Knowledge, Experience, and Morality in The Sufi Masters’ parable The Tale of the Sands :: essays research papers

The knowledge and experience that is gained through everyday life forms the basis of wisdom. Wisdom can be attained through numerous ways. For example, it can be created from performing a personal mistake. Lessons can be learned from those mistakes, which in turn, form knowledge and experience. The Sufi Masters’ parable â€Å"The Tale of the Sands† illustrates how knowledge can be attained from other people. The Stream of Life gains knowledge, experience, and morality from passing through the desert to its destiny. Knowledge is one of the many building blocks of wisdom. For example, the sand gives information to the Stream of Life by telling it to â€Å"be absorbed by the wind† (930). The sand is providing advice to the stream on how to solve its predicament. Knowledge is being passed from the sand to the stream. The stream is now gaining more knowledge, which builds upon its growing wisdom. Furthermore, the sand advises the stream to â€Å"let the wind carry you over the desert and towards your destination† (930). The stream is expanding its own knowledge even more with the help of a supplementary set of instructions from the sand. The stream is constantly getting wiser after comprehending every piece of knowledge that has been given to it. Understanding builds upon insight of the individual that comprehends the actual knowledge. Experience is an elemental unit of wisdom. For example, the Stream of Life runs through â€Å"the far-off mountains†¦and through the countryside† (929). The stream gains experience by going through the mountains and countryside. The wisdom of the stream is constantly growing from overcoming the obstacles of crossing the mountains and countryside. Moreover, the stream â€Å"raised his vapor into the welcoming arms of the wind†¦ which gently carried it over the desert† (930). The stream is now conquering another obstacle in its path to its destination. It is gaining the experience of having the wind deliver it over the desert. Another essential part of wisdom is experience. The morality of the situation is also a key part of wisdom, morality leads to wisdom overtime. For example, the Stream of Life asks itself, â€Å" ‘how do I know if this is right’?† (930). The stream is questioning itself that if letting the wind carry it over is the right thing to do. It is not sure if the action that is about take place is moral. Furthermore, the sand gives moral thought before it â€Å"extends the riverside all the way to the mountain† (930). Knowledge, Experience, and Morality in The Sufi Masters’ parable The Tale of the Sands :: essays research papers The knowledge and experience that is gained through everyday life forms the basis of wisdom. Wisdom can be attained through numerous ways. For example, it can be created from performing a personal mistake. Lessons can be learned from those mistakes, which in turn, form knowledge and experience. The Sufi Masters’ parable â€Å"The Tale of the Sands† illustrates how knowledge can be attained from other people. The Stream of Life gains knowledge, experience, and morality from passing through the desert to its destiny. Knowledge is one of the many building blocks of wisdom. For example, the sand gives information to the Stream of Life by telling it to â€Å"be absorbed by the wind† (930). The sand is providing advice to the stream on how to solve its predicament. Knowledge is being passed from the sand to the stream. The stream is now gaining more knowledge, which builds upon its growing wisdom. Furthermore, the sand advises the stream to â€Å"let the wind carry you over the desert and towards your destination† (930). The stream is expanding its own knowledge even more with the help of a supplementary set of instructions from the sand. The stream is constantly getting wiser after comprehending every piece of knowledge that has been given to it. Understanding builds upon insight of the individual that comprehends the actual knowledge. Experience is an elemental unit of wisdom. For example, the Stream of Life runs through â€Å"the far-off mountains†¦and through the countryside† (929). The stream gains experience by going through the mountains and countryside. The wisdom of the stream is constantly growing from overcoming the obstacles of crossing the mountains and countryside. Moreover, the stream â€Å"raised his vapor into the welcoming arms of the wind†¦ which gently carried it over the desert† (930). The stream is now conquering another obstacle in its path to its destination. It is gaining the experience of having the wind deliver it over the desert. Another essential part of wisdom is experience. The morality of the situation is also a key part of wisdom, morality leads to wisdom overtime. For example, the Stream of Life asks itself, â€Å" ‘how do I know if this is right’?† (930). The stream is questioning itself that if letting the wind carry it over is the right thing to do. It is not sure if the action that is about take place is moral. Furthermore, the sand gives moral thought before it â€Å"extends the riverside all the way to the mountain† (930).

Succubus on Top CHAPTER 13

Min, Doug's saxophonist, rummaged through the array of liquor bottles on Wyatt's counter. â€Å"I don't think he has any,† he finally said. â€Å"Can you make a gimlet without lime juice?† â€Å"Um, no,† I replied. â€Å"That kind of defeats the whole purpose. â€Å" â€Å"Oh. Okay. Well, then, you just want a shot or something?† He held up a bottle of – God help me – Skyy vodka. â€Å"I think I'll pass.† I surveyed the humming, thumping party around me. Tons of people had showed up as usual; I doubted the band even knew half of them. The wages of fame, I guessed. Also as usual, there were drugs and drinks aplenty for those who wanted such things – as long as one's vices didn't stray to lime juice, apparently. I turned back to Min. â€Å"You seen Alec tonight?† â€Å"Nope. Said he'd be here. I hope he shows soon.† Min shifted restlessly, and I wondered just how many people Alec was stringing along. The whole band, after all, had displayed that crazy, uncaring behavior. I'd spent most of the day planning for tonight, trying to figure out what it would take to get information and possibly the drug itself from Alec. Finally, as the party drew nearer, I accepted that I was overthinking the matter. Alec was hardly a criminal mastermind. If I wanted something from him, it was a safe bet that the removal of clothing and an orifice would suffice. With that in mind, I'd dressed for the part in another little dress. Like the one I'd worn to the last concert, this too had a V-neck, straps, and short skirt. Unlike that one – which had been cotton and more like a sundress – this one was silk and looked kind of like a nightgown. Its rich, emerald green mirrored the green flecks in my eyes. I'd made sure of that, enhancing the color in both. â€Å"Finally,† I muttered to myself, catching sight of Alec's blue-streaked hair across the crowd. He saw me, and I waved, making him grin smugly at my acknowledgment. â€Å"Hey,† he said, looking me over. â€Å"Wow.† â€Å"About time you showed,† berated Min, handing over a beer. They greeted each other with some kind of weird, shoulder-punching guy thing. Then Min held up a bottle of Tropical Soiree Key Lime Schnapps. â€Å"Hey, look what I found. Will this work?† â€Å"Sure. Whatever,† I said. I wanted to start working Alec, putting him at ease. If it involved some unholy drink concoction, then I'd have to take that risk. Min handed me a plastic cup filled with bright green liquid, and Alec and I wandered off to mingle. â€Å"You're letting Min experiment on you?† he asked, pointing at the cup. Inspiration hit. â€Å"He's been experimenting on me all night.† I laughed, a bit too loudly and held on to his arm. Alec didn't need to know this was my first drink. â€Å"But none of the other stuff he made looked this bad.† He smiled and casually placed his arm around my waist. â€Å"Have I told you how great you look?† â€Å"Yeah, I kind of got the message,† I told him. Sniffing the cup, I detected nothing but sugar. Tentatively, I brought the cup to my lips and tasted. Bleh. It was like Kool-Aid and mouthwash. Fortunately, I don't have much of a gag reflex, so I managed to swallow without choking. Alec flattered me a little more, and then I steered him toward the one topic guaranteed to captivate him: himself. It worked. Within a few minutes, I discovered that subject area was even more limited than I'd suspected. He only wanted to talk about the band. â€Å"So yeah, we figure we should start expanding out of Seattle and hit some of the other big cities in the area. You know, like Portland and Vancouver. If we can start getting a following in the Northwest, we can hit the rest of the west coast, you know? And Corey's dad knows this guy who knows someone at a record company, and he's going to send him the review that was in the SeattleTimes†¦ â€Å" I let him go on, nodding my head and saying â€Å"uh-huh† a lot. I should point out that I really was interested in Nocturnal Admission's success. I believed in them and their talent. Just not tonight. Other things demanded my attention. â€Å"You know,† he suddenly said out of nowhere, â€Å"I didn't think you really liked me.† Yeah. Good observation. I smiled. â€Å"Sorry about that. There are so many jerks out there that I come off a little bitchy at first, until I know a guy. But the rest of the band swears by you, and I trust them. Besides† – I leaned closer, lowering my voice to a sultry purr – â€Å"I know you now, and I definitely like you now.