that, it would be in the best interest of the business as they are typically intending to make good out of their investment so as to make the business flourish to give them returns on their investment. The positive side of this source of finance is the good amount of availability and the risk involved is that of

Vehicle Car service models for DMS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Vehicle Car service models for DMS - Essay Example This use case has presented the main business operations performed all through the business. In this use case it is outlined how car servicing business will perform different operations. These operations include the appointment taking, servicing and payment. In this overall system working and handling we need to take different decision and assessment for giving appointment and dealing payments. These use case will offer a better insight into different business operations while development. In this diagram the main procedure and flow of business operations are shown. These diagrams have elaborated the main sequence of operations and procedures that have been performed through the overall business processes regarding the car servicing. This is a decision and action based approach that demonstrates the overall behaviors of the business dealing and operational handling. 1- In this BPMN diagrams for the business use cases I have presented the same scenario of operations as presented in the use case diagram. Here I have outlined the main decision points and areas where we can take the decision before moving to the next level. In the vehicle servicing process the initial step or decision is taken on the basis that the customer is new or old. If customer is old one then we assign him log no and issues the appropriate appointment. In case of new customer we need to take his complete information and feed it into main database and then issue the log and registration number. Then we take the next decision regarding the available working slot. Means time slot for servicing the vehicle. In case of available slot we issue the appointment otherwise we issue next date or time. 2- The scenario is about the detailed analysis of vehicle servicing and estimation of the cost. When a car is serviced and some new components are added in this scenario a

Life after death Essay Example for Free

Life after death Essay Life after death is credible to a large extent, as there is a large of percentage of people who believe in it. A study carried out between October and November 2009 showed that out of 2,060 people, 53% believed in life after death, with 55% believing in heaven and 70% believing in the human soul in the UK. However, there are many problems with believing in life after death – not least the fact that there is no proof. As Hume might have said, ‘there aren’t enough witnesses’ and ‘testimony isn’t proof. ’ Some evidence put forward is parapsychological, such as near-death experience, mediums, and so on, though the data generated from such evidence is contested. While there may not be any hard evidence for rebirth, it provides advantages to those who believe in it, therefore attaining the label of credibility. For instance, there is an idea of moral value because if one is constantly reborn, one must constantly strive for good karmic effects. However, G. E Moore’s theory of ‘naturalistic fallacy’ might intervene because rebirth confuses moral ideas with factual information about how the world works. There is no means of verifying the principle of karma, and it assumes a dark view of reality with the inevitability of suffering. On the other hand, there is some psychological truth in the ideas of anatta and anicca, since an individual continues to grow throughout their life. Resurrection also delivers benefits for those who believe in it, thus making it credible to a large extent. It has a basis in tradition and is supported by evidence from Sacred Scripture, while it is also fair and encourages morality. However, many challenges to belief in resurrection have been centred on the fact that there is no available way to falsify claims concerning life after death. But, non-Christian sources agree that Jesus was executed by crucifixion and his disciples believe that he rose from dead. A Church persecutor, Saul of Tarsus, unexpectedly transformed into a believer after the resurrection. Verification is only possible in the weak sense of eschatological verification suggested by John Hick in his Celestial City analogy. John Hick is a materialist, who believes that the soul and the body are ‘psycho- physically’ unified. Hick explains in his Replica Theory, where he discusses how God makes it possible for people to be ‘replicated’ on a parallel universe. Hick talks about how the instantaneousness replication would be different from simply being transported from London to New York, he says all the individuals would know their dead and would be on a world populated by deceased individuals. His theory could be seen as incoherent because there is no evidence in science to suggest there is a parallel universe, however if you accept God’s omnipotent existence, this theory is plausible and does not depend on dualism. But, even Hick recognised the limits of his own theory and the fact that it is hypothetical in the extreme. It should be noted that this is an extending theory into the unknown and is purely hypothetical. To conclude, life after death is credible because believers avoid the limitations of rationality and focus on faith, rather than empirical evidence. While some philosophers like Bertrand Russell, argue that the hope of a better life in heaven relieves humans of responsibility for what happens on Earth and encourages a fatalist mentality, such beliefs may do the opposite and soothe fears of demise.

