Thursday, December 26, 2019

What Must Be Done to Improve Ethics in Finance and...

U10A2- Essay Louise Pettiford What must be done to improve ethics in finance and corporate governance? Corporate governance can be referred to the rules, processes, or laws by which businesses are operated, regulated and controlled. It can also refer to internal factors defined by the officers, stockholders or constitution of a corporation. After finding the meaning of Corporate governance, which can also be referred to corporate responsibility, I thought about the policies in which the company I work for have. I work for Northrop Grumman, which is one of the leaders in global security. My company does strive to remain committed to maintaining the highest of ethical standards, embracing diversity and becoming an ideal corporate†¦show more content†¦When you think about corporate governance and the scandals that come to mind is Enron. This turned out to be scan in which Enron lied about its profits, shady dealings and concealing debts. A lot of regulations came down from the government regarding corporate responsibility and regulations. Big businesses had a lot of freedom to do what they wanted to do. Directors, Shareholders, and Presidents of companies needed to take another look at how their businesses were being run. What needs to change and what needs to be implemented so this doesn’t happen to us? The Securities and Exchange Commission voted on three measures that are intended to better inform and empower investors to improve corporate governance and help restore investor confidence. The Commission proposed requiring public companies receiving money from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) to provide a shareholder vote on executive pay in their proxy solicitations .The Commission also voted to propose better disclosure of executive compensation at public companies in their proxy statements, and approved a New York Stock Exchange rule change to prohibit brokers from voting proxies in corporate elections without instructions from their customers. Congress passed the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) in an effort to protect U.S. capital markets and millions of American shareholders. SOX promote accountability and transparency inShow MoreRelatedLegal And Regulatory Environments And Ethics1712 Words   |  7 Pages1. Title: legal and Regulatory Environments and Ethics: Essential Components of a Fraud and Forensic Accounting Curriculum Forensic accounting is defined as the action of identifying, recording, settling, extracting, sorting, reporting, and verifying past financial data or other accounting activities for settling current or prospective legal disputes or using such past financial data for projecting future financial data to settle legal disputes. Forensic accountant are very important part of theRead MoreAn Interview With The Banking System Essay1408 Words   |  6 PagesAfter speaking to several of my former colleague at Chase, they mentioned The Banking System have made changes and is taking the necessary steps to improve their appearance. Many have moved to others Banks due to the stress. Michael Bane (2016, September 28), said he left and went to another bank due to the sales pressure and the constant reminder that he was under performing. In an interview with Britt, L (2016, September 28), J.P. Morgan Chase focus is now on customer service and numbers. MyRead MoreEssay about Enron: Who was at faul t?1664 Words   |  7 Pagesquestion- who was really at fault and what has been done to prevent it from happening again? The story of Enron begins in 1985, with the merger of two pipeline companies, orchestrated by a man named Kenneth L. Lay (Zellner Forest, 2001). In its 15 years of existence, Enron expanded its operations to provide products and services in the areas of electricity, natural gas as well as communications. Through its diversification, Enron would become known as a corporate America darling (Tonge, Greer LawtonRead MoreCorporate Governance2469 Words   |  10 PagesTABLE OF CONTENTS GOOD CORPORATE GOVERNANCE 2 †¢ OBSERVANCE OF GOOD CORPORATE GOVERNANCE 3 †¢ FAILURES OF CORPORATE GOVERNANCE 5 CORRUPTION 5 †¢ BENEFITS OF AVOIDING CORRUPT PRACTICES 6 CONCLUSION 8 REFERENCES 9 â€Æ' GOOD CORPORATE GOVERNANCE Governance in the Oxford dictionary is defined as â€Å"control or influence†, while corporate is defined as â€Å"shared by all members of the group†. Therefore corporate governance refers to the structures and processes for the direction and control of membersRead MoreHow to Reform Corporate Ethics in American Business Today2798 Words   |  12 PagesIntroduction 3.0 Overview 4.0 Task 5.0 Corporate Governance Issues 5.1 Board of Directors 5.2 Shareholders 5.2.1 Implementation of Independent Auditors from Management 5.2.2 Setting up Effective