Fair Value Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Fair Value - Essay Example Thus, the AASB framework provides the general guidelines, establishing the way a company should measure all its assets. The aim of the act is to avoid inconsistency of the various methods of measuring fair value, providing a more rigorous framework, for all companies. Thus, the market value of any current asset will be measured by the replacement cost of the services or benefits currently embodied in the asset. One very disputed and problematic point concerned the market value of different assets that weren't commonly traded on the open market, such as buildings or other possessions of this nature. The conclusion reached by the AASB researchers and specialists was that the best way to measure the market value of such assets would be by comparing the selling-prices of other buildings in the area. Although controversial at first, this rule was, seemingly, the best one to follow in establishing the potential selling price of any asset held by a company. The concepts of "current assets" and "current liabilities" are also defined by AASB, as being "an asset that is expected to mature or be realized within a 12 month period", while current liabilities are those liabilities that are "expected to be paid, settled or extinguished within a period equal to or less than 12 months from the reporting date". FASB and IASB board members met on 12th of May, 2006 to discuss and establish the revenue recognition methods that should be used. In doing so, there were some factors that had to be acknowledged as important to the recognition of any revenue. First on the list was customer acceptance, which lead, after thorough examination and in-depth discussions, to the conclusion that: "Revenue shall be recognized if the customer must accept performance to date. That is, the contract's legal remedy for breach is, or is like, specific performance or in the event of customer cancellation, the customer is obligated to pay damages reflecting performance to date." (see http://www.fasb.org/board_meeting_minutes/04-27-06_rr.pdf) "We're hoping that there will be more consistency in the way companies approach fair value measurement, and less diversity in practice from the user's perspective. Users should have more confidence that when they look at those disclosures about what is being shown at fair value and the methods used, they'll have better information to use to assess the quality of earnings and how they view the reliability of the estimates being made.", stated FASB board member, Leslie F. Seidman (Glenn Cheney, "FASB standard clarifies fair value measurement", 16 Oct, 2006,). From this point of view, the AASB framework provides rigorous guidelines, avoiding misunderstanding and inconsistency. Still, as all regulations were changed and revised, many companies complain that they have a difficult time in applying them, and that many criteria provided by this statement have been so frequently changed and discussed that the danger of misinterpreting or failing to respect the newest changes is real and impossible to ignore. Given the fact that the market value is mainly based

Film Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Film Reflection - Essay Example It tries to explore the complex character of indigenous relationships, cultures and modern realities specifically the relationship between the fathers and sons in Native America. It is the story of one young Native man called Victor Joseph (Adam Beach) who stays with his mother Arlene (Tantoo Cardinal) in Idaho on the Coer d’Alene Indian Reservation and he has always abhorred his father and is trying to forgive him. After Victor finds out in the beginning of the film that Arnold his father is dead, he and Thomas his childhood friend set on a journey to pick his father’s ashes. During their journey, the two friends struggle with the constraints of forgiveness even as Victor begins to heal. It starts in the reservation in 1998 and there is a flashback to the 4th of July 1976 when there was a celebration of the â€Å"white man’s Independence Day†. It included holding the largest house party. As Thomas narrates over the image of a burning house. Arnold Joseph (Gary Farmer) accidentally sets fire to his neighbor’s house. The fire was uncontrollable and it ended up killing the couple who lived there but their baby was rescued by Joseph from the inferno after Thomas the baby was thrown out of the second story window from the burning house. The lucky rescued baby; Thomas (Evan Adams) is raised together with Victor who are almost of the same age by his grandmother. The grandmother offered her appreciation to Victor for saving Thomas and she told him he had done a good thing, but Arnold replied amidst tears that he did not mean to save Thomas. This tension which is the result of Arnold’s admission that he never intended to do good sets the tone for the entire film. Joseph shaves his hair in mourning but keeps drinking in desperation due to the inferno and its results. When Victor at 12 years old sees how his parents drunk, he got