Bibliography on the Mexican Muralist Movement Essay Example for Free

Bibliography on the Mexican Muralist Movement Essay As an instructor for the Yale-New Haven Teachers institute Maria Cardalliaguet Gomez-Malaga has posted the contents of her Curriculum Unit 06. 02. 01. The Idea behind a final for this class is a discussion of how Modern Mexican, Latino/a, Chicana/o art during the twentieth century turned revolutionary propaganda of the 1920s and 1930s, into a significant 20th century art form to young Chicano artists and activists. These artists developed a strong new Mural Movement that has had strong influences on the social, political and cultural development to support social activism during the 1960s. Her curriculum enabled me to find a starting point in the development of a thesis where I believe this Art form â€Å"The Mural† is able to describe a historical picture of life from one society to another through a Painted Medium. This thesis is preliminary in scope and needs to be defined more precisely in its description of historical life, though it is a beginning or a starting point for additional research. Campbell, Bruce. Mexican Murals in times of Crisis. Tucson: University of Arizona Press. ISBN 0-8165-2239-1. This book traces the ongoing critical contributions of mural arts to public life in Mexico to show how post-revolutionary murals have been overshadowed both by the Mexican School and by the exclusionary nature of official public arts. By documenting a range of mural practices—from fixed-site murals to mantas (banner murals) to graffiti—Bruce Campbell evaluates the ways in which the practical and aesthetic components of revolutionary Mexican muralist have been appropriated and redeployed within the context of Mexicos ongoing economic and political crisis. I think I can show how art can be used by public officials to influence public perception of political cause’s Author: Eva Sperling Cockcroft; Holly Barnet-Sa? nchez; Social and Public Arts Resource Center. Venice, Los Angeles, Calif. Signs from the heart : California Chicano murals Publisher: Venice, Calif. : Social and Public Art Resource Center : Albuquerque : University of New Mexico Press, 2001,  ©1990 In this book the authors began as just photographers collecting of pictures of Chicano murals for a family album. This would outgrow the picture taking phase as they discovered the social significance as these photos would become a nationwide photo documentation of powerful community based art. The book only one part of SPARC’s collection of mural slides is significant in that it helps to show the shift from Mexico to the United States as the center of mural production in the world. Art and Identity in Mexican and Chicano Social Movements by Edward J. McCaughan. http://bss. sfsu.edu/emccaughan/art_and_identity_in_mexican_and. htm This paper presents a comparative analysis of artwork produced in the context of social movements waged by Mexicans and Chicanos (U. S. inhabitants of Mexican descent) during the two decades between the mid-1960s and the mid-1980s. Young artists played a central role in projecting the public identity and agendas of powerful social movements that emerged in Mexico and among Chicanos in the United States in the 1960s. This paper is a good starting point for me in that the issues young artists were trying to depict are described in greater detail with the inclusion of female artists in the paper with internationally born artists I feel I have the material to start a solid project. Art and social change, or is it the ability of that art to provoke change in society’s view of? A view of what? Is this racial, social, class, or cultural differences among groups of people that art changes the perceptions of? I still am faced with a question that I would like to have answered for myself!

