Effects of the Differences in Tax Systems

Of late, differences in the tax systems between countries have been a subject of debate and have occupied center stage in most forums. Due to this, we shall now focus on the various effects that have been generated by these differences. Notably, the essay will focus on Japan whose corporate tax rate is the second highest in the world. Disparities in the taxation systems between countries give the multinational companies an opportunity to interfere with their transfer prices.For instance, a business man in Japan may chose to understate his sales revenue which is originating from an affiliate in a low tax country while at the same time overstate his purchases from the low tax country (Carroll, 20050). By so doing, the businessman will have shifted most of his reported profits to the low tax countries which will further translate into a reduction of the tax liability or will have participated in tax evasion.Also, the disparities in the tax systems across countries encourage some multina tional companies to report disproportionate profits to the low tax countries. In line with this, reports have shown that over 70% of countries with non U. S profits earned by U. S multinational firms are normally taxed at an effective tax rate of below 10%. Precisely, Japan has an effective tax rate of 2. 5%. In addition; the differences in the tax systems between countries give room for corruption (Carroll, 20050).This is in most cases initiated by the tax officials who normally take advantage of the tax payers who are not aware of the procedures to be followed in tax administration. The differences in tax systems have also created an avenue for tax bureaucracy. This normally arise when the disgruntled, low salaried tax officials play a role in protecting the tax evaders who in turn avail some percentage of the tax evaded to them. This was the case in Japan back in 1993 when there was the tax evasion scandal involving Kanemaru Shin.At this point, it is worth concluding with an opin ion that numerous measures need to be undertaken to eliminate the negative effects of the difference in tax systems. For instance, countries should standardize the procedures which will make the tax systems to be more transparent and will enhance the integrity of the same (Carroll, 20050). Finally, the tax systems should introduce incentive reforms like the salary incentives which will definitely go a long way in eradicating the corrupt behavior of tax officials.

Importance of Following Orders Essay

The importance of following orders is that if one person breaks off and does whatever they want it can leave others weak and vulnerable. Being in that state, others can be subject to extreme conditions and injury. There are reasons why regulations and protocols have been put in the places they have, to prevent chaos. There is usually a good reason that an order is given to a subordinate of lower grade. Although there can be times where an order can be unlawful, there are counter measures in place to prevent such a case. One can sometimes not have the knowledge if an order is just or unlawful. They will think that what they are being told is the right thing and carry them out when they should not have. If orders are not carried out it can lead to inevitable disaster. Being assigned to Lukatina guard desk duty is a great responsibility with incredible risks. You hold the responsibility of protecting the nations secrets and the people there in. the people working inside of the building need to be protected and feel safe with the conditions they are under. We are here to provide that pivotal security. If one of use falls out of line then the entire system of operation can be thrown out of place. In the case of leaving the desk to acquire food for the day, was it wrong? Yes, and it should not have happened and it will not happen again even if it means to have to go hungry for the whole day until end of shift. That is the sacrifice that needs to be made in order to keep harmony in the circle of work that has been set up and has been up for a great span of time. What kind of a soldier has the right to break that cycle just because they were a little puckish? None, under no circumstances are you to leave your post no matter the situation or time of day unless otherwise told so be your immediate chain of command. The chain of command is there for a reason and should be followed no matter how much one does not understand it or disagree with it. The chain of command may not always be right, but even then one must follow orders and  carry them out to the best of their ability. A problem that can happen is that because of so many different commands that are in place, there can be times that one may not understand something or be unable to carry out one order because it conflicts with another order. When this happens one cannot rely on their own decision alone but need to stay in line and follow whatever order was given or get orders from their closest highest ranking official inside your chain of command even if some full bird comes and tells you to leave your post to do something you will kindly and respectfully replay that you cannot under current circumstances with only two personnel at the desk. One cannot know if said Colonel was giving the correct order for the assigned desk duty S.O.P. if said Colonel even knew what the S.O.P. was. One would need to contact their closest next chain in the command if they are not present at the time. One could not know if a high ranking official outside of ones chain has the security and well being of them and the people they protect in mind.

Betty White

Betty White was born in Oak Park, IL on January 17, 1922, daughter of Horace L. White, a traveling salesman and Tess Cachikis. She attended Beverly Hills High School from which she graduated in 1939. Her career started in the early 1940s with a modeling job. She also worked on a few radio shows including Blondie, The Great Gildersleeve, and This Is Your FBI and later, her own radio program name, The Betty White Show. In 1949 she debuted on television when she appeared with Al Jarvis on Hollywood on Television, she later hosted it on her own when Jarvis left. From 1952 to about 1977 she appeared on several television shows including Life With Elizabeth, Date With the Angels, Password, What’s My Line? , To Tell the Truth, I’ve Got A Secret, Match Game, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and Pyramid. In 1977 she was given her own sitcom on CBS called The Betty White Show. (Not to be confused with her radio show with the same name. ) In 1987 she scored her second signature role of the St. Olaf, MN – native Rose Nylund, on The Golden Girls. The show was centered on four divorced or widowed women in their ‘Golden years’ that share a home in Miami. Although Betty has no children, she has been married three times. The first in 1945 to Dick Barker, a US Army Air Corps Pilot. This marriage was short-lived, only one year. The second to Lane Allen, a Hollywood agent, which only lasted two years also ending in divorce. On June 14, 1963 she married television host and personality, Allen Ludden. He proposed to Betty at least twice be fore she accepted. Allen died of stomach cancer on June 9, 1981. She hasn’t remarried since his death. Betty has won six Emmy Awards, three American Comedy Awards (including a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1990. ), and two Viewer’s For Quality Television Awards. She was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. On January 23, 2010 at the Screen Actor’s Gild Awards, she was awarded, by Sandra Bullock, the Life Achievement Award. She is also a pet enthusiast and animal health advocate who works with a number of animal organization such as the Los Angeles Zoo Commission, the Morris Animal Foundation, and Actors & Others for Animals. Betty is the president of the Morris Animal Foundation where she has served as a trustee of the organization since 1971. And she donated $100,000 to the Los Angeles Zoo in April 2008 alone. She was also just on Saturday Night Live over the weekend, and it was hilarious! I was laughing so hard.. So, having said all that. I’d say she is the coolest eighty-eight year old you could probabaly ever get a chance to meet. I hope she lives forever!

Environmental Compliance and Safety Research Paper

Environmental Compliance and Safety - Research Paper Example This was evidenced by lack of coordination between the various agencies and companies involved in oil drilling operations during the disaster. This paper examines corrective mechanisms employed to control the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and agencies involved in the exercise. In addition, the paper explores the compliance regulations violated during the exercise. The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico was triggered by an explosion in the British Petroleum (BP) operated Macondo well on April 20, 2010. The explosion killed eleven crewmembers of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig and several others suffered various levels of injuries (Ramseur, 2011). The blowout destroyed the drilling platform and it sunk two days later. Following the explosion, oil leakage was discovered on the sea floor and it continued discharging crude oil until its containment on July 15, 2010 (Uhlmann, 2011). According to Ramseur and Hargety (2011), over 4.9 million barrels were discharged into the water during the period. However, the exact volume of crude oil discharged remains unknown. The oil discharge was so voluminous that it contaminated the beaches of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida (Ramseur, 2011). The oil spill caused significant environmental and economic damage to the region. Commercial activities in the Gulf of Mexico especially commercial fishing and tourism were disrupted. Consequently, livelihoods of many people depending on these sectors were adversely affected. The impact on aquatic life was equally disastrous, killing numerous animals and plants in addition to polluting their habitats. The exact environmental, economic and social effects of the oil spill remain unknown up to date. However, the adverse environmental effects are expected to continue being felt in the affected region for many years, as demonstrated by the earlier Exxon Valdez oil discharge in 1989 (Uhlmann, 2011).

Regional instituie for childern and adollescents,baltimore-future Essay

Regional instituie for childern and adollescents,baltimore-future nursing research studies - Essay Example Emotionally handicapped adolescents who are in a condition to live in a community setting are assisted through measures that make them aware of the situation but live in harmony with the rest of the population. It is also common for nurses at the center to address the negative behaviors and attributes associated with drug abuse. They look at psychiatric behaviors from use of drugs or from withdrawal, anger, self-hating, low self-esteem and self-injuries behavior. They have recently introduced detoxification procedures for adolescents with a drug problem. They also ensure that the youths engage in meaningful interaction while they are at the center. Some mental problems may require a residential setting to treat. RICA has this setting to facilitate continuous treatment of adolescents with therapy. They live at the establishment for some time before the doctors can certify their improvement and their ability to live accordingly with the rest of the population. This is an ideal strategy in treatment of young people with behavioral, learning and emotional

Metaphysics Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Metaphysics - Term Paper Example ics, so everything and object that is used computationally and mathematically in any field whether research, medical, defense, communication, manufacturing industries etc are the outcome of the great science of logics. The details and explanations of Logics are not that alike throughout the history, perhaps the philosophers are constantly engaged in critical argumentations about logical principles and logical views. The ancient logic and the modern formal logic differ in various aspects, logic is perhaps a science and knowledge i.e. is always developing and growing for better. It should be kept in mind that the contemporary logic is the result of many philosophical views that develops time by time and era by era. Hence these philosophical views are not futile and it is worth understanding these views and discussions on logic. The concept of philosophical logic started with the arrival of great philosopher Aristotle and it is the learning of arguments and reasoning. Aristotle’s six main works on logic is named as â€Å"Organon† in the Greek terminology. These were the first formal achievement on the subject of logics throughout the human history. In the modern age, modern logicians have proved falsification of some of Aristotle logical concepts. On the contrary the main focus of Aristotle’s logic was to investigate the working dynamics of inferential systems so as to provide a solution for argumentation. The philosophical perspective of different philosophers regarding the credibility of logic differs excessively. Some philosophers were of the idea that logic is gateway to reality while some other argued on this and they just keep logic to human endeavor for finding a truth, some other explained the gap between logic and reality as the flaw of human limitation, while some explained th is gap understanding as a function that only God’s domain. Logic went through different ages, and several modification and up gradation. Different philosophers contributed in

