Federal Express Canada Case Analysis Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Federal Express Canada Analysis - Case Study Example Contents Contents 3 Background 4 Statement of Problem(s) or Statement of Issue(s) 4 Situation Analysis 5 Marketing Mix 5 SWOT Analysis 6 Environmental Analysis 7 Analysis of alternatives 7 Recommendation(s) 7 Implementation or Action Plan 8 Reference 8 Background The case study revolves around FedEx’s customer service that it provides to its customer and need of assistance provided by the customers care. FedEx is one of the leaders in the air express cargo transportation and its business is based on the philosophy that â€Å"when people are placed first they will provide the highest possible services and the profits will follow†. FedEx is known to be a reliable shipper and is committed to get the package of its customers irrespective of the size to the required destination on time. The present case study analysis is based on the customer service of FedEx which they showed towards a small company by the name of Desktop Innovation. Anita Kilgour who was the office manager in Desktop Innovation had shipped two packets from Kitchener, Ontario to Simpsonville, South Carolina through FedEx. But only one of the two packets was received and there were no whereabouts about the second packets. Statement of Problem(s) or Statement of Issue(s) FedEx which was known for its services and has received many awards for its excellent services in the past but Anita was really disappointed with the way the company handled the situation. With respect to the case of Anita and her company Desktop Innovation, the main problem lied with FedEx was its customer service. Despite of Anita calling them several times to keep a track of the packets and to know about the whereabouts of the missing packets, the customer service department was least interests in informing her and the company about the missing packet and as promised they never called Anita back to provide the information. As stated by Anita that the customer service policies needs to be given an in dept analysis was however true for the situation where Anita and her company had to face issues because of FedEx. Situation Analysis Marketing Mix The marketing mix constitutes of four Ps but since Federal Express is a service industry, the marketing mix would include the remaining three Ps also that is all in 7 Ps. Thus the 7Ps are Product, Price, Place, Promotion, People, Process and Physical Evidence. Product/ Services: FedEx is a courier service industry and delivers the couriers to the required destinations ion time and it has been known for its on time delivery system. Other services includes packaging and shipping of the products, hold at the location, local delivery, laptop docking stations, hotels and conventions and also provides services such as scanning, fax, passport and other office suppliers (FedEx, 2012). The products of FedEx includes posters, banners, displays and frames, cards and calendar, design services to name a few products (FedEx, 2012). Price: FedEx charges a premium price for its services from its customers. It also provides booking facility through the internet so that customer can book at an ease and at any point of time. Place: FedEx is geographically scattered all over the globe and provide services 24*7. FedEx is located in Asia, Europe, Middle East, Africa, North America and Latin America.

Foundations of Western Civilization Essay Example for Free

Foundations of Western Civilization Essay Essay 1: Pope Urban II launched the First Crusade when the Byzantine emperor Alexios I asked for help to fight against the Muslims. In 1095, Pope Urban II made a speech at the council of Clermont to persuade the people and nobility who attended the council to wage war for their Holy Land against the Seljuk Turks. His speech was considered as one of the most effective speeches given in European history. Because of this speech, he was able to reconcile their fight against the Muslims by telling them that they have to fight together because it is the will of God. In turn, the Crusaders were Christians formed to wage fights against Muslims, pagans and other political enemies of the popes. The First Crusade’s major purpose was to reclaim Jerusalem from Muslims. Major motivations for any Crusader at that time were the promise of deliverance from their sins, exemption from tax and protection from the church. Another motivation was that if any Crusader died, they will certainly go to heaven. The First Crusades was successful in getting back their Holy Land. Four new kingdoms were established and the First Crusades were followed with more conquests to gain territories against their enemies. The First Crusades was able to help the pope expand his power and authority of the church among the people of those times. Essay 2: (Aztec, Egyptian and Mayan Civilization) One common thing about these three civilizations is that they have many gods that people worship. Religion in these civilizations influenced political life because leaders associated them closely with their gods. In the Egyptian civilization, some pharaohs considered themselves as son of the sun-god while some leaders in the mentioned civilizations considered themselves as reincarnations of their gods. Rulers during this time were also the high priests themselves and led many religious ceremonies. Religion greatly influenced political conquests in these ancient civilizations because captives from foreign conquests were mainly used as human sacrifices for religious rituals and ceremonies. In Mayan and Aztec civilizations, a number of their religious rituals included human sacrifices to their major gods. These rituals were used to send messages across their enemies how powerful they are. References The First Crusades, http://www. historylearningsite. co. uk/cru2. htm. , 2002-2008 Aztec Civilization. http://encarta. msn. com/ Egyptian Civilization. http://encarta. msn. com/ Mayan Civilization. http://encarta. msn. com/

Geography of Trinidad :: Essays Papers

Geography of Trinidad Just seven miles of northeast of its mother land Venezuela, separated by the Gulf of Paria , Trinidad is one of only 1,864 square miles. It is an island surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean. With a longitude (W) of between 60* 54' and 61*56', Trinidad has a latitude (N) of between 10* 3' and 10* 50'.With a tropical climate and rainy season that runs form June to December, unlike the other Caribbean Islands, Trinidad is not on the tropical storms and hurricane paths. Moreover the mountains of Trinidad are unlike those of the other Caribbean Islands. Trinidad has mountains that stretch southwards to the plain and along the gulf and down to the sea, the mountains lay along the whole northern boarder. Its mountains are not steep, cone shaped and rugged. From east to west the mountains of Trinidad run in three lines that are parallel but are separated by two large valleys. As De Verteuil wrote â€Å" Trinidad, being a comparatively newly-settled island, presen ts in many parts the appearance of a wild unreclaimed country. It is covered with dense and lofty forests, the heavy appearance of endless woodland being only broken here and there by vast savannahs, or by the effort of agricultural industry, - except, perhaps, at the Naparimas , where an extensive district is under uninterrupted cultivation.† As beautiful as the valleys are, the plantations have its own beauty, filled with cane-fields and cacao plants, giving it a violet-red hue when the leaves are young, and a range of colors from red, yellow, green, and dark crimson pod withy the older branches. Trees are also very colorful, some have flowers and some such as the Poui have a brilliant yellow color, The Roble has an orange color, and there are many other trees that have colors from white to pink and violaceouse. At the same time, because most of the population deals with plantation, as estimated in 1993, fifteen percent of the land is permanent crops and nine percent permane nt pastures, there are many environmental issues. Some of these current issues in Trinidad include â€Å"water pollution from agricultural chemicals, industrial wastes, and raw sewage; oil pollution of beaches; deforestation; soil erosion†. Trinidad also has many valuable natural resources such as natural gas, asphalt, and petroleum.

Biodiversity Outline

I. Introduction a. Over the past two decades, strong scientific evidence has emerged showing that loss of the world's biological diversity reduces the productivity and sustainability of natural ecosystems and decreases their ability to provide society with goods and services like food, wood, fodder, fertile soils, and protection from pests and disease. II. Body a. [Amphibians] No group of animals has a higher rate of endangerment than amphibians. Scientists estimate that a third or more of all the roughly 6,300 known species of amphibians are at risk of extinction i.The current amphibian extinction rate may range from 25,039 to 45,474 times the background extinction rate ii. Frogs, toads, and salamanders are disappearing because of habitat loss, water and air pollution, climate change and disease. iii. Because of their sensitivity to environmental changes, vanishing amphibians should be viewed as the canary in the global coal mine, signaling subtle yet radical ecosystem changes that could ultimately claim many other species, including humans. b. [Birds] Birds occur in nearly every habitat on the planet and are often the most visible and familiar wildlife to people across the globe.As such, they provide an important bellwether for tracking changes to the biosphere. Declining bird populations across most to all habitats confirm that profound changes are occurring on our planet in response to human activities. i. A 2009 report on the state of birds in the United States found that 251 (31 percent) of the 800 species in the country are of conservation concern. ii. Globally, BirdLife International estimates that 12 percent of known 9,865 bird species are now considered threatened, with 192 species, or 2 percent, facing an â€Å"extremely high risk† of extinction in the wild — two more species than in 2008. ii. Habitat loss and degradation have caused most of the bird declines, but the impacts of invasive species and capture by collectors play a big role , too. c. [Fish]Increasing demand for water, the damming of rivers throughout the world, the dumping and accumulation of various pollutants, and invasive species make aquatic ecosystems some of the most threatened on the planet; thus, it’s not surprising that there are many fish species that are endangered in both freshwater and marine habitats. i. The American Fisheries Society identified 700 species of freshwater or anadromous fish inNorth America as being imperiled, amounting to 39 percent of all such fish on the continent ii. In North American marine waters, at least 82 fish species are imperiled. Across the globe, 1,851 species of fish — 21 percent of all fish species evaluated — were deemed at risk of extinction by the IUCN in 2010, including more than a third of sharks and rays. d. [Invertebrates (depth into coral reefs)] Invertebrates, from butterflies to mollusks to earthworms to corals, are vastly diverse — and though no one knows just how many invertebrate species exist, they’re estimated to account for about 97 percent of the total species of animals on Earth.Of the 1. 3 million known invertebrate species, the IUCN has evaluated about 9,526 species, with about 30 percent of the species evaluated at risk of extinction. i. Freshwater invertebrates are severely threatened by water pollution, groundwater withdrawal, and water projects, while a large number of invertebrates of notable scientific significance have become either endangered or extinct due to deforestation, especially because of the rapid destruction of tropical rainforests. ii.In the ocean, reef-building corals are declining at an alarming rate: 2008’s first-ever comprehensive global assessment of these animals revealed that a third of reef-building corals are threatened. III. Conclusion a. While much concern over extinction focuses on globally lost species, most of biodiversity’s benefits take place at a local level, and conserving local po pulations is the only way to ensure genetic diversity critical for a species’ long-term survival. Not everything is lucid when it comes to biodiversity loss, but what it is clear that many thousands of species are at risk of disappearing forever in the coming decades.

