Music of the World Essay

1.What is popular music? Popular music is any music since industrialization in the mid-1800s that is in line with the tastes and preferences of the middle class. 2.What theme does pop music typically use in the lyrics? Describe one pop song that uses this theme. Why is this theme such a popular one? One theme of pop music typically used in the lyrics is dancing or movements. Almost all pop music has to do with love or dancing. Take the song â€Å"Sway With Me† by Michael Buble for an example. The theme is dancing. 3.What is disco? What are the characteristics of this music? Disco was one of the many musical genres developed in the 1970s. It mixes â€Å"soaring† vocals with a beat that encourages dancing, disco became the dance music of the decade. The music often had 100 to 130 beats per minute and a pulse of the rhythm was often emphasized. 4.What was the British invasion? Which famous group was a part of this movement? What impact did the group have on pop music? The British invasion was the connection of the British music culture and the American music culture. The Beatles was a famous group who was part of the movement. Their music had catchy lyrics and melodies which would be the centerpiece of pop music for the next several decades. 5.What is a boy band? What are some characteristics of a boy band? A boy band is a band that consists of between three and six young adult boys who used no instruments and just sang. Their image was one of the most important elements of the group, maybe even more then the music itself. All aspects of the music were carefully controlled from their dress to even the stereotypes that the group members fit into such as â€Å"bad boy† and the â€Å"baby†.

Analysis of “The Soldier” by Rupert Brooke

â€Å"The Soldier† by Rupert Brooke Analysis â€Å"The Soldier†, is a British patriotic sonnet written by Rupert Brooke in 1914. It expresses love for the mother country which in this case is Great Britain. This poem describes the physical aspects of death and the writer’s opinion of it. Although death is the main point in this poem, it not depicted in a twisted and gruesome manner. Rather, death in this poem is a sacrifice. â€Å"The Soldier† is a patriotic poem. The purpose of patriotic poems during WWI was to motivate people to enlist for the armed forces.It is quite similar to a piece of propaganda, asking in a way for people to join the armed forces; to take his place should he be killed –â€Å"If I should die, think only this of me†. We know that this poem is patriotic because of the last three lines of the first stanza, in particular –â€Å"A body of England’s, breathing English air,† We also know this poem is patr iotic because it was written in 1914, when the war just started and spirits were high. After a while though, the enthusiasm dropped as people began to discover the nasty and cruel conditions of the trenches.By the end of war, famine and constant bomb raids had completely obliterated all signs of patriotism. In the first stanza, Brooke mentions his belief of the physical aspects of death for one’s country. The â€Å"foreign field† is where his body will lay forever. The soil contains the soul of a glorious man who died for his country. Brooke believes that if he dies there, the soil around his body will become a part of England as a result of the purity of his soul –â€Å"That is forever England,† The soldier was brought up by England and as a result, his thoughts and beliefs are both influenced by England.When he dies, all of his evil deeds and sins have been forgiven because he gave the ultimate sacrifice; to die for one’s country. Brooke also bel ieves that, because the motherland was so nice to him, he must give back what she has given to him; that he must lay down his life to ensure that the motherland stays a free country. It is the only thing that he can give back to the motherland to say thanks. Throughout this poem, England is personified as a mother. It demonstrates how important the soldiers of England really are to the country itself.Brooke writes this poem in a patriotic and joyful manner. He does not believe that dying for your country is a traumatic experience. This in contrast to another famously acclaimed poem by Wilfred Owen –â€Å"Dulce et Decorum Est† Brooke believes that dying for one’s country is a brave and honourable thing to do, especially during war. It states that should the person die, he should not be mourned, instead he should be looked upon as a selfless sacrifice to England.Although the poem itself is referring to one person; himself, the title suggests that this poem is repr esenting all soldiers, as when soldiers fight in wars, they lose their identity and become cogs in a big machine. To conclude, Rupert Brooke’s â€Å"The Soldier† is a patriotic poem about a soldier who had great love for his country. Brooke presents this sonnet as a piece of propaganda and encourages people to enlist for the armed forces. This poem describes the ideas of death in a mind of a patriotic person and gives us an insight into Brooke’s style of writing. Overall, this is a poem about honour and glory, about life and death.

Structured Equity Derivatives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Structured Equity Derivatives - Essay Example Leverage on equity returns over predetermined ranges. Limit or reduce downside exposure to the underlying equities. Even out, compensate or reduce transaction costs as part of multiple option sophisticated investing strategies. The term equity derivative essentially means a class of financial instruments whose value is at least partly derived from one or more underlying equity securities. Market participant's trade structured equity derivatives in order to transfer or transform certain risks associated the underlying. Options are by far the most common equity derivative; however there are many other types of equity derivatives that are actively traded. Ramaswami et al(2001) have lucidly described the concept of structured equity linked derivatives through the concept of Equity Linked Notes(ELNs).They state as follows, "An Equity-Linked Note (ELN) is an instrument that provides investors fixed income like principal protection together with equity market upside exposure. An ELN is stru ctured by combining the economics of a long call option on equity with a long discount bond position. The investment structure generally provides 100% principal protection. The coupon or final payment at maturity is determined by the appreciation of the underlying equity. The instrument is appropriate for conservative equity investors or fixed income investors who desire equity exposure with controlled risk". The figure below explains the profits at the expiration of a fully protected ELN . Current Industry Scenario Since their launch on the London Stock Exchange in 2005, Listed Structured Products have become popular and flexible investment tools for UK wealth managers and brokers. In there simplest form, they offer ETF like access to underlying that may be otherwise difficult or expensive to trade, such as commodities, emerging markets or property indices. The more structured products, such as Accelerators, provide enhanced upside participation with no worse than market risk. In addition they can reduce other risks, such as eliminating currency risk for non UK investments, or provide an element of capital protection in case of market falls. Another range of products are designed for Income seeking investors. These can offer high annual (or semi-annual or quarterly) coupon payments in return for giving away upside market participation. All Listed Structured Products enjoy the benefits of being traded directly on the London Stock Exchange. These include: Transparency:Live, two-way prices are maintained throughout the trading day Ease of trade:Products trade and settle via CREST as with UK equity Liquidity: Trades of 5m+ can be executed at prevailing market prices Flexibility: Min trade size of 1,000 makes products highly accessible Key Terminology:1 Trackers: Tracks an underlying asset (commodity, Halifax house price index, equity indices etc) Cost efficient means to trade an asset Diversify exposure across an index Stamp duty free Typically long-dated or indeed undated with an indefinite lifespan Reverse Trackers: An inverse relationship with the underlying asset Profit from downwards price movements in the underlying Stamp duty free Capital Protected: Exposure to underlying asset at fixed percentage Capital invested is protected at specified level Stamp duty free Yield Enhancement: Track underlying instrument without leveraged downside Can incorporate many different features which affect

Food and beverage management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Food and beverage management - Case Study Example The restaurant is also renowned for its Franconian food, which is presented with the Franconian dialect. Dishes such as organic beef in buttermilk or sausages with kraut, among others, tend to entice and retain customers. This provides a unique and unforgettable experience to those experiencing it. ‘s Baggers also capitalize on their marketing strategies, which is often with the help of customers. They tend to do advertising through the word of mouth, and recommendations to the outside market, thus attracting more potential customers. This is evident from the distribution of 1500 loyalty cards or friends’ cards within the first four and a half months of the restaurant operations (Broom, 234). Perform a SWOT analysis of ‘s baggers restaurant technology. Strengths Use of technology and innovation in its operations is a major strength. This has led to efficiency in delivery of dishes and beverages to the customers. Such aspect as queues, has been eliminated. Dishes ar e easily identified through colour codes that correspond to each and every customer. This translates to good service, and customer satisfaction. Market penetration is also a major strength of the restaurant. Through recommendations and feedback from customers, the restaurant can be able to determine the level of satisfaction from their clients. Customers act as a major advertising element in terms of marketing. Word to word promotions, as well as loyalty cards, has proven to be effective, as this can be seen with the distribution of 1500 loyalty cards or friends’ cards within the first four and a half months of the restaurant operations. This has led to increased sales and returns (Genna 218). Image branding of the restaurant is also another vital strength. Being the first and only fully automated restaurant in the world, it attracts more customers, who tend to seek a different experience from the norm. This has led to the raising of requests and inquiries of creating franchi ses in Germany, Europe, Canada, Australia and even Korea. This will translate to more sales, and a larger market for the restaurant.License and patent rights are also a major strength of the restaurant. With full rights to this patent and licenses, the restaurant can be able to regulate and influence competition from other dominant food chains, as well as upcoming ones. This means more market and an even greater influence in customer loyalty (Mages 291). Weakness Technology can be considered as a weakness due to its dynamic nature. The Electronic Point of Sale software might change and become obsolete with time, and this means lower productivity, and inefficient delivery. Overall customer satisfaction will diminish, and customer loyalty will decrease. Customers may also find it hard interacting with the computer interface of these systems. Waiters will have a burden in ensuring that all customer needs are met, and this might be overwhelming considering they have other tasks to perfo rm. This may also discourage customers who prefer a more popular way of service delivery, in this case interaction with waiters (Steinhoff 389). Threats Technology can also be considered as a threat. Due to its dynamic nature, technology tends to become outdated and obsolete in a rather fast way. This might prove to be expensive in terms of upgrades and

CONTEMPORARY PRACTICES AND DEBATES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

CONTEMPORARY PRACTICES AND DEBATES - Essay Example Another example is how the prince’s birth has been announced to the public, which merges new and old media traditions. Clearly, several things, including deciding and announcing the name of royalty, are much faster done now compared to olden times. Moreover, being part of the British family, Kate and William’s little prince will expect large media attraction and coverage, although the British family has tried to limit the latter’s presence in their lives in various ways, since Princess Diana’s death in August 31, 1997 (Lawless and Vinograd, 2013). The royal family, for example, has made arrangements with the British press regarding photos and information that can or cannot be published in the past (Lawless and Vinograd, 2013), a form of censorship that is harder to apply on the foreign/international press. These actions are only some of the examples of the departures of the British family from old traditions and their responses to the intrusions that come from the new media. This essay describes the old and new media environment that the little prince will grow in, as well his impact on the British economy and society. It shows that, despite the prevalence and dominance of the new media, the British family balances old and new cultural traditions as they seek to manage and to influence the media’s increasing impact on society, most especially, on the growth of the little Prince George. To learn more about the role of media in the British family, it would be helpful to describe some changes in how the royal family announced the birth of Prince George. Traditionally, the royal family announces the birth of royal babies â€Å"in front of Buckingham Palace, in the form of a notice placed on an easel in the forecourt of the palace† (Gibson, 2013). British officials changed the tradition when they informed the public of Prince George’s birth through e-mail first, where they added: â€Å"The

Watercolor Prints Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Watercolor Prints - Essay Example The procedures for this class are; Step 1: Children will sit down on the floor (white coloring sheets on the floor) instead of having a canvas in front of them. (Children will not get tired holding their hands in the air). Step 2: Asked to brush colors on canvas without any restrictions Step 3: teacher will go up to each student and tell them specific points about their painting so they could make it better. Step 4: Let them be. Let them use their imaginations and create whatever pleases them. Step 5: they will be briefed about specifics of painting later so they would take short notes. Step 6: They are supposed to write about their own piece. Step 7: Next day, they are supposed to repeat the process in the hopes of improvement. Purposes of the Lesson The purpose of the lesson is to teach students how to read and express emotions through water painting. Estimated Duration Estimated duration for this course is 5 days; daily 4pm to 10pm. Pre- Assessment Just the basic understanding of water colors would be considered sufficient to enroll in this class. The thing about this class is not much about teaching but letting students express themselves through water paintings.