The Positivist Lens Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Positivist Lens - Essay Example Multiple studies have shown that Corporate Social Responsibility can no longer be seen by organizations as discretionary, rather it is now a pertinent strategic issue. However, there still is a gap in the empirical evidence on the actual link between CSR and actual business performance. The study will investigate the extent to which CSR has impacted business performance and by extension its benefits to society as a whole. Creswell, (2008) document that quantitative research questions are designed to inquire about the relationships among variables that the investigator is seeking to know. The quantitative research question for this investigation is; The purpose of the key purpose of the study will be to establish whether there is a correlation, positive or negative, between corporate social responsibility and actual business performance. The study also seeks to establish and define any existing trends for measuring business performance in relation to existing strategy. The paper also purposes to establish the impact of CSR on business performance focusing on key performance indicators which include market value, revenue and shareholder value. The study will also have the purpose of establishing the approaches for effectively measuring the impact of CSR on business performance. The topic will be analyzed through the positivist lens which proposes that perceptual data derived from sensory experience and logically and mathematically treated is the source of all knowledge. The approach has been shown to provide better measurements in all areas be they classifications or levels; besides it allows for the monitoring of trends over time, (Creswell, 2008). Since it provides for statistical manipulation, the researcher can find statistical correlations hence have a clearer picture on how the key variables; CSR and actual business performance relate. Besides,

Advertising S.C.O.R.E Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Advertising S.C.O.R.E - Essay Example By using black and white, terrible imagery with savage people fighting to get a bite of the apple, 5 Seeds shows how it can transform people in a variety of different ways. The simple goal of the advertisement is to make sure people identify with natural ingredients and the benefits to the body and mind. The ad is creative with its use of black and white and then a transformation into colour to show how simple ingredients like the apple manage to create a better environment and a happier person. It has impact because the whole idea of Adam and Eve was that they were misled by nature in the biblical story and told not to eat the apple, even though they wanted it very badly. By showing ancient people in dark and frightening environments and then transforming the background into a more civil and inviting colour scheme, it shows that the natural ingredients in 5 Seeds have benefits in many different ways. The creativity comes in not only the colour scheme, but by using age-old concepts (Adam and Eve) to give the drink a more modern view regarding health and mental well-being. Creativity is also noticeable with the crows that seem to be protecting the apple as a means to preserve their own food sources. It shows that these ingredients are even important to animals, however people are the winners in the struggle and are clearly made better for it. When the Eve character puts her very life out on the limb just to get a single bite, it tells the consumer that they should actively seek 5 Seeds because it is made from the most quality ingredients on Earth. The originality of the advertisement comes in how it transforms evil surroundings into more beautiful surroundings, giving consumers a kind of story that peaks their interest. 5 Seeds has many competitors and it would be difficult to differentiate the product from other similar products on the drink market. Therefore, in order to make the advertisement stand out competitively, they use imagery

Case Study (Human-Resource-Development) Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

(Human-Resource-Development) - Case Study Example The employees must be sent for the training in batches of forty persons per batch. Each batch will last one week. On the first day, the training will begin with the trainer explaining what Kaizen is all about. Then the group will spend some time introducing each other. There will not be more than three sessions per day. In the beginning, the sessions must be used to impart information about the present status of the company. Gradually, the trainees will be told about what the company intends to do to bring about a turnaround and what is expected from each employee to bring about the progress. The sessions must be interspersed with lively but lesson producing games to highlight the importance of performing as a team and the role of each member in the team. Under improving efficiency, all the functions including company goals, means of achieving these goals, delegation of responsibilities, and rewards/penalties for outstanding performance/below average performance will be covered. Customer satisfaction is achieved by understanding the customer's problems and difficulties and solving them promptly. Sometimes there will be the need to coordinate with different people and departments in order to address customer's concerns. All these must be wrapped up within the working day. The learning objectives for achievement of target rest with each indi... The learning objectives for achievement of target rest with each individual employee doing his job qualitatively and quantitatively. There must be special focus on improving as an individual employee and also as a team. This is achieved by encouraging innovations and open communication. For each group of employees that will need training, what are the organizational constraints that need to be addressed in the design of the training What design features should be used to address these constraints Be sure to address both the learning and transfer of training issues. The organizational constraints are issues that come in the way of achieving targets. These are issues like loss of man-days, absenteeism, communication problems, and ego problems. They can also be constraining issues the company is forced to follow due to its own policies or policies/statutory requirements enforced by law. These can be explained to the employees in one of the training sessions. To begin, each trainee must diligently attend each session. The trainees must actively participate in the discussions and games. Case 2 - Strategic Planning at Multistate Health Corporation (MHC) In the implementation of the HRPS, what groups of employees are likely to need training Think of this from a training design perspective and from a training content perspective. The senior level management and everyone else below need training. MHC's present management status is a disaster. The rot begins at the top. The training to stem the rot and bring about transformation must also begin at the topmost level. The training for the middle level management and the management and staff below the middle level can be addressed as a matter of course. For the type of training you envision for each group, what are the

Sleeping beauty and the enchanted Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Sleeping beauty and the enchanted - Essay Example On the other hand, this paper posits that with regard to the way the two heroines faced life and their problems, in 'Sleeping Beauty' Aurora was more a passive character whose fate was decided by the protection of the people who love her and the contrasting evil intentions of the witch Maleficent, whereas in 'Enchanted' Giselle, though thrust into a modern world against her will and in a passive sense as well, was an active participant in the shaping of her future and destiny. The paper develops this latter comparison and contrast of the passive versus active engagement of the world as represented by Aurora and Giselle respectively (IMDb; IMDb (b)). II. Discussion There is a way to view 'Enchanted' as a modern version of 'Sleeping Beauty'. For one, both heroines in the two movies, Aurora and Giselle, were pursued by witches and both were the subject of assassination attempts by those witches. In 'Sleeping Beauty' the witch is Maleficent, who cursed Aurora to die on her 16th birthday by through a prick on the Princess' finger. In 'Enchanted' on the other hand Narissa wished to kill Giselle through the poisoned apples that she asked Nathaniel to give to the young princess. In the end the two witches would turn into dragons to try and slay the princes and prevent the heroines to be with the men that they love. Both are pure in heart and innocent too. In 'Enchanted' we see that Giselle had a pure heart, demonstrated by her total lack of concern for money, the purity of her belief in true love, the way she was able to command the rodents and the vermin of New York, and her genuine concern for the couple whose divorce Robert was overseeing. Her positive effect on the couples separating, as well as her positive effect on Morgan and Robert, also testify to Giselle's good vibes and pure spirit and intentions. Meanwhile, In 'Sleeping Beauty' we see Aurora also growing up under the shelter of the three good fairies who tried to protect her, and the purity of her person ca n be gleaned from the way he was able to identify the love of her life Phillip from just one meeting. Then too we see the purity of their persons and their hearts from the way they were awoken from their sleep and freed from the evil spells of the witches that pursued them, by the kiss of their true love. There is something pure and potent about this love, that corresponded with the love and the purity that was in the two heroines as well. Love was the lock that was required to wake up the love that was found in them as well. The correspondence spoke of what was in the hearts of the two heroines. Indeed, except for some minor changes in the plot, such as Giselle ending up in New York instead of the woods, and of having the father and daughter pair of Robert and Morgan for company instead of the three fairies of Aurora, one can say that the lives and the way the stories unfolded for the two heroines share many very similar threads, highlights and milestones. The two also would end up happily ever after in the end, with Aurora in the company of the love of his life and the person who saved her from the sleep, and Giselle in the company of Robert and Morgan (IMDb; IMDb (b)). On the other hand, there are differences too in the lives and the general nature of the

Macbeth and Free

Macbeth and Free Will Essay In Desiderius Erasmus’s Defense of Free Will, he refutes Martin Luther’s creed that God predestines everyone’s lives and instead asserts that man alone possesses the power to choose his own path to either salvation or damnation. The play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, raises similar questions – did the protagonist, Macbeth, willingly choose to commit such atrocities as killing the king and his court to feed his own ambition, or did he merely play the role of a pawn, performing that which fate bade him do? Amid much controversy over this issue, evidence both in Erasmus’s critical essay and in the play itself affirms that Macbeth cognitively decides to act as he does in the play, confirming Erasmus’s perspective and suggesting that people have the ability to dictate their own fate through their thoughts, decisions, and actions. Through his interpretation of the Old and New Testaments in the Bible, Erasmus writes in favor of free will over predestination, a concept that, when applied to the character Macbeth, raises questions about the motives behind his detestable actions. In his essay, Erasmus explores the â€Å"power of the human† (46) to â€Å"turn away from what leads to eternal salvation† (46). According to this opinion, Macbeth makes a conscious choice to pursue a life of crime and sin, instead of simply following his fate. Macbeth’s plea that the â€Å"stars hide [their] fires† (1. 4. 57) so that â€Å"light [would not] see [his] black and deep desires† (1. 4. 58) indicates that Macbeth remains aware that his â€Å"wicked, rebellious will† (Erasmus, 48) lies within himself, and he fears the consequences of his sinful deeds. This very fear of punishment reflects the existence of free will in Macbeth as Erasmus inquires, â€Å"why [should God] curse me, when I sinned through necessity? † (47). Macbeth’s clear understanding of the evil that he plans to commit and his fear of divine punishment suggest that characters in Macbeth choose their actions as opposed to following their destiny. Macbeth’s evil actions, however, are not completely driven by an inherent evil nature; although he does have free will in the play, he becomes a slave to his ruthless ambition because of his own moral weakness. As Erasmus writes, â€Å"there are certain seeds of goodness planted in men’s minds† (50), although â€Å"the will is perhaps more inclined to evil than to good† (50). In other words, everyone possesses both good and bad within them, and it is up to the individual person to â€Å"[turn themselves] towards, or away from, faith† (48-9). Macbeth’s apparently latent moral code surfaces occasionally throughout the first act in his moments of wavering in his violent resolve; he tells Lady Macbeth that they â€Å"will proceed no further in this business† (1.7. 34) in one of the scenes preceding the murder. However, the manipulative Lady Macbeth must only mention that which Macbeth desires and question his masculinity to crush Macbeth’s good side and force it to submit to his evil ambition. The ease with which Lady Macbeth extinguishes Macbeth’s doubt of the evil plan highlights Macbeth’s weakness for his ambition. Macbeth becomes a slave not to the devil, but instead to the very evil that resides within himself. Neither heaven nor hell predetermines Macbeth’s actions in the play; it is in fact his inability to compromise his ruthless ambition that ultimately forces him into crime. He chooses to sin of his own accord, and therefore faces his final punishment that sets the world back in order at the end of the tragedy. Through their individual works, Shakespeare and Erasmus imply that humans have free will to determine their own actions, and only the strongest of heart will succeed in accomplishing the work of God.

