Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 12

Research Paper Example The payment is made through secure servers where the merchant website redirects to the consumer’s online bank account, allows a secure login and subsequent initiation of electronic payment in favour of the merchant. (Karnouskos and Fokus, 2004). Web 2.0 is the latest technology that has taken the internet worl and the internet community by storm. It is characterised in the way a user interacts with the web. Unlike its predecessor the â€Å"Static Web†, this version of online Web interaction is a 2 way information exchange system. It not only allows the user to view and download content like text, video, audio, flash files etc, but also gives the user freedom to contribute to the online content. The technology behind, blogging, online user profile maintenance, twitter, Facebook, MySpace, Orkut, Google+, Linked In etc is Web2.0 which allows the user to customise his space or in other –words his profile. This is a frequently encountered feature in open chat rooms or discussion boards where users can either create profile or simply type text in the text boxes posting messages which mainly are polls, opinions, review or feedback about some product, service or technology. Forums like Physics forums, Maths forums, and online help forums are spreading like wildfire where users can interact with a team of experts from the comforts of their homes and get their queries answered by specialists. In such cases the users are separated by time and space which is what makes the interaction even more breathtaking Web2.0 redefines user interaction and has in fact changed the way people use the web. People use its much more like an online repository, a well organised, catalogued, tidy storage system capable of safe, secure and reliable storage of thousands of Gigabytes of information. Executive support systems or Manager Support Systems (as referred in some Enterprise Resource

Post-modern management Essay Example for Free

Post-modern management Essay It has always been the goal of man to be able to describe humanity and the world in which they live in. In doing this, we are inclined to search for answers, to find resolutions to our needs and problems. Decisions become important and the ability to use knowledge to make intelligent choices become essential. It is not such a wonder then that through all those years, man has developed countless theories and practices and had reinforced them with countless examples. In the world of management and leadership, the conventional approach to things involves a rigid and tested way of creating solutions. Traditional management science, furthermore, involves the use of computational processes to organizational decision making. It starts off with the recognition and definition of the problem in the real world. The ultimate goal then is to find what is needed is to be able to bridge what the present situation lacks to what the intended result is. It is a beginning of the search for improvement. Conventional methods use an idealized and linear manner to fuse the problem and a known pattern or puzzle to create a solvable model. To make a good intellectual decision, it is necessary to conduct optimization, forecasting, modeling and simulation, and decision analysis. It involves finding out what the best feasible option is, what it entails for the future and what its result would be for varying situations. Models are used wherein the object is to be able to match a puzzle to represent the problem in the real world. Traditional models such as linear and dynamic programming, queuing, discrete-event simulation and causal models are used and from all of these, ultimately the best decision is made. This discipline has become integrated to the basic field of management and has become a standard for various functions of business. (Whalen, 2001) In the context of marketing, traditional methods of simplification and reduction to formulae are used. Highly structured devices, pre-determined market and brand standards are employed to achieve desirable goals. Marketers are the one controlling and driving these goals and therefore consumers respond to this. (McKernon) Robbins, in the article of Summers et al. , further reinforces these patterns of cause and effect by relating organizational behavior through scientific methods. The real world is â€Å"mirrored† by organizational behavior through methods of investigating behavior†. (Summers, 1997) Robbins argues that most of the generalizations of man are made on the basis of intuition, not proven facts and thus investigation is needed. Intuition is likened to common sense and that, most of the times, it is inaccurate. Robbins further explains that common sense is different for different groups of people and that investigation tackles diversity. By investigating, managers can better and more precisely handle and predict the behavior of their personnel. This investigation must be coupled with good research especially on the comparison and weighing trade-offs. The use of case studies, surveys, and experiments must be implemented. Robbins further reiterates that generalizations and conclusions must be based on systematic study, scientific evidence supported by verified data. Organizational behavior knowledge is attained by avoiding intuitive approach and focusing more on knowledge based on meta-quantification analysis and surveys. (Summers, 1997) The leader or manager eventually uses these techniques to properly guide the organization and his/her employees. Optimal leadership ultimately depends on internal and external factors. In the organizational behavior perspective, leaders use contingencies such as national culture, gender and race to improve and strengthen the relationship with subordinates. This contingency theory theoretically provides the manager with the capability to independently make decisions and to do amendments necessary to obtain the desired result. Summers et al. , argue that this is a one-sided view. The conventional organizational behavior methods only show how managers can exercise their influence on the workers but not the other way around. Traditional ways involve exploitation and discipline and encourages an ideology of domination. â€Å"Managers are taught skills in getting workers to accept the status quo, to get ahead and to get along with others but not to question the game plan†. (Summers, 1997) As evident in the deconstruction of Robbins article, Summers et al. propose a de-emphasis on this rigid structure of conventional management. Whalen et al advocate this postmodern view and puts focus on discourses and de-emphasized precise and fixed meanings. With this premise, the dynamic quality in knowledge is established. Soft computing is rallied to be a faster, more creative approach to solutions although admittedly, it welcomes inaccuracy and ambiguity. In the perspective of knowledge management, however, this postmodern approach provides ways for problem management that cannot be quantified through mathematical computations. Whalen et al. further discuss three types of knowledge approach, creation by means of evolutionary and neurocomputing, deployment through decision support systems, and discovery by data mining, applied virtual reality and data visualization. In neural methods, the model build on gathered data and experimentation and proceeds by the random systematic search. The model is based on a fixed database and relies on the matching that of an existent criterion. With experimentation, on the other hand, the aim is to look for an action from a set of choices and parameters that would result to the desired outcome. Decision support systems may also use the case-based approach. Knowledge is derived from various case studies and banks on experiential logic to create the optimal response to a problem. Moreover, data mining utilizes different techniques to look for patterns that associate and correlate various fields of databases. Data visualization and virtual reality applications likewise bring the important contribution of human perception that is irreplaceable by artificial computer simulations. Whalen et al. stress the importance of humanizing the decision process and that the organization’s stakeholders are best catered to when managers are able to produce the right choices that assert the organization’s goals and mission. As the world is getting more complex and dynamic, a postmodern stance must be advocated and that this will â€Å"greatly advance our ability to understand how humans make perception based rational decisions in an environment of imprecision, uncertainty and partial truth† (Whalen, 2001) The postmodernism approach also applies to consumer marketing. The media and marketing are important to aid the people in knowing and explaining the things around them and the events that are occurring. While the consumers are getting smarter, a need for a more suited method arises. In postmodern marketing, the styles of consuming and strategies of the consumer are given more emphasis and focus. In an environment that is mobile and complex, sustainable dynamic techniques must be employed. This approach challenges diversity and creates avenues for discourse among differing people. This is beneficial to managers, employees, consumers, and stakeholders alike. With the right facilitation of information, a brand can reach more of its market and thus generate more favorable returns. Postmodernist approach also banks on the use of critique and story-telling for consumers. Effective stories would be able to connect to the consumer and that its result relies on its ability to provide the consumers with meaning and explanations. Critique, on the other hand, is essential for a brand in that it generates feedback; whether it was a success or not depends on the informed reactions of the users. Reinvention and smooth changing of styles are important techniques in a rapidly changing world. A careful way of guiding the consumers from the familiar and traditional to the contemporary and new must be done with good aptitude. McKernon) It is a fact that the world has increasingly become more complex and ever-changing. At the very least, the knowledge that we have to gain and understand about life in general is much more vast and challenging and that traditional methods and techniques for problem solving, whether in organizational behavior or marketing might actually be lacking in such that they may not be able to solve and explain the entirety of the world’ s troubles and unquantifiable conceptions. It is therefore imperative that a healthy mix of traditional and postmodernist approach to business and management be utilized to be able to grasp more of what the world is telling us. Leaders, employees, customers and stakeholders alike must be able to make informed decisions and take into consideration the various models, theories and practices both old and new for them to make real and objective sense of the world and its organization.

Henry VII & Richard III :: European Europe History

Henry VII & Richard III Richard the Third had just recently become King of England. But he did not know that soon he would not Henry Tudor was from Wales. His surname was really spelt 'Tewdwr.' It was changed to the English way though when he became King of England. Henry was too to France by his Uncle Jasper in 1471, fourteen years before the Battle of Bosworth. His uncle took him to Brittany. There, Henry learnt a lot. He learnt about warfare, treachery and betrayal. He also learned about court politics and how to keep supporters. This helped Henry very much with the Battle of Bosworth. Henry landed at Milford haven in South Wales. He had about two thousand soldiers with him. He marched all through Wales and the Midlands. When he got to the battle site he had around five thousand troops. He had gained more than three thousand on his journey. The battle was fought up on a hill at Bosworth. At the battle site there was a third army. It was small and led by Lord William Stanley. It did not know what side to join. Henry started the battle by moving up the hill and charging at Richard. Stanley decided which side to join. It would be Henry's. He hit on the rear of Richards army causing the Kings forces to run. Richard fell from his horse in the rush and was eventually killed. As the battle ended, Stanley found the Kings crown hanging on a thorn bush. Lord Stanley crowned Henry the King of England. Henry then married Edward the IV'S daughter Elizabeth. This united both of the families together. The battle of Bosworth wasn't any old battle. It was very important in history. The Lancastrian, Henry Tudor defeated the Yorkist, Richard the third at the battle of Bosworth field in 1485 and became King

