Tuesday, December 24, 2019

The Cap And Trade System - 862 Words

Cap and trade is a system aimed at diminishing the rate at which carbon is emitted into the atmosphere by creating an economic system based on meeting a certain minimal threshold or paying low-emitting companies for the right to emit in their place. For example, if company A only emits half of the emissions cap, that company can sell (or trade) the remaining credits to company B, should company B choose to emit one-and-a-half times the cap. A main objection to the cap and trade system is that it is not a strong enough means by which to curb emissions of fossil fuels and is inferior to specifically stronger carbon taxes. While initially appealing, the notion of simply strengthening carbon taxes fails to properly stifle carbon emissions and to adequately incentivize â€Å"green† development in comparison to the cap and trade system, preventing carbon taxes from occupying a central role to mitigate carbon emissions. Carbon taxes are intended to drive down carbon emissions by crea ting a monetary cost to specific levels of emissions. These taxes are intended to extinguish the profitability of the goods associated with the emissions. While in theory, the passing of such taxes would stifle emissions, there are no set boundaries for total production. Exxon, for example, experienced a net profit of roughly 45 billion dollars in 2013 (Isidore) and is responsible for roughly 3% of all industrial emissions, dating from pre-Revolutionary America (Greenpeace). While a carbon tax wouldShow MoreRelatedA Brief Note On Cap And Trade System1945 Words   |  8 PagesCap and Trade â€Å"A carbon cap and trade system has long been rumored to be in the offing at the federal level as a way to both reduce emissions and raise revenue for transit, and transportation, investment. That said, few truly understand how the proposed system works and how it might impact their community† (An Introduction to Cap-and-Trade Programs). To better understand what is cap and trade, we have to know why we need to have this system. A long time ago, cap and trade use to be known asRead MoreHow Does Cap And Trade System Work?1224 Words   |  5 PagesCap-and-trade is environmentally and economically approach to capping and controlling greenhouse gas emissions which is the primary cause of global warming. It is a policy move aimed at controlling large amounts of gas emissions from a cluster of sources. This approach sets an overall cap which is the maximum amount of gas emissions per a stipulated compliance period, for all the sources under that particular program. The cap puts a limit on gas emissions which from time to time is lowered toRead MoreThe Cost Of A Carbon Tax Or Cap And Trade System1161 Words   |  5 PagesAnother implication with the imposition of a carbon tax or cap and trade system is that depending on the industry specialization of the country, it can result in primarily hurting the industries that are key actors in the local economy. Hence, at times, it is difficult for industries to promote clean energy at a reasonable time to internalize the extra cost imposed on them through a carbon tax policy. For instance, the Conservative government in Canada had opposed carbon pricing, arguing that itRead MoreReducing Carbon Emissions By Implementing A Cap And Trade System887 Words   |  4 Pagesaim at reducing carbon emissions by implementing a cap-and-trade system which claims to â€Å"put a price on everything from industrial emissions to gasoline and natural gas†. By explaining how the cap-and-trade system works to cut b ack the carbon emissions in industries operating, this article claims that this system will limit carbon emissions by making companies to purchase permits which are called allocations from the government to emit carbon. Cap on gasoline and natural gas means consumers will haveRead MoreAnalysis Of Carbon Taxes Versus Cap And Trade1328 Words   |  6 Pagespreviously turned to solutions surrounding cap and trade or carbon tax legislation. However, with every solution, whether it be cap and trade, or carbon taxes, comes pros and cons. Those who favor cap and trade value its long term environmental promises, economic incentives (allowances and allowance auctions), and efficiency. On the other hand, those appreciate carbon taxes because of their simplicity, promising tax revenue, and market certainty. Fans of cap and trade and carbon taxes, like David VictorRead MoreEffects Of Greenhouse Emissions On The Planet s Climate1604 Words   |  7 Pagespeople believe that this number can be g reatly reduced by implementing cap and trade on carbon emissions. D. Some people believe that cap and trade is the most environmentally and economically sensible approach to controlling greenhouse gas emissions. The cap sets a limit on greenhouse emissions that a company can release. This cap is lowered over time to reduce emissions. Then the trade allows companies to trade their emissions. So for example if company A has very low emissionsRead MoreEssay on Carbon Tax vs. Cap and Trade1290 Words   |  6 Pagespoliticians amongst many other eminent figures in society. The four major approaches to reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere include: subsidies of alternative energy, cap and trade, carbon taxes, and command and control regulation. We will examine and compare the effectiveness of two of these methods: The carbon cap and trade system, and carbon taxation. The popular solutions both propose placing a price on Carbon Dioxide, in hopes that it would cause households and industries to reduce theirRead MoreThe Pros And Cons Of Cap And Trade1055 Words   |  5 PagesCap and trade is a cost-effective method for reducing greenhouse gas emission/pollution. The amount of emissions that are produced by the economy (cap) is limited and allows those insured by the cap to trade amongst themselves (trade) in a flexible and cost-effective method/manner, creating a price on carbon pollution. The cap sets a maximum limit on the amount of greenhouse gas pollution that regulated emitters collectively can produce. Each year, the cap is lowered, requiring industry and otherRead MoreCarbon-Tax and a Cap-and-Trade Strategy Essay1299 Words   |  6 PagesDistinguish between a carbon-tax and a cap-and-trade strategy for reducing carbon dioxide and other so-called greenhouse gases (that are believed by many scientists to be causing global warming). According to the case, the carbon-tax and a cap-and-trade system are the best economic tool to employ to reduce emissions. As we know, taxes are the most important expense for a company or firm, if they would emit much more carbon dioxide and other gases, they need to pay more taxes on using carbon recoursesRead MoreEco Fiscal Policies And Carbon Pricing Policies759 Words   |  4 Pagescarbon pricing,, a carbon tax or a cap-and-trade system. A carbon tax is simpler as the government sets a price for greenhouse gas emissions. A cap-and-trade system is more complex as allowable emissions are capped, and then the government distributes emissions permits, which are tradable. Beale claimed that no one system is more superior than the other, especially as the differences between the two get blurred as more jurisdictions are adopting more blended systems. Beale concluded her lecture by looking