Artices summary Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Artices summary - Article Example The chosen article consists of a study conducted on women in order to identify their underlying causes for major depression. The personalities of over 2000 women were studied by doctors at the Medical College of Virginia where they tried to unearth the kind of feelings women were going through. The main aim for the purpose of this test was to figure out the levels of depression as well as neuroticism that most women felt. According to the background of the study conducted, it was stated that these two factors are the most common aspects of a person’s inner thinking and mind which helps to depict whether or not a person is going through feelings of depression or is facing a period of depression. After a proper analysis of the results, it was noted that neuroticism coupled with depression were mostly caused due to genetic factors first. It was comprehended from the test results that in order to find out a woman’s level of depression, it is easier to understand the same by doing a search of the feelings of anxiety and stress levels in a woman rather than looking at her self esteem. (Seth B. Roberts and Kenneth S. Kendler, 1999) The article chosen for the purpose of explanation of substance dependency is based on young boys in their early-late teenage years. A number of noted psychologists have stated that this age has been witnessing an increase in terms of substance users and abusers around the world. Dependence on alcohol or drugs takes place in the subconscious of an individual at first and therefore, it is a very psychological reaction faced by the person as he continues or increases his usage of substances to carry on with his lifestyle. The article notes that there are a number of offspring of substance users that fall into the trap as well, and due to such usage of drugs, narcotics and alcohol to lead a wayward life, they lose their ability to control emotions and fair very poorly thus, in ECF tests conducted. Such users have been said

Stonewall Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Stonewall - Case Study Example (b) Economic factors: The economic factors comprise of interest rates, taxation changes, economic growth, inflation and exchange rates. It can impact business in different ways, for instance the higher interest rates may discourage investment because it costs more to borrow. (c)Inflation: It may give rise to higher salary demands from employees and also raise the costs, for instance higher national income growth may boost demand for a firm's products. (d)Social factors: Changes in social trends can impact the demand for a firm's products and the willingness of individuals to work. If we say that population of Canada is ageing, then we will also consider that more old age homes would be required, which in turn would require construction material. (e)Technological factor: New technologies create new products and new processes. It is also capable of reducing costs and improving quality and it also leads to innovation. These developments can benefit consumers as well as the organizations providing the products. 4. Identify and explain the various techniques for forecasting labor supply and labor demand. What can organizations do in the short run when they recognize a gap in which supply far exceeds demand? What could Stonewall do in this situation? The techniques that can be used for forecasting labor demands are trend analysis and management forecast. (a) Trend analysis: in which labor requirements are forecasted on the basis of some organizational index. (b)Management forecast: are the opinions of experts, supervisors and sometimes the skilled labor as well, regarding the organizational labor forecast. The supply of labor can be forecasted by different techniques including staffing tables, Markov analysis, and... Stonewall Company should explore alternatives prior to making its downsizing decision. One way to do so is by employee transfer to either within company’s subsidies, or to other companies. Later, if performance of transferred employees remains stagnant, then layoffs with proper reasoning will be the only way out. Information regarding downsizing should be provided to the employees as it is not only an employee’s right to know about it at least 3 months prior to layoff, but it is also constitutes the company’s foremost duty to its employees. Stonewall Company should opt for downsizing the Montreal plant. The reasoning behind it is that the Quebec is relatively small province as compared to others. If at times, more supplies are needed, Mississauga plant can easily transport it to Montreal because it is only on a 6 hours drive. Moreover, average hourly rate in Montreal plant is less as compared to others. So, in order to avoid the negative impact on the remaining e mployees, Stonewall can increase the average hourly rate, which would easily motivate the existing employees.

Evaluation and Critique Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Evaluation and Critique - Research Paper Example The Montana edges an unidentified foreign object (UFO), which causes the submarine to stall as it malfunctions and sinks (The Abyss). In the meantime, media reports attribute the sinking of the Montana to a Soviet attack. The US military arrives at the location above the sinking, which happens to be near communist Cuba. Other vessels arriving in the area are believed to be Soviet spies. The US military dispatches group of SEAL officers to occupy an underwater exploration site with the intention of rescuing nuclear warheads carried by the Montana and to ensure that the ship is out of the Soviets’ reach. Tensions are building throughout, highlighting US-Soviet Cold War tensions, the dangers of environmental and nuclear damages as it becomes clear that a hurricane is fast approaching and could heighten the risk of a catastrophe. All the while SEAL officers dispatched below are showing signs of the ill-effects of the pressure associated with being under water (The Abyss). The alie n encounter is perhaps more telling as it brings the preceding themes of political tensions to a head and underscores the dangers of capitalism, both of which are the hallmarks of postmodernism thought. The aliens come into contact with SEAL lieutenant and shows him video images depicting past, present and future damages caused by mankind. The underlying message is man’s greed and mismanagement have led to self-destructive behaviour. Images of tsunamis, nuclear explosions and even the Vietnam War (The Abyss). As Simpson explains, Cameron’s approach in The Abyss distinguishes it from other futuristic science fiction film. A majority of this genre predicts disaster at some time in the future or presents a disaster and focuses on who will come out alive. The Abyss however, draws attention to past disasters, disasters in the present and predicts disaster in the future and in doing so attributes this to man’s own behaviour (Simpson). In line with postmodern thought, The Abyss focuses on post-war behaviour which has set up a series of bad and destructive behaviour fuelled by political tensions and capitalist greed (Forsyth). The narrative in The Abyss does not directly comment on capitalism, but it is inferred from the underlying political tensions and the technological progression that is a part of the destruction of the environment. The film’s narrative is more direct in its political commentary. The alien encounter represents a confrontation in which the SEAL lieutenant is able to see the damages caused by post-war political tensions from the perspective of an outsider. The underlying message is that this behaviour is counterproductive and will only grow worse with time and the results will be catastrophic. Postmodernism is about commandeering positive change, by highlighting flawed ideology and its corresponding behaviour (Forsyth). In this regard, the alien encounter in The Abyss serves as a soul searching exercise and a moment of re cognition. The underlying question for the viewer is whether or not the capitalist ideology is more sophisticated than the Communist ideology. After all, the capitalist structure shares equal responsibility for the stockpiling of nuclear weapons, and is arguably more responsible for environmental damages that contribute to and heighten the risk of natural disasters such as tsunamis and hurricanes. The postmodern message in The Abyss is therefore that the world is divided into two factions: man against nature as opposed

Gender Sexuality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Gender Sexuality - Essay Example This is interesting because it reverses the more common poetic tradition of male poets writing about female beauty from a male perspective. The history of Western love poetry goes back to the Middle Ages, and the tales of courtly knights who admired fair ladies. The lady was idealized in poetry, but in society men had a very much stronger position. Love poetry was therefore artificial, with very little reference to actual sex. In modern times there are more women poets, mainly because access to education, and to publishing facilities, are much more available to women. The two poems mentioned here are examples of a challenge to masculine literary tradition. They suggest there might be a different world order where women can take the initiative and use their power of writing to objectify and idealize men, according to a new set of gender rules which are much more equal. Ackerman’s poem shows how a meeting between a man and a woman can take place under water, using breathing apparatus. The first section shows how the underwater world is different from the everyday world on land. The fact that the man â€Å"had to ask twice† before the woman could interpret his gesture of love, suggests that the new environment requires a new type of body language, and a more subtle way of initiating sex. In fact as the poem progresses, the underwater location provides a whole new set of images and connotations. It is very noticeable that the the male partner is described with in terms of an octopus, sand, sea, kelp, shells etc. His hands are described as being â€Å"like tawny starfish†. These are not powerful images. The woman seems to be a part of the whole ocean, while the man is little more than a collection of timid creatures who want to be near her. It is clear that the woman feels at home in the underwater world, and the only disturbing moment in the scene occurs in the lines â€Å"drawing her close as a pirate vessel to let her board: who was this she loved?† (AFPP, lines 47-50). This reference to the pirate ship suggests that the man is an element of danger, but the thought is dismissed and the scene carries on. An important element in the scenery is the way that the underwater world is compared to a very feminine space: â€Å"an opium den† (AFPP, line 6) or â€Å"blue boudoir† (AFPP, line 90), complete with decor that is â€Å"pillow soft† (AFPP, line 91) with â€Å"quilted mosaics† (AFPP, line 100) and â€Å"twitching spangles† (AFPP, line 102). The ocean caresses the woman and the suggestion is that when a woman makes love, she returns to a previous evolutionary state, in which she is at one with the beautiful surroundings. The man is the pirate, who invades this matriarchal world, and she remembers him fondly, but she eats up the memory like a peach, showing that ultimately it was the union with the ocean that inspired her, and the man was just a small part of that whole experience. The poem by Joan Murray also writes about memories, but this time they are the collective memories of women who have been watching young men playing softball. For centuries men have been discussing women’s bodies, and evaluating them, for their own amusement. In this poem the tables are

