Believe Me free essay sample

â€Å"Why are they crying? It’s not like it’s that big of a deal,† I thought to myself as my mom sobbed while leaving the examination room. The pediatrician was talking at us, I was only twelve. My younger sisters were sobbing along with my mom, clinging to her side. I was not affected by their hollow cries. Tears seemed align to me, an overreaction to an explanation. The diagnosis of depression was an explanation to me, a heartbreak to my mom. â€Å"That’s what’s wrong with me!† I quickly thought when I first heard the news. Apparently, the diagnosis included â€Å"non clinical† tagged on at the end. That is what my mom cried most at. At the time I had no idea what that meant. Later, I would learn that it meant outside factors, like home environment or school, caused my depression. Pills could only be a short term solution, since a chemical imbalance was not to blame. We will write a custom essay sample on Believe Me or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I would also learn that my diagnosis would not be taken seriously. I had good grades and trudged to school with minimal whining. This is something that was seen as being a sign of a normal, happy child. Meeting others with depression, I found that I was not the only one that faced the stigma on the effects of depression. Some stigmas make it more difficult for people with depression to cope or seek help. The first image most people have in their heads when they hear depression is someone who cannot move out of bed. This image includes a person who has no interest in other people and is generally unable to function. Granted, these things can be symptoms of depression. However, it is not always the case. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the criteria for major depression and depressive episodes is; depressed mood or irritability, diminished interest or pleasure, weight gain or loss (5% or more), change in sleep, change in activity, feeling of tiredness or loss of energy, feelings of guilt/worthlessness, decrease in concentration, and/or suicidality. To be diagnosed with depression a person must experience five or more of the nine symptoms, nearly every day for at least two weeks (American Psychiatric Association). A person does not have to have a complete loss of interest. A person does not have to have a combination of symptoms that causes them t o be unable to function. Is it possible? Yes. Necessary? No. There are different degrees of how these symptoms affect people. I had a loss of interest, but not to the point of not doing my school work. I was exhausted all of the time, but I wanted to make my parents proud of me. I felt guilty for being worthless, so I tried in school even more.I was able to force myself out of bed. I did not want to, but I did anyway. Since I was able to push through each day and fake a smile or laugh, many had no idea of the prognosis. When sent to a counselor to help fix my problems, I was told that I should â€Å"just be happy†. Or maybe everything would be better if I start â€Å"being a better daughter†. I was, and still am, unsure what that meant. These quick, so called tips helped about as much as a poorly disguised sugar pill. The tips were like rubber bullets being shot at a deranged dog to make it stop barking. All they did was make the dog furious. They made me feel like my disease was all in my head. I felt ashamed. If the adults in my life did not think much of it, then I had to be overreacting, right? In my twelve-year old mind, it had to be my fault. My meetings with the counselor ended after the third session. They ended because I refused to go back, not because I was better. It has been five years, and I have not once gone back to a professional. In addition to never seeking help, I had felt like I was the only one that was not believed. I was completely wrong. I learned that a friend of mine went through a similar event. She was also diagnosed with depression, and a few other disorders. Her parents believed the diagnosis even less than the adults in my own life. She was not an extreme case. She was not immobile in her bed. She could function on a day to day basis, if she put the extra effort in. Obviously, this meant nothing was wrong with her. To her parents the doctor was paid to make a diagnosis and push pills. This is like ignoring a broken leg because it is â€Å"only a limp†. Her depression, as well, did not receive the attention it needed because her symptoms did not fit the criteria people had made up in their minds. Our youth was a large part of the way people perceived this illness. Since we were so young, to many it seemed only a normal part of growing up, or an over exaggeration. To those people, we were not depressed, but only going through a stage. To us it was, and still is, very real. It was not a normal stage. It was an emotional battleground, and the happy side was losing in scarlet confusion. Since this battle ground was unable to be seen, the cries unable to be heard, many adults chose to live in an ignorant world. If they were to admit that the child was depressed, then someone had to be responsible. If it was their child, their parenting would come into question. If it was bullying, then a schools disciplinary actions would be scrutinized. No adult wants to take the blame for a child’s emotional turmoil. Everything must be sunshine and smiles. The life of a depressed person is never sunshine and smiles. Many suffer in silence because of the stigmas of depression. Many are young people who are less likely to be believed. Many people are ignorant on what qualifies depression. The phrase â€Å"ignorance is bliss† is a lie.Ignorance is the pain of a depressed being dragged out cruelly. Ignorance is death. Ignorance is a life cut short by the victims own hand. This ignorance needs to be fixed. A diagnosis needs to be believed. That is major. Work Cited American Psychiatric Association. Depressive Disorders. DSM Library. Atypon Literatum, n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2015.

Future Plans Essays - College Level Math, Lacamas Credit Union

Future Plans Essays - College Level Math, Lacamas Credit Union Future Plans Scholarship Essay "Did life exist on Mars?" "What would it take to build a spaceship that could travel at the speed of light?" "When will the moon be colonized?" These are just some of the questions that wander through my mind all day. Fascinated by the secrets of the universe, I yearn to uncover mysteries. In order to blast open all the closed gates between knowledge and myself, I need the powerful tools of education. After I graduate from high school, I plan to attend a college or university that has strong mathematics and science departments. Even now, I am actively preparing to enter the realm of science, taking college-level math and physics classes through the Running Start program. Upon receiving a college degree, my life-long dream is to engage in scientific research for NASA. Unfortunately, most colleges notable for their academic standards are also renowned for costly tuition. My family consists of one working parent and two children who wish to attend college. Receiving the Lacamas Credit Union Scholarship would lighten the financial burden on my family and would enable me to pursue my dream. Perhaps then, my questions could be answered.

Frederic Chopin and Louis Moreau Gottschalk Essay

Frederic Chopin and Louis Moreau Gottschalk - Essay Example Gottschalk was considered to be the first widely recognized American composer in Europe (George, M.R., 1987, Starr, S., 2000) Chopin and Gottschalk both composed and played Romantic period music though their music is quite different. The musical works of Beethoven, Mozart, and Hadyn educated Chopin. Much of Chopin's music was considered to resemble Bach and Mozart. An obvious example of this being Chopin's 24 preludes in which all 24 of the keys mirror Bach's 48 preludes and fugues. The song-like melodies of his Nocturnes, which feature a gentle and flowing bass, are very much written in the style of Italian bel canto opera (Kennedy, M., 2004). Those that came before him also influenced Gottschalk, but he was not inspired by what today are considered classical composers. His time spent in South America and the Caribbean. His early days in New Orleans influenced much of his music in that he utilized much of the rhythmic variations that are characteristic of South American and Afro-American music. His works The Banjo, Grotesque Fantasie and Souvenir de Porto Rico were non-traditional pieces based on traditional Caribbean and South American pieces from unknown composers. He was very forth coming on any of his "quotations" and always acknowledged any borrowing from unknown work. He also did compose traditional, salon music. These pieces particularly The Dying Poet were very popular but ultimately considered inferior to his more ethnic pieces (Lowens, I., 2008). As Gottschalk's music was mainly untraditional and nationalistic, Chopin's was based more on tradition. However Chopin's polonaises were written to celebrate Polish culture and tradition and in this sense his music was nationalistic. He produced compositions of his nationality (George, M.R. 1987). Some of Gottschalk's early pieces La Bananier and Bamboula were based from music Gottschalk experienced in his youth in New Orleans (Starr, S., 2000). But the purpose of this nationalistic music is quite different. Chopin's polonaises were written to celebrate Polish culture and Gottschalk's pieces have an American influence but were not written to celebrate American culture. Gottschalk did eventually write some pieces during the Civil war celebrating the patriotic spirit (he supported the north), entitled The Union, and he was considered a patriot but his music did not inspire the nationalistic pride that Chopin's evoked. Both composers mainly wrote music for the piano. Gottschalk's pieces were written for two and four hands thought he did compose a few works for orchestra, opera, ballet and a programmatic symphony, A Night in the Tropics. Chopin frowned upon programmatic music and any musical scene painting. He maintained a classical purity and discretion in his music that resembles much of the music written before his lifetime. He also wrote primarily for the piano whether as a solo instrument or as an accompiament. His works include sonatas, interludes, nocturnes, preludes and etudes (Lowens, I., 2008, Michalowski, K., 2008). One of the largest differences between these two composers is not their compositions but their playing styles. Chopin required strict attendance on rhythm and the legato style or connection of two notes. He was very attentive to technique and playing a piece as it was written. All of his melodies are written out with no room for improvisation. Pianists can find Chopin's music challenging to play as he documented the all-rhythmic

National Security vs. Individual Rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

National Security vs. Individual Rights - Essay Example On the contest of seeking to unearth the delicate equilibrium between citizens’ rights and the concern on national security, Kettl expounds on the terrorist attacks which were opportunistic of the America’s open society as they stage-managed their mass murder incursion on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon. Deep scrutiny on the predicament unravelled that the roots of this incident encompassed the effortless and accessible means and avenues to obtain passports to foreigners. It was also unravelled that key American immigration sites were often jeopardized by lack of resolute scrutiny. On this concern, President Bush reiterated to the attack urging American Citizens to deliver terrorists to the state authorities altogether with their respective ring leaders or opting to succumb into the terrorists snare. The U.S went further to imprison the captured terrorists at Guantanamo Bay, hence evading the Geneva Convention restriction (Kettl, 2013, pg 162).