Monday, December 16, 2019

Pervasiveness of Marketing Free Essays

string(39) " light when owning a particular brand\." Vital marketing decisions are made by every business; but as important as it is to make the right business decision†¦ it is essential that marketing professionals understand how their marketing impacts our social values. There are several different ways that marketers get their message across to potential customers(1), each marketing communications tool can have different effects on us. Marketing is intrusive, businesses are constantly trying to push their brands in our faces†¦ we barely process one piece of information before the next one comes shooting our way. We will write a custom essay sample on Pervasiveness of Marketing or any similar topic only for you Order Now The pervasiveness marketing has undoubtedly influenced our mind-set and behaviour†¦ a disposable culture creeps closer to becoming reality. It’s because our buyer behaviour is image based, we care about how others see us more than how we see ourselves. This hugely changes our views on society; contemporary marketing has made us believe that we are what we buy, and that the brands we own†¦ are a direct reflection of us. Marketing is an integral business function, but is hardly respected. It continually aims to stimulate demand which leads to new customers†¦ and that leads to more market share. No longer can marketing be tunnel visioned in it’s pursuit for brand awareness. Certain companies have mastered the AIDA model and can use their understanding on countless consumers, the Sony Bravia advert with the bouncing balls(2) went through the whole cycle from attention all the way to stimulating action†¦ making them buy products they didn’t particularly need in the first place. Point-Of-Sale cues are used relentlessly and marketers are accused of not looking at how their decisions impact broader society. Our social values are changing to customers being more self-centred and buying everything that suits them. Our social values include friends, who we want to have a good time with. But playing on the back of our heads constantly, is how cool we think we look, have we impressed our friends? Do we have the right clothes on? Do we have the right phone? As I mentioned, we think that the brands we own are a reflection of us†¦ so we try and buy the right products, not only to suit our personalities; but to fit in. There is one thing that hugely influences our social values, and that’s technology(3). A wireless world is slowly becoming more of an actuality as time goes on. The internet, as enthralling as it may be, has made people ess sociable and more secluded. Perhaps one of the most important social values is quality time with our families; this is not possible if we are glued to the monitor during dinner time. In the past, dinner meant the whole family sitting around a table, having a laugh and eating to their hearts content. The internet has cut into this social value and is influencing young minds. But it’s been a fantastic medium for communication and a brilliant source for information. Both ways can be argued. Advances in technology will introduce location based advertising in the future(4), this makes us even more reliant on technology. This means that where ever we are, we will be targeted by businesses†¦ which directly impact our social lives; making us shop instead of talk to those we may know in the area. The whole notion of positioning is based upon understanding the consumer†¦ not society, making us feel like we can familiarise ourselves with the brand, so that it doesn’t feel like marketing but instead feels like a developing relationship. Segmenting customers is a common marketing tool used when it comes to deciding on a target market. But it has huge disadvantages on society; a common way for segmentation to take place is with airlines. First class, business class and economy are forms of segmenting the market. Customers who have high disposable income doesn’t necessarily have to fly first class†¦ but the positioning of first class in the consumers mind communicates the message that if you can afford it, go for it. First class passengers have made the association that flying in luxury means they are successful and are respected. When in realness, they simply have more money than the average person. Economy flyers are made to think that they are normal, nothing special, but some of them could actually be successful. Some of them may have significantly advanced in their careers, and may have even helped the world! The social values of first class travellers has changed into looking down on other passengers who aren’t flying first class†¦ the feeling of self accomplishment is just an illusion created by marketing. There are other marketing tools which de-individualises customers and sees them as groups and not individuals. An example of this is the postcode analysis, this influences the social values of consumers into thinking that they are only as good as the people who live near them. Marketing professionals need to start respecting customers as customers, and they need to understand the uniqueness of each individual consumer. There is a really important marketing tool that can assess how much marketers are impacting our social values. Businesses can construct a PESTEL analysis of themselves to gain a better understanding of what is in their way†¦ and what they need to take into account before implementing any marketing decisions. MOSAIC is another segmentation tool used by marketers to decide exactly how to target their target market. This generalises too much and doesn’t see customers as individuals, but as titles. There is one main point that marketing critics’ keep bringing up. They see branding as being misleading to consumers, that the associations made with the product or service is just an illusion†¦ and doesn’t reflect the actual quality of the product or service itself(5). Marketers definitely need to take this into account when taking care of brand management. However an argument against this is that branding gives people confidence, it helps consumers see themselves in a desirable light when owning a particular brand. You read "Pervasiveness of Marketing" in category "Essay examples" It makes them feel like they are a part of something, this positive feeling surely can’t be criticised. An example of a business who tries to create a strong association is Disney. Their chain of ‘Magic Happens’ adverts definitely play on our emotional strings(6). They play on portraying the dreamy effect with their brand communication, which withholds powerful emotional appeals. Disney sells an experience, something intangible. This works really well when it comes to targeting children, the imagination of a child is endless†¦ with hardly any limits. However this really affects children’s social values, making them almost worship Disney characters. Ultimately, this makes the children think that going to Disney Land is described as ‘a dream come true’; taking their minds off of the important things in life. Another example is Coca Cola. Their marketing strategy relies on making the consumer feel satisfaction when drinking Coke, making the consumer feel refreshed†¦ and ‘happy’. The Coke slogan is ‘Open coke. Open happiness’(7). The association that will be made is definitely an emotional one, and will make customers feel like someone when they drink a can of coke in front of people. This is probably the brand that endangers our social values the most, due to the obvious reason that happiness is achieved through success or through a positive social encounter. Not from drinking Coke, this is nothing more than a positioning strategy. Behavioural psychology explains the laws of classical and operant conditioning. This has been used by many businesses in order to condition a specific response from a customer. Classical conditioning can be, and has been used in various advertisements; in order to create lasting associations that will be profitable to the business. A psychologist called Pavlov tests classical conditioning in one of he’s experiments(8), and since then, he has influenced the use of he’s findings by many marketers. An example of this is McDonalds, the first time we heard the famous McDonalds short and snappy jingle we didn’t know what to make of it. But after a few more adverts we made the association between the jingle and the slogan ‘I’m lovin’ it’(9). Whilst this association was being made, you can visualise the McDonalds logo and any images they want you to see. The general feel of the adverts are happy and upbeat. With time, our association became so strong, that all McDonalds do now is play the jingle, and we all say or think ‘I’m lovin’ it’. This then becomes our unconditioned response to the jingle, which started off as being a neutral stimulus. So as you can see, classical conditioning is a powerful tool that marketers use, and we have attempted to create an advert; whilst trying to apply the laws of classical conditioning. Customers are almost hypnotised into thinking exactly what McDonalds wants them to think. This changes our social values into being more self-centred, making us seek pleasure for ourselves and gets rid of the whole idea of togetherness and sharing. The psychodynamic approach in psychology was devised by Sigmund Freud, an influential figure in psychology. He said that our conscious thoughts and actions are influenced by unconscious drives, such as the sex drive(10). Marks and Spencer food adverts take advantage of this idea. The woman speaking in the background speaks in a soft, sensual voice making it seem the food should be eaten in an intimate way(11)†¦ which almost makes us think their selling sex. According to the psychodynamic approach, our unresolved child issues and our sex drive will influence our conscious behaviour†¦ which is to ultimately buy the food. Marketers need to be very careful with this type of advertising; it’s almost as if the consumers are not in control of what they like. Our social values may have been having a laugh with friends of the opposite gender, but due to this kind of psychological approach to advertising†¦ it may unwillingly effect the perception of the customer. Using psychological approaches in adverts is legal, but it doesn’t mean it’s moral. The mind-set of the customer changes, their perception changes and so their behaviour changes; this can be seen as immoral. Companies ensure they put all side effects of certain products on the packaging†¦ but when are marketers going to actually take into account the side effects of their own decisions? If a certain type of marketing impacts broader society too much, and stimulates demand to an extent that the environment will suffer†¦ the marketers should definitely take it easy and refrain from these types of activities. Every career needs to work towards a better world to live in; this is what morality is all about. ‘The strategic business function that creates value by stimulating, facilitating and fulfilling customer demand’(12)†¦ this is on of the definitions of marketing. But how will consumer sovereignty affect this? The old definition was meeting customer needs profitably, customers may decide what will be produced or on the other hand marketers may decide what consumers should be interested in. It all depends on how society is looked after by marketers, and how society reacts to marketing decisions. Our social values stems from how society operates and how society holds up against continual marketing activities. The decisions that marketers make impact society hugely, it can increase demand and can decrease demand. McDonalds have been successful at stimulating demand, due to this they have had to create 4000 new jobs(13). But even though more demand means success to a marketer, there is always backlash. There is ‘a protest against the promotion of junk food, the unethical targeting of children, exploitation of workers, animal cruelty, damage to the environment and the global domination of corporations over our lives. Marketing strategies are successful at making a profit, but it’s time marketing professionals look after the society which they themselves are a part of. Not necessarily societal marketing, but just using some of the concepts of this type of marketing. I think that it’s a personal challenge to each and every one of us to act and speak in a way which doesn’t reflect the conditioned responses that marketing and movies have created. Our social values echo our personality and what we hold close to our hearts; marketing professionals can change or strengthen this. That means reliability is a necessity as a marketer. References http://inventors.about.com/od/timelines/a/ModernInvention.htm http://www.e-lba.com/ELBA%20Overview%20english.pdf http://nobelprize.org/educational_games/medicine/pavlov/readmore.html http://www.textart.ru/database/slogan/fast-food-advertising-slogans.html http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/freud.html How to cite Pervasiveness of Marketing, Essay examples

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Review of Current Accounting Issues

