Low Voltage Effects on Ac Motors

Low Voltage Effects on AC Motors A drop in voltage will result in a proportionate increase in current. If the current exceeds the nameplate rating and is not corrected, this can result in damage to the motor from overheating Nameplate Rating An electric motor will have a nameplate rating for both voltage and amperage. When a load is on a motor, the motor must draw a fixed amount of power. The required power is about equal to volts times amps. Should the voltage fall below the nameplate rating, the amperage will increase. This can result in increased heat that will shorten the motor's life, according to Motorsanddrives. om. Torque The motor is subject to several kinds of torque. The starting or start-up torque is the amount present when the motor is stationary and power is applied. The pull-up torque is the minimum amount necessary for the motor during the starting sequence. Effects of Low Voltage on Torque A reduced amount of voltage will reduce the amount of torque. This can result in difficulty for start loads. A reduction of voltage to 80 percent would result in a torque value of only 64 percent. In light loads, a reduction in voltage may actually be preferable because it will result in increased efficiency.Even a small voltage unbalance will result in large current unbalance during the running of motor by a factor of 6 times. †¢ Negative phase sequence components will lead to heating of motor †¢ Negative phase sequence currents leads to reduction in motor output torque. †¢ Motor is forced to run at higher slip leading to increased rotor loss and reduced efficiency. †¢ Electricity boards should look in to this phenomenon seriously where irrigation pump sets suffer the voltage imbalance, even 1% loss of efficiency for the country like India would mean a great loss. HP irrigation pump sets with a quantity of 6 Lakh approximate, the loss of power would be 22MW and annual wastage of Rs. 47. 5 millions (At 3 Rs/unit, 4 Hrs of Pump working and 6 month’s season Keys to maximize the service life of industrial motors Why do motors fail? Certain components of motors degrade with time and operating stress. Electrical insulation weakens over time with exposure to voltage unbalance, over and under-voltage, voltage disturbances, and temperature. Contact between moving surfaces causes wear.Wear is affected by dirt, moisture, and corrosive fumes and is greatly accelerated when lubricant is misapplied, becomes overheated or contaminated, or is not replaced at regular intervals. When any components are degraded beyond the point of economical repair, the motor’s economic life is ended. For the smallest and least expensive motors, the motor is put out of service when a component such as a bearing fails. Depending upon type and replacement cost, larger motors—up to 20 or 50 horsepower (hp)—may be refurbished and get new bearings, but are usually scrapped after a winding burnout.Still larger and more expensive motors may be refurbished and rewound to extend life indefinitely. An economic analysis should always be completed prior to a motor’s failure to ensure that the appropriate repair/replace decision is made. Extend Motor Life with Improved Bearing Care Bearing failures are the root cause for the great majority of electric motor downtime, repair and replacement costs. Bearing and motor manufacturers are aware of the situation. Motor repair shops can attribute much of their business to bearing failures.And motor users see bearing failure as the fundamental cause of virtually every electric motor repair expense. Studies conducted by the Electrical Apparatus Service Association also demonstrate that bearing failures are by far the most common cause of motor failures. Knowing that shaft bearings are the Achilles’ heel of industrial electric motors is not a new idea in maintenance departments, but what is new is recognizing that something can be done to prevent most motor bea ring failures. Factors Affecting Bearing Life Electric motors actually present a relatively easy duty for shaft bearings.The motor rotor is lightweight, yet because of its large shaft diameter, the bearings are large. For example, the bearings supporting the 140 lb. Rotor for a typical 40 hp. 1800 rpm industrial motor are so large that they have an L-10 minimum design fatigue life of 3000 years, or 10 percent of the bearings are statistically expected to fail from fatigue after 3000 years of operation. Plant operating experience, however, strongly contradicts such optimistic estimates of motor bearing life. In actual industrial environments, bearing failure is rarely caused by fatigue; it is caused by less-than-ideal lubrication.Because of contaminated lubrication, bearings fail well before they serve their theoretical fatigue life. There are many reasons for less than-ideal bearing lubrication. Lubricants can leak out; chemical attacks or thermal conditions can decompose or break d own lubricants; lubricants can become contaminated with non-lubricants such as water, dust, or rust from the bearings themselves. These lubrication problems can be eliminated. Motor bearings can last virtually forever by simply providing an ideal contamination-free, well-lubricated bearing environment.Conventional wisdom teaches that such an ideal motor bearing environment can be provided by using a dry-running lip seal or using sealed (lubricated-for-life) bearings. Indeed, for many light-duty applications, such bearing protection techniques are often sufficient to allow bearings to last as long as the equipment itself. However, these bearing protection methods have not significantly reduced the rate of bearing failure in severe-duty industrial motors. Bearings in industrial applications continue to fail because of inadequate lubrication caused by lubricant loss, contamination, and decomposition and break-down.Lip seals invariably wear out well before the bearing fails, and sealed bearings inherently foreshorten the life of a bearing to the service life of the contained grease (usually only about 3,000 to 5,000 hours for most industrial services). Maintenance professionals may find the following suggestions on how to forestall motor hearing failure obvious, but some new techniques and technologies are available. Lubricate Bearing at Correct Intervals Despite years of warnings from bearing manufacturers, over lubrication continues to plague many motor bearings. Too much grease can cause overheating of the bearings.The lubrication instructions supplied by the motor manufacturer will specify the quantity and frequency of lubrication. Generally, two-pole motors should be greased twice a year, four-pole and slower motors only once a year. Use the Best Available Grease The most commonly used bearing grease is polyurea-based, a low-cost, low-performance, highly compatible lubricant. However, it does not handle water well, a serious drawback for many industrial appli cations. It reacts readily with water and loses its ability to lubricate bearings. Industrial motor bearings should be lubricated with a synthetic-based aluminum complex grease.A high-quality grease pays for its additional cost in reduced motor downtime and repair costs. Keep Out Moisture Unless the motor is being hosed down or it operates in a humid environment, reasonably shielded motor bearings may not become seriously contaminated with moisture while the motor is running. However, when the rotor is shut down, moisture and condensation can collect on the surface of the bearing components. Eventually, this water breaks through the oil and grease barrier, contacts the metal parts of the bearing, and produces tiny particles of iron oxide.These rust particles make an excellent grinding compound when mixed with the grease. resulting in premature failure of the bearing because of surface degradation. Preventing water contamination is a major challenge to bearing housing design. Close s haft-to-endbell clearances cannot stop the movement of humid air. Contact seals will quit contacting, resulting in large gaps that allow movement of air and water vapor across the bearing. Vapor-blocking bearing isolators, such as the one illustrated, are among the more successful devices presently available to prevent water vapor from entering a stationary bearing.When the motor shaft is rotating, the isolator opens, eliminating the possibility of friction and wear. However, when the shaft is stationary, the isolator closes, preventing movement of air or water across its face. With no wear from rotating friction, the seal may last indefinitely, and surely as long as the fatigue-failure life of the bearing. Keep Out Dirt Lip seals, contact seals, and frequent grease replacement help minimize the amount of dirt and other air-borne abrasives that can contaminate bearing lubricant. These solutions, however, have some drawbacks.Lip seals have a short service life, and frequent grease di splacement is expensive and messy. One successful approach to keeping air-borne dirt and liquids out of an operating bearing is to install a labyrinth-type non-contact seal over the bearing housing. These bearing isolators, readily available from suppliers, combine a tortuous labyrinth path with impingement and centrifugal forces to trap and remove air-borne dirt and liquid; virtually no contamination can reach the bearing. Because the bearing isolator is a non-contact device, it will generally be the longest-lasting component of the motor.Although not intended as such, a bearing isolator could serve as an emergency sleeve bearing if the primary bearing fails, possibly preventing damage to the motor’s stator and rotor. In emergency situations, the bearing isolator can allow continued operation for a short time and still prevent the need to rewind the motor when the bearing is replaced. Bearing isolators constructed of bronze or other non-sparking materials also can prevent ha zardous sparks that could otherwise occur when the bearing’s rolling elements fail. Other SuggestionsImproved bearing protection and lubrication will reduce downtime and the maintenance costs of electric motors, but other important motor design features contribute to long service life, including over-sized high quality bearings, high-tech winding insulation, superior fan design, high-performance paint (such as epoxy) and a strong, rigid cast iron frame. These features, usually standard or readily available, are found in most industrial-grade severe-duty electric motors. High-performance bearing protection systems. however, are not universally accepted as essential for long motor life.Specifying permanent bearing protection for new motors, or retrofitting isolators onto existing equipment, usually requires initiative on the part of the user’s maintenance or engineering staff. Permanent, absolute bearing protection has a greater effect on motor life than any other decisi ons made in specifying, equipping, and caring for electric motors. Keeping bearings lubricated with the right amount of clean, uncontaminated, high-quality lubricant allows bearings in most industrial motors to outlast all other motor components.