Urdu and Free

Urdu and Free Encyclopedia Page Essay Premchands parents died young his mother when he was seven and his father while he was fourteen and still a student. Premchand was left responsible for his stepmother and step-siblings. Early in life, Premchand faced immense poverty. He earned five rupees a month tutoring a lawyers child. He was married at the early age of fifteen but that marriage failed, later he married again, to Shivrani Devi, a balavidhava (child widow), and had several children. She supported him through life struggles. Premchand passed his matriculation (//simple. wiktionary. rg/wiki/matriculation) exam with great effort in 1898, and in 1899 he took up school-teaching job, with a monthly salary of eighteen rupees. In 1919 he passed his B. A. Page 2 of 4 When asked why he does not write anything about himself, he answered: What greatness do I have that I have to tell anyone about? I live just like millions of people in this country; I am ordinary. My life is also ordinary. I am a poor school teacher suffering family travails. During my whole lifetime, I have been grinding away with the hope that I could become free of my sufferings. But I have not been able to free myself from suffering. What is so special about this life that needs to be told to anybody? . During his last years,he became terribly ill. The money his wife used to give for his treatment was used in running his press The Saraswati. He was also writing a book Mangalsutra which would never be completed. All this had serious impact on his health leading to his early death on 8th October 1936, at the age of 56. [1] Writing style The main characteristic of Premchands writings is his interesting story-telling and use of simple language. His novels describe the problems of the rural peasant classes. He avoided the use of highly Sanskritized Hindi (as was the common practice among Hindi writers), and also Spanish language Literary works Premchand has written about 300 short stories, several novels as well as many essays and letters. He has also written some plays. He also did some translations. Many of Premchands stories have been translated into English and Russian. Godaan (The Gift of a Cow), his last novel, is considered the finest Hindi novel of all times. [2] The hero, Hori, a poor peasant, desperately longs for a cow, a symbol of wealth and prestige in rural India. Hori gets a cow but pays with his life for it. After his death, the village priests demand a cow from his widow to bring his soul to peace.

Investigation And Evaluation Of Two Organizations Management Essay

Investigation And Evaluation Of Two Organizations Management Essay Marks and Spencers is one of the major British retailer companies. It has over 895 stores all over the world in more than 40 countries. marks and spencers have over 600 domestic stores and 295 international stores. marks and spencers is the UKs largest clothing retailer and a high end food retailer. marks and spencers is the worlds 43rd largest retailer. It sells clothes, food and wine, furniture, flowers and gifts and electronic products. It has made a pretax profit of over 1 billion  £ in 1998. They were the first British retailer to achieve such target. This clearly indicates that marks and spencers is a retail giant and has been an undisputed leader in the retail sector as far as the United Kingdom market is concerned. It has also proved itself in the international retail market and plans to expand its business in more directions and covering newer international market. Marks and Spencer was founded by Michael Marks and Thomas Spencer in 1894 as their first store in partnership at Cheetham Hill Road, Manchester. They made their reputation on a policy of only selling British made goods in 20th century. This was something extremely new in the market and hoped to capitalize on the buyers sense of belongingness to UK They sold food and clothes under the â€Å"St. Michael† brand which they introduced in 1928. They are also repudiated for having the most generous 35 days return policy on the British High Street. By 1950 almost all the goods were sold under â€Å"St. Michael†, women clothes and uniforms of girls were under â€Å"St. Margaret† label until the whole thing became â€Å"St. Michael†. The Asian food was introduced as the beginning of the cautious international expansion. Marks and Spencer opened stores in Europe in 1975 and in Ireland in 1979. This was a calculated step as Asian food was gaining popularity in the wes t and also the inflow of Asians in the western countries was on an upswing. This idea clicked and the company made huge returns. The company is known for emphasizing quality and offering fair value for money. marks and spencers has been a historic iconic retailer of British Quality goods. marks and spencers is aware of the fact that a solid and consistent growth is only guaranteed if it maintains its standards and delivers the best quality at the most reasonable rates. Being retail oriented company; customer satisfaction is of utmost importance and marks and spencers ensured it by healthy customer relations and most importantly provided post sales services to its customers In 1973 the company expanded in Canada. At a point they had 47 stores there. But they had never been able to improve their as a dull retailer. In late 90s efforts were made to improve and unprofitable locations were closed, but it wasnt successful. So they had to close the remaining stores in 1999.In 1975 they expanded in France by opening the stores in Paris. Paris being the worlds fashion capital, there was already stiff competition and it made it tough for Marks and Spencer to survive in such highly competitive environment. Except for Paris the European operation did not fare and the stores were sold in 2001.The Company acquired Brooks Brothers and Kings Super Markets in US but they were sold off. Several factors like these combined to threw Marks and Spencer into a heavy fall in 1997/98, which took everybody by surprise. These were the results of some bad decisions taken by Marks and Spencer which resulted in downfall of the company. The companys share fell by 70% approx. and its profits degraded from 1 billion to 145 million  £ at the end of 2001.In 2001 there were changes in their business focus. They started accepting credit cards and a new range of clothes was introduced. They also redesigned their business model. This resulted in some recovery but the problem still remained. In 2004 there was an attempt to take over marks and spencers by Bhs boss, Philip Green and Arcadia group. In Feb. 2007, marks and spenc ers announced to open worlds largest Marks and Spencer store at Dubai festival city. This surely turned out to be an intelligent move as Dubai is slowly becoming the trade capital of the world. Dubai, which is the most popular emirate of UAE, is now one of the hottest destinations for shopping, trading and travel and tourism industry. The high end Zendra Rhodes Collection was introduced in late 2009. PERFORMANCE: Marks and Spencer is listed on LSE (London stock Exchange) as a constituent of FTSE 100. Here is Year/Net Profit plot for Marks and Spencer. From the above data we can conclude that There was a heavy fall in 1998. In year 2001 the profits were very low only  £ M 2.8. There was some recovery in 2003-04 but they were still facing problem. From 2006 to 2008 there is some improvement. There is a significant decline in 2009. BRITISH HOME STORES (Bhs): â€Å"British home stores† is a departmental store chain in Britain which have branches in high street locations. They are primarily selling clothing and household items such as bed linen, cutlery, crockery and lighting. Now they have also started selling furniture etc. Bhs competes on value and quality. They are targeting at lesser part of the population as compared to John Lewis and Marks and Spencer. They have over 186 stores all over UK. The company is listed on LSE (London stock Exchange) as a constituent of FTSE 100 and is currently owned by Sir. Philip Green. HISTORY: In 1928 the first shop of Bhs opened in Brixton. They copied the business model of United Kingdom arm of US based FW Woolworth in that the price of goods was at max 1 shilling. In 1929 the maximum price was increased to 5 to enable the company for expanding the range of products. This includes furnishing and drapery. Bhs became Public company in 1931. After World War II selling based on price was stopped and goods with value and quality to money have been started to be offered. Bhs started expanding in 1970-80. They also opened the stores in indoor shopping malls. In 1977 they launched a joint venture with the firm â€Å"Sainsburys† to create hyper markets using SavaCentre brand. Sainsburys took control of the whole brand in 1989 and converted all the stores. There was a downturn in business in 1980s which was tried to be fought with the reconstruction of the stores and high profit margins selling. Bhs had to close its overseas stores during these times. In 1985 they opened fi rst franchise store. Such stores now operate in Europe and Middle east. There was a merger between Bhs, Habitat and Motherhouse. In mid 90s the brand went under reinvention under the guidance of retail design house 20:20.In May 2000 Philip Green took over Bhs (for  £ 200 million) and changed the company from public to private (ltd). In May 2005 Philip Green bought Etam UK (which included good girls fashion retailers). To improve Bhs girls perception as a whole the stand alone brands were integrated into Bhs.On Feb 27 2009, the company announced its merger with sister company Arcadia. Performance: The current condition of Bhs is not good. It is owned by Philip Green. Marks and Spencers performance is at present much better than Bhs. The growth is slow in retail market. To have a major growth you have to steal your rivals sales. Hence the gain of marks and spencers is resulting in Bhs loss. Philip Green is implementing cost cutting programs to increase the margin. There is a scope of improvement for others here. Cost pricing in this sector is continuously increasing because of the increase in energy and utility prices which accounts for  £ 12 million fall for Bhs. For revitalizing of the brand Green is investing at least  £ 100m and if he pulls this one out next time we will be discussing about marks and spencers slow recovery. Task 2: QUESTIONAIRE: The questionnaire has the questions on the following fields for evaluating the performance of both companies: Product design Shelf price Brand image Advertising Product range Shelf space Logistics Information and Customer relationships The answering of the questions has to be done on interval level. Questions specifically meant for staff members are marked as (SM). Rest can be answered by all. QUESTIONS: A) Product design: 1) How is the efficiency of the product designing process? (SM) bad excellent 2) Which product generation method is preferred? (SM) Based on idea Based on need 3) How good are solution designing and production methods? (SM) Poor Excellent B) Shelf price: 1) How is spending at each level of production handling and distribution? (SM) Very less just right Very high C) Brand image: 1) Which brand is more preferable? marks and spencers Bhs D) Advertising 1) How much does the firm spent on the marketing? (SM) very less just right Very high 2) Which brands advertisement is more enlightening about the product? marks and spencers Bhs E) Product range 1) Which brand has wider variety of products to choose from? marks and spencers Bhs 2) Which brand fulfills the better product requirement? marks and spencers Bhs F) Shelf space 1) Which brand has better stores? marks and spencers Bhs 2) Which brand store is easily reachable? marks and spencers Bhs G) Logistics 1) How good is the flow of goods, resources and information in the company? (SM) Poor Excellent H) Information and Customer relationships 1) Which brands store provide better information about the product? marks and spencers Bhs 2) Which brands customer service is more satisfactory? marks and spencers Bhs Statistical output: Output stats after a survey of 150 persons. Result interpretations of the survey: Product design process of Bhs is more efficient than that of marks and spencers . Idea based product generation is preferred more in Bhs, whereas it is almost balanced in marks and spencers . Shelf pricing efficiency of Bhs is much better than that of marks and spencers . marks and spencers brand is more preferable as compared to Bhs. Advertising marks and spencers spent more on Advertising. Product range marks and spencers have wider variety of products. Shelf space of marks and spencers is slightly better than Bhs. Logistics of Bhs are better than marks and spencers (there is not much difference). Information and Customer relationships: Customers are more satisfied with marks and spencers as compared to Bhs. CONCLUSION: From the result of the above survey and from the information collected from the various other resources we can conclude that: marks and spencers s (Marks and Spencer) is a much bigger company as compared to Bhs. marks and spencers have over 695 stores whereas Bhs only have over 185 stores. marks and spencers s net profits and turnovers are much higher than those of Bhs. Marks and Spencer can invest into more number of ventures and more capital which is generated by its huge network round the globe. marks and spencers is more famous and older brand as compared to Bhs. marks and spencers operations are more widespread as compared to Bhs. marks and spencers s targeted customers are much larger than those of Bhs. marks and spencers usually targets high end customers whereas Bhs do not. Product range of marks and spencers is much higher than that of Bhs. Customers prefers marks and spencers over Bhs. However, the internal operations, functions and working of Bhs are more coordinated better and efficient than that of the marks and spencers . This can prove beneficial to the company in the long run and this can result in Bhs having more output to input ratio as the system is more efficient. ROCOMMENDATIONS: From our current analysis I can say that Bhs has improved its internal structure to its maximum. There is a need to revitalize the plans, if that is successful then there is a good chance that Bhs might improve to the required level. However, marks and spencers have scope of improvement in its internal structure which will bring significant change in its profit margin. Currently marks and spencers have better hold of market but if they can side by side update their structure then they can avoid majority of the downfalls they face. References: Marks Spencer (n.d.). Retrieved on May 6, 2010, from http://www.marksandspencer.com/ (Marks Spencer) Modern living made easy (n.d.). Retrieved on May 6, 2010, from http://www.bhs.co.uk/ (Modern living made easy) How to begin your survey design project. (n.d.). Retrieved on May 6, 2010, from http://www.surveysystem.com/sdesign.htm (How to design your survey design project.) Bhs results in investment and retail sector. (n.d.). Retrieved on May 6, 2010, from http://www.moneyweek.com/articles/money-morning/why-bhs-could-be-just-the-start-of-retail-sector-woes.aspx (Bhs results in investment and retail sector.)