Commentary: An Advancement of Learning by Seamus Heaney Essay

In An Advancement from Learning by Seamus Heaney, he describes a retrospective childhood experience. The narrator compels himself to face a deep-seated and preposterous fear which he consequently conquers. He shares his terror and revulsion by implementing vivid and vibrant imagery presented in nine quatrains. The conquest of an irrational fear depicted in this poem is perhaps a metaphor for overcoming greater fears in life. As the title suggest, this poem is about An Advancement of Learning- facing and subsequently conquering sometimes strong and private fears. Heaney describes a lone stroll along a polluted, ‘oil-skinned’ river bank. The almost sombre introspective tone of the opening two stanzas rapidly changes into one of revolt and terror as a rat emerges from the river. In a moment of panic, the poet attempts to escape, only to find another on the far bank, which encouraged a deeper impact. The second rat provoked the author to question his response to and fear for these animals. He then ‘incredibly’ decides to courageously maintain his ground and face the rodent. Despite Heaney providing the reader with a vibrant image of the animal to reinforce his contempt, he almost battles the rat until he ‘stared him out’. Eventually, as if the narrator won the ongoing battle, the rat retreats into a sewage pipe. Heaney then advances his way and triumphantly crosses the bridge, as he conquered a fright which has bedevilled him since childhood. An Advancement of Learning is written in nine quatrains consisting of short and sharp lines, which almost present the reader with a succession of flashing images. Heaney employs a loose and alternate rhyming scheme- stanzas one, three, six, eight and nine follow the pattern abcb, whereas stanzas two and four follow the abac pattern. Where the seventh stanza follows the abab pattern, Stanza five has the different but effective rhyming scheme abbc. The regularity of the rhythm in this stanza contributes to the reader’s sense of the poet’s rising self control. Heaney makes active use of enjambment and caesura to emphasise many of his emotions and sentiments. The astute use of enjambment from lines ten to sixteen increase the tempo and excitement of the poem, which in turn aid to convey the poet’s  fright and aspiration to flee. Furthermore, the writer applies enjambment between one stanza and the next to allow his descriptions to flow smoothly, which appropriately reflects the fluidity of the river described. Interesting is that the verses reflect the writer’s gradual gaining of self control. The main entity in the poem is the bridge as it symbolises the tree stages in the writer’s conquest of fear. At the sight of the first rat, the poet initially refuses to cross the bridge. Once faced with his ‘enemy’, he establishes a ‘dreaded Bridgehead’ which in military terms means to hold a defensive position. He is fearful but determined. Finally, as the poet defeats his foe and fear, he, with a vestige of triumph, ‘walked on and crossed the bridge.’ The bridge is mentioned at these three key stages of Heaney’s experience as well as structurally in the first, central and closing stanzas to emphasise the stages of overcoming his fear gradually. Heaney’s most striking feature in terms of style and language are unmistakably his effective use of alliteration and sibilance, as well as the appealing use of lexis. The repetition of the sharp consonant sounds s and c, especially conspicuous in the third stanza, contribute to both the sickening nature of the rat and the writer’s feelings towards it. An example of words carefully chosen to enhance and reflect the meaning of the poem is ‘Insidiously listening’, which is despite its impact, neither alliteration nor assonance. The narrator also employs extraordinary and emotive vocabulary, such as ‘slimed’ and ‘nimbling’ to describe the rats, allowing the reader to accurately experience the fear and loathing which he suffered. Remarkable about this poem is that as the writer overcomes his revolt and fright, the description of the animal becomes more forgiving. Where at the beginning the rodents were Insidious, ‘slobberedâ€℠¢ and ‘slimed’ around, they are, less forbiddingly, observed as animals with ‘the raindrop eye’ and ‘the old snout’ towards the end. This indicates how the writer’s fear and terror disappears with the rat into the sewage pipe, and how he now views the rodent in its proper perspective. An Advancement of Learning successfully conveyed the writer’s feelings and  emotions while conquering a lifelong phobia. The use of enjambment and caesura as well as the alternating rhyming patterns, which reflected the increasing order of the situation, all contribute to the vibrant image the reader is provided with. Furthermore, the poet employed the motif of the bridge as a foundation for the poem’s structure while adding more dimension to the text by enforcing it as a symbol of the poet’s route to overcoming his deep-rooted fears.

Ethos Pathos Logos Essay

A positive Ethos can be created The inner character -Honest -Honorable -Truthful -Fair -Ethical The outward manifestations -Attractive -Charismatci -Expert -Possessing Aristote’s classic plan to create persuasive argument 1- Deliver a story 2- Pose a problem 3- Offer a solution 4- Describe specific benefits for adopting the course of action set forth in your solution 5- State a call to action. For Steve Jobs, it’s as simple as saying  « Now go out and buy one  » Quotations : Base-line = slogan Mission statement : -Defines a company’s basic business and purpose -Ensures employees and all stakeholders are pointed in the same direction. Example :  « Bringing the best to everyone we touch  ». By  « the best  », we mean the best beauty products. The best people and the best ideas. These three pillars remain the foundation upon which we continue to build our  success today. How do I write one ? -Defining what you do -Identifying the core products or services -Determining your value proposition The vision is what the company wants to become. A vivid and clear description of a bright future. Expresses aspirations Describes an inspiring new reality, achievable in a reasonable timeframe Guides internal actions Usually starts with the words  « to become  » or  « to create  » How do I write one ? -Decide what the company wants to become -Establish the critical success factors in the marketplace -Identify strenghts and weaknesses -Clarify the company’s opportunities and threats Pepsi Co Vision Group assignement -Continuous assesment mark -Invent a service and write the vision and mission statements, strategic objectives and baseline for a 5 minute group Powerpoint presentation next week. Vision statement starts with : To be/ become/ create

The New American essays

The New American essays The definition of what it means to be an American has changed dramatically throughout the history of our country. The founding fathers brought forth the idea of a new nation; that made sovereign the supremacy of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. America has changed drastically over the last two hundred years, and the definition of what it means to be an American has changed with it as well. In class for the last several weeks, the question was raised of what it means to be an American at the end of the twentieth century. The America of the twentieth century is not as far off from what the founding fathers intended; as some people might be led to believe. We have looked at several different works and articles that have given their perspective on what it means to be an American. Although American citizens are shown in Hollywood movies such as Kids, the film does not depict what the true meaning of being an American is. Our country was founded on the principals of there being no borders between us as a nation. Whether it be a difference of race or heritage, we as a people are all Americans. Being an American means setting aside your biases or prejudices, and living side-by-side with other religions, races, and cultures in a society with the absence of a single ethnic origin. Two works that mainly caught my attention were Letters from an American Farmer, written by Hector St. Jean Crvecoeur, and The Disuniting of America, written by Arthur M. Schlesinger. Crvecoeur focuses greatly on the American as a person with the drive and ambition to distinguish themselves from the others that are around them. Crvecoeur's views show a great sense of individuality among Americans. Schlesinger's excerpt attempts to show that our country has failed to create the society that our nations founders originally wanted. A new society in which being an American does not mean you are white and your ancestors were from the or...

Definition of Gobbledegook Essay Example

Definition of Gobbledegook Essay Example Definition of Gobbledegook Paper Definition of Gobbledegook Paper 10/2/2011 Gobbledygook Gobbledygook is defined as when someone uses an extended amount of words in order to stretch their sentences out. According to Stuart Chase the author of â€Å"Gobbledygook† was founded by the Federal Security Agency and was said to help â€Å"Break out of the verbal squirrel cage†. Examples of Gobbledygook can be found in such places as academic and legal talk. An example of Gobbledygook can be found in the legal world. Gobbledygook is defined by most lawyers as â€Å"squandering words, packaging a message with excess baggage and so introducing semantic â€Å"noise†. Basically, it is all the fancy lawyer jargon that they use in order to get their points across and sound professional. The gobble in the legal system is beginning to be banned due to its ineffectiveness. Another common place you can see gobbledygook is in academic talk. An example is when you are writing an essay you are basically using gobbledygook to extend its length. Most of the professors believe that gobbledygook is needed sometimes because it does help get certain points made and some of the bigger words will have a better definition than the smaller ones. In conclusion, instead of using gobbledygook phrases to extend our writings we should just focus on how clear it is first. The federal security agency gives us a list of examples that can help get rid of the gobble; one example is instead of using â€Å"is of the opinion† just use believes. The fsa believes we need to stop producing so much gobble because the clarity of our writing is never there.

The History of the America First Committee of 1940

The History of the America First Committee of 1940 More than 75 years before President Donald Trump made it a key part of his election campaign, the doctrine of â€Å"America First† was on the minds of so many prominent Americans that they formed a special committee to make it happen. An outgrowth of the American isolationist movement, the America First Committee first convened on September 4, 1940, with a primary goal of keeping America out of World War II being fought at the time mainly in Europe and Asia. With a peak paid membership of 800,000 people, the America First Committee (AFC) became one of the largest organized anti-war groups in American history. The AFC disbanded on December 10, 1941, three days after the Japanese attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, thrust America into the war. Events Leading to the America First Committee In September 1939, Germany, under Adolph Hitler, invaded Poland, precipitating war in Europe. By 1940, only Great Britain possessed a large enough military and enough money to resist the Nazi conquest. Most of the smaller European nations had been overrun. France had been occupied by German forces and the Soviet Union was taking advantage of a nonaggression agreement with Germany to expand its interests in Finland.   While a majority of Americans felt the entire world would be a safer place if Great Britain defeated Germany, they were hesitant to enter the war and repeat the loss of American lives they had so recently experienced by taking part in the last European conflict – World War I. The AFC Goes to War With Roosevelt This hesitancy to enter another European war inspired the U.S. Congress to enact the Neutrality Acts of the 1930s, greatly restricting the U.S. federal government’s ability to provide assistance in the form of troops, arms, or war materials to any of the nations involved in the war. President Franklin Roosevelt, who had opposed, but signed, the Neutrality Acts, employed non-legislative tactics like his â€Å"Destroyers for Bases† plan to support the British war effort without actually violating the letter of the Neutrality Acts. The America First Committee fought President Roosevelt at every turn. By 1941, the AFC’s membership had exceeded 800,000 and boasted charismatic and influential leaders including national hero Charles A. Lindbergh. Joining Lindbergh were conservatives, like Colonel Robert McCormick, owner of the Chicago Tribune; liberals, like socialist Norman Thomas; and staunch isolationists, like Senator Burton Wheeler of Kansas and the anti-Semitic Father Edward Coughlin. In late 1941, the AFC fiercely opposed President Roosevelt’s Lend-Lease amendment authorizing the president to send arms and war materials to Britain, France, China, the Soviet Union, and other threatened nations without payment. In speeches delivered across the nation, Charles A. Lindbergh argued that Roosevelt’s support of England was sentimental in nature, driven to some extent by Roosevelt’s long friendship with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Lindbergh argued that it would be difficult, if not impossible, for Britain alone to defeat Germany without at least a million soldiers  and that America’s participation in the effort would be disastrous.   The doctrine that we must enter the wars of Europe in order to defend America will be fatal to our nation if we follow it, said Lindbergh in 1941. As War Swells, Support for AFC Shrinks Despite the AFC’s opposition and lobbying effort, Congress passed the Lend-Lease Act, giving Roosevelt broad powers to supply the Allies with arms and war materials without committing U.S. troops. Public and congressional support for the AFC eroded even further in June 1941, when Germany invaded the Soviet Union. By late 1941, with no sign of the Allies being able to stop the Axis advances and the perceived threat of an invasion of the U.S. growing, the influence of the AFC was fading rapidly. Pearl Harbor Spells the End for the AFC The last traces of support for U.S. neutrality and the America First Committee dissolved with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Just four days after the attack, the AFC disbanded. In a final statement issued on December 11, 1941, the Committee stated that while its policies might have prevented the Japanese attack, the war had come to America and it had thus become the duty of America to work for the united goal of defeating the Axis powers. Following the demise of the AFC, Charles Lindbergh joined the war effort. While remaining a civilian, Lindbergh flew more than 50 combat missions in the Pacific theater with the 433rd Fighter Squadron. After the war, Lindbergh often traveled to Europe to assist with the U.S. effort to rebuild and revitalize the continent.

