14 Common Mistakes Freelance Writers Make in Their First Year

I see it all the time. New freelance writers who  are struggling to find a new client and cant figure out why they havent landed a gig yet. They feel they are doing everything right. From checking the job boards daily to sending out their pitch to even making sure to send relevant samples, but no response with a job offer. If youre a new freelance writer youre probably wanting to know why you cant freakin find a client. Its aggravating to say the least. Well, Ive been a freelance writer for three years now – wow! – and the one thing Ive learned is that I sure made a lot of mistakes before I really became successful. My first year was a huge learning curve. But, whats great is that you dont have to make the same mistakes I did. You can learn from mine and use that knowledge to get out there and make a living from writing. If this is your first year as a new freelance writer, learn to dodge these common mistakes. 1. You Never Follow Up Let me ask you this: Whats your pitching process? I mean, do you have a plan for what happens after you send your pitch? Or, do you just continue sending pitch after pitch waiting for someone to contact you with a gig? For the longest time, I had no follow up strategy after I sent my pitches. I thought answering a job ad was all that I needed to do. Boy was I wrong! Did you know that the likelihood of landing a gig increases by simply following up on a pitch you sent out? If you dont know, when business owners or entrepreneurs draft up a job ad they are usually shocked by the amount of applicants that applied. There could be hundreds of hopeful freelancers wanting that gig. These business owners need to weed through countless pitches and it can take them days to do this. So when you send your follow up email, you may just catch the business owner when theyre knee-deep into reading pitches. When they see your follow up email, it conveniently directs them to you and your pitch. So after you send a pitch, wait a week or so and follow up. Ask if they have already found a content writer for that gig and if they havent, to mention that youre still available. And to help with that I have a free course on getting paid to write online. 2. Your Pitch Isnt Strong On the subject of pitches: The number one reason youre probably not landing that gig is because you dont have a strong pitch. For example, maybe when you describe your experience you use phrases like, Im new, Im still learning, or Ive only been a freelance writer for a few months. Letting a prospect know that youre new doesnt make them want to work with you (unless you have a stellar portfolio). Remember that you are not working FOR your clients; youre working WITH your clients. And this means you need to convey your expert knowledge in your service – even if this is your sixth week as a freelance writer. Thats why in my freelance writing course, I opened up my pitch archive and gave students a look at my first pitch and several of my current winning pitches. And, I also made sure to supply my students with the Pitching Handbook to help them develop strong and high converting pitches. 3. Youre Overbearing Ah, this was me as a budding new freelance writer. I was new and reading blog post after blog post from some amazing freelance writers and one thing I learned from some of them is to make sure to ask the right questions. So I made sure that I did. I ended up asking a ton of questions to suss out a potential gig. And you know what happened? I never landed the stinkin gig. Go figure. Now I know better to not bombard prospects with silly questions like whats more important to you, quality or speed? I learned to ask the most important questions like word count, frequency and payment schedule instead. Being overbearing for many entrepreneurs and small business owners is a red flag that youre not flexible or easy-going as a freelance writer. So, before you email your client a gazillion emails or bother them on the weekends, think about streamlining your emails and sending one email with a one or two questions at a time. 4. You Make Too Many Grammar and Formatting Errors Let me just raise my hand on this one – Im notorious for making grammar errors. Just ask my copyeditor. I spell names wrong ALL.THE.TIME. And sure there are editing tools like Hemingway or Grammarly, but they dont catch everything. But, if theres one thing you gotta do, its making sure your pitch has no grammar errors. Your pitch is the first introduction to a potential client of you and your services, so read your pitch carefully and run it through some editing software. If possible, have another freelancer or family member read your pitch for errors. One other thing to pay attention to is the formatting of your pitch. Francesca Nicasio of Be a Freelance Writer, failed to land a gig because she didnt properly format her pitch. I once made the mistake of sending an introduction email without properly formatting it and, boy, was it an embarrassing experience. Not only did I fail to land the gig, but the CEO of the company got back to me and pointed out certain parts of the email were in a different font. This made it obvious that I copied and pasted some of the things I wrote. I know a great productivity hack is to create a standard pitching template so that you can cut and paste the necessary parts and mass send multiple pitches. But, just be careful that you fix any formatting problems like different fonts, colors, and names before sending off your pitch email. 5. You Only Hustle When Business is Slow Okay. Im totally guilty of this. After a while some freelance writers become  complacent. They have enough work to pay the bills and live comfortably and the work they have is enjoyable and fun. But, this is when it can get dangerous. This is when you become complacent. Lizzie Davey of Wanderful World did a roundup post a while back asking freelancers their number one tip to a successful freelance launch. I said, As a freelancer, you never want to become complacent. You may have a full schedule of client work and feel on top of the world, but you should never assume this will last. Ask any experienced freelancer and they can tell you, it’s entirely possible to lose many clients over a short period of time, and then you’re back at square one. So, get out there and always be hustling. Boy, I should take my advice eh? Summers can be a slow time for freelancers and although its not entirely slow for me, it is a bit. I am writing less and many of my clients are holding onto my work until the fall   – when traffic picks up – to publish my posts. So, when my work isnt out there online, I get less inquiries for my services. And even though Im two years in, it doesnt mean I stop pitching. It doesnt mean I no longer hustle. And it doesnt mean the clients I have now will be the clients I have six months from now or a year from now. So learn from me, when your business is booming, still guest post to get your name out there and still check the job boards or work on your cold pitches to always ensure that you have continual work. 6. You Dont Have a Project Management System Do you have a project management system for all your client work and pitches you send out? Im learning that the more blogs I manage and the more clients I have, the more I need to really streamline my work. And the best way to do that is with Google sheets or a tool like Trello. I actually use both – Google sheets for my client work, pitches and finances – and Trello for my content schedule for my blogs. My Google sheet lays out all the steps that a project goes through from inception to submission. You can click on my project management system to see it bigger. After my posts are written, it goes through several steps such as a first edit, a Grammarly edit and a peer edit before its ready for the client. The sheet is also color-coded, meaning that projects that are in progress are yellow and projects that are finished are blue. Projects in red are those that havent been paid for (i.e I sent the invoice and am waiting to be paid). I keep tabs of every step since I am currently working with over 10 clients and I dont want to make any mistakes. Ive been using this for over a year and its totally helpful in showing me a snapshot of whats going on in my freelance writing business. I also use Trello for my content schedule for both this blog and my Twins Mommy blog. Using Trello helps me create my content schedule and helps me stay on top of my content. 7. You Dont Have a Blog I get emails all the time from new writers asking me if its necessary to have a blog. And you know what I tell them? Of course you should have a blog! Its an instant way to grow your portfolio and get some samples. Prospects typically like when your samples are live links and arent something like a shareable Google doc or PDF. And having a blog can help you with this. Its also an easy way to actually land your first freelance writing client. So, get out there and start a blog. 8. Youre Too Confident Oh no, I said it! Being confident can totally rock your freelance biz. There are just too many new freelance writers that arent confident yet, so having any amount of confidence can help you land a freelance writing job. Well, not any amount – having too much confidence will get you nowhere. If you feel entitled that you deserve a set rate or that because you have a degree in journalism you automatically should land that gig, youre going to have a tough time getting ANY paid writing work. And just because youre a great writer, doesnt mean youll be a successful one. Being too arrogant doesnt rub off the right way to  potential clients, to other freelancers and to your current clients either. So, before you demand $.25/word without a portfolio to show for it, consider paying your dues first. 9. Your Niche is Too Broad Sometimes going bigger isnt better. If your niche is too broad – for example, gardening instead of hydroponics – youll have a harder time landing high-paying clients. You know why? Because those clients want experts in their niche. Content clients seek writers that are experienced in one industry or niche. When I moved from writing about natural health and parenting and started writing in the digital marketing niche, my per word rate went from $.05/word to over $.15/word and now its closer to $.30/word. The more experience you can give to your client, the more you can charge for your writing. 10. You Dont Have a Writer Website You want to get paid to write online right? Well, then you need an online home base and a writer website is just that. Your professional writer website is what prospective clients see after your pitch email. They click either on your samples or your website to get to know more about you. So having a clean and polished website thats free of ads, unnecessary images on the sidebar and has clean copy will help you land a client. Most prospects come to me from my contact form on my writer website. So, I know prospects visit my writer website. Thats why I update my website frequently to represent whats going on in my business right now. What if having a writer website isnt in your budget? Well it is possible to have a professional-looking free website, but its always recommended to have a self-hosted site since its more professional that way. 11. Youre Not Sure How to Use Social Media With Snapchat and Instagram becoming popular, whats a new freelance writer to do? Youre just understanding how to use Twitter to land clients and now you hear you need to be on Pinterest and Facebook too? Which social media platform should freelance writers be on? There is no right answer, but what I teach my students is to have a profile on at least two platforms: Twitter LinkedIn These two platforms generated me thousands of dollars and many gigs. So dont worry about having to be on Snapchat, Periscope, Youtube or Vine. Start with Twitter and LinkedIn and later on you may want to look into starting a Facebook business page. 12. Youd Rather Work on Your Own Personal Projects Than Your Client Work Okay. Im also guilty of this. Working on my own personal projects is a treat for me. During my first year, I didnt have many personal projects, except for my freelance writing course. But that quickly grew to taking over FreelancerFAQs and now starting Twins Mommy. Im also doing more webinars – yay! LOVE them – and Im working hard to balance it all. And this can be a slippery slope. But, thats why you have to remember your why. Why did you start freelancing writing in the first place? For me, its so that I can be home with my twins and still make a living. I LOVE freelance writing. I really do. I write so much in a week – over 10,000 words – writing blog posts for this blog and Twins Mommy, writing content upgrades, newsletters, guest posts and my client work. But, I love it. Sure, I might get a bit burned out, but thats why I have a lot on my plate. Thats why I have Twins Mommy. I can focus on that platform for a bit, get re-energized and then come back to my client posts. And you know what? Because Im growing my other blog, Im getting more freelance writing work. Clients are noticing my posts on that blog and requesting more work from me. So, it really is a win-win, but for new freelance writers, it can be a challenge to pry yourself away from writing for yourself and, instead, write for your clients. 13. You Dont Have Time to Learn New Skills I know. There is NO TIME to do anything! I so, so, so get you. My twins are getting ready to drop their only nap in the day and this cuts my work hours almost in half. So, Im sweating buckets  right now 🙂 But, youre a new writer. You should have some extra time, right? The best thing new writers should know – especially if they want to write for an online audience – is to learn how to use online tools. Things like Trello, Skitch, Google Drive, or Evernote can help you structure your day and business. Whats great is that if you become a student in  my Writeto1k course, you have access to video training, where I show you how to use such tools. These enhanced videos will help you manage your business and client work. Knowing how to properly format your post for your clients is important if you want recurringwork. Learning how to use Skitch or another tool for your clients work adds more value to your work, which gives you leverage to raise your rates. 14. You Dont Have a Plan to Take Your Biz to the Next Level Do you have a five year plan for your freelance writing business? I didnt when I first started. Are you setting S.M.A.R.T. goals to take your biz to the next level? I didnt for the first few months. New freelance writers should really sit down and not only plan for launching your side hustle or getting to full time hustle, but also to plan out your goals. Set a financial goal and a time frame. Think about a year from now and two years from now. Do you see yourself still as a freelance writer, or more of a product creator? Do you see yourself only offering writing services or maybe other services such as website design, Pinterest marketing or coaching? Before you jump into freelancing, think about your goals to grow your business. Learn From My Mistakes Well, I didnt make  all these 14 mistakes, but Ive sure made  a few of them. And you know what? Im still a success and Im still freelance writing. So, even if you do make these mistakes, dont think that you cant ever get back on track. It just took me longer to reach my goals, but it doesnt have to be like that for you. Have you made any of these mistakes? Share your story in the comments! Sign up to my free six-day email course and get even more actionable tips to help you succeed as a freelance writer. If youre ready to really earn a living from writing, you can get your step-by-step profitable freelance writing blueprint by joining Write Your Way to Your First $1k. It walks you through the exact action steps you need to take to land clients, tweak your website to increase conversions and get paid to write.

