Paris 36 Essay Example for Free

Paris 36 Essay Paris 36 starts with confession by the protagonist Pigoil(Gerard Jugnot) to a police officer, accused of murder. It turns to a flashback to the year 1936 depicting the unstable district in a Paris faubourg, suffered from depression and the rising pool of involuntary unemployment. Pigoil has lost his lifetime job in a liquidated musical hall and his wife runs off with another man. More miserably, Pigoil cannot keep the custody of his beloved son- JoJo(Maxence Perrin) because of his financial inability. Struggling to hold on, the trio of experienced stagehands- Pigoil, with Milou (Clovis Cornillac) and Jacky (Kad Merad) decide to take over the vacant musical hall, named as Faubourg 36, and produce some sorts of hit musicals. With the arrival of a young talented actress, Douce (Nora Arnezeder), the musical hall is a huge success and Pigoil can share the happiness with JoJo again. During the time, the hostile landowner Galapiat (Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu) ,who is fascinated with Douce, always wants to clutch her. When he later discovers that Douce is in love with Milou, he sends the gang to have Milou killed but they are in a mistaken notion and wrongly kill Jacky. Shortly thereafter, Milou argue with Galapiat face-to-face and Pigoil finally shoots Galapiat to save Milou. That is the confession and Pigoil is hauled off to 10-year jail. The film ends with a cheerless scene of Pigoils returning to the town after 10 years, yet a delightful projection for JoJos success as a professional accordionist performing in Faubourg 36.