Effects of Poverty on Children

Name: Shem Blake Course: Child-Adolescent Development Lecturer: Mrs. Kennedy Date: February 19, 2013 Discuss how poverty affects the psychosocial, cognitive, moral and physical development of the adolescent The term poverty is usually used to simply refer to a lack of money, but living in a state of financial instability is both physically and emotionally damaging.While an adolescent who grows up in a middle class suburb is taught that he or she can go to college, marry, have a rewarding career, and make a meaningful contribution to the world at large, a child born into poverty must struggle to simply make it to adulthood. The long term effects of poverty are why this is a social issue that deserves public attention. Poverty is one of the most devastating preventable phenomena working against the healthy development of an adolescent whom are at a very crucial stage in their growth and development.During this developmental process they are going through, adolescents need an enhancing and stimulating environment to support their growth but if these adolescents are situated in poverty stricken environment their growth will be affected because through poverty they are deprived from needs and wants which is essential in their development and this alters their process of development as the effects of poverty may wrap, twist or arrest the process as the adolescents undergo psychosocial, cognitive, moral and physical development.Therefore, its far-reaching effect can be devastating to the development of adolescents. Poverty has a major negative impact on adolescent’s psychosocial development. According to studies by V. C. McLoyd, â€Å"persistent exposure to poverty has a directly negative effect on a child’s health†. The more obvious explanation for the reasoning of this are that lifestyle and living conditions for those who live in poverty affect a child negatively. Environmental deprivation is usually what we consider when we think about poverty , but it is not the only factor.Stressors such as unsafe or life-threatening living conditions and violence play a part. Among these is deprivation of other essential necessities that are needed, such as food, medicine and a safe home. Deprivation of any of these things, especially in infancy or early childhood has a marked effect on psychosocial development. As McLoyd points out, children who live in poverty are exposed to more extreme living situations than those who are not living under similar circumstances.These conditions may have a more pronounced effect or influence on them. During adolescent there is a large degree of psychological growth as children make adjustments in their personality due to the rapid development. They face ongoing conflict and difficulty adapting to the sudden upsurge of sexual and aggressive drive. These changes cause unrest and confusion in the adolescents’ inner selves and the way they perceive the world. During this maturation they establish their own beliefs, values and what they want to accomplish out of life.At this stage their also separating emotionally from parents while still being reliant on them but as they have to struggle with the challenges of poverty, instead of having a healthy psychosocial development they are at greater risk of behavioral and emotional problems  because they do not think of things the way they should instead they get a perverted mind especially against persons who are living in a better condition from them causing them to not think normally.Some behavioral problems may include impulsiveness, difficulty getting along with peers, aggression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and conduct disorder because they are in an environment which places a lot of limitations on them. Also, because of their poor status often times they are living in unsafe neighborhoods which exposes children to violence which can cause a number of psychosocial difficulties. Violence exposure can also p redict future violent behavior in youth which places them at greater risk of injury and mortality and entry into the juvenile justice system.There are different forms of poverty. When a child has been born into poverty, then poverty is seen as a fact of life which may or may not be something that can be changed. Hard work for survival is an expectation of life. The â€Å"rules† that apply differently to people who live in poverty are understood but adherence to the rules can be â€Å"conditional† when survival or basic needs are not being met. Hence, at this stage, where they are transitioning from concrete operational thinking to formal logical abstract) thinking including development in reasoning and judgment. So even though their thinking becomes multidimensional and they are better to contemplate situations their decision making remains susceptible to emotions due to their social environment restricts cognitive stimulation resulting in a lower motivation to learn b ecause the adolescents mind is always somewhere else, they have a short attention span because their mind is always thinking about food, and cognitive developmental delays because of poor nutrition.However, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the brain of a teenager continues to develop all the way into adulthood. The amygdala, the section of the brain that controls instincts, develops first. The frontal cortex, which is responsible for reasoning and determines how we act, develops later and continues to develop into adulthood. Because of this, a teenager is guided less by the frontal cortex and may not have a full understanding of moral behavior.So while the development of the cognitive skills is being delayed because of poor nutrition, the development of the moral skills are more severely delayed because they take a longer time to develop because the poverty stricken environment does not stimulates and enriches the development of this growth becau se their judgment are not mainly on what’s right or wrong but, what’s right or wrong for their survival. In their environment they are exposed to the temptations of drug, alcohol and sex from an early point in life but because this has been a norm in their upbringing they fall to the same temptations.Everyone knows that it is troubling having to deal with poverty, moreover, it is more troubling for adolescents because they are already going through challenges of their own adapting to a new mind and body, plus dealing with their life situations may bring them to a breaking point. Often times, their moral development is not based on what is right or wrong but the right or wrong ways of getting what they need or want, resulting in situations like gang violence, teenage prostitution and stealing causing deaths and even sexually transmitted diseases.Their moral development is affected because they still think in an abstract way and can be more impulsive than an adult. At th is stage their impulsiveness can prevent them from making decisions based on moral responsibility and they will believe no consequences will emerge from their actions. Not only does a poor nutrition and other social factors affects the adolescent in their psychsocial, moral and cognitive development but its most visible impact is on the physical development of the adolescent.Through this time they are going through a rapid change of the body but their development is slowed down because their body lacks the right nutrients that enhance their growth. They do not eat right and are ignorant to the concept of living a healthy lifestyle so in their development, if they are not underweight; they are overweight because their diet consists of a lot of carbohydrate, a small amount of protein and a deficit in other nutrients. Soobader and Leclere (2000) has also examined the impact of poverty on the physical health status of the adolescents.According to these authors, poverty can impact the ab ility of the family to receive and maintain health insurance. This specific issue can impact the overall health of the adolescence because health care is expensive and if the adolescent is fallen ill, if the ailment is not considered serious, then they will have to stay home and use home remedies only going to the doctor if it gets life threating and this is a very serious issue because the ailment could already be causing internal damage.In low-income families, acquiring proper medical care remains a pervasive issue that has clear ramifications for the health outcomes of the child. Although Soobader and Leclere do argue that the issues facing adolescence is quite complex overall, the inability to access proper healthcare and insurance has a notable impact on the outcomes for adolescence living in poverty. â€Å"The probability of a child being uninsured was associated with higher levels of income inequality at the county level and higher levels of poverty at the neighborhood level .Therefore, the deteriorating physical environment and the lack of social services compounds individual disadvantage† (p. 230). When poverty is a lifelong proposition for adolescents, it does not mean that an adolescence will develop into a lesser form of a human being when they reach adulthood. In fact, honor, values, beliefs, community structure can produce well form individuals under conditions most of us would consider horrific. But the lack of food, medical care, and other horrific social conditions may cause lifelong psychosocial, cognitive, moral and physical impairments for the adolescents.Without a solid community or family structure, the overall lack of basic subsistence will cause preventable and inexcusable deaths that can give an adolescent a warped view of the value of life. Referencing Books. Mueller, M. , & Patton, M. (1995). Working with poor families, lessons learned from practice. Marriage andFamily Review, 21 (1/2), 65-90. Center for Adolescent Health and L aw (1999, December). Adolescents in public health insurance programs, Chase-Lansdale, P. L. , and Brooks-Gunn, J. , eds. Escape from poverty: What makes a difference for children? New York: Cambridge University Press, 1995

Free Essays on Consequences Of Divorce

â€Å"Consequences of Divorce† Recent decades have been a period of rapid family change in which marital separation is consequently elevated, as is the growth in the number of stepfamilies, single parent families, and nonmarital births. Wallenstein, describes divorce as something that has become relatively common in today’s society. Some separations are called for, while others are simply an escape from an undesirable circumstance. Unfortunately, today’s adults do not feel obligated to remain in relationships. Most marriages in today’s society end in a brutal divorce that affects not only the parents but also the children as well. Children, more that adults, are faced with decisions that change their lives within twenty four hours. They are forced to sacrifice their carefree play of childhood at an early age, along with the comfort of a loving home to accommodate their parents’ absence and abandonment; consequently home has become a lonely place instead of a place of love and contentme nt. Children who are relative to separated families, go through life with a sense of fear in regards to trust. They find it problematical to obtain trusting relationships with their parents as well as people whom they consider to be their significant other. As a society, we have given trust the definition of an individual’s expectations and beliefs about the reliability of others. Because parents are usually the first and most important caregivers in a child’s life, the parent-child relationship forms the early basis for a child’s developing sense of trust. Because of the increasing rates of divorce, children now days are receiving less nurturance and attention from their parents. â€Å"The separation of the parents may negatively impact the parent-child relationship affecting the quantity, quality, or timing of a parent-child interaction† (King). This can especially hold true at the time of the separation when parents might have adj... Free Essays on Consequences Of Divorce Free Essays on Consequences Of Divorce â€Å"Consequences of Divorce† Recent decades have been a period of rapid family change in which marital separation is consequently elevated, as is the growth in the number of stepfamilies, single parent families, and nonmarital births. Wallenstein, describes divorce as something that has become relatively common in today’s society. Some separations are called for, while others are simply an escape from an undesirable circumstance. Unfortunately, today’s adults do not feel obligated to remain in relationships. Most marriages in today’s society end in a brutal divorce that affects not only the parents but also the children as well. Children, more that adults, are faced with decisions that change their lives within twenty four hours. They are forced to sacrifice their carefree play of childhood at an early age, along with the comfort of a loving home to accommodate their parents’ absence and abandonment; consequently home has become a lonely place instead of a place of love and contentme nt. Children who are relative to separated families, go through life with a sense of fear in regards to trust. They find it problematical to obtain trusting relationships with their parents as well as people whom they consider to be their significant other. As a society, we have given trust the definition of an individual’s expectations and beliefs about the reliability of others. Because parents are usually the first and most important caregivers in a child’s life, the parent-child relationship forms the early basis for a child’s developing sense of trust. Because of the increasing rates of divorce, children now days are receiving less nurturance and attention from their parents. â€Å"The separation of the parents may negatively impact the parent-child relationship affecting the quantity, quality, or timing of a parent-child interaction† (King). This can especially hold true at the time of the separation when parents might have adj...

