Pompeii: Life and Death Essay

It took only 19 hours, not even a full day. That was all the time it needed on August 24, 70 A. D. to bury Pompeii (Rosella Lorenzi). Mount Vesuvius, south of Pompeii and the cities of Herculaneum and Stabiae (Encarta) erupted, releasing tons of volcanic debris, pumice, ash, and sulfuric gas reaching several miles into the air (Eyewitness to History). The ensuing â€Å"firestorm† of lethal gases and red hot volcanic debris overwhelmed the neighboring communities that suffocated the residents of the cities beside Pompeii, namely Herculaneum and Stabiae (Eyewitness). Tons of debris falling from the skies began to fill the streets (Eyewitness). The eruption of Vesuvius effectively annihilated the town (Mummy Tombs). The volcanic ash and debris rained on the town for 18 or so hours, reaching heights of 8 to 10 feet (Mummy Tombs). After the explosion and the rain of debris, the event was followed by nuee ardente, extremely hot gas that engulfed Pompeii in six deadly waves (Mummy Tombs). What happened to Pompeii and the neighboring towns? History of Pompeii Pompeii was situated in the mouth of the present-day Sarno River (Encarta). Oscans in 600 BC , who were later conqured by the Samnites (Encarta). Lucius Cornelius Sulla, the Roman dictator, made Pompeii into a Roman colony in the year 80 BC (Encarta). Pompeii later developed into a resort town for the enjoyment of wealthy Romans (Encarta). Romans belonging to the upper echelons of the Roman government enjoyed the pleasures of the resort town nestled in their villas surrounding the Bay of Naples (Smatch). At the beginning of the Christian period in history, Pompeii reached a population of about 20,000 people (Encarta). Aside from the wealthy and middle class Romans who enjoyed the worldly pleasures of the city, there was a larger than usual number of slaves and freemen (Smatch). They were the ones who took care of the needs of the vacationing Romans and other travellers, tourists and others who would indulge in the pleasures that the city had to offer (Smatch). Aside from the pleasures that the city rolled out for the travellers and tourists, the city was also an important trade destination and route (Encarta). The region’s natural resources had allowed Campania to develop its trade and raise their living standards (Minnesota State University Mankato). The shoreline surrounding the Gulf of Naples soon became the address of the country residences of members of the aristocracy of the Roman Empire (Minnesota). As the city became more wealthy, they developed their luxury service sector, enhanced their trade with other states, and enhanced their agriculture (Minnesota). It would look as if Pompeii was firmly established in the life of the Roman Empire (Minnesota). Or was it just the window to disaster? Signs of the impending disaster The citizens of Pompeii had no idea that Vesuvius carried with it the death of the town (Professor Andrew Wadrice-Hadrill). The Romans had an extreme interest in the prediction of the future (Wadrice-Hadrill). They prided themselves in being able to tell the times that the gods were going to unleash their wrath on them, and used the signs, such as strange occurences and births, to determine these things (Wadrice- Hadrill). But even with these as references, Vesuvius still gave out no warning signs (Wadrice- Hadrill). Even though Mount Vesuvius had once been active, the volcano remained dormant for the most part of human memory for the residents of Pompeii and the outlying communities (Minnesota). Since there was no recorded incident that the volcano was destructive, the residents didn’t realize the danger that was about to befall the town (Minnesota). The city was rocked by an earthquake on the 5th of February , AD 62 (Minnesota). The quake began as the residents heard what they describes as a prolonged, subdued roar that shook the area; nobody could tell the origin or even identify what it was (Minnesota). Soon after, the buildings began to shake and collapse, and the people ran into the streets (Minnesota). The people ran from the towns thinking that they will be safe from the falling debris (Minnesota). But they fell into the deep cracks that the eruption opened up in the earth (Minnesota). Adding to the chaos was the flooding caused by the bursting of the town’s reservior (Minnesota). Though the quake proved fatal, it did not last long; it was followed by another quake after an hour (Minnesota). The tremors occurred throughout the rest of the day, until the evening hours (Minnesota). Earthquakes by themselves were taken to be omens of things to come (Wadrice- Hadrill). Roman historian Cassius Dio wrote that he observed the presence of giants running on