A Study About TK Maxxs Commerce Essay

A Study About TK Maxxs Commerce Essay The first T.K. Maxx opened in Bristol in 1994.[2] T.K. Maxxs United States parent company, T.J. Maxx, adopted the name T.K. Maxx to avoid confusion with the existing but separate discount chain T J Hughes[citation needed]. TK Maxx is part of TJX Europe headed by Paul Sweetenham as SEVP Group President. TJX Europe is split into four divisions: TK Maxx UK Ireland headed by Susanne Given, TK Maxx Germany headed by Gino Barrera, and HomeSense UK headed by Dave Alves. The fourth division is Shared Services which as the title suggests consists of shared services between the three trading divisions such as distribution, logistics, buying and finance. Each trading division has their own Human Resource, Marketing Loss Prevention departments to meet the individual needs of each division. In 2007, TK Maxx began a slowing down of new store openings within the UK. Focus was given to revamping older inner city stores or relocating them. Some of the chains first stores such as Bristol and Reading have been expanded and extensively refurbished while others such as Southampton, Cardiff and Hull have been relocated to bigger sites. As part of the businesses slow down of new stores, TK Maxx confirmed that they were only interested in opening stores averaging 30,000 sq ft. This decision saw the creation of the Maxx Maxx concept, a new department store format that saw TK Maxx get away from its pack it high, sell it cheap reputation into a large store format that sees a much larger product offer. Examples of Maxx Maxx store are Leeds The Headrow, Cardiff, Birmingham Bull Ring, Hammersmith, Manchester Market Street, Dundee Cork. We make daily deliveries to our stores and its essential that our fleet of trucks is as efficient and environmentally responsible as possible. Were working hard on innovative solutions to make our delivery process as green as it can be and here are just some of the ways were doing this already. For the first time ever, we have joined forces with Sainsburys to sell the exclusive Sport Relief T-shirt designed by the whole Beckham family and yes, that includes Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz. So far, over our 5 year partnership weve raised  £6.3 million for Comic Relief through Red Nose Day. Supporting Sport Relief through selling the T-shirt gives us both another opportunity to contribute financially to this fantastic cause and to grow an even stronger partnership. Half of the money from each T-shirt goes towards helping some of the most vulnerable people in the world so please visit us instore or online to buy your very own fantastic Sport Relief T-shirt. Welfare to work is a scheme designed to get people who have been out of work for a long time back into the workforce. Weve had an initial Education to Employment trial with Action for Children and we are now in the early stages of rolling out a specific programme to further develop this. Weve also extended our five year relationship with Remploy and continue to remain committed to making our own workplace more accessible for people with disabilities. P4 The fundamental economic problem in any society is to provide a set of rules for allocating resources and/or consumption among individuals who cant satisfy their wants, given limited resources. The rules that each economic system provides function within a framework of formal institutions (e.g., laws) and informal institutions (e.g., customs). What and how much will be produced? Literally, billions of different outputs could be produced with societys scarce resources. Some mechanism must exist that differentiates between products to be produced and others that remain as either unexploited inventions or as individuals unfulfilled desires. How will it be produced? There are many ways to produce a desired item. It may be possible to use more labor and less capital, or vice versa. For whom will it be produced? Once a commodity is produced, some mechanism must exist that distributes finished products to the ultimate consumers of the product. The mechanism of distribution for these commodities differs by economic system. P5 Until ten years ago the term Welfare Work was a phrase without meaning in the industrial world. Today it stands for a definite policy on the part of employers which may bring about the solution of many of the vexed problems of labor and capital. The leaven of this policy already has begun to work. A branch of welfare work through which the company has had a great influence on the people and the surroundings of the neighborhood is that of landscape gardening. At the time when welfare work was started the surroundings of the factory were like those of most industrial plants—anything but attractive. After the company has made its own property beautiful with lawns, shrubbery and vines, it taught the people of the neighborhood, by lectures and demonstrations, the principles of landscape gardening. As a result of this campaign of education the factory neighborhood has been change from a region of tumble-down houses, ash heaps and tin cans to a neighborhood of beautiful homes and well kept yards. P6 The impact of Macro-economic (Monetary and Fisca)l Policy on the economy There are some differences in the economic effects of monetary and fiscal policy, on the composition of output, the effectiveness of the two kinds of policy in meeting the governments macroeconomic objectives, and also the time lags involved for fiscal and monetary policy changes to take effect. We will consider each of these in turn: Effects of Policy on the Composition of National Output Monetary policy is often seen as something of a blunt policy instrument affecting all sectors of the economy although in different ways and with a variable impact. In contrast, fiscal policy can be targeted to affect certain groups (e.g. increases in means-tested benefits for low income households, reductions in the rate of corporation tax for small-medium sized enterprises, investment allowances for businesses in certain regions) Consider