† To my astonishment, Alec broke away from me. How unexpected was that? Weirder still was that I saw interest in his eyes but only his eyes. The rest of him was plainly distressed about something. My surprise must have been reflected in my expression, because a moment later, he laughed like nothing had happened and returned the hand to my waist. â€Å"I wouldn't really trust the guys on much, but hey, if they've convinced you, whatever.† I turned the smile back on, pretending I hadn't noticed the weird reaction. We started talking again, and I continued to let him dictate the parameters of our conversation. When he brought up skateboarding and the benefits of one board brand over another, I decided Doug didn't appreciate the extent of my love for him. Slightly bored, I leaned into Alec and drank from the cup without thinking about it. â€Å"Son of a bitch!† I swore, tasting that mess again. â€Å"What?† â€Å"This.† I set the cup down on a rickety coffee table, sloshing the green liquid. â€Å"It's terrible.† I realized this was my opening. â€Å"God, I've had such a fucked-up week.† I turned so that I stood even closer, resting a hand on his back, sliding it down to his waist. â€Å"I'm glad you had this party. You guys must need to get a little crazy too to handle all the stuff you've been doing.† He seemed happy about my proximity but didn't move his hand from my waist. â€Å"We know when to work, and we know when to play.† He spoke with a ridiculous swagger, again attempting to project a wisdom he was too young to have. I grinned at him. â€Å"I like to play too.† Like before, the look in his eyes said he did want to play – especially if we played doctor. But his body language didn't match it. He was holding himself back for some reason, which didn't fit with my image of him as a womanizing drug lord. But he kept smiling, even if the rest of him was stiff. â€Å"How do you like to play?† â€Å"Not with that.† I pointed at the jettisoned cup and looked back up at him with doe eyes, both innocent and provocative. I tried to recall the stupid expression he'd used at the first party. â€Å"You maybe got anything†¦harder?† A pleased and – unless I was mistaken – relieved smile danced on his face. â€Å"Maybe I do.† I punched him lightly, then snaked my arm around his neck. â€Å"I know you do. I saw you give it to Doug. You guys are in on something good, and you won't share. Whereas me†¦well, I always share†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He still didn't take the physical bait or go for my over-the-top vixen lines, but the rest had piqued his interest. â€Å"I've got something,† he said, glancing around carefully. â€Å"Let's go talk in the bedroom. â€Å" Ah. Now we were getting somewhere. I followed him back to Wyatt's small messy bedroom which miraculously wasn't occupied yet. I sat on the unmade bed, crossing my legs, keeping my body language as open and relaxed as possible. â€Å"Are we going to play now?† He answered with a question of his own: â€Å"You sure you can handle the hard stuff?† I arched an eyebrow. â€Å"Baby, I can take it as hard as you can give it. â€Å" Reaching into his coat pocket, he sat down on the bed beside me and held up a tiny plastic bag, much smaller than the bag Reese kept his pot in. In the poor lighting, I could discern tiny glittering crystals. Almost like red sugar. â€Å"This,† he said in a low voice, â€Å"is what you've been waiting for your whole life. This is the stuff that's going to change your world. Make you who you were born to be.† I was rendered speechless, but not from his melodramatic prologue. It was the crystals. This close to them, I†¦well, felt them. They had an aura, almost the same way an immortal has a signature. Only this wasn't exactly a pleasant aura. The crystals felt strange to me. They sent little Shockwaves into the air. They made my skin crawl. And weirdest of all, I'd felt them before. Once with Doug, once with the band. I hoped Alec would interpret my frown as cute confusion. â€Å"What is that?† A sly smile spread over his face. â€Å"A magic potion, Georgina.† I smiled back, not having to feign puzzlement. â€Å"I don't believe in magic.† â€Å"Oh, you will after this.† He pressed the bag into my palm, and I squelched a sharp cry. I didn't like touching the crystals. â€Å"Go grab something to drink and put them in it. Mix it all up and then drink – preferably as fast as you can. You'll get the effects sooner.† â€Å"What'll they do?† â€Å"Something good. Something you'll like.† He ran his hand through the strands of my hair. â€Å"Man, I can't wait to see how you react to them.† How I reacted? I didn't like the sound of that. Maybe I wasn't getting the same thing as Doug after all. Maybe I was getting the date-rape drug. Of course, with as inviting as I was trying to be, he had to realize those kinds of extremes weren't necessary. I pushed the unease out of my head. â€Å"What do I owe you for these?† The smoke in my voice clearly told him how I'd like him to extract payment. â€Å"Nothing. It's a gift.† â€Å"Nothing?† I trailed my hand across his leg. Believe me, I really didn't want to sleep with this guy, but I wanted to stay in his good graces to figure out what the hell this stuff was. And yeah, okay, I sort of wanted to see him suffer from the energy loss. â€Å"Are you sure?† I slid my body closer to his, gently pushing him back on the bed. His eyes widened as I lay down next to him, brushing my lips over his neck. Turning his face toward mine, I moved my lips closer to his, lightly kissing the area just by his mouth. â€Å"Are you really sure?† I asked, voice lower. His breathing grew heavy, and he stroked my side, tracing the shape of my hip and moving down to my bare leg. Looking half-terrified, he moistened his lips in anticipation. My tongue snaked up to them, dancing around their edges before gently probing inside. He stifled a moan and then pushed me aside. â€Å"No†¦I†¦no. No.† He sat up, shaking. â€Å"Not yet.† I sat up as well, moving in one fluid and graceful motion. Tossing my hair over one shoulder, I gave him a languid smile. â€Å"Come on, I want to.† â€Å"I can't†¦but maybe, well maybe later we can work something out.† Both longing and reluctance showed in his expression, which I found relieving. Nice to know my charms were still working and he wasn't all business after all. Maybe this was just a first-one's-free type of deal, and he'd be more thorough in his demands later. Fine by me. It wasn't the end of the world if I didn't sleep with him, and hopefully we wouldn't even need the second batch. â€Å"Here.† Having seized control of himself, Alec held out his beer to me. â€Å"Huh?† â€Å"Go ahead and try them. You can mix them in this.† I looked down at the sparkling red granules. They almost had a light of their own. That weird sensation pulsed out at me, grating my immortal senses. No way was I going to ingest the contents of this bag. I shook my head. â€Å"I can't right now. I've got to go to another party. I promised a friend. I'll try them later, okay?† He didn't look happy about that. â€Å"I wanted you to try it now.† â€Å"What's wrong with later?† â€Å"Nothing I guess†¦just, look, don't let anyone else know, okay? I don't have a lot of this stuff. If word gets out, everyone'll want some. Right now I'm only letting special people try it.† â€Å"Am I special?† I teased. Alec gave me a long, searching look, blatantly studying my face and the way the silk fit me. Again, the appreciation and attraction shone in his eyes, but he held himself back from my smile of invitation. â€Å"Very special.† I managed to extract myself from the party shortly thereafter but not before Alec had warned me again to keep the crystals to myself. He also urged me to let him know how I liked them. â€Å"The second dose is even better,† he promised. Finally escaping, I breathed a sigh of relief, alone in the cool night air. As I walked to my car, I shoved the crystals into my purse, still creeped out by how they felt. They were supernatural; that much was obvious. I knew I had to get them to someone who could identify them. That, however, would have to wait a little longer since I was already past when I'd said I'd call Seth. Happily, I discovered I could no longer sense the packet once it was encased in the fabric. That was something, at least. â€Å"Where are you at?† I asked Seth when he answered his cell phone. â€Å"Terry and Andrea's. You want to come over?† Spending the evening with his family sounded refreshingly ordinary after the sleaze and debauchery of Alec and that party. In fact, compared to everything else weird in my life at the moment, it sounded downright wonderful. Identical blonde faces greeted me at the door when I arrived, both sets of lips forming a perfect ‘o' when they saw me. A moment later, Brandy appeared behind her little twin sisters. â€Å"Oh, Georgina, that dress is so pretty.† She pushed Morgan and McKenna out of the way, both still starstruck. I stepped inside the Mortensen home and found complete chaos. Sheets of clear plastic lay everywhere. Masking tape covered the wall trim. Most of the furniture had been pushed out of the living room, shoved into a pile in the hallway beyond. Those items remaining were wrapped in thick cocoons of more plastic sheeting. Paint buckets, trays, and brushes littered most of the free space, and everything – the people included – was splattered with yellow paint. â€Å"Georgina!