A Blind Man Makes Him See

â€Å"Cathedral† (28) is Raymond Carver’s short story about the anticipation and fulfillment of one man’s encounter with his wife’s blind friend. The man, who is also the narrator, is wary of this rendezvous, having known no blind people in his own life up to that point. His ignorance is apparent as he thinks of blind people only from a cinematic perspective. He tells us â€Å"My idea of blindness came from the movies. In the movies the blind moved slowly and never laughed† (28). From his cynical and insecure tone, we can tell that the main character is a complacent man full of self-doubt with an inability to think outside of world that he knows.The narration, however, changes unexpectedly after the blind man has been at their home for the evening. He undergoes an epiphany as the blind man opens our narrator’s eyes to an existence he did not know was possible. The main character’s insecurity is underscored by his inability to acknowled ge the significance of another man in his wife’s life, whether an ex-husband or simply an old friend. This is exemplified by the fact that he avoids mentioning the name of his wife’s ex-husband.While this may seem like a negligible factor, it would not be so important if the narrator did not make it aware that this omission of detail was entirely and defiantly intentional. He harps â€Å"Her officer—why should he have a name? He was the childhood sweetheart, and what more does he want? †(29). Additionally, during the visit he morosely sits and watches his wife and Robert, the blind man, converse hoping to hear her mention his name. â€Å"I waited in vain to hear my name on my wife’s sweet lips: â€Å"And then my dear husband came into my life† –something like that. But I heard nothing of the sort.More talk of Robert† (32). When the conversation does turn toward him, he at first cannot engage due to these insecurities and discom fort with the blind man. â€Å"From time to time, he’d turn his face toward me, put his hand under his beard, ask me something. How long I had been in my present position? (Three years. ) Did I like my work? (I didn’t. ) Was I going to stay with it? (What were the options? )† (33). Clearly our narrator is not thrilled with his life and does not care to do anything about it where as the blind man so far had a life that seemed more fulfilling in spite of his impairment.The narrator admits that Robert was â€Å"regular blind jack of all trades† (32). He also makes note of Robert’s ability to function as a normal human being – something he never realized was possible. Robert ate, drank, and smoked just like anyone else and could even tell if the TV was color or black and white. It is this attention to Robert’s ability to function that begins the narrator’s change. The narrator’s epiphany crystallizes with his attempt to desc ribe the cathedrals appearing on a late-night television program to Robert.Robert suggests that the he draw the cathedral and envelops his hand as he draws in order to physically trace the silhouettes as they are drawn. The narrator is then instructed to close his eyes and keep drawing. At that moment, the narrator shares a commonplace with the blind man as they both trace the silhouettes of the drawing without being able to see. The narrator says â€Å"It was like nothing else in my life up to now† (37). Even after told to open his eyes and look at the picture he had drawn, the narrator does not. He says â€Å"My eyes were still closed. I was in my house. I knew that.But I didn’t feel like I was inside anything† (37). At that point the narrator is released from the captivity of his ignorance and insecurity. He was not impaired by his closed eyes as he was still able to draw the cathedral and even though he was at home, it is as if the confinement of walls and b oundaries did not exist. It is at this point that he is able to see the way the blind man sees – without his eyes, with all other senses liberated. Work Cited Carver, Raymond. â€Å"Cathedral† The Norton Introduction To Literature. By Alison Booth and Kelly J. Mays. New York, 2010. 929-42. Print.

Moral panic

The public has always used the Mass Media as the primary source of information about most topics especially crime. The Mass Media has the power to convey messages and ideas to a large audience but how truthful or factual these messages are has long been a debate of sociologist, due to news broadcast being so criminogenic for example, Ericson et al (1987). â€Å"Study of news-making in Toronto found that a remarkably high proportion of news was about deviance and control.Ranging from 45. % in newspaper to 71. 5% on radio stations. ( Maguire,Morgan and Reiner 2012, p. 248) Therefore this use of Media may create fear amongst the public which in turn causes â€Å"Moral panic† and â€Å"Folk Devils†. Therefore I will outline and Illustrate the term â€Å"Moral Panic† and the effect it has on the public, also aiming to show the role the Media plays in creating panic. â€Å"Moral panic†is a term used to describe groups or subculture as a threat to the way of lif e for society's, norms and values.There are several organisations who claims a oral breakdown such as the â€Å"Mass Media, Politicians and churches†(Tim Newburn 2013, p. 96). Stanley Cohen's research into the Mods and Rockers gave a clear view of the media classifying these subcultures as deviant and creating panic amongst the public. Cohen's had three main ideas to illustrate how â€Å"Moral Panic† was created during the 1960s. Firstly Exaggeration and Distortion. â€Å"The exaggeration of seriousness†¦. the proportion engaged in violence†. Secondly Prediction. † Media coverage regularly assumed events would be even worse†.Lastly Symbolisation † Mods and Rockers appearance became associated with delinquency and deviant behaviour. (Tim Newburn 2013, p. 97). This indicates that the Media's use of emotive language used in broadcast and newspapers created â€Å"Folk Devils† of these subcultures and wide scale panic in Britain and subs equently creating stigma towards Mods and Rockers. However there has been criticism of the â€Å"Moral Panic† Theory. Jewkes (2004) states that the audience may not be as receptive to the â€Å"Moral Panic† as Cohen mentioned. Tim Newburn 2013, p. 101).This indicates that the public are more aware of issues in society and are able to think rationally without becoming fearful of news reports. Secondly â€Å"an occasional over-reading of the extent of â€Å"panickyness† in media representations†. This demonstrates that Cohen had no real evidence to prove that â€Å"moral panics† created panic amongst society, as it would be difficult to measure the level of concern throughout communities. To conclude â€Å"Moral Panic† may sometimes be created by the Mass-Media through the se of emotive and sensationalised heading to make a story more entertaining or appealing to its audience.Through this process they create fear amongst the public and stigmat ize subcultures which in turn may cause these social groups to be the truth out for themselves and come to their own conclusion without relying on the media as a primary source of information.

Critically position the authors perspectives in relation to each other Essay

Critically position the authors perspectives in relation to each other - Essay Example He explains that it is only due to overlap and multiplicity of the various elements of a city that it appears to be a complex entity in the eyes of the observer (Alexander, 1965). Jacob’s view about cities is more or less similar to that of Alexander. Jacob’s argues that a city comprises of several entities which even though they may be very different from each other, they in one way or another have a supplementary role to play with respect to each other. She believes that efficient city planning and design on the basis of conserving and strengthening this mutual support between social and economic components of the city is the sure way to come up with successful cities (Jacobs, 1961). According to lynch, a city is a composition of both mobile and stationary elements both of which are equally significant in relation to each other. The complexity of a city occurs over time as a result of human modifications for personal reasons. He identifies a good city as one which paints a harmonious picture in the mind of the observer through ease of recognition of its constituent elements (Lynch 1960). Corbusier on the other hand breaks down the complexity of a city into being made up of mass and surface. Mass reflects the various forms that can be seen while the surface is what envelopes the mass and gives it its individuality. A good city is depicted through a proper plan that gives the city order (Corbusier, 1931). Alexander identifies that the different social systems within a city serve different social groups from different spatial areas. The effect brought about by this social organization is that within a single neighborhood, there are several social centers to serve the different social units (Alexander, 1965). Lynch on the other hand identifies that there seems to a significant agreement in the perception of the environment among people of the same social group and this affects the design of a city to give an environment that is favorable for the different

Manual - Google Street (Google map 3D) Coursework

Manual - Google Street (Google map 3D) - Coursework Example In essence, the 3D maps provide the user with the ability to see the buildings, street details and roads that make up a particular area. It acts as the basis to ensuring that users can efficiently navigate from one point to another. This is to aid them in travelling through most of densely populated cities (Peterson 32). It is vital to note that there is a significant set of well-designed functions contained in the Google 3D maps. These crucial functional features act as the building to ascertaining that there is efficient delivery of the targeted services to users. These functions include the global positioning system module, which allows users to experience real-time definition of different areas contained in a map. In each of the displayed 3D map, a user is provided with the function of changing between list views, street view. Another one is the search function where a user is allows searching for a particular company, street or any other geographical feature. The Google 3D map also provides users with a get direction function. This helps users to get access to the right path towards a particular destination. There is also a zoom function for users to zoom a location in or out. Lastly but certainly not the least, this feature contains a function, which allows users to save a favorite map towards a particular destination. This is important in that users can simply open a saved map and get the right directions to a preferred destination (Peterson

Sociology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 10

Sociology - Essay Example He calls for a concerted effort to restore their pride and lead a quality life. On the contrary, Mr. Alvin Poussaint breathes some optimism into how African-Americans should see the future and how they should fit themselves into the society. He sees the victory of Obama in the recent Presidential elections as a huge stepping stone in this direction. He expects black people to now walk with a sense of pride and heads held high. Children can take now look up to him as a source of inspiration and the future may witness many more blacks rising up the ranks. Family values and bonds will grow stronger among the blacks and many black men and women may come closer to each other. But he also has a word of caution in his statements, saying all these changes will not occur in a fortnight or so. He states that the American economy has been severely dented by the recent market crisis and things won’t be all that rosy for the new President. A mammoth responsibility has been placed on Obamaà ¢â‚¬â„¢s shoulders and he must embrace himself to fight the woes of the society like unemployment, poverty etc. He believes that the fight against these evils is still very much on, and more so, especially in the case of blacks, who are among the worst affected. Racial discrimination is still prevalent in many parts of the country but he firmly believes that developing a â€Å"victor’s† attitude is crucial in fighting the battle against racial injustice. Blacks have been struggling for their freedom for years now and he exudes confidence that the election of Obama is an important step towards achieving that

Analysis of an Ethical dilemma part #3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Analysis of an Ethical dilemma part #3 - Essay Example The role of nurses is to assist patients recover in line with the principle of beneficence. As such, assisting in euthanasia is in contrary to bioethics. In cases of a severe chronic disease, nurses should invoke personal values and professional ethics and propose palliative care rather than assisted euthanasia. Such moves show a pro-life policy that all nurses subscribe to. Severely ill patients have no capacity to make rational decisions regarding their health. Thus, the nurse should take the role of advisors to show the patients the most rational method of dealing with their situations. The interview shows that the society is also against assisted euthanasia due to the wider effects. Social problems arise as a result of a voluntary death of family members. The nurses are also members of the society and share the same views. In this regard, they should strengthen the societal reliance and trust on the healthcare system. This can be done by abstaining from assisted euthanasia. American Nursing Association. (2013). Position Statement: Euthanasia, Assisted Suicide and Aid in Dying. Retrieved from ANA website:

Propose an Early Childhood Education Coursework

Propose an Early Childhood Education - Coursework Example It is important to note that each class will have its theme based on each child’s age and development. The daily schedule depends on the teacher and child activities. Globalization means long working hours for the parents and therefore Bright Kids Academy understands the need to offer before and after school care to such parents. The Academy will provide ample time for homework as well as life-enhancing skills and projects during the after-school program. The Academy stands out from the rest due to its mission and vision. The Academy will remain active in a learning environment while building the partnership with the employees, community, and parents in order to provide the best educational experience and a bright future for our children. It will create life-long learning inspiration through working with families ensuring that each child learns, grows, and plays in a rich and safe environment. Bright Kids Learning Academy mission is to provide every child with quality educatio n ensuring that they learn on their own and at their pace while receiving any help they need in their development. The Academy encourages play through various curriculums because it is their only work. It encourages the children to love learning while seeking their curiosity through play. Through learning, children can communicate, explore, hold discussions, and manipulate through group activities. The learning curriculum includes emotional, social, physical, and cognitive developments, and the children are our first and last priorities.