the land on numerous occasions (Wadrice-Hadrill). This observation of Dio carried an ominous sign for the town, because according to the Romans, the volacanoes in the southern part of the Italian peninsula was the burial place of some rebellious giants that were defeated by the gods (Wadrice Hadrill). It was the giant’s movements that bought about these eruptions (Wadrice Hadrill). The destruction of Pompeii After the destruction of Pompeii caused by the earthquake in AD 62, the people spent seventeen years repairing the damage wrought upon their town (Minnesota). It was their intent to make their town even more beautiful than it was before the tremor (Minnesota). As the citizens of the region rebuilt their towns, trade began once again to flourish and they became wealthy again (Minnesota). As the life of those living in Pompeii and the outlying communities unfolded, they did not have any sense of the impending catastrophe waiting to explode on their city. The wrath of the gods The beginning of the end for Pompeii began on the 24th of August of 79AD (Minnesota). There were small upheavals of the ground, but since the tremors were so small and insignificant, hardly anyone gave them a second notice (Minnesota). Springs and other sources of drinking water for the people dried up, an ominous sign that indicated the anger of the gods (Minnesota). Other signs of the impending destruction soon followed the omens. On the 20th of August, cracks had began to appear on the surface of the land, accompanied by rumblings (Minnesota). The calm sea of the Gulf gave way to high waves. Livestock-horses, cattle and even birds- all of them became uneasy and restless, as if they could sense the disaster about to befall the town (Minnesota). In the morning hours of August 24, 79 AD, Vesuvius detonated with such violent force (Minnesota). Mud, smoke and poisonous fumes rumbled down the mountain, sending a deluge of ash and red hot rocks on the countryside (Minnesota). Farms situated on the slopes of the erupting giant were obliterated, as well as some plantations and homes of wealthy Romans (Minnesota). Acrid fumes that came with the volcanic debris further contributed to the chaos that reigned during the eruption (Minnesota). These fumes made the residents of Pompeii to suffer from delusions, then asphyxiated them causing to be suffocated and die (Minnesota). Others chose just to lock themselves in their rooms, while others tried to flee the anarchy with their beasts of burden (Minnesota). Some that chose to stay, thinking that the structures in the towns such as buildings and the like would support the rain of ash and debris, but would eventually be killed by the same structures they had sought refuge (Minnesota). Others would be overcome by the stench from the gases, while others would die getting buried in the falling ash (Minnesota). And the volume of the ash that fell on the town of Pompeii was truly enormous (Smatch). Pompeii, situated about eight kilometers south from the volcano, was entombed in about 3 meters deep of ashfall (Smatch). But thicker pyroclastic deposits would destroy the towns of Herculaneum and Stabiae, buried under 20 meters of volcanic ash and debris (Smatch). Pieces of volcanic debris called tephra flew to around 70 miles of the site, and other debris were found hundreds of miles farther out (Smatch). Even some in Rome claimed to have seen the column of smoke from the eruption, and even heard the rumblings from the volcano (Smatch). Modern day scientists have estimated the volume of the pyroclastic debris that was ejected from Vesuvius to be four cubic kilomters (Smatch). Among the dead in the destruction of Pompeii was Pliny the Elder, author of the book Natural History (Smatch). Pliny the Elder had been given the command of the resort town as a gift (Smatch). He died trying to rescue the people caught in the eruption of the volcano, as the account of his nephew, Pliny the Younger, would bear out (Smatch). Lines of communication to the stricken town had been cut, but there was evidence of some rescue attempts made (Smatch). Imprints of Roman sandals were engraved on the top ashfall layers testifies that there were rescue attempts, theoritically attributed to the Roman garrisons that had survived the eruption (Smatch). The fleet of the Roman Empire stationed at Misenum had been dispatched to Pompeii by Pliny the Elder to assist in the evacuation efforts at Pompeii and the surrounding areas (Awesome Stories). The elder Pliny, who commanded the fleet, sent the ships for the rescue effort while he personally directed efforts at Stabiae (Awesome Stories). This is where he met his death on August 24, falling to a heart attack (Awesome Stories). All in