Accounting Rules 5.3 Modern CEOs 6.0 The Role of Corporate Ethics 7.0 Recommended Policies to be Implemented 7.1 Sarbanes-Oxley Act 7.2 The California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS) 8.0 The Required Way to Deal with Corporate Failure 9.0 Conclusion 10.0 Recommendation Read MoreCan Corporate Governance Mechanism Prevent Corporate Fraud?2996 Words   |  12 PagesCORPORATE GOVERNANCE ESSAY Can Corporate Governance Mechanism Prevent Corporate Fraud? Executive Summary This paper will reviews the extent to which corporate governance acts as efficient tool to protect investors against corporate fraud, thus contributing to summarize the literatures on role of corporate governance on preventing occurrence of corporate fraud. In a more recent study, corporate fraud is part of earnings manipulation done outside the law and standards. Whereas, the activitiesRead MoreTyco International: Leadership Crisis2216 Words   |  9 Pagesprevented this kind of situations most specially their role is to protect the firm’s shareholders from inappropriate or unethical situations. As a result, they faced consequences for their unethical behavior which is the decentralization of the corporate structure. The misconduct of Dennis Kozlowski, the former chairman of Tyco and Mark Swartz, the former CFO lead them 30 counts of corruption, conspiracy, fraud, conspiracy, grand larceny, and falsifying business records. While Mark Belnick , theRead MoreThe Essential Component of Corporate Governance9749 Words   |  39 PagesBusiness Ethics: The Essential Component of Corporate Governance John D. Sullivan, Ph.D. Executive Director, CIPE Aleksandr Shkolnikov, Program Officer, Global, CIPE Given ï ¬ nancial scandals and the resulting new mandates on business, ï ¬ rms ï ¬ nd themselves pressed to develop strong codes of ethics to guide the behavior of board members, managers, and employees. Although the concern with ethics has always been a part of doing business, business leaders today are beginning to think about ethics as a setRead MoreLeadership and Governance3973 Words   |  16 PagesReflective Journal: Leadership and Governance Introduction Reflective practice is a highly significant way to develop the skills of students (Pavlovich, Collins, Jones, 2007). Because it has value and can help students to focus on the issues they see in governance and leadership, it is a practice that should be undertaken by all students working toward a better understanding of management. In order to properly work within the confines of reflective practice, most students write a number ofRead MoreThe Role of Culture in the Economic Development of Countries3279 Words   |  14 Pagescultures impact on economic development through tourism, social capital, and corporate governance. In contrast, culture can produce negative outcomes in economic development. Cultural issues, such as gender inequality, lack of social capital, and diminishing cultural heritages, contribute to a downgrading economy. To understand cultures impact on a countrys economic development, it is important to understand what culture is: a system of values and norms that are shared among a group of people

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Lord Of The Flies Reflection Essay - 867 Words

Lord of the Flies, written by William Golding, is a classic novel that begins with a group of schoolboys being stranded on a desert island after a plane crash. Upon their arrival, they learn there are no adults with them, and so their journey begins. Throughout the book, the boys attempt to establish a government, but eventually fall flat when the boys savage behavior escalates. In the beginning, being on the island seemed like all fun and games, however, as time progressed the boys came to realize that the only beast was themselves. Lord of the Flies portrays childhood as a time of tribulation and terror, and focuses on the battle the boys face as they slowly revert to savagery. In the introduction, we are introduced to a group of†¦show more content†¦As each boy takes his first step towards madness, Golding shows the power of peer pressure; most of the boys went along with the horrid rituals because everyone else was, and because they didn’t want to stand out. Take Ralph and Piggy for example, they originally refused to attend Jack’s feast, however, after realizing everyone else was there, they went, and made the excuse that they were curious. Much to their dismay, Simon was murdered that night, and they could not lie to themselves by saying they did not participate, after all, not speaking up encourages the bad behavior. The rivalry between Ralph and Jack further proves that children have issues too, and they often face difficult decisions. The novel as a whole represents the idea that if left alone, nature will overrule nurture. There were