Question: Discuss about theReview of Current Accounting Issues. Answer: Introduction The article selected for the purpose of this question is Dick Smith Collapse raises more questions for Accounting Profession, by Alex Malley, published in The Sydney Morning Herald on 22nd July 2016. As the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, administrators, and receivers work across the wrecked collapse of Dick Smith, there is an increased clarity in the fact that there is a need for confronting the accounting profession (Malley, 2016). There are several reasons for the failure of the company. Some factors are role played by rebates played by suppliers, their impact on the purchasing decisions of management, and their ability of masking the figures of earning. In the financial year 2014 to 2015, there was reporting of 72 million dollars as earnings before amortization, depreciation, tax and interest. With the exclusion of advertising subsidies and rebates, there was an adjustment in this figure with the loss of 119 million dollars. The auditors considered signing off o n the accounts of Dick Smith in the year 2015 for August. The key consequence for treating the accountancy of rebates is one of the key reasons for the collapse of Dick Smith, and no doubt, will be considered for further questions (Malley, 2016). In this year itself, Target was also spotted for the way its team of accounting had been focusing on the treatment of rebates that further lead towards inflated earning. The investigation of Wesfarmers resulted in the departure of several staff members from the business. This specific issue is being faced all across the globe. As a significant example, in Britain, Tesco was warned in the year 2014 about issues for treating accountancy of rebates in the year 2014 after the general counsel was contacted by the whistle-blower of the company. Tesco had flagged first to be an overstatement about the initial half profits but it had been found for overstating the performance for the past three years of financial accounting. The case of Tesco is still being investigated by the Financial Reporting Council and the Serious Fraud Office. Each and every liability is assumed and asset is acquired in the combination of business and there is a requirement of retrospective application in providing no justification about the IFRS (Hamberg et al., 2011). In addition, an improvement in the consistency of each and every procedures utilized in the accountancy for combinations of business such as international consistency. These are extremely helpful in alleviating key con cern that the competitive position of an entity holds as potential bidder are significantly influenced by the variations involved in the accountancy of business combinations (Glaum et al., 2013). Consistency across the procedures of accounting can also result in the reduction of costs for preparing the financial statement, specifically across businesses conducting international operations. Moreover, this kind of consistency will result in enhancing the scope of comparison for information. This will further provide a better understanding about the resulting information of finance and reducing the costs borne by users for the analysis of information. These problems in interpreting accounting standard tend to be arising in various entities under consideration of several jurisdictions. These are well understood and known in the framework of International Financial Reporting Standards (Hamberg et al., 2011). The ubiquitousness related to the issue and the seamless subjectivity in the global accounting standard to ensure application of transparency and consistency is within the scope of providing some comfort to 3,300 former employees of Dick Smith in New Zealand and Australia, or the investors under consideration for the loss of money. For the part of professionalism, across the higher level, the Independent Audit Regulators of International Forum has been flagging the quality of auditing as an issue. However, there is yet a lack of satisfaction among the body of IFIAR sufficient for the profession of audit in understanding and addressing challenges in the quality of audit (Malley, 2016). A new standard of accounting provides clarif ication for the recognition of revenue. This will be duly effective from the year 2018. In theoretical terms, there is a need for addressing certain issues in concern with the treatment of rebates. However, there is sole reliability upon the continuously introducing new standards of accounting under the key requirement. The profession of accountancy has key bounds with the code of ethics holding the requirement for acts of accountants within the public interest, and this is inclusive of a good reason. The code focuses on providing support based on principles for the professional while ensuring navigation across the complex environments of business. This is crucial for making decisions to treat inventory and revenue while being in compliance with strictly applied law and standard. This also involves compliance with the spirit for seeking achievement. Yet the failure of each company holds the potential of undermining the constant urge of a profession that an approach based on principles, instead of focusing more upon regulation. There is no denial in the fact that increment in the regulation eventually achieves a tip point in which there is shift in the focus of audit to comply at the cost of exercising the professional judgment. The profession of accounting is considerably apt for bringing expertise and value to the society and business at a broader context, while occupying a trust positioning across the community. Under the entrustment with a specific social licence comes in alignment with high expectations and responsibility for the sake of profession, while there is a need for having higher expectations. The like-for-like sales of retail at Dick Smith fell at a sharp rate after less than a year of the floating context of 2013 that triggers a number of events with key contribution in collapsing the ownership of 400 million dollars to the creditors. A public examination across the demise of Dick Smith heard the sales of same store retail by 7.5 per cent within a period of 15 weeks (Malley, 2016). The sales growth in same store was 1.7 per cent at the inaugural yearly meeting of the retailer later in the period. Irrespective of the dropping sales, the senior management and board of Dick Smith continued with the strategy to open up new stores, purchase more stock, borrow more money for overcoming pressures of cash flow, pay dividends with the lack of cash, and maximize the rebates of supplier for boosting profits (Buschhter Striegel, 2011). The officers and directors have been breaching the duties by the failure in appropriate systems of reporting and placement of controls, inflation of earnings for meeting the expectations of market by the deliberate purchases of more stocks, book rebates under the suppliers in terms of profits, and disguising upon weak sales with private commercial and label sales of low margin. The receivers have been focused for the establishment of fact if former executives and directors hold the key liability and if there can be any specific claims against the insurance policies of the officers and the directors of the company (Glaum et al., 2013). A business combination can be referred to as a transaction or an additional event within which control is obtained by the acquirer across one or more number of business organizations. There is accounting of transaction or anything related as a combination of business only in the case if the assumed liabilities and the acquired assets consists of a busin ess. This tends to be providing guidance for the identification of the fact if the assumed liabilities and the acquired assets are not constituting a business organization. The accountability of acquiring an asset is set out in the draft at paragraphs C3-C5. High secrecy and delays are standards procedure of operations with respect to insolvency. Different investors have been spending the money of Dick Smith for obtaining an extension of six months from the Federal Court. There had been a further delay in the second meeting of creditors. Seasons will be passing across the gift card holders (Hamberg et al., 2011). No information has been disclosed in front of the beleaguered gift card holders, shareholders, suppliers and other creditors. Time is taken in the achievement of right outcome with the increasing value of fees. On 30th November 2015, the company made an announcement of writing down 60 million dollars worth inventory. Failure has been faced by the company also due to the issue of inventory and this issue can be traced back from the time when Dick Smith was not floating across the ASX. As a contrasting view, the annual reports of Woolies considered recording their subsidiary inventories at 246 million dollars of book value. Also, these inventories are inclusive of the business of Dick Smith. As per the Anchorage, the inventories were worth the value of 58 million dollars in recording the expense of acquisition worth 312 million dollars. If the number of Woolworths is correct, however, then the inventories of Anchorage was worth at least 66 million dollars (Malley, 2016). On the basis of the figures of Woolworths though, there was an upward revaluation worth 14 million dollars. The financial report of Woolworths also depicts that the restructuring costs and asset write-downs of Dick Smith was worth 420 million as of 30th June, 2012. The exposure draft focuses on proposing amendments to the business combinations of IFRS 3. The proposal is inclusive of a draft standard developed by the boards in their very first major project in collaboration. The key objective focuses on the development of a single standard of maintaining high quality in accounting for combinations of business to be utilized for the purpose of both, cross border and domestic financial reporting. The standard proposed will consider the replacement of current requirement in the IFRS 3 Business Combinations by IASB and the Statement 141 Business Combinations by FASB. The key intention of the Board in the development of this Exposure Draft was for reflecting a number of changes regarding decisions in the project of Business Combinations by the time it reaches the second phrase (Buschhter Striegel, 2011). And hence, there is no consideration of all of these specific requirements as specified in IAS 27. The proposal of changes to IAS 27 showed primary concern with accountancy for the decrease and increase in interests of ownership across the subsidiaries after obtaining some control. There is also a required to account the subsidiaries in terms of loss of control. Introduction of Major Issues in the New Standards In the draft, the IFRS is considering the improvement of financial reporting by the requirement of applying acquisition method to more combinations of business. These include the ones only having involvement in mutual entities, and those under the achievement of contract alone. The boards hold the belief that the application of single method in accountancy to each and every combination of business will lead towards more transparent and comparable financial statement. This holds the requirement for acquirer in recognizing the acquired business maintaining fair values at the date of acquisition with restricted exceptions (Hamberg et al., 2011). The boards holds the conclusion to require in recognizing the acquire and the assumed liabilities, and the acquired assets maintaining fair value. The date of acquisition results in improving the reliability and relevance of financial data. The scenario is even true in combinations of business within which the control is obtained across the busi ness with less acquiring of 100 per cent of interests of equity within the achievement of business combinations or acquire within the stages. Reliability and relevance are key attributes making information of finance more significant across the users. This draft will be retaining each and every fundamental requirement in the past version of IFRS focused on method of acquisition in accounting to be utilized for each and every business and for the identification of acquirer in the business combination. The profession of accountancy has key bounds with the code of ethics holding the requirement for acts of accountants within the public interest, and this is inclusive of a good reason. The code focuses on providing support based on principles for the professional while ensuring navigation across the complex environments of business (Malley, 2016). This is crucial for making decisions to treat inventory and revenue while being in compliance with strictly applied law and standard. This al so involves compliance with the spirit for seeking achievement. Yet the failure of each company holds the potential of undermining the constant urge of a profession that an approach based on principles, instead of focusing more upon regulation. There is no denial in the fact that increment in the regulation eventually achieves a tip point in which there is shift in the focus of audit to comply at the cost of exercising the professional judgment (Glaum et al., 2013). The profession of accounting is considerably apt for bringing expertise and value to the society and business at a broader context, while occupying a trust positioning across the community. Under the entrustment with a specific social licence comes in alignment with high expectations and responsibility for the sake of profession, while there is a need for having higher expectations. General Consensus or Disagreement Between the Commenting Parties The boards strive upon issuing the draft with the crucial requirements in filling up a crucial need and for which there is imposition of costs in applying it (Hamberg et al., 2011). This is in comparison with each and every other alternative being provided with justification as per the crucial advantages of the information as a result. It was concluded by the boards that this will be making a number of improvements in reporting finance that is beneficial to the creditors, the investors and addition users of financial statements. The boards are supporting this claim for reducing the costs in application of the standard draft. The key requirement is of specific liabilities and assets for the continuous recognition and measurement with respect to the current IFRS instead of valuing it at fair value. The key requirements are for prospectively applying the provision instead of retrospectively applying it. It has been acknowledged by the boards that these two steps will result in diminishi ng certain advantages for the improvement of reporting presented in the draft. However, it was concluded that the related costs and complexities due to the imposed requirement of fair value measurement. Each and every liability is assumed and asset is acquired in the combination of business and there is a requirement of retrospective application in providing no justification about the IFRS. In addition, an improvement in the consistency of each and every procedures utilized in the accountancy for combinations of business such as international consistency (Glaum et al., 2013). These are extremely helpful in alleviating key concern that the competitive position of an entity holds as potential bidder are significantly influenced by the variations involved in the accountancy of business combinations. Consistency across the procedures of accounting can also result in the reduction of costs for preparing the financial statement, specifically across businesses conducting international operations. Moreover, this kind of consistency will result in enhancing the scope of comparison for information. This will further provide a better understanding about the resulting information of finance and reducing the costs borne by users for the analysis of information. Consistency across the procedures of accounting can also result in the reduction of costs for preparing the financial statement, specifically across businesses conducting international operations. Moreover, this kind of consistency will result in enhancing the scope of comparison for information (Buschhter Striegel, 2011). This will further provide a better understanding about the resulting information of finance and reducing the costs borne by users for the analysis of information. Key Assumptions of Public Interest, Capture Theories and Private Interest A business combination can be referred to as a transaction or an additional event within which control is obtained by the acquirer across one or more number of business organizations. There is accounting of transaction or anything related as a combination of business only in the case if the assumed liabilities and the acquired assets consists of a business. This tends to be providing guidance for the identification of the fact if the assumed liabilities and the acquired assets are not constituting a business organization. The accountability of acquiring an asset is set out in the draft at paragraphs C3-C5. In the combination of business, the acquirer may consider acquiring the equity based interests across the organization. The acquirer will also consider acquiring all or some of the assets of entity constituting the business. Control might be obtained by the acquirer over an acquiree in the following ways (Glaum et al., 2013): By the transfer of cash equivalents, cash or additional assets that include net assets in constituting the business By the issue of equity based interests By the provision of more than one specific category of consideration By coming in a contract alone Without the transfer of any specific consideration Without the involvement of acquired in the transaction In the measurement of fair value for the acquiree, the acquirer can consider measurement of fair value related to the acquiree on the whole, when considering the date of acquisition. Mostly, business combinations are exchange transactions at arms length within which unrelated, knowledgeable willing exchange of parties are the same as value. Hence, in the lack of evidence, the payment of exchange price through the acquirer on the date of acquisition in presuming the fair value at that date for the interest of acquirer within the acquiree. In certain combinations of business, either there is no transfer of consideration in the date of acquisition or the indication of evidence. There is no transfer of consideration on the basis of measuring the fair value on that date across the interest of acquirer within the acquiree. In these combinations of business, the acquirer will consider the measurement of fair value on the date within the interest of acquiree to utilize other techniques of va luation. There is provision of extra guidance for the performance of measurement at fair value within the Paragraphs A8-A26 (Hamberg et al., 2011). The transfer of consideration may be inclusive of liabilities or assets across the acquirer in order to carry the values different in comparison with fair value at the date of acquisition. As in this particular case, the acquirer will have to consider the re- measurement of the transferred liabilities or assets with the fair values and there is recognition of losses or gains in the loss or profit. However, if there is transfer of liabilities or assets to the acquiree, and there lies a combined entity after combining the business. References Buschhter, M., Striegel, A. (2011). IFRS 3Business Combinations. InKommentar Internationale Rechnungslegung IFRS(pp. 137-205). Gabler. Glaum, M., Schmidt, P., Street, D. L., Vogel, S. (2013). Compliance with IFRS 3-and IAS 36-required disclosures across 17 European countries: company-and country-level determinants.Accounting and business research,43(3), 163-204. Hamberg, M., Paananen, M., Novak, J. (2011). The adoption of IFRS 3: The effects of managerial discretion and stock market reactions.European Accounting Review,20(2), 263-288. Malley, A. (2016). Dick Smith collapse raises more questions for accounting profession. The Sydney Morning Herald. Accessed from: https://www.smh.com.au/business/retail/dick-smith-collapse-raises-more-questions-for-accounting-profession-20160721-gqagz5.html

