Asian Heritage essays

Asian Heritage essays In The Accidental Asian by Eric Liu, Liu is faced with the complexity of his heritage. Liu is a second-generation Chinese American. Throughout Lius essays he speaks of the disadvantages of being an Asian American and how in his life he dealt with it. Liu also speaks of his family and their values of keeping their heritage alive without his parents being overbearing and discriminating towards Lius choices in life. In Eric Lius The Accidental Asian, Liu speaks of Chineseness which he says ... is not a mystical, more authentic way of being; its just a decision to act Chinese(pg. 10). It seems in the novel that Liu is not questioning whether he is Chinese or American or one more than another, I feel Liu is while being both Chinese and American he had such a hard time accepting or questioning the Chinese qualities more than the American ones. Liu was what his parents called an ABC, an American-born Chinese(pg.43), Liu had seen himself as a social immigrant when he was younger. Since Liu was a child he was faced with the burden of sometimes feeling left out due to his physical appearance and characteristics being not like others around him. Liu was not ashamed of being Chinese but he wished sometimes that things would be easier for him like the others in his school. When Liu was twelve he realized the bowl cut he was so used to for the past eleven years was now out of style. Liu was now in an era in the 1980s where feathered hair was the way to go and Lius hair was the straight wiry kind that would not be apt to be brushed back with the likelihood of staying. So one day his friend dared him to shave it off and he did Liu felt that he had managed, without losing face, to rid myself of my greatest social burden(pg.42). Liu also had to struggle with the fact that to girls in his school which were mostly all white he was only the funny, cute, sweet friend&...

Milton and Our First Parents Essay

Milton and Our First Parents Essay Free Online Research Papers Milton and Our First Parents Essay John Milton’s character of Satan is quite unique compared to most classical literary portrayals; he does not fit the classical caricature of, for example, Dante’s gargantuan three-headed demon, or the contemporary view of the fiery nymph equipped with horns and goats’ feet. He seems rather a dynamic character with whom it is easy to sympathize, harshly cast out of heaven because of his poorly constructed violent and prideful nature. He is in some sense heroic, and thus quite sophisticated and charismatic. In the human world, it is certainly this sort of man that is most easily able to tempt and win over a vain woman- and then our author introduces the nature of Eve. Milton’s portrayal of Eve in Paradise Lost as a quietly vain and ambitious being indicates her character weakness and subsequent pivotal role in the Fall. Despite the differences in ambition and obedience between our two first parents, they are similarly both portrayed as extremely majestic beings. They are naked and ignorantly happy; they cannot progress in knowledge in their state, but they are blissfully enjoying the emotional and sensuous joys of their innocent condition. Even Satan, having greater knowledge than Adam and Eve, looks upon them with envy and mourns his fallen state: â€Å"Invincible: abashed the Devil stood, / And felt how awful goodness is, and saw / Virtue in her shape how lovely, saw, and pined / His loss†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (108). Especially in Book IV, Milton focuses most of his attention on depicting the attributes and desires of Eve. There are two central characteristics of Eve on which he concentrates; both have to deal with her intrinsic womanhood. The first is her inherent inferiority to Adam- she can only contact God through her husband, and her only purpose for existence is dependent on him: â€Å"O thou for whom / And from whom I was formed flesh of thy flesh, / And without whom am to no end†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (97). And again, to Adam, â€Å"My author and disposer, what thou bidd’st / Unargued I obey; so God ordains, / God is thy law, thou mine: to know no more / Is woman’s happiest knowledge and her praise† (102, italics added). If one defines sexist as simple gender inequality, it is evident that Milton is certainly sexist in this portrayal. It is obvious that through these passages, he is creating a hierarchy congruent with the general views of 17th century Europe- man seemingly ca n exist and function without woman, but woman is a byproduct of and has no existence without man. The second peculiar characteristic of Eve is her vanity. From the outset of Book IV, we are treated to an account of Eve recollecting her creation. She peers into a lake in Eden and sees her reflection- at first she is captivated by its beauty without knowledge of what it actually is, but she is soon informed and not only loves it, but is tempted to turn back to the lake when she sees Adam’s inferior beauty. The fact that Milton initiates his character sketch of Eve with a description of her vanity indicates its importance and subsequent role in the Fall. John Milton wrote his epic poem at least in part in attempt to describe the rationale for evil in the world and the fallen state of the human race; Eve here seemingly represents the female gender as a whole and Milton is representing the general vanity of women. From vanity comes ambition- such is the case when Eve has her dream at the beginning of Book V. She dreams that she is guided to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and by doing so, she becomes a goddess and ascends to heaven. Vanity often consists of viewing oneself as greater than one actually is, and Eve’s approval and excitement about the dream here indicates her ambitious desire to be a goddess. Again, the contrast between the two genders is amplified by Adam’s disapproval and disturbance with the dream. Milton paints a clear portrayal of our first mother- her excitement with the notion of disobeying God indicates her spiritual inferiority to Adam; her weakness of vanity stamps a further convincing argument on her potential to fall to this character flaw and disobey God. Surely, if Satan were to choose someone to tempt to partake of the fruit and initiate the Fall, these attributes would prove quite convincing in his choice to select Eve as his tool to frustrate the happiness of God’s creation. Research Papers on Milton and Our First Parents EssayComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenMind TravelThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseWhere Wild and West MeetBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XRelationship between Media Coverage and Social and19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraAnalysis Of A Cosmetics Advertisement

1.Critically evaluate how gender intersects with other axes of Essay

1.Critically evaluate how gender intersects with other axes of difference. Assess the implications for policy with reference to a case study - Essay Example Here we discuss the notion of intersectionality – that which looks at the multiple, socially-constructed categories that interact in complex and multidimensional ways to produce and reproduce structures of inequality. It is hinged in the idea that themes of gender, race and class should be perceived not as independent from each other, but as overlapping structures of oppression and exploitation that must be addressed and resisted together as it â€Å"shapes those upon whom it bestows privilege as well as those it oppresses.† (Frankenberg: 1993: 131).† If we begin to trace the root of gender differentiation, and even subordination, it is imperative to consider the notion of gender as social construct and see how men and women are assigned different social roles and are treated or considered differently because of perceived biological differences. As expressed by Lorber (1994: 56) – Western society’s values legitimate gendering by claiming that it all comes from physiology – female and male procreative differences. But gender and sex are not equivalent, and gender as a social construction does not flow automatically from genitalia and reproductive organs, the main physiological differences of females and males. In the construction of ascribed social statuses, physiological differences such as sex, stage of development, color of skin, and size are crude markers. As a result of this, women were then considered less able than men and therefore must be submissive to the husband. Her greatest asset is her purity. Women have been considered as the weaker sex, unable to carry out masculine tasks and duties requiring intellectual development. In the past, a little girl would learn from her mother that a woman’s place was at home – doing household work like cooking and cleaning and watching over young children. Indeed, societal norms have greatly affected women in many cultures. Women, in most cultures, are

How Has the Internet Influenced the Nature of Community Involvement in Assignment