Roman Art Essay Example for Free

Roman Art Essay The ancient Greeks and Romans left such artistic treasures in art and architecture that the world is still using them as models. Their sense of style and symmetry was such that everything seemed to fit together perfectly. There was an emphasis on the capture of beauty and perfection so that what is left will always be classic art. The Statue of Meleager and A Grave Marker are perfect examples of how statues from two different empires represent the societies and the artistic periods of their day. Two unknown sculptures produces both The Statue of Meleager and A Grave Marker. Lack of records is a sad fact of much of the artistic works of the ancient periods. Many could not read or write even if they were accomplished artist. The records that were kept have had to constantly battle the test of times. Much of the materials used for writings simply could not stand up to the elements of time. Then of course, many important documents were destroyed each time a different empire would overtake the one before it. So the world is left with incredible pieces of art work yet it will never know whose hands crafted it with such talent. These two statues are no different. It is evident by the craftsmanship that whoever carved them, were not armatures, but talented sculptures. Their works have remained, but the names and lives are lost forever. Since the sculptures’ identities are lost forever, there is no way of knowing who the patrons of these great works of art were. However, there surely would have been a patron of each of the works. The sculpture of a youth from A Grave Marker has been recognized as being from circa three hundred and eighty B. C. Since it is a grave marker, there surely would have been a patron. It would have been commissioned after the death of this young man since the death of one so young would not have been expected. The patron would have been wealthy since many of the graves in ancient Greece were not marked at all. This one proclaims wealth and importance. Even though the Greeks tried hard to not have a social hierarchy, There was a notable social mobility for certain groups, and exception not permitted in ancient Greece. (D’Ambre) The fact that the subject is a youth points toward some kind of family importance because he would not have lived long enough to have established his own life and accomplishments. This grieving patron would have hired the best that Greece offered at the time. The sculpture would have to have known the subject to have created such a life like image. There were no photographs at the time so the work would have had to be done from memory. Therefore the sculpture would have also been in a state of mourning when the work was done. The Stature of Meleager would also most likely been commissioned by a patron. The time and materials that it took to produce a work like this would not have been something that a sculpture would not have had the money to produce. It would have taken a great deal of time to sculpt and the artist would have needed money to live. This could have only been possible if he was paid for his services. This statue was produced during the Hellenistic Period which was a time that Greece was under Roman rule. Since the subject is of a god, there is a possibility that the patron could have even been the government. The subjects and uses of A Grave Marker and the Statue of Meleager were quite different. A Grave Marker had a youth who was robbed of his life while young as the subject. He was obviously a real person, while Meleager was a mythological god. The young man, as stated earlier, would have been from a prominent family and possibly even a family that was involved in a high ranking political official. The purpose of the statue was to mark the grave of this young man. The family would have wanted this statue so that they would not forget him and that family throughout the ages would get to see the magnificence of this young man who died too soon. Not only would family be reminded of him, but the rest of the world as well would know that he existed. It would have also had the purpose to help relieve the grief that this family obviously suffered. There would be an image on which they could focus. This image would have captured this young man when he was at his best and so could the family focus on the best time of the subject’s life. The Statue of Meleager would have had the purpose of illuminating the greatness of the Greek god, son of Althaea and Oeneus. He was married to Cleopatra and produced two children, Parthenopeus and Polydora. However, he was in love with Atalanta, a huntress. It was because of her that he had to kill her two brothers, and this led to his death. The purpose of this statue in society was to keep alive the memory of the gods of Greece. When viewed by a person of that culture, he/she would be reminded of the story of this god. Both statues would have been for public display. A Grave Marker would have been outwardly displayed on the grave and the Statue of Meleager would have been prominently displayed in a public place or the garden or courtyard of a wealthy person to be seen at lavish parties and get togethers. Both statues are made of marble so that they would last for many years. Therefore, they would have been made for display instead of decoration. Most sculptures would have been painted, but the painted exterior of has worn away with time. Romans were nearly exclusive in the mixtures of supplies used both for painting and sculptures because of the cost. A Grave Marker is the oldest of the two sculptures. The sad countenance of the young man whose likeness is portrayed allows the viewer to experience the tragic sadness of a life that has been lost too soon. The lines are delicate and flowing while they create a feel of movement. While the hair seems tight and a little unrealistic, it could symbolize the harsh stiffness that is present in death. The statue only consist of the torso and head of the subject perhaps suggesting that he was cut down in life as he is in the statue. The Statue of Meleager is missing its head. However, the grace that the body can only allow the viewer to imagine the delicacy of what the head would have looked like. Meleager is standing, but instead of seeming harsh and erect, he is leaning slightly onto a stump for support, while a wrap is draped fluidly around his neck and shoulders. There are no harsh lines in this stature, only curves, that while delicate, they do not take away from the masculinity of the subject. Works Cited D’Ambre, Eve. Roman Art. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 1998. Ramage, Nancy. Ramage, Andrew. Roman Art. New York: 2008.

Tax Office Operation Transformation Essay Example for Free

Tax Office Operation Transformation Essay Governments of developing countries are constantly scrambling to raise the revenues required to finance higher service demands expected by their citizens and the infrastructure (economic, social and environmental) that will enable them to grow the nation towards being industrialized. And to sustain the all imperative comparative advantage over neighbouring nations. Taxation revenues continue to be the main source of revenue for Government spending. This in turn requires well-designed tax policies (new taxes and tax reform) that are translated into clear legislation and are administratively feasible. Perhaps the greatest challenge facing these countries is to improve the effectiveness of their tax administrations.[1] Common Challenges Tax Administrations in developing country contend with the same range of challenges with developed nations, although the significance of typical collection issues may be greater. As a result these countries suffer significant losses in revenue collection. Introducing tax initiatives such as self-assessment and GST does alleviate the revenue leakages to certain extent, however the agencies capacity and capability to administer an effective and efficient taxation system is the ultimate determinant to maximizing collections. It has longed been realized that the existence of widespread tax evasion as part of the hidden economy is a critical concern to developing countries, as it is with developed nations. Hidden income can be defined to include legitimate earnings which are hidden actively or passively to evade tax, as well as illegal earnings derived from non-lawful operations and services. Without trivializing the complexity in dealing with the later type of evasion, the taxpayer’s perception of the administration influences their obligation behaviour. It’s more so evident in developing countries where the administration may not be seen by taxpayers as service organization nor as an active enforcer. For example, common trends include: Â  Inability for taxpayers to get information from or transact with the agency, either low responsiveness, inconsistent advice, multiple hand-offs, huge queues at the service counters etc. Assessments and refunds taking months to process, often taking over six months to make a refund No urgency for Taxpayers to get registered, especially with small to medium enterprise and self-employed Lodgments and payments not pursued actively by the agency, often resulting in over 30% of non-filers Accumulating Debt not pursued in a timely manner by the Agency. Over the years can amount to considerable loss in non-recoverable debt (ie. timing issue). Low level of compliance actively, in terms of education and enforcement. Taxpayer being audited is seen as just bad luck. The Problem The common complaint of the developing country’s tax administration is the lack of resources. In terms of priority, these agencies are more focused on transaction processing activities which are largely manually driven. They are constantly bogged down dealing with never ending processing back-logs, including low turn-around in assessments, refunds, audit cases, appeals, rulings and so on. A large portion of the administration’s staff would be devoted to these low-value activities, which actually does not grow the revenue. The executive management of these administrations is well connected to the best-practices being adopted elsewhere, and understands the positive application to their own environment. They are challenged by the expected rate of change imposed on their agency, constantly battling the needs of Government to collect more and implement new policies quickly, at a lower operational cost. Taxpayers who demand the same levels of services they come to expect from the commercial sector Employees who are frustrated no having the revenue-agency tools to deliver superior services or for effective compliance enforcement. In this hast to modernize the tax agency often turns to automation and Information Technology as the savior and try to implement large amounts of innovation in a short period. As examples, interactive internet service, imaging for data capture, data warehouse, mobile audit workbench, IVR/CTI. All of these are essential IT enablers for the business; however, they often fall short of delivering the benefits in improving service and compliance enforcement in developing countries. The solution Lesson learnt elsewhere tell us that certain characteristics of an agency are central to support business innovation (new ways of doing business) using IT. Without these characteristics, the agency would cripple its efforts to modernize. These characteristics are: Having the building blocks for tax processing, Registration, Lodgment, Payment and Policing. High level of data quality Effective Change Management ability Building Blocks for Tax Processing The main functions of a tax administration, in dealing with taxpayers, aside from actual tax collection or sanctioning non-compliance, largely involve gathering and processing information. The four interrelated blocks are: Registration: Identify potential taxpayers and register taxpayers. Each taxpayer would be identified via a tax identification number and contact details are maintained. This information is core all business activities and imperative to maintain accurate and completed details. Lodgement: Capture, quickly process and record information to assist taxpayers in meeting their tax obligation. Non-lodgment needs to be managed [1] Developing The International Dialogue on Taxation, A Joint Proposal by the Staffs of the IMF, OECD and World Bank, 13 March 2002.