Non farming activities in india Essay

Dairy – It is a common activity in many villages. People feed their buffalos on various kinds of grass and the jowar and bajra that grows during rainy season. Then the milk is sold in nearby villages and towns. It is alos transported to far away towns and cities. A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting of animal milk – mostly from cows or goats , but also from buffalo , sheep , horses or camels – for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on a dedicated dairy farm or section of a multi-purpose farm that is concerned with the harvesting of milk.kaloram Shops – People involved in Trade(shopkeepers) buy various goods from wholesale markets in the cities and sell them in the village Some villagers sell rice, wheat, sugar, tea, oil, biscuits, soap, toothpaste, batteries, candles etc.. People whose houses are close to the bus stand use a part of the space to open small shops. Some sell eatables like pakoras, samosas etc.. Transport – Transport is another major activity of villages.People with rickshaws, tongas, tractors, truks, bogey and bullock carts are the ones in the transport service and they transport goods and services from one place to another and in return get paid for it. —————————————- Cottage Industry in Indian Villages Another major occupation in Indian villages is the cottage industry. Cottage industry has emerged as a major source of employment in Indian villages over the period of time. Many villagers are occupied in various kinds of art and crafts works. The villagers produce different types of handicrafts products and many of them are earning their livelihoods by marketing them. The occupations like artisan in wood, cloth, metal and leather have been in existence in Indian villages, since the ancient period and are found even in the modern times. Many Indian villagers are dependent on these occupations to earn their livelihoods. The women in the rural areas, too are actively getting involved in different industries like matchbox and firework industries, Bidi making, agate and  slate industries, coffee and tea industries, brick industry, construction industry, electronics industry, spice industries, etc. Among these, the Bidi, slate or brick making industries are the most well spread industries in Indian villages. Apart from these industries, the Indian villagers have also become sweepers and scavengers. pottery :Pottery being an age old handicraft in India, the roots of the India pottery industry can be traced back to the earliest times of civilization. The beginning of pottery making trails back to the Neolithic era. During the time of the Indus Valley Civilization, this effective art form improved with technology. In the present day, the pottery industry in India has been put forward as a major cottage industry as well as on the contemporary lines in both small and big pottery concerns.India along with several other developing countries of Asia is considered as one of the first Asian countries to manufacture as well as export products of pottery. The pottery industry in India provides mass employment along with betterment of the living standards; both the village and city people comprise the work force of the industry. . tie and die:Tie-dye is a process of tying and dyeing a piece of fabric or cloth which is made from knit or woven fabric, usually cotton; typically using bright colorsDifferent forms of tie and dye have been practiced in India.Bandhani also known as Bandhej is a type of tie-dye practiced mainly in the states of Rajasthan and Gujarat, India Bandhej in Rajasthan is a traditional form of tie and dye which began about 5000 years ago. It is the oldest tie and dye tradition still in practice. Large scale industry: Large scale industries refers to those industries which require huge infrastructure, man power and a have influx of capital assets. The term ‘large scale industries ‘ is a generic one including various types of industries in its purview. it thus provides job many villagers Indian economy is heavily dependent on these large industries for its economic growth, generation of foreign currency and for providing job opportunities to millions of Indiansjaintia factories of rajgarh chips and namkeen .carpentery=the carpenter is one of the five useful articians of the villages Carpentry is a skilled trade in which the primary work performed is the use of wood to construct items as large as buildings and as small as desk drawers.

