Sunday, August 18, 2019
The Use of Hesse Siddhartha to Reflect the Legendary Atmosphere of Budd
The Use of Hesse Siddhartha to Reflect the Legendary Atmosphere of Buddha "Siddhartha" is one of the names of the historical Gautama, and the life of Hesse's character resembles that of his historical counterpart to some extent. Siddhartha is by no means a fictional life of Buddha, but it does contain numerous references to Buddhaââ¬â¢s philosophies and his teachings. Although Hesseââ¬â¢s Siddhartha is not intended to portray the life of Gautama the Buddha but he used the name and many other attributed to reflect the legendary atmosphere and the pattern of his heroes transformation. Shakyamuni, known in his youth as Siddhartha Gautama, was a prince who became aware of and profoundly troubled by the problems of human suffering. According to religious scriptures Siddhartha renounced his prince hood at the age of 19 and pursued the life of a religious mendicant from which he rejected both extremes of the mortification of the flesh and of hedonism as paths toward the state of Nirvana. After 11 years of ascetic practices and deep meditation, at the age of 30, he finally realized the truth that would emancipate mankind from their suffering, and he became a Buddha. All the teachings of Shakyamuni were recorded giving rise to a vast array of sutras or scriptures. The Buddha can in no way be described as a transcendental or supreme being. ââ¬Å"Buddhaâ⬠means the enlightened one; a Buddha is a person who perceives within his own life the essence, or reality of life itself. Unlike other religious philosophies or systems of religious thought, Buddhism makes no clear distinction between divinity and humanity. Its teachings enable people to attain enlightenment, to become Buddhas themselves. This ultimate reality supports and nourishes humanity, and all other living beings. Those who have perceived this ultimate reality inherent in their own lives truly know themselves, they are Buddhas. (Introduction to Buddhism) The basic teaching of Buddha is formulated in the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. Preceding from the premise that suffering exists and that a release from it must be found, Buddha constructed his system. The First Noble Truth is to be understood, the universality of suffering. The Second Truth is to be abandoned, the desire to have and control things that cause suffering. The third truth is to be made visible, the supreme truth and final liberation of Nirvana... ...is world. He realizes that this had to come, so that he would no longer fight what he considered fate, but gave himself unreservedly to his destiny, thus Siddhartha has overcome suffering at last, and with it has attained the last step of his contemplation. He has entered Nirvana, peace has finally come to Siddhartha at last. When it is asked of Siddhartha to show the wonders of enlightenment his efforts to express that he has found the way in words are doomed, since the way within for one individual defies formulation for another, for simply expressed ââ¬Å"knowledge can be imparted, but not wisdomâ⬠. (Field) Field, George W Herman Hesse Boston: Twayne Pub., 1970 ââ¬Å"Introduction To Buddhismâ⬠SGI-USA www.sgi-usa/buddhism/introtobuddhism.html Malthaner, Johannes. World Literature Criticism James P Draper, ed. Vol. 3. Detroit: Gale Research Comp., 1992. Otten, Anna. Hesse Companion. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1977. Robinson, B.A. ââ¬Å"Buddhismâ⬠Religious Tolerance www.religoustolerance.org/buddhism.htm (5 Mar 2001) Rose, Enrst. ââ¬Å"Faith From the Abyssâ⬠Contemporary Literature Criticism. Riley, Carolyn. Vol. #1. Detroit: Gale Research Comp. 1973, 145.