Persuasive Topics for High Schoolers’ Speeches

Persuasive Topics for High Schoolers’ Speeches Every persuasive speech starts with a good topic. We decided to make a list of nice persuasive topics, but before we get to it, let’s define what persuasive speeches are and what is the goal of these tasks. First of all, persuasive speeches are aimed to convince an audience to accept a certain point of view. Usually, there are people in your audience who already have an opinion on your topic, so you can either reinforce a popular opinion or refute it. You have to deliver a message or motivate your audience to take some actions. Anyway, high school is the best place to develop your persuasive skills so we suggest taking this task seriously. If you can’t figure out what your speech should be about, we can help your with our list of interesting topics. Many our topics also contain key questions that may give you a hint on what arguments to use. There are topics from various fields, including medicine, education, and social issues. We hope that you will easily find a topic that will be interesting to discuss with other students. High School Persuasive Topics About School Why are exams important for students? You can tell about important knowledge that you get in school and how it can be used after graduation. You can also provide some suggestions on how to become more productive. Field trips and their role in the process of education. Obviously, field trips are aimed to make education fun. What knowledge students can get during such trips? What other benefits do you see? Why we go to college after school? Explain how can students benefit from college and describe what can happen if they don’t go to college. You can give a couple examples of successful people who managed to build their careers without college. What is their secret? Advantages of changing school hours. Every student has his or her biorhythms that may differ from the school schedule. Many if such students feel too tired after school or don’t eat their breakfast at morning because of the rush. What other problems do you see? Why should students use their phones? How can they benefit from using cell phones? Most professors claim that it is a distraction. What do you think about it? iPads and other tablets in high school. What are advantages of tablets over textbooks? How may these devices help students learn better? How to motivate students to use their tablets for studying instead of playing games? Why should educational facilities provide free textbooks? Textbooks become more expensive every year. Think of how much money students spend on their textbooks. Convince your audience to raise funds for some threatened species, for example, Angonoka tortoise or Sumatran rhino. What measures can help us save these animals? What is the biggest danger for them? Female students and makeup. Many teachers shame girls who wear makeup in school. Is it right? Every person has a right to look like he or she wants. Some people have problems with their skin so they wear makeup to feel more confident. What kind of makeup do you consider appropriate for school students? Should students be allowed to listen to music when studying? Provide your audience with necessary facts so they can think whether listening to music is a distraction from studying or something that may help students focus. Persuasive Topics on Medicine for High School How often do we need to wash hands? Why we must wash hands and what happens if we don’t do it? Tell about diseases that spread due to dirty hands. How may washing hands help treat some diseases? Cancer. How can we fight it? Persuade your audience to join the American Cancer Society. Why is it important to stand up against this deadly disease? How such societies help people diagnosed with cancer? Why should students donate plasma? Tell about the use of plasma in various kinds of therapy. Describe benefits of donating plasma and give some examples of how donors saved lives. The role of red wine in preventing stomach ulcers. Provide your audience with information about the use of red wine for fighting bugs that poison food. Does white wine have the same effect? Benefits of healthy food. Describe the main reasons why we need to eat healthy food. List key principles of healthy eating and its role in fighting obesity, anxiety, and other health problems. Benefits of eating potatoes. Describe how potatoes help in lowering blood pressure, fighting obesity, etc. Conduct a research and provide as many facts as you can. Why should people donate their organs? Choose several reliable sources and explain why it’s better to donate your organs in case of a car accident or any other kind of unexpected death. Advantages of free healthcare. Do you think that healthcare should be free? Why? Compare the situation with healthcare before the Affordable Healthcare Act was repealed against the Trump’s healthcare policy. Plastic surgery. Focus on arguments for and against plastic surgery and tell about its history. Tell how plastic surgery is used to help soldiers and people who survived tragic accidents. What are negative sides of plastic surgery? How people use it to improve their self-esteem? Persuade your audience to join the American Red Cross. Tell what internship programs this organization offers students. Describe benefits of joining the Red Cross for their education and careers. Topics on Society for High School Students Cyberbullying. Why should we fight against it? Provide your audience with statistical data on children who become victims of cyberbullying. How bullying affects their self-esteem and psychological condition? You can also mention cases of cyberbullying among adults. How can it be stopped? Crime among juveniles. How should they be sentenced? Explain why they are sentenced as adults and how it can affect their future. Do IQ tests really reflect the level of somebody’s intelligence? Find reliable sources and provide your audience with information on alternative tests. Explain what tests are more accurate and why. Do we need to protect freedom of speech on the internet? Consider sexist, racist, and homophobic views in the context of freedom of speech. Should we allow people with such views express their opinion on the internet? Explain how we can make the internet safer for children. What types of discrimination are present in the modern world? Do we realize all possible ways of discrimination? Provide your audience with information on discrimination by age. Why we can’t just deport Hispanic immigrants? Tell about the reasons why immigrants from Mexico and other countries come to the US. Mention examples of Mexicans who work hard in the US, making their contribution to the economy. Compare Barak Obama’s and Donald Trump’s positions on this issue. Why should same-sex marriage be legal? Why should we allow gay couples to adopt children? Support your point with examples from states where gay marriages are legal. Why should we support the system of birth control? What methods of birth control are most effective? Tell why birth control is good for society and provide examples from various countries. Incarceration. Provide examples of the effective and ineffective use of incarceration. What are benefits and drawbacks of incarceration? Should women make a proposal? Explain why everybody must be able to propose marriage and express feelings. Interesting Persuasive Speech Topics for High School Benefits of learning foreign languages. How can foreign languages can help in education? What career opportunities you get when you know a foreign language? Why do people like to travel? Does it help in developing certain qualities and skills? Mention the importance of new experiences for our psychological state. What can students do if they want to travel but don’t have enough money for it? Why is Bora Bora a perfect place to spend your holidays? Tell about its climate and provide other important information about the island. What is the influence of devices on kids? Many experts state that devices make them lazy. Find reliable sources and provide examples of such an impact of electronic gadgets. Mention such problems as decreased social activity, obesity, anxiety, and isolation. Texting while driving. Why is it dangerous? Provide your audience with statistical data on car accidents caused by drivers who were texting. Compare these statistics with data on driving on drugs and alcohol. Human-animal hybrids. Should scientists be allowed to create them? Why? Focus on ethical and practical aspects of this issue. What is the difference between animals and human-like beings? Why it’s important to use alternative energy sources? Describe how solar panels work and why we should use them instead of traditional technologies. Focus on the environmental and economic issues. Do we need to prohibit the use of animals in circus performances? Provide examples of trainers abusing their animals and examples of good treatment. Why do we need to stop plastic pollution? Find information on how plastic decomposes and how much time it takes. What eco-friendly technologies can help us stop pollution? What recycling technologies we can use? Positive aspects of electric cars. Why should we buy them instead of traditional vehicles? How can electric cars help us stop air pollution? What disadvantages they have? For example, describe the process of battery utilization. Funny Topics for a High School Persuasive Speech Find some evidence that UFOs exist. Begin your speech with skeptical arguments and then refute them from the ufologists’ perspective. Why should we stop tipping waiters? Focus on the fact that, by tipping, we motivate employers to pay minimum wages. Mention Japanese traditions ? Japanese waiters consider tipping as an insult. Why do we need to spend less time with our devices? Provide statistical data on how much time we spend surfing the web. What hard do mobile devices cause? How can we spend less time in social media? Why should we eat Chinese food with chopsticks? Find interesting information about the history of Chinese kitchen and etiquette. Imagine yourself a Big Brother and write a speech from this person. Try to make it a hate speech. Focus on some country that is currently at war and describe how people hate each other and why you like it. The moon landing was a lie. Choose any conspiracy theory about the fake mission and tell how the â€Å"fake† video with Neil Armstrong was filmed. Don’t forget to mention the fluttering flag. Why are GMOs actually good? Many people believe that GMOs cause various diseases, including cancer. Find reliable sources that prove the complete safety of GMO products. Why should we realize that ghosts are real? Present evidence that ghosts are real. Find some shocking photos and videos as well as interviews with people who claim that they have seen ghosts. Why pit bulls have a bad reputation? Provide your audience with information on the history of these dogs and refute common misconceptions about them. Abstinence is a perfect way to protect yourself from STDs or pregnancy. Present statistical data on the efficiency of abstinence compared to common contraceptives. Tell how abstinence can improve a marriage. If you can’t find any topic that looks interesting to you, check some creative ideas for a persuasive speech in high school: We need censorship in music. Orange juice is good for your health. We need law regulation for graffiti. Weed must be legal. Public broadcasting. Small stores are better than malls. We must drive slower. We should buy generics instead of brand name products. The best movie in history. Angels exist. Benefits of learning CPR. We must use public transport instead of personal cars. Agenda-setting in media. We need larger counties. Why we must read more. We should stop wearing tight pants. Stomach stapling. Darfur crisis. Benefits of joining the army. Smoking in public. Drinking is dangerous for society. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Columbus Day. Build a strong family. Public bathrooms must be cleaner. Benefits of buying security systems. How to avoid food with artificial hormones. Live your life as good as you can. Alternatives for prisons. Why religious cults are dangerous. Reincarnation is real. We need to completely reduce secondhand smoke by making a smoke-free environment. Benefits of the Greek system. We need a strict system of regulations for the internet. We can fix potholes. France boycott. Why we need to ban fireworks. We need more strict laws for advertising. Good sides of state lotteries. We should ban aggressive driving. Why you should be who you really are. The best TV show ever. We must ban Ticketmaster. Why we don’t need sin taxes. The importance of bachelorette and bachelor parties. We shouldn’t use shock therapy. The government must control freedom of speech. Share the road with bicycles. Find Even More Topics for Your Persuasive Speech on Our Website! We know that sometimes it’s hard to find a good topic for your high school speech. If you think that you’re never going to make it, don’t worry and contact us. Place an order and our experts will find a perfect topic and prepare an impressive persuasive speech for you. Describe your task in details and our writers will deliver you the exact content you are looking for.

Nuclear Power Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Nuclear Power - Research Paper Example Energy experts build huge dams in order to seize the water, which generates hydropower energy. Consequently, these constructions disrupt flow of rivers, which further result to plausible natural calamities for example, overflows in rivers. In addition, the construction of dams facilitates the impediment of natural flow of sediments in the river. Variably, the impediment results to rivers losing their banks. Moreover, individuals lose their existence because of the evictions, which follow the construction of the dams (Murray 2009). Development of nuclear power facilitates the following consequences: first, from the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster an individual depicts that the power supply in a nuclear plant suffers susceptibility of disability. For example, the machinery at Fukushima experienced a major nuclear accident because of the consequent chilling of the elements of retort. In addition, there are usually, constant releases of radioactive materials, which poison such paramount phenomenon as rivers (Bodansky 2004). Variably, contaminated waters from the plants leak out and cause melanoma and other precarious ailments to individuals. However, the Fukushima Nuclear Plant presents such advantages as generation of a significant high amount of energy from that single plant. Consequently, the plant does not release green house gases, which result to negative aftermaths of worldwide warming. Clearly, unconventional sources of power produce harmful green houses gases hence causing mountains to lose their snowing abilities (Bodansky 2004). Second, the Chernobyl Nuclear Meltdown released twenty five percent of radioactive reactor materials. Additionally, the historical accident registers deaths of individuals and continuous re-settlement of people who lived around that area. Further, there were various psychological impacts on the people who experienced the Chernobyl accident (Bodansky 2004). Although

