Accounting Made Essay

Managerial Accounting refers to the accumulation and preparation of financial reports for internal users only (e. g. management). Managerial Accounting includes all manipulations of financial information for use by managers in performing their specified organizational functions and additionally in ensuring the proper used and handling of an entity’s resources. â€Å"It is the internal business building role of accounting and finance professionals who work inside organizations. These professionals are involved in designing and evaluating business processes, budgeting and forecasting, implementing and monitoring internal controls and analyzing, synthesizing, and aggregation information – to help drive economic value† (IMA). Financial Accounting vs. Managerial Accounting Financial Accounting is primarily concerned with the recording of business transactions and the eventual preparation of financial statements. See more: The Issues Concerning Identity Theft Essay Its purpose is to record the transactions carried out by an organization, principally companies with their environment, in order to summarize at regular intervals their financial position and assets, as well as the net profit or loss on operations. Financial accounting focuses on general purpose reports known as financial statements intended for internal and external users and is subject to reporting according to GAAP (e. g. accrual method of accounting). This financial information is generally for the public, as required by law, and consists of a summary of the company’s past transactions. These all-purpose reports with historical date are prepared for use of different parties and the presentation of the financial statements are done formally, and are still useful even if submitted late. The nature of accounting information is monetary and reports the about the company as a whole. On the other hand, Managerial Accounting is responsible to a lesser degree of financial statement presentations to external users because their reports, which are usually confidential, are primarily for internal purposes or users. Also, it is not subject to reporting according to GAAP (e. g. ash basis). The reports have a strong future orientation, due to the fact that these are used to forecast the company’s health. These, not being required by law, may also be presented informally and timeliness of report is often more important than precision or accuracy and are for specific users only. The nature of its accounting information is both monetary and non-monetary and reports only parts or segments of the company. Other sources refer to Management Accounting as similar to Cost Accounting. However, Cost Accounting is only a subset of both financial and management accounting. This is because management involves many decisions based upon cost information. Accurate product costs must be determined according to the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and according to decision relevance for internal purposes. Accounting Basics Accounting standards are needed so that an establishment’s financial statements with fairly and consistently describe its financial performance. Without these vital standards, comparisons and evaluations between companies will be quite difficult since financial statements will be based on individual company accounting rules. The activities that are part of managerial accounting include: (a) explaining manufacturing and non-manufacturing costs and how they are reported in the financial statements; (b) computing the cost of rendering a service or manufacturing a product; (c) determining the behavior of costs and expenses as activity levels change and analyzing cost-volume-profit relationships within a company; (d) assisting management in profit planning and formalizing the plans in the form of budgets; (e) providing a basis for controlling costs and expenses by comparing actual results with planned objectives and standard costs; and (f) accumulating and using relevant data for management decision making. Ethical Standards Managerial accountants recognize that they have an ethical obligation to their companies and the public. The IMA has developed a code of ethical standards entitled Standards of Ethical Conduct for Management Accountants. This code divides the managerial accountant’s responsibilities into four aspects: competence, confidentiality, integrity, and objectivity. Competence includes performing duties in accordance with laws, regulations and the like and preparing complete and clear reports and recommendations. Confidentiality refers to refraining from disclosing confidential information and from using or appearing to use confidential information for unethical or illegal advantage. Integrity involves refusing gifts or favors, recognizing and communicating professional limitations, active or passive subversion of the company’s attainment of objectives, communicating both favorable and unfavorable information, and refraining from activities that would discredit the profession. Lastly, objectivity refers to communicating information fairly and objectively and disclosing fully all relevant information that could influence a decision. Management functions involve performing three broad functions, namely planning, directing and motivating, and controlling. Planning requires the management to look ahead and establish their objectives or goals as a company, keeping in mind that these objectives add value to the business under its control. Directing and motivating involves coordinating diverse activities and human resources to produce a smooth-running operation. Controlling, on the other hand, is the process of keeping the form’s activities on track. In controlling operations, management determines whether planned goals are being met and what changes are necessary when there are deviations from targeted objectives, All these management functions become the foundation for the cause of applying management accounting. To be able to properly account for the success or failure of the business, accounting processes are used and standards are imposed. Ultimately, the purpose or goal is to objectively assess the performance of a corporation to be able to help forecast its future health.

Descartes Myth-Gilbert Ryle

Descartes Myth Gilbert Ryle Gilbert Ryle is a professor who challenged the beliefs of Descartes and his theory on mind-body-separation, he organized them into four doctrines, and they are as follows: The Official Doctrine: This part deals with the human body and mind, how they are interconnected but still different at the same time. He displays the physical human body to be a public affair and something that all in this world can visually see; the mind however, is a much more private and personal affair. With this belief, humans can have two parts: mind (private) and body (public), these parts play different roles as one can affect the other or completely disguise the other. Ryle states that Descartes may have uncertainties about episodes in the physical world, but does not have any uncertainties when analyzing the state of his mind. For example, say Bob’s mind is expressed, no one but Bob will be able to respond to these expressions (feelings). Changes in both of the worlds can affect one another through the physical and intellectual (mind) aspects and challenges that one may face in their lifetime. The Absurdity of the Official Doctrine: The idea of mind-body separation seems absurd to Ryle which is why he refers to it as â€Å"The Dogma of the Ghost in the Machine†. He believes that this idea contains categorical mistakes (when one recognizes the parts and not the entity). For example, say Bob is showing his friend around the mall, he shows him the stores, the food court and the lounge, but his friend still questions Bob into asking him what the mall is? He sees all the different components to it, but he did not connect the different parts of the mall to collectively create the mall. Theoretical Categorical mistakes can be understood by Ryle’s reference to ‘John Dowe’ , even though John Dowe really doesn’t exist and is just a normal human being, people assimilate it to a certain human who attains these characteristics. Origin of Category Mistake: In relation to the above belief, he believes that the mind and body arise during the maturity of science. Science helped for society to evolve and understand certain things about life without a religious motive. (1) The mind is not matter, in space or under public observation (2) Physical world is determined (3) ————————————————- There is no moral values applicable (4) How can one be morally responsible if they are simply mechanical beings Ryle believes that Descartes made the assumption that mind and body are separate too quick, as they seem to be more correlated. Before a category is assumed, one must tackle and try to solve it first. Ryle gives the example from a person buying a pair of gloves, and says it would be an error to say that the person bought a right handed glove or a left handed glove, but not both. Historical Note: The implications of ‘myths’ are explained to show that they do in fact portray theoretical good. Science and moral also deal with Descartes beliefs and teachings. WC:509

Literature review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 5

Literature review - Essay Example characterizes Russia’s basic Chechnya policy dating back to Stalin, which looks at Chechens as undeserving of political latitude because of their long history of banditry, among other reasons. This means political alienation for the Chechens, a condition that makes it a perfect breeding ground for violence (Hewitt, C., 2002). Hewitt posits that violence is a response to being excluded from the political arena, such that people will resort to violence if they see the political system as unresponsive to their needs. So when Chechen rebel bands intensified attacks on Russian troops and civilian targets, the Russian federation responded in kind and, in some cases, with even greater force. The group instinct of the Chechens perceived this as a threat. Based on Evan Harrington’s (2004) theory of inter-group hostility, the situation is rife for violence when a â€Å"group senses a threat from its government, from another group in the same country, or another government.† All the known political and psychological theories on inter-group hatred, prejudice, realistic conflict, ethnocentrism and authoritarianism may have come into play to hasten the plunge of the Russia-Chechen conflict into the pit of violence and hostility. Russia is a melting pot of races, cultures and religions, making the federation a stratified society. This condition breeds inter-group hatred, in which there will always be unequal power relations and even discrimination between social groups. (Amiot, C. & Bourhis, R., 2005) The Russians who comprise the social and political majority in the federation may thus look down on the smaller Muslim segment of the population who are then reduced to a minority or low-status group. Amiot & Bourhis (2005) observe that the dominant group members in such a situation tend to initiate â€Å"overt† or â€Å"covert† acts of discrimination against the low-power groups. This portends certain trouble because at a later stage, the members of the low

Prison system in America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Prison system in America - Essay Example Arguments against imprisonment include the idea that prison is not being used as a last resort to deter criminal behavior, housing prisoners is expensive, imprisonment doesn’t deter crime and it is cruel and inhumane. Despite statistics that confirm these contentions, imprisonment has experienced a growing attraction as a political response to crime. An increased prison population and its inherent human and financial costs have little effect on the attitudes of some. Despite the obvious and extensive failures of our penitentiary system, more people are being sent to prison for more reasons primarily as a result of tougher sentencing laws specifically involving the ‘war on drugs.’ Over the past quarter century, the U.S. has added to its prison population and therefore to its social problems. Anyone who has seen a prison movie likely has witnessed the stereotypical ‘shower scene’ where gang members viciously attack a lone inmate. They put a knife tightl y against the victim’s throat and threaten to kill him if he puts up a fight. The lone inmate is then repeatedly raped by the gang and afterwards is too frightened to notify prison officials fearing retribution. This Hollywood recreation is not unlike the actual events taking place inside prison walls. Being brutally raped in prison is not simply a physical violation; it is an emotionally scarring event. According to the Human Rights Watch, this and other forms of gang-related violence occur regularly in prisons across the country. â€Å"Gang assaults are not uncommon, and victims may be left beaten, bloody and, in the most extreme cases, dead† (â€Å"No Escape†). However, violent and blatant rapes are but one type of sexual abuse many prisoners must endure. The most prevalent form of rape does not occur by means of violence nor have many of the victims been overtly threatened. Nevertheless, they engage in sex acts unwillingly because they do not believe they ha ve a choice. Prison is an intimidating place. Prisoners, especially those new to the system can be easily coerced into doing things such as allowing themselves to be raped or committing violent acts against others out of fear. This type of prison rape is easier to conceal than violent attacks and much easier for prison staff and the general public to ignore. â€Å"For some prisoners, the atmosphere of fear and intimidation is so overwhelming that they acquiesce in their sexual exploitation without putting up any obvious resistance† (â€Å"No Escape,† 2006). The intimidation begins early and forcefully. According to the account of a first-time offender arriving in prison, â€Å"as soon as I walked on the wing, the catcalls started.† According to another prisoner, â€Å"Most of prison is a mind game. People get taken advantage of when they’re green and don’t know what to expect† (â€Å"No Escape,† 2006). Prison is described by its detra ctors as inhumane, a brutalizing and damaging experience. The prevalent imprisonment trend invokes a high human cost to those who caused no harm to another individual or property. The war on drugs is policy based on morals, not on public health, and is taking a grave toll on the economics and civil liberties of our society. Crime is on the rise overcrowding the prison system while inner cities are becoming unlivable decreasing chances for the economic revival in those areas, all as a consequence of a misguided war on drugs to prevent the misuse of drugs. These governmental drug programs have had very little if any reduction in the use of drugs but a great many innocent victims have had their lives ruined. â€Å"