College Entrance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

College Entrance - Essay Example Indeed, I was imbued with self esteem as I learned about the life and ideas of Dr. Martin Luther King. Once I came across his story, I had a journey through the way how Dr. King invoked the people. Dr. King’s motto ‘not to give up’ inspired me to withstand the trials and tribulations I had been facing throughout my middle school (6-8) grades. I was afraid of reporting due to the fear of repercussion. However despite the fear of ramification, I often weighed my sufferings against those of Dr. King in his efforts to take up nonviolence in his movement. His greatest speech I have a dream, still echoes in my heart, â€Å"I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, and every rough place will be made plain† (Luther-King & King, C, 2007, 25). The way how he fought for equality, a determined process that helped the Americans realize their intolerance is highly admirable. Evidently, the knowledge of such a distinguished personality and of his strong convictions helped me recover my wounded heart. King was philosophical and sympathetic when mingling with common people. However he needed to break the repression of ideas and come out with initiation to adopt new ventures in social life. This is one of the notable aspects of my own character I believe, because I do not usually flare-up when I confront with unexpected challenges; instead, I try to calm myself and wait for the right time to act. Dr. King’s will power and confidence in the battle against discrimination stirred me up from the harsh experiences. And moreover, it made me think that race and gender are only shadows in life whereas determination, attitude, character, self-discipline and willpower are the true substance of life. At this juncture, it is relevant to recall his words again; â€Å"and so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream; I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the