How Has the Internet Influenced the Nature of Community Involvement in Development Decisions in Urban Planning - Assignment Example According to the International Association of Public Participation IAP2, any method which involves the public in making decisions or solving problems is known as a stakeholder engagement. The Internet has contributed significantly in increasing stakeholder engagement in the urban planning process. This paper attempts to investigate how far the Internet has been successful in doing so. Urban Development Planning The Planning Authorities formulate development plans for the urban, semi-urban and rural sectors. The entire development planning process involves the services of a wide range of professionals. They include civil engineers, architects, environmental engineers, geographers, real estate and property managers, surveyors, cartographers, community association managers, surveying technicians and also market and survey researchers (U.S Department of Labor, 2008, p. 222). The Role of the Internet The Internet has primarily been used to computerize the existing processes of communicati on between the Government and the community people. Citizens have used the e-mail to exchange information with the Government officials instead of writing hard copies of letters. The Community people have accessed information regarding urban development activities, on specific websites instead of reading pamphlets and reports. They could download this information from the Internet as a digital copy if they required it. Many urban planning bodies have posted an extensive amount of information regarding their plans and programmes on these websites. Earlier there used to be newspaper notices and official records regarding the same. The citizens can access a wide variety of planning related documents on the internet which sometimes also includes the agendas of urban planning board. Many planning agencies have adopted Geographic Information Systems (GIS) on their websites which have allowed the citizens to access GIS data and design their own maps. In 2004, a survey was conducted on the websites of 582 cities of the U.S.A which had recorded a population of 50,000 or more in the 2000 Census. It was found that 55% of the websites posted the urban plans of the Civic Authorities and 35% of them provided an e-mail address for the citizens to communicate. 37% of the websites also enumerated the major points of discussion of planned meetings with the community people. (Goodspeed 2008 p29; Conroy & Cowley, 2004) Brody, Godschalk and Burby have identified five areas where the Internet has played a significant role in facilitating community participation in urban planning and development. Some of these areas still offer considerable scope for the Internet to function as a significant medium of communication (Goodspeed, 2008). 1) Providing Information to the Community and Providing them with Opportunities to influence Planning Decisions: There are urban planning websites that have a provision for the citizens to write their views in an open forum where the planning authoritie s can clarify these opinions following a process of exchange of views. The website of PlanNYC (a student run site concerning urban planning) has allowed website visitors to post their comments. Similarly, blogs have been launched on the internet by some communities that have the provision for the residents to post their opinion on a variety of topics relating to urban development planning. A group called E-Democracy.org has launched a forum which facilitates

Rock and Roll Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Rock and Roll - Essay Example As the decade reached its end, the Rock and Roll had become a phenomenon that helped delineate the differences between the children and the adults. Rock and Roll originated in African American Blues and Gospel. Suburban teens were attracted to the sounds of Rhythm and Blues with the migration of the African Americans to the northern cities in large numbers. However, racism and segregation deterred many great artists of the genre from getting much exposure or attention. Alan Freed, the Disc jockey started a show of rhythm-and-blues played on the Cleveland radio station. The number of people liking the show grew in no time, thus causing Freed to coin the â€Å"rock and roll† term (Halper, 2001, p. 169). White artists first tried to cover the R&B songs but that led to weaker renditions which were not comparable to the originals in any way. This caused the record producers to start searching for a white artist for capturing the African American sound. â€Å"In 1955 â€Å"Rock around the Clock† was rock and roll: the first number 1 hit that was neither pop nor a white cover of a rhythm-and-blues song† (Campbell and Brody, 2007, p. 105). A Memphis record producer, Sam Phillips, identified the answer in Elvis Presley who took an old style and with his pouty lips, deep Southern sound, and gyrating hips, made it his own. The sound extended far and wide from Memphis, causing a drastic increase in the demand for Elvis Presley. Elvis Presley gained immense popularity in the entertainment business in a span of time as short as two years. â€Å"With his totally uninhibited stage manner, teen-tough dress, greased hair in a pompadour, and energetic singing style, Elvis projected a rebellious attitude that many teens found overwhelmingly attractive† (Campbell and Brody, 2007, p. 105). After the opening up of the door to the acceptance of rock and roll, many performers of the African American origin including Fats Domino, Chuck