Return on Financial Assets Math Problem Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Return on Financial Assets - Math Problem Example tainty (low risk). In other words, invested money can earn higher profits only if there is a possibility of it being lost. Likewise, a corporate bond has several risks attached to it such as term to maturity risk, degree of liquidity risk and its credit rating. Each bond is discussed below with regard to the risk attached to it. I. Bond X will earn the highest return because of low credit rating which means that agencies regard this firm as highly risky. Moreover, it also involves maturity risk and degree of liquidity risk which is assumed as it is not stated. II. Bond W will earn a lower return in comparison to X but higher than Y and Z, as it is rated better by the rating agency which denotes low risk in terms of business operation. However maturity and liquidity risk exists which makes investor hesitant to take it unless it offers required return for it. III. Bond Y will yield more than Z but less than W and X because of its high credit rating, low term to maturity risk which is e vident from the fact that investor will get his principal amount back before investor of bond W and X. But still it contains liquidity risk which will result in paying a higher return than bond Z. IV. Lastly, bond Z will yield the least amount of return as it does not have liquidity risk, maturity risk and neither low credit rating. Investors won’t demand high return as their investment is relatively safe. 2. Explain how an economist could use the slope of the yield curve to analyze the probability that a recession will occur and why the spread may matter.   Answer: Yield curve shows a relationship between yield and maturity of a debt instrument. Its slope has always been a good indicator of economic movements, as it can indicate where investor sentiments are heading. It indicates investors’ expectation of economy and interest rate. A sharply upward sloping, or steep yield curve, has often been an indication of an economic shift. Yield curve can indicate upcoming rec ession when it starts to invert. It occurs when long-term yields fall below short-term yields (Besley and Brigham, 2000). Under anomalies, if investors think that economy will slow down or decline in the future they will be satisfied with lower yield. Inverted yield curves also suggest that the market is expecting inflation to remain low. This is because, even if there is a recession, a low bond yield will still be offset by low inflation. 3. One year ago, you bought a bond for $10,000. You received interest of $400 at the end of the year, as well as your $10,000 principal. If the inflation rate over the last year was five percent, calculate the real return. Show your work.   Answer: Real return of a security is calculated by discounting the interest earned and principal invested to (t=0) i.e. today and then finding percentage return of the investment. For the above given question, firstly, principal amount and interest earned is added to get $10,400 and then discounted at a rate of 5%

Computer Misuse - law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Computer Misuse - law - Essay Example The cost of the crime in many cases is immense. The confidence of the general public has succumbed and internet is regarded as a place with ’wild west’ culture. The internet service providers, Government, hardware and software manufacturers have done little to minimize the various risks associated with use of internet. Ekaterina Drozdova a doctoral candidate of Stern School of Business, New York University conducted a survey about legal codes regarding e-crimes in fifty countries and came up different actions that can account for breaching of cyber laws. They are; unauthorized access, unlawful fiddling with files or data (e.g. illegal copying, alteration, or destruction), damage to computer or network (e.g. viruses, worms, Trojan horses), use of information systems to commit or advance conventional crimes (e.g. scam, forgery, money laundering, acts of terrorism), computer-mediated spying, infringement of privacy in the attainment of personal data theft or damage of computer hardware or software (Sofaer & Goodman, 2001). According to one report about the rising public anxiety in relation to e-crimes, 21% of the people felt at risk from e-crimes and only 16% worried about burglary in UK. It is also estimated that an average company or firm in UK loses about 3% of its profits to electronic theft. According to one estimate in the UK, Â £40 billion is spent on the fraud prevention industry which is equivalent to half of what the country spends on the National Health Service (Saxby, 2006). This alarming report is reason enough to undertake every measure to aid in provision of the security that the internet users deserve. The figures like this makes it clear that computer misuse is a very wide spread and board level issue that needs a more sound infrastructure to amply fight it, instead of relying on just the IT department of organizations to counteract it. The

Technology Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Technology Philosophy - Essay Example Varying the use of available instructional technology materials will keep the students expectant in every lesson. This gives inspiration to both teachers and students as well. For the teachers, there is the challenge to create new and exciting presentations and for the teachers, there is the continuous wondering not only on the concepts to be learned but on how these concepts are presented. The way these are presented is important because it paves the way for their clear understanding of the topics. The use of technology in the teaching-learning process should not be used as a tool in presenting the lessons like using the MS PowerPoint presentations to show the ideas and concepts or the use of transparencies to project the outline of the discussion or the content of the lecture. These should be part of the learning activities also where the students are enabled to understand these technologies and enabled to use these because in a way, creativity and technical skills are also developed. These can also be used as aid in learning concepts also like the use of computer games to teach the concept and activity of inference, hypothesis and prediction. My approach toward my educational philosophy with regard to technology was inductively developed. I looked at what I believe in with regard to the teaching-learning process and attached to these what I believe should be the role of technology. Later on, I looked into existing educational philosophies, and identified from there, which among these best fit my philosophy. As I have identified, these are as follows: John Dewey’s experiential philosophy, Dr. Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligences theory, and John Mc Peck’s teaching critical thinking. Dewey’s philosophy involves the use of experience in teaching like in teaching addition and subtraction of numbers for example, instead of teaching the

Planning To Meet Customer Requirements Essay Example for Free

Planning To Meet Customer Requirements Essay 1(a)This assignment is based on organization called the Better business bureau located in North America. The fundamental aim of this organization is to ensure that business men achieve high standards and maintain them. The vision of the organization is an ethical market place where buyers and sellers can trust each other. The mission of the better bureau is to be the leader in advancing market place trust. The better business bureau is able to accomplish its mission by ensuring   that it works in a community of trustworthy businesses since the main aim of the business is to train its members on how to maintain their business ,hence it is easy to motivate business men to be trustworthy to each other. To accomplish its mission the better business bureau has set standards for market place trust. The main objective of the better business bureau is to setting up good standards in the market that promote trust. To fulfill its mission the better business bureau encourages and supports best practices. As being a good role model in the market place the better business bureau is main target is encouraging and supporting practices among businessmen. (b). one of the main objective of the business is celebrating market place role models. As a mentor that is encouraging good business practices the better business bureau acts as a good role model among business men. Another other main important objective for the better business bureau is denouncing substandard market place behavior. The organization is against bad business behaviors and untrustworthy business men practices. (c). Denouncing substandard market place behaviors has encouraged the organization to work closely with its members. Through the internet the better business bureau is always in contact with its customers thus encouraging good business behaviors among them. To ensure that high standards are set and maintained the better business bureau offer affordable education to all its members. The better business bureau also promotes the standards set by its members. To celebrate market place role model has been achieved by the better business bureau because the organization accepts only competent business to its system. Any qualified businesses do not qualify to becoming members of the organization. 2.(a) Stake holders The better business bureau has got many employees, customers and shareholders. The main stakeholders for the better business bureau are businessmen. i. Customers: The main customers for the better business bureau are businessmen. The better business bureau is an international organization for 133 better business bureaus across North America. The better business bureau has got 380, 000 business members that range in size from local enterprises to multinational corporations.   The better business bureau offers many services to its customers, like the better business bureau military line. This is mainly designed to meeting specific consumer needs of military personnel. The organization also has an international students ethic award where scholarships are offered to competent students.   ii. a).Employees: the better business bureau has got many employees. The main ones are accountants, managers, web designers, clerks, and the junior staff. The accountants are mainly involved in maintaining and ensuring that the better business bureau offers its services to standard, they oversee the day performance of the business. Also the web designers have been working hard in ensuring that the organization is well networked, with it business members by developing and ensuring that updated computer programmes have been designed that meet the requirements of the company. b) The employees of the better business bureau ensure the smooth running of its operations. For example the web designers ensure that the business is well networked with all its customers globally. The accountants of the better business bureau ensure that its records are well maintained and updated. The accounts also regularly countercheck the performance of the business members of the organization.   The customers of the better business bureau determine its performance. When many businesses join the bureau its performance improves. Quality: The quality of a product is the degree of the production perfection. Every product has to be manufactured to a particular specification regarding dimension, surface finish and hardness. Quality services: means offering of services that meet and fulfill the requirements of the customers. Quality management: This is a system that a company lays down in ensuring that it achieves its objectives. Quality management involves procedures and means involved in measuring and maintaining the quality of products or services offered by a company. c) Quality standards. The better business bureau has set up quality standards that monitor the daily performance of its duties. The better business bureau has been putting some measures like introducing online services that are set towards improving the quality of services the company offers. To promote the quality of services the company offers it has promoted the public trust in advertising. The better business bureau does its advertisement in order to foster truth and accuracy in national advertising through voluntary self-regulation.   To improve the quality of services the better business bureau offers it the business has been using online services to report its operations. d) Quality audit. The better business bureau offers quality services to its customers. The better business bureau meets the needs of its customers by enabling its customers to be using an online reporting and evaluation system. Through the internet customers make their requests to the company and they get the necessary feed back through the internet. Only competent and trustworthy businesses are member: The better business bureau encourages quality in its services by registering only qualified businesses as its members. The organization does not encourage illegal business practices among its members. The organization also supports many other good programs. The business offers other community services like scholarships to need students within the community. 4) Information review: To create a healthy, safe and productive working environment some information are essential. First information about a particular company is crucial. To understand its objectives, mission and vision. After understanding the objectives, mission and vision of the company then its possible to create a conducive working environment. To create a conducive working environment there should be a well laid down organizational structure for the company. The employees should understand their duties well. A good relationship should also exist between the junior and senior staff. To create a safe working environment all the employees should understand the necessary safety precautions, they should follow in performing their duties, they should also understand other necessary rules to be followed in performing their duties. For encouraging a productive working environment employees should be well conversant to their work. They should understand all the procedures of performing a specific task. b) The guidance that is in our work place that creates a healthy, safe and productive work environment is through regular training of employees. The better business bureau offers regular training to its employees on how to, have a heath work environment by encouraging employees to co-ordinate and network among themselves in ensuring that the required standards of working are achieved at the work place. The organization promotes a save working environment by encouraging its employees to observe safely measures like how to control emergence situation like fire in case of an emergence. The company also encourages a productive working environment by training its employees adequately. The better business bureau has trained its employees to be at a better position of offering recommended services to its customers. Training: The better business bureau trains its business managers on how to encourage many businesses to join the organization. The business managers are taught on how to face business men and how to promote good business practices in their businesses. For the better business bureau to create a healthy and productive environment among its members it usually monitors on their performance. Only businesses with performance, that is according to the required standards that the better business bureau serves. Risk analysis: (i)Political situations:- The political situation of America and other countries can affect the smooth running of the better business bureau. The political situation of countries that have member businesses registered with the better business bureau affect the smooth running of the organization. (ii)Exchange rates:-Due to high prices of oil and food, the global economy is performing poorly thus affecting the strength of the dollar particularly to poor countries. Thus the better business bureau being an international organization will be greatly affected. Potential business: -It becomes difficulty for the better business bureau to determine genuine businesses. Since the better business bureau deals only with competent business it becomes difficulty to know the trustworthy once. iv. Facing competition: the better business bureau faces competition from other international organization. Hence it is likely to lose some of its potential customers.

