Discuss The Controversy Surrounding The Chapman Brothers Rectified Essay

Discuss The Controversy Surrounding The Chapman Brothers Rectified Works of Francisco Goyas Disasters of War Series - Essay Example The best in Goya came during the period of war in Spain and this shows that wars really bring out the best in men. The controversy that surrounded the rectification of his work by the Goya Brothers was borne out of the love that this critics had for this great artist and his art work. The Chapman brothers have been accused of defacing the etchings they purchased from Goya’s Disasters of War as the Chapman Brothers’ Insult to Injury had some funny faces that made their collections controversial in nature. The Brothers have been accused of intentionally defacing the appearance of Goya’s Disasters of War and some have even said that they used their Insult to Injury to mock Goya’s works. Although the Chapman Brothers have claimed that Francisco Goya was their model, the fact however remains that the rectification of his Disasters of War actually disproves this notion if one considers the fact that they tried to transform the work of their so called ‘mode l’ in order to produce their own work that is different from his work in several ways (Chapman). The Chapman Brothers succeeded in transforming Goya’s work into sheer pornographic Surrealism but it should be underscored that Goya was more into Romanticism. The issue that has been raised by the critics is that the Chapman Brothers bought a set of 83 etchings from Goya’s Disasters of War and vandalised it. The critics have claimed that the Chapman Brothers were aware that this great art work by Goya is one of the most venerated series of prints in existence (Mey, 2007, p.1). The Chapman Brothers have not only made attempts to erase the memories of the artists from the hearts of men, but they have also destroyed and obscured a great artwork, thus attracting lots of controversies to themselves and their rectified art work. Controversy based on Semiotics The Chapman Brothers unscrupulously rectified the works of Francisco Goya’s Disaster of War Series, which G oya himself used to represent the horrors of the war between 1810 and 1820. In the original work of Goya, he used symbols of humans as an allegory to the sufferings of humans during the war and to express his dissatisfaction and horror at the disgusting lunacy of war. In rectifying the works of Francisco Goya’s Disaster of War Series, the Chapman Brothers used cartoon images to represent the sufferings of humans that Goya was trying to depict through his images and the fact that Chapman derailed from the original message of Goya made people to criticize the revised works of the Chapman Brothers. â€Å"Typical in their broad-brush detestation of Enlightenment tradition are Jake and Dinos Chapman, postmodern artists most famous for ‘Insult to Injury’, their vandalized or ‘rectified’ appropriation of Goya’s Disaster of War prints, in which they pasted fiendish clown and puppy heads over every victim’s grimace....† (Broderick, 2005, p.9). The controversy that surrounded the works of the Chapman Brothers was caused by the cartoon images that they superimposed in their work as they used the symbols of puppies or clowns as figures to represent the human sufferings that Goya intended to show people through his Disaster of War

The atmospheres of Sonnet 43 Essay Example for Free

The atmospheres of Sonnet 43 Essay Love’s many contradicting forms are portrayed in two dramatically different sonnets, Sonnet 43 and Sonnet 29. Though both poems are written in Petrarchan sonnet form, Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Edna St. Vincent Millay chronicle two contrasting marriages and their distinct attitudes towards love. Millay’s pessimistic Sonnet 29 depicts unrequited love as a passive force causing her disillusionment. On the other hand, Sonnet 43 attempts to quantify Browning’s endless and divine love for her spouse, Robert Browning. Through their respective poems, the writers convey outpours of emotion and how their personal experiences with love have changed both their lives. Common themes explored in the two poems consist of marriage, love and loyalty. Elements of the poems that enable this include their atmospheres, diction, tones and various poetic techniques. The atmospheres of Sonnet 43 and Sonnet 29 allude to Browning and Millay’s outlooks on their respective marriages. Sonnet 29 exposes a woman’s grief for her deteriorating marriage and her husband, who â€Å"no longer looks with love on me (the poet)†. Readers are overwhelmed by an anger-filled, threatening opening atmosphere in which the poet imposes on them to â€Å"pity me not† for the â€Å"light of day [that]†¦no longer walks the sky†. Millay’s despair is seen through the metaphor of her happiness and spirit as a diminished â€Å"light†, repressed by the turmoil of her relationship. A sense of helpless sympathy is thus evoked by the melancholic, oppressive imagery and bitterly ironic diction. In contrast to Sonnet 29, Elizabeth Barrett Browning begins with a grand portrayal of her love using numerous hyperboles, thus creating a majestic atmosphere. The poet loves her husband â€Å"to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach†¦for the ends of Being and ideal Grace†. Enjambment is employed to represent the ceaseless flow of love in Browning’s marriage. However, the sonnet concludes with a darkly ambiguous atmosphere that contrasts greatly to its optimistic introduction. The poet confesses that she shall â€Å"but love thee (Robert Browning) better after death†. In addition to its implications of Browning’s eternal love, this reference to her marriage vows also has forbidding connotations of marriage causing her ultimate death. Consequently, it may be seen that the poet’s marriage and reliance on her husband is detrimental to her fragile character. From being bitterly resentful to miserably conscious of a love that is â€Å"no more†, Millay’s emotions are depicted by the developing atmosphere of Sonnet 29. Similarly, Sonnet 43 alludes to Browning’s inner thoughts beyond the divinity and grandeur of her marriage through the dismal change in its atmosphere. Religious diction is applied in Sonnet 43 where Browning expresses a spiritual bond that transcends her religion and beliefs. Her pious worship for her husband has replaced a love for her â€Å"lost saints†, as illustrated by the reverential tone extending through the sonnet. Furthermore, it is the poet’s marriage that compels her to persevere, guiding her when she is â€Å"feeling out of sight†. From the â€Å"ends of Being and ideal Grace† to the contradicting subtleness of â€Å"everyday’s most quiet need†, Browning’s compassion is as unwavering as it is strong. When its is revealed that she loves her husband â€Å"with the passion put to use in [her] old grief’s†, readers are given implications of the poet’s possibly troubled past, which becomes irrelevant in the face of her marriage. Moreover, Browning’s love appears to defy the acts of God, as she claims to love her husband â€Å"better after death†. This sense of an immortal love is further compounded by the repetition of â€Å"I love thee†, creating a constant flow in the sonnet and giving it an intimate, personal touch. Contrastingly, Sonnet 29 directly confronts Millay’s husband using spiteful diction to convey her deep resentment for the state of her marriage. Rather than reciting, â€Å"I love thee† like Browning in her Sonnet 43, Millay repeats, â€Å"Pity me not† for the grievances in her marriage, thus evoking sympathy from readers. In comparison to Browning’s theory of love being an eternal, resilient force, Millay describes a relationship that is susceptible to external forces that surround it. â€Å"As the year goes by†, the â€Å"beauties† of her marriage have been overcome by a â€Å"man’s desire†¦hushed so soon†. Her husband’s â€Å"waning† loyalty and fickleness is exposed by the comparison of their relationship to an â€Å"ebbing tide [that] goes out to sea† and never returns. Such negative diction alludes to the passive nature of Millay’s unrequited love as opposed to Browning’s prosperous, active affection for her husband.

Tone and Irony in Oedipus Rex :: essays research papers

Besides for being an entertaining play, Oedipus Rex, is also an incredibly in-depth and insightful piece of literature. Sophocles does an outstanding job of bringing the play to another level, making the reader delve deep into the. Sophocles uses literary devices such as irony and tone to enhance the story. Tone and irony are constant throughout the play, and used well to develop the characters. From the beginning we know a lot about Oedipus, mostly from previous knowledge in previous plays. It is known that he was a hero and the leader of many people. In this novel it is clear from an early point that the city is once again in trouble and Oedipus’s help is again required. At first he seems very honest and sincere about helping his people but as time goes on we see a different side of Oedipus. When Teiresias first meets Oedipus is a perfect example. At the beginning of their encounter Oedipus seems to be more concerned with his people and fixing the plague, but as soon as Teiresias brings up the notion that Oedipus has anything to do with it he immediately becomes very defensive and aggravated. We quickly learn that Oedipus is more concerned with himself than with his people. After the discussion with Teiresias, Oedipus plays the murder off on his friend, Creon. This is another example of Oedipus being more concerned with himself than the people around him. Oedipus of ten questions his past or other people about his past. He is unsure about himself and often seems troubled and short tempered. Tone is a huge part of the play and especially Oedipus. Another literary device used in the play is Irony. In Oedipus Rex, dramatic irony is often present in Oedipus’ long speeches. Oedipus constantly sees things incorrectly, and is in denial that he has, in fact, killed his father and married his mother. This is first apparent when he demands the death of the man who killed Laius. Oedipus calls the man who did this an evil murder. Oedipus assumes that, as he became a citizen of Thebes after the murder, though he did kill someone, he is ruled out Laius. In another speech, Oedipus accuses Creon of setting him up in order to get the throne, by framing him as the murderer. At this point, Oedipus proves that he has no feelings for his friends and it shows his true colors.