How Exceptional is or was the American Federalism Compared to Canada Essay

How Exceptional is or was the American Federalism Compared to Canada and Germany federalism - Essay Example In accordance with LaCroix, federalism has been based on ‘the necessity for the existence of states’ (LaCroix 2) and the theory that a country with extensive territory, such as USA, cannot be easily organized as a republic (LaCroix 2). Moreover, Obinger (2005) noted that the development of a precise definition of federalism would be quite difficult, mostly because the specific term is used in order to describe a series of conditions and events, including a series of ‘institutional and jurisdictional arrangements’ (Obinger 9) for protecting the interests of local populations – referring to the population of the states. Despite its complexity, the federal system of governance is preferred by many states worldwide. About 23 countries in the international community are based on the specific system of governance; their influence on the global political system is quite important taking into consideration the fact that a percentage of 40% of the global popul ation are governed through the particular system of governance (Obinger 9). The characteristics of federalism as developed in USA are critically discussed in this paper; emphasis is given on the advantages of American federalism compared to other forms of federalism worldwide, especially the Canadian and the German forms of federalism. The key characteristics of federalism can be identified in the following definition: ‘the activities of government are divided between regional governments and a central government’ (Riker 1975 in Obinger 9).... government and the regional governments have the power to develop their own decisions on the activities under their control – meaning the political, social and economic activities being under the control of central or the regional governments, as defined in relevant arrangements (as noted in the definition of Obinger above). Federalism, as described above, has certain priorities. These priorities have been described in the Federalist Papers, through which Federalism has been established. The key priorities of federalism, are the following ones a) specific measures need to be developed by the government – referring to either the central government or the regional governments, as noted above, so that the concentration of power (meaning the political power) is avoided; at the same time, political and economic freedom needs to be guaranteed (Obinger 10), b) in the context of federalism emphasis is given on the rights of minorities; in fact, these rights have key importance for federalism, a type of governance which has been developed mostly for covering the needs of areas with high cultural and geographic diversity (Obinger 10). Reference can be made to the case of Canada, a country where federalism has been used for ensuring the protection of rights of citizens who have different cultural background and ethics (Obinger 10). At this point, the following issue should be highlighted: despite the fact that federalism has been introduced in order to respond to specific needs, as described above, it is difficult for the specific system to have a common level or form of development worldwide – reference is made to the countries that their system of governance is based on federalism. An indicative example of this prospect is mentioned in the study of Obinger. In accordance

Business Environment for IKEA UK Research Paper

Business Environment for IKEA UK - Research Paper Example The product is packed flat for easy assembly at home by the customer. IKEA began in 1943 in a small farming village in Sweden. Ingvar Kamprad started the business at age 17 and used his own initials plus the first letters of Elmtyrid and Agunnaryd, the farm and village where he grew up, to create the name IKEA. Although it didn't start out as a furniture company, furniture became the focus of the business in the 1950s when IKEA turned its problems into opportunities (About IKEA: Timeline) by: The IKEA group has 90,000 co-workers and operates in 44 countries, and the unique focus of IKEA UK continues to be on its customers, offering eye-appealing furniture design and keeping prices low by finding ways to shorten the route from manufacture to customer without detriment to the quality and ease of assembly for the buyer (About IKEA: in the world). A SWOT analysis of the organisation shows internal and external factors which affect its overall identity in the global marketplace. According to Wikipedia, Albert Humphrey developed the SWOT analysis in a research project for Stanford University in the 1960s and 1970s. It evaluates strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in an organisation-the first two internal, the second two external. IKEA's major strengths are brand recognition, customer communication and staff satisfaction. One of the most difStrengths: Brand Recognition One of the most difficult selling points to establish in an organisation is positive brand recognition. Over time, IKEA UK has managed to do this by not compromising on its promise to its customers to maintain brand quality, easy construction and low prices. In addition, the packaging of the various components is personalised by simplifying instructions (the need for the customer to buy an electrical cord for a lighting product is shown by a simple sketch of the cord on the package) and creating a connection between the customer and the company by giving the product a unique name and printing the designer's name on the package. The personal touch establishes the brand and makes the customer feel a special bond. An additional benefit for the customer is the ability to design a complete room and to be given a copy of the plan if the purchase will be made at a later time. Strengths: Customer Communication Good leadership creates good business practices. Never has this been more evident than with the IKEA group. The organisation started its first store in the United Kingdom in 1987, and as it expanded, customer satisfaction was key. Convenient IKEA distribution centres in different sections of the UK offer customers the opportunity to go directly to the warehouse and centre and pick up materials after utilising the IKEA OnlineWeb site to design and order whole rooms of furniture (Investor). By encouraging the "IKEA Way," the company has established its unique methods-according to CEO Peter Hogsted, "we do 50-you do 50" (Lewis, par. 20). Another area of customer relations is recognizing concern for the environment, and IKEA was the first to suggest reuseable

Wastewater management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Wastewater management - Research Paper Example In an era where people in the communities are gaining more knowledge about issues of the environment and their impact on the globe, it is everyone’s responsibility to use, establish and put into practice inventive ways of managing wastes and resources (World Resources Institute, 1996). Wastewater refers to water that has been hugely affected in condition by the influence of anthropogenic. These constitute liquid waste produced by industry, domestic properties, agriculture and/or commercial properties and can take in an extensive variety of probable concentrations and contaminants. Moreover, municipal wastewater is frequently treated in an effluent sewer, sanitary sewer, septic tank or combined sewer. It is likely to establish an association between contaminants of waste in a wastewater watercourse, but such a correlation cannot be simplified for operation with any additional wastewater course or waste impurities. This is because the constitution of any wastewater course is dissimilar (World Resources Institute, 1996). Many of the country’s sewer and water infrastructures were devised and constructed in the early days. These systems were made with a short life period in mind. Currently, as a result of this, there is a shortage in communal facility spending. This imposes heavy costs of repair for the future generations. The present water and sewer infrastructure cannot sustain the growing human population or exist for a long time without the need for thorough rehabilitation. Aging infrastructure and increasing amounts of waste water are increasing the cost of obtaining clean water. In addition, the environment is increasingly being affected negatively by these factors (World Resources Institute, 1996). It is not healthy for wildlife, domesticated animals, and human beings to get into contact with ground or surface water that is contaminated with waste or drink it. Wastewater management is an essential function in upholding

My Success Strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 12

My Success Strategies - Essay Example My ability to rise from failure, learn lessons from it and try all over again to me is the success. If however, I keep making the same mistakes over and over again that is the failure. That is why I have to come up with a strategy to ensure success. In its simplest form, the strategy is a bridge for getting from where you are today to where you want to go. Whether in business or in your personal life, the strategy is how you plan to get from your current position to your desired goals. Just as we need a strategy for business and academic success, we need to plan for our lives to be successful. Without a strategy to success, we allow all kinds of forces to push, pull, twist, and turn us into mental and emotional pretzels. Our inability to say â€Å"no† pushes us into time-wasting activities; a lack of strategic direction allows us to be pulled down a career path we never wanted; good intentions to volunteer in the community are twisted into negative comments when we’re not able to meet the time commitments; and we’re emotionally turned around when the relationship we let wither finally ends. With a solid strategy in place, however, we can harness the everyday forces to lead us where we want to go. I like to think of strategy as a bridge—a way to get from where you are to where you want to be. A bridge provides passage over a gap—something that’s missing. For many of us, there are gaps in our lives—things that are miss ing, things that we’d like to have more of, such as more time with family and friends, more purposeful work, a healthier lifestyle, and greater spirituality. The strategy can help us fill those gaps. I have created a five-step plan to achieve the kind of life that I want. This framework takes the foundational principles of business strategy and helps you apply them to your life. The result is a simple plan you can follow to become effective, successful, and happy at work and at home.  Ã‚  

Sociology--How is the american workplace responding to the needs of Essay

Sociology--How is the american workplace responding to the needs of working parents - Essay Example Although it is stipulated in the Law that for reasons of illness or arrival of a new child, a parent can take an unpaid leave of up to two weeks. However, not many can take the financial risk of enjoying an unpaid leave. This puts lower income families at a disadvantage. In situations where illness of a child happens, one of the parents would be forced to stay at home with the child and not receive income. Working parents who have young children have more issues than those with children who are already grown-up. For one, daycare centers are relatively expensive and it is the parent’s burden to shoulder the expenses. This problem is compounded by the fact that not all workplaces have daycare facilities. This brings a parent trap wherein the working parent has no choice but to delegate the responsibility of childcare to unreliable daycare centers. Although America is one of the most modern civilization which highly values independence, freedom and humanity, its value system on child rearing is undermined. Unlike its European counterparts, America is not taking childcare seriously. In an article published by the Atlantic, it stated that France’s daycare is heavily subsidized by the government since most of European countries highly respect childcare as a national responsibility ( Kornbluh 2003 ). Children are viewed as economic assets in European countries since the future belongs to them. The main issue for working parents now can be summarized as companies must provide additional benefits to working parents since this contributes to employee productivity. Presently, there are only few companies like JC Penny that allows working parents to trade shifts. Another ideal company is Ikea, as reported by American Prospect : Paid leave, child-care assistance, and other benefits are par for the course at some model companies. Ikea, which offers paid sick days, maternity/paternity leave, and time off for

Research and Referencing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Research and Referencing - Assignment Example devices are made of extremely trendy design and size so as to persuade the target customers to purchase the specific brand as compared to competitors within the region of Hawassa. This might prove effective for the mobile phone selling organization to amplify its customer base and loyalty in the market among others. Consumer behaviour is a very important term for the industry players of mobile phone segment in this era as it solves all the queries related to buying such as taste and preference of the customers, price margin, feasible time of purchase, the effective ways followed at the time of purchasing and the specific reasons for purchasing etc. If all the above mentioned queries might be analysed and evaluated by the marketer or the entrepreneur of a mobile phone, then the demand and total sales of the product lines might get increased as compared to their rival players. Certain other factors that influence the buying behaviour of a customer are individual and environmental (Sata, 2013). Among individual factors such as knowledge, perception, personality, attitude, life style etc offers high influence at the time of purchasing. Similarly, environmental factors like social class, culture, family etc also need to be determined at the time of launching or developing a specific mobile phone dev ice. Thus, from the above mentioned points, it might be clearly analysed that the prime factors that affect consumer buying decision are price, social factors, durability, brand name, features of the product and after sales services offered by the

Sociology--How is the american workplace responding to the needs of Essay

Sociology--How is the american workplace responding to the needs of working parents - Essay Example Although it is stipulated in the Law that for reasons of illness or arrival of a new child, a parent can take an unpaid leave of up to two weeks. However, not many can take the financial risk of enjoying an unpaid leave. This puts lower income families at a disadvantage. In situations where illness of a child happens, one of the parents would be forced to stay at home with the child and not receive income. Working parents who have young children have more issues than those with children who are already grown-up. For one, daycare centers are relatively expensive and it is the parent’s burden to shoulder the expenses. This problem is compounded by the fact that not all workplaces have daycare facilities. This brings a parent trap wherein the working parent has no choice but to delegate the responsibility of childcare to unreliable daycare centers. Although America is one of the most modern civilization which highly values independence, freedom and humanity, its value system on child rearing is undermined. Unlike its European counterparts, America is not taking childcare seriously. In an article published by the Atlantic, it stated that France’s daycare is heavily subsidized by the government since most of European countries highly respect childcare as a national responsibility ( Kornbluh 2003 ). Children are viewed as economic assets in European countries since the future belongs to them. The main issue for working parents now can be summarized as companies must provide additional benefits to working parents since this contributes to employee productivity. Presently, there are only few companies like JC Penny that allows working parents to trade shifts. Another ideal company is Ikea, as reported by American Prospect : Paid leave, child-care assistance, and other benefits are par for the course at some model companies. Ikea, which offers paid sick days, maternity/paternity leave, and time off for

Sales Management&The Salesman Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sales Management&The Salesman - Essay Example They are explained below. Any manager or a person who is an essential part of a company will want maximum utility of their product. When the salesman sold the most expensive and top-of-the-range software to a 2-man antique shop then the product was way beyond their needs since they needed a simple accounting software and people have a habit of talking bad about a product when it is of no use to them. Since word of mouth is a very string advertising technique that decides the success or failure of a company. It can turn a star product into a useless dog if let loose or not used effectively. Since there is no coming back in this technique because once the company's image goes down the drain the effects are fatal. Another reason can be the irresponsibility of the salesman. A good salesman must think out of the box and it is their duty to help the customer find the best product. If the salesman is able to attract the customer with his skills then the next step is influencing the customer enough to create brand loyalty. Further brand loyalty can be cashed at every step of the selling process. But the salesman in this case, being a star salesman for some reason failed to fulfil this requirement. Lastly, such blunders can spoil the brand image of the company.