Conventions in the UK constituion

Conventions in the UK constituion Introduction Conventions are distinctive to the UK Constitution as they include the practices, customs and behaviour of how the government and state institutions operate. They are considered non-legal rules which are unenforceable. However, there is uncertainty surrounding their definition and position in relation to laws and whether their obligatory nature makes them more than mere habits. Although the UK is a functional democracy, it is one without a written Constitution. Therefore, my aim throughout this essay is firstly to discuss the role of conventions, and how they used to regulate government bodies, for which I will provide a comprehensive account as to their existence and the way in which they are exercised. Secondly, it would be necessary to explore the adverse effect there usage may have on democracy, since there is no formalised procedure which sets out the governments intention on how it should operate, one could argue that its practice could be potentially harmful to society. Thirdl y, it would be essential to establish whether conventions should be codified into a written single document which would provide consistency and certainty into how the government makes its decisions. In order to develop an understanding of the role of conventions it would be sensible to firstly explore their precise definition. Dicey explains they consist of customs, practices, maxims, or precepts which are not enforced or recognised by courts[1]. However, it could be argued that this definition is misleading as Barber mentions courts can recognise anything they wish to recognise[2]. Moreover, as conventions are deemed non-legal rules, does not necessarily mean they are not recognised by the courts which, presents some inconsistency into Diceys theory. The case regarding the patriation of the Canadian constitution in the early 1980s illustrates the fact that courts will sometimes apply conventions even though they are not legally required to do so. It was established in Reference re Amendment of the Constitution of Canada [1982] 105 DLR [3d] 1[3] that under Canadian law any amendments to the Constitution of Canada, an Act was required from the UK Parliament[4]. However, it was by convention that the Canadian Supreme Court should give prior notice to the provinces of any amendments in order to obtain their consent. However, as this convention was recognised it was subsequently ignored and it was claimed that the Canada Act 1982[5] was invalid as the Canadian provinces did not give prior consent. Although, there was no rule of law which required provincial consent to constitutional amendments, the question here was did a convention actually exist? In Jennings three stage theory he suggested that first, what are the precedents; secondly, did the actors in the precedents believe that they were bound by a rule; and thirdly, is there a reason for the rule?[6] In order to analyse this into more detail it would be necessary to put this theory into practice by illustrating the reasons for the courts decision. It was found that five precedents where constitutional amendments had changed provincial legislative powers had directly affected federal-provincial relationsh ips[7]. The majority stated that the accumulation of these precedents, positive and negative, concurrent and without exception does not of itself suffice in establishing the existence of the convention[8], which could suggest that although conventions carry no legal weight the relevant actors were not obliged to be bound by them. In which case Jaconelli argues by focusing on the beliefs held by the relevant actors, appears to suggest an extremely flimsily basis for the existence of constitutional conventions[9]. Moreover, as the Canadian government was forced to delay plans in order to seek consent from the provinces, the agreement from the majority allowed the formation of Canadas 1983 constitution to occur. However, as Jennings three stage tests was applied in this case, the fact that the actors did not consider them binding, does not necessarily excuse the significance of conventions which in this instance supported the courts in their judicial interpretation of a convention from a mere habit. Summary Another case where the courts were unwilling to apply conventions was in Attorney-General v Jonathan Cape Ltd [1976] QB 752[10]. It was held that the publication of the Crossman diaries which included Cabinet proceedings was not in the public interest. The Attorney-General sought to prevent publication on the grounds of a breach of convention. Lord Widgery C.J in his judgement stated that there is no obligation enforceable at law to prevent the publication of cabinet papers and proceedings, except in extreme cases where national security is involved[11]. However, the Attorney-General argued that as part of the convention of collective responsibility the affairs of the Cabinet were confidential and should not be disclosed contrary to public interest. However, the defence for the publishers argued that collective responsibility is a doctrine which has grown up and has never been dignified as a convention[12], which could suggest that as conventions are considered old established practi ces which are not formalised into a set of rules, there is still uncertainty into their use. However, while a convention is deemed non-legal does not necessarily mean they do not have any legal effect, which would correspond with Jenkins statement that a convention can have legal effect despite not being a legal rule[13], which indicates that the political implications of conventions are therefore of undeniable significance. The main purpose of conventions is to prevent the constitution from becoming old-fashioned by bringing consistency and flexibility, which can be modified to suit a continuously evolving constitution. According to Jennings, conventions provide the flesh which clothes the dry bones of the law[14]. Although this may be an over enthusiastic description, it illustrates the wide recognition and appreciation of the purposes served by conventions. Lord Wintons modern view of a convention is to be the main political principles which regulate relations between the different parts of our constitution and the exercise of power but which do not have legal force[15]. However, there are conventions which hold a greater significance than statutory and common-law rules. One of the strongest conventions is that the Monarch gives Royal Assent to Bills duly passed on the advice of her ministers. Since 1708 the refusal to assent to the Scottish Militia Bill 1708[16] by Queen Anne was the last time this v eto was used. However, for the Monarch to refuse her assent to a Bill of which she disapproved, no court would deem the Bill to be an authentic Act of Parliament[17], which would potentially be harmful to society, as this would have prevented an important piece of legislation from being enacted. However, as (Munro 1999) mentions there have been no instances in modern times of legislation being presented for assent against the wishes of the government[18], however there has been on occasion that an assent to bills has either been withheld or delayed. For example on the advice of Unionist the King was undecided as to whether to grant Royal Assent to the Home Rule Act 1914[19] which would allow for the devolution of Ireland to become independent. Although, this Bill was rejected in the House of Lords, the Parliament Act 1911[20] was used to override their decision and it was on the advice of the Prime Minister that the King gave Royal Assent. However, due to the First World War, this A ct never came into being and it was not until the Government of Ireland Act 1920[21] that enabled the patriation of Ireland, which established an Irish Free State. Moreover, the expansion of the convention requiring royal assent helps show that conventions can occasionally carry legal as well as political weight. There has been on occasion where the courts have been unable to accept conventions as a means of redress. The issue arising in Manuel v Attorney General [1983] Ch.77[22] involved the possible crystallisation of a convention into law. It was suggested that the convention of the UK Parliament should not legislate for Canada except with its permission, might have evolved into a law through long term recognition. Slade LJ stated that this case raises issues which are no doubt of great political importance to all peoples of Canada[23]. However, it was concluded that conventions do not possess the power to evolve from political practices to actual laws. This does not necessarily mean that conventions serve no legal purpose and indeed there are some rare occasions where the legal power of conventions is as great as the legal power of laws. However, the breach of a conventional rule can result in a change in law which demonstrates that conventions do exert a certain degree of power in legal fields as well as in areas of a purely political nature. The convention that the House of Lords should not obstruct the policy of an elected government when a majority in the House of Commons exists was thought to have been breached in 1909[24], with a refusal from the House of Lords to accept budget proposals formulated by the Liberal government. The House of Lords was subsequently denied the power to prevent enactment of a measure accepted as a money bill, which was a result of the Parliament Act 1911[25]. However, had this Act not been passed would have resulted in a variety of a political problems which could in fact produce an unstable government which the general public relies on, which fits nicely with Lord Wilsons argument that for the breach of a convention is liable to bring political trouble in one form or another[26]. The refore the fact that Parliament was able to step in and prevent any further episodes of a breach reoccurring not only exemplifies their existence but the behaviour in which conventions are exercised demonstrates the need for them to be followed and obeyed. Although it is rare for courts to apply conventions, they often use conventions as a tool for interpretation. As Jenkins mentions courts were perfectly capable of recognising and applying conventions to provide aid for and background to constitutional or statutory construction[27]. In a privy council appeal case regarding the accession of Canada to independence, the convention of equity status referred in the preamble of the Statute of Westminster Act 1931[28], which was the main grounds for interpreting an otherwise ambiguous section of the Canadian constitution in such a way as to empower Federal Parliament to reject appeals to the privy council from all Canadian courts in civil cases. Similarly when courts have objected to review the grounds on which executive discretionary powers have been exercised, they have relied upon the convention that a minister is responsible to Parliament for the exercise of power. Although it is not necessary for courts to enforce conventions, it is cle ar that these non-legal rules impose a significant weight of obligation. Moreover, as Dr H. V. Evatt argues the practice of enacting conventions gives authoritative decisions about their meaning and application[29], which would suggest that people would be more inclined to obey legal rules rather than non-legal rules. Furthermore, what distinguishes these non legal rules from mere habits is Lord Wilsons statement that conventions which are broken, legal problems would eventually arise. On occasion conventions have been formalised into a written document to provide consistency and certainty. Individual responsibility stipulates that a minister is accountable to Parliament for their own acts and the acts of civil servants in their department, which suggests that ministers are accountable for the misconduct of their subordinates even though he/she had no knowledge of the activity. This would support (Marshall and Moodie 1967) argument that ministers are responsible morally for culpable actions in the same way as everybody else[30]. However, as there is no definitive meaning between the terms accountability and responsibility. This poses some inconsistency into the use of conventions. Therefore, it has been recognised that the principles of ministerial responsibility should be incorporated into the Ministerial Code 2007[31] in order to provide precision and consistency in it us. Conclusion While there may be some uncertainty as to the definition of conventions, collective ministerial responsibility requires that all ministers are united in supporting any policy proposals or legislative measures in the House of Commons. (Marshall and Moodie 1967) defines this as certain rules of constitutional behaviour which are considered binding and upon those who operate the constitution[32]. However, where the government is unable to gain the support of Parliament a formal vote of no confidence is necessary to require the resignation of a UK Parliament. Although Marshall and Moodies statement is wholly acceptable, it illustrates the importance and binding influence of conventions which are highly regarded by the political bodies. However, a convention which exists is that ministers must not knowingly mislead Parliament in serious cases they are required to offer their resignation. In a newspaper article Clare Short ex-International Department Secretary claimed that Tony Blair had m isled Parliament surrounding the legality of the 2003 invasion on Iraq[33]. According to (Tomkins 2003) lying to Parliament is not a legal wrong, but it is a constitutional wrong[34]. Although her resignation was required, there is no statutory rule which exists to regulate the behaviour of a Prime Minister when a general election is known. However, it is a convention that the Prime Minister should resign when he has lost the election, which immediately presents some inconsistency into how the government makes its decision. Although the office of the Prime Minister is created by convention it could be argued that the scope of conventions is uncertain as it is the Queen who can appoint or dismiss ministers at her own pleasure. On conclusion while the definition of conventions has been unclear, conventions have been able to function alongside statute law and legislation to provide a stable government, which demonstrates their consistency and flexibility. Moreover, as there is an obligation to be bound by them there is evidence to suggest their existence, which as illustrated has affected judicial reasoning, by enacting law as well as providing written rules. However, a convention which was applied many years ago may not be applicable today and the idea of unwritten rules would provide instability in the one body that people depend on. Moreover the idea of democracy is one where the public have a say in deciding who goes into government but also how they should be governed. Therefore a convention that is unable to evolve would not provide a clear understanding as to the government intentions. While it may be beneficial to have conventions codified to provide clarity and consistency, it would need to be clear which conventions should be written as to avoid conflict with statutory and common-law rules. However, despite the many criticisms of the use of conventions in the UK Constitution a constitution without conventions would ultimately fail as they are sufficiently flexible rather than laws which are difficult to alter. Therefore, it would be important to codify a convention which has been readily in use, rather than codifying them all into one single document.

