Erp at Hp

Subject: Managing The Value Chain Name: ALOK KUMAR GUPTA Enrollment No. 6010091106380 ERP IMPLEMENTATION FAILURE AT HP (ITYS045) a. Analyze the limitation of IT project management. Discuss the importance of business contingency plans for enterprise projects. Justify your answer taking the example of HP b. Examine the implementation of the ERP migration failure considering HP’s role as a third party implementer of SAP’s supply chain solutions. Can HP use this ERP implementation failure to its strategic advantage? Why / why not?Give reason for your answer HP announced that their revenue has gone down by 5% to $3. 4bn for the 3rd quarter ended July 2004. The reason proposed was due to the problem faced during the migration to the centralized ERP system. The total financial impact due to the failure was $160mn Project management is a term including scheduling, cost control and budget management, resource allocation, collaboration software, communication, quality management and documentation of administration systems, which are used to deal with the complexity of large projects.Limitation of IT project management: It requires proper training and knowledge about the project With single backbone, failure would be service Difficulty in finding our programming errors and their rectification For successful implementation of IT projects management, defining the requirement developing a plan, and implementing it with technology is a difficult task Creating a cross-functional team is a difficult task A contingency plan is a plan devised for a specific situation when things ould go wrong. Contingency plans are often devised by business who wants to be prepared for anything that could happen as â€Å"Back-up plans† â€Å"worst-case scenario plans† Scrap situation or Plan B Contingency plans include specific strategies and actions to deal with specific variances to assumptions resulting in a particular problem, emergency or state of affairs. They al so include a monitoring process and triggers for initiating planned actions.They are required to help governments, business or individuals to recover from serious incidents in the minimum time with minimum cost and disruption. Technical glitches were small but contingencies planning were not addressed appropriately on SAP R/3 Implementation. Original Objectives were: Shorter lead & delivery time, Cost saving and Global Distribution system In 1993, HP’s BCMO unit began with the implementation with several modules like – MM, PP, FI, CO. FI & CO modules were implementation on global basis & SD implemented as part of pilot project.By 1998, major migration to SAP R/3 completed. Major benefit are (i) Reduce huge cost incurred on IT support, (ii) all programs run on single browser, (iii) Eliminate need to create custom SAP interface, (iv) Greater speed in implementation and (v) With an option of query which would make it easier to use. Questions were raised on failure of HP i mplementing ERP, as it was a consultant for SAP ERP implementation. HP’s responsibility as a consultant was to prevent the execution problems faced by the implementation Co. n which it itself failed While conducting an internal serve, HP revealed that there has been execution problem and not the fault of SAP ERP Migration Failure: There are several reasons for failure but the most popular one is project management. To justify this argument a study by Sweat (1998) revealed that despite project managers knowing the importance of considering critical success factors in ERP implementations, 75% of the implementations were regarded as failure by the organizations themselves. This is purely because roject managers give least importance to these critical success factors during the implementation of an ERP package. Being an ERP project manager is very challenging and literature shows us there have been many cases where things have gone wrong because of incorrect approach. According t o Scott (1999) FoxMeyer was the fourth largest drugs distributor in the United States with a turnover of $5. 5 billion dollars, in 1996 FoxMeyer claimed bankruptcy and in 1998 sued the ERP vendor for causing its bankruptcy.The problem with them was they did not adopt many of the critical success factors required in the implementation of an ERP project. The following are causes of the migration failure Project team constitution Date integration problem Demand forecasting problems Poor planning & improper testing Inadequate implementation support / training Analysts commented that the HP’s culture did not support the much active involvement of employees also company ignored valuable suggestion from employees.Company staff had warned HP but it was not possible for it to continue with the tradition system and also suggested for a back-up system but company turned deaf ears over that many Vice-president had joined the rival Company and also many employees had a fear of been laid o ff. Learning from Failure: Implementation failure can impact overall business performance there is no standard approach to implement ERP, many times it involves a business change in many departments. Therefore otherwise it might miss out the objectives.The success of implementation depends upon the planning, which considers the business process along with the technical aspects. The potential benefits to the supply chain are much bigger than the IT costs and the potential risk to the supply chain is also much bigger. The success of ERP implementation also depends upon the ability to align IT along with the business management objectives, program management skills and a well defined process. There should be a manual back-up as a contingency plan and There should be no cross-functional barriers and should create effective processes and teams creative team.HR issues in ERP migration failure at HP Inadequate training time to develop ones skill in the new system, Refresher training was of no use because of Backlogs, Active involvement of employees was not allowed in the company, Valuable suggestions from the employees was ignored, Distrust of upper management. This ignorance created dissatisfaction among employees; Upper management perceived to be overpaid inefficient; Culture divide within the company Non Co-operation within IT team & business team. These all led to High Attrition Work culture differences between HP & Compaq leading to incompatibility between departments.Dealing with the issue: Encourage employees to participate and take their suggestions seriously, make them feel to be valuable assets, an equal merge of culture and remove cultural differences, Co-operative between front end & back end, More time imparted to training programs & motivates them to learn more. Conclusion: Am employee is a valuable Assets & â€Å"A satisfied employee is a productive employee† Examine the implementation of the ERP migration failure considering HP’s role as a consultant for SAP’s supply chain implementations. Can HP use this ERP implementation failure to its strategic advantages?Why / why not? Implementations are as follows: About 20% of the orders failure failed to move from the legacy system to the new one due to programming errors. HP was able to fix this within a month but orders began to backlog. Backlogs counted to us $ 160mn. Revenues down by 5% Analysts raised credibility of HP as a consultant for SAP. The company had to direct orders through flight to speed up order fulfillment Hence added expenses. Customers were unhappy and there were continuous complaints about delayed processing, configuration and duplicated orders. Hence HP could not prove itself in this fieldERP implementation failure-strategic advantage If HP blamed all the failure at SAP then HP would loose its edge over IBM. The company’s corporate strategic policy was based on the adaptive enterprise concept and its rival IBM concept was based on On-de mand computing The adaptive enterprise from HP is designed to assist organization with their RTI to harmonize the processes between the core business and IT operations Constant retooling of the corporate infra-structure to meet the demands of a dynamic enterprise has led to the evaluation of real-time infrastructure.Developed contingency plans to devise solutions for upcoming problems. Hence development of contingencies plans for ERP project is a must To prevent the reoccurrence of such a failure, there was a need to integrate business and technology. Customers Company should remove barriers to create effective and cross-functional processes and teams that were truly integrated. Increase dependency between among teams’ i. e. front end and back end. Approach should be afresh and should not try to map with previous implementation.Well planned, appropriate training and better employment Implement with technology integration. Improve the planning and the testing More effort and b etter forecasting needed. Remarks: Having discussed failures and implications, we have also looked at the benefits ERP can bring and that is the reason organizations still prefer to adopt an ERP system but there is a problem. As we have reviewed the literature, it is evident that there is still a gap in successful ERP implementations.The gap mainly stands from the perspective of project management and in particular from the project manager’s perspective. This review has produced the main research question that requires an answer: â€Å"How can we implement ERP successfully† The answer to this question depends on what research methodology we adopt in order to produce our primary and secondary analysis so that we can carry out an assessment of our findings to be able to answer this question from theory and practice.

Technology and Health Care

Introduction Now more than ever, the advances in technology have accompanied the health care delivery system in providing efficient and effective treatment and management for a wide range of patients. According to an article on â€Å"Medical Technology†, â€Å"from gene therapy to tissue engineering to telepresence medicine, the proliferation of new technology promises even greater improvements in patient care, health status, and quality of life† (ct.gov, n. d., p. 89). Nevertheless, the advent of these developments considerably affects the health system, in general. Thus, this paper aims to describe the uses of technology for patient management and its impact on health care and health status.Findings The uses of technology for patient management comprise an array of services that would include new medical and surgical procedures, drugs, medical devices, and new support systems. Indeed, these services had undergone innovative changes during the past years to cater the n eeds of the patients. These facts are exemplified in the following sections of this paper, as quoted from reliable references. â€Å"Surgery is another area of medicine that has been virtually transformed by innovative new techniques and technologies.The acceptance and refinement of minimally-invasive surgical procedures, improvements in anesthesia, patient demands and the push towards greater cost savings have facilitated the shift of surgical procedures from the traditional hospital setting to free-standing ambulatory surgical centers, outpatient clinics, and physicians’ offices† (Medical Technology, ct.gov, n. d., p.92).On the other hand, another study called â€Å"AstraZeneca Submission† (n. d.) typified the progress in medicines, as we quote, â€Å"many examples describe the impact of new medicines on patient symptoms and quality of life: Advanced cancer is incurable. Many medicines for this devastating disease have provided value to patients and their fam ilies by improving their quality of life.Drugs to prevent nausea, a common side-effect of cancer chemotherapy, can help make the treatment easier to bear both for patients and their families. In patients with moderate to severe migraine, subcutaneous sumatriptan improved quality of life by more than 20% compared to placebo (61.6% versus 20.6%). Patients on rizatriptan show significantly better responses to three domains of the 24-hourMigraine Quality of Life Questionnaire (social functioning, migraine symptoms and feelings/concerns) compared to patients treated with placebo. (This entry has been quoted from Santanello N C, Polis A B, Hartmaier S L, Kramer M S, Block G A, Silberstein S D, Improvement in migraine-specific quality of life in a clinical trial of rizatriptan. Cephalalgia 17(8):867-872 1997)A systematic review of a new schizophrenia medicine – an atypical antipsychotic – found that, compared with typical antipsychotics, it was more effective in improving glo bal state, general mental state and the negative symptoms of schizophrenia, and was as effective as typical antipsychotics with regard to positive symptoms. (This entry has been quoted from Mota N E, Lima M S, Soares B G, Amisulpride for schizophrenia. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2:CD001357, 2002)†.With regards to medical devices, â€Å"one specific example of the dynamic changes in the use of medical technology in the state (CT) is PET scanning. PET scanners are among the most expensive units of major medical equipment available today. PET scans are non-invasive procedures used to detect metabolic rates of organs and tissues using radioactive agents that emit positively charged electrons (positrons).While useful in a number of specialties, PET is increasingly valuable in the fields of neurology, cardiology, and particularly cancer imaging including monitoring the effectiveness of chemotherapy and radiation therapy† (Medical Technology, ct.gov, n. d., p.92). In addition, new support systems have also been employed in the health care system. An example is the so-called telemedicine of which according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, â€Å"it is the use of medical information exchanged from one site to another via electronic communications to improve a patient's health.Electronic communication means the use of interactive telecommunications equipment that includes, at a minimum, audio and video equipment permitting two-way, real time interactive communication between the patient, and the physician or practitioner at the distant site. Telemedicine is viewed as a cost-effective alternative to the more traditional face-to-face way of providing medical care (e.g., face-to-face consultations or examinations between provider and patient) that states may choose to cover.This definition is modeled on Medicare's definition of telehealth services located at 42 CFR 410.78† (Overview Telemedicine, n. d.). Hence, â€Å"the ins titution and utilization of new technologies in the hospital setting has dramatically influenced the way in which hospitals function as health care providers. Minimally invasive surgical procedures, highly advanced medical equipment, and breakthrough prescription medications are particularly significant in the evolving role of hospitals as they have all contributed to shorter and oftentimes costlier hospital stays† (Medical Technology, n. d., p.89).Conclusion Consequently, we have learned how the health care system utilized the use of the new technology in the treatment of patients, as reflected in the abovementioned findings. We realized that technology has an impact on the costs of health care services: cost effective, when it comes to medications, but costly, when it comes to acquisition of new medical devices. Nonetheless, we discovered that the impact of technology in health care is basically characterized by the provision of optimum patient management, thus leading to th e attainment of a better quality of life and improvement in the health status of individuals.References AstraZeneca Submission – The impact of advances in medical technology on healthcare in Australia – The Value of Medicines. (n.d.). Retrieved November 27, 2008, from http://72.14.235.132/search?q=cache:Z7LXq-jne1MJ:www.pc.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/17501/sub023.pdf+Impacts+of+Advances+in+Medicine+to+Patients&hl=tl&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=ph Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (n.d.). Overview Telemedicine. HHS.gov. Retrieved November 27, 2008, from http://www.cms.hhs.gov/Telemedicine/ CT.gov. (n.d.). Medical Technology. Retrieved November 27, 2008 from http://www.ct.gov/ohca/lib/ohca/hospitalstudy/Medical_Technology.pdf