Starting Your Own Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Starting Your Own Business - Essay Example The overall starting cost of the business will be USD 45000 and the estimated sales have been forecasted to be around USD 15000 yearly from the starting year. The opportunity can be availed to open a clothing retail store within the New York market due to the uprising flow of the youth desires for urban clothing and apparels along with the fewer existing competitors’ presence. The store will be highly focused on the urban high fashion merchandise and provide the youth with exclusive clothing they generally prefer to purchase from other cities. Proposal Section In the present global context of business scenario, retail merchandising is one of the most efficient and lucrative options for starting a new business initiative. The retail clothing store is considered as one of the highest earning or revenue generating business segments in the US market. The competitive scenario of the US market entails an immense growth opportunity for the apparel sector which is identified to be wor th in excess of USD 20000 million according to the present growth ratio in the retail clothing business. Hence, clothing retail business is an attractive option to establish business venture in the competitive US market. From the perspective of present day context, the earning of approximately USD 150 billion has been achieved in a year by 100,000 clothing stores across the country. Therefore, the proposed business will be to open a clothing retail store. The clothing store will entail the products for young population of the US, which will also be providing accessories and leather items for men, women and children in terms of exclusive clothing brands as compared to the other retail clothing stores. The business will be focused on high fashion urban casual wears to attract youth population of the city. The emerging growth of sales in the assortment of clothing of various brands for youth segment provides an efficient growth prospect in the clothing retail industry in the US. Theref ore, proposed business venture of opening a retail store which will provide apparels will focus on the local customer desires along with providing clothing and apparels for both adult and youth. The expected start-up cost of the clothing retail store has been reviewed to be around USD 45000 including cost of various apparatus and amenities (Boston Rags Clothing Store, n.d.). Rationale for the Proposal The business plan of starting a retail clothing store in one of the major cities of the US is due to the increasing growth on the retail clothing industry along with the increasing demands of the recent trends among the population in the country. The recently collected earnings by the clothing retail had been more than USD 45000 million for the month of March 2012 which has been mentioned by the United States Census Bureau. Therefore, the clothing retail store can be one of the prosperous segments which can provide an efficient opportunity to generate an intensive growth in a shorter p eriod of time (United States Census Bureau, 2012). At the outset, opening up of any business requires a substantial amount of demand for the products that are to be provided. A constant follow of demand can ensure sustainability for a new business venture in the long run. From the findings, it can be observed that the clothing retail sector is quite prospering and consumers’ demand is generally constant and quite high if a company is providing them with varied assortment at one place. Therefore, the idea of the

How Abortion Could Railroad the Health Care Reform Bill Essay

How Abortion Could Railroad the Health Care Reform Bill - Essay Example Some people could wholeheartedly argue that, "Abortion is morally wrong because it is morally wrong to murder a person made in the image and likeness of God" ("Abortion: The Silent Holocaust," 2010, p. 1). Many people consider abortion to be a moral travesty. Opinion polls support this. "On the eve of the 37th anniversary of the Supreme Court's decision in Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion throughout the United States, a new survey shows a strong majority of Americans believe abortion to be 'morally wrong'" ("Majority of Americans, and Nearly 6 in 10 Young Adults, View Abortion as Morally Wrong," 2010, p. 1). Federally-funded abortions would also be socially reprehensible. Abortion could be begun to be seen as a method of birth control rather than as an option of last resort for women who are unwed mothers or wanting to get rid of a pregnancy. Especially, there is an idea that "sex-selective abortion is a morally reprehensible practice" (Chamie, 2008, p. 1). This is basically because children would be able to be eliminated based on the fact that, perhaps their parent(s) would find their gender to be undesirable and thus abort the child. Federally-funded sex-selective abortions would connote that the government supports this kind of eugenics.

Literature Critique Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Literature Critique - Assignment Example Keung (2009) takes a look at the state of Corporate Social Responsibility in China in the wake of the various ethical challenges facing the business community in China. The arguments of Keung (2009) are based on the surveys that had been recently done in China in order to explore China’s corporate social responsibility issue. Keung (2009) further articulates a notion of business ethics that embraces a model that is in use in Europe and which is becoming popular in China. This report aims to review Keung (2009) that explores the challenges that have hindered the progression of corporate social responsibility in China’s business community critically by assessing the research questions, the research methodology and design, the limitations of the study in context to literature that is available that addresses this same topic. Keung (2009) fits into the chosen area of research because it explores corporate social responsibility with respect to the Chinese business community. This is in line with the chosen project area that deals with the study of the impact of social responsibility implementation to Chinese manufacturers. The article being critiqued aims to unravel the various challenges that face Corporate Social Responsibility in China and development of business ethics in China. The article begins by looking at the moral doldrums that have affected the business and environment in China. It explores issues such as the environmental crisis in Chian that has been caused by the increased use of cola as a source of energy. Labour right issues and product safety issues are also discussed. Product issues like substandard goods, fake products are critically analysed. The first section ends with a look at the culture of profit and the aftermath that it had in China .Keung goes ahead to review the various corporate activities that have been witnessed in China and the factors that have influenced the development of

Marketing Research Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marketing Research Paper - Essay Example The answer lies in the cultural sensitivity of coke on how it position its product to its market at a given time and cultural context. To illustrate, we are going to take the old coke commercial at; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ0FRW1W3yA&feature=related. At a first glance, the commercial seems banal and corny which is typical of old commercials. It may even seem meaningless because all it has are just singing of scantily clad woman and sets of men. But if we observe closely on its message, this is where coke’s cultural sensitivity lies that made it appealing to all ages. Its value proposition was â€Å"value† with coke being â€Å"big† that every time the consumers in that era buy coke, they get more because coke got â€Å"big†. Their enticement was basically consumers get more with the same price and taste and this is aligned with the cultural preference of people towards value during that time. If the same message will be used today as a value propos ition to push coke in the market, it will surely fail because the preference of the market is different. In those times, people were not yet conscious of the sugar content of coke that could make an individual fat by drinking it excessively. In those times, coke is a delicious soda drink only that the purchasing power of the consumers are not yet as powerful compared today because it was the time of early industrial era where people does not earn much. So, value mattered to them for a delicious drink and health does not yet matter. Thus, coke attacked the cultural vulnerability of its consumers to position itself to its prospective market. Now let us move fast forward and observe its new commercial coke zero at this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BxDcn3Jw0c. The commercial’s pathos, or emotional persuasion, albeit lacking in ethos or logic, is very powerful because it appeals to the prevailing social desirables such as sexiness, being cool, in addition to its great tast e without the sugar. We can also observe that the new social desirables already changed especially with the necessity of being with a special â€Å"someone†. Coke managed to fill the modern age emotional vacuity by associating itself with an attractive girl who is helplessly attracted to a guy who prefers coke zero. Albeit the approach lacks logic or ethos, coke knew that the audience will overlook it in lieu of the stronger rhetoric of its pathos. Another strong case for capitalizing on the cultural context of a given society is its need to look good in order to become socially acceptable and desirable. Virginia Slims cigarette appeals to this cultural need to be beautiful and advertizes its product as a panacea that could fill that need. Virginia Slims cigarette may not explicitly state this in their advertisements but the use of attractive women who are beautiful by the standard of western society exudes the rhetoric of aesthetic appeal that is connected to filling a need for pathos or emotional fulfillment. The cigarette maker knows that in western culture, particularly America, being loved or desired has the pre-requisite of being physically beautiful in order to attract men. Such, it capitalizes on using women’s image as models which are considered to be beautiful during its particular era that† act as archetypes of beauty and confidence, but also set a standard for such traits, which most women feel