Electricity Energy Crisis In Pakistan

Electricity Energy Crisis In Pakistan ABSTRACT Energy Crisis in Pakistan is one of the severe challenges the country is facing today. Electricity, gas, water, fuel is essential part of our daily life and its outage has severely affected the economy and overall living of ours. Thousands have lost their jobs, businesses; our daily life has become miserable. Pakistan is currently facing up to 18 hours of electricity outage a day, is expected to face more if not dealt with in time. The purpose of this study is to analyze the nature of this crisis and to propose some short-term as well as long-term solutions to this problem. This study is exploratory in nature. I have done my best to conclude and sketch up some recommendations in the light of identified hurdles in the way of implementing the appropriate solution to our problem. My study finds some major wholes in our system if they are covered up we can not only overcome the deficiency of electricity in our systems but also we can be able to export it to our neighboring countries. The basic flaws that our study identified are related to circular debt, and the inadequate capacity of our electricity production and distribution systems. Also I emphasized on some prospective alternatives to our electricity production that are cheaper and they provide more cleanly electric energy as compared to fossil fuel run energy plants. INTRODUCTION Background Study: Pakistan has been facing an unprecedented energy crisis since the last few years. The problem becomes more severe during summers. However, this winter was no different. During the peak crisis there was a power outage of 3-4 hours everyday. Those without generators and UPS faced tremendous problems. The prices of both continued to increase due to a sharp increase in their demand. Almost two years ago the then WAPDA chairman who happens to be a caretaker minister admitted that WAPDA cannot meet the current demand for electricity. Its surprising that such a senior and experienced person took so long to find this out. On top of that the government which talked about Pakistans supposedly booming economy failed to understand the gravity of the situation. General Musharraf (R) after becoming Chief Executive used to talk about building dams especially Kalabagh Dam. This was one of the many promises he failed to keep. Even after that very few power plants have been set up to meet the demand for electricity. During the second government of Benazir some independent power plants were set up. Had they not been setup then we would have had a much bigger crisis with life almost coming to a standstill. The policy makers of Pakistan have so far failed to understand one thing. They do talk about making dams and setting up nuclear power plants but why do they not understand the importance and benefits of alternate energy sources such as solar, windmill energy etc. They are cheap and quick methods for producing electricity. Pakistan is a very blessed country because solar energy is available in most cities all year round similarly wind energy is readily available in the coastal areas. These energy sources if tapped can be of great help in reducing the current demand supply gap. Pakistan is facing power shortage, natural crisis and oil crisis. In a report it is claimed that Pakistan has faced 1000 to 2000 MW shortage of power. And it will likely face 3000MW next year. Pakistan is facing 80 millions tons of oil shortage according to its need. And is lacking behind the needs of natural gas at about 27 million ton of energy in current year and this ratio will raise in upcoming years. 1.2 Energy Crisis in Pakistan: An energy crisis is any great shortfall (or price rise) in the supply of energy resources to an economy. It usually refers to the shortage of oil and additionally to electricity or other natural resources. The crisis often has effects on the rest of the economy, with many recessions being caused by an energy crisis in some form. In particular, the production costs of electricity rise, which raises manufacturing costs. For the consumer, the price of gasoline (petrol) and diesel for cars and other vehicles rises, leading to reduced consumer confidence and spending, higher transportation costs and general price rising. Energy resources have depleted! Whatever resources are available are simply too expensive to buy or already acquired by countries which had planned and acted long time ago. Delayed efforts in the exploration sector have not been able to find sufficient amounts of energy resources. Nations of the world which have their own reserves are not supplying energy resources anymor e; only the old contracts made decades ago are active. Airplanes, trains, cars, motorbikes, buses and trucks, all modes of transportation are coming to a stand still. Many industries have closed due to insufficient power supply. Price of oil has gone above the ceiling. At domestic level, alternate methods like solar, biogas and other methods are being tried for mere survival. The above is a likely scenario of Pakistan and around the globe after 25 years. A pessimistic view, but realistic enough to think about and plan for the future. But are we doing anything about it? Lets have a look at the current energy situation of Pakistan and the world. Pakistans economy is performing at a very high note with GDP growing at an exceptional rate, touching 8.35% in 2004-05.In its history of 58 years, there has been only a few golden years where the economy grew above 7%. This year official expectations are that GDP growth rate will be around 6.5 7.0%. For the coming years, the government is targeting GDP growth rate above 6%. With economy growing at such a pace, the energy requirements are likely to increase with a similar rate. For 2004-05, Pakistans energy consumption touched 55.5 MTOE (Million Tons of Oil Equivalent). The energy consumption is expected to grow at double digit if the overall economy sustains the targeted GDP growth rate of 6% by the government. Pakistans energy requirements are expected to double in the next few years, and our energy requirements by 2015 is likely to cross 120MTOE. By 2030, the nations requirement will be 7 times the current requirement reaching 361MTOE. Pakistans energy requirements are fulfilled with more than 80% of energy resources through imports. On the other hand, international oil prices have not only broken all records but are touching new highs, with every news directly or indirectly affecting the black gold industry. Moreover, speculators all around the world expect oil prices to touch $100 per barrel in medium term. With concerns over Irans nuclear program, terrorist issues in Nigeria and high economic growth in China India and their ever rising energy requirements, oil prices dont see any another way but to shoot upwards. What is the government doing to ensure a sustainable supply of energy resources for economic growth? What strategic steps are being taken to acquire energy resources in future? Is private sector willing to invest in Pakistans oil industry? What are the incentives being offered to the foreign players to continue working in the exploration sector? What hurdles are stopping other big players around the world to enter Pakistan? What is the role of gas distribution companies so far? Are the citizens of Pakistan being robbed by energy giants with ever rising utility bills? What should be the real price of petroleum, kerosene and other oil products in Pakistan? When will the nation have load shedding free electric supply? Have we been able to make long term contracts with the countries to provide uninterrupted supply of energy resources? Will the government be able to provide enough sources to the citizens for a sustainable economic growth? Have we lost the race for acquiring maximum energy resources for future surviv al? One of the major problems facing the new government, the energy crisis, is intense, costly and multi-dimensional. The infuriating electricity and gas disruptions and soaring fuel prices in turn pushing the cost of living have made life difficult for people. The even before it took office the new government was greeted with two jumps in fuel prices, accounting for a 15% rise in two weeks. Meanwhile, crude oil prices have been registering all-time-highs, shooting 40% in the past year. The undeniable reality is that that this global spike will somehow have to be accommodated in energy prices in Pakistan. There is no quick solution to electricity shortage and the trend of surging prices is irreversible. There is very little the new government can do on this in the immediate term. At best, the problem can be prevented from aggravating until a sustainable solution is struck. Tough decisions will have to be made, and executed with commitment. The starting point of any remedial efforts should be an acknowledgement of the fact that the crisis is a self-inflicted one. It cannot be denied that something has been wrong down the line that caused this crisis. The country has nearly gone energy bankrupt while a total disaster appears to be round the corner unless pragmatism is shown. It is also important that lessons be learnt from the past mistakes on part of relevant circles. The crisis is still addressable as long as there is due vision and devotion. The golden age for energy in Pakistan has been 1960s and most of the 1970s, that is when Tarbela and Mangla dams were put into operation and other dams, including Kalabagh, were actively pursued. In subsequent years, action in the field of energy has been utterly recklessness. The prevalent crisis is a consequence of imprudent energy policies over the last three decades. One of the major limitations that have hindered energy prosperity in the country is short-sightedness. There has not been a meaningful and coherent energy policy in place over this period. The approach has been project-oriented, rather than goal-oriented. Almost every regime has dealt with energy on an ad hoc basis. Long-term and sustainable planning of energy have been an alien concept. The reason is fairly simple; energy projects usually require huge investments and commitment, making them undesirable to any regime. The attitude of delaying new projects, as far as possible, has been the common practice and is in fact the recipe of the present crises. In doing so, when things start getting out of control, haphazard and quick-fix measures are sought. A typical example is the Independent Power