Problems of Youngs in the Society: Violence

Youth violence is prevalent in almost every country, and in an effort to lessen it, it is important for us to understand the primary reasons behind it. If we observe keenly, violence is extremely prevalent among youth from different walks of life. There seems to be a driving force (or forces), that urges these young people to engage in such violence. It is very common nowadays to hear news about teenagers or high school students taking part in brutal killings, homi-cide, murder or even suicide. However, I think youth violence is not restricted to such forms. Bullying, for ex-ample, happens everyday in almost every school in this country. The very fact that violence is becoming more widespread in our time is enough reason for us to identify and understand the main reasons behind such vi-olence. The environment where a person grows up plays a major factor in his/her participation with vi-olence. I believe that a young man or woman can be directly influenced to do violent acts if he/she has wit-nessed or experienced it on a personal level. If a child grows up in an environment where violence seems to be a normal part of daily life, then it is almost certain that the child will adapt the same tendency to engage in violent acts. For example, if a boy often sees his father hurting his mother, this could lead to two things. Either the child will adapt the same attitude of cruelty towards women, or he will develop a strong anger against men who hurt women. Eventually, as the child grows up and becomes a teenager, he might find ways to bring out his or her pent up emotions by engaging in similar violent acts. The content behind modern media and entertainment can also be a major cause of youth violence today. Parents may be able to discipline and guide their kids at home, but when these same kids open the television, they can watch the news where people are being murdered, folks are hurting each other and crimes are being committed everyday. In many television shows and movies, brutal acts of murder and torture are shown as if they are a normal part of daily life. Other films teach young people the value of revenge, and portray violence as the righteous way to vindicate the characters. The fearful thing is that these acts of violence can be watched by children and teenagers unrestricted. They do not need to personally experience crime and brutality because these things are already fed daily into their heads: through the television, news, movies and the internet. There are thousands of websites where young people can freely watch videos with graphic content and gore. In this way, violence becomes a part of a young person’s daily thinking. Suddenly, it stops being a scary thing to him or her. Instead, violence becomes more and more appealing and interesting to the young person. He then finds ways to do these same things in real life. Just a few years ago, news broke out about a young, introverted student who one day went to school with a firearm and entered the classroom shooting all her classmates. Similar events have occurred in previous years in different parts of America. Homicides happen in schools where young people are supposed to be safe. What is the reason why seemingly harmless and meek young people have engaged in brutal killings? I believe one of the reasons is social alienation. The current society we live in is full of racism, minority branding and social biases. Some young people find themselves in school environments where they are treated as outcasts possibly because of their nationality, religious beliefs and other unique characteristics. Every young person is longing for genuine belongingness and attachment, an environment where he or she is accepted. Unfortunately, some teenagers’ needs for social belongingness are not being met. Instead, they are exposed to a cruel world where people are cold, indifferent and judgmental. In my opinion, this leads to feelings of anger or resentment against the world in general. This anger or resentment may be kept deeply hidden in the thoughts of a young person. It could grow stronger as years go by, until at last, it reaches a certain level where the young person gives in to his strong feelings and resorts to acts of violence towards others. In conclusion, a young person’s environment, exposure to violence through the media, and feelings of social alienation, all contribute to youth violence. There are many other reasons and causes, and we could not possibly point out all of them. However, I believe the important thing is that we are aware of what’s happen-ing around us. It is my conviction that learning, studying and fully understanding the main causes of youth violence will help us become better citizens and effective parents in the future. There are some solutions that can help to avoid or to solve teenage violence: Parents and others who care for young people can help them learn to deal with emotions without using violence. Because violence results from conflicts between people, it can be prevented by learning nonviolent ways to control anger and solve problems. Teaching your teen, through words and actions, that violence is never an acceptable form of behavior is very important. The tips provided here can help you. Quick Facts †¢Almost 16 million teens have witnessed some form of violent assault. †¢About one in eight people murdered in the United States each year are younger than 18 years of age. †¢Research shows a link between violent television programs and aggressive behavior in teens who watch those programs. †¢Most injuries and violent deaths occur between people who know each other. If there is violence in your family, it increases the risk of your teen becoming involved in future violence. †¢A gun in the home is more likely to be used to kill a family member or friend than to kill an in-truder. Tips for Parents 1. Start talking about ways to reduce or eliminate violence. †¢Team up with other parents and get involved in your community; join your neighbors in activities to reduce violence. †¢Talk to your teen about ways to solve arguments and fights without weapons or violence. †¢Advise your teen to talk to you or a trusted adult to avoid potentially violent situations. If you suspect a problem with your teen, start talking about it. 2. Monitor the media. †¢Limit the amount of television your teen watches to 1 to 2 hours a day (includ-ing music videos and video games). †¢Do not allow your teen to watch violent movies or TV programs. †¢If something violent comes on the TV, talk about what is wrong with the pro-gram and how the situation could have been handled in a nonviolent way. 3. Be a role model by handling problems in nonviolent ways. †¢Don't hit your teen. Model non-physical solutions to problem solving. †¢Count to 10. Cool off. If you can't control your anger, tell your teen you need some time to get your thoughts and feelings under control. †¢Problem solve with your teen. Think together about options and consequences for behaviors. †¢Set limits, make sure your teen knows the rules and consequences, and follow through. †¢Don't carry a gun. This sends a message to your teen that using guns solves problems. 4. Reduce the threat of gun-related violence to your teen. †¢Make certain your teen does not have access to guns. If you have a gun, re-move it from your home or store it unloaded and locked up. Lock and store bullets separately. Tell your teen to stay away from potentially dangerous situations and from guns in homes of friends or places where he or she may visit or play. †¢Keep in mind that teens don't always follow the rules. Also, teens are attracted to guns and see guns as symbols of power. Since you can't always count on teens to stay away from guns, you have to keep guns away from them. 5. Help your teen deal with anger. †¢Anger is a normal feeling. Anger does not have to be bad if it is expressed ap-propriately. Teach your teen that it is okay to be angry, but it's not okay to throw a punch. People must control their anger before they can control a situation. †¢Sometimes counseling is necessary to help teens deal with their anger appro-priately. Steps your teen can take to avoid violence or injury 1. Recognize situations or events that are likely to escalate into violence. 2. Stop whatever you are doing and count to 10 backward. This will help you think about your feelings before they get out of control. 3. If you can't control your anger, get away. Take a time out. 4. Think about the options and consequences of your actions. For example, hitting someone could result in suspension from school or injury. 5. If necessary, get help from a third party to solve differences. 6. Cool off. Make sure you are calm and then talk to the person. 7. Listen carefully to the other person's opinion. 8. Be assertive, not aggressive. Stand up for your ideals. Begin every sentence with â€Å"I† For example: â€Å"I feel this way†¦ † or â€Å"I don't like it when†¦ † 9. Be willing to admit and be responsible for something you may have done wrong. 10. Respond with your HEAD, not your fists, threats, or weapons.