† squealed eight-year old Kendall, tearing toward me. Her mother, walking into the room, leapt out and tackled her daughter. â€Å"Don't touch her!† Andrea exclaimed, tumbling to the ground. â€Å"Not in that dress.† I laughed, wanting to sweep up each one of the girls in an enormous hug, the dress be damned. â€Å"Seth,† chastised Terry, standing on top of a ladder, â€Å"why didn't you tell her this was a war zone?† The Mortensen Brothers always entertained me. Despite being younger, Terry always seemed exasperated by Seth's scattered behavior and often had to prod him into reality. Seth sat cross-legged on the floor with Kayla, youngest of the Mortensen daughters, on his lap. Like everyone else, he had paint all over him – including his Writers Do It at Their Desks shirt. Looking as serene as a Buddhist monk, he flashed me one of his distracted smiles. â€Å"Because it's always a war zone over here. â€Å" â€Å"Well, get her out of here and take her somewhere nice,† Terry said. â€Å"No need to drag her down into this.† This immediately triggered cries of outrage from the girls. â€Å"I don't mind staying,† I told them. â€Å"I'd like to help.† Andrea rose from her tackle, one arm still around Kendall. â€Å"We're going to have to cover you up then. Come on, let's see if I've got anything that'll fit.† She released Kendall. The little girl took a step toward me but didn't touch anything. â€Å"You look like one of the ladies in the Victoria's Secret catalog.† â€Å"My favorite reading material,† I told her solemnly. â€Å"Daddy's too.† Her mother groaned and led me to her bedroom, forcing us to squeeze through the furniture packed hallway. Being in Terry and Andrea's bedroom was a lot different than being in Dana's. It was messier for one thing, with an unmade bed and piles of laundry on the floor. The color scheme and decorating were a lot less coordinated too, suggesting it had all been pieced together over the years, not preplanned with a designer's cold eye. Pictures of the girls at various ages covered the walls and dressers, and free surfaces held odd pieces of jewelry, books, and change. And yet, despite that clutter, the whole room felt filled with love, like the people who occupied it were happy and cared about each other. It made the place warm and cozy, not sterile and sharp as Dana's had been. It made me feel good to be in here, jealous that I had nothing like it with another person, and almost intrusive to be in such an intimate setting. It was like eavesdropping. â€Å"Ah, here we are,† murmured Andrea, rummaging through drawers. She handed me some clothes. I slipped out of the dress and tried them on. While she had a fantastic body for having birthed five daughters, Andrea was still taller and bigger than me, so the clothes hung loose and long. Changing her mind, she handed me denim overalls instead of the jeans. They had to be rolled up at the cuffs, but the straps kept them on me. I tied my hair in a ponytail and was ready to go. Seth laughed when he saw me. â€Å"Hey,† I said, poking him with my foot, â€Å"be nice.† â€Å"I think this is the first time I've ever seen you look anything less than†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He paused, playing with word choice. â€Å"Well-planned.† â€Å"Why, you silver-tongued romantic devil. That is the look I usually go for. Other women go for sexy or chic or beautiful. But me? Well-planned all the way.† â€Å"You know what I mean. Besides, unplanned isn't a bad look for you. Not bad at all.† His voice sounded deliciously low and dangerous, and something ignited between us as we held each other's eyes. â€Å"You guys can flirt on your own time,† said Terry briskly, handing me a roller and tray of paint. â€Å"Right now, you work for us. Think you can do this part of the wall?† â€Å"Sure.† I glanced over at Seth, whose main job still seemed to be restraining Kayla. â€Å"Why aren't you painting?† â€Å"Because he isn't allowed to,† answered Brandy, painting deftly around a doorway. â€Å"Uncle Seth's a libation,† explained Kendall. â€Å"Liability,† corrected her mother. She grinned at me. â€Å"The odds say you have to be a better painter than him. Correction: the laws of the universe say you have to be.† â€Å"Of course she is. She's good at everything.† Seth watched me apply a smooth, even coat. â€Å"See?† Painting with the Mortensens made for an utterly normal and utterly enjoyable evening. They were so funny and nice that it was hard not to love them. Working side by side, I could almost pretend I was really one of them. Like this could be my own family. They included me in everything and spoke as though Seth and I were a done deal, assuming I would be with them not only for Thanksgiving but also for Christmas and an assortment of other get-togethers. The simple, casually extended affection made me feel happy inside, and sad too. I would never be able to quite fit in with any mortal family, even if this wacky relationship with Seth did ever stabilize. I pushed aside a plastic-covered box and got a peek inside. Moving the sheet further, I smiled down at a framed picture of Terry and Andrea's wedding party – including a much younger Seth. â€Å"Look at you,† I teased. â€Å"You used to shave.† He rubbed the stubble on his lower face. â€Å"I still shave.† â€Å"So this is the infamous occasion Seth almost missed?† â€Å"Yup,† said Terry, a rueful tone in his voice. â€Å"Apparently finishing A Talented Heat was more important than witnessing my nuptials.† â€Å"Oh,† I said neutrally, â€Å"that's a really good one.† I wasn't sure if it was missing-a-wedding good, but it was still one of my favorites. It might have been worth the sacrifice. â€Å"Who's the other guy beside you?† â€Å"Our other brother. Ian.† â€Å"Another Mortensen? You guys are abundant.† â€Å"Tell me about it,† said Terry. â€Å"Ian's the black sheep.† â€Å"I thought I was the black sheep,† said Seth, sounding almost hurt. â€Å"No. You're the unfocused artistic one. I'm the responsible one. Ian's the wild, hedonistic one.† â€Å"What's hedonistic?† asked Kendall. Her father considered. â€Å"It means you run up a lot of credit card bills you can't pay, change jobs a lot, and have a lot of†¦lady friends.† Brandy rolled her eyes. â€Å"Good euphemism, Dad.† Only in the Mortensen family, I decided delightedly, would a fourteen-year old use a word like â€Å"euphemism.† Andrea walked over to the portrait and admired her younger self. In the picture, she wore a long-sleeved lace dress that left her shoulders bare. â€Å"Ah, those were the days,† she sighed. â€Å"Back before pregnancy ruined my body.† â€Å"Well, that wasn't entirely before pregnancy,† observed her husband in an undertone. She shot him a dangerous look. Brandy groaned. Seth tried to hide a smile and changed the subject. â€Å"That church had horrible carpet. Burgundy shag.† He shook his head. â€Å"I think I'm going to get married outdoors.† â€Å"Oh my God,† said Terry with mock horror, â€Å"I can't believe you just acknowledged you might get married. I thought you were married to your writing.† â€Å"Hey, I've never had a problem with polygamy.† Kendall's eyes widened. â€Å"What's polygamy?† Later, when we'd finished the living room, Seth and I offered to start cleaning up while Terry and Andrea put the brood to bed. The girls resisted, clinging to Seth and me, wanting us to talk and come back tomorrow. â€Å"My nieces think you're a rock star,† he observed as we washed brushes in the kitchen. â€Å"I think they like you better than me.† â€Å"I'm not the one they had to tear Kayla from. Hey, does she ever talk?† â€Å"Sometimes. Usually when there's bait involved – like candy or small objects she might choke on.† We washed the brushes in silence until I brought up the topic that had been on my mind ever since he'd mentioned it. â€Å"An outdoor wedding, huh?† The notion of Seth getting married held a perverse fascination for me. Fascinating because I was female and attracted to such things. Perverse because I knew I wouldn't be the bride at such an event. Succubus logistics obviously made that impossible. Then, of course, there was the fact that my mortal marriage had not gone so well. In addition to me cheating and pushing my husband into a debilitating depression, it had later resulted in me selling my soul and joining the ranks of hell. That didn't make for a good matrimonial track record. Seth cut me a look, eyes amused. â€Å"Yup.† â€Å"I didn't know guys ever thought about that kind of stuff.† â€Å"Sometimes we do.† â€Å"You got any other details worked out? Or just the outside lovefest part?† He pondered this as we returned to the living room. He wore the intense expression that seized him when he was trying to write a certain line or think of something clever to say. â€Å"I want a good buffet,† he said. â€Å"Not one of those cheap ones with cold cuts. And no bows on the chairs or anything like that. Man, I hate those.† â€Å"Wow. I guess you've got it all figured out.† I began pulling masking tape off the trim while he knelt down to gather more brushes. He continued on, still considering. â€Å"And I want my bride to wear open-toed shoes.† â€Å"Why open-toed?† He looked up with astonishment. â€Å"Because toes are sexy.† I looked down at my own bare feet. They were small and cute, each toenail painted a pale lavender. Andrea hadn't had any shoes my size. I gave him a sly smile. â€Å"Like these toes?† He looked away and returned to his work. Forgetting my masking tape, I strolled over to him, trying not to laugh. â€Å"Why Seth Mortensen, do you have a fetish?† â€Å"It's not a fetish,† he replied evenly. â€Å"Just an appreciation.† This time I did laugh. â€Å"Oh yeah?