The Picture of Dorian Gray Essay Example for Free

The Picture of Dorian Gray Essay 1.The Picture of Dorian Gray is the story of a young and beautiful man named Dorian Gray who is frightened by the fact that he will eventually lose his good looks and youth as he ages. Dorian Gray is the subject of a painting by an artist, Basil Hallward. Basil introduces Dorian Gray to Lord Henry Wotton, who slowly begins to gain greater influence on Dorian Gray. Lord Henry believes the only things worth pursuing in life are beauty and fulfillment of the senses. Once Dorian realizes that his good looks and youth will eventually fade away he decides to pledge his soul to his painting to ensure that the portrait will age and bear the burden of his infamy instead of himself. Shortly after doing so Dorian meets an actress named Sibyl Vane. He falls in love with her and they become engaged. But Sibyl decides to quit acting; because of she believes she cannot pretend to love acting when she loves Dorian so much more. Once Dorian finds that Sibyl has quit acting he breaks the engagement and that night Sibyl hangs herself. After Sibyl’s death, Dorian begins a life of debauchery. Once rumors begin to spread of his infamous acts Basil comes to Dorian to confront him about the rumors. Out of rage Dorian kills Basil and needs help disposing the body. After the murder Dorian is full of guilt and instead of repenting his sins he takes the knife he used to stab Basil and stabs his picture instead. Dorian’s servants find Dorian’s portrait a beautiful picture of a young man and their master’s body lying on the floor. Dorian’s body is an old disfigured man with a knife in his heart. 2.The main characters in this story are Dorian Gray, Basil Hallward, and Lord Henry Wotton. Dorian Gray is an incredibly handsome and wealthy young gentleman whom Basil Hallward paints a picture of. Once Dorian meets Lord Henry he finds that his beauty will eventually fade and pledges his soul to the painting Basil made. He soon begins a life of corruption. Basil Hallward is a painter who is infatuated with Dorian’s extreme beauty. He is the painter that creates Dorian’s painting that ages as Dorian doesn’t. Basil is also a friend to Lord Henry Wotton. Lord Henry Wotton is a noble witty friend of Basil and later becomes a friend to Dorian as well. He eventually has a huge influence on Dorian and first puts Dorian in the mindset that beauty doesn’t last forever. 3.There are multiples themes in The Picture of Dorian Gray but the most central theme would be physical beauty and narcissism, and how they lead to self destruction. There are numerous situations of Dorian Gray hinting at narcissism. In the second chapter Dorian murmurs â€Å"How sad it is! I shall grow old, and horrible, and dreadful. But this picture will remain always young. It will never be older than this particular day of June.If it were only the other way! If it were I who was to be always young, and the picture that was to grow old! For that for that I would give everything! Yes, there is nothing in the whole world I would not give! I would give my soul for that!† (pg28) This is when Dorian realized that his youth, his dazzling beauty, will not last forever. Dorian now realizes that he should treasure his youth more than ever. He also realizes would give up everything to save his youthful beauty, even his soul. However, everything has a price to pay. Another example of Dorian’s narcissism in the book is on page 95 where Dorian blames Sibyl for the reason he ended their engagement. â€Å"It was the girl’s fault, not his he had thought her great. Then she had disappointed him. She had been shallow and unworthy.† (pg95) Dorian’s attitude towards the ending of his relationship with Sibyl shows how overconfident he is in his beauty and because of this overconfidence he loses the woman he loves. The final example of how narcissistic attitude leads to destruction is the ending of the story. In the end of the story Dorian ends up killing himself because of all the horrible things he had done in his life. He stabs himself with the knife he used to kill Basil and once he kills himself he turns old and his picture becomes young again. 4. Oscar Wilde’s writing style in The Picture of Dorian Gray uses a great deal of detail and an abundance of witty dialogue. Wilde uses Lord Henry to provoke humor with his theories on how life should be lived with only pleasure. More often though Wilde uses description to create the mood, tone, and setting of the story. Wilde describes each setting in the story with great detail making clear what he wants the picture of the setting to look like in one’s head. On page 4 Wilde wrote â€Å"As the painter looked at the gracious and comely form he had so skillfully mirrored in his art, a smile of pleasure passed across his face, and seemed about to linger there.† In this description Wilde sets the mood, tone, and setting. He also describes each character with great detail. â€Å"Lord Henry stroked his pointed brown beard, and tapped the toe of his patent-leather boot with a tasseled ebony cane.† (pg11) Wilde’s description’s of Lord Henry helps the reader create a better idea of what the characters are like and what they look like. Wilde omniscient point of view on the story gives insight to each of the character thoughts and reasoning behind their actions. With this point of view the reader can understand Dorian’s motives behind pledging his soul, breaking his relationship with Sibyl, and ending his life. 5.The Picture of Dorian Gray is one of the most intriguing and unique books I have ever read. The storyline of the story is unique itself because I don’t believe I’ve ever read a book about a man pledging his soul to a painting to preserve his youth. Dorian Gray’s character is invigorating. His selfishness made me want to both strangle him and continue reading throughout the entire story. Lord Henry’s wit was striking and offensive but also thought provoking. The slight homosexuality between Basil and Dorian was humorous. Not only was the book full of interesting viewpoints on life and rude behavior it was also enlightening. Although Dorian was selfish and wrong for pledging his soul so that he could stay young his thoughts are understandable. The notion that getting older isn’t as pleasurable as it may seem to others is an idea that I can relate with but I would never sell my soul for it. This book was well worth the read even though the beginning seemed kind of dry to me.