Outsourcing in Value Chain

VALUE CHAIN OF GOAT MILK PRODUCT Figure 1: Value Chain of Goat Milk Figure 1 shows the value chain of goat milk product. In order to be end product, there are several processes involved which are process of getting raw material then manufacturing process where the production process will take place. After that, the product will be distributed to the various channels. Under material, there are several parties will involve such as raw material supplier, transportation/logistic and technology supplier.Then, at the manufacture phase there will be some processes involve such as processing, quality control, packaging and labeling. Packaging will be focus because of most of the producer will outsource this process to other company rather than done by themselves. The reason of this outsourcing will be because of lack of skill and technology for the packaging process. When, the packaging and labeling are done by other company, the product will be not associated to the first owner anymore.In t he case of goat milk, the owner of the livestock is not been recognized anymore and lastly the finish product will be distributed to the user and consumer as a product of the packaging company. Malay proverb call this as â€Å"Lembu punya susu, Sapi dapat nama† means the original owner of the product has not been recognized and the product only been associated to the packaging and labeling company. Figure 2: INDUSTRY INVOLVE IN THE PROCESS OF PRODUCING FINISH PRODUCT OF GOAT MILKFigure 2 show the industries involved in producing the goat milk. As can be seen, Agriculture industry is the first industry involved where the livestock is coming from this industry. Most of the parties involved in this industry are Malay and Indian. Then, in order to package the product, it can be choose whether to use, bottle, box container, can and so on. For box and bottle for example, it will use woods and sand as the raw material to produce box and bottle then, other industry will involve too.T hen, the distribution process will involve with logistic company. Therefore, in producing a bottle or a box of milk, there are many parties and industries involved and take placed. Figure 3 below shows the value chain of the packaging process and the example of many type of packaging container. The figure shows the package is designed using the CAD and has been tested and evaluate before start the production process for the packaging. However, some companies do not use such as technology equipment in doing the packaging.This kind of packaging process should be done by the producer company and not supposed outsource the process because the outsource decision make the producer lost the originality and owner power towards the product. Figure 3: VALUE CHAIN OF PACKAGING PROCESS Source: www. nec. co. jp ———————– MATERIAL MANUFACTURE DISTRIBUTION PRODUCT USE – CUSTOMER/ USER – WHOLESALER – RETAILER – AGENT – PROCESSING – QC – LABELLING – PACKAGING – RAW MATERIAL SUPPLIER – TRANSPORT/ LOGISTIC – TECHNOLOGY SUPPLIER AGRICULTURE LOGISTIC WOOD/SAND PACKAGING OUTSOURCE!!!!

Hubris in Oedipus Essay

Oedipus the King is considered one of the greatest classical tragedies ever written. When Sophocles wrote this great play, he followed the concept of tragedy which dictated that the tragic hero should embody a tragic flaw in his character which acts as a motivation for the character’s eventual downfall. In Oedipus the King, the tragic flaw of the play’s hero, Oedipus, is centered on the concept of hubris, or excessive and destructive pride. Oedipus, through his pride, ultimately experiences the worst tragedies that can befall an individual; however, if the events of the play are examined closely, each of the tragic events can in some way be connected to Oedipus’ pride. One key example (in the myth of Oedipus which provided background for the play) is when Oedipus unknowingly murders his own father. Despite being warned by the oracle that he was destined to â€Å"shed with his own hand† his father’s blood, Oedipus quarrels with Laius on the road to Thebes over whose wagon had the right-of-way and his ultimate anger fueled by hubris led Oedipus to unwittingly murder his own father. After solving the Sphinx’s riddle and unknowingly marrying his own mother, Oedipus, as King, must face a plague which is threatening Thebes. The plague was sent as a form of revenge by the gods because of Laius’s murder. To help him find out the reason behind the plague, Oedipus consults a prophet named Tiresias, who is blind. When the prophet warns Oedipus to stop seeking the true murderer of Laius, Oedipus’s pride leads him to suspect Tiresias of treachery and dishonesty. Even though Oedipus has been warned all along about hsi destiny, he continues to try to control fate and therefore becomes further and further entangled in tragedy. It is his excessive pride that drives him to refuse to listen to the wisdom of those around him, even prophets. Eventually, Oedipus says during the play that he is superior to the gods, and this is a blatant expression of his hubris:â€Å"You pray to the gods? Let me grant your prayers† (Oedipus, 254). By saying this, it is clear that Oedipus considers himself even a greater power as king than the god themselves. A central part of the impact of Oedipus’s hubris is the dramatic irony which takes place in the play. The irony of Oedipus not knowing that he has murdered his own father and married his own mother and the irony that he is in fact the one responsible for the plague on Thebes and that his desire to rid the land of Laius’s murderer would lead to himself are all possible because of Oedipus’s extreme pride. He is oblivious to the possibility that the oracle’s predictions or the words of the blind prophet could indicate anything other than the elevation of his own glory and strength that his eventual tragic fall actually begins simultaneously with his rise to kingship and power, with the audience seeing the irony. The reason that Sophocles created such an ironic level of expression for the extreme hubris of Oedipus was to demonstrate to his audience that a great tragedy is always created by the inner-flaw or weakness of its main character. The Greeks regarded pride or hubris as one of the most common and dangerous of personal flaws and this play demonstrated for them and also for modern audiences the impact of excessive pride when carried to extreme levels of power and influence, although the lessons learned in the play are also applicable to common people in their everyday lives. By using irony, exaggeration, and an epic scale of symbols, Sophocles was able to present his audience with a frightening portrayal of the negative impacts of hubris or excessive pride.

Jetstar

Task 1 a) Executive Summary 1. Brief description of products and services Domestic Air Freight International Air Freight Freighter Charter Ground Handling Retail Fleet and Equipment Online Solution 2. Define Target Market 3. Competative Advantage 4. Positioning Statement 5. Anticipated sales, profits and market share The Jetstar Group is the largest low cost airline in the Asia Pacific by revenue and has flown over 100 million passengers since it launched in 2004.During fiscal 2011-2012, the airline carried more than 20 million passengers, making Jetstar the fastest-growing airline in the Asia Pacific to reach this milestone in seven years of flying. The Jetstar Group has grown from providing employment to 400 people in 2004 to more than 7,000 across the Asia Pacific today. Collectively the Jetstar Group offers over 3,000 flights a week to 57 destinations in 16 countries and territories across the Asia Pacific region with a fleet of around 95 aircraft.Jetstar is a value based, low fa res network of airlines operating in the leisure and value based markets. Jetstar’s mission is to offer all day, every day low fares to enable more people to fly to more places, more often. Strategy and structure Jetstar is part of the Qantas Group’s two-brand growth strategy, where Qantas competes at the premium and business market and Jetstar focuses on leisure markets. The Jetstar Group comprises: Jetstar Airways in Australia and New Zealand (wholly owned by the Qantas Group) Jetstar Asia based in Singapore.The company is managed by Newstar Holdings, majority owned by Singapore company Westbrook Investments (51 per cent), with the Qantas Group holding the remaining 49 per cent Jetstar Pacific based in Vietnam (majority owned by Vietnam Airlines with the Qantas Group holding 30 per cent) Jetstar Japan, a partnership between the Qantas Group, Japan Airlines, Mitsubishi Corporation and Century Tokyo Leasing Corporation Jetstar Hong Kong, a partnership between China Eas tern Airlines and the Qantas Group (subject to regulatory approval). BrandThe Jetstar brand design is based on the Southern Cross constellation, with the orange star representing the smallest star of the Cross, Epsilon Crucis. The airline’s colours, orange, silver and black were chosen for their bold and modern feel. Fleet Current fleet: As of December 2012, the Jetstar Group fleet consists of 96 aircraft, including: 79 Airbus A320-200 aircraft, seat-configured for up to 180 passengers Six Airbus A321 aircraft, seat-configured for 220 passengers 11 Airbus A330-200 aircraft, with two cabins (economy and business) for up to 310 passengers Fleet orders:Jetstar has ordered 14 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, which are due to be delivered in 2013. These new-generation aircraft include features such as larger windows, improved cabin pressure to reduce jetlag and fuel consumption about 20 per cent lower than similar-sized aircraft. In August 2011 the Qantas Group placed an order for 110 Airb us A320s. The Jetstar Group has access to these aircraft to facilitate its growth. This includes 78 A320 NEOs (New Engine Option), which reduce fuel consumption by 15 per cent and will be available for delivery from 2015. In total, Jetstar has about 150 aircraft on back order.Network The Jetstar Group’s network is made up of 56 destinations in 16 countries and territories. Check out our interactive route map to find out exactly where we fly. Low fares Jetstar aims to have the lowest fares on all the routes it operates and backs every fare with a Price Beat Guarantee. Should any customer find a lower fare online, on the same day, same route and at a comparable time, Jetstar will beat the fare by 10 per cent. Customer experience Jetstar customers only pay for what they need. Customers can choose between two types of fares – Economy or Business (on selected international flights).Once a fare is selected, customers have the option to add on checked baggage between 15 †“ 40 kilos per passenger and/or a bundle of extras, which can include seat selection, in-flight products, fare flexibility, lounge access and Qantas Frequent Flyer Points. For domestic flights on Jetstar Australia and New Zealand, passengers may choose to purchase a variety of snacks and beverages. Depending on the length of the flight, hot meals are also made available for purchase. On Jetstar Asia’s short haul flights, a variety of snacks, beverages, hot meals, comfort items and duty free goods are available for purchase.On long haul flights (onboard the Airbus A330-200), economy class passengers can choose to pre-purchase a variety of meals, entertainment, and comfort options to customise their flight experience. Business class passengers enjoy wide comfy leather seats in a separate cabin and inclusions such as meals, entertainment and comfort packs along with seat selection and additional baggage. Business passengers who choose a Business Max bundle also benefit from lo unge access, Qantas Frequent Flyer Points and Qantas Frequent Status credits.Interline and codeshare partners The Jetstar Group has three codeshare partners on select Jetstar routes, being Qantas, Japan Airlines and American Airlines. The Jetstar Group has 25 interline partnerships on select Jetstar routes: American Airlines, Aircalin, Air Canada, Air France, Air Niugini, Air Pacific, Air Tahiti Nui, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Dragonair, Emirates, Etihad, Finnair, Japan Airlines, Jet Airways, KLM; LAN Airlines; Lan Argentina; Lan Ecuador; Lan Peru; Lufthansa; Qantas; Qatar Airways; Royal Jordanian and United.Performance Jetstar has been profitable every year since its launch in 2004. The airline delivered a record Underlying EBIT (Earnings Before Interest and Taxes) of AUD$203 million in 2011-12, a 20 per cent increase on the previous financial year. In the same period, Jetstar grew overall capacity by 14 per cent and carried 20. 6 million passengers, an 11 per cent increase o n the previous financial year. Awards Jetstar Airways Awards: Best Low-Cost Airline – Australia/Pacific 2012 and 2011 (Skytrax) Partner of the Year 2012 – Changi Airline AwardsTop 5 Airlines by Absolute Growth in Cargo Carriage 2012 (Changi Airline Awards) Best International Budget Airline 2011 (About. com Readers’ Choice Award) Best Low-Cost Airline – Australasia 2009 (Skytrax) Top 5 Carriers for Passenger Growth 2009 (Changi Airline Awards) Low-Cost Carrier of the Year 2008 and 2007 (CAPA) Best Low-Cost Airline Asia Pacific 2008 (Budgie$) Best Low-Cost Airline – Worldwide 2007 (Skytrax) Best Cabin Crew – Australia and New Zealand 2007 (Skytrax) Operational Excellence 2007 (Airline Business) Jetstar Asia Awards:Top 10 Airlines by Passenger Carriage – 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008 and 2007 (Changi Airline Awards) Largest Growth in Passenger Traffic from Singapore 2011 (Changi Airline Awards) AsiaOne People’s Choice Award for Bes t Budget Airline in 2010 Best Brand Experience Low Cost Airline in 2008 (Ad Asia Magazine) Best Asia Low Cost Carrier 2006-2007 (Changi Airline Awards) Best Low Cost Airline -Asia and South East Asia 2006 (Skytrax) Low Cost Airline of the Year 2006 Merit Award (CAPA) Best Budget Airline of the Year 2006 (TTG Travel Awards)Jetstar Pacific Awards Vietnam’s most popular e-commerce website 2008 Bruce Buchanan, CEO of Jetstar, admits that new |low-cost airlines would increase competition but Jetstar would thrive through fleet expansion and new marketing strategies. Why have so many airlines that have subsidiaries, including THAI, Singaporean Airlines and Malaysian Airlines, adopted a multi-brand strategy? The Qantas Group's two-brand strategy, utilising both Qantas and Jetstar brands, allows the group to design and grow products that suit the specific needs of a broad customer base.This strategy sees the Qantas brand focus on the premium and business traveller – with produc ts and a route network catered for these groups whilst Jetstar focuses on serving the needs of the leisure and value-oriented traveller. By having â€Å"two brands† the Qantas Group is able to assess different market opportunities and deploy the best product to suit the opportunity and specific market conditions. In Europe, we know that Ryan Air is the biggest low-cost. Who is the biggest in Asia now? How does Jetstar position itself in this market?In terms of revenue, Jetstar is the biggest. In terms of fleet size, we believe AirAsia to be the biggest. It is our intention to continue to grow our Pan-Asian strategy and to be a leading low-fares carrier in the Southeast Asian region. What are Jetstar's plans to enhance competitiveness? Jetstar's Pan-Asian strategy is providing the core platform for our competitiveness. We are currently looking at regional growth opportunities and new services from our growing networks from bases in Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and Vietnam .A key focus for us is looking for network opportunities that allow us to maximise existing networks and complement existing flying as well as looking at brand new opportunities in Asia. The growth in the awareness of our brand really supports the growth of our networks throughout Asia and provides us a strong competitive advantage. As Jetstar matures in the region, our ability to consistently offer the lowest fares on the routes we serve and our ability to focus our marketing and business |model around this core offering continues to provide us with an attractive and compelling customer offering.Our strong association with Qantas and its industry-leading safety standards is also a powerful association as we grow in Asia. What plan does Jetstar have to start new flights to both existing and new destinations? What plan does Jetstar have to expand its fleet? For the remainder of the financial year 2010/2011, Jetstar will add a further eight A320 aircraft and two A330 aircraft into its groupwide fleet for opportunities in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Vietnam.This will involve introducing first time long-haul flying from Singapore when the carrier commences direct daily services between Singapore and Melbourne on December 16 and then direct daily services between Singapore and Auckland on March 16, 2011. Jetstar Asia will welcome an additional two A320 aircraft this year for flying from Singapore and an additional A320 aircraft will be added to domestic New Zealand flying. Jetstar's China expansion will continue with flights to Guilin in southern China from Singapore to also soon commence – representing its sixth collective Chinese mainland or wider China destination.In the medium to long term, Jetstar will be looking to grow its existing fleet of nearly 70 aircraft by an additional 50 aircraft over the next five years. In mid-2012, the carrier will welcome its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Jetstar becoming the first carrier in the Jetstar group to operate these state-of-the-art aircraft. Jetstar is scheduled to receive 15. What is Jetstar's marketing strategy for the rest of 2010? What new services does Jetstar plan to offer? Jetstar will be expanding services in all markets over the course of the current financial year.In Australia, we will be adding up to 30 per cent additional domestic capacity for the financial year ending 2011. In New Zealand, we have recently announced an additional two A320 aircraft to be based in New Zealand, representing an additional 717,000 seats annually. In Singapore, we will be adding an additional two A320 aircraft to its fleet of 10 based in Singapore by the end of 2010, which is in addition to the commencement of first time value-based long-haul flying from December, which will eventually see two A330 aircraft based in Singapore.At Jetstar Pacific in Vietnam, we are planning the introduction of its second A320 aircraft to join its existing fleet of five B737s and one A320 this calendar year a s part of a fleet renewal process towards a future all-A320 operation. How has Jetstar performed financially, and what are your expectations looking ahead? Jetstar Brands posted an EBIT of $131 million Australian dollar for the financial year ending June 2010. How does Jetstar perceive the competition once Thai Tiger Airways gets off the ground and how will you cope with it given that several low-cost irlines are competing in the same areas. Will price-cutting be the answer? The Thai market has always been a competitive one and we don't expect that to change as new entrants come onto the market. Of all the low-cost carriers, Jetstar is the only one to offer a low fares guarantee which stipulates that should a customer find a lower-fare online on the same date at a comparative time to a Jetstar service, Jetstar will be discount that fare by 10 per cent.