INDIVIDUAL REPORT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

INDIVIDUAL REPORT - Essay Example 6 Cultural relation and community cohesion†¦.. 7 Low wage keeps inflation low†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 7 Dynamism in economic activities †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 8 Business relation †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 8 Treats of migration†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 9 Low wages keep other workers wages low†¦.. 9 Increase in criminal acts:†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 9 Use of government subsidized services without paying taxes†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 9 Sending money to home country:†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 9 Increased cost on society in terms of larger population †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 10 Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â ‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 10 References†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 11 Introduction Economic migration and its impact on the economy has scarcely been out of public debates over the past few months, with many controversies to the extent of social and economic gain to the developed, developing and under developed countries from immigration. However, economic migration has presented greater opportunities for the same countries, particularly in economic term (Marangozov, 2007). Today’s economic world is witnessing economic or labor migration rapidly mainly due to the increased demand for low-wage workers in developed countries and lack of employment opportunities in developing countries. Both men and women are pursuing to work in other countries in order to support themselves and their families back home. This piece of research presents a brief rep ort on economic migration and its impact on developed countries. This paper analyzes various benefits and threats of economic migration to an economy. Key trends and characteristics: Immigrants are classified into two distinct groups, economic migrants , who are individuals searching for high standard jobs and economic security and refugees, who are individuals fleeing persecution in their home country (Cortes 2001, p,41). These two categories do of course overlap. Higher numbers of migrant workers are from the EU accession states that is the most leading trends of recent economic migration. Immigration levels to the developed countries have increased in recent years, mainly driven by on going economic growth in the UK and by the opening of the labor market to the new EU accession states since recently (Marangozov, 2007). For example, between three months in 2007, the number of applications from the A8 countries (Czech Republic, Estonia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Latvia, Slovakia, and Slovenia) has been dropped to 50,000 from 52,000. The numbers thus have been coming to decline overall- during the above mentioned three months of the previous year, 56,000 workers registered (workpermit.com, 2007). The UK was one of the few EU nations opening its labor market to the ‘A8’ countries when they joined in 2004, causing a heavy inflow of immigration to the country. In response, the UK placed restrictions on some developing nationals when their countries joined the EU on January 2007 (workpermit.com) Worldwide Immigrants Statistics: Worldwide, there is around 191 million immigrants and the last 50 years have seen an almost doubling of immigration, out of them around 115 million migrants are living in developed countries; 38 million immigrants that account to be 20% are living in the US alone. According to some estimates, around 33% of all immigrants are living in Europe and a major portion of it lives in around 28 countries. Women immigrants

Alcoholism in united states Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Alcoholism in united states - Research Paper Example . It excludes unintentional injuries, homicides, and other causes indirectly related to alcohol use, as well as deaths due to fetal alcohol syndrome†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Xu et al., 11) Alcoholism has remained a heated debate owing to its potential and ever increasing threats to the lives of individuals and society in general, and the expenses that the government has to bear, in particular. Ironically, it has been promulgated as a style statement of the rich and the famous by the media. The minimum age requirement for drinking is 21 in the US. At this age, many people cannot control their drinking, and the contemporary urban lifestyle has compelled people to live at the edge of life and to indulge in such habits that may even wreck their lives, health, career, and relationships. One may get into perpetual depression, or have mood swings, as a result of excessive and habitual drinking. Society, family, job and personal relationships are compromised and it is very difficult for the alcoholics to seek help. Social stigmas associated with alcoholism prevent the victims to put an end to this disease and to start reliving a normal and balanced life. Alcoholism is associated with a number of social, psychological, occupational, economic, legal and family problems. Children that face parental divorce, child abuse and neglect are more prone to alcoholism. Criminal behaviors also influence alcohol consumption. In order to research about alcoholism in the United States, the various underlying social and personal causes must be explored. The over exposure of alcohol to young children is also a major factor of the increasing trend of alcoholism. It is not only draining the valuable national exchequer but emptying the pockets of the people in such a recession-hit period of history. Alcoholism is correlated with race and ethnic backgrounds. The pre-dominant ethnic communities living in the USA are: African-Americans,