International Business Culture Essays - Greetings, Free Essays

International Business Culture Essays - Greetings, Free Essays International Business Culture Name: Course: Professors name: University name: City, State: Introduction This report seeks to address international business culture and how it is affected by cultural differences. The scope of the cultures herein is global. There are four cultures represented in this context, namely, Chinas, Hong Kongs, Egypts and Irans culture. Individuals represent the cultures from the group who hail from the cultures. Cultural communication takes the center stage in this report. Cultural communication norms differ in several ways across the mentioned Egyptian, Chinese, Hong Kong and Iran cultures. The areas with essential differences are gift giving, addressing individuals, etiquette, time keeping and meetings and greeting. The differences between Egyptian and Chinese cultures are, for instance, value and unveiling of the gift. The Egyptian culture requires one to be presented a valuable gift and open it as soon it is received (Dursins, 2013). Contrary to that the other cultures appreciate gifts even of the very simple kind and do not necessarily open them at the point they are received, they can even last for a day before opening. Relatively, the Chinese culture will have the person presented with a gift refuse it several times yet they still want it. The Iran culture is very similar to that of Egypt, when receiving a gift it is valued and accepted on the spot. The respective business cultures of HK ,China, Egypt Iran will be compared as follows: Part A: Table of comparisons Honk KongChinaEgyptIran Form of addressFormal introduction Full names Title in companyFormal Surname Younger individuals should be introduced to the elder.Semi-formal(depending on the situation) Full name or first name Lower social class should be introduced to those of higher social class.Surname used to introduced someones self Semi-formal Meeting and greetingEasy going Polite FormalFormal Handshake and a nod Common greeting Is HiCasual Handshake followed by the words allsalam Alaykom A kiss on the cheek for family and friendsSemi-formal Three kisses on the cheek for friends and family Handshake for business Exchanging giftsSmall gift after 1st meetingChinese find it normal to object a gift over severally before accepting Gifts are recommended for some sort of celebration and not for greetings.All gifts are accepted Gifts are opened as soon as they are receivedThe usual gift is money When invited over at someones home, a gist such as food is well appreciated. EtiquetteHandshakes Patting on the shoulders represents bad luckHandshakes Patting on the shoulders represents bad luckSenior person is meant to stretch out the hand for the handshake. There are no gender issues No gender differences Time keepingInfluenced by British is important to attach time Arrived several minutes earlierPeople are time conscious and report to work earlier on time or even meetingsone can report to work late, minutes or an hour after but will compensate the time in their ways.Leave things to do at the last minute. Communication stylesDirect Fact-based and verbal communication methods to express theirs opinions Men to be loud when talking or giving a speech When a Chinese elder provides an order to a junior member of the society or child, no argument should be returnedRequires one to moderate and have a neutral tone when giving a speech When a Chinese elder provides an order to a junior member of the society or child, no argument should be returnedDirect Face to face Always complimenting each other is a sign of respect. Team WorkIndividualism and masculinity Performance for group success stands for personal performanceCompetition between group members. Not strong collaborating workers. Individualism. Part B: Analysis of Key differences between Hong Kong .China ,Egypt, Iran. Differences in meeting and greeting between Egyptian ,China and Iran Greetings too are sensitive and can have implications such as misguided perceptions about someone. The Chinese culture and Egyptian cultures do not allow kissing and hugging as evidenced with the Iran culture. It is viewed as displaying intimacy to the public and as such a misguided perception about someone. The distance between individuals when greeting each other is considerably not close among the Chinese and Egyptian. However the Iran are comfortable will closeness between individuals who are greeting each other as they would even hug (Hooker, 2008). Skewed perceptions are overly formed and affect how the public from the other cultures will view people from my culture. It can do to a point of discouraging interaction among the different parties involved. Differences in communication styles between Hong Kong and China. On the whole, HK businesspeople rely heavily on direct, fact-based and verbal communication

How Senators Use the Filibuster to Stop Legislation

How Senators Use the Filibuster to Stop Legislation The term filibuster is used to describe a tactic used by members of the U.S. Senate to stall or delay votes on legislation. Lawmakers have used every trick imaginable to filibuster on the floor of the Senate: reading names from the phone book, reciting Shakespeare, cataloging all the  recipes for fried oysters. The use of the filibuster has skewed the way legislation is brought to the floor of the Senate. There are 100 members of the upper chamber in Congress, and most votes are won by a simple majority. But in the Senate, 60 has become the most important number. Thats because  it takes 60 votes in the Senate to block a filibuster and bring an end to unlimited debate or delay tactics. Senate rules allow any member or group of senators to speak as long as necessary on an issue. The only way to end the debate is to invoke cloture, or win a vote of 60 members. Without the 60 votes needed, the filibuster can go on forever. Historic Filibusters Senators have effectively used filibusters or more often, the threat of a filibuster to change legislation or block a bill from being voted on the Senate floor. Sen. Strom Thurmond gave the longest filibuster in 1957 when he spoke for more than 24 hours against the Civil Rights Act. Sen. Huey Long would recite Shakespeare and read recipes to pass the time while filibustering in the 1930s. But the most famous filibuster was conducted by Jimmy Stewart in the classic film Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Why Filibuster? Senators have used filibusters to push for changes in legislation or to prevent a bill from passing with less than 60 votes. It is often a way for the minority party to yield power and block legislation, even though the majority party chooses what bills will get a vote. Often, senators make their intent to filibuster known to other senators to prevent a bill from being scheduled for a vote. Thats why you rarely see long filibusters on the Senate floors. Bills that will not be approved are rarely scheduled for a vote. During George W. Bushs administration, Democratic senators effectively filibustered against several judicial nominations. In 2005, a group of seven Democrats and seven Republicans - dubbed the Gang of 14 - got together to reduce filibusters for judicial nominees. The Democrats agreed not to filibuster against several nominees, while Republicans ended efforts to rule filibusters unconstitutional. Against the Filibuster Some critics, including many members of the U.S. House of Representatives who have seen their bills pass in their chamber only to die in the Senate, have called for an end to filibusters, or to at least lower the cloture threshold to 55 votes. They allege the rule has been used too often in recent years to block important legislation. Those critics point to data that show the use of the filibuster has become too common in modern politics. No session of Congress, in fact, had attempted to break a filibuster more than 10 times until 1970. Since then the number of cloture attempts has exceeded 100 during some sessions, according to the data. In 2013,  the Democratic-controlled U.S. Senate voted to change the rules on how the chamber acts on presidential nominations.  The change makes it easier to set up confirmation votes for  presidential nominees for executive branch and judicial nominees with the exception of those for the U.S. Supreme Court by requiring only a simple majority, or 51 votes, in the Senate.

Multiple regression Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Multiple regression - Term Paper Example Multiple regression is an effective technique to identify a relationship between one dependent variable and multiple independent variables. It is hypothesized the property crime rates per thousand inhabitants is dependent on multiple factors such as per capita income, school dropout percentage, population density, percentage of people living in urban area and so on. In order to establish a certain relationship between the variables, multiple regression was used. While crimes is the dependent variable, other variables such as state, per capita income, dropouts, average precipitation, public aid recipients, population density, unemployment, percentage of people living in urban areas were considered as independent variable. Minitab was used to perform multiple regression analysis. It was found that only two variables had a significant relationship with the variable crime rates: dropouts and urban. It was found that as percentage of dropouts increased, the crime rate per thousand inhabit ants also increased. It is also evident from the data set that urban areas are having higher crime rates as compared to rural areas. Other variables included in the study did not have much impact on the dependent variable. The first column of the table below shows the regression coefficient of all the independent variables. The second column contains the standard error of the regression coefficient. The standard error of all the variables is the distance of the standard value from its true value. As can be seen from the table, the standard error of the constant term (intercept) is 1226 while it is 8.238 for the variable state. The third column is the calculated t-value for the data. This can be used to test that the corresponding population coefficient is 0. The probability that the population value for the corresponding variable is 0 is given in the last column. A row with small p-values and high t-values suggests that the variable is significant and contributes to the model.