Legal Barriers For Foreign Investors In Vietnam Economics Essay

Legal Barriers For Foreign Investors In Vietnam Economics Essay Vietnam in recent years has emerged as Southeast Asias fastest-growing economy and one of the regions hottest new destinations for foreign investors. Vietnam joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in January 2007. Its membership requires the country to merge into the global rules-based trading system and increase transparency in government decision making, speed up economic reform, and strengthen the rule of law. The Vietnamese economy offers many attractions for U.S. companies. About 70% of the population is under the age of 30, and the country has a literacy rate above 95%. Per capita income has more than doubled in the past 10 years, and domestic consumption is growing at more than 20% per year. Vietnams increasingly affluent urban consumers think highly of U.S. consumer goods. Vietnam has many natural resources and agricultural products, including oil and gas, marine products, rice, coffee, rubber, and tea. Some of the countrys top export industries produce garments and textiles, footwear, furniture, and seafood. Its major imports include machinery and equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer, steel, raw cotton, grain, cement, and motorcycles. Two decades have past since the country mounted an economic reform program known as doi moi. Vietnam is in the midst of transformation from an inward-looking command economy with little space for personal initiative to a more open society with a vibrant, free market economy that seeks to engage with the wider world. Hanoi in 2006 hosted the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, which along with a visit by U.S. President George W. Bush, marked Vietnams emergence as a key player in the regional and global economy. The United States and Vietnam have forged strong relations in recent years despite a tragic history, stepping up cooperation in such areas as HIV/AIDS control, avian flu prevention, law enforcement, and a growing military-to-military partnership. The U.S. government is helping Vietnam restructure its education system and reform its legal system. The two governments are cooperating in accounting for servicemen missing since the war, launching a human rights dialogue, and establishing new forms of regional security cooperation. Although the GATT progressively acquired many of the attributes of an international organisation, it was increasingly felt in the 1980s that it was not keeping up with the rapid changes in the global economy, and required strengthened dispute-settlement and transparency mechanisms. While this was reflected in the agenda of the Uruguay round, the Ministerial Declaration establishing the rounds agenda did not call for the creation of a WTO. Instead, it was agreed that the round would be a single undertaking, with all its agreements applying to all GATT contracting parties. In principle, it was not necessary to create an international organisation to implement the results of the round, especially in so far as a common dispute-settlement mechanism was agreed to apply to all of the various agreements reached. The suggestion to establish a Multilateral Trade Organisation (MTO) by Canada in 1990 -supported by the EU was therefore something of a surprise. An important motivation to establis h an MTO was to have a single institutional framework encompassing the modified GATT, its sister bodies on services (GATS) and intellectual property (TRIPs), and all other agreements and arrangements concluded under the auspices of the Uruguay round. The United States initially opposed the idea, but, after further negotiations on the substance of the new organisation, agreed to the framework that currently exists, including the name change. Although the US Congress remained suspicious of any limitations to its sovereign powers in trade policy, during the ratification debate it became clear that the establishment of the WTO would not do much to change the status quo as far as the infringement of sovereignty was concerned. The GATT-1947 was a binding international treaty, and most of the institutional aspects of the WTO already existed under the GATT. None the less, the establishment of the WTO was a significant event. Attempts to put the GATT on a more secure organisational footing had been made periodically since the failure of the US Congress to ratify the ITO. During a 1955 meeting to review the GATT, a number of contracting parties proposed to establish an Organisation for Trade Co-operation (OTC). This proposal was much less elaborate than the ITO but it also failed to win the approval of the US Congress (Jackson, 1990). The issue of providing an institutional framework for international trade reappeared again in the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the UN in 1963. A group of experts called for the creation of a new UN agency with universal membership and substantial powers in the sphere of international trade. The idea was that this body would implement, interalia, recommendations of UNCTAD as well as other relevant policy decisions taken by organs of the UN. The proposal envisaged that the GATT would become the agen cys Committee on Tariffs. The proposal did not meet with much interest among the major trading nations. However, the 1964 UN General Assembly resolution establishing UNCTAD provided that it should be concerned with matters relating to the elaboration of a comprehensive trade organisation. Nothing concrete came of this despite lengthy discussions about the need for a New International Economic Order during the 1970s in large part because of the widely differing philosophies held by industrialised market economies and much of the developing world regarding the appropriate basis for international trade. With the creation of the WTO, an international trade organisation exists that is firmly based on GATT principles reciprocity and non-discrimination. The Scope, Functions, And Structure Of The WTO As the principal institution with responsibility for the multilateral trading system, the WTO has the same status as institutions such as the World Bank and the IMF. The WTO has legal personality and has been accorded privileges and immunities similar to those accorded to the specialised UN agencies. It is headed by a Ministerial Conference of all Members, meeting at least once every two years. More frequent participation by trade ministers than occurred in the GATT context is intended to strengthen the political guidance of the WTO and enhance the prominence and credibility of its rules in domestic political arenas. It can be noted, however, that past experience of the GATT with Ministerial meetings suggests that these can easily be an inefficient use of the time of many Ministers from smaller trading nations. This is because in negotiations the controversial issues tend to be solved at the last moment and require agreement between the major players. The latter may take a significan t amount of time to strike a deal between themselves, thereby marginalizing the potential for participation by Ministers of smaller countries. The WTO is charged with providing the common institutional framework for the conduct of trade relations among its Members in matters related to the agreements and associated legal instruments included in the Annexes . . . to the Agreement. There are four such Annexes, which contain the substantive rights and obligations of Members. Annex 1 has three parts: Annex 1A entitled Multilateral Agreements on Trade in Goods, contains the GATT-1994 (the GATT-1947 as amended by a large number of Understandings and supplementary Agreements negotiated in the Uruguay round); Annex 1B, which contains the GATS; and Annex 1C, the Agreement on TRIPs. Annex 2 consists of an Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes the WTOs common dispute-settlement mechanism. Annex 3 contains the Trade Policy Review Mechanism (TPRM), an instrument through which surveillance of Members trade policies occurs. Finally, Annex 4 entitled Plurilateral Trade Agreements consists of Tokyo round codes that were not multilateralised in the Uruguay round, and that therefore bind only signatories. Annexes 1-3 together are called the Multilateral Trade Agreements. The WTO has five functions. It is charged with facilitating the implementation and operation of the Multilateral Trade Agreements; providing a forum for negotiations on already covered or new issues; administering the Understanding on dispute settlement and the TPRM; and, finally, co-operating with the World Bank and the IMF to achieve greater coherence in global economic policy-making (Article III WTO). Between meetings of the Ministerial Conference responsible for carrying out the functions of the WTO the organisation is run by a General Council at the level of officials. The General Council turns itself, as needed, into a body to adjudicate trade disputes (the Dispute Settlement Body) or to review trade policies of the member countries (the Trade Policy Review Body). Three subsidiary councils operate under the general guidance of the WTOs General Council: the Council for Trade in Goods; the Council for Trade in Services; and the Council for Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights. Separate Committees exist to deal primarily with the interests of the least developed countries (Trade and Development); surveillance of trade restriction actions taken for balance-of payment purposes; trade-environment linkages; and the WTOs finances and administration (Secretariat). Additional committees or working parties deal with matters covered by the GATT, GATS, or TRIPs Agreement. There are committees functioning under the auspices of the Council on Trade in Goods dealing with subsidies, anti-dumping and countervailing measures, technical barriers to trade (product standards), import licensing, customs valuation, market access, agriculture, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, trade-related investment measures, rules of origin, and safeguards. Similarly, specific committees address matters relating to the GATS or TRIPs. Committees also exist to administer the Plurilateral Agreements. However, these are not under the guidance of the General Council but operat e within the general framework of the WTO and inform the Council of their activities. There were more than thirty councils and standing committees in the WTO in 1995 twice as many as under the old GATT. WTO In a struggle that began in the early 1980s, many countries worked in the Uruguay Round negotiations of 1986-94 to strengthen the multilateral trading system, as well as advance the liberalisation of international trade in goods, services and ideas. Governments are in the process of implementing the resulting agreements that now comprise the World Trade Organisation. They are interested in extending the WTO system to outside economies, but not in exposing it to fresh disputes and divisions, which is why negotiations on the accession of new members are detailed, rigorous and time consuming. This is critical in accommodating the economies in transition. One of the major political tasks before the World Trade Organisation (WTO), as it gears itself to address the needs of the international trading community for the remainder of this century and beyond, is to extend the benefits of the open multilateral trading system to economies that are still outside.  [1]  It means ensuring that the integration of outsiders into the world economy leads to concrete benefits for them as well as for their trading partners who are WTO member countries. It also means that the terms and conditions of entry should be such as to preserve and, hopefully, strengthen the credibility of the multilateral trading system, rather than weaken or expose it to disputes and divisions. Success in meeting these goals will depend, in practical terms, on the way the accession process is managed and controlled. If the right terms are arranged, an additional 1.5 billion new consumers and workers would benefit from the multilateral trading system, well before the year 2000. This is an opportunity that cannot be missed. One of the WTOs central objectives is to make the organisation truly global in scope and application. The WTO has 124 members as of October 1996. The member countries are now engaged in accession negotiations with 28 governments that have formally applied to join. Many others are considering applying. Bulgaria, Mongolia and Panama completed their accession negotiations earlier in the year and will become WTO members when they ratify their protocols. The most recent applications for accession have been from Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic and Georgia. Existing requests include major economies like the Peoples Republic of China, Chinese Taipei (known in the WTO as the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu), the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, Belarus and Vietnam. All these are important players on the international economic, trade and trade-related investment scene. There are also requests for accession from smaller but similarly significant countries. Many of them are economies in transition such as Albania, Armenia, Croatia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia and Moldova. There are others that are developing economies, among them Algeria, Jordan, Seychelles, Tonga and Vanuatu. Applications have also been received from such least developed economies as Cambodia, Nepal and Sudan. These countries and territories represent a wide range of economic and political interests. But they represent a critical common factor that motivates them. Big or small, developed or developing, they all look to WTO membership to underpin their domestic economic reforms, to help them compete fairly in the international marketplace and to counter discrimination and arbitrary behaviour with the help of enforceable multilateral rules. Benefits Of WTO Membership Why do governments want to join the WTO system? What are the benefits of WTO membership? First, membership means access for their economys exports of goods and services to the markets of the WTO community on unconditional most-favoured-nation (MFN) terms. The substantially reduced tariffs and non-tariff barriers achieved through eight rounds of multilateral trade negotiations over the last half century become available to entrepreneurs in the applicant country immediately on its accession. In the Uruguay Round negotiations, finally concluded at the end of 1994, developed countries further agreed to reduce tariffs on industrial goods by 40 percent. Their average tariff rate will stand, once the tariff agreements have been fully implemented, at around 3.8 percent; and 99 percent of their industrial-product tariffs will be bound at their new levelsmeaning that, having been reduced as a result of multilateral agreements, they cannot be raised again without further multilateral negotiations. Reforms agreed in agriculture include a 36 percent reduction in export subsidies and an 18 percent reduction in domestic support afforded to agricultural producers. In addition, the level of security for trade in agricultural products has been substantially strengthened, for 100 percent of agricultural product lines are now bound and no non-tariff barriers are permitted for agricultural products, with the exception of measures taken for balance-of-payments purposes.  [2]   Rough estimates by the WTOs economists suggest that the reduction of international trade barriers as a result of the Uruguay Round agreements could produce an increase in world income between US$109 and US$510 billion per year by the time the market access commitments are fully implemented in 2005 (GATT Secretariat,1994, p. 36.). These figures do not take into account the beneficial impact of other results concerning, for example, strengthened trade rules, procedures and institutions, or the market-access commitments and rules for trade in services. Secondly, WTO membership means the effective dismantling of discriminatory barriers that have been specifically directed at certain countries, for instance those erected against China, Russia and the East European countries. The most important benefit in this respect would be the availability to those countries of the same principle of nondiscrimination that WTO member countries normally apply to each other in the conduct of their trade relations, albeit with exceptions permitted under WTO rules. Thirdly, in the context of the general reduction of tariffs as barriers to trade, traders in the acceding country benefit from rules dealing with the trade-distorting effects of many types of hidden non-tariff measures like public subsidies, technical standards, customs-valuation and import-licensing procedures and restrictive policies on foreign direct investment or intellectual property rightsnow comprehensively regulated by transparent rules. The new General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) brings international disciplines to bear on activities in this vital area of trade as well. The importance of effective multilateral rules and disciplines in governing international trade relations increases in direct proportion to the intensification of international competition in the marketplace. For acceding governments, membership also puts at their disposal a strengthened and contractually binding international dispute-settlement mechanism. The importance of this mechanism is self-evident and its link with the need for security and fairness in trade relations is well recognised. Perhaps the most striking aspect of the dispute-settlement mechanism is the fact that the dispute-settlement bodys findings and their implementation cannot be blocked by any member; the mechanism is automatic. Finally, it is increasingly seen that the accession process helps reformist governments resist the pressures of sectional interests opposed to reforms that are being pursued in the long-term interests of economies as a whole. Governments can embark on the reform of expensively protected sectors, like industry and agriculture, and justify their actions as a price required by the WTO in return for the benefits of membership. Why Does Accession Take So Long? Each accession is a negotiation and is thus unique. For the same reasons, no deadlines or time limits are laid down in the accession process. Progress essentially depends on the openness of the applicant governments trade regime and the rapidity with which it can be brought into conformity with WTO obligations. Vietnam and WTO During the initial years of doi moi, Vietnam enjoyed remarkable levels of economic growth: the end of collectivised agriculture gave a substantial boost to the rural economy, while an influx of foreign investment coupled with liberalisation of private sector economic activity brought considerable benefits. By the second half of the 1990s, however, the economy was slowing, partly influenced by wider regional problems after the 1997 Asian crisis, but primarily because of domestic factors. Ari Kokko picks up the argument where Martin Gainsborough left off, asking how far that slowdown reflected a decline in Vietnams commitment to the reform process, and also the extent to which the downturn reflected structural problems rather than temporary setbacks. His answers focus on three key areas: trade policy, state-owned enterprise (SOE) reform, and the position of the private sector. (ADB 2000) On trade policy, Kokko paints a fairly positive picture. Vietnams 2001 Bilateral Trade Agreement with the United States was a major landmark in the direction of eventual World Trade Organisation (WTO) accession, and there is plenty of evidence that Vietnamese exports have been enjoying a sustainable recovery in recent years. This reflects the outward orientation of private sector Vietnamese firms and of multinational corporations with operations in Vietnam. Substantial overseas development aid disbursements and private cash remittances (often transferred by overseas Vietnamese to relatives and business partners in the country) have helped boost Vietnams balance of payments. State enterprise reform is another matter entirely. Like Gainsborough, Kokko insists that the lack of progress here is undeniable; most SOEs are loss-making and have continued to enjoy preferential access to credit, while the bulk of equitisations to date have not affected the largest and most troublesome state en terprises. Kokko notes that the private sector remains underdeveloped, faced with various forms of discrimination and limited access to credit. At the same time, he is more positive than Gainsborough in highlighting certain areas where private sector reform has proceeded quite rapidly. He praises the 1999 Enterprise Law, which has led to the registration of numerous new small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Kokko also singles out support from international donors for private sector capacity-building notably Japans Miyazawa plan, which has provided substantial funding to nurture SME development. Ultimately he suggests that SOEs reform might be tacitly bypassed: future strategies should focus on the development of the private sector while accepting more gradual reform of the SOE sector. He also expresses concern that Vietnam needs a better welfare and safety net infrastructure to protect its citizens from the uncertainties of the market, and to reduce both urban and rural povert y. After the problematic 1979 invasion and occupation of Cambodia, which blighted Vietnams relations with much of the world during the 1980s, the emphasis was now on settling all disputes by negotiation. Ideology was now marginalised, whereas previously it had formed the core of Vietnamese foreign policy: pragmatism prevailed. Vietnam was particularly anxious to find ways of countering Chinese economic and strategic dominance in the region, and this helps explain Vietnamese enthusiasm for building stronger ties with other Southeast Asian countries best seen in the decision to join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Another crucial juncture was the normalisation of relations with the United States. Within ASEAN, Vietnam has acted as an informal leader for the new entrants of the 1990s (the others were Burma, Cambodia and Laos). Yet the ASEAN summits held in Hanoi in 2001 lacked clear focus; Vietnam seemed to prefer ASEAN to adopt a lower profile, and was uneasy with rec ent moves towards ideas of flexible engagement, constructive intervention or enhanced interaction, which would permit member states to comment critically on developments inside other states. Vietnam was attached to an older model of ASEAN, the so-called ASEAN way, based upon principles of consensus and non-interference a much more comfortable model for a one-party state. Yet Vietnam also sought to use ASEAN membership as a means of pressing its claim for admission to other multilateral bodies such as the WTO, laying itself open to charges of crude pragmatism. In its relations with the rest of the world, Vietnam (like many other states) often wanted things both ways: the benefits of foreign investment without the constraints of playing by international economic rules, or the benefits of ASEAN membership without the pressure to conform to regional norms of behaviour. In a way, this duality resembles other aspects of Vietnams post-doi moi order: Vietnam has persistently sought to take advantage of opportunities presented by globalisation and economic liberalisation, whilst avoiding the associated social and political costs. One consequence of the perceived success of reforms during the early 1990s was that the Vietnamese authorities revised their economic targets for the period from 1991 to 2000. Instead of aiming for a doubling of the countrys GDP over this period, as was originally intended before the Seventh Party Congress in 1991, the target was changed to a doubling of GDP per capita (Socialist Republic of Vietnam [SRV] 1994). Assessing the achievements of the reforms, many foreign observers concurred, concluding, for example, that Vietnam appears well-positioned to become a new East Asian dragon (Irvin 1995:725). However, these impressive achievements could not completely hide some of the structural and systemic weaknesses of the economy. By 1996, donors and foreign observers had highlighted several problems related to the import-substituting trade regime and the role of the state, in particular the continuing reliance on SOEs as the main vehicle of development (Kokko and Zejan 1996; Ljunggren 1996; Mallon 1996; United Nations Development Programme [UNDP] 1996). On trade policy, concerns focused on the distorted incentives provided by the complex, non-transparent and highly restrictive trade regime. The combination of tariffs, quotas, import licensing requirements, foreign exchange controls and various other trade barriers created strong incentives in favour of import substitution in consumer goods and selected heavy industries and a bias against export-oriented production. One paradoxical result was a rapid increase in imports: import-substituting industry in Vietnam, as elsewhere, was heavily dependent upon imported machinery, raw materials and intermediates. Consequently, although exports grew rapidly, import growth was even faster, resulting in growing trade and current account deficits. By 1995, the current account deficit exceeded US $2.6 billion, or 13 percent of GDP. Several problems were imminent. Would it be possible to finance large deficits without endangering future growth and macroeconomic stability? How would Vietnams commitm ents to liberalize trade from around the year 2000 mandated, for example, by Vietnams membership of the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) and ambition to join the World Trade Organisation (WTO) be realised? Would the promises to reduce tariffs be neutralised by the emergence of strong interest groups benefiting from, and therefore lobbying for, continued protectionism? The most important result in terms of formal policy may be the agreement about a Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) between Vietnam and the US, which was signed in July 2000 and ratified in late 2001. The BTA is an important step towards Vietnamese membership in the WTO, and perhaps also a key step in Vietnams continuing economic reforms. Unlike the AFTA agreement, which is based on consensus and does not prescribe severe sanctions against member countries that do not fulfil their commitments, both the BTA and eventual WTO membership are likely to come with stricter conditions, enforcement and sanctions. Moreover, the BTA allows Vietnam to reap some of the benefits (in terms of access to US markets) early on, while the perceived costs (resulting from opening the Vietnamese market to US firms) will come later. It is possible that these two features will strengthen the reform process: it will be difficult to default on reform promises once they have generated thousands of jobs that may be lost if promises are not fulfilled. The continuing increase in exports is another sign of progress in this area. In 1999 and 2000, exports grew at an annual rate of over 20 percent, which was more than four times the rate of domestic demand growth. This shows that an increasing share of the Vietnamese economy is integrated with the international economy, and that there is probably a gradual shift in the balance of power from groups favouring inward-oriented policies to groups relying on contacts with the international economy. In fact, the current Ten-Year Socio-Economic Development Strategy sets up the goal that the export growth rate should be twice as high as the planned 7.5 percent GDP growth rate during the period 2001-10: if the target is achieved, the ratio of exports to GDP will exceed 90 percent by 2010. Other important reforms have been made on the import side. Import tariffs have been reduced gradually, in line with Vietnams AFTA commitments, and the road map for future tariff reductions under the agreement was published in early 2002. The tariff reduction scheme constitutes an important step to facilitate the long-term planning of Vietnamese producers: with a clear time-bound plan in place, there is less scope for interest groups to lobby for extended protection. Most quantitative restrictions have also been removed, and all domestic enterprises are now allowed to import any goods that are not subject to quotas. Yet some problems remain. The tariff structure remains complex. There is great dispersion of tariff rates in the range from zero to 100 percent, with higher rates on import-substituting goods and lower ones on imported inputs. This provides high effective rates of protection for local market-oriented industry. Various administrative measures, such as temporary import bans, have also been used to restrict imports of consumer goods. Summarizing a review on trade policy, CIEM (2002:126) notes that this shows how many policy decisions tend to aim at dealing with the problem on a case by case basis rather than resolving it based on a consistent and overall approach. Foreign trade transactions can also be controlled and restricted by the allocation of foreign exchange. The State Bank of Vietnam controls and approves remittances of foreign currency abroad, and State Bank authorisation is required to borrow foreign currency, to convert dong to dollars, and to open offshore escrow accounts. Exporters are obliged to surrender a large share (at present 40 percent) of their foreign exchange earnings to the State Bank. For a long time, state enterprises and agencies had privileged access to foreign exchange (World Bank 1999b), and it is possible that these preferences still apply. Vietnam has to deal with almost 100 anti-dumping lawsuits and trade disputes each year, in which domestic businesses often come off worst. At the recent G20 Summit in Toronto, as ASEAN Chair, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung called for G20 nations to ensure a sustainable economic recovery and fight against trade protectionism in all forms. He emphasised that Vietnam has to face many disguised protection measures in some developed countries, saying that G20 nations should continue to introduce specific measures to remove barriers to trade and foreign direct investment. These barriers have become obstacles for Vietnamese investors and exporters. To some extent, these barriers, with stricter regulations on food hygiene and safety and anti-dumping, have had a positive impact on Vietnamese businesses who have to increase the quality of their products to compete against foreign rivals. Tran Manh Canh, Deputy General Director of the Hanoi Trade Corporation (Hapro), says that his company exports many products to the Republic of Korea, which requires a high standard of food hygiene and safety. However, Hapro leaders consider these a good opportunity for local businesses to sharpen their competitive edge to penetrate the global market, adds Mr. Canh. In addition to this, trade barriers have also posed numerous difficulties and challenges for Vietnamese businesses who do not have a proper understanding of this issue. Many local businesses find it hard to access information about the trade laws of countries that have commitments with Vietnam. Therefore, clarifying trade barriers and technical standards provided by partners and ensuring transparency in the origin of products are still big challenges for Vietnamese businesses when they export their products to foreign markets. For instance, the European Union (EU) has an anti-dumping tax of 10 percent on Vietnamese leather shoes. The European Bicycle Manufacturers Association (EBMA) has requested a review and extension of the anti-dumping duty on imported Vietnamese bicycles. This affects the Vietnamese bike ind