Free Essays - Ozymandias by Percy Shelley :: Ozymandias Essays

Ozymandias by Percy Shelley Daniel 4:37: "Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down." Shelley tells us about this statue of the great King Ozymandias, and engraved on his pedestal reads: "My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings, Look on my Works, ye Mighty and despair!" We read that passage and immediately think of the arrogance and pride that this man must of had. "Look on my Works, ye Mighty and despair!" Works is capitalized as if it deserved reverence and awe. Shelley also tells us that this great statute has been shattered: "Two vast and trunkless legs of stone stand in the desart. . . . . Near them, on the sand Half sunk a shattered visage lies," So we imagine these pair of legs on a pedestal in the middle of a desert and look to the ground to find the rest of the sculpture shattered into pieces. We read the engraving on the pedestal and look around to see his works so that we can "despair" and we find that "Nothing beside remains. Round the decay Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare The lone and level sands stretch far away." I can't help but laugh at the whole situation. Nature has smitten man. Nature won out in the end. Man tried to build a huge empire and then mocked all of natures work and even asks that all "despair" because who could beat his work. Nature has in the end won out and we sit and laugh with nature as Ozymandias's face is in the ground, shattered with a frown half sunken in sand. Nature's arrogance is also evident too though. Nature destroyed man's Work and leaves us the pedestal to read. Nature kept the pedestal as a sign for all of us: "My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings, Look on my Works, ye Mighty and despair." Now replace the name Ozymandias with Nature. "My name is Nature, King of Kings, Look on my Works, ye Mighty and despair." We can replace Ozymandias with Nature because Nature won out in the end. Nothing that Ozymandias accomplished survived. Nature survived and destroyed all that man had done.

War from the 16th Century to the Invention of Gunpowder Essay -- Artil

War from the 16th Century to the Invention of Gunpowder The invention of the powerful artillery guns would change man’s role in warring engagements. The artillery guns at first were very limited by their own design. The guns were very heavy and had to be transported by water, which meant that only towns and fortresses that were close to a body of water could be attacked with artillery also known as the cannon. There were also some fortresses that were impervious to the early cannon attacks based on strong designs or natural defenses. The French were able to penetrate the round shaped castles and large walls during the late 1400s by using concentrated fire of several small guns instead of a few large ones. A new design of smaller walls that were built in uneven lines, like a star shape, was implemented to strengthen the area called crownworks or hornworks. Other modifications of new designs included lower and thicker walls, gun towers that projected at an angle, intervals of guns for fields of fire, wide and deep ditches, and pillboxes. Of course with the new design of castles came new ways to attack. Some effective ways to attack these castles, but also rare ways to attack, were by surprise, by storm, or by treachery. The most common way to attack the castles were long term engagements that consisted of either surrounding the castle or getting in close enough that the castles guns would be ranged over the position. The long-term methods consisted of starving out the population, forcing surrender, or by mining and bombardment from close range. The use of firepower also began to put an end to the use of headlong charges and hand-to-hand combat during the Renaissance years. The differences between firearms and the bow were obscene at the beginning of the rifle’s evolution. An archer could accurately hit a target at lengths of 200 meters and discharge ten arrows a minute, whereas the arquebus, or rifleman, only had accuracy at 100 meters and took several minutes to reload. Although the new weapons at primacy did not have the accuracy or the range of the bow, the Italians immediately implemented them into their arsenals. The greatest advantage of the early rifles was that the weapon could be mastered in a matter of months, but it could take up to ten years to master the bow. Eventually the muskets overtook the battlefield, replacing t... ...rength of China laid in the overwhelming amounts of personnel serving in the armed forces. Japan made quick use of the new weapons, but concentration was not focused on rapid reloading. The Japanese put more training into accuracy and developed the volley in order to maintain a succession of well-aimed shots. The castles of Japan were also modified to sustain against any type of horizontal attack. The walls were built in front of the hills and backed strongly by the earth. Once stability was restored the Japanese empire began a phase of demilitarization by outlawing guns, tearing down fortifications of defeated enemies, and forbidding books concerning military matters. In both empires of the Far East, sieges were made by mass assaults, mining, or blockades rather than by bombardment. WORKS CITED Parker, Geoffrey. The Military Revolution: Military Innovation and the Rise of the West 1500-1800. (Cambridge, United Kingdom:Cambridge University Press, 1996). Chap 1-4 Preston, Richard A., Alex Roland, and Sydney F. Wise. Men In Arms: A History of Warfare and its interrelationships With Western Society. (Belmont, California:Wadsworth/ Thomson Learning, 2001). Chap 8

The Passion of Mountain Bikes :: Mountain Bikes Transportation Essays

The Passion of Mountain Bikes   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It has been a decade in the making, but the mountain bike has become a passion for many people. Along with this passion it has also become the most environmental way to get from point A to B. It has gone through a very intense evolution process over the past decade.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It all started with some guys from California who took their bikes out for a ride on their day off, they modified their bikes and turned a hobby of theirs into a worldwide phenomenon. The mountain bike's rapid increase in popularity was influenced by social and economic situations, and by technological improvements that had the needs of bike riders in mind. The introduction of the mountain bike at a bike convention in Long Beach, California, early in the 1980's coincided with the need for a bike that combined technical superiority, ease of care, and multipurpose use.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Technological advances came extremely fast after it's introduction into the world. The advances have made riding mountain bikes easier, which makes it possible for the rider to explore new terrain. I hope that this report will be able to provide some information on the subject of mountain bikes and the advances in technology that the bike has gone through, and what might be in the future of the mountain bike.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The road bike has taken more than a hundred years to evolve into the frame that it is being used on todays bicycle. Because of the increasingly popularity of the mountain bike the demand for advances to be made have come very rapidly.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The evolution of the mountain bike has been a stormy one over the past decade. Within one decade the design has changed radically; this is due to three reasons. First , because geometry and design were copied from the first "Stone- Age bikes"; second, because off-road riding created different problems ; and third, because innovative frame design mirrored the "spirit of the times": young, new, dynamic, and strong. The off-road bike required extra stability. Frame   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is important to know the basic frame geometry and how to measure it. The combination of tube length and angle determines not only the maneuverability of the bike, but also determines the seating position and the transfer of power. Variances of 1 ° of the headset angle, or a 1' (2cm) difference in the distance between the rear-wheel axle and the center of the bottom bracket, can have very serious consequences. Frame Geometry   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The basic elements of frame geometry are: A- Height of the seat tube; B- Length of the top tube; C- Seat-tube angle; D- Headset-tube angle; E- Trail, F-