Comic Books: History and Impact on Society

Comic Books: History and Impact on Society Comic books hold an undeniable significance in modern history. Three aspects of significance include the history of comic books, the use of comics for social commentary, and the cultural impact comics have had on our daily lives. Comic books had humble beginnings, soon they grew into a major threat during Cold War era American society and then became an outlet to hippie counter-culture in the 1960s. The earliest ancestors to comics can be found in caves, little stick men spearing blob-shaped beasts. Rodolphe TÃ ¶pffer is considered by many to be the Father of Modern Comics. TÃ ¶pffer was the first to comment on the interwoven nature that words and pictures held, The pictures without the text, would have only an obscure meaning; the text, without the pictures, would mean nothing (Fingeroth 2008, p. 12). In 1895, Richard F. Outcaults character, the Yellow Kid, was the first successful reappearing comic character. In 1935, Max Gaines found funding to begin reprinting comic serials into paper bound books, or comic books. Through the 1940s and 50s comic books were a main focus of attack for Dr. Fredric Wertham. Wertham claimed that comics were corrupting the morals of kids; this included accusations of Batman an d Robin having homosexual tendencies, that Supermans power of flight distorted a childs understanding of physics, and that Wonder Woman gave young girls the wrong impression of the role of women in society (Coville 1996, para 19). In 1954, the industry responded by instituting the Comic Code Authority (CCA), which handed out seals of approval to comics it deemed passed its strict criteria. This included censoring all gore, any story without a happy ending, and nearly any form of sexuality (relationships had to uphold the sanctity of marriage). Although the CCA had no legal authority, shops wouldnt sell comics without the seal which led to a decline in the comic book industry in profit and creativity. Enter the 1960s and the emergence of the hippie counter-culture. A product of this era was the development of underground comics, or comix, which was a direct reaction to the rules of the CCA and the idea of the institution as a whole. Artists within the underground comix scene focused on adult-themed topics, such as hallucinogen use, pushing sexual taboos and rejecting established views of morality, religion and social class. Two huge influences in the scene include Robert Crumb and Art Spiegelman, whose work could be found in record stores and head shops. In the early 1970s mainstream comic brands started to pick up on these more serious topics, which led to the weakening of the CCA. The 70s also saw a shift in focus amongst comic books, relevance to real life issues became the dominant idea. This led to stories about drug abuse, racial prejudice and a peppering of feminist thought. Ethnic minorities also had more roles in comic books, if still secondary and stereotyped. The 1980s to the present day have seen a shift in comics towards graphic novels, emotionally complex characters with human weaknesses, politically stimulated story lines, gritty dystopian-esque cities and a prevalence of anti-hero protagonists (Coville 1996, para 16-23). The history of comics is so rich in detail that this could be considered just the tip of the iceberg. One thing is clear though; the comic book industry rebounded from serious attacks and became stronger than ever, pushing for personal expression amongst its artists and writers. As made evident by the past 40 odd years of comics, the reflection of real life social issues has been a popular trend. Hot topics that are still relevant to this day include the views of women, LGBT persons and ethnic minorities within society. Women have had a role in comics since their creation. Early depictions of women usually put them in the role of damsel in distress/ plot device or purely as a sex symbol. In 1940, the first true, although mostly unheard of, female superhero was created: Fantomah (Markstein n.d, para 3). Fantomah, along with other early female comic protagonists Wonder Woman and Sheena, fell into the Jungle Goddess category. The role of the female was put in the background with the creation of the CCA. Female characters didnt find a positive voice in comics until the 1980s and 1990s (Felton n.d., para 1). Series such as Love Rockets, Ghost World, and Tank Girl promoted strong portrayals of women, often with feminist leanings dealing with the exploration of se xuality in positive ways and the dismissal of expected roles in society. Gay characters also began to make an emergence during this same period. For example, the series Y: The Last Man toyed with the idea of all the men in the world but one dying off at once. Not only did it take a serious look at the complete reinventing of civilization through the hands of women, it delved heavily into lesbian culture: the views of women as masculine and feminine, theories of dominance and ideas of where man would be in a female dominant society. A more mainstream example would be Batwoman, who was recently written as an openly gay character in the series 52 (Gustines 2006, para 2). Ethnic minorities have been in comic books for the past 100 years, but they were usually given stereotypical, often outright racist, roles with no depth of character. Nowadays there are countless comic book characters of color that are portrayed in the same light as white characters. Examples of this would be superhero es such as Storm, a black woman who was leader of the X-MenÂÂ ­, and Cyborg, black male leader of the Teen Titans. Not to mention nearly the entire cast of Love Rockets who are of Mexican descent. One of the earliest well-known black superheroes, Black Panther, has recently gone through a revival. Reginald Hudlin, Black Entertainment Televisions President for Entertainment, who wrote the new series has stated: The reality is that theres been so few black characters who have their own book, who have been consistently published, let alone a black character who has been written by a black writer and the perspective that comes from that (Gustines 2006, para 7). In closing, the effort being made to turn comics into tools for personal reflection on ones values seems to be growing significantly. Established views are being challenged in a creative format, with people having control in how much they want to expose themselves. Lastly, the cultural impact of comic books on the world is noteworthy; film and television adaptations of comic books throughout the world and their acceptance as literature, the extension of the fictional superhero identity into real-life groups and individuals donning costumes, and the use of comic books to push ideological views has had a resounding effect on society. Though adaptations of comics had been put onto the big screen for many years, Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon serials being prominent, it wasnt until 1978 when the first Superman movie was released that audiences and film makers took it seriously (Booker 2007, pp. x-xi). Superman was extremely popular, and until nearly a decade later it reigned as the most well-known comic movie available. With new progress made into computer-generated imagery (CGI), the trend was ready to take off. Dozens of comic book movies and television shows have been made, a good amount of which arent superhero related, thanks to the nearly infin ite potential of CGI (10 Interesting Comic Book Facts You Probably Didnt Know 2009, para 6). These include classic superheroes such as Batman, Superman and Spiderman that have been replicated and assimilated in foreign countries. Another notable trend is the view of comic books as legitimate literature, such as Art Spiegelmans Maus receiving a special Pulitzer in 1992 and Alan Moores Watchmen being entered into Time magazines 2005 list of 100 Best English-language novels from 1923 to the present (10 Interesting Comic Book Facts You Probably Didnt Know 2009, para 8). By now it can be claimed that superheroes are indeed a part of our society, but some individuals take it one step further. Take for example the New York based real life superhero Terrifica. Terrifica dons a blond wig and red boots, complete with red cape and utility belt at night. Her mission is to prevent drunken women from being taken advantage of by sexual predators, which keeps her mostly in bars and party scenes. Her arch-nemesis, Fantastico, is a full-time seducer of women, whom Terrfica has been known to peel women off of (Robinson 2002, para 4). It sounds like a joke, but there are dozens of real life superheroes in the world. Another is A ngle-Grinder Man, a resident of the London area who travels around at night, in full costume, with an angle-grinder that he uses to cut off clamps he finds on peoples cars. He even has a hotline (Superhero takes on clampers 2003, para 1-4). A far more touching example would be the group who call themselves Superheroes Anonymous. This is a group of costumed heroes who have been walking the streets of New York since 2007, handing out food and support to the homeless (Superheroes Anonymous 2010, para 2). A comic being used as a vehicle for ideology goes way back to the original serialized character, Yellow Kid. Though the premise of Yellow Kid and his colleagues was lighthearted and whimsical in nature, the underlying theme and artistic style of the comic was seen as a critical satire of the severe poverty following the industrial revolution. All the characters were dirty, rag covered, homeless-looking children who poked fun at upper-class customs (McAllister et al. 2001, pp.1-2). J. R obyn Goodman made the observation that throughout popular comics in 1909 to 1914 over 80% of the cartoons reflected anti-suffragist ideology (Goodman in McAllister et al. 2001, p. 9). Topics that have been covered such as the blossoming of underground comix and the progressive feminist/sexual views between the 1960s and current comic books can be seen as forms of ideology being present too. To clarify, comic books as a whole have affected our world culture in profound ways. It can be said that they are engrained in our psyche; through print, film and television they have reached millions and have cemented archetypes and ideologies along the way. By now it should be clear that comic books are here to stay. Even after grievous attacks the medium of comic books has triumphed and made its place in society known. They have grown with us; as children we see the world as black and white, and comics reflected this by depicting battles clearly as good versus evil. As we grow older the shades of grey start to take shape and to mirror this, comics have taken on ambiguous topics and played with our sense of morality. While there are many who have no interest in comic books, its near impossible to find someone who has never heard of Superman, Batman or Spiderman. Yes, comic books truly are a significant man-made facet of civilization.