MagRec Inc. Essay

1. If I were the manager I would have pushed for a more moral, honest solution to the problem with Partco. The company should have owned up to the poor quality parts and offer to fix any damaged parts for customers. Even though it would have cost the company time and money, it was the right thing to do. I think that if the company were to explain the situation to Partco- with the one bad batch of parts, and assured them that it wouldn’t happen again and they appreciate their long time business and loyalty- that Partco and MagRec could have agreed on some type of solution. Dinah was looking out for the customers and MagRec’s reputation, which the manager should have been concerned about as well. If I were the manager I would have stuck up for Dinah’s viewpoint. 2. I think Dinah had the right intentions in looking out for the company. I don’t think that she personally should have gone to Partco. I think someone in upper level management should have gone to Partco. Dinah going to Partco put the blame on herself, which in turn caused tension between her co-workers and herself. She should have gone to Pat an addition time and rationally and calmly explained her viewpoint and opinion on how to solve the problem. And if Pat wasn’t going to follow through with a solution that she agreed with, then she should start looking for employment else where, because a company with corrupt ethics is not a good company to affiliate yourself with. 3. The cognitive dissonance theory describes a state of inconsistency between an individual’s attitude and behavior. It is when a person alters their behavior based on conflicting situations. I don’t think this theory applies to Dinah because she didn’t let the conflicting situation alter her behavior, she felt MegRec was acting dishonest and knew it wasn’t right so she informed Partco of the situation, despite the consequences she knew she faced.