Is Love Worth Preserving Essay

Is love Worth Preserving Love is a universal feeling or emotion and every human on earth throughout history has experienced in one form or the other. Many plays, drama or stories are surrounded by betrayal, hurt; pain, trials, triumphs, wars, passion, forgiveness, commitment and romance. However In the play â€Å"Sakuntala and The Ring of Recollection† this is a perfect example of what seems to be a more dramatic courtship tragedy. The story portrays romance between king Dusyanta and a sage’s daughter Sakuntala both strive to meet and reconcile the conflicting objectives of Indian life; the struggle to balance the need for power and hierarchy with undeniable feelings of passion. King Dusyanta while hunting in forest happens meet the most perfect and organic of all women his ever seen; Sakuntala a beautiful young lady living in a hermitage in the forest. King Dusyanta overwhelmed with Feelings and love, so strong that he desired sakuntala as a wife immediately ignoring his royal duties as king. The king courts her and marries her in a simple ceremony witnessed only by sakuntala’s friends. The king promised to return by offering a ring to signify his commitment. Then Dusyanta leaves for his capital to attend to his royal duties, with the understanding that he will soon return to and take Sakuntala with him for a proper ceremony. Unfortunately, Sakuntala, lost in thoughts of king Dusyanta fails to take notice of Sage Durvasa who comes visiting the hermitage. Angered by this, Durvasa puts a curse on sakuntala that the person she is thinking about will forget her completely. The only remedy to make Dusyanta remember Sakuntala and their marriage is to show him the ring that he had given to Sakuntala. Sakuntala now must go to Dusyanta and show him the ring so that he will again remember her. But unfortunately the ring she is carrying with her fall into a river on her way to Dusyanta and cannot be retrieved. Thus when Sakuntala faces Dusyanta he is unable to recall her. All her pleadings with Dusyanta and efforts to remind him are ineffective in bringing back memories of his commitment. Sakuntala has no alternative but to return. By series of chances the ring that fell in river was found by a fisherman and then presented to Dusyanta, through these he remembers all the past event forgotten. But it is too late by then. Dusyanta is not able to find Sakuntala, who has moved to some other place and has given birth in the meantime to a son, who is named Bharat. Many years later when Bharat is still a child, Dusyanta happens to firs see Bharat playing with a lion cob and then meets Sakuntala and reunited Sakuntala ring of recollection presents the audience with two characters who begin as reasonably autonomous beings but who gradually compromise aspects of their identities in order to complement one another. In doing so, the author suggests that every individual is incomplete without a partner, and he depicts the ideal male and female characters during India’s classical age. Works Cited David, Damrosch, and David L. Pike. The longman Anthopology of world literature, volume A; Sakuntala and the Ring of Recollection. The Ancient world, second edition.

Liberal education Essay

According to Perry, the aim of a liberal education is for one to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to make informed and reasonable decisions. Any other consequences should be treated as merely incidental. He explains that the first means to this end is through the simple gaining of knowledge by memorization of certain key facts, such as the periodic table. This is often necessary, and should not be avoided, but too often it is seen as synonymous with learning. In his essay, â€Å"Examsmanship and the Liberal Arts: A Study in Educational Epistemology,† William G. Perry, Jr. uses the term â€Å"cow† to describe â€Å"writing on the assumption that `a fact is a fact.’ †¦ presenting evidence of hard work as a substitute for understanding†¦Ã¢â‚¬  while using the somewhat more traditional term â€Å"bull† to mean deception as to the presence of actual data. I definitely agree with Perry’s opinion on what education should foster, the purpose of education is to enable students to learn for themselves, not to spoon-feed them every fact they will ever need in their lives. Current day teachers have a huge influence on how education is nurtured. I believe that the problem nowadays is that many teachers feel a need to have students undergo the same thinking process as them, and to arrive at the same conclusion in the same way. Many teachers have made students hate reading because when asked about a certain aspect of the book, the teachers never really wanted to hear your thoughts but rather, what they thought it was. Because of this, one finds many students lacking the ability to think for themselves. The students get in the mindset of â€Å"what would the teacher want me to say†. The â€Å"cows† are unable to look beneath the bare facts in order to understand why something has taken place. Not only do they lack imagination, they lack the ability to truly think. Therefore, one would be robbing himself of his education and soul. Unfortunately, this approach to learning is held by many, both students and teachers. Education should encourage students to learn how to make connections between facts, and give them the ability to use this process throughout life.

Beowulf compare and contrast essay Essay

Any cinematic rendition of a popular book, epic, or legend would, undoubtedly, bring about various inconsistencies and differences from the original. In fact, the main point of using two different kinds of media such as writing and cinematography would make it difficult for the messages, the metaphor, and even the style to be delivered as compared from the original into the rendition. In fact, considering that the work that is being considered down his Beowulf — the original Anglo-Saxon epic and the 2007 film rendition — where in it is not even a direct prose literary style but rather constructed with the structure of poetry, and an epic one at that, would provide a force various difficulties. One significant difference between the two works is that the original Beowulf, being an Anglo-Saxon poetic legend, relies heavily on form and meter in order to deliver not only its message but it’s overall effect of legend. Traditionally, epic poems were used as a literary device in order to deliver a message while at the same time making it easy for the memorizing oral tradition as compared to a straight written prose which would be difficult to memorize for its listeners (Puhvel, 1979). Therefore, in Beowulf, the original epic, many monsters and other mythological characters were identified in order for the work to be easily associated to memory. However, in the movie producing 2007, only a few monsters – including Grendel, the Demones, and the Dragon were identified explicitly. However, a specific similarity that could be found between the two works in which the modern rendition and movie had respected from the original epic Beowulf is that it followed the three battle structure that was originally intended into oral and written traditions of the area the first battle was between Beowulf and Grendel — effect of the captured in the movie in the scene of the battle in the tavern. However, the second battle, between Grendel’s mother and Beowulf was not essentially highlighted in the movie but rather focused on internal rather than an external battle from the protagonist and hero of the film. The third battle, on the other hand, was highly specified and indicated in the film together with several animated special effects that were important to highlight the gravity and height of the final battle in judging the characters overall character and in uncovering the most important aspect of the legend — which is to inspire awe and wonder. However, yet another difference that the film failed to indicate is that Beowulf actually comes into specific kinds of classification. The first is between the three battles that were encountered by the protagonists which we have already discussed above. However, in actual Beowulf epic — may be from the written or oral tradition — there is also another structure which is highlighted by the funeral rites with each character’s funeral highlighting an essential aspect and metaphor for the story (Robinson, 1985). However, perhaps the movie would have been too complicated both with respect to metaphor and the lack of action sequence if this structure was used. Definitely, there were similarities and differences between the film and the actual epic, although it would only be expected because the two mediums are significantly different from each other and more importantly, were created and popularized in two extremely different timelines and targeted towards different audiences. References: Puhvel, M. (1979). Beowulf and Celtic tradition. Wilfrid Laurier University Press. Robinson, F. C. (1985). Beowulf and the appositive style. University of Tennessee Press Knoxville.

Why is it difficult to define a “new social movement”?

