Sunday, November 17, 2019
Enron, the smartest guys in the room Essay Example for Free
Enron, the smartest guys in the room Essay Enron was one of the biggest scandal of all time in the stock market. The three main guys leading the pack was Ken Lay, Jeffrey Skilling, and Andy Fastow. The company was not making profit so they decided to do future value accounting. This was shown to shareholders so they can spend money and invest in Enron. The future value accounting just shows a list of future profit that was predicted. What actually happened? Why it can happen again? What can be done to prevent it? and What is now being dont to prevent it? These are the question that will be answered and explained. What actually happened? Andy Fastow was the one who created several smaller companies that would hide the losses Enron had made. Enron showed that they were making great increases in the stock market and others wanted a piece of that. They even convinced their own employees to buy stocks. Enron wanted to hide their scandal so bad that they paid investment company to fire the employee that had any concerns. Enron was behind the California Energy Crisis and made billions off the state. They had the power plants shut down and resold energy for much higher and made outrageous profit. Their company got so big within a short amount of time, but so did their losses. It was getting much harder for them to hide the scandal as their company progresses. A writer at Forbes magazine was the one who started the collapse of Enron. She released an article and what Enron was truly doing and it went downhill from there. Jeffrey Skilling bailed on the company and sold all his stocks and left Ken Lay and Andy Fastow to run the company. Enron eventually collapsed and all the employee lost everything. Jeffrey Skilling and Andy Fastow were sent to prison for the scandal and Ken Lay passed away after the trials. The main thing that can be done to prevent another Enron scandal is the involvement of the investors themselves. The stockholders need to know about everything and anything that goes on in the company they are investing to the best of their abilities. Management and the Board members also play a very big role in avoiding another Enron. They are the one to keep track of the funds coming in and out of the company. Calpers are the current members that watch over the investors money and make sure everything is where theyre suppose to be. Regulators are also important in having strict regulations for companies, but lenient enough so there is room for competition. The Enron Scandal can happen again if a company is using the future value of accounting, but with the new check and order that is set up, it is very unlikely it will happen. These new check and order are very strict and precise on company so that they can prevent another major scandal. Audit committees have the right to access the companys financial statements and have the company cooperate with them at all times. The reason why Enron got away with their scandal for so long was because they had their own audit committee checking up on them. There is no way to completely prevent another scandal, but a scandal as big as Enron will surely not happen again. In the end, check and balance comes in to play to keep any company from pulling a scandal as big as Enron. Because there was a loose leash over the company, Enron took advantage of that to the max and scammed every investor for their money. Now the lesson has been learned and companies are being regulated and watched for the best of the investors.
Thursday, November 14, 2019
Females In The Canadian Workplace Essay -- essays research papers
Running Head:     WORKPLACE ROLES OF MEN AND WOMEN COMPARED IN TODAY’S SOCIETY                               Work Place Roles Of Men and Women Compared in Today’s Society Submitted by: Steven Kopac Submitted to: Pierro Student #: 2321040 Seminar Time: Tuesday @ 11:30-12:30 Course: Sociology 1F90 Brock University Date: Thursday February 8, 2001 Work Place Roles Of Men and Women Compared in Today’s Society      â€Å"Rosy cheeked and bright eyed, she would know how to darn a stocking and mend her own dress...command a regiment of pots and kettles and be a lady when required.†     This statement raises an interesting view on how women have been socially constructed with regard to their place in the work force. Does this also mean that men have been constructed toward a different position in the workplace? Although women have progressed, as far as occupational status is concerned, patriarchy still persists in our modern society. The subject area that will be focussed upon in this paper is the social construction of gender. The purpose of my paper is to explore how the social construction of gender has produced inequalities among men and women at work. The direction this paper will take is to discuss the differences of status, wealth and power between men and women in the work place. The sociological theory that I will apply is gender as a sociological construction. The key element of this theory is sex dimorphism where traits are conceptualized as typically male and typically female normative patterns and these as cultural norms (Hale, 1995) .      