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 15

Chapter 15 Joshua and Balthasar rode into Kabul at a time of night when only cutthroats and whores were about (the whores offering the â€Å"cutthroat discount† after midnight to promote business). The old wizard had fallen asleep to the rhythm of his camel's loping gait, an act that nearly baffled Joshua as much as the whole demon business, as he spent most of his time on camelback trying not to upchuck – seasickness of the desert, they call it. Joshua flicked the old man's leg with the loose end of his camel's bridle, and the magus came awake snorting. â€Å"What is it? Are we there?† â€Å"Can you control the demon, old man? Are we close enough for you to regain control?† Balthasar closed his eyes and Joshua thought that he might be going to sleep again, except his hands began to tremble with some unseen effort. After a few seconds he opened his eyes again. â€Å"I can't tell.† â€Å"Well, you could tell that he was out.† â€Å"That was like a wave of pain in my soul. I'm not in intimate contact with the demon at all times. We are probably too far away still.† â€Å"Horses,† Joshua said. â€Å"They'll be faster. Let's go wake up the stable master.† Joshua led them through the streets to the stable where we had boarded our camels when we came to town to heal the blinded bandit. There were no lamps burning inside, but a half-naked whore posed seductively in the doorway. â€Å"Special for cutthroats,† she said in Latin. â€Å"Two for one, but no refunds if the old man can't do the business.† It had been so long since he'd heard the language that it took Joshua a second to respond. â€Å"Thank you, but we're not cutthroats,† Joshua said. He stepped past her and pounded on the door. She ran a fingernail down his back as he waited. â€Å"What are you? Maybe there's another special.† Joshua didn't even look back. â€Å"He's a two-hundred-and-sixty-year-old wizard and I'm either the Messiah or a hopeless faker.† â€Å"Uh, yeah, I think there is a special rate for fakers, but the wizard has to pay full price.† Joshua could hear stirring inside of the stable master's house and a voice calling for him to hold his horses, which is what stable masters always say when they make you wait. Joshua turned to the whore and touched her gently on the forehead. â€Å"Go, and sin no more,† he said in Latin. â€Å"Right, and what do I do for a living then, shovel shit?† Just then the stable master threw open the door. He was short and bowlegged and wore a long mustache that made him look like a dried-up catfish. â€Å"What is so important that my wife couldn't handle it?† â€Å"Your wife?† The whore ran her nail across the back of Joshua's neck as she passed him and stepped into the house. â€Å"Missed your chance,† she said. â€Å"Woman, what are you doing out here anyway?† asked the stable master. Joy scurried out onto the landing and pulled a short, broad-bladed black dagger from the folds of her robe. The ends of the rope ladder were swaying in front of her as the monster descended. â€Å"No, Joy,† I said, reaching out to pull her back into the cave. â€Å"You can't hurt it.† â€Å"Don't be so sure.† She turned and grinned at me, then ran the dagger twice over the thick ropes on one side leaving it attached by only a few fibers, then she reached up a few rungs and sliced most of the way through the other side of the ladder. I couldn't believe how easily she'd cut through the rope. She stepped back into the passageway and held the blade up so it caught the starlight. â€Å"Glass,† she said, â€Å"from a volcano. It's a thousand times sharper than any edge on an iron blade.† She put the dagger away and pulled me back into the passageway, just far enough so we could see the entrance and the landing. I could hear the monster coming closer, then a huge clawed foot appeared in silhouette in the entrance, then the other foot. We held our breath as the monster reached the cut section of the ladder. Nearly a whole massive thigh was visible now, and one of his talonlike hands was reaching down for a new hold when the ladder snapped. Suddenly the monster hung sideways, swinging from his hold on a single rope in front of the entrance. He looked right at us, the fury in his yellow eyes replaced for a moment by confusion. His leathery bat ears rose in curiosity, and he said, â€Å"Hey?† Then the second rope snapped and he plunged out of our view. We ran out to the landing and looked over the edge. It was at least a thousand feet to the floor of the valley. We could only see several hundred feet down in the dark, but it was several hundred feet of cliff face that was conspicuously monsterless. â€Å"Nice,† I said to Joy. â€Å"We need to go. Now.† â€Å"You don't think that did it?† â€Å"Did you hear anything hit bottom?† â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"Neither did I,† she said. â€Å"We had better get going.† We'd left the water skins at the top of the plateau and Joy wanted to grab some from the kitchen but I dragged her toward the front entrance by the collar. â€Å"We need to get as far away from here as we can. Dying of thirst is the least of my worries.† Once we were in the main area of the fortress there was enough light to negotiate the hallways without a lamp, which was good, because I wouldn't let Joy stop to light one. As we rounded the stairway to the third level Joy jerked me back, almost off my feet, and I turned around as mad as a cat. â€Å"What? Let's get out of here!† I screamed at her. â€Å"No, this is the last level with windows. I'm not going through the front door not knowing if that thing is outside it.† â€Å"Don't be ridiculous, it would take a man on a fast horse a half hour to make it around from the other side.† â€Å"But what if it didn't fall all the way? What if it climbed back up?† â€Å"That would take hours. Come on, Joy. We could be miles away from here by the time he gets here from the other side.† â€Å"No!† She swept my feet out from under me and I landed flat on my back on the stone floor. By the time I was on my feet again she had run through the front chamber and was hanging out the window. As I approached her she held her finger to her lips. â€Å"It's down there, waiting.† I pulled her aside and looked down. Sure enough, the beast was looming in front of the iron door, waiting to grab the edge in its claws and rip it open as soon as we threw the bolts. â€Å"Maybe it can't get in,† I whispered. â€Å"It couldn't get through the other iron door.† â€Å"You didn't understand the symbols all over that room, did you?† I shook my head. â€Å"They were containment symbols – to contain a djinn, or a demon. The front door doesn't have any on it. It won't hold him back.† â€Å"So why isn't he coming in?† â€Å"Why chase us when we will come right to him?† Just then the monster looked up and I threw myself back from the window. â€Å"I don't think he saw me,† I whispered, spraying Joy with spit. Then the monster began to whistle. It was a happy tune, lighthearted, something like you might whistle while you were polishing the bleached skull of your latest victim. â€Å"I'm not stalking anyone or anything,† the monster said, much louder than would have been required had he been talking to himself. â€Å"Nope, not me. Just standing here for a second. Oh well, no one is here, I guess I'll be on my way.† He began to whistle again and we could hear footsteps getting quieter along with the whistling. They weren't moving away, they were just getting quieter. Joy and I looked out the window to see the huge beast doing an exaggerated pantomime of walking, just as his whistle fizzled. â€Å"What?† I shouted down, angry now. â€Å"Did you think we wouldn't look?† The monster shrugged. â€Å"It was worth a try. I figured I wasn't dealing with a genius when you opened the door in the first place.† â€Å"What'd he say? What'd he say?† Joy chanted behind me. â€Å"He said he doesn't think you're very smart.† â€Å"Tell him that I'm not the one who has spent all these years locked in the dark playing with myself.† I pulled back from the window and looked at Joy. â€Å"Do you think he could fit though this window?† She eyed the window. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Then I'm not going to tell him. It might make him angry.† Joy pushed me aside, stepped up on the windowsill, turned around and faced me, then pulled up her robe and peed backward out the window. Her balance was amazing. From the growling below, I gathered that her accuracy wasn't bad either. She finished and jumped down. I looked out the window at the monster, who was shaking urine from its ears like a wet dog. â€Å"Sorry,† I said, â€Å"language problem. I didn't know how to translate.† The monster growled and the muscles in its shoulders tensed beneath the scales, then it let loose with a punch that sent its fist completely through the iron skin of the door. â€Å"Run,† Joy said. â€Å"Where?† â€Å"The passage to the cliff.† â€Å"You cut the ladder.† â€Å"Just run.† She pulled me along behind her, guiding us through the dark as she had before. â€Å"Duck,† she shouted, just a second after I realized that we'd entered the smaller passageway by using the sensitive stone-ceiling-sensing nerves in my forehead. We made it halfway down the passageway to the cliff when I heard the monster hit and curse. There was a pause, then a horrible grinding noise so intense that we had to shield our ears from the assault. Then came the smell of burning flesh. Dawn broke just as Joshua and Balthasar rode into the canyon entrance to the fortress. â€Å"How about now?† Joshua asked. â€Å"Do you feel the demon now?† Balthasar shook his head balefully. â€Å"We're too late.† He pointed to where the great round door had once stood. Now it was a pile of bent and broken pieces hanging on what was left of the huge hinges. â€Å"What in the name of Satan have you done?† Joshua said. He jumped off his horse and ran into the fortress, leaving the old man to follow as best he could. The noise in the narrow passageway was so intense that I cut pieces of cloth from my sleeves with Joy's dagger and stuffed them in our ears. Then I lit one of the fire sticks to see what the monster was doing. Joy and I stood there, gaped-jawed, watching as the beast worried away at the stone of the passage, his claws moving in a blur of speed, throwing smoke and dust and stone shards into the air as he went, his scales burning from the friction and growing back as fast as they burned away. He hadn't come far, perhaps five feet toward us, but eventually he would widen the passage enough and pull us out like a badger digging termites out of the nest. I could see now how the fortress had been built without tool marks. The creature moved so quickly – literally wearing away the walls with his claws and scales – that the stone was polished as it was cut. We had already made two ascents up what was left of the ladder to the top of the plateau, only to have the monster come around and chase us back down it before we could get to the road. The second time he pulled the ladder up, then returned to the interior of the fortress to resume his hellish digging. â€Å"I'll jump before I'll let that thing get me,† I said to Joy. She looked over the edge of the cliff into the endless darkness below. â€Å"You do that,† she said. â€Å"Let me know how it goes.† â€Å"I will, but first I'll pray.† And I did. I prayed so hard that beads of sweat popped out on my forehead and ran over my tightly closed eyes. I prayed so hard that even the constant screeching of the monster's scales against the stone was drowned out. For a moment there, I was sure that it was just me and God. As was his habit with me, God remained quiet, and I suddenly realized how frustrated Joshua must have been, asking always for a path to follow, a course of action, and being answered by nothing but silence. When I opened my eyes again dawn had broken over the cliff and light was streaming into the passageway. By full daylight the demon was even scarier. There was blood and gore all over him from the massacre of the girls, and even as he relentlessly wore away at the stone, flies buzzed around him, but as each tried to light on him it died instantly and fell to the floor. The stench of rotting flesh and burning scales was almost overwhelming, and that alone nearly sent me over the side of the cliff. The beast was only three or four cubits out of reach from us, and every few minutes he would rear back, then throw his claw forward to try and grab at us. Joy and I huddled on the landing over the cliff face, looking for any purchase, any handhold that would get us away from the beast: up, down, or sideways across the cliff face. The fear of heights had suddenly become very minor. I was beginning to be able to feel the breeze from the monster's talons as he lunged into the narrow opening at us when I heard Balthasar's deep bass shout from behind the beast. The monster filled the whole opening so I couldn't see behind it, but he turned around and his spade-tipped tail whipped around us, nearly lacerating our skin as it passed. Joy drew the glass knife from her robe and slashed at the tail, nicking the scales but apparently not causing the monster enough trouble to turn around. â€Å"Balthasar will tame you, you son of a shit-eating lizard!† Joy screamed. Just then something came shooting through the opening and we ducked out of the way as it sailed into space and fell out of sight to the canyon floor, screeching like a falcon on the dive. â€Å"What was that?† Joy was trying to squint into infinity to see what the monster had thrown. â€Å"That was Balthasar,† I said. â€Å"Oops,† said Joy. Joshua yanked the great spade-tipped tail and the demon swung around with a ferocious snarl. Joshua held on to the tail even as the demon's claws whistled by his face. â€Å"What is your name, demon?† Joshua said. â€Å"You won't live long enough to say it,† said the demon. He raised his claw again to strike. Joshua yanked his tail and the demon froze. â€Å"No. That's not right. What is your name?† â€Å"My name is Catch,† said the demon, dropping his arm to his side in surrender. â€Å"I know you. You're the kid, aren't you? They used to talk about you in the old days.† â€Å"Time for you to go home,† Joshua said. â€Å"Can't I eat those two outside on the ledge first?† â€Å"No. Satan awaits you.† â€Å"They are really irritating. She peed on me.† â€Å"No.† â€Å"I'd be doing you a favor.† â€Å"You don't want to hurt them now, do you?† The demon laid his ears back and bowed his enormous head. â€Å"No. I don't want to hurt them.† â€Å"You're not angry anymore,† Joshua said. The monster shook his head, he was already bent nearly double in the narrow passage, but now he prostrated himself before Joshua and covered his eyes with his claws. â€Å"Well, I'm still angry!† Balthasar screamed. Joshua turned to see the old man covered with blood and dirt, his clothes torn from where his broken bones had ripped through them on impact. He was healed now, only minutes after the fall, but not much better for having made the trip. â€Å"You survived that fall?† â€Å"I told you, as long as the demon is on earth, I'm immortal. But that was a first, he's never been able to hurt me before.† â€Å"He won't again.† â€Å"You have control over him? Because I don't.† Joshua turned around and put his hand on the demon's head. â€Å"This evil creature once beheld the face of God. This monster once served in heaven, obtained beauty, lived in grace, walked in light. Now he is the instrument of suffering. He is hideous of aspect and twisted in nature.† â€Å"Hey, watch it,† said the demon. â€Å"What I was going to say is that you can't blame him for what he is. He has never had what you or any other human has had. He has never had free will.† â€Å"That is so sad,† said the demon. â€Å"One moment, Catch, I will let you taste that which you have never known. For one moment I will grant you free will.† The demon sobbed. Joshua took his hand from the demon's head, then dropped his tail and walked out of the narrow passageway into the fortress hall. Balthasar stood beside him, waiting for the demon to emerge from the passageway. â€Å"Are you really able to do that? Give him free will?† â€Å"We'll see, won't we?† Catch crawled out of the passageway and stood up, now just ducking his head. Great viscous tears rolled down his scaled cheeks, over his jaws, and dripped to the stone floor, where they sizzled like acid. â€Å"Thank you,† he growled. â€Å"Free will,† Balthasar said. â€Å"How does that make you feel?† The demon snatched up the old man like a rag doll and tucked him under his arm. â€Å"It makes me feel like throwing you off the fucking cliff again.† â€Å"No,† said Joshua. He leapt forward and touched the demon's chest. In that instant the air popped as the vacuum where the demon had stood was filled. Balthasar fell to the floor and groaned. â€Å"Well, that free will thing wasn't such a great idea,† said Balthasar. â€Å"Sorry. Compassion got the better of me.† â€Å"I don't feel well,† the magus said. He sat down hard on the floor and let out a long dry rasp of breath. Joy and I came out of the passage to find Joshua bent over Balthasar, who was actively aging as we looked on. â€Å"He's two hundred and sixty years old,† Joshua said. â€Å"With Catch gone, his age is catching up.† The wizard's skin had gone ashen and the whites of his eyes were yellow. Joy sat on the floor and gently cradled the old man's head in her lap. â€Å"Where's the monster?† I asked. â€Å"Back in hell,† Joshua said. â€Å"Help me get Balthasar to his bed. I'll explain later.† We carried Balthasar to his bedchamber, where Joy tried to pour some broth into him, but he fell asleep with the bowl at his lips. â€Å"Can you help him?† I asked no one in particular. Joy shook her head. â€Å"He's not sick. He's just old.† â€Å"It is written, ‘To every thing there is a season,'† Joshua said. â€Å"I can't change the seasons. Balthasar's time has come round at last.† Then he looked at Joy and raised his eyebrows. â€Å"You peed on the demon?† â€Å"He had no right to complain. Before I came here I knew a man in Hunan who'd pay good money for that.† Balthasar lingered for ten more days, toward the end looking more like a skeleton wrapped in old leather than a man. In his last days he begged Joshua to forgive him his vanity and he called us to his bedside over and over to tell us the same things, as he would forget what he'd told us only a few hours before. â€Å"You will find Gaspar in the Temple of the Celestial Buddha, in the mountains to the east. There is a map in the library. Gaspar will teach you. He is truly a wise man, not a charlatan like me. He will help you become the man you need to be to do what you must do, Joshua. And Biff, well, you might not turn out terrible. It's cold where you are going. Buy furs along the way, and trade the camels for the woolly ones with two humps.† â€Å"He's delirious,† I said. Joy said, â€Å"No, there really are woolly camels with two humps.† â€Å"Oh, sorry.† â€Å"Joshua,† Balthasar called. â€Å"If nothing else, remember the three jewels.† Then the old man closed his eyes and stopped breathing. â€Å"He dead?† I asked. Joshua put his ear to the old man's heart. â€Å"He's dead.† â€Å"What was that about three jewels?† â€Å"The three jewels of the Tao: compassion, moderation, and humility. Balthasar said compassion leads to courage, moderation leads to generosity, and humility leads to leadership.† â€Å"Sounds wonky,† I said. â€Å"Compassion,† Joshua whispered, nodding toward Joy, who was silently crying over Balthasar. I put my arm around her shoulders and she turned and sobbed into my chest. â€Å"What will I do now? Balthasar is dead. All of my friends are dead. And you two are leaving.† â€Å"Come with us,† Joshua said. â€Å"Uh, sure, come with us.† But Joy did not come with us. We stayed in Balthasar's fortress for another six months, waiting for winter to pass before we went into the high mountains to the east. I cleaned the blood from the girls' quarters while Joy helped Joshua to translate some of Balthasar's ancient texts. The three of us shared our meals, and occasionally Joy and I would have a tumble for old times' sake, but it felt as if the life had gone out of the place. When it came time for us to leave, Joy told us of her decision. â€Å"I can't go with you to find Gaspar. Women are not allowed in the monastery, and I have no desire to live in the backwater village nearby. Balthasar has left me much gold, and everything in the library, but it does me no good out here in the mountains. I will not stay in this tomb with only the ghosts of my friends for company. Soon Ahmad will come, as he does every spring, and I will have him help me take the treasure and the scrolls to Kabul, where I will buy a large house and hire servants and I will have them bring me young boys to corrupt.† â€Å"I wish I had a plan,† I said. â€Å"Me too,† said Josh. The three of us celebrated Joshua's eighteenth birthday with the traditional Chinese food, then the next morning Joshua and I packed up the camels and prepared to head east. â€Å"Are you sure you'll be all right until Ahmad comes?† Joshua asked Joy. â€Å"Don't worry about me, you go learn to be a Messiah.† She kissed him hard on the lips. He squirmed to get loose from her and he was still blushing as he climbed onto his camel. â€Å"And you,† she said to me, â€Å"you will come to see me in Kabul on your way back to Israel or I will put such a curse on you as you'll never be free of it.† She took the little ying-yang vial full of poison and antidote from around her neck and put it around mine. It might have seemed a strange gift to anyone else, but I was the sorceress's apprentice and it seemed perfect to me. She tucked the black glass knife into my sash. â€Å"No matter how long it takes, come back and see me. I promise I won't paint you blue again.† I promised her and we kissed and I climbed on my camel and Joshua and I rode off. I tried not to look back, once again, to another woman who had stolen my heart. We rode a half a furlong apart, each of us considering the past and future of our lives, who we had been and who we were going to be, and it was a couple of hours before I caught up with Joshua and broke the silence. I thought of how Joy had taught me to read and speak Chinese, to mix potions and poisons, to cheat at gambling, to perform slight of hand, and where and how to properly touch a woman. All of it without expecting anything in return. â€Å"Are all women stronger and better than me?† â€Å"Yes,† he said. It was another day before we spoke again. Part III Compassion Torah! Torah! Torah! WAR CRY OF THE KAMIKAZE RABBIS