Producers (IPPs) saga of the 1990s. In an attempt to avert an approaching energy crisis, as a result of negligible capacity addition during the 1980s and the early 1990s, the regime in 1993-94 d ecided to go for thermal generation through the IPPs. Undoubtedly, the IPPs provided a very healthy contribution at the supply end, enhancing power generation capacity by more than 5000MW. Nevertheless, this power addition cost the country a fortune apart from the controversial tariff structure, the move was against the spirit of energy sustainability and security for the country. The fact that the IPPs were set up at the terms of the investors suggest that it was a move made in panic. The last few years provide a perfect example of failure to make a timely response to the growing energy needs. A threefold increase in energy demand over the last two decades has been responded to with an ill-proportioned increment at the supply end. Consequently, with the advent of 2008 the gap between demand and supply grew to 4,500MW indicating a 40% deficit of electricity. The prevalent energy crisis has not appeared overnight the omens were evident for a number of years but the authorities failed to react in time. Senior WAPDA officials claim that in 2002 the government was officially warned about the approaching electricity crisis and was asked to take immediate measures to enhance generation capacity. The timely warning failed to receive any appreciation. The attitude of the relevant authorities has thus indirectly contributed to the growth of the dire crisis. Another example worth quoting here is that of the 969MW Neelam-Jehlum hydroelectric project. It was to be constructed in 2003 at a cost of $1.5 billion. It got abandoned until the present power crises intensified towards the end of 2007. The revised estimate is around $2.25 billion. The delay is costing the country a fortune an extra $750 million in terms of project cost, apart from enormous monetary dents inflicted by the five-year delay. It is also noteworthy that WAPDA has traditionally pursued the major projects of national interest but failed to get the due positive response from the policy- and decision- makers. Interestingly, WAPDA plays the role of a scapegoat, because the common man blames WAPDA for his sufferings. It is also important to plant relevant and qualified people at the key policy and decision making positions. Quite often, these positions are offered to utterly irrelevant, ill-qualified and incompetent people. The track record suggests that energy offices are amongst the most coveted ones in any regime, simply because they are considered to be the most lucrative ones. There are examples when undergraduate and utterly irrelevant people have been appointed to run energy offices. There are also cases when the crucial positions have been used as incentives during political bargaining. The unhealthy attitude towards sensitive energy positions is enough to explain how the field of energy has been traditionally toyed with. Another aspect of the bankrupt policies is politicisation of projects of national interest. The paramount example is that of Kalabagh Dam. It has been politicised to such an extent that its orchestration now appears to be next to impossible. Evidences suggest that the issue has been used to serve the vested interest of regimes and certain political and ethnical forces. With the emerging post-lection sense of national reconciliation on the political arena, it is expected that such projects would be looked into with cool heads. It is time to move on. The technical issues, if there be any, have to be addressed on the drawing board, rather in processions. It has to be realized that the delay in project has not only made the country suffer but also people that come from all provinces. In order to tackle the existing crisis and ensure a prosperous energy future, the backbone of the future energy policies would have to be reliance on domestic resources (hydropower, coal and solar and wind energy) and energy conservation. Decisions on energy projects should revolve around national interest rather than naÃÆ'Â ¯ve political and personal gains. Energy offices should be run by qualified, committed and deserving people equipped with due mandate. Relevant ministries and departments should also be overhauled. INFLATION AND ENERGY CRISIS IN PAKISTAN Pakistan is facing a number of constraints in the path of social economic and political development. One of them is the ever-increasing inflationary pressure on the general public. This inflationary pressure created a social instability and misconception among the messes towards the Government. General public considers the government responsible for this inflation. Government gave the blunt gift of inflation, unemployment, terrorism and energy crisis to the public. The government offended the masses. Some economists argue that such type of increase in prices was never seen before the regime of Musharaf. The prices of essential domestic commodities have touched the psychological boundaries. The fixed income employees and creditors are affected by this inflation. During five years the prices of red chilli increased by 62.7%, flour 66.2% vegetable oil 120% sugar 30.9% rice 69.9% and other essential domestic commodities like vegetables, chicken etc also showed increasing trend of prices. According to official reports the inflation rate is 7.2% and according to non-official reports like UN 8.6% World Bank 8.9% and Asian Development Bank 9.1%. This inflationary pressure has psychologically affected the employees and employers. Some renounced economists argue that the reason of this increasing inflation rate is the standard year 2001 according to which inflation rate is measured. In 2001 the foreign aid was given to Pakistan therefore low standards were made to measure the inflation rate. Although the increasing trend in the prices of fuel and other things in the international market is another factor but the standard year is also a factor. Not only these factors caused hyperinflation but also energy crisis played a vital role in this hyper change in the prices of daily use domestic and capital commodities. There are three main resources used to fulfill the energy requirements Electricity, Fuel and Gas. Despite having the treasure of natural energy resources, Pakistans energy production plants are not fulfilling the countrys requirements effectively. The present energy crisis is affecting the economy entirely. Industrial and daily life has paralyzed by this energy crisis. WAPDA is just fulfilling the countrys energy need near to 46% the remaining is fulfilled by the alternative expensive resources. The energy crisis created cost pull inflation in the country, as electricity is the key material for any production plant. There is a general observation of 5-10 hours of load shedding, but some times it hits the level of 18 hours. Even the industrial capital of Pakistan (Karachi) is suffering from the same situation. Why in the era of energy reservation Pakistan is not utilizing its energy resources? Pakistan is just relaying on the electricity production by Dams. But Pakistan has not enough dams or water to generate electricity. Although WAPDA is enjoying the monopoly but government has to pay 2 rupee/unit as incentive. Our neighbouring country India has built a number of Dams to overcome the energy crisis but Pakistan government has paid no heed on this issue. Many projects are delayed due to provincialism the glaring example is of Kala Bagh Dam. The costly machinery amounted US $9 million is now functionless due to (rust) delay in the construction of Kala Bagh Dam, Some scientists predicted that in next 10year world has to face the water shortage also. If the government fails to construct dams for the generation of electricity due to Provincialism government should have to adopt alternative options to accomplish the energy needs of the country. As Iran has large treasure of natural energy reso urces like natural gas and fuel, despite this Iran is engaged in the attainment of nuclear power generation plant. Pakistan, despite being an atomic power does not think about the nuclear electric generation plant. International community is imposing sanctions on Iran due to uranium enrichment but Iran pays no heed to them. Then why is the Pakistani government reluctant to use its nuclear plants to tackle energy crisis? Secondly, Pakistans western area especially Thar is enriched by natural coal, which is the fifth largest treasure of the world. Pakistan has signed a contract with China to generate 300 Mega watts by coal deposits in 2003, but due to some reasons it has not been completed till now. Industrialists due to high prices of electricity use alternative resources (petrol) in electric generators to fulfill their energy needs but, the fuel (petrol) prices in international market cross the psychological limits of US $110/beryl recently. The high prices of fuel and electricity created a long-term cost pull inflation (increase in the prices of raw material of one commodity cause high prices of other commodities).There are a lot of expectations with the new government as Nawaz Sharif pledged that if he came in rule he will fix the prices of domestic commodities like vegetables oil, floor, sugar and rice for two years. Now the new government should take basic steps to eradicate inflation. I think energy crisis is the real cause of this inflationary pressure. We are hopeful that new government will take some positive steps to fulfil its promises and public expectations. HYDEL ENERGY Water flowing in the rivers has kinetic energy. One they are used to drive the turbine and produce electricity the power generated as hydel energy. Power produced by the turbine depends on quantity of water flowing/minute and the head of water available. Mostly river flows by melting glaciers on High Mountain. One the water starts flowing in the valley its changes its head very rapidly. This energy can be converted into electrical energy. 3.1 Methods for Generating Hydel Energy Two methods are normally used: Dams In case of Dams the water flow is restricted by the making a huge storage device and the head of water is increased, the water then is allows to flow by means of gates and pass through the turbine, the head of reservoir level is maintained to provide uniform power and the water stored in the season additionally is used for irrigation purpose in the dry season. Run of the river projects In the run of river project the water is diverted through the tunnel and once it gain the head allowed to fall and pass through the turbine and back too river. The water in these projects is continuously flowing and not being stored. Geographical situation is paramount importance in choosing the suitable site for the hydel project and it evolves a very serious time and money consuming study. 