Cyber Bullying and Racial Discrimination

Cyber Bullying and Racial Discrimination Melissa Hui Xin Yue Q3: In the recent times, cyber bullying and hate mongering towards people groups have increased, especially in social networks such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Islamophobia, Anti-Semitism and other forms of similar negative impressions have dominated cyber space. Analytically discuss ways and means to combat the above mentioned phenomena in an amicable and workable manner. According to Bill Belsey (2000), cyberbullying is defined as activity that involves the use of information and communication technologies to support deliberate, repeated and hostile behaviour by an individual or group that is intended to harm others. In this digital era, it is without a doubt that most children have their own cell phones, and with the fast Internet connectivity, it is safe to assume that most of the children has at least one social media account. This increase the chance of them being a cyberbully or being cyberbullied. Islamophobia and Anti-Semitism is generally associated with bullying. In a 1991 Runnymede Trust Report, Islamophobia was defined as hostility towards Muslims, and therefore fear or dislike of all or most Muslims. Whereas Anti-Semitism is the prejudice, discrimination and hatred of Jews as a national, ethnic, religious or a racial group (Lipset, 1969). These cyberbullying activities can be stopped and prevented by raising awareness for Islamic practice s and Judaism, have counselling for students who are being cyberbullied and government’s efforts in stopping cyberbully. Cyberbullying activities towards Jews and Muslims is a problem that can be stopped by raising awareness about Islamic practices and Judaism. Awareness can be raised by operating campaigns about Islamic belief and Judaism. These campaigns should run throughout the whole year in schools and also in public areas. Governments and schools should see the brighter side of these two religions instead of stereotyping them as terrorist in accordance to what have happened in the events of 9/11 Attacks in New York (2001) and Charlie Hebdo killings (2014). According to Martin et al. (2011), stereotyping is categorizing information about others in daily life. Campaigns should have activities like cultural talks about what Islamic beliefs and Judaism are about. What could be better than a little bit of eye candy to catch your attention? Clothing and accessories can be used as a media to spread awareness. Example, you can wear a blue t-shirt in support of Islamic beliefs and Judaism. Games and activ ities with the Muslims and Jews will show how friendly and fun they are in contrast of the stereotypes that people have about them. Student exchange programmes are a good way to raise awareness on Muslim students or Jewish students. These students can show their host families about their religion and culture, prompting their host families to stop having stereotypes towards the students’ religion. In response to the event September 11, 2001, Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study Program is one of the programme that provides scholarship for students from Islamic countries to learn about American society and values (YESprograms, 2002). With raising awareness, this will help the students and society to not be afraid of Muslims and Jews. Thus, discrimination and cyberbullying towards Muslims and Jews will decrease because they understand and empathize that everyone in the world has feelings. Counselling is a great way to stop cyberbullying. Although you might think that counselling will not do much change, but in fact, according to Bower and Rowland (2006), counselling is more effective than usual care, people receiving counselling is likely to be satisfied after treatment. Muslims and Jews who are being cyberbullied can go to see a counsellor whether at school or outside of school. Victims can choose to join either one-on-one sessions if they are too shy or they can join group sessions where they get to listen to other victims’ experiences. Listening to other victims can help them because they empathize with the victims. Based on Dr Brenà © Brown’s research (2010), she defines shame as the intensely painful feeling or experience of believing that we are flawed and therefore unworthy of love and belonging. When a victim decides to share his or her experience, the victim is being courageous to face his or her problem. Counsellors should always encourage the victims to talk about their feelings and relieve their stress about being in their own religion. Group sessions not only have experience sharing, but also should have games and activities to bring the victims together and show them that they are not alone. Dr Brenà © Brown once said, â€Å"To practice courage and compassion is to look at life and people around us†. Counsellors should teach the victims the ways to protect themselves when they are being cyberbullied, like reporting to the police or blocking the cyberbully on internet. No doubt that counselling is able to make an impact in the lives of victims of cyberbully. The Government should do their parts in stopping cyberbullying toward Muslims and Jews. Whenever victims report about cyberbullying, the police should not turn a blind eye over them just because the police is Islamophobia or Anti-Semitism. Police should be fair and just when it comes to criminal and law-breaking citizens. B.F. Skinner (1938) coined the term operant conditioning; it means roughly changing of behaviour by the use of reinforcement which is given after the desired response. If the cyberbully is a student, the school should give warning to the cyberbully. The cyberbully must undergo charity hours if caught cyberbullying anyone if caught by the school. These charity hours help them to reflect on themselves for what they have done so that they will not repeat it again. Governments should take away the cyberbullies’ electronic devices and internet when they are caught cyberbullying. Government should impose and reinforce the laws on cyberbullying. Hiring more cyber po lices will help to decrease the cyberbullying rate. Actions will be taken if the cyber police accepts bribery from the cyberbully. Incentives can be given by the government for the non-profit counselling groups that help the victims of cyberbullying. The government should provide a building for the non-profit counselling groups to do their activities in. By doing this, the government is helping the victims indirectly because the government provided facilities for the counselling groups. Thus, Muslims and Jews can share their emotions and relieve their stress caused by cyberbullying. Islamophobia and Anti-Semitism should not be the topic for cyberbullying nor should any characteristics be used as a topic for cyberbullying. You may not be the ones being cyberbullied, maybe one day your child might be cyberbullied. Being born into your own race is not your fault or your choice, we cannot change our race and should not discriminate other race as well. So, let us make an effort to stop cyberbully towards Islamophobia and Anti-Semitism by raising awareness, counselling sessions and also government’s efforts in stopping cyberbullying. References: Belsey, B. (2000). Cyberbullying. Retrieved March 10, 2015, from http://www.cyberbullying.org/ Defining Islamophobia (n.d.). Retrieved March 10, 2015, from http://crg.berkeley.edu/content/islamophobia/defining-islamophobia 9/11 Attacks. (2010). Retrieved March 11, 2015, from http://www.history.com/topics/9-11-attacks# Charlie Hebdo and its satirical role. (2015, January 8). Retrieved March 11, 2015, from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-15551998 About YES Program. (2001, January 1). Retrieved March 11, 2015, from http://yesprograms.org/about Lipset, S. M., â€Å"The Socialism of Fools- The Left, the Jews and Israel,† Encounter, (December 1969), p.24 Retrieved March 11, 2015 Martin, J.N. , Nakayama, T.K. (2011), Experiencing Intercultural Communication, McGraw-Hill International Edition Bower Peter, J. and N. Rowland (2006) Effectiveness and cost effectiveness of counselling in primary care. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Retrieved March 12, 2015 Brown, B. (2010, September 1). The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think Youre Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are. Retrieved March 12, 2015 Skinner, B. F. (1938).The Behavior of organisms: An experimental analysis. New York: Appleton-Century.

Children and Gangs Essay -- Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Children and Gangs      Ã‚  Ã‚   Gang violence is a huge problem in America today. More and more children are joining gangs every day. It has become evident that these gangs made up of young people are causing numerous problems. Gang violence and gang activities impact all of those around the gang members. The kids in these gangs are hurting themselves, each other, their families, and the communities around them. Those who are associated with the gangs through family ties or just those who are associated with the gangs through geographical location. Before we can understand how gangs effect the people and communities around them we must first understand what gangs actually are. We must try and understand how the gang members think, how they react to certain situations, and what makes them do what they do. First of all, why do youth join gangs in the first place? Often young people join gangs for a sense of belonging. When children are not getting the attention they need from other people they turn to those who will give them the sense of belonging that they long for. Often gangs form in, areas with weak family and neighborhood controls, especially poor urban slum areas. Children with low parental supervision often spend much of their time on the streets(Lo,38). Once in a gang, the gang becomes the childà ­s family. Everything the child does is for the gang. à ¬Gang members fight to protect what the members value, and to protect the integrity of the group...gang members engage in violent behavior to impress others and to reinforce their own self-esteemà ®(Lo,40). In order to gain status and respect in a gang, the gang member must give everything for the gang. The gang member must in fact have à ¬the willingness to r... ...orces, Vol. 75 No. 2 December 1996, pg. 619-645. Lo, Chun-Nui, A Social Model of Gang Related Violence, Free Inquiry In Creative Sociology, Vol 19 no. 1, May 1991, pg. 36-43. Osgood, Wayne et al., Routine Activities and Deviant Behavior, American Sociological Review, Vol. 61 no. 4, August 1996, pg 635-655. Brantley, Gangs, Vol.63, FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, May 1,1994, pp1-8 (Article) Kennedy, Leslie and Stephen Baron, Routine Activities And A Subculture Of Violence: A Study Of Violence On The Street, Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, Vol. 30 No. 1, Febuary 1993, pp. 88-112 (Journal) Lo, Chun-Nui (Celia), A Social Model Of Gang-Related Violence, Free Inquiry In Creative Sociology, Vol 19 No 1, May1991, pp. 36-43 (Journal) Shakur, Sanyika, Monster: The Autobiography Of An L.A. Gang Member,Penguin Book Ltd., 1993   

Mind Deception :: Personal Narrative Abortion Descriptive Essays

Mind Deception I’m surrounded by the blatant screams of hatred as I am thrown from hand rail to hand rail on the steps of this large building. The People surrounding me are holding large signs and yelling chants as they throw trash at this structure before me. Signs scream death in red writing as if they were stabbed or ripped open like a wound. The noise has become numbing, and all I hear are footsteps and see hands flail in front of my face. I spin almost motionless as if my head is the only thing moving, yet I am unable to focus on any object. Suddenly the noise returns, and I am no longer spinning. I see the rush of news media approaching in hopes of capturing the best photo or quote of this enormous display of protest. Still I cannot figure out what is being protested. I turn in every direction looking for an explanation for this chaos, and all I receive in return is a shoulder or back turned to me. The riot is getting out of control now, and I see several policemen rushing towards the spectacle. With fear that I may get hurt, I decide to enter the building which stands before me. When the door behind me smacks shut with an echoing, darkness is all I can see. I call out to see if anyone is around, but it appears as though there is no one. The musty smell of this building enters my throat and causes me to gag. I quickly run through an open door in hopes of a change of atmosphere. The smell has changed but the room is still dark, except for a crack of light seeping in from an almost covered skylight above me. Shrieking cries of what I think are infants fill my ears, but after looking in every direction, I see nothing. My curiosity pushes me to explore more of this building; so I move forward and open the door into another room. The room is very well lit, and as I look around I feel as though I have been here before. With no signs as to what this building is, and with no one to ask, I am finding it difficult to recall why I know this place.