as an example the effects of using either monetary or fiscal policy to achieve a given increase in national income because actual GDP lies below potential GDP (i.e. there is a negative output gap) Monetary policy expansion: Lower interest rates will lead to an increase in consumer and business capital spending both of which increases national income. Since investment spending results in a larger capital stock, then incomes in the future will also be higher through the impact on LRAS. Fiscal policy expansion: An expansion in fiscal policy (i.e. an increase in government spending) adds directly to AD but if financed by higher government borrowing, this may result in higher interest rates and lower investment. The net result (by adjusting the increase in G) is the same increase in current income. However, since investment spending is lower, the capital stock is lower than it would have been, so that future incomes are lower. In UK lots of multinational organization are operating, Many people from different part of the world also visited in UK for different purposes, if the global economy fall the business of UK based company also fall down. As a result they faces difficulties to earn profit and ultimately the shareholders suffer. P7 Perfect Competition: A market is said to be perfectly competitive when firms perceive that they individually have no noticeable influence on market price. The outcome in such an industry is efficient in the sense that the cost of the last unit of output (marginal cost) would just equal what consumers would be willing to pay for that unit. Perfect competition is a regarded as a benchmark market structure for evaluating other market structures. Market Structure and Competition: The market structures tells us about the environment within which an enterprise functions and the nature of external pressure on the enterprise. The elements of market structure that we look at are concentration ratio, stability of market shares, conditions of entry and exit of firms. FDI Policy Stability of Markets Shares A limitation of the above summary measures of concentration is that they ignore the dynamic changes in the market shares of individual firms. Market shares of dominant firms may increase or decline over time. Greater churning of market shares in given market suggests greater intensity of competition. P8 Market forces and organizational Response: Organizations always responses positively toward market forces. P9 Company Summary: This section presents the key facts figures, business description, and products services offered by the company. Major Competitors: This section first selects the competitors based on assets, sales, focus of business, or geographic reach. Then all the competitors are profiled. Key Business Strategies of Each Competitor: It talks about the current and future strategies of each company. All business, marketing, financial and organizational strategies are discussed here. Comparative SWOT Analysis: Our comparative SWOT analysis is a valuable step in assessing your companys and you competitors strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. It offers powerful insight into the critical issues affecting a business. Comparative Financial Analysis: This section compares the recent financials of the company and its competitors. The financial performance of each segment of all the companies is also discussed here. The objective is to evaluate the financial health of the company vis-à  -vis its competitors. The stock price comparison helps us in evaluating the performance of the company position versus its competitors from an investors viewpoint. There is an important role for tobacco control advocates in the policy development process in regulatory agencies. P10 The buying and selling of goods and services across national borders is known as international trade. International trade is the backbone of our modern, commercial world, as producers in various nations try to profit from an expanded market, rather than be limited to selling within their own borders. There are many reasons that trade across national borders occurs, including lower production costs in one region versus another, specialized industries, lack or surplus of natural resources and consumer tastes. One of the most controversial components of international trade today is the lower production costs of â€Å"developing† nations. Both the United States and the European Union have imposed severe restrictions on imports from Asian nations to try to stem this tide. Clearly, a company that can pay its workers the equivalent of dollars a day, as compared to dollars an hour, has a distinct selling advantage. P11 Consultation with UK SME representative bodies on domestic and European matters consistently shows that the main issue for their members is regulation. The 2007 EU Observatory Survey found that 36% of SMEs within Europe reported that regulations acted as a constraint or had presented difficulties in the previous two years. Whilst progress has been at the EU level, for example on the promotion of the â€Å"Think Small First† principle and the European Commissions commitment to reduce administrative burdens by 25%, we believe a much more ambitious set of measures should be introduced Another important issue is access to finance, where we believe action should be focused on improving the demand side, in particular investment readiness, and the supply of modest amounts of finance for entrepreneurs who, for various reasons, are deemed to be a higher risk. In order to grow, SME must also have access to new markets. Generally, exporting firms have been found to benefit from greater productivity growth than non-exporters. P12 The UK has to make a decision on membership of EMU in the next two years. The monetary and fiscal regimes in the Euro Area and in the UK do not differ greatly. However, we argue that membership of EMU will increase the stability of the economy and the credibility of the policy framework, and hence will enhance the prospects for growth and higher incomes and employment.