Failure of the Student Loan Market

Failure of the Student Loan Market A college degree is more than the culmination of learning processes. It is a credential that functions as a good, but in a unique way because it allows the holder to compete more powerfully in the labor market. At the same time, accessing this good requires specific financial instruments in the form of grants, financial aid, awards, federal benefits, and of course, loans. The student loan market, as this essay will show, is a market failure. The supply of college degrees is insufficient compared to the supply of loans for college and costs; there is an information asymmetry with these financial products because many seeking to buy them are not aware of the risks (e.g., the lack of consumer protection, the likelihood that they will not graduate); further, the more loans are sold, the more the value of the good people use them to get (i.e., a college or graduate degree) will decline. All of these factors point to the student loan market as a market failure. Short of dramatic remedies t hat might make education inaccessible for all but the 1%, one of the best policy-related solutions to this dismal problem might be to make holding a loan less painful for those who are trying to repay it. Why is the student loan market an issue, and why does it exist in the first place? The ways that Americans finance their postsecondary education hold insight into the answers. As college costs have risen far faster than the rate of inflation (Lieber, 2009), and as the middle class’ buying power has declined, most people have been unable to finance their educations out of their own pockets. For generations, many college students in America have taken on loans to finance college and postgraduate education due not just to the assumption that this will have a positive return on investment (ROI), but also because of the perception that student loan repayment offers a generous tax deduction. However, as college costs skyrocket (Abel & Deitz, 2014) and jobs evaporate to the point where increasing numbers of people question its value (Taylor et al., 2011), more people are asking questions about student loans and who really benefits. Muddying the water still further is the role of 26 U.S. Code  § 221, which stipulates the details that govern the student loan interest deduction, including its maximum deduction and the modest cost-of-living increase that may increase this maximum, in addition to details regarding definitions and the roles of dependents in calculating this deduction (Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute, 2017). In general, an individual is eligible for this deduction if, and only if, he or she took out a qualifying educational loan, if they paid interest on the loan (as opposed to fees, principal only, or another arrangement), and if the individual’s modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) is no more than $80,000 if filing as an individual or $160,000 if filing as a married couple (Aranoff, 2015; Internal Revenue Service, 2017). However, these deductions may seem overly modest, given that as of 2013, the average college graduate was leaving school with more than $35,000 of debt (Ellis, 2013). Increasing numbers of people are taking out enormous sums to finance college or graduate school, and fewer are able to pay these off in time, leading to cascading economic problems when they are unable to buy homes, when they put off having children, or in many cases, simply default on the loans. Information asymmetry is also a critical component of this market and of its failure. Especially for those who are first in their family to attend college, or who otherwise have no personal experience with higher education and its marketing techniques, the appeals of predatory for-profit schools are almost irresistible. These high-pressure schools use sales techniques to get students to agree to attend, helping them apply for loans but failing to give them adequate information about the risks involved (to say nothing of the low value of a for-profit degree). The people selling the loan products have information that the purchasers do not. In some larger theoretical or symbolic sense, the very information asymmetry is something that people want to overcome through their pursuit of a college degree. Regardless, the student loan crisis is widely considered to be more highly concentrated among those attending two-year schools. Economists have noted that there is a serious potential for an economic crisis to occur if many default on student loans, though the lack of collateralization, as was prevalent in the housing bubble, may contain the damage – but may also nonetheless cause severe declines in middle-class purchasing power (Looney & Yannelis, 2015). The authors of one study stated, â€Å"†¦it is interesting to compare the default out-comes of borrowers who took out subprime mortgages compared with those who took out student loans to attend for-profit colleges. Both types of borrowers tend to have poorer-quality credit records, and the returns to their investments were dependent on macroeconomic factors beyond their control—house prices in the case of subprime mortgages and wage growth in the case of student loans† (Looney & Yannelis, 2015, p. 81). This passage hints at the interconnected nature of mortgages and student loans, including the ways that student loan borrowers are disadvantaged by the situation and by the informational asymmetry. The repayment systems for student loans, meanwhile, also represent market failures in a strong way. A 2008 paper explored the ways in which various proposed loan forgiveness programs effectively constituted a secondary tax (Dynarski, 2008, pp. 19–20). The author concluded that even though college costs rise and student loan borrowers remain in debt for a very large amount of time, the degree itself is still worthwhile. However, â€Å"†¦ there is a mismatch in the timing of the arrival of the benefits of college and its costs, with payments due when earnings are lowest and most variable. Ironically, this mismatch is the very motivation for providing student loans in the first place† (Dynarski, 2008, p. 26). The market failure is apparent from the way that this mismatch occurs, and the ways in which information asymmetry surrounds much of the loan buying process. Dynarski also offers a discussion of the ways that the federal repayment programs such as Pay as You Earn and Income Based Repayment, as well as hypothetical programs such as Pay It Forward (state-based, income-based programs that allow low earners to pay very little while high earners pay much more) constitute taxation, which segues into the larger policy discussion: The student loan interest deduction and the ways in which it can be remedied to better address this market failure. Because of the widespread perception that student loan debt is good debt, and because of the ways that this tax code provision is built on some complex assumptions about supply and demand, it is clear that there is a market failure. The deduction assumes that the supply of college graduates will be smaller than the supply. It assumes that the cost of living will only increase modestly, and critically, it does not calculate the increases in college costs or the ways that they far outpace inflation. In other words, it assumes that the demand for college loans will outpace the supply of people taking them out and repaying, when the opposite is true. It also assumes that the economic demand for college graduates will be higher than the supply, to the point where incentivizing people to get an education is necessary to get highly skilled workers. However, the economy is no longer in need of these credentials, or perhaps college has become so watered-down that people with degrees are seldom finding the kinds of jobs they dreamed of. In any case, many people with college or even advanced degrees are not experiencing the return on investment that they had anticipated. At present, the student loan interest deduction is generally capped at $2,500 annually (Internal Revenue Service, 2017). For those who are repaying very significant loans, including for graduate school, professional school, or simply for attending high-cost, predatory schools, this deduction does not make a significant difference. More people than one may initially believe struggle with student loans of $100,000 or more (Kantrowitz, 2012), so the tiny tax deduction is often laughable. Especially because of the market failure that has itself promoted the situation, the government should intervene to increase the tax deduction. The mismatch between the good and its benefits facilitates the market failure of the student loan interest deduction (Dynarski, 2008, p. 26). Even for those who have a modest amount of student loans and for whom the interest deduction would be significant, an informational asymmetry means that many who qualify for this deduction do not even take it, since around 19% are not even aware of what deductions they might quality for (Student Loan Hero, 2016). Revising the system so that, for example, student loan interest and principal are both deductible, could reduce the failure of the market. Improving information about student loans, as well as how to take advantage of the tax deduction, could also go a long way towards reducing the information asymmetry that dominates the market. The failure of the labor market to adequately absorb college graduates, especially with wages that cause their debts to decrease over time, combined with the informational asymmetry that disadvantages some people more than others, means that there is a serious issue; one potential remedy would be to improve the student loan interest deduction. The student loan system is a market failure, and the tax deduction has also failed to live up to promises because of the temporal mismatch. It has failed to account for the realities of college costs, the realities of the labor market, and the realities of economic life for young people. The policy is a market failure and needs to be changed. Some ways to improve it could be to increase the maximum deduction, to increase the MAGI ceiling at which the deduction is phased out, or to implement widespread loan forgiveness since doing so might add more liquidity to the consumer economy, which would in turn help the economy to grow. Forcing colleges and universities to guarantee student loans could also be another solution to the problem of student debt, ensuring that widespread debt default has less of an effect on the overall economy than it did during the housing bubble.   References Abel, J. R., & Deitz, R. (2014). Do the Benefits of College Still Outweigh the Costs? Current Issues in Economics and Finance, 20(3), 1–12. https://doi.org/DOI: , Aranoff, A. (2015). Student Loan Interest Deduction: What You Need to Know | HuffPost. Retrieved October 17, 2017, from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/aryea-aranoff/student-loan-interest-ded_b_7486888.html Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute. (2017). 26 U.S. Code  § 221 Interest on education loans | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute. Retrieved October 16, 2017, from https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/221 Dynarski, S. M. (2008). An Economist’s Perspective on Student Loans in the United States (No. 5579). Munich. Ellis, B. (2013). Class of 2013 grads average $35,200 in loans, credit card debt. Retrieved November 1, 2017, from http://money.cnn.com/2013/05/17/pf/college/student-debt/ Internal Revenue Service. (2017). Topic No. 456 Student Loan Interest Deduction. Retrieved October 15, 2017, from https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc450/tc456 Kantrowitz, M. (2012). Who Graduates College with Six-Figure Student Loan Debt†¯? Washington. Lieber, R. (2009, September 5). Why College Costs Rise, Even in a Recession. The New York Times, p. B1. Looney, A., & Yannelis, C. (2015). A crisis in student loans?: How changes in the characteristics of borrowers and in the institutions they attended contributed to rising loan defaults. Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, (Fall), 1–89. https://doi.org/10.1353/eca.2015.0003 Student Loan Hero. (2016). 19% of Americans Don’t Know What Student Loan Tax Benefits They Can Claim. Retrieved November 1, 2017, from https://studentloanhero.com/press/19-percent-americans-dont-know-student-loan-tax-benefits/ Taylor, P., Parker, K., Fry, R., Cohn, D., Wang, W., Velasco, G., & Dockterman, D. Is College Worth It†¯? (2011).

Importance of Social Status in Emma and Clueless :: Austen Emma Essays

Importance of Social Status in Emma and Clueless Emma Woodhouse of the Jane Austen novel Emma, is part of the rich, upscale society of a well off village in nineteenth century England, while Cher Horowitz the main character of the movie version Clueless, lives in the upscale Beverly Hills of California. The Woodhouse family is very highly looked upon in Highbury, and Cher and her father are also viewed as the cultural elite. The abuse of power and wealth, arrogance, and a lack of acceptance all prove that the class status of these families plays a significant role in the shaping of both the novel and the video. Emma and Cher both abuse the power of wealth and become spoiled, socially dominating, and overly confident with themselves. However, they both feel very comfortable in this lifestyle because of their possessions and social status. Jane Austen secures Emma in the very first paragraph of her novel. She states, "Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition, seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence; and had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to vex her" (Austen 1). Cher has everything a teenager could possibly want: her own jeep, an endless wardrobe, and amounts of money that seems to be collected from a money tree outside the backdoor. Emma's arrogance shines through when she brags that she is exceptionally skillful at matching couples. She believes that she is in control of fate and must play matchmaker in order for couples to discover their true love. Austen confirms, "The real evils indeed of Emma's situation were the power of having rather too much her own way, and a disposition to think a little too well of herself" (Austen 1). Although Emma is so spoiled and overbearing, she truly doesn't realize this fact. Likewise, an example of Cher's pompousness can be seen in the scene where she and Dionne are explaining to Tai how to become more popular. Cher states that she has already started to elevate her social status "due to the fact that you hang out with Dionne and I" (Clueless). Cher may be sympathetic to Tai, but she does so with conceitedness because she knows she is from a higher social class.

Carlos Fuentes’ Smile

Carlos Fuentes’ smile On top of El Angel, on top of the Monumento a la Revolucion, on top of the Catedral, Carlos Fuentes was always on top. When he was young, he was afraid of height; even in June 1959, at  the  time of  the Cuban  revolution, in the same plane as General Cardenas, he asked: â€Å"Do you think it is going to fall? † We are already flying high. Since he was child, he was destined to be on top. He had just published Where the Air Is Clear, which caused uproar in Mexico City.Back then, all the writers wrote sad stories. The sad Revolution with its useless massacre, the sad province in which the guava paste was cooked slowly in a perol, as Agustin Yanez wrote; the sad leader's shadow and of all who had made the Revolution and now, in a luxurious office, they ignored the slow but steady push of their tummy. At this point, Fuentes made burst, he changed our small world as the Paricutin would have made and he reminded us that we had guts. He always ha s it.With an ambitious, audacious, agile, and elegant step, he was on the stage in one jump. He always was in a hurry, he always plucked up courage. The word â€Å"always† seems  to  do pretty well  to Fuentes and so we can tell to Silvia and Cecilia, in order and with a loud and strong voice, that Fuentes will always live wherever his books are, he will be always with us and that that aren’t words of encouragement, they are a reality. I see him in the distance, standing; I see him here, beside me, he smiled.His smile was the smile of his father, don Rafael Fuentes, that following the publication  of Where the Air Is Clear he said: â€Å"Now I’m the father of Carlos Fuentes†. All surrender by the raindrops of Jalapa, that city where the grass grows up among the rocks; Fuentes was from Veracruz from head to toe, from Veracruz with its table-glass full of cafe con leche from the Cafe de la Parroquia that the waiters filled and refilled at the sound of the spoon, ding, ding, ding, like in a Cri-Cri’s song1, as if  we  were  all  child without the Original sin.Fuentes was kind of like that, he had an inner child  that was like  the apple of  his eyes, his eyes shone, within his eyes there was his vigor, his excitement, his desire of embrace everything, his love for Mexico. His eyes cast sparks because Fuentes was a seducer, but as Angeles Mastretta said, â€Å"a trustful seducer†. 1 Mexican composer and performer of children's songs, best known under the name of  Cri-Cri: El Grillito Cantor.