HOW THE DISPLAY SPACE OF A FOOD PRODUCT AFFECTS Essays

HOW THE DISPLAY SPACE OF A FOOD PRODUCT AFFECTS Essays HOW THE DISPLAY SPACE OF A FOOD PRODUCT AFFECTS Essay HOW THE DISPLAY SPACE OF A FOOD PRODUCT AFFECTS Essay RESEARCH PROPOSAL FORMName:RICHARD BRYERNerve pathway:ACCESS TO NursingProposed Undertaking Subject:DISPLAY SPACE FOR PRODUCTSProposed Undertaking Thesis:HOW THE DISPLAY SPACE OF A FOOD PRODUCT AFFECTS ITS SALESCoach:Dr Hazel Mitford Area of involvement and possible attackI can non read the authorship that is in this box on the sheet that was sent to me as portion of further information to follow Reason for pickI can non read the authorship that is in this box on the sheet that was sent to me as portion of further information to follow Anticipated jobs / disadvantagesIn any nutrient shop there are 1,000s of merchandises. Clearly given the restraint on clip to finish the undertaking, the primary research procedure will merely be to cover with 3 merchandises. Besides the figure of clients that will be asked to take portion in the study will be restricted to 150. Tutor Remark: HOW THE DISPLAY SPACE OF A FOOD PRODUCT AFFECTS ITS SALESRICHARD BRYERFRIDAY 12ThursdayMAY 2006Nursing Nerve pathwayAbstractionGrocery retailing is dominated by four major operators, which are invariably engaged in selling, advertisement and gross revenues publicity activities to increase gross revenues and hike profitableness. A major restraint on the gross revenues of any nutrient point is the sum of show infinite that is allocated to it. This undertaking investigates the relationship between show infinite and gross revenues. It begins by researching the factors which have an influence on people on make up ones minding where they are traveling to purchase their nutrient. The undertaking draws decisions from the secondary and primary informations that has been collected and makes recommendations on how grocery retail merchants can maximize the gross revenues and net income potency of the show infinite in their shops.RecognitionsI would wish to thank my coach and the directors and st aff of my local Asda shop for assisting me to construction this undertaking and garner the primary informations that was necessary to ease the declared aim of the research.Contentss1. INTRODUCTIONPage 42. SECONDARY RESEARCH – WHAT DO PEOLE WANT FROM THEIR GROCERY STORE? Page 53. PRIMARY RESEARCH – DOES INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF DISPLAY SPACE INCREASE SALES OF GROCERY ITEMS? Page 94. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMEDNSATIONSPage 13REFERENCESPage 151.IntroductionIn nutrient retailing the major restraint on how much gross revenues and net income any given shop can bring forth is the sum of show infinite that is available. Food retailing is really competitory on monetary value footings and the gross net income borders that are available on most grocery points is really little compared to other signifiers of retailing ( i.e. furniture, electrical, apparels etc ) . Therefore, in order to do optimal usage of the available show, nutrient retail merchants must offer a scope of merchandis es and services that satisfies the demands of its clients, and which maximises the gross revenues and net income potency of each shop. The Objective Of The Undertaking The aim of this undertaking is to find whether there is a causal relationship between the hebdomadal gross revenues degree of a food market point and the sum of show infinite that is allocated to it.For illustration, if there were 5 facings of point X and 1,000 units were sold each, would the gross revenues of Ten addition to 1,200, if the figure of facings were increased to 6? However, with each food market point, there will be an upper bound to the maximal figure that can be sold within one hebdomad. Therefore, merely increasing the figure of facings for X will at some point generate diminishing returns.For illustration, the maximal hebdomadal gross revenues for Ten could be 1,400. Therefore, increasing the figure of facings of X to 10 would non bring forth gross revenues of 2,000 units. The other of import factor of class, is that if you increase the figure of facings for X, so you must by default cut down the show for some other grocery point.Besides it needs to be recognised tha t at that place many grounds ( e.g. convenient location, opening times, quality of client service etc ) why people decide to shop at a peculiar shop. Obviously if possible clients are non enticed into your shop in the first topographic point, so it does non count of how facings of point X are on show, as these people will be shopping elsewhere. The Structure and Content of the Undertaking It is of import to set up a robust research model, within which to carry on the probe, analyse the findings, draw decisions and do recommendations on how retail merchants should continue in the hereafter. Therefore, the undertaking is structured as follows: Secondary research – What do people want from their food market shop? Primary research – Does increasing the sum of show infinite addition gross revenues of food market points? Decisions Recommendations for future action SECONDARY RESEARCH – WHAT DO PEOPLE WANT FROM THEIR GROCERY STORE? What is Secondary Data? Secondary informations beginnings can come from within the administration, internal secondary informations, or from outside the administration i.e. external secondary informations. Secondary information may besides be called thebyproductstatistics, for illustration, the aggregation of the figure of unemployed is a byproduct of paying out benefits and entering the sum. There are many beginnings of secondary informations e.g.Monthly Digest of Statistics, Regional Trendsetc.There are two advantages of utilizing these informations beginnings: One, they provide the chance to develop our apprehension and cognition of the hypothesis we are look intoing. Two, frequently they are easy to entree and are cheaper to get so the aggregation of primary informations. Facilitating The Requirements Of This Undertaking To ease the demands of this undertaking – the undermentioned web site ( www.igd.com ) was accessed. The intent ofImmunoglobulin dis to animate people through cognition and leading. It is a cardinal research administration for the nutrient and food market industry. It provides a assortment of services – notably, which suited the demands of this undertaking, free fact sheets. When carry oning an probe, it is necessary to get down by garnering relevant background information.With respect to this undertaking, we need to understand what factors influence people when make up ones minding upon where they are traveling to purchase their food markets.Immunoglobulin dhold compiled a fact sheet, entitledValue versus Price –which, examines the issues involved. As stated earlier, the value a retail merchant offers is judged on more than merely monetary value. For illustration, convenience, client service, shop environment, freshness, safety, pick, easiness of usage and handi ness are recognised as adding value to the shopping experience and the merchandises shoppers buy.The graph below shows that the most of import three things shoppers want from retail merchants are: high quality merchandises ; lowest monetary value ; and high criterion of client service.Factors Affecting Customers’ Choice Of Food Outlet1 – High quality merchandises2 – Lowest monetary value3 – High criterion of client service4 – Lots of pick5 – Buy one – acquire one free6 – Nice shopping environment7 – Brands I know8 – Good auto parking installations9 – Guarantee that what I want will ever be available10 – Long gap hours11 – Extra services12 – Lots of invention13 – None of theseBeginning: IGD Consumer Research 2004The above information Tells us that there are 12 factors that have an influence on the retail mercantile establishment, nutrient shoppers decide to utilize. Factors 2 ( Lo west monetary value ) and 5 ( Buy one – acquire one free ) are concerned with monetary value. This means that monetary value has a major influence on pick of retail mercantile establishment. However, monetary value must be weighted within all of the other factors. That is, whilst low monetary values remain a top precedence, it does non needfully intend that consumers will continuously trade food market retail merchants in chase of the cheapest monetary values available.It is likely for the huge bulk of consumers that the weighting of the other 10 factors will be more of import than a little per centum addition in monetary values across a scope of goods. It is merely when the monetary value derived function between their current preferred retail merchant and a major rival becomes perceptibly bigger across a scope of points that an bing client will see exchanging to the challenger. Further research byImmunoglobulin dhas revealed that in recent old ages, monetary value has emerg ed as a cardinal competitory border for UK food market retail merchants.However, when inventing pricing schemes, food market retail merchants can non afford to disregard the weighting of the other 10 factors. Therefore two common pricing schemes have emerged – EDLP ( Every Day Low Pricing ) and Hi-Lo ( High background – low publicity ) . The research has shown that few retail merchants operate a individual pure pricing scheme, with most uniting EDLP and Hi-Lo to organize a intercrossed placement although by and large be givening towards one type.Shoppers’ PreferenceWhilst there was a general credence amongst shoppers that low monetary values and publicities offer nest eggs on their shopping, there was assorted sentiments amongst shoppers as to which was considered to offer them the greatest benefit. EDLP Promotions Beginning: IGD Consumer Research 2003These penchants can be farther divided, as shown below.Reasons for Preference of Low Prices or Promotions60 % Low Monetary values34 % Low monetary values and limited or no publicity because they shop to a budget15 % Low monetary values and limited or no publicity because publicities are non for people like me and / or I do non hold the infinite11 % Low monetary values and limited or no publicity because I think supermarkets with tonss of publicities charge more for other points40 % Promotions23 % Lots of different publicities because I like to stock up9 % Lots of different publicities because I think I save more money than I would with low monetary values8 % Lots of different publicities because it gives me a opportunity to seek new merchandisesBeginning: IGD Consumer Research 2003 Drumhead The findings from the secondary research may be summarised as follows: 12 factors influence customers’ pick of nutrient mercantile establishment High quality merchandises, lowest monetary value and high criterion of client service are the most of import factors act uponing customers’ pick of nutrient mercantile establishment Customers do non seek to wholly fulfill a individual factor in their pick of nutrient mercantile establishment – instead they will use a weighting to each of the factors This implies that trade name trueness is of import – i.e. a client will merely exchange to a rival when their current preferred retail merchant no longer satisfies their overall weighting of the factors Monetary value has become much more of import as a competitory factor in recent old ages – 2 cardinal pricing schemes have emerged – EDLP and Hi-Lo Retailers have tended to develop intercrossed pricing schemes to fulfill their selling and gross revenues aims and to keep their fight within the market Preferences among consumers for low monetary values or publicities can each be divided into 3 sub-categories PRIMARY RESEARCH – DOES INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF DISPLAY SPACE INCREASE SALES OF GROCERY ITEMS? What is Primary Data? Primary informations is the aggregation of information which is non available from secondary informations beginnings. There a figure of ways in which primary informations can be collected – personal interviews, telephone interviews, postal questionnaires, online questionnaires etc. Secondary informations beginnings should ever be consulted before transporting out primary research. This is because secondary beginnings can foreground the key factors which need to be considered when planing primary informations aggregation methods.As stated earlier, when carry oning an probe, background / secondary informations, informs the research procedure. The subdivision 2 drumhead high spots the importance of monetary value in finding customers’ pick of nutrient mercantile establishment. Therefore, it can be concluded that it is non merely the figure of facings that is dedicated to a peculiar food market point that affects its gross revenues. The monetary value of an point besides ha s a major impact on its demand. Charging lower monetary values will intend higher gross revenues but proportionally less net income.There are valid commercial grounds for well take downing monetary values and increasing gross revenues. Notably to accomplish an addition in market portion or to set up a bridgehead in a new market. However, to be sustainable in the longer term, lower monetary values must bring forth higher net incomes, through a significant addition in volume gross revenues. This can be achieved by a uniting the undermentioned factors – reduced monetary values, increased show infinite and extremely effectual selling. The Questionnaire To carry through the demands of the undertaking, the undermentioned questionnaire was complied.Question 1Which class best describes you?1. Low Monetary values1.1 Low monetary values and limited or no publicity because they shop to a budget1.2 Low monetary values and limited or no publicity because publicities are non for people like me and / or I do non hold the infinite1.3 Low monetary values and limited or no publicity because I think supermarkets with tonss of publicities charge more for other points2. Promotions2.1 Tonss of different publicities because I like to stock up2.2 Tonss of different publicities because I think I save more money than I would with low monetary values2.3 Tonss of different publicities because it gives me a opportunity to seek new merchandisesQuestion 2For each of the undermentioned merchandises, would you purchase more of the point if the figure of facings was addition from 4 to 8 and the monetary value remained the same?Galaxy Chocolate 150gYes / N oPek Chop Pork 170gYes / NoApple and Blackcurrant JuiceYes / NoQuestion 3For each of the undermentioned merchandises, would you purchase more of the point if the figure of facings remained at 4 but the monetary value was reduced by 20 % ?Galaxy Chocolate 150gYes / NoPek Chop Pork 170gYes / NoApple and Blackcurrant JuiceYes / NoQuestion 4For each of the undermentioned merchandises, would you purchase more of the point if the figure of facings increased from 4 to 8, the monetary value was reduced by 20 % , and extra promotional stuff was used to foreground the show?Galaxy Chocolate 150gYes / NoPek Chop Pork 170gYes / NoApple and Blackcurrant JuiceYes / No The Design and Purpose Of The Questionnaire The design of the questionnaire is linked to the findings in subdivision 2. The first inquiry trades with the classification of each respondent. The principle being that those respondents who place themselves in any of the undermentioned classs i.e. 2.1 to 2.3 – should be more tempted by promotional trades than any respondents in classs 1.1 to 1.3. The respondents are so presented with three different scenarios for three food market points to find whether they would increase their hebdomadal ingestion.The consequences of this questionnaire will assist the shop direction to do more informed determinations about the sum of show infinite to apportion to specific food market points. It will besides let them to measure the effectivity of in-store promotional runs in footings of increasing gross revenues and profitableness. Sampling Techniques In order to do effectual concern determinations sing their merchandises, services, monetary values etc, nutrient retail merchants need to roll up informations about consumers’ penchants, future purposes etc. Designation of the relevantpopulationis indispensable since informations aggregation is a dearly-won exercising. Since everyone in the UK needs to travel nutrient shopping the relevantpopulationcould be 40 million. If a nutrient retail merchant was merely concerned if the people who presently buy its merchandise and services, the relevantpopulationmight be 3 million. In either state of affairs, it is evidently impossible to include everyone in a study.When the relevant identified population is excessively big for a cost-efficient nose count to be conducted asampleof that population must be selected, and single responses generalised to stand for the facts about, or the positions, penchants etc of, the full population. Sampling processs can be divided into two wide classs â €“ those where persons are selected by some anteriorrandom methodprior to the aggregation phase, and those where the persons arenon-randomlyselected at the aggregation phase.To guarantee that the sample is representative of the population the most usual non-random sampling is the choice of aquota sample.In this instance assorted features of the population are noted, for illustration, the divisions on sex, age, income etc, and the sample aims to include similar proportions of people with these features. The study conducted byImmunoglobulin dwhich showed that 60 % of shoppers preferred low monetary values and 40 % , is an illustration of aquota sampleand can be considered to be representative of thepopulationi.e. UK nutrient shoppers. 3.5 The Results Of The Questionnaire Q1 No of respondents % of respondents Q2 No of respondents % of respondents 1.1 29 28 % a. Yes 11 11 % 1.2 13 13 % a. No 93 89 % 1.3 11 11 % B. Yes 2 2 % 2.1 23 22 % B. No 102 98 % 2.2 15 14 % c. Yes 3 3 % 2.3 13 13 % c. No 101 97 % Entire 104 100 % Q3 No of respondents % of respondents Q4 No of respondents % of respondents a. Yes 13 13 % a. Yes 30 29 % a. No 91 88 % a. No 74 71 % B. Yes 4 4 % B. Yes 18 17 % B. No 100 96 % B. No 96 92 % c. Yes 4 4 % c. Yes 13 13 % c. No 100 96 % c. No 91 88 % Due to clip restraints, random sampling was used to roll up the questionnaire consequences. Out of 143 people that were asked, 104 agreed to take portion in the study. The study consequences can non be considered to be representative of the population i.e. UK nutrient shoppers. In order to accomplish a representative sample – quota trying would hold been used. However, such an attack was merely excessively clip devouring for this undertaking.The farther restriction of the study is that the consequences to oppugn 1 bash non match to proportions of people in theImmunoglobulin dstudy that prefer low monetary values or publicities. The replies collected for inquiries for 2 to 4, have non been subdivided in conformity with the classification of shoppers in inquiry 1. It would hold been possible to accomplish this classification nevertheless, clip and resource restraints have limited the processing of the consequences.What Do The Results Tell Us?The consequences for the first food market point in the study, i.e. Galaxy cocoa, are much more positive than for the other two merchandises. For these points increasing the figure of facings and cut downing the monetary value do non actuate shoppers to purchase more of these merchandises. It is merely when the figure of facings are increased ; the monetary values are reduced and extra promotional is used, that there is any type of positive displacement by consumers to purchase more of these points.1 = Yes2 = NoAs the chart shows, for Galaxy Chocolate the response to inquiries 2 – 4 is much more positive than for the other two points. Increasing the figure of facings and cut downing the monetary value has a much more important impact on shoppers’ purchasing purposes, than for the other two points. When these two factors are combined with increased promotional stuff, 30 % of the respondents said that they would increase their hebdomadal purchase of this point as a consequence of this package . CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 4.1Decisions The information generated by the secondary and primary research indicates that there is a direct relationship between the sum of show infinite allocated to a nutrient merchandise and its degree of gross revenues. However, there is merely a important motion in shoppers’ purposes to purchase more of a nutrient point, when extra factors are added ( i.e. the monetary value is reduced by a significant sum and in-store promotional activity is increased ) . Then it merely works for certain nutrient points. UK consumers have grown in edification and are influenced by 12 factors, when it comes to choosing a nutrient retail merchant. Lower monetary values have become more of import but in themselves will non promote big Numberss of consumers to for good exchange nutrient retail merchants. 4.2RecommendationsAs stated in the debut, the major restraint on nutrient retail merchants is the sum of show infinite that can be allocated to each point in the scope of merchandises they offer to their clients. To maximize the gross revenues and net income potency of their show a nutrient retail merchant must see all of the factors listed below:Traffic flow: In order to get down doing alterations to the merchandise arrangement in a shop, retail merchants need to map out an overall program. To make this, retail merchants need to recognize the current traffic flow of the shop and develop a program to direct traffic flow so that clients will shop the full shop and with their attending focused where the retail merchant would wish it to be. By strategically puting demand / finish merchandises and impulse points throughout the inside of the shop, it is possible to equilibrate the traffic flow and increase the overall gross revenues by doing best usage of every square pes. Fixturing: This is the furniture that holds and displays the bulk of a store’s ware. The most successful fixture systems are installed to be flexible and offer retail merchants the chance to do major show reconfigurations with small or no investing. Retailers need to utilize the flexibleness of these fixtures on a frequent footing to add involvement and exhilaration to the shop. Artworks and Signage: These points communicate a store’s image. They can be used to educate clients about ware for sale, denote particular publicities or to direct traffic flow through the shop. Artworks and signage should show a unvarying degree of quality. Similar Product Selling Trading similar merchandises together can make a dramatic impact and educate the client to the deepness of merchandise a retail merchant is transporting within a given class. Cross-Mix Selling This involves exposing a assortment of apparently unrelated merchandises to make a comprehensive ocular narrative. This type of trading communicates breadth of merchandise and educates the client about ware they may be incognizant that the retail merchant is transporting. Planogram The arrangement of selling that is geting to the shop can be planned out on paper by utilizing a planogram. A planogram is a retailer’s design which visually communicates how ware and props fit onto a shop fixture. MentionsFact Sheet – Every Day Low Pricing versus Promotions –IGD, 10/09/2004 (www.igd.com/CIR.asp)Fact Sheet – Value versus Price– IGD, 10/09/2004 (www.igd.com/CIR.asp)Display and Merchandising Guide – (www.glmshows.com/press/DisplayHandbook)Retail Vision – Retail Management Consultants (www.retail-vision.co.uk)Quantitative Methods for Business Decisions –Jon Curwin and Roger Slater – 1991 ( Chapman A ; Hall )Page 1 of 15