We Propose Rhb Bank Marketing Essay

We Propose Rhb Bank Marketing Essay We propose RHB bank to have co-branding with Padini Concept Store and come out with a RHB-Padini Concept Store Credit Card to extent the RHB Platinum Card. Our target audience are workers and upper middle class who are aged at a range between 25 to 45 years old. One of the promotion strategies we propose to the RHB bank is through Sales Promotion by using various types of vouchers. And other types of promotion strategies such as Personal Selling Strategy, Advertisements and Social Media Marketing Strategy and Direct Marketing Strategy. 1. Sales Promotion Strategy Sales promotion is a short-term incentive to encourage the purchase of a sale a product or services. This may be used to help RHB bank tap into and extent the market in the Padini concept store. A cash voucher may attract customers to induce them in an instant sale and help the consumers to save more. Simultaneously, Padini Concept Store will also be able to increase their sales revenue, increase the number of RHB banks cardholder and gain loyalty from customers. This is a three wins situation to each other. The supplementary cardholders are not eligible for this Promotion. RHB bank could help the cardholders to save more money by sending Padini Concept Store a monthly 20% discount voucher to every cardholder through mail according to the applicants address. It includes seasonal promotions for example, Mothers Day, Fathers Day, Christmas, Chinese New Year, Halloween, and Valentines Day and so on. The cardholder will be given a Padini monthly discount voucher to get discount on the products among the brands available in Padini concept store. If the Padini is doing 10% discount on all items, by using this voucher, the customer can get another extra 20% discount. For example, if when there is Mothers Day, the cardholders are only allowed to redeem the 20% discount in the women department. However, the Padini monthly 20% discount voucher is only valid in every first week of the month. Upon the cardholder birthday, the existence RHB Platinum Credit Card will have 30% cash back during cardholder birthday month. In order to improve, RHB bank will contact that particular cardholder, to inform him or her to come over the Padini Concept Store to get a birthday gift voucher. The birthday gift voucher is worth RM 50. The cardholder may use this voucher to redeem any products sold in Padini Concept Store with the price at or below RM 50. However, if the price of the product is below RM 50, the extra balance is not refundable. Consequently, the cardholder will need to pay extra money to purchase the products if the amount exceeded RM 50 that offer in Padini store by using RHB-Padini Concept Store Credit Card to collect 5 times reward points. However, the voucher can only be used in Padini concept store. In the Padini Concept Store, there are several brands such as SEED, PCO, PDI, MIKI, VINCCI, and BRANDS OUTLET. The cardholders are allowed to choose to purchase any of the p roducts offered by these brands. 2. Personal Selling Strategy RHB bank may adopt the method of personal selling strategies for trying to induce potential consumer to apply for RHB-Padini Concept Store Credit Card in a road show inside or outside the shopping mall, because there are heavy human traffic and many potential customers. Personal selling is the selling of products and services by face-to-face contact with the customer. This can be done by having salespeople approaching the potential customers in person. If the customer is an existing RHB credit card holder, then the salespeople offer the customer the RHB-Padini Concept Store Credit Card as a cross selling. However, the salespeople must be well trained, because the salespeople is the person who will communicate directly and immediately to get the consumers feedback. It is a two-way communication. It can be expensive and time consuming, but also is the most effective form of promotion if compare to other mass communication because the salespeople can make adjustments to address questions or concerns to make the customer much understand about the product. Here is a relationship between personal selling and sales promotion. The first 200 applicants to apply RHB-Padini Concept Store Credit Card, no matter in bank or online purchase, the applicants are entitled to get a RM 200 Padini cash voucher and a free HP laptop bag that worth RM 70 for every cardholder. 3. Advertisements and Social Media Marketing Strategy Advertising is a form of mass communication that is paid for and involves the non-personal presentation of goods and ideas. It usually classified as two types, above-the-line and below-the-line. Through advertising, RHB bank can communicate and inform potential customers about products and services. Also, telling the consumers about the features and benefits and how to obtain it and finally persuade them to make a purchase. It is important for the consumers to know what are the company trying to offer and it create a position in the market place. Hence, it will enhance both the Padini Concept Store and RBH banks reputation and positive image. This is the relationship of Sales with advertising and promotions. Above-the-line advertising such as television and newspaper does not provide information regarding the promotions effectively and it can be expensive. Therefore, RHB bank can go for social media marketing strategy such as the internet. As internet are easily accessible and requires a relatively low cost, more information can be provided and easy for the consumer to obtain the information in the company website. They can just click on the particular advert in the website at everywhere in the world and 24 hours a day. This advertisement enables an organisation to reach every single potential consumer at a very low cost. Nowadays, popular social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook can be used to spread the news regarding the promotions. RHB bank may also consider creating a Facebook page and putting all the relevant information or pay an advertising fee to create a small advertisement on Facebook social network to build the awareness of the RHB-Padini Concept Store Credit Card am ong the Facebook users. The another method is below-the-line advertising, RHB bank may adopt direct mail to send the gift voucher together with Padini catalogues to deliver the current promotion to existing customers who already have saving account and current account or other type of RHB credit card holder to apply for RHB-Padini Concept Store Credit Card. This method is also known as cross selling. Because there are potential, it can lead to a higher probability of getting converted into actual sales. The more financial products and services they have, the more profitable the RHB bank is. The feedback from customers also will immediately be responded, therefore it is easier to measure the positive result. Because RHB bank is suggested to create a Facebook fan page in order to encourage more people to like the page, there must has a gift such as a recycle bag which is printed RHB bank logo to those who have like-ed the Facebook page during the road show. Some of the Padini Concept Store catalogue and any information about RHB-Padini Concept Store Credit Card may be printed on the recycle bag as an advertising tool. Besides, RHB bank may also distribute the company survey form during road show. For those who have completed the survey will get a free pocket umbrella that has a RHB bank logo printed on it and RHB-Padini Concept Store Credit Card image. Therefore, it can also be an advertising tool for RHB bank. The last advertisement tool suggests to RHB bank is advertising the RHB-Padini Concept Store Credit Card in a current on air movie. For example, the main character going to the RHB bank and show the RHB bank logo and the artist use the RHB-Padini Concept Store Credit Card to make payment in the film. For who have watched the movie no matter in cinema or home will also get the message. Because it is advertised in a movie, it will be impressive and positive positioning to the viewer therefore they will likely to apply the RHB-Padini Concept Store Credit Card. 4. Direct Marketing Strategy (Telemarketing and Direct Selling) Besides, RHB bank also can do direct marketing. Direct marketing is attractive because its positive results can be measured directly. Telemarketing takes the time and cost for finding new customers in the right time and right people, or generating interest in RHB-Padini Concept Store Credit Card by taking the information directly to the customer. Besides, it is easy to target the best customers and reach the prospects question with the most potential customer. The purpose of this method is to expand the market and increase the number of customer and sales. Telemarketing consistently outperforms all other forms of marketing and is the most powerful, cost-effective marketing tool available today. Thus, it should be part of RHB bank marketing plan. Direct selling is the marketing of products or services to consumers through sales tactics (give voucher) including presentations without go through any middle man. If the cardholder spends more than RM 300 in a single receipt, he or she will get a RM 30 Padini cash voucher. However, there is a maximum amount for the cardholder to get a RM 100 Padini cash voucher which is to spend RM 1799 or above in a single receipt on with RHB-Padini Concept Store Credit Card and obtain the voucher at the payment counter. As a conclusion, promotion strategy is a useful tool in attracting customers. Simultaneously, it can also help the Padini concept store to achieve higher profitability and strengthen their markets position in the clothing industry and also gain the customer loyalty in RHB bank. Promotional strategies are important for financial services to continual growth, because it is an intangible product, in order to increase the number of customer, there must be enough information and attractiveness to enhance the customer to make purchasing decision.