Muay Thai

Muay Thai Muay Thai is well known as one of the most dangerous sports around the world. Coming from Thailand it has its roots from many ancient forms of Asian martial arts also similar to the style of kick boxing and strike force. Muay as local people call it has an old history full of great fighters. Due to the terrible economy in Thailand it never got too much attention. Instead, it has remained a national sport and part of the folklore. Muay Thai has similar rules to every non-weapon fight sport, but knees and  elbows are allowed.It is practiced in a ring. The brutality of the fights makes the sport sometimes have a critical end where fighters go out on a stretcher. Nowadays, Thailand is considered the capital of this sport, and famous fighters have moved there for long periods of time in order to perfect the techniquee. Thailand considers muay thai part of the folklore and the impact it has in society is big. Muay Thai has an old history has been known since 1700 when the Burme se troops surrounded a big group of Thais where kick boxers were and took them to Burma.The king of Burma, King Mangra, wanted to make a festival for Buddha’s religion where he included a lot of entertainment. At the end as a closing event king wanted to see who was the best between the Burmesses fighters and the Thai kick boxers. Nai Khanomtom was selected to fight against the best Burmesses fighters. At the end of the first fight, the Burmese fighter collapsed, so the king asked Khanomtom to fight the best nine fighters from Burma, beating all of them one after the other with no stopping. Muay Thai. †Ã‚  Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 21 Nov. 2012. Web. 01 Dec. 2012. . Thai Boxing is a very respectful and strict sport. The sport is linked to the Buddhist religion and the respect the fighters feel for their professors and superiors is shown by a kind of dance known as nak nmuay. This dance occurs just before the fight and it also has a sense of gratitude to their pro fessors, and what they have taught them. Since a very young age Thai ighters are playing around rings, and even though they do not know how to fight they play child games, and later on they get to know all the gear just by playing although they do not know what it is for. Nak muay, as Thai fighters are known for start training since childhood and as they grow  fights are set one after the other. Some families, dedicated to this spot, live inside the fight campus outside the city. The father, usually after being a champion, trains his child to fight and the money the child gains from winning is used to get food and pay for family things.The techniques they learned are combined with their own style, and that allows the fighters to create variations of the same kicks and punches. The ascension of king Chulalongkorn (Rama V) to the throne in 1868 ushered in a Golden Age not only for muay but the whole country. â€Å"Muay Thai. †Ã‚  Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 21 Nov. 2012. Web. 01 Dec. 2012. . Muay progressed greatly during the reign of Rama V as a direct result of the king’s personal interest in the art. The country was at peace and muay functioned as a mean of physical exercise, and recreation. â€Å"What Is Muay Thai. †Ã‚  WCK Muay Thai RSS. N. p. , n. d. Web. 01 Dec. 2012. . ) . Nowadays there are remarkable fighters well known around the world as Yodsanklai who fights for Fairtex, the biggest company of muay Thai equipment. Buakaw Pranuk a promising fighter who held the title of K1 (Japanese tournament where the winner is named the best stand up fighter in the world) two times. Knee strikes are possibly the most deadly movements a Muay Thai practitioner has.Knees are often used in the clinch, where a boxer grabs the head of the other boxer and pulls his body down while the knee is thrown upward. A good knee strike delivered in the head can exert enough force to lift a car. Knees may also be thrown to the body, or in a flying knee s trike, where the boxer jumps and throws the knee at his opponent face. A flying knee strike, when landed, will almost certainly end a fight by knockout. (â€Å"Thread: Muay Thai Essay for School. †Ã‚  Muay Thai Essay for School. N. p. , n. d. Web. 01 Dec. 2012. . ) In conclusion, this martial art is the perfect combination of every part of the body that could be used as a weapon. At the same time, it is also part of the history of Thailand. Muay Thai gyms can be found all around the world, full of fighters that believe that there is no limit between them and the sky. This martial art is finding its own path in many fighting professional leagues, as UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship), K1, Strike force and others. I believe Muay Thai helps people not only to exercise, but to grow spiritually and mentally.

Gambling in guyana is a benefit to the society Essay

I support the argument that gambling in Guyana is a benefit to the society. When I say gambling, I refer to legal gambling. I acknowledge that gambling can become an addictive activity on a personal basis and can lead one to bankruptcy. At the same time I believe that Guyanese should be given the freedom of choice to determine how they spend their money and what decisions are best for them. Some argue that gambling is bad for our society since it makes one addicted to it as with drugs. I totally disagree since unlike drugs, gambling is not physically but is physiologically addictive. The Guyana lottery, established in 1997, is deemed a legal form of gambling by the laws of Guyana. The lottery involves playing various games of chance with the hope of earning fast tax free cash. In an interview with Tracey Lewis, the lottery company’s general manager, she stated that the company provides direct employment for 34 persons and business opportunities for approximately 80 retail agents. She also stated that the company has earned over $4. 5 billion in revenue for our country to date. From the facts given, can one really argue that a company that has done so much and is continuing to do much more is not beneficial for Guyana? I highly doubt that since this company has made it possible for many Guyanese to be employed and also has donated significantly to our already struggling economy. The Gambling Prevention Law which was amended in 2007 legalized the establishment of casinos locally. The Casino provides a means of employment to many Guyanese and also is a source of revenue since the Casino owners are compelled to pay tax. The Casino Act states that the only people who can gamble at the casino are international tourists and locals who are guests at the hotel. One may argue that gambling in casinos will make more Guyanese bankrupt. This can easily be refuted since the legislation only permit locals staying at the hotels to access the facility. In an interview with a receptionist at the Princess Hotel in Guyana, she claimed that about 99% of the guests at the hotel were foreigners. This clearly shows that it is highly unlikely that locals will become bankrupt from gambling at the casino since they are not usually guests there. The legislation permits only gambling in newly built hotels with a minimum of 250 rooms. Thus, this opened the doors for foreign investors to invest in new hotels here which will in turn create employment opportunities. How can providing employment, tourism and revenue via a legal means be considered harmful to Guyana? In conclusion, legal gambling is greatly needed in a country like Guyana which is considered a third world country. According to www. cia. gov, Guyana has a debt of USD$1. 234 billion. Thus, legal gambling is a source of earning foreign currency which in turn can assist in settling our debts and developing our country. These are a few reasons why I support the argument that gambling in Guyana is a benefit to our society.

Assignment (primary research required) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Assignment (primary research required) - Essay Example The current paper, therefore, aims to look into the working environment of ADM Building and Property Services, a small-sized business in London, and identify their business behaviours and practises in relation to small business management. Primary Research: Interviews with ADM Building and Property Services Employees The following interviews were conducted among 5 employees, 4 managers, and the owner himself, and aimed to determine how business management has been integrated into their overall system, particularly their actual practises and attitudes. Opportunities and Challenges Presented by Small Business Management The first two questions were, however, focused on both the opportunities and challenges that are brought about by being in a small business. According to their responses: â€Å"Small businesses can be established at a low cost and even on a part-time basis. Because these businesses that are smaller in size, such as ours, have begun to adopt Internet marketing and have taken full advantage of the benefits that this offers, we have been to respond to specialized niches. Thus, we have been able to take action for what the marketplace demands of us†. â€Å"We have established strong relationships with our clients and customers; we have also been capable of identifying their needs and preferences so we can provide more individualized services. Due to such, we have attained a significant increase in development and accountability as well†. â€Å"Independence is a very important factor to consider when establishing a small business; this comes with the freedom to make our own decisions, take our own risks, and obtain the rewards for our efforts. There is the lack of constraints that are brought about by economic and other external factors. Nonetheless, allocating long hours for work and understanding that our clients are our bosses have always been a top priority†. â€Å"Most often, the problems we encounter are brought about by the pressures from competing with larger businesses. For instance, to find new customers has always been a great challenge for us. To establish a continual flow of business, it has always been very important to focus on marketing the services that we offer†. The Importance of Branding to Small Businesses The next questions focused on the actual management of business, including the importance of branding and the strategies that they use to develop their brand. Their responses included: â€Å"Branding is the image that the public has of our business; it does not necessarily refer to the brand that we aim to create but rather the perception of what others have of us. This perception can be affected by various aspects of our business, from the products and services that we offer to the marketing tools that we use†. â€Å"Internet usage has been of great importance to us, such as through social media and online search engines. Aside from reinforcing our brand, we also provide clear, relevant, and engaging information to our target audience. Marketing and advertising activities should always be integrated

Adaptation of Hills Like White Elephant Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Adaptation of Hills Like White Elephant - Essay Example Women and men; seduction stories bring to the screen three stories each of which is focused on a man and a woman. Ernest Hemingway perfectly describes the setting of the story it a description of the view of River Ebro and white hills from a point at the train station in Spain. The girl likens the mountains to elephants which the American had never seen. These hills across the valley of Ebrol are described to be long and white with no shade or trees on the inside unlike the setting in the movie which shows the American and the girl seated with drinks on the table as they continue with their journey. The settings in the novel as well as in the movie do not show any variation as they are similarly outlined. The American and the girl are the main characters of the story. However, the American does not reveal his name; neither does the girl address him by his name. The American’s convincing nature is clearly shown as he tries to convince the girl undergo an operation without carin g about the girl. The girl is the female protagonist in the story. The American addresses her as jig although her real name is not revealed in the story. The girl being less sure of what she wants tempts the American to convince her to have an abortion. The girl seems not to care or worry about her self-worth as she is ready to undergo abortion (operation) as long as the American loves her. She is not straight forward about what she actually wants. â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants† consists of the dialogue between the American man and the girl with only few narrated segments in the story as opposed to the lengthy stage direction and frequency of occurrence in the women and men; seduction stories movie. This keeps the reader in the dark about the previous actions of the character and their motives. The aspect of flash is well captured in the women and men; seduction stories movie which helps the viewer to keep pace with previous actions, character’s actions and intentio ns or motives. This helps to set the mood and also establishes the landscape in understanding the conflict of the characters. The inability of the girl to speak Spanish with the bar attendant is an illustration of how dialogue is emphasized and her independence on the American and also shows the difficulties she had in expressing herself to other people. The American and the girl as well as the underlying conflict are characterized by the content and the manner of conversation which demonstrates radical compression and a higher degree of suggestiveness and implication. This is demonstrated during the first interaction between the American and the girl regarding the choice of a drink in which the girl asks the American. This conversation outlines the lack of the girl’s free will to ask for a drink while showing the manipulating character of the man. Conversation is also evident when the girl begs the man to stop talking after she realized that their conversation were futile. T he girl begs him ‘†¦.please, please, please, please†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Language and communication between the American and the girl become intense and more focused as the couples’ relationship is in a crisis due to the girl’s pregnancy. The couple seems to struggle in their conversation on the course they relationship will take especially when in public. To make matters worse, the readers are left not knowing whether the couple was able to find a common ground as the story ends

Relationships in the Church of Christ Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Relationships in the Church of Christ - Essay Example cans and African Americans, the thesis would try to define the role of Church of Christ in uniting these two cross cultural communities and study its influence in promoting leadership qualities for acculturation. The two ethnic communities; Mexican-American and African-American are characterized by their vastly different cultures and individual set of cross cultural problems. But the social barriers have been overcome to build a society where these two different communities collaborate and mutually support each other and successfully help build relationships within the Church of Christ. The study would make efforts to compare the two groups’ leadership roles, on the basis of their assimilation, integration and cross-cultural communication and study the predominant influence of Church of Christ in prevailing over language, race and socio-economic constraints. The thesis aims to collect relevant data through comprehensive interview schedules and study the historical importance of 8th Street Church of Christ in San Jose, CA. in consolidating and uniting the congregation that is defined by its diversity in terms of language and culture. The scope of the thesis would include the study of Church of Christ, incorporating various factors like: organization of church services, integration of funds, language barriers, translation of sermons, communication between the eldership and deacons, individual thoughts of leaders, how scripture defines leadership roles etc., which determine the impact of Church in promoting and building social relationships that transcend the border of race, language and culture especially in the last five years. The research proposes to analyze the data and evaluate it from the various perspectives so that an unbiased and detailed outcome could be reached on the impact of Church on these two communities which have overcome cross cultural barriers to forge long lasting relationships that promotes professional and personal excellence in the field