Saturday, August 17, 2019
Jealousy in the book of Genesis Essay
The first book of the Pentateuch is rife with Jealousy. It seems a peculiar obsession of those writing in the Lordââ¬â¢s name. After all, such sins as murder, adultery and slothfulness seem so much more damaging to our communities and our selves. Why are the jade eyes of jealously given so much attention in the bibleââ¬â¢s leadoff book, especially in the story of the second and third men, Cain and his brother Abel. I suspect that jealousy, being a universal human emotion, one which human beings so easily find themselves sinking into, and one which is so obviously coarse and negative, inspired the writers of the bible to bring attention to itââ¬â¢s dangers very early on in their text. Although the instances of jealousy found in the later narratives of Genesis, perhaps those of Noah and Abraham, present more nuanced and complex manifestations of this all too human frailty, the visceral nature of Cainââ¬â¢s crime and the ambiguity of his atonement must first be addressed, as well as the fundamental differences between jealousy among men and manââ¬â¢s jealousy of God. Cain is assigned to be the ââ¬Å"tiller of the groundâ⬠(Genesis 4:2 ââ¬â NKJV) in the garden of Eden. Abel, his younger brother, the second son of Adam and Eve, was given the more genteel task of tending to flocks of sheep. Both made offerings to the Lord, Cain in the form of the ââ¬Å"fruit of the groundâ⬠(Genesis 4:3) and Abel ââ¬Å"the firstborn of their flock and his fatâ⬠(Genesis 4:4) which God respected. However the next verse, 4:5, reveals that God did not respect Cainââ¬â¢s offering. Why? The Biblical writers, men knowing nothing at all of Godââ¬â¢s motivations (not to mention his existence), donââ¬â¢t feel the need to indulge us with Godââ¬â¢s motives or criteria for respecting an offering. We do know that he took unkindly to Cainââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"countenanceâ⬠, which ââ¬Å"fellâ⬠following his rejection. One could easily see how being rejected by God, who hints at some criteria when he says in 4:7 ââ¬Å"If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at your door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it. â⬠Of course, in the very next verse, Cain, after a brief conversation with his brother of which we are told nothing about, kills Abel. Sin came to his door, in the form of jealousy toward his brother and he acted upon it in the most despicable way possible. The biblical writers are trying to dramatize an emotion and its consequences as effectively as possible. Did Cain feel that his offering was superior to his brothers and that he being unfairly judged by God? That God would not accept his offering, regardless of the quality of his fruit? Without more detail, itââ¬â¢s hard to erect any sort of value judgment, within the Christian Lexicon, on the matter of Cain and Abel. God seems a little overbearing and perhaps bears more than a small share of the guilt for Cainââ¬â¢s jealousy. If Cain had toiled that barren mid-eastern soil simply to praise God, rose day and night for his Lordââ¬â¢s glory, than was it perhaps a bit insensitive on the Lordââ¬â¢s part to reject him. Had Abel provoked Cain in any other way? What did they talk about that faithful day? In what language could they have spoken? As you can see, the first instance of jealousy in the Biblical text leaves more stones unturned and more questions unanswered than not. The story of Cain and Abel illuminates the first instance of intra-human jealousy. From the very beginning however, man was jealous of God. God creates man in his own image and makes him humble and stupid. Adam and Eve weââ¬â¢re simply to be in the Garden, lord of the Earthââ¬â¢s other creatures and stay out of Godââ¬â¢s affairs, those that concern the moral and scientific complexities of the world. For as God puts it in Genesis 2:16-17, ââ¬Å"Of every tree of the Garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die. â⬠Later, after man as created Eve, verse 2:25 exclaims ââ¬Å"And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. â⬠A surface reading suggests that man was meant for to remain in a pure, infantile state. Before man erected society, technology or democracy, man was designed to remain pure of the complexities of morality. Yet Adam and Eve, given the free will God had granted them and a base awareness of good and evil, ironically because of Godââ¬â¢s edict to stay far away from the tree which allows one knowledge of such matters, had the ability to choose such knowledge, and with a little persuasion from the villainous serpent, they did. Surely the ways of God are mysterious, but why would he set up man with a series of bizarrely attractive ways to subvert his intentions for their well-being? Eve makes a series of evaluative judgments upon the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil when she thinks to herself in verse 3:6 ââ¬Å"So when the woman saw the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, She took of the fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband, and he ate. â⬠Was God setting up Adam and Eve for the fall when he created the tree in the first place? Hoew else to explain an omnipotent God who willfully creates beings who weââ¬â¢re, despite their naivete, are capable of learning and seeing the virtues of something which their creator had made arbitrarily off limits while simultaneously placing being in their midst whose whole obligation is to tempt them? Certainly the rest of the Biblical narrative depends on the jealousy inspired fall ââ¬â without it, the rest of the story, which culminates with Jesus sacrificing himself for manââ¬â¢s sins and thus offering him redemption, several thousand year before the Earth is destroyed during Jesusââ¬â¢ rapturous return, could not have been constructed by the Biblical writers. Perhaps, if it is out their God wanted to fall. It is simply manââ¬â¢s innocent jealousy, of Godââ¬â¢s wisdom and goodness and perhaps his power to arbitrarily, without fear of reprisal or retribution, horde power over his creations, which drove Eve to follow the serpentââ¬â¢s instructions. The instinct to want what others have is as old as man. Surely the omnipotent clockmaker deity that the early enlightenment era Europeans constructed out of King Jamesââ¬â¢ text was aware of this opposition he was creating. It is, after all, just another part of Godââ¬â¢s grand design. Bibliography The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Thomas Nelson Bibles, 1982.