When one thinks of â€Å"new social movements† (NSM's) it is fair to say that a number of images may spring into peoples' minds. To some, Swampy chaining himself to a tree will automatically be imagined, for others, they may think of the anti-globalisation protests in Seattle or on the streets of London. The fact is that both of these ideas come under this broad title and it is for that reason that it can de difficult to define exactly what is meant by an NSM. This essay will attempt to address why NSM's have come into existence, which sections of society choose to become involved and how these groups operate. Having done this, the essay will then attempt to show why defining an NSM is problematic. It is fair to say that most people who choose to participate in NSM's do so because they feel that conventional politics does not or has not dealt with the issues that they feel are important. It is, therefore, the aim of the NSM's to highlight these issues and bring them to the attention of either the politicians or the general public in the hope that government policy will adopt a different strategy. It has been said that â€Å"one repeated motif in the discussion of new social movements is the view that they are, in contrast to older movements, primarily social or cultural in nature and only secondary, if at all, political. † (Scott, 1990:16). What Alan Scott is saying here is that the main ideas behind social movements are the attempts to change the way society exist as a whole and not necessarily the way people view their politics. Being part of a social movement is not just a way of thinking; it is a belief in a certain ideal that transcends all aspects of your life. In this way, it can be said that NSM's are expressive in their views as opposed to political parties, who are instrumental. An NSM is not necessarily motivated by achieving a pre-set goal but by the belief itself. This is one reason that can explain why members or ‘adherents' of social movements are fully prepared to make self-sacrifices, such as imprisonment, for their cause. One important ramification of this is that the adherents to social movements are prepared to step outside the law to achieve their goals. This creates a very serious dilemma for governments because if people are prepared to act illegally then the threat of legal action will not act as a deterrent. In other words, if people have a strong enough will then in the end, there is nothing to stop them. As Russell Dalton and Manfred Kuechler wrote â€Å"the new social movement approach claims that many NSM's intentionally remain outside the institutionalized framework of government. † (Dalton et al. , 1990:14). The NSM's prefer to remain in this position to avoid being forced to compromise their goals. What this suggests is that NSM's actively promote criminal behaviour and rationalize it by saying that it is for a good cause. However, in a survey conducted by Alan Marsh in 1977, it was found that 55 per cent of the people questioned believed that â€Å"it is justified to break the law to protest about something you feel may be very unjust or harmful. † (Byrne, 1997:4). Although these activities are illegal, the majority of people are prepared to act as such anyway. This illustrates the complications that arise when one tries to define NSM's. On the one hand, you could say that they choose to be troublemakers, committing crimes and illegal protests, but on the other hand, you see that in fact a substantial proportion of the population shares their views on the appropriate course of action. A major difficulty with trying to define NSM's is to distinguish with what exactly we are dealing. What is meant by this is what sort or group of people or section of society do we class as a new social movement? For example, we would class feminists and green activists as social movements but this also leads to difficulty in defining what an NSM actually is. In terms of ideology, feminists and green activists have little in common yet they would both fall into the category of NSM's. A very extreme example of this is the Al' Queida terrorist network and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND). These two groups could not be more different if they tried but to a certain extent they can both be classed as social movements. On the one hand, you have the CND, an organisation at the heart of the Peace Movement, whose â€Å"supporters have employed tactics which extend from serious academic work on the probable effects of nuclear warfare, to mass demonstrations, and to a wide variety of non-violent direct action. † (Byrne, 1997:11). On the other hand, you have the Al' Queida terrorist network, the alliance responsible for the September 11th attack upon New York's World Trade Centre and the Pentagon. This group is responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent people – the CND, however, call for an end to weapons of mass destruction. How then can you class the Al' Queida terrorist network as a social movement? Its members are willing to step outside the conventional channels to achieve their goals. They are prepared to fight and die for their cause as long as by their death they have advanced towards their end goal – the destruction of the US. The Al' Queida is one extreme example of how an NSM can be described as irrational and unreasonable. Their adherents are not motivated by self-interest but by their unbreakable belief in the cause. They also seem to think that they are justified in breaking the law or ignoring any kind of conventional methods. Here we can see how defining a NSM can be made difficult. The spectrum when it comes to social movements is so diversified that it leads to problems in terms of what can and cannot be included. It is difficult to comprehend that two such different groups can be classified under the same heading. The Al' Queida terrorist network is, to a certain extent, an example of how NSM's choose to exist in terms of their structure. The Al' Queida exists with more recognizable members, such as Osama Bin Laden, but the fact remains that if he were to be captured or killed then that would have little effect on the remainder of the group. The adherents will still believe in their cause and they will still do all they can to realize their vision. Of course, this is a very extreme example of a NSM and when we look at more mainstream groups the structure is less militant but the basic ideas remain the same. On a whole, NSM's attempt to avoid the hierarchical approach of the conventional political parties and instead choose to opt for a more co-operative system. The CND is actually an example of how a structured organisation can exist within the informally organized Peace Movement. It is difficult to describe the structure of an NSM as even the word ‘structure' suggests some kind of organisation. Referring to NSM's as groups also causes problems as this suggests that there would be some kind of hierarchy when in fact, as Brand et al. suggest â€Å"New social movement theorists maintain that these groups prefer a decentralized, open, and democratic structure that is more in tune with the participatory tendencies of their supporters. † (Dalton et al. , 1990:13). It is clear that NSM's choose to steer away from creating any formal structure as to avoid becoming the political parties that they are attempting to influence. The structure of NSM's has strong links with their ideology. NSM's are inclined to believe more in a co-operative society where every person has his or her own personal space in which they have the right to exist and the right to choose how they wish to live their lives. This means that NSM's have no leaders as such due to the adherents wish to maintain a sense of autonomy. To many adherents of social movements it is important for them as individuals to maintain their rights to exist as they see fitting. The idea of autonomy is of great importance when trying to discuss NSM's and the fact that they demand various aspects of this autonomy adds weight to the arguments for difficulty with definition. The first aspect is personal autonomy. The idea that adherents have the social ‘space' to grow as individuals and develop their own views and ideas, as opposed to being limited by constraints placed upon them by society. An example of this sort of autonomy can be found when we look at the Women's movement of the early seventies. Here women were not only fighting for their sex as a whole but for their own personal right to equality within the male dominated system. The Women's movement is also a good example of the second aspect of autonomy: that of group autonomy. Here we can consider the issue of abortion and the rights of women. This issue can be evaluated on both levels: personal and as a group. On a personal level, the efforts of the movement mean that the choice is there and whichever path is chosen is not dictated by anyone other than the parties involved. The women's movement fought for the rights of all women to choose whether or not to have abortions so that no matter what background you come from or what religion you are, every woman has the right to choose. The third aspect of autonomy is described as the ‘autonomy of struggle', which is to say â€Å"the insistence that the movement and those it represents be allowed to fight their own corner without interference from other movements, and without subordinating their demands to other external priorities. † (Scott, 1990:20). We now see that this issue of autonomy is very important to NSM's. A social movement sees itself through its own rights and the rights of its adherents to live their lives in a certain fashion. This leads on to the idea of a social movement helping people to define themselves in terms of their place in society. This is prime example of how adherents differ to members of conventional political parties. A Conservative does not really have to make any concessions upon his or her lifestyle in order to be a member of the Conservative party but being an environmentalist is about a change in how one acts in general. What this illustrates is the argument that NSM's do not necessarily take action towards political reform but in fact towards social reform. One of the main elements that makes defining NSM's so difficult is who makes up the adherents of these movements. Over the last thirty years, there has been an increase in the so-called new politics but can this all being attributed to the uprising of the student movement or are the adherents far more diversified? As has already been mentioned, different people have different views on what they consider to be an NSM. Are we supposed to believe that all adherents are in fact longhaired, unwashed students who have nothing better to do with their time that form squatter camps and disrupt building work? The classical approach to NSM's suggests that most adherents turn to social movements due to relative deprivation. The idea that they are somehow incapable of participating in conventional politics so they choose NSM's as an alternative. However, when classicalists looked at the type of people involved in the civil rights movement in the US during the fifties and sixties, they found that it was not only the alienated black population that was involved but also the white middle class. The theory of ‘resource mobilization' was put forward as an alternative to the classical theory. Here, the authors of the theory believed that participation in NSM's was to do with resources. What ‘resources' mean is the availability of finances, office space and other intangible assets such as time and education. It suggests that there has been an evolution of the middle class to include people such as teachers and lecturers who have created a class not through economic wealth but through their knowledge and intelligence. The typical adherent to NSM's is far from the image of a tree-hugging extremist but is, in fact, a member of this new middle class, a technocrat. What are the reasons behind this? That is a hard question to answer but Ronald Inglehart suggested the theory of ‘post-materialism'. â€Å"Inglehart argues that the post-war generation have been socialized into such higher order or ‘post-material' values, and its this which motivates their support for social movements. † (Byrne, 1997:55). Here, the argument is that the people who choose to become involved in NSM's are those who feel that they have achieved all the material possessions that they can and are therefore, looking for some other kind of personal fulfillment. This theory holds a number of flaws, for example, how can Inglehart be sure that people would choose to become involved in social movements instead of charity work in their quest for personal fulfillment? Another problem arises when you try to quantify the level of material wealth that constitutes satisfaction and at which point the person decides to give up the search for more money. However, the fact remains that it has become more apparent over the years that it is this new middle class that is the typical adherents to the NSM's but it has not become clear why it is this group. The fact is that these new social movements choose to exist outside the conventional channels of politics. They do not have the same structure as the mainstream political parties as they are not supposed to be as such. They are an ideology that is followed through choice and lead to more extreme measures than usual politics to the extent that adherents make a lifestyle decision. The difficulty in defining NSM's comes from all aspects of their existence. The title of a social movement covers such a diverse range of beliefs and ideas that any kind of set rules will ultimately fail as no statement can be truly all-inclusive. Neither would NSM's want to be able to be defined as it goes against all the ideals for which they stand – the ideals of a hierarchy free alliance where the emphasis is on co-operation and not leadership. This statement itself causes problems, as it is a sweeping generalization of the group of social movements as a whole. The difficulties of defining new social movements appear because of the fact that no two movements or beliefs are exactly the same.

Critical analysis of Inescapably Me Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Critical analysis of Inescapably Me - Essay Example The title of the poem is in sync with the context of the poem as it hints about the action that takes place in the poem i.e. his desire to find escape and solace either in the form of death or in this life by winning his beloved’s affection. The poem is depicted in free verse which means that it does not follow a definitive rhyme pattern and the words are not rhythmic in their flow yet the readers observe an inherent rhythm and flow of the poet’s thoughts. It can be perceived that the poet’s style of writing follows the phenomenon of stream of consciousness i.e. one thought triggers a completely different or new thought. For example he starts off from talking about a clerk in a coffin shop in Hong Kong, which reminds him of a death or loss he has recently suffered, ultimately reminding him of his beloved Ley and his deeply ingrained feelings of love and care for her. Chan’s style of writing or the diction of the poem is very simple yet deep in meaning. By using easy language he encapsulates essence of meaning projecting the importance of love in an individual’s life which has the power of either making an individual the luckiest man alive or the unluckiest one depending on that person’s circumstances and fate. 2.2. ... Furthermore this life is a test where success or failure has the same result however love acts as a potion to make life seem more beautiful and enjoyable. The reference to the â€Å"coffin shop† as well as the last line of the poem where he says, â€Å"before Quentin buys those lead weights like shoes and throws himself off a bridge† (lines 29-30) both depict death. In the former’s case writer reflects on death as a natural process where eventually every individual is going to die. However towards the end the later lines can be perceived as a threat or a desire to die in order to end Quentin’s suffering and pain because otherwise this life is a living hell for him, from which he is unable to escape as the title also hints upon this reality i.e. â€Å"Inescapably Me†. The poet makes use of a variety of colors which adds an element of beauty to the context of the poem. Some of the colors which he uses in the poem include yellow, orange, peach and the checkered floor†. The yellow color symbolizes deterioration or sterility. While orange and peach are the colors of hope and prosperity however death engulfs the individual before he could relish in the bliss of contentment and happiness. The reference to Black and White color can be interpreted as the poets understanding of this transitory life where life is an amalgamation of good and bad happiness and sorrows and as he says in the poem as well that, â€Å"the rice wine poured on to the black-and-white checkered floor. Someone will mop it up later† (line 18) eventually everything comes to an end. 2.3. Allusions Chan in his poem refers to two literary allusions that is â€Å"Le Ballon Rouge† (Line 25) and â€Å"Achilles Heel† (line 10). â€Å"Le Ballon Rouge† is an