Changes (John Updike’s “A&P”) Essay

Breaking away from the traditional is a struggle that contains several sacrifices and consequences. In John Updike’s â€Å"A&P,† Sammy is a young teenager who transforms his wishes into reality. At first glance, he seems like a normal teenage boy, but instead he is an observational character who is trying to find a way to stand up for himself. Throughout the story, he undergoes changes to reveal a different outlook for his future. Sammy demonstrates that he is a dynamic character through his views on the regular customers, his reaction to the girls, and in his decision to quit his job. First, the way Sammy sees the regular customers reveals that he is a dynamic character. In the beginning, Sammy is at the cash register checking out a â€Å"witch about fifty with rouge on her cheekbones and no eyebrows† (Updike 18). The reader can tell Sammy has strong perspective on the customers that come in to the store. He sees them as disgusting, evil, lifeless and dead by the descriptions he gives the audience. As the story continues, Sammy looks down the lane and notices â€Å"the sheep pushing their carts down the aisle— [while] the girls were walking against the usual traffic† (20). The girls’ unorthodox direction represents Sammy noticing that the customers are followers– not wanting to break the cycle like the girls. From the description Sammy gives, the reader notices that he does not want to be like the customers, following the same rules, guidelines, and policies. By the end of the story, the girls are stopped by Lengel, the manager, when they reach the check-out lanes. The customers that were showing up, â€Å"like sheep, seeing a scene,† crowded around Stokesie’s lane to avoid any confrontation that was happening out of the usual (22). Sammy’s way of describing what the regular customers would do in a tough situation makes him wonder if this is the type of life he wants. The descriptions and views Sammy displays about the customers make him think twice about his surroundings. Next, Sammy’s reaction towards the girls reveals that he is a dynamic character. At the check-out, he notices that three girls walk in the store â€Å"in nothing but bathing suits† (18). As the girls head for the aisle, Sammy observes that they are not wearing shoes (19). He begins to check them out and discovers that Queenie has on a bathing suit with the straps down by her arms exposing her â€Å"clean bare†¦chest† (19). As they continue walking, he details how the girls look, from their â€Å"chubby berry-faces† to how their hair was not â€Å"fizzed right† (19). Sammy makes these vivid observations about the girls to show the reader how they stand out from the normal. The girls represent Sammy’s thoughts and views on how he wishes to escape from the ordinary. By the end of the story, Lengel comes up to the girls and confronts them about the way they are dressed. Queenie starts to blush and feel powerless when she realizes where her place is (22). At that point, Sammy stands up for the girls and quits. The reader can tell that Sammy is going out of his way to defend the girls and for what he believes in. Throughout the story, he wishes to escape and standing up to Lengel was a way. Sammy’s descriptions and bravery reveal that he is changing into someone different than the normal. Most importantly, Sammy demonstrates that he is a dynamic character when he decides to quit his job. By the end of the story, Sammy realizes that he is tired of being surrounded by what is normal. When Lengel asks Sammy if he has rung up the purchase in his hands, he starts to think about the process it takes for him to check-out a person in the line. â€Å"It’s more complicated than you think, and after you do it often enough, it begins to make a little song† he thinks to himself (22). By the detailed description given by Sammy, the reader can tell that he is tired, bored, and trying to find ways to make the ordinary fun. The first breakthrough Sammy makes is when he says, â€Å"I quit,† to Lengel after he dealt with the girls’ attire (22). Sammy’s message is clear and direct towards his manager, making the reader conclude he has finally stood up for himself. He starts to doubt his decision to quit, but sticks through when he sees the regular customers. At the climax of the story, Sammy heads towards his counter, and, â€Å"fold[s] the apron, ‘Sammy’ stitched in red on the pocket, and put[s] it on the counter† (23). Taking off the apron and leaving it behind shows the reader that Sammy has finally escaped from the normal and able to live a life that he has wanted. Even though Sammy decided to take a leap towards faith, he knows inside that the road ahead is going to be tough. Getting away from the normal can be complicated. The person will have to change certain situations and make them for their best interest. For Sammy, his views on the regular customers, his reaction to the girls, and in his decision to quit his job demonstrate that he is a dynamic character. With the help of the girls, he was able to stand up for himself and make a better future for his life.

Competitive Business Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Competitive Business Environment - Essay Example Developed countries realized that emerging nations such as China had completely taken over light manufacturing operation and the best course of action is to import or outsource manufacturing to economies such as China to be able to compete (CultureGrams, 2007). In the agricultural sector, new technologies such as generic engineering have changed the way farmers operate and has introduced new products such as organic products into the marketplace. The economies of developed countries have moved from a manual to a knowledge economy in which the service industry is the backbone that creates job opportunities for the citizens of such a nation. A new tendency which is affecting the way organization the business environment and the service function within firm related to customer service and vendor relationship is being handled by companies in the 21st century. This essay discusses the change that has taken place in the way services are being rendered by enterprises in today and the tenden cies that will manifest themselves in the future. Customer service is an important function that adds value to the business. Companies realize that the service a firm provides to its customers is a critical success factor that allows customer retention and provides an edge in a competitive business environment. Service is an intrinsic variable that provides added value to a product that makes the goods offered by a particular company more attractive that than similar items sold by a competitor (Hadi, 1999). For example, a customer knows that the software items offered by Microsoft Corporation include an outstanding long-term implied service in form of updates, improvements, assistance from the company to the client that purchases their product. A small software firm may not have the capability to offer a high level of service, thus they are not able to compete at the same level with firms that provide superior service value in for their products.