Ernesto Guevara de Serna Essay -- Ernest Che Guevara Biographies Essay

Ernesto Guevara de Serna Ernesto Guevara de Serna was born in Argentina in 1928 into a fairly privileged family. He developed serious asthma at the age of two, which would plague him throughout his life. He was home-schooled by his mother, Celia de la Serna. It was these early years when he became an eager reader of Marx, Engels, and Freud which all were all part of his father's library. He went to secondary school in 1941, the Colegio Nacional Dean Funes, Cordoba, where he excelled in literature and sports. At home he was impressed by the Spanish Civil War refugees and by the long series of political crises in Argentina. These culminated in the ‘Left Fascist’ dictatorship of Juan Peron, to whom the Guevara de la Sernas were opposed. These events and influences implanted ideas of contempt for the charade of parliamentary democracy, a hatred of military politicians and the army, the capitalist oligarchy, and, above all, U.S. imperialism. Although his parents, most notably his mother, were anti-Peronist activists, he did not take participate in revolutionary student movements and showed little interest in politics at Buenos Aires University (1947) where he studied medicine. He focused on understanding his own disease, and later became more interested in leprosy. In 1949 he made the first of his long journeys, exploring northern Argentina on a bicycle. This was the first time Ernesto came into contact with the very poor and the remnants of the Indian tribes. It was during this leave of absence from schooling that Guevara, now nicknamed "Che" (Italian origin meaning chum or buddy), first experienced the depth of poverty and suffering of his fellows. In 1951, after taking his exams, he made a much longer journey. He visited southern Argentina, Chile, where he met Salvador Allende, and Peru, where he worked for several weeks in the San Pablo leprosarium. He then was in Colombia at the time of La Violencia, and Venezuela and Miami where he was arrested but soon released. He returned home for his finals sure of only one thing: he did not want to become a middle-class general practitioner. He passed, specializing in dermatology, and went to La Paz, Bolivia, during the National Revolution in which he condemned as an opportunist. From there he went to Guatemala, arriving during the socialist Arbenz presidency. It was in Guatemala that he began ... ...reabouts were a secret and his death was widely rumored. He was in various African countries, notably the Congo surveying the possibilities of turning the Kinshasa rebellion into a Communist revolution, by Cuban-style guerrilla tactics. He returned to Cuba to train volunteers for that project, and took a force of 120 Cubans to the Congo. His men fought well, but the Kinshasa rebels did not. They were useless against the Belgian mercenaries, and by autumn 1965 Che had to advise Castro to withdraw Cuban aid. Che's final revolutionary adventure was in Bolivia where he grossly misjudged the revolutionary potential of that country with disastrous consequences. The attempt ended in his being captured by a Bolivian army unit and shot a day later. Because of his wild, romantic appearance, his dashing style, and his unwillingness to bend to any kind of establishment, Che became a legend and an idol for the revolutionary—and even the merely discontented—youth of the later 1960s and early 70's. He was a focus for the kind of desperate revolutionary action which seemed, to millions of young people, the only hope of destroying the world of middle class industrial capitalism and communism.

Reaction Paper Information Security Essay

Right now we are living in a world where information is very abundant and mostly open to everyone because of the internet. Security and privacy are big issues nowadays and someone has to do some actions regarding these issues. People dealing with the security and privacy of information belong to the field of Information Security, and we are lucky to meet someone knowledgeable about this field of work. Last February 27 at BA Multimedia Room of Saint Therese Building, we held a seminar about Information Technology and our speaker was Mr. Ferdinand Samaniego and together with him is a Computer Engineering graduate of Adamson University, Mr. Tet Aguila. Mr. Samaniego is the Lead Penetration Tester of Bitshield. His task is to find possible threats on applications and provide remedy to these threats. The seminar was delayed for about an hour because Mr. Samaniego and Mr. Aguila were caught in traffic. Most of us lost their enthusiasm about the seminar because of the delay. But when Mr. Samaniego and Mr. Aguila arrived and started the seminar, everyone became very excited and the eagerness to learn came back to us because Mr. Samaniego told that he will tackle issues about hacking. I think it is normal for us Computer Engineering students to get excited whenever the topic is hacking. We had already attended several seminars and whenever the topic is hacking it usually get all our attention throughout the seminar. So as expected, the seminar was very lively and interactive. Students raised their questions and Mr. Samaniego and Mr. Aguila willingly addressed these questions. At the beginning of the seminar, Mr. Samaniego asked us which operating system we are using in our computers. All of us answered Microsoft Windows  Operating System. He laughed and then challenged us that if we are using Linux Operation System just raised our hand and he will give some freebies to us. But no one raised his/her hand. He again laughed and told us that we must try and explore Linux Operating System because it is more flexible and more secure than Windows Operating System. Mr. Samaniego advised us that when we arrived at our home that day, we try to install Linux OS in our computers or download a Virtual Machine and run Linux OS in that VM. After he discussed Linux OS and Virtual Machines, Mr. Samaniego asked us how many programming languages we learned here in Adamson University. We answered 5 programming languages namely, C++, Assembly, C#, Java and C. He advised us to study more programming languages because it is our key to enter the industry world if we want to venture on Programming or Information Security. Mr. Samaniego told us that if we want to enter the field of InfoSec we must equipped ourselves with scripting languages like Ruby and Python because it is the most common language use to analyze threats on applications. He said that based on what programming languages we knew it will be very easy for us to study other programming languages because most of the programming languages are based from C Language. The last part of the seminar was the most interactive part of the seminar, when we are allowed to raise any question we had in our minds. As expected most of the questions were about hacking and some were about Linux Operating System. Mr. Samaniego and Mr. Aguila answered all of our questions and even shared some of their experiences in the industry. Mr. Samaniego shared to us that he once worked with Globe Telecoms as an Information Security officer. There was a time when hackers found a hole in their network and used it to have a free internet connection as long as they have one peso load. It took them weeks to found out that issue and a couple of days to provide a solution regarding the issue. Mr. Samaniego was the one who provided the solution. He told us that the problem was very simple and the hackers were too clever to use it to have an internet connection. The hackers route the DNS of a website to a different IP address, and that IP address gives them internet connection. The solution Mr. Samaniegp provided was also simple, but it was a secret he joked us. He also gave us a list of websites where we  can study Information Security, websites like easycouncil.com, gsn3.org, ic2.org, securityfocus.com, cisecurity.org and other more websites where we can start studying InfoSec. At the end of the day, I was very thankful for this seminar about Information Security. This seminar opened a new career path for me and taught me new things. Mr. Samaniego and Mr. Aguila were truly knowledgeable people from the field of InfoSec and I was lucky to meet them and listened to all their advices and lessons. I realized that Information Technology offers a broad career path and we must not stop learning because IT world is continuously developing and we must cope to these developments. A seminar like this is necessary for us to learn new things and get inspired by IT professionals.