Reskin (1993) stated that employers’ preferences for male workers, economic pressures, size of labour supply, gender-role socialization and workers’ values were some of the reasons why women and men are segregated in the workplace. Reskin concluded that there are many social and economic forces that increase and decrease sex segregation in the work force (Reskin,1993). The only way to decrease, better yet, to vanquish sex segregation in the workplace is for society to become â€Å"gender blind†. If society became â€Å"gender blind†differences in the workplace such a... ...emp, Alice Abel. (1994). Women’s Work: Degraded and Devaluated. Engelwood Cliffs, N.J. Prentice-Hall.      Lowe, Graham S. (1999). Labour Markets, Inequality, and the Future of Work. In Curtis, James, Edwards Grabb and Neil Guppy (Eds.), Social Inequality in Canada: Patterns, problems and policies. (pp 113-128). Scarborough, ON. Prentice Hall.      Mackie, M. (1990). The Fundamentals of Gender Socialization. The Sociology of Gender, 1, 5-22.      Reskin, B. (1993). Sex Segregation In The Workplace. Annual Review of Sociology, 19, 241-270.      Rich, A. (1992). Taking Women Students Seriously. The Sociology of Gender, 1, 1-5.      Richardson, John G. & Simpson, Carl H. (1990). Children, Gender and Social Structure: An Analysis of Content of Letters To Santa Claus. Child Development, 53, (429-436).      Statistics Canada. (1998c). Earnings of Men and Women, 1996. Ottawa: Ministry of Industry.      Statistics Canada. (1999a). Earnings of Men and Women, 1998. Ottawa: Ministry of Industry. Cat. No. 13-217-XPB.
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
The Code of Hammurabi
After the fall of the third dynasty of Ur, King Hammurabi came to power in ancient Babylon from 1792 to 1750 BC. As an influential ruler, he accomplished many things, including the reunification of Mesopotamia. His interest in state affairs and his opinion of himself as a â€Å"shepard to his people†most likely led to his greatest contribution to Mesopotamian life, the Code of Hammurabi. The 282 laws mainly focus on responsibilities of public officials, standards for agriculture and commerce, expectations for women, and regulations of sexual relations.Hammurabi believed that the laws were sent by the gods, which explains their strict expectations. In addition, the laws generally follow the philosophy of â€Å"an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth†, revealing the importance of a strict justice system in Mesopotamian society and establishing the authority of the gods and the state. Overall, the punishments were very harsh, with most offenses resulting in death or di sfigurement.Although today's legal standards greatly differ from those of 18th century BC, the Code of Hammurabi can be seen as the foundation for modern day Western legal codes. One reason why modern society's legal system differs from Hammurabi's is because the concept of order in society and, even, in the family has changed greatly. While there are still economic classes today, they are not judged differently in the court of law. In ancient Babylon the social classes of the offender and victim were factors in determining the severity of the penalty.Family life has also changed from a power based (patriarchal) system to a more nurturing and supportive (unified) atmosphere. For example, during Hammurabi's reign, if a son were to hit his father, he would be punished by having his hand cut off. In today's society this would be considered â€Å"cruel and unusual†. Except in extreme situations, the law would not even have reason to get involved. Such is the case for many of the 18th century BC's codes. Mahatma Ghandi made this distinction clear when he said, â€Å"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. Modern legal codes aim more at consequences that will help change the behavior, as opposed to punishments that â€Å"get back at†the offender. Despite the differences, Hammurabi's approach to justice was very influential to the development of modern Western legal systems. They were not the first set of laws of this time, but they were the most structured and thorough. In other cultures the law was simply whatever the king said it was, which inevitably would change depending on certain factors.However, with Hammurabi's laws set in stone and displayed for everyone to see, it was clear what was expected of the people. This concept of a fixed law is the primary similarity between Hammurabi's legal codes and those of today. In addition, the code of Hammurabi established that there be a â€Å"process†in law. Because there were now penaltie s for wrongfully accusing another, it made people think twice before bringing up false charges against somebody. In modern society, specifically the U. S. , this concept is found in the fifth amendment under the clause â€Å"without due process†.The Code of Hammurabi may seem harsh when applying it to modern society, but since values, practices, and standards were different at that time, it really wasn't too far fetched. The inhabitants of Mesopotamia valued the individual rights of the people and the means by which to protect those rights. Even though the process may be different today, the general goal of establishing justice within the society is the same. Hammurabi not only marked his place in Babylonian history, but also throughout the world, by constituting a model of moral codes that civilizations would duplicate for centuries.