Social Responsibility in Business Research Paper

Social Responsibility in Business - Research Paper Example Generally, a company that takes corporate social responsibility is profitable, and the overall benefits of doing it overweight that of the disadvantages. The key notion in corporate social responsibility is being responsible when it comes to the society a company operates within. Nowadays, human civilization faces multidimensional problems that are impossible to ignore by communities and governments. There is a growing concern in the society of a great number of burning issues that are global in scope. Environmental problems, such as climate change and air pollution, and social issues, such as poverty and soaring level of unemployment, have become persistent trends all over the world. That is why customers tend to pay more to the companies that share these concerns and display a forward-thinking mindset. Today more and more companies are engaging in corporate social responsibility by creating or participating in initiatives that are good to the society and benefit communities (Aramian, 2009). The awareness of social and environmental problems is constantly growing among the people. Both national and local governments all over the globe tend to defer to public demands and push through stricter environmental and social standards, which is another reason why engaging in corporate social responsibility has become increasingly beneficial for companies. The policy of companies that implies consistent and effective self-regulation ensuring compliance with ethical standards and requirements of law is advantageous in many ways. But one of the main reasons for implementation of self-discipline practices and use of corporate social responsibility strategy is that it might help companies avoid unnecessary government intervention in business. For instance, the issue of environmental pollution is a brilliant illustration for this thesis. In order to avoid government intervention, an

Public Law Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Public Law - Coursework Example 2. Stone, R.  Entry, Search and Seizure  (4rd  Ed, London, Sweet & Maxwell 2005). Throughout his book, the author argues that police have the legal power to enter and search premises as a preventive justice depends on the circumstances under which the power is derived such as if the there is reasonable belief that there is a likely breach of peace and the police entry or search is going to prevent it. 3. Williams, D.  Keeping the Peace: The Police and Public Order  (London, Hutchinson 1997). According to this book, the law legally allows the police to have powers of entry and search of peace in order to keep peace and public order. The book further suggests that the law enforcement officer are however required to set a reasonable geographical area which should not be wider than the area necessary for the prevention of the anticipated breach of peace. 4. Fenwick, H.  Civil Liberties,  (1st  Ed, London, Routledge Cavendish Publishing 1994). 5. Stephens, P. Commentaries on the law of England (21ed. Wellington, Carswell 1993) 6. Woody, R. Search and seizure: The Fourth Amendment for law enforcement officers. (Illinois, Charles C Thomas 2006). 7. Sharpe, S. Search and Surveillance: the movement from information to evidence. (De Montford, Ashgate 2000). 8. Kerrigan, K. Breach of the Peace and Binding Over (London, Cavendish Publishing 1997). Articles 1. Nicolson D and Reid K. â€Å"Arrest for Breach of Peace and the European Convention on Human Rights† [1996]  Criminal Law Review764. This journal article suggests that although the police have powers to arrest, enter and search promises when there is a breach of peace, there are a number of privileged materials which are excluded from police warrant of search. Some of the privileged materials include records held by clergymen, doctors and voluntary organizations. 2. Royal Commission on Criminal Procedure. â€Å"The Investigation and Prosecution of Criminal Offences in England and Wales† [1981] The Law and Procedure Cmnd 8092-1 The report suggested that the police powers to enter and search are only confined to areas considered to be under immediate control of the suspect beyond which the law is unclear. 3. Goldstein, A. â€Å"The Search Warrant† The Magistrate and Judicial Review 1987† 62(6) New York University Law Review, 1173. This law review article argues that a police entry and search can be legally considered to be unlawful if there is no connection between the premises and the offence for which the search is being conducted. 4. Williams, G. â€Å"Dealing with Breaches and anticipated breaches of Peace† [1982]  Justice of the Peace 199. 5. Cameron, E. â€Å"Rights, constitutionalism and the Rule of Law† (1997) 114 SALJ 504-508. Cases 1. Lamb vs. DPP  [1990] Crim. L.R. 58 In the case, a woman had requested the company of a constable to a property where she had been previously living with the occupier. The occupier later ordered the police to leave the premises. It was ruled that the police had no license to the premise. 2. McLeod  vs.  Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis  [1994] 4 All E.R. 553 The case involved recovery of property as part of a divorce settlement. Mrs. McLeod was given the custody of their matrimonial house and the police accompanied her divorced husband to collect his property which had remained in the house. The court ruled that the po

American International Group (AIG) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

American International Group (AIG) - Essay Example These resulted when AIG was encountered with ratings downgrades. The company underwent demands of tens of billions of dollars for cash collateral on the credit default swops that were written by financial products and assured by the investing company. Some of the world’s biggest financial institutions managed to hedge their contribution in the risky credit default swap business living AIG struggling on its own (Roth and Buchwalter, 1). AIG selected the federal office of Thrift supervision (OTS) after purchasing a saving’s loan in 1999, which was an agency charged with supervision of savings, loan banks and economy associations. OTS became the primary regulator of the company. Notably AIG financial products are not a licensed insurance agency; therefore, it was not synchronized by the states. The financial product is primarily an investment that is based in London. It managed to evade control, as provided by the British financial services authority, principally because O TS, which was an equivalent regulator of the British regulatory body, had registered the AIG holding company. Nonetheless, even though OTS accepted its part as the holding company regulator, it should be understood that credit swaps were exempted from regulation by British policies thus preventing the states from regulating these instruments (Dinallo, 4). Collateralized Death Obligations Most people buy life insurance for the profit off their family members or those that rely on their on their earnings. Banks would buy a large number of life settlements to create the collateral pool which they would expect to begin making payment as earlier as probable. However, risks arise when the insurer fails to meet the death gain claim. This policy entails that investors will persist in paying out premiums on insurance and will eventually get the payout once a person dies. If the policyholder encounters his death earlier, this will entail that the returns will be immense. However, if there is a greater increase in life expectancy for a certain segment of the populace. Companies such as AIG lose money in downturns when claims mount which at times may result in bankruptcy (Lewitt, 183). Recently AIG has sought to garner support among investors and credit ratings companies for a deal that is highly viewed as controversial. This is the sale of securities supported by insurance guidelines of the aging people. However, this has gained few customers as critics refer to these deals as death bonds because they principally pay once the insured person has demised. The giant insurer’s life-settlements portfolio overall sum is $18 billion in anticipated death benefits. This is in regard to the company’s financial filings which has witnessed an approximation of over $45 billion traded since the market started over a decade ago. The AIG activity in a way depicts the company’s entrepreneurial culture as well as exhibiting hoe the company has fallen in last few years as it strived to raise funds to repay the government bailout, thus resulting on it making little profits (Sullivan, 1). Credit Default Swaps (CDS)

Compare Freires Education Thoughts to Enders Game Essay

Compare Freires Education Thoughts to Enders Game - Essay Example Freire describes these two versions by saying that â€Å"whereas banking education anesthetized and inhabits creative power, problem posing education involves a constant unveiling of reality. The former attempts to maintain the subversion of consciousness; the later strives for the emergence of consciousness and critical intervention in reality (Freire 71). While Ender’s education is certainly outward orientated, with his educators trying to pull things from within him rather than deposit things inside of him (resembling problem posing education), there remains a significant imbalance in power and goal between educator and learner (resembling the banking concept of education). Throughout Ender’s Game Ender is educated by a character named Graff, who is in control of the Battle School that Ender attends. It is clear from the opening of the work that Graff is not a traditional â€Å"bank clerk† educator, because he recognizes the astounding ability of Ender and th e supreme importance of allowing him to express it, but he does try to maintain a power balance similar to that of a bank clerk educator. Freire describes some of the many features of a bank clerk teacher in his work – things like â€Å"the teacher knows everything and the student knows nothing† or, â€Å"the teacher thinks and the students are thought about† (Freire 73). These clearly do not describe Graff – he recognizes Ender has having abilities he does not (Card 29) and encourages Ender to think independently, for instance giving him a test of boys teasing him and not intervening (Card 26). So in these ways Graff does not fit the model of a bank clerk educator. On the other hand, he does try to control he power in the relationship, by doing things like â€Å"lying† to Ender (29) and actively manipulating Ender to get the results he, Graff, desires throughout the entire work. This control and power is a hallmark of bank clerk education. So Graf f is something of a hybrid educator – he recognizes the pedagogical weaknesses of the bank clerk educational process, so avoids it to allow Ender to reach is full potential, but he tries to keep deep control on him to determine what that potential leads to. Ender is clearly a creative person, and this creativity seems to come from within rather than from the games. One of the first hints as to the fact that Ender has inherent qualities, such as creativity, that are desirable, is how intensely Graff attempts to recruit him. He mentions frequently that they â€Å"need† him, and refers to potential obstacles to his recruitment as â€Å"ruining everything† (37). But there are other cases when Ender’s creativity becomes apparent. But Ender again and again proves that Graff is right in ascribing these qualities to him – he frequently demonstrates behavior that he had never seen, which is the clear definition of creativity. In one battle, he â€Å"freeze s his own legs† to provide a shield against the opponent, using his own disabled body to his advantage (87). He then lists the things he had learned, in his time with his first army, which were entirely his own ideas (88). Ender is clearly quite creative, and though the games help him develop this, they do not instill it in him. Much like the commander that controls battle school, Graff, the school itself is something of

American International Group (AIG) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

American International Group (AIG) - Essay Example These resulted when AIG was encountered with ratings downgrades. The company underwent demands of tens of billions of dollars for cash collateral on the credit default swops that were written by financial products and assured by the investing company. Some of the world’s biggest financial institutions managed to hedge their contribution in the risky credit default swap business living AIG struggling on its own (Roth and Buchwalter, 1). AIG selected the federal office of Thrift supervision (OTS) after purchasing a saving’s loan in 1999, which was an agency charged with supervision of savings, loan banks and economy associations. OTS became the primary regulator of the company. Notably AIG financial products are not a licensed insurance agency; therefore, it was not synchronized by the states. The financial product is primarily an investment that is based in London. It managed to evade control, as provided by the British financial services authority, principally because O TS, which was an equivalent regulator of the British regulatory body, had registered the AIG holding company. Nonetheless, even though OTS accepted its part as the holding company regulator, it should be understood that credit swaps were exempted from regulation by British policies thus preventing the states from regulating these instruments (Dinallo, 4). Collateralized Death Obligations Most people buy life insurance for the profit off their family members or those that rely on their on their earnings. Banks would buy a large number of life settlements to create the collateral pool which they would expect to begin making payment as earlier as probable. However, risks arise when the insurer fails to meet the death gain claim. This policy entails that investors will persist in paying out premiums on insurance and will eventually get the payout once a person dies. If the policyholder encounters his death earlier, this will entail that the returns will be immense. However, if there is a greater increase in life expectancy for a certain segment of the populace. Companies such as AIG lose money in downturns when claims mount which at times may result in bankruptcy (Lewitt, 183). Recently AIG has sought to garner support among investors and credit ratings companies for a deal that is highly viewed as controversial. This is the sale of securities supported by insurance guidelines of the aging people. However, this has gained few customers as critics refer to these deals as death bonds because they principally pay once the insured person has demised. The giant insurer’s life-settlements portfolio overall sum is $18 billion in anticipated death benefits. This is in regard to the company’s financial filings which has witnessed an approximation of over $45 billion traded since the market started over a decade ago. The AIG activity in a way depicts the company’s entrepreneurial culture as well as exhibiting hoe the company has fallen in last few years as it strived to raise funds to repay the government bailout, thus resulting on it making little profits (Sullivan, 1). Credit Default Swaps (CDS)

