Who Was Hercules in Greek Mythology

He was the Greek hero renowned for his strength and executive efficiency: his 12 Labors comprised a to-do list that would stymie a raft of lesser heroes. But they were no match for this determined son of Zeus. A favorite character in film, books, TV, and plays, Hercules was more complicated than most realize; an immortal hero on which nobility and pathos were writ large. The Birth of Hercules The son of Zeus, the king of the gods, and the mortal woman Alcmene, Heracles (as he was known to the Greeks) was born in Thebes. Accounts vary, but all agree that Alcmenes labor was a challenge. The goddess Hera, wife of Zeus, was jealous of the child and attempted to do away with him before he was even born. She sent serpents into his crib when he was just seven days old, but the newborn happily strangled the snakes. Alcmene tried to get ahead of the problem and bring Hercules to Hera directly, leaving him at the doorstep of Olympus. Hera unwittingly suckled the abandoned babe, but his superhuman strength caused her to cast the infant from her breast: The spittle of goddess-milk that ensued created the Milky Way. It also made Hercules immortal. Myths of Hercules This heros popularity is unmatched in Greek mythology; his greatest adventures have been cataloged as the 12 Labors of Hercules. These included slaying terrible monsters such as the Hydra, the Nemean Lion, and the Erymanthean Boar, as well as completing impossible tasks such as cleaning the vast and filthy stables of King Augus and stealing the golden apples of the Hesperides.  These and other tasks were devised by King Eurystheus, Hercules cousin, who was appointed by the Oracle at Delphi his taskmaster after the hero, in a misbegotten rage, killed his own family. Eurystheus also dubbed him Heracles — the Glory of Hera — as an ironic jab at the hero and his Olympian nemesis. Hercules figured in a second suite of adventures, called the other labors the Parerga. He also was a companion of Jason on the Argonauts quest for the Golden Fleece. Ultimately, Hercules was deified, and his cult spread throughout Greece, Asia Minor, and Rome. The Death and Rebirth of Hercules One of the Parerga relates of Hercules battle with the centaur Nessus. Traveling with his wife Deianeira, Hercules encountered a raging river and a wily centaur willing to take her across. When the centaur forced himself upon Deianeira, Hercules slew him with an arrow. Nessus convinced the woman that his blood would render her hero forever true; instead, it poisoned him with a living fire, until Hercules begged Zeus to take his life. With his mortal body destroyed, Hercules immortal half ascended to Olympus. Sources The Library of (Pseudo-)Apollodorus, Pausanias, Tacitus, Plutarch, Herodotus (Hercules worship in Egypt), Plato, Aristotle, Lucretius, Virgil, Pindar and Homer.