Proper Way for a Democracy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Proper Way for a Democracy - Essay Example d, p.1). Freedom, liberties, human right protection, fair elections etc are some of the basic elements of a democratic system. However, in many of the so-called democratic countries, human right violations are taking place continuously. Pakistan is the best examples for this. Malala, a teenage girl from Pakistan is currently struggling to save her life. Pak Taliban or Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the fundamental Muslim group shot her because of her activities to encourage teenage girls to acquire education. â€Å"Malala was attacked by Taliban gunmen on October 9 when she was on her way from school. The TTP said that they will target her again if she survives because she was a â€Å"secular-minded lady†Ã¢â‚¬ (Web Desk, 2012). Pakistan is a democratic country on papers, but in practice, none of the democratic principles observed in Pakistan. Even the elected government is only a toy government in the hands of Pak military. Pak military on the other hand gets immense supp ort from the fundamental groups and hence they will not act against the will of the fundamentalists. In Pakistan, democratic institutions such as judiciary, executive and parliament often clash each other. For example, the removal of Pak Supreme court judge by the former Pakistan president Pervez Musharaf has created lot of political problems in Pakistan. According to Tomuschat (2008), â€Å"An independent judiciary prospers only in countries where democracy, human rights and in particular a free press, set a general framework stabilizing the rule of law† (p.308). In short, the existing political system in Pakistan is incapable of protecting human rights because of the lack of cooperation between different institutions in the... This paper stresses that at present America is conducting war on terror in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq with the help of UK like countries. Moreover, UK and US like democratic countries are supporting the agitations against the autocratic governments in all parts of the world. Democracy and human rights are two sides of the same coin. In other words, human right protection is one of the major objectives of any democratic government. However, the morality of interfering in other states, for the protection of human rights is often questioned, by sociologists and philosophers. The problems with the humanitarian intervention by superpower is that they interfere only in their enemy countries. They will keep silence if the culprit is their supporting country. For example, international community strongly condemned the human right violations taking place in Middle East. Israel is keeping no ethics or morality in their actions in Middle East. However, neither UK nor America seems to be int erested in blaming Israel or interfering in these matters. Humanitarian laws and international laws should be applicable to all. No country, under any circumstances shall able to escape from such laws and restrictions. This report makes a conclusion that humanitarian interventions can be justified in some cases only. Stronger powers often justify their actions in other countries in terms of humanitarian intervention. Once they entered another country, they also do the same thing or humanitarian violation. UK like democratic countries should stay away from interfering in the internal matters of other countries in the name of humanitarian intervention. Only after getting the consent from UN like global bodies, interventions should be done.

The effect of Dropping of the Atomic Bomb over Hiroshima and Nagasaki Essay

The effect of Dropping of the Atomic Bomb over Hiroshima and Nagasaki - Essay Example Bombing the two cities have altered the moral implications of the president who authorized the bombing, President Truman, from the will to continue in the war and since then has become the subject of intense and passionate debate even for generations to follow. Bombing the two cities caused intense harm and killed many people as well as destroying the environment and the offspring of the survivors. Many people have suffered deformities and mental disabilities as well as causing other forms of cancer ( Fleming and Yamazaki 5). This article describes the effects of the atomic bombings that were dropped in the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9, 1945, respectively. It also contains all the authentic information, which is available on the damaged structures, the injuries contained in personnel, and the moral effect of the bombing. According to Kyoko (5) dropping, the atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima at 8:15 A.M. on August 6, 1945, caused devastating damages to the cit y. More than 4 square miles of the city were instantaneously and completely destroyed. In addition, more than 66,000 people lost their lives in addition to causing injuries to more than 69,000 people. Later on August 9 the same year, exactly three days after the first bombing was carried out in Hiroshima, another bombing was carried out in Nagasaki at exactly 11:02 A.M. ... The resultant devastation led the country of Japan to be allowed to surrender under the terms of the Potsdam declaration of July 26 1945 that the country had previously ignored (Kyoko 5). Bombing both cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki had similar effects. Fabricated structures as well as other inanimate structures were destroyed. The destruction of the above structures was because of blasts or pressures waves, which is mostly similar to that of normal waves. However, the waves caused by these bombings were intense due to the strategic location that they were dropped, a few meters before hitting the ground where by the pressures would be at their maximum. Moreover, this allowed the bombings to exact pressure on a large geographical area that in turn affected more people. Moreover, the destruction was because of primary fires, which started promptly due to the high temperature radiated from the atomic explosion. The high temperatures and fire caused many burns on the people of Hiroshima causing severe scalds that later caused loss of lives to the people of Hiroshima (Manhatt The Manhattan Engineer District 5). Bombing both Hiroshima and Nagasaki cities caused the collapse of buildings, damaging effect to electrical systems laid previously by the people of Japan, toppling of stoves, and other primary effects of the blast. Collapse of buildings caused many people to lose their lives, as the buildings would collapse on their dwellers killing them instantaneously. Moreover, people died because of the spread of fire from the bombing in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The reaction of the atom when it was exposed to open oxygen caused an ignition that lighted the fire thus burning the burnings and the people in them. Many casualties in Nagasaki suffered severe

HUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

HUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY - Essay Example Since then, blood fractionation has led to a more focused form of delivering blood components which helps to refine treatment and improve outcomes (Fuh). Although some patients may need units of whole blood (in such applications as splenectomy, where a lot of blood loss can be expected), many patients need to have a supplement to some function which blood supplies. Those who are chronic bleeders, or suffering from shock-induced bleeding due to loss of platelets, may be helped by an infusion of packed platelets. The same is true for patients suffering from thrombocytopenia due to disease, such as a major infection (like septicemia) or leukemia. Those patients who are anemic (again due to trauma, but also due to certain forms of anemia or leukemia) may benefit from the addition of packed red blood cells. In the field, soldiers who have bled a lot due to trauma may receive packed red blood cells plus Ringer’s solution as a substitute for whole blood transfusions. This is mainly due to the fact that packed red blood cells are easier to store and deliver than whole blood, particularly in a battlefield situation. Another factor which has made blood transfusion continue to be well-used is the growing list of infectious organisms which are tested in donated blood, and safe donor practices. This began in the 1970’s with screening for type-B hepatitis, and was extended in the 1980’s to hepatitis A, hepatitis C, AIDS virus (HTLV or HIV), and a series of additional viruses, both antigens (viral coats or cores) and antibodies to those viruses. While antibody and antigen tests have eliminated most of the danger of transmitting viral or bacterial infection, there is a gap between infection with some diseases, and their recognition through tests. AIDS tests, for example, do not detect antibodies for several weeks after initial infection (as they can hide out in the T-cells). For this