Engineering ewb research Essay

1. Introduction The Engineers Without Borders Australia (EWB) Challenge is a program where first year University Students throughout Australia are required to select from a range of problems associated with the living conditions of a disadvantaged community within Nepal, more specifically the village of Sandikhola, a hilltop community in the Gorkha district. The students are then required to develop creative solutions to combat these problems to benefit the community through design, teamwork and proper communication. This particular research report group 9C will be focusing on Water Supply and Sanitation Systems (WASH), in particular Multiple Use Systems (MUS). MUS refers to a system where the water is used for a range of purposes, so as to minimize the amount of fresh water needed to be drawn from the source and increase the applicability of the source. This report will be outlining research conducted into the MUS including; the geography of the Gorkha district, a case study on a WASH initiative al ready in place in Nepal, also included in the report will be an evaluation of sources of research, and a conclusion of the report. 2. Research 2.1 Geography of the Gorkha District The Gorkha District in Nepal is located on the mid-southern area of the Terai region roughly the center of Nepal. More specifically the village of Sandikhola is located approximately 42 kilometers North East of Bharatpur, which roughly is over an hour drive each way via a dirt road which is only accessible by 4Ãâ€"4’s and is not accessible in wet conditions. The village of Sandikhola is located on the side of a hill with an elevation of 1256 meters, and is roughly divided into three different sections consisting of crops, housing and livestock. 2.1.1 Natural Resources Land is seen as the most valuable natural resource to most citizens of the Gorkha district. With over 80% of the population, 24 506 759 people, earning a livelihood from farming, which in turn produces 36.1% of GDP on a national scale. Due to water shortages and unreliability in relation to irrigation, this is not a secure resource for the people of the Gorkha district. The only problem with utilizing land to this major of a scale is that it is being overly depleted due to the accelerating growth of population, leading  to widespread destruction of ecological systems. The other resource is water, which are polluted due to lack of sanitization and the lack of the resource, other than location, is due to de-forestation and the devastating effects it has on the environment. 2.1.2 Technological Resources The Gorkha district has very limited technological resources, especially when 90% of the population live in rural areas and average earnings per family per week are below a dollar which make the affordability of technological resources impossible for poor families. Surprisingly the telephone signal throughout the district is surprisingly good although this is a under used resource due to lack of infrastructure and finances. With under 7% of the population having access to the internet communication on a global and even national scale can be highly difficult. Due to the developing nature of Nepal access to any modern technology is unviable, with it sometimes taking up to and over 6 months for any technology to reach many rural communities e.g. water testing kits. 2.1.3 Population and Income Through researching Population and Income it was found that there are over 30 million people in Nepal, with approximately 300 000 people in Gorkha. The Terai region accommodates for 50.27% of the total population, roughly 15 million people, which is the mountainous/ hilly region of Nepal which can make life very difficult for these people in particular. The average household income is less than one dollar a day with more than 40% living under the poverty line. In the Gorkha district 90% of citizens live in rural areas which goes to show the lack of urban connection further reinforcing the fact that development of technology in relation to water use will greatly affect the population in all aspects of life. 2.1.4 Natural Disasters Natural Disasters have a major effect on developing countries, especially where climate change is concerned. This is due to the high dependence on climate sensitive sectors in the Gorkha district including glaciers, agriculture and forestry, and its low financial adaptive capacity. These disasters are becoming increasingly common with the acceleration of global warming. This is due to the increased temperatures experienced compared to 1990 to 2010 where an increase of 1.9 Degrees Celsius to the average  temperature, these particular natural disasters include an increase in dry periods, floods, intense rainfall, landslides, forest fires, glacial retreats, and glacier lake outburst flood threats. The other main natural disasters common to this area are earthquakes due to the positioning of Gorkha on the meeting point of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates. These disasters need to be taken into account so the MUS can withstand destruction via natural disaster. 2.1.5 Climatic Conditions Shown in these two graphs (below) is the average rainfall and temperature of the Gorkha District. By studying these two graphs it can be seen that the year is divided into a wet and dry season with the temperature throughout the year remaining relatively constant with a minimum range of 3 degrees Celsius and a maximum range of 9 degrees Celsius. This research is essential to the analysis of water supply 2.1.6 Education Levels In the Gorkha district education is a work in progress with the basic literacy rate at 45% of males and only 28% of women. In the district alone there are close to 500 schools, 400 of which are public. With the help of many Non-Government Organizations, development of these schools has had an excellent effect on the education system, for example at the end of 2013 1000 computers were distributed to these schools readily making available vast amounts of educational resources to these communities. The problems associated with the education levels include the travel distance especially within rural areas, and also the lack of proper WASH resources which affects the health of the students. 2.1.7 Infrastructure In relation to the Infrastructure available to the people of Gorkha it can be noted as ineffective. This is found as roads to many of the rural areas within which the majority lives, are virtually inaccessible without a 4Ãâ€"4, as less than a quarter of roads in Nepal actually being paved/concreted. This is increasingly made challenging due to less than 1% of the population actually having access to a car. The main form of transport readily  available are the public buses, but on the other hand they are not extremely reliable with the multitude of strikes which occur, making life for the people more difficult when they have to walk for hours to get where they were going. Another major flaw is the inability for citizens to access a range of services with less than 15% of people having access to formal health care services, children having to walk on average 1-3 hours to attend school, there is also a lack of an electricity supply to majority of rural areas, lack of public sewage tr eatment in the majority of the district and in general isolation of rural areas. 2.2 Existing Solutions In the community of Sandikhola, there is a wide range of problems associated with water supply. These include the accessibility to water sources, the cleanliness/quality of water supply, the amount of water supplied, and the ability for the resource to be effectively used across domestic uses and productive uses. Currently in Sandikhola approximately 80% of WASH techniques are currently in place with there being a few sources of water; one small waterway, eight tap stands and two spring intakes but during the dry season these intakes become unavailable due to low pressure. When this occurs the community must draw water from a larger spring located further away from the village down the hill. In the case of Sandikhola at each spring intake is a reservoir tank, there are three water quality testers spread across the village, one rain monitor and two flow monitors. Also introduced to this community is the use of recycling water, such as; capturing overflows at spring intakes, Rainwater Harvesting (RWH), Ground Water Capture (GWC), fog water, and grey water systems. Through the integration of a range of these sources, systems and techniques we develop a MUS system. 2.2.1 Construction Basically the MUS is constructed via the connection of a range of single use technologies e.g. spring intake, storage tanks, tap stands. This is to reduce the amount of water requires for use by reducing waste water (sustainability), and also to make it more accessible for the villagers. For the construction many of the village members are heavily involved in construction so as to ensure the education of the MUS to the community allowing it to be properly maintained even after the EWB/NEWAH team leaves. 2.2.2 Inputs and Outputs For the implementation of the MUS there are a number of inputs required, these include; help from a third party in this case EWB and NEWAH in relation to funding, research and designing, participation from members of the Sandikhola community, materials, current technologies, and tools. For every input there is an output, in this case once construction is completed some of the outputs of the technology become evident, these including; an increase of income and benefits in relation to this including; general health, nutrition, social empowerment, food security, time savings. Diversification of Livelihood, which is the process by which the community develops a range of activities and social support capabilities in order to survive and improve their standards of living i.e. education, inter/intra-societal interaction. Increase in sustainability including, efficient water transfer from the water source for domestic and productive applications. 3. Evaluation of Sources of Information In research for this assignment, I tend to steer clear of any non-reliable or inaccurate resources. To do this books become an extremely valuable and trusted resource, and when using websites as resources I have stuck to .org websites while at the same time checking the about us section as not all .org sites are official sites. Some ways I checked the accuracy and validity of my sources of information include; analysis of the depth of coverage, determining the intended audience so it is relevant for this report, analysis of language used i.e. sophisticated to low level understanding. The dates of the information are essential for proper research, too old might be inaccurate compared to newer information. Does the source have a bibliography and the type of sources of information the author uses and an analysis of the layout and structure of the document. Through all of this analyzing we are able to determine the accurate and reliable sources of information. 4. Conclusion In conclusion, through the research of the Gorkha district and my project area the MUS, it is possible to realize the positive potential that the implementation of the MUS has on all aspects of life. This is due to water  playing a massive part in the lives of every human, and when there is a lack of sufficient resource, daily functionality is affected. 5. References ï‚ §Renwick, et.al, 2007, â€Å"Multiple Use Water Services For The Poor: Assessing the state of Knowledge,† Winrock International: Arlington, VA ï‚ §Mikhail, et.al, 2008, â€Å"Multiple-Use Water Service Implementation in Nepal and India: Experience and Lessons Scale-Up,† International Development Enterprises: Lakewood, CO ï‚ §Engineers without Borders USA 2014, EWB-USA, Denver viewed 10 March 2014, http://my.ewb-usa.org/project-resources/technical-resources. ï‚ §iDE Organization 2014, iDEORG, Colorado viewed 10 March 2014, http://www.ideorg.org/OurTechnologies/MultipleUseWaterSystems.aspx#. ï‚ §Practical Action 2014, Practical Action, Rugby viewed 12 March 2014, http://practicalaction.org/mus-2. ï‚ §Engineers Without Borders Australia 2014, Engineers Without Borders, North Melbourne viewed 12 March 2014, http://www.ewbchallenge.org/nepal-water-healthnewah/sandikhola. ï‚ §Smith, J., 2014, Personal Communication, 25th February 2014 ï‚ §United Nat ions 2014, United Nations, New York viewed 12th March 2014, http://www.un.org.np/maps/nepal-gorkha-district. ï‚ §Rural poverty portal 2012, IFAD, Vancouver viewed 12 March 2014, http://www.ruralpovertyportal.org/en/country/statistics/tags/nepal.

Basic Terminologies in Food Preparation Essay

Research about garnishing, plating, mixing of juices, How to serve in glasses Garnishing A food item which is served with garnish may be described as being garni, the French term for ‘garnished’. A garnish is an item or substance used as a decoration or embellishment and often a flavor component on a prepared food dish or drink. In many cases, it may give added or contrasting flavor, some garnishes are selected first to augment the visual impact of the plate, while others are selected specifically for the flavor they may impart. A garnish makes food or drink items more visually appealing. They may, for example, enhance their color, such as when paprika is sprinkled on a salmon salad. They may give a color contrast, for example when chives are sprinkled on potatoes. They may make a cocktail more visually appealing, such as when a cocktail umbrella is added to an exotic drink. Plating The arrangement and overall styling of food upon bringing it to the plate is termed plating. Some common styles of plating include a ‘classic’ arrangement of the main item in the front of the plate with vegetables or starches in the back, a ‘stacked’ arrangement of the various items, or the main item leaning or ‘shingled’ upon a vegetable bed or side item .Item location on the plate is often referenced as for the face of a clock, with six o’clock the position closest to the diner. A basic rule of thumb upon plating, and even in some cases prepping, is to make sure you have the 5 components to a dish; protein, traditionally at a 6 o’clock position, vegetable, at a 2 o’clock position, starch at an 11 o’clock position, sauce and garnish. Mixing of Juices Understanding how to combine different types of juice may improve your success in making fresh juice that is easier to digest. This is a method for selecting the right juices to mix, according to their compatibility. As a result, easy digestion is promoted. When you consume juice or food it undergoes many changes and is broken down into its constituent nutrients and then absorbed. A noteworthy feature of digestive secretions is that your body adjusts its fluid and enzymes to the character of the food eaten and juices consumed. There are, however, limitations in this process. It is possible for your body to adjust its digestive secretions to a particular  juice, however, complex it may be, but this adjustment process can be incomplete when a variety of juices are consumed at the same time. This combining of incompatible juices may cause digestive disorder. Fruit juice is categorized according to the type of fruit it is from. The four fruit categories: Sweet fruits, acidic fruits, sub acidic fruits, and watery fruits. How to serve in glasses Selecting the right glassware for your table and bar will enhance the appearance of your presentation, add elegance to your serving style and give flair to an aspect of ordinary dining and entertaining that is often overlooked. Beyond the aesthetics, specialized glassware is created to complement the drink it is intended to serve. Knowing the basics of wine, beer, and cocktail glasses can ensure that each and every beverage you serve can be enjoyed at the peak of its flavor. Use this guide to determine the most appropriate glassware for your needs and impress friends and connoisseurs alike. Wine Glasses Although wine glasses come in many different sizes, the cup portion or â€Å"bowl† is the most important aspect. The visual appeal, body of the wine and play of the aromas are all factors in choosing the correct glass. There are no hard, fast rules for serving wine, but the following standards are generally observed. * Red Wine – Traditionally, red wines with strong bouquets are served in the larger bowled wine glasses. The greater exposed surface gives these heady wines a good opportunity to breathe without losing the aroma. * White Wine – Lighter, more delicate white wines are served in taller glassware with a more narrow bowl that allows the bouquet to concentrate. * Champagne – The tall slender flute style glass is the best fit for champagne as it displays the sparkling quality of the bubbles at the best advantage. The low, wide open champagne glasses aren’t really practical as they are easily spilled and cause the champagne to go flat much more quickly. * Sherry/Port – As sherry and port are generally strong wine hybrids that are served as pre or post dinner aperitifs, they are generally served in exceptionally small glasses. Like liqueurs, Sherry and Port are both meant to be sipped and the size of the glass indicates the correct  serving amount. Beer Glasses While true beer enthusiasts will tell you that using any glass is preferable to drinking from the bottle or can, there are specific glasses for specific types of beer. Like wine, the shape of the glass will affect the aroma and subsequent overall enjoyment of the beer. Unlike in Europe where there are many different types of beer appreciated and thus many beer glass styles, American beer is typically served in mugs or pilsner glasses. A pilsner glass is the typical tall narrow glass with the slightly wider rim that you will see frequently used in bars. Lighter beers are traditionally served in pilsner glasses while darker, heavier brews are more compatible with mugs or steins. Cocktail Glasses There are countless numbers of cocktail concoctions and mixed drinks, but luckily most of these drinks are intended for a standard set of glasses. * Collins Glasses – Alternately referred to as tumblers, these 14-16 oz tall glasses are the right choice for soft drinks, whiskey sours, bloody marys and any juice-based cocktail such as the cranberry juice and vodka. The larger size of the glass complements the limited amount of alcohol content in these drinks. Most standard drinking glasses can be classified as Collins glasses. * Highball Glasses – At a slightly smaller 10-12 ounces, highball glasses are used for stronger mixed drinks such as the tequila sunrise, gin and tonic and long island iced tea. These are also commonly used when a â€Å"tall† version of a stronger drink is requested. Thin and elegant, the highball glass is a classy addition to any glassware collection. * Rocks Glasses – Also called â€Å"old-fashioned†, these small square shaped glasses are used to serve cocktails with a high alcohol content and little else, such as rum and coke, southern comfort or seven and seven. As can be inferred from their name, rocks glasses are also used to serve shots â€Å"on the rocks†. * Shot Glasses – As the name indicates, shot glasses are used for serving shots straight up. In addition, shot glasses can also be used to measure the amount of alcohol used in other mixed drinks and are a great addition to any bar, even if you don’t plan on serving shots. * Hurricane Glasses – A tall glass with a graceful curve in the center, Hurricane glasses are typically employed to serve their  namesake drink, along with daiquiris and margaritas. The beautiful shape of the glass makes any drink visually pleasing. * Martini Glasses – One of the most easily recognizable glasses and the favorite of James Bond devotees worldwide, martini glasses are primarily used to serve†¦martinis. The wide, triangular glass is available in many unique styles and is a staple of any bar set-up.