Cipla Essay Example for Free

Cipla Essay

Phenomenology Through the Passage of Time

Phenomenology Through the Passage of Time Phenomenology through the passage of time Today architecture has become extremely dependent on peoples visual experience. Writers, poets, philosophers, artists, and experts from diverse areas of life have noticed the increase in the quantity as well as the speed of visual imagery which affect our society. In the context of this observation they have commented by saying the following statements. Italo Calvino (1988, p. 57) has written about the unending rainfall of images, in addition to which Richard Kearney (2002, p. 383) talks about the image addiction, and furthermore Roland Barthes (1964, p. 38) suggests that its the civilization of the image. Through the passage of time, the way we perceive architecture has changed. As the world has evolved, our means of interpreting what we see have evolved with it too. Earlier, during the renaissance period, architecture and art were perceived through static portrayals of paintings, whether it were within the architecture itself or on a canvas. In order to experience the architecture, one had to physically visit the space, which in turn changed the experience one had within the space. The speed and quantity of images during that time period were comparatively lower. As compared to the era of the renaissance, today, art and architecture are perceived through fast moving images, bright LED screens, and flashing signboards. The modern architect has skipped the static era and interprets architecture through the mobility of images. In order for one to know about a famous work of architecture, one doesn’t necessarily have to physically visit the space. The increase in the quantity of i mages today makes it easier to transport images as compared to buildings. Through the infinite amount of images that are available via various resources, the way we perceive architecture today has become extremely different as to how we perceived architecture back in time. In the context of architecture today, Juhani Pallasmaa (2011, p. 119) has written: Architecture is increasingly turning into the fabrication of seductively aestheticized images without roots in our existential experience and devoid of authentic desire of life. Instead of being a lived and embodied existential metaphor, today’s architecture tends to project purely retinal images, architectural pictures as it were, for the seduction of the eye. Since the early part of the twentieth century the basic principals of the theory of phenomenology were moderately applied to architecture, but as an acknowledgement towards modernity the theory emerged as a workable alternative for architectural thought, and more recently the theory has gained a following amongst architects and writers. It is an established fact that the relationship between the architecture and its image is profoundly entwined amongst one another, although there is a another topic that is quite frequently discussed in architecture that rotates around whether there should be a constant need for new innovations or the quest for architecture that already exists amongst us. These two opposing sides of architectural theory were coined the following terms by Peter Eisenman, zeitgeist and genius loci respectively. Those in the favor of the theory of phenomenology towards the approach of architectural design support the genius loci, which in simple terms talks about the spirit and distinctive atmosphere of the place. Therefore this also means that they associate unconventional and new innovations in the field with temporality, hence according to their methodology they prefer informed and descriptive design which they affiliate with the deep understanding of the context of the place. One of the core principles of phenomenology today is that the way we experience architecture is ongoing. That it is a dynamic experience. We experience it with all our senses. This experience in totality is dependent, culturally on where we come from. It differs person to person. The axiom of phenomenology revolves around the successful ability to design and build spaces, through the process or reverse engineering experiences, or by obtaining the crucial requirements that the space needs through personal intuition. One of many experts who have written about this percept, Japanese author Jun’ichirÃ…Â  Tanizaki’s in his work writes about how coming from different cultural backgrounds can immensely effect the experiences that people go through while visiting an architectural space. Similarly many other literature pieces have strongly been favorable towards the theory that the personal experiences that one goes through are unique and differ person to person when it com es to space and context. Furthermore, many theorists in the field of phenomenology also argue that while experiencing an architectural space, one needs to have grounding in relation with the context of the space, as well as ground with the genius loci. Theorists argue that this grounding is extremely necessary as it changes the experience for the better, and that if one experiences the space with no prior knowledge of the context of the space, the experience is not as profitable as the prior. However, I disagree with this theory. I do not agree that grounding is entirely necessary when it comes to experiencing a space. Phenomenology as a theory does not just talk about grounding in relation with context and space but talks about the experiences we feel while we are within the space. It is not about the architecture as much as it is about the people that inhabit the architecture. I think that the experiences that we go through are most definitely effected by where we come from, what our cultural backgrounds are, and what we, as individuals have experienced so far in our life. Going back to the context of this essay, the theory of phenomenology impacts the experiences we have while being within the spaces, but these experiences also change with time. If one experiences a certain range of emotions through their senses while visiting an architectural space, it is not necessary that they will experience the same set of emotions if they visit the space at a different point in t heir life. As time passes, we grow, we mature, and we get exposed to different outlets which in turn change the way we look at things. Our opinions change with time, and so does out perspective. Like many other experts in his field, Martin Heidegger wrote about the theory of phenomenology. His work (1927) broadened the scope of the theory as he suggested to include the semiconscious activities as well as the unconscious mental activities that were related to rational and practical activities. The way Heidegger approached these ideas were more practical than those of Edmund Husserl. He favored to find truths in relation with deep understandings of being. Through his work Heidegger secured a link between the theory of phenomenology and the practice of architecture, which has continued to influence experts from both these fields till today, theorists as well as architects. Numerous philosophers, writers, architects and theorists have condemned the analytical debate about the influence phenomenology has on architecture and design. Many architects have been linked to the theory with the work that they’ve put forward into the field. Although the extent of this relationship between the theory and their practicality while building varies. Some of these architects include: Alvar Aalto, Peter Zumthor, Hezrog and De Meuron and Louis Kahn. Individually they have all practiced changing the theory into practicality through their respective experiences. They have done this by studying the precise context and culture in relation with their design for the spaces, the aim of these works are to impact the users of the space in the same way that the architects were impacted, and in order for the users to imitate these experiences in the way that these architects has intended to put across. Opinions of the experts on the theory of phenomenology vary from person to person. The opinions on how the practice of this theory on architecture should adapt to times today differ as well. Pallasmaa (2009) insists that we should do the following, Instead of participating in the process of further speeding up the experience of the world, architecture has to slow down experience, halt time, and defend the natural slowness and diversity of experience. Architecture must defend us against excessive exposure, noise and communication. But I think that in reality the world is constantly moving at a fast pace which makes it extremely difficult to slow down experiences and time with it. Even though this would be the ideal way to approach meaningful experiences that people would go through while visiting a space, it is very difficult to achieve. In this context Rem Koolhas has said the following quote in an interview with the a magazine (Icon Magazine 2004) Any architectural project we do tak es at least four or five years, so increasingly there is a discrepancy between the acceleration of culture and the continuing slowness of architecture. I think that throughout time architecture has come up to be one of the most impactful and crucial reflection of cultures across the world. Whether we talk about historical monuments such as Coliseum in Rome, the Taj Mahal in India or whether we talk about modern day iconic buildings such as the Guggenheim Museum and the Empire State Building, each building reflects a different story of a different period of time that we have passed. While older cities have retained their essence and transport us back to a different time and era, modern day metropolitan cities are constantly moving at a fast pace, they don’t give us the time or the essence to look back and feel experiences about our past. They in turn project a vision of the future, and push us towards that future. Similarly phenomenology through time reflects different emotions on us at different points in our life. In this context it is not necessary that one must absolutely have prior knowledge about the context and genius loci of the space. A completely fruitful experience can also be achieved as architecture appeals to our senses, and its only a matter about what those senses do to our emotions. These emotions can vary due to various aspects at that point in time. It could be affected by the experiences we have previously encountered in our life, or it could trigger a range of emotions that have been enforced upon us while we visit the space. These range of emotions do not need to be grounded to the context of the site in order to felt. They can be affected by the essence of the space, just the way old cities have a different atmosphere to it. Although what I feel it is not necessary that the person I visit the place with feels the same while being within the space. These experiences also differ due to our cultural backgrounds and upbringings. I do believe that phenomenology as a theory plays an important role in experiences we feel while being within spaces, but I also think that the theory is almost flawed. Personally I think that thinking, processing and designing through the theory of phenomenology requires to envelope the ideology that it is extremely difficult to design spaces and just based on practicality and rationalization, but it is not that that difficult that an essence cannot be effectively felt through basic intuition and through the study of knowledge that we have but its just subconsciously or unconsciously there within our reach to access. To achieve a space that works functionally yet embodies the essence that is meant to trigger a set of emotions, both of the prior ways need to be combined and be constructively applied through design methodology. Only by doing this can a designer or an architect create a space where there is ambiguity and instinctiveness, as well as senses that are not visual which act as perfect tools to experience the architectural space. To conclude my essay, I think that through time as we grow and evolve, we are exposed to far more experiences which slightly change the way we look at things every time. The more exposure we get the more we grow spiritually and emotionally. This changes the way we experience spaces. I think that phenomenology is deeply intertwined with the concept of time and growth. It is also deeply intertwined with the speed at which we experience things. Through the passage of time we experience architecture differently and that phenomenology plays an extremely vital part in the equation of experiencing spaces.

Personal Reflection: Experience that Changed Responsibility

Personal Reflection: Experience that Changed Responsibility Personal experience that impacted a change in my personal responsibility Growing up, I have found my adolescent age very interesting and easy all the while. This is because of the care and love I received from my parents. The story changed when I was 12, I was enrolled into a boarding school where I was a bit separated from my parents and siblings. Even though that was painful, but it was a necessary separation that launched me to the life of independence and self-sustainability as I grew up. It was rather challenging because all of what it came with was entirely new to me for me to come to cope with. On September 2000, when I was introduced to the system, on resumption day I felt the world has just ended for me. I was assigned a space in the hostel where I am expected to Keep and care for my things amidst strangers who later became my friends. I never knew how to put my things in shape, I never knew how to care for my laundries, how to wake up early and follow stipulated programs, it was all terrific for me under the promptings of the house master who never stopped till we get it the way they desired. All the memories of freedom I enjoyed at home kept on reverberating and leading me to deep nostalgia. But gradually, I started picking up one by one, step by step. I learnt a number of new things at space of time which my mates on regular non-broaden school could not learn. First of all, the sense of personal hygiene and cleanliness made a lasting impression on me because of our house masters who are meant to teach by doing it themselves as we observe. They dress on white on daily basis as we equally do. The use of white fabrics is very difficult to maintain but on daily bases we put on day dresses. A white shirt, upon a white singlet with white underwear and trousers. We were meant to have three pairs and wash them whenever they get stained they were daily dressing code, we were meant to take care of them properly, else we attract punishments. It was so difficult going through it in my adolescent. I found it painful then but looking back on how it has helped me, I remained grateful of the training. The hardest part of the training for me was waking up as early as 5 a.m and going to bed buy 20:30 p.m. it was the daily   regulation, it was hard to comprehend but looking at how the older students have gotten to coped with it made it easier for us to queue in. we had fixed times for studiers and no one was exempted apart from grave circumstances like health issues. The regulations were followed strictly but it gave me a platform for being punctual, committed to my duties and faithful to appointments, it also made me to learn how to be faithful; to meal regulations of 7,1,7.   We go for preps twice daily on weekdays and once over the weekend. One of the difficulties was being disposed to study when it is the time according to the regulation. It made no sense to me then. Gradually I learnt how to be disposed and take real control of my disposition. We take our meals of fixed times; breakfast at 7a.m, lunch at 1p.m and super at 7p.m. The eating habit I maintain today was from the training I gained from my school. Base on feeding, we were prohibited from eating in-between meals especially at night. During the day we do take snacks during recreation times. I got my table manners from the school. I never knew much about it prior to the training. Average Nigerian families do not eat together in dining rooms but separately. I learnt how to combine the fork and knife in eating at table, and all of those things made no meaning to me initially until I have the opportunity to mingle with people with high reputation. One other thing I will ever be thankful about is the painful training I got was on how to handle pocket money. Every individual was not expected to keep more than N,5000,   yet we mere expected not to borrow, or call for financial assistance due to lack apart from extreme cases of incurred health bills. It was really difficult for some who have been exposed to wild spending manner and it curtailed living above ones means. I appreciate the training, although it was painful, discipline in no measure is not, but it shapes my ability to fit in and compete favorably with others. These are the experiences that shaped me and got me prepared by launching me into adulthood with a sense of independence and self-sustainability.