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Study Of Procter And Gamble Essays - Brand Management,

Study Of Procter And Gamble A Company like Procter and Gamble can attract the attention of any one in the whole world. It made and still makes the life of any individual much easier by providing him with reliable products that he appreciates for their superiority and their safety. Today, in Egypt, the products of Procter and Gamble have conquered the Egyptian market. In every house, one or more products are found. As a result, the Egyptian local products could not compete with this outstanding quality that P & G offers. The public is interested in gathering more information about the company. That is why, knowing more about the earlier foundation of the firm, its purposes and core values, the process of innovation of its products, its annual report and the link between it and its branch in Egypt could satisfy the people's curiosity. Procter & Gamble refers to William Procter, who established himself as a candle-maker, and James Gamble who apprenticed himself as a soapmaker (P&G History 1). Procter and Gamble first started in 1837 in Cincinnati. At that time, the marketplace in that country was not encouraging to run businesses because of many financial problems. Despite that, P & G ran their company. More specifically, on 12 April 1837, William Procter and James Gamble started to produce and to offer these products to customers. They both started with two main products, which were soap and candles. At the same year, and precisely on 31 October 1837, Procter and Gamble signed up the contract of their partnership and started their business together. Twenty years after signing the contract, P & G sales reached $1million and at that time the company had about eighty employees. In 1862, and during the civil war, P & G Company was ordered to produce a big quantity of soap and candles to fulfill the Union armies' needs. Seventeen years later, a new type of soap called Ivory was invented. By 1890, the types of soap that P & G was producing were about thirty taking into account the Ivory. In the same year, the demand for soaps was increasing. Thus, to be able to meet the customers' increasing demand of their products, P & G company decided to expand the business to go outside Cincinnati to reach overseas and this increased capacity and improved distribution of products to customers (P&G History 2). Later on, P & G started to develop more products and this happened in 1911 when P & G Company introduced for the first time Crisco, which is a type of vegetable equals to the butter, but was more economical. One century after the establishment of the P & G, sales reached $230million (P&G History 2). Throughout years, P & G continued developing new products. In 1987, the company was chosen to be the se cond oldest company among the 50 largest fortune 500 companies (P&G History 3). Five years later, P&G received the World Environment Center Gold Medal for international Corporate Environmental Achievement (P&G History 4). One year after this recognition, P&G Company's sales reached $30 million and even more. In 1995, P&G was given another medal, which is the National Medal of Technology, which is considered the highest award the United States bestows for achievement in technology (P&G History4). Generally speaking, P&G is one of the factors that led to the economic growth and the welfare of the world because it gave the chance to more than 110,00 people to work. Like any other company in the globe, Procter and Gamble Corporation, set their own objectives and goals in order to achieve their main purpose. Their purpose is to provide products of superior quality and value that improve the lives of the world's consumers. By achieving their purpose, they will be rewarded by their consumers with leadership sales and profit growth (P&G Goals 2), which will, in turn, affect their communities, their people and their share and stock holders to live and work in welfare. Moreover, P & G identify their core values such as leadership, ownership, integrity, passion for winning and trust as priorities (P&G Goals 2). By implementing a plan based on these core values, they will be able to achieve their

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

macbeth Theme Sharing

with Laertes and when he stabs him he unknowingly poisons him with the blade of Laertes own sword, eventually leading to his death. Although actual poison was used throughout the play, the poison of the mind was just as important. When Hamlet had learned that Claudius had killed his father for his own greed, Hamlet’s mind was poisoned. All he could think of was a way to avenge the death of his beloved father. Later when Hamlet had accidentally killed Polonius thinking he was Claudius, Hamlet had also accidentally â€Å"poisoned† two separate min... macbeth Theme Sharing Free Essays on Hamlet/macbeth Theme Sharing Theme sharing in Hamlet and Macbeth In William Shakespeare’s two most popular works of art, Macbeth and Hamlet, several parts of the plays are similar. These two plays can be compared easily because Shakespeare used the same formula for each of his tragedies. The tragedies use supernatural incidents to intrigue the reader’s interest and included in the play is a hero who has a tragic flaw, which eventually causes him to make a fatal mistake. Throughout both of these plays, Shakespeare uses the leit motif of poison, death, ambition, and appearances can be deceiving. We are first introduced to poison in Hamlet in the very beginning of the play. King Hamlet is killed when his brother, Claudius, pours poison into his ear while King Hamlet is asleep in his apple orchard. This causes a fast but excruciating death. Poison is later brought back into the play when Claudius will try to slip a poison into Hamlet’s drink of wine. His plan backfires when his wife takes a drink from the cup instead of Hamlet and the poison eventually kills her. During the time of that incident, Hamlet is fencing with Laertes. Laertes sees that Hamlet if far beyond him in his fencing ability, so he decides to wipe the blade of his sword with a cloth soaked in poison. As the fight goes on Hamlet is cut on the arm, causing the poison to slowly seep into his blood. While they are fencing Hamlet is able to switch swords with Laertes and when he stabs him he unknowingly poisons him with the blade of Laertes own sword, eventually leading to his death. Although actual poison was used throughout the play, the poison of the mind was just as important. When Hamlet had learned that Claudius had killed his father for his own greed, Hamlet’s mind was poisoned. All he could think of was a way to avenge the death of his beloved father. Later when Hamlet had accidentally killed Polonius thinking he was Claudius, Hamlet had also accidentally â€Å"poisoned† two separate min...

Friday, November 22, 2019

The Top 5 Jobs in the Northeast

The Top 5 Jobs in the Northeast If you’re looking for a career change (or a change of scenery!), here are some of the fastest-growing jobs for 2016 in the northeastern part of the U.S. This includes Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey. Sadly, â€Å"professional sports fan† isn’t on this list, despite the spirited fan bases for major league baseball, football, basketball, and hockey teams in this region.1. Tech Job Outlook: Software DeveloperSoftware developers are the unseen force behind every digital program you use. From apps on your phone to the fitness tracker on your wrist, software developers are the ones who devise, test, refine, and update the computer coding that makes our lives easier.Metro areas like New York, New Jersey, and Boston are becoming major tech hubs, and these skilled jobs are springing up accordingly. The median salary for a software developer is $93,350 per year, and the field is expected to grow a faster-tha n-average 22% per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.2. Administrative Job Outlook: Office ManagerIf software developers are the shadowy force behind our digital lives, office managers are often the unsung heroes of our workday. Office managers are typically responsible for ensuring that office logistics run smoothly. This can include keeping inventories of office supplies, managing facilities, keeping records, and taking on administrative tasks like human resources or payroll.The median salary for office managers is $81,080 per year, with growth of 12% expected.3. Logistics Job Outlook: Truck DriverTruck drivers keep the northeast moving. Companies like UPS and FedEx have large facilities in the northeast, and with companies like Amazon expanding into warehouses all over the country to shorten customer delivery times, this is a field that is growing fast.The median salary for truck drivers is $38,200, and the field is expected to grow by at least 11% by 2022. Projections for 2016 suggest that there may also be a shortage of drivers on the horizon, so now might be the best time to get on the road.4. Healthcare Job Outlook: Physician AssistantPhysician assistants (PAs) have become a major part of the healthcare industry of late, as the demand for healthcare grows with a growing and aging population and doctor and nurse populations struggle to keep up. PAs can practice medicine under doctors and surgeons and provide direct patient care (examinations, diagnosis, treatment, and education).The median salary for PAs is $90,930 per year, with astonishing projected growth of 38% by 2022.5. Service Job Outlook: Gaming and Sports Book Writers and RunnersIn recent elections, voters have authorized new casinos in New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. This means that in the next year and beyond, there will be a boom of casino openings- and with it, a large call for employees to work on the gaming floors.The median salary for this job is $20,850, with a massive 28% inc rease in job openings expected.Whether you’re already in the northeast and looking for a change of pace or you’re looking to trade your current town for the invigorating chill of a New England winter, opportunities are waiting- even if you’re not willing to swear undying loyalty to the Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Bullying in schools Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Bullying in schools - Research Paper Example Some well-meaning ‘experts’ believe bullying is a normal part of social development and actually aids children in coping with overbearing, dominating types throughout their lives. I believe that bullying is a serious problem and not one to be tolerated. The outcomes of bullying can be very severe; from depression to suicide regardless of which role was played. Thankfully, because bullying behavior typically occurs on a recurrent basis, it can also often be identified and prevented easier and earlier than more deviant behavior in later years, perhaps with the result of a reduction in criminal behavior among adults. Studies looking into the naturalistic behavior of children on the playground indicate that those children who experience low acceptance levels among their peers tend to become bullies. Therefore, it becomes important for teachers to recognize the social structures developing in their classroom to be in better position to head off any dangerous behavior before i t gets out of hand. Intervention strategies can then be used to assist at risk children in learning how best to handle difficult social situations. Field studies have identified several groups with higher risk of bullying behavior as either the aggressor or the victim, which can help teachers in determining when and what form of intervention is appropriate. Barbarin, Oscar A. (November-December 1999). â€Å"Social Risks and Psychological Adjustment: A Comparison of African American and South African Children.† Child Development. Vol. 70, N. 6, pp. 1348-1359. Oscar A. Barbarin, PhD earned his degree in clinical psychology at Rutgers University and finished post-doctoral work in social psychology at Stanford. He is President of the American Orthopsychiatric Association, a Fellow in the American Psychological Association, a Senior Investigator for the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center at the University of North Carolina and was named the L. Richardson and Emily Preyer