Essay on Women Suffrage Movement Essay Example for Free

Essay on Women Suffrage Movement Essay Since time immemorial, all movements aspiring for a goal had to do something to attain it. Citizens of colonized countries had to organize themselves and fight by means of revolution to attain freedom. Slaves who aspired for freedom had to fight for their freedom. Employees who aspired for better terms and conditions had to engage in strikes and picketing before their rights were recognized. The fight for equal rights necessitated decades of struggle and massive propaganda campaign by the leaders and its members so that their aspirations may finally be recognized. The women’s suffrage movement also would not have succeeded had they not been awakened and realized that their rights were being violated. This essay seeks to prove that the women suffrage movement is the result of the leadership of important figures in our history and the awakening not only by the women but also the men that democracy demands the due recognition of the women’s right to vote. In the speech entitled â€Å"On Women’s Right to Vote†, Susan B. Anthony recounted her experiences when she was arrested for something that is her right to do – casting a vote. She was among the first female leaders who made the women realized the voting is also their right and guaranteed by the constitution. Susan Anthony explained one of the arguments against denying a female the right to vote which is that the United States was formed by the people of the United States. The people include those who are white and black, male or female, young and old who are all entitled to the same fundamental civil and political rights without any distinction. She also added that the dictionary defines a citizen as a person who is entitled to vote and hold office.