Akira Kurosawa An Auteur Film Studies Essay

Akira Kurosawa An Auteur Film Studies Essay Since the term auteur was applied to film directors by the cahiers du cinema magazine in the 1950s,there has been much debate by film-makers and critics as to what makes an auteur and how accurate the term is when applied to some directors. Federico Fellini, in a 1966 interview, said that Akira Kurosawa was the greatest living example of what an author of cinema should be'(Cardullo,2006,p.49) and in this essay I would like to explore the accuracy of this statement based on Kurosawas period films and how meaningful the term auteur is. In his article, Notes On The Auteur Theory In 1962, Andrew Sarris (interpreting the Cahiers various articles on what became known as auteurism)describes the auteur as a director who is technically proficient, whose personal style is clear in the way a film looks and moves and who creates an interior meaning from the tension between a directors personality and his material. This last statement, Sarris admits, is ambiguous. Susan Hayward in her book Cinema Studies: The Key Concepts (1996) sheds more light on what the cahiers meant by auteur by defining the interior meaning as the mise en scene and the personality of the director. She also describes the total author'(p.33), a director who writes their screenplays. Because of the sheer amount of debate surrounding what an auteur is I will base my argument on both Sarris and to a lesser extent Haywards explanation of the term auteur. A large part of being an auteur, based on what Sarris defines as an auteur, is the ability of a director t o imprint their mark onto a film in spite of the limitations brought on by studio control. This would have had great meaning in Hollywood at the time the article was written but not necessarily in the film industries of the wider world, particularly Japan. For Kurosawa in there far fewer limitations in how he made films in comparison to his Hollywood counterparts. Kurosawa was the principle writer on the majority of his films and those which were based on other stories would be adapted by him for the screen. He would often quote his mentor, Kajiro Yamamoto, in interviews saying if you want to become a film director, first write scripts (Kurosawa, 2008, p.10). In this respect Kurosawa was quite literally the author/auteur and originator of his films and so would appear to fit into the total author mould. Where the gray area exists as far as being an auteur is in Kurosawas use of collaborators in the screenwriting process such as Shinobu Hashimoto who was involved in the writing of Seven Samurai (1954), Throne Of Blood(1957) and The Hidden Fortress (1958) to name but a few. This would arguably prevent him from being considered a total author. Another area where Kurosawa has total control is editing. In the introduction to the book Akira Kurosawa: Interviews , Bert Cardullo calls Kurosawa an auteur because he edited or closely supervised the editing of all his films (p.10). I am inclined to agree with Cardullo that this would add to the degree of authorship on a film as Kurosawa will have the final decision on exactly what the cinemagoer will see. This could be seen as technical proficiency however Sarris article bases technical proficiency on directing skills, editing skills are not even considered. Overall it seems that the level of control Kurosawa had over non-directorial aspects of his films would remove the impact of his autuerism because so much of what makes an auteur is the ability to push through industrial control to have your own voice heard. With Kurosawa it was his own voice from the beginning in the writers room and it would end as his voice in the editing room with no real struggle involved. Because Kurosawa wrote the script it was all uniquely personal to him which is one of the key elements of auteurism. In Notes On The Auteur Theory In 1962 Andrew Sarris had said that a director spends most of his life on one film. For Kurosawa that one film could be the period film, something he worked on time and time again. The backdrop of medieval Japan was the preferred setting for Kurosawa and something which was very personal to him: Kurosawas intense feelings for pre-modern Japan, his perceptions of himself and his family in these terms, disclose a view of the past as a living sensuous reality (Prince,1999,p.203) His father was of samurai descent and Kurosawa himself romanticised the past in many ways, finding solace in it where there was none in the present. The early samurai films show his youthful exuberance with films such as Seven Samurai and Yojimbo(1961)showing a positive vision of the past heroism has been transformed into acts of everyday charity (Prince,1999,p.241). In stark contrast to the positive nature of these films the later samurai films are significantly more bleak in nature. These films followed years of depression, attempted suicide and struggles to find finance. For example Ran(1985) Kurosawas last samurai epic, the title of which translates as turmoil or chaos, is a downward spiral of misery from start to finish with almost all characters having distinctly negative traits. Prince describes the period of both ran and the earlier Kagemusha(1980) as defining a period of melancholy and bitterness and a questioning of youthful idealism (p.293). Further examples of Kurosawas o wn beliefs and personality lie in the themes of the films. When asked what he felt were the common themes in his films Kurosawa replied the only theme I can think of is really a question: why cant people be happier together'(Kurosawa, 2008, p.162). In many ways the real recurring theme of Kurosawas films is humanism, he regularly explores human nature whether its an individual taking up arms against the corrupt (Yojimbo), people working together for the greater good (Seven Samurai) or the hopelessness of war (Ran). All suggest that the world would be a better place if we all got along. These films show the personality, thoughts and feelings of the director during their production which I would argue is a prime example of what an auteur is, someone whos films reflect them. Kurosawa was a highly visual film-maker. In his youth he had wanted to be an artist and its clear from the composition of many of his shots that he retained the sensibilities of an artist. From the interviews conducted over the years in Kurosawa: The Interviews it is clear that Kurosawa maintains as much control over every shot as possible from composition to choice of camera. Stephen Prince describes the technical knowledge of Kurosawa and his reliance upon telephoto lens and techniques of multi-camera filming'(p.18) as well as his use of anamorphic frame in later films such as Kagemusha. Kurosawa knew how to get the best images out of every scene even if it meant using unconventional techniques and new technology. He lives up to the level of technical expertise Sarris had believed was vital for a true auteur. This did not however mean that Kurosawa was his own camera operator, indeed he couldnt be because from Seven Samurai onwards he stuck to using multi-cameras no matter what kin d of scene was being filmed. He believed this meant that actors would be less conscious of acting to a camera and instead would have to put on a good performance that could be seen at all angles. Kurosawa did his utmost to ensure that his vision was achieved and would regularly take control of his own camera however he described the process of getting others to achieve shots: I explain the desired image in detail not only to the cameraman but also every member of staff and have them do their utmost to produce the best possible likeness to it (Kurosawa,2008,p. 27) So even with his knowledge of camera lenses there was still a collaborative issue as far as using a cinematographer and indeed Kurosawa had several regular cinematographers such as Asakazu Nakai who worked on films such as Seven Samurai and Ran. Kurosawas technical proficiency is also very clear in his framing decisions. For example in Seven Samurai Kikuchiyo is clearly the outsider of the group which Kurosawa emphasizes by how the framing consistently isolates him from the rest of the samurai who are clustered together as a group'(prince,1999,p.214). The way battle scenes are shot in Kagemusha with huge amounts of troops at either end of the screen is a sight to behold, all the more so in the way Kurosawa manages to retain a sense of beauty in the battle. Francis Ford Coppola on the making of Kagemusha described the way Kurosawa presented fight scenes and violence as almost poeticstunning and dramatic and embodying the moment that was supposed to be expressed. The stylistic nature of the battle scenes became a trademark for the director from Seven Samurai onwards. His ability to use camera and edit techniques to portray violence in a thrilling, heroic way were part of the style and something that could be recognised as part of a distinctly Kurosawa film. Not only that but the introduction of colour only to improve his vision of battle with Kurasawa frequently choosing drab backgrounds'(Ebert,online) to show of the colourful costumes which effectively stand out from the background and clash together in battle. Another noticeable K urosawa technique is the use of cutting between similar shots to emphasize drama,Kurosawa loved to intercut two or three shots whose compositions were exactly aligned with the axis of view established in the initial camera position (Prince,1999,p.299). Examples of this exist in various Kurosawa films. In Seven Samurai it is used on the flame engulfed house following the initial bandit attack and the broken lock in Yojimbo which is used by Sanjuro to avoid the kidnappers. This technique focuses the viewer on the dramatic or emotional element and creates a tension. With so many more stylistic calling cards than could possibly be named in a single essay, Kurosawa has a clear style and so fits into the auteur theory. The auteur theory however clearly has many failings even when applied to someone who appears to cover all the bases (writing, directing, editing) of what makes a film-maker an auteur. Many of these failings have already been discussed but in essence they all come down to one thing, film is a collaborative work. Would Kurosawa be able to achieve the shots he did without the work of some of the worlds best cinematographers? Its highly unlikely. Did he write all of his screenplays alone? Certainly not. Would many of his films have been as enjoyable without some great acting from the cast, particularly frequent collaborator Toshiro Mifune? No. In an interview Kurosawa discusses the collaborative nature of his work with Mifune, particularly the distinct walk Mifune has in Yojimbo,Mifunes walk is his own invention. In order to stress it, I carefully selected camera framings and lenses. This seemingly insignificant example is a snapshot of all that is wrong with the auteur theory. The secon d a director claims a film is all theirs they are disrespecting the great people they have worked with. As for Kurosawa being an auteur,even ignoring the flaws in that theory, Mutsuhiro Yoshimoto in his book Kurosawa: Film Studies and Japanese Cinema says: Kurosawas films are too worldly and historical to be approached as mere aesthetic objects where his personal vision is inscribed or as a structure or textual system that reveals his unconscious desire (p.239)

Mindfulness Based Meditation Essay -- Cultivating Mindfulness

This paper is about my experience with mindfulness based meditation and scientific inquiry of these experiences. Mindfulness based meditation is describes as technique used to cultivate nonreactive, non-judgmental and stable awareness of the present moment (Garland and Gaylord, 2009). The end goal is to sustain this meta-cognitive state for a long period of time. I practiced non-denominational form of mindfulness based meditation for the first time in my psychology class, which was devoted towards intellectual and experiential examination of meditation. The practice was conducted in a group it was instructed by our own professor and it begun at the end of class. There was one sessions per week and each session was structured meaning it was timed and the focus was on the out breath. I experienced numerous emotions, sensations and mental states while I practiced meditation. During my practice the focus was on the out breath and by doing so the idea was to have non-judgmental and non reactive awareness of emotions, thoughts and sensations that arise in my mind while I practiced meditation. Firstly, for me meditation served as a tool for self awakening, by ‘’awakening’’ I mean meditation made me realize the existence and dominance of mind wandering and ignorance. In a scientific study it was shown that mind wandering was the majority of the conscious experience (Hasenkamp et al., 2012). Before I practiced meditation I was unaware of the effects of mind wandering not only on performance towards certain task but also towards sustaining attention to the present moment. For example on my very first session of meditation I realized how I completely zoned out for the first few minutes until we took a break and that made me further realiz... ..., MA: Shambhala Publications. Ricard, M., & Chödzin, S. (2010). Why meditate?. Carlsbad, Calif.: Hay House, Inc.. Corey, G., & Corey, M. S. (2010). I never knew I had a choice: explorations in personal growth (9th ed., instructor's ed.). Australia: Brooks/Cole. P164 Craighead, W. E., Miklowitz, D. J., & Craig, L. W. (2013). Psychopathology(Second Edition ed.). New Jersey: Wiley. P200 Ricard, M., & Thuan, T.X. (2001). The quantum and the lotus: A journey to the frontiers where science and Buddhism meet. New York, NY: Three Rivers Press. [Chapter 1] Arch, J.J., & Craske, M.G. (2006). Mechanisms of mindfulness: Emotion regulation following a focused breathing induction. Behavior Research and Therapy, 44, 1849-1858. Filaber, D. (2013). Transform Your Life with Meditation:The Lives and Legacies of the Greatest Meditation Masters. Bloomington: AuthorHouse. P33