many points in the novel where things could have gone differently, where if a different decision would have been made, the boys childhood could have been graced by innocence and plesure. For instance, if Jack and his hunters would have kept the fire going like they were supposed to, they could have been rescued a lot quicker in the novel, and therefore prevented all the misfortune that happened after that. Also, if the boys would not have killed Simon, they would have found out about the dead body on the hill. At the end of the novel, Ralph tells Sam and Eric that he’ll be hiding in the brush inShow MoreRelatedLord Of The Flies Reflection Essay1793 Words   |  8 PagesLord of the Flies deals with plenty of ideas and lessons which amaze us. This state the human conditions, end of civilization, darkness of human mind, violence, destruction of human civilization and end of positive values among children. Through the British boys William Golding discussed the failed h uman culture created by man. They depended on bad rules and barbarism which lead them towards destruction. It signifies that in childhood any bad experience can directly change the mind and action ofRead MoreLord Of The Flies Reflection Essay1317 Words   |  6 Pages In the novel Lord Of the Flies by William Golding, reveals how the mind can be corrupted and how your action can change just by being on an island with no adults other than kids the same age as you are younger. Goulding wanted to make a point that if you live in a society where there is no rules and no adults you will change from being innocent to becoming full on savagery. He managed to prove his point by showing how one character from the book went from being civilized to savagery. The novelRead MoreLord Of The Flies Reflection Essay765 Words   |  4 Pages Carson Musser Lord of the Flies During the second World War, a plane crashes on an uncharted island, leaving a group of schoolboys stranded with no Adult in sight. The first few days life is perfect on the island, plentiful amounts of fruit, no grown-up to tell you what to do, they even elect a chief, Ralph, who sets rules and creates order. When a ship passes the island without noticing the boys, because no one was feeding the fire, everything starts going downhill. After, a meeting is calledRead MoreLord Of The Flies And The Deathly Hallows1554 Words   |  7 Pagespersonality goes through a transformation. The characters of the Novels Lord of the Flies, Fifth Business, and the Deathly Hallows the characters go through transformations based on the decisions they make, the interactions they have with the other characters of the novel and, thinking of major events that have happened in their life. Overall, characters go through transformations based on their actions, relationships, and reflection. In life, people act differently in key events of their lives. TheRead MoreWalking And Biking : Reading Skills Essay1191 Words   |  5 Pagesdoing these reflection projects, so my quantity of reading fell further to just five books every three months. However, the final nail in the coffin of my reading came in eighth grade. On the first day of school, the teacher informed us that we were only allowed to read nonfiction books for our unnecessarily complicated reading logs. Up until the point, I had rarely so much as laid hands on a nonfiction book. I stopped reading nearly outright. Because we had to do extensive reflection and analysisRead MoreWalking And Biking By Eric Carle1192 Words   |  5 Pagesdoing these reflection projects, so my quantity of reading fell further to just five books every three months. However, the final nail in the coffin of my reading came in eighth grade. On the first day of school, the teacher informed us that we were only allowed to read nonfiction book s for our unnecessarily complicated reading logs. Up until the point, I had rarely so much as laid hands on a nonfiction book. I stopped reading nearly outright. Because we had to do a large amount of reflection and analysisRead MoreThe realm of arts in itself can be perceived as a paradoxical and subjective one, causing struggle1400 Words   |  6 Pages– 333). Yet in the eyes of an artist, Picasso states that the purpose of art is â€Å"a lie that brings closer the truth†. To evaluate this claim, further exploration of what a ‘lie’ or ‘truth’ implies within and beyond the arts realm is required. The essay will specifically and mainly examine literature as an art form, with references to the Natural Sciences and History. The first knowledge issue concerns with the validity of art as a form of lying. What is meant by a ‘lie’ in the context of art/literatureRead MoreTwilight Essay1938 Words   |  8 Pagessuch is strigoi (for the Romanian territory), Apotamkin, etc. But no matter the name, vampires will always refer to gothic creatures that