Saturday, November 9, 2019
Why Go to Summer Program
Name: Tham Wei Yie Matrics Number: EEE110145 Faculty: Faculty of Economics and Administration There are some of the reasons why I am interested to join for the summer program. Firstly, I can experience a new culture. While on this program, I have a chance to thoroughly experience the culture of the different country. This occurs through direct application as a result of living with a family native to the region, going to school with true residents of the country, and through various other means.I will find myself completely immersed within a different culture once I have arrived in the foreign countries, due to differences in the cuisine, architecture, familial tradition, and even the ways in which people carry out conversation! After having spent a significant amount of time within the country, I will become accustomed to the culture of foreign country and will find myself essentially able to behave in the manner of a local.This excellent learning opportunity typically leaves me wit h better understanding for people of all sorts, and can really make me feel as though I have become â€Å"citizens of the world. †After the return to my country, I will likely enjoy sharing my new culture with those around my friends and relatives. In addition to learning of the culture of the foreign country, I will become familiar with the ways of life of people all around the world through meeting other exchange students. This is guaranteed me to be amusing, and very interesting!Secondly, I will learn a new language. This is the opportunity that I have to learn a foreign language as I never had before. Being a student of going off others country is much like becoming a small child once again, and this provides the opportunity to become familiar with the language in the manner of a native speaker and I will become conversationally fluent if on a short term staying in the different environment. A new language will aid me in the future by allowing me to explore new interests , and will likely also help widen my range of future career options.Thirdly, I can meet new friends from all around the world. During the summer program, I will have meetings and trips where I can get to meet other foreign students. . It is so much fun when I am get together with them because we have so much in common. I will also meet tons of native friends in the country and will have a close relationship with the rest of my life. Most summer program are present within multiple countries within the world; as a result, I will typically have the opportunity to meet other exchange students, from a variety of countries!Oftentimes, the program will involve various outings with other exchange students, which are typically quite fun and interesting – it is incredible to see hordes of people from numerous foreign regions interacting with one another, forming friendships and promoting cultural understanding. One of the most challenging things may be ever experience, and it is wonder ful to know people who are facing similar challenges during that time. The friendships one creates while on summer program are often very long-lasting – and studded with great memories! Lastly which is most important to me is personal development.I will be confronted with challenges in everyday life that I will have never before experienced. Everything is new, as the student adjusts to life within a foreign place with a completely different language and culture. Although this may seem utterly frightening, the difficulties associated with everyday life in abroad can truly teach me a countless life lessons. Even better, I have a chance to accomplish something very unique for my age – living independently for an extended period of time in a foreign country, without the aid of my natural parents.As a result of homesickness, feelings of alienation, or various other factors, I may occasionally go through times of depression, but these must be ended through when I am taking t he initiative to go out and enjoy my amazing new life! Having enjoyed the good and survived the bad components in abroad, I will return to my home country with newfound strength, confidence, and self-understanding. Few other experiences can help me to gain these qualities so early on in life – that is truly the magic of summer program.
Thursday, November 7, 2019
Are You Self-Critical I Sure Am.
Are You Self-Critical I Sure Am. An opportunity for rejection This weekend I took a workshop with Wright as part of a year-long training I’m doing there. On Saturday evening we received an assignment to talk to strangers and get rejected by them. One option for conversation was to tell people about the Wright workshop and invite them to attend. Despite my terror at being viewed as a proselytizer, I took it on. I figured anything that made me that terrified was worth doing. The next thing I knew I was walking up to a woman sitting in front of a burrito shop in Chicago, taking in her look of skepticism, and saying â€Å"I know this is really weird, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬ A few minutes later I had fielded many objections as well as multiple claims that she was not interested: I was not with any sort of religious organization; people from out of state could do the workshop; and all kinds of people, from teens to military to owners of writing and editing companies, got value from the program. A breakthrough It didn’t take long for her to start sharing with me about her husband and how he could really benefit from a program like this, and about her special needs child; in the end she was the one who told me her name without my asking. And she took information about the program with real interest. Everyone I told this story to was blown away by how I continued to talk to this woman despite her multiple attempts to make me go away. I quite possibly made a difference in another human being’s life because I was willing to act despite my fear. In my small group for the weekend, I was voted to share the story with the larger group. But†¦ My self-talk was that this was just me using my sales skills. When I had an opportunity to share about my interaction with a room full of 60 people, I didn’t tell them how awesome I was. I talked about my fear of rejection (which obviously I did not let get in my way). I received some spot-on coaching about my choice of what to share and was left wishing I had just told the story about how I connected with the woman in front of the burrito shop. I immediately started beating myself up that I hadn’t done it right. I wanted a do-over!! (Sound familiar?) I was so self-critical, in fact, that I could barely concentrate on the program for the next several hours †¦ until †¦ I got to watch someone else get coaching on her own self-critic. Suddenly, watching it outside of myself, I was able to feel the hurt of holding on to my critic- really feel it- and I started to ease up on myself ever-so-slightly. Before this experience, I think all I did with my inner critic was to criticize myself for having such a loud one. This time, feeling the pain and emotion of what it’s like in my head, I started to have compassion for her. I’m not getting rid of my critic, mind you. She’s very useful to have around and allows me to correct a lot of things that might otherwise remain a mess. She motivates me to grow and learn. But I’d like her to have less of a hold on me so I have my full energy and brain power to focus on things like reaching out to people and taking on other terrifying, exhilarating tasks in life. Maybe you’d like to cultivate more compassion for your inner critic? Do you tell stories in a way that gives yourself less than full credit? Do you frequently find yourself wanting a â€Å"do-over†? What difference would it make in your life if you could have compassion for the critical voice in your head?