No topic based on scenario and questions to be incorporated Essay

No topic based on scenario and questions to be incorporated - Essay Example Indeed, I will extend my warm welcome to my partner in the Community Based Organisation (CBO) who will be bringing a potential funder to the Saturday Academy the following day. There is every need to meet this funder as a way of showing appreciation to this rare opportunity since he will need to catch the 11.30 am flight. Compared to attending the daughter’s basketball tournament, this opportunity to meet the potential funder will go a long way towards development of my career as both administrator and leader. Indeed, there is every need to be devoted to work and show commitment especially during the period of crisis where the institution you are running is facing critical challenges such as budget cuts instead of choosing to pursue personal luxury activities which will leave you exposed once you miss the perfect opportunity of getting the much needed assistance. I will also take the opportunity to engage the parents who represent the graduation committee since these are very important stakeholders in the running of the school and cannot in any way object to their proposal but would happily give them a nod to engage the photographer. The occasion of graduation is historic such that it has to be recorded in true fashion. It can be suicidal to delegate my second assistant principal to attend to such important scheduled meetings as this would reflect a negative attitude of my leadership qualities. Such important business which affects the overall running of the institution requires the head to be present as this would show commitment to the school as well as reflect positive leadership traits. In this particular case, the issue of great concern to me is the need to get funding for the institution since this would make it relatively easier to run it. Almost all activities at school require some funding to ensure its smooth running. The first three things I need to do as the principal include the following: instil discipline among students and members of staff,

Political socialization is a very important process that creates and Essay

Political socialization is a very important process that creates and conveys the political culture of a society. Examine one of - Essay Example The primary source of that information comes from the media. While the media in most western countries runs independently from government regulation within boundaries, it increasingly seems that they are not communicating all sides of any given story. When it comes to politics, the media becomes critical. Messages and information are disseminated through various media outlets including the television, Internet, and newspapers. Consumers, or private citizens, depend on this information since it allows them to formulate important decisions about who they feel should best govern the nation. As such, in recent years it appears that media has been more and more important to the political landscape of a country. They can shape policy and see to it that certain people are elected to office. It is indeed a big task, and media companies need to realize their responsibility to balanced and fair reporting of all of the facts, not just those that they feel will shape the course of the country in the direction they want to head. The media should provide reliable information, faithful reporting, and neutral guidance through the television, Internet, and newspapers because it is important that they convey positive information and do not misguide or leave out important information that the population needs to hear. The Influence of Television Since the days of black and white television, the media has had a profound impact on the political life in society. Television was the format where politicians were able to speak to the country. In fact, it was back in 1960 that America had its first Presidential debate between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon. Millions of people tuned in to hear what each candidate had to say. The impact should be obvious. In countries as populated at the United States, or as spread out geographically as Canada, people running for political office depend on the television to get their message out to the masses quickly. In addition, political parties and action groups depend on television advertising to point out their particular policies and why they feel the public should support their agenda. Another way that television impacts the political socialization of a country is through the actual political news that they choose to report and the spin that they put on certain topics. All three of these aspects combine to dictate the shape of politics, to a large degree, throughout much of the world. Let us analyze that first presidential debate. Many considered Richard Nixon a near certainty to win the election, but Kennedy dominated the series of debates broadcast on television. In addition, his campaign instituted a series of catchy jingles that caught the nation’s attention from coast to coast. Television enabled the charisma that was Kennedy to be displayed to the entire nation, rather then simply being delegated to a series of political rallies in select locations. At the same time, Nixon could not do the same. Television di d not display him well, he underperformed in the debates, and his campaign never seemed to generate the same media attention that Kennedy’s did. In this manner, the media, in the form of television, almost single handedly delivered the election to Kennedy. He did not win a landslide victory, to be certain, but the amount of victory can largely be attributed to the influence of television (Mayer, 2007, p. 32). It is not only individual

[compare and contrast] OUTLINE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