all, the death toll of the eruption of Vesuvius, was a staggering 16,000 people, including 2,000 in Pompeii (Awesome Stories). Uncovering the past Pompeii had lain silent under the debris for at least 1500 years (Encarta). In 1748, efforts were undertaken to discover the anicient community, entombed under 3 meters of ash, frozen in limbo in the acount of Pliny the Younger (Lorenzi). German archaelogist Johann Joachim Winkelmann imparted the importance of the discoveries to the world (Encarta). What was remarkable about the discoveries of the remains of Pompeii was the degree of preservation of artifacts in the ruins (Encarta). The ash fall that engulfed the town basically produced an envelope around the town, sealing the town from the decay of the elements, shielding the artifacts, structures, buildings, temples, shops, baths and houses (Encarta). Some of the discoveries in the town included the remains of the 2000 people believed to be left in the rescue efforts, including Roman gladiators that were left tied to stop them form escaping or killing themselves (Encarta). The ashes, that were mixed with rainfall, had remained on the bodies of the people, forming molds around the remains after the bodies had turned to dust (Encarta). These hollow spaces were filled out and were molded around the bodies of those killed in the eruption (Encarta). These molds were preserved and put on display at the Porta Marina Museum (Encarta). These were formed by the air space left over when the human remains of the victims turned to ash, and the excavators poured in liquid plaster into the air spaces, since the air spaces left an imprint of the body that was encapsulated in the ash (Mummy Tombs). These â€Å"plaster mummies† gave an image of the debacle that befell Pompeii and the surrounding areas (Mummy Tombs). Aside from the remains that framed the tragedy of the people in Pompeii, the ruins gave a striking and vivid insight into the daily life of the Romans in the day (Eyewitness). As many of the residents of Pompeii had escaped the tragedy, they carried with them anything that was readily movable (Encarta). After the eruption, these residents came back and dug tunnels through the ash around the houses and the structures in the town, removing even slabs of marble on the pillars and walls (Encarta). Save for these things, what was left of the town, some of the wall paintings and the frescos left in the city have been taken from the site and housed in the National Museum located in Naples (Encarta). If pieced together, the structures, buildings and what was left of the movable items gave students of history a thorough and complete picture of the daily life in an Italian city in the provinces of the Roman Empire during the 1st century AD (Encarta). The structures that remained standing gave historians valuable information on the study of the architectural designs of the Romans (Encarta). These buildings and other standing structures gave a framework of the transition of a Greek style of building to the methods that the Romans used in building their edifices (Encarta). Many people assumed, as discused earlier in the paper, that the people in Pompeii had been killed by suffocation (Lorenzi). But research focusing on the fractures and the position of the bodies of the victims suggest another horrific way of death for them (Lorenzi). Research on the bodies in Pompeii suggest that they may have been killed almost instantly from the â€Å"thermal surges† that roared down the beach area with such velocity that it covered the distance of seven miles all the way to the coast in just about four minutes (Lorenzi). This occurred in the second and possibly third phases of the eruption (Smatch). The first part of the eruption included the primary ejection of the volcano of several meters of what is called â€Å"inflated pumice† on the town (Smatch). Inflated pumice are glass-like fragments expanded by the gases and volcanic steam (Smatch). The second and third waves of the eruption happened either when the vent of the volcano widened or the volatility level of the material had diminshed (Smatch). At this time, the plume of the cloud, 33 kilometers high, imploded and the material it carried rushed down the slopes with newly acquired hot gases and pyroclastic materials (Smatch). Searing surges, some as hot as 500 degrees centigrade, swooped over the towns (Smatch). These surges literally flattened everything surrounding the volcano and its neighboring areas, killing off evertything that ran against its path- humans, livestock and plant life (Smatch). The town of Herculaneum, though to be buried under the layers by lehars or mudflows coming from the volcano after an eruption, was in reality entombed