Depreciation Essays - Cash Flow, Financial Statements,

Depreciation Information about cash flows can influence decision makers in many ways . For example , if a company's regular operations bring in more cash than it uses , investors will value the company higher than if property and equipment must be sold to finance operations . Information about cash flow can help creditors decide whether a company will have enough cash to pay its debts as they mature. Management and investors use cash flow information to evaluate a company's ability to meet unexpected obligations . Cash flow information is also used to evaluate company's ability to take advantage of new business opportunities that may arise. In November 1987, the FASB issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standards "statement of cash flow " This standard requires businesses to include a statement of cash flow in all financial reports that contain both a balance sheet and an income statement. The primary purpose of this statement is to present information about a company's cash receipts and disbursements during the reporting period. Direct Method of Presenting Cash Flow from Operating Activities When you prepare a statement of cash flow , the net cash provided by operating activities can be calculated two different ways . One is called Direct Method the other is Indirect Method .When the direct method is used , you separately list each major class of operating cash receipts and each major class of cash payments . Then the payments are subtracted from the receipts to determine the net cash provided by operating activities. The FASB encourage companies to use direct method. Indirect Method of Presenting Cash Flow from Operating Activities The indirect method is not as informative as direct method because it does not disclose the individual cash inflows and outflows from operating activities. Instead the direct method discloses only the net cash provided by operating activities . When the indirect method is used , the net income is listed first . Then it is adjusted for items that are necessary to reconcile net income to the net cash provided by operating activities . For example , you know that depreciation expense is subtracted in the calculation of net income . But , depreciation expense does not involve a current cash payment. Therefore, depreciation expense is added back to net income in the process of reconciling net income to the net cash provided by operating activities. Cash and Cash Equivalents In Statement of Financial Accounting Standards , the FASB concluded that a statement of cash flow should explain the difference between the beginning and the ending balances of cash and cash equivalents. Prior to this new standard ,cash equivalents were generally understood to be short term , temporary investments of cash . However , not all short-term investments meet the FASB definition of cash equivalents . To qualify as a cash equivalent , an investment must satisfy two criteria . These are: 1- The investments must be readily convertible to a known amount of cash. 2- The investments must be sufficiently close to its maturity date so that its market value is relatively insensitive to interest rate changes. Classifying Cash Transactions A statement of cash flow describes the changes in cash plus cash equivalents. Therefore, cash payments to purchase cash equivalents and cash receipts from selling cash equivalents are not reported on the statement. All other cash receipts and payments are classified as operating , investing or financing activities. Within each category , individual cash receipts and payments are summarized and described in a manner that clearly presents the general nature of the company's cash transactions . Then , the summarized cash receipts and payments within each category are netted against each other . A category provides a net cash flow if the receipts in the category exceed the payments . And if the payments in a category exceed the receipts , the category is a net user of cash during the period. Operating Activities You should recognize the operating activities generally include only transactions that relate to the calculation of net income . However, some income statement items are not related to the operating activities . As disclosed in a statement of cash flows , operating activities involve the production or purchase of merchandise and the sale of goods and services to customers . Operating activities also include the expenditures related to administering the business. In fact , cash flow from operating activities include all cash flows from transactions that are not defined as investing or financing activities . Cash Flows from Operating Activities Cash Inflows Cash Outflows -Cash sales to customers -Payments