Intelligence uses at Abu Ghraib Military prison Research Paper

Intelligence uses at Abu Ghraib Military prison - Research Paper Example In 2004, however, the Abu Ghraib prison scandal erupted, putting the US’s human intelligence and counter-intelligence strategies at the center of international attention and generating massive criticism from human rights advocates. The perceived human rights violations that the Iraqi prisoners were subjected to were condemned and highlighted the need to review and make reforms in human intelligence and counter-intelligence in the military. This paper is an attempt to revisit exactly how human intelligence and counter-intelligence were deployed by the United States in Abu Ghraib. It begins by first discussing the rationale and purpose of HUMINT and counterintelligence, then it proceeds to discuss the means with which these strategies were deployed by US soldiers in Abu Ghraib, and finally, it looks into the reforms that were undertaken as a result of the worldwide controversy that was generated. The rationale and purpose of HUMINT and counterintelligence The primary justificati on for HUMINT and counterintelligence is reposed in the National Counterintelligence Strategy of the United States of America, to wit: The United States faces substantial challenges to its security, freedom, and prosperity. Transnational terrorism, continued proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), asymmetric warfare, extremist movements, and failed states present severe challenges to a just and stable international order. Our ability to meet these challenges is threatened by the intelligence activities of traditional and non-traditional adversaries. Our adversaries – foreign intelligence services, terrorists, foreign criminal enterprises and cyber intruders – use overt, covert, and clandestine activities to exploit and undermine US national security interests. (2007: iv) In essence, therefore, the primary rationale for the adaption of HUMINT and counterintelligence is to adequately respond and neutralize the threats posed by the opponent. More specific to t he Iraqi context , military intelligence and counterintelligence experts were purposely deployed in Abu Ghraib in a calculated effort to enforce an active quest in eliminating the fatal problem of insurgency. The same was also done in the hopes of gathering intelligence advantageous in maintaining a more viable democratic Iraq. The person in charge of Abu Ghraib in 2004, Brigadier General Jane Krapinski, â€Å"was an experienced operations and intelligence officer who had served with the Special Forces and in the 1991 Gulf War† (Hersh, 2004). This strategy faced a number of challenges, not least of which was the nature of Iraqis their training and culture that makes them choose death over surrender. Another important purpose of HUMINT and counterintelligence specific to the Global War on Terror is that in Iraq, â€Å"it has become increasingly difficult to distinguish insurgents from citizens within the population† (Lane: 2009, 3). Hence, to avoid fatalities, it became necessary to extract inside information from insurgents that were captured. How HUMINT and counterintelligence were deployed: Abu Ghraib and the issue of human rights Abu Ghraib, which was already a prison in Iraq even before the war broke out, served as a significant place in gathering intelligence for the coalition forces. The originally Iraqi prison -- uninhabited and abandoned after its fall to the coalition for

Plato and Cinema Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Plato and Cinema - Essay Example The way Plato looks at art should be understood within the context of his larger enterprise, the Republic, where his views on aesthetics are located. What exactly is the status of art for Plato? The Platonic view of art is rather pessimistic. He believes that the state should be governed by reason, in the same way, that an individual if s/he is to be a just individual, should have the â€Å"passions and the appetites governed by reason† (Albert et. al., 1980, p.25). Considering how the ideal state is conceived as one where everyone and everything must work for the good of society, art, in general, is conceived as being subservient to the state in that sense. If art is to be practiced or engaged in at all, it must be in a form that promotes a just society. In discussing how a person acquires knowledge and skills, Plato argues that from childhood, a person learns through imitating that to which s/he is exposed. As such, if the state is to raise up guardians, then these guardians -to-be need exposure only to those that promote the virtues, and not to those that arouse negative or ill attitudes. In the Republic, Plato states: If then we adhere to our original notion and bear in mind that our guardians, setting aside every other business, are to dedicate themselves wholly to the maintenance of freedom in the State,†¦ they ought not to practice or imitate anything else; if they imitate at all, they should imitate from youth upward only those characters which are suitable to their profession – the courageous, temperate, holy, free, and the like.  