by these pyroclastic flows (Smatch). The primary head of the flow covered the distance from the summit to the town in just under four minutes, a distance of 6 kilometers (Smatch). The third phase of the eruption began the encapsulation of the entire area with a light and finer area of a thick layer of volcanic ash, known as tuff (Smatch). Excavation of the site The fate of Pompeii had lingered around for many centuries, but no serious undertaking had been done to excavate the ruins (Dr. Salvatore Ciro Nappo). But the exploration and discovery of Pompeii began in earnest in an area called â€Å"Civita† in the year 1748 (Ciro Nappo). In the first stage of the of the work, the main goal was the discovery of items of art for the private art trove of Charles III, who reigned from 1759 to 1788 (Ciro Nappo). These artifacts were removed from the site and hauled off to Naples, where they are presently housed in the National Museum (Ciro Nappo). Other paintings and art works from the site were either lost or stripped from their placings on the walls and then framed (Ciro Nappo). Still other items were lost due to irreparability or to damage (Ciro Nappo). After the ransacking of the site, structures such as the Villa de Cicerone and the Villa di Giulia Felice were the next targets, but some scholars, such as the German Winckelmann, strongly countered the move, as they had done against the previous decimation (Ciro Nappo). Because of the pressure they bought to bear against the initiative, the policy was put to a halt in some ways, although the wall paintings were still being stripped (Ciro Nappo). By the turn of the century, twin areas had been unearthed: the Quartiere dei Teatri and the Via delle Tombbe and the Villa di Diomede (Ciro Nappo). Karl Weber and Francisco La Vega were the archaelogists with the most involvement in this part of the excavatioon (Ciro Nappo). They wrote extensive diary notes on the progress of their work and the designs of the structures that they uncovered (Ciro Nappo). Then the territory came under the control of the French (Ciro Nappo). It was during this period in the chronology of the excavation that the methodogy used in the excavation took a new turn (Ciro Nappo). During this time, the excavation became more standardized, and itineraries were made for visits of scholars and other important people to the work site (Ciro Nappo). The French had wanted to make a systematic way for unearthing the site, progressing from the east to the wset of the dig site (Ciro Nappo). At one point of their work on the site, they had in their employ as many as 1500 laborers, resulting in a large scale excavation of the buried town, as the Foro, the Casa di Pansa, Casa di Sallustio and the Casa del Chrirurgo were all unearthed (Ciro Nappo). In 1863, Giuseppe Fiorelli took charge of the Pompeii excavations from 1863 to 1875 (Ciro Nappo). Fiorelli imposed a new method for the direction of the excavation work. Instead of the current method of unearthing the streets as the first step in the work, Fiorelli directed that the work begin from the top going down to the streets of the town (Ciro Nappo). What he wanted to do was enforce a new system of preserving the artifacts that were discovered as the group worked its way down to the streets of the town (Ciro Nappo). With the information accumulated in the excavation, the data could be utilized in the restoration and rebuilding of the structures as well as their interiors (Ciro Nappo). Fiorelli also devised the plans to make use of the plaster molds to restore the forms of the plant life and the human remains that had been enveloped in the downfall of the volcanic ash (Ciro Nappo). These plaster mummies, as earlier discussed, were formed as the bodies of the victims underwent declension, or turned into dust after centuries of being trapped in the ash (Mummy Tombs). The â€Å" holes†, as they were termed, were filled by plaster, allowing the molds to render the forms of the bodies entombed in the ash (Mummy Tombs). The plaster casts of the bodies were discovered in several areas of the excavation site, among them the Garden of the Fugitives, the Stabian Thermal Baths, the Horrea and the Forum, and the Macellum (Mummy Tombs). At present, at least 44 of the town’s 66 hectares have been uncovered, and the remaining 22 hectares of the town has been determined off limits to excavation (Ciro Nappo). This was decided upon as to preserve this area for the future generations to discover (Ciro Nappo). To date, the eruption of Mount Vesuvius is still ranked as among the most lethal volcanic incidents in history (Awesome Stories). Vesuvius is a graphic reminder of how virulent and dangerous volcanoes can be (Christopher Joyce).