[compare and contrast] OUTLINE - Essay Example A. From September 29, 2000 to the present, a total of 124 Israeli children were killed in the conflict while 1,463 Palestinian kids died during the same period. This translated to the unfavorable ratio of about 12 Palestinian kids killed for every dead Israeli child (11.8:1). This figure illustrates how unbalanced the conflict is between these two peoples. B. For the same period, some 1,084 Israeli adults died but on the other hand, at least approximately 6,430 adult Palestinians were killed in this conflict. This figure translates to an unfavorable ratio of six Palestinians killed for every Israeli adult who died (5.93:1). It means a war that is unequal in terms of casualties (figures can be higher as not all are accounted for). D. The state of Israel received almost US$3 billion in military aid from the U.S. in the 2011 fiscal year (about US$8.2 million per day!) while Palestine got nothing whatsoever, as in zero, nada, nil or zilch. It is money better spent in America for education and jobs generation. E. There are no Israeli citizens held as prisoners in any Palestinian jails while there are 5,300 Palestinians detained by Israeli authorities for various offenses such as those in prison as political detainees. There might be some Israeli POWS (prisoners of war) held as captured during combat but this is negligible compared to the sheer number of Palestinian civilians that are in Israeli jails without proper charges filed against them and are being held indefinitely. F. No Israeli home has ever been demolished or destroyed by Palestinian authorities while some 24,813 Palestinian houses were ordered demolished by Israeli housing authorities. Israel continues its housing expansion activities in so-called new settlements despite protests. G. The official Israeli unemployment rate is at a manageable 6.4% while Palestinians suffer a 16.5% unemployment rate in the West Bank and worse in Gaza

Leadership discussion broad Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Leadership discussion broad - Essay Example Most companies such as IBM, Capital One has been outsourcing their customer service and backdoor operations to Business Processing Organizations (BPO) already because it is more economical to have them done by third party vendors who has to expertise than for companies to do the operations themselves. Even in the production side of the company, such as the production of the company’s parts that make up its products are outsourced. The classic case for this is Samsung and Apple where parts and accessories of their smartphones and other products are outsourced to third party vendors. They however keep the software and hardware design as well as research and development within the company so as not to give away their strategic advantage and technical competencies. Outsourcing other value creation activities may be cost effective for companies to do but there are also risk involved in it. Outsourcing company operations inadvertently exposes the technical advantage of a firm making it vulnerable to industrial espionage. Another is the case of Apple where it the company is accused of unethical business practice because its third party vendors employed children and use unfair labor practices. This may not be the doing of Apple because it is a reputable company, but the less than desirable labor practices of its third party vendors hurt the company’s

Extent of Force for Maintaining School Discipline Research Paper

Extent of Force for Maintaining School Discipline - Research Paper Example It is more likely that student will produce effective results and will correct the problem. Sugai, Sprague, Horner, and Walker, (2000) conducted a study to prevent violence at school. Sugai, Sprague, Horner, and Walker, (2000) stated that an upsurge is seen in the number of incidents related to violent behavior in schools. Educators are demanded to make schools safer. However, schools receive very little assistance and guidance in their endeavors to develop and retain a proactive discipline system. Sugai, Sprague, Horner, and Walker, (2000) provide an idea related to how office discipline referrals can be used as source of information in order to manage, monitor, and modify their interventions for schools that exhibit high rate of behavioral problems (Sugai, Sprague, Horner, and Walker, 2000). Hyman, and Perone, (1998) contributed a study related to impact of policies and procedures of educators on misbehavior of students in schools. Hyman, and Perone, (1998) stated that victimizatio n of students by administrators, instructors, teachers, and other staff members of school, mostly under the name of discipline seldom contribute to alienation, aggression, or misbehavior of student. Yet, Hyman, and Perone, (1998) states that how these policies may contribute to school violence are mentioned in anecdotal evidence, survey data, and clinical studies. Assistance of school psychologists can be taken for the prevention programs (Hyman, and Perone, 1998). Unruly Behavior of Students – Statistics According to Daily Mail Reporter, (2011), teachers are more likely to be given powers to handle disruptive behavior of students in schools by using force on students. The ministry is... This essay stresses that when verbal forcing fails, the need of physical forcing emerges. This approach of disciplinary action often undermines the ability of student and results in nuisance in school system. Traditional approaches to maintain discipline have always remained punitive, negative, and reactive; therefore, they often lead to bad feelings for all the relevant parties. A positive approach to maintaining school discipline is to design a process that encourages good performance and solve performance problems. The basic notion behind this approach is to treat a student like an adult who need to solve a problem, instead of treating him like a child who must be punished. It is more likely that student will produce effective results and will correct the problem. This paper makes a conclusion that teachers are more likely to be given powers to handle disruptive behavior of students in schools by using force on students. The ministry is seeking ‘unequivocally restore adult authority to the classroom’ after observing statistics related to increasing level of aggressive behavior in schools. The previous system in U.S. focused on ‘no touch’ policies but it is most likely to be replaced by new policies. Previously, teachers were not allowed to touch students in the course of teaching them an instrument or aiding them in an accident. After this amendment, teachers will be able to use reasonable force to prevent student from leaving or eject disruptive students from the classroom.

Aboriginal peiple of canada Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Aboriginal peiple of canada - Assignment Example ing to grow in every possible way (within the framework of this aspect of Medicine wheel Native Americans usually use cedar as a cleansing medicine for body and soul and drink sacred tea); West represents adult stage and symbolizes the heart that helps one learn about the power of change, accept aging and find peace within oneself (within the framework of this aspect of Medicine wheel Native Americans usually eat berries like strawberry as a medicine); North represents rest and wisdom (within the framework of this aspect of Medicine wheel Native Americans usually advice to be mindful about physical bodies). This philosophy differs in some insignificant details from tribe to tribe. To stay fit and healthy both mentally and physically a human being must be in sync with all four dimensions of that wheel. 2. The essential aspects of a human being as expressed in the Four Directions Teaching dwell on the four sacred dimensions of the Medicine Wheel and seven stages of life found on this wheel. The seven stages of life start from the East and go westwards across the Medicine Wheel as a human being moves on with ones life. These stages consist of the good life, fast life, wandering life, planning, doing, truth and elder life. 3. There can be identified four ceremonial practices used by Anishinaabe for healing or ritual purposes. The first one is a smudging ceremony, which is a purification practice used when something gets out of hand at home or at work. According to this ceremony one of four sacred medicines has to be lit, namely the mshkwadewashk, kiishig, sema or wiingash. Talking circle is the second ceremony, according to which a group is to sit in a circle and talk on certain topic (everything that is said must stay in that circle; during the ceremony a feather or one of the sacred medicines have to be passed around the circle four times). Naming ceremony is the third ceremonial practice within which a grown-up person receives its spirit name (during the ceremony

GENETIC & Molecular BIOLOGY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

GENETIC & Molecular BIOLOGY - Essay Example The female horse has 64 diploid chromosomes and 32 chromosomes in her haploid gametes. This results in two gametes, male (31 haploids) + female (32 haploids) equals 63 diploid chromosomes in the offspring. It is important to note that the mule (generation 1 hybrid offspring of horse and ass) is not able to produce offspring. The reason for this is that the horse has 18 acrocentric autosomes while the ass has 11. This vast difference in number of acrocentric and met centric chromosomes causes a synapsis in of homologues during prophase 1 of meiosis, rendering the mule species infertile and sterile as no viable gametes can be formed. (b) This particular diagram is representative of interphase G2 (right before prophase takes place) of mitosis. This diagram shows the newly developed centrioles, and the beginning of spindle fibers. It also shows the chromosomes just beginning to line up. ( c) This diagram illustrates telophase of mitosis as it shows the beginning of cytokinesis resulting in two daughter cells. The chromosomes are also moving to opposite poles within their respective daughter cells. (1.8) The number of different gametic chromosomal combinations possible in the garden pea (male versus female) where 2n = 14 is . When n=7, one can find the number of possible combinations by using the formula 2^n or in this case 2^7, which is equal to 128. Thus, there are 128 possible different gametic chromosomal combinations in the garden pea. (1.12) In humans, there are 46 pairs of homologous chromosomes. In a human secondary spermatocyte, there are 23 chromosomes. Also in humans, spermatotids contain 23 chromosomes, spermatozoa contain 23 chromosomes and spermatagonia contain 46 chromosomes. (1.14) When looking at corn, we see that corn has a diploid number of 20 and thus a haploid number of 10 or 2n=20( as corn has diploid cells). The first meiotic product would result in a haploid cell with 10

Coroprate accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Coroprate accounting - Essay Example This is due to X being the holder of 60% of Y’s share capital despite not taking part in management. This is because corporate ownership can exist without an investor taking part in the day-to-day management of another company. This can also be backed by the concept of corporate governance. Corporate governance principles dictate that ownership and management must be separated and no party should be allowed to participate in both (O’Bryan 133). This is why in virtually all public corporations the directors and the shareholders are different people. On the date of acquisition, Carol ltd. will recognize the contingent liability at its fair value, that is, $20,000. This means that it will be credited at Carol ltd. books at $20,000. When the liability eventuates after acquisition, it will be removed from the books of accounts by debiting the contingent liability account. This will be matched with accredit entry in the bank (cash) account, which depicts a decrease in assets as

Specific advancement in the arts and technology Essay

Specific advancement in the arts and technology - Essay Example This thesis discusses the Digital Photography, a breakthrough technology of over three decades ago, as a specific advancement in the arts and technology. The thesis statement is â€Å"The advent of digital photography has revolutionized the field of arts because it has accelerated and simplified the technology of photography by drastically decreasing the time and expenses associated to take photographs, offering advanced tools of processing and enabling persons with little training and no experience to create beautiful photographs†. Bellis (2011a) has summarized the background of the time period leading to the invention of digital photography. Though the basic principles of optics and camera were known to Chinese and Greek philosophers as early as during the 5th-4th centuries B.C., the discovery that white light was composed of seven different colors was made only in the 17th century by Issac Newton. In 1727, Johann Heinrich Schulze found out that sunlight acted upon silver nitrate to produce dark metallic silver. In 1814, Joseph Niepce obtained the first ever photographic image with camera obscura. Louis Daguerre developed a convenient and effective method of photography in 1837 called daguerreotype, which he introduced to the public in 1839 at Paris (Bellis,2011b). In 1841,William Henry Talbot invented the negative-positive photo making process capable of producing multiple copies. Frederick Scott Archer developed the Collodion process in 1851 requiring only a few seconds light exposure. In 1871 Richard Leach Maddox developed the gelatin dry plate silver bromide process. In 1884 George Eastman invented flexible paper-based photographic film and in 1888 he patented the Kodak roll-film camera. In 1898 Reverend Hannibal Goodwin patented the celluloid photographic film. The first commercially mass produced camera named Brownie was marketed in 1900. In 1913-14 the first 35mm still camera was developed which was followed by the