Friday, August 16, 2019
Pro Hunting
The calls to ban the practice of hunting if enacted will sound a death knell to a sport that since the 16th century has become an integral part of our culture. It is a culture that has over time elicited interest in thousand of participants all over Britain. I believe this practice should be upheld not just for its cultural values but also for its economic and sporting importance.Taking a look at the history of foxhunting I become more convinced that this event should be upheld due to the satisfaction that it has been according to the participants. The history of fox hunting dates back to the 16th century, originally as a form of pest control and was carried out by English farmers. This was done by the farmers to protect their livestock, as foxes had become a real threat to their goats and chickens.In some places in England, fox hunting remains largely a form of pest control. Should this practice be allowed I would not fathom how the opponents of fox hunting expect these farmers to s afeguard their source of livelihood. I would not want to see the efforts of these farmers go into waste to satisfy the whims of some few animal rights crusaders. These foxes pose a threat not only to the humans but also to domesticated animals that are more productive and have received months of tending and feeding. I donââ¬â¢t see any other way that these foxes can be eliminated and the threat they pose to humans be reduced significantly. A look at their eating habits leaves me with a lot of disdain for foxes. Foxes can kill a whole pack of chickens while in the real sense it has an appetite of only one. This leads to wastage and should not be condoned; hunting them down remains the most effective way of reducing these incidences( Dagmar Orendi, February 2004.I support fox hunting in the belief that in the long run it plays a great role in ecological balancing. A cross analysis of the foxes in their natural habitats indicate that they have no real predators in the wilderness. Th eir population if unchecked can rapidly increase to an unmanageable level. Man is their only real threat and is the only entity that ensures that only the best survives. I agree with the argument that has been passed on over time that fox hunting apart form controlling the population ensures the culling of the least desirable ones.à In hunting only the weak succumb to the humanââ¬â¢s fury.The strong and the fast get to survive and see another down. Hence the hunting and killing of foxes should not be demonized or be viewed as an activity that seeks to fulfill the humanââ¬â¢s sadistic tendencies. I am convinced that this activity plays a great role in the ecology more than we can fathom. In the wilderness it is survival for the fittest and hunting isolates the weak from the strong ensuring only the strong breed survives.I am a great lover of sports, not only for the role that it plays in bringing individuals of varied and diversified social upbringing together but for the ph ysical fitness that it instills in those that engage in it. Disregarding its original role and intentions, fox hunting is a sport that continues to create an effective forum for interactions and give individuals a chance to excise their limbs and minds. This is a sport that has evolved from far but still tends to maintain some of the traditional trends. In hunting the foxes, the hunters may opt to do so on foot, on horsebacks, on bicycles or using four wheels drive vehicles.Regardless of the means used, it is a perfect opportunity for the hunters to engage in outdoor activities and enjoy their fun in the rough terrain. I would feel sad to see this sort of an activity banned and the joy of spectating and engaging in the sport diminished. Watching people foxhunt on the screen or hearing the tales of these expeditions gives me thrills and a yearning to participate in