Narrative on a Special Place Essay

My love for Africa Hello everyone my name is Tulsi Amin and I attend South University at the West Palm Beach Campus in Florida. I have been to many different places in my life and in fact I have stayed in three different continents as of now. I was born in India moved to Kenya when I was two and final destination is America since the age of 10. Africa is where I consider my childhood where I learned to play with butterflies saw talking parrots and was visited by wild monkeys frequently in my courtyard. With my experiences with people in the Western world and their depiction of Africa being like the â€Å"Jungle Book† I wish I can take them all there to see the reality of this beautiful continent. I lived in Nairobi, Kenya the capital city of that country. There are no lions, tigers or giraffes on the street as I have heard many people ask me. We do have high rise buildings, malls, public transportation and homes built out of brick. Although I lived there from the age of two to eight I remember many things that are very special to me today. I remember having an aunt that lived in a town called Thompson Falls that was on the Equator and the weather was always perfect there. I used to go there many summers and go down waterfalls and see huge hippos basting in the river. I met the local tribes that are called Masais and learned to make tribal necklaces out of gemstones. Africa is a country that is full of culture and having been lived there has made me appreciate many things in life that are scarce resources that we take for granted elsewhere. When I moved to America in 1993 and started school in New Jersey I was so excited when I saw a few black students in my class. I went up to them and started speaking in Swahili and they looked at me and replied â€Å"I am sorry we are not Indian† So I told them no this is your language. All the students looked at me and said our language is English. That’s when I learned that African Americans do not speak Swahili the native language of Kenya. As I learned more about history and slavery and saw how many African Americans lost their roots to their homeland it was a rude awakening for me. I am glad that this is a rich part of my life and will always be a special place for me. Although many people got a colorful depiction of Africa and the safaris through Disney’s Lion King the real safari is even more exciting to see. I do remember traveling to other smaller towns that were on the outskirts on our way we would zebras grazing in this vast open green land. Many times we have seen giraffes, antelopes and elephants just enjoying their natural habitat. These memories and sightings are something that I will never forget. I love that country and am delighted that it is part of my life. I will love sharing these memories with my children and hoping to take them one day to see Kenya, Africa. Over the years I thought how I may make people appreciate other countries and their culture. America is known as the â€Å"melting pot† where many different cultures come to make a living yet are we so ignorant to learn about all these cultures. As a child when I attended school I was taught about all major religions and how to respect others and their beliefs. As they say education and manners are taught young and school is where this appreciation for other cultures should be taught. Modern day education needs to implement the positive aspects of the other countries such as teaching students about their culture, economy, what these countries are famous for. I learned about slavery which is a big part of part history but now it is time to teach and appreciate where the slaves came from. They left their roots so far behind that many of them do not know where they came from in Africa. We live in a modern day world where everyone around us comes from different backgrounds, values and beliefs. We all have special meaning for the places where we come from and I think we deserve for others to respect these places. There are problems everywhere but despite them when they place is special to any one of us we tend to overlook the problems. We need to have an open mind and room to explore and learn about other countries and cultures.