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Could Christianity have benefited without Constantine Research Paper

Could Christianity have benefited without Constantine - Research Paper Example In preliminary readings, there seem to be two extreme views of Emperor Constantine who ruled the Roman Empire between 306 and 337.One school of thought asserts that Constantine was the founder of Christendom and his laws and actions laid the foundation for the institution of Christianity in the Roman Empire and throughout Europe. Another set of thinkers present Constantine as an opportunist who used Christianity to further his personal political goal of unifying and ruling the Roman Empire. In either contexts, it can be argued that Constantine played a fundamental role in the promotion of Christianity. This paper examines whether Christianity could have persisted without Constantine or not. According to Professor Stark, in the year AD40, Christians were very few and some estimates put the entire membership of the religion at around 1,0001. It was like any other religious sect and any other group in the Roman empire. However, Christianity grew at a very outstanding rate of 3.42% per a nnum and 40% per decade around AD2502. This suggests that Christianity was already growing when Constantine took over the reign of the Roman Empire in AD 306. In light of this fact, this research will proceed on the premise that Christianity would have survived and grown even without the pro-Christian policies of Constantine. The research will test this hypothesis to ascertain its truthfulness or falsity. Persecutions Before Constantine Constantine was serving in the court of Diocletian who ruled Rome from 285 – 305 AD3. ... om the eyes of Diocletian and other Romans of his generation, Christianity was a foreign religion that had its roots in Ancient Israel, then known to the Romans as Palestine. Due to this, the Romans could not take the criticisms in good faith and make adjustments to their beliefs. Rather, Diocletian and his government felt compelled to take action against the Christian critics of the Roman pagan religious system. Diocletian and his government launched the Great Persecution which was the last and the most severe Roman persecution of the Early Christians5. In the national context, Christianity was illegal in the Roman Empire in Diocletian's era. This was the official position and most people in the Roman Empire saw it as a secret society and looked at the members with a high degree of skepticism and suspicion6. Christianity was neither Roman nor Barbarian; it was just some kind of foreign religion that posed a threat to the Roman culture7. More significantly, Christianity in the time o f Diocletian was expanding. This created an urgent need to control the expansion of Christianity. On February 23, 303, Diocletian destroyed the Church in Nicomeda and burnt scriptures and confiscated the Church's assets and treasures8. This sent a clear message that Diocletian was against the expansion and growth of the Christian Church. He was obviously not ready to tolerate the Christian Church as a competitor to traditional Roman customs and practices. On the same day, Diocletian issued an edict against Christians which prohibited Christian worship in the Roman Empire9. Three more edicts were issued by Diocletian and these were meant to ban the practice of Christianity and prevent Christians from carrying out their activities, which he thought were detrimental to the Empire and against

Saturday, November 16, 2019

A Salty High Essay Example for Free

A Salty High Essay I gazed there, looking among the horizon, a dawn sky brightened with the rising sun; waiting for the most unique peeler to form my way. Sitting on my 62 fiberglass surfboard, i was in awe at the beautiful lively nature that surrounded me. The ocean breeze sprayed against my face and the salty moisture in the air plastered to my dry lips. I noticed the seagulls in the distance, were soaring around a gigantic school of flounder, among the shallow waters of the sandbar. The tide was  demanding and it pulled me along south as I watched my towel on the beach, diminish. Surfing- its more than a weekend activity with the kids, or a successful football game; its a way of life, a lifestyle. Being encompassed by the most natural environment, can be so unwinding. Successfully maneuvering a wave takes concentration, superior balance, and no fear to a new rank. The natural high of surfing is as good a feeling as making an A on an exam [if not better]. The white water was breaking behind me and I was forced to move beyond it. I paddled as hard as I could, but progressed nowhere. Why, I pondered to myself, Why am I so weak? I slowly pushed to the furthest sandbar, where the waves were less trifling. Surfers: the tan, salt induced bodies of them all were in harmony with natures sea of sodium. The hard-core wave riders were off in the distance waiting for the sets, as I rode over the falls at the shallow cold sandbar. Becoming one with nature is the most rewarding feeling someone can experience. People have become so caught up in their daily routines, they dont allow themselves the good points in life. In the cool waters of the ocean are the people enjoying the high, the Salty High.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Child Abuse and Neglect Essay -- Violence Against Children

Did you know that in 2011, nearly five children died every day in America from child abuse and neglect? In this research paper I will discuss what is child abuse and neglect. Then, we will discover why some parents choose to abuse their children. Next, I will dive into a discussion about the long term effects of child abuse. Finally, we will explore what age groups are affected by abuse. What is child abuse and neglect? According to Child Help, there are different forms of abuse. There is physical abuse which means any non- accidental injury to a child which includes hitting, kicking, slapping, burning, hair pulling, throwing, and whipping. There is also sexual abuse which is any sexual act between an adult and a child. This would be fondling, intercourse, and pornography. Example of another type of abuse would be emotional abuse which is any attitude or behavior that interferes with a child’s mental health. This would include yelling, screaming, shaming, and name-calling. What is neglect? Well this means a failure to provide for a child’s physical needs. There are different types of neglect such as physical, educational, emotional, medical. Physical neglect is leaving a child alone for an excessive period of time given the child's age and cognitive abilities. Educational neglect is when the Schmidt2 child is not allowed to attend school. Emotional neglect is when the parent encouraging the child to steal or engage in other illegal activities. Medical neglect is withholding medically indicated treatment from disabled infants with life-threatening conditions.Which would include a lack of supervision, inappropriate clothing for the weather, and denial of medical care. Most people wonder why parents choose to abuse their children... ...their children get an automatic child abuse charge and usually get their children taken away. Also sometimes parents have to take parenting classes to show they know they made mistakes. Work Cited Streetman, Cori P. "NATIONAL CHILDREN'S ALLIANCE." National Children's Alliance Digital Media Kit. National Children's Alliance, 2009. Web. 21 Nov. 2013. Young, Daphne. "National Child Abuse Statistics." Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse. Child Help, 2013. Web. 21 Nov. 2013. Smith, Melinda. "Child Abuse & Neglect." : Recognizing, Preventing and Reporting Child Abuse. Help Guide, Aug. 2013. Web. 21 Nov. 2013. Berman, Laura. "Effects of Sexual Abuse." Oprah.com. N.p., 2013. Web. 25 Nov. 2013. McLean, Lynne. "What Is Child Abuse?" Collin County Children's Advocacy Center: Short and Long Term Effects of Abuse. Children's Advocacy Center, 2013. Web. 27 Nov. 2013.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Were the Great Powers ready for war in 1914?