† I moved my foot out to tickle his arm, wiggling the toes. â€Å"You appreciate these toes?† â€Å"I appreciate everything about you – even how mean you are.† I crouched beside him and slung an arm around him. â€Å"To think, all this time I've been prancing around you in low-cut shirts and no underwear, in awe of your stalwart resistance, when really it was my toes – â€Å" â€Å"No underwear?† he interrupted. â€Å"Wait. Are you wearing any now?† â€Å"My lips are sealed. You'll have to find out the old-fashioned way. I'm not going to talk. â€Å" â€Å"Oh,† he said in a warning voice, â€Å"we have ways of making you talk.† â€Å"Like what?† In one surprisingly quick motion, Seth sprang up and rolled me onto my back. One arm pinned me and the other held a paintbrush over me, wet with paint. â€Å"Hey!† I cried. â€Å"That's not sexy. That's not even cool.† Actually, being pinned to the floor by him was about as sexy as it got. He stabbed it toward me playfully, never actually making contact, but I flinched anyway. â€Å"What's the problem?† he teased. â€Å"You can just shape-shift it away.† â€Å"Oh! You're a twisted bastard.† His lips quirked into a wicked smile, and he dabbed the brush at my cheek, leaving a small streak of paint. A second later, he added a matching mark on the other cheek. â€Å"Ready for battle,† he declared. I yelped in dismay, then used his momentary satisfaction to break free and reverse the situation, rolling him over. Now I hovered on top of him, one hand on his chest, the other on his arm. â€Å"I'm learning more about you every day,† I observed, leaning my face toward his. My hair had come undone from its haphazard ponytail and now hung down, almost creating a curtain around him. â€Å"You've got a real dark side.† â€Å"Is that a problem?† â€Å"Actually I kind of like it.† I lowered my mouth and gave him what we had now dubbed a â€Å"stealth kiss† – the kind of semi-deep kiss perfected at the concert that just pushed the envelope of succubus absorption. I pulled up a moment later, my lips still tingling from where we'd touched. He shifted one hand to the small of my back while his other tangled itself up in my hair. A lazy and contented smile played on his face. â€Å"You want to go grab something to eat after this?† â€Å"What do you have in mind?† â€Å"Anything. So long as the company stays this good.† I smiled and leaned down to kiss him again, only this time I had trouble keeping the kiss as stealthy as it should have been. When I should have broken away, I kissed him a little harder instead, letting my tongue probe more boldly into his mouth. Surprisingly, what abruptly stopped this indiscretion was not the twinge of energy transfer, but Seth himself. â€Å"Thetis,† he warned, pushing me away – not harshly, but not gently either. I stared, my better judgment suddenly scrambled. I wanted to kiss him again. And again. To hell with the succubus thing. And it wasn't just because of the chemistry or the physical roughhousing, the comments about my toes and lack of underwear. It was about everything tonight. Pretending I was part of his family. Talking about weddings that could never happen. I was suddenly overcome with emotion. Joy and delight over the way just being around him felt. Knowing he loved me for both my inner and outer selves. A warm contentment that his presence naturally brought on. And, of course, the dark emotions were there too. Anger that our relationship could never be complete. Despair that he was not immortal. Jealousy that I could never be his bride. What had Jerome said? That being with me denied Seth all the normal things in life? Kissing him was a base, anxious reaction to all these emotions I couldn't otherwise deal with. â€Å"Thetis,† he repeated, studying my face and whatever crazy expression was on it. â€Å"Come on. You're stronger than this.† He sounded sad and sympathetic, yet stern and parental too. His words snapped me out of my emotional vortex, suddenly making me feel, well, inadequate compared to him. Terry walked back into the living room, looking rightfully startled to see me on top of his brother. â€Å"Do you guys need to go to bed too?† Seth and I exchanged bitter, amused smiles. â€Å"If only,† I said. Once everything was cleaned up, Seth and I left to find a very late dinner. We stayed quiet, neither of us bringing up what had happened earlier. I think he knew I was taking it harder than he had and wanted to say something to cheer me up. But nothing apparently came to mind, so silence reigned until we returned to Terry's house to get our respective cars. â€Å"Georgina,† he said suddenly, hesitantly, as we stood by my car. â€Å"I have to know something.† I looked at him wearily, not liking the seriousness in his voice. I really didn't want to deal with any more weighty issues tonight. I sighed. â€Å"What?† He studied me a moment, apparently assessing my emotional state. â€Å"So†¦ areyou wearing any underwear now?† I blinked in astonishment, taken aback. Then I saw how hard he fought to keep a straight expression. It was too funny. Seth was trying to make me feel better, very much in a goofy way I might have attempted. The tight coil of frustration inside of me unwound. â€Å"Yes,† I told him with a smile. â€Å"Oh,† he said, looking relieved to see me relax but disappointed by the answer. â€Å"But you know what the real beauty of shape-shafting is?† â€Å"What?† â€Å"I'm not anymore.†

Timeline of the Andean Cultures of South America

Archaeologists working in the Andes traditionally divide the cultural development of the Peruvian civilizations into 12 periods, from the Preceramic period (ca 9500 BC) through the Late Horizon and into the Spanish conquest (1534 CE). This sequence was initially created by archaeologists John H. Rowe and Edward Lanning and it was based on the ceramic style and radiocarbon dates from the Ica Valley of the South Coast of Peru, and later extended to the whole region. The Preceramic Period (before 9500–1800 BC), literally, the period before pottery was invented, spans from the first arrival of humans in South America, whose date is still debated, until the first use of ceramic vessels. The following eras of ancient Peru (1800 BC-AD 1534) have been defined by archaeologists using an alternation of so-called â€Å"periods† and â€Å"horizons† which end with the arrival of the Europeans. The term â€Å"Periods† indicates a timeframe in which independent ceramic and art styles were widespread across the region. The term â€Å"Horizons† defines, in contrast, periods in which specific cultural traditions managed to unify the whole region. Preceramic Period Preceramic Period I (before 9500 B.C.E.): First evidence of human occupation of Peru comes from groups of hunter-gatherers in the highlands of Ayacucho and Ancash. Fluted fishtail projectile points represent the most widespread lithic technology. Important sites include Quebrada Jaguay, Asana and the Cunchiata Rockshelter in the Pucuncho Basin.Preceramic Period II (9500–8000 B.C.E.): this period is characterized by a widespread biface stone tool technology on the highlands and on the coast. Examples of this tradition are the Chivateros (I) industry and the long and narrow Paijan points. Other important sites are Ushumachay, Telarmachay, Pachamachay.Preceramic Period III (8000–6000 B.C.E.): From this period, it is possible to recognize different cultural tradition, such as the Northwestern Tradition, where the site of Nanchoc dates to ca 6000 BC, the Paijan Tradition, the Central Andean Tradition, whose widespread lithic tradition has been found in many cave sites, such as the famous Lauricocha (I) and Guitarrero caves, and, finally, the Atacama Maritime Tradition, at the border between Peru and Chile, where the Chinchorro culture developed about 7000 years ago. Other important sites are Arenal, Amotope, Chivateros (II).Preceramic Period IV (6000–4200 B.C.E.): The hunting, fishing and foraging traditions developed during the previous periods continue. However, toward the end of this period, a climatic change allows for early plant cultivation. Important sites are Lauricocha (II), Ambo, Siches.Preceramic Period V (4200–2500 B.C.E.): This period corresponds to a relative stabilization of the sea level along with warmer temperatures, especially after 3000 BC. Increase in domesticated plants: squashes, chili peppers, beans, guavas and, most of all, cotton. Important sites are Lauricocha (III), Honda.Preceramic Period VI (2500–1800 B.C.E.): The last of the Preceramic periods is characterized by the emergence of monumental architectu re, population increase, and widespread production of textiles. Different cultural traditions are recognizable: in the highlands, the Kotosh tradition, with the sites of Kotosh, La Galgada, Huaricoto, and along the coast, the monumental sites of Caral  Supe / Norte Chico tradition, including Caral, Aspero, Huaca Prieta, El Paraiso, La Paloma, Bandurria, Las Haldas, Piedra Parada. Initial through Late Horizon Initial Period (1800 – 900 B.C.E.): This period is marked by the appearance of pottery. New sites emerge along the coastal valleys, exploiting the rivers for cultivation. Important sites of this period are Caballo Muerto, in the Moche valley, Cerro Sechin and Sechin Alto in the Casma valley; La Florida, in the Rimac valley; Cardal, in the Lurin valley; and Chiripa, in the Titicaca basin.Early Horizon (900 – 200 B.C.E.): The Early Horizon sees the apogee of Chavin de Huantar in the northern highland of Peru and the successive widespread of the Chavin culture and its artistic motifs. In the South, other important