Africa

This achievement was done because of their positioning in Africa which gave them better trade networks. More, the Gush broke for Egyptians and moved to More in 590 BCC. They lived several hundred years off of farming, iron, mining and trading. Oromo, The Oromo people spent lot of time looking for better land to settle. Finally they conquered land ruled by the Gaze and Solomon, they became very wealthy depending on trade of coffee. Great Zanzibar, The amalgamation of the Bantu helped Great Zanzibar. Along with other cities they prospered by sending goods to theIndian cost. The people of Zanzibar relied not only on trading but also cattle herding, and agriculture. Exam Oromo More Great Zanzibar Social First: king Second Nobles, soldiers Third: citizens Last: slaves Gad system, which helped all citizens First: king or queen Second: priest, soldiers Third: Merchants, Artisans, Farmers. Last Enslaved people. Very strict and marrying somebody In a different class was not liked. Economic tr aded Ivory, exotic animal skins, gold and more with other countries Mainly agriculture of several crops Paid taxes annual to the king. Anomy based on cattle husbandry, crop cultivation, and the trade of gold political Used their gained power from trading to keep a centralized state and their people tightly controlled. Gad government developed by citizens, we do not know when the system emerged. Different from Egypt. Political freedom Some political problems was the Racial divide and economic interest. Religious descendants of the Hebrews, and adopted Christianity There are three main religions in Oromo, Roomier, (their traditional religion), Islam and Christianity.Greatly influenced by Egyptians , but also introduced their own Gods, most important Epidermal, a lion God A firm monotheistic faith. Landmarks or Monuments More; Pyramids of Sudan= located in the North-East of Sudan near the banks of the Nile, almost 200 pyramids in a relatively small area. Exam; Stella= built for a relig ious purpose. Most likely a funeral monument Horn of Africa= peninsula in the East of Africa National Monument= approximately 30 km from Amassing Summary Exam, a combination of Arabs and Africans who settled in the Red Sea Exam became err powerful even being the wealthiest of the kingdoms in the first century.This conquered land ruled by the Gaze and Solenoids, they became very wealthy depending on trade of coffee. Great Zanzibar, The migration of the Bantu helped Images Historic Importance All four cities are so important for what they have in their past. What they left us with, like the Exam with the Stella. â€Å"An old man or old woman die is like losing a library. † Learning how our ancestors survived and worked together is important to never forget. Visiting this places is something you will never forget and never regret.

Is Television a Good or Bad Influence? Essay

In the year of 1926 a man called John Lougie Baird had invented something that has become part of the day-to-day lifestyle of nearly everyone. He had successfully tested it in a laboratory in late 1925 and unveiled with much fanfare in London in early 1926, and later mechanical television was quickly usurped by electronical television. Over the years television has developed greatly, going from black and white to coloured and ranging greatly in size. From portable and hand held televisions to widescreen and flat widescreen televisions, there is a choice to suit everyone. The most recent additions to this can vary from VCR’s to DVD’s to play stations and other games consoles. Also there are numerous networks, which you can choose from, such as ITV digital, cable, sky digital, etc. In this world today, there are people out there that think television is fantastic and that there is nothing out there that could spoil a nice, quiet night in, with a nice warm cup of coffee with their feet up in front of the television while there are others who don’t feel so strongly. They would rather smash that cup of coffee off the television. If you think that’s very extreme, think again, because there are people today that think television is the worst invention ever. There are some people with a point of view that television is a good influence. They think this because they think that television teaches children to be creative which is shown in documentaries and educational programmes. Maybe so, but do these people realise that the more time they spend watching television, the more time they’re taking out of their own social life and the more closer they are to becoming addicted to it. Do they know that two out of three network prime time shows illustrate some sort of sexual situation or dilemma between a couple, according to a study released in February 1999, by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, showed that only three percent of sitcoms discussed any of the risks and responsibilities associated with sex drugs and violence. Do they also know that foul language has increased on these shows and words absent on television ten years ago are now cropping up in more commonly in the scripts of characters on soaps and on every network? Would you want your children to grow up using bad language as part of their everyday speech? No definitely not I would ponder, If you ask my opinion, I would say that yes, television does teach children to be creative, but not in a good sense. With television progressing at this rate and filling up with more violence, sex and strong language which is easily accessed, these circumstances can be avoided by ensuring that children take part in more sports such as football, swimming, running, cycling and lots of others and watch less television. Also do you think that a, elderly person would watch a film happily that consists of a lot of violence and strong language? Television could that very strong impact on the elderly if maybe they watch too much of it. It could deprive them of their social life and watching too much television could lead an old woman or man into a deep depression, which could have very serious and, maybe even fatal consequences such as laziness and lack of exercise. Other views are that television s a bad influence especially on the younger generation maybe because there is too much violence and bad language which could have an affect on them and also on older people as they may cause offence, Maybe people think that living in this world means you are inclined anyway to seeing and hearing all this violence and bad language. There are views that it keeps children out of trouble and other views that it discourages play in younger children but they think that they are better off keeping their children inside than letting them out all the time and having a better chance of getting into trouble. I personally think that television is a bad influence on people of all ages. Violence on television affects children negatively, according to psychological research. The three major effects of seeing violence on television are that children may become less sensitive to the pain and suffering of others, children may be more fearful of the world around them and children may be more likely to behave in aggressive ways towards others. It is a fact that the average American child will have watched one hundred thousand acts of television, including eight thousand depictions of murder, by the time he or she finishes sixth grade, which is approximately thirteen years old. If you think wall to wall violence on television has no effect, why would you imagine that one-minute adverts in the breaks do have an effect and may pursued you to buy something? We live in an era where both parents are often working and children have more unsupervised time they mainly use this time to watch television. It is necessary that time is made for the younger generation to keep up with their day to day experiences, including while they are at school, if they attend school. Studies have shown that children’s television shows contain about twenty violent acts each hour. They also showed that children who watch a lot of television are more likely to think that the world is a mean and dangerous place for cold and heartless people. In 1960, a man embarked on a landmark longitudinal study of over eight hundred eight-year-olds. He found that children who watched many hours of violent television tended to be more aggressive in the playground and the classroom. The same man checked back with these students eleven and twenty two years later. He found out that the aggressive eight-year-olds grew up to be aggressive nineteen-and thirty year-olds, with greater troubles – including domestic violence and more traffic tickets – than their less aggressive counterparts who did not watch as much television. And the researchers found that even if a child is not aggressive at the age of eight, but watches substantial amounts of violent programming, he or she tends to be more aggressive at nineteen than his or her peers who didn’t watch violent T.V. This just goes to show that television does have an affect on children at a young age, if not at that present time, and then it would take place in the future. Television also has effects on teenagers. A new study concludes that teenagers who watch more than an hour of television a day are more likely to be violent in later years. They are more likely to watch T.V if there is something on that interests them, no matter what the context, and most of these people have TV’s in their bedrooms which make it possible to watch TV to all hours, so their parents don’t have a say in what they watch really. Soaps like Coronation Street and Eastenders show young adults becoming pregnant and sometimes stealing cars and taking drugs and it all seems so easy and normal which could resort to some of these young adults taking part in doing these actions themselves and thinking that this is normal. For the elderly, television can most definitely have a bad influence. For example if an elderly woman sat and watched T.V all day, she could become sick, if she is not having her proper day to day exercise could lead to stiffness and aching joints. It could also cause stress if maybe a man seen the troubles in the news, such as the events of September 11th 2001 where two hijacked aircrafts were flew into the world trade centres of New York which caused the loss of thousands of lives and the destruction of the buildings themselves it could worry them and make them think that they should be out there doing something about it. That very day many people joined the US army as a result of television influencing them to do so. Also the United States are in another complication with Iraq over biological weapons the stories which are being stated on the news are very motivating and provoking and would make you feel that something has to be done about these problems. So television has become a bad influence to young children but also it has become a tool really for alerting the world of what is going but also advertising and provoking to adults and the elderly.

Analysis of logistical changes of Morrisons supply chain and assessment of their environmental footprint The WritePass Journal