British Petroleum and Its Corporate Strategy - 1595 Words

British Petroleum and its Corporate Strategy Introduction The organisation environment is always changing and therefore it is essential that a structured, detailed and continuous analysis of the principal dimensions of the environment is made. In order to profitably satisfy customer needs, an organisation must understand its external and internal situation including the customer, the market and its own capabilities. Furthermore, it needs to understand and adapt to the dynamic and uncontrollable factors of the environment in which it operates. Corporate strategy is a tool whereby an organisation is able to achieve and sustain success. This report will examine the corporate strategies that British Petroleum (BP) adopts with specific†¦show more content†¦Political Factor President Barak Obama had intervened with the Deep-water Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico, stating a hefty $34bn ecological fine to BP according to Guardian (Webb and Pilkington, 2010) but the overall clean up and compensation scheme could reach $60bn ( £37bn) in the assumption that it does not be found guilty of gross negligence. However, the Telegraph reported that according to the rating agency Moody s analysts said â€Å"..we still do not know the total cost and penalties from the spill, but our analysis suggested the figure would be roughly $40bn-$60bn† (Mason, 2011) Economical Factor The renewable energy market is affected by the glooming economic crisis as the global demand for energy fell sharply (BP, 2010). It can however be assume that BP, and the oil industry in general is not greatly affected as much as other market due to the fact that oil is a commodity that everyone requires, regardless of its significance. Crude oil is not only use as a source of energy but likewise a raw material component for petrochemical products. Sociological Factor The Deep-water Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico has contributed to the consumer pattern of buying changes. A bid to boycott BP by encouraging consumers not purchasing from its petrol stations and purchasing BP products in America has become widespread in websites such asShow MoreRelatedOrganizational Planning Paper944 Words   |  4 Pagesis British Petroleum better known as BP. In this paper, the Author will attempt to go in depth about BP’s internal and external stakeholders, the company’s goals, mission, and vision, and at least one goal that can be accomplished through strategic and operational planning. The author will also conduct a SWOT analysis on BP, explain how these plans will achieve the related goals, and the effect of planning decisions on the internal and external stakeholders. BP,  also recognized as British PetroleumRead MoreConceptual Framework And Literature Review Essay1644 Words   |  7 PagesLITERATURE REVIEW 2.0 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK This section of the research examines some conceptual underpinnings that are relevant and which provide the foundation and background to the study. 2.1.1 THE CONCEPT OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY The concept of corporate social responsibility according to Steiner and Steiner (2000) in Nwaeke (2005) is the duty of a corporation to create wealth by using means that would avoid harm to protect or enhance societal assets. 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When the ethical philosophy a company follows is for universal ind ividual rights regardless of the outcome, it is moral idealism. In contrast, when only considering the greater good for the greatest number and appraising cost and the benefit of the choice it is utilitarianism. â€Å"If theRead MoreThe Anglo Persian Oil Company1555 Words   |  7 PagesWinston Churchill, who had taken a new role in British politics as First Lord of the Admiralty, came to the rescue. Churchill felt that Britain needed a dedicated oil supply. So Churchill looked to the British owned Anglo-Persian Oil Company. Soon after, the UK government became a major shareholder in the company. Eight weeks later the Great War had begun. During the war, the British government seized British Petroleum assets. Despite its name, British Petroleum brand was originally created by a GermanRead MoreThe Planning Function of Management at British Petroleum1241 Words   |  5 PagesBP organization direction Planning function of management British Petroleum (BP) has had their key successes from the various strategies and goals that the organization has which include the companys technology transformation and alignment of objectives to the analysis of its competitors and market conditions. This is what has helped to make BP a successful company. The company believes that the essence of its survival is its ability to gain strategic and competitive advantage which has helped

Male and Female Roles Free Essays

Male and female roles have changed dramatically since the beginning of the 21st century. Men were known as the bread-winners. Their responsibility was to go to work and bring home money to take care of their family. We will write a custom essay sample on Male and Female Roles or any similar topic only for you Order Now While women stayed at home and took care of all the cooking and cleaning. The female role also consisted of bearing and taking care of all the children. Things have changed women can also get good jobs and bring home as much money as men and sometimes even more money than men. In a major step forward, women demanded and were granted the right to vote in the United States in 1920s. Women should not have to stay at home and take care of the children, cook, and clean. Taking care of children alone should be considered a full time job, before adding cooking and cleaning. In the 1960s the invention of the birth control pill came about that let women control when they had kids. Contraceptives made planning a family around a career easier for women; careers no longer had to take a backseat to family. The great depression was hard on many families. Many men suffered losses of income and unemployment. Women embraced this abrupt status change and rose to the challenge of finding work to support their family. Then the equal opportunities movement came about meaning that employers could not discriminate against women in hiring and promotion, and providing further protection for women in the workplace, even though men still make more money than women. Along with being the primary breadwinners a male’s role may consist of a few manly chores such as taking out trash, fixing cars, and cutting grass but, some males have taken on the female role. According to the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, less than one percent of dads were stay-at-home fathers in 2006. Men account for only 19 percent of single parents who live with their children. However, that still means there were 159,000 stay-at-home fathers as of 2006, according to the U. S. Census Bureau. There is a thriving community of stay-at-home fathers who are quite proud of their role in the family and support their â€Å"bread-winning† wives fully. Most women, who work full time with families, still have the primary responsibility of taking care of the children and home. Women want to get out and have a life, not just stay at home and do chores. Women also want to take care of their children. Mothers want to be the one that see their baby’s first crawl or first word. Mothers want to get that child up in the morning, dress her and see her off to her first day of school. Mothers tend to be more nurturing than fathers. For example when a child fall off her bike for the first time a mother will probably run to that child and put a bandage on. Whereas a father will most likely try to brush it off and get the child to try again. I totally agree that males should be the primary bread- winners. Then if a woman wants to work part time or go back to school she can. Sometimes taking care of the children and chores can be split in half between male and female, so no one feel that one is doing more work than the other. If a woman wants to get out the house sometime and have a life maybe she could join a social club, have a few girlfriends, or volunteer with different community organizations. I do not think a woman should have to be the primary bread- winner, the primary caregiver to the children, and still do most of the cooking and cleaning. Some women have to be the primary breed winners. If a woman is left alone to take care of her children she have no choice but to become the primary bread-winner, the primary care giver, and do most of the cooking and cleaning because maybe she will not have any help. Even though a female is left alone all the work of taking care of children and a home still goes on. In 2005, nearly 4 in 10 babies in the U. S. were born outside of marriage according to the centers for disease control. References * Women’s Roles Vs. Male’s Roles in the 21st Century | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/info_8630273_womens-males-roles-21st-century.html#ixzz2RIpkA17n How to cite Male and Female Roles, Papers