Independence of Mind Example

Independence of Mind Example The word of INDEPENDENCE is defined as freedom from situations and relationships which make it probable that a reasonable and informed third party would conclude that objectivity either is impaired or could be impaired. (Kaplan, 2009, pp.117) There are 2 types of independence, that are independence of mind and independence in appearance: Independence of mind The state of mind that permits the expression of a conclusion without being affected by influences that compromise professional judgment, thereby, allowing an individual to act with integrity, and exercise objectivity and professional scepticism. Independence in appearance The avoidance of facts and circumstances that are so significant that a reasonable and informed third party, having knowledge of all relevant information, including safeguards applied, would reasonably conclude a firms, or a member of the assurance teams, integrity, objectivity or professional scepticism had been compromised. (b) Why is external auditors independence so important? Illustrate with any past or  current audit failures. (10 marks) It is important for external auditors to be independent because external auditors act on behalf of the owners of the business, normally the shareholder, and report on the financial statements prepared by management for the benefit of shareholders. If the external auditors are not independent of their shareholder, for example, if they hold shares in the companies that they audit, their ability to form an objective opinion on the financial statements will be impaired. In addition, external auditors must be also be seen to be independent because if they are not, the owners of the business will not have confidence in the audit reports that the audits issue. This is why it is auditors independent is so important because to prevent further scandals such as those of Enrons and Parmalats case, and etc. For example in the case of Phar-Mor, Inc one of the top 10 deep discount drug store chains in the United States and declared bankrupt in the year 1995. Phar-Mor, Inc declared bankrupt because the company contributing to the frauds and ability to cover it up for so long. Listed below the summarized of the factors contributing to the fraud: Familiarity threat Phar-Mor, Inc knowledge of audit procedure an objectives. Phar-Mors fraud team was made up a several former auditors, including at least one former auditor who had worked for Coopers on the Phar-Mor audit. The fraud team indicated that one reason they were successful in hiding the fraud from the auditors was because they knew what the auditors were looking for. Self-interest threat The Phar-Mor had financial interest in financial reporting, potential self-interest threat may occur. Such the fraud in the Phar-Mor case included: Overstating inventory and recording consigned inventory as owned inventory Recording revenue from receipts from vendors under certain promotion and exclusivity agreements when received, rather than over the life of the agreements Understating the amount of accounts payable by holding disbursement checks Recording revenues and receivables from vendors at budgeted, rather than actual, amounts Integrity The principle imposes an obligation on all professional accountants to be straightforward and honest in professional and business relationships. In the case of Phar-Mor, the Phor-Mor did not perform honest in professional and business relationships. The Phar-Mor provide misstatement of margins, inventories, and earnings in reports to management and in general ledger and financial statements (to cover up other misstatements), and Diversion of assets to affiliated companies via manually written checks (nature of disbursements falsified when recorded in books and records). (c) The following situations may violate ethical codes imposed by regulatory bodies such as the MIA By-Laws (On Professional Conduct and Ethics): Roslan, an audit partner, owns material amount of shares in a trust fund investment company, which in turn owns shares in Roslans largest audit client. Reading the investment company most recent financial report, Roslan is surprised to learn that the companys ownership in his client has increased dramatically. From the case above, a member of the audit team has possible financial interest in the client, potential self interest threat may occur and the gift rise to Roslan possible self-interest. Form my point of view, it seems less significant in terms of threats because the trust fund is indirect investment in the client. However, if the ownership in the client increases resulting in a significant proportion of Roslans fund to be invested in the client, then the threat may be significant. Moreover Roslan is an audit partner who audit in the investment company. Safeguard or action to be taken is since the threat may not be so significant, it may not be necessary to get Roslan to dispose off the financial interest. However, it would be better to remove or re-assign Roslan from the audit assurance engagement. Sofia Ali is doing the audit of a large car dealership. She is just the audit assistant in the audit team. The sales manager of the client tells her there is a sale (at a substantial discount) on new cars that is limited to long established customers of the dealership. Because her audit firm has been doing the audit for several years, the sales manager has decided that Sofia should also be eligible for the discount. Required: Discuss whether the facts in any of the situations above give rise to threats to independence. (15 marks) For the case above, Sofia Ali has been given extended gift and hospitality by client that is in the form of a discount to purchase on new car by a sales manager. This may give arise to possible self interest and familiarity threats. The threats may be significant because of the extent of gift and hospitality that is audit staff is offered discount. However, the threats may not be significant if the gift and hospitality is within clients normal commercial terms, that is client offer to other customers. Safeguard or actions to be taken is the audit staff, Sofia Ali should refer to policies of audit firm prohibiting or getting permission before accepting the gifts and hospitality from senior personnel. Describe the concept of sufficient appropriate audit evidence and explain why external auditors are not expected to gather all information in order to express an opinion on the truth and fairness of the financial statements of an entity. ISA 500 Audit Evidence requires auditors to obtain sufficient, appropriate audit evidence to be able to draw reasonable conclusions on which to base the audit opinion. Sufficiency and appropriateness are interrelated and apply to audit evidence obtained from both tests of control and substantive procedures. (ACCA, 2008, pp.119) Sufficiency is the measure of the quantity of audit evidence. The quantity of audit evidence required is affected by the level of risk in the area being audited. Firstly, it is the level of inherent risk faced by auditors is high. For example, high technology developments in a market which is very competitive can lead to going concern problems and more possibility that the clients Financial Statements will be misstated. This will lead to an increase in the inherent risk and will cause the difficulties for auditors to analyze Financial Statements in a volatile industry due to no consistency in Financial Statements and more evidence is needed during the planning stage. Besides, lack of IT control in a computerized environment may cause the level of control risk faced by auditors is high. This is because more evidence is needed for auditor when auditing the company. (ACCA, 2008) Appropriateness is the measure of the quality or reliable of audit evidence and its relevance to the audit subject matter. If quality is high, then the auditor may need less evidence. The quality or reliability of evidence is affected by several factors, such as external sources, evidence directly by auditor, entity, written documentation, and original documents. Original documents are more reliable than photocopies or facsimiles, which can easily be altered by the client. (ACCA, 2008) Testing control is a test for the auditor to determine whether the control is operating effectively throughout the period under review stage. The auditor must consider the sufficient appropriates audit evidence is to support the assessed level of control risk is audit evidence is obtained from tests of control. For example: Design: the control systems are suitably designed to detect and correct significant departures from the matter of accountability or material misstatements in any assertion Operation: the control systems exist and have operated effectively throughout the relevant period. (ACCA, 2008) The auditor must always carry out substantive procedures on material items. The ISA says irrespective of the assessed rick of material misstatements, the auditor should design and perform substantive procedures for each material class of transactions, account balance and disclose. When obtaining audit evidence from substantive procedures, the auditor must consider the sufficient appropriate audit evidence from such procedures together with any evidence from tests of control to support the audit opinion. (ACCA, 2008, pp.99) In an audit of a financial report, the audit opinion is given on the assertions by management, explicit or otherwise, that are embodied in the financial report. They can be categorized as follows: Assertions about classes of transaction and events for the period under audit One of the examples is occurrence, where a transaction or event took place which pertains to the entity during the period. Assertions about account balances at the period end For example existence is an asset or a liability exists at a given date, rights and obligations is an asset or a liability pertains to the entity at a given date, and etc. Assertions about presentation and disclosure An item is disclosed, classified, and described in accordance with the applicable financial reporting framework. The auditor has a statutory duty to make a report to the entitys members on the truth and fairness of the entitys annual accounts. This report must state the auditors opinion on whether the statements have been prepared in accordance with the relevant legislation and whether they give a true and fair view of the profit or loss for the year and state of affairs at the year end. The duty to report on the truth and fairness of the financial statements is the primary duty associated with the external audit. The assurance given by auditors is governed by the fact that auditors use judgment in deciding what audit procedures to use and what conclusions to draw, and also by the limitations of every audit. The auditors task is to decide whether the accounts show a true and fair view. The auditors are not responsible for establishing whether the accounts are correct in every particular. This is because it can take a great deal of time and trouble to check the accuracy of even a very small transaction and the estimation which means that financial statements can never be completely precise. It is not easy and impossible to examine every single item in the financial reports. Here, as we shall see, auditor provides opinion about the financial statements, but not certificate that the financial statements are correct. Besides, audit procedures are designed to reduce the risk of the misstatements in the financial statements, but not eliminate the error in the financial statements. This is because by providing sufficiently reliable conclusion arriving by way of using the sampling procedures. The sampling risk arises from the possibility that the auditors conclusion, based on a sample, may be different from the conclusion reached if the entire population were subjected to same audit procedure. A sampling risk can be reduced by increasing the sample size for both test of control and substantive procedures. (ACCA, 2008, PP.189) (b) Describe the following audit procedures used in gathering audit evidence and for each procedure, illustrate with an example: Confirmation Analytical procedures Observation Inspection Confirmation This involves seeking confirmation from another source of details in clients accounting records. Example: Confirmation from bank balances by referring to the bank statement. (ACCA, 2008, pp.121) Analytical procedures Analytical procedures mean the study of trends and ratios in financial and non-financial information. It is used within audit planning to identify risk areas and also as a means of gathering substantive evidence, for example by calculating as estimate of a particular figure based on knowledge of the business and comparing this to the actual figure. Example: A comparison of gross profit percentages month by month for a company could be performed and any unusual fluctuations investigated as these could indicate errors such as omission of sales, loss of inventory or other errors. (ACCA, 2008, pp.121) Observation Observation means watching a procedure being carried out. It is usually used as a means of gathering evidence about the internal controls in a company. Example: A appropriate to observe the procedures that are carried