To be ready for war the Great Powers would need a great military, both in army and navy, great agriculture and they would also need to be financially capable of supporting the expenses caused by the war. Further more the Powers should be economically successful nations and have good infrastructure to enable them to produce necessary weapons to fight the war. The politics of the nation and the moral of its people should also be taken into account when entering the Great War. Being ready for war involves a large culmination of different aspects. The country's military is a very important aspect to consider. The military of the nation is an imperative aspect since a military involves a permanent, professional force of soldiers or guerrillas trained exclusively for the purpose of warfare. The size of the military depends on the number of men, the cavalry and the artillery the nation possess. Usually, the larger the military the more chance there is of winning the battle against the other nation(s) since more men and equals more power or force. However the motivation and the determination of the military also plays an important part in the plausible outcome. Another important factor in deciding if the Powers were ready for war is their agriculture. If the nations external food sources from foreign countries were blocked the country would starve unless the agriculture is sufficient enough to feed its people. To be ready for war the country should have the capability to survive for a period during the war by growing its own food. However the Powers should have land available to grow the food. Money also plays a significant part in deciding whether the Powers are ready for war. To be ready, the Powers should be financially capable to support their nation and its people. Also the cost of the war should not lead to nation bankruptcy. Prior to 1914, Wilhelm the second rejected Bismarck's careful foreign policy and under went a period of military expansion both in army and navy. The military expansion can be show as Germany being ‘warlike and aggressive' however a great military is needed to be ready of war. In 1906 the French army was a more sophisticated army than the Germans despite the fact that Germany had 10,000 more men. This did not go unnoticed and by 1914 Germany's army was estimated to around 2 million. Germany believed that the navy also plays an important part and Tirpitz, the head of the German navy, believed that Germany couldn't be seen as a world power without a strong navy. He wanted to make his navy two thirds the size of Britain's so that he could challenge them. This also shows Germany being war like and aggressive. By 1906, he had 18 battleships (first class), 13 battleships (other class), 6 cruisers (first class), 24 cruisers (other class), 103 destroyers, subs mtb's and 35,500 officers and men. Having a superior army is not enough to be ready for war, the soldiers should be motivated and determined to fight. To improve soldier and citizen morale the German army was described as: ‘There was no such thing as the German army but rather the 4 armies of Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony and Wurttemberg'1. This statement boosted the soldier's confidence since its gave an affect that Germany had a colossal army. The sheer size of the German army implies Germany was in fact ready for war in the military aspect. The military aspect, despite being an imperative part of being ready for war, is not enough. The industry of the nation also plays an important part. By 1914 Germany was one of the most economically successful nations in, not just Europe but the world. In 1909 there were 4579 commercial companies in Germany with a combined capital of 15,860 million marks and with annual dividends of c. 1 billion marks. ‘In the first two decades of the Empire, Germany had been transformed from a mainly agrarian to a predominantly industrial state' 2. Also Germany's high and sustained rate of industrial growth was the dominant feature of the European economic landscape. It was more persistent than that of either France or Britain, and was rivaled only by that of Russia and, outside Europe, by the USA.3 Also in the new industries of chemicals and electrics, German industry led the way.4 The booming German industry makes Germany ready for war in the industrial aspect as well. Agriculturally, Germany was excellent. By 1914 German agriculture, in terms of yield per hectare, was the most productive in the world.5 In 1912, Germany was producing 2,260 kg/hectare of wheat and 15,030 kg/hectare of potatoes. Their agricultural superiority shows that Germany would have the capability to survive for a period during a war by growing its own food since it had the most productive agricultural land in the world. Germany's thriving agriculture makes the nation ready for war in a agricultural aspect. However, despite the continued industrial growth, German society appeared to have become increasingly fractured during the period. There was a much greater disparity between the upper and working classes. The politics of the nation and the moral of the people should also be sound if the nation is considered to be completely ready to fight a war. Despite being superior in a military sense, an industry sense and agricultural sense, Germany was not great in a political sense. From 1870-1914, Britain was the leading world power; its position was sustained by the royal navy. The British navy was larger than any other powers though it was widely distributed throughout the empire in small groups. Britain required a strong navy since the nation relied heavily on imports and its need for a market meant that free sea passage was important. However Britain's army was not as strong as their navy. The army was spread throughout the empire in defense and has been mostly successful. However the army was very small only equipped in fighting small easy wars. A small army doesn't mean it's not a strong army. The British army was small unlike the other larger European armies but it was professional and well trained. The moral and the determination of the army to succeed is also very important in winning wars not just the size. The army was polarised by class and small reaching a sum of 733,514, which was tiny compared to the standards of the European rivals. The BEF was the army Britain had available for the possible outbreak of war. The BEF was small with 1 permanent Corp, 1 Calvary division, 6 infantry divisions (20,000) however most was spread throughout empire with over half of the BEF at home being reservists which would be the army unofficially sent to France on the western wing of the army in the event of the outbreak of the war. Because Britain's army lacked size its ability of reinforcement was limited. However, in 1914 there was parliament approval to increase the army by 500, 000 men. This quote summarises the British army well: The British army was historically little more than a colonial police force trained and equipped to fight small wars against inferior opposition.6 The British were not as strong as the German's in a militarily and this suggests they were not ready for war in military aspe ct. Austria's army was not much better that the Britain's one. Compared with the German army the size of the military was quite small. The size was not only the problem but language was another major one. When the outbreak of war appeared there were 2.25 million men that were immobilized for Austro-Hungary and they were trained for around 4 weeks before they were sent. There were many languages spoke in the army so they had to try and make sure the same language served together. Most of the time different nationalities had to mix though and the officers were mainly Hungarian or German speaking Austrians with the enlisted from the Slavic population. This meant many Slavic men had to be taught a different language. In 1914 Austria had 40,000 soldiers and Hungary had 30,000. There was also the Imperial and Royal Army that was drawn from all parts of the Empire. The 350,000 men in this army gave their allegiance direct to Emperor Franz Josef.7 In 8th April 1904 the Anglo-French Entente was consummated after long years of negotiation with a complete settlement of all outstanding colonial differences. This opened the door to Anglo-French military conversations, which continued up to the outbreak of war in August 1914. In 17th January 1906, Anglo-French military conversations about cooperation in the event of a European war began at the Algeciras Conference. France was not prepared for war as well as the other great Powers. This was because France had no war aim in the build up to the First World War and therefore they did not feel the need to prepare for war much. However they did make a vital preparation in the political aspect of getting ready for war. France made a strong alliance with Russia. This meant that if France had to go to war with Germany, Germany would be forced into war on two fronts. France's government being not very organized caused the lack of interest of starting the war. France however was a wealthy country and they were financially capable of starting a war but however its executive power was weak compared to Britain and Germany. They also had frequent changes of government, which can cause disagreement with the nations policies. France was not in a good situation to enter a war and their minimal preparation shows their naivety. It is suggested that France had no intention of entering World War One, and they were literally forced into it. The Russian army was the largest in Europe, but despite having many men, they were not financially capable of paying the soldiers so the Russian government could only call up a fraction of those eligible each year to serve in the army. The Russian army was corrupt and under equipped. The army was backward, short of modern equipment and officers were appointed on the ground of family connections rather than ability. There battle success was not great either since they were badly defeated by the Japanese army in 1904-1905. Despite having a poor army Russia's economy was booming. Savings accounts grew from 4,988,000 to 8,992,000 between 1905 and 1913. The national dept also significantly dropped. The average annual growth rate between 1907 and 1914 was over 6 per cent, which was higher then that of any other Western European country. However, to continue this development Russia needed both domestic harmonies, which was under threat and even more importantly peace with her neighbors. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and the events which followed were to shatter both. There was some political instability before the war because the classes were beginning to reveal their grievances. In conclusion none of the Great Powers were completely ready for war. Germany and had a strong army which means the nation was ready in a military aspect but however they were not ready politically. Britain's army was minute however their navy was successful and Austria's army was also small. Russia had a large army but they were not financially capable of paying all the soldiers. Agriculturally Germany was excellent and politically Britain was good. However to be ready for war the nation must possess a culmination of several aspects such as a good military, good agriculture and industry and they should also be financially capable. None of the powers possessed this culmination and were strong in one aspect but not in the other.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

The Brain and Cognitive Functioning

The Brain and Cognitive Functioning Jessica Johnson PSY 360 March 11, 2013 Donna M. Glover-Rogers, Ph. D The Brain and Cognitive Functioning The following describes the role of the brain and the impact it has on a person’s cognitive functions, including how injury to certain part of the brain can affect specific cognitive functions while leaving others intact. To support this idea we look at the case of Phinneas Gage, and how his brain injury affected his cognitive abilities. In order to understand what role the brain plays in cognitive functioning one must understand cognitive functioning and what it is.Cognitive functioning refers to a person’s ability to coordinate thought and action as well as the ability to direct it towards a goal. It is needed to overcome environmental obstacles, orchestrate plans and execute complex sequences of behavior. When a person thinks, gives their attention to something, has or feels some kind of emotion, makes a plan, learns a new task or information, or recalls a memory they are using their cognitive functioning all of which starts in the brain. As the world has progressed so has science and technology; as theses fields have grown so has the ability to learn about the brain and how it works.Today we know that the brain is made up of millions small parts all working together to serve a final outcome. However technology is not the only thing that assists researchers in the study of the brain; people who have suffered traumatic brain injury have equally aided scientist in understanding how the brain functions. One of the most remarkable examples of the impact a brain injury can have on a person’s life is that of Phinneas Gage. This case proves to be one of the first to confirm that damage to a person’s frontal cortex could result in a significant personality change despite other neurological functions remain intact.In September of 1848 an accidental explosion caused a 20 pound iron rod from the railroa d tracks to penetrate Gage’s Left cheek bone and exiting just behind his right temple (BSCS 2005). To everyone’s shock Gage never lost consciousness through the injury; however, the injuries to his brain caused a complete change in personality. Prior to the accident Gage was reported to be calm and collected man. He was said to be very level-headed and it was reported by his supervisors that his calm demeanor made him the best foremen on his team. The trauma to Gage’s brain caused a severe and unpleasant change in his character.Upon recovering and returning to work he was said to be highly volatile, full of rage, impatient and vulgar. Despite making a full physical recovery his behavior made such a negative change he was never able to work as a foreman again. Gage’s case was one of the first and often considered the most dramatic cases of personality change caused by brain injury that has ever been documented. The injuries that Gage sustained to his brain raised several questions about the impact the brain has on cognitive functioning. It has become clear that a common side-effect of frontal lobe damage is drastic change in one’s behavior.An individual’s personality can significantly alter after damage to the frontal lobes, particularly when both lobes are involved (Hernandez, 2008). Many important things were learned from Gage’s life altering accident, first and possibly most important it shows that not every brain injury will cause death. In addition researchers learned that not all brain injuries will cause loss to all brain functions (2008). Although being over 100 years old the injury Phineas Gage suffered to his brain is still known as one of the most educational injuries in history.Not only did it prove one could survive such a traumatic injury to the brain but it proved they could still function physically and mentally. This case was also the first to prove that the frontal cortex of the brain directly i mpacts personality, and although one could recover to physically function as they had before the altered personality may never change. Along with cases like Phinneas Gage, advancements in technology have given researchers a picture of how the brain controls cognitive functioning but to what extent remains unclear.References Hernandez, Christina. (2008). Phineas Gage. Retrieved March 08, 2013 from http://www. associatedcontent. com/article/831073/phineas_gage_pg3. html? cat=4 National Institue of Health Office of Science Education BSCS (2005). Retrieved March 07, 2013 from http://science. education. nih. gov/supplements/nih4/self/guide/info-brain. htm Willingham, D. T. (2007). Cognition: The thinking animal (3rd ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall. Retrieved from Ebsco Host

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Study Questions on Introduction to the New Testament Essays