Prejudice and Racism in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness Essay -- HOD Joseph

Racism in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness  Ã‚   Imagine floating up the dark waters of the Congo River in the Heart of Africa. The calmness of the water and the dense fog make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck as you wonder if the steamboats crew will eat you as you sleep. These things occur in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. Although the book is undeniably racist, was the author, Joseph Conrad, racist? Conrad was racist because he uses racial slurs, the slavery and unfair treatment of the native Africans in his book. The use of racist language is very prevalent in Heart of Darkness. Conrad, through Marlow, the main character, uses the word nigger when talking about native Africans on many occasions. "The fool-nigger had dropped everything to throw the shutter open and let off that Martini-Henry" (Conrad 46). The use of the word nigger so loosely by Marlow and other people in the book was an accepted thing during the time the book took place. Nigger has always been a racist word and because Conrad writes with this word, he is racist. Conrad’s racist writing makes the native people look ignorant. "I pulled the string of the whistle, and I did this because I saw the pilgrims on the deck getting out their rifles with an air of anticipating a jolly lark. At the sudden screech there was a movement of abject terror through that wedged mass of bodies." (Conrad 66) In this particular portion of the book Conrad blew the steam whistle to scare away the foolish natives. Conrad, in his writing, displays an attitude that the native people were niggers and were not smart people. In writing about this, he is uneducated about cultural differences. He does not know and understand the African people so he calls them niggers... ... teach them, as it were." (Conrad 42) To say the natives had no understanding of time is dehumanizing. Even the most primitive cultures had some sense of time. Weather it simply knowing that when the sun goes down and then comes up, a new day starts. Conrad displayed the natives as things that spoke a primitive language and were not intelligent. Writing about this is extremely racist and offensive. As you push further up river, things emerge from the dense jungle only feet from your boat. The "fool-nigger" driving the boat gets scared and starts shooting. The rest of the ships crew shoots aimlessly into the bush. Joseph Conrad was a racist person. He makes the native African people look like brainless things that should be used as pawns of the European society. Works Cited Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. W.W. Norton and Company: New York. 1988. Prejudice and Racism in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness Essay -- HOD Joseph Racism in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness  Ã‚   Imagine floating up the dark waters of the Congo River in the Heart of Africa. The calmness of the water and the dense fog make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck as you wonder if the steamboats crew will eat you as you sleep. These things occur in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. Although the book is undeniably racist, was the author, Joseph Conrad, racist? Conrad was racist because he uses racial slurs, the slavery and unfair treatment of the native Africans in his book. The use of racist language is very prevalent in Heart of Darkness. Conrad, through Marlow, the main character, uses the word nigger when talking about native Africans on many occasions. "The fool-nigger had dropped everything to throw the shutter open and let off that Martini-Henry" (Conrad 46). The use of the word nigger so loosely by Marlow and other people in the book was an accepted thing during the time the book took place. Nigger has always been a racist word and because Conrad writes with this word, he is racist. Conrad’s racist writing makes the native people look ignorant. "I pulled the string of the whistle, and I did this because I saw the pilgrims on the deck getting out their rifles with an air of anticipating a jolly lark. At the sudden screech there was a movement of abject terror through that wedged mass of bodies." (Conrad 66) In this particular portion of the book Conrad blew the steam whistle to scare away the foolish natives. Conrad, in his writing, displays an attitude that the native people were niggers and were not smart people. In writing about this, he is uneducated about cultural differences. He does not know and understand the African people so he calls them niggers... ... teach them, as it were." (Conrad 42) To say the natives had no understanding of time is dehumanizing. Even the most primitive cultures had some sense of time. Weather it simply knowing that when the sun goes down and then comes up, a new day starts. Conrad displayed the natives as things that spoke a primitive language and were not intelligent. Writing about this is extremely racist and offensive. As you push further up river, things emerge from the dense jungle only feet from your boat. The "fool-nigger" driving the boat gets scared and starts shooting. The rest of the ships crew shoots aimlessly into the bush. Joseph Conrad was a racist person. He makes the native African people look like brainless things that should be used as pawns of the European society. Works Cited Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. W.W. Norton and Company: New York. 1988.

Stress :: essays research papers

This report is on stress, what causes it, how and why, and how it can be cured. It will tell you all about stress, why it's important for people to understand, and what it can do to you and other people. Stress affects everyone and everything, that's why it's important that we all be properly educated on it. First we need to understand what stress is. Stress is basically the body's nonspecific response to any demand. Another way of describing stress is any nervousness or anxiety. Almost all people relate the word stress to discomfort or pressure. What they are actually thinking of is distress, which is often referred to as stress. There are many things that cause stress. In my opinion, this is the most important part of this whole report because knowing the cause for stress can help you avoid stressful situations. Just about any problem using thought can cause stress. One of the most stressful of all things, especially for teenagers, are social events. Popularity, friends, relationships, and looks are more stressful things to teenagers than parents. However, adults tend to face such stressors as meeting deadlines, fear of failure, anger, and frustration at the workplace. Everybody is effected by stress when it comes to things like wars, pollution, poverty, overcrowding, and crime. It is important to learn how to live with these situations, because it is nearly impossible to get through life without encountering them. Most people know that stress could be bad, but how bad? Physicians have proven that stress-related disorders, diseases brought on or worsened by psychological stress, are more likely to happen to people with very busy lives. The sad results of too much stress can be: depression, drug use, crime, dropping out of school, accidents, and even suicide. These psychosomatic disorders commonly involve the autonomic nervous system, which controls the body's internal organs. Some kinds of headache and back and facial pain, asthma, stomach ulcers, high blood pressure, and premenstrual stress are examples of stress-related disorders. (Funk & Wagnall's.) Respiratory disorders also can be affected by stress. Most common of these is asthma which may be caused by emotional upsets. (Funk & Wagnall's.) In addition, emotional stress can cause or aggravate many skin disorders, from those that produce itching, tickling, and pain to those that cause rashes and pimples. Treatment of stress-related disorders is sometimes limited to relieving the particular physical symptom involved; for example, hypertension may be controlled with drugs. (Funk & Wagnall's.) Psychological treatments are attempts to help the person to relieve the source of stress or to learn to deal with it. Combinations of physical and psychological treatments are often recommended. There are many type of "toys," that help deal with stress also,