them too. By banning these practices, the authority seeks to deny us the excitement and adventure that comes with these sports either when you hear from third parties or when you have physically participated in the fete.Fox hunting is an economic venture in that it not only seeks to reduce livestock losses but also increase the number of jobs created. It is an economic activity that is relied upon by significant number of people. I shudder at the thought of these individuals losing their jobs over what the opponents call ââ¬Ëcrueltyââ¬â¢ to animals.I donââ¬â¢t understand their argument when they purport to advocate for animals, while at the same time failing to put into consideration the number of households and livelihoods that rely on fox hunting, either as a direct source of employment or due to reduced loss of their livestock. I have looked at a recent study that was seeking to establish the number of individuals that depend on fox hunting as a source of employment in the United Kingdom. The findings were interesting. Over 7,000 people fully rely on fox hunting for their living. I see no reason why we should legislate against fox hunting and put into jeopardy the lives of several thousands over arguments that do not hold any water.Although I have an unshakeable believe that fox hunting should not be outlawed, I cannot fail to look at some of the arguments brought forth by the opponents of fox hunting. Animal rights activists are convinced that fox hunting should be outlawed fully and perpetrators thrown behind bars or fined. They cite a few reasons that also may be put into consideration but do not warrant outlawing the event. They claim that fox hunting is cruel considering the fact that the foxes end up being shredded into parts by the hunting dog. It is a very distressing affair to the foxes as they undergo a lot of suffering. They argue that fox hunting is cruel as the foxes do not die instantly but have to undergo a lot of pain.I donââ¬â¢t find this argument strong in any way and deserving any form of attention. In the first place, foxes are hunted not prim arily for sport and excitement but to reduce the threat facing the livestock. To the animal rights activists, it looks that the quality of human life and their source of livelihood is not important, what is important is that the foxes should not undergo suffering even when the strike at the livestock.A cost benefit analysis of fox hunting reveals that it has more social and economic benefits than losses. In my opinion, I find that fox hunting is a venture that seeks to kill more than two birds with a single stone. Economically, the practice is beneficial to the society as it is a natural way for pest control. Socially, it provides us with an important forum whereby people in the society can interact and get to share out their experiences. The interaction play a great role in ensuring unity and cohesion and in one more way than one ensures stability in the community. As a sport, it is a practice that gives people an opportunity to engage in physical outdoor sporting A sport that not only puts their physique in to test but also their minds. I strongly believe that these and more are strong reasons why fox hunting should not be outlawed.BibliographyDagmar Orendi, February 2004. The debate about fox hunting. A social and political analysis. Retrieved on 13/10/07 from http://.www.hu-berlin.de/gbz/downloads/pdf/pagmarorendi-masterthesisPolitics.co.uk 2007.Hunting with dogs. Politics unspun. Retrieved in 13/10/07 from http://www.politics.co.uk/issue-briefs/domestic-policy/animal-welfare/huntingBadger, R.J Fox Hunting in Scotland. Research Note RN99-17, Scottish parliament Information Centre, EdinburghMacmillan, D.C 1999. The Economic Impact of a Ban on Fox Hunting in Scotland. Research Paper 99/3, Environmental and Rural Resource Economics Group, University of Aberdeen.