Rites of Passage Essay -- essays papers

Rites of Passage Every day someone enters into a rite of passage whether it be by starting school, a new job, marriage, a confirmation or communion rites of passage are common place. Two totally different cultures have totally different rituals and rites of passage. The Apache would most definitely have incredibly unique rituals compared to rural Maine and the catholic cultures therein. The best way to see the differences is to compare the two different cultures. Each ritual occurs in a holy place, the Apache on ritual grounds and the Confirmation rights at a specific congregation. The person who is about to participate in confirmation has gone to months of classes to prepare for this day, CCD it is titled and it is typically on a Sunday night at this particular congregation. The Apache girl has been well prepared as well, running and doing specific training exercises so that she will be ready for the grueling Sunrise Dance. In both societies the participant undergoes this ritual specifically because their parents and elders tell them to. They are too young to defy their parents or elders and submit basically because of the special knowledge that will somehow change them and prepare them for adulthood. The Apache girl has a godmother and godfather, which has no relation to her per say (blood relation), they are chosen based on their status in their society and they become a sort of guiding light for this girl during her Dance and adulthood all the way to when she is old and gray. The confirmation child has to choose his â€Å"sponsor† who is typically a relative or someone very special to him. This person also has a big part in the confirmation, guiding the child and being a big support center for the child. The reason for the Apache girl to start her Sunrise Dance is because of her first womanly cycle. She has a grueling task ahead of her when the Dance begins. She has a week of ritual ahead and much strenuous tasks. Her family, before participating must have about 10,000 dollars so that they can afford the gifts, food, etc. During the ritual the girl has absolutely no baths and isn’t allowed to touch herself except with a stick. She isn’t allowed to drink except with a straw. She is also allowed very little sleep during the week of her specific dance. During a specific part of the ritual her grandmother massages her body, which signifies a strong... ...er sees the end of the ritual as a rebirth. Both societies, the Apache and the Catholic culture definitely view this as a rebirth. The Apache seems more special because of the individuality that ensues with the Sunrise Dance. Confirmation is a rebirth into adulthood, but not alone, you are supported by all your classmates and friends. The reason that any young child submits to authority, other than fear, is because they know and realize that they can achieve great knowledge by listening to them and abiding by their practices. Because, look where it got them, at least to the age they are! Ritual changes people for better or worse, either way a change has been made and you aren’t the same after the ritual ends. The Apache girl has something she can tell her grandkids about, she has a vivid incredible memory that will never leave her. The confirmed has a memory too, a family time that brings people together, and we all know we love family time regardless of what occurs within we are happy to see that aunt uncle, and cousin we haven’t seen in so long. Rituals are times that should bring people together and change them for the better, as well as prepare them for the long roads ahead.