Analysis of logistical changes of Morrisons supply chain and assessment of their environmental footprint Introduction Analysis of logistical changes of Morrisons supply chain and assessment of their environmental footprint (Morrisons, 2012). It has been tumultuous for Morrisons since its acquisition of Safeway and its drop in sales late in 2012 compared to a similar period in 2011 is evidence of the challenges that the company is facing. Its CEO attributes the fall in sales to the companys lack of presence in the online market and lack of convenience stores, segments in which Morrisons trails behind its rivals (Rudick, 2013). These depressed sales figures underscore the need for crucial decisions on strategies that can shore up the companys performance, enabling its growth in market share and sustenance. In addressing the causes for the drop in market share, Morrisons would have to make logistical changes which could include either the establishment of convenience stores, lowering of prices, or the development of an online market place. Herein, we consider the logistical implications of the establishment of convenience stores, which is the most suitable, acceptable and feasible strategic choice and a significant cause of its loss of market share. As of September 2009, Morrisons owned 455 superstores in the UK which have their core focus on home ware and groceries, with other items such as furnishings, clothing and electronics being fewer than what its rivals hold. However, its limited focus on the affluent London is a notable setback as it commands a paltry 6 percent, lower than its 12 percent stake in the whole of the UK (Ruddick, 2013).The company has, since 2005, acquired a number of distribution centres including: West London, to enhance its distribution capacity to stores in London and the South East; Swindon, a packing facility for fresh produce; Bridgewater; and its Rathbones bakeries operations through which it makes bread. Morrisons projects to open 70 stores in 2013 and towards this, it is engaged in continued acquisitions of stores (Morrisons, 2012). With the decline in core stores, evident in 3-5 percent declines in sales within the industry (with regard to Tesco and Sainsbury), venture into the smaller convenience stores segment is essential to shore up declining growth. Convenience stores are beneficial in supplementing the larger stores. UK convenience stores generated a 4.6% increase in sales from 2011 to 2012, generating total sales of  £33.9 billion in the year (Morrisons, 2012). The segment now represents 20.8% of UKs food and beverage retail market. This growth continues to be fuelled by structural changes in the retail industry which include smaller households, longer working hours and little time reducing loyalties, and the alteration of shopper habits with increasing preference on the little and often approach to grocery shopping which therefore drives convenience sales (Ruddick, 2013; Morrisons, 2012). Morrisons, however, lags behind its rivals in the convenient store segment operating 12 convenient stores under the M Local brand (Ruddick, 2013; Morrisons, 2012). These stores are similar to those of its competitors though they have a wider range of ready-to-eat hot foods, fresh meat and fish, as well as items stocked from proximal superstores. Morrisons is however intent on correcting its lag in this segment and has initiated an expansion of the number of its convenience stores with a projection of 70 additional stores across the UK in 2013 (Morrisons, 2012). Necessary logistical changes Morrisons’ enhancement of its venture into the convenience segment requires that the company revamps its supply chain to meet the rising complexity of operations. A supply chain encompasses a network of relationships between organizations and/or business units that are involved in providing products and services to customers at the end of the chain. To enhance efficiency, which is essential for the survival and competitiveness of firms in the market, there is need to manage this network and constituent processes to ensure a smooth flow of goods and information back and forth from the raw materials through several intermediate entities to end-users (Ketchen and Giunipero, 2004). The retailer operates a vertically-integrated business model with its supply chain consisting of the company’s farms, diverse suppliers, its distribution centres, large stores, and the rising number of convenience stores. To get fresh products, Morrisons has reached back through the chain to the farm cutting off middlemen and warehouses and has thereby significantly enhanced its efficiency, reduced its environmental impact. This focus has made fresh food its distinctive advantage With the   company beating all its competitors in the preparation of food in-store. It owns slaughterhouses, bakeries, and food preparation sites (Morrisons, 2012). The addition of convenience stores would benefit Morrison in its response to the structural changes challenging the retail sector, enhancing its adaptation to consumer trends and lifestyles at a local level, and thereby enhancing the company’s growth in market share. However, such ventures present challenges to distribution systems due to the increase in points to service and supply. A significant challenge in the management of the supply chain, especially for a retailer such as Morrisons focused on groceries, is the balancing of supply and demand, which in essence necessitates the holding and keen management of inventories. The venture into the segment is also challenged by the costs attendant to additional logistical operations and the difficulty in achieving economies of scale given the size and capacity of stores (Tempelmeier, 2006). This necessitates an increase in price of stocked items to cover the increase in costs. Given the small holding capacities for inventories and the low shelf-life of fresh farm produce, the additional convenience stores would require small, frequent shipments of replenishment stocks unlike the superstores which can take up more stock. There might, therefore, be need for smaller depots to enhance focus and to cater for the smaller and low capacity convenience stores, or, the convenience stores can be set up as satellites of the larger stores, receiving their supplies from them enabling enhanced efficiencies in inventory management. With concerns over the level of waste in the agri-food business, enhanced collaboration among the entities in the entire value chain is required to enhance efficiency and enable the conduct and sharing of information from market intelligence on consumer preferences and trends (Handï ¬ eld and Nichols, 2002). Hugely beneficial to Morrison is its vertically integrated business model in which farms, manufacturing and retail sales are integrated, and increasingly reliant on each other. This enables it to maintain a predictable and cost-efficient supply, taking costs off the system and giving consumers what they want (Frohlich and Westbrook, 2001; Hill, 2006). Beer Game and Bullwhip effect The Beer Game is a significantly useful concept for the analysis of the supply chain. It enables the appreciation of key principles and fundamental concepts of systems dynamics and thinking which therefore facilitate better management of the supply chain. The challenge identified in the simulation is that coordination in supply chain management is a significant challenge with various constituent entities having their own, incomplete understanding of the real demand (Frohlich and Westbrook, 2001). Each group/entity has control over a single part of the chain even though their decisions and actions influence or affect the entire chain. This lack of coordination coupled with the ability to influence and be influenced by others is what is referred to as the Bullwhip effect, with various decisions affecting supply and causing shortages or overstocks. The Bullwhip effect is a phenomenon observed in distribution channels which are driven by forecasts in which there are trends of increasing swings in inventory further back the supply chain in response to changes in demand of a particular product. Demand is never stable or constant and therefore business must always endeavour to make accurate forecasts so as to achieve the right balance between resources deployed and inventory positions (Handï ¬ eld and Nichols, 2002). With the inaccuracies, companies carry buffer inventory which with the rise and fall in demand, results in variations being amplified upward in the chain. This challenge in coordination, however, does not only result from breakdowns in communication as delays in manufacturing and procurement can also wreak havoc. With increased orders from customers, a backlog builds up and can be easily confused with increased demand, thereby spurring overproduction (Cannella and Ciancimino, 2010). These difficulties are further exacerbated by the tendency of entities within the chain (such as those constituting Morrisons vertically integrated model) towards their own best interest, far more than that of the entire organization and even the end user. This is often due to significant focus on balancing demand and supply at the individual level (Ketchen and Giunipero, 2004). There is therefore a tendency of the entities inherent in the chain, in the pursuit of stability in the chain, to focus on stock balances and on the next link in the chain which inevitably leads to the ignorance of customer satisfaction at the end of the chain. However, this is unsustainable as no profit can be realized without the customer who should be the primary focus in the management of the entire supply chain (Frohlich and Westbrook, 2001). Regardless of how an individual component/entity may function individually, unless there is an integration of all elements resulting in a harmonious and cohesive ef fort, the results obtained will not be optimal. These concepts are essential for better management of the supply chain and coordination of activities. It is significant for Morrisons as it ventures into the convenience stores segment given the requirement to balance the frequent deliveries of small volumes of inventory to numerous points of sale. For success in this venture, the company should endeavour to minimize potential backlogs in its supply chain while also alleviating related costs. It can achieve this through the adjustment of orders of products to keenly follow customer demand, an extremely important and complex task which entails predicting and forecasting demand. This is especially relevant for Morrisons in this case as demand from the additional convenience stores, given customer characteristics, will most certainly differ from that of its larger stores which it probably has been able, through its years in the industry, to map out and determine. To reduce the Bullwhip effect, focus on the customer at the end of the chain should be consistently maintained throughout the process which should also seek the enhancement of service to internal customers, the various components in the supply chain. Efficiency in the supply chain can be enhanced through the improvement of the flow of information along the chain, reduction in delays, reduction of order sizes (economic order quantities), and the maintenance of consistency in price.   Also essential is the day-to-day observation of trends and prediction of outcomes towards the development of a forecasting system in concert with market fluctuations (Cannella and Ciancimino, 2010). Environmental footprint Initiatives such as the enhancement of delivery frequencies and reduction in order sizes would most certainly result in an increase in the company’s environmental footprint. Climate change is among the greatest challenges to the global community and is a major threat to food security (McKinnon, 2010). Tackling emissions reduction is therefore essential for sustainability and can be achieved through effective resource management and reduction of wastes. These measures are also fundamental to the management of the companies cost base, supporting the maintenance of competitiveness and price and ultimately benefiting customers (Hill, 2006; McKinnon, 2010; Aronsson   and Huge, 2006). As at 2011, retail and logistics took the largest share of Morrisons’ environmental footprint in terms of emissions of carbon dioxide per year at 80% and 13% respectively. For this, electricity was the single biggest source at 57%, followed by refrigeration at 19% (Morrisons, 2012). The venture into the convenience store segment for Morrison will certainly significantly increase the company’s environmental footprint given that the small compact stores would increase overall usage of electricity and refrigeration, with the small frequent deliveries also increasing emissions attendant to logistics. The small, frequent purchases by customers which is characteristic for convenience stores also increases usage of carrier bags which is an essential component of customer service. This is an area of significant environmental concern generating immense public interest. The company in 2010 announced an ambitious target to reduce carbon emissions resulting from its operations by 30% by 2020 aligning with aims of government (Morrisons, 2012). However, with the pursuit of the convenience store segment to shore up the company’s competitiveness and strategic positioning, such an ambitious target would be difficult to attain. Conclusion Tumult in business and declines in sales have necessitated the development of strategies to shore up Morrisons performance and to enhance its market presence. The most suitable, acceptable and feasible avenue is the convenience store segment, which is however challenged by attendant costs due to increased logistics operations, small scale and capacity, as well as the increase in the companys overall environmental footprint. This choice necessitates enhanced management of the supply chain, ensuring a balance in supply and demand given that the convenience stores can take up small quantities of stock at a time, and Morrisons focus on short shelf-life fresh farm produce. The management of its supply chain should therefore endeavour to reduce the bullwhip effect related to the management of the supply chain. References Aronsson, H., and B., Huge, 2006. â€Å"The environmental impact of changing logistics structures.† In: The International Journal of Logistics Management, Vol. 17, No. 3, pp. 394–415 Cannella S., and E., Ciancimino, 2010. â€Å"On the bullwhip avoidance phase: supply chain collaboration and order smoothing.† In: International Journal of Production Research, 48 (22), 6739-6776 Frohlich, M., and R., Westbrook, 2001. â€Å"Arcs of integration: an international study of supply chain strategies.† In: Journal of Operations Management, Vol. 19 No. 2, pp. 185-200. Handï ¬ eld, R., and E., Nichols, 2002. Supply Chain Redesign: Transforming Supply Chains into Integrated Value Systems. Financial Times. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Hill, C., 2006. International Business: Competing in the Global Economy, (7th ed.) Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill Ketchen, D., and L., Giunipero, 2004. â€Å"The intersection of strategic management and supply chain management.† In: Industrial Marketing Management, Vol. 33 No. 1, pp. 51-7. McKinnon, A., (ed.), 2010. Green logistics. Improving the environmental sustainability of logistics. London: Kogan Page Morrisons, 2012. Food with thought: Corporate responsibility review 2011/12. Wm Morrisons Supermarkets PLC. Ruddick, G., 2013. ‘Morrisons online dilemma becomes clear after Christmas turkey,’ January 7, The Telegraph [Online]. Viewed from: telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/9786486/Morrisons-online-dilemma-becomes-clear-after-Christmas-turkey.html Tempelmeier, H., 2006. Inventory Management in Supply Networks- Problems, Models, Solutions, Norderstedt: Books on Demand.