Corporate Finance and Reporting Reflection †Sample Assignment

Question: Discuss about the Corporate Finance and Reporting Reflection. Answer: Introduction: The importance of an impairment test is to measure if the amount that is stated on the balance sheet is a true reflection of the balance sheet items. When the impairment test is done and subsequently indicates a lower value then there should be a reduction of the balance sheet value. Impairment testing is applied for both tax accounts and audit accounts. Impairment test is conducted at annual intervals. This can be done at any time of the year as long as the next test will be done at the same time in the next financial year. There is no need of testing at the same time if the company is comprised of different reporting units. It may necessitate to conduct an impairment test. If the fair value reduces more than carrying amount, this may necessitate an impairment test to be done. Other circumstance that may compel the management to carry out this test includes an event where a lawsuit looms, the loss of key staff, regulatory changes and in the event that the reporting unit will be sold. An asset is accounted for when its amounts in the books is greater than the assets recoverable amount. This means that the asset will not generate the profits in a sufficient way. Very few take into account the importance of conducting an impairment test at the close of financial statements of assets such as fixed assets, inventories, accounts receivables that must be checked to check whether there is evidence of deterioration. Therefore, it is important for the management to know the importance of an impairment test. Anil Kumar, Vrajesh Kumar and B Mariyappa, Corporate Accounting (Himalaya Pub. House, 2010) The management of long reach ltd for purposes of decision making needs to see how much is going to be recovered and how much of the inventories noted in the balance sheet will be realized 2. It is common that in many accounts inventories are not reviewed in relation to obsolescence, expiration and deterioration. There are many stakeholders who are interested in this type of revie ws, some of the stakeholders are banks, suppliers etc. who are interested in this review for the assets that are offered as collateral . Long term depreciated assets may also be tested for impairment when there is an external or internal indication that these assets might be worth less that the carrying amount. AASB 136 defines carrying amount as the amount recognized in an asset after deducting any amortization or accumulated depreciation and accumulated impairment loss. how the existence of goodwill will affect the impairment testPositive and negative goodwill.once the assets and liabilities that meet the recognition conditions have been identified and the fair value (or any one of the special valuation rules) established, the difference between the Cost of the combination with the net value of the assets and liabilities acquired. If the difference is positive, it is recorded as "goodwill" on the assets side of the balance sheet.If it is negative, it is immediately recognized as income within the operating result. Although this latter assumption is considered "exceptional", the standard does not incorporate the obligation established in paragraph 56 of IFRS 3, which requires a prior review of the identification and valuation of the assets, liabilities and contingent liabilities of the business acquired, and Of the cost of the combination. Positive Goodwill bookings underwent very significant and well-publicized changes as a result of the substitution of the systematic amortization of this asset by the annual impairment test. As a result, and regardless of the retroactive adjustments that could result from the correction of an accounting error after the conclusion of the provisional accounting period, the value of goodwill in balances after the combination date is obtained as follows: Once the initial goodwill value is determined (without prejudice to any adjustments that may be made during the interim accounting period), the entity must determine which cash-generating units benefit from the synergies of the combination, and distribute among them the fund of paid trade. The 6th standard is again based on international standard 21 and requires that such units be submitted at least annually to the impairment test described in standard 2.2, comparing the carrying amount of such unit with its recoverable value, Which is the largest of: Its value in use, which is defined in the Framework as "the present value of the expected future cash flows, Sometimes the assets of a company are impossible to touch or see. A company with a higher goodwill will for instance be bought at a higher price as compared to a company . whose goodwill is not so much. This also applies to companies that intend to acquire others. For example, a company that is recognized widely is expected to have a bigger goodwill than the