Satanism

Satanism may signify an organized belief system or religion such as the Church of Satan. It may be seen just as a vague and dramatized concept of extreme insurgence against Western norms and conventions such as the so-called â€Å"Satanism† exhibited by some rock musicians. It may be a mythological sign of medieval religious thinking that still lingers in contemporary times. It may also be a deviant practice used to daunt and control others through ritual abuse (Francis King, 1989b). If Satanism is linked with ritual abuse, one can also say with assurance that not all ritual abuse is Satanic. Many of these abusive occurrences have been present in societies or under conditions where Satan is not a renowned spiritual or demonic entity. In earlier times, it was not uncommon for Western scholars and travelers to sometimes attribute the influence of Satan to primitive religious practices, which to them appeared to be idolatrous or violent. Even now, one occasionally hears the concept that if something is not Christian, it is the effect of Satan's power or seductiveness. The predecessors of Satanism can be found in ancient religions in which gods were worshipped, not because of their intrinsic goodness, but as of their perceived power. For example, the ancient Greek and Roman gods were such an amoral grouping of deities. Few showed many venerable character traits. These gods were often represented with all the foibles and veniality of mere mortals. Many of the cults dedicated to such gods and goddesses allegedly involved traumatizing rituals (e. g. , the mystery cults). On the other hand, some religions particularly worshipped and supplicated obviously evil deities. In other cases, what appears to be the adoration of an â€Å"evil deity† may simply symbolize the worship of a spiritual entity that no longer enjoys privileged status? There are examples in history in which a culture's demons were in fact past divinities, no longer revered, and sometimes given new and less striking roles. Such revolutions amongst the gods sometimes resulted from conquests, whereupon the new gods of the conquerors take the place formerly held by the gods of the conquered. In other instances, evil can be revered or worshipped outright. In cultures in which Christianity is established one might presume that the worship of evil would involve some devotion to Lucifer or Satan, the primary names given to the Euro-American spiritual depiction of evil. To many traditional Christians, Satan and Lucifer are equal but different names for the same demon. However, numerous theologians make the peculiarity that Lucifer is the name of Satan before his fall. The origins of Satanism are positively as obscure as any other occult belief system. One can never be specifically certain when such practices started. Yet, some of the historical accounts of Satanism in Europe may explain some of the evolution of thinking about Satanism. The history of Satanism can be traced to a variety of possible sources: (1) European witchcraft, sorcery, and shamanism, (2) Gnostic-derived religions (e. . , the Cathari) which viewed the established Church as an tyrannical adversary, (3) the general traditions of Western occultism (which are often seen as encircling a â€Å"dark† or â€Å"left-handed path†) and (4) what Francis King calls â€Å"the bad divinity of a minority of Roman Catholic priests† (Francis King , 1989b, p. 219 ). Though, whe n Satan was invented, he was found everywhere. For instance, Satan was attached to Adam and Eve as a sibling rivalry between Satan and the younger creatures of God. This combination of human and celestial opponents of God lastly culminated in the formative stages of the Antichrist legend, which speaks of the human embodiment of Satan (McGinn 1994: 10, 22-25; Pagels 1995: 43, 49; Russell 1977: 188-89). While the orthodox text shared some ideas of the dualistic conflict, particularly in Ezra's formulations, Satan obtained a key role in the conventional worldview only gradually, as an influence of the popular apocalyptic eschatology and a means in struggles for power (political or religious) between human beings ( McGinn 1994: 26). According to Elaine Pagels, Satan never shows in the Hebrew Bible as the leader of an evil empire, as a leader of antagonistic spirits who make war on God and humankind. As he first appears, Satan is not essentially evil. In the Book of Numbers and in Job he is one of God's obedient servants, a messenger or angel. The Satan describes an adversarial role, not a particular character. The Satan was any one of the angels sent by God for the explicit purpose of blocking or obstructing human activity; the root Satan means â€Å"one who opposes, obstructs, or acts as adversary†; the Greek term diabolos means â€Å"one who throws somewhat across one's path. So if the path is bad, an obstruction is good: Satan may simply have been sent by the Lord to protect a person from worse harm (Pagels 1995: 39-40, based, e. g. , on Numbers 22: 23-25). Job's Satan takes a more adversarial role; Satan’s special role in the blissful court is that of a kind of roving intelligence agent, like those whom numerous Jews of the time would have known and disliked from the king of Persia's complex system of secret police and intelligence officers. These agents roamed the realm looking for signs of infidelity amongst the people. God boasts to Satan concerning one of his most loyal subjects; Satan then challenges the Lord to put Job to the test. Job withstands the tests, and the Lord restores the affluences of Job giving him twice as much as he had before (Pagels 1995: 41, based on Job 2: 3, 42: 10). Around the time Job was written c. 550 B. C. E. , other biblical writers invoked Satan to account for sharing out within Israel. One court historian slips Satan into an account regarding the origin of census taking, which King David introduced into Israel c. 1000 B. C. E. or the point of instituting taxation, which aroused fervent and immediate opposition. Aim on condemning David's action without condemning the king openly, the author of 1 Chronicles suggests that a supernatural adversary within the divine court had managed to penetrate the royal house and led the king himself into sin: â€Å"Satan stood up against Israel and incited David to number the people† ( Pagels 1995: 42-43, based on 1 Chron. 21:1) . Most societies have a variety of demons, spirits, or gods, which are morally ambivalent that is to say, the gods can be kind or unkind to humankind. One might argue that this amoral or dimoral polytheism fits the human experience of the universe well: we see things happening mysteriously, without reason, for good or ill, and call it fate, chance, or an â€Å"act of God. † Few religions have one figure particularly symbolizing evil, although Buddha's tempter Mara comes close. No religion has a single individual personifying evil except those of the Jewish-Christian-Muslim (and â€Å"Zoroastrian†) tradition, which have Satan or the Devil. The problem of evil faces every worldview, but none so expressively as great monotheistic religions. Theologically the problem is just stated. God is all-powerful and all-good. But an all-powerful, all-good God would not permit evil in the cosmos he creates. Therefore evil cannot exist. But we view that evil exists. We are therefore forced to refuse the existence of God (at least as great monotheistic religions define it) or meet the criteria of our definition. If we choose the latter, we can save God's pure goodness by restraining his omnipotence, or else save his power by qualifying his goodness. This is a sharp theological choice; few theologians choose to face it that overtly. To avoid this choice, a variety of strategies have been working over the millennia. One solution, however unacceptable philosophically, is to resort to the notion of a spiritual power aggressive to God, such as Satan. The Old Testament has comparatively few references to Satan as a personality. Most Hebrew thought before the second century B. C. E. established destruction and suffering as originating in God's inscrutable will. But some Old Testament passages lent themselves to an interpretation that unexplained spiritual powers, subordinate to a God, often did disparaging things. In some passages — most radically in the Book of Job — this power is portrayed as having a self-governing, malevolent existence. The idea of the Devil, very fuzzy in the Old Testament, becomes clear and pointed in the era from the second century B. C. E. to the second century C. E. One reason is the power of Iranian dualism. The ancient Iranian religion of Mazdaism (sometimes called Zoroastrianism) had its origins in the teachings of Zarathushtra, a prophet whose dates are unknown. It is a dualist religion, elucidating evil by positing a frequent cosmic warfare between the God of Light and the God of Darkness. Mazdaism had some influence in Babylonia, where Hebrew in Exile was liberated by Iranian Shah Cyrus. A propensity toward dualism seems also to have grown indigenously amongst Jews, as they developed a darker view of the world throughout the times they were invaded, enslaved, and persecuted by a diversity of conquerors — Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and finally Romans. The Jews reacted to this anguish partly by blaming it on their own sins (a stance of the great prophets), but partially by blaming exterior forces. The Devil or his deputies were the influential spirits backing evil Gentiles against the Chosen People. Some Jewish sects, such as the Essenes, conceived (like the Mazdaists) of a vast extraterrestrial warfare between the Lord of Light and the Prince of Darkness, a warfare in which each nation and each person was called to stand on one side or the other. For Jewish apocalyptic, the cosmic struggle was coming to its end; there would be one last, vast war between sons of dusk and sons of light, and then the good God would triumph everlastingly. In the context of this