3.2 Feasibility Study Once a site is located further detailed feasibility study is required before preceding any serious effort to start the work. The feasibility study should include following field work. 1: Detailed Mapping of the area. 2: Topographic study of the area. 3: seismic refraction study. 4: River flow data. 5: Weather data contain Temperature, Pressures, and Rain Humidity. 6: Water sampling and testing. 7: Environmental study. 8: Social impact. 9: Identification of stake holders of the area. 3.3 Pakistan Major Dams Warsak Dam The gigantic multi-purpose Warsak Dam is situated 30 kms north-west of Peshawar in the heart of tribal territory. It has a total generating capacity of 240,000 kW and will eventually serve to irrigate 110,000 acres of land. Mangla Dam Worlds third largest earth-filled dam is only 115 km south-east of Rawalpindi. One has to turn left from Dina Town and the dam on river Jhelum is about 14 km to the east. The dam is 3,353 meters long and 116 meters high above the river bed. It is designed to store 5.88 MAF water and also used for power generation. In the centre of the dam there is a Gakkhar Fort from where one can have a panoramic view of the lake. For permit to visit the dam, please contact PRO, WAPDA, and Mangla. A NOC from the Ministry of Interior is required for foreigners only. Tarbela Dam The worlds largest earth-filled dam on one of the worlds most important rivers the Indus is 103 km from Rawalpindi. The dam was completed in 1976 at a cost of Rs.18.5 billion. Over 15,000 Pakistani and 800 foreign workers and engineers worked during its construction. It is the biggest hydel power station in Pakistan having a capacity of generating 3,478 MW of electricity. Its reservoir is 97 km long with a depth of 137 meters while total area of the lake is 260 sq.km. Permits are required for visiting the Dam. Please contact Public Relations Officer (PRO), Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), Tarbela (Tel: 051-568941-2). A No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Ministry of Interior (Shaheed-e-Millat Sectt.), Islamabad is also required for foreign visitors. 3.4 Hydel Energy and its Crisis in Pakistan The energy crisis starts from 1990 and still Pakistan is in the crisis of these all as before. The latest and perhaps the most troublesome crisis faced by the Pakistani nation these days is the shortage in supply of electricity. The country is facing a huge electric power crisis these days. Though it has been more than a year since when the country is facing this crisis, but till now no proper solution has been made to this problem neither any proper planning has come into existence since the symptoms and begging of this short supply of electricity. While rolling blackouts or load shedding as it is locally known has always been a staple of daily life in Pakistan, the problem has become acute in the last couple of years. This crisis appears insurmountable in the near or even long-term future, unless proper understanding and correct implementation is undertaken on priority basis. At present total power production capacity in the country is about 19,500 MW, out of which Hydel Power is only 6,500 MW, balance of 13,000 MW is thermal either using Natural Gas or Furnace Oil. Small capacity of 450 MW is Nuclear and only 150 MW is through coal. It is very important to understand the consequence of the prevailing situation. Current price of furnace oil is about Rs.49000 per ton, which amounts up to Rs.49/- per kg. On an average one kg of furnace oil produces 3.8 kWh of electricity. Thus, the cost of furnace oil for generating one unit of electricity is about Rs.13. On top of this the fixed cost of a thermal plant works out to be about Rs.3 per unit. Therefore, one unit (kWh) of the electricity produced by all thermal plants using furnace oil is Rs.16 per unit. According to WAPDA/IPP (Independent Power Produce rs) agreement, the private power producers will charge WAPDA the actual fuel cost for which they have a direct contract with PSO. As we all know that WAPDA tariff charged from the consumers is about Rs.5 per unit (kWh). The production cost of furnace oil electricity is Rs.16 per unit, add to it the transmission, distribution cost (including loses), the total cost of such electricity works out to approximately Rs.22 per kWh. The difference between WAPDA tariff and the furnace oil electricity is Rs.17 per kWh. It is estimated that the country consumes at least 25 billion units of electricity produced annually through furnace oil, which amounts to the total deficit of Rs.425 Billion. If WAPDA has to balance its books it would require a subsidy of Rs.425 Billion. This deficit is somewhat reduced due to cheap power produced through hydel energy and natural gas, but the deficit cannot change substantially, unless bulk of electricity is produced through hydel energy. Obviously, a deficit of Rs.300-350 Billion cannot be sustained, the government does not have resources to pay such a huge subsidy, and it is also not feasible to increase the power tariff very much. Therefore the power crisis is far greater th an what is being perceived. In the absence of extremely heavy subsidy, WAPDA is delaying payments to IPPs and also to the oil companies. The result is that IPPs are now producing much less electricity than their capacity. Thermal energy Thermal energy is the thermal type of energy, with all known history available, wood always used for heating and cooking. In 2nd world war fossils fuels entered in the form of coal to get energy. Until liquid fuels were discovered and because of their convinces of transportation they took over as major of energy source. Once the steam engines were invented then the coal or liquid fuels was burnt in the in boilers and heat producers steam which is used to drive an electrical generators, or any other mechanical devices. Rudolph diesel invention of diesel engine revolution the energy concept and today we see sine the majority of machine moving on diesel engines. Diesel engines can be 2 stroke or 4 stroke type. They can be in line or arranged in V or even W shape. They can be single acting or double acting. Another method of converting thermal energy to mechanical energy is by the gas turbines. Turbines are also used to run by steam or hot gases which are produced by igniting fuel. The choice of gensets strictly depends on the requirement of client, before ordering a power plant following points to be considered: Expected demand of the power Type of fuel required Space available for the power plant Availability of gun sets Availability of local service back up and stock of parts Price is paramount importance and hidden expenses should be locked carefully. The major manufactures and suppliers of gensets based on internal combustion engines are given below: Man Wartsila Caterpillar Jen bacher Waukesha Mitsubishi Detroit diesel Rolls Royce Internal combustion engines can obtain 30_50% thermal efficiency. It means that around 50%energy is wasted in the form of exhaust gases, cooling system and radiations. Therefore for larger plants heat recovery system are utilized. 4.1 Crisis of Thermal Energy The oil crisis facing the world is not about supply or about the increase in demand. It is about the speculators who are pumping huge amounts of money into forecasting a serious shortage ahead. Not now but in the future. And that the prices will escalate enough for them to make a killing. If one looks at the real picture, there is no shortage of oil, there has been no shutdown of any major producer, nor has there been a sudden jump in the import from any large consumer. The Chinese import for their industrialization is not more than 10 percent annually. This is certainly not enough for the huge jump in the world crude rates. This jump is matched by the phenomenal profits of the oil companies and of course the oil producing countries. The thirst for profits of the oil traders has benefited the oil producers-Iran being a major beneficiary. The US government must be wondering at the irony of this windfall benefiting a prime enemy of American and Israeli interests at the cost of millions of innocent citizens of the US and Europe, engineered by the greasy gnomes of the oil trade. There is no threat of an oil embargo, nor of a war, it is just pure speculation, funded by the huge mountains of American and European cashes at the disposal of the Sources the Oil trade. They stand to make a killing at the expense of hapless citizens of the world. As I had written in an earlier piece as far back as 2005, when an attack on Iran was imminent, that the rise in oil at 100 $ a barrel would impact on the food prices has proved prophetic with the current sky high prices of bread in Europe and America. In the meantime we poor Pakistanis are suffering with 50 percent living below the poverty line, and many more being pushed under thanks to the current oil crisis which has managed to create tsunami that is a threat worldwide, with no remedy in sight. Electricity riots are already a common sight but the frequency of breadlines breaking into riots is increasing daily, not just in Soma lia but in parts of the third world where we thought wheat was never in critical shortage. The riots in Pakistan are for two reasons. Firstly, the price a worldwide phenomenon and second a physical shortage due mainly to incompetence in the many layers of our government. 4.2 Looming Energy Crisis in Pakistan Energy costs, from where they stand now, could rise by more than 50 percent in the next few years. The cost of power on this scale would be difficult to manage by most emerging economies all oil-consuming countries, particularly the third world have suffered due to the consistently rising demand-driven cost of energy. From 2004 onwards, the price of oil started soaring in the international market, and for the first time in October 2004, oil prices crossed the benchmark of US$ 50 per barrel. It continued to fluctuate but kept moving up each year and in 2007 briefly crossed US$ 100 per barrel. For the past few days it has been hovering at US$ 103 plus per