Peter Waldo and the Waldesians Essay Example for Free

Peter Waldo and the Waldesians Essay The Waldesians, a small community of Christians, originated in Lyon, France in the12th century. According to the Dictionary of Beliefs and Religions they rejected the authority of the pope, prayers for the dead and the veneration of saints. Despite severe persecution and excommunication by the Roman Catholic church over many years they have survived to the present day and have churches in Germany, Italy and in both North and South America. Peter Waldo ( also known as Pierre ( 1160 -1318) is said to have made a fortune by working as a merchant and   by lending money as a usurer, according to ‘The Conversion of Peter Waldo’ an anonymous document of about 1218.    The writer records how, in about 1173 Peter Waldo of Lyon heard a troubadour telling a story. He was enthralled and invited the story teller to his home. Waldo was so affected by what he heard that next day he went to a school of theology and asked what he should do. He was told :- â€Å"If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell all that thou hast, ( Matthew 19 v 21) Waldo asked his wife which she would prefer to keep – his personal property or his real estate. She was not pleased at having to make any choice, but chose the real estate. He then placed his daughters in a convent and distributed the majority of his money, some to those he had misused, but most to the poor of the area. At that time there was a famine and several times each week he provided food for the people. The people thought he was mad. At the time of the Assumption of the blessed Virgin, casting some money among the village poor, he cried, No man can serve two masters, God and mammon. Then his fellow-citizens ran up, thinking he had lost his mind. But he said. :-   My fellow-citizens and friends, I not insane, as you think, but I am avenging myself on my enemies, who made me a slave, so that I was always more careful of money than of God, and served the creature rather than the Creator. I know that many will blame me that I act thus openly. But I do it both on my own account and on yours; on my own, so that those who see me henceforth possessing any money may say that I am mad, and on yours, that you may learn to place hope in God and not in riches. Waldo was very interested in the Bible and in 1160 paid for a translation of it into the Romance language. Waldo began to travel about preaching. H e and his companions were known as ’the poor men of Lyon’. The group promoted pacifism according to Kreider and Yoder in ‘The History of Christianity’. ( page 25). The idea of lay folk, many of them illiterate, living in simple poverty was approved by the papacy at the Third Lateran Council in 1179. The pope did however add the proviso that they obtain permission to preach from local church authorities. At this time Waldo’s ideas were in keeping with the Catholic church. Waldo and his followers, by their poverty showed up the laxity and worldliness of many in the church and in 1181 the Archbishop of Lyon banned them from preaching. In 1184 they were excommunicated by the pope. So what had begun as a popular movement had become heresy in a few years. Although a few former Waldesians were welcomed back into the church the response of the majority   was to establish their own church with all the organization that implies – deacons, priests and bishops. Later they would claim that they were the only true church. They quickly became established in Lombardy and Provence Outbursts by the hierarchy of the Catholic church against unlicensed preaching and the group’s refusal to acknowledge the authority and need for the intermediary role of the clergy only served to make them identify Roman Catholicism as ‘the Great Whore of Babylon’ and thus not worthy of acknowledgement. They considered at that time that the validity o f the sacrament depended upon the worthiness of the celebrant   and as they rejected the worthiness of Catholicism they rejected its priests and sacraments that they administered. Waldesians preferred to study the scriptures for themselves rather than have them interpreted for them by priests as was the rule a the time. Gradually they established churches in most parts of Europe an d became the most widespread of ‘heretic’ groups of the time. They rejected or re-interpreted Catholic sacraments. The eucharist was only celebrated annually and in theory anyone could administer it. The priest became simply ‘a good man’. Most feast days were rejected as not being Biblical . Because they could not find evidence for purgatory within the scriptures they rejected it together with the idea of prayers for the dead. Similar thinking led them to reject saints not mentioned in the Bible. Their ideas became mixed with that of other groups. In southern France for instance they mixed with the ideas of the Cathars. They were so oppressed that there was a crusade against them in 1488 according to Ronald Finucane the pope so feared   what he perceived as a threat to the stability o f the church that an attempt was made to destroy their whole culture. Organised attacks were made upon them in Provence and in Italy. The Waldesians would no t have fought back physically as they condemned war and the shedding of blood. By the time of the Reformation the Waldesians were in contact with many groups across Europe and there was consequently a great exchange of ideas. Many joined local Protestant churches. Gradually they were absorbed into the mainstream of the Protestant Reformation. Not without continued opposition however. In 1655 the Duke of Savoy for instance ordered members to take communion or sell their lands and leave his territory.   After hearing false reports twenty days later a massacre ensued. By this time the Waldesians were worshipping openly in French. In 1685 the king of France Louis XIV renounced the edit of Nantes and so made it illegal to be a Protestant in France. They were under penalty of death or banishment   if they refused to admit that they had been wrong. After the French Revolution the Protestants of Piedmont were finally given religious freedom to worship as they wished and in 1848, the king of Sardinia , who also ruled Savoy gave them full rights, both civil and religious. Today’s Waldesians consider themselves Protestants in the Calvin tradition. They accept the doctrines of mainstream Protestantism and celebrate only two sacraments – baptism and the Eucharist. Authority is exercised by a yearly synod and individual churches by the pastor and a council of members. This is perhaps far removed from one man giving away his wealth and life style for the gospels sake, but the Waldesian church has evolved as all churches do, while at the same time remaining true to its ideals of justice, freedom conscience, and respect for religious diversity. This is exemplified in the American Waldesian Aid Society who carry out such activities as earthquake relief, the care of orphans of war and give help to refugees as well as the formation of Italian language Protestant churches. The fact that they are now considered as a mainstream church can be seen by their close links with the Methodist church and their links with the ecumenical movement . The Waldesians may be numerically a small group,   as they always were , but they were the forerunners of Protestantism and so are worthy of their place in church history. Works cited American Waldesian Aid Society found at http://www.waldensian.org/aws01.php and retrieved 13th November 2007 Finucane,R. 1980, The Waldesians in The History of Chrsitianity, Lion Publishing, Hertfordshire. Goring R. ( editor)1992 Chambers Dictionary of Beliefs and Religions, Chambers, Edinburgh. Kreider, A and Yoder, J. 1980, Christians and War in The History of Christianity, Lion Publishing , Hertfordshire. Robinson, J.H.( translator) The Conversion of Peter Waldo found at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/waldo1.html and retrieved 14th November 2007 Waldesians   found at   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waldensians#Later_history and retrieved 13th November 2007