The Lost Handwriting :: essays research papers

The Unheard Writing   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One day, in the second grade, the teacher told our class to get out their lined paper and pencils. As I made that first fancy loop, following the example on the board, I was wondering what possible situation I was getting into. Later in the year, I learned that cursive writing was time consuming and very difficult to master. In high school, I found out that we had a choice of cursive or printing. I asked myself why we needed cursive? Why are others putting aside this writing that consumed so much time? What are the pros and cons of cursive? This type of writing is established, and I never thought to evaluate its effectiveness or its need until now.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One such pro is that cursive an established form of writing. In grade school, we learned how to neatly write the cursive alphabet. The reason that so much time was spent on this area of development is because it is seen as professional writing. The teacher wanted to prepare us for the future, and without this ability we would be unable to read or write this type of writing. For example, many professional forms such as taxes, weekly paycheck and legal papers all require a signature.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Adding on to that, your signature is unique to each and ever one of us. In all the people in the world, there is only one signature that is like yours and that is your own. Yes, it is possible to forge a persons signature, but it is highly unlikely to be a precise copy of the original. For instance, most colleges require students to sign their exams. This procedure prevents the acts of cheating. Moreover, banks have convicted many people of forge checks. A unique signature prevented both of these situations. Who would of thought that personal ID’s were this important?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On the other hand, one negative attribute is the fact that cursive is sloppy. It is hard for many of us to read cursive that was quickly written. It was hard for me to write it neatly in school. It was also difficult to read other kids’ handwriting because all the letters were smashed together and looked almost the same. Recently, there was a lawsuit involving a doctor and his cursive prescription slip. The patient received the wrong prescription. This mishap happened because the doctor was busy and wrote like a speeding bullet.

Poor Black Little Fellow

CAUSE AND EFFECT ESSAY. THESIS STATEMENT: The Pembertons neglect Arnie’s basic needs for various reasons. All along years, white people have been discriminating black ones. That is why several black people, such as Martin Luther King, have been fighting for their right to be treated as equal to any other person of any other race. And even though white people have been simulating to accept them, they have been treated as if they were of a lower social class.This is what happens with the main character of the short story entitled â€Å"Poor Little Black Fellow† by Langston Hughes, Arnie, who was adopted by The Pembertons, a white family. They neglected Arnie’s basic need for various reasons. The first reason why they disregard Arnie’s necessities is that they were used to live by their own. They had spent their marriage on loneliness. This is because they were unable to have children. And hence, they became accustomed to live alone.As a result, they were inc apable to take care of Arnie’s affective needs. For instance, they let him sleep in the garage and they allowed him to bring friends but not inside the house. All in all, these features are important to state that The Pembertons avoided Arnie’s needs. The second reason why The Pembertons paid no attention to Arnie’s requirements is that he did not belong to their family. He was son of The Pemberton’s lovely servants who had died and to whom The Pembertons loved very much. Therefore, they adopted Arnie as their â€Å"own†.Nonetheless, they were unable to completely accept him and consequently, they had many prejudices against him. On the whole, these pieces of information contribute to state that The Pembertons took no notice of Arnie’s necessities. Finally, the fact that Arnie belonged to an Afro-American culture is the last reasons for The Pembertons’ carelessness. As he was black, The Pembertonss deep inside had prejudices against h im. Apart from that, they adopted him just because they felt it was their religious duty.And as a consequence, even though it was unintended, they behaved in a rude way towards him. All things considered are significant to assure that Arnie’s needs were ignored by The Pembertonss. To sum up, the fact that The Pemberton lived alone their whole life, that Arnie was not their son and that he was black contribute to the reasons why the family uncared for Arnie’s affective needs. Summarizing, taking into account these facts it can be affirmed that there were many causes why The Pembertons avoided Arnie’s affective requirements.