profoundly dualistic Jewish thought, Christianity came into being. Ideas similar to those of apocalyptic writers emerge in the Christian Gospels, notably the Gospel of John, with its images of light against darkness, in miracle stories of Jesus' capability to cast out and defeat demons and their leader the Devil, and in the Book of Revelation (The Apocalypse). However, after the obliteration of Jerusalem by Romans in 70 C. E. , and the diaspora of the Jews, Pharisees were left as the surviving leading Jewish group. Their custom downplayed Satan's power so much that he infrequently appears in works of the rabbis, though he does retain a presence in Jewish folklore. Although Judaism downplayed Satan's power, Messianic trends that faded in Judaism after 70 C. E. remained strong in Christianity. For Christianity, Jesus was the Messiah. In Christian thought, God is good. Opposed by the Devil, he sends Jesus his Messiah to obliterate the Devil's power. Unlike many Jewish sects, such as the Zealots, Christians supposed that the Messiah was not a military victory over Satan and gentile nations, but to a certain extent the Suffering Servant, who took upon himself all sins of the people and, in dying for them, broke Satan's power. Almost all early Christian writers granted Satan great power all through the cosmos and also in the life of each human. Christ and Satan vie for each soul, and each person should choose between them. Like Judaism, Christianity is a monotheistic religion. But by using the Devil to explicate the existence of evil, some early Christian groups, such as Gnostic sects of the first two centuries C. E. , pulled powerfully in the way of dualism. For them, Satan was an anti-God of enormous power. This power was to be fought, banished, and struggled against. But as it was so vast, Satan's power could also be influenced, harnessed to one's own will, even, in extreme cases, worshipped. There was no planned Satanism in early Christianity, but some Gnostic sects seem to have verged on it by working orgiastic rites. In the l5th-century, French baron and onetime marshal of France, Gilles de Rais, was found to have affianced in numerous mortal and sadistic acts, some of which were alleged to be associated with strange rituals in which he was assisted by Francesco Prelatti, a Florentine priest and occultist. Gilles de Rais was noted to be a man whose temperament and personality seemed to be extremely erratic at different times. Sometimes noted for his kindness, he was notable for his bravery in his military assistance of Joan of Arc. However, there was a great deal of dependable testimony provided by witnesses as well as material substantiation pointing to his guilt. According to Francis King, Satanism was adequately prevalent in 16th- and l7th-century France that its presence was noted by the police: It is difficult to know how widespread such Satanist activities were among the nonmonastic clergy of the middle Ages, but they seem to have become common in the 16th and17th centuries. Exactly how common, no one knows, but if the rest of Catholic Europe was anything like the ecclesiastical underworld of Paris at that time, then they were very common indeed. For in France Satanism had attained the status of big business, its practitioners forming a kind of occult Mafia, a noisome octopus with tentacles which reached into almost every segment of Parisian society and which was uncovered by Nicolas de la Reynie, the Police Commissioner of Paris. (Francis King, 1989b, pp. 219 – 220) The books of Church of Satan founder Anton LaVey (1969) were actually strongly influenced by this â€Å"occult tradition. † (LaVey also popularized the â€Å"satanic pentagram,† the five-pointed star with one point downward and the head of a goat overlaid. There is a temptation to dismiss antisatanists' claims as illusive; as sociologist Marcello Truzzi says, â€Å"Satanists are better scapegoats than Jews, because they don't exist (in Lyons, 1988:179). Though the vast conspiracy criticized by the antisatanist campaign may be exaggerated, Satanists do exist; there are members of controlled Satanist churches in our society. These Satanist groups are significant to the antisatanist movement: they provide a â€Å"kernel of truth† that antisatanists can expose. Groups such as Anton LaVey's Church of Satan â€Å"prove† that the satanic threat exists. The Church of Satan is not large; estimates range from 2000 to 5000 active members (Melton 1986:77; Lyons 1988:115). Still, the publicity showered on LaVey since he established his San Francisco church in 1966 has made him and his group a part of American popular culture. Almost everyone knows about LaVey's church, even though it is quite small. What the Church lacks in size it has made up for in attention paid to it as well as its activities. Anton LaVey, a bright character with a flair for the dramatic, gained substantial publicity by performing satanic weddings of famous people, satanic baptisms of children, and satanic last rights for a sailor member who died — all intentionally staged as media events. LaVey sought celebrities as members, and for a time claimed such stars as Sammy Davis, Jr. and Jayne Mansfield as dynamic participants, gaining national attention as a result (Lyons 1988). There is substantial debate about what the Church of Satan stands for, and what its members believe. Some analysts treat the Church as a spoof, intentionally designed to upset Christians. Others take it more critically, and look to LaVey's writings, such as his The Satanic Bible (LaVey 1969), to understand his philosophy. The church actively rejects spirituality and mysticism of any sort; it espouses an exclusive, materialist, and essentially atheistic philosophy. â€Å"Satan constitutes a worship of one's own ego†¦. In its major features, the Church of Satan takes a position of Extreme Machiavellianism and cynical-realism on the way to the nature of man†¦. Its major feature†¦ is its emphasis upon the significance of myth and magic and upon their collision in a world of people who can still be influenced through such beliefs and emotions. This Satanist then is the ultimate pragmatist†. (Truzzi 1974:220) Moody ( 1974) discusses the Church of Satan's redefinition of Christianity's seven fatal sins — greed, pride, envy, anger, greed, lust, and sloth — as virtues within satanic religion. Melton (1988:145) describes satanic churches' relationship to Christianity: Satanism is rationally subsequent to Christianity and draws on it in representing an overthrow of the Christian deity approving of his adversary. It stands in polemical relation to Christianity and†¦ Uses Christian elements, which are changed and given new meaning. Although LaVey's Church of Satan is the most observable satanic church, others exist. The Temple of Set, a small off-shoot group planned by Michael Aquino, a former disciple of LaVey, has attracted attention (Melton 1989:805; Lyons 1988:125). The small size of these organized satanic groups is less significant than the cultural meaning attached to them. As a radical rejection of Christian culture, they are representatively significant. Their very presence has put in to the concern about Satanism in America. Satan stories were connected to practical and political issues. As Russell (1977: 222) properly maintains, the figure of Satan in the New Testament is understandable only while it is seen as the counterpart or counter principle of Christ; accordingly, Russell adds, â€Å"the New Testament teaches that the Kingdom of God is at war with the Kingdom of the Devil†. Furthermore, Pagels documents, the vision of enormous struggle were developed by sectarian groups like the Essenes as they struggled against the forces they saw ranged against them. The dualistic cosmology was traited as split society, where sons of light, allied with the angels, and sons of darkness, in league with the control of evil, were in violent conflict. Pagels further retains that followers of Jesus adopted the same prototype in their campaigns. According to Pagels, Mark tells the story of Jesus as the disagreement between God's spirit and the power of Satan. Mark underlines that Jesus encountered this opposition not simply from evil spirit but from evil people as well. Mark's Satan is not an antagonistic power assailing Israel from outside the community but the source and symbol of conflict within the community (Pagels 1995: 12, 17, 34, 38; based on Mark 3: 23-27, 16: 5-7). Satan is described as the embodiment of pure evil. Such a Satanic theology would feature goodness to the Judeo-Christian God, but Satanists worship Satan as perceived to be more powerful or because the cultist might view himself or herself as being past redemption by a benign deity. In this system of thinking, goodness itself is typified as a weak, ineffective, and futile goal. Spence describes a similar dichotomy in views of Satanism and Luciferianism although he defines his terms slightly differently: Concerning the cults of Lucifer, much discrimination is required in dealing with this aspect, the bulk of the literature on the subject being manifestly imaginative and often willfully misleading. The members of the church of Lucifer are of two groups, those who regard the deity they adore as the evil principle, thus approximating to the standpoint of the Satanists, and those who look upon him as the true god in opposition to Adonai or Jehovah, whom they regard as an evil deity who has, with fiendish ingenuity, miscreated the world of man to the detriment of humanity. . (http://www. satanservice. org/propaganda/acad. 80sa. txt ) Though, in contemporary world, satanic symbols and themes are observable and popular features of music, literature, and movies. Increasing numbers of reported survivors are coming forward to assert they are victims of such cults. Are these reports just rumors or fantasies, or are people being harmed by ritual abuse? Unless we seriously consider these reports, we will never know for certain.