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
Polysemy Definition and Examples
Polysemy Definition and Examples Polysemy is the association of one word with two or more distinct meanings. A polyseme is a word or phrase with multiple meanings. The word polysemy comes from the Greek for many signs. The adjective forms of the word include polysemous or polysemic. In contrast, a one-to-one match between a word and a meaning is called monosemy. According to William Croft, Monosemy is probably most clearly found in specialized vocabulary dealing with technical topics (The Handbook of Linguistics, 2003). According to some estimates, more than 40% of English words have more than one meaning. The fact that so many words (or lexemes) are polysemous shows that semantic changes often add meanings to the language without subtracting any (M. Lynne Murphy, Lexical Meaning, 2010). For a discussion of the similarities and differences between polysemy and homonymy, see the entry for homonymy. Examples and Observations The word good has many meanings. For example, if a man were to shoot his grandmother at a range of five hundred yards, I should call him a good shot, but not necessarily a good man. (G.K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy, 1909) Have You Met Life Today? (advertising slogan of Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, 2001) Now, the kitchen was the room in which we were sitting, the room where Mama did hair and washed clothes, and where each of us bathed in a galvanized tub. But the word has another meaning, and the kitchen Im speaking of now is the very kinky bit of hair at the back of the head, where the neck meets the shirt collar. If there ever was one part of our African past that resisted assimilation, it was the kitchen. (Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Colored People. Alfred A. Knopf, 1994) Sports Illustrated can be bought for 1 dollar or 35 million dollars; the first is something you can read and later start a fire with, the second is a particular company that produces the magazine you just read. Such polysemy can give rise to a special ambiguity (He left the bank five minutes ago, He left the bank five years ago). Sometimes dictionaries use history to decide whether a particular entry is a case of one word with two related meanings, or two separate words, but this can be tricky. Even though pupil (eye) and pupil (student) are historically linked, they are intuitively as unrelated as bat (implement) and bat (animal). (Adrian Akmajian, et al., Linguistics: An Introduction to Language and Communication. MIT Press, 2001) The simplest form of this verb is when it signifies movement forward: The advance of the army was rapid. The word can also mean the state of being in a forward position: We were in advance of the rest of the army. More figuratively, the word can be used to signify promotion in rank or position or salary: His advance to stardom was remarkable. It is also possible to advance an argument in the sense of putting forward reasons for supporting a particular view or course of action: I would like to advance the argument that being in debt is a desirable state while interest rates are so low. (David Rothwell, Dictionary of Homonyms. Wordsworth, 2007) On Polysemy in Advertising Common polysemic puns involve words like bright, naturally, clearly, where the advertiser will want both meanings. This headline ran above a picture of a sheep:Take it from the manufacturer.Wool. Its worth more. Naturally.(American Wool Council, 1980)Here the pun is a way of attributing wool, not to a manufacturing industry, but to nature. (Greg Myers, Words in Ads. Routledge, 1994) On Polysemy as a Graded Phenomenon We adopt as a working hypothesis the view that almost every word is more or less polysemous, with senses linked to a prototype by a set of relational semantic principles which incorporate a greater or lesser amount of flexibility. We follow the now common practice in polysemy research and regard polysemy as a graded phenomenon . . ., where contrastive polysemy deals with homonyms such as match (a small stick with a tip which ignites when scraped on a rough surface) and match (contest in a game or sport), whereas complementary polysemy deals with interrelated semantic aspects of a word, such as, in the case of record, for example, the physical object and the music. (Brigitte Nerlich and David D. Clarke, Polysemy and Flexibility. Polysemy: Flexible Patterns of Meaning in Mind and Language. Walter de Gruyter, 2003) The Lighter Side of Polysemy Leave it to Americans to think that no means yes, pissed means angry, and curse word means something other than a word thats cursed! (Excalibur employee in It Hits the Fan. South Park, 2001) Lt. Abbie Mills: You sure you want to stay in this old cabin? Its a bit of a fixer-upper.Ichabod Crane: You and I have very different definitions of old. Seems if a building stays upright for more than a decade, people declare it a national landmark.