Online Car Rental System Tourism Essay

Online Car Rental System Tourism Essay People travel from one place to another for many reasons, some due to their jobs or business and few for holidays and vacations. As a traveller they cannot own a car in every place or country they go, they always prefer other options like public transports, cabs, busses, trains and rent cars or bikes. Getting a car on rent has become very famous due to the cost as it is much cheaper than using cabs for a whole day and because it is much more secure and convenient. Keeping this in the mind Researcher has decided to develop an online car rental system, by using online car rental system a traveller can book the car. As the name of the system suggest, this system will be an online car rental system. This system will not only help the travellers to select the car of their chose but they can also compare the different models of car available and different type. They can compare prices, models and brands. They can select if they want that the car should be delivered to their door step with additional charges or they will pick up the car from the nearest store. They can select the car according to their requirement and budget. Problem statement and Literature review à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Expensive rent for travellers As stated by Flowers, J and Levere, J. (2008) due to rise in drivers fees and taxes such as state and local surcharges applied on airports, the rent of the cars can increase at an average of 25 per cent. Due to rise in Tax, the travellers have to pay up to 25% of tax when the booking or renting a car from the airports. Even if the traveller pays the higher price they have to go with the cars which are available at that point of time in the car rental office. It can be expensive cars or even luxury cars which are not in budged of every person. To overcome this problem the Online Car Rental System will help the traveller to book the car even before they have arrived. So that they do not have to pay extra airport charges and get any car which is in their budget and which suits them and their requirements. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Returning the car remotely According to Yang, Y., (2008), difficulty is in uncertainty of length time of the person who have taken the car on rent and which referred location he wants to return the car. Sometimes a person takes a car on rent, but it is not sure when will the person return the car and will the person be able to come to the same location to return the car or not, in this situation that person have to pay more if he delay to return the car on time. This online car rental system will provide an online service where the person can increase the time limits and predefined the location person will be dropping the car or he want the car to be taken from. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Cannot reserve specific car model According to Korstanje, M. E., (2011), Due to limitation in operations creates problem for renter to reserve specific model. Reservations are not given on the basis of model but group. Due to operation limitation in the area like airports, this problem causes issue like in which the renters are not able to get what they actually want and they have to go for the car which is available in the store even if it is not what they are willing to have. This online system will help traveller to do online booking in which he can select which car he prefer with the facility of comparing with other car on the basis of type and price so that he can makes best decision. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ No time for customers feedback As said by Meyer, C., and Schwager, A., (2007), Due to many transactions by individual customers which are monitored by the company they does not get time to take feedback from them regarding the service provided. When a customer comes to an office for renting a car, due to having many customers the staff member of the company does not get chance to ask customers regarding their services because of which their problems are not rectified. To rectify these issues the online car rental system will have an online feedback service after each customer have done with their transaction at the time of logout. The system will ask for a feedback from the customer. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Time wasting As said by Ahlstrom, C., Kircher, K., et al., (2012), Due to a single mistake of the airport rental service it take hours to get cars on rent. When there is a problem in the airport rental service it can take hours to get the car on rent which is actually wasting the time of the renter. In online car rental system the reservation will be done before traveller arrived at the airport so that when the traveller arrives at the airport the car will be ready to be taken. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Change car on each route As said by Asconavieta, P.H.S. (2011) car rental companies usually work on the regional basis because of which traveller have to change car on every route. Due to shortage of area coverage as the car taken for the company should return to the same location makes the traveller to keep changing the car even if they go from one state to another. They have to come back to the same location. So when they go to different state they have to change their car. To rectify this problem the online car rental system will have an option of selecting the area the customers want to return the car. So In the country like Emirates or Maldives where the area is short, the car can be taken from one state to another state without any problems. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Improper scheduling for proper car utilisation As stated by Minodora, 2009, improper scheduling in car rental companies causes the company unable to utilise their car and even increase work time for renter to get car. Due to improper scheduling in the car rental companies the car spend more time in the companys car lot or customers have to wait until the car is not returned. Using online car rental system the scheduling will be done online by the customer itself as the car which they select they have to put the time they will return. If in case they fail to return or inform the pickup point extra charges will be charged to them. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Return car on the same agency location According to Goldbarg, M., Asconavieta, P. and Goldbarg, E., (2012), car rented from a company can only be returned to the agency of the same company. If a renter take a car from a company he or she have to return it to the same agency of the same company but if the person is new in the region it will not be possible for him to do that it will be wasting of time in searching for the agency. In the online car rental system the renter can select whether he wants to retune the car or he wants the car to be taken from where he is , it can be hotel, airport, mall or any other location he can predefined the location online and the car will be picked up from him. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Insufficient revenue Lin-in, H., and Tao, Q. (2011) described that car renting companies in certain areas unable to get sufficient revenue for growth. This issue is due to concentrating on a limited region because the rate of sale increases based on the area of the company it is located in if the company is limited to its area only. In online car rental system there will be no boundaries, the company can concentrate on any location and get revenue from any part of the area or even country if the country is not in a bigger size like Emirates or Maldives. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Rejection due to short time frame According to Guerriero, F., Olivito, F. (2011) in order to increase the revenue, company with limited car does not rent the car for a day or few hours. Because of limited area of work company does not give their cars for short period of time to increase their revenue which make it difficult for the traveller to search car renting company after he have reached to the unknown country or location. As the online car rental system allows traveller to book the cars online. A person does not really have to go through all this type of issues as a person will be getting the car as soon as he or she arrives. Research Aims Objectives 4.1 Aims To create an online system, that will allow travellers to easily rent a car. It will also allow user to select the car according to their requirement and compare it with other options of cars. Make it easy for a traveler to return the car on remote locations. Solving the manual scheduling problem as every transaction will be done online. 4.2 Objectives Is to create a reliable web base online system on which user can access using internet from anywhere. To use software tools in implementation, this will help in implementing features for easy access. Allow system users to participate in the early stages of development so the outcome will be user oriented. Research Questions There are two categories in which the researcher has classified the questions. 5.1 Domain research Questions How the system will help in car scheduling? How the system will affect the operation of the renting company? How the proposed system is different from existing systems? How to integrate online payments by credit cards? 5.2 Technical research question Which scripting language can be used for the proposed system? Which data base system can be used for the proposed system? How the different feature can be implemented into the system? Which web authoring software can suits best of the system? Research Design 6.1 Domain Research The research in domain research will be conducted from literature source like journal, eBooks, white papers and library books. Furthermore research will be done by using online resources such as IEEE Xplore, Google Scholar and my Athens. 6.2 Technical research Mainly Web resources such as eBooks and journal will be used in conducting technical research. Research Plan Personal Reflection 7.1 Facts finding Methods The fact finding method which the researcher will use is questionnaire and interview fact find methods. Questionnaires are objective and will reach too many respondents which will provide researcher with sufficient information for accurate analysis. On the other hand the interview method will allow the researcher to get deep understanding about the topic area. 7.2 Limitations Like every system have some limitation, in order to collect data and questionnaire from traveller during the development will be difficult and their participation is not possible so this matter can be overcome by using social networks and other web application to take questionnaire before or in the early stages of the system development