House of Lords Reform Essay

House of Lords Reform Essay House of Lords Role and Powers In comparison with the House of Commons, the House of Lords powers are restricted. Their political clout is owed more to convention and tradition. The House has no influence on any bills relating to government finance and although it has the authority to stall any acts of parliament for up to a year, the Commons can cite the Parliament Act 1949 an act introduced by Labour that effectively removed the delaying privileges of the Lords to swiftly defeat any motion. However, the Lords do hold the jurisdiction to veto any bill that may prolong a governments tenure in office. Each government can only rule for five years without a general election. Therefore, the Lords can block any move by the Commons to extend a regime beyond their legal term. Incidentally, this power has never been used in practice. The Lords make a valuable contribution to improving the quality of legislation in parliament. 50 60% of the chambers time is devoted to the revision of Commons bills. During the 2007/08 parliamentary session, the Lords tabled 7,259 amendments to draft bills of which 2,625 were accepted by the Commons. These included the Counter Terrorism Bill which outlined plans to revise the period of time potential terrorism suspects could be detained in custody without charge. The proposal was rejected by a majority of 192. The Lords have the capacity to dedicate time to in-depth scrutiny of proposed bills. This allows the Commons to take a back seat role and concentrate their efforts on MP constituency responsibilities and other issues. Consequently, many of the most thorough and full proof amendments find their origins in the House of Lords. In fact, it has been argued that the Commons abuse the Lords time and expertise in order to rework incompetently contrived bills. The Lords posses equal powers on matters concerning Private Members Bills. In plain terms, like the Commons, they too can reject them outright. In 2005, Lord Joffe proposed a bill that legalised assisted suicide in the case of terminally ill individuals. This involved doctors having the discretion to prescribe patients with a fatal dose of medication. However, the bill was fervently opposed on moral grounds and subsequently overcome. Like their counterpart, the Lords is also safe guarded by parliamentary privilege. This means that the chamber is exempt from libel allegations and therefore permits peers the liberty of free speech within parliament. Legislative procedures aside, the House of Lords plays an important role in scrutinising the actions of parliament. This scrutiny takes the form of questions to ministers, debates in parliament and committee work. There is no Lords equivalent to Commons Questions Time. In its place, time is allocated at the start of each days session for questions to the Lords ministers. During the 2007/08 parliamentary session, 595 oral questions were put forth whilst 5,814 oral written questions were lodged. Debates in the chamber are reflective of the diverse membership of the house. Generally, they are said to be more civil than those that take place in the Commons. Furthermore, although still evident, party allegiance does not carry the same weight. The content of the issues discussed are said to be far more deliberated and comprehensive than those in the Commons. This can be explained by the caliber of representative the Lords can boast. The 2007/08 parliamentary session featured 80 general debates ranging from disputes about the state of the armed forces to the current economic situation in the UK. The House of Lords exhibits a number of committees globally acclaimed for their expertise. The coveted European Communities Committee is held in high regard and compliments the less detailed studies conducted by their Commons counterpart. The Science Technology Committee, founded in 1979, was responsible for a damning report in 2007 on e-crime. The review examined the role the internet has played in increasing crime levels, highlighting the dangers of online depravity and advised the government of the preventative measures that needed to be put in place. In 2005, the Lords Constitution Committee produced a report on the potential introduction of ID cards and concluded that it threatened to destroy the harmony between the state and citizen. As of October 2009, the judicial powers of the House of Lords were removed when the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 was brought into practice. Prior to this, the chamber was considered the highest court in the United Kingdom and was traditionally the court of appeal for all civil and criminal cases. Justice was administered via the Law Lords the countries most higher-ranking judges. However, with the creation of a new United Kingdom Supreme Court, the judicial role of the Lords was effectively rendered void. Composition of House of Lords In 1997, Tony Blairs Labour government came to power and immediately pledged to make the House of Lords more democratic and representative of the electorate. Up until this point, the chamber had comprised of life peers who had been honoured with their seat due to outstanding achievements in their field of work and the traditional hereditary peers who ascended to their position through birth. Due to the massive prevalence of Conservative supporters amongst hereditary peers prior to 1999, there existed an ingrown Conservative majority within the second Chamber of parliament. The House of Lords Act 1999 sought to fulfil the Labour partys 1997 manifesto commitment to remove the right of hereditary peers to sit and vote in the House of Lords. The Act served to remove more than 600 hereditary peers from membership. Consequently, this created greater equality between the Conservatives and Labour, leaving the balance of power being held by the cross-benchers and the Liberal Democrats. There was no longer a single party who dominated the House. This change in composition is reflected when comparing House of Lords Membership in January 1999 to that of November 2009. In January 1999, prior to the Acts ratification, the Conservatives had 473 peers sitting in the second chamber. As of November 2009, there were only 190 active Conservative peers. In stark contrast, in January 1999, Labour had 168 peers within the House. This figure had risen to 212 by November 2009 and therefore emphasises the close parity now in operation between Labour and Tory  peers. The number of Liberal Democrat peers has remained consistent. In 1999, the party had 67 peers. This figure had increased marginally to 71 by 2009. The removal of hereditary peers also resulted in a significant drop in cross-bench peers. In 1999, there were 310 working in the House. By 2009, this number had reduced to 