company that is moderately known , hence will be required to fork out more if the two businesses intend to buy a company. Therefore, goodwill affects acquisition cost and hence impairment test is critical5. basic steps to be followed in applying the impairment testThe process of impairment testing involves a multi step process. The first step is Assessing Qualitative factors; it is important to review the situation to note if it is necessary to do further impairment testing. Based on assessing relevant circumstances and events, this will be a starting point to determine whether the impairment test is necessary or not. For example, it is likely that impairment is present when macro economic conditions are not favorable, when there is increased costs, when there is declining cashflows, a sustained shareprice decrease or a change in management. Hence, if there is possibility of impairement you can continue with impairment testing 4.Step 2; this steps involve identifying impairment potential In this step compare the fair value of the reporting unit to the carrying amount of the asset. It is advisable to include the goodwill on the reporting units carrying amount. Edward Fields, The Essentials Of Finance And Accounting For Nonfinancial Managers (AMACOM, 2002). Also, consider the presence of any unrecognizable intangible assets. If the carrying amount is less than the fair value of the reporting unit then there is no goodwill impairment hence no need to go on to the next step. However, proceed to the next step when the carrying amount is greater than the fair value. Calculating impairment loss This involves comparing the implied fair value and the goodwill of the reporting units carrying amount. The difference in figures of the two figures i.e. the carrying amount and the fair value is regarded as the impairment loss. When calculating the fair value of the implied goodwill, the IASB 136 requires that you assign the fair value of the unit that is being reported on with the associated liabilities and assets of that reporting unit. This includes research and development assets. If there is excess amount of the fair value of the reporting unit over the amounts assigned to its liabilities and assets, this is the fair value implied of the associated goodwill 5. The company will receive the price that is equivalent to the fair value of the reporting unit as long as it does not sell the unit in a rushed transaction. There are other alternatives that are used to quote the market price such as the revenue that is based on revenue or earnings. A cash-generating unit is a set of assets that a company destines to a particular purpose and that can operate independently of the rest of the company, so that the pool of assets that make up this unit can deteriorate globally instead of deteriorating assets by active. For example a branch or a delegation of a company. For a pool of assets to be considered as a cash-generating unit, cash inflows must be independent of other cash flows generated by other assets or groups of assets 7.The treatment of impairment losses of a cash unit is set out in the resolution of September 18, 2013, of the Institute of Accounting and Auditing, which establishes rules of registration and valuation and information to be included in the report Of the annual accounts on the impairment of assets, published in the BOE of September 25, 2013. Calculation of impaired loss Carrying amount of assets $ 1500,000 Recoverable amount $1420,000 Impairement loss $ 80,000 Allocation against good will Impairment loss is first used to write of the goodwill of $40,000 Girish Kumar Rana, Corporate Accounting (ABD Publishers, 2010). Andrea Zanoni, Accounting For Goodwill (Routledge, 2009). Allocation against other assets The loss of $ 40,000 is used to allocated against other assets of the company, only that cash is an exception because it is already at realizable value. And also inventory because it is recorded at net realizable value and lower of cost. Carrying amount proportion Allocation of loss Net carrying amount Brand 160000 160/1260 5079 154921 Factory 700000 700/1260 22222 677778 machine 400000 400/1260 12699 387301 1260000 40000 Journal entry as at 30 june 2015 Dr cr Impairement loss 80000 Goodwill 40000 Brand( ac amortization and impairment loss 5079 Factory( accumulated depr and impairment loss 22222 Machinery(accumulated depr and impaired loss 12699 Bibliography Anil Kumar, S, Vrajesh Kumar and B Mariyappa, Corporate Accounting (Himalaya Pub. House, 2010) Bloom, Martin, Double Accounting For Goodwill (Routledge, 2008) Fields, Edward, The Essentials Of Finance And Accounting For Nonfinancial Managers (AMACOM, 2002) Joseph, T, Corporate Accounting (Tata McGraw-Hill, 2009) Peterson, Raymond H, Accounting For Fixed Assets (J. Wiley, 2002) Rajasekaran, V and R Lalitha, Corporate Accounting (Pearson, 2011) Rana, Girish Kumar, Corporate Accounting (ABD Publishers, 2010) Zanoni, Andrea, Accounting For Goodwill (Routledge, 2009)