drain the blood of humans, thus being monstrous. The first writer to introduce the vampire in literature was Lord Byron in the eighteenth century, but the most significant writer to develop the myth was Bram Stoker. He is the „father† of the vampire as he gave a complete description of the vampire in his most famous book† Dracula†. After the release of the bookRead MoreRalph, Jack, Piggy -Lord of the Flies1560 Words   |  7 PagesRalph, Jack and Piggy, the three main characters in the Lord of the flies encounter with each of their different personalities. Despite their similar ages, they take distinct reaction towards their situation because of their different growing environment. In this isolated and uncivilized island especially with no grown-ups, the development of their characteristics varies in different directions. When the events burst out one by one in chapter one to three, we can discover the contrast between RalphRead MoreJealousy and Race in Othello 1430 Words   |  6 PagesOthello (titular ch aracter protagonist), Iago and Cassio are ‘men of action’ and additionally, throughout the play we are able to observe men and women combating none other than life itself. The play deals with various themes and issues, however, this essay will focus on jealousy and race. Othello is considered one of the infamous (if not the most) literary works focusing on jealousy and the consequences it brings about. Various characters besides Othello fall victim to jealousy in the play and subject

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Financial Management Value of Return

Question: Required: 1. Calculate the following ratios for 2016. The industry average for similar businesses is shown. (6 marks) Industry average Rate of return on total assets 22% Rate of return on ordinary equity 20% Profit margin 4% Earnings per share 45c Price-earnings ratio 0 Dividend yield 5% Dividend payout 70% Current ratio 5:1 Quick ratio (acid ratio) Receivables turnover 13 Inventory turnover 6 Debt ratio 40% Times interest earned 6 Assets turnover 8 Given the above industry averages, comment on the companys profitability, liquidity and use of financial gearing. (4 marks) 2. A local restaurant is noted for its fine food, as evidenced by the large number of customers. A customer was heard to remark that the secret of the restaurants success was its fine chef. Would you regard the chef as an asset of the business? If so, would you include the chef on the balance sheet of the business and at what value? Discuss. Accounting provides much information to help managers make economic decisions in their various workplaces. You are required to provide examples of economic decisions that the following people would need to make with the use of accounting information: (3 MARKS) A manager of human resources A factory manager The management team of an Australian Football League (AFL) club The manager of a second-hand clothing charity c) Indicate the effect of each of the following transactions on any or all of the three financial statements of a business: (5 MARKS) Statement of financial position Statement of financial performance Statement of cash flows Apart from indicating the financial statements (s) involved, use appropriate phrases such as increase total asset, decrease equity, increase income, decrease cash flow to describe the transaction concerned. Purchase equipment for cash. Provide services to a client, with payment to be received within 40 days. Pay a liability. Invest additional cash into the business by the owner. Collect an account receivable in cash. Pay wages to employees. Receive the electricity bill in the mail, to be paid within 30 days. Sell a piece of equipment for cash. Withdraw cash by the owner for private use. Borrow money on a long-term basis from a bank. Answer: 1. Rate of return on total assets is defined as the ratio of Net income to the Average asset value of total assets. For the given case, it can be computed as: Rate of return on total assets = = 15.033 % Rate of return on ordinary shares is defined as the ratio of Net income to the total no. of shares. For the given case, it can be computed as: Rate of return on ordinary shares = = 60.583 % Profit Margin is defined as the ratio of Net income to Sales revenue. For the given case, net income = 4362 and sales revenue = 55000. Therefore, Profit margin = = 7.931% Earnings per share is defined as the ratio of the difference between Net Income and Dividend obtained on preference share to the total no. of shares. For the given case, Earnings per share = (4362 50)/ 7200 = 0.598 $ Price earnings ratio is defined as the ratio of Market price of share to the Earnings per share. For the given case, it can be computed as: Price earnings ratio = 12/ 0.598 = 20.06 Dividend yield is defined as the ratio of Earnings per share to the Market