out when the post is opened to assess whether controls exist to prevent the misappropriation of cash. (ACCA, 2008, pp.121) Inspection Inspection means looking at documentation, books and records or assets. This could be done to confirm existence of an asset, to verify values or to provide evidence that a control has taken place. Example: The inventory of a company at the year-end could be inspected as part of the evidence relating to its value. The inspection would give evidence as to whether the inventory was in good saleable condition. (ACCA, 2008, pp.121) Inquires Inquires mean requesting information. This could be from individuals within the company, either orally or in written representations, or in formal written requests to third parties. Example: A relevant example would be to send a standard confirmation letter to the companys bank (ACCA, 2008, pp.121) QUESTION 3: (a) Explain what is meant by the term audit risk? (8 marks) Audit Risk is the risk of giving an inappropriate opinion on the financial statements. For example, failing to qualify when the financial statements contain a material error. Audit Risk has three individual components in the formula: Audit Risk = Inherent Risk X Control Risk X Detection Risk Inherent Risk is the susceptibility of an assertion to a misstatement that could be material individually or when aggregated with misstatements, assuming there were no related internal controls. Inherent risk is also a risk that it is impossible for auditors to manage and transfer away due to the nature of the company and its transaction. Control Risk is the risk that material misstatement that could occur in an assertion and that could be material, individually or when aggregated with other misstatements, will not be prevented or detected and corrected on a timely basis by the entitys internal control. Detection Risk is the risk that the auditor will not detect a misstatement that exists in an assertion that could be material, individually or when aggregated with other misstatements. For a given level of audit risk, the acceptable level of detection risk bears an inverse relationship to the assessment of the risk of material misstatement at the assertion level. (ACCA, 2008) (b) Explain why auditors need an understanding of the clients environment, including its internal controls, and list some aspects of clients environment and internal controls. (12 marks) (Total : 20 marks) Auditors should obtain an understanding of the entity and its environment, including internal control, sufficient to identity and assess the risks of material misstatement in the financial statements whether due to fraud or error. Then, the auditors able to design and perform further audit procedures. It is essential for auditors to understand the clients environment, including its internal controls because the knowledge of understanding of the clients environment will guide auditors to build up or maintain a good professional relationship with the client. Listed below are the reasons why auditors need an understanding of the clients environment, including its internal controls. A client may involve in a volatile sector of economy, which means that the industry has rapidly and is planning further expansion which will require additional resources. This will cause the stock obsolete and the obsolete stock may be overstated in the Financial Statements. In such circumstances, there is a risk that creditors will go unpaid and the business will go into liquidation. It is very risky for directors of the company and the auditors if they auditing the company. Todays world is rapidly changing such as technology. It is very competitive with new technology developments in a market because competitive can lead to going concern problems and more possibility that the clients Financial Statements will be misstated. This eventually will increase the inherent risk for the auditors especially in the aspect when the auditors auditing the financial statements. It is also will lead to an increase in the inherent risk and will cause the difficulties for auditors to analyze Financial Statements in a volatile industry due to no consistency in Financial Statements. Besides, the managements attitude, whether are they reliable and trustworthy in the business is suspected. This will indicate that the managements integrity is doubtful and mismanagement may be occurred. This in-turn will cause the Financial Statements may be subject to manipulation by existing auditors when they auditing the company as management is bias. Nevertheless, financial aspect will be taking into consideration if the company is facing financial problems. The company would needs a bank loan to finance the director ambitious plans. However, the loan facilities are scare. The risk for auditors to audit the Financial Statements will increase when the management of the company would use an aggressive accounting tactics to manipulate the Financial Statements. Last but not least, there is a misappropriation to a specific ascertain for a cash transactions or account balances in the. The cash balances may influence the Financial Statements and will cause an increasing risk for auditors to audit Financial Statements and there is a limitation for the auditors to identified completeness of sales and internal controls are insufficient. The aspects of clients environment and internal controls are as follow: Industry, regulatory and other external factors, including the reporting framework Nature of the entity, including selection and application of accounting policies Objectives and strategies and related business risks that might cause material misstatement in the financial statements Measurement and review of the entitys financial performance The control environment Control activities Monitoring of controls (ACCA, 2008) QUESTION 4: An important aspect of an external auditors audit of financial statements is observation of the conduct of the clients physical inventory count. Explain the purposes of the auditors observation of the clients physical inventory count? (4 marks) It is important for auditors to observe clients inventory stock count. This is to verify assertions of existence of inventory items that makes up the balance, means that the stock count done by the client staffs are as per the Stock Taking Instruction (STI). All the stocks are properly allocated, ensure that the stock stated in the stock list are actually exist. If do not have such stock exist as per the stock list, inquire the management or superior for the explanation. Besides, the auditors should ensure that the condition of the stock are clearly stated during the stock count, such as identify evidence of damaged or slow moving inventory because it is useful for the further evaluation of the inventory. This also wanted to prove that the actual stock record data are as per the stock count. Not only that, observation of stock count is to ensure that all the stocks held in the warehouse are particularly owned by client, that is right and obligations assertion. Any stock held for 3rd party, ensure it is properly separated from the clients stock and inspect the agreement between the 3rd party and client regarding about the stock held. Lastly, the auditors should verify by assertions of completeness. That is the audit should ensure all sales and purchases are well recorded and all the inventory at year end is included on the statement of financial position. (b) You encountered the following situations during the 31 December 2008 physical inventory count of Shoe Supplier Sdn. Bhd.: In observing the inventory of liquid shoe polish, you note that one lot is 5 years old. From the inspection of some bottles in an open box, you find the liquid has hardened in most of the bottles. As an external auditor, the audit procedures I would take is to find out or enquire whether this box of liquid is still part of the inventory balance, that is inventory record. Besides, I will ensure that the box of liquid in this inventory is written off and not saleable anymore. Lastly, I will also determine whether the sales of the liquid shoe polish are valued at the lower of cost or net realization value, if it is saleable. If the liquid shoe polish still cannot sell, then dispose the liquid shoe polish. During your observation of the inventory count also, you noticed that some counting staff are using pencils to record down inventory counted. Describe the procedures that you would take as an external auditor? (6 marks) As an external auditor, the audit procedures that I would take is I will ensure that clients staff are following instructions during the inventory count. Besides, no pencil is allowed during the inventory count. This is because by using pencil to record down inventory counted is showing not a good count instruction. Therefore, I will inform the person in charge of count that some staff are using pencils to record down inventory counted to prevent any adjustment easily to be made. Lastly, I will follow up to observe whether the staff are using pen subsequently during the inventory count and observe the condition of the stock properly to ensure it is clearly stated as per during the stock count, as it is useful for the evaluation of the inventory. (c) Describe the audit procedures an external auditor would carry out to verify whether inventory should be valued at cost or net realizable value. (10 marks) (Total : 20 marks) The management of the company is responsible for the identification and reporting of stocks that are worth less than cost to the auditor in a form of a schedule listing all the identified items. The types of inventory that may be worth less than costs include slow-moving, obsolete and damage stocks. Audit procedures for stocks worth less than costs are as follows: Enquire from management as to how they account for and identify such inventories, including the assumptions they made about the age, conditions and value of the inventories. Inspect sales, marketing and other reports, and review the extent to which inventories which are worth less than costs have been reduced to net realizable value (NRV) in prior years. Analytical procedures may be performed to evaluate the appropriateness of the write down in the current year. Analyse the clients computerized records, if available, to identify goods that are old or slow-moving. The records may also show seconds and damaged goods. Any information produced by the computer system for management relating to inventories need to be checked. Computer Assisted Auditing Techniques (CAAT) may be used for these purposes. Auditors need to checked the appropriateness of the definition of old and slow-moving given by the management, by making references to competitors products, technology changes and legislation. For high value items the auditors will need to refer to the experts valuation report to note if any material differences exist. At the inventory count, a note should have been made of any items that appeared to be old, slow-moving or damages and the count records should be inspected to see if they do show such goods. QUESTION 5: Describe external auditors responsibilities to report appropriately on the going concern aspect of an audit client. (Total : 10 marks) [OVERALL TOTAL: 100 MARKS] The auditors responsibility is to consider the appropriateness of the going concern assumption made by management and whether are there any material uncertainties about the entitys ability to continue as a going concern that need to be disclosed in the financial statements. In obtaining an understanding of the entity, the auditor should consider and stay alert to obtain evidence as to whether any events or conditions and related business risks which may occur and cast significant doubt on the entitys ability to continue as a going concern during the auditing. If such event or conditions were identified, the auditor should perform addition audit procedures to consider their impact to the audit assessments. The auditors should : Review managements plan for future actions based on its going concern assessment Gather sufficient appropriate audit evidence to confirm whether or not a material uncertainty exists . Considering the affects of any plans of management and other mitigating factors Seek written representations from management regarding its plan for future action The auditor should also inquire management as to its knowledge of events or conditions beyond the period of assessment used by management that may cast significant doubt on the entitys ability to continue as a going concern. The audit procedure that auditor should undertake to realize that may have affect on company going concern issues are as follow : Analyse and discuss cash flow, profit and other relevant forecasts with management. Analyse and discuss the entitys latest available interim financial statement Review the term of debentures and loan agreements and determine whether they have been breached Read minutes of meetings for the reference to financial difficulties Enquire of entitys lawyer regarding the litigation and claims Consider the entitys position if unfulfilled customers order Assess financial ability to provide additional funds Review events after period end for item affecting the entitys ability to continue as going concern. (ACCA, 2008)