Julian Assange and his impact on the communication processes and Essay

Julian Assange and his impact on the communication processes and politics - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that Julian Assange was known only as an â€Å"Australian moderator of the Legal Aspects of Computer Crime mailing list and a researcher who has written extensively about hackers† in the beginning of this century, that is, before he became a controversial celebrity who all know of. This is why calling Julian Assange, a â€Å"cypherpunk revolutionary†, Robert Manne has said, â€Å"Less than twenty years ago Julian Assange was sleeping rough. Even a year ago hardly anyone knew his name. Today he is one of the best-known and most-respected human beings on earth†. The seemingly sudden rise to the fame of this Australian individual has a socio-political context and a corresponding history. The way his actions have impacted the communication processes and the politics in the globalized world is a topic that has international implications. The geopolitics of his physical location to the ideological underpinnings of his intelle ctual landscape that he has extended to others through the internet represents a whole new world of possibilities- in communication, freedom, and democracy. Julian Assange has been a hacker since when the first generation of computer hackers started rewriting the laws of internet communication. In the book, Underground, written by Suelette Dreyfus, and for which Assange worked as a researcher, a hacker named Mendax was featured and this hacker really was none other than Assange himself. (Manne, 2011a, p.197). It was in 1988, that Assange became a hacker (Manne, 2011a, p.197). He formed a group called International Subversives along with two other hackers (Manne, 2011a, p.197). Dreyfus (2006-07) had described the politics of this group as â€Å"fiercely anti-establishment; their motive adventure and intellectual curiosity; their strict ethic not to profit by their hacking or to harm the computers they entered† (as cited in Manne, 2011a, p.197). Assange was a member of the free software movement, he participated in the creation of NetBSD, an open source computer operating system, and got involved with a movement called cypherpunks in 1993 (Manne, 2011a, p.203-204). The idea of WikiLeaks had been borne out of this movement (Manne, 2011a, p.203). Among the cypherpunk group of hackers to which he belonged, Assange was somewhat an exception to others (who were anarcho-capitalists) by keeping a left leaning though he is an â€Å"anti-communist† (Manne, 2011a, p.211). The basic philosophy of cypherpunks was again the issue whether: The state would strangle individual freedom and privacy through its capacity of electronic surveillance or whether autonomous individuals would eventually undermine and even destroy the state through their deployment of electronic weapons newly at hand (Manne, 2011a, p.204). It was rumored that a 1989 attack that was carried out â€Å"from Australia on the NASA computer system via the introduction of what was called the WANK worm in an attempt to sabotage the Jupiter launch of the Galileo rocket as part of an action of anti-nuclear activists† was the work of Assange (Manne, 2011a, p.197). A programme written by Assange was named sycophant and it allowed his hacking group to hack into the US military systems (Manne, 2011a, p.197). It was when his group hacked into the Canadian telecommunications corporation NORTEL, that his hacking was found out for the first time (Manne, 2011a, p.197). In the police action that followed, Assange was arrested in a totally devastated state of mind and admitted to a hospital (Manne, 2011a, p.198). Manne (2011a) has observed that this arrest and the time spent in jail was what shaped his politics (p.198). Suburbia Public Access Network was the next war front that Assange opened (Manne, 2011a, p.200). It was a convergi ng point for many email lists and activist groups (manne, 2011a, p.200

Asian Art Essay Example for Free

Asian Art Essay Folk arts in Azerbaijan have a long and interesting history. Works of art made from metal extracted from Nakhichevan, Migachevir, Gadanay, Gandja and other places are approximately 5000 years old. Crockery, weapons and adornments found here are not historical facts alone, but valuable sources which testify the skills of the master. Different pictures, scraped on housing implements made from copper, bronze, gold and adornments, prove existence of fine art in Azerbaijan since ancient times. Carpets were made by several separate carpet-making schools of Azerbaijan (Guba, Baku, Shirvan, Gandja, Gazakh, Nagorny Karabakh, Tabriz) in different periods. Bhutanese art Bhutanese art is similar to the art of Tibet. Both are based upon Vajrayana Buddhism, with its pantheon of divine beings. The major orders of Buddhism in Bhutan are Drukpa Kagyu and Nyingma. The former is a branch of the Kagyu School and is known for paintings documenting the lineage of Buddhist masters and the 70 Je Khenpo (leaders of the Bhutanese monastic establishment). The Nyingma order is known for images of Padmasambhava, who is credited with introducing Buddhism into Bhutan in the 7th century. According to legend, Padmasambhava hid sacred treasures for future Buddhist masters, especially Pema Lingpa, to find. The treasure finders (terton) are also frequent subjects of Nyingma art. Each divine being is assigned special shapes, colors, and/or identifying objects, such as lotus, conch-shell, thunderbolt, and begging bowl. All sacred images are made to exact specifications that have remained remarkably unchanged for centuries. Bhutanese art is particularly rich in bronzes of different kinds that are collectively known by the name Kham-so (made in Kham) even though they are made in Bhutan, because the technique of making them was originally imported from the eastern province of Tibet called Kham. Wall paintings and sculptures, in these regions, are formulated on the principal ageless ideals of Buddhist art forms. Even though their emphasis on detail is derived from Tibetan models, their origins can be discerned easily, despite the profusely embroidered garments and glittering ornaments with which these figures are lavishly covered. In the grotesque world of demons, the artists apparently had a greater freedom of action than when modeling images of divine beings. Buddhist art Buddhist art originated on the Indian subcontinent following the historical life of Siddhartha Gautama, 6th to 5th century BC, and thereafter evolved by contact with other cultures as it spread throughout Asia and the world. Buddhist art followed believers as the dharma spread, adapted, and evolved in each new host country. It developed to the north through Central Asia and into Eastern Asia to form the Northern branch of Buddhist art, and to the east as far as Southeast Asia to form the Southern branch of Buddhist art. In India, Buddhist art flourished and even influenced the development of Hindu art, until Buddhism nearly disappeared in India around the 10th century due in part to the vigorous expansion of Islam alongside Hinduism. Burmese contemporary art Burma (Myanmar) is a country in Southeast Asia which has endured isolation for the last four decades. It is also a country with deep rooted Buddhist beliefs. The contemporary art scene in the country reflects these facts, and the art is often related to Buddhism and the difficult socio-political situation. In this age of globalization, Burmese contemporary art has developed rather on its own terms. Chinese Art Chinese art has varied throughout its ancient history, divided into periods by the ruling dynasties of China and changing technology. Great philosophers, teachers, religious figures and even political leaders have influenced different forms of art. Chinese art encompasses fine arts, folk arts and performance arts. Eastern Art Eastern art history is devoted to the arts of the Far East and includes a vast range of influences from various cultures and religions. The emphasis is on art history amongst many diverse cultures in Asia. Developments in Eastern art historically parallel those in Western art, in general a few centuries earlier. African art, Islamic art, Indian art, Chinese art, and Japanese art each had significant influence on Western art, and, vice-versa. Indian art Indian Art is the art produced on the Indian subcontinent from about the 3rd millennium BC to modern times. To viewers schooled in the Western tradition, Indian art may seem overly ornate and sensuous; appreciation of its refinement comes only gradually, as a rule. Voluptuous feeling is given unusually free expression in Indian culture. A strong sense of design is also characteristic of Indian art and can be observed in its modern as well as in its traditional forms. Persian art The Iranian cultural region consisting of the modern nations of Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, and surrounding regions is home to one of the richest art heritages in world history and encompasses many disciplines including architecture, painting, weaving, pottery, calligraphy, metalworking and stone masonry.