The Internet: Fad or Fortune? :: Computers Technology Web Essays

The Internet: Fad or Fortune? Many people have rushed to Internet much like the gold diggers rushed to California in search for the illusive gold that laid hidden in the hills somewhere. People have come to view the Internet almost as a money tree where all they need to do is put up their business site and within weeks they will be making hundreds of thousands of dollars. Nothing could be further from the truth. Much like the siren’s songs in sailors’ legends, consultants, venture capitalists, and others have painted a picture of how the Internet was going to change the world and make everyone who was a part of it rich. A few success stories were all that it took for everyone to jump in and take their stab at it. Now that many dot-coms have crashed and the dust is starting to settle a bit we can take a better look at what has gone wrong with this overly simple and optimistic paradigm. The Internet is an amazing and powerful business tool if it is used in a way that will help an existing or new business become more profitable than it would be without it. There are four basic things that a company or person must keep in mind when trying to take their organization or idea online. These considerations are to 1) know exactly what you want out of your website, 2) know how this website connects to every other part of your business (internal environment), 3) know how this website meets your customers / suppliers needs (external environment), and 4) know when to say â€Å"when.† This list is not meant to be an exhaustive list or a complete set of criteria by which to judge a company’s integration into the World Wide Web. Rather it is a list that is meant to invoke some careful reflection on the part of the business owners or managers before jumping into the shark tank because every body else is. Each of the four considerations will be discussed below. Know what you need first Far to many people jump into the Internet game not really knowing what it is they are after or what they are going to accomplish (aside from some pipe dream to be the next internet millionaire) with their Internet presence.

Women’s Role in China Essay example -- Women Feminism Chinese Culture

Women’s Role in China "The emotional, sexual, and psychological stereotyping of females begins when the doctor says: 'It's a girl.'" -Shirley Chislom- Women have had changing roles in every society for centuries. Depending on the country, some women have had a harder time achieving equality. One of these countries is China. These women have faced such obstacles as foot binding to concubines. Until the twentieth century women were not considered equals in their society. Many cruel things were done to women in ancient china that are considered unfathomable in other countries. According to Confucius women weren’t equal to men because they were unworthy or incapable of literary education. This was as much as he mentioned women because it was such a natural idea to him that there was no need to mention it, as other early Chinese writers and theorists thought. Women were only considered property and had to obey their brothers and fathers no matter what. Fathers also despised their daughters to the point where instead of being named they were considered daughter number one and daughter number two, etc. Once the woman was married instead of being property to her brother and father, she was now property to her husband and mother in law, whom also despised the girl. It was also common for a husband to have three or four wives. If a woman’s husband were to die she was unable to remarry, sometimes causing women to commit suicide due to no fo od or income. If a woman were to remarry then her skin was peeled of her bones until she died. Another cruel act that was practiced in ancient china against women was foot binding. This tradition started around 1000 when an Emperor believed his concubines small feet were beautiful. This process began when a girl was between three and eleven. â€Å"Her toes were turned under her feet and pressed against the bottom of her foot. The arches were then broken as the foot was pulled straight with the leg, a long narrow cotton bandage would then be tightly wound around the foot from the toes to the ankle to hold to toes in place† (W., Jacob 1). The bandages would then be tightened everyday. This would cause the foot to be around 3 inches long, called lily feet, and sometimes making the toes fall off for lack of blood flow to them. A girl would be considered unacceptable if her feet were ugly and would not be considered f... ...ing it â€Å"voluntarily† so that they can bring the abortion to the countryside. Due to this the ration in China is 118 males to 100 females because there are half a million female abortions a year. Since there are so few females teenage girls are sold for prostitution and $500 mail order brides since the late 1980s. This has also made the literacy rate of women fall, more than 70% of school dropouts are girls. Because of these dropouts more than 70% of China’s semiliterate or illiterate people are women. In conclusion, the role of women in china has made a drastic change from being concubines to being mayors in major cities. Equality was something that took a long time to achieve but through all the hard work they have eventually overcome many obstacles but there are still many more that they need to work on. Perhaps women will always be looked down upon because that is how it started and that is the origin of many people’s thoughts but achieving the status that they have today is a great success. Although the changes came at a later time than that of the west, equality in China took a shorter amount of time. All in all, Chinese women have had great success in their reforms.