How to Build a New World Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

How to Build a New World - Assignment Example b. Individualism: is a phenomenon that encourages freedom, though at the cost of ties of the family, together with social cohesion. This act usually stresses the initiative of certain individual. In the context, it is worth to note that Klein explains that there is need to embrace freedom, even if it will be at the expensive of certain individuals or firms. c. Socialism: on the other hand, socialism entails a collective ownership. Klein brings out this point clearly by affirming that everyone has a collective responsibility in ensuring the best is achieved for the benefit of the whole family. d. Capitalism: this is a political and economic system where private owners, all in the name of gaining profits, usually control a country’s industry and trade. According to Klein, she points that Harper, forms a figure that represents someone who is Capitalist. According to her, social communities have a difficult in organizing because the secret behind how the organization lost its control is not vivid. Second, those who were supposed to defend the whole community are fighting to gain personal benefit. And third, lack schools; have also participated in this, since people do not have knowledge concerning their rights. 4. Klein claims society needs to "invest in education---education about the ideological and structural reasons why we have ended up where we are." What structures does she refer to? How might education reveal these structures so that, as Klein continues to say, a new world stands on a solid foundation? She refers to the structure of governance, where it favors leaders only. She admits that coalitions being in a top-down agreement will not in any way benefit the whole society. The change should emerge from down to top, with all members engaging in the change. According to the passage, I think that Kleins’ tone is sympathy. Here, she is sympathizing with what is going on, for example she says â€Å"We need you to be our fixed

A woman's beauty put down or power source Essay

A woman's beauty put down or power source - Essay Example The author investigates the present state of the issue and reveals that even the advantages, which women have in comparison to men, for example, their beauty an sex appeal, do not bring any visible benefits to the representatives of fair sex. â€Å"For close to two centuries it has become a convention to attribute beauty to only one of the two sexes: the sex which however fair is always second. Associating beauty with women has put beauty even further on the defensive, morally.† (Sontag 154) The first essential factor that was addressed by feminists is sexualization. The author emphasizes the role of mass media that actively promotes the image of a sexy woman is considered to be the one of the main factors, which contributes to the attitude towards women as towards the toys, which are created specially to have sex with men. The nude woman’s body can be seen everywhere: in the advertising, newspapers, in video clips. Beauty competitions also contribute to the formation o f the attitude towards women as towards objects. Women want to be sexy, but their sexuality finally turns to be a problem for them, a something they can be blamed for. To have sex is still a shame for women and normal for men. â€Å"Hence, when we are discussing women, we are generally discussing the sex interest common to both men and women, and this disturbs our point of view. The fact is that sex interest is a common possession that the unit in human life, even more than among lower animals, is always a male and a female bound together by love. Just as a body can function in sleep or under the influence of a narcotic, for a time seemingly independent of the mind, so a man or a woman can live for a time in seeming independence of the opposite sex; but from any biological point of view, such a separate existence of male and female is only a transient effort† (Barnes 3). The images of slim female bodies with a perfect look are everywhere: on

Affirmative Action Racism And Discrimination Essay Example for Free

Affirmative Action Racism And Discrimination Essay America is called â€Å"the land of opportunity† however, most of the countries citizens are not able to enjoy the benefits that the title provides. Being able to accomplish scholastic goals, attend a four-year college, and to have an influential career, are not obtainable for many, even though they work hard. Our nation has long been plagued by an ugly occurrence. An occurrence that finds its origins at the very core of our society. It is a problem familiar in some ways to all of us regardless of which side of the argument we find ourselves, and yet it remains unsolved. To verify that a problem exists, as Beverly, Tatum explains, we must first understand, racism as a system of advantage based on race, and white privilege as unjust enrichment through racial oppression,(Tatum,pg 10, 115). Next we must look at the steps taken to level the playing field of advanced racial groups. In America racism and discrimination is a cruel reality. For centuries now, local, state, and federal governments have been proactive in protecting or expanding the system of racial discrimination. White government officials and programs have often favored the racial and political-economic interests of white Americans. Government programs historically provided much access to homesteading land and numerous other valuable resources exclusively to white Americans (Feagin, 2010, p. 143). In an affords toward concern for equality, Affirmative action was created. It was designed to counteract the effect that discriminatory practices have embedded in the American culture. Affirmative action refers to policies that take factors including race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or national origin into consideration in order to benefit an under represented group in areas of employment, education, and business, usually justified as countering the effects of a history of discriminatio n. The term affirmative action was first used in the United States in Executive Order 10925 and was signed by President John F. Kennedy on 6 March 1961; it was used to promote actions that achieve non-discrimination. In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson enacted Executive Order 11246 which required government employers to take affirmative action to hire without regard to race, religion and national origin. In 1968, gender was added to the anti-discrimination list. A lively debate with sparks flying within racial group exists over the importance of the Affirmative action process. Some would argue that affirmative action undeservingly rewards minorities, and takes away from whites in effect causing reverse discrimination. Not long ago, Senator Bob Dole, a Republican presidential candidate, spoke in a television interview of â€Å"displaced† white men who compete with black workers because of affirmative action. He said that he was not sure that â€Å"people in America† (he meant â€Å"whites†) should be paying a price for discrimination that occurred â€Å"before they were born†. (Feagin, 2010, p. 15). Taking this evidence into consideration, should this influence the direction taken regarding affirmative action? University of California Regent Ward Connerly believes that affirmative action is used as a crutch that is ruining the relationship between blacks and whites. If this were true, would this be a good reason to halt government involvement in affirmative action programs? Would people identify these issues and take steps to make changes? Historically this has not been the case. Affirmative action programs have been successful in making social change. Minorities that have previously been excluded from opportunities have been afforded opportunities to achieve through affirmative action programs. Initially, affirmative action was a policy primarily aimed at correcting institutional discrimination where decisions, policies and procedures that are not necessarily explicitly discriminatory have had a negative impact on people of color. Affirmative action policies address and redress systematic economic and political discrimination against any group of people that are underrepresented or have a history of being discriminated against in particular institutions. Beneficiaries of these programs have included white men and women, people with disabilities, and poor working class people, but their primary emphasis has been on addressing racial discrimination (Kivel, P) If our goal is to eradicate discriminatory practices, then our government must continue to mandate legislation, and fund programs to address these issues. Following this conclusion it is clear to see that all evidence supports the benefits of affirmative action. What we have before us is a society with the possibility to make great strides in regards to changing the system of inequality. It is important that government lead in the direction that supports affirmative action programs. Government needs to see this as the biggest problem on their social agenda, and it will take a significant effort to mandate change, but the benefit for everyone will be extraordinary. References Feagin, J. (2010). Racist America Roots, Current Realities, and Future Reparations New York: Routledge Press. Tatum, Beverly Daniel. (2003). †Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? New York: Basic Books. Executive Order 11246. (2012, July 2). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 17:23, October 30, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Executive_Order_11246oldid=500344831 Montgomery, A. (2000, march 27). A â€Å"poison† divides us, salon.com, Kivel, P. (1997, November,17) Affirmative Action Works! Motion Magazine