The Relationship between amount of sleep and reaction time
In addition, there have been many catastrophic events in the world caused by lack of sleep or fatigue in certain situations. These include the disaster of Coherency, the Challenger explosion In 1986 and the Exxon Valued oil spill, many claim, were caused by lack of sleep and fatigue. The employees at Coherency were overworked, working 13 hours or more. The pilots of the Challenger had a significant lack of sleep and the oil spill caused by the workers working over 22 hours per day. Furthermore, these catastrophic events are all that could be affected or prevented with a quick reaction time.Therefore, could the fatigue and lack of sleep have led to slower reaction times causing these events to occur or was it another variable that the fatigue caused? I wonder if there is a relationship between amount of sleep and reaction time. Plan: To find out the relationship between amount of sleep and reaction time, if there is one, I will be using two different type of investigation. Firstly, I will be doing some of the investigation myself by taking a sample from my year group and having them complete a test.In addition to that, I will also be getting results from other studies, Investigations and reports on the same experiment as the results would be more reliable and varied. For my own Investigation, since I am comparing, It Is difficult to have certain independent or dependent variables. However, since I am seeing how amount of sleep affects reaction time, as my independent variable, I will use the amount of sleep measured in hours and I will be using the reaction time measured in seconds. I will obtain the amount of sleep by asking the people within the sample and I will get the reaction time by having the sample take a free online test.For this investigation, I will be using convenience sampling since the investigation has a very small time limit and I will not have any resources available to investigate on a larger sample or to do sample which is outside of this sam ple. Therefore these results are quite unreliable since It Is only done on a very small group and It Is only convenience sampling so It only takes Into account a very small group of people in a certain location. This Is why I will also be using other Investigations, papers and studies to get more reliable and accurate information.I will have a sample of 15 people from etc. To find more reliable, accurate and more varied data. Once I have collected the results, I will firstly create a table out of the raw information to simply take down the results. Then, I will create a processed data able to make it easier to create graphs. Then I will work out averages for the reaction times and amount of sleep making them into box and whisker plots. Then, I will create a scatter graph to compare both my variables. I believe that the results will be that the amount of sleep has a very large influence over one's reaction time.This selection was purely reliability and credibility of the source as th e 2 most credible and reliable sources were chosen for the data and information. The first source was the paper ââ¬Å"Effect of Total Sleep Deprivation on Reaction Time and Waking EGG Activity in Manâ⬠by the American Sleep Disorders Association and Sleep Research Society, written by l. Lorenz, J. Ramose, C. Race, M. A. Guava and M. Coors-Caber. The second paper was by Mitch Leslie for the Stanford report with the name ââ¬Å"Sleep impacts reaction time as much as alcohol. Both of these sources gave information such as averages, graphs and conclusions with some analysis but did not give the raw data. Therefore, some of this processed data could be misleading and could be biased. In addition, the data that these sources give are quite different compared to the data given from my investigations. This would mean that my results are probably unreliable as it was conducted on a very small group, none of the variables were changed so there was not much variety and the results were m ostly inaccurate.In addition, there are some missing values especially for the time some people went to the estimated hours of sleep they had gotten. I will treat this as all the other values although if they seem like outliers on a graph, it would be because they are inaccurate. To analyses, I will group the data and information by source treating them differently. Overall, I believe that I have enough data to analyses and to create a inclusion since I have the data I have collected and the information from the other studies.