Discrimination against women in the world

Discrimination against women in the world The world is facing many problems that are demolishing its unity, forcing the process of making a better world harder to achieve. One of the most devastating problems yet to be solved is the womens rights against discrimination. Discrimination, according to Cambridge Universitys dictionary is the act of treating a person or particular group of people differently, especially in a worse way from the way in which you treat other people, because of their skin colour, religion, sex. Discrimination against women is a type of gender discrimination. According to the Australian Office of Anti-Discrimination Commissioner (OADC) gender discrimination occurs when someone is treated less favourably than another person because of his or her gender (Justice, 2009). Womens discrimination is a series problem, it is just not a discrimination against a minority (with all do respect to all minorities). It is impossible to realize our goals while discriminating against half the human race Kofi Annan  [ 1]  . Annan described discriminating against women discriminating against half of the human race which rely on how important the role of women in the progressing of the human race. The problem of discrimination against women was officially addressed to the world through the first couple of years of the establishing of the United Nations (UN). Women inscribed their identity as holders of rights in the founding documents of the UN-the UN Charter (1945) and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) the Convention of Civil Rights to Women (1948) and the Convention on the Political Rights of Women (1952) (Jain Sen, 2005, pp. 12-13). Many countries and nations have issued legislations against discrimination, and specifically against gender or sex discrimination. One of the most notified acts against discrimination is the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 by the British Parliament. Many countries and nations have acts against discriminating women; however, women are still being discrim inated before the law (Franciscans). Discriminating against women is not just discriminating against a person it is discriminating against families as well; who would want the mother, the sister or the wife to be discriminated at work, at school or at club under no reason but solely because of the gender. The purpose of this essay is to examine the act of discrimination against women and demonstrate on how women suffer in the social life, the political arena and the workplace, and the education. Moreover this essay will adjudge the previous solutions to overcome the problem of discriminating women due to their gender held previously decades ago by countries or nations, and why they did not reap what they have sown. Ultimately, it will propose a solution on how to surmount the problem of discriminating women, because women should not be discriminated due to the prejudice against their gender. Women play the part of half the human race if they were less competent or reliable than men and do not deserve equality God would not let them share every role with men. Womens discrimination is much far from being a local issue in a certain part of the world. Women suffer from discrimination, violence and sexual harassment because women most of the times are thought to be less competent than men because of their physical structure. Women are not only discriminated in the developing countries because of the lack of sophistication, women are also being discriminated in the developed countries. Discrimination against women in the UK is deeply ingrained, a government report concludes as cited in (Barriers still in womens way, 2005). The UK, one of the most important and developed countries that plays a major role in the world issues, has a discrimination problem against women which is described by a governmental report to be deeply ingrained or firmly held that it is not likely to be changed. Thus it is a problem that needs more that attention to be solved. According to the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), Data shows that discriminato ry practices against women exists and dominates in almost all parts of the world (2008). Therefore, we do not need each developed country telling a one that is not that the developed country is free from discrimination or it is in very small ratio that discrimination hardly can be found. Statistically according to figure 1  [2]  , the ratio between the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and the developing countries does not gap critically; life expectancy is more in MENA than in the developing countries while it decreases in the other areas. The world needs all countries and nations help because it is not a one nation problem it is a problem that we all command. Figure Women social life is covered by many kinds of discrimination. Women in social life suffer from many daily-life appellations, especially in the Middle-East other than the West. In the Middle-East women are classified by their relationship status other than by her contribution to the community. While searching for life partner men get repelled from divorced women. In the process of searching, most of the men search for virgin girls whether those men have previous relation or not. Divorced women are treated different than married women. Whereas single-mothers most of the time do not marry after their first marriage because men do not want extra burden or responsibility. On the other hand single-fathers easily can get married most of the time as there is no social norm against them to re-marry. Single mothers do not refuse to marry, however, they are refuted by the men how are seeking marriage. Divorce is more costly for women than men. The most common impact of divorce on women is the f inancial insecurity it creates, increasing the possibility of poverty for them and their children. Data show that after divorce, women experience a 73 percent loss in their former standard of living and men experience a 42 percent rise (Headlee Elfin, 1996, p. p.52). Not only divorce leave women socially downgraded it also leaves her in economical insecurity, and if a women is supporting a child the disaster will be doubled. According to Clarke-Stewart Brentano, divorced women make only five new friends in the first year of divorce due to the emotional damage of divorce (2006, p. 70). Women are more likely to have blighted social life than men after divorce. Nevertheless, society does not welcome divorcees leaving women in a dark corner of the society. Politically, women suffer from a great impact from discrimination. Women have been discriminated in the political arena, as the society gives the women politicians less creditability than men due to some ideas stuck in the minds that women are more likely to be secretaries other than being the boss. The media has a huge impact on such negative ideas, giving the women always as the soft secretary that has a model body shape and a voice that rhymes with music. According to Abdel-Wahabs film, he sketched a wife being a CEO in a governmental institution, while the employees of that institution do not believe that a woman can hold such a sophisticated position (1966). In that film the female CEO proves to her husband and to her employees at the end of the film that she is as competent as any male CEO that has ever held this position. This is the kind of media that needed to be seen today, not the ones that weaken the image of women and strengthens the stereotyping of them in politics and in workplace. According to Constance B. Morella a US Republican Congresswoman, who represents the Seventh District in Maryland, in politics (once elected) there is equity in terms of salary, but not in terms of leadership. Women are excluded from many issue areas and commissions where they might serve as cited in (Headlee Elfin, 1996). In the US congress the government cannot give smaller salary to women, of course or it would be contradicting its own policies out in the public, nonetheless, they do not give women the right of leadership as they might provide help to their country, the US- her country- deny the womens help in leadership. Unlike men, women pursue politics for the sake of issues and morals not for career advancement. The rejection of women being in the political arena gave them the opportunity to be more active volunteers than men, which gave them more than enough experience to successfully enter the political arena (Headlee Elfin, 1996, p. 26). Men do not have an e xtra brain that makes them excel in politics and likely women do not, hence, they are equal and should have equal political opportunities. Women went to work thus, affecting the mens jobs and the economy mainly because of money. Women worked because they did not have husbands as unmarried or divorced, or they had husbands who were in low-pay jobs. In 1994, 59 percent of married women were working for pay which increased by 19 percent from 1970 (Headlee Elfin, 1996, p. 3). As of discrimination in the work place, statistically, pregnant women suffer widespread discrimination at work, figures show, with almost one in 14 mums-to-be denied opportunities for promotion and one in 50 demoted (Pregnant Women; Discrimination at work, 2006). Pregnant women takes the largest piece in the pie chart according to discrimination, some of the pregnant women do not even get paid for maternity leave, while, some of them do not