sites are Pukara and the famous coastal necropolis of Paracas.Early Intermediate Period (200 B.C.E. –600 C.E.): The Chavin influence wanes by 200 BC and the Early Intermediate period sees the emergence of local traditions like the Moche, and Gallinazo in the north coast, the Lima culture, in the central coast, and Nazca, in the south coast. In the northern highlands, the Marcahuamachuco and Recuay traditions arose. Huarpa tradition flourished in the Ayacucho basin, and in the southern highlands, Tiwanaku arose in the Titicaca basin.The Middle Horizon (600–1000 C.E.): This period is characterized by climatic and environmental changes in the Andean region, brought about by cycles of droughts and El Nià ±o phenomenon. The Moche culture of the north underwent a radical reorganization, with the move of its capital farther north and inland. In the center and south, the Wari society in the highland and Tiwanaku in the Titicaca basin expanded their dominion and cultural traits to the whole region: Wari toward north and Tiwanaku toward the southern zones.The Late Intermediate Period (1000–1476 C.E.): This period is signified by a return to independent polities governing different areas of the region. In the north coast, the Chimà º society with its huge capital Chan Chan. Still on the coast the Chancay, Chincha, Ica, and Chiri baya. In the highland regions, the Chachapoya culture arose in the north. Other important cultural traditions are the Wanka, who opposed a fierce resistance to the first expansion of the Inca.Late Horizon (1476–1534 C.E.): This period spans from the emergence of the Inca empire, with the expansion of their dominion outside the Cuzco region until the arrival of the Europeans. Among important Inca sites are Cuzco, Machu Picchu, Ollantaytambo.

Literature Review On Media Violence - 1461 Words

PSY 4111 Literature Review. E. Langslow Trends across research suggest exposure to media violence positively correlates with subsequent violent behaviour In this era of internet connectivity, access to an array of violent media stimuli is readily available. Scientific exploration of the effects of such exposure on real world violent behaviour carries potential ramifications for the safety of global communities. Media violence is understood here as stimuli that includes depictions of violence or calls to violent action and includes image, video, television and gaming. Violent behavior is defined as behavior causing emotional or physical harm expressed verbally or physically. Whilst there remains no causal proof for the†¦show more content†¦The Bobo doll study found that children were more likely to imitate violent behaviour they witnessed in a film if they perceived the behaviour would generate positive outcomes (Bandura, Ross, Ross, 1963). Later findings across three decades of cognitive research on the effects of learning and priming concluded thoughts are connected by similar association, with media stimuli cognitively rel ating to memories and responses to trigger violent schemata retrieval in real- world situations (Berkowitz, 1984; Bushman Geen, 1990; L Rowell Huesmann Eron, 2013). Findings in two general aggression model (GAM) studies that complement cognitive frameworks, both monitored increases in physical arousal as potential determinants for short- term violent behavior. Again, positive correlations were found following exposure to media violence.(Bushman Anderson, 2001; Thomas, Horton, Lippincott, Drabman, 1977). Environmental factors A range of studies assert that causes of violent behavior are complex at the level of environmental influence and compare other learning, modelling and disinhibiting factors. This is an area where opposition to the hypothesis is more common. Two longitudinal studies assessing levels of violence pre-and post the introduction of television found a positive correlation, howeverShow MoreRelatedSexual Crimes Committed Against Wsv Victims764 Words   |  4 PagesThe public display of sexual crimes committed against WSV victims has yet another aspect to compound the consequences of their rape and captivity. The associated media articles, almost always very detailed in nature, arouse issues in regards to the cultural notions of honor. In honor-based societies, such as the Yezidi community and many communities in Nigeria, women and girls carry a heavy burden of upholding the honor of the family, clan and tribe. One way in which honor is lost is through sexualRead MoreTelevision Viewing And Protective Action Against Crime1639 Words   |  7 Pages: A Cultivation Analysis From a Theory of Reasoned Action Perspective. Communication Research, (28), 802nd ser. Doi:10.1177/009365001028006004 2. This Study is for my Dependent Variables 3. 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Taking into consideration the ubiquity of media and the degree to which it is entwined in the lives of children, it is important that we be concerned with the themes presented in children’s media – including books. As noted by Taylor (2003), Children s books are an important cultural mechanism for teaching children gender roles. If children are exposed to stereotypical imagesRead MoreThis Article Provides A Brief Overview Of Existing Research1248 Words   |  5 Pagesreveal the linkage is causal. Correlational studies reveal a links to serious, real types of violence. Methodologically weaker studies yielded smaller effect sizes than methodologically stronger studies, suggesting that previous meta-analytic studies of violent video games do not compare to the true magnitude of observed deleterious effects on behavior, cognition, and affect. Introduction Video Game violence became a major problem for the general public when school shootings, performed by avid video

The Philosophy Of Teaching Young Children - 857 Words

Philosophy of Teaching Teaching young children can be one of the most challenging feats that there is. Every student learns differently and to be able to differentiate for students can be problematic because it can become very time consuming. I am finding out that it is important to understand the needs of students so that each child gets a valuable education. It is important for differentiated instruction, which allows for each child to render the tools they need in order to succeed. Using tools such as centers and Four Blocks will hopefully help students achieve these tools. For example, during those times the children are sometimes grouped in ability and this would help the teacher to focus on each ability group and help them to improve. Certain children learn at a slower rate then others and it is important for accommodations to be made as well. Developing different teaching strategies so that each child can learn in many ways is also important. I tend to use such techniques as guided discovery as well as direct instruction that allows for students to be engage, yet also be able to obtain necessary information. Children love to participate and try to get involved as long as they have a safe environment. Another technique that should be used is direct instruction along with cooperative learning to give a different dimension to lessons. It is important to use different ways of instruction because some children learn in a kinesthetic way, some through auditory listeningShow MoreRelatedJohn Locke : Philosophies And Contributions Essay1414 Words   |  6 PagesEducation is a very important part of maintaining and growing as a culture. Many huge influencers have taken their own philosophies of education and changed the w ay we look at learning. Whether it is educating the children of today or bringing religion into the stream, our curriculum is always changing with their ideas in mind. 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If so, give thanks to the teachers you have had and Horace Mann for establishing what we now know as elementary schools, where the preceding is learned. Without my teachers, this paper would not be possible and it is a known fact that good teachers are few and far between. I hope to be an exceptional teacher that will not only influence the lives of my students but also be one that is willing to learn from my studentsRead More My Philosophy of Teaching Essay1400 Words   |  6 PagesPhilosophy of Education Education is something that every person should be given the chance to attain. It is vital for all people young, old, mentally impaired, ADHD, or whatever characteristic they may encompass. I believe everyone has the right to learn and be taught in an school environment. The law passed in 1975, P.L. 94-142, made numerous changes in the way certain children with special needs was being treated in the public school system. 