Budget for Chronic Kidney Disease

Budget for Chronic Kidney Disease Introduction Treatment of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major challenge for major health care facilities across the world. With the increase in the prevalence rate of CKD the cost of administering the treatment of the diseases is also expected to increase. The paper seeks to develop a budget for a CKD program. The budget will be for a period of one year.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Budget for Chronic Kidney Disease specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The budget The budget will have two segments, these are, revenue and expenditure. The costs can be categorized grouped into direct and indirect costs. The direct costs relate to directly to the health care provided for patients with chronic kidney disease while the indirect costs are other auxiliary costs (Penner, 2013). The department will invest in capital equipment, information technology equipment, infrastructure, and operating expenses. The table presented belo w shows a summary of the budget for the CKD program. Table 1.0 Operating budget Chronic Kidney Disease Program Operating budget for the year 2013 Revenue Description Amount ($000) Ministry of health 1,703,665.25 Other provincial departments 19,766.25 Grants and donations 1,225.00 Fees from patients 40,000 Others 52,625.75 Transfer to capital budget s of expenses in the category are advertising and public relations, board and meeting expenses, office supplies and other office costs, professional fees, outsources services, housekeeping and laundry supplies, and other general supplies that are related to the CDK program. Capital budget The budget is used to record expenses for projects that are expected to run for a period of more than one year. As mentioned above, out of the total revenue generated, $175,455,000 is allocated to capital expenses for the program. Revenue for the expenses will originate from ministry of health, other provincial departments, donations grants, and other sources. The budget indicates that $18,515,000 will be used to purchase diagnostic imaging equipment and $17,759,000 will be spent on the purchase of other medical / surgical equipment. Further, the cost of information technology amounting to $23,002,000 will be used for various expenses that relate to information technology. Some of the expenses in this category are installation of E-Health, wireless network, enterprise backup, RUH UPS upgrade, and desktop virtualization among others. Finally, the cost of $180,505,500 for capital projects relates to cost of renovation of various structures that will be used for the program. It will also include the cost of demolition and construction of new structures for the program. Reference Penner, S. (2013). Economics and financial management for nurses and nurse leaders. New York, USA: Springer Publishing Company.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Budget for Chronic Kidney Disease specific ally for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More

Biography of Atahualpa, Last King of the Inca

Biography of Atahualpa, Last King of the Inca Atahualpa was the last of the native lords of the mighty Inca Empire, which spanned parts of present-day Peru, Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Colombia. He had just defeated his brother Huascar in a violent civil war when Spanish conquistadors led by Francisco Pizarro arrived in the Andes mountains. The unlucky Atahualpa was quickly captured by the Spanish and held for ransom. Although his ransom was paid, the Spanish killed him anyway, clearing the way for the plunder of the Andes. Fast Fact: Atahualpa Known For: Last indigenous king of the Incan EmpireAlso Known As:  Atahuallpa, Atawallpa, and Ata WallpaBorn: c. 1500 in CuzcoParents: Wayna Qhapaq; mother believed to be either Tocto Ocllo Coca,Paccha Duchicela, or Tà ºpac PallaDied: July 15, 1533 in CajamarcaNotable Quote: Your emperor may be a great prince; I do not doubt it, seeing that he has sent his subjects so far across the waters; and I am willing to treat him as a brother. As for your pope of whom you speak, he must be mad to speak of giving away countries that do not belong to him. As for my faith, I will not change it. Your own God, as you tell me, was put to death by the very men He created. But my God still looks down on His children. Early Life In the Incan Empire, the word â€Å"Inca† meant â€Å"king† and generally only referred to one man: the ruler of the Empire. Atahualpa was one of many sons of Inca Huayna Capac, an efficient and ambitious ruler. The Incas could only marry their sisters: no one else was deemed noble enough. They had many concubines, however, and their offspring (Atahualpa included) were considered eligible for rule. Rulership of the Inca did not necessarily pass to the eldest son first, as was the European tradition. Any one of Huayna Capac’s sons would be acceptable. Often, civil wars broke out between brothers for succession. Huayna Capac died in 1526 or 1527, possibly of a European infection such as smallpox. His heir apparent Ninan Cuyuchi died as well. The Empire immediately split, as Atahualpa ruled the northern part from Quito and his brother Huascar ruled the southern part from Cuzco. A bitter civil war ensued and raged until Huascar was captured by Atahualpa’s forces in 1532. Although Huascar had been captured, regional mistrust was still high and the population was clearly divided. Neither faction knew that a far greater menace was approaching from the coast. The Spanish Francisco Pizarro was a seasoned campaigner who had been inspired by Hernn Cortà ©s audacious (and lucrative) conquest of Mexico. In 1532, with a troop of 160 Spaniards, Pizarro set off along the western coast of South America in search of a similar empire to conquer and plunder. The troop included four of Pizarros brothers. Diego de Almagro was also involved  and would arrive with reinforcements after Atahualpas capture. The Spanish had an enormous advantage over the Andeans with their horses, armor, and weapons. They had some interpreters that had been previously captured from a trading vessel. Capture of Atahualpa The Spanish were immensely fortunate in that Atahualpa happened to be at Cajamarca, one of the closest major cities to the coast where they had disembarked. Atahualpa had just received word that Huascar had been captured and was celebrating with one of his armies. He had heard of the foreigners coming and felt that he had little to fear from fewer than 200 strangers. The Spanish hid their horsemen in the buildings around the main square at Cajamarca, and when the Inca arrived to converse with Pizarro, they rode out, slaughtering hundreds and capturing Atahualpa. No Spanish were killed. Ransom With Atahualpa held captive, the Empire was paralyzed. Atahualpa had excellent generals, but none dared try to free him. Atahualpa was very intelligent and soon learned of the Spanish love for gold and silver. He offered to fill a large room half full with gold  and full twice over with silver for his release. The Spanish quickly agreed and the gold began flowing in from all corners of the Andes. Most of it was in the form of priceless art and it was all melted down, resulting in an incalculable cultural loss. Some of the greedy conquistadors took to breaking up golden items so that the room would take longer to fill. Personal Life Before the arrival of the Spanish, Atahualpa had proven to be ruthless in his ascent to power. He ordered the death of his brother Huascar and several other family members who blocked his way to the throne. The Spanish who were Atahualpa’s captors for several months found him to be brave, intelligent, and witty. He accepted his imprisonment stoically and continued to rule his people while captive. He had small children in Quito by some of his concubines, and he was evidently quite attached to them. When the Spanish decided to execute Atahualpa, some were reluctant to do so because they had grown fond of him. Atahualpa and the Spanish Although Atahualpa may have been friendly with some individual Spaniards such as Francisco Pizarro’s brother Hernando, he wanted them out of his kingdom. He told his people not to attempt a rescue, believing that the Spanish would leave once they had received their ransom. As for the Spanish, they knew their prisoner was the only thing keeping one of Atahualpa’s armies from crashing down on them. Atahualpa had three important generals, each of whom commanded an army: Chalcuchima in Jauja, Quisquis in Cuzco, and Rumià ±ahui in Quito. Death General Chalcuchima allowed himself to be lured to Cajamarca and captured, but the other two remained threats to Pizarro and his men. In July 1533, they began hearing rumors that Rumià ±ahui was approaching with a mighty army, summoned by the captive Emperor to wipe out the intruders. Pizarro and his men panicked. Accusing Atahualpa of treachery they sentenced him to burn at the stake, although he was eventually garrotted. Atahualpa died on July 26, 1533, in Cajamarca. Rumià ±ahuis army never came: the rumors had been false. Legacy With Atahualpa dead, the Spanish quickly elevated his brother Tupac Huallpa to the throne. Although Tupac Huallpa soon died of smallpox, he was one of a string of puppet Incas who allowed the Spanish to control the nation. When Atahualpa’s nephew Tà ºpac Amaru was killed in 1572, the royal Inca line died with him, ending forever any hope for native rule in the Andes. The successful conquest of the Inca Empire by the Spanish was largely due to unbelievable luck and several key mistakes by the Andeans. Had the Spanish arrived a year or two later, the ambitious Atahualpa would have consolidated his power and may have taken the threat of the Spanish more seriously and not allowed himself to be captured so easily. The residual hatred by the people of Cuzco for Atahualpa after the civil war certainly played a part in his downfall as well. After Atahualpa’s death, some people back in Spain began asking uncomfortable questions about whether Pizarro had the right to invade Peru and capture Atahualpa, considering Atahualpa had never harmed him. These questions were eventually solved by declaring that Atahualpa, who was younger than his brother Huscar with whom he had been warring, had usurped the throne. Therefore, it was reasoned, he was fair game. This argument was very weak- the Inca did not care who was older, any son of Huayna Capac could have been king- but it sufficed. By 1572, there was a complete smear campaign in place against Atahualpa, who was called a cruel tyrant and worse. The Spanish, it was argued, had â€Å"saved† the Andean people from this â€Å"demon.† Atahualpa today is seen as a tragic figure, a victim of Spanish ruthlessness and duplicity. This is an accurate assessment of his life. The Spanish not only brought horses and guns to the fight, but they also brought insatiable greed and violence that were just as instrumental in their conquest. He is still remembered in parts of his old Empire, particularly in Quito, where you can take in a soccer game at the Atahualpa Olympic Stadium. Sources Hemming, John. The Conquest of the Inca London: Pan Books, 2004 (original 1970).Herring, Hubert. A History of Latin America From the Beginnings to the Present. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1962.