(Nicole Beharie and Tom Mison in John Doe. Sleepy Hollow, 2013)
Sunday, November 3, 2019
Office Art Memorandum Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Office Art Memorandum - Research Paper Example In addition to these impressionist works there are a number of seminal post-impressionist works. One major post-impressionist work is Henri Rousseau's 'Centennial of Independence'. Another significnat work is Vincent Van Gogh's 'Breton Women and Children.' The final post-impressionist work is Georges-Pierre Seurat's 'Evening, Honfleur.' 2. Van Gogh's 'the Night Cafe' features a cafe ostensibly at night. In the center of the cafe is an old type of pool table with a patron hovering near it. There are chains that surround the table. There are a number of lights in the room that emanate an orange and red-like color. The walls are depicted in a bright red and what appears to be a roof in bright green. Monet's 'Impression, Sunrise' is a slightly abstract depiction of a sunrise on a lake. The image implements lights blues and oranges to depict the sunrise. This sunrise blends seamlessly into the lake. The lake features an individual in a boat, with light signs of waves. Pissarro's 'Pont Boi eldieu in Rouen, Rainy Weather' features a river and a bridge. Individuals are crossing the brdige and and steam is emanating from a steamboat on the bridge. Henri Rousseau's 'Centennial of Independence' depicts a party-like atmosphere with individuals dancing in a celebratory way. Vincent Van Gogh's 'Breton Women and Children' depicts a number of nuns congregating and speaking together. The nuns are created in odd and oblong ways. Georges-Pierre Seurat's 'Evening, Honfleur' depicts a coast with a beach house nearby. 3. Van Gogh's 'The Night Cafe' is a significant work of art for a variety of reasons. Perhaps the most prominent reason that this work is considered significant is because of its use of vibrant colors. While obviously color were a prominent aspect of 19th century impressionism, the bright colors and technique implemented in this work foresee the future advent of expressionism (Gowing 2005, p. 201) Monet's 'Impression, Sunrise is significant for a variety of reasons. Per haps most prominently is the recognition that this image, despite using experimental techniques, is able to achieve a heightened realism; in this way the design elements are structured to reach the human visual cortex on a level that is not possible with more traditional painting techniques (Gowing 2005, p. 67). Pissarro's 'Pont Boieldieu in Rouen, Rainy Weather' is a significant work of art as it depicts the industrialization in the surrounding region from a fresh perspective (Gowing 2005, p. 93). Rousseau's 'Centennial of Independence' is a seminal work as it implemented cut and paste techniques that would later evolve in animation and Pop art methods in the 20th century (Rewald 1978, p. 34). Vincent Van Gogh's 'Breton Women and Children' is significant as it features a significant change in Van Gogh's style from the impressionist form, to a more post-impressionist style. Georges-Pierre Seurat's 'Evening, Honfleur' is significant as it implements the pointillist method of construc tion (Rewald 1978, p. 55). 4. This piece of art fits the corporate image because it is a highly contemplative piece. The table in the center of the room is indicative of a board room table, with the individual hovering nearby indicative of an employee considering the next project to take on. 'Impression, Sunrise' fits into the main spectrum of the organization as it depicts on early morning scene in a non-obtrusive way. In this way the painting could be featured in a morning break room or meeting room. Pissarro's 'Pont
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