Free Essays on Early History Of The Pipe Organ

The â€Å"king of instruments† has a long history, one which can arguably be traced to the concept of a collection of â€Å"fixed-pitched pipes blown by a single player (such as the panpipes)† (Randel 583). The first examples of pipe organs with the basic features of today can be traced to the third century B.C.E. in the Greco-Roman arena; it is said to have been invented by Ktesibios of Alexander and contained â€Å"a mechanism to supply air under pressure, a wind-chest to store and distribute it, keys and valves to admit wind to the pipes, and one or more graded sets of fixed-pitch pipes.† (Randel 583) These early organs used water as a means to supply air-pressure, hence the use of the terms hydraulic and hydraulis. Hydraulic organs were in use for several hundred years before the concept of bellows, similar in concept and style to those of a blacksmith, came into use with the organ. Numerous bellows were used to supply air to the wind-chest, often being pumped in pairs by men. The disadvantages of this method of air supply include the lack of consistent pressure, which leads to inconsistent pitch and tuning; also, many people were required to operate the bellows since there were upwards of twenty-four bellows per organ (Hopkins & Rimbault 35). Also, with organs of this size, the bellows took up large amounts of space, thus forcing the organ to be located in a fixed place, such as a church. Up until the eleventh century (approximately), pitch and range of organs were extremely limited, mainly in part to the lack of a any style of keyboard. Keys of a sort were introduced around this time, though not in the manner we are accustomed to. â€Å"The earliest keyboards were sets of levers played by the hands rather than the fingers.† (Randel 428) They looked similar to large rectangles â€Å" an ell long and three inches wide† (Hopkins & Rimbault 33) and were played by pushing on them with a hand, although some were large eno... Free Essays on Early History Of The Pipe Organ Free Essays on Early History Of The Pipe Organ The â€Å"king of instruments† has a long history, one which can arguably be traced to the concept of a collection of â€Å"fixed-pitched pipes blown by a single player (such as the panpipes)† (Randel 583). The first examples of pipe organs with the basic features of today can be traced to the third century B.C.E. in the Greco-Roman arena; it is said to have been invented by Ktesibios of Alexander and contained â€Å"a mechanism to supply air under pressure, a wind-chest to store and distribute it, keys and valves to admit wind to the pipes, and one or more graded sets of fixed-pitch pipes.† (Randel 583) These early organs used water as a means to supply air-pressure, hence the use of the terms hydraulic and hydraulis. Hydraulic organs were in use for several hundred years before the concept of bellows, similar in concept and style to those of a blacksmith, came into use with the organ. Numerous bellows were used to supply air to the wind-chest, often being pumped in pairs by men. The disadvantages of this method of air supply include the lack of consistent pressure, which leads to inconsistent pitch and tuning; also, many people were required to operate the bellows since there were upwards of twenty-four bellows per organ (Hopkins & Rimbault 35). Also, with organs of this size, the bellows took up large amounts of space, thus forcing the organ to be located in a fixed place, such as a church. Up until the eleventh century (approximately), pitch and range of organs were extremely limited, mainly in part to the lack of a any style of keyboard. Keys of a sort were introduced around this time, though not in the manner we are accustomed to. â€Å"The earliest keyboards were sets of levers played by the hands rather than the fingers.† (Randel 428) They looked similar to large rectangles â€Å" an ell long and three inches wide† (Hopkins & Rimbault 33) and were played by pushing on them with a hand, although some were large eno...

Government responsibility Vs Individual responsibilty Essay

Government responsibility Vs Individual responsibilty - Essay Example This is quite evident in George Orwell's short story, A Hanging (first published in 1931 and reprinted in James and Merickel, 2001), the author describes a European's experience of watching a Hindu man's execution in Burma. As he acknowledges, he has never known what it feels like to destroy a perfectly healthy human body. Throughout the story, there is no inkling that the executioners know what the prisoner is accused of or why he is being hanged. It is simply the Europeans' duty to carry out orders in the name of the law. They go about doing their duty mechanically and go for their drink after the execution is over, quite oblivious of what the dead man could have felt like in his last minutes. The executioner, in his role as the government's representative, is simply carrying out his assigned role even when personally, the act is disgusting to him. In Things They Carried (reprinted in James and Merickel, 2001), Tim O'Brien describes the things that a group of soldiers carried with them when they went to the World War II. While most of them carried things of utter necessities, like can openers, pocket knives, wrist watches, mosquito repellants and so on, some also carried letters of their loved ones, diaries and books. None of the soldiers knew whether they would return home alive. Neither were they necessarily aware of the real reasons of the war. They simply knew that they had to fulfill their responsibilities as soldiers. Each one of the soldiers remembered their loves, the mistakes that they have committed in their personal lives and wished that they had behaved differently. Yet, there was no way to go back from their official responsibility and had to march on. Typically, authoritative show of power is exerted by states in order to maintain peace and individuals are nothing but pawns in the state machinery. In The Prince, a most commanding and widely read discourse on government, Niccolo Machiavelli prescribes the government's social and political stance on power and authority. Even in situations, when the individual sense of responsibility may come in the way, the government may need to adopt strategies that curtail free will. In an advisory tone, Machiavelli recommends policies that would dissuade mass political upheaval, directing subjects' energies into personal quests so that that the monarch could best protect his power. He advises sensible use of violence, reverence to private possessions and the traditions of his subjects without being politically rigid as being dictated by a fixed set of moral or religious standards. The monarch, from his perspective, may now and then be forgiven for taking resort to violence and dishonest deeds albeit morally unforgivable behind closed doors (lucidcafe.com). A new prince can get a principality: by his own arms, by the arms of others, by immoral ways, and by civil approaches. A principality won by a prince by his own arms is most safe. Citing the examples of Moses, Cyrus, Romulus, and Theseus, those princes who prevailed to power through their own skills ruling well, he points out that they were all armed, unlike Savaronola, who lost his command as he did not take resort to arms. According to him, a principality acquired by the arms of others requires a prince with both luck and high merit. Cesare Borgia was lucky to have