Study Questions on Introduction to the New Testament Essays Study Questions on Introduction to the New Testament Essay Study Questions on Introduction to the New Testament Essay The Jewish man who was born in the province of Galilee, who was the son of Joseph and Mary, who had several brothers and sisters, and who was some rot of carpenter of builder. The New Testament focuses mainly on the last years Of Jesus life, and presents him as a Jewish peasant who assumes the roles of rabbi and prophet on behalf of other Jewish peasants in Galilee during the rule of Hero Antipasti; the most prominent phase of his ministry (Powell, 2009). What the earthly Jesus means to me is the idea or the encompassing of everything that it means to be human or earthly. In other words, it is to recognize that Jesus was an actually person who, like you and I, did many regular earthly things. The exalted Jesus, on the other hand, is the dead that Jesus is active in human lives even though he is not physically alive. Mark Powell explains that when a believer has found Christ it means that who is part of the corporate entity that now makes up Christi body on earth (Powell, 2009), and is in reference to the exalted Jesus. The exalted Jesus can be identified as the bridegroom of the church or as a great high priest who serves God in a heavenly sanctuary, who communicates with people through visions and prophecies, who answers prayers and also offers prayers for his followers (Powell, 2009). The exalted Jesus is also expected to return to earth t the end of time to preside at the final judgment. The way these two are tied together is how they are viewed in the writings and Jesus as living entity, in the past and how he is living in the daily lives of Christians in the present. Historians are interested in studying all forms of Jesus, but they need to sufficient evidence to back up their findings, hence the study of historical Jesus. They use the New Testament as a primary sources to be analyses in order to extract information pertinent to a credible reconstruction of who Jesus was and what happened in the world because of him (Powell, 2009). Historians seek the historical Jesus, that is, the person who emerges from an analysis of sources in accord with generally accepted principles of historical science (Powell, 2009). Historical science is skeptical by nature, thus, from a historians point of view, the New Testament can be classified as religious propaganda. However, they strive to keep the distance between historical facts and religious assertions. 2. How is a Gospel different from a biography? What is the purpose of an ancient biography, and how do these differ from contemporary biographies? A modern biography is a detailed description of a arsons life and entails more basic information like education, work, relationships and death. A modern biography also portrays the persons life story and includes the highlights and intimate details of his or her experiences. However, during the time that the Gospels were written they can closely be classified as ancient biographies. The word gospel was first used to describe not a type of book but the content of Christian preaching and are only a short step removed from preaching (Powell, 2009). Gospels may be identified as biographies but unlike modern biographies there iterative makes no offering of objective or balanced perspectives on Jesus life, in other words, they offer little to no insight into Jesus personality, motivations, his childhood or his physical appearance. Also the gospels included genealogies, miracle stories, speeches, and pronouncement stories. The purpose of ancient biographies was to relate accounts that portrayed the essential character of the person who was the subject of the work, (Powell, 2009) in this case, Jesus. Nonetheless, the biographies were to define that persons character in a manner that would invite emulation. Lastly, events thin the Gospels Were not always reported in chronological order, instead, they were recounted In a sequence likely to have a particular rhetorical effect on the reader. As stated above, modern biographies are based on the facts of that persons lifer and (normally) set into chronological order so the reader can understand the events as they occur and what led to that particular event. In modern non-fiction biographies you must be able to back up the events with facts. However, ancient biographies were written in a supernatural sense. They were intended to report the extraordinary lives of people with the intention of inspiring the reader to change their lives. The authors of the Gospels tell the story of Jesus in a way that may motivate people to accept his teaching or practice his way of life (Powell, 2009). 3. What are two specific things you learned about Jesus that you did not know before? I must admit I know little about Jesus, excluding the general things most non- Christians know, for instance, he turned water into wine, he walked on water, and he died for humanities sins. Nevertheless the stories have learned about Jesus are extremely fascinating and very enjoyable to read about. The two specific things learned about Jesus were more specific examples of his miracles, such as how he heals ten lepers (Luke 1 7: 11-19) and how he cures a boy who is possessed (Matthew 17: 14-8). On his way to Jerusalem Jesus entered a village where he was approached, at a distance, by ten lepers. The lepers cried out for his help, Jesus tell the lepers to go show yourselves to the priest, and as they went they were made clean. However, what I found most interesting about this story is that only one of the lepers comes back to thank him and he happened to be a foreigner. Jesus did ask why the others id not come back and praise God, but he sends the foreigner on his way and tells him get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well. Find this story very fascinating because it reminds me of doctors today. A doctor can give a man who is suffering from severe kidney damage due to heavy drinking and statistically the man will continue drinking once he is well. In this story all ten lepers had faith but once they were healed they continued doing whatever else they were doing instead of embracing God and the miracle that was just preformed upon them. The second miracle is wh en Jesus is in a crowd of people and a man comes to ask for help curing his son of epilepsy. The father had previously tried to get a cure for him through Jesus disciples but had no luck. However, Jesus was able to cure him instantly. When the disciples asked Jesus why they were unable to cure the boy he replies because of your little faith. This story especially fascinates me because when I read the title I was expecting a boy to be possessed by a demon, such as a demon from hell, however, it was referring to epilepsy, which we now know is a brain disorder in which nerve activity in the brain is disrupted, causing seizures. Currently there is no medical treatment for epilepsy, nevertheless, the story shows how anything that is not construed as normal back in these times may have been considered demon possessions. 4. How does Luke analyses and present social class, poverty, and riches in his Gospel? How is Lakes view of poverty and riches similar or different from your own contemporary view of class and money? How might Luke look at our society today compared with his idealized view of class and financial status? Specifically, who are the poor, marginalia, or disadvantaged in Lakes Gospel? During this time over 90% of the population was considered or. Unable to feed themselves and their families, poor. So it is to be expected that the poor was an overwhelming percentage of Jesus followers. This had to have a direct impact on him. They would travel from town to town seeing poverty, injustice and sickness to his people, while the rich ruled the communities and ate banquets of food. Lakes gospel specifically shows concern for the poor and oppressed. While Lakes concern is for the poor, he is not necessarily speaking about those who are economically deprived. Luke also explains that the normalization of poor people can mean people f all economic situations who might be lacking honor, symbolically poor, or just generally disadvantaged. To Luke, the poor and oppressed are one in the same, for in this Gospel poverty is viewed as a consequence of injustice: the poor have too little because others have too much (Powell, 2009). Which shows in Lakes concern for the poor and resentment towards the rich. My view on current poverty is similar in many ways to Lakes view and it also differs in many ways. For instance, I am a true believer of not having things handed to you and working hard to acquire the things you want in life. This fifers from Luaus perspectives because in his eyes most are poor because of someone else, not because of their selves. However, the social structure is so extremely different it is hard to compare the two. There is unlimited amount of resources in America to help you better your economic situation, such as school grants, government funded day-care vouchers so parents can work and pay for day care, help with finding jobs, assistance paying your bills, and the list can go on. In these ancient times, you were most definitely subjected to the family and town you were born in and the idea of bettering your tuition was far and few between. I believe Luke would most definitely approve of our current social standings. There will inevitable be rich and poor people, but because of national closeness with each other we have been able to close the gaps between the classes and provide opportunity to those looking to better their situation, which would undoubtedly please Luke. 5. Powell opens the chapter on John with a few quotes from important readers of this Gospel living in the second to the sixteenth centuries. Many of them refer to John as a spiritual Gospel. What does this mean? What evidence for spiritual understanding of Jesus and community do you see in the Gospel itself? Are there also passages that portray a material portrait of Jesus or material concerns of the author and first-century community (e. G. , dealing with concrete, physical, and bodily realities)? How might these two aspects of the Gospel fit together in early Christian understanding of Jesus? When many scholars refer to John as a spiritual Gospel it is referring to the abundant amount of symbolism he includes in his Gospel. The previous Gospels focus on the facts of Jesus life, however John does discuss these things but his Gospel has a distinctive style that shows it to be the result of overwhelming theological contemplation. In this Gospel the symbols of spiritual realities are clearly present. For instance, ordinary items become symbols of spiritual truths, a loaf of bread bread of life becomes the symbol of the spiritual food given by God, and water becomes the spirit given to Jesus. Such as in John 6: 35, Jesus says to them, l am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. John does discus Jesus earthly manor, for instance, Johns Gospel is congruent with hat of all the essential points in other Gospels, such as, Jesus in the Messiah and son of God his life and teachings reveal Gods character and will for humanity (Powell, 2009).

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Best Summary and Analysis The Great Gatsby, Chapter 5