Discuss the view presented by Nasim and Sushil (2011) that managing Essay - 1

Discuss the view presented by Nasim and Sushil (2011) that managing change invariably involves managing paradoxes and in partic - Essay Example However, the most critical aspect of the adoption of such change is its management. The management of change in organizational culture poses multiple challenges for any organization. There are various scholars who have embarked on describing different concepts related to organizational culture. Sushil and Nasim highlighted that managing organizational culture involves the management of paradoxes, and more specifically the paradox of continuity and change. This paper will develop a critical argument from the idea posited by these two scholars. It has become evident that change is inevitable. Organizations face the urgency of adopting change, although the course of change presents new complexities. Apparently, only a third of all ventures aimed at fostering change are likely to succeed. The failure of two thirds of all projects seeking to foster change emphasizes the urgency of new strategies for managing change. However, different scholars have posited opinions on whether managing cha nge is a possibility (Collin, 2004:560). One school of thought opines that through management, it is possible to exert a form of control on organizational culture. A different group of scholars has highlighted that organizational culture change can only occur under certain conditions that act as preconditions for the change. The third school of thought is pessimistic concerning the potential of controlling cultural change through management. For these scholars, managing cultural change in an organization is an unlikely venture. Nasim and Sushil (2011:186) highlighted the numerous paradoxes that have been used by different scholars to describe organizational change. The term paradoxes in this context denote the contradictions surrounding organizational change. One of the described paradoxes is the arising debate on whether cultural change in an organization takes place in an orderly preplanned manner or just emerges depending on the prevailing environmental conditions. The planned vi ew of cultural change introduces the ideology that cultural change occurs in episodes that involve a shift from a fixed state to the next. However, this ideology has received a challenge from the perceived dynamism of change as defined by prevailing conditions. Other scholars view change as an incremental process that takes place under the orchestration of the executives in an organization. On the other hand, other scholars describe cultural change as a radical event (Currie and Brown, 2003:572). An additional paradox revolves around the focus of cultural change. Whereas some theorists view cultural change as a narrowed focus either on the context or process, there is the argument that cultural change occurs in a holistic approach that views all aspects comprehensively. In addition, there is a prevalent ideology that organizational culture change takes place on a macro scale. However, a counter opinion highlights that the organizational change occurs on a micro scale, which highligh ts a focus on individual perceptions. There is a surging debate on whether organizations should adopt an epistemological approach in reorganizing the management practices or whether they should shift focus to exploitation and exploration (Nasim, and Sushil, 2011:188). Beer and Nohria described the contradictions between the theoretical archetypes E and A that seek to explore the reasons behind organizational ch

Kosair Children's Hospital Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Kosair Children's Hospital - Assignment Example According to the discussion the hospital is heavily equipped with equipments and facilities to handle all child conditions. The physical facilities include beds, intensive care units, and cardiology equipments among many others. The facilities are well arranged in the hospital depending on the type of service they offer. They are also well arranged and put in records to ease access in emergency times. A perfect example is the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) which has a 97 bed capacity which are for intensive and critical care newborns, isolation rooms, private rooms for storage of beds and other valuables, Kids Kare which is a home settings for all the babies in need of long term care or those who are machine dependent as well as Pedway access between the hospital and Norton Hospital.From this paper it is clear that the hospital has a large patient or client base considering the fact that it offers medical attention to all children regardless of their parent’s ability to p ay for the medical expenses.   The hospital takes care of around 120,000 children per Annum, a large number which the hospital cannot take care in terms of finances and that is why it receives donations from the Children’s Hospital Foundation and other well wishers.  The hospital engages in numerous clinical activities which include child safety, nursing care, cardiology, allergy and immunology services, intensive care unit, surgical services among many other activities.

Discuss the perceptions of Amerindians in popular culture (literature, Essay

Discuss the perceptions of Amerindians in popular culture (literature, theater, TV, film,etc). with particular attention as to how this perception has changed over time - Essay Example The misconceptions and beliefs that people tend to carry as an integral part of their value system tend to influence a lot as to how the two races and cultures view and interact with eachother. The views and decisions arrived at on the basis of the stereotypical ethnographic perceptions of other cultures and races do give way to, too many misunderstandings and misconceptions. It goes without saying that the Amerindians have been the victims of such trends. To begin with the European-Americans heaped a generalized and collective identity on the Amerindians under the guise of a monolithic term ‘Indian’.2 Realistically speaking, the Amerindians never preferred themselves to be identified under a single umbrella identity. They rather preferred to be known more in terms of their tribes and ethnic beliefs. It was under the influence of such a generalized approach towards the Amerindians that they were more or less portrayed in a negative way by the European-Americans. The remnants of this belief system had a marked influence on the projection of the Amerindians in the future popular culture, be it the literature, cinema, or TV. Almost all the earlier Western Films portrayed the Amerindians as hopeless and stupid savages, who were unhygienic, immoral and illiterate and people who simply cannot be trusted by the Whites.3 Some of the recent films like Dances with Wolves did project the Amerindians as wise and humane. Yet, the iron y is that the perception of the Amerindians in such films is more or less patronizing, inaccurate and to a great extent superficial. However, in recent times, with the augmenting of interest in the Amerindian diversity and way of life, the popular culture perceptions pertaining to the Amerindians have started to get more realistic. The popular interest has started to grow around the Amerindians’ way of life and the beliefs and values of the varied Amerindian tribes. A great deal of this change could be attributed to the educated and

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 46

Assignment Example Compared to average gross earnings, the cost of Russian labor continues to grow at a very high rate, it has been the strongest at 20% and over, due to which industrial production and exports had declined significantly towards the end of 2008. (Rapid increase of labour costs in Central and Eastern Europe in 2008) According to the Pew Research Center poll, many Russians believe that they were better off in terms of their economic well being under the communism because even though democracy promised them an equal distribution of poverty, that has not been the case. Ordinary citizens believes that democracy has been beneficent for elites, educated and the political leaders and it has had little or adverse affect on ordinary people. Hence, the negative perception that prevails among is that those who belong to the rural, old and the average citizens are behind the privileged, educated elite, which was not the case in a communist regime. (End of Communism Cheered but Now with More Reservations) "End of Communism Cheered but Now with More Reservations." 2 November 2009. Pew Global Attitudes Project. 7 October 2010 . Lazzaro, Joseph. "Russia cuts off all natural gas to Ukraine; Europe shortages may spread." 7 January 2009. Blogging Stocks. 7 October 2010

Black Fish Movie Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Black Fish Movie - Assignment Example There are no records of the attacks; thus trainers have little information on the risks involved in their job. The orcas are unhappy in this captivity and aggressive not to themselves but also to the trainers. This negligence witnessed in the way the orcas are treated, and this put the lives of the trainers in danger. The Blackfish film expounds on the mistreatment of orcas. This film focuses on the way the SeaWorld captured the orcas and kept in their captivity for human entertainment. Blackfish is one such documentary, which exposes the unkindness man imposes on animals and the plight of wildlife in marine parks as they undergo domestication and training to amuse humans and generate profits The filmmaker is making emphasis on telling the stories of the trainers and their narrative pointing to the abuse and in the way SeaWorld keep the killer whale in captive. The film advocates on the plight of orcas. It is not adequately supported because it is focusing on the incidents Tilikum and his captivity but fails to digress in talking the other incident involving others killer whales. There is no differentiation of the incidents. The film is not clear on how to treat SeaWorld. People interviewed in the film have the adverse opinion, and they do not provide the solution. The film has perfect visual work, and different interviews blended with the mixture of footage of animations of parks and animals. This cinematography is trying to bring clear vision and emotions on the subject of the plight of animals.

Government Debt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Government Debt - Essay Example External government debt refers to the aggregate funds collected from outside the country from foreign investors and governments. According to Gartner (2006, p. 68) the government will always sell its securities in the open market when it wants to raise funds from the investors. Key traded government securities in the open market include but not limited to treasury bills, notes and bonds (Snowdon & Vane (1997, p.103). Sovereign debt refers to government debt owed to investors mostly foreign in foreign currencies. Shone (1989, p. 119) states that Sovereign debts are normally used by the government when they are in need of large amount of money to carry out an expensive public project. Sovereign debt is considered risky owing to the fact that it is affected by fluctuation in currency and any default by the issuing company may translate to low credit rating and no further debt advancement as foreign investors will be scared away. Government bonds, which is the common form of raising rev enue from local investors in local currency is highly preferred by most government because it is not affected by the credit rating of the country (Miles & Scott 2005, p.19). It is unfortunate that the United Kingdom government debt has been growing at an alarming rate over the recent past. The global recession that began in 2008 has left several developed nation into huge debts. Carlin and Soskice (2006;101), asserts that the UK higher budget deficit can be attributed to the large government spending and low government revenue owing to loss of jobs and reduced spending. The UK society has been enjoying the deficit sending without a glimpse at its consequences. The United Kingdom debt which includes the aggregate amount of money owned by the central government in form of government bonds, sovereign bonds, Social Security trust fund, and accrued capital expenditure. Fiscal consolidation refers to the policies taken by the government to manage its debt and reduce its budget deficit. Fi scal consolidation policies vary from country to country depending on the financial objective of the government. Most countries are always caught up in dilemma when it comes to fiscal consolidation especially during recession. Most economies have been unstable since the beginning of recession as unemployment rate increases from time to time, key companies facing financial constraints and individuals losing mortgages and thus it becomes difficult for the government to decide whether to come up with economic stimulus or fiscal consolidation policies. For instance the UK government has been facing bulging public debt and budget deficit while the same time unemployment rate is escalating unprecedentedly. Tobin theory is a theory of investment behavior also renowned as Tonin’s Q Theory and denoted by letter â€Å"q†. This theory is used to determine the ratio of the companies issued shares (share capital) to the replacement cost associated with the assets of the company. Th ree significant situations are evident when relating the market value and the replacement cost and they include â€Å"q† being greater (q>1), lower (q