An Analysis of the Eight Fold Path of Buddhism

The Eightfold Path is a way that leads to the stopping of suffering and the achievement of self awakening. This instrument was brought forth through the teachings of the Buddha, Gautama Buddha. He taught his disciples how to follow this path how he did, so they may have self awakening and liberation. The eight steps in the Eightfold Path are as follows: Right belief, Right purpose, Right speech, Right conduct, Right livelihood, Right effort, Right mindfulness, and Right meditation or concentration. In Buddha’s time, if a potential Arahat strayed from the Eightfold Path or the Four Noble Truths, he would have to confess his sin or sins to the public. They followed it very strictly and took it very seriously for they wanted to be able to reach Nirvana. Nirvana is â€Å"the unconditioned state of liberation, release from the cycle of rebirth-redeath† (Noss, 2008, 2003: 185). In present time, we live in a very fast-paced, high-stress environment. I wonder if a present day Buddhist would be able to live life in accordance with the Eightfold Path. The first step in the Eightfold Path is Right belief. The Right belief can also be translated as â€Å"right perspective†, â€Å"right vision† or â€Å"right understanding†. It is the right way of looking at life, nature and the world as they really are. It acts as the reasoning for the practitioner to start practicing the path. It gives direction and efficacy to the other seven path factors (Encyclopedia, Aug. 2006). Another way of looking at the Right belief phrased in a contemporary form is: First you must see clearly what is wrong (Soccio, 2007: 51). The second step is Right purpose. In this step, the Arahat should constantly try to succeed at ridding themselves of whatever qualities that they know are wrong and immoral. Correct understanding of Right purpose will help the Arahat to distinguish the differences between right intention and wrong intention (Encyclopedia, Aug. 2006). A contemporary definition of Right purpose is: Next you must decide that you want to be cured (Soccio, 2007: 51). The third and fourth step, which are I found have been lumped together in all of my reading, Right speech and Right conduct. One must love all creatures with the right sort of love in word and deed (Noss, 2008: 182). When practicing steps three and four, Arahat’s must make good use of their words and train themselves to not bring harm to themselves or to others. You must act and speak so as to aim at being cured is a contemporary form on steps three and four (Soccio, 2007: 51). Right means of livelihood is the fifth step of the Eightfold Path. In this step, the Arahat’s are not to participate in occupations that can cause harm to human beings. This would include occupations that deal with weapons, the buying or selling of sex, killing animals to sell as food, and making or selling alcohol. Historian and philosopher, Gerald Heard, modified this step into a contemporary version meaning: Your livelihood must not conflict with your therapy (Soccio, 2007: 51). Right effort is the sixth step. In this step, the Saints should make a die hard effort to desert all the wrong and harmful thoughts, words, and deeds they might have. Instead they should be persevering in coming up with thoughts, words, and deeds that would be good and helpful to others and themselves (Encyclopedia, Aug. 2006). â€Å"That therapy must go forward at the â€Å"staying speed†, that is, the critical velocity† (Soccio, 2007: 51). The seventh and eighth final steps of the Eightfold Path are Right mindfulness and Right meditation or concentration. In these steps, the Arahat’s should constantly keep their mind alert to developments as they are affecting the body and mind. They should be aware and careful, making sure not to act or speak through the power of carelessness or forgetfulness. During the practice of right concentration, the practitioner will need to investigate and verify their right view; in the process right knowledge will arise and then followed by right liberation (Encyclopedia, Aug. 2006). The contemporary definition of these steps is: You must think about it incessantly and learn how to contemplate with the deep mind (Soccio, 2007: 51). Now having listed and clearly defined what each step is, I have concluded that it would be impossible for a present day Buddhist to live a life in accordance with the Eightfold Path. Even the most open-minded person would still fail at one or more of these steps. Following the Eightfold Path in today’s society would make it pretty much impossible for a person to be a productive member of the community. Just look at how choosing a college major would be affected by following the Path. If someone aspired to be a Police Officer, the Eightfold Path would prevent that due to the possibility of taking a human life. Or if a present day Buddhist wanted to become a lawyer, that would be halted since the Right Speech prohibits one from speaking in any sort of abusive or divisive manner. No one would be able to properly argue their point of view. In today’s electronic driven, media everywhere, fast-paced world I don’t see how the Eightfold Path could be a successful practice to a contemporary Buddhist. It is a very strict instrument to follow for the Path of Nirvana and I believe that at least one or more steps would be broken even by the most devout Buddhist.