Health Care Spending Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Health Care Spending Paper - Essay Example The current developments in health care spending indicate that this sector is slowly spiraling out of control. Policies are being put in place to try and address the problem before it completely gets out of hand. This paper will look at some of the aspects of health care spending, and how it is affecting different trends in the economy in the United States. Currently, health care spending has hit an all-time high. It is estimated that in the year 2013, the health care sector in the region used almost 3 trillion U.S. dollars, which is said to be over 15% of the region’s economy. Statistics also provide evidence that spending in this sector has been growing at a rate of at least 3 percent since the year 2009. Spending in the United States has doubled since the early 2000s, but the sluggish recovery of the economy is what may be making the rates much lower than anticipated (Yesalis, Politzer & Holt, 2012). Most of the people in the region are foregoing medical care as a result of a decline in their disposable income, increase in cost to workers, and even loss of health cover. It is my belief that the coming year, and the ones after that, may record a sharp rise in health care spending. It is my opinion that the figures projected by some of the organizations in the region are too high. This is a clear indication that almost a quarter of the region’s economy is spent on health care and other related health care costs, which means that the other sectors present are having to share most of what is left. The health care sector is just as important as any other sector that is present in the region. This means that proper policies must be put into account when coming up with estimates for the use and appropriation of capital into the health care sector. The amount of capital that is spent on medicine, as compared to other Organizations for Economic Co-operation and

Policy Paper - US Environmental Protection Agency about Energy use and Research

Policy - US Environmental Protection Agency about Energy use and opportunities for energy savings - Research Paper Example We should also aim at making all our resources and energy at the same rate. Whenever energy efficiency chances are available to us, we should take the opportunity without thinking twice. Those with energy efficiency innovations should be encouraged and provided with the necessary support both financial and moral, the information that they later avail should always be made available at and if found important applied to the country’s economy. I encourage the harnessing of energy in the country and driving their availability and disclosure. Energy is the key to running a successful business, home and the country’s economy as a whole. The government has often been seen to neglect the role of energy in the growth of the country’s economy. Energy reduction can play a great role in managing our country’s energy system. The measures that contribute to the reduction in the demand for energy can be applied in a more cost effective way than we can imagine. It meets our energy needs as well. Therefore, we should be proud of the innovations that are essential to achieving these courses. The country should be in a position to use the amount of energy that we need at a given time only. The amount of carbon emission can go down as well and thus aiding the achievement f our carbon budget. Homes in our country have been built and developed over several years with their energy efficiency varying from good to worst thus bringing many of these homes to the levels of being less worthwhile for investment. In the same line, it presents an enormous business opportunity and even goes as far as exporting to other external markets overseas. This strategy will be helpful in the country. These also set our ambition as a country clear and being able to identify the various barriers that we can face in our quest. We, therefore, stimulate our energy efficiency market as well as those we use within our country2. Energy

Poems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Poems - Essay Example The first main image that Bishop shows is stated by the narrator with losing some of the small things in life. Bishop states, â€Å"Lose something every day. Accept the fluster / of lost door keys, the hour badly spent. / The art of losing isn’t hard to master† (lines 4 – 6). These lines show the image of losing keys and present an image that relates to one looking for something that can’t be found. Bishop is able to expand on this image of losing names, watches and other smaller items. After this, there is a transition with the images as the center movement. The first image is of losing a continent, with the main image of the rivers that divide the regions. This all ties into the idea of losing â€Å"you,† which is the person that the narrator is speaking about. The main theme is related to the concept of losing another person and how this is similar to the images of losing smaller things. Bishop is able to create a sarcastic approach to the art of losing, specifically when it comes to losing another loved one. The poem, â€Å"Bully† by Martin Espada, also shows specific images in the poem to represent the bully. The main theme in this particular poem is to show how those in the current day forget about the past and become bullies to what has occurred. The first image described by Espada is the statue of Theodore Roosevelt, described with the nostalgic look and the horse that follows. The image that follows states â€Å"Puerto Rico has invaded Roosevelt / with its army of Spanish – singing children / in the hallways† (lines 8 – 10). The invasion and image that Espada creates shows how there is a loss of the past because of the children. The words used such as army and invasion work with the image to present this main concept. This leads into the last section, with the images â€Å"now children plot to spray graffiti / in parrot – brilliant colors / across

Throughout his novel Essay Example for Free

Throughout his novel Essay Reread the begging of section one of the novel. Write about the ways the writer uses details in this passage to make the reader think about the changes, events and ideas in the novel; in the way the writer uses detail in his passage to prepare the reader for the ending. Throughout his novel, Of mice and Men John Steinbeck presents many ideas about the bias system that prevents working class people from amounting to anything, and how the fates of ranch hands and particularly the character of Lennie are inevitable. His use of language and literary techniques in order to develop his character and setting are used to prompt the reader to consider these ideas. The vocabulary that Steinbeck choices to describe the brush in both sections one and six of the novel mirror each other. Steinbeck has Lennie repeating the actions from section one to make us think back to the beginning of the novella, and consider the characters that he has created. Steinbecks meticulous use of detail throughout the novel makes it more memorable to the reader and so when in section 6 Lennie appear[s] out of the brush they are instantly reminded of the opening, as though the novel has come full circle. Steinbeck chose to set the ending to Of Mice and Men in the same setting as he chose to set the first to show the monotony and routine of the ranch hands and despite the dreams they may have, the reality of the situation makes hopes impossible. We, as the readers are aware from the start that the text is likely to end where it began as Steinbeck has the character, Lennie repeating what George said about the brush so [he doesnt] forget it, consequently the repetition also had the phrase stick in the minds of the novels audience. So when Lennie remembers his instructions from George in section Six, so do the audience. Steinbeck sets section six of the novel after the sun had left the valley which mirrors the first section which was also set in the evening. However the night also serves another purpose of suggesting that at the end of the day also comes the end of Lennies life, making the reader consider what has happened in the novel between sections one and six to lead to this moment and the comments Steinbeck was trying to communicate. The language choices Steinbeck makes to describe Lennie are throughout often quite animalistic. Although to demonstrate his size when Lennie is described as a bear, these terms serve a secondary purpose of making Lennie seem more animal than human. The very end of the novel and Lennies death are foreshadowed by the events in section 3 when Candys dog is led away to be shot. Later on Candy reveals that he feels that he should have shot him myself, which is what George does in the way Carlson describes in the bunkhouse. These similarities make Lennie seem like an animal however the metaphor goes further, suggesting that people at the time were all treated badly or like animals as Lennie is in this novel. In conclusion, the details that Steinbeck presents the final section of the novel Of Mice and Men make the reader think about other sections of the novel, particularly the begging as much of the imagery used in the final section is either the same or similar.

Men are naturally violent and protective Essay Example for Free

Men are naturally violent and protective Essay Whether the subject is masculinity, patriarchy, or violence one will not fail to notice the occurrence chauvinism on several categories when portraying the subject of men. This critique attempts to reflect on an article posted on CBC news, British Columbia article. It is apparent that Alexander does not publicly encourage or agitate for violence; however, the movement seeks for response when it is pushed to the wall. The freeman agitation is based on response to the state imposition of a given norms or set of disciplines or what the movement defines as on overbearing government. For instance, Alexander does not require a license to drive or pay income tax (CBC, 2013). According to the extract the concept of violence cannot be used to judge men wholly. Primarily, violence is a vehicle to let views get known to the people, whether legitimate or illegitimate. This promotes the assumption that men will apply violence if they feel their views are being neglected. According to the extract FBI and B.C still considered the movement a source of domestic terror, an assumption that Freemen strongly distance themselves with. When it comes to the concept of governance, it is apparent to note Man chauvinism is the most important observation. The central goal here is the importance of two integral laws, statute law and common law. One will notice from the extract that the movement seeks to agitate for equality, on all accounts this promoting the presence of common law. This propels two crucial situations, the fight against capitalism and individual personality decorum. According to freemen, decorum is essential, and in fact, the group argues that statutory law is primarily responsible for destroying the society. The greater war is not physical confrontation directed by Freeman-Movement, but whether man can uninstall the statutory law imposed to him by the government. Chiefly, one will notice that Freemen chauvinistic perception is centered on the assumption that statutory law imposed to people, with or without their consent and this forms the nucleus of social conflicts (call it violence). For instance, the law convicts innocent people to Jail using the statutory law, jailing them together with people who have broken common law. According to the extract, Freemen movement argues that statutory law is a contract, and each party can live it at will. Freemen view the judiciary as a bunch of brutal people who are naturally violent. A further example to Freemen philosophy is the Daren Wayne McCormick who was convicted by a court in Nova Scotia for uttering threatening words to officers. Freemen viewed that the Judge used his personality (call it humane violence) to pass judgment to an innocent person. The initial conviction of Mr. McCormick was essentially based a criminal court and federal gun laws, in any case, McCormick was originally viewed a danger to the society but not to official members of the judiciary. However, the judgment which sent McCormick to prison was based on danger to official members of the judiciary proving that men are violent by their own character. Reference CBCNews. (September 2nd, 2013).Freemen movement concerns Canadian legal communities. Retrieved January 16th, 2013 from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/freemen-movement-concerns-canadian-legal-communities-1.1345486 Source document