183. The composition of the chamber has also been altered by the increasing numbers of life peers derived from common social standing. Whilst hereditary peers are traditionally bourn of upper class backgrounds, life peers offer a more socially representative alternative. However, it must be noted that despite this discrepancy, class issues still remain. In order to offer a life peerage, recipients will generally have achieved something of particular repute. Therefore, by the time peerage is granted, it is highly unlikely that the individual will be still considered of lower social standing. In turn, this severely hampers the chances of the chamber ever becoming a socially representative mechanism of the United Kingdom. The terms of the House of Lords Act 1999 has also increased the role played by woman within the House of Lords. In 1990, 80 women held peerage within the House. By November 2009, as a result of the changing composition, there were 148 women sitting with the Lords. This shows an increase from 7% of the total membership to 20 % of the total membership in just under two decades. The present day House of Lords is evidently different from that one that existed before Labour came to power in 1997. Its composition has been transformed in comparison with the Conservative stronghold that was in place pre reform and it now promotes a far more equal representation of political allegiance, gender and social status. More significantly, the vast majority of members are life peers and not hereditary peers. The Reforms Agenda Stage two of the Labour Governments plans to reform the House of Lords involved the consolidation of Stage One the removal of hereditary peers. It was designed to bolster and strengthen the move to a second chamber based purely on appointment. The idea was that the reforms would create a more representative chamber based on the votes a political party had acquired at the previous general election. Stage three of the reforms agenda outlined proposals for an expansive reform of the House of Lords. In theory, the government had anticipated that the successful implementation of an all-appointed second chamber would allow for more fundamental reforms to be made in order to stabilise the Lords position in Parliament. Secondly, the government planned to introduce a wider programme of constitutional change within the House. This hinged entirely on the success of the stage two reforms in ensuring the House of Lords maintained its legitimacy. Jack Straw, the secretary of state for justice, recently claimed that the reforms of 1999 dramatically changed the House of Lords for the better. However, many would argue this is not the case. Ultimately, the Labour government has failed to deliver on its promise of a wholly elected second chamber. In 2007 the House of Commons voted in favour of reforms leading to a 100% or 80% elected second chamber. This proposal was rejected outright by the House of Lords. Despite the governments insistence that the reforms would be pushed through using the will of the Commons, two years have since passed and the in-house squabbling still rages between those in power. This is the frank nature of the reforms debate. An unelected second chamber with no direct link to the people raises serious questions of legitimacy. The body itself is fundamental to the making of legislation. The Labour Party has been in power for close to 13 years and it has achieved very little. The successful implementation of Stage one of the Lords reform programme now appear as substantial as a gentle breeze. Despite overwhelming public favour for reform of the Lords and numerous votes for a fully elected chamber, Labour has not pushed through the reform agenda its 1997 manifesto guaranteed. Unfortunately, the governments plans have not came to fruition.. It looks likely that it will remain that way for the foreseeable future. Sources Jones, B. Kavanagh, D. Moran, M. and Norton, P. (2007), Politics UK, 6th Edition Norton, P. (2005), Parliament in British Politics Russell, M. (2000), Reforming the House of Lords: Lessons from Overseas Direct Gov Website: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/index.htm The Works of the House of Lords: http://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/HoLwork.pdf UK Parliament Website: http://www.parliament.uk/index.cfm Appendix Questions to MP regarding House of Lord Reforms: 1. Please can you explain the term the â€Å"Poodle of the Prime Minister† and its relation to Stage One of the House of Lords reform agenda? 2. Why the change of heart regarding your stance on reform? 3. Where do the Governments major failings lie in terms of not delivering on its 1997 manifesto promise to reform the House of Lords? 4. Do you agree that an elected second chamber is an essential link to the people and not having one raises questions of legitimacy? 5. There are those who argue that the restraining influence of the Lords is crucial to the efficiency of the UK Parliamentary system. Why do we need an elected second chamber? Follow up; 1. Philip Norton Lord Norton of Louth Conservative peer and professor of government at the University of Hull. From 2001 to 2004 he was Chairman of the House of Lords Select Committee on the Constitution. He has been described in The House Magazine the journal of both Houses of Parliament as ‘our greatest living expert on Parliament. Mr Norton is extremely knowledgeable on the governments reform agenda and has written acclaimed publications on the matter. Serving as peer within the Lords, he would be able to give a view from the parapets. 2. Gerald Warner Scottish newspaper columnist and political commentator. He is a former policy advisor to the British Cabinet Minister. His daily blog for the Daily Telegraph attracts widespread debate and he regularly writes of the need for reform within the House of Lords. Mr Warner would be a useful port of contact as he has been immersed in the politics for a number of years and through his daily blog activity would be able to transmit an accurate portrayal of British consensus on Lords reform agenda. 3. Lord Hope Scottish Judge and Deputy Head of the Supreme Court of the UK. Lord Hope is a prestigious Law Lord and has served in the House of Lords in numerous important roles. It would be beneficial to gauge his reaction to the devolved judicial powers of the House of Lords now that the New Supreme Court is in operation. 4. Jonathan Freedland British Journalist who writes a weekly column for the Guardian. Recently expressed his views on the need for an elected second Chamber of Parliament. Therefore, the issue is of great interest to him and he will be knowledgeable on the subject matter. Also, hes a young journalist who might be able to give a fresh perspective on the House of Lords.