Visionary Idealism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Visionary Idealism - Essay Example For him, the process of artistic creation holds the potential of transcending the limitations of the mind and more fully expressing the divine spirit. He also believes that art can induce within the viewer an elevated state wherein spiritual states of being are attained (Grey). In this essay, I am going to cover a brief history of his life, the progression of his art and performances, where his art is displayed and has been used, and some positive and negative reviews of his works. My purpose is to critically critique Alex Grey's artistic style and vision. Alex Grey was born in Columbus, Ohio on November 29, 1953. Being the middle child of a middle-class couple, he strove to please his father by excelling in drawing. It was his father, who was a graphic designer, who saw in him his exceptional talent and encouraged his drawing ability. As a young child he would collect insects and dead animals from around the neighborhood and bury them in the back yard. From his earliest drawings to his performances, paintings and sculptures, the themes of death and transcendence have been woven throughout (Grey). During his teenage years he lived a solitary life in a world of his own imagination that could not be easily understood by others and did not give much concern to right or wrong. His art during that time shows how confused he was about himself, and about life and spirituality. It led him to express the tearing apart, the confusion, and the duality within his being. He attended the Columbus College of Art and Design for two years (1971-73), then dropped out and painted billboards in Ohio for a year (73-74) (Grey). He then attended the Boston Museum School for one year to study with the conceptual artist Jay Jaroslav (Grey). This is also where he met his wife Allyson, the artist. During this period he had a series of entheogenically induced mystical experiences that transformed his agnostic existentialism to a radical transcendentalism (Grey). He then spent five years at Harvard Medical School working in the Anatomy department studying the human body (Grey). As expected, the earlier works of Alex Grey (both drawing and painting) are simpler and more of self portrayal. His later works have shown maturity and complexity, moving out of self but still focusing on the human anatomy. What stuck out most about his early works is how talented and detailed his lines and features are, and how almost perfectly he has recreated himself in his visual arts. His later portrayal of himself reveals his own self realization and self actualization, revealing the inner struggles and duality of his inner being. He is able to show his audience what transpires within himself and the difficulties he has been going through as he is initiated into the growing complexity of his inner and outer world. In addition, his focus on the human eye in many of his works reveals an all-knowing existence of somebody, be it himself or God or any other important person in his life, which truly affects him and all of his life. One example is the "Vision Mission." The eye is placed above, which is believed as the vision, while the hand with the pointing finger below may stand for the mission. This drawing may have a spiritual implication and may have a much deeper meaning from what is actually shown. Moreover, his

Donald Lipski Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Donald Lipski - Essay Example The reason he gained fame very rapidly and got recognized by the critics and people was that he brought in unique and different pieces of art and sculpture which attracted a lot of people because of its distinctive and exceptional quality. One of his first installations was the â€Å"Gathering Dust† through which he gained great recognition and applause. After which he continued his work and gained many different awards for his outstanding performance and contribution to art. His beautiful works have been placed in various museums. Recently he has started to focus on large scale 3-dimensional figures which have been placed at different public places to increase and enhance the beauty of different public places, one such example is â€Å"The Yearling† which has been placed outside the Denver Public Library (Turner, 107). Another very famous and a beautiful structure is the Psyche- the Butterfly. It is a beauty in its own self. This beautiful structure has been placed in The Auraria Science Building. This large butterfly is made from glass, metal and resin. This structure has been placed at the junction of the old and the new building. The structure makes use of approximately a total of 10,000 test tubes filled with acrylic. The wings are made to slowly swap by the air conditioning system of the building. The test tubes are filled with different colored material and when they swap they cast beautiful colored shadows on the people moving below the structure. The beauty of this amazing butterfly cannot be mentioned and cannot be explained by words. It is just an awe-strucking piece of art. People who view this beauty cannot resist themselves from looking at it again and again and pondering over its magnificence and beauty (Turner, 105). Donald has made other beautiful structures but this great piece of art has not been replaced by any other piece of art yet. This beautiful butterfly is an

A Look At British History History Essay

A Look At British History History Essay It was a turbulent century in British history. A brief study of the era of 1550 to 1650 clearly illustrates why. This was a period of invention, scientific advancement and astrological discoveries, yet it remained filled with supernatural notions, superstition, mythology and plain ignorance. During this era, Britain embarked on an age of great world exploration and mighty conquests while fighting bloody wars of religion, class and political dominance at home. This century was marked by a great rebirth of the arts in which intellectuals and artists flourished in Britain, yet it was also a time of strife, hardship, disease and hunger. It was during this chaotic era that Britain came to be known as the center of Western civilization under the humane and rational rule of Queen Elizabeth I (World). It was also during this time that the poet and playwright William Shakespeare lived, worked and wrote some of historys most remarkable literary works having been influenced by and having drawn upon the social thought, religious conviction and political landscape of this tumultuous era (World). Prior to and during the time of Queen Elizabeth and the time of the Renaissance, Britain was a breeding ground for religious and political unrest. Beginning in 1531, the countrys official religion changed five times in accordance with the choice of the King or Queen who was in power at the time (Elizabethan). Since most of the English common people believed that Kings and Queens were directly connected to God and must be obeyed at all times, the monarchs chosen religion was also followed by most of the monarchs subjects (Time). Britains official religion was Catholic until 1531, then it was Protestant until Queen Mary took the throne after which it became Catholic again and then back to Protestant during Queen Elizabeths reign (Time). Each change in power led to a change in the nations official religion which, in turn, led to persecution of the non-ruling religious group. The political thinking during this period was controlled by a small number of powerful ruling families and jealou sies and rivalries within these families made these political conflicts even more severe (Time). During this era, England was a leader in world exploration and soon became a major commercial power. It was also a time of advancements in technology and invention. All of the unrest and uncertainty, however, left the common people feeling discontent and afraid of the many changes that were happening to their nation. The era in British history between 1550 to 1650 during the time that Queen Elizabeth held the throne has been characterized by British people as one of the best epochs the country ever had (World). While it is true that during her time in power Queen Elizabeth calmed religious unrest, established Britain as a leading world power and ushered in the age of the Renaissance or rebirth of new ideas and new thinking, the life of ordinary citizen was harsh. The majority of the population, referred to as common people, lived short lives filled with hard labor, little food, no schooling, rampant disease, poverty, violence, crime, high infant mortality and inequality between men and women (Time). In cities, life was particularly filthy, brutal and short. There was no running water in homes and so most people were dirty and smelly. Human and animal waste was thrown out directly onto the streets (Time). These unclean conditions formed a breeding ground for the spread of diseases such as typhus, bubonic plague, tuberculosis and influenza (Time). Rogues and vagabonds roamed the roads begging and stealing (Time). Riots were common and could turn violent. Such harsh conditions at home were one of the reasons that many British common people chose to travel to the colonies in the New World in search of a better way of life. It is, therefore, no surprise that entertainment was extremely important to the common people. Even the poorest of the people enjoyed entertainment from acting troupes, dancing, jugglers, strolling players, and plays. Theatre was especially popular with the common people and it was inexpensive to attend (Tudor). It was during this time that open air playhouses first came to be in the cities of Britain, including the Rose, the Swan, and the Globe Theatre in London which was owned, in part, by Shakespeare (Tudor). William Shakespeare fed upon the atmosphere and the feelings occurring during this turbulent era of British history and he used them extensively in his plays and other literary works. One such example is a speech by a character named John of Guant in Shakespeares 1601 play, Richard II, expressing his love for England and his concerns about the countrys future (Time). All of the major events, people, places and problems of this era, including class structure, religious discont ent, fate, rebellion against authority and prominent figures of the time, influenced Shakespeare and provided inspiration and background for his literary works (Who). In his plays, Shakespeare chose to write about many of the periods topics of conversation and disagreement, including classical Greek and Roman tales, superstition, love, revenge and rebellion. The works of playwrights such as Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe contributed to Londons eventual rise as a center of culture and art. Their contributions to this time period will forever mark the social, religious and political thinking of the time and illustrate the conflicts that made the era of 1550 to1650 one of the most turbulent eras in British history. Works Cited Elizabethan Period. ELIZABETHAN ERA. Web. 17 Nov. 2010. . Time Travellers Guide to Tudor England. Channel 4. Web. 17 Nov. 2010. . The Tudor Church. UK Travel and Heritage Britain Express UK Travel Guide. Web. 17 Nov. 2010. . Who Was around in 1550 to 1650 in Great Britain? WikiAnswers The QA Wiki. Web. 17 Nov. 2010. . World History of 1550 to 1650. 2020 Site Wedding Invitation Wording, Family Crests, Trees and Other Eclectic Information at 2020. Web. 17 Nov. 2010. .

The Concept of Power in International Politics Essay -- International

The concept of power is central to the study of international politics. International politics has been defined in terms of influencing major nations in the world to advance the purpose of a nation against the opposition of other nations. Thus, it is rather not surprising that power, either by means of influence or control, has been a dominant concept that is intertwined in discussion when it comes to the study of international politics. Before getting into the fundamental nature of power in international relations, it is needed to consider just what power is. Power in the study of international politics can be derived in several ways as a goal of states or individual; as a measure of influence or control over actors, events, outcomes, and international affairs; as reflecting triumph in conflict and obtaining security; as control over capabilities and resources. Power can broadly be considered of as the ability to manipulate others to act according to our benefit, and to avert them f rom doing the same to us. Power is the creation, in and through social relations, of outcomes that characterize the ability of actors to find out their status and fate. This wide-ranging concept involves two fundamental critical dimensions: the types of social relations through which power works in relations of interaction or in social relations of constitutions and specificity of social relations through which effects are produced. The more power inclines more foreign policy choices; the lesser-known theory of "balance of power," where nations compete for dominance in a complicated chess game of military spending and diplomatic posturing. Possession of power permits both individuals and countries to successfully endorse and guard their interests con... ... Jammu and Kashmir between India and Pakistan. Stronger states such as the US waged war against weaker states such as Vietnam. Interestingly, the defeat of the United States in Vietnam and of the Soviet Union in Afghanistan indicates to a more intricate concept of power which is broader than mere financial or military strength. In fact, a lot of the current theories of international relations dispute that power as conventionally described by realists is intrinsically unclear and open to analysis based on particular state of affairs. Nevertheless, it can be successfully concluded that power is primarily associated with what a state can stop another state from doing to it and what a state can do. The ways by which power is executed may be changing, yet the fundamental nature of competing desires and interests remain predominant in defining the international relations.

Benchmarking in Islamic Finance: Issues and Challenges Essay

In Islam, fixing the price of commodities is not allowed as the increase of the price is caused by practice of supply and demand in the market. Hence in this case, benchmarking for the products is not allowed. It is can be reflected from of the Hadith of Prophet Muhammad S. A. W. Narrated by Anas Ibn Malik, â€Å"The people said: Apostle of Allah, prices has shot up, so fix prices for us. Thereupon the Apostle of Allah (PBUH) said: â€Å"Verily, Allah S. W. T. determines the climate of economic affluence and gloom. I do not want to take any action to fix the prices because I do not want, later in hereafter, any among you to demand for the return of your property and blood from me because of my tyranny (in fixing the prices). † In the above hadith, the practice of fixing price is clearly condemned by Prophet Muhammad S. A. W. The Prophet S. A. W declared the act of fixing price as injustice towards the seller if the price is fluctuated due to the normal market forces. But the second school of taught disagree with not fixing the price. They argued that the fluctuation in the price of commodities at the time of Prophet Muhammad S.  A. W was due the normal market forces i. e. supply and demand of the commodity in the market. But nowadays the prices fluctuate more due to seller’s speculation rather than supply and demand of the product. In this case the price of the commodities should be fixed by the authorities. Hence benchmarking in this case is allowable by the Scholars. In financial industry, several different methods of pricing business loans have appeared over the years including cost-plus loan pricing, price leadership loan pricing, below-prime loan pricing, and costumer profitability analysis. Many business loans today are priced directly of money market interest rates, with narrow profit margins reflecting intense competition for the best business customers. Some of the profit/interest rates used in the market is as follows: (1) Overnight Policy Rate (OPR); (2) London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR); (3) Kuala Lumpur Interbank Offered Rate (KLIBOR); (4) Cost of fund (COF); and (5) Base Financing/Lending Rate (BFR/BLR). Issues: Islamic Finance has been established to save Muslim world from the effects of Riba. But the problem that has been seen is the benchmarking system of Conventional Banking practiced by Islamic Banks. Islamic Finance that has been mentioned by some authors as â€Å"Ethical Finance† which is the system of justice for the community and free from Riba, gharar and Mysir cannot practice the conventional benchmarking for its products. It has also been known that Islamic Finance deals in assets backed financing rather than debt based financing. Hence a proper Islamic based benchmarking system needs to be developed and implemented to overcome the issue of using conventional benchmarking for Islamic banking products. According to Sheikh Taqi Usmani, Islamic banks and financial institutions should get rid of such practice as soon as possible. He argued that using interest rate as a benchmark for halal products is not desirable and it does not reflect the basic philosophy of Islamic economy and hence making no impact on the system of distribution. It is also been said that the current benchmarking system does not make IFIs products haram. According to Taqi Usmani, ‘’If all the pillars of sale is valid from Shariah point of view, just mere use of interest rate as a benchmark cannot invalidate whole sale’’. According to Sheikh Yusuf DeLorenzo (2009) ’A benchmark is no more than a number, and therefore non-objectionable from a Shariah perspective. If it is used to determine the rate of repayment on a loan, then it is the interest bearing loan that will be haram. LIBOR as a mere benchmark has nothing to do with actual transaction or more specifically with the creation of revenue or return’’. Alternative Models for Islamic Benchmarking: There are different models being suggest by the scholars such as Rate of Profit Mechanism Model proposed by Abd al Hamed al-Ghazalie According to him, this can be achieved by analyzing the rate of profits in the money market. He proposes that it is a more rational way that promotes justice for all and fits the nature of economics. â€Å"According to Sheikh Muhammad Taqi Usmani, the purpose can be achieved by creating a common pool which invests in asset-backed instruments like musharakah, ijarah, etc. If the majority of the assets pool is in tangible form, like leased property or equipment and shares in business concerns etc, its units can be sold and purchased on the basis of their net asset value determined on periodical basis. These units ay be negotiable and may be used for overnight financing as well. Banks having surplus liquidity can purchase these units and when they need liquidity, they can sell them. This arrangement may create inter-bank market and the value of the units may serve as an indicator for determining the profit in murabahah and leasing also. † Another model is presented by Dr. Aznan Hassan. According to him there should be different OPR for Islamic Banks that should be develo ped by Bank Negara Malaysia. But it can create the problem of hedging. If the conventional market rate is more favourable people will go for it and if the market rate of Islamic market is better people will opt for it. In the end the conventional market will be on safe side as the Islamic market is very small and the rate will tend to be higher as compare to conventional market. There are few others model that were suggested by the scholars such as Tobin’s Q Theory and Rate of Dividend of Islamic Bank Deposits and Investment Accounts Model etc that also gives the alternative ways of Islamic benchmarking. These models sounds good in theory but the problems can only be realized if such systems are implemented. Discussion/Conclusion: Some scholars argued that the conventional benchmarking is still allowed and it does not make the transaction haram. But IFIs still benchmark their products based on conventional loans. Profit rates are then decided on the bases of this benchmarking. Hence it is considered as back door to riba. Copying non Muslims is prohibited by the Prophet Muhammad S. A. W. It can be reflected for the Hadith, Narrated by al-Bukhaari (1865) from Ibn „Abbaas, who said: „? The Prophet (saws) came to Madinah and saw the Jews fasting on the day of Ashoora. He said, â€Å"What is this? † They said, â€Å"This is a good day, this is the day when Allah saved the Children of Israel from their enemy and Moosa fasted on this day. † He (the Prophet Muhammad) said, â€Å"We are closer to Moosa than you. † Hence the Prophet S. A. W fasted on this day and told the people to fast. This is the Sunnah that is proven from the prophet S. A. W, as he said, â€Å"If I am still alive next year, I will certainly fast the ninth (Narrated by Muslim, 1134). So to differentiate from jews, Prophet S. A. W recommended fasting on both 9th and 10th of Muharram. Similarly, riba is the practice of non Muslims hence it should not be benchmarked. Every Islamic Financial transaction should be different than what is nowadays practiced in the market. Although different models have been proposed by the scholars but the problem lies in implementing it. Such practices are going on from the long time but there is no one to step forward for implementing such system. It is because such system cannot work under capitalistic economic system as dual benchmarking will give rise to hedging and IFIs will suffer from it. Secondly, Islamic economy is based on real economy hence the risk is higher which will lead to higher Islamic benchmark rate as compare to conventional counterparts. Hence borrowers will prefer conventional system for loaning as compare to IFIs because interest rate charged by the conventional financial institutes will be less as compare to IFIs. Islamic benchmarking system can be failed under current economic system because the current economic system principles are different than Islamic economics principles. There could be no other solution but to shift from current economic system to Islamic economic system. It can only be possible if the entire Muslim countries unite and work on serious course for implementing Islamic economic system in Muslim community. After implementation of Islamic economic system, Islamic benchmarking will be possible and could be used by both conventional and Islamic financial institutes.

Advertise Smarter

Advertise Smarter Successful independent authors advertise. Its as simple as that. You cant publish a book and expect the world to notice. You must get the word out. However, not all types of advertising produce the same results, and its easy to waste an awful lot of money without seeing substantial return. Trust me, Ive wasted plenty, and I want to help you avoid some of the same mistakes. I only advertise books that are on sale, or free, and I look for sites with a substantial mailing list. I avoid sites that boast huge Twitter followings as their claim to fame, because its easy to artificially inflate social media stats. I also avoid doing banner advertisements on sites, because the click-through rate on those are a Bookbub Lets address the behemoth first. I havent encountered a site thats more consistently worth the investment than Bookbub. At first glance, its expensive, but an ad with them is worth every penny. On average, for a free book in the horror genre, I see around 8,000–20,000 downloads on the day my ad hits, and the effect continues for several days until gradually coming back down to average. Bookbub can be awfully picky about which titles they advertise, which might be discouraging if they decline your novel. Dont be disheartened. Acquire more reviews on your book (which is part of their selection criteria), and give them another try in a month. For tips on finding more reviews, see my article in last weeks FundsforWriters newsletter: How to Get Reviews – Without Cheating! Freebooksy/Bargainbooksy This is another pricey option thats had consistent, positive results, although with nowhere near the same success as Bookbub. Their prices run between $40 and $200 depending on the genre of your book, and I usually see an uptick of about 1,000 downloads (for a free horror novel). Advertising with Bargainbooksy is considerably cheaper, but Ive never seen an impressive result from them. In my opinion, you should only use this site when your book is being offered for free. Kindle Nation Daily / Bookgorilla Its daunting to look at the pricing structure of this sites advertisement packages. Ive participated in several different options (including some of the frighteningly expensive ones) and surprisingly discovered that the best one is also the cheapest. If youre offering a free book, then its worth your time to invest in the $29.99 Free Book Highlighter option. OHFB Another free book advertising opportunity. This one competes closely with Freebooksy in terms of price and results, although I only utilize it when Im putting a slew of ads out all at once. Bookbasset Heres one thats still relatively cheap (get them while you can), but still manages to drum up impressive downloads. One of its options makes you the featured author for the day and can be used to advertise all of your books. This one runs $21.99 and is a good option if youre hoping to advertise books that arent available for free. If youre marketing a free book, then theres an option that runs a meager $7.99, but will usually land you a few hundred downloads. Good luck advertising your book! If you find a different site thats worth advertising with, please reply with   a comment.

Sustainable and Unsustainable Development Essay Example

Sustainable and Unsustainable Development Essay Example Sustainable and Unsustainable Development Paper Sustainable and Unsustainable Development Paper Sustainable Development Concept Sustainable development is a pattern of social and structured economic transformations (i. e. development) which optimizes the economic and societal benefits available in the present, without jeopardizing the likely potential for similar benefits in the future. A primary goal of sustainable development is to achieve a reasonable and equitably distributed level of economic well-being that can be perpetuated continually for many human generations. Sustainable development implies using renewable natural resources in a manner which does not eliminate or degrade them, or otherwise diminish their usefulness for future generations. It further implies using non-renewable (exhaustible) mineral resources in a manner which does not unnecessarily preclude easy access to them by future generations. Sustainable development also requires depleting non-renewable energy resources at a slow enough rate so as to ensure the high probability of an orderly society transition to renewable energy sources. Sustainable development is a broad concept covering the way in which human activities impact on economic development, the environment and social well-being. It is generally accepted that both governments and industry should promote development that is sustainable in all three dimensions, but practical application of the concept is complex because its objective assessment is elusive. While the concept can be readily and widely accepted in general terms, a consensus viewpoint on the value of individual actions is more difficult to achieve because of the absence of criteria permitting objective assessment of their â€Å"sustainable† qualities. Some of the areas that come under the scope of sustainable development are : Agriculture Biotechnology Energy Forests Water etc. Sustainable development is said to set limits on the developing world. While current first world countries polluted significantly during their development, the same countries encourage third world countries to reduce pollution, which sometimes impedes growth. Some consider that the implementation of sustainable development would mean a reversion to pre-modern lifestyles. Sustainability in Construction Industry Sustainable Construction is the application of sustainable development to the construction industry. There is an increasing demand, in both the private and public sectors, to understand sustainable construction practices. This demand is driven by a realisation that sustainable practices make sense to both owners and operators. The practices not only help the environment but can also improve economic profitability and improve relationships with stakeholder groups. The diagram below explains how sustainable development is implemented within the construction industrys private and public sectors. Many construction companies are involved in implementing sustainable development practices and have made sustainability a key part of the design and construction process; many companies in India have successfully constructed â€Å"Green Buildings†. Green buildings are constructions in which resources like energy, water, and materials are used efficiently, through better design, construction, operation, maintenance, and removal of waste, reducing negative impacts on human health and the environment. The reason for going green or adopting sustainable development practices is literally a no brainer, as a green building constructed using sustainable development practices provides many benefits both tangible and intangible, starting from the immediate cost savings in terms of energy and water consumption to a healthy and productive environment for work. Some of the initiatives by construction companies are listed below: ITC Green Centre is the worlds largest green building with space of 170,000 square feet, and also the first non-commercial complex in the country to be awarded the USGBC-LEED platinum rating the highest in the order. In collaboration with Canadian plastics major Nova Chemicals, Reliance Industries will be designing and constructing energy-efficient buildings in India. Indias first internationally certified green building that houses the Confederation of Indian Industry-Sohrabji Godrej Business Centre spread over 16,000 square feet was set up in Hyderabad in 2003. Today, the public and private construction companies in India have applied sustainable development practices prevalent in the industry to construct over 25 million square feet of registered green building expanse, which is all set to touch a 100 million square feet by 2010–12. Unsustainable development in the Energy sector Unsustainability can be defined as a practice or process that cant go on indefinitely because it is destroying the very conditions on which it depends. Agriculture development is at crossroads today. Despite an agricultural revolution in the developing world over the course of a single generation that has produced enormous benefits for farmers, consumers and economies, a number of second generation challenges in agricultural transformation have emerged. Issues such as disparities in agricultural growth, problem of food insecurity and decreasing diversity, plateauing productivity in certain crops, growing ecological imbalance and unsustainable agricultural practices have come to fore. Ironically, a large proportion of the rural community continues to live in regions with poor quality soils and unpredictable rainfall, and remote from agricultural services and markets, deprived of the gains of agricultural revolution. Water harvesting is defined as the process of collecting and concentrating runoff water from a runoff area into a run-on area, where the collected water is either directly applied to the cropping area and stored in the soil profile for immediate use by the crop, i. e. runoff farming, or stored in an on-farm water reservoir for future productive uses, i. . domestic use, livestock watering, aquaculture irrigation. The collected water can also be used for groundwater recharge and storage into the aquifer, i. e. recharge enhancement. Source FAO, 2003. Rainfall failure occurs once every 3 to 5 years and is usually below 50% of the average annual rainfall of the region. During periods of rainfall failure, the groundwater level lowers since fluctuations in the water table levels depend on the rainfall when both surface and groundwater availability becomes critical. Drought begins to prevail and there is a difficulty to cope up with the water demand during this period. Similarly, in some locations or areas water shortage is observed just before the rainy season commences. These two situations can be managed if suitable soil and moisture conservation measures are systematically implemented on a small watershed basis. Watershed development and management implies an integration of technologies within the natural boundary of a drainage area for optimum development of land, water and plant resources, to meet the peoples basic needs in a sustained manner. A watershed is an area from which runoff resulting from precipitation flows past a single point into a large stream, river, lake or pond. Each watershed is an independent hydrological unit. It has become an acceptable unit of planning for optimum use and conservation of soil and water resources. The concept of integrated watershed development refers to the development and management of the resources in the watershed to achieve higher sustainable production without deterioration in the resource base and any ecological imbalances. This concept requires the formulation and implementation of a package of programs with activities for optimum resource use in the watershed without adversely affecting the soil and water base or life supporting system. The concept assumes more importance in the context of planning for sustained development. Watershed development aims at preventing watershed degradation resulting from the interaction of physiographic features. It eliminates unscientific land use, inappropriate cropping patterns and soil erosion, thereby improving and sustaining productivity of resources leading to higher income and living standards for the inhabitants in the watershed area. It, therefore, involves restoration of the ecosystem, protecting and utilizing the locally available resources within a watershed to achieve sustainable development. Water harvesting is a proven technology to increase food security in drought prone areas and helps to erosion control and recharge of ground water for future demand.

SARS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

SARS - Essay Example Other members of the coronavirus group are known to cause common cold and croup in humans (Ramanujan K, 2009). SARS has gained attention for the fact that within a few weeks it spread from the Guangdong province of China and infected human population in 37 countries around the world (Smith, 2006). Signs and Symptoms: Initial symptoms with coronavirus (SARS-CoV) encompass flu like fever, Myalgia, lethargy, gastrointestinal symptoms, cough, sore throat and other vague symptoms. The symptoms common to all patients is fever above 38 C, shortness of breath. Symptoms do not occur immediately but appear within 2-10 days following exposure and about 10-20% cases require mechanical ventilation. History: Infection by SARS-CoV (called as SARS-associated coronavirus) was first identified in Hong Kong, US and Germany (Ksiazek, Drosten, Peiris 2003a, Poutanen). It was first observed in Chinese province of Guangdong and was internationally reported on 11th February 2003 (WHO, WER 11/ 2003). Initially it was assumed to be associated to a newly emerged influenza virus.

America's Ethos and why Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964 decided to intervene Term Paper

America's Ethos and why Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964 decided to intervene militarily in the Dominican Civil War - Term Paper Example The constitution began as a compromise between the people who believed in central government with diffusion of power across the state and those who perceived the central government to be weak if diffusing its power across states (Bryson 771). Lyndon B Johnson became the 36th president in US. He served in all elected federal offices in US. He served as a democrat between 1937 and 1949, as a senator between 1949 and 1961. After assassination of President John Kennedy in 1963, Johnson took over the presidency. He won the support of Democratic Party. He designed the legislation on Great Society that saw the inclusion of the law that upheld the civil rights and fight on poverty. The bill on civil rights banned racial discrimination in the public facilities (Colman 34). According to the ethos in America, U.S. was not to seek the leadership position in the world. However, it was providence or fate that forced America into a new role. The American ethos does not include of America becoming the worlds police. Nevertheless, events in history conspired in creating a bipolar world comprising of two superpowers competing on global governance structure (Segal 366). For instance, after President Truman informed the new responsibilities by America to the Joint Congress in 1947, the Soviets undermined the agreements. Currently, each nation has its own way of life, with the choices being free for anyone. Among the different preferences lie in freedom of religion and speech, free elections and free institutions among others. Remarkably, in a very short timeframe, the foreign policy in US and the world politics pivoted to internationalism from the isolationism if not interventionism. The U.S. was prompted to increase its massive military to survive the effects of WWII. As a result, there was intervention in US troops to take the forward positions in projecting the US power as well as deterring