The Amphawa Floating Market Of Benefit Tourism Essay

The Amphawa Floating Market Of Benefit Tourism Essay Heritage cultural tourism defined as the nostalgia tourism that places special emphasis on heritage and cultural attractions. Cultural tourism began to be recognized as a distinct product category in the late 1970s when tourism marketers realized that some people traveled specially to gain a deeper understanding of the culture or a heritage destination This paper concentrates on the area of Amphawa community. This community is composed of many cultural characteristics and themes which relate to the history of the area, cultures and lifestyle of Amphawa community, current situation problems and effects of tourism. Even though the benefits from tourism brought the development of infrastructure and the income from tourists expenditure, rapid development of community tourism may led to troubles and conflicts. Many people who came from Bangkok and neighbor had been interested in this area, so the local community had been adapted for new tourism. Cultural tourism with local people participating would make them realize the tourism management which could lead the community to real cultural tourism. Tourism has become the worlds largest industry as the tourism marketplace has become increasing dramatically, there has been a trend toward increased specialization among tourists with cultural tourism has becoming the fastest growing segment of the industry (Huh, Uysal, and McCleary, 2006). Cultural tourism began to be recognized as a distinct product category in the late 1970s when tourism marketers realized that some people traveled specially to gain a deeper understanding of the culture or a heritage destination (McKercher and du Cros, 2002). Sigala and Leslie (2005) define heritage and cultural tourism as the segment of the tourism industry that places special emphasis on heritage and cultural attractions The Travel Industry Association of America (Domestic Travel Market Report, 2003) also listed visiting historic destinations as one of the top five activities for tourists in North America. Furthermore, Andersen, Prentice and Guerin (1997) identified the important attributes of cultural tourism in Denmark as being castles, gardens, museums, and historical buildings, when tourists made a decision to visit the country. In a similar in China, Sofield (1998) identified history, culture, traditional festivals, historical events, beautiful scenic heritage, historical sites, architecture, folk arts (music, dancing, craftwork) and folk culture villages as the attributes of significance. Therefore, the increasing number of tourists and the corresponding trend towards cultural tourism that action must be taken to deal with the issues associated with quality tourism and the protection of a countrys cultural heritage places from improper and over-use. Moreover, the cultural tourism need to awareness of the variety of cultural heritage places and the preservation of environmental equilibrium in order to develop a compatible tourism (An Ethics Charter for Cultural Tourism, 2000). Tourism may strengthen some aspect by using culture and diminish others, even to the point of disappearance. The changing has relationship between cultural expressions under the influence of a change causing agent, such as tourism. However, it is possible that under the influence of an agent of cultural change, an expression will be substituted or adopted. The result can be no effect on other cultural expressions or varying degrees of effect (Carter and Beeton, 2004). In this paper, Amphawa community is located in Samutsongkhram province. It is an interesting case to study because of its real attributes of local settlement and community and their evolution through time from the early Rattanakosin period (the late 17th century) to the present. This community is composed of many cultural characteristics and themes which relate to the history of the area, ways of life, and ways of living. The aims of this paper are to study and analyze both positive and negative impacts of cultural tourism to Amphawa floating market destinations in areas of local history, attractions, economy and community. In additions, the paper looks for some solutions to resolve problems of cultural tourism to push tourism will become real cultural tourism that offer a lot of benefits to local community. Cultural Tourism For cultural tourism in India, it is prevailing factor of the tourism segment, because India has the land of ancient history, heritage, and culture. The government of India has launched the Incredible India campaign and this has led to the growth of culture tourism in India. One can see the influence of various cultures in dance, music, festivities, architecture, traditional customs, food, and languages. This richness in culture goes a long way in projecting India as the ultimate cultural tourism destination given boost to tourism in culture in India. Rajasthan is the most popular. The reason for this is that Rajasthan is famous for its rich cultural heritage. The state is renowned for many magnificent palaces and forts which showcase the rich cultural heritage of Rajasthan. The various folk songs and music also reflect the cultural heritage of Rajasthan. A large number of festivals and fairs are held in Rajasthan such as the camel festival, Marwar festival, and Pushkar festival (Cultural Tourism India). For cultural tourism in New Zealand, it provides tourists a unique experience into the indigenous people of New Zealand. Maori people live throughout New Zealand, and many are actively involved with keeping their culture and language alive. Within Maori community has focus on social, cultural and spiritual life. Traditional carvers also help to keep Maori culture alive by creating intricate works that pay respect to the past. Every pieces carved tells a story, which can be read by those who know how. Maori Tourism in New Zealand started over 130 years ago with local Maori guiding visitors through the Central Plateau region of (Aotearoa) New Zealand. Tourists can enjoy a Maori experience with a variety of options. The Maori people are the indigenous people of Aotearoa (New Zealand) and first arrived here in waka hourua (voyaging canoes) from their ancestral homeland of Hawaiki over 1000 years ago. Today, Maori has over 14 percent of the population. Their language and culture has a major impact on all facets of New Zealand life (NewZealand Tourism Guide). The Maoris mask is shown in the figure 1. Figure 1 The Maoris mask Source: http://www.tourism.net.nz/new-zealand/about-new-zealand/maori-culture.html For Thailand, it is a country of scenic diversity and ancient traditions, of tranquil temples and Thai rural style excitement. With independent history, it has managed to absorb a variety of cultural influences and blend them into something uniquely and memorably Thai. Each region of Thailand offers a distinctive experience for the traveler in search of discovery. In this case concentrate on the area of Amphawa community located on Samutsongkhram province. History of Samutsongkhram Figure 2 Samutsongkhram provincial Logo Figure 3 Samutsongkhram tourist map Source: http://www.tour.co.th/th/map.php Samutsongkhram province is located in the lower part of the central region of Thailand. The former name of Samutsongkhram province is Maeklong. Its name comes from the attribution of geography, which is the location that Maeklong River runs through. This river is very important to this province. Samutsongkhram province is around 72 kilometers west of Bangkok. It is assumed that Samutsongkhram might have been established in the Ayuddhaya period. The modern Samutsongkham province is a little province, 416 square kilometers, and is divided into 3 administrative districts. There are Muang, Bangkhonthi and Amphawa districts. There are around 200,000 people in this province which is composed of 36 sub-districts or 278 villages (Samutsongkhram). History of Amphawa community This paper concentrates on the area of Amphawa community. Originally, Amphawa area was named Kwang Bang Chang. There is no evidence to prove that when Kwang Bang Chang was formed. Even though it was a small community in the past, it was prosperous with commercial and agricultural activities. There was rich traditional riverside living and classical architecture. It could be said that it was an important source of food and commodity for the capital city as Krung Thonburi and Bangkok. Most settlements are established near a waterway, which is the traditional settlement style of gardener communities, although, in the present, there is more convenient transportation systems such as main roads and sub roads. This style of settlement has been preserved as a unique characteristic of gardener communities showing that their way of living depended on rivers and canals. There was a cluster of structures at the side of Amphawa canal. The densest settlement was in the business area, which was the center part of the town. This was located near the Amphawa canal mouth. Usually, a community settlement was spread two-sides along the banks of the Mae Klong River, which is a major water route. In addition, there are small canals, creeks and irrigation canals such as the Amphawa canal, Bangjak canal and Dow-dung canal, which all join the Mae Klong River. As in many Thai provinces the spiritual center for Thais in this community has always been the temple. On the Amphawa canal there were plenty of boats which sold local fruits, vegetables, clothes, food and products necessary for living. At the mouth of the Amphawa canal there was a riverside single house having its cultivatable area along the canal. The Amphawa community was established at the intersection of Mae Klong River and Amphawa canal which is about 20 Km. from the Gulf of Thailand (Tourism Thailand). Characteristic of Amphawa floating market Amphawa floating market is located in SamutSongkram Province. Amphawa floating market  is an afternoon floating market by the canal near Wat Amphawan Chetiyaram and brings visitors back to a rural Thai lifestyle of years gone by. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, during 12.00 p.m. 8.00 p.m., the Amphawa Canal is occupied by vendors who pack their boats with food and drinks, such as fried sea mussel, noodles, coffee, O-liang (iced black coffee), sweets, etc. Visitors can enjoy a comfortable atmosphere and music broadcast by the community members, explores the market, have food, and hire a boat to see fireflies at night (Amphawa Floating Market, Thailand). Figure 4 Amphawa Floating Market, Thailand Source: http://www.amphawafloatingmarket.com/ Amphawa is the most significant community in Samut Songkharm province in terms of role model for the local communitys involvement in the community-based tourism that had beginning of community-based tourism (CBT) in Thailand since early 1990s (Richards, 2009). In 2008, there were 558,326 visitors who traveled to Samut Songkharm. Being short distance from Bangkok, tourists can make one day trip to travel to the Amphawa. The most preferred activities for tourist, was to stay in home stay and an evening trip to watch fireflies. The length of stay was average 2.63 days for Thais and 4.40 days for foreigners. The Expenditures per day were approximately 2,866 Thai baht. There were 96 homes stay and resorts that increased by 75% from 2007 (Office of Tourism Department, 2008). In addition, diverse biodiversity attracts tourists to come and travel about the nature such as fireflies that live in Lam Poo Tree along the canal of Amphawa. These natural and environment has been created as a tour program for tourists to visit and have sightseeing. Tourist can contact the counter to book the tour at the floating market themselves which cost 60 Baht per person (Amphawa Floating Market, Thailand). This community is also significant artists of traditional Thai arts and musical instruments prosper. In particular, it is generally acknowledged that the best coconuts for making fiddle are grown in this area. This is also a renowned center of excellent handicrafts made in time-honored fashion. The best way to get around in Ampawa is to walk or ride a bike because the roads and bridges are narrow. Most home stays have bikes available for hiring to guests at a nominal fee. Most of tourists are Thais, and ages under 25years. The main transportation is personal car. The purpose of visit is holiday, and they are independent tourists (TAT, 2008). This is playing as the heart of CBT, both as a movement and a shared their cultures for hosts and guests (Richards, 2009). According to UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Award (2008) Amphawa canal community has successfully achieved public-private cooperation in the preservation of heritage structures in Thailand. This award demonstrates recognition of the cultural significance of Amphawa and an appreciation of both the architectural and living heritage of the historic canal community. Figure 5 Amphawa canal community Source: http://www.unescobkk.org/index.php?id=8109 All tourism involves the consumption of experiences and products (McKercher and du Cros, 2002). Cultural tourists want to consume a variety of cultural experience therefore cultural heritage assets must be converted into cultural tourism products that tourist can utilize. The transformation process should be sustainable management of the cultural product. Cultural heritage places are usually designated by communities for tourism potential. However, it is undeniable that cultural attractions are also for cultural tourism. However, since the Amphawa floating market has prospered progressively and reputation. The number of the home stay increased each year to support demand of tourists. Even though the benefits from tourism brought the development of infrastructure and the income from tourists expenditure, rapid development of community tourism may led to troubles and conflicts. The advantage impact by tourism Social Advantages According to ATTA (2010) tourism can help communities as tourism industry provides high standard of local people living. As a result of causing the income distribution and distribution of employment opportunities to local people directly such as employment in various business tourism industries as hotel staffs, transport staffs and local guides etc. Including creating career indirectly as people who delivering newspapers to the hotel, textile workers, banker etc. Also it provides a comfort and convenient from the development of infrastructure tourism. This is an important outgrowth that the local people will be able more comfort and convenient along with tourism such as main road, electricity, water supply and buses etc. Furthermore, more and more tourists come that are inspiration of local people for preservation and cherish their owe culture as immaculate condition. All of Developing, managing and operating CBT (Richards, 2009) helps local people to develop new skills and knowledge which can assist them to communicate and to support effectively in support of their traditional cultures and ways of life. Economic Advantages The local tourism industry help reduce migration of population flows to capital that the nature of the local people if they could make money from the settlement and occupation of their hometown, they will not immigrate to another one. Also tourism gives the career opportunities in retail shop with local people. This may be an independent career such as local restaurant, souvenir shop and household industry. Moreover, the plentiful resources within community can bring to apply convert into souvenirs and also support folk wisdom. Include making another new career in local community. There are many tourist attractions that gain economical benefits from tourism. As a local resident of Plai-Pong-Pang Thai house tourism village, Samutsongkram province has been increased their revenue and job opportunities from tourism industry after applying cultural and eco tourism to promote their village (Wattanasukchai, 2002 and Sungwarn, 2003). The disadvantage impact by tourism Environmental disadvantages The number visitors have grown to more than 10,000 a week and the local environment is suffering as a result. Most of wastewater problem caused by effluent from hotel or home stays accommodation, followed by wastewater from restaurants and places of tourist attractions. Some places discharge wastewater directly to local river or cannel without any treatment before. This is causing water pollution. Moreover, the problems of rotting garbage, annoying noise levels and an increase in the cost of living in Amphawa (The Nation travel, 2008). All attractions have waste problems as garbage in different levels. That depends on cooperation between a host community and tourists who travel in reasonable way. Furthermore, Thai farming and fishing families who rely on earth, forest and water to survive often have to compete with the tourism industry for access to land, sea and other essential resources. This makes life even more challenging (Richards, 2009). Traveling receive a large number of tourists, mostly Westerners whove taken a motor-boat ride from the Chao Phraya River to see the exotic lifestyle of those living along Amphawa canal, which has served as a scene for the famous classic. This is bringing a great economic opportunity for the local community. However, this is the biggest problem right now for local people by deafening motor-boat noise that continues all day long from morning till evening for sightseeing firefly, in addition to the deprivation of privacy. A few years ago some angry villagers chose to chop down some nearby trees to dispel the fireflies (Bangkok Post, 2010). Economic disadvantages The career opportunity has changing from farmers to work in hotels, merchants or tour operators. That generate agriculture production will decrease dramatically while a demand increased. Due to the agriculture less profitable than business travels or hotels consistent with more number of tourists come to Amphawa. That makes people turn more interest to businesses hotels or home stay. This is a cause produces cost of living increase. Social disadvantages Many host communities, especially indigenous communities, trade cultural expressions for benefits that tourism can provide. As such, cultural expressions are a direct and observable link between a host culture and the tourist. Tourism may act on cultural character to effect change the community. Cultural attractions have a role in a community and provide benefits such as healing economy, spiritual enrichment and maintenance of social order (Carter and Beeton, 2004). However, there are people feel tourists have privileged that cause produce decrease friendly attitude to tourists and also increasing social conflict within community. Such as some people are against for sightseeing firefly tourism between boat operators that cause by tourism that could make money from tourists. This result show local people lack the voice and influence needed to negotiate a fair deal from tourism development (Richards, 2009). Also there is decrease local awareness of the need for sustainable development because even more visitors that means more income too. In addition, the success in home stay business has the impact for the community management. Increasing number of tourists caused the demand for the construction of home stay. Land-use pattern changed to serve for tourism, and caused increase in real property price in Amphawa. Without the awareness from stakeholder, purity of Amphawa will be destroyed. No control and standard makes community lost direction to use tourism as a tool to improve the quality of life. Environment and natural resources will be destroyed for commercial exploitation without concerning and restoration as well. Living Style Change Amphawa is crowded with people and cars on Friday-Sunday. Amphawa community is going to change and its integrity is threatened by tourism. However, this community still has living, prosperous entity to interpret for, and present to, visitors. It is in effect on outdoor living museum and cultural landscape. It represents living history with all its attractions for visitors which is full of cultural collective things related to Amphawa people and the prosperous time in the past. The issue facing the community is that of encouraging tourism and change without destroying or overwhelming the heritage value of what is there. The inclusive and cooperation of the local community is vital in future planning (Amphawa District, 2006). Some residents are eager to be part of tourism development and gain some of the benefits they are entitled to. Some owners modified their homes to serve as souvenir shops. There is an art gallery and cafe, such as Baan Silapin, which is affiliated to the Association of Siamese Architects and other conservation agencies (Bangkok Post, 2010). However, improvement of sustainable tourism wont happen if the dwellers refuse to abandon Thai-style submission and have no faith in their basic rights. Somehow, they also need help from the law leaders by leading the way as local community development plan. Solving way for problems and conflicts Before its too late, local community and local entrepreneurs should get together to come up with a common plan and agreement on what they wish to see their communities grow into. They must draw up a list of problems that need to be mentioning both long-short term challenges. Some order is needed to save these sites from becoming too freely developed, which would set a threat to the very structure of the uniqueness and charm of these places. On the other hand, tourists must be sensitive while visiting such sites and try, as much as possible, to support genuine local products and services (Bangkok Post, 2010) It would be encouraging if these tourists learn more about the unique history of the place they visit and bring back whatever aspects they see as positive to apply to their own city environment. Eventually, all places develop and its a challenge to ensure these unique markets or community evolves in a way that is sympathetic to way of ancestor living. Local community will benefit from encourage tourists more sensitive cultural tourism. Conclusions Cultural tourism as nostalgia for the past grows, many tourists lead to places like Suphan Buris Samchuk market, or the Amphawa floating market as the houses have architectural value for studying and travelling for the next generation. They are traditional wooden Thai style houses. An architecture style reflects way of life of people in Amphawa as river and canal since long time up to present based community. It is a uniqueness of riverside settlement of people in the past. Therefore, it is understandable why the yearning for something less efficient and retrospective is growing. Tourism provides a benefic to local community as high standard of local people living and also all of developing, managing encourage local people to develop new skills and knowledge which can assist them to support effectively in support of their traditional cultures and ways of life. The growth in the community also helps reduce the population in the capital due to they can own living by themselves. However, mostly of Thai framing communities who rely on earth and water to survive often have to compete with the tourism industry progressively for preserving to land and other essential resources. This makes life even more challenging if no control and standard makes community lost direction to use tourism as a tool to improve the quality of life. Environment and natural resources will be destroyed for trade exploitation without concerning and restoration as well. Therefore, this paper may make foreign and Thai visitors come to know and value cultural significance of historic setting in Amphawa community and protect traditional way of life as well as cultural structure from the past to present of riverside people.