Trading Peace For Profits :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As the Bible says â€Å"To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under Heaven†. Woodstock 1969, it was a time for love ... and hate. In a country with race riots and the Vietnam war a single dove perched on a guitar neck changed America for ever and brought a new light to the world in just 72 hours. Dubbed â€Å"three days of peace and love† the legacy of Woodstock spawned a sequel...Woodstock 1999. To go into all the differences between Woodstock 69 and Woodstock 99 is a task that couldn’t be completed by Woodstock 2004(which is already in the works). From psychedelic fields to Wall Street; materialistic movers and shakers of the 1980’s and ’90’s; are our parents really the long hairs of love and peace , half stoned music lovers of the sixties? When did it all change when did they change? Woodstock and what happened there after presents the changes in the views of society in a microcosm. The love and peace in 69 to a aggressive show of â€Å"teenage angst† in 99; what has the legacy of Woodstock really been Free love and communal sharing to the hyper merchandising and materialism; Idealism to Disillusionment. How we have changed...can we ever â€Å" make our way back to the garden?†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In comparing these two event one must realize the decades which separates them and more importantly what has taken place in the world since 1969. The people who were in attendance in 69. were not part of the instant access world. computers were for scientist not a tool for spanning the glob to speak about everything from the latest music to sex with your cyber friends in Australia. America was the still unquestionable the champions of the world coming out of World War II and Korea. Every child could look forward to doing as well or better than his or her parents. In other words America was riding high in a golden age with only one major pitfall; Vietnam. How does a generation tell the last generation of warrior that they don’t want to fight. The war started by the older generation is not their war. They ban together or they come together in what can only be described as a â€Å"happening† the proportions of which no one could have predicted. The peaceful shock waves of which were heard around the world, the harmony and love of which we have been trying to recapture since.