Night World : Soulmate Chapter 6

Hannah opened her eyes. â€Å"Oh, thank God,† Paul said. He seemed to be almost crying. â€Å"Oh, thank God. Do you see me? Do you know who you are?† â€Å"I'm wet,† Hannah said slowly, feeling dazed. She touched her face. Her hair was dripping. Paul was holding a water glass. â€Å"Why am I wet?† â€Å"I had to wake you up.† Paul sagged to the floor beside the couch. â€Å"What's your name? What year is it?† â€Å"My name is Hannah Snow,† Hannah said, still feeling dazed and bodiless. â€Å"And it's-† Suddenly memory rushed out of the fog at her. She sat bolt upright, tears starting to stream from her eyes. â€Å"What was all that?† â€Å"I don't know,† Paul whispered. He leaned his head against the couch, then looked up. â€Å"You just kept talking-you were telling that story as if you were there. It was really happening to you. And nothing I could do would break the trance. I tried everything-I thought you were never going to come out of it. And then you started sobbing and I couldn't make you stop.† â€Å"I felt as if it were happening to me,† Hannah said. Her head ached; her whole body felt bruised with tension. And she was reeling with memories that were perfectly real and perfectly hers†¦ and impossible. â€Å"That was like no past life regression I've ever read about,† Paul said, his voice agitated. â€Å"The detail†¦ you knew everything. Have you ever studied-is there any way you could have known those kinds of things?† â€Å"No.† Hannah was just as agitated, â€Å"I've never studied humans in the Stone Age-and this was real. It wasn't something I was making up as I was going along.† They were both talking at once. â€Å"That guy,† Paul was saying. â€Å"He's the one you're afraid of, isn't he? But, look, you know, regression is one thing†¦ past lives is another thing†¦ but this is crazy.† â€Å"I don't believe in vampires,† Hannah was saying at the same time. â€Å"Because that's what that guy was supposed to be, wasn't it? Of course it was. Caveman vampire. He was probably the first one. And I don't believe in reincarnation.† â€Å"Just plain crazy. This is crazy.† â€Å"I agree.† They both took a breath, looking at each other. There was a long silence. Hannah put a hand to her forehead. â€Å"I'm †¦ really tired.† â€Å"Yeah. Yeah, I can understand that.† Paul looked around the room, nodded twice, then got up. â€Å"Well, we'd better get you home. We can talk about all this later, figure out what it really means. Some kind of subconscious fixation†¦ archetypical symbolism†¦ something.† He ran out of air and shook his head. â€Å"Now, you feel all right, don't you? And you're not going to worry about this? Because there's nothing to worry about.† â€Å"I know. I know.† â€Å"At least we know we don't have to worry about vampires attacking you.† He laughed. The laugh was strained. Hannah couldn't manage even a smile. There was a brief silence, then Paul said, â€Å"You know, I think I'll drive you home. That would be good. That would be a good idea.† â€Å"That would be fine,† Hannah whispered. He held out a hand to help her off the couch. â€Å"By the way, I'm really sorry I had to get you all wet.† â€Å"No. It was good you did. I was feeling so awful- and there were worse things about to happen.† Paul blinked. â€Å"I'm sorry?† Hannah looked at him helplessly, then away. â€Å"There were worse things about to happen. Terrible things. Really, really awful things.† â€Å"How do you know that?† â€Å"I don't know. But there were.† Paul walked her to her doorstep. And Hannah was glad of it. Once inside the house, she went straight down the hall to her mother's study. It was a cluttered comfortable room with books piled on the floor and the tools of a paleontologist scattered around. Her mother was at her desk, bending over a microscope. â€Å"Is that you, Hannah?† she asked without looking up. â€Å"I've got some marvelous sections of haversian canals in duckbill bones. Want to see?† â€Å"Oh†¦ not now. Maybe later,† Hannah said. She wanted very much to tell her mother about what had happened, but something was stopping her. Her mother was so sensible, so practical and intelligent†¦. She'll think I'm crazy. And she'll be right. And then she'll be appalled, wondering how she could have given birth to an insane daughter. That was an exaggeration, and Hannah knew it, but somehow she still couldn't bring herself to tell. Since her father had died five years ago, she and her mother had been almost like friends-but that didn't mean she didn't want her mother's approval. She did. She desperately wanted her mother to be proud of her, and to realize that she could handle things on her own. It had been the same with the notes-she'd never told about finding them. For all her mom knew, Hannah's only problem was bad dreams. â€Å"So how did it go tonight?† her mother asked now, eye still to the microscope. â€Å"That Dr. Winfield is so young-I hope he's not too inexperienced.† Last chance. Take it or lose it. â€Å"Uh, it went fine,† Hannah said weakly. â€Å"That's good. There's chicken in the crockpot. I'll be out in a little while; I just want to finish this.† â€Å"Okay. Great. Thanks.† Hannah turned and stumbled out, completely frustrated with herself. You know Mom won't really be awful, she scolded herself as she fished a piece of chicken out of the crockpot. So tell her. Or call Chess and tell her. They'll make things better. They'll tell you how impossible all this stuff about vampires and past lives is. †¦ Yes, and that's the problem. Hannah sat frozen, holding a fork with a bite of chicken on it motionless in front of her. I don't believe in vampires or reincarnation. But I know what I saw. I know things about Hana . ., things that weren't even in the story I told Paul. I know she wore a tunic and leggings of roe deer hide. I know she ate wild cattle and wild boar and salmon and hazel nuts. I know she made tools out of elk antler and deer bone and flint†¦. God, I could pick up a flint cobble and knock off a set of blades and scrapers right now. I know I could. I can feel how to in my hands. She put the fork down and looked at her hands. They were shaking slightly. And I know she had a beautiful singing voice, a voice like crystal†¦. Like the crystal voice in my mind. So what do I do when they tell me it's impossible? Argue with them? Then I'll really be crazy, like those people in institutions who think they're Napoleon or Cleopatra. God, I hope I haven't been Cleopatra. Half laughing and half crying, she put her face in her hands. And what about him? The blond stranger with the bottomless eyes. The guy Hana didn't have a name for, but Hannah knew as Thierry. If the rest of it is real, what about him? He's the one I'm afraid of, Hannah thought. But he didn't seem so bad. Dangerous, but not evil. So why do I think of him as evil? And why do I want him anyway? Because she did want him. She remembered the feelings of Hana standing next to the stranger in the moonlight. Confusion†¦ fear†¦ and attraction. That magnetism between them. The extraordinary things that happened when he touched her hand. He came to the Three Rivers and turned her life upside down†¦. The Three Rivers. Oh, God-why didn't I think of that before? The note. One of the notes said â€Å"Remember the Three Rivers.† Okay. So I've remembered it. So what now? She had no idea. Maybe she was supposed to understand everything now, and know what to do †¦ but she didn't. She was more confused than ever. Of course, a tiny voice like a cool dark wind in her brain said, you didn't remember all of it yet. Did you? Paul woke you up before you got to the end. Shut up, Hannah told the voice. But she couldn't stop thinking. All night she was restless, moving from one room to another, avoiding her mother's questions. And even after her mother went to bed, Hannah found herself wandering aimlessly through the house, straightening things, picking up books and putting them down again. I've got to sleep. That's the only thing that will help me feel better, she thought. But she couldn't make herself sit, much less lie down. Maybe I need some air. It was a strange thought. She'd never actually felt the need to go outside for the sole purpose of breathing fresh air-in Montana you did that all day long. But there was something pulling at her, drawing her to go outside. It was like a compulsion and she couldn't resist. I'll just go on the back porch. Of course there's nothing to be scared of out there. And if I go outside, then I'll prove there isn't, and then I can go to sleep. Without stopping to consider the logic of this, she opened the back door. It was a beautiful night. The moon threw a silver glow over everything and the horizon seemed very far away. Hannah's backyard blended into the wild bluestem and pine grass of the prairie. The wind carried the clean pungent smell of sage. We'll have spring flowers soon, Hannah thought. Asters and bluebells and little golden buttercups. Everything will be green for a while. Spring's a time for life, not death. And I was right to come out. I feel more relaxed now. I can go back inside and lie down†¦. It was at that moment that she realized she was being watched. It was the same feeling she'd been having for weeks, the feeling that there were eyes in the darkness and they were fixed on her. Chills of adrenaline ran through Hannah's body. Don't panic, she told herself. It's just a feeling. There's probably nothing out here. She took a slow step backward toward the door. She didn't want to move too quickly. She had the irrational certainty that if she turned and ran, whatever was watching her would spring out and get her before she got the door open. At the same time she edged backward, her eyes and ears were straining so hard that she saw gray spots and she heard a thin ringing. She was trying, desperately, to catch some sign of movement, some sound. But everything was still and the only noises were the normal distant noises of the outdoors. Then she saw the shadow. Black against the lighter blackness of the night, it was moving among the bluestem grass. And it was big. Tall. Not a cat or other small animal. Big as a person. It was coming toward her. Hannah thought she might faint. Don't be ridiculous, a sharp voice in her head told her. Get inside. You're standing here in the light from the windows; you're a perfect target. Get inside fast and lock the door. Hannah whirled, and knew even as she did it that she wouldn't be fast enough. It was going to jump at her exposed back. It was going to †¦ â€Å"Wait,† came a voice out of the darkness. â€Å"Please. Wait.† A male voice. Unfamiliar. But it seemed to grab Hannah and hold her still. â€Å"I won't hurt you. I promise.† Runrunrunrun! Hannah's mind told her. Very slowly, one hand on the door knob, she turned around. She watched the dark figure coming out of the shadows to her. She didn't try to get away again. She Had a dizzying feeling that fate had caught up with her. The ground sloped, so the light from the house windows showed her his boots first, then the legs of his jeans. Normal walking boots like any Montanan might wear. Ordinary jeans-long legs. He was tall. Then the light showed his shirt, which was an ordinary T-shirt, a little cold to be walking around at night in, but nothing startling. And then his shoulders, which were nice ones. Then, as he stepped to the base of the porch, she saw his face. He looked better than when she had seen him last. His white-blond hair wasn't crazily messed up; it fell neatly over his forehead. He wasn't splattered with mud and his eyes weren't wild. They were dark and so endlessly sad that it was like a knife in the heart just to see him. But it was unmistakably the boy from her hypnosis session. â€Å"Oh, God,† Hannah said. â€Å"Oh, God.† Her knees were giving out. It's real. It's real. He's real and that means†¦ it's all true. â€Å"Oh, God.† She was trembling violently and she had to put pressure on her knees to keep standing. The world was changing around her, and it was the most disorienting thing she'd ever experienced. It was as if the fabric of her universe was actually moving-pulsing and shifting to accommodate the new truths. Nothing was ever going to be the same again. â€Å"Are you all right?† The stranger moved toward her and Hannah recoiled instinctively. â€Å"Don't touch me!† she gasped, and at the same moment her legs gave out. She slid to the floor of the porch and stared at the boy whose face was now approximately level with hers. â€Å"I'm sorry,† he almost whispered. â€Å"I know what you're going through. You're just realizing now, aren't you?† Hannah said, whispering to herself, â€Å"It's all true.† â€Å"Yes.† The dark eyes were so sad. â€Å"It's†¦ I've had past lives.† â€Å"Yes.† He squatted on the ground, looking down as if he couldn't keep staring at her face anymore. He picked up a pebble, examined it. Hannah noticed that his fingers were long and sensitive-looking. â€Å"You're an Old Soul,† he said quietly. â€Å"You've had lots of lives.† â€Å"I was Hana of the Three Rivers.† His fingers stopped rolling the pebble. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"And you're Thierry. And you're a †¦Ã¢â‚¬  He didn't look up. â€Å"Go on. Say it.† Hannah couldn't. Her voice wouldn't form the word. The stranger-Thierry-said it for her. â€Å"Vampires are real.† A glance from those unfathomable eyes. â€Å"I'm sorry.† Hannah breathed and looked down at him. But the world had finished its reshaping. Her mind was beginning to work again. At least I know I'm not crazy, she thought. That's some consolation. It's the universe that's insane, not me. And now I have to deal with it-somehow. She said quietly, â€Å"Are you going to kill me now?† â€Å"God-no!† He stood up fast, uncoiling. Shock was naked on his face. â€Å"You don't understand. I would never hurt you. I †¦Ã¢â‚¬  He broke off. â€Å"It's hard to know where to begin.† Hannah sat silently, while he looked around the porch for inspiration. She could feel her heart beating in her throat. She'd told Paul that this boy had killed her, kept killing her. But his look of shock had been so genuine-as if she'd hurt him terribly by even suggesting it. â€Å"I suppose I should start by explaining exactly what I am,† he said. â€Å"And what I've done. I made you come outside tonight. I influenced you. I didn't want to do it, but I had to talk to you.† â€Å"Influenced me?† It's a mental thing. I can also just communicate this way. It was his voice, but his lips weren't moving. And it was the same voice she'd heard at the end of her hypnotic session, the voice that wasn't Paul's. The one that had spoken in her head, saying, Hannah, come back. You don't have to relive this. â€Å"You were the one who woke me up,† Hannah whispered. â€Å"I wouldn't have come back except for you.† â€Å"I couldn't stand to see you hurting like that.† Can somebody with his eyes be evil? He was obviously a different sort of creature than she was, and every move he made showed the grace of a predator. It reminded her of how the wolves had moved-they had rippled. He did, too, his muscles moving so lightly under his skin. He was unnatural- but beautiful. Something struck her. â€Å"The wolves. I picked up a silver picture frame to bash them with. Silver.† She looked at him. â€Å"Werewolves are real.† At the last moment her voice made it a statement instead of a question. â€Å"So much is real that you don't know about. Or that you haven't remembered yet. You were starting to remember with that shrink. You said I was a Lord of the Night World.† The Night World. Just the mention of it sent prickles through Hannah. She could almost remember, but not quite. And she knew it was crazy to be kneeling here having this conversation. She was talking to a vampire. A guy who drank blood for a living. A guy whose every gesture showed he was a hunter. And not only a vampire, but the person her subconscious had been warning her about for weeks. Telling her to be afraid, be very afraid. So why wasn't she running? For one thing, she didn't think her legs would physically support her. And for another-well, somehow she couldn't stop looking at him. â€Å"One of the werewolves was mine,† he was saying quietly. â€Å"She was here to find you-and protect you. But the other one†¦ Hannah, you have to understand. I'm not the only one looking for you.† To protect me. So I was right, Hannah thought. The gray female was on my side. She said, â€Å"Who else is looking?† â€Å"Another Night Person.† He looked away. â€Å"Another vampire.† â€Å"Am I a Night Person?† â€Å"No. You're a human.† He said it the way he said everything, as if reminding her of terrible facts he wished he didn't have to bring up. â€Å"Old Souls are just humans who keep coming back.† â€Å"How many times have I come back?† â€Å"I †¦ I'd have to think about it. Quite a few.† â€Å"And have you been with me in all of them?† â€Å"Any of them I could manage.† â€Å"What do the rest of the notes mean?† Hannah had been gathering speed, and now she was shooting questions at him in machine-gun fashion. She thought she was in control, and she hardly noticed the hysterical edge to her own voice. â€Å"Why am I telling myself I'll be dead before I'm seventeen?† â€Å"Hannah†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He reached out a hand to calm her. Hannah's own hand moved by reflex, coming up to ward his off. And then their fingers touched, bare skin to bare skin, and the world disappeared.