Terminator Technology :: Agriculture Agricultural Technological Papers

Terminator Technology Introduction: What is Terminator Technology? Terminator Technology is a reality that threatens the very existence of traditional agriculture. Where in previous times farmers depended on saving seeds from year to year in order to subsist, we are ebbing upon a time where genetically modified organisms, or GMO's as they are commonly referred to, have become a commercial reality and venture in agriculture. This commercial venture was surely the focus of a seed company Delta and Pine Land Company. In March of 1998, the DPL (Delta PineLand) company along with the cooperation of the United States Department of Agriculture acquired a patent for the control of plant gene expression. One such application of this patent is the plan to engineer crops to kill their own seeds in the second generation of its life. After the second generation, it would be impossible for farmers to save and replant their seeds for the next crop. Hence, the adoption of the name "Terminator Technology." Such technology has not only economic and environmental impl ications, but secular ones as well. There were most likely other reasons for developing Terminator Technology. One reason may be the way in which Terminator's effect differs from hybridization. In Terminator technology the second generation of the seed is killed. With hybridization, although with unpredictable combinations any genes present in the hybrid will be present in the second generation and at least the second generation is alive. One argumentation that supports the use of Terminator technology centers on the fact that if you use Terminator in combination with a genetically engineered variety it will help to cease any release of GMO's into the environment. If GMO's escape into the environment then the consequences are hard to predict, but if the repercussions were dangerous then having the entire second-generation seeds die would take away this hazard. Basically, to sum it up succinctly, the implications of such technology are not understood until we look into just how the science of these self-terminating orga nisms works. How Does Terminator Technology Work? To delve into the clockwork of this technology we must start from the beginning. A plant starts its life as a single celled organism; the sperm within pollen fertilizes an egg. This egg (cell) divides to form the tissues and organs of a species. As development proceeds cells grow unique of one another and change. Different cells make up different things (ex cells in the stalk of the plant are much different than those of the piston) and these differences are attributed to the fact the different amounts of proteins in each cell.