price of the share. For the given case, it is computed as: Dividend yield = = 4.983 % Dividend payout is defined as the ratio of Dividend per share to the Earnings per share. For the given case, dividend payout can be computed as: Dividend payout = (2702/ 7200)/ (0.589) = 62.66 % Current ratio is defined as the ratio of Current assets to Current liability which, for the given case can be calculated as: Current Ratio = 12745/ 5780 = 2.21 Quick ratio or acid is defined as the ratio of sum of Cash equivalent and account receivables to the current liability. Cash equivalent = 1645. Amount receivables = 4100. Current Liability = 5780. Therefore, acid ratio = (1645 + 4100)/5780 = 0.99 Receivables turnover is defined as the ratio of sales revenue to the average account receivables. For the given problem, it can be calculated as: Receivables turnover = 55000*2/ (4100 + 3675) = 14.15 Inventory turnover is defined as the ratio of sales revenue to average inventory. Inventory turnover = 55000*2/ (7000 + 6930) = 7.90 Debt ratio is defined as the ratio of Total debt to total assets. For the given case, Total debt = 15720. Total assets = 29935. Therefore, Debt ratio = (15720/ 29935) x 100 % = 53 % Times interest earned is the ratio between EBIT and Interest. This can be computed as (7830/ 1560) = 5.02 Asset turnover is the ratio between Sales revenue and Average total asset value. = 55000/ (29935 + 28045)/ 2 = 1.90 (Pandey, 2010) Companys Profitability: It can be seen that the profit margin of the company is 7.93% which is more than the Industry average of 4%. Moreover, the earnings per share is around 60 c which is more than the industry average of 45c. Given these two parameters for judging profitability, it can be inferred that the companys performance is better than its competitors. Companys Liquidity: The acid ratio and the current ratio of the company are 0.99 and 2.21 respectively which is lower than the industry average of 1.3 and 2.5. This implies that the company has less quick and current assets required to clear the current liabilities. This in turn makes the company riskier. The company needs to increase its liquidity in order to efficiently pay its current liabilities. Use of Financial Gearing: The Company has taken a debt which is much higher than the industry average and this enhances its risk. Therefore, the company should aim to decrease its dependency on long term debt and also try to increase equity in the company. (Averkamp, 2011) 2. Asset can be defined as anything tangible or intangible that can be used or controlled to produce value. In the given case, the skills of the chef constitute an intangible asset for the company which the company is controlling to produce its profits. The company needs to take into account the additional profits generated by chefs contribution to calculate the value of the chef. Manager of human resources: The HR manager can use the accounting information to compare the payroll of the company employees with the industry average. This will help her/him understand how the firm is performing and which areas need improvement. The HR manager can also take initiatives to increase productivity of the company thus increasing its profitability. A factory manager: A factory manager can use accounting information to know the inventory of the company and plan accordingly. (S)he should also keep a note on the fixed and variable manufacturing overheads and find ways to keep them under control. iii. The management team of an Australian Football League (AFL) club: It is important for the management team to know its budget. This is where accounting information will be useful to the management team. They can plan accordingly to buy training equipments and spend on training sessions. The manager of a second-hand clothing charity: The manager can use accounting information to decide how to distribute the donations and collections he/she has. They can also use it to check if their performance over previous years is improving. Purchase equipment for cash: For the Statement of financial position, cash in the assets will decrease while the amount of non-current assets will increase. There will be no impact on the statement of financial performance while cash will decrease in the cash flow statement. Provide services to a client, with payment to be received within 40 days: Total assets in the Statement of financial position will increase since the account receivables will increase. Income and equity both will increase for the company. Cash flow statement will remain unchanged. Pay a liability: For the Statement of financial position, cash in the assets will decrease and the account payable in liability will also decrease. There be will no impact on the statement of financial performance while cash will decrease in the cash flow statement. Invest additional