Air Asia

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT (PMS 3393) ‘AIR ASIA’ Prepared by: Ahmad Izzuddin Bin Ahmad Zamri (4102005781) HaslindaBinti Ismail (4092008911) MohdAzuan Bin MohdAbdKadir (4102008091) Muhammad Khairil Anwar Bin Othman (4102004441) Nur An-NisaBintiRahmat (4071032881) SitiAisyahBintiMohdYusoff( 4102001031) SitiKhajirahBinti Abdul Aziz (4092008931) Prepared for: Dr. HafsahBinti Ahmad Submission Date: 22nd November 2012 Table of Content Acknowledgement1 Introduction2 History3 The Vision, Mission Statement and Objective5 Value Strategy6 Business Model8 Competitive Advantages10 AirAsia Assumption12SWOT Analysis13 The Air Asia 5 Forces Porter Model16 Air Asia Market Segments19 Five Years Financial Highlights22 Appendix24 References25 Acknowledgement Alhamdulillah. Thanks to Allah SWT, whom with His willingness has giving us the opportunity to successfully complete this Strategic Management assignment. First of all, we would like to express our special thank to Dr. HafsahBinti Ahmad, a le cturer of Strategic Management who had guided us and also provide a lot of information regarding our assignment from beginning to the end of the semester and also the valuable advices that he gave to us during our lectures.We are really appreciating it. Deepest thanks and appreciation to our parents, family and all fellow friends for their cooperation, encouragement, constructive suggestion and full of support for the assignment completion, from the beginning till the end. Without the help and guidance from all of you, it will be difficult for us to complete this assignment. Thank you. 1. 0 Introduction Air Asia is a Malaysian-based low-cost airline. Air Asia is Asia's largest low-fare, no-frills airline and a pioneer of low-cost travel in Asia.Air Asia group operates scheduled domestic and international flights to over 400 destinations spanning 25 countries. Its main hub is the Low-Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). Its affiliate airlines Tha i Air Asia, Indonesia Air Asia, Air Asia Philippines and Air Asia Japan have hubs in Suvarnabhumi Airport, Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Clark International Airport and Narita International Airport respectively. Air Asia's registered office is in Petaling Jaya, Selangor while its head office is at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. 1. 1 HistoryAirAsia was established in 1993 and began operations on 18 November 1996. It was originally founded by a government-owned conglomerate, DRB-Hicom. On 2 December 2001 the heavily-indebted airline was bought by former Time Warner executive Tony Fernandes's company Tune Air Sdn Bhd for the token sum of one ringgit (about USD 0. 26 at the time) with USD 11 million (MYR 40 million) worth of debts. Fernandes turned the company around, producing a profit in 2002 and launching new routes from its hub in Kuala Lumpur, undercutting former monopoly operator Malaysia Airlines with promotional fares as low as MYR 1 (USD 0. 7). In 2003, AirAsia ope ned a second hub at Senai International Airport in Johor Bahru near Singapore and launched its first international flight to Bangkok. AirAsia has since started a Thai subsidiary, added Singapore itself to the destination list, and started flights to Indonesia. Flights to Macau began in June 2004, and flights to mainland China (Xiamen) and the Philippines (Manila) in April 2005. Flights to Vietnam and Cambodia followed later in 2005 and to Brunei and Myanmar in 2006, the latter by Thai AirAsia.On August 2006, AirAsia took over Malaysia Airlines’ Rural Air Service routes in Sabah and Sarawak, operating under the Fly Asian Xpress brand. The routes were subsequently returned to MAS wings a year later, citing commercial reasons. Air Asia's CEO Tony Fernandes subsequently unveiled a five-year plan to further enhance its presence in Asia. Under the plan, Air Asia proposes to strengthen and enhance its route network by connecting all the existing cities in the region and expanding fu rther into Vietnam, Indonesia, Southern China (Kunming, Xiamen, Shenzhen) and India.The airline will focus on developing its hubs in Bangkok and Jakarta through its sister companies, Thai AirAsia and Indonesia AirAsia. With increase frequency and the addition of new routes, AirAsia expects passenger volume to reach 18 million by the end of 2007 On 27 September 2008, the company had on its list 106 new routes to be added to its then-current list of 60. The number of old routes discontinued has not been publicly disclosed. On 2 April 2012 Air Asia had their first flight from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur.In August 2011, AirAsia agreed to forge an alliance with Malaysian Airlines by means of a share swap. The alliance was struck down by the Malaysian government, in effect voiding the agreement of both airlines. 2. 0 The Vision, Mission Statement and Objective The Vision To be the largest low cost airline in Asia and serving the 3 billion people who are currently underserved with poor connecti vity and high fares. The Mission Statement †¢ To be the best company to work for whereby employees are treated as part of a big family. †¢ Create a globally recognized ASEAN brand. To attain the lowest cost so that everyone can fly with Air Asia. †¢ Maintain the highest quality product, embracing technology to reduce cost and enhance service level. Future Objective for AirAsia Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia-based AirAsia has recently announced in a press conference that they intend to purchase an additional twenty-five aircraft. The purchase is the second this year for the airline and fourth since the 2005. The purchase agreement is for 25 Airbus A320 series aircraft. This will bring the total A320 series aircraft operated by AirAsia to well over 200 aircraft.Air Asia group CEO Tony Fernades says at the press conference that this purchase is an important step for Air Asia as it signifies their future aggressive route expansion plans in tandem to their expected traffic growth over the next decade. It also demonstrates their commitment to enhance AirAsia's position on the networks by incorporating the most modern and efficient aircraft in the market. The addition of aircraft will be used to add frequency across the route network and introduce new routes. AirAsia's introduction to the aviation industry as an innovator has grown to the extent it is now a leader that sets the benchmark to others. Also speaking at the press conference was Airbus CEO John Leahy. Leahy was very excited about this newest order and says that their company have been extremely proud to be part of AirAsia's outstanding success and delighted that the confidence in the A320 has resulted in the airline now becoming the largest airline customer for this aircraft in the world. With its unbeatable economics and enormous passenger appeal, he is confident that the large A320 fleet is destined to propel AirAsia to the forefront of industry in the years ahead. 2. 1 Value Strategy * SafetyAdop ting a zero tolerance to unsafe practices and strives for zero accidents through proper training, work practices, risk management and adherence to safety regulations at all times. * High Aircraft Utilization Air Asia implementing the regions fastest turnaround time at only 25 minutes and assuring the lower costs and higher productivity. * Low Fare, No Frills Providing guests with choice of customizing services without compromising on the quality and services. * Valuing their People Committing to their people’s development and well-being and treating them with respect, dignity and fairness. Customer Focused They care and treat everyone in the same manner that they want to be treated. * Lean Distribution System They also offer a wide and innovative range of distribution channels to make booking and traveling easier. * Integrity Practicing highest standards of ethical behavior and demonstrate honesty in all their lines of work in order to command trust and mutual respect. * Exce llence in Performance Setting goals beyond the best and reinforcing high quality performance standards and achieving excellence through implementing best practices. 2. AirAsia Business Model 1. Low Cost Carrier A low cost carrier (also known as a no-frills or discount carrier) is an airline that offer low fares but eliminates all â€Å"non-essential† services. The typical low-cost carrier business model is based on: * A single passenger class * A single type of airplane (reducing training and services costs) * A simple fares scheme (typically fares increase as the plane fills up, rewards early reservations) * Free seating ( which encourages passengers to board early) * Direct, point to point flight with no transfer Flying to cheaper, less congested secondary airport * Short flights and fast turnaround times (allowing maximum utilization of planes) * â€Å"Free† in-flight catering and other â€Å"complimentary† services are eliminated, and replaced by optimal pai d-for-in-flight food and drink. 2. Simple Products A typical low cost airlines product is extremely basic. It focuses on getting passenger from point A to B, cutting all the â€Å"extras†. This means there are no meals, drinks and snacks served free on the board. In certain airlines, these may be purchased on request.The aircraft have Narrow seating to permit greater capacity. Low cost airlines offer all-economy flights with no additional space requirement for wider business class seating. This means more passengers can be accommodate on each sector. There are no facilities for seat allocations as this free-seating makes passenger’s board the flights early to get themselves a decent seat. The pricing structures of low cost airlines allow for no additional schemes or sales promotion activities, including frequent-flyers programmed. 3. PositioningThe low cost airlines the world over are known to target non-business passengers, leisure traffic and the price-conscious busi ness passenger segment. The low cost model works best on short-haul point-to-point traffic with high frequencies. These airlines have aggressive marketing strategies and complete with all transportation carriers, including the road and railway networks. Most western low cost airlines fly to secondary airports which are cheaper to land into. However, this is not yet option in India. 4. Low Operation CostsLow cost airlines have a very lean organization structure and operating costs are kept to the bare minimum with low wages (as crew/staff requirement are low and generally fresher’s are preferred), low airport fees, low cost for maintenance and cockpit training (as these are typically outsourced). There is no requirement for standby crews due to a homogeneous aircraft fleet. Low cost carriers aim at achieving high resource productivity. This is generally achieved due to short ground waits (as turnaround times are kept minimal due to simple boarding processes, no air freight, no hub services and short cleaning times).Selling cost is also minimized as high percentage (if not 100%) of ticket sales is generate online, eliminating the margin that would otherwise need to be passed on as commissions to travel agents. 2. 3 Competitive Advantages 2. 4AirAsia Assumption Assumption 1: it is assumed that AirAsia’s customers can still be satisfied and chose AirAsia’s services even if the company does not improve their customer service, as the level and factors of satisfaction differ amongst different customers.Mathematical, these three assumptions can be stated as: A3 = A2 + A1 Where A3 = Customer loyalty through improved services in AirAsia is dependent on; A2 = Customer (repurchase) behavior and; A1 = Customer satisfaction level based on previous experience. Assumption 2:  it is improvement of AirAsia’s customer services will result in improved customers satisfaction and preference for their services, but does not guarantee future repurchase i ntention, thus reducing the chances of customer retention and loyalty.Assumption 3: from the figure (3) above, it is assumed that an improvement in AirAsia’s customers services will enhance customers patronage (which can be measured by the number of repeat purchase and/or intention to repurchase) by improving customer’s experience with their services and enhancing their preference for AirAsia’s services compared to that of AirAsia’s competitors. 