Meiosis :: essays research papers

Meiosis is a specialized form of nuclear division in which there two successive nuclear divisions (meiosis I and II) without any chromosome replication between them. Each division can be divided into 4 phases similar to those of mitosis (pro-, meta-, ana- and telophase). Meiosis occurs during the formation of gametes in animals. Meiosis is a special type of cell division that occurs during formation of sperm and egg cells and gives them the correct number of chromosomes. Since a sperm and egg unite during fertilization, each must have only half the number of chromosomes other body cells have. Otherwise, the fertilized cell would have too many. Inside the cells that produce sperm and eggs, chromosomes become paired. While they are pressed together, the chromosomes may break, and each may swap a portion of its genetic material for the matching portion from its mate. This form of recombination is called crossing-over. When the chromosomes glue themselves back together and separate, each has picked up new genetic material from the other. The constellation of physical characteristics it determines is now different than before crossing-over. In Meiosis 1, chromosomes in a diploid cell resegregate, producing four haploid daughter cells. It is this step in Meiosis that generates genetic diversity.Meiosis 2 is similar to mitosis. However, there is no "S" phase. The chromatids of each chromosome are no longer identical because of recombination. Meiosis II separates the chromatids producing two daughter cells each with 23 chromosomes (haploid), and each chromosome has only one chromatid. During prophase I, homologous chromosomes pair and form snynapses. The paired chromosomes are called bivalents, and the formation of chiasmata caused by genetic recombination becomes apparent. The bivalent has two chromosomes and four chromatids, with one chromosome coming from each parent. In prometaphase I, the nuclear membrane disappears. One kinetochore forms per chromosome , and the chromosomes attached to spindle fibers begin to move. In metaphase I, bivalents, each composed of two chromosomes, align at the metaphase plate. The orientation is random, with either parental homologue on a side. This means that there is a 50-50 chance for the daughter cells to get either the mother's or father's homologue for each chromosome. In anaphase I, chiasmata separate.