Best Summary and Analysis The Great Gatsby, Chapter 5 SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Because The Great Gatsbyis nine chapters long, getting to Chapter 5 means that we’ve arrived in the exact middle of the story. Thus, it makes sense that this chapter takes a single event - Daisy and Gatsby’s perfectly romantic reunion - and uses it to both tie together everything that has been set up so far, and also to create such a delicate balance of safety and happiness that it’s clear that everything will soon crumble. But before the bubble of love pops, enjoy the world’s most magical, most carefully planned â€Å"accidental† date. Quick Note on Our Citations Our citation format in this guide is (chapter.paragraph). We're using this system since there are many editions of Gatsby, so using page numbers would only work for students with our copy of the book. To find a quotation we cite via chapter and paragraph in your book, you can either eyeball it (Paragraph 1-50: beginning of chapter; 50-100: middle of chapter; 100-on: end of chapter), or use the search function if you're using an online or eReader version of the text. The Great Gatsby: Chapter 5Summary Nick comes home to find all the lights on in Gatsby’s mansion. Gatsby wants to hang out, but clearly only because he wants to know what Nick has decided about asking Daisy for tea.Nick is happy to do it, and they plan for a day after Gatsby has had a chance to get Nick’s lawn cut. Gatsby then makes a totally out of place proposal to do some bond business with Nick (whose job is selling bonds, and who doesn’t seem particularly good at it or invested in it). Nick is uncomfortable about the quid pro quo (that’s Latin for â€Å"something for something† - in other words, a transaction) feeling of the deal and declines. The next day, Nick invites Daisy to tea, and cautions her not to bring Tom. Gatsby sends someone to mow the lawn, orders a huge number of flowers, isn’t thrilled with Nick’s sad tea and cakes selection, and worries that the day will be ruined because it’s raining. He then freaks out at the last second that Daisy isn’t coming, but just then she pulls up in her car. Gatsby and Daisy meet in Nick’s living room in the most awkward, strained, and tense scene imaginable. It’s unclear whether either one is happy to see the other. They are unable to speak two words. When Nick tries to leave them alone, Gatsby panics and tries to leave also. Nick calms him down, and then stands outside in the rain for an hour to give Gatsby and Daisy some privacy.When he returns, the two are totally different – no longer embarrassed, much calmer, and Gatsby is actually glowing. Gatsby suddenly brags that it only took him three years to earn the money to buy his mansion. Nick calls him out on this since earlier Gatsby had said he had inherited his wealth. Gatsby quickly says that the inheritance was lost in the financial panic of 1914 and that he’s been in several businesses since then. Daisy then exclaims that she loves Gatsby’s giant mansion (she can see it out of Nick’s window). They go over to Gatsby’s, and he shows them around the now empty house, never taking his eyes off Daisy and her reaction to his things. Gatsby is completely overwhelmed by Daisy’s presence. He is overcome with feelings that he can’t even put into words. Gatsby opens a cabinet and starts pulling out piles of shirts and throwing them onto a table. Every kind of shirt color and pattern imaginable stack higher and higher on this table until Daisy puts her head into the shirts and starts to cry about their beauty. It starts raining again, and Gatsby shows Daisy that her house is directly across the bay from his. Nick sees a photograph of Dan Cody, who Gatsby says used to be his best friend until he died. Gatsby shows Daisy a bunch of newspaper clippings about her that he’s been collecting (she would have been featured in the gossip pages that described fancy parties and rich people’s society). Hegets a phone call about Detroit but hangs up quickly. This is the first time that he hasn’t excused himself to take acall in the novel. Nick tries to leave again, but is again roped into staying.Gatsby asks Ewing Klipspringer, a guest who apparently is just always at the house, to play the piano for them. He plays a comical love song. Nick finally says goodbye and leaves.As he does, he sees Daisy whisper in Gatsby’s ear, and imagines that her siren-like voice holds him in thrall. Daisy’s constant shirt-inspired weeping has now gotten her banned from Brooks Brothers. Key Chapter 5 Quotes "You're selling bonds, aren't you, old sport?"..."Well, this would interest you. It wouldn't take up much of your time and you might pick up a nice bit of money. It happens to be a rather confidential sort of thing." I realize now that under different circumstances that conversation might have been one of the crises of my life. But, because the offer was obviously and tactlessly for a service to be rendered, I had no choice except to cut him off there. (5.22-25) Nick recognizes that what he quickly dismissed in the moment could easily have been the moral quandary that altered his whole future. It seems that Nick thinks this was his chance to enter the world of crime – if we assume that what Gatsby was proposing is some kind of insider trading or similarly illegal speculative activity – and be thus trapped on the East Coast rather than retreating to the Midwest. It’s striking that Nick recognizes that his ultimate weakness – the thing that can actually tempt him – is money. In this way, he is different from Gatsby, whose temptation is love, and Tom, whose temptation is sex – and of course, he is also different because he resists the temptation rather than going all-in. Although Nick’s refusal could be spun as a sign of his honesty, it instead underscores how much he adheres to rules of politeness. After all, he only rejects the idea because he feels he â€Å"had no choice† about the proposal because it was â€Å"tactless.† Who knows what shenanigans Nick would have been on board with if only Gatsby were a little smoother in his approach? He had passed visibly through two states and was entering upon a third. After his embarrassment and his unreasoning joy he was consumed with wonder at her presence. He had been full of the idea so long, dreamed it right through to the end, waited with his teeth set, so to speak, at an inconceivable pitch of intensity. Now, in the reaction, he was running down like an overwound clock. (5.4) On the one hand, the depth of Gatsby’s feelings for Daisy is romantic. He’s living the hyperbole of every love sonnet and torch song ever written. After all, this is the first time we see Gatsby lose control of himself and his extremely careful self-presentation. But on the other hand, does he actually know anything about Daisy as a human being? Notice that it’s â€Å"the idea† that he’s consumed with, not so much the reality. The word â€Å"wonder† makes it sound like he’s having a religious experience in Daisy’s presence. The pedestal that he has put her on is so incredibly high there’s nothing for her to do but prove disappointing. Daisy put her arm through his abruptly but he seemed absorbed in what he had just said. Possibly it had occurred to him that the colossal significance of that light had now vanished forever. Compared to the great distance that had separated him from Daisy it had seemed very near to her, almost touching her. It had seemed as close as a star to the moon. Now it was again a green light on a dock. His count of enchanted objects had diminished by one. (5.121) Almost immediately when he’s finally got her, Daisy starts to fade from an ideal object of desire into a real life human being. It doesn’t even matter how potentially wonderful a person she may be – she could never live up to the idea of an â€Å"enchanted object† since she is neither magical nor a thing. There is also a question here of â€Å"what’s next?† for Gatsby. If you have only one goal in life, and you end up reaching that goal, what is your life’s purpose now? Is Gatsby more in love with the idea of love than with the actual human being he obsesses over? The Great GatsbyChapter 5 Analysis Now let's consider how this chapter plays into the book as a whole. Overarching Themes Love, Desire, and Relationships. After an earlier chapter of Tom and Myrtle together, we get a chapter of Daisy and Gatsby together. At first glance, the pairs are diametric opposites. Tom and Myrtle are crass and vulgar, constantly chattering about nothing, driven by materialism and physical desire, without a drop of love or romance between them. On the other hand, Gatsby and Daisy are modest and embarrassed, almost speechless, overwhelmed by feelings, and have a physical comfort with each other that Tom doesn’t inspire either in Daisy or in Myrtle (both of whom he physically hurts in varying degrees). Gatsby’s love for Daisy has an otherworldly quality that is several times described in either mythic or religious terms. But already the chapter anticipates that elevating the relationship to such heights makes a fall almost inevitable. Morality and Ethics. Nick is tempted by what he later comes to realize is the moral quandary of his life. Twice, Gatsby offers to do some kind of business with him. There are two ethical challenges in this offer. First, Gatsby is suggesting that Nick needs to be paid for services rendered – that asking Daisy to tea and letting Gatsby see her at Nick’s house is a transaction that needs to be reimbursed somehow. This casts an oddly pimp-and-prostitute vibe on what Nick is being asked to do, which would dispel some of the fairytale romance that Gatsby is ostensibly going for. Second, since it comes on the heels of their encounter with Mr. Wolfshiem, Gatsby’s business proposition is most likely illegal (Insider trading? Speculation? Printing fake bonds? There are several possibilities.). It connects Nick to the lawless criminality that in this novel is associated with the new â€Å"Wild East.† Symbolism: Gatsby's Shirts.Gatsby showers Daisy with his array of exquisite shirts in a display that is at the same time self-congratulation and also a submissive plea. On the one hand, this odd moment is like a male bird’s complicated mating dance – the shirts are the peacock’s plumage. These shirts are a visual representation of how far Gatsby has come – he can literally cover Daisy with his riches. But on the hand, the desperate way he shows them off ties into Nick’s observation that â€Å"think he revalued everything in his house according to the measure of response it drew from her well-loved eyes† (5.1). He wants her approval and is putting all of himself out there for her to pronounce judgment on. Motifs: Weather. For the first time, the novel dwells at length on an extremeweather event. The intermittent downpour sometimes limits and sometimes facilitates Daisy and Gatsby’s afternoon together. The rain allows for moments of physical comedy. For example, Gatsby’s plan to â€Å"accidentally† drop by Nick’s house during tea with Daisy falls apart when he makes his appearance soaking wet (meaning that he obviously wasn’t simply trying to visit Nick – who would do that in that kind of weather?). The rain also creates physical and emotional boundaries, allowing Daisy and Gatsby to stay in their private world. Literally, this happens when they can’t tour the mansion’s grounds and have to stay in his house. But more importantly, this happens when the rain creates a mist that hides Daisy’s house across the bay from view. She doesn’t have to think about her marriage or her daughter – she can exist with Gatsby surrounded by magical-sounding â€Å"pink and golden billow of foamy clouds† (5.134). As soon as one magical light experience (the green dock light) goes stale, Gatsby replaces it with another (sunlit rain clouds). Maybe he just needs a lamp. Crucial Character Beats Nick agrees to invite Daisy over for tea and an â€Å"accidental† meeting with Gatsby. He is able to resist the offer to do business with Gatsby. Daisy and Gatsby finally meet! It’s awkward and horrible at first, but after an hour alone together both of them seem very happy. Then, the trio goes to tour Gatsby’s mansion. Gatsby is overwhelmed by Daisy’s presence and is almost manic. He throws piles and piles of his shirts in front of her until she cries at how beautiful they are. Nick keeps trying to leave Gatsby and Daisy alone, but keeps being roped back into their company. Compare this to the way he was trying to get away from Tom and Myrtle in Chapter 2and also forced to stick around. Daisy and Gatsby are left alone together, clearly full of feelings for each other, and in their own little world. What’s Next? Laugh at a drenched, umbrella-less Gatsby in the most recent movie adaptation- it’s one of the few physical comedy bits in the novel, and that movie gets it just right. Explore the chapter’s other key symbol: the green light on Daisy’s dock. Review the chapter’s main motifs: the rainy weather, and the conspicuous lack of alcohol. Move on to the summary of Chapter 6, or revisit the summary of Chapter 4. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: