Saturday, December 28, 2019

10 Groundhog Day Quotes to Remind You Spring Is Near

It may seem far-fetched to those who live closer to the equator. But for people closer to the poles, Groundhog Day marks the arrival of spring and the end of winter. Revere the little furry creature that is likely to make an accurate prognosis of the arrival of spring this Groundhog Day. Read these Groundhog Day quotes to celebrate the season of joy. W. J. Vogel: To shorten winter, borrow some money due in spring.​ Clyde Moore: Theres one good thing about snow, it makes your lawn look as nice as your neighbors. Kin Hubbard: Dont knock the weather; nine-tenths of the people couldnt start a conversation if it didnt change once in a while. William Camden: One swallow maketh not summer; nor one woodcock a winter.​ Anthony J. DAngelo: Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine. Bill Vaughn: The groundhog is like most other prophets; it delivers its prediction and then disappears.​ Patrick Young: The trouble with weather forecasting is that its right too often for us to ignore it and wrong too often for us to rely on it.​ Phil Connors: This is one time where television really fails to capture the true excitement of a large squirrel predicting the weather.​ George Santayana: To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring.​ George Herbert: Every mile is two in winter.

Friday, December 20, 2019

The Failure Of The External Audit Function - 2628 Words

Q1 Accounting firms have evolved during the last three decades to the point where they become so diversified and generated more earnings as opposed to what they have traditionally offered in basic services. This development carried their culture toward profit maximization and cost efficiency, they started to operate similar to every other business where competition and customer satisfaction and retention are paramount. Business ethics, individual ethics, and public interest orientation were declining to a certain extent due to the pressure caused by the previously mentioned financial orientation. The circle of people including the auditors knew or should have known that Enron’s glittering surface masked a different reality. (Satava, 2006) It was obvious that the whole system of corporate governance back then had major issues where Enron s collapse was in a way the wakeup call which triggered major reforms left, right and centre by governments and other key stakeholders. Having said that, the scope of the topic is too multidimensional to cover the lot and we will be concentrating in the answer on the failure of the external audit function by highlighting couple of readily available diagnosis of Duncan s behavioural conduct and try to apply remedies from the ethical perspective using two dimensions, philosophical theories of ethics and from the Accounting Professional and Ethical Standards. David Duncan whose partners debated dropping Enron as a client few months beforeShow MoreRelatedWorld Com Case Essay1081 Words   |  5 PagesWorldCom: internal audit lessons to be learnt On June 9 2003, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of New York issued a report on the WorldCom accounting fraud that expands on the courts earlier findings of mismanagement, lack of corporate governance, and concern regarding the integrity of the companys accounting and financial reporting functions. Supervised by former U.S. Attorney General Richard Thornburgh, the study was commissioned by the court to investigate allegations including fraud, mismanagementRead MoreThe Case Of Enron And Worldcom1490 Words   |  6 Pageswould still prefer statutory audit if they were exempt because the benefits of external audit offset the cost. This paper begins with the definition and brief description of statutory audit. It will then go on to address main issue by critically discuss whether the statutory audit still serves a purpose. The evidence that agree with this statement would be audit has emerged as powerful key to ensure the accountability and transparency of financial statement. Moreover, audit is frequently prescribed forRead MoreThe National Health Care Billing Audit Guidelines1708 Words   |  7 Pagesauditors have a heavy role and responsibility in performing audits, preventing major accounting errors, and following (GAAP) guidelines. Several duties comprise the role of interna l and outside auditor to follow specific protocol and ensure ethical standards are priority. The National Health Care Billing Audit Guidelines are relevant to address as well as why audit failures happen. Finally, how internal vary from external audit and why audits are overall important to health care organizations. It’sRead MoreTHE NEED FOR AN INTERNAL AUDITOR REPORT TO EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS TO IMPROVE GOVERNANCE TRANSPARENCY956 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿ Quistions on Academic Research Case The need for an Internal Auditor Report to External Stakeholders to Improve Governance Transparency Naimah AlBaharnah Prof. Liotta, Joseph P AC629, Contemporary Issues In Auditing June 19, 2014 What is the issue being addressed in the paper? †¨ Sarbanes Oxley mandates requires all public companies to establish internal controls and procedures for financial reporting. In addition they must document, test and maintain those controls and procedures to ensureRead MoreProduct Features Of Value Chain Essay1514 Words   |  7 Pagesa margin over input cost. The Primary activities are important to acquire the essential inputs, convert them into a required product or service, sell and deliver them to the customer and provide support. Secondary activities are the supporting functions which enable the smooth operations of primary activities. These include development of technology to define product features, risk management to monitor credit controls, human resource management to provide trained and skilled workforce and informationRead MoreThe Independence Of Internal Audit1489 Words   |  6 Pagesa very important element in auditing. Because of the Enron Corporation and other scandals, independence of auditors becomes a vital issue in the audit industry. It is difficult to achieve ‘independent’ for auditors as there is the fact that the client pays the audit fee. In this essay, we will focus on the independence of internal audit. Internal audit plays an important role in a company. According to the IIA (1999), â€Å"Internal auditing is an independent, objective assurance and consulting activityRead MoreEssay on Worldcom1595 Words   |  7 Pagescontinued separation of the CEO and chairman, an improved meeting schedule reflecting a minimum of 8 meetings per year, two of which were offsite away from the headquarters and to be lead by the non-executive chairman. Breeden also outlined the functions of board committees, the committee composition and also set director compensation at a flat rate in an effort for the directors to take their roles more seriously. The benefits of these changes would be to conserve the experience of the board butRead MoreImportance of External Auditors1110 Words   |  5 PagesThe aim of this essay is to study the function of external auditors in order to analyze why it is important to be independent. The primary mission of external auditors is to review and evaluate all the financ ial records of a company or corporation. They provide an objective opinion on the organization’s financial statement and effectiveness of the accounting polices in order to help management to make decisions. If the independence of the external auditors is impaired, the public will doubt the qualityRead More Security Risk Management SRM and Auditing Essay1033 Words   |  5 Pagesyour company from the most severe threats to critical IT systems and operational processes. SRM helps your organization understand its assets and analyze the vulnerabilities it must address. Security risk management also facilitates internal and external compliance initiatives. It enables your organization to enforce policies that relate to the integrity of customer data, the configuration of corporate applications and databases, and the accuracy of financial reports. Companies that take a systematicRead MoreInternal Controls And Internal Control System1580 Words   |  7 Pages(IC) and Audit? The numerous financial scandals have highlighted considerable ï ¬ duciary responsibilities of charitable organisation managers, including the relatively weak regulatory oversight of the not-for-proï ¬ t sector. This claim reflects the list of events included in the Charity Scandal Timeline in Appendix 5. There has been an overwhelming demand for charities to adopt a more rigorous corporate governance practices to improve internal control practices, (ACCA, 2013). The failure of an improper

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Iconographical Analysis di Nardo, Adoration of the Magi Essay Example For Students

Iconographical Analysis: di Nardo, Adoration of the Magi Essay The painting Adoration of the Magi by di Nardo portrays the three Magi approaching the baby Jesus and the Virgin Mary. However, there is much more to it than just this familiar scene from Judeo-Christian lore. When approaching this painting in order to analyze it iconographically, it is necessary to first look at all aspects of the form. If this aspect is ignored, it provides for an incomplete analysis of the painting. Once this is looked at, the iconography of the painting becomes much clearer, and it is easier to compare the painting to the actual biblical text from which it was derived Gospel of St. Matthew 2:1 2:12. When approaching the painting the first thing I noticed was the odd perspective. There are several vanishing points. Also, all of the figures seem to be placed on one plane. Because of this, the two figures that represent Jesus and Mary seem to be hovering weirdly above the ground. This, I believe, draws the viewers attention to these two figures, since they are the main focus of the painting. Due to the influence of my culture, I recognized the figures as Jesus and Mary immediately. However, despite this, there are a few indicators as to who the people represented in the painting are. When viewing the painting, it is obvious that the figures of mother and child are the main point because the gazes of all of the people in the represented center on the child, including the mothers. Also, the weird hovering effect also directs the viewers attention to these two figures. Both Mary and Jesus have halos, but this is not necessarily a distinguishing factor seeing as how there are also four other figures in the painting that have halos. However, the halo that surrounds the head of the baby Jesus has a slightly different pattern than those that the other figures possess. This lets you know that for whatever reason, this child is set apart from all other figures in the painting. So, even if the viewer is of another culture or religion and doesnt see the significance of the female in the picture being clothed in blue and red, or the significance of the blessing position in which the baby is holding his hand, he can see that for some reason, this child is being distinguished from all other people in the painting. Another aspect of the form that draws your attention to the Virgin and Jesus is the triangular set up of these two figures along with Joseph and another Magus. The triangle that is formed has Mary and Jesus at the peak, yet again, drawing the viewers attention to these two figures and reinforcing the fact that they are of some significance. When comparing the painting to the text in the Bible that describes the same meeting of the Magi with the baby Jesus and Mary, there are several differences. There are certain things that I noticed that not only go contrary to the painting, but to popular cultures idea of this story. First, in the Bible, the Magi are referred to as, chief priests and teachers of the law. They were not kings as they are often referred to in Christian culture. In fact, in di Nardos depiction, all of the Magi are wearing crowns, showing this misunderstanding. Another thing that is assumed by di Nardo in his painting, as well as by popular culture is that there were three Magi. There is nothing mentioned in Matthew 2:1 2:12 that makes reference to there being exactly three Magi. What I noticed that might have lead to this misconception, however, is that the Magi brought gifts of gold, incense and myrrh. This is the only thing that I saw that could have lead to the belief that there were three Magi one Magus for each gift. There are also extra people in the painting whom I could not identify. There is no mention of anyone in the bible besides Jesus, Mary and the Magi. There is not even any mention of Joseph who is clearly depicted. .u3cbeeaf205d12e9ccffd5288920adfbe , .u3cbeeaf205d12e9ccffd5288920adfbe .postImageUrl , .u3cbeeaf205d12e9ccffd5288920adfbe .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u3cbeeaf205d12e9ccffd5288920adfbe , .u3cbeeaf205d12e9ccffd5288920adfbe:hover , .u3cbeeaf205d12e9ccffd5288920adfbe:visited , .u3cbeeaf205d12e9ccffd5288920adfbe:active { border:0!important; } .u3cbeeaf205d12e9ccffd5288920adfbe .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u3cbeeaf205d12e9ccffd5288920adfbe { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u3cbeeaf205d12e9ccffd5288920adfbe:active , .u3cbeeaf205d12e9ccffd5288920adfbe:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u3cbeeaf205d12e9ccffd5288920adfbe .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u3cbeeaf205d12e9ccffd5288920adfbe .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u3cbeeaf205d12e9ccffd5288920adfbe .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u3cbeeaf205d12e9ccffd5288920adfbe .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u3cbeeaf205d12e9ccffd5288920adfbe:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u3cbeeaf205d12e9ccffd5288920adfbe .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u3cbeeaf205d12e9ccffd5288920adfbe .u3cbeeaf205d12e9ccffd5288920adfbe-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u3cbeeaf205d12e9ccffd5288920adfbe:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Walden By Henry Thoreau Analysis; EssayAlso, the gifts that the Magi are holding in the painting by di Nardo, are all the same and look as though they are gold, rather than gold, incense and myrrh. Whether these are merely containers with the true gifts inside of them, I do not know, but even if they are, this still strays from the original biblical story, because it gives no mention of the gifts being presented in golden cases. Another aspect that is different in di Nardos painting than it is in the Bible, is that in the painting, the Magus that bows down to worship Jesus has removed his crown and placed it on the ground in front of Jesus. There is no mention of this in the Bible. This goes along with the misrepresentation of the Magi as kings or Wise Men. There is also an additional part added by di Nardo that is not mentioned in the Bible. The Bible simply states that the Magi saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Matthew 2:11 However, di Nardo portrays one Magus bowing down and kissing the baby Jesus feet. Another outstanding difference between the Bible and di Nardos depiction of the story is that when the Magi go to pay respects to Jesus, he, Mary and Joseph are living in a house at that time. They did not visit Jesus on the night of his birth in a manger, contrary to yet another convention. Di Nardo clearly portrays the scene as taking place in a manger, shown by the prominent horse and cow placed centrally in the picture. It is also clear that the scene is taking place out of doors because there are grasses and weeds growing out of the ground. The Bible clearly states that the Magi went into a house, showing that this was not the newborn Jesus that they were visiting, but a child who was several months old. There is also one detail mentioned in the biblical version that di Nardo, for whatever reason, chose to leave out of Adoration of the Magi. The Bible makes a big point that the Magi followed a star to find Jesus, and that the start stopped over the house where the baby Jesus was. However, in di Nardos representation, the sky is clear and golden. The several differences between the painting and the actual story in the Bible show the vast misconceptions or if these were not misconceptions, at least misrepresentations of di Nardo when painting this picture. However, these misconceptions were not di Nardos alone. Whether these were commonly held beliefs at the time that Adoration of the Magi was painted, I do not know. What I do know however, is that when I initially started looking at the painting I did not notice anything wrong with it. In fact, I was going to change my selection on the belief that the painting was too straight forward. It was not until I started carefully looking at the notes I had taken about the picture and the notes I had taken about the verses in Matthew that I noticed these subtle differences. I had never read that section of the Bible before and through years of Christmas songs, and setting up the manger with Wise Men and the baby Jesus in my living room at Christmas time, I had come to believe that that there were three Wise Men. They were three kings from Bethlehem. They visited Jesus in the manger with the cows and the sheep. This shows that what is conventionally believed is not necessarily accurate. We see this clearly in Adoration of the Magi, which initially looks perfectly okay to the popular Judeo-Christian eye, but upon closer inspection holds many of the common misconceptions of the three Wise Men.