Thursday, August 15, 2019
Alexander the Great vs Napoleon Bonaparte, What I Got so Far
When we think of Alexander the Great, we think of an outstanding war hero. When we think of Napoleon Bonaparte, we think, again, of an outstanding war hero. If a random person were asked who either of these rulers was, their first response would be a fact about war. Alexander and Napoleon share similarities in their warfare, and how they used it to conquer and establish new lands. Alexander the Greatââ¬â¢s strong perseverance and incredible battle strategies led to increase his power over his empire. Napoleon used his intelligence and skill of manipulation to earn respect and support from the French people, which gained him great power.Both men had similar qualities attaining leadership but their strategies to reach this were very different. Alexander the Great was King of Macedon, a state located in Northern Greece. Aristotle tutored him until the age of 16, and by the age of 30 he had created one of the largest empires in the ancient world. As he was undefeated in battle, Alexan der is considered as one of historyââ¬â¢s most successful military commanders and his battles and strategies are still taught at military schools worldwide. Alexander III of Macedon, commonly known as Alexander the Great, was born on a bright July day in 356 B.C. and died in June of 323 B. C. During his lifetime he was: King of Macedonia (336-323), Pharaoh of Egypt (332-323), King of Persia (330-323), and the King of Asia (331-323). From reading that alone, it is known that he was a conqueror and successful ruler. Alexander was the son of his predecessor Phillip II who passed away in 336 B. C. leaving the throne, a strong kingdom, and a very experienced army to Alexander. Alexander was awarded to be general of Greece and went on to complete his fatherââ¬â¢s military expansion plans. With this set up now, King Alexander wasted no time.In 334 B. C. he invaded the Persian-ruled Asia Minor and began a campaign lasting roughly ten years. During this campaign, specifically the battl es of Issus and Gaugamela, Alexander had broken the powers of Persia. Alexander the Great went on to overthrow King Darius III to conquer the entirety of the Persian Empire and now has a kingdom that reigns from the Adriatic Sea to the Indus River. That wasnââ¬â¢t enough for King Alexander; he wanted to reach the ââ¬Å"ends of the world and the Great Outer Seaâ⬠. With this, he set off to invade India in 326 B. C. but was orced to turn around at the expense of his troops. Alexander the Great died in Babylon in 323 B. C. ; in years following his death many civil wars broke out and tore apart his empire. Many years later, in a galaxy far far away, on the date of August 15, 1769 another war hero and emperor was born, Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon reigned over the French from May 18, 1804 to April 11, 1814 and ruled Italy over the years from March 17, 1805 to April 11, 1814. Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, set up Napoleonic Code; it was a major influence in civil law jurisdict ions.Napoleon is best recognized for his role in the wars against France, known as the Napoleonic Wars. His success in these multiple battles led Napoleon to be known as one of the best military leaders of all time. His strategies and campaigns are studied at military schools around the world. Napoleon Bonaparte was born into a family of noble Italian ancestry. Napoleon settled in Corsica in the 16th century and later was trained as an artillery officer at a prestigious military school in France, where they most likely talked of Alexander the Greatââ¬â¢s military conquests and strategies.In 1799, Napoleon staged a ââ¬Å"coup dââ¬â¢etatâ⬠and made himself first consul. 5 years later the French proclaimed him emperor where he engaged in a series of battles, as said before these were known as the Napoleonic Wars. These wars involved every major power in Europe; after Napoleonââ¬â¢s many victories France maintained a dominant position of authority amongst the continent of Europe. In 1812, the French invasion of Russia and the Peninsula War were turning points in Napoleonââ¬â¢s career. Napoleonââ¬â¢s army was heavily damaged nor ever fully recovered.Just a year later, the 6th Coalition defeated what was left of Napoleonââ¬â¢s army and further invaded France, forced Napoleon to give up the throne, and exiled him to the island Elba. After a year of being exiled, Napoleon escaped from Elba and returned to France where he gained back control. It was only for a short period of time, until he was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. He spent the last four years of his life in confinement on another island, Saint Helena, where he died of stomach cancer.