Chinese Mencius And Xunzi On Human Nature Essay

Mencius and Xunzi both follow Confucian philosophy yet have a dramatically different understanding of human nature. Additionally, the two philosophers make their arguments in strikingly different literary methods. Mencius believes that the â€Å"goodness of human nature is like the downward course of water† (147) in that people are naturally inclined to be good, and he makes this argument through conversations among friends and public figures. In contrast, Xunzi staunchly argues that â€Å"Human nature is evil† (179) and through essays claims that human nature’s only â€Å"goodness derives from the conscious activity† (179). The two philosophers both use many metaphors to explain their own interpretation of human nature in different ways. By exploring the philosophies of these two great Confucian thinkers, one better understands the multitude of ways human nature can be explained in Confucianism throughout Chinese history. As the â€Å"single most influential contributor to a view of human nature in Confucianized East Asia† (116), Mencius’ philosophy is fundamental. Mencius argues that human nature is good, and â€Å"ru† teachings furthered natural tendencies. To explain the natural goodness of human nature Mencius shows that â€Å"the goodness of human nature is like the downward course of water. † By this he claims, â€Å"there is no human being lacking in the tendency to do good, just as there is no water lacking in the tendency to flow downward† (147). Furthermore he counters the claim that water can be manipulated to go many directions by rationalizing that, â€Å"while people can be made to do what is not good, what happens to their nature is like this†(147). Overall, this metaphor is used to show that without manipulation or outside forces, people naturally want to do good things. 1 Additionally, Mencius asserts that the innate knowledge and ability, that of the child, is original and good due to the natural human tendency toward goodness. He explains that, â€Å"what people are able to do without having learned it is original, good ability. What they know without having to think about it is original, good knowledge† (156). Furthermore he gives the practical example that, â€Å"there are no young children who do not know to love their parents† (156). Another metaphor, that of the child falling into the well, advances the idea that this innate knowledge can be found in all people. Mencius explains that a man upon seeing a, â€Å"child falling in to a well, his mind would always be filled with alarm†therefore, â€Å"all human beings have a mind that cannot bear to see the sufferings of others (129). By claiming that a man can not help but feel this alarm naturally supports Mencius’ idea that by nature humans can not bear to see the suffering of other. Finally, Mencius uses the example of Ox Mountain, which was once beautifully covered in trees but is now bare to show the transformation of the outward appearance of human nature. Upon seeing, â€Å"this barrenness, people suppose that the mountain was never wooded. But how could this be the nature of the mountain? † (151). He asks. By this Mencius illustrates that one might suppose that a man never had the capacity for goodness just because he does not now follow the Way, however just as is the mountains nature to be wooded, it is man’s nature to be good. In contrast to Mencius optimistic thoughts on human nature, Xunzi argues that, â€Å"human nature is evil; its goodness derives from the conscious activity† (179). By this Xunzi means that human nature tends towards a â€Å"fondness for profit†¦envy and hate†¦ beautiful sights and sounds†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and â€Å"following human nature and indulging human emotions will inevitably lead to contention and strife† (180). Such a grim outlook on 2 human nature likely derives from the tremulous and violent time period in which he developed these philosophies. Xunzi’s journeys during the Warring States Period likely had an impact on his pessimistic stance on human nature. However, Xunzi explains that these low human desires can be and should be controlled and directed by means of ritual and teachings. He praises the value of teachers as a way of practicing virtue and claims, â€Å"one must be transformed by the example of a teacher and guided by the way of ritual and rightness before one will attain modestly and yielding, accord with refinement and ritual, and return to order† (180). Xunzi refutes the idea that ritual and rightness are part of human nature and instead are the result of activity through the metaphor of a potter and carpenter. Xunzi rationalizes, â€Å"a potter may mold clay and produce an earthen pot, but how could molding pots of clay be the potter’s nature? A carpenter may carve wood and produce utensils but how could carving utensils out of wood be the carpenter’s nature? † (182). In this metaphor Xunzi illustrates how rituals are the result of conscious activity, and these rituals â€Å"established models and limits in order to reform and improve the human emotional nature† (180). Without such limits to evil human nature, society would fall into chaos. Mencius, in each of his metaphors illustrates how human nature has a tendency to be good. In contrast Xunzi’s metaphors and explanations illustrate his claim that human nature is bad. Although these two thinkers differ greatly in philosophy, they share the idea that governance and personal cultivation have a close relationship. Mencius’ belief that human nature is good is related to his idea of proper governance. Leading by example allows people to follow the Way and to be in touch with their true human nature, and therefore Heaven. In contrast, Xunzi believes that evil human nature can be curbed and 3 directed through conscious activity and ritual so as to allow for order in government. Finally, the two, as â€Å"ru† thinkers, also believe in the ability of humans in general to aspire to higher personal cultivation. Mencius states, â€Å"if one does what is not good, that is not the fault of ones capacities† (149) and similarly Xunzi also claims, â€Å"The man on the street can become a Yu† (183) meaning any man on the street has the natural endowment needed to understand virtue.

Impact of WTO membership on China’s Agriculture Sector Essay

Although fruitful for sectors like finance and banking, China’s WTO member has not proved to be that much lucrative for the agriculture sector of China since it provides both opportunities and threats for the country’s economy. At one hand, China’s decreasing tariffs of agricultural exports attracted global market thereby causing a considerable boom in the year 2004 in which China’s agricultural exports raised to $17. 3 billion. At the other hand, as a result of free trade China faces a major threat in terms of the competition for domestic grains like corn and soybeans with the imported grains of better quality thereby snatching the livelihood of many farmers and people related to the agriculture sector. For the very reason, China has not opened its market of agricultural products as much as it has for the manufactured goods. Another reason behind a non restricted import of agricultural goods is that such a step on China’s behalf would have led to a trade deficit. Keeping in mind China’s growing population, China’s import would have superseded its export in case of non-protectionism. Also, China faces a risk of suffering losses because such products are easily infected and such a scenario can not only leave a scar for China’s growing international repute but can also cause a major set back to the Chinese exporters. Impact of China’s membership of WTO on China’s Manufacturing Industry: The manufacturing industry of China represents one of the major successes pertaining to the membership of WTO. Because of the cheaper prices of China made goods in the international market, the demand of these products is ever increasing. In case of manufacturing of automobiles, China has been excelling since 1975 but the major boom after its membership of WTO indicating a production percentage increase of 41. 3 percent in a single year when its production number raised to 3. 25 million in the year 2002. Today, the China’s automobile industry stands among the world’s top automobile giants. In the case of China’s Telecommunication Industry with China having entered 2nd generation of mobile communications equipment, china has launched its replica mobile phone. Unusually similar in appearance to the high quality branded cell phones, china made replica mobile phones are cheaper enough to satisfy a number of customers across the globe. Impact of WTO membership on China’s International repute: Having discussed the impact of WTO membership on China’s economy, what remains worth mentioning is a series of changes for the other sectors of the country. The impact of globalization is not just confined to the financial gains but has also left a strong image of China thereby hushing away the chances of any other world war in future. For the pro-globalists, globalization has opened new horizons for China to reach out to the world. This has resulted in an ascendance of China’s products across the world. The proliferation of China made good across the world are so wide that it has left U. S. with a ‘China Street’ in the New York City and Pakistan with a ‘China Market’ in the country’s capital. Both these markets are peculiarly meant for the selling of China made goods that are much cheaper as compared to those made by other countries. It is the result of internationalization that China has permeated into every corner of the global community by attracting the customers with its cheaper prices. But the other side of the coin suggest contrary to the positive side WTO membership on China’s international repute. The exemption of trade barriers encourages the flow of infections and diseases through products from one place to another. SARS stands as one such example that had left many people at the verge of death. It was in first few months of the year 2003 that marked the outbreak of SARS. â€Å"Originating in southern China in late 2002 (or earlier by some accounts), the epidemic quickly infected more than 8,000 people in 30-plus countries, causing nearly 800 deaths within six months. By the time the disease was finally brought under control, Beijing’s initial mishandling of the crisis, as well as the SARS scourge itself, had taken a serious toll on China’s economy and its international reputation. † Impact of WTO membership on China’s Legal System: Gregory C. Chow in his article ‘The impact of joining WTO on China’s economic, legal and political institutions’ suggests that the WTO membership of China has not only resulted in economic boom but has also brought an amelioration in the legal system of the country. He lays his assumption on the fact that by WTO membership China is dealing with a number of international firms. The exposure of foreign laws would positively affect China to pave its way to legal modernization. Also, it is in the aggrandizing phase of globalization that China has enacted many commercial laws that involve the laws pertaining to bankruptcy and corporate behaviour. It is a direct result of this fact that the number of Chinese legal personnel continue to increase. With WTO membership, this move towards globalization is further facilitated thereby suggesting a further amelioration of China’s legal system. Impact of China’s membership of WTO on other nations: Of all the corollaries of China’s entrance into the World Trade Organization, the global competition supersedes providing both the optimistic and pessimistic implications for the world. At one hand the increasing competitive has triggered a wave of fear for many smaller economies by dragging them at the verge of economic fiasco. At the other hand, the same competitiveness has fostered the production of high quality products and innovative technologies employed by the competitors. China’s accession to WTO demanded a decline in China’s tariffs on goods. These tariff barriers were employed by China as a technique of economic protectionism in order to flourish the domestic industry that might have faced overwhelming competition by the entrance of foreign goods with low tariffs. Making it crystal clear, the WTO membership not only opened new opportunities for China to globalize its export but with the ascendance of export the integration also caused the increase of import by China being forced to lower the tariffs on imported goods. According to the findings of Dorothy Guerrero in ‘China, the WTO and Globalization: looking beyond growth figures’ China had to lower down its overall tariffs on agricultural goods from 54 percent in 2001 to 15. 3 percent in 2005. However the net results favoured China in a sense that even in the absence of high tariffs, some invisible barriers for the products of foreign countries were still implemented by China. These non tariff barriers indirectly dissuade the participants of international trade market from progressively entering China’s domestic market. These non tariff barriers involve issues pertaining to stringent security check, product certification, labelling standards, delay in customs clearance and import approval. The stringency of these national non tariff barriers significantly differ from the international standards and often keep varying from time to time. As a result of rejection based on these national standards, foreign manufacturers suffered a great loss especially in terms of agricultural products. This rejection has lessened their share of goods exported to China. Apparently being insulated from the economic progress and WTO membership of China, Chinese Politics also experiences changes in terms of the preference of communists or democrats. Just like WTO demands free trade and rights of all the nations, the Chinese citizens of future can be predicted to unanimously demand democracy for the rights of every citizen.