Overview of Toltec Gods and Religion

Overview of Toltec Gods and Religion The Ancient Toltec civilization dominated Central Mexico during the post-classic period, from approximately 900-1150 A.D. from their home in the city of Tollan (Tula). They had a rich religious life and the apogee of their civilization is marked by the spread of the cult of Quetzalcoatl, the Feathered Serpent. Toltec society was dominated by warrior cults and they practiced human sacrifice as a means of gaining favor with their gods. The Toltec Civilization The Toltecs were a major Mesoamerican culture who rose to prominence after the fall of Teotihuacn in approximately 750 A.D. Even before Teotihuacan fell, Chichimec tribes in central Mexico and the remnants of the mighty Teotihuacan civilization had begun coalescing into the city of Tula. There they founded a powerful civilization which would eventually extend from the Atlantic to the Pacific through networks of trade, vassal states, and war. Their influence reached as far as the Yucatan Peninsula, where the descendants of the ancient Maya civilization emulated Tula art and religion. The Toltecs were a warlike society ruled by priest-kings. By 1150, their civilization went into decline and Tula was eventually destroyed and abandoned. The Mexica (Aztec) culture considered ancient Tollan (Tula) the high point of civilization and claimed to be descendants of the mighty Toltec kings. Religious Life at Tula Toltec society was highly militaristic, with religion playing an equal or secondary role to the military. In this, it was similar to the later Aztec culture. Still, religion was extremely important to the Toltecs. The kings and rulers of the Toltecs often served as priests of Tlaloc as well, erasing the line between civil and religious rule. Most of the buildings in the center of Tula had religious functions. The Sacred Precinct of Tula Religion and gods were important to the Toltecs. Their mighty city of Tula is dominated by the sacred precinct, a compound of pyramids, temples, ball courts, and other structures around an airy plaza. Pyramid C: The largest pyramid at Tula, Pyramid C has not been completely excavated and was extensively looted even before the Spanish arrived. It shares certain characteristics with the Pyramid of the Moon at Teotihuacan, including its east-west orientation. It was once covered with relief panels like Pyramid B, but most of these were looted or destroyed. The little evidence that remains suggests that Pyramid C might have been dedicated to Quetzalcoatl. Pyramid B: located at a right angle across the plaza from the larger Pyramid C, Pyramid B is home to the four tall warrior statues for which the site of Tula is so famous. Four smaller pillars contain relief sculptures of gods and Toltec kings. A carving on the temple is thought by some archaeologists to represent Quetzalcoatl in his aspect as Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli, the warlike god of the morning star. Archaeologist Robert Cobean believes that Pyramid B was a private religious sanctuary for the ruling dynasty. The Ball Courts: There are at least three Ball courts at Tula. Two of them are strategically located: Ballcourt One is aligned to Pyramid B on the other side of the main plaza, and the larger Ballcourt Two makes up the western edge of the sacred precinct. The Mesoamerican ball game had important symbolic and religious meaning for the Toltecs and other ancient Mesoamerican cultures. Other Religious Structures in the Sacred Precinct: In addition to the pyramids and ball courts, there are other structures in Tula which had religious significance. The so-called Burned Palace, once thought to be where the royal family lived, is now believed to have served a more religious purpose. The Palace of Quetzalcoatl, situated between the two major pyramids, was also once thought to be residential but is now believed to have been a temple of sorts, possibly for the royal family. There is a small altar in the middle of the main plaza as well as the remains of a tzompantli, or skull rack for the heads of sacrificial victims. The Toltecs and Human Sacrifice Ample evidence at Tula shows that the Toltecs were dedicated practitioners of human sacrifice. On the western side of the main plaza, there is a tzompantli, or skull rack. It is not far from Ballcourt Two (which is probably not a coincidence). The heads and skulls of sacrificed victims were placed here for display. It is one of the earliest known tzompantlis, and probably the one that the Aztecs would later model theirs upon. Inside the Burned Palace, three Chac Mool statues were found: these reclining figures hold bowls where human hearts were placed. Pieces of another Chac Mool were found near Pyramid C, and historians believe that a Chac Mool statue probably was placed on top of the small altar in the center of the main plaza. There are depictions at Tula of several cuauhxicalli, or large eagle vessels which were used to hold human sacrifices. The historical record agrees with the archaeology: post-conquest sources recounting Aztec legends of Tollan claim that Ce Atl Topiltzà ­n, the legendary founder of Tula, was forced to leave because the followers of Tezcatlipoca wanted him to increase the number of human sacrifices. The Gods of the Toltecs The ancient Toltec civilization had many gods, chief among them Quetzalcoatl, Tezcatlipoca, and Tlaloc. Quetzalcoatl was the most important of these, and representations of his abound at Tula. During the apogee of the Toltec civilization, the cult of Quetzalcoatl spread throughout Mesoamerica. It even reached as far as the ancestral lands of the Maya, where similarities between Tula and Chichen Itza include the majestic Temple to Kukulcn, the Maya word for Quetzalcoatl. At major sites contemporary with Tula, such as El Tajin and Xochicalco, there are important temples dedicated to the Feathered Serpent. The mythical founder of the Toltec civilization, Ce Atl Topiltzà ­n Quetzalcoatl, may have been a real person who was later deified into Quetzalcoatl. Tlaloc, the rain god, was worshiped at Teotihuacan. As the successors of the great Teotihuacan culture, it is no surprise that the Toltecs venerated Tlaloc as well. A warrior statue dressed in Tlaloc garb was discovered at Tula, indicating the probable presence of a Tlaloc warrior cult there. Tezcatlipoca, the Smoking Mirror, was considered a sort of brother god to Quetzalcoatl, and some surviving legends from the Toltec culture include both of them. There is only one representation of Tezcatlipoca at Tula, on one of the columns atop Pyramid B, but the site was heavily looted even before the arrival of the Spanish and other carvings and images may have been carried off long ago. There are depictions of other gods at Tula, including Xochiquetzal and Centeotl, but their worship was clearly less widespread than that of Tlaloc, Quetzalcoatl, and Tezcatlipoca. New Age Toltec Beliefs Some practitioners of New Age Spiritualism have adopted the term Toltec to refer to their beliefs. Chief among them is the writer Miguel Angel Ruiz, whose 1997 book has sold millions of copies. Very loosely stated, this new Toltec spiritual belief system focuses on the self and ones relationship to things one cannot change. This modern spirituality has little or nothing to do with religion from the ancient Toltec civilization and should not be confused with it. Sources Charles River Editors. The History and Culture of the Toltec. Lexington: Charles River Editors, 2014. Cobean, Robert H., Elizabeth Jimà ©nez Garcà ­a and Alba Guadalupe Mastache. Tula. Mexico: Fondo de Cultura Economica, 2012. Coe, Michael D, and Rex Koontz. 6th Edition. New York: Thames and Hudson, 2008 Davies, Nigel. The Toltecs: Until the Fall of Tula. Norman: the University of Oklahoma Press, 1987. Gamboa Cabezas, Luis Manuel. El Palacio Quemado, Tula: Seis Decadas de Investigaciones. Arqueologia Mexicana XV-85 (May-June 2007). 43-47