The Trial And Death of Joan of Arc :: St Joan of Arcs Heresy Trial and Death

On May 16, 1920, Pope Benedict XV conducted a ceremony at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome to canonize Joan of Arc, often referred to as the Maid of Orleans. This ceremony was the final step in a process that was begun in 1849 by the Bishop of Orleans, Felix Dupanloup, over 400 years after St. Joan’s was tried, convicted and executed in the name of the Church. A study of her heroic deeds and an intensive review of her life, virtues and the trial transcripts that condemned her to be burned at the stake, resulted first in her beatification in 1909, and finally her canonization 11 years later in 1920 (Pernoud 245). Amazingly, two years after that, the woman who had been condemned, put to death, and then canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church, was declared the patroness of France (McBride 82). Jeanne d’Arc was born around January 6, 1412, in the village of Domremy in France (Thurston). At the time of her birth, France and England had been engaged in the longest war in history, which has come to be known as the Hundred Years' War. These two countries were fighting over whose right it was to rule. The English had occupied much of northern France, and the primary issue became the survival of France as an independent state rather than as part of an Anglo-French empire ruled by the English monarchy. The French were determined to drive the English out and crown Charles VII as their king (Reither 227-229).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Joan was a simple peasant girl who was raised in a Catholic home as the youngest of five children (Thurston). Her mother was very religious and had a big influence on Joan's life. Joan never learned to read or write, but was skilled in spinning and sewing. She was also always very strong and healthy (Michelet 8). At the age of thirteen, Joan began to have holy visions and hear the voices of saints she identified as St. Margaret, St. Catherine, and St. Michael (Thurston). Her voices convinced her to vow to remain a virgin (Lucie-Smith). When Joan was seventeen years old, the voices revealed her divine mission. Joan was told that she had been chosen to lead the French army into battle against the English, to drive them from French soil. The voices instructed her to go to see Robert Baudricourt, the Captain of Vaucouleurs, who would arrange for her to be taken to see the king (Michelet 12).