Ann Taylor

Table of Contents |Executive Summary |2 | |Company background & Current Marketing Situation |3-7 | |Marketing Objectives |7-8 | |Opportunity & Issue Analysis |8-13 | |Marketing Strategy & Actions taken |13-16 | |Appendix 1 & 2 |17-20 | |Bibliography |21 | Contributions (write ups only)Executive Summary, Company background & Marketing Strategy- Priyanka Chigurupati Marketing Objectives& Marketing Strategy- Maira Braga Opportunity & Issue Analysis- Judy Seng & Yui Yasuda Executive Summary Ann Taylor Stores Corp. has been one of the largest apparel and accessories firms in the fashion industry for a long time. It has four divisions; Ann Taylor, LOFT, Ann Taylor Factory and LOFT Outlet each of which caters the same category of apparel and accessories, i. e. work related clothing to different markets.The introduction of Dan Taylor; our challenge has been positive and we feel that this division for men’s clothing would reap benefits for the company primarily because the men’s market is a growing one. Also, Dan Taylor can capitalize on Ann Taylor’s reputation of being amongst the top few brands customers pick for work related, casual yet chic clothing. Our product line will follow along the path of LOFT; catered to men instead of women. Although there are several threats the company might face, we strongly believe that the opportunities will outweigh the risks.Dan Taylor will use promotional tools that Ann Taylor never used but in terms of overall advertising, Dan Taylor will follow Ann Taylor’s path. The company’s overall goal is to improve the bottom line growth of both the divisions (Ann Taylor & Dan Taylor). If successful, Ann Taylor Store Corp. will be one of the highest grossing companies in the United States. COMPANY BACKGROUND & CURRENT MARKETING SITUATION Ann Taylor Stores Corp. has been one of the most popular women’s clothing company in the United States for the past few decades.Founded in 1954 by Richard Liebeskind , the company was named â€Å"Ann Taylor,† because â€Å"Ann,† was considered a very New England name and â€Å"Taylor,† evoked an image of tailored clothing. Ann Taylor has four divisions; Ann Taylor, LOFT, Ann Taylor Factory and LOFT Outlet. Ann Taylor caters to working women with classic clothing that is polished, refined and versatile. The fashions offered at Ann Taylor stores are for affluent career women. With price points between $40 (for a basic top) and $430, Ann Taylor falls in the â€Å"better,† category.LOFT was established in the late 90’s and offers more casual and relaxed fashions for relatively younger customers. Priced anywhere between $20- $90 and $200 for suits (two separates), it falls under the â€Å"upper moderate,† category. Ann Taylor Factory and the LOFT outlet are extensions of the brand (Ann Taylor and LOFT) in the outlet division. Ann Taylor Stores Corp. ’s product line (width) includes â€Å"Apparel,† that includes tops and blouses, sweaters and knits, dresses, pants, skirts, suits, jackets and coats, denim and accessories among all four divisions (based on different price points).The depth of the accessories includes shoes, jewelry, handbags, belts, scarves and shape wear. Ann Taylor has an exclusive line of Bridal wear that is an one stop shop for all wedding needs for women including wedding dresses, bridesmaids dresses, shoes and accessories at an affordable range of $38 (accessories) to $495 (wedding dress). LOFT, being the more casual between the two has an exclusive line of lounge wear ranging between $20 and $60. The extensive product line is available for Ann Taylor and LOFT in brick and mortar stores, on the internet (ecommerce) and in catalogues.Ann Taylor’s strengths lie in the fact that it caters to a strong and growing market, i. e. primarily to the working sector of people. Ann Taylor’s target market primarily comprises of ages between 30 years and 60 years to whom, the company offers a plethora of work related apparel and accessories. LOFT’s target market comprises of 18 to 34 year olds who have a wide variety of casual work related (can be used for other purposes) apparel and accessories. Although the two divisions cater to different target markets, their primary purpose is to provide to the ‘working customer. Ann Taylor’s expansion into value based divisions (LOFT and its clearance centers) has captured the value market. The pricing at LOFT is about 30% lower than its sister concept, Ann Taylor. The outlets too, have captured the market that comprises of consumers seeking deeper value over traditional pricing and stores. The corporation added more value to these â€Å"clearance centers,† by creating private labels for the outlet centers. All the three divisions have proven to be a success among consumers. A third strength of the company would be its marketing strategies through celebrity associat ions.Some of the biggest celebrities like Heidi Klum, Milla Jovovich, Rachel Bilson are the faces of the company. The brand equity of the company, i. e. the image of the company in the minds of the consumers is enhanced because of positive perceptions. To further enhance this, the company is specifically targeting different markets by using different celebrities for each type of market. For example: Christina Hendricks, known for her curves is a face of the company. Although not directly done this speaks to the relatively more curvy women, a huge upcoming market.Also, since Ann Taylor has been associated with ‘luxury products,’ its reputation has trickled down to its LOFT brand and customers have started to consider LOFT as affordably luxurious. One of the biggest weaknesses of the company (in disguise) is also a blessing for the company, i. e. its LOFT division. The LOFT brand has been growing rampantly with 506 LOFT stores as compared to 291 Ann Taylor stores in 2009. The reason for this growth has been the demand for value oriented ‘luxury,’ products offered by LOFT.When LOFT was set up in the late 90’s, it was oriented towards casual clothing. Today, with the shift towards more casual clothing even in the working environment (casual Friday), LOFT unwittingly turned into Ann Taylor’s direct competitor with a better value proposition. Ever since the economy has been in the throes of a recession, Ann Taylor’s performance like that of most other companies has spiraled downwards. Since 2008, the company has been spiraling downwards with net sales of $2. 4 billion in fiscal 2008, $2. 2 billion in fiscal 2009 and $1. 8 billion in fiscal 2010.The net loss went down considerably from $333,906,000 in fiscal 2009 to $18,208,000 in fiscal 2010. The company has been facing tough competition from its major competitors like White House Black Market, Chico’s, Anne Klein, Talbots, Banana Republic, J Crew and Cold Water Creek for Ann Taylor and The Gap, AK Anne Klein, New York & Co. and INC International Concepts (Private Label at Macy’s), a few among others. In terms of advertising, Ann Taylor promotes it products mainly through catalogs, television and magazine ads. It uses a combination of Institutional advertising, i. e. dvertising done to promote the company’s image and Promotional advertising, i. e. advertising that highlights an item or a category of items to get an immediate response. [pic] [pic] Institutional Advertising Promotional Advertising In 2009, Ann Taylor partnered with Proctor & Gamble due to the economic downturn, and handed out free samples of detergent and coupons to customers who buy machine washable clothes. In addition, Ann Taylor created an eight-page magazine, available for free in stores that provided tips on how to keep clothes looking fresh.Of course, due to the partnership, they require Tide or Downy Total Care, which are both Proctor & Gamble products, but this was one of the many successful promotional strategies implemented by Ann Taylor. In an effort to utilize maximum amounts of different media in order to integrate the customer with the promotion strategies, Ann Taylor partnered with CFDA/ Vogue fashion fund in which the selected stylists were asked to put together a full look for Ann Taylor that would suit today’s working woman. This brought out not only increased exposure but also offers a fashionable, vivacious look to the brand.MARKETING OBJECTIVES Given the current market situation, Ann Taylor should be looking to expand and conquer any new potential clientele to drive profits up. Sale trends still place the retailer amongst the top two competitors of its US Top Women’s Apparel Division, giving the brand a leadership position within its industry. Although product offerings are fairly uniform amongst such brands, very few of Ann Taylor’s direct competitors are currently in the Men’s clothes div ision (primarily department store private labels).Furthermore, as was once predicted of Contemporary and Young Designer fashions, Menswear is the next â€Å"white space† of the industry, offering high rates of growth and return for early entrants. This provides Ann Taylor a high incentive towards accepting the risk of being an early-mover and adding a menswear line to its current offerings. Ann Taylor’s previously existent mill and factory relationships will also conduce towards seamless integration of the production of a menswear line for select stores. Furthermore, despite harsh economic times, Ann Taylor shows clear signs of recovery, having started to post profits of $18. million in the second quarter of 2010, over $260 million to finance expansive efforts. Another trend that has been identified within a more general Apparel market is that women make up to 80% of all of all shopping for a family. This would indicate that for a large portion of the male population, it is in fact their female counterparts that are making the calls in regards to many purchasing decision. Large portions of these women are wives of family households as well as long-term partners. Nationally, nearly 50% percent of the entire population is comprised of married couples – a broad base for a core target audience.This buying behavior creates an untapped potential market for the Ann Taylor brand. Since women would already be in the store, this is a process of adding on to their current purchases, adding not only profit, but value to the Ann Taylor brand by having the client associate stores with convenience and multi-level shopping. This was already proven successful with strategic integration of home furnishings and accessories to select flagship stores. The target male consumer for these groups was a relatively simple process of reexamining our current demographics under a different lens.Most evidently, the targeted age group would be a similar 18-34. This age g roup makes up 23. 5% of the American consumer base as a whole, with over 23 million potential male customers. The ideal â€Å"Dan Taylor† is a middle classed, working male aged 18-34 either with, or thinking about a family who makes $75-99,000 a year, and is looking for workable, affordable, well-constructed clothes that speak to a tailored, New England look. Nationally, this corresponds to 12% of American households with a corresponding range of disposable income, with slight variations across regions of the country.Furthermore, in a more generic view, 78. 6% of the population consists of private wage and salary workers who would maintain the targeted aesthetic of the Dan Taylor line. Considering the harsh economic times, many higher income group clients would also be looking towards lower end options for their everyday work wear. This comprises an additional 31. 7% of the population that would be well within means to shop at Ann Taylor. With further research into specific r egional demographics, initial expansion of the Dan Taylor line would be limited to the Northeast area.As will be detailed, this capitalizes on maximum saturation of target market as well as core following of brand lifestyle and traditional aesthetic. The Northeast region shows the highest rate of educated males with a bachelor’s degree or higher educational attainment at 32. 5%. This figure is well above any other regions and is a full 4 points higher than the national average at 28. 4%. The Northeast also has to the second highest percentage of private wage and salary workers at 79. 5% or workforce, only behind the Midwest at 81. 1%. This category corresponds to the key lifestyle psychographics of the Dan Taylor customer.The area also corresponds to the second highest percentage of households within the targeted $75-$99,000 income level with 12. 6% and leads in terms of households making above $75,000 dollars, at 37. 6%, a full six points above the national level. Another co mpelling factor in terms of income is the Northeast’s mean male yearly earnings is a full $10,000 above the national level and is by far the highest of all regions. This higher income level means this population has a greater willingness to spend from discretionary income, particularly during harder economic times.Another great value in early investment in the Northeast of the United States is the historical association of the Ann Taylor brand with the region. As previously mentioned, the brand’s name is already associated with the area. The label’s look, comprising fashionable day and work wear for the active woman is also in key target with the ambiance and feel of the Northeast region. Color stories of Ann Taylor lines are also frequently associated with this area; pastels, khakis and navy are proven a timeless classic to locals of the area.This mix of ideal target market as well as a value-conscious higher income customer that is not only accustomed, but a f ollower of the Ann Taylor aesthetic creates an ideal marketing position for the Dan Taylor line. If success is seen within the Northeast sector, analyzed demographics then suggest the Western region of the United States as being the best to serve, followed by the Midwest and finally the South. OPPORTUNITY AND ISSUE ANALYSIS Opportunities 1. Growing Menswear Industry Men nowadays have become more aware of their appearance, and therefore, their spending on apparels also increased.According to Data Monitor (Table 1 & Figure 1- Appendix 1), from year 2004 to year 2008, the market value of the menswear market has a steady growth rate from around 3% to 5 %, its market value has also grown from $82. 6 billion in 2004 to $98. 2 billion in 2008. Data Monitor also forecasted that by 2013, the market value would grow to $118. 3 million dollars, an increase of 20. 4% since 2008. If we take a look at Table 3, our target customers who are among the age group of less than 25 years old and 25 †“ 34 years old, have a total of 27,919 thousand (7875 + 20,044) customers.Their added annual expenditure will be $76,413. Compared to women, men spend less on apparel. This may seem to be a discouraging data, however; it also proves that the menswear market is still catching up, and that Ann Taylor can utilize its edge of having the existing loyal female customers to expand to the menswear market. By introducing Dan Taylor in the Loft store, it is expected that our female customers would purchase menswear merchandise for their male friends and husbands.Some of the men may not like to spend too much too much time shopping around and may leave the styling job to their girlfriends or wives. This becomes a strong edge for the launch of Dan Taylor because this approach helps Loft to reach to a new group of male customers through our existing female customers. It is certain that the menswear market is still growing, and therefore Dan Taylor will seize this growing market to obtain some market share in the menswear industry for more profits in the future.By making the first move, Dan Taylor will have the first mover’s advantage. 2. Product line and Price Points The chart below includes the product lines of each of our competitors and their price points. Department private labels such as Alfani, INC and Izod have a narrow product line and a relatively lower price point. They place their focus on business clothing with items such as t-shirts, polo, shirts (casual and formal), sweaters, and trousers. However, for each assortment, they only offer a few styles. Compared to competitors, such asGap and Express, Dan Taylor positions itself as more for the same; we provide better quality but offer the same price points. This positioning allows us to fit in the white space between low to medium priced and medium priced specialty stores. Although our quality is comparatively lower than what medium priced brands such as Kenneth Cole and J. Crew offer; our price points a re much lower and therefore, Dan Taylor provides better value. In addition to the demographics qualities, we are also targeting customers that look for consistent qualities and values.Our goal is to establish a long-lasting relationship with our customers by offering great quality, details, and a wide variety of products with affordable price. We believe in values, and so do our customers. It is expected that customers from our competitors will be drawn to our store because of our promising value and quality. 