Middle Earth-from the novel to the silver screen Research Paper

Middle Earth-from the novel to the silver screen - Research Paper Example Perhaps the biggest deletion by Jackson is the scene including the scouring of the shire. In line with this, Valente noted that Jackson’s deletion of this scene might have been due to his, and Tolkien’s love for nature and the Hobbits (36). Nonetheless, the deletion of this scene comes with an emotional appeal to a viewer since they are able to appreciate the fact that the Hobbits beautiful Shire remained intact since the movie might have depicted the destruction in a worse way than the book explained. Hence, the viewer does not go through a position whereby they witnessed the destruction of a beautiful environment that was well maintained by the Hobbits. In addition, Jackson manages to maintain the Hobbits simple way of life throughout the book, which appeals emotionally to the viewers. In this regard, the scouring of the shire in the movie would have come with destruction of a simple way of life. Nonetheless, Jackson did not want to destroy this calm and uncomplicated life since the viewers would not have identified with such an action and would not find the adaptation appealing. Conversely, the scene was long and would not have fitted within the period resulting due to the change in the media. To continue with the depiction of the simple life that the Hobbits lead, Jackson adds something new in the movie in a scene that involves Merry and Pippin, two of the four Hobbits while at the gate of the Isengard. In this regard, Merry told Pippin that he smoked a lot (â€Å"The Return of the King†). While this statement does not have any effect on the overall story told by the adaptation, Jackson continues to show the drinking and pipe smoking nature of the Hobbits (Valente 36). In effect, Jackson wanted to make a... The fascinating perspective depends upon an individual’s taste although most viewers cite the adaptations to movies as more interesting than the novels. On the other hand, there are viewers who will indicate that the movie enhanced their understanding of the novel. Nonetheless, the perspective an individual takes depends on their preferences since movies are a visual medium and movie directors’ attempts in portraying written pieces, thoughts, and events might be challenging. In this regard, some readers of the novel might be disappointed after watching the movies. However, movie directors and producers are always at hand to explain to the viewers that the movies are adaptations, which may delete, add, or change some aspects of the novel in order to make the movie. It is evident that Jackson was able to turn a high fantasy of the 1950s gain the success in the contemporary society. In order to ensure the success, he had to make some alterations from the original text in order for the movie to fit into the visual medium and period. On the other hand, the contemporary society has changed from the society that liked the book by Tolkien in the 1950s. Hence, Jackson appeals to this society by giving the movie a humanly appeal when he highlights the most important aspects of human life such as pity, compassion, and the important role of each person in the society. In addition, the alteration of the characters by giving them a psychological depiction in the adaptation, which is in contrast to the superhero status in the book, makes the movie a success story when compared to the book.

Feng Shui in the Home Essay Example for Free

Feng Shui in the Home Essay Feng Shui, as a part of the Chinese culture, is considered an art and a science of how the chi or energies that exist in spaces of nature are to be placed or positioned in order to nurture productivity and the flow of positive forces that influence the quality of life of human beings. Feng Shui, which literally means â€Å"wind† and â€Å"water† in the Chinese language, looks at all the features of the earth as constituting one of the five elements – earth, fire, water, metal, and wood. Moreover, Feng Shui follows the traditional principle of the Yin and Yang which suggests two opposite aspects of life that are complementary to each other which sustains the flow of balance in the world and in life. (Allen) Feng Shui is put into practice through the positioning or ordering of objects or things in spaces or dwellings as a means of facilitating the flow of positivity and harmony through the guidance or assistance of a Compass specially designed for the purpose and the Bagua. (Tchi) These concepts – the chi, the five elements, Yin and Yang, the Compass, the Bagua – and more will be explored in the remainder of this discussion. In Ancient China, dynasties or political parties applied the principles of Feng Shui in order to make decisions that positively affect harvests, wealth and the economy, the endurance of dynasties and political parties, and such. During that time, the art and science of Feng Shui was practiced by only selected educated individuals such as â€Å"scientists, architects, astronomers, and land surveyors† (Stohn, 1). They were expected to apply Feng Shui principles by applying their sound judgments and reasoning guided by plans and estimates influenced by astrological signs and patterns. For instance, individuals who put the Feng Shui into practice may utilize the Compass or the â€Å"loopan† in order to determine areas that bring positive and negative energies to human beings who occupy particular spaces or rooms inside a house or a building. The use of the Compass is guided by the positions of heavenly bodies, such as the earth, the sun, and the planets in the solar system. (Stohn, 2-3) The chi energy, or a life force that is known to be part of all the things and man, is the basis for the success of Feng Shui. According to Feng Shui principles, the chi should be placed in particular positions that will establish a flow of energy from all the elements surrounding man and himself in order to produce positive forces that contribute constructive and positive impacts to life. The role of interior designing in realizing the goals and objectives of Feng Shui is the practice of designing the internal components of spaces or dwellings in order to facilitate the continuous flow of chi or energy. According to Feng Shui principles disharmony and negative energy exists when there are barriers in the surroundings that disrupt the flow of chi or energy. Basing it on the five elements – that is earth, fire, water, metal, and wood – barriers that cause disruptions are caused by the misplacement of interior components of spaces of dwellings violating the concepts of the â€Å"Cycle of Creation,† â€Å"Cycle of Reduction,† and â€Å"Cycle of Control or Domination. † (Stohn, 6-10) These three cycles explain how the five elements affect each other, establishing the basis of how things in the surroundings should be placed in order to ensure that these objects or things, which all belong to one of the five elements are arranged in order to foster the harmony between them and not the opposing features that each element possess against other elements. For instance, the â€Å"Cycle of Creation† discusses how each element gives birth to the other, such that fire is born out of wood, the ashes that come after the fire becomes part of the earth, some parts of the earth constitutes ores that are considered as metals, through the process of condensation, metals become water which nourishes the life of wood. On the other hand, the â€Å"Cycle of Reduction† and the â€Å"Cycle of Control or Domination† similarly discusses how one element cancels out the other, such as the water that relieves fire, and such. (Stohn, 10-11) Interior designing in this case, considers the make or the composition of interior components of the home according to the five elements, and how they are arranged in order to follow the â€Å"Cycle of Creation† which facilitates the continuous flow of chi or positive energy. Another way by which the Feng Shui is put into practice through interior designing is by the utilization of the Bagua. The Bagua is considered as a map of energy which directs interior designing into ensuring that the interior components of a space or dwelling coordinates the nine essential principles that brings about harmony and positivity within it. Interior designing through the use of the Bagua necessitates the consideration of the four directions – North, South, East, and West – and how the nine areas – courage, stillness, joy, receptivity, synchronicity, integrity, strength, gratitude, and connection – are inclusive in each designated position inside spaces. (Stohn, 11-15) Some popular examples of interior designing techniques and practices that follow the principle of Feng Shui include the designation of areas that pertain to directions following the five elements in the surroundings. For instance, the North direction is designated to cover the area of career and business. The North is supposed to be a door or an entry way inside the home which signifies the entry of good career and the development of business. In order to sustain the flow of positive energy in the North direction to foster one’s career and business, this area or space should be free from clutter or dirt. It should always be clean and decorated with new and shiny things or objects. According to Feng Shui, the North direction is also designated to the element of water. Therefore, it is ideal to place fountains, aquariums or fish tanks, or other decorations that connote the presence of water in them. This is followed all throughout the house, such that each area wherein a particular element is designated, things or objects in it should be made from such elements. (Stohn, 18-20) Since the principle of Feng Shui constitutes the arrangement of things or objects in spaces or dwellings, it has become one of the most valuable, not to mention widespread, foundations of interior designing. The demand for interior designing practices that are based on Feng Shui principles has definitely contributed to its addition as a custom in the industry of interior design. The Feng Shui, as an Eastern art or science practiced by the Chinese, has successfully infiltrated the Western culture. (Skinner Price, 6) Popular personalities, such as the late Princess Diana, Prince Charles (Alexander), and Donna Karan, Betty Buckley, and Terry Sweeney (Stukin), have consulted Feng Shui experts for their interior designing needs and some of them have attested to the positive changes in their lives that have happened after following Feng Shui principles in their homes. Works Cited Alexander, Jane (1996). â€Å"The Healing Touch that Starts in Your Home; The Secrets of Feng Shui. † London, England: The Daily Mail. Allen, Marites. (2006). â€Å"Demystifying ‘Feng Shui. ’† Retrieved from Manila Standard Today Online. 05 Feb 2009. http://www. manilastandardtoday. com/? page=myMoney02_april20_2006. Skinner, Stephen Price, Graham. (2004). â€Å"Feng Shui Style: The Asian Art of Gracious Living. † North Clarendon, Vermont: Tuttle Publishing Stohn, Nancy. (2005). â€Å"Feng Shui Simplified: A Family Guide to Creating Harmony and Love in Your Home. † British Columbia, Canada: Trafford Publishing. Stukin, Stacie. (2000). â€Å"Home Shui Home. † The Advocate. Tchi, Rodika. (N. D. ) â€Å"What is Feng Shui – Feng Shui Theory and Feng Shui Tools. † Retrieved from About. com. Website: http://fengshui. about. com/od/thebasics/qt/fengshui. htm