Ganga River Pollution In India Environmental Sciences Essay

Ganga River Pollution In India Environmental Sciences Essay All of us have seen a river large or small, either flowing through our town, or somewhere else. Rivers are nothing more than surface water flowing down from a higher altitude to a lower altitude due to the pull of gravity. One river might have its source in a glacier, another in a spring or a lake. Rivers carry dissolved minerals, organic compounds, small grains of sand, gravel, and other material as they flow downstream. Rivers begin as small streams, which grow wider as smaller streams and rivers join them along their course across the land. Eventually they flow into seas or oceans. Unfortunately most of the worlds major rivers are heavily polluted. The pollution of environment is the gift of the industrial revolution. Prior to this the agrarian cultures created significant environmental deterioration in the form of soil erosion- through deforestation and overgrazing. The environmental degradation is a by product of modern civilization. There has been a steady deterioration in the quality of water of Indian rivers over several decades. Indias fourteen major, 55 minor and several hundred small rivers receive millions of litres of sewage, industrial and agricultural wastes. Most of these rivers have been rendered to the level of sewage flowing drains. There are serious water quality problems in the cities, towns and villages using these waters. Water borne diseases are rampant, fisheries are on decline, and even cattle are not spared from the onslaught of pollution. According to World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) five rivers in Asia serving over 870 million people are among the most threatened in the world, as dams, water extraction and climate change all take their toll. The Ganges, Indus, Yangtze, Salween-Nu and Mekong-Lancang rivers make up half of the WWFs top ten most threatened river basins. India has a large number of rivers that are lifelines for the millions living along their banks. These rivers can be categorized into four groups: 1.Rivers that flow down from the Himalayas and are supplied by melting snow and glaciers. This is why these are perennial, that is, they never dry up during the year. 2. The Deccan Plateau Rivers, which depend on rainfall for their water. 3. The coastal rivers, especially those on the west coast, which are short and do not retain water throughout the year. 4. The rivers in the inland drainage basin of west Rajasthan, which depend on the rains. These rivers normally drain towards silt lakes or flow into the sand. River Ganga (Ganges) of India has been held in high esteem since time immemorial and Hindus from all over the world cherish the idea of a holy dip in the river under the faith that by doing so they will get rid of their sins of life. More than 400 million people live along the Ganges River. An estimated 2,000,000 persons ritually bathe daily in the river. Historically also, Ganga is the most important river of the country and beyond doubt is closely connected with the history of civilization as can be noticed from the location of the ancient cities of Hardwar, Prayag, Kashi and Patliputra at its bank. To millions of people it is sustainer of life through multitude of canal system and irrigation of the wasting load. Hundreds of the villages and even the big cities depend for their drinking water on this river. It is believed, a fact which has also been observed, that the water of Ganga never decays even for months and years when water of other rivers and agencies begins to develop bac teria and fungi within a couple of days. This self purification characteristic of Ganga is the key to the holiness and sanctity of its water. The combination of bacteriophages and large populations of people bathing in the river have apparently produced a self-purification effect, in which water-borne bacteria such as dysentery and cholera are killed off, preventing large-scale epidemics. The river also has an unusual ability to retain dissolved oxygen. With growing civilization and population all over how long Ganga will retain its self purification characteristics only time can judge.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   SOURCES: The Gangotri   Glacier, a vast expanse of ice five miles by fifteen, at the foothills of the Himalayas (14000 ft) in North Uttar Pradesh is the source of Bhagirathi, which joins with Alaknanda (origins nearby) to form Ganga at the craggy canyon-carved town of Devprayag. Interestingly, the sources of Indus and the Brahmaputra are also geographically fairly close; the former goes through Himachal Pradesh and fans out through Punjab and Sind (Pakistan) into the Arabian Sea. The latter courses for most of its tremendous length under various names through Tibet/China, never far from the Nepal or Indian borders, and then takes a sharp turn near the northeastern tip of India, gathers momentum through Assam before joining the major stream of the Ganga near Dacca in Bangladesh to become the mighty Padma, river of joy and sorrow for much of Bangladesh. From Devprayag to the Bay of Bengal and the vast  Sunderbans delta, the Ganga flows some 1550 miles, passing (and giving life to) some of t he most populous cities of India, including Kanpur (2 million), Allahabad, Varanasi, Patna, and Calcutta (14 million). The largest tributary to the Ganga is the Ghaghara, which meets it before Patna, in Bihar, bearing much of the Himalayan glacier melt from Northern Nepal. The Gandak, which comes from near Katmandu, is another big Himalayan tributary. Other important rivers that merge with the Ganga are the Son, which originates in the hills of Madhya Pradesh, the Gomti which flows past Lucknow. Previous Work: A number of investigations have been carried out on the physiochemical and biological characters of the Ganga. Lakshminarayana (1965) published a series of papers reporting the results of studies carried out at Varanasi during the period between March, 1957 and March, 1958. it was observed by him that the values of the most of the parameters decreased during rainy season while no marked variation was observed during winters and summers. In the same year Chakraborty et.al. (1965) from Kanpur reported the water quality of Ganga at J.K. Rayons water intake point and at Golaghat and Bhairoghat pumping stations situated at the upstream of the river. It was concluded that the water quality gradually deteriorated as it passes from Bhairoghat pumping station to the J.K. Rayon water intake point in summers because in this stretch the river received waste waters from number of sewage drains.   A year later Saxena et.al. (1966) made a systematic survey of the chemical quantity of Ganga at Kanpur. According to the study, the biological oxygen demand, i.e. B.O.D. varied from 5.3ppm (minimum) in winter to 16.0ppm (maximum) in summer. The chloride ranged between 9.2 and 12.7 ppm and the river was found to be alkaline in nature except in rainy season. He concluded that the tanneries significantly increased the pollution load of river as they discharge huge amounts of effluents containing organic wastes and heavy metals. It was further reported that forty five tanneries, ten textile mills and several other industrial units discharged 37.15 million gallon per day of waste water generating BOD load of approximately 61630 Kg/day. Subsequently Agarwal et.al. (1976) studied the bacteriological population of the river water and concluded that addition of untreated waste and sewage was responsible for the presence of pathogenic organisms posing threat to the residents of the Varanasi city. Hydrobiological features of the river Ganga was studied by   Pahwa and Mehrotra (1966). The authors studied a stretch of 1090 kms. of river Ganga extending from Kanpur in west to Rajmahal, in Jharkhand state, in the east. They reported that the turbidity was maximum (1100-2170 ppm) in monsoon and minimum ( less than100 ppm) during January to June. The pH of the river water ranged between 7.45 (minimum) during June to August and 8.30 (maximum) during January to May. The dissolved oxygen, i.e. D.O. count ranged from 5.0 to 10.5 ppm with maximum values during January and February. While the minimum values were recorded in monsoon. Bhargava (1982) in a survey of total length of the river Ganga found that quality index was far above the prescribed limit at Kanpur. He further found that the Ganga water was having unusually fast regenerating capacity by bringing down B.O.D. owing to the presence of large amount of well adopted micro-organisms. According to the research Ganga is rich in polymers excreted by various species of bacteria. These polymers being excellent coagulants remove turbidity by coagulation, setting the suspended particles at the sewage discharge point. At the 1981 session of Indian Science Congress at Varanasi, scientists expressed concern at the growing pollution in the river Ganga in presence of the then Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi who inaugurated the session. At her instance, Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, the then member, Planning Commission asked the Central Board for Preventation and Control of Water Pollution, New Delhi to conduct studies on the state of the river Ganga. In collaboration with the State Pollution Control Boards of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Bengal and the centre for study of Man and Environment Kolkata (Calcutta), studies were conducted on the Sources of pollution including all human activities, land use pattern and water quality of the river at selected sites during 1981-82 and report entitled Basin, sub-basin inventory of water pollution in the Ganga basin part-II was published in 1984. according to this report sewage of 27 class I cities and towns and effluents from 137 major industries were the main source of pollution of the river. In addition cremation of dead human bodies and dumping of carcasses aggrevated the pollution of the river. It was Chandra (1981) who conducted studies on the pollution status of river Ganga at Allahabad, pointed out that industries manufacturing nitrogenous fertilizers have significant role in polluting the river water.   Study carried out in 1986-87 on physico-chemical properties of river Ganga water at Buxar (Unnao) clearly revealed that extent of pollution varied in different seasons. Usually all the 23 parameters studied showed high values in summer and lower during monsoons except turbidity which was high in rainy season. Values of BOD, COD, DO and H2S were recorded high than the tolerance limits. Study on water quality of river Ganga at Kalakankar (Pratapgarh in Uttar Pradesh) revealed that even at such a remote and undisturbed place like Kalakankar the river water was not safe for drinking and bathing. It was also noted that the river showed an alkaline trend throughout the course of study. According to the research done by Mehrotra (1990), the various sources responsible for pollution of the river in Varanasi city are domestic sewage effluents of the industries, burning of dead bodies at the ghats, use of detergents, insecticides and pesticides used in agriculture. Study revealed the presence of toxic metals like   mercury ( 65 to 520ppb), Lead( less than 10 to 800 ppm), chromium (less than 10 to 200 ppm) and nickel (less than 10 to 130 ppm) in the sediments of Ganga river at Varanasi city.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Upstream from Varanasi, one of the major pilgrimage sites along the river, the water is comparatively pure, having a low  Biochemical oxygen demand  and fecal coliform count. Studies conducted in 1983 on water samples taken from the right bank of the Ganga at Patna confirm that  escheria coli  (E.Coli.), fecal streptococci and vibrio cholerae organisms die two to three times faster in the Ganga than in water taken from the rivers Son and Gandak and from dug wells and tube wells in the same area. The chemical pollution of the river Ganga in Patna city in Bihar state has been found somewhat alarming beside the storm drain, especially in the regions like Rajapur, Mandiri and Krishnaghat. According to the report published in a book by Mr. U.K. Sinha (1986), the concentration of iron is higher in sediments collected from 10 metres along the bank at Mandiri region. The concentration of all the toxic metals i.e copper, zinc, nickel and cobalt are higher in all the sediments collected from near the storm drain and diminishes towards mid-region of the river. The concentration of zinc is highest in the sediments collected from near the Mandiri storm drain, Antaghat storm drain and Krishnaghat storm drain. The concentration of copper is highest in the sediments collected from near the Krishnaghat storm drain suggesting the presence copper due to utensil work being done in Thatheri Bazar and hospital wastes also, said report. Present situation: For some time now, this romantic view of the Ganges has collided with Indias grim realities. During the past three decades, the countrys explosive growth (at nearly 1.2 billion people, Indias population is second only to Chinas), industrialization and rapid urbanization have put unyielding pressure on the sacred stream. Ganga, the most sacred of rivers for Hindus, has become polluted for some years now. But a recent study by Uttarakhand Environment Conservation and Pollution Control Board says that the level of pollution in the holy river has reached alarming proportions. Things have come to such a pass that the Ganga water is at present not fit just for drinking and bathing but has become unusable even for agricultural purposes. As per the UECPCB study, while the level of coliform present in water should be below 50 for drinking purposes, less than 500 for bathing and below 5000 for agricultural use-the present level of coliform in Ganga at Haridwar has reached 5500. Based on the level of coliform, dissolved oxygen and biochemical oxygen, the study put the water in A, B, C and D categories. While A category is considered fit for drinking, B for bathing, C for agriculture and D is for excessive pollution level. Since the Ganga waters at Haridwar have more than 5000 coliform and even the level of dissolved oxygen and biochemical oxygen doesnt conform the prescribed standards, it has been put in the D category. According to the study, the main cause of high level of coliform in Ganga is due to disposal of human faeces, urine and sewage directly into the river from its starting point in Gaumukh till it reaches Haridwar via Rishikesh. Nearly 89 million litres of sewage is daily disposed into Ganga from the 12 municipal towns that fall along its route till Haridwar. The amount of sewage disposed into the river increases during the Char Dham Yatra season when nearly 15 lakh pilgrims visit the state between May and October each year. Apart from sewage disposal of half-burnt human bodies at Haridwar and hazardous medical waste from the base hospital at Srinagar due to absence of an incinerator are also adding to pollution levels in the Ganga. The result has been the gradual killing of one of Indias most treasured resources. One stretch of the Yamuna River, the Ganges main tributary, has been devoid of all aquatic creatures for at least a decade. In Varanasi, Indias most sacred city, the coliform bacterial count is at least 3,000 times higher than the standard established as safe by the United Nations world Health   Organization.  Ã‚  Coliform  are rod-shaped bacteria that are normally found in the colons of humans and animals and become a serious contaminant when found in the food or water supply. A study by Environmental Biology Laboratory, Department pf Zoology, Patna University, showed the presence of mercury in the Ganga river in Varanasi city. According to the study, annual mean concentration of mercury in the river water was 0.00023 ppm. The concentration ranged from NT (not traceable) to 0.00191 ppm. Study done by Indian Toxicological Research Centre (ITRC), Lucknow during 1986-1992 showed maximum annual concentration of mercury in the Ganga river water at Rishikesh, Allahabad district and Dakshineswar as 0.081, 0.043 and 0.012 ppb respectively. Ganga river at Varanasi was found well within the maximum permissible standard of 0.001 ppm prescribed for drinking water by the World Health Organization. The mercury studied in the Ganga river could be traced in biotic as well as abiotic components of the river at the study site. The Hindu devotees take bath in the river where mercury was detected in 28%, 44%,75%, 96%, 42% and 89% of the river water, sediment, benthic fauna, fish, soil and vegetation samples respectively. Though mercury contamination of the river water has not reached an alarming extent, its presence in the river system is worrisome. In the study annual mean concentration of the metal in the sediments was 0.067 ppm. Sediments constitute a major pool of mercury in fresh water. As Ganga enters the Varanasi city, Hinduisms sacred river contains 60,000 faecal coliform bacteria per 100 millilitres, 120 times more than is considered safe for bathing. Four miles downstream, with inputs from 24 gushing sewers and 60,000 pilgrim-bathers, the concentration is 3,000 times over the safety limit. In places, the Ganges becomes black and septic. Corpses, of semi-cremated adults or enshrouded babies, drift slowly by. The tannery industry mushrooming in North India has converted the Ganga River into a dumping ground. The tanning industry discharges different types of waste into the environment, primarily in the form of liquid effluents containing organic matters, chromium, sulphide ammonium and other salts. As per an estimate, about 80-90% of the tanneries use chromium as a tanning agent. Of this, the hides take up only 50-70%, while the rest is discharged as effluent. Pollution becomes acute when tanneries are concentrated in clusters in small area like Kanpur. Consequently, the Leather-tanning sector is included in the Red category of industries due to the potential adverse environmental impact caused by tannery wastes. Highly polluted sediments are adversely affecting the ecological functioning of rivers due to heavy metal mobilization from urban areas into biosphere. Distribution of heavy metals in sediments of the river Ganga and its tributaries have been carried out by several workers. Monitoring of Ganga River from Rishikesh to Varanasi indicated that Kannauj to Kanpur and Varanasi are the most polluted stretches of the river Ganga . Analysis of upstream and down stream water and sediment revealed a 10-fold increase in chromium level.