A Pair of Tickets: Personal Response Essay

â€Å" A Pair of Tickets† is about a women named June May who is traveling through her native country of China. I really enjoyed this story because I could relate to it in my own life experiences. After June May’s mom passes away she starts thinking about all the questions she wishes she had asked her about her life. Just like when any family members of mine passes away, I always think back and think about what type of questions could I have asked him or her before they passed away. June May was raised in San Francisco (which had many Chinese people at this time). She had a father and a mother who raised her in San Francisco. When June May’s mother passes away she soon find out that she has a twin sister in China that she never knew about. Her twin sister had written her mother a letter that they received a couple of months after her mother had passed away. So June May and her father decided that they were going to travel to China and see if they could find her twin sister, in addition to looking for her they were also going to visit family they hadn’t seen in years. When they arrived in to China June May is constantly comparing things she sees to what America is like. Her mother brought her up by telling her that all Chinese people have no choice but to act Chinese; it’s in their blood. June May at first thinks she’s nuts and doesn’t believe her. But after she passes away she soon realizes her mother was right and starts seeing a lot of comparison of how her mother acted and how she acted. When she arrives in China she really starts to feel Chinese. She didn’t wear makeup; she even starts introducing herself by her Chinese name Jing-Mei to her family members. This kind of reminds me of the time when I was in high school playing on sport teams. During high school friends and/or people in school would call me Nelson (since it’s my last name). I also would just tell people to call me Nelson since I have a twin brother because that way if they couldn’t tell my brother and I apart they could just call me Nelson and it would be right every single time. Once I got to college, I had to tell people to start calling me Elliott instead of Nelson because in college, it’s like a new beginning; and in a new beginning to something you want people to know you by your first name before people know your last name. Overall, June May’s introducing of her actual Chinese name marked the beginning of her acceptance of being true to her Chinese inheritance. While in her hotel June May finally realizes why her mother had left her twin sister behind. She wants to do everything she can now to find her twin sister and grow her Chinese heritage like her mother would of wanted her to do. Even myself can relate to why a mother could leave someone because this happened to me. I am adopted; which is kind of similar to what happened to June May because it’s still basically a Mom or Dad leaving their son/daughter. Finally, June May has accomplished the meaning of her mother’s name, Suyuan which means,† Long Cherished Wish. † Suyuan wish was for June May to grow into her Chinese heritage. I think the story was telling us that we will never know who we are until we know what our past and heritage is really about. I’ll be honest, when I was 16 years old marked the first time I asked my parents I live with now about my actual Mom and Dad. Overall, what I learned from hearing about my own past was that I am way better off now in the family I am in now. But I still see my actual birth mom every year once or twice and she still loves me. She had to let Aron and I get adopted because of money purposes; basically means that she wanted what was best for Aron and I.

Microsoft Corporation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Microsoft Corporation - Essay Example Strong Brand Image: Microsoft is a well known brand the world over. Anybody having anything to do with the field of IT, computers or technology finds the italicised brand name easily distinguishable and identifiable. Microsoft was firmly placed at third position after Google and GE in the ranking of brands being finalised by MillwardBrown for the year 2008. In fact, while many of the reputed brands have slipped down their positions, Microsft has firmly held on to its position for couple of years. With a brand value of $ million 70,887, the company saw a rise of 29% in its brand value as compared to 2007. Well Organised R&D set-up: Microsoft is known to be continuously on the lookout for an upgrade or latest product or service with focus on the innovation and customer convenience. Microsoft was one of the first software companies to make provisions for R&D activities way back in 1991 itself. With R&D labs at six places around the world, the company has more than 800 researchers studying more than 55 areas of research. Wide range of Product portfolio: If we talk of an operating system, Windows is the first name that crops up. In fact Windows itself became a brand identity for operating software. Now with valuable upgrades like Vista, the OS range is quite wide. Besides the OS, a number of other products like Office tools, development tools, multimedia software, client-server tools etc. provide a remarkable strength to the company. Strategic tie-ups with a number of reputed companies: Microsoft has been working in close co-ordination with a number of companies. For example computer manufacturers like Dell, HP; multimedia and audio-visual products like Sony, Phillips etc. are the strategic partners of Microsoft. Consistent operating performance: Microsoft has seen healthy