Alternative Perspectives on Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Alternative Perspectives on Management - Essay Example To illustrate this, there is consideration of two topics, that is, marketing and architecture as stated in the research study by Buchanan (2010). Since many businesses require robust marketing and architecture, the members attached to the business understand these phenomena. Additionally, the stakeholders and other members understand the rational phenomenon of the business. Many stakeholders and members of a business fail to attach the functional image of the business to their experiences in terms of marketing and architecture. Marketing The functionality of a business in terms of Marketing forms an ethical foundation although it tries to disguise itself and presence of limited critics who perceive its definition of the supposed ethics. There are epistemological suppositions which dominate this perspective and whose orthodoxy needs to be uncovered. This statement implies that it is tasking to perform function marketing, but is it possible to execute the practice of contacting a custo mer. Marketing has been applied mostly in non-profit organizations and government sectors. This implies that marketing is one of the most vital business functionality as stated by Alvesson (2003). According to Alvesson, Bridgman & Willmott (2009), the business functionality problem can be in terms of the marketing strategy that the business uses. Marketing is a crucial issue when dealing with the functionality of a business. ... Boje (2008) illustrates that marketing comes before finance and sales, implying that the power of marketing is a manipulative factor for many individuals since marketing shapes the customer’s needs so as to make enough profits. Internal processes that help to get the functional view of a business from a marketing perspective include; the organization of the marketing department of the business such that every product is familiar to every potential consumer. Martin (2001) in his research study, states that it is crucial for a business to broaden marketing into the public sector since many financial institutions insist on marketing plans. Marketing colonizes organizations but does not determine the direction that the business organization takes. To illustrate this perspective, there is consideration of the Woolworth supermarket where its marketing strategies ensure that all products, which already in the market, extend to as many customers as possible. The logo that a business u ses also acts as a boost in marketing its products. Most employees in the businesses I have observed fail to understand that to retain the customers who keep the business operation; the customers require new products, which have an added ingredient. The function image of a business is in the form of a set of ongoing activities, which are logical so as to sustain the business objectives of the organization these activities depend on the marketing strategy of the business as explained by Hatch & Cunliffe (2012). Marketing has, thus; been a teaching to me to become convincing to customers when trying to make them buy a new product. Currently many stakeholders in other regions do not promote their products through marketing as

Quality management in the education sector Assignment

Quality management in the education sector - Assignment Example It is a methodology of complete quality control that relies on developed metrics and organisational techniques to achieve better quality in a variety of organisational dimensions and departmental divisions (Assadej and Igel 2009). Quality management is the achievement of mutual cooperation of all members of the organisation and the connected processes and procedures needed to produce quality outputs and services which exceed expectations of customers or other related stakeholders (Evans and Lindsay 2005; Dale 1999). It is a holistic organisational philosophy that manages to combine organisation teamwork with a quality management system, using a variety of qualitative and quantitative measurement instruments to improve processes (Creswell 2003), leadership, control costs, increase the organisation’s competitive position, motivate employees, and increase organisational responsiveness in a variety of activities. Having defined quality management and total quality management procedures and ideologies, quality management strategies can be applied to the educational sector in order to improve areas such as team-working, organisational behaviour, leadership and maintain a customer orientation to achieve competitive advantage. In the educational sector, academics are a form of learning that includes improvement of individual student knowledge, skills and competencies that are able to be transferred generationally through a variety of tactics that include training, teaching and even research (Hanushek and Woessmann 2008). Outside of merely teaching quality and the provision of life-long learning, in the university sector, the goal of universities are to improve revenues, enhance the competitive positioning amongst other higher education centres in a market, and ensure top quality professionalism throughout all aspects of the teaching process. In order to accomplish the aforementioned objectives, it is necessary to implement a

Application of Criminological Theory Case Study

Application of Criminological Theory - Case Study Example On my part, I would have opted to expel Robert immediately. However, my background in criminology prevents me from doing so. Theories of criminology are like lenses of different shades, sizes, and colors. They allow professionals and practitioners to look at an issue with a wider perspective. This is what I am obliged to do. I will consult the different applicable theories, compare and contrast their approaches, and finally I will state my decision in this hypothetical situation. In many ways, some of these theories contradict each other. Sometimes, they complement each other. Nevertheless, these should be thoroughly studied so that growth in knowledge can be attained. And, it is true: criminology can really be applied to many situations; it is not just a course for would be police officers or Crime Scene Investigation people. Strain is the pressure on disadvantaged minority groups and the lower urban populous to take advantage of any effective available means to income and success that they can find even if these means are illegal (Akers, 2000, in Collins, n.d.). With this theory, perhaps, Robert's disadvantaged origins game him a social stigma. Perhaps, I should look whether this student he beat up had previous mischief done to Robert, Robert just kept quiet, and he retaliated because he does not trust his teachers. But this is insufficient in itself. After all, this is just a hypothesis, and I must verify this later. Classical School of Criminology The classical school simply states that criminal behavior arises from the animal side of us. Humans are rational, but they usually act with their self-interest in mind. Consequently, if people are informed of the consequences of certain actions, they will avoid doing it. Thus, the concept of deterrence arises from the Classical School. Deterrence means a crime can be avoided by making sure that people are aware that punishment for a certain crime is so severe that doing it is not really worth it. (The Classical School, 1998). Perhaps, Robert is not really aware of the consequences of such anti-social behavior. If so, I will consider emphasizing to the students the consequences of such behavior. My would-be initial reaction would not be a far-fetched choice after-all. If this theory were to be followed, the school must punish Robert so severely so that no other student, privileged or not, will ever consider doing such behavior in the future. Also, in such event, I will review whether the disciplinary system is outdated and ineffective. I will form a committee to draft a new set of disciplinary rules, if such conclusions are also reached in an investigation. William Sheldon: Body Shapes Simply put, certain features of the body are determinants of criminal behavior. In particular, criminals usually have big, athletic, or overweight bodies. However, this theory is put in doubt. Some theories say that instead of Sheldon's somatype, it should be body mass index. (Maddan, S., Walker, J., and Miller, J., 2008) But this theory is not applicable since Robert is not really that huge or overweight or athletic. He is just an average guy, if you do not know

Real Courage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Real Courage - Essay Example I am normally a very outgoing person and within a few days, I had made many friends, among who was Tim, who would eventually become my closest friend. Tim was shorter than me and with a smaller build and I had heard rumors that he was often a victim of bullying. I had not witnessed the bullying firsthand and Tim always refused to talk about it whenever I asked. I therefore thought that it was nothing serious until one day after school, I saw Tim being beaten up by an older kid. He was much bigger than I was and despite my desire to stop him, I was suddenly afraid and instead of going to Tim’s aid, I pretended that I had not seen him and went home. For several days afterwards, I did not have peace because I realized that I had been in a position to do the right thing and help my friend yet I had not had the courage to do so. I felt very ashamed for failing Tim and I did my best to avoid him as much as I could because I could not look him in the eye. However, not long afterwards, as I was heading home from school, I saw Tim being beaten up by the same bully and for the first time, instead of being overwhelmed by fear, I felt an anger that I had never felt before rising inside me. All the frustration and shame that I had felt for many days came rushing forward and I suddenly went for the bully. My sudden onslaught and its ferocity must have taken the bully by surprise because he did not defend himself and against all my expectations, he turned and ran. I was so furious that I chased him for an entire block before I became too tired to follow. I went back to see whether Tim was alright and he was so dumbstruck by my actions that he at first did not answer me. However, after his initial shock, he told me that he was fine and then he told me the story about why he was always the bully’s victim. The bully, named Tony, always demanded Tim’s lunch money and whenever he did not have it, Tony would ambush him after school. I later came to realize that

Divine Chocolate; Marketing and Communications Plan Essay

Divine Chocolate; Marketing and Communications Plan - Essay Example They create barriers in the distribution channel by offering attractive bonuses to retailers who surpass their preset targets. Divine also lacks the international economies of scale that the dominators enjoy. In a research conducted in 2007 divine held 0.3% of the total chocolate sales in the UK as compared to 83% market shared by the three dominates. The use of fair-trade certification has contributed significantly to the marketing communications of divine chocolates to the consumers. A research conducted in 2007n proved that most consumers had left other chocolate brands in favor of Divine due to the mark of quality and its splendid taste. It therefore, has been suggested that Divine should develop a marketing plan focused on communicating it product to retailers and final consumers on the basis of fair pricing, product differentiation and emphasis on quality. In conclusion, it has been established that though divine is a small organization it has a high potential of the top of the value chain. It all the features required to get their only solution is adopting a communication plan focusing on the retailers and attaining economies of scale. Divine chocolate company, is a manufacture fair-trade chocolates in UK and United States, marking its first establishment in the UK in 1996. It partners with Kuapa Kokoo cocoa growers from Ghana, comic relief and Christian aid. It has a unique trading system; the farmers are the main shareholders in the company. Its first product, Divine milk chocolate, has been launched in late 1998. Another range of its products include dark chocolate and drinking chocolate; it launched another product in 2000 called dubble, in collaboration with comic relief. The brand was later on launch in the US in early 2007. Currently three main organizations own divine chocolate company. These organizations include Kuapa Kokoo; a group of cocoa producers from Ghana own 45% of the shares, Twin trading