3. Strong Brand Image Ann Taylor Loft has been in the women specialty retail market since 1983. Currently, we have around 900 stores in the United States, including the labels Ann Taylor, Loft, Ann Taylor Factory, as well as Loft outlet stores.Within these 900 stores, there are 509 LOFT stores because Loft has outperformed Ann Taylor by using a more moderate pricing strategy. Loft targets to a slightly younger group who has a more relaxed lifestyles at work and at home. Our cus tomers are value-conscious and are loyal; this allows us to introduce Dan Taylor (which will have LOFT’s price points and quality) which targets to a similar group of men. Our approach is to first introduce the menswear to our existing Loft customers. It is common that women will buy gifts for their boyfriends or husbands during special occasion such as holiday seasons or birthdays.Therefore, it will be a great opportunity to launch Dan Taylor since our well-known values and quality will draw our existing customers to purchase our menswear’s’ products as gifts for their spouses. This approach allows us to reach our potential male customers and provide them exploration to our products. 4. Online Opportunities The online U. S retail market is growing tremendously in the recent years. According to industry reports by Data monitor, ‘the US online retail market grew by 16. 6% in 2008 to reach a value of $186. 7 billion. in 2013, he US online retail market is fo recast to have a value of $325. 2 billion, an increase of 74. 2% since 2008†. This trend leads many of the retailers setting up their own websites, providing customers an easy access to their newest campaigns and other information related to the company. This approach helps the customers to have a better knowledge of the company. Some of these companies also set up an online store where customers can purchase directly online. Images, measurements and other details are shown to give customers a better visual idea of the merchandise.Today, with such busy lifestyles, people who do not have enough time to shop at the virtual store can now have the option to shop online. Therefore, Ann Taylor should keep focusing on the online sales channel to drive margins because e-commerce is the fastest growing and high margin segments which currently representing nearly a 25% of the company’s revenue base. 5. Collaborations with designer labels and international markets Today, the trend of retail stores collaborating with high-fashion brand labels is more popular than ever.Some of these examples would be H&M and Lanvin, as well as Uniqlo and Jil Sander. Regardless of it the partnership being short term or long term, this approach has always been successful. Long queues are found lining up outside the store on the launch date, and most of the limited merchandises in the collaboration collections are gone in less than a few hours. This not only creates instant buzz about the company but the other customers who come to shop the designer collections might end up looking at the other merchandize as well.Aside from advertising purpose, the limited merchandise brings in some differentiation and freshness to the company and attracts a new group of customers. A further opportunity derived from these collaborations is the recognition in the international markets. While Ann Taylor High-end designer labels now mainly focus on the domestic U. S market, the collaboration with d esigner labels can help promoting Ann Taylor Loft and Dan Taylor throughout the world. Getting the name out to the global market will be a stepping-stone for the company to launch new stores in new markets.Threats/ Issues 1: Effects of recessionary environment will continue impacting consumers spending habits The economic condition might be one of the most serious threats for Ann Taylor. We haven’t come out of the recession yet, and consumers in the US are suffering high unemployment and lower disposable income. Consumers are reluctant to pay for anything that is not on sale or with some sort of down pricing. Rising unemployment further reduces consumers’ ability to spend, which might be a threat to Dan Taylor although the economy is slowly recovering from the recession.Rising unemployment also means less people are at work – the precise demographic of the Ann Taylor and Dan Taylor aesthetics. Increased pursuit of everyday/ lounge wear from high unemployment tre nds could show significant damage to Dan Taylor’s future success. 2: Increased regulations on cards issued by the retailers will affect the appeal of these cards adversely A new act called the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 was passed which enforces several restrictions for retailers while issuing the credit cards.Several norms that originally contributed to the rising popularity of the retailer cards, have been identified as the reasons that later left the consumer with high debt. The new set of rules will benefit the customers, but will nevertheless restrict retailers and the earlier growth in retailer credit cards. Additionally, retailers rely on offering loyalty programs through these cards. The decline in the card base will negatively impact the success of these promotions. Ann Taylor issues its own branded and co-branded charge card for its customers.This will expose the company to high risk of default, higher regulations and compl iances. The new act further imposes higher restrictions and this might lead to less popularity of the cards impacting the cards business adversely. The new regulations might also make it more difficult for the company to issue new cards to the customers. 3: Rising of private label has affected the sales of national brands seriously Due to the recession, customers care now about price more than they did before. As customers became more price-oriented, large retailers filled that gap with lower priced private labels.Their close ties with factories allow these clothes to sit at a very low price point while still offering profit to the retailer. As a result, Macys, which is one of the largest department stores in the world and other companies have begun to focus on their private brands (Alfani, INC and IZOD for Macy’s, Aqua for Bloomingdales) and launched various types of clothes with reasonable prices for men and women of all ages. In addition, many discounted supermarkets such as Wal-mart and Target collaborated with designers and launched fashionable collections with reasonable prices as well.The popularities and sales of these brands increased rapidly. This might be another potential threat to the moderately priced Dan Taylor. 4: Rising apparel costs and labor costs in China are pressurizing margins Dan Taylor’s major production will be in China where the costs are estimated to inflate in the near future. This will increase costs for the company and pressurize margins. The prices of cotton, which typically comprise 40-45% of the price of a garment, were up 25% year in one year. Higher energy costs and rising labor costs in China will contribute to the increase in import cost of the apparel as well.The relative cost of manufacturing in China will almost certainly rise as the labor costs rise. Wage increases, coupled with higher costs for cotton, oil and freight will also push up prices. This cost increase is particularly troubling when taking into consideration the rise of private labels and increased competition within the industry to keep prices down. 5: A men’s brand in a women’s store might inhibit men from walking in Ann Taylor, being the feminine store it is might often prevent men from walking into the store.A large portion of men, even while shopping with their partner, prefer to wait outside or visit a different store, rather than shopping alongside the woman. This moderate level of interest shows a threat to the Dan Taylor line, however, it is also provides room for growth. By changing promotional efforts in-store, management can captivate the attention of such idle shoppers and transform their boredom into profits. MARKETING STRATEGY & ACTIONS TAKEN Ann Taylor’s primary advertising strategies will be â€Å"combination advertising,† including both Institutional and Promotional advertising.The promotion strategies will be divided into two phases. Stage 1 will involve bringing the companyà ¢â‚¬â„¢s name out to the public and creating loyalty from Ann Taylor’s female consumers thereby exposing their partners to the line in a passive manner. Stage 2 will be dependent upon the first stage’s success and will encompass the creation of the actual ‘Dan Taylor,’ stores and shifting shopping responsibilities from the woman to the man. Product line |Tops |Bottoms |Jackets & Coats Accessories | |T shirts |Pants/ Trousers |Suit Blazers |Ties | |- Polos |- Flat front |- Suit jackets |-Boleros | |- Henley |- Pleated |- Sports blazers |-Neckties | |- Sleeveless | | |-Bow ties | | | | |-Ascots | |Sweaters |Denim | |Cufflinks | |-Vests |- Relaxed | |- Double faced | |-Crew neck |- Straight leg | |- Chain | |- Full sleeved |- Skinny | |- Snap on | |- Boat neck |- Boot cut | |Belts | |- V neck | | |- Casual | | | | |- Formal | |Shirts |Shorts | |Socks | |- Dress shirts |- Cargo | |- Ankle length | |- Cufflink shirts |- Chino | |- Low cut | | |- Bermuda | |- Mi d calf | Stage 1: At this stage, Dan Taylor’s promotional efforts will be limited to news papers, magazines, in store promotions and social media. Given the economic difficulties of the Ann Taylor stores at the moment and the high-risk nature of adding a menswear line, these forms of advertising were chosen due to their maximum exposure to both men and women. Although newspaper advertising is a slowly dying medium, it still has the maximum exposure at minimum cost.This is an efficient medium to get the â€Å"Dan Taylor,† name out there to people who read newspapers that are not fashion related. In addition, trade publications like Women’s Wear Daily and other national and local magazines in the North East Region will feature advertisements for both Ann Taylor and Dan Taylor with both male and female models. Social Media, a highly upcoming medium for advertising will be taken advantage of as well. Dan Taylor will feature on facebook and twitter. These social netw orks will be constantly updated with new arrivals, sales and other promotions. These are excellent tools for reaching out to a mass audience that is specifically interested in the brand.Particular focus will be placed on these tools before the launch of the first Dan Taylor line to reach a wide audience and create massive hype. By using such a medium the brand can create an interaction and communication with the fan base, sponsoring loyalty and a following before the label is even launched. To introduce line on a grand scale, the company will have a launch party for the Dan Taylor line. Social media will be heavily used to publicize and to create excitement over the brand before said opening. Much emphasis will be placed in public relations and in creating hype for the launch. One such effort will be a competition on the Dan Taylor website (which is a part of the Ann Taylor website). Links to the website will be available on the facebook and twitter pages.The competition will involv e men dressing their girlfriends or wives in Ann Taylor clothing and accessories and then submitting their entries. Visitors of the website will get a chance to vote for their favorite outfit and the top three couples will win free flight tickets, hotel accommodations and be featured at the launch party of the Dan Taylor brand. At the party, the winners, along with three celebrity couples will be highlighted as the event’s main feature. Each couple will be given an exclusive look into the Dan Taylor line and the woman will be given the opportunity to style their man. At the party, both the contest winners as well as the celebrity males will be asked to walk down a runway. Outfits will later be featured in editorials in a major fashion magazine.The celebrity couples will be chosen directly from previously existent Ann Taylor spoke models including Rachel Bilson, Heidi Klum and Christina Hendricks. Fortunately, all three women have famous actors as their boyfriend or husbands, which would translate seamlessly with raising awareness of the brand in a fun, star studded manner. Once the line is in store, promotional efforts will be rampant. Campaigns will appear primarily in newspapers and magazines. Adverts will always feature both a man and a woman, posing together in some manner to suggest a relationship. Emphasis will be placed on the novelty of the line as well as on how shopping the line makes the female reader a better wife or girlfriend.Ads will play on the idea that one uses gifts to demonstrate their love, adding that now woman can shop for men – while they shop for themselves! This activity will be depicted as pleasurable and an enjoyable addition to a woman’s afternoon shopping trip. The Dan Taylor line will be available in all Ann Taylor Loft outlets within the Northeast region. As previously detailed, this region shows highest rates of employment and of brand loyalty. It will be a perfect smaller test market to see whether the lin e has potential for future success. Loft stores were chosen due to their history of higher sales and lower price point. By limiting distribution of the product, we will also create a greater sense of demand and urgency for the label when stage two moves distribution nationwide.Stage 2: At this point, there will already be some sort of general awareness within the market of the Dan Taylor brand. Depending on the success of the first stage we will move directly into constructing brick and mortar Dan Taylor retail outlets. These will most likely be connected to Ann Taylor stores, much in the vain of Gap’s strategy. In addition to the print campaign, television ads will start being used specifically for the Dan Taylor line. Also, Dan Taylor print campaigns will no longer always feature a both a woman and a man. Campaigns should have similar feelings as Tod’s campaigns, with very manly, dark colors and a restrained sense of humor. We want a sleek sophistication in our ads t o go in line with the product.We will increase product offerings to match the larger retail space, with products no longer being exhibited simply in racks within already existent Ann Taylor Loft outlets. A large launch party will be offered for both the Ann and Dan Taylor lines. The ultimate goal is to have both men and women’s wear lines have equal stature within the corporate structure. We will have created a one-stop shop for the power couple family unit, creating a comfortable environment for both the man and the woman. Conclusion The company’s overall goal is to improve the bottom line growth of both the divisions (Ann Taylor & Dan Taylor). If successful, Ann Taylor Store Corp. ill be one of the highest grossing companies in the United States.Appendix 1 [pic] [pic][pic][pic] Appendix 2: [pic][pic] [pic][pic][pic][pic] [pic][pic][pic][pic] [pic][pic][pic] Bibliography †¢ Karr, Arnol J. â€Å"Ann Taylor Update Leads Retail Rally. † Women's Wear Daily 3 F eb. 2010,199th ed. , sec. 23: 14. Print. †¢ Moin, David. â€Å"Ann Taylor Moves to Profit in 2nd Qtr. † Women's Wear Daily 23 Aug. 2010, 2000th ed. , sec. 39: 10. Print. †¢ Moin, David. â€Å"Ann Taylor Swings to Pofit in 4th Qtr. † Women's Wear Daily 15 Mar. 2010, 199th ed. , sec. 56: 2. Print. †¢ Romano, Anthony M. â€Å"How Ann Taylor Put Strategic Sourcing on the Management. † Supply Chain Management Review October (2006): 32-40. Print. U. S.Censs Bureau, 2009 American Community Survey †¢ Datamonitor | the Home of Business Information. Web. 22 Nov. 2010. http://www. datamonitor. com/ †¢ EBSCOhost – Worldaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Foremost Premium Research Database Service. Web. 22 Nov. 2010. . †¢ Macy's| Department Store, Dept Store , Department Stores, Clothing, Apparel, Accessories. Web. 22 Nov. 2010. . †¢ J. Crew – Cashmere, Sweaters, Women's Clothing ; Dresses, Men's Clothing, Children's Clothing ; Kids Clothes. Web . 22 Nov. 2010. . †¢ Web. 22 Nov. 2010. . †¢ Web. 22 Nov. 2010. . †¢ Web. 22 Nov. 2010. . †¢ Web. 22 Nov. 2010. . †¢ Web. 22 Nov. 2010. . †¢ Web. 22 Nov. 2010. . †¢ Web. 22 Nov. 2010. .