Accounting In China Essay

1. Introduction †¢ China’s rapid economic growth in the past two decades has amazed the rest of the world. †¢ With China’s accession to the WTO, business activities with and within China will further expand. †¢ China fully understands that a sound financial reporting system plays a key role in the process of economic development. †¢ The Chinese Ministry of Finance (MoF), who has the responsibility for regulating accounting matters in China, has set itself the objectives of fostering investors’ confidence in financial information, increase transparency of financial reporting, and harmonize with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), so as to reduce the costs of raising capital by enterprises and alleviate the risk of financial crisis. 2. History Of Development †¢ The old accounting and regulations were designed to meet the needs of a planned economy, and therefore focused on whether the production goals of state-owned enterprises and their financial and costs plans were being met. †¢ Accordingly, the objectives of accounting and performance measurement some twenty years ago were significantly different from the financial reporting objectives in a modern market oriented economy. †¢ Significant accounting reforms were undertaken in the past two decades due to several factors such as: âž ¢ Since China opened its door to foreign investments in 1979, the rapid growth of its economy, international trade and securities markets has shaped new objectives for financial reporting. âž ¢ State-owned enterprises now look a lot like profit-oriented businesses, and managers and other users need reliable and relevant financial information on which to base decisions about the efficient allocation of capital. âž ¢ At the same time, china has reached out to the international community to form joint ventures and gain greater access to the latest technologies and the world’s capital markets. See more: Homelessness as a social problem Essay †¢ In the 1980s, the MoF issued the first set of accounting regulation, which was formulated by reference to international accounting practice, for joint ventures in China. †¢ In 1992, due to rapid development of the Chinese securities market, the accounting System for Experimental Joint Stock Limited Enterprises was promulgated by the MoF in order to standardised accounting practice and disclosures by listed companies. This System was subsequently replaced by the Accounting System for Joint Stock Limited Enterprises (JSLE) in 1998. †¢ The 1992 regulation moved away from the traditional fund-based Soviet accounting model and incorporated many common Western accounting practices. †¢ In the same year, the MoF promulgated the Accounting Regulations for Foreign Investment Enterprises (FIE), the Accounting Regulations for Share Enterprises. †¢ In 1993 the Basic Accounting Standard for Business Enterprises came into force. It imposes some basic rules (e.g. that double entry bookkeeping must be used, that a cash or funds statement must be included in the financial statements, and that consolidated financial statements must be provided where appropriate); set out a conceptual framework of China accounting and make some detailed rules of financial reporting. †¢ The conceptual framework introduced on a broader scope new accounting concepts and essential elements of financial statements that were in many respects based on international practices. †¢ The conceptual framework aspects of the regulation are reasonably close to US and IASC precedents. †¢ However, these pronouncements were still found to have essential differences with international practice such as limited disclosure of financial information for the users to understand the results and financial position of the reporting enterprise. †¢ Another difference is that the regulation does not specifically identify the primary user or purpose of financial statements. Instead, a hierarchy of users includes the government, banks, the public and an enterprise’s own management. †¢ This is very different from the US or IASB which emphasis on financial decision making by outside investors. †¢ In addition, the ASBE is based on historical cost without the revaluation allowed in IASB or UK rules or the increasing use of fair value in IASB/US/UK rules. †¢ Furthermore, ‘substance over form’ is not established as a principle in China. 3. The New Accounting Standards And Accounting System (Development after 1993). †¢ In 1993, with funding from the World Bank (US$2.6 million), the MoF engaged Deloitte Touchee Tohmatsu (DTT) as consultants to develop a body of Chinese Accounting Standards (CAS) broadly in line with accounting and financial reporting practices used internationally. †¢ Exposure Drafts on about 30 standards have since been published between 1994 and 1996, and they were generally closely in line with the standards of the IASC. †¢ In 1997, the first standard was issued. It is on disclosure of relationships and transactions with related parties. †¢ In the same year, China joined the IASC, and became an official observer at Board meetings. †¢ In October 1998, an Accounting Standards Committee (CASC) was founded within China’s MoF. It comprises academics and members of accounting firms as well as government experts. †¢ In 1998, the Ministry of Finance issued the Accounting System for Joint Stock Limited Enterprises (JSLE) to replace the accounting System for Experimental joint Stock Limited Enterprises in order to standardise accounting practice and disclosures by listed companies. †¢ In 2000, DTT was reappointed as consultants for the second phase of the project. †¢ China accounting has achieved remarkable progress in unifying its accounting practices since Year 2001. †¢ In the same year, MoF issued a new comprehensive Accounting System for Business Enterprise (the ‘System’). The new System replaced the Accounting System for JSLE form January 1, 2002. †¢ In other words, all JSLE (including all listed enterprise) and FIE are now required to follow one unified new System. The system introduces the concept of substance over form and extends the requirement for consideration to all assets. †¢ The MoF plans to ultimately require all medium-size and large enterprises (other than financial enterprises) to adopt the new System, and announced its expectation that state-owned enterprise will adopt the new system over time. †¢ When fully implemented, the new System will replace the numerous inconsistent industry accounting regulations, enabling the financial statements of different types of enterprises to become more comparable. 4. Impact Of The New Systems On FIE †¢ Before adopting the new System, FIE’s financial statements which were prepared in accordance with the Accounting Regulation for FIE could not properly reflect the enterprise’s actual financial position and operating results, the enterprise had to make numerous adjustments when they compile financial statements under overseas accounting standards, such as IAS and US GAAP. †¢ The process was time consuming and imposed additional cost of investment to the foreign investors. †¢ After the adoption of the new System, the differences between FIE’s financial statements under PRC GAAP and those prepared in accordance with international accounting practices will reduce further, thereby enabling the foreign investors to assess the performance of their investments more efficiently. 5. China Accounting Standards Convergence With IFRS †¢ The importance and acceptance of IFRS has increased significantly over the past few years. †¢ While actively pursuing convergence with IFRS, the MoF necessarily has to ensure that accounting standards appropriately address the national circumstances that exist during this transitional period in the economy. âž ¢ A very significant portion of the economy is dominated by state owned enterprises. Even after enterprises are restructured into joint stock enterprise and branched out from the government structure, functional or regional government that remain stakeholders still exert significant influences over the enterprises and their trading partners and their transactions. âž ¢ Free markets are not sufficiently developed in many areas. âž ¢ Financial statements are multi-functional, serving not only the needs of the investors but also other interested parties including the State for supervisory and management purposes. âž ¢ Enterprises and professional intermediaries such as auditors and valuers are at a developing stage. During this transitional period, accounting standards must be realistically implementable by the preparers and auditors of financial statements. †¢ On 16 February 2006, the Chinese Ministry of Finance and the International Accounting Standards Board formally announced that Chinese Accounting Standards (CAS) will converge with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) on 1 January 2007. †¢ Converging CAS with IFRS is one of many successful initiatives undertaken by the PRC government over the past global economy. †¢ Investors, analysts, regulators and other interested parties in recent years have been increasingly demanding more consistent and reliable financial reporting from companies around the world. †¢ The adoption and consistent application of accounting standards based on IFRS principles is widely viewed as a commitment to transparent financial reporting by these constituents. Transparent financial reporting is considered as the foundation of investor confidence. †¢ The process of convergence has been started way back in November 2005 when several meetings had been held between MoF and board members of IASB. †¢ The process of convergence will involve integrating the IFRS principles into CAS and will result in the amendment of all existing standards and the issuance of an additional 22 Specific standards. †¢ While the revised CAS will not reflect a literal translation of IFRS, their scope will include all IFRS principles. In additional, they will contain interpretive guidance to address the accounting for specific types of transaction (e.g. combinations of companies under common control) and industry accounting issues (e.g. extraction of petroleum and natural gas). †¢ The new CAS will comprise 1 basic standard and 38 specific standards. †¢ The revised CAS will first be applied to listed companies from 1 January 2007 and gradually applied to other types of entities. †¢ There will be differences between the revised CAS and IFRS to reflect unique circumstances in China. †¢ These differences, among other things, relate to: a. A prohibition of the reversal of asset impairment once it has been made; b. The accounting for certain government grants; c. Related party disclosures between State owned enterprises that have no direct investment relationship. 6. Challenges faced by China in converging with IFRS. †¢ The effect of changing accounting policies involves some efforts such as: âž ¢ Re-designing the financial reporting process to ensure that management has sufficient reliable financial information with which to prepare financial statements that comply with the standards, particularly in regards to the increased levels of disclosure required, and properly supports critical accounting estimates and judgements. âž ¢ The people involved in the financial reporting process will need to develop a new expertise and competency in applying revised CAS. âž ¢ Developing new accounting policy manual; integrating new CAS internal management reporting (budgeting, forecasting, performance measurement) and external reporting (financial, statutory, investor) into daily operations across the organization. âž ¢ Implementing ongoing and sustainable processes such as valuations of share options and derivatives, impairment testing hedge documentation and effectiveness testing, etc. âž ¢ Require identification of new data requirements due to financial statements and disclosure requirements. âž ¢ Train the head office and business units of the new reporting requirements. âž ¢ Provide training to finance and also non-finance staff including key management (e.g. finance, treasury, tax, human resource and sales) on new CAS principles and new reporting requirements. THE NEW SYSTEM OF CHINESE ACCOUNTING STANDARDS Key features and impact of the new accounting standards 1. The new accounting standards represent convergence with International financial Reporting Standards. †¢ Most of the newly issued standards and revised standards make reference to the equivalent IFRS and adopt the principles and treatments similar to its counterpart. †¢ As a result, the financial statements prepared in accordance with the New Accounting Standards will be more comparable with those prepared in accordance with IFRS. †¢ Overseas investors and users of financial statements will understand the financial statements of Chinese enterprise better and the cost of re-preparing financial statements for Chinese enterprises when getting overseas listing will be reduced. 2. The requirement of fair value measurement †¢ Under the new accounting standards, debt restructuring and no-monetary transactions will be measured at fair value and gains that meet certain criteria will be recognized in the income statement. †¢ Whereas before the revision, those transactions were carried at book value and any gains arising from those transactions were not allowed to be recognized. †¢ In practice, the determination of fair values may not be easy for many entities and various valuation techniques are required. 3. Specify accounting treatments for important accounting issues such as business combinations and consolidated financial statement. †¢ In the past, there was neither formal accounting standards nor comprehensive and detailed guidelines in the area of business combinations and consolidated financial statements. †¢ As a result, accounting treatments for similar business combination transactions may have varied across different enterprises causing much confusion and inconsistency. †¢ Therefore, the issuance of the standards on â€Å"Business Combination† and â€Å"Consolidated Financial statement† will provide comprehensive and more authoritative provisions and guidelines on these important accounting issues. 4. Specify treatments on new accounting issues and certain previously off-balance-sheet items will be recorded in the balance sheet †¢ Derivative financial instruments will be recognized on the balance sheet instead of only being disclosed in the notes to the financial statements. †¢ All shares and share options granted to employees to be measured at fair value and expensed in the income statement. 5. Standards relevant to important specialized industries †¢ The New Accounting Standards will include a number of standards that are relevant to those specialized industries. †¢ For example, the four standards on â€Å"Financial Instruments† will have an impact on accounting practices in various financial institutions. †¢ The standards on â€Å"Direct Insurance Contract† and â€Å"Re-insurance Contracts† will affect players in the insurance sectors. †¢ The â€Å"Extraction of Petroleum and Natural Gas† and â€Å"Biological Assets† are standards that are issued specifically for enterprises operating in the petroleum and gas industry and agriculture industry respectively. 6. Impairment of Assets †¢ The previous accounting regulations in China allow the reversal of impairment under certain circumstances. †¢ However, under the new standard, it specifies that any recognized impairment loss for fixed assets and intangible assets cannot be reversed in future accounting periods. †¢ The restriction on impairment loss reversal does not apply to inventories, trade receivables and bank loans. 7. More detailed requirements on disclosure †¢ The new standards provide users of financial statements with more relevant and transparent information, which will facilitate their economic decision-making. †¢ For instances, in respect of accounting policies and accounting estimates, the basis for the determination of significant accounting policies and accounting estimates is required to be disclosed. †¢ In relation to financial instruments, a detailed disclosure on the enterprise’s financial risk exposure is now required. 8. Transitional adjustments †¢ The New Accounting Standards were applicable to listed companies effective from 1 January 2007. †¢ The MOF has issued transitional provisions which are included in the standard on â€Å"First Time Adoption of Accounting Standards for Business Enterprises†. †¢ The standard requires that at the date of transaction, an entity should reclassify, recognize and measure all assets, liabilities and owners’ equity in accordance with the New Accounting Standards and prepare an opening balance sheet. †¢ These transitional provisions may reduce the workload and complexities for preparers’ adoption of the New Accounting Standards.