Filming People Without Permission

Filming People Without Permission People use their cellphones to record a moment when they find it amusing, it can be somebodys birthday, can be an event that they like, or for fun. But when used in the wrong way, it can lead to bad luck for the subjects who were filmed without their consent and can lead to major consequences. Its important to know whether we should and we shouldnt, why do we do this? For a prank? To go revenge on someone or sell someone out? These kind of situations can mean a lot of other things. Nearly 85% of all teenagers who own a installed camera electronic (Smartphones, Digital Cameras, etc.) record an individual who has been recorded without his or her authorization. This can cause a big privacy problem to those who dont want themselves to be filmed by another person and submit them to the public/ social media networks. As these acts can lead to the victim getting bullied, harassed, or ruin their reputation. There are such laws regarding these acts in some parts of the U.S.,   a person who commits a crime like this will demand the violator to pay a huge amount of money, up to $100,000.00 fine. Many questions have been asked. Why bother filming others without their consent? There are many reasons why teenagers do this, one reason is to record a fight between two guys just because for entertainment. This act is very dangerous, yes there were two people fighting, but no permission was given. Fighting in public is prohibited as many people will record this horrid action and will motivate others to do the same thing. As many videos online are being uploaded to the internet for about 6000 videos per second, all it takes is one video. That video will be shared, re-uploaded non-stop until it meets the maximum amount of people online. Once anything is online, it cant be erased if deleted. Be very cautious when filming the right subject to avoid the consequences it holds. Another unanswered question is why film? Many people dont realize this isnt a game when they are filming another individual fighting another individual. Entertain themselves is the reason, many teenagers share this info to one another in order to spread rumors and other remarks, ordering everyone to attack the one who lost the fight. Which spreads also controversy to the media determining on protecting someones privacy to avoid being filmed and bullied from others. People have already violated the people who dont want to expose themselves to the public in social media, not that its okay to be popular, but this can make thousands of people despise the victim depending on the situation. If not careful, this can lead the victim to bad luck. Its important that parents need to know what their teenagers film when not present. Even though they are already grown up, they still need to learn the right and maturity way to handle these acts. Even if their parents dont expect these acts, they must teach their teen how to respect peoples privacy. Other reasons are not common, but can happen at anytime. Another reason is to spy or eavesdrop another person. Its another way to give out the truth to another individual and show what the person you spied on is doing and what is their next motive to move on to. This reason is practically not important but its another way to give out the truth, just like how a News Network handles the news; they cover for it, send out the facts on the story they want to cover, and talk on a serious note. The next reason is for fun. People love to have fun especially when they have the freedom to do so. But for this kind of filming, some people love to secretly capture / take a picture of someones face and try to edit them in a silly way. This is another common reason why people film others, even though the topic is Filming another person, Filming also counts as taking a photo of someone without their permission. When people take a photo of themselves, they call it a slang term for it, a selfie. and a fter that, they edit their photos in a more hilarious and weird way to produce laughter within themselves. Then, at other times they would jokingly take a picture of a friend of theirs and edit their face in a hilarious way, even though he didnt want his face to become in the social network media. Many things can go wrong if taking photos are not taken seriously, some people dont care if they are filmed without their permission and seem okay about it. But note that this can also affect on your reputation and your current job too! Your manager does not want to see your face edited in a inappropriate manner/way so make sure nobody is using your privacy rights in a bad situation. Now how can this hurt you and others if you dont take this seriously and still disrespect someones privacy. EVERYONE needs privacy to continue progressing to their established goal for the day. When its been treating itself badly, it cannot help you in any sort of way, and your goal will mean nothing to you, so be careful when dealing with people who can easily publish your face in the media. In one by one, this will show you why to be extra cautious about being filmed. (Get Hired by Manager for a job) Your boss at work wants to learn about you, they are not people to confide if you are not cooperating as this is a requirement. They want people who are confident and always cooperating, even if you didnt post the edited pictures. (To prevent bullying to the victim) You could be in trouble depending on how the picture they have taken of you represented. Be sure to check with an adult if this situation happens, this is common, but can be controlled. If you think privacy is not a big deal, think about the consequences, anything can happen. (To avoid conflict) Even if you didnt film someone or if YOURE the victim, you can avoid any problems you didnt commit. And finally (To stay safe online and everywhere) everybody in the world is not nice, so make some good and kind friends who trust you to become yourself and most importantly, to straighten your charisma and your social life. This isnt a PSA about not using electronics, but teenagers should be very careful not to mislead technology as a way to ruin other peoples lives. Theres not much to go on other more facts about recording other people but its a major problem adults have to face through. 15% of people who were filmed by another person committed suicide due to excessive amount of bullying and harassment the people gone through by their bad luck. One person was filmed when he was sleeping in class and he was drooling while not noticing hoods drool. One student filmed him sleeping on his desk for five minutes until he woke up, checked his phone for new messages and one message had the video one of his friends had sent him, of course it was him, drooling and sleeping and during the video, one person approached him and drew inappropriate drawings on his face and laughter filled the room. The video ends, then later in the day he met a group of 12 people gathering around him and calling him a name I cannot ty pe here, he was beaten up and sprang home which was his last place to visit. A true story, later on the student who filmed the suicidal kid never cared about the kid, and the school he went to, suspended everyones phone. Which no one followed this rule. I believe no one should film other people for entertainment because it puts yourself and the victim at risk and can suffer the consequences, adults should be aware of what their own kids are up to and what are they dealing with as ignoring this can lead to another victim, then another, then another, and so on

The Current Macro Environment Of South Africa Economics Essay

The Current Macro Environment Of South Africa Economics Essay Politically, the ANC has created 16 years of continuous rule and government stability but uncertainties surround their ability to manage union strikes and a steadily decreasing electorate vote. Economically, GDP is expected to show continuous growth despite a sharp drop in 2009. Business environment remains strong through FDIs although warning signs herald a weakening of the currency in the future. Socially, although economically viable to invest in this country when considering the low costs of entry, South Africas working population presents a lack of skilled labour required by our firm. Technologically, concentrated areas of RD, industry specific knowledge and improving transport infrastructure help to compensate the temporary shortcomings in energy supply. The legal system is generally supportive towards companies with strong regulation and employment laws. Environmentally, SA is an international leader in tackling global warming. It has great potential for producing renewable energy but environmental hazards and heavy reliance on coal for energy should be taken into concern. An extensive PESTLE framework will be used to highlight the major contributing factors that would affect such a strategic move. Political Government Stability The present government, the African National Congress (ANC), has shown relative stability, winning four consecutive elections since the fall of the apartheid in 1994. This has allowed continuous implementation of policies through sixteen years in power, the focus of which has been on improving social integration and employment generation. Source: Datamonitor, Aug 2009 Struggles under Political Unrest Despite strong governance indicators, SA still has much to develop as a democracy. The government is kept under pressure from the rising power of trade unions and an inability to control violent demonstrations. The ANC has also suffered a decreasing share of the electorate vote since first coming into power, receiving 65.9% in the recent 2009 election. Although a near two-thirds majority, commentators argue this is below the important threshold of 66% that allows the party to unilaterally alter the constitution. Implication: Pressure from trade unions may cause wariness in future business investment and a loss in consumer confidence. Economical Corporate Tax Rate There is a basic corporate tax rate of 30.2% of profit for all companies1 as of 2010. Interest Rates The South African Reserve Bank is independent and operates in much the same way as Western central banks, influencing interest rates and controlling liquidity through its interest rates on funds provided to private sector banks.2 Exchange Rates and Trading Unlike other African countries, SA prides itself as an open economy, benefiting from trade liberalization with many blocs3Â  . However, it has been posting a negative balance of payments since 2002. As of 2008, SAs total exports amounted to $96.1 billion, which was considerably higher than the total export value recorded at $83.0 billion in 2007. This has been exacerbated by the surge in inflation since monetary policies implemented in 2000. Recently, inflation has slowed to 6.89% year-on-year in June 2009 from 8.0% y/y in May 2009.4 Implication: An open economy will facilitate the expansion immensely, meaning less red-tape and cost savings. A negative trade balance can be advantageous as it will weaken the exchange rate, lowering costs for our firm. The lowered inflation will also help stabilise the economy. Foreign Direct Investments FDIs are highly valued in SA and the government has further encouraged them through the US ACU Trade, Investment and Development Cooperative Agreement signed in July 2008. This places special attention on customs cooperation, technical barriers to trade and investment promotion.5 Implication: Increases in FDIs will greatly aid entry into the country as these policies will help facilitate external investments such as ours. GDP Trends The GDP growth rate has been less than ideal with a sharp fall in 2009. However it is projected to bounce by 2011 with constant increase in GDP since. The economy is dominated by the services sector, which contributes 65.3% of its total GDP in 2008. 6 Implication: The increase in GDP shows that SAs economy is continually developing and could be a beneficial environment for setting up a company. Socio-cultural Unemployment The apartheid regime has resulted in social aspects wrought with conflicts. Despite high literacy rates and policies to improve this by the ANC, unemployment remains surprisingly high at 24.9%1. Implication: This highlights an underlying problem, which is the severe lack of skilled labor that does much in hindering business growth. High Crime Rate SA also presents a relatively high crime rate. A survey compiled by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime2 ranked South Africa second for assault and murder per capita, and first for rapes per capita. Implication: This results in a potential threat to the safety of both our physical and human capital. Effects of HIV There is also a growing impact of HIV on the supply of skills and productivity. The graph below shows the sources of indirect cost on a firm due to HIV.3 Lack of Skilled Labour More commonly, educated workers are deciding to move abroad, contributing to the rising brain drain and lack of skilled labour. Although there is a net emigration of -0.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)4 This is due to the an increasing flow of unskilled labour from neighbouring countries in search of better economic opportunities and does not contribute to the necessary labour force required for the growth of the nation. Implication: This lack of skilled labour will require huge cost on the company in training workers. Technological Infrastructure SA has some of the best transport infrastructure in the world, placed in the top 20 countries for number of airports, length of rail and length of roads1. In the past four years $6.95bn was invested into improving infrastructure. In the next three years capital investment is planned to be $7.52bn to increase capacity for the 2010 World Cup.2 56% of funding in 2009 was used to expand current operations and the remainder was used to upgrade existing infrastructure. Figure 1: Transport Infrastructure Investment (2009)3 Figure 2: Planned Transport Infrastructure Investment (2010)4 Implication: Improving transportation provides potential employees locally, nationally or internationally with reliable and convenient means of transport to the companys location. Energy The energy situation has much to improve with state-owned firm, Eskom, struggling to meet the demand caused by the post-apartheid economic boom5. The industrial sector uses 68% of the supply but it is estimated that savings of up to 60% can be made with low-cost investment6. Alternative means of energy are currently being looked into and Nuclear Power plants have been proposed and could be in place by 2020 if approved.7 Implication: Electricity supply is currently inconsistent but demand side management and planned expansion in the future should solve any problems. Communications Current services are not up to UK standards but broadband is becoming widespread with wireless available in some locations. Fibre-optic cables were laid under the Atlantic Ocean in 2009 by Seacom with the intention of providing high capacity bandwidth linking communities in Southern and East Africa, Europe, and South Asia.7 Implication: International communications are well catered for and services in cities are comparable with UK standards. Research and Development RD with respect to science and technology has been a growing area since 2002 with the Innovation Hub created in Pretoria. It claims to be the leading knowledge-intensive business cluster in South Africa8 creating a community focusing on innovation and knowledge creation. Implication: Locating in an area within the Innovation Hub could provide us with a pool of potential employees with the correct skills, education and backgrounds. Legal Labour Laws SA has strong labour laws especially after the creation of the Labour Relations Act 1995, created to allow consultation between employees and employers to remove discrimination and ensure a diverse labour force. Employment regulations include: Compulsory by law to abide by Minimum Wage guidelines set out by government. These levels vary from sector to sector. The South African Labour Legislation encourages the freedom of collective bargaining. Implication: Structured legal system in place which contains laws to aid our entry into the country. Labour laws are similar to those in which we already operate so only small adjustments are needed to current practices. Intellectual Property Rights SA is currently not a member of the Madrid Union so filing for international trademarks is more complex than most countries. However, they intend to join within the next year. Copyright can only be registered for films, but arises automatically by law under the Berne Convention and applies to all countries that are signatories of it.1 Patents cost between $915 and $1300 initially, with an annual renewal fee of around $130 beginning in year three.2 Patent Co-operation Treaties (PCTs) are available which provides 30 months of international protection in 135 countries. Implication: PCTs allow any costs of patents to be deferred until the domestic countries in which to obtain the patent can be more carefully selected. This additional time also increases the chances of a successful patent application. Starting a Business The process for business setup is as follows: Source: DoingBusiness.org, 2009 Environmental Leader in Climate Change Environmental developments and climate change are issues close to SA. Having hosted the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 20021, the country also follows the Kyoto Protocol and featured prominently at the Copenhagen Conference in 2009. Incumbent President Jacob Zuma has pushed for plans to continue with CO2 reduction of 42% by 2025.2 Implication: Good international relationships with countries such as USA and UK, as well as a reputation in protecting global environments. The Department of Environmental Affairs has also implemented policies to subsidise firms who use renewable energy resources. With the local demand for environmental protection and reassurance of safety from environmental hazards, there are huge incentives for firm to improve energy usages efficiency1. Energy Reserves South Africa heavily relies on coal production for energy, coal providing 88% of total primary energy and 90 % of electricity generation. However, the nation has notable renewable energy potentials3. The country has an overflowing wind resource and the highest levels of solar radiation in the world. The expansion of renewable energy in South Africa is maintained and upheld by the White Paper on Renewable Energy (Nov 2003), which aims to generate 10,000 GWH of renewable energy for final energy consumption by 2013. Implication: The government has actively supported energy production development although some environmental hazards may be detrimental to a suitable working environment. Conclusion Through use of the PESTLE framework, we can conclude that the macro climate of South Africa is generally positive with much potential for expansion. The main areas of weakness found will undoubtedly require further investigations by management. However, breaking into the countrys technology sector can be a success given that the company is fully aware of the obstacles involved.