The Meaninglessness of Samuel Becketts Waiting for Godot :: Waiting for Godot Essays

The Meaninglessness of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Waiting for Godot, Samuel Beckett produces a truly cryptic work. On first analyzing the play, one is not sure of what, if anything, happens or of the title character's significance. In attempting to unravel the themes of the play, interpreters have extracted a wide variety symbolism from the Godot's name. Some, taking an obvious hint, have proposed that Godot represents God and that the play is centered on religious symbolism. Others have taken the name as deriving from the French word for a boot, godillot. Still, others have suggested a connection between Godot and Godeau, a character who never appears in Honore de Balzac's Mercadet; Ou, le faiseur. Through all these efforts, there is still no definitive answer as to whom or what Godot represents, and the writer has denied that Godot represents a specific thing, despite a certain ambiguity in the name. Upon study, however, one realizes that this ambiguity in meaning is the exact meaning of Godot. Though he seems to create greater symbolism and significance in the name Godot, Beckett actually rejects the notion of truth in language through the insignificance of the title character's name. By creating a false impression of religious symbolism in the name Godot Beckett leads the interpreter to a dead end. For one to make an association between God and the title character's name is completely logical. In fact, in producing the completely obvious allusion, Beckett beckons the interpreter to follow a path of religious symbolism. Throughout the play, references to Christianity are so often mentioned that one can scarcely identify a religious undercurrent; the presence of religion is not really below the surface. In the opening moments of the play, Vladimir asks "Hope deferred make something sick, who said that?" (8A). The real quotation, "Hope deferred maketh the heart sick," comes from Proverbs 13:12 of the Bible. Shortly after, Vladimir asks if Estragon has ever read the Bible and continues on a discussion of the Gospels, the "Saviour," and the two thieves surrounding Christ during the crucifixion (8B-9B). By inserting religious discussions in the first few moments play, the playwright encourages the interpreter to assume the play's themes are greatly connected with religion. Then, when the discussion turns to Godot, Estragon associates their request from Godot with "A kind of prayer" (13A). The connection between God and Godot is seemingly firmly established, leaving room for a variety of interpretations. The Meaninglessness of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot :: Waiting for Godot Essays The Meaninglessness of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Waiting for Godot, Samuel Beckett produces a truly cryptic work. On first analyzing the play, one is not sure of what, if anything, happens or of the title character's significance. In attempting to unravel the themes of the play, interpreters have extracted a wide variety symbolism from the Godot's name. Some, taking an obvious hint, have proposed that Godot represents God and that the play is centered on religious symbolism. Others have taken the name as deriving from the French word for a boot, godillot. Still, others have suggested a connection between Godot and Godeau, a character who never appears in Honore de Balzac's Mercadet; Ou, le faiseur. Through all these efforts, there is still no definitive answer as to whom or what Godot represents, and the writer has denied that Godot represents a specific thing, despite a certain ambiguity in the name. Upon study, however, one realizes that this ambiguity in meaning is the exact meaning of Godot. Though he seems to create greater symbolism and significance in the name Godot, Beckett actually rejects the notion of truth in language through the insignificance of the title character's name. By creating a false impression of religious symbolism in the name Godot Beckett leads the interpreter to a dead end. For one to make an association between God and the title character's name is completely logical. In fact, in producing the completely obvious allusion, Beckett beckons the interpreter to follow a path of religious symbolism. Throughout the play, references to Christianity are so often mentioned that one can scarcely identify a religious undercurrent; the presence of religion is not really below the surface. In the opening moments of the play, Vladimir asks "Hope deferred make something sick, who said that?" (8A). The real quotation, "Hope deferred maketh the heart sick," comes from Proverbs 13:12 of the Bible. Shortly after, Vladimir asks if Estragon has ever read the Bible and continues on a discussion of the Gospels, the "Saviour," and the two thieves surrounding Christ during the crucifixion (8B-9B). By inserting religious discussions in the first few moments play, the playwright encourages the interpreter to assume the play's themes are greatly connected with religion. Then, when the discussion turns to Godot, Estragon associates their request from Godot with "A kind of prayer" (13A). The connection between God and Godot is seemingly firmly established, leaving room for a variety of interpretations.