Child Labor in Overseas Manufacturers essays

Child Labor in Overseas Manufacturers essays The issue of whether overseas manufacturers of U.S. products employ child labor in their factories is of great importance to marketing departments not only because the practice is abhorrent but because when exposed, such practices reflect negatively on both the company's management While most consumers around the world agree that they do not want the merchandise they purchase produced by child laborers who are underpaid and working under harsh or otherwise unacceptable conditions, companies who find that they have directly or indirectly used such child laborers can find it a difficult problem to manage. McDonald's found this out after charges that the give-away toys they use to market their "Happy Meals" to children were created by child laborers in China working under near-slavery conditions (AP, 2000). McDonald's argued that they did not know child laborers were used. They had contracted with a supplier by the name of "Simon Marketing, Ltd.," located in Hong Kong. This company passed the tasks on to "Pleasure Tech Holdings," who gave the work to "City Toys, Ltd." in mainland China (AP, 2000). When City Toys was located, underage workers explained how they got false identification documents so they could lie about their age credibly. When this information surfaced, McDonald's explained that they followed a strict code regarding child labor and that they periodically executed unannounced site inspections at the factories supplying them with manufactured goods (AP, 2000). However, many did not find this a credible explanation, because an inspection at neither Simon Marketing, Ltd. nor Pleasure Tech Holdings would have shown any manufacturing, and reporters visiting City Toys had no trouble ferreting out the problem. Toy manufacture is not the only area where third world countries sometimes employ child labor. The practice occurs in other industries ...

The Causes of Tsunami essays

The Causes of Tsunami essays As the earth begins to tremble many fear the troubles ahead. Waves are suddenly being formed and the people of the west coast are immediately alerted. What could this be? This is a tsunami, an earthquake that is formed underwater. The sea floor abruptly deforms and displaces the overlying water from its equilibrium position. Waves are formed when the displaced water mass, acting under the influence of gravity, attempts to regain its equilibrium. The main factor that determines the initial size of a tsunami is the amount of vertical sea floor deformation. A tsunami can also be generating from submarine landslides. During a submarine landslide, the equilibrium sea level is altered by sediment moving along the sea floor. The aftermath of this horrendous storm is shocking. The causes of tsunamis derive from earthquakes, landslides, or volcanic eruptions, which can cause a high death and/or injury rate. A tsunami that is caused by an undersea earthquake is also called a seismic sea wave. Scientists can calculate where and when a given undersea earthquake occurred and predict when the resulting seismic sea wave will reach shore. The scientists base their calculations on data provided by instruments called seismographs. These instruments detect vibrations called seismic waves that the earthquake sends through the rock beneath the ground (Phillip). An earthquake on land differs greatly than one underwater. The fact that there is water involved makes the situation even more tedious to handle. To detect an earthquake underwater is sometime impossible, the wave may come without any warning the wave may cause more death and damage than ground shaking. In addition to earthquakes similar ground shaker plays a key part in the causes of tsunamis. Landslides are a descent of mass of earth and rock down a mountain slope. Landslides may occur when water from rain and melting snow sinks through the earth on top of a slope...

IT Projet Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

IT Projet Management - Essay Example Company’s website contains all information, contact information, profile, careers and other related information for customer’s ease. Some companies display testimonials from customers on their website so that a new consumer can have an idea about their authenticity. Showing companies worth on websites help in attracting customers and bringing new business opportunities. Information technology has changed a business processes, it has given a new edge to companies sale and their income. E-commerce website are playing a vital role in bringing new opportunities in businesses. Business processes have achieved a new form and giving extra advantages to their consumers. Companies can sell their services and products online which helps in boosting their sales and customer can order their required product from home, office or workplace without going out. Company gets additional amount and the customer gets his desired product at home within few business hours. E-commerce websites are the best solution to sell services and products for the betterment of business in shortest time span. All company needs is a strong marketing of their website, a strong promotion of their websites through legal ways. Developing an IT project is not an easy task, it involves a lot of issues both technical and non-technical. It seems a few clicks story but behind the scene, picture is totally different. It involves lots of technicalities, issues and other facts that need to be solved for delivering a bug free online solution. As an IT manager, it’s really hard to manage all things over one platform while being on triple constraint i.e time, cost and quality. Three constraints are really hard to meet that’s the only reason IT projects get failed. As, things are getting better and information technology industry is frequently discovering new edges, projects are started being delivered on time, within budget while maintaining quality. Most of the IT solution providers offer 6 months free maintainance to their customers. These days, companies are preferring having e-commerce solution for their business, the only reason of this change is the growth in IT industry. IT industry applying new technologies, new techniques and has started delivering project on time and within budget. No doubt, still there is a vast room for improvement but industry has grown a lot. When a project starts, the main responsibility is of IT Project manager, he has to deal with all staff, both technical and non- technical, client and the management. He has to satisfy all stakeholders by all means till the project ends. Being an IT project manager it’s really hard to follow all three constraints i.e. time, cost and quality. Triple Constraint Project management is the field of securing, utilizing, and managing resources in order to obtain the successful and on time achievement of specific project objectives and goals. Sometime, it is blended with program management never theless technically that is basically a level up construction: a radical of linked and up to some extent connected engineering projects. Project Management is the discipline of managing resources such as scope, time and cost to achieve a desired result. Three constraints are also known as triple constraint. Triple Constraint

Stem Cells Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Stem Cells - Research Paper Example Stem Cells are specialized and powerful cells found in the body. The stem cells are non-differentiated cells, and have the potentiality of differentiating to form other cells. In the process of differentiation of the stem cells, they divide through mitosis. The stem cells in adults can be harvested from three main areas. The bone marrow is a special area where the cells can be extracted. From the bone marrow, the cells are harvested by drilling through the bones of the iliac crest or the femur where the stem cells are in abundance. Other than the bone marrow, adipose tissue (lipid cells) is another of the key areas where stem cells could be harvested. The stem cells from the adipose tissues are harvested through the means of liposuction. Additionally, the stem cells can be extracted from the blood tissues. The process of extraction of stem cell from the blood is called apheresis. In this process, blood is drawn from a donor similar to the typical blood donation mechanism, but in this procedure, the blood is flown through a specialized machine that separates the stem cells from the blood (Rodriguez et al., 2005). Apart from extraction of stem cells from mature adults, the cells can be gotten from the umbilical cord and are usually extracted immediately at birth. Of all the means through which the stem cells can be harvested, it is safer when a stem cell from an individual is implanted to the same individual. In this means, a stem cell from one part of the body (bone) can be transplanted to another. Implantation of auto stem cells decreases the risk of immune sensitivity and immune rejection of the implanted stem cells (Blanpain et al., 2012). Contrary to other cells of the body, stem cells are unspecialized. In this essence, the stem cells are capable of self-renewal through cell division, especially after a long period of inactivity. Another classical difference between stem cells and other cells of