Socrates In Platos Apology Philosophy Essay

Socrates In Platos Apology Philosophy Essay In this essay I will discuss the character of Socrates as he is presented in the Apology, I will look at Socrates as a religious fanatic and an apostle of reason. I will provide an argument from my own personal stance that the character of Socrates in the Apology is a variation of both religious fanatic and apostle of reason. I will also make reference to Crito in order to strengthen my position that Socrates is indeed a religious man of reason. First I shall discuss the Apology and provide examples to strengthen my argument that Socrates is a man of religion and reason. Secondly I shall provide examples from Crito showing that Socrates is a moral and just philosopher. In Platos Apology, Socrates says to the jury that if they said to him, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Socrates, we do not believe Anytus now; we acquit you, but only on condition that you spend no more time on this investigation and do not practice philosophyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Socrates 29c-d, 2012), he would rather obey god than the men of Athens and practice philosophy as long as he is breathing. Socrates would continue to question the Athenian citizens about wisdom, truth, and the best state for ones soul, proving that wealth, reputation, and honor are not the most important things in life. According to Socrates, fulfilling his obligation to god is more important than what the law may tell him to do because in practicing philosophy, he is serving god. Be sure that this is what the god orders me to do, and I think there is no greater blessing for the city than my service to the god, (Socrates 30a, 2012). By sentencing Socrates, the men of Athens are mistreating gods gift to them because god himself a ttached Socrates to the city in order for him to question those he encounters. By teaching them about virtue and how important the soul is, Socrates shows them how to live the good life and live it well. As a result of Socrates being given to Athens as a gift from god to question the Athenians to enlighten them and bring about positive outcomes, he is entitled to disobey the courts verdict. If he was breaking the law and harming Athens it would be wrong and immoral, but because god sent him to do this duty, he must overcome every obstacle in his way to do so. There is no inconsistency between what he says in Crito about upholding the laws and never breaking them. What Socrates says in Platos Apology proves that he has found a common ground between reason and religion. Therefore, Socrates is both a religious fanatic and apostle of reason. Thus Socrates argument to continue practicing philosophy even if the men of Athens rule that he should not, is completely justifiable and moral. The Gods placed Socrates in Athens to act as a gadfly stinging Athens in order to wake up the lazy Athenian citizens. Socrates is acting as an apostle of reason and religious fanatic when he challenged the wise men of Athens. After receiving a prophecy from: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the god at Delphi (Socrates 20e, 2012), that he is the wisest of all men, Socrates concludes that he knows nothing so he mu st be the wisest in the sense that he knows nothing for sure. By challenging the wisest of Athens he follows the Gods wishes in a reasonable way. Through argument, question, and discussion, Socrates exposes false wisdom as ignorance which I argue is fulfilling his obligation to the Gods and reason. Socrates believed that he was following the gods plan for him; it was his moral obligation to question those who claim to be wise. As a philosopher one ought to act as an apostle of reason, whether it is to argue against the government to determine whether a law or idea is justified or completely wrong and determine through reason how to replace it with a new law or idea that has been proved to be correct. A Philosopher is a lover of wisdom which follows the obligation to cross-examine people in order to find out where or not that are wise or just ignorant. As a religious fanatic and apostle of reason Socrates attempted to teach people he argued with that instead of claiming to be wise and arguing for their ideas without reason along with claiming that any previous idea contradictory to theirs was wrong, one should be open to all objections because we are all truly ignorant. In the Apology, Socrates attempted to persuade people through argument and reason to question everything becau se not everything can be answered by saying, God did it. In order to strengthen my argument I shall refer to examples from Crito proving that Socrates is a variation of apostle of reason and religious fanatic. Socrates states that doing wrong to someone is wrong therefore it is immoral. Similar to the Apology, Socrates uses reason to prove his point. Escaping Athens and going against its verdict is disregarding the law, which is immoral and unjust. Socrates makes a connection between the laws of Athens and morals. By escaping, Socrates would be acting against the laws of Athens and disregarding everything he stood for up to this point. By fleeing, Socrates would destroy the citys laws and through the city, all of its citizens. This relationship between a citizen and the city is similar to the relationship between a parent and child. From the city, Socrates was brought to birth, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦was it not through us that your father married your mother and begat you? (Socrates 50d, 2012). Athens instructed Socrates father to get him an educa tion and made sure he was nurtured. Socrates cannot deny that he was brought up being properly educated and nurtured by Athens, therefore he cannot deny being an offspring and servant to it. Just like Socrates is on equal footing with his father, he must respect his superiors wishes. If his father scolded him or beat him, he would not do the same in return to his father because he is superior. From birth Socrates was taught to obey the laws of Athens like his parents did. The laws of Athens should be respected just as much as one does their parent. Your parents teach you what is right and what is wrong, thus it is immoral to disrespect or treat your parents poorly as it is them that have invested in you and raised you into the person that you are. Due to the fact that Socrates is an apostle of reason he cannot go against his parents actions/wishes, he cannot do the same even to Athens because Athens is more sacred than your mother and father and it is to be revered. Even if one feels the sentence was unjust, they should not do anything in return, according to Socrates No Harm Principle. This principle is one of the two fundamental principles needed for a city to function properly. It states, One should never do wrong in return, nor do any man harm, no matter what he may have done to you, (Socrates 49c, 2012). The other fundamental principle is the Just-Agreement Principle which maintains that when one has come to an agreement that is just with someone , they should fulfill it and not cheat on it. By leaving Athens, Socrates will break the Just Agreement Principle and be doing harm which goes against both his principles. If no one obeyed these principles, the citizens would no longer obey the laws and the city would not exist. By remaining in Athens and accepting death Socrates shows he truly loves and respects Athens. In death one will receive peace but if one were to flee and attempt to destroy the laws which hold Athens together, they will be judged harshly and have a rough welcoming in Hades, according to Socrates. Thus, Socrates believed it was always wrong to disobey the laws. According to Socrates the only rational and reasonable way is to accept the punishment given by the law, regardless of what it is. The objective of having laws in place is to teach virtue to those who inhabit the city. The rules which are implemented in the laws act as an outline for how to behave. The laws direct behaviour, censure, and praise in such a way that ensures that the citizens within the city will go after positive goals and partake in positive activities in order to keep the city secure. The fact that Socrates would rather stay in Athens and die rather than flee and love proves that he is an apostle of reason. I believe that by Socrates following through with his death sentence ordered by the Athenians, he proved that he is wise and he stood up for what he believes in. Socrates made a wise decision by refusing to escape and accept his death sentence. If Socrates would have decided to flee Athens to avoid hi s sentence he would not be an apostle of reason; Socrates would not have been able to get his point across. I will also argue that by remaining in Athens rather than escaping it solidifies my argument that Socrates is also a religious fanatic. The gods placed him in Athens for a reason and Socrates fulfilled his service for the gods until his last breath. Work Cited Plato . A PLATO READER: Eight Essential Dialogues Apology. Ed. C. D. C. Reeve. Indianapolis/Cambridge: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc., 2012. 21-46. Print. Plato . A PLATO READER: Eight Essential Dialogues Crito. Ed. C. D. C. Reeve. Indianapolis/Cambridge: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc., 2012. 47-59. Print.