cash into the business by the owner: For the statement of financial position, cash in the assets will increase and the equity will also increase. There will be no impact on the statement of financial performance while cash will increase in the cash flow statement. Collect an account receivable in cash: For the statement of financial position, cash will increase and the account receivable will decrease. There will be no impact on the statement of financial performance while cash will increase in the cash flow statement. Pay wages to employees: For the Statement of financial position, cash will decrease from assets and the account payable in liability will also decrease. There will be no impact on the statement of financial performance while cash will decrease in the cash flow statement. Receive the electricity bill in the mail, to be paid within 30 days: For the Statement of financial position, the account payable in liability will decrease and expenses will increase in the statement of financial performance which will lead to reduction in retained earnings in the equity. There will be no impact on the statement of cash flow. Sell a piece of equipment for cash: For the Statement of financial position, the assets will decrease while the cash will increase. Total assets will, however, remain unchanged. There will be no impact on the statement of financial performance while cash will increase in the cash flow statement. Withdraw cash by the owner for private use: For the Statement of financial position, the equity in the assets will decrease and so will the cash in the assets. There will be no impact on the statement of financial performance while cash will increase in the cash flow statement. Borrow money on a long-term basis from a bank: For the Statement of financial position, the long term liability will increase and as a result the cash in the assets will also increase. There will be no impact on the statement of financial performance while cash will increase in the cash flow statement. (Ittelson, 2008) References Pandey, I. (2010). Financial Management. Vikas Publishing House. Boundless. (2016). Profitability Ratios. Boundless Business. Retrieved on August 17, 2016 from https://www.boundless.com/business/textbooks/boundless-business-textbook/financial-statements-18/ratio-analysis-and-statement-evaluation-108/profitability-ratios-505-6717/ Averkamp, H. (2011). What are accounting ratios?. Retrieved on August 17, 2016 from https://www.accountingcoach.com/blog/what-are-accounting-ratios Lane, M. (2008). Ratio Analysis. Retrieved on August 17, 2016 from https://www.zenwealth.com/businessfinanceonline/RA/RatioAnalysis.html My Accounting Course. (n.d.). Financial Ratio Analysis. Retrieved on August 17, 2016 from https://www.myaccountingcourse.com/financial-ratios/ Sarngadharan, M. (2011). Financial Analysis for Management Decisions. Prentice Hall Tracy, A. (2012). Ratio Analysis Fundamentals: How 17 Financial Ratios Can Allow You to Analyse Any Business on the Planet. Bidi Capital Pty Ltd Ready Ratios. (2011). Liquidity ratios. https://www.readyratios.com/reference/liquidity/ Ittelson, T. (2008). Financial Statements: A Step by Step Guide to Understanding and Creating Financial Reports. Career Press. Mc Graw Hill. (2008). Financial Accounting. Retrieved on August 17, 2016 from https://highered.mheducation.com/sites/0073324833/student_view0/ebook/chapter1/chbody1/the_four_basic_financial_statements__an_overview.html

Monday, December 2, 2019

Realism in Cinema Essay Example

Realism in Cinema Essay Realism has become one of the most contested terms in the history of cinema. Cinematic realism is neither a genre nor a movement, and it has neither rigid formal criteria nor specific subject matter. But does this mean that realism is simply an illusion, and that, as Werner Herzog has declared: the so called Cinema Verite i?rite? Probably not, as realism has been an extremely useful concept for asking questions about the nature of cinematographic images, the relation of film to reality, the credibility of images, and the role cinema plays in the organization and understanding of the world. Realism, at the very least, has been a productive illusion. In film history, realism has designated two distinct modes of filmmaking and two approaches to the cinematographic image. In the first instance, cinematic realism refers to the verisimilitude of a film to the believability of its characters and events. This realism is most evident in the classical Hollywood cinema. The second instance of c inematic realism takes as its starting point the cameras mechanical reproduction of reality, and often ends up challenging the rules of Hollywood movie making. Kane is by no means a conventional, run-of-the-mill movie. Its keynote is realism. When you compare any of these films they all have their own significance. When comparing a realist film to â€Å"Citizen Kane† it really is a lot to compare and a lot that differentiates. When comparing any film to this that is a realist film you have to look at the storyline to the film. Selma was a film based off of actual events and actual events that affected lives. When you think of Citizen Kane the first thing that may come to your mind is the tramp. His movies were more drama than realism. Where as Selma was about the Civil Rights Act of 1964 legally desegregated the South, discrimination was still rampant in certain areas, making it very difficult for blacks to register to vote. In 1965, an Alabama city be