Technology effects of Human Relationships

They say â€Å"All good things must come to an end†. Well if this is correct, and Technology had stopped existing how would the world respond? I predict that this world would go into a â€Å"great depression†. Not necessarily because of beneficial and honorable things like the abilities to further your education, watching the news, or cooking a simple meal for the family but because of the inability to use technology as a relationship based source.Based on the research I’ve done, studies have shown that technology has a very negative effect on human relationships because people are basically using it for robots, an unrealistic emotional caregiver, internet, a social skills killer and a communicator, relationship built off false emotions. In the past, if a person is feeling alone or so emotional to the point where they need to consult to someone they would with another person. Now-a-days, if there is a problem, a person talks there situation out to a talking teddy bear named â€Å"Fujitsu†.This Fujitsu is built to keep company to a person by being understanding and loving. Another human like robot is the baby seal. In the article â€Å"Flight for conversation†, an elderly woman actually talked to this seal about personal problems, the woman became comforted because it actually seemed to be following her conversation. The scariest thing about these issues, is, we are willing to conform to a battery robot than an actual human being. Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are the most popular social networks there is, so to have one is not a surprise. It is proved to be a very addictive technology tool.Many people are so in tuned with these internet sources that they cut all ties with their actual surroundings. A mother could be talking to their child about a serious topic, but the daughter could not even be listening to that mother because their tweeting . People especially teens, rather reveal their feelings to a website rather than t heir own parents. A quote, from the article, â€Å"Just How Many Facebook Friends Do You Need? â€Å" supports this argument â€Å"No matter if it is a wall post, a comment, or a photo, young people’s engagement with Facebook is driven†.Texting is considered to be, one of the fastest most used communicator there is to exist. Although it is very convenient, it is depriving the two interactors from a real conversation and relationship. â€Å"Someday, someday, but certainly not now, I’d like to learn how to have a conversation. † a 16 year old boy say’s because he feels he has no communication skills. Also for instance, if one is unfamiliar with someone and trying to get to know them they will text that person to become better acquaintances. The issue with this is that when a person text, it is impossible to really understand the other's attitude, emotions or behavior.Therefore you really truly don't know them; you could become attached to a person that you really have no interest in. Many can argue that, Technology has so many positive results, and that it doesn't matter about a few negative ones. I disagree with these rational remarks, human relationships are very important and self-beneficial; we should not continue to destroy something so valuable. In order to fix the problem, technology users should practice more one on one conversation with others human beings. Learn how to accept technology as a benefit not a need. ï » ¿Technology Effects of Human Relationships They say â€Å"All good things must come to an end†. Well if this is correct, and Technology had stopped existing how would the world respond? I predict that this world would go into a â€Å"great depression†. Not necessarily because of beneficial and honorable things like the abilities to further your education, watching the news, or cooking a simple meal for the family but because of the inability to use technology as a relationship based source.Based on the research I’ve done, studies have shown that technology has a very negative effect on human relationships because people are basically using it for robots, an unrealistic emotional caregiver, internet, a social skills killer and a communicator, relationship built off false emotions. In the past, if a person is feeling alone or so emotional to the point where they need to consult to someone they would with another person. Now-a-days, if there is a problem, a person talks there situation out to a talking teddy bear named â€Å"Fujitsu†.This Fujitsu is built to keep company to a person by being understanding and loving. Another human like robot is the baby seal. In the article â€Å"Flight for conversation†, an elderly woman actually talked to this seal about personal problems, the woman became comforted because it actually seemed to be following her conversation. The scariest thing about these issues, is, we are willing to conform to a battery robot than an actual human being. Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are the most popular social networks there is, so to have one is not a surprise. It is proved to be a very addictive technology tool.Many people are so in tuned with these internet sources that they cut all ties with their actual surroundings. A mother could be talking to their child about a serious topic, but the daughter could not even be listening to that mother because their tweeting . People especially teens, rather reveal their feelings to a website rather than t heir own parents. A quote, from the article, â€Å"Just How Many Facebook Friends Do You Need? â€Å" supports this argument â€Å"No matter if it is a wall post, a comment, or a photo, young people’s engagement with Facebook is driven†.Texting is considered to be, one of the fastest most used communicator there is to exist. Although it is very convenient, it is depriving the two interactors from a real conversation and relationship. â€Å"Someday, someday, but certainly not now, I’d like to learn how to have a conversation† a 16 year old boy say’s because he feels he has no communication skills. Also for instance, if one is unfamiliar with someone and trying to get to know them they will text that person to become better acquaintances. The issue with this is that when a person text, it is impossible to really understand the other's attitude, emotions or behavior.Therefore you really truly don't know them; you could become attached to a person th at you really have no interest in. Many can argue that, Technology has so many positive results, and that it doesn't matter about a few negative ones. I disagree with these rational remarks, human relationships are very important and self-beneficial; we should not continue to destroy something so valuable. In order to fix the problem, technology users should practice more one on one conversation with others human beings. Learn how to accept technology as a benefit not a need.