Letter to My Family :: Disease Outbreak Health Essays

Letter to My Family To My Family, Where do I begin? I don't know how many Shelly's piano concerts I missed for this stupid job. Shelly, if you're reading this, I am really sorry. I wish I could make amends but there simply isn't enough time. Jacob, I am sorry I have to leave you even before I would see your first steps. Diana, my sweetheart, loving wife of 10 years, I owe you the most. All those nights that I stumbled home drunk. All those times that I hit you. I am sorry. I am a monster. I guess I do deserve to die like this. Last month I didn't even know where the hell Zaire was. All I knew was that it was some poor backwards nation in Africa that we sold water filters to. Funny how things turn out, I am going to die in this god forsaken place. Twenty people in this village have died. The rest that haven't probably wish they were. David is already dead. Honey, you remember David right? That junior assistant in our department I told you about? I never liked him. He died first too. Serves that prick right. He wanted to tag along on this trip hoping to attain "valuable sales experience." Always kissing up to the boss, that's David. He started complaining about soreness and a headache. Then the day before he died, he vomited all over my briefcase after lunch. We thought he was just complaining as usual four nights ago, but in the morning we found him in his hut dead. I will never forget that sight. His eyes and mouth were both wide open and trails of dried blood ran from them. At first, we th ought one of the villagers poisoned us or something. But then, one of the villagers started screaming as loud as he could. He stumbled and ran in the woods afterwards. We never saw him again. I knew this was bad news already. But it only got worse. The UN folks showed up wearing suits that looked like they were taken straight out of a movie or something. They were all covered up and some of them even had oxygen masks. They prodded David like a dead cow and even stuck a few needles into him.

Causes of Revolutionary War DBQ Essay

The colonists had endured much turmoil before the 1770s. Colonists had to fight the Native Americans and Spanish for their land. Furthermore, there was the French and Indian War in which the colonists joined forces for the first time to defeat the French and Native Americans for their land. It was during this time that the colonists learned that if they worked together, they were capable of achieving things on their own, without the help of the British. There is not one simple cause of the Revolutionary War but events that create a chain reaction. These events are as follows: the Stamp Act and taxation, colonial unity and resistance to this taxation, and Great Britain’s response to the colonial resistance. An initial cause behind the Revolutionary War was the Stamp Act passed in 1765 by the British Parliament. This caused uproar in the colonies because it was â€Å"Taxation without Representation,† and the colonists believed that â€Å"only representatives elected by the colonists had the right to tax the colonies† (Doc. D). Furthermore, the colonists were not just taxed on paper and official documents. They were also taxed on tea, and according to a biography on Paul Revere, â€Å"taxing such a vital beverage sparked continued hostility† (Doc. E). This hostility increased and spread amongst the colonists which lead to much resistance and confrontation. The colonists were livid at the taxation imposed by the British. Many colonies held protests against these taxes (Doc. G), and one colonist, Thomas Paine, published a pamphlet titled Common Sense which â€Å"urged Americans to declare independence from Great Britain† (Doc. C). This â€Å"paved the way for the Declaration of Independence† (Doc. C). Moreover, there were inter-colonial organizations that coordinated these protests and much more. For example, the Sons of Liberty were very influential in colonial resistance. They â€Å"plac[ed] themselves between the colonial leadership and the mob† (Doc. B), the mob being the enraged colonists in the streets. As a result of this resistance, Great Britain was forced to take action, not only in the colonies but in parliament as well. As the colonists raged on, the British  were forced to act in perseverance. Take for example the Boston Massacre. The colonists were rioting in the street and antagonizing the British soldiers. Captain Thomas Preston responded to this by ordering his men to â€Å"load their muskets† (Doc. H), and as a result of this five colonists were killed by British men. Furthermore, Parliament was required to act after the Boston Tea Party. The Boston Tea Party was when colonists dressed as Native Americans and dumped British tea into the Boston Harbor, and â€Å"the result of the Boston Tea Party was a greatly angered British parliament, which responded to the rebellion by closing the port of Boston and dissolving the authority of local courts† (Doc. E). These acts were known as the â€Å"Intolerable Acts.† The American Revolution was a war in the making ever since the French and Indian War. Beginning with the numerous taxation laws, which led to much resistance from the colonies, causing more taxation and laws from the British, eventually the colonists had had enough and started a full-scale rebellion which led to the foundation of the United States of America.