Wednesday, August 14, 2019
Financial Accounting Standards Boardsââ¬â¢ Codification Essay
For my role as a staff accountant, I was assigned to research the appropriate accounting for revenue treatment of construction contracts for a client, LabCo. In specific, I was assigned to oversee LabCosââ¬â¢ contract involving a six-axis laser-cutting machine with Halibut Co. After researching and developing a theory based on the Financial Accounting Standards Boardsââ¬â¢ Codification, I have concluded that LabCosââ¬â¢ treatment of revenue was reasonable; however, they should have changed revenue recognition principles sooner. In this situation, there are three possible ways they can handle changing their accounting method: Retrospective Application, Change in Accounting Estimate Method, or Change in Estimate Affected by Accounting Principle. The revenue treatment principle for a construction type principle states, ââ¬Å"In accounting for contracts, the basic accounting policy decision is the choice between two generally accepted methods: the percentage-of-completion method including units of delivery and the completed-contract method. The determination of which of the two methods is preferable is based on a careful evaluation of circumstances because the two methods should not be acceptable alternatives for the same circumstances (ASC 605-35-25-1).â⬠LabCo agreed to build a six-axis laser-cutting machine for Halibut. The contract entered into was a fixed price contract. A fixed price contract is, ââ¬Å"An agreement to perform all acts under the contract for a stated priceâ⬠(ASC 605-35-15-4). LabCo decided to use the percentage of completion method for recognizing income. ââ¬Å"The percentage of completion method recognizes income as work on a contracts progressâ⬠(ASC 605-35-25-51). Income recognized shall be that percentage of estimated total income, either: ââ¬Å"That incurred costs to date bear to estimated total costs after giving effect to estimates of costs to complete based on most recent information, or that may be indicated by such other measure of progress toward completion as may be appropriate having due regard to work performed (ASC 605-32-25-52).â⬠It is appropriate to use the percentage of completion method when, ââ¬Å"The ability to make reasonably dependable estimates, which, for purposes of this Subtopic, relates to estimates of the extent of progress toward completion, contract revenues, and contract costs (ASC 605-35-25-56.)â⬠LabCo believed they could correctly estimate the cost to build a laser cutting machine because they had completed similar contracts in the past for Halibut. After the contract went into effect, LabCo experienced difficulties designing and manufacturing the laser cutting machine. They were forced to redo initial designs, outsource engineering costs, and the price of steel used to construct the cutting machine unexpectedly rose. LabCo had to re-estimate their costs to complete the project and concluded that the excess costs would exceed the total fixed fee contract price they negotiated with Halibut. To update their estimated costs, LabCo continued using the percentage of completion method. LabCo appropriately recorded a loss in the period in which they became aware. ââ¬Å"When the current estimates of total contract revenue and contract cost indicate a loss, a provision for the entire loss on the contract shall be made. Provisions for losses shall be made in the period in which they become evident under either the percentage-of-completion method or the completed-contract method (ASC 605-35-25-46.)â⬠LabCo experienced another setback which delayed their process six more months. When the cutting machine was finally complete, they delivered it to Halibut to have it tested. During the final test, the machine failed to meet the specifications of Halibut. LabCo was forced to redesign and fix the various problems with the machine. At this point, LabCosââ¬â¢ chief accounting officer decided to switch to the completed contract method, which says, ââ¬Å"Under the completed-contract method, income is recognized only when a contract is completed or substantially completed. Accordingly, during the period of performance, billings and costs are accumulated on the balance sheet, but no profit or income is recorded before completion or substantial completion of the work (ASC 605-35-25-88).â⬠ââ¬Å"The completed contract method is preferable when lack of dependable estimates or inherent hazards cause forecasts to be doubtful (ASC 605-35-25-90)â⬠, which was the case in the situation. The two methods, percentage of completion and completed contract, are not acceptable alternatives for the same situation (ASC 605-35-25-1). LabCo should have realized after running into unexpected costs the first time that they should have switched to the completed contract method. ââ¬Å"An entity using the percentage-of-completion method as its basic accounting policy shall use the completed-contract method for a single contract or a group of contracts for which reasonably dependable estimates cannot be made or for which inherent hazards make estimates doubtful (ASC 605-35-25-61).