The Prince Niccolo Machiavelli

The Prince Niccolo Machiavelli During the Renaissance, the political situation of Italy consisted of instability, invasion, fear, intrigues, and violence. Several powerful families established their territories and ruled authoritatively. The Prince provided a practical direction to Lorenzo Di Medici to operate in this unstable political environment. According to Machiavelli, the republic was the best form of government as opposed to an authority of the prince.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Prince Niccolo Machiavelli specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Therefore, Machiavelli proposed some advice for a new prince, who wanted to govern a state to prosperity. These pieces of advice would ensure that the prince remained great and powerful. Machiavelli’s work provided practical solutions to Lorenzo in a turbulent political environment. Unfortunately, Lorenzo did not concur with Machiavelli’s suggestions. Machiavelli looks at how an auth oritarian ruler can achieve a great success if he changes his authoritarian style. The Prince offers advice on how Lorenzo can expand the empire, keep people from all territories loyal to him, and conquer new territories. According to Machiavelli, Lorenzo could not afford to repeat past mistakes that divided Italy, and he had to learn to use both good and bad styles when running the kingdom. Machiavelli offers two ideal views on principality: these are how to win and hold power. He notes, â€Å"Either through fortune or through strength†, (Machiavelli 6) are the main ways by which rulers can achieve principalities. This implies that people can only achieve power by overthrowing others or inheriting it from the family. From the Renaissance perspective, Machiavelli showed that moral or ethical issues were not important in a quest for power. When a ruler overthrows another one, wars happen and people die. Thus, Machiavelli showed that killings were appropriate means of gaining p ower. Once a ruler has conquered a territory, he must â€Å"ensure that the previous ruler has no heirs† (Machiavelli 9). In addition, a new ruler must not change existing laws or introduce new taxes. Machiavelli argues that the new ruler should maintain the previous lifestyle people had so that many people can like him. This was the only way for the new ruler to establish hereditary domains. Subjects have the duty to remain loyal to their rulers so that leaders can maintain power. The purposes of maintaining loyal subjects are to help the ruler keep power and join militia and fight for the ruler. However, this raises the issue of how Machiavelli viewed ‘subjects’. According to Machiavelli, rulers only needed subjects to maintain their power and protect their kingdoms. Machiavelli did not foresee moral and ethical issues that his work would raise. However, these issues have been the epitome of The Prince. The work provided practical advice in a politically volati le society. However, both ruthless rulers and business individuals have used Machiavelli’s concepts (Machiavellian) to justify their actions, which view winning as the ultimate goal.Advertising Looking for essay on biography? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Machiavelli offered his advice on qualities the prince needed in order to run a new kingdom. He wrote: â€Å"Since a ruler, then, needs to know how to make use of beastly qualities, he should take as his models among the animals both the fox and the lion, for the lion does not know how to avoid traps, and the fox is easily overpowered by the wolves. So you must be a fox when it comes to suspecting a trap, and a lion when it comes to making the wolves turn tail† (Machiavelli 54). This indicates that a ruler should be cunning than his subjects or those who may wish to overthrow him. As a result, the subject shall protect their strong ruler, fear him fo r his strength, and avoid any attempts to kill him. This leads us to the argument of whether it ‘is it better for a Prince to be loved or feared?’ According to Machiavelli, a Prince should be both (Machiavelli 51). However, the challenge is to maintain both love and fear simultaneously. Machiavelli argues for both fear and love because a Prince needs obedience and loyalty from his people and people must fear the Prince because he has the responsibility to control and run the kingdom. Machiavelli notes: â€Å"I conclude, then, that, as far as being loved and feared is concerned, since men decide for themselves whom they love, and rulers decide whom they fear, a wise ruler should rely on the emotion he can control, not on the one he cannot. But he must take care to avoid being hated, as I have said† (Machiavelli 53). Machiavelli supports the use of military to gain power and protect the kingdom. However, he does not support oppression. His views emanate from the no tion that a good military power leads to a good rule of law. He supports this idea by stating, â€Å"The presence of a sound military force indicates the presence of sound laws† (Machiavelli 65). Machiavelli is right to advise the Prince that the subjects’ loyalty is a good defense than a structure a fortress. Machiavelli notes that leaders should have positive public opinions, have support of subjects, and achieve their objectives. The ultimate objective is to unite different states.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Prince Niccolo Machiavelli specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Machiavelli does not encourage leaders to be cruel for personal gains. Instead, he wants leaders to use their power and influence to protect their kingdoms and subjects. Thus, most people have misunderstood Machiavelli’s concept of â€Å"The end justifies the means. This is because Machiavelli believed that rulers coul d use brutality to capture, but will eventually lose their glory. Therefore, he believes that the Prince can only achieve loyalty, obedience, and trust if he does not cruelties on his subjects. However, the concept was justifiable if there were clear objectives to achieve for the benefit of the state. Machiavelli viewed humans as objects of gaining power and using it to maintain power. In addition, human subjects provided numbers for authorities, which were suitable for achieving power and money by using force for the interest of the state. Machiavelli considered human subjects as â€Å"fickle and ungrateful† (Machiavelli 52). The Prince showed that Machiavelli’s main concern was how to run a kingdom rather than moral and ethical issues, which came with such responsibilities. Thus, Lorenzo had not moral or ethical obligation to be correct. However, Machiavelli reflects the raw life of the Renaissance in which States benefited from atrocities. Machiavelli remains a cont roversial figure. He knew that some of his views were not right. For instance, he viewed subjects as objects of acquiring and keeping power, considered people as ungrateful, and raised issues of fear or love among others. From Machiavelli’s point of view, the ruler could apply these techniques during his time of need in order to defend his throne. The true purpose of Machiavelli remains defined as succinct ideals for running a prosperous kingdom in a volatile political situation. Therefore, Machiavelli did not advocate for brutality. It is advisable for a ruler to have advisers in order to manage a kingdom effectively. According to Machiavelli, a good leader had to possess proper skills in order to select good advisers. The works of such competent advisers are to provide competent responses and honest advice to specific issues.Advertising Looking for essay on biography? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In addition, such advisers have to put the state first before their self-interests (Machiavelli 22). In return, the prince must reward and honor such characters because of their unshakable services. On the other hand, bad leaders were likely to surround themselves with incompetent people, who only revealed their weaknesses. Private morality and ethics have other factors too, such as personal character, state duties, and divine approvals. However, it is only reactions from humans, which count in real-life situations. This explains why Machiavelli insists that a leader needs to achieve the best reputation among his subjects, and do whatever is appropriate and wrong for the prosperity of the state in a given circumstance. Therefore, rulers must be cunning, generous and must inculcate a reputation of honesty (Machiavelli 18). According to Machiavelli, rulers can disregard moral obligations in affairs of kingdoms. Thus, the only relevant issue is the important outcome for the kingdom. It is suitable for rulers to engage in deceit, murder, and other immoral acts for the benefit of their states. These ideologies of Machiavelli gave rise to the concept of Machiavellian, which implies being â€Å"crude, cunning, and deceitful. This is exactly how Machiavelli thought the new prince should act† (Machiavelli 63). This is why Machiavelli notes that, in the absence of a court of law, one should only rely on the result in order to make a judgment. However, Machiavelli had a strong belief in the need to have a strong ruler so that kingdoms could maintain their power for benefits of subjects rather than for individual interests. Machiavelli, Niccolo. The Prince. Shelbyville, KY: Wasteland Classics, 2011. Print.

The Victor of the American Revolution essays

The Victor of the American Revolution essays During 1776 The British Army was close to winning the American Revolutionary War. The Continental Army held few victories and was continually on the run. On October 12, 1777 the Americans were able to defeat the British in the battle of Saratoga. With this battle the British lost New England. More importantly, it convinced the French that the Americans could indeed win the war and France signed a formal alliance with America. In September 1781, the French fleet stopped General Cornwallis from resupply at Yorktown and he surrendered 8,000 men to the combined American-French forces. The Americans and the British signed the Treaty of Paris in January 1783 and the American Revolutionary War officially ended. However, the question of whether the British Army lost the American Revolutionary War or if the American Continental Army won remains. The American Continental Army fought valiantly against the most powerful country of the time period, but to say that they won with some aid from the French would be a gross overstatement of the facts. If the British committed all their military power they would surely have won the American Revolutionary War. Instead they lost it for the following reasons. Foreign intervention was certainly one of the main reasons behind Britains defeat. During the war, the intervention of France caused major strategic problems for Britain. The British had to protect troop convoys, the West Indies and India from the French while they battled the American Continental Army on their home ground. The American Continental Army did not need to defeat Britain to achieve victory, they just had to avoid being defeated themselves. Additionally, the French evened the military odds between the British and the Americans by supplying the Americans with weapons and men. In fact, by the end of the war, nearly all of the weapons and half of the manpower in General Washingtons besieging army came from France. In the end, fi...

Information Technology and The Environment Research Paper

Information Technology and The Environment - Research Paper Example The public conscious concerning the issues of environment have risen so as to respond to the scientific research and the increasing media reporting on the environmental threats and global warming. In business, the sustainability of the environment is a vital section of the movement to corporate social responsibility. On the side of the policy, laws of environment that are new, targets, and regulations have been set at all governmental levels. To date, the environment is high on the firms agenda, non-government organisations, governments and consumers. The possibility of strong international and national commitment in reducing the emission of greenhouse gas and obtain the required goals of environment will establish pressure of finding ways of achieving huge efficiency in the energy usage while maintaining the growth of the economy. The global warming threat is closely associated to the challenges of energy security and the increasing cost of energy, as the emissions of GHG are highly correlated in the use of energy. This makes the environmental convergence, economic interests and security of the environment to increase. In the community of information systems, the concept of sustainability became a significant issue in the aspects of reducing the direct impacts of the environment and the use of information technology. The efficiency of energy in data and hardware centres progresses towards a huge attention deal, provided the ability of reducing the emissions and low costs of energy. Another issue of concern in the environment is the recycling of the electronic waste. In the industry of information and technology, major companies of hardware advocate for the environmental friendly design elimination and reusability of chemicals that are toxic. In this regard, there are reported studies that have notably been explored in the field of environment and information technology. Zadok

Criminology- prisons Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Criminology- prisons - Essay Example It is a place to prepare the prisoners to meet the challenges of the outside world upon their release. The person responsible for training the prisoners and mentoring and transforming them into good citizens is known as the prison officer (The role and function of prison 2000). The job of a prison officer is quite complicated and involves risks as well as rewards. The present day conditions of the prisons in the UK have made this complex job even more challenging. Many controversies associated with the prisons in UK, deaths in the custody and suicide attempts have made matters worse. The frequent incidents of bullying and assaulting of prisoners by prison officers have added insult to injury (Dawkins 2008). Condemning such practices and other flaws in the prison system, Dawkins a former prison officer highlighted the job of prison officers. In Dawkins (2008) opinion the most important job a police officer performs is to make the prisoners under their care, realize their wrong doings and help them amend their ways. Prison officers are unfortunately portrayed negatively in media and in literature. They are shown as violent individuals who are corrupt as well. They are portrayed as uniformed men whose daily rituals are beating and torturing the prisoners. It is portrayed that prison officers can commit these felonies and escape without facing any consequences. However, this is not always correct as they are the upholders of law and never at any point are above the law (Champion & Champion Jr. 2011, p. 105). Nevertheless, there are some aggressive kind of prison officers who take undue advantage of their power and authority and this is just because of it all of the prison officers are referred to negatively. It is true that not all prison officers are tolerant and amiable individuals; there are some officers who behave rather