operating figures consistently for many years. The results announced for the fiscal quarter ended Sept 30 2008 has shown revenues worth $15.06 billion with a 9% increase over the corresponding period last year2. The average returns of the company over the last five year period ending June 2007 indicate consistency in performance. The average return on assets, return on investments and return on equity figures during the last five years were 14.3%, 18.5% and 20.2% respectively, higher than the industry averages of 11.7%, 16.5% and 19% for the same period (Datamonitor, 2007). Weaknesses Uneven Geographic Concentration: Though Microsoft has operations in many countries around the world, but a cursory look at its financial statements indicate that company's revenues from the US contributed to 62% of the total revenues of the company in 2007 leaving just 38% for the rest of the world (Datamonitor, 2007). In fact, the revenue figures are not indicative of the existing usage of Microsoft software because of a large number of pirated versions doing the rounds in many countries around the world. But Microsoft has not been able to do much to tackle this menance. Decreasing share of search market: Microsoft's search engine MSN search is being replaced by Google all around the world at a rapid pace. Microsoft, having been a leader in software products has not been able to come out with a matching answer to Google indicates sorry state of affairs for the company. Opportunities Increasing emphasis on emerging markets: Microsoft has been strengthening its operations in countries like China and India, the major untapped, yet highly promising markets. With America under recessionary trends, company will do a world of favour to itself if it is able to set off some of the losses by being better focused towards such markets. Launch of Newer Products: The Windows Vista launched in 2007 has come out with many improved features over the

Auditing Introduction Letter to Aplollo Shoes, Inc Essay

Auditing Introduction Letter to Aplollo Shoes, Inc - Essay Example Larry Lancaster, Chairman, President and CEO Appolo Shoes, Inc 100 Shoe Plaza, Shoetown, ME 00001 RE: AUDITING AND ASSURANCE SERVICES This letter is to confirm the arrangements and understanding of the upcoming audit of your company. I will to take this opportunity to explain few points about audit and assurance services offered by the firm. The firm is proud to have been in operation for more than 15 years by providing excellent services to clients. We have qualified personnel in all departments who provide a number of services such as auditing and assurance, risk management and internal controls. The firm provides numerous auditing and assurance services which are customized according to each client needs. The objective of the audit is to provide an opinion on the fairness of the financial statements and conformity with the Generally Accepted accounting principles in the United States. Some of auditing and assurance services offered firm include but not limited to financial stateme nts audit, compliance audit and operational audit. Compliance audit will identify the level of compliance with regulations, procedures and rules while financial statements audit will determine the fairness of the financial statements. Operational audit will determine the efficiency of processes such as marketing, organizational structure and production methods (Luis, 2008). Some audit services include auditing of the historical financial statements, audit of the effective of the internal controls and systems, audit of employee benefit plans, cash flow audits, physical confirmation of inventories, direct assurance of existing of payable and receivables by direct correspondence with financial institutions and creditors, auditing of tax returns and compliance with the tax regulations, physical review of assets and properties, risk management assessment and capital adequacy audits (Manson & Gray, 2008). The audit will benefit your organization since it will give shareholders an assuranc e that the financial statements are true and fair, the audit will identify any potential weaknesses in the internal control procedures and provide appropriate recommendations (Luis, 2008). The audit will assist your organization in complying with the legal regulations and suggest measures of improving efficiency of operations through cutting costs. My role as an auditor will include detecting any misstatements in accounts receivables, sales, and cash receipts. I will evaluate the evidence on a test basis to ascertain whether the financial transactions reported in the financial statements relate to the period of reporting. It will assess whether the financial statement amounts such as revenues and expenses are correctly valued according to the accounting policies and standards (Manson & Gray, 2008). I will also review whether the amounts are appropriately described, classified and disclosed according to prevailing standards. I will detect material errors and fraud such as collusion w ith creditors and overvaluation of business assets (Luis, 2008). The audit will involve identifying weaknesses in internal control procedures and deficiencies in the design of the internal control and reporting measures. We will prepare the income tax returns with relevant schedules and recommend on measures of improving the tax reporting system. However, the responsibility of tax liability is only limited to the reporting period of the audit and does not extend to prior periods (Luis, 2008). In inventory valuation, we will identify whether