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Organization Human Resource Management †Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Organization Human Resource Management? Answer: Introduction Human resource management plays a crucial role in an organization overall growth and success. It is linked with managing the workforce with a motive to accomplish desired goals. In the modern era, human resource practices have developed to a great extent and are contributing a lot to organizations productivity. Every organization needs to adopt best practices so that talented and skilled workforce can be retained within the workplace. The present study focuses on employee life cycle which takes into consideration different stages which an employee goes through(Al-Refaie, 2015). Every stage has its own significance where it considers the development of the employees, and in turn, organizational objectives can be accomplished easily. For the present research, Hilton hotels operating in the marketing of Australia has taken into consideration. Further, all the stage of employee life cycle has been undertaken with respect to Hilton Australia. Recruitment Selection It is one of the most significant stage which is linked with hiring new employees so that Hilton hotel can work with the most talented individuals. Now-a-days, acceptance of E-recruitment software is quite convenient for filtering applications and short listing resume. Therefore, this tool can be adopted by Hilton hotels with the motive to hire the best candidate which can directly meet the business requirement. Moreover, when right candidate is hired within the workplace then it becomes easy to serve customers, and carry out business operations successfully. It is necessary for the firm to adopt some unique HR practices such as taking interview of candidates via video(Boella Goss-Turner, 2013). Considering the case of Marriott which is one of the major competitors of Hilton, where the company is well known for its best HR practice including good work life. The firm gives equal importance to the non-monetary factors which involve growth opportunities, training, and friendly working environment. So, the introduction of this type of system on board can surely be beneficial for Hilton. For instance through an adoption of E-recruitment software company can analyze every candidate on the basis of their skills and knowledge. Orientation Onboarding It is considered to be one of the most important stage in the employee life cycle where new employees who are hired will decide how long they will stay in the company. In the initial days of joining, the majority of employees pre-determine whether they will stay for the longer period or not. Further, in case if an employee is given power to conduct the business operations as per own style then in such case it is beneficial for the enterprise. In this stage, employee settles into the job and integrates with the corporate culture(Carter, 2014). The culture which Hilton hotel in Australia has developed within the workplace is quite effective. Further, it encourages staff members to conduct business operations efficiently. In on-boarding and orientation stage they are given proper support. On the other hand, some organizations in the on boarding stage allow employees to work in their own style. So, this technique can also be undertaken by Hilton hotels so that its HR practice can be well appraised in the entire market(Chiang, Birtch, Cai, 2014). Employee Services It is all about the concept of serving employees as per their actual need and requirement. Considering the case of Hilton hotel in Australia Company is well indulged into the practice of employee service. Further, corrective actions have to be taken for delivering effective training to the workplace(RuÃ… ¾i?, 2015). Employee service takes place through employee participation, and thus it is required by the company to provide proper assistance to the employees. Apart from this, the HR practices which are well-known highlights that for employee service contribution of top management must be present and they must consider employees as the valuable resource. Effective employee service can allow Hilton to retain the best talent within the workplace and can allow the enterprise to gain competitive advantage also. Other organizations operating in the hospitality industry have effective employee service practice where additional benefits are delivered to the employees such as education reimb ursement, childcare plan, employee recognition, etc.(Casse, 2017). This directly allows staff members to actively participate in the business affairs and this acts as the development tool for the enterprise. The overall concept of employee service has gained popularity in the modern era as it is regarded as one of the effective tools to manage human resource within the workplace. Talent Development Retention It is a stage where employee matures his role in the organization. Further, for enhancing knowledge level along with the talent of the employee, it is necessary to deliver effective training to the workforce(Prudhomme, Prudhomme, Raymond, Raymond, 2016). Further, on the continuous basis, Hilton conducts training for its employees which involves both the methods of on the job and off the job. This allows working with the most qualified persons whose knowledge along with the skill level is quite high. Apart from this, the best HR practice involves multimedia training where a large number of organizations has adopted this concept with the motive to work for the development of its workforce(Gannon, Roper, Doherty, 2015). Basically, the concept of talent development is interlinked with retention where it provides the base to the business in retaining its most valuable resource, and this acts as the development tool for the business. In case if any organization is not capable enough of w orking in favor of talent development then it has the adverse impact on the business and acts as the hurdle in accomplishing desired goals. Therefore, it is quite essential for Hilton to carry out developmental programs on the continuous basis so that active participation from employees in the business affairs can be encouraged easily. Performance Management It is considered as the effective process with the help of which managers and employees work together to monitor, plan and review employee work goals. Every organization has adopted different performance management approach like in the case of Google where its performance management technique is traditional and has never been part of companys process(Duggan, 2015). Further, the organization focuses on employee goal setting, and this has somehow contributed to the success of the organization. This is also considered as one of the best practice in the field of human resource. Apart from this, in the case of Cargill Inc where the organization has faced obstacles in motivating its workforce. So for managing workforce performance company has designed the effective system which initiates feedback regarding on the job conversation. Therefore, in the case of Hilton hotel also it is must to introduce effective performance management system as it is a well-known fact that performance of the em ployee is directly associated with the company(Katou, 2015). Apart from this, when time to time new performance management systems are introduced within the workplace, then it can assist the company in managing its human resource in an effective manner. Transition It is the stage where employees leave the company due to retirement or another form of issues such as lack of opportunity etc. So, one of the main roles of HR manager is to manage transition by ensuring that all the policies within the workplace are properly followed. For the same the best HR practice considered is the exit interview with the help of which it is possible to identify the valid reason for leaving the organization. When any employee leaves the organization without any valid reason, obstacles are crated for the business as hiring a new candidate and arranging training session is quite difficult for the business(Nieves Quintana, 2016). This stage is required to be handled in an effective manner and in case if employee is well satisfied with the working environment then it supports in retaining them for the longer period. Moreover, it also has positive impact on the overall performance of organization where desired goals can be accomplished through the assistance of emplo yees. Considering the best HR practice involving the existing employees of the company in all the activities of the business avoids transition stage, and this is not applicable in the case of retirement stage. Many companies do not prefer to work without consideration of its staff member, and this is the basic reason due to which they can retain their best-talented employees(Prayag Hosany, 2015). So, this can also be implemented by Hilton within the workplace so that transition stage can be handled in the better manner and it can act as the development tool for the business. Conclusion The entire study carried out has supported in knowing about the significance of stages in the employee life cycle. Further, all the stages are crucial, and they are linked to the success of Hilton hotel in the Australian market. Further, the best practices can be considered by business in HR such as the use of E-recruitment software, the introduction of performance management system, etc. This can surely assist in providing long term benefits to the business and in turn, can act as development tool also. Apart from this, the challenges associated with human resource management can be tackled easily such as transition, etc. References Al-Refaie, A. (2015). Effects of human resource management on hotel performance using structural equation modeling. Computers in Human Behavior , 293-303. Boella, M., Goss-Turner, S. (2013). Human resource management in the hospitality industry: A guide to best practice. Abingdon: Routledge. Carter, L. (2014, June 5). The Best HR practices in the Hospitality Industry. Retrieved August 8, 2017, from BPI: https://www.bestpracticeinstitute.org/blog/best-hr-practices/ Casse, M. (2017, January 10). Innovating HR practices in the hospitality sector. Retrieved August 8, 2017, from People matters: https://www.peoplematters.in/article/strategic-hr/industry-focus-hospitality-sector-innovating-hr-practices-387 Chiang, F. F., Birtch, T. A., Cai, Z. (2014). Front-line service employees job satisfaction in the hospitality industry: The influence of job demand variability and the moderating roles of job content and job context factors. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly , 398-407. Duggan, K. (2015, December 15). Six Companies that are redefining performance management. Retrieved August 8, 2017, from Fast Company : https://www.fastcompany.com/3054547/six-companies-that-are-redefining-performance-management Gannon, J. M., Roper, A., Doherty, L. (2015). Strategic human resource management: Insights from the international hotel industry. International Journal of Hospitality Management , 65-75. Katou, A. A. (2015). Human resource management and performance in the hospitality industry: Methodological issues. In International Tourism and Hospitality in the Digital Age , 1-20. Nieves, J., Quintana, A. (2016). Human resource practices and innovation in the hotel industry: The mediating role of human capital. Tourism and Hospitality Research . Prayag, G., Hosany, S. (2015). Human resource development in the hotel industry of Mauritius: myth or reality? Current Issues in Tourism , 249-266. Prudhomme, B., Prudhomme, B., Raymond, L., Raymond, L. (2016). Implementation of sustainable development practices in the hospitality industry: A case study of five Canadian hotels. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management , 609-639. RuÃ… ¾i?, M. D. (2015). Direct and indirect contribution of HRM practice to hotel company performance. International Journal of Hospitality Management , 56-65.

Organizations Transport Sector In Australia-Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Organizations From Transport Sector In Australia? Answer: Introduction: The accounting regulating body is prescribed by the accounting standard for ensuring the involvement of standardized regulating body. Accounting standards enable better understanding of the accounting treatment. It is essential for organizations to make their accounting disclosures by aligning with accounting standards. Prudence is embedded in accounting standard itself and in the application of standard, prudence is exercised by prepares of financial statements. It has been widely agreed upon that there exists advantage of exercising prudence in the application of standards. The present study comprehends the overall operational procedures of two ASX listed companies that is K S Corporation and Transurban Group. K S Corporation is a company that is engaged in logistics, transport and contract management and Transurban Group deals with the development and management of roads networks in Australia and North America. It is the accounting regulating body that prescribes the accounting standard for ensuring that organizations adopts the standardized accounting practices and for the key changes, there is development. It is essential for organizations to consider overall manner of disclosure and principles for understanding the accounting treatments that is done based on accounting standards (Ahmedet al. 2013). It is required by financial report of companies to involve the attribute of prudence. However, sometimes accountant for the preparer of financial statements manipulate it because of their own personal gains. Analyzing the conceptual framework of K S Corporation and Transurban Group: Conceptual framework of preparing the financial statement has went some changes and has been revised in year 2016. When making judgment under uncertainty conditions, prudence is considered as the best attribute and for achieving neutrality in the financial statements, it is considered the best. It requires that the liabilities and assets of organizations should not be overstated and understated. There are several items that the conceptual framework requires to be recognized. The financial report of K S Corporation has not been impacted by the amendments that have been made to the revised conceptual framework and their application has left the reports indifferent. The above figure shows the basis of preparation of financial report of organization. Report complies with the Australian Accounting standards and Corporation Act, 2001. Historical cost forms the basis of preparation of financial statement. Furthermore, financial report also complies with the International financial reporting standard issued by International accounting standard board and Australian accounting standard. The annual report of K S for period ending 30th June, 2016 have not been adopted the recently amended and issued Interpretational and Australian accounting standard. Consolidated financial statements of the group comprise of subsidiaries of K S Corporation limited and the group itself. New principal standard AASB 9 has replaced AASB 139 and the replacement and amendment does not seem to have any impact on financial statement of organization. The preparation of financial statements is the responsibility of directors of company that helps in giving true a fairer view of financial statements that is prepared in accordance with the Corporation Act 2001 and Australian Accounting standard. Preparation and presentation of financial statements comply with the international Financial Reporting standard (Penman and Zhu 2014). The above figure depicts the director report of K S Corporation for year 2015. The report mainly states and presents the authenticity and financial report viability for financial year 2015. It is states by the directors of organization that report has been prepared in accordance with the guidelines that is set out in the ASIC RG247. The financial report has been so designed to provide shareholders with consider and clear overview of the financial position, business operations. The principal activities during the financial year course included contract management. Logistics, transport and fuel distribution (Bauer et al. 2014). Organization has been subjected to few fraudulent misappropriations that has been disclosed to ASX. There are many components in the director report that has been effectively complying with the regulations and laws laid out by Australian government. While disclosing the components of report, organization is required to have some ethical considerations as per th e rule of AASB. Strategic report provided in the annual. The directors also authenticate report of company. Authenticity is indicative of the fact that directors of organization is giving endurances and accepting the results depicted by the future projects (Huntonet al. 2014). It has been ascertained that many activities leading to unethical transactions by directors have reduced in recent year due to new insider trading implementation. The above figure depicts the remuneration report of K S Corporation that is prepared according to the regulations and requirements of Corporation Act, 2001. Remuneration payable to non-executive directors is payable as per the listing rules of ASX and its constitution. External control is sought by organization such as Remuneration and nomination committee in determination of remuneration payable to directors (Dovbiy 2014). The above figure depicts the independent auditors report of K S Corporation limited that demonstrates the reporting on financial report presented in the annual report. Reports provides with the discussion of responsibility of directors in preparing the financial statements. preparation of financial statement ate enabled by directors of company that they are free from material misstatement and are prepared in accordance with the Corporation act 2001 and Australian accounting standard. In the opinion of auditors, it is identified that the financial report of organization is prepared according to the corporation act, 2001 that provides the true and fair view of financial position of consolidated entity along with their financial performance for particular financial year (El-Firjaniet al. 2016). It was ascertained by auditors that financial report complies with the International financial reporting standards and Australian accounting standard. Remuneration report of K s Corporation als o complies with the section 300A of the corporation act, 2001. Analysis of conceptual framework of Transurban Group: The interpretation of AASB and amended accounting standards are adopted by the organization in effect from July, 2014.The Transurban group has adopted the revised accounting standards that have been effective since the preparation of annual report 2014. It is confirmed that when the occurrence of payment is triggered by any activities, then the liability is recognized for paying a levy.Financial statements of Group is prepared according to Australian accounting standard, corporation Act, 2001 and in accordance with any other Australian accounting standard brad authoritative pronouncement. Organization has adopted all the relevant accounting policies that has been disclosed in the financial statements (Dyckman and Zeff 2014). Furthermore, Transurban Group for presenting the consolidated financial statements under one section has also applied under ASIC Corporation. International financial reporting standard also forms the basis for preparing the financial statements. revised accountin g standard has not amended or changed the accounting policies (Henderson et al. 2015). Some of the accounting standards and interpretations that are issued but not yet effective is depicted in following figure. The