EU economic relation with MERCOSUR Essay

conceptionMERCOSUR (S pophern Common Market) was pieceed in 1991 as a customs union and green market between Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Chile and Bolivia afterwards joined as associate Mercosur members. Since mid-2000, they flip been engaged in negotiations with the EU to establish a salvage foxiness nation covering both components.History in the MakingOn whitethorn 28, 2004, EU and MERCOSUR trade representatives convened in Guadalajara, Mexico to continue an ongoing negotiation process. MERCOSUR holds a comparative reward in a wide bleed of agricultural produce, which composes more than half of its get along exports, while europium is particularly substantive in industrial and capital markets, much(prenominal) as automobiles, telecoms and banking.Their complementary economies seem ideally suited for engaging in free trade, with each component of the axis vertebra specializing in their specific fields of strength. However, significance quotas and tarif fs, intend to protect MERCOSUR members infant industries as rise up as high cost European enhanceers, present mountainous obstacles to the realization of either free trade cartel. At the May 28 summit, both sides tentatively agree to open their markets to foreign controversy. The EU and MERCOSUR rescue each shown a willingness to make ambitious concessions in order to see their negotiations involve sex to fruition.The Border is ClosedThe European conjunctions protectionist agriculture regulations insulate locally grown produce from foreign competition. productive land, a precious and scarce trade good on the continent, is extraordinarily expensive. Hence the European Parliament instituted subsidies, import quotas and tariffs to keep the regions relatively inefficient agro- persev agence undirected by regulating prices on the European market.These policies bind effectively kept MERCOSUR products out of the European market as the EU refused to negotiate on opening its m arkets up to foreign competition by the ski tow of its quotas and the lowering of its tariffs. However, European negotiations gift deep made important concessions aimed at expediting the process. The EU Common Agricultural Policy of 2003, which significantly reduced Europes farm subsidies, coupled with an increase in import quotas and a lowering of tariffs, have miscellanea MERCOSURs confidence in the verifying outcome of trade talks.Europes reluctant acquiescence to MERCOSURs demands is an set out to pursue a outline aimed at obtaining great access to southwestern the Statesn markets where European industries and sectors ( such as automobile, telecommunication, banking and computer production) have excelled in the past and appear to have an eventide more prosperous future tense. kindred its European counterpart, MERCOSUR has traditionally been averse to granting great access to these markets, defending its protectionist policies with an infant industry argument. These industries are too small, it maintains, to compete in the world market, and therefore opening its borders at this time could destroy domestic firms. However, the South American Common Market has accept the significance of Europes offer, and in return, has allowed for ever greater access to its telecommunication and banking industries.Partners in DecayThere is a downside to the growing ties between Europe and MERCOSUR. Europes courting of MERCOSUR is at go around undermining the fabric that binds the fragile G20 together. G20 members fear that the EU-MERCOSUR pledge could provide unfair access to markets, which would be illegal according to the World concern Organization (WTO) standards. match to these, Most prosperous Nation Status (MFN) cannot be speechless for specific countries, but must be shared among all applicable WTO members. According to some G20 members, including China, India, South Africa and Brazil, the European essences finality to engage in trade talks with M ERCOSUR is a contraption to undermine the G20, an organization that could potentially compositors case serious problems for both the EU and the unify States.Restructuring the MapAn accord between the twain giant trading blocs has the potential to inconvenience oneself and shift the balance of federal agency in the world(a) trade arena, not whole affecting the G20 but withal ambitious US sparing hegemony in the western Hemisphere. A leading light in the Cairns group of agricultural exporters and a invention member of the G20, Brazils political clout in the international federation is growing exponentially. Its ability to command greater respect in political and economic agreements has persuaded the EU to offer greater concessions to MERCOSUR and is forcing the linked States to reformulate its jell on the slack Trade playing area of the Americas (FTAA).There is no doubt that Brazil is using the EU-MERCOSUR trade agreement, and the commercial bonanza it should bring, a s a weapon to increase its bargaining top executive in forthcoming FTAA talks with capital of the unify States concerning farm subsidies. The election of two left-leaning presidents in Brazil and Argentina, as well as a shift a trend from a Western Hemisphere trade accordance toward a more amicable lawsuit with Europe, reflects a fundamental change in Brazilian and Argentine politics as well as in their strategy in dealing with the US. Neither governing body wants to be considered, as Brazilian chairwoman Lula stated during his presidential campaign, an annexation of the joined States.In 2004, worries over betterment in negotiations deepened as the co-chairmanship of the FTAA rotated to the coupled States and Brazil. Unfortunately, the inability to compromise by the proposed trading blocs two major powers has stalled progress on the realization of such an agreement. It also has persuaded a newly confirmed pessimist MERCOSUR to ascertain across the Atlantic for an opportunit y to pass on its global thrust and self-interests. The unite Statess reluctance to discuss any reductions in farm subsidies during recent FTAA trade rounds has hindered the chances of subscribe a quit Trade Area of the Americas agreement by 2005, the projected course of instruction for it to be announced.Meanwhile, Europe has slipped into the foreground, prepared to concern or even replace the United States as the dominant trading power on the South American continent. The United Statess hegemonic status in the Americas is in peril. To maintain a semblance of the status-quo, majuscule will have to concede to demands for a slash in farm subsidies if it wishes to reignite the negotiation process, or at least(prenominal) keep it alive, and to maintain itself as the paramount regional superpower, the US will be forced to compromise.The EU-MERCOSUR free trade agreement without a point is a threat to the United Statess dominance in the region. Europes belated decision to open it s agricultural markets to foreign competition leaves Washington in a unsteady position at the negotiating table with its Latin American counterparts. Previously, the EU and the US held the same(p) line regarding agricultural subsidies both argued that the offspring should be overlayed at future WTO trade rounds rather than through zygomorphic trade agreements. If it right away wishes to remain private-enterprise(a) with Europe in the South American market, Washington will have to address the issue of the subsidies and import quotas that up to at one time have plagued many of the Latin American countries. With the EU now retreating from its long held protectionist position, the US can no longer live to walk away from negotiations with a mastery in hand which places Latin America in a dependent position in the FTAA.Scraping Bottom US-Latin American RelationsThere is no question that US-Latin America dealing are at their lowest point in a generation. Clearly, when it has come to leading and a steady moral stance regarding US constitution initiatives towards Cuba, Venezuela and Haiti, Secretary of State Powell has provided no leadership and certainly no vision. By default, such leadership fell into the hands of Otto Reich and a small band of venomous rightwing ideologies headed by Otto Reich, Roger Noriega and Dan Fisk, who held their places because Powell allowed them to be imposed on him.As a career propagandist and huckster-ideologue, Otto Reich strengthened his professional existence on disseminating prevalent disinformation along with a capacity for extremist politics that have done innumerable damage to the maintenance of a balance and responsible regional policy. Almost single-handedly, he has bent and distorted US-Latin American dealing and has produced a level of odium that cannot be easily recalled in the recent chapters of the reversible relationship between the two hemispheres.His legacy hardly serves that word, filled as it has be en with thoroughgoing(a) rhetoric, meretricious analysis, Rasputin-like conspiracies, and an inability to distinguish responsible behavior from that of a low spirit goon. He, together with his fellow alumni from former Senator Helmss tawdry regional policy-making shop class at the Senates foreign relations committee, the State of Departments Roger Noriega and Dan Fisk, have gone a long way to pollute US hemispheric ties so fundamentally that it will take a generation to undo.From a Caribbean, Andean or South American standpoint, the EU-MERCOSUR obligation strengthens their single chances for a fairer and freer FTAA agreement. The United States can no longer treat its hemispheric partners as subsidiaries of a holding company which it controls now that Europe has presented itself as a executable second option for a hold fast trade relationship.Living in an era of increasingly free global trade, the EU-MERCOSUR pact could be a refreshing change from a history of largely selfish and US-dominated agreements. The trade agreement between the European Union and MERCOSUR could come to rival the Free Trade Area of the Americas as a major hemispheric economic force, even if both are achieved. As the United Statess soft power continues to crepuscule in the region, Europes global stock looks increasingly more appealing. If the US wishes to maintain its traditional position astraddle the Western Hemisphere, it must learn from its European counterparts how to stop talking down and break down talking to Latin America.Internet ReferencesREDES / Friends of the country Uruguay http//www.redes.org.uy/LObservatori de las Transnacionales (LOT), research group cerebrate on Spanish TNCs in Latin-America. fulfill David Llistar david.llistardebtwatch.orgRed Mexicana de Accion Frente al Libre Comercio (RMALC) http//www.rmalc.org.mx/Transnational play (TNI) http//www.tni.org/altreg/index.htmCorporate Europe Observatory (CEO) http//www.corporateeurope.org/Alianza Chilena Po r Un Comercio Justo y Responsable (ACJR) http//www.comerciojusto.cl/index.htmAsociacion Latinoamercana de Organizaciones de Promocion (ALOP) http//www.alop.or.cr/