Real Courage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Real Courage - Essay Example I am normally a very outgoing person and within a few days, I had made many friends, among who was Tim, who would eventually become my closest friend. Tim was shorter than me and with a smaller build and I had heard rumors that he was often a victim of bullying. I had not witnessed the bullying firsthand and Tim always refused to talk about it whenever I asked. I therefore thought that it was nothing serious until one day after school, I saw Tim being beaten up by an older kid. He was much bigger than I was and despite my desire to stop him, I was suddenly afraid and instead of going to Tim’s aid, I pretended that I had not seen him and went home. For several days afterwards, I did not have peace because I realized that I had been in a position to do the right thing and help my friend yet I had not had the courage to do so. I felt very ashamed for failing Tim and I did my best to avoid him as much as I could because I could not look him in the eye. However, not long afterwards, as I was heading home from school, I saw Tim being beaten up by the same bully and for the first time, instead of being overwhelmed by fear, I felt an anger that I had never felt before rising inside me. All the frustration and shame that I had felt for many days came rushing forward and I suddenly went for the bully. My sudden onslaught and its ferocity must have taken the bully by surprise because he did not defend himself and against all my expectations, he turned and ran. I was so furious that I chased him for an entire block before I became too tired to follow. I went back to see whether Tim was alright and he was so dumbstruck by my actions that he at first did not answer me. However, after his initial shock, he told me that he was fine and then he told me the story about why he was always the bully’s victim. The bully, named Tony, always demanded Tim’s lunch money and whenever he did not have it, Tony would ambush him after school. I later came to realize that

Narration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Narration - Essay Example It was a pleasant fifteen minute walk. We joked the entire way and enjoyed the much awaited warm breeze swooshing though the trees. Finally the library came into view. It was a small, single level brick building, situated at the corner half covered by tall green trees. We stepped inside and were met by a smiling elderly lady. She escorted us to a corner in the children’s section and seated us at the small wooden and colorful benches designed for kids. Our teacher looked comical, hunched down on a purple stool, her knees bent at an odd angel because there wasn’t any room. The librarian proceeded to tell us about the general rules of etiquette of the library. I tuned out and busied myself in observing the quaint and serene atmosphere. For some reason, the quietness of the library and the overwhelming feeling of being surrounded by so many books put me to awe. I didn’t know why but I loved everything about this ordinary little building. The softness of the carpet beneath my sneakers, the quiet rustling of the indoor plants, the soft and soothing overhead lights, and the smell of new and old books mingled together gave me a sense of calm and comfort. I was jolted by the sudden sound of everyone getting up and snapped out of my daydreaming. The librarian, along with our teacher, was ready to give us a brief tour of the library. The building was basically divided into two sections, the adult and the kids. The checkout desk in the middle separated the two areas and was surrounded by a low shelf filled with bright blue encyclopedias. The librarian picked up a bunch of sheets from the desk and brought us back to where we were seated before. The time had at last come to fill out our individual applications. I felt strangely grownup as I carefully penciled in my name and phone number. We all handed in the applications and the librarian told us to look around because we could each take home two books of our own choosing at the end of the

Home school vs public school Essay Example for Free

Home school vs public school Essay

The Task And Responsibility Of Front Office Workers Tourism Essay

The Task And Responsibility Of Front Office Workers Tourism Essay Front office is the main part for hotels. The popularity and how famous is the hotel are also depends to the hotel front office system because for a hotel customers are important and even with the presence of customer only the management can run the business. Moreover, front office people are the one who greet and give first impression to the customers. So, the way they greet customer can lead the hotels to have more customers. Front office are the one who also promote room and beverage sales such as type of room and packages available. 1.2 THE TASK AND RESPONSIBILITY; 1.2.1 THE RESPOSIBILITYS OF FRONT OFFICE MANAGER The front office manager is the one responsible for any good or bad things happened in the front desk, this includes the staff routine, staff training and all type of communication. The front office manager should also be available to work any shifts. Moreover, if there are any problem in the front office department, he should be ready to settle it off. The front office manager should also be a good leadership for the staffs. The front office manager is also the one who responsible for all the VIP and guess concerns. 1.2.2 THE RESPONSIBILITYS OF FRONT OFFICE ASSISTANT MANAGER The front office assistant manager is the one who need to update all the profit and problems to the manager. Moreover, the assistant manager is the one who assist manager in the front desk routines and management. He will help the manager with all the basic needs such as the front desk staff schedule, and then take care the desk when the manager not around. He should also able to solve the customers problem with fast act before the issue goes to the manager. The assistant manager is the one who responsible for all the meetings between the staffs too. Should assign the staffs with the routine. And if theres any emergency should take early act and make sure things are under control. 1.2.3 THE RESPONSIBILITYS OF FRONT OFFICE REPRESENTATIVE These peoples usually represent the front office such as if theres any problem the staffs, these people will see 1st before it goes to the supervisor. 1.2.4 THE RESPONSIBILITYS OF FRONT OFFICE NIGHT AUDITOR The night audit team responsible of the hotels daily activities such as they will be handling the front desk at night. Moreover, they also need to prepared the record of the day for all the room occupied and more. They also need to submit off the account for the particular day. They also need to verify the room charges, banquet charges and other charges correctly in order to provide the hotel data correctly. So, a night auditor plays important roles in a front desk. 1.2.5 THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF A CASHIER A cashier is the one who handle money in front desk hotel. The cashier should and responsible for all the money act. The cashier will collect money from the guest during check in or check out. They generally operate a cash in a adding machine. The cashier should be very careful and responsible with the cash they handle to prevent any unwanted act. Usually, the cashiers work shift depends to the hotel procedures whereby a normal office hours duty. 1.2.6 THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF RESERVATIONIST The reservationist would be handling the front office department in handling the reservation calls. So, this people is the one who pick calls for customer reservation. If theres a call from outside customer to booked a hotel, the hotel reservationist will take their booking and explain about the hotel procedure to the customer. They, are the one who arranged rooms or even any meetings arrangement for the customer if theres such a booking. They, should also create a good mannerism when speak to the customer in the phone because there are representing the hotel and should make the guest to came down to booked this hotels rooms. Usually, this department working shifts is also depends to the hotel rules. They, should also be a good language speaker. 1.2.7 THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF A TELEPHONE OPERATORS A telephone operator usually in the front desk with attending calls from outsides, such as if a customer needs to know room availability the telephone operators will transfer the line to interior department. So, a telephone operator should also be a good English speaker to attract the guess. Usually, their working shift time will be bit more different then others and its depends to the hotel procedures. The hotel department should appoint a right person to work here who is more responsible because they are the one who answers the calls whenever theres incoming call and should answer it within two three rings. 1.3 CONCLUSION So, front office is really a very important for a hotels. If, a hotel need to run in successfully the front office department is the major cause. Moreover, front office department are the main receiver of a guess, so a the very 1st satisfaction of a guess is after the way they are treat and its obviously the front office people. So, a good business for a hotel is all depend to the front office so the department heads should take good care of this front desk. 2.0 QUESTION 2 Front office staffs must have certain skills to attract guests during the first impression. Write about Front Office staff skill in guest relations? 2.1 INTRODUCTION The front office staff must have a good working skill to communicate or attract the guest. For a hotel a business can run up to level if the staff are in proper system, what we can mean here is about the skill and the ability to speak and communicate by the staff to the guest. It is really important for the staff to have a special skill to attract the staffs because not all the staffs can communicate well here and interact with guest in the proper term, so they need to have this special skill to have a qualify working skill. For a newly appointed staff usually the management will give them 1week training session, so the supervisor or the in charge person will give the training to the staffs. Most of the hotels will give them a certificate to prove they are well trained but then certain hotel doesnt do this. Even some of the hotels give money to the staff for that 1week working training. During the staff in training week, they will be given working hour shift that is from 9a.m 5pm. 2.1 FRONT OFFICE STAFF SKILL 2.1.1 GOOD COMMUNICATION A staff who works in the front office department should have the ability to speak very well. It is because the guest who going to check in to stay in the hotel not only going to be a local resident but then from worldwide, so the staff should have the ability to speak well language. Moreover, if the particular staff can speak multi language it will be more great full because there will be multinational language guest with different mother tongue. So, when the staff can communicate this way it will be easier for the guest from foreigners to communicate. 2.1.2 APPEARANCE Those staff who works at the front desk should have a good appearance. They should be neat in hair wise, the uniform they wear should be neat. All this are important because the guest who check in need to have a good look about the hotel in appreance wise so with such a good appreance, the guest will have respect for the hotel and the board. If, the particular person is tidy with poor appreance and with long hair and so on the guest who check in will have bad manner about the department and speak bad about it to others of his or her friends and give a bad reward to the hotel. 2.1.3 GOOD LISTENING SKILL The staff should have a good listening skill too. This is because usually front office will be very grandly and one or two noisiness so by having good listening they can overcome it and comfortable with the environment. It also show the support of us to the guest and we can get know what is expected from us by the guest or the superior. The staff can also resolve any problems which occur between the guest. Moreover, they need to have good hearing because when updating any guest data shouldnt have any error or else they might be in severe problem. To be a good listener the staff and the workers all should have good eye contact with the person whom we are talking. Either than that, they shouldnt interrupt when the speaker is speaking or else we might not get what they are all talking about and going to cause us problem because the guest cant keep on repeating the same thing to us so, we shouldnt interrupt but then listen to them with patient and calm. Nextly, the receiver should also s tand or seat in proper way because we need to respect the guest. 2.1.4 POSTURE Posture also can be defined same as the standing positioning, but in this wise the staff should always face the guest. For example, the receptionist will stand half away bend and talking hardly all shouldnt be practice as it can lower the hotel prestige. 2.1.5 EXPRESSION The staff working at front office should always have a good face expression. Whenever, the guest check-in or check-out or even when the guest are standing nearby, the staff should greet them with a smile or even some wish such as good evening and so on. So, by doing this the hotels prestige will get higher and at the same time the guest feel good about it. 2.1.6 GOOD EYE CONTACT The staff should also have a good eye contact with the guest. When a person talks to us, we should greet them back nicely in speaking wise and also by a good eye contact so that the particular persons know that we are hearing to their conversation. If let say theres no any eye contact, the person will think that we are not listening to them. So, all the staff should be train with having a good eye contact. 2.3 CONCLUSION So by overall, all the staff should have good working skill moreover for those who works in front desk as the need to deal with the guest every day. For a cashier, this type of skill will be very important because they will be handling cash every day and if any error occur they will be the one to blame. So, the staff should practice those skills in their daily routine to prevent from any problems.