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Ancient Maya Civilization Classic Era

Ancient Maya Civilization Classic Era The Maya culture began sometime around 1800 B.C. and in a sense, it has not ended: there are thousands of men and women in the Maya region still practicing traditional religion, speaking pre-colonial languages, and following ancient customs. Still, the Ancient Maya civilization reached its peak during the so-called â€Å"Classic Era† from around 300-900 A.D. It was during this time that the Maya civilization achieved its greatest achievements in art, culture, power, and influence. The Maya Civilization The Maya civilization thrived in the steamy jungles of present-day southern Mexico, the Yucatn Peninsula, Guatemala, Belize, and parts of Honduras. The Maya were never an Empire like the Aztecs in central Mexico or the Inca in the Andes: they were never unified politically. Rather, they were a series of city-states independent from one another politically but linked by cultural similarities such as language, religion, and trade. Some of the city-states became very large and powerful and were able to conquer vassal states and control them politically and militarily but none was ever strong enough to unite the Maya into a single Empire. Beginning in 700 A.D. or so, the great Maya cities fell into decline and by 900 A.D. most of the important ones had been abandoned and fell into ruin. Before the Classic Era There have been people in the Maya region for ages, but cultural characteristics that historians associate with the Maya began appearing in the area around 1800 B.C. By 1000 B.C. the Maya had occupied all of the lowlands currently associated with their culture and by 300 B.C. most of the great Maya cities had been founded. During the late Preclassic Period (300 B.C. – 300 A.D.) the Maya began building magnificent temples and records of the first Maya Kings began to appear. The Maya were well on their way to cultural greatness. Classic Era Maya Society As the Classic era dawned, Maya society was clearly defined. There was a king, royal family, and a ruling class. The Maya kings were powerful warlords who were in charge of warfare and who were considered to be descended from the gods. Maya priests interpreted the movements of the gods, as represented by the sun, moon, stars, and planets, telling the people when to plant and do other daily tasks. There was a middle class of sorts, artisans, and traders who enjoyed special privilege without being nobility themselves. The vast majority of Maya worked in basic agriculture, growing the corn, beans, and squash that still make up the staple diet in that part of the world. Maya Science and Math The Classic Era Maya were talented astronomers and mathematicians. They understood the concept of zero, but did not work with fractions. The astronomers could predict and calculate the movements of the planets and other celestial bodies: much of the information in the four surviving Maya codices (books) concerns these movements, accurately predicting eclipses and other celestial events. The Maya were literate and had their own spoken and written language. They wrote books on specially prepared fig tree bark and carved historical information into stone on their temples and palaces. The Maya used two overlapping calendars which were quite accurate. Maya Art and Architecture Historians mark 300 A.D. as the starting point for the Maya Classic era because it was around that time that stelae began to appear (the first one dates from 292 A.D.). A stela is a stylized stone statue of an important king or ruler. Stelae include not only a likeness of the ruler but a written record of his accomplishments in the formed of carved stone glyphs. Stelae are common at the larger Maya cities that thrived during this time. The Maya built multi-storied temples, pyramids, and palaces: many of the temples are aligned with the sun and stars and important ceremonies would take place at those times. Art thrived as well: finely carved pieces of jade, large painted murals, detailed stonecarvings, and painted ceramics and pottery from this time all survive. Warfare and Trade The