â⬠LabCo is able to handle this change in of accounting principle in one of the three methods; Retrospective Application, Change in Accounting Estimate, or Change in Accounting Estimate Affected by Accounting Principle. It is clear that the percentage of completion method was not the acceptable alternative because LabCo could not effectively estimate costs. The completed contract method is the preferable method because there was a lack of dependable estimates. LabCosââ¬â¢ decision to switch from percentage of completion to completed contract method is in accordance with FASB Codification because this transition can be handled by the Accounting Staff to apply a retrospective application to the previous yearââ¬â¢s financial information. ââ¬Å"The application of a different accounting principle to one or more previously issued financial statements, or to the statement of financial position at the beginning of the current period, as if that principle had always been used, or a change to financial statements of prior accounting periods to present the financial statements of a new reporting entity as if it had existed in those prior years. (ASC 250-10-20)â⬠Since the retrospective application is applied to this situation to show the effect of the change to completed contract method; the estimated contract costs were no longer reliably determinable, therefore, disclosure for the reasons behind this change must be included within the yearââ¬â¢s financial statements when the change actually is incurred. The situation can also be handled with a Change in Accounting Estimate approach. When LabCo incurred significant difficulties with the design and manufacturing of the laser machine, they decided to update their estimates used in the percentage of completion method to reflect both the cost overruns incurred as well as the cost overruns expected to be incurred. Handling it with this approach prohibits the retrospective treatment to the situation. It will affect only the period of change and future periods, if the change affects both, in which case it does. ââ¬Å"The effect on income from continuing operations, net income (or other appropriate captions of changes in the applicable net assets or performance indicator), and any related per-share amounts of the current period shall be disclosed for a change in estimate that affects several future periods.â⬠(ASC 250-10-50-4) The final approach that could have handled this situation is the Change in Estimate Affected by a Change in Accounting Principle. Due to LabCo dealing with continued problems with the Halibut contract, and prior estimates adjusted previously during the contract period, it forced the Chief Accountant of LabCo to allow the change in accounting principle from percentage of completion method to completed contract method. LabCo can make this change by it being impossible to determine whether a change in principle or a change in estimate has occurred. ââ¬Å"If it is impracticable to determine the cumulative effect of applying a change in accounting principle to any prior period, the new accounting principle shall be applied as if the change was made prospectively as of the earliest date practicable.â⬠(ASC 250-10-45-7) After much continued research and intellectual thought, we have concluded that the Retrospective Application is not sufficient in this matter because the estimates have been altered drastically; to retrospectively apply the changes this year would distort Net Income figures to the point where timeliness and consistency will no longer apply. The Change in Accounting Estimate would seem sufficient to apply to this situation, but it will not work because a change in estimate cannot be applied retrospectively. Therefore, I have concluded that the best way to handle this issue is the Change in Accounting Estimate affected by the Change in Accounting Principle approach. I have come to this conclusion based on the facts that due to a change in accounting principle and change in accounting estimate both being involved in this situation, and retrospective application not being applicable, the entire effect of the two changes should be applied in a prospective method. This free SWOT analysis shows strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. We cover over 40,000 companies and industries. This SWOT analysis for Labco can provide a competitive advantage. Strengths|
Tuesday, August 13, 2019
Central school district vs. Rowley 458 US 176 (1982) Essay
Central school district vs. Rowley 458 US 176 (1982) - Essay Example These helped to increase the amount of training and funding individuals that were responsible for education could receive; specifically with regard to learning and understanding how to educate children with mental retardation and issues pertaining to blindness/disabilities with sight. Further, the State Schoolââ¬â¢s Act of 1965 provided additional grant funding from the federal government as a means of accomplishing the tasks that have thus far been denoted with respect to the provisions made available for those with distinct disabilities within the educational system. As one can adequately note, the purpose of all of this legislation was to provide a more fair and equitable distribution of education; one did not favor or preference one specific of individuals. As this served as the fundamental backbone of what came to be known as FAPE (Free Appropriate Public Education), it had a profound impact with regard to the way in which educators came to understand their role and allocated funding based upon the unique disabilities that were exhibited within their student body. The context of education at the time was one that of course placed a higher emphasis upon the average student and most often ignored the needs and requirements of those that had what were referred to as special needs. As a means of seeking to make this reality a distant memory, Congress and stakeholders within the educational system sought to effect a more reasonable and ethical approach whereby students with disabilities would have their educational needs determined and provided for in a similar degree as compared to those that were considered as average. The core challenge to FAPE came as a Supreme Court case that challenged that Free Appropriate Public Education was not being provided to a deaf girl within a particular school district; as the district had denied her parents request for a deaf translator. Seeing this as an egregious denial of FAPE, the suit
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