AIDS :: Free AIDS Essays

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). "The virus was discovered in France in 1983 and in the United States in 1984. In the United States, it was initially identified in 1981. In 1986, a second virus, now called HIV-2, was also discovered in Africa.(Bookshelves)" Female prostitutes in Africa probably spread it very quickly. AIDS became a huge crisis of major proportions in parts of Africa. It is my own strongly held opinion, and that of most medical and research community world wide, that the AIDS epidemic is a serious problem. It has become the worst plague this species has ever known. Vastly greater sums should be spent on searching for treatments and vaccines. The United States government needs to do more intensive tests and research to help curb this virus instead of waiting for other countries to do so. AIDS is transmitted in one of three ways: From intimate sexual contact without protection, from the mixing of a person’s blood with infected blood, and from an infected pregnant woman to her fetus. Infection can occur from blood transfusions of infected blood, or sharing unclean needles. (Needles already used, in this case, by an HIV positive person and not sterilized.) The HIV-2 virus also causes AIDS. AIDS was first seen as a disease limited gay males in the United States. "This was a result that gay males in this culture before AIDS had an average of 200 to 400 new sexual contacts per year. This figure was much greater than the new sexual encounters among heterosexual (straight) men or women. (Strack,5)" In addition, it turned out that rectal sex was a particularly effective way to transmit the disease. Rectal sex is a common practice among gay males. For these reasons, the disease spread in the gay male population of the United States more quickly than in other populations. It became to be thought of as a "gay disease". As the AIDS epidemic began to affect increasingly large fractions of those two populations (gay males and IV drug abusers), many of the rest of the American society looked on smugly, for both populations tended to be despised by the "mainstream" of society here. It is extremely important for scientists to find a cure for AIDS. It is important because mostly everyone in the world has sex. The safest option regarding AIDS and sex is total abstinence from all sexual contact. For those who prefer to indulge in sexual contact, this is often far too great a sacrifice. The development of a safe and effective vaccine to prevent HIV infection is among the highest priorities for the AIDS research effort. Yet, vaccine research historically has received less funding and attention than other areas of AIDS research. Although this may have been justifiable in the past, the continued spread of the HIV epidemic and recent advances in our knowledge dictate a reassessment of priorities and a

Bloom’s Research and Response

Bloom's Research and Response Bloom's Research and Response Benjamin Bloom developed Bloom’s Taxonomy of Education in 1956. It is a teaching system developed to classify learning objectives and skills (Larkin & Burton, 2008). Lori Anderson and David Krathwohl revised the original publication- Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational objectives and also added new knowledge and ideas to the original material. This is the handbook in use by educators today. The Educational objectives that Bloom developed he categorized into three domains: Cognitive, Affective, and Psychomotor.Each domain has its own set of specific expectations. Bloom broke down his taxonomy into different levels of complexity. They are arraigned in a hierarchy from less to more complex. When teaching, the educator will use the levels so that mastery of the first level is necessary by the learner before the next level can be achieved. The Cognitive Domain focuses on knowledge and developing the skills of comprehens ion, it also uses critical thinking skills. There are six levels of complexity in this Domain: Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation.The Affective Domain focuses on how the learner deals with emotions and with his ability to feel empathy for others. Bloom broke down this domain into five levels: Receiving (awareness), Responding (active participation in the learning process), Valuing, Organization, and Internalizing (values held that influence a behavior so it becomes a characteristic). The third domain, the Psychomotor Domain was not broken down into subcategories by Bloom but by Simpson in 1972. The Psychomotor Domain focuses on the ability to manipulate an object physically.This domain has seven levels: Perception, Set (readiness to act), Guided Response, Mechanism, Complex Overt Response (the ability to perform without hesitation), Adaptation, and Origination. When used, Bloom’s Taxonomy will provide the educator with a measurable way to assess the level of comprehension of the taught information by the learner (â€Å"Big Dog and Little Dog’s Performance Juxtaposition,† 2010). Nurses can use Bloom’s teaching method in educating patients with chronic diseases. First the nurse must assess the patient for level of understanding and readiness to learn.The nurse uses the Cognitive Domain to teach the patient about his specific disease and to facilitate understanding of all concepts associated with the disease and its treatments. In following the hierarchy the nurse would start with the simplest information and ideas and increase the complexity of the information after the patient has exhibited comprehension of the previously taught material. Using the Affective Domain the nurse helps the patient deal with his emotions related to his diagnosis and to attach a value to it.Once a patient has processed the information given to him, realizes the importance of managing his care and placing a value on it s importance, he is ready to use the psychomotor domain. The educator uses the Psychomotor domain to teach the skills portion of education. Diabetics need to learn how to use blood glucose testing equipment; patients may need to learn how to self-catheterize these are just two examples of skills that nurses teach that fall under this domain. There are many areas of education a nurse teaches daily.One of which is the information given to patients with chronic diseases in order for them to achieve or maintain self-sufficiency. Bloom’s teaching method gives those patients the best chance at mastering the necessary information and skills needed to live day-to-day with a chronic illness. References Big Dog and Little Dog’s Performance Juxtaposition. (2010). Retrieved from http://www. nwlink. com/~donclark/hrd/bloom. html Larkin, B. G. , & Burton, K. J. (2008, September). Evaluating a Case Study Using Bloom’s Taxonomy of Education. AORN Journal, 88(3), 390-402

Challenges Faced by Companies While Entering a Foreign Business

10 Important Factors to Consider Before Starting Your Own Business Published on May 10, 2008 by Educate And Learn in Small Business Comments (46)|59 Liked It Certain key factors which need to be addressed before starting your own business. This article describes different factors which need to be kept in mind before starting your own business. It mainly talks about a business from a proprietorship point of view, rather than from a corporate point of view. Thus it is intended for small business. A number of factors are important in order to start a successful business. Here an effort is made to describe some of the key factors.Knowledge/Expertise Any business requires some amount of basic knowledge and experience. The owner needs to be aware about the business he intends to start. Knowledge and expertise about the product or service are keys to a successful business. In case of limited knowledge the owner may not be able to sustain the business and can be fooled by the vendors, suppli ers and competitors. When you ask yourself a question â€Å"What business shall I start? † you need to get a convincing reply about what you intend to do and how you are going to go about it. Read more in Small Business Small Business Survival in a Down Economy Four Easy Ways to Double Your Economic Stimulus Check  » Expert knowledge is especially required if the field of business is a niche field. For instance the construction or software industry would require more knowledge as against a retail business selling a particular brand of clothes or shoes. Market/Demand Once a decision is taken on the business you intend to start, the next step is to explore the demand / market for the product / service. Certain products will only have a domestic market for them whereas others can be successful on an international level.The key question is â€Å"Who are the customers? † A market survey can be conducted to identify the market for the business to be started. If the product / service is expected to be sold locally, the demand for it needs to be assessed. In case an international market is expected then rules and regulations for dealing internationally need to be found out. Total Project Costs It is important to correctly assess the total project cost required to set up and run the business successfully. In a capital intensive business such as starting a manufacturing plant, the start up costs can be very high.You need to identify the total amount which will be spent on the land & building, plant & machinery, furniture and office equipment, vehicles etc. If a business is in the nature of retail you will need to identify the cost of the store and furniture. Amount required for the decoration of the store needs to be assessed. Similarly in case of an office the major cost will be for the furniture and office equipment. An office or firm can be started at a relatively lower cost initially with only the basic requirements. One also needs to take care of th e working capital requirement.This will mainly consist of the inventory which needs to maintained and the credit which is extended to the customers. From this the supplier’s credit is deducted to arrive at the Working Capital Requirement. The Working Capital Requirement can be quite high for certain industries for example inventory will need to be maintained in a garment store. Similarly in case of a grocery shop there is need for huge inventory for which credit may not be given initially by the suppliers. Financing/Capital After identifying the initial costs required for starting the business, the financing pattern will need to be decided.The financing pattern will be mainly by way of capital introduction by the owner and borrowed funds. Depending on how much capital the owner can introduce the balance amount will need to be borrowed. Funds borrowed will be either short term loans or long term loans. The terms and conditions for borrowing funds will need to be studied such a s the cost of borrowing, security required, rate of interest and the repayment terms. The owner will need to approach a number of banks to get information about their terms of lending and draw a comparative analysis to identify which funding is the most beneficial for him.As a thumb rule short term funds should not be utilized for the purchase of fixed assets. Short term funds are mainly used to meet the working capital requirement. The logic is that if short term funds are used to purchase fixed assets how are you going to repay the short term loan if the business has not progressed. Once the financing pattern is identified the owner will need to decide how the money is going to be utilized. Competition Before entering new business, information about market competition needs to be found out.In case a product is a monopoly then the competition will not matter. Otherwise the success of the business will depend upon the demand and supply gap. Thus if there is a huge demand then you ca n enter the business inspite of the market competition. Otherwise you will need to be stronger than the competitors to gain an entry. Normally existing firms will always have an advantage due to the experience they have and because they may be well equipped. The question which needs to be answered is â€Å"What is unique about the product / service which will be offered to survive the market competition†?Information such as who are the competitors, what is their market strategy and what factors are required to compete with them are important. Location Deciding an optimum location for the business is a strategic and an important one. A good location goes a long way in making the business successful. The location needs to be carefully chosen. Some places have advantages over the others. You can save out on taxes, water and electricity costs if you are located in some areas. The raw materials can be easily sourced, the manpower would be easily available and you can save out on t ransportation costs in case of certain locations.Setting up a business in certain location could lead to subsidy and rebates from the Government. In the case of a retail business one needs to be located in a well populated area and one which is easily accessible. Certain niche products / services of different competitors are available at a single location. For example there are software belts having all software companies. Similarly there are gold marts which have different gold vendors and jewelers at a single location. Laws, Rules, & Regulation Setting up a new business would require compliance with various laws & regulations.Each country is governed by separate laws and regulations which require that any new business be registered with certain authorities and meets certain compliance. Thus registration of the name of the company may be required with Ministry of Commerce for instance. Further details need to be provided regarding the workforce and certain deductions may be require d from the staff (such as tax) which would need to be deposited with the respected Government bodies. Awareness is required of such rules and regulations. It is always better to consult a lawyer before setting up a new business in an unknown environment.There are certain accounting / consultancy firms which would have a division giving advise on legal and statutory compliance. In case of lack of expertise it is better to approach a lawyer / accounting / consultancy firms. Non compliance with the statute could lead to huge fines and penalty and hamper the success of a new business. Return on Investment Return on Investment (ROI) is calculated as Net Profit divided by the Investment made. The ROI is low in the initial years and is expected to grow on a year on year basis.The ROI needs to be compared with the return that would be earned from alternative business options available. For instance it could be compared with any other source of income such as money earned from investment in the stock market. Similarly the Return On Capital must be greater than the rate of interest earned from a fixed deposit kept with a bank. Staff/Manpower Any business requires efficient manpower to succeed. The staff needs to be carefully chosen since they are the ones who could make or break the business. The cost of manpower varies depending on the location of the business and thus this needs to be factored well.The business needs to be set up in a location where there is sufficient availability of manpower both skilled as well as unskilled. This remains one of the key criteria’s whether the business is going to be run with a staff of 2 or 2,000. Technology It is always better to invest in the best technology at the time of start up itself. Post investment, monitoring of the technology purchased is required. Technology would include plant & machinery as well as latest office equipment. One should not exclude the software required to monitor the business. Choosing optimum sof tware is a challenging task.A technologically advanced business is expected to perform much better in the longer run. All the above factors are important to start a successful business. Compromising any of these factors could hamper the growth. Starting a business these days is very challenging and an all round knowledge of various factors is required to run a successful one. It is important to make a Project Report on the basis of the above factors before starting a new business. Read more: http://bizcovering. com/small-business/10-important-factors-to-consider-before-starting-your-own-business/#ixzz2O2yGVG1w