directors report discloses the proportional and statutory results of Transurban Group. Report discloses the business principal activities, financial and overview. Strategy and value propositions of business is also mentioned in the directors report. However, it does not disclose the basis of preparation of finance report and the compliance of organization with the accounting standards. The above figure demonstrate the remuneration report of Transurban group along with its structure and framework. The framework of remuneration report revived strong support in the annual general meeting and it is considered that they offer a range of mechanisms that motivates executives in delivering outstanding results and helps in balancing sensible management of risks. A combination of incentive is provided in the framework of remuneration report. There are three components involved in the framework of remuneration of each senior executives. Area of accountability of the remunerations involves the individual key performance indicators (Bromwich and Scapens2016). The remuneration report helps mainly in the identification of remuneration payable o non-executives directors of company and it can be seen that the remuneration payable in year 2016 is more than remuneration paid in year 2015. The remuneration payment does not involve the issuing of shares to non-executives directors of company as per the declarations according to the Australia Corporation Act 2001. The act also mentions the method that are applied by the organization in preparing the financial report. Free floats of shares of company are reduced with the help of remuneration report in the event of any bad news. The above table depicts the remuneration payable to senior executives of Transurban Group. Groupn makes the annual review of remuneration framework by taking into consideration various factors such as expectation of market, feedback of shareholders, regulatory development and considerations of security holders. In year 2016, remuneration recommendations were not provided to human resource and remuneration committee by consultants. The board approved revised remuneration package to senior executives in year 2016. There was an increase in remuneration of 3.69% in the previous year. The performance of group is linked to variable remuneration payable to executives. Prudence and its impact on addressing disparity in corporate reporting: Prudence is regarded as the desirable attribute for preparing the financial report of organizations. Unethical evaluation of the liabilities and assets of organization are reduced by the means of prudence. In order to achieve neutrality, prudence is considered to be relevant. The proposed changes in the conceptual framework requires the companies to reintroduce this particular explicit notion of reference. Exercising prudence by organizations would help in supporting neutrality. Organizations exercising prudence will not be able to understate their income and assets and overstate their liabilities and expenses. The reason is attributable to the fact that in future periods such misstatements would lead to understatement of expenses and overstatement of income. Organizations are required to measure the issues relating to the prudence so that they are able to address some of the existing disparities in the preparing of financial reports. There are many uncertainties that inevitably surrounds the circumstances and events taking place in organization and it is essential for the financial statements prepares to content with them. Some of the circumstances are probable life of assets, probable number of warranty claims that may arise collectability of doubtful receivables. Disclosing the extent and nature of such circumstances and exercising prudence in preparing financial statements would help in recognizing such types of uncertainties. Prudence is regarded as the degree of inclusion of caution when making judgment about some uncertainty conditions and estimating the figures. Prepares of finance statements would not able able to create excessive provisions or make excessive reserves or deliberately overstate assets and income an understate liabilities and expenses as they would not have reliability quality as the financial statements would be neutral (Yingying2014). However, there are critics related to the inclusion of prudence in preparing finance statements, as it would lead to inconsistent application. It has also been interpreted that users of financial statement will face difficulty in assessing their financial performance as exercising prudence would lead to greater subjectivity. The proposed draft has come up with the reinstating prudence in the conceptual framework (Plumlee and Reckers 2014). Concerning the above-discussed facts, it is required by organization such as K S Corporation and Transurban Group to reinstate prudence and include it in their financial statements. Prudence helps in addressing the concern of downside risks of investors. They need to explain the inclusion of prudence in their conceptual framework. It helps in aligning the managers and shareholders interests and reducing moral hazard. It is considered by IASB that organizations is able to achieve neutrality in application of accounting policies by including prudence. Cautious prudence is another aspect that has helped in exacerbating the diversity of usage in this term. Many have argued that neutrality cannot be bring by inclusion of prudence and hence asymmetric is regarded as essential characteristics of relevant financial information (Lukin 2014). However, this concept of prudence in the conceptual framework is criticized by IASB. Comparing and contrasting two annual reports: The basis of preparation of financial report of K S Corporation is in accordance with the Australian accounting standard and Corporations Act, 2001. Except for building and lands, the components of finance statements have been measured at fair value and prepared on historical cost basis. On the other hand, the financial report of Transurban group have been prepared according to Australian accounting standard and their authoritative pronouncements. However, in the summary of the disclosure of accosting policies of Transurban Group, there are more disclosures. There are disclosures about adoption of all the relevant accounting policies and their disclosures in the financial statements. Both the organization complies with the International Financial reporting standard issues by board of International accounting standard. The notes to financial statements of both the organizations discloses about the accounting policies. From the evaluation and analysis of directors report of both the organization, the financial outcome can be easily ascertained. It can be seen that net profit after tax and operating revenue of K S Corporation has increased in the current year as compared to previous year. Transurban witnessed an increase in the review and profit after tax in current year as compared to previous year. However, the director report of Transurban make additional disclosures of statutory and proportional results of organization (Chandler 2014). Therefore, there is difference between the conceptual frameworks of both the organizations in some aspects. Recommendation: The accounting standard has introduced some then changes and concepts that should be included by the prepares of financial statement in their annual report. It is required by the entities to retain the existing definition of residual framework and equity in their conceptual framework. Concerning to equity, organizations should update measures of each class of equity claims and updating of any measures should be recognized. In the conceptual framework, prudence should be included while preparing the financial statements. This is so because for overcoming bad accounting practice, it is essential to practice prudence. According to the reintroduction, prudence should be included in the conceptual framework of organizations as it helps in carefully reflecting uncertainty faced. Neutrality of financial statements is affected in reasonable manner as there is asymmetric treatment concerning valuation of revenues and assets. Conclusion: The above report discusses about the conceptual framework of two-selected organization of transport sector that is K S Corporation and Transurban Corporation. It has been analyzed that whether the accounting standards of organizations complies with the requirements of AASB. Furthermore, the revised concept of prudence and its importance in the preparation of financial statements. Above analysis depicts that both the organization complies with the reporting requirement of Australian accounting standard. Furthermore, the report also depicts the drawbacks and benefits of the revised concepts of prudence in preparing financial statements. Evaluation of prudence in relation to preparing the financial report of both the organization is also analyzed and discussed Reference: Ahmed, A.S., Neel, M. and Wang, D., 2013. Does mandatory adoption of IFRS improve accounting quality? Preliminary evidence. Contemporary Accounting Research, 30(4), pp.1344-1372. Bauer, A.M., O'Brien, P.C. and Saeed, U., 2014. Reliability makes accounting relevant: a comment on the IASB Conceptual Framework project.Accounting in Europe,11(2), pp.211-217. Bromwich, M. and Scapens, R.W., 2016. Management accounting research: 25 years on. Management Accounting Research, 31, pp.1-9. 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