How music affects emotions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

How music affects emotions - Essay Example Though emotional reactions occur within human beings, most of the times, various factors or people provoke these reactions. Music is the perfect example of a factor that affects and influence heavily on human emotions. Music impacts profoundly on the emotions and elicit reactions such as happiness, sadness, and anxiety. Furthermore, it leads to stress or the relaxation of people. The massive ability and power that music has is unmatchable and undeniably strong. Music easily manipulates human beings’ emotions and the brain in a simple yet a sweet and exciting way. Music physically influences the brain that triggers a range of emotional response from human beings. Though the emotional content of most music is subjective, it has little or no influence on the ability to trigger feelings and reactions in humans. Consequently, various people enjoy and experience music in different ways that massively affects their memories both positively and negatively. The difference in experiencing varied emotions hugely depends on the environment and mood of the person listening to the music. Additionally, culture, personality, and preference also play an enormous role in determining a person’s emotional experience when listening to music. Furthermore, various types and genres of music elicit different and contrasting emotions among the listeners Music easily makes people happy and psyched up at different times. Although pursuing personal happiness is important and relevant to most people, some view it as a selfish and self-centered act. Major keys and rapid tempos cause happiness among listeners. This type of music elevates the mood creating and ecstasy feeling among the listeners. Furthermore, happy and excited people tend to maintain and improve their mood by listening to lively music. The idea of listening to such type of music at such moments is natural and people have no explanation for this. In addition, music serves a

What do we see How visual contribute to the participation in the Essay

What do we see How visual contribute to the participation in the culture - Essay Example It is mostly seen that some advertisement do have striking visual images and mostly lack substance.(Mitchell ,12-24) â€Å"More advertisements contain visual elements, and many advertisements provide little product attribute information†. The advertisement is containing a very catchy phrase which makes the audience think deeply as well as ponders about the quality of the product. It attempts to create a spark in the minds of the viewer as to the subtle meaning hidden in the ad. The ad is very appealing with the bright green leaves of mint as fresh as a morning dew as the main focus point. The brand is trying to persuade the soul of a person and keep them attracted to the product which is portrayed natural and fresh. It is very important for an advertisement to capture the minds of viewers visually and verbally. Ad from the point of view of audience From the point of view of audience the ad is very spontaneously appealing as the concept is directed to the freshness and subtle b eauty of the nature. There is a lot of serenity which comes along with this ad and this takes the audience to a world of health and freshness. The persuasive technique of the ad is very commendable as the main theme of the ad is nature. The graphic is soothing and simple and gives a wholesome and graceful look to the ad. Any ad to be effective needs to look upon the uses and gratification it gives away to the audience. As per (Blumler)â€Å" Uses and gratification is the optimist’s view of the media. and the media can have an unconscience influence over our lives and how we view the world.   The idea that we simply use the media to satisfy a given need does not seem to fully recognize the power of the media in today’s society†. The gratification aspect of this ad is very over powering, natural and subtle. The viewer gets an immense touch of nature while viewing this ad and understands that the product is completely natural, wholesome and refreshing. The use of ad is to satisfy the appetite of the consumer in an eco –friendly way. For the same reason, the brand has used the theme of nature by portraying fresh mint leaves.Poeople always go for products which are organic and healthy and nothing can be more appealing than mint. Its bright green color with its refreshing nature grabs the attention of the readers. msk209@hotmail.com msk209@hotmail.com Visual culture and its impact on viewers of the ad Culture is the traditions, values and beliefs followed by a community or group of people when it comes to visual culture it is the images and sign we come across in every day life and the influence our culture place have on us. According to our culture or belief certain images in an advertisement can persuade us significantly to buy them. Advertisement for food products like ice cream needs to come with unique visual effects. While observing the ads for ice creams it can be seen that the flavor of the ice cream is always the conveyed to th e viewer in an amazing way. As this ad is about ice cream which is mint flavored a mint twig is the main point of visual encounter here. There is also a phrase beneath the primary focus which is very poetic and heart feeling. Since the world is nowadays very health conscious and eco – friendly a depiction of natural object brings in lot of customer confidence and loyalty to product. Visuals penetrating the environment Visual effects play an important role in the advertisement field.