Do you think that cities can ever become sustainable?

In relation to cities, sustainability refers to development that lets the people living now get the things they need but without reducing the ability of people in the future to get what they need i. e. growth in a way that doesn't irreversibly damage the environment or use up resources faster than can be replaced. For example, an urban area that is growing by generating all its power from finite sources will exhaust its supply and could accelerate climate change. Megacities require so many resources that it is unlikely they will ever develop in a truly sustainable way, but there are things that can be done to make them develop in a way that is more sustainable. In order for urban areas to become more sustainable the key issues that need to be tackled are overcrowding, transport problems, crime and pollution. Exploring sustainability projects at different points along the urbanisation pathway in cities such as Shanghai (LEDC), Putrajaya (NIC), Chattanooga and London (MEDC) will give an insight as to whether city sustainability is more likely to be achieved in MEDCs or LEDCs. Whilst MEDCs may have the necessary resources and technology to make an impact on becoming more sustainable, their starting point is a much bigger ecological footprint. Therefore, there may be more potential in LEDCs becoming sustainable as they have a more appropriate use of intermediate technology. Shanghai, at the heart of China's economic surge, has realised that a key aspect of sustainability is transport. Their major challenge was to reduce energy demands and greenhouse gas emissions but at the same time maintain mobility within the city. The city developed an eco-friendly transport system which includes a network of 11 metro lines at a total of 325km which is integrated with a bus based mass transit system, reducing the need for people to use personal cars. A railway link to the new international airport, which involves the world's first commercial magnetic levitation trains capable of reaching 550kmh reducing travel time and greenhouse gas emissions, has been built. A reduction in the number of cars on the roads has occurred due to increasing licensing fees and restricted access to the city centre, whilst the electronic guidance system helps avoid congestion and keeps road traffic flowing. Whilst it is common for cities to encourage people to cycle by introducing cycle lanes, the 9 million cyclists in Shanghai may soon face a ban from major roads as the authorities struggle to control congestion and reduce the rising car ownership of the middle classes proving that their attempts to become more sustainable are failing. Furthering the transport systems, Shanghai is planning to create a new city designed to be completely sustainable, it will be called Dongtan and will be the size of Manhattan. It was to have been built on Chongming Island, near Shanghai, in the Yangtze River Delta. The first phase, comprising a city of 25,000 people, was due to have opened for the Shanghai Expo in 2010. By 2030 it was intended to house 500,000 residents. However no construction of the eco-city has taken place yet, so the project has fallen much behind schedule. It is claimed to be the world's first genuinely eco-friendly city powered by renewable energy sources (mainly HEP) and will be as close to carbon neutral as possible. However the waters are rich in aquatic life and it is an important feeding ground for migrating wetland birds, the construction of this city may cause a loss in habitats and safe resting places for the birds causing a loss in species diversity making this eco-friendly city not as sustainable as was hoped. Malaysia has become one of the many countries that have deliberately created a new capital city. In 1995 it was decided that the national government function should be moved from Kuala Lumpur, which remains the country's financial and commercial centre, to a greenfield site 25km south of the city. Putrajaya has a population of 67 964, and is located within a high tech zone 15km wide and 50km long known as the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC), Malaysia's ‘silicone valley' stretching southwards from the centre of KL and includes KL international airport, Putrajaya and Cyberjaya (a ‘smart' city specialising in education, research and high tech business). The spine of the MSC is an electronic superhighway (fibre optic network) that provides high speed computer links. A large lake is being created, surrounding an artificial island, which will play an important role in flood and pollution control, an environmental benefit, as well as providing recreational and aesthetic value. 40% of the 500 hectare site will be left as green space in an attempt to counteract any greenhouse gases emitted. The main five precincts will be situated in the core and will contain offices, banks, shopping centres and sports complexes. The peripheral area will contain residential neighbourhoods with housing for all incomes, with community centres, parks, places of worship, schools, hospitals and other amenities. There will only be a small amount of housing available for those on low incomes which means there will be a degree of exclusion as the city will be mostly enjoyed by the affluent. The city aims to be indigenous with a modern look, based on new town ventures in the US and UK, with the running efficiency allowing a relatively low rate of consumption of natural resources. However, the environmental impacts will be considerable as the construction and development of the city will involve utilising and modifying a Greenfield site. Nevertheless, high levels of recycling and better flood and pollution control will have positive effects on the environment. Cities in the MEDW will have a hard time ever becoming truly sustainable as they use vast amounts of energy to power the technology used every day. Chattanooga in Tennessee is a classic example of how a city can become more sustainable. In 1969 the US Environmental Agency named Chattanooga as the ‘dirtiest city in America', just over 21 years later it was applauded as the nation's best ‘turn around story'. Credit for the re-imaging of the city has to go to the partnership between the city authority and the Lyndhurst Foundation (sponsored by coca-cola) as well as many individuals. It has tackled issues such as building affordable housing, providing public education and alternative transport systems, conserving natural parks and green areas to help reduce the ecological footprint, reducing pollution and improving recycling facilities and development of the riverfront. Top down strategies such as the Clean Air Act which forces manufacturers to invest heavily in pollution-control equipment, and bottom up measures e. g. Vision 2000 programme which calls for all citizens to visualise the city as they would like it to become, from the responses an agenda evolved resulting in major developments. 10km of waterfront along the Tennessee River was redesigned into an urban park cutting through the heart of the city, made up of playgrounds, spaces for outdoor performances, fishing piers and shaded walkways, transforming the once rundown downtown area. The Tennessee aquarium has attracted many visitors, encouraging the development of the old warehouses surrounding it into shopping malls, restaurants and apartments. Transport has been improved to be more sustainable, by means of an electric shuttle bus service capable of moving a third of downtown commuters at a tenth of the cost of diesel vehicles. It is claimed to be the electric bus capital of the world, with the city manufacturing 22 seater buses that are marketed all over the world. Over 3000 inner city housing units have been renovated, and a zero emissions eco industrial park and a grass roofed convention centre have also been constructed. The sustainability of the city has been enhanced especially in terms of outputs. The environment has benefited greatly from the substantially reduced industrial and vehicle emissions as well as increased green space leading to a decrease in the ecological footprint. Residents have benefited from renovations of the housing and the downtown are. I believe that whilst these urban areas and many others are attempting to become more sustainable, there is still much more that can be done to improve sustainability. For example, housing can be built to be carbon neutral by using solar panels and insulation to reduce the ecological footprint. Public transport could be improved further to produce little or no harmful gases, such as London buses which run on Hydrogen. Renewable energy sources should be used more such as LA uses HEP from Hoover Dam, and whilst renewable energy sources will never generate enough power to support large cities, they should definitely be used more by cities that have large ecological footprints. I feel that as we are so dependent on technology in today's society, cities will never truly become sustainable.