3. 0 SWOT Analysis Strengths * Air Asia has a very strong management team with strong links with governments and airline industry leaders.This is partly contributed by the diverse background of the executive management teams which consists of industry experts and ex-top government officials. For example, Shin Corp (formerly owned by the family of former Thai Prime Minister – Thaksin Shinawatra) holds a 50% stake in Thai Air Asia. This has helped Air Asia to open up and capture a sizeable market in Thailand. With their strong working relationship with Airbus, they managed to get big discount for aircraft purchase which is also more fuel efficient compared to Boeing 737 planes which is being used by many other airlines. The management team is also very good in strategy formulation and execution. The strategy that they have formulated at the beginnings was a clever blend of proven strategies by other low cost airlines is US and Europe. They are Ryanair’s operational strategy (no frills, landing in secondary airport), Southwest’s people strategy (employee comes first) and Easyjet’s branding strategy (linking with other service providers like hotels, car rental). * AirAsia is the low cost leader in Asia. With the help of AirAsia Academy, AirAsia has successfully created a â€Å"low-cost airline mentality† among their workforce.The workforce is very flexible and high committed and very critical in making AirAsia the lowest cost airline in Asia. * The excellent ut ilization of IT have directly contributed to their promotional activities (email alerts and desktop widget which was jointly developed with Microsoft for new promotions), brand building exercise (with over 3 million hits per month and on the most widely surfed booking engines in the world) as well keep the cost low by enabling direct purchase of tickets by consumer thus saving on airline agent fees. Weaknesses Air Asia does not have its own maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility. It may be a good strategy when they first started with only Malaysia as the hub and few planes to maintain. But now, with few hubs (Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia) and over 100 planes currently owned and about another 100 planes to be received in the next few years, AirAsia have to ensure proper and continuous maintenance of the planes which will also help to keep the overall costs low. It is a competitive disadvantage not to have its own MRO facility. * AirAsia receives lot complaints from ustom ers on their service. Examples of complaints are around flight delays, being charged for a lot of things and not able to change flight or get a refund if customers could not make it. Good customer service and management is critical especially when competition is getting intense. Opportunities * There are 2 major events that are taking place now or going to take place in less than 6 months from now. First is the ever increasing oil price. Second is the â€Å"ASEAN Open Skies† agreement that has been reached. * The increasing oil price at the first glance may appear like a threat for AirAsia.But being a low cost leader, AirAsia an upper hand because its cost will be still the lowest among all the regional airlines. Thus, AirAsia has a great opportunity to capture some of the existing customers of full service and other low cost airline’s customers. However, there will be also some reduction in overall travel especially by casual or budget travelers. * There is also some opportunity to partner with other low cost airlines as Virgin to tap into their existing strengths or competitive advantages such as brand name, landing rights and landing slots (time to land). The population of Asian middle class will be reaching almost 700 million by 2010. This creates a larger market and a huge opportunity for all low cost airlines in this region including AirAsia. Threats * Certain rates like airport departure, security charges and landing charges are beyond the control of airline operators and this is a threat to all airlines especially low cost airlines which tries to keep their cost as low as possible. For example, Changi airport in Singapore charges SGD21 for every person who departs from Singapore. AirAsia’s profit margin is about 30% and this has already attracted many competitors. Most of the full service airlines have or planning to create a low cost subsidiary to compete directly with AirAsia. For example, Singapore Airlines has created a low cos t carrier Tiger Airways. * Users’ perception that budget airlines may compromise safety to keep costs low. 3. 1 The AirAsia 5 Forces Porter Model Internal Rivalry According to the geographic and product market, Lion Air, Batavia Air, Mandala Air, SriwijayaIndonesia and even Garuda Indonesia are Air Asia’s competitors.They also provide cheap prices andnumerous flight routes in South Asia. All these flight companies compete in price except GarudaIndonesia which has a different strategy. As consumer of Garuda, they will get a value-added. Air Asiaclaims that they have no Admin fees but in reality, there are many additional fees which don’t exist inother flight companies. Which is free for some companies is not for other ones. For instance, customers canspeak about booking seats fees or luggage fees. This is definitely the price dimension which matters onthis specific market.Thus the firms struggle on their costs. For instance Air Asia is well-known for theconsidera ble development of its Information Technology. Thanks to the considerable use of the IT, theyget low costs and are then able to offer low prices. In Asian developing countries, the middle class isgrowing up. This creates huge opportunities for the airlines. The companies will have to fight to get somemarket shares because customers are not loyal and switch easily from one company to another. Barriers to Entry Brand awareness is quite important in this industry.To enter this industry not only is requiredhigh capital but also brand image. Most of the time consumers choose the product or service they reallytrust. New entrants have to create brand loyalty by making huge investments to establish their reputation. The government legislation is one of the barriers for entering airlines industry. Therefore it isvery difficult getting a new flight route from the government. If Air Asia doesn’t get any more flight-routes, it may affect their profit because they need to extend their net work. Hopefully Air Asia has always been close to the governments in South Asia.For instance in Thailand, Shin Corp formerly owned by thefamily of former Thai Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, holds a 50% stake in Thai Air Asia. Thishelped Air Asia to open up and capture a sizeable market in Thailand. Government policies have limitednew entrances, which is a good thing for Air Asia because they are already settled on the market. Key inputs as technological know-how, raw materials, distribution or locations may also limit theaccess to the market. But when a company already established creates its own low cost firm, the key inputs are not a problem anymore.Tiger Airways which has been created by Singapore Airlines is one of the most dangerous competitors of Air Asia Supplier’s Power In airline industry, the power of suppliers is quite high. First there are only two major planessuppliers which are Airbus and Boeing. However both suppliers provide almost the same standardaircra fts, so that the possibility of consumers to switch is low. Moreover Air Asia ordered large amountsfrom Airbus in order to expand its routes to international routes. They built a strong relationship and Air Asia managed to get big discounts.Then Air Asia uses the fuel supplier (AVTUR) from Pertamina which prices are very sensitive. Itmay affect the ticket price. Moreover Air Asia, as Lion Air or Mandala, doesn’t use catering suppliers. They only offer snacks on flight and this is not for free. Lastly, Air Asia doesn’t have its ownmaintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility. If this was not a problem before when they only startedin Malaysia, now with three hubs and an important fleet of aircraft, it might be too expensive. Air Asiamust pay attention to this, not having its own MRO facility is a competitive disadvantage. Buyer’s PowerNowadays, buyers are much more informed and high-educated. That is why they are verysensitive to the price not matter the produc t or the service. Even if Air Asia always provides the lowest price to the costumer, they still will make a comparison between the different airlines. Besides it is veryeasy and costless for the customer to switch from one company to another one because many are offeringthe same service. Moreover Air Asia often gives a bad image to the costumers because of their chronicflight delays. People could choose for another company to be sure being on time. Substitutes and ComplimentsSometimes the consumer is not so much interested in the main product for some reasons. On thelow cost market, the main reason will be the price which he judges too expensive. Then he will look for substitutes. In the airline industry, we can meet two types of substitutes, the direct ones and the indirectones. If the customer is looking for transportation for a short distance, he can look for indirect substitutessuch as bus, train or ship. But travelling will take a longer time. He has to make a strategic choice between time and money. In Indonesia, the railroad industry is monopolized by PT. KAI so there is nocompetition.Regarding the bus and the ship, there are many companies so many choices. Some are the property of the government, some are private. If he is travelling on a longer distance, he will look for adirect substitute, that is to say other airlines. Teleconferencing and other type of business communicationsmay also be substitutes to air travel. Then they would affect the demand for airplanes. 3. 2 AirAsia Market Segments Market segmentation varies for each product but typically targets price oriented customers through their slogan â€Å"Now everyone can fly† Air Asia’s philosophy of low fares is aimed to make flying affordable for everyone.Air Asia also aims at making travel easy, convenient and fun for its guest. Full market coverage Products offered to customers cover all areas of a budget traveler. 3. 3 AirAsia 5 years Financial Highlights Appendix 4. 0 Reference s 1) History of AirAsia en. wikipedia. org/wiki/AirAsia 2) AirAsia’s vision, mission and objectives www. airasia. com/iwov†¦ /AirAsia/IR/AA%20Corporate%202007b. pdf 3) AirAsia value strategy announcements. bursamalaysia. com/†¦ /AIRASIA-†¦ 4) AirAsia business model en. wikipedia. org/wiki/No_frills 5) Competitive advantage www. academia. edu/†¦ AirAsia_The_Worlds_Lowest_Cost_Airline 6) Strategic directions http://www. scribd. com/doc/14214973/Air-Asia-Strategic-Analysis 7) Strategic assumptions http://www. iservices. ilokabenneth. com/research_proposal_AirAsia. html 8) SWOT analysis www. allfreepapers. com/Miscellaneous/Air-Asia/9363. html 9) 5 Forces model www. studymode. com/subjects/air-asia-porter's-five-forces-page1. html 10) AirAsia market segmentations www. scribd. com/doc/51874782/14/MARKET-SEGMENTS 11) AirAsia 5 years financial highlights www. airasia. com/my/en/about-us/ir-5-year-financial-highlights. page