Classic era saw an increase in contact between the rival Maya city-states - some of it good, some of it bad. The Maya had extensive trade networks and traded for prestige items such as obsidian, gold, jade, feathers and more. They also traded for food, salt and mundane items like tools and pottery. The Maya also fought bitterly with one another. Rival city-states would skirmish frequently. During these raids, prisoners would be taken to be used as slaves or sacrificed to the gods. Occasionally, all-out war would break out between neighboring city-states, such as the rivalry between Calakmul and Tikal in the fifth and sixth centuries A.D. After the Classic Era Between 700 and 900 A.D., most of the major Maya cities were abandoned and left to ruin. Why the Maya civilization collapsed is still a mystery although there is no shortage of theories. After 900 A.D., the Maya still existed: certain Maya cities in the Yucatn, such as Chichen Itza and Mayapan, thrived during the Postclassic era. The descendants of the Maya still used the writing system, the calendar and other vestiges of the peak of Maya culture: the four surviving Maya codices are thought to have all been created during the postclassic era. The different cultures in the region were rebuilding when the Spanish arrived in the early 1500s, but the combination of the bloody conquest and European diseases pretty much ended the Maya renaissance. Sources: Burland, Cottie with Irene Nicholson and Harold Osborne. Mythology of the Americas. London: Hamlyn, 1970. McKillop, Heather. The Ancient Maya: New Perspectives. New York: Norton, 2004. Recinos, Adrian (translator). Popol Vuh: the Sacred Text of the Ancient Quichà © Maya. Norman: the University of Oklahoma Press, 1950.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Listing of Atlantic 2016 Hurricane Names

Listing of Atlantic 2016 Hurricane Names Below you will find the listing of hurricane names for the Atlantic Ocean for the year 2016. For every year, there is a pre-approved list of tropical storm and hurricane names. These lists have been generated by the National Hurricane Center since 1953. At first, the lists consisted of only female names; however, since 1979, the lists alternate between male and female. Hurricane Naming Conventions Hurricanes are named alphabetically from the list in chronological order. Thus the first tropical storm or hurricane of the year has a name that begins with A and the second is given the name that begins with B. The lists contain hurricane names that begin from A to W, but exclude names that begin with a Q or U. There are six lists that continue to rotate. The lists only change when there is a hurricane that is so devastating, the name is retired and another hurricane name replaces it. Thus, the 2016 hurricane name list is the same as the 2010 hurricane name list but after the 2010 hurricane season, there may be changes to the list if names are retired so check back after the 2010 hurricane season. 2016 Hurricane Names AlexBonnieColinDanielleEarlFionaGastonHermineIgorJuliaKarlLisaMatthewNicoleOttoPaulaRichardSharyTomasVirginieWalter

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Angel response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Angel response - Essay Example in his character, in his whole nature, there was something attractive and elusive which allured women and disposed them in his favor; he knew that, and some force seemed to draw him, too, to them.† (Chekhov 1.5) Gurov also comes out as very judgmental where we see him refereeing to women as the lower race. Gurov’s relationship is founded by his past life and experience. Gurov is very important as the author uses him to develop almost every theme and depicts the main theme of a loveless marriage. Anna is no more of a main character as we spend less time with her as compared to Gurov. All we know about her is that she is 22 years old, married at a tender age and does not enjoy her marriage. Even the first time she has sex with her husband she was not satisfied. Anna just like her husband is eager to life â€Å" I have been tormented by curiosity† she said in one of the conversation (Chekhov 6) .Anna clearly contributes to the story in many ways which include where her unhappiness in life and her marriage depicts a scene of reality, where one draws a number of lessons from what she undergoes. I total agree with angel analysis of the story, the main character analysis is on point and very informing. Joe undergoes a series of related issues and he is left with no choice but to employ his detective skills; and all these he has to do in order to save lives. Jim analysis is also very informing and his contribution to the story’s plot is noted. Jim being younger and leaving his girlfriend enlightens him and when he teams up with Joe we find him being his side