Integration of Evidence-Based Practice Into Professional Nursing Practice Essay

In this paper we will discuss the integration of evidence based practice into professional nursing practice. Scott & McSherry (2008) define evidence based practice as the combination of individual, clinical, or professional expertise with the best available external evidence to produce practice that is most likely to lead to positive outcomes for a patient. Despite literature surrounding what evidence based nursing is and isn’t, nurses struggle to get evidence into practice. Many reasons have been reported including a lack of understanding about evidence based nursing means. Scott & McSherry (2008) also define evidence based nursing is a process by which nurses make clinical decisions using the best available research evidence, their clinical expertise and patient outcomes. We will also discuss nursing’s simultaneous reliance on and critique of EBP in the context of critical reasoning. There will also be discussion of a study done that examined the effects of integrating evidence based practice into clinical practicum among RN-BSN students and the limitations of evidence based practice and an alternate view of decision making. Lastly we will discuss evidence that challenges the traditional practice regarding injection sites (Cocoman & Murray 2010). According to Guem et al. (2010) evidenced based practice is a problem solving approach to clinical care that incorporates the conscious us of the current best available evidence, a clinician’s expertise, and the patient values. Evidence for evidence based practice does not always rely on research findings. Sources used can include research findings, clinical experience, quality improvement data, logical reasoning, recognized authority, and client satisfaction, situation, experience, and value (Leddy & Pepper 2008 p. 66). On the contrary evidence based nursing is essential because of its potential to save time and money and improve patient outcomes by decreasing costs, through standardizing and streamlining costs (Scott & McSherry 2008). It is important o understand the difference between evidence based practice and evidence based nursing because at times they are used interchangeably. Scott & McSherry (2008) state that the nursing practice has welcomed EBP but when it comes to EBN, it is still yet to come reality because the concept is much unsophisticated and can lead to problems associated with its use and misuse. EBN is merely a construct and has yet to be successfully implemented (Scott & McSherry 2008). In essence the dilemma with EBN is that we don’t really know the definition of nursing. Although there are problems with the definition we know that clinical judgment is one of the major concepts used in nursing thus it reinforces the notion of EBP and ultimately EBP. To advance the profession and ensure solid standards of practice, we should look beyond evidence based practice, while useful in implementation it is just one of many other component parts (Jutel 2008). Evidence based practice is like the new black in nursing practice and already occupies a prominent position, several international nursing organizations support its use as a strategic action in the advancement of the profession. Despite the emphasis on EBP, there is also a strong opposition to it, not with the actual use of EBP being a problem but with the fundamentals on which it stands. These arguments complain of the veracity of the criteria used in EBP which simultaneously undermines and cannot support EBP (Jutel 2008). If it had not been for the cultural turn which recognized that things are not always as they seem or that power, society, and culture contribute as much as science to generating knowledge, the debate about EBP would have never surfaced (Jutel 2008). Although nurses argue against EBP, they lack important tools necessary to replace EBP. â€Å"Nursing education places high value on authority and adherence to clinical protocols, rather than on skills† (Jutel, 2008. P. 419). Opponents of EBP suggests that development of clinical practice guidelines, critical care pathways, and protocols may actually interfere and entice practitioners to develop somewhat of a cookbook recipe attitude to client care (Leddy & Pepper 2010). With quality improvement being rooted in industrial production, perhaps standardization may not be as desirable because patients have unique needs and characteristics the may be overlooked when adhering to strict clinical practice guidelines. Nursing adopts a devoted and somewhat naive trust when assessing information, we are quick to accept the truths of a peer reviewed article, drug company propaganda, and quick to accept an argument on inconsistencies of EBP. The tools EBP claims to own, are incredibly useful, however, are not tools of EBP; they are critical skills of information appraisal. As evidence based practice rapidly replaces the traditional paradigm of healthcare decision making, health care members have an obligation to access knowledge, apply it in practice, and lead others to use it appropriately (Geum et al. 010 p. 387). For example RN-BSN programs; these are adult students who have clinical knowledge and skill, structured background and educational preparation and employment experience but have not taken a formal research course, thus they show less confidence to include evidence based practice in their practices because these are courses that are not common outside a baccalaureate curriculum. To examine the effectiveness of the integration of EBP into a clinical practicum a study was done among Korean RN-BSN students. The main goals were to enhance students’ competencies for EBP knowledge skills and attitudes and to expose students to opportunities that would encourage the use of best evidence (Geum et al. 2008). Each student was instructed to define patients nursing problems for their individually assigned patient and to formulate nursing problems using the EBP question format, PICO, which we discussed earlier in the semester, to select the nursing intervention for the problems posed. Before the EBP practicum, the overall and individual scores for EBP efficacy among RN-BSN students indicated that students were â€Å"a little confident† regarding the EBP process (Geum et al. 2008, p. 389). Results of this study indicate that integration of EBP into an RN-BSN clinical practicum had a positive effect on EBP efficacy and decreased barriers to research utilization among students in Korea, which also corroborates with studies conducted in other countries. Evidence based practice is a learned set of skills thus critical thinking is vital in developing evidence based nursing practice (Geum et al. 2008). Regardless if the evidence on complications, nurses in clinical settings still continue to use and instruct nursing students on the use of dorsogluteal injection sites as the site of choice for intramuscular injections (Cocoman & Murray 2010). So, where should an intramuscular (IM) injection be given? Nurses have traditionally used the dorsogluteal, but recent literature has advocated the ventrogluteal site. Choosing sites has been a matter of personal preference, rather than the results of evidence based practice. Slow uptake of medications, major nerves and blood vessels present make this site problematic. A British study suggests â€Å"as previous studies have shown the low efficacy of gluteal intramuscular injections, this route should be avoided for most drugs† (Cocoman & Murray, 2010. P. 1171). As the sciatic nerve lies only a few centimeters from the injection site, injuries pose a significant threat, making the need for accurately identifying landmarks especially important. An alternative site is the ventrogluteal, seen by many as the preferred site. This site provides the greatest thickness of gluteal muscle and is free from penetrating nerves and blood vessels (Cocoman & Murray 2010). Despite evidence favoring the ventrogluteal site, nurses are slow to use it, relying on the much taught and used dorsogluteal site. â€Å"Studies show that only 12% of American nursing staff uses the ventrogluteal site† (Cocoman & Murray 2010. P. 1172). Studies suggest that some reasons the site is not used is because of nurses’ unfamiliarity in locating the site and potential needle stick injury. Unfortunately, nurses have not come to realize that when using the V method, the non injecting hand is to be removed, as it’s only used for visual land marking (Cocoman & Murray 2010). Throughout this paper we have discussed the integration of evidence based practice into nursing from various articles. In the various articles the authors talked about evidence based practice compared to evidence based nursing, the integration of evidence based practice in RN-BSN programs. We also discussed the article on a clinical example which suggested that the ventrogluteal intramuscular injection site over the dorsogluteal site is preferred when it comes to positive patient outcomes.

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle Book Review

Eckhart Tolle's book, The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment, is a self help book that is a shortened route to spiritual enlightenment. One needs to become aware of the present moment in order to experience joy in life. It's important to live in the present in life because the current moment is all we have. This can be done by controlling the mind in order to become untangled from it. The unconscious mind, the egoic mind, and the â€Å"pain bodies† all need to be addressed and dealt with for enjoyment of life to it's fullest potential. Our mind is our worst enemy, according to Tolle. This is because it loves to get itself into problems. The unconscious mind is always thinking. It is constantly looking back on the past, or ahead into the future, and ignore's the focus on enjoying the current moment. â€Å"When thought isn't connected with consciousness, it becomes insane and destructive† (24). Your unconscious mind will always be reflected in the body as an emotion, which has a strong physical component that is felt in the body. This emotion should be felt in the body, without it controlling you. Emotional pain is the main cause of physical pain. â€Å"The more you are identified with your mind, the more you suffer†(33). By accepting the â€Å"now†, you are more free from pain and suffering. This enables you to experience joy in life by being satisfied with the current state in which you are in. This means you are free from the emotions that arise from the unconscious mind thinking compulsively. The egoic mind that focuses on the past and future does not exist because nothing ever happened in the past or the future. Everything happened in the â€Å"now†. Past and future obviously have no reality of their own† (50). There has never been a time in your life that there was not the now, nor will there ever be. Many of us are ruled by our thoughts, emotions, reactions and desires. Often we feel a lack of completeness, a wanting, needing, or craving for something more. This could be money, success, power, recognition, or even a special relationship. Our n ormal state becomes focused through thought on these things, which need to be out of our focus in order to get full pleasure out of life. â€Å"Don't let your egoic mind take over your whole life† (49). Awareness of the present moment and allowing ourselves to enjoy living in it will contribute to our enjoyment of life. There are negative emotions, or â€Å"pain bodies† that our mind brings up which can interfere with our enjoyment of living in the present moment. Some forms of this pain include resentment, hatred, self-pity, guilt, anger, depression, and jealousy. Negativity can be stopped from arising by being fully present. This negativity is resistance that triggers the emotional pain-body. This is when minor situations result in intense negativity. The ego thinks that it can manipulate reality to get what it wants through negativity. Once we have got our hands on something negative, we don't want to let go. â€Å"Negativity is totally unnatural. It is a psychic pollutant, and there is a deep link between the poisoning and destruction of nature and the vast negativity that has accumulated in the collective human psyche† (189). When we notice negativity has risen within us, we need to use it as a signal to â€Å"be present† and get out of our minds. By doing so, we can increase our enjoyment of life because we are living in the â€Å"now† and dealing with whatever it may bring before us. In the current world, some of us are chasing after temporary pleasures, such as success, fortune, and things we desire. All this stress and worry over these things are not worth it at all. What's more important is to live in the current moment. It's important to realize that Tolle's teachings can apply to anyone who seeks to increase their enjoyment of life. Focusing on the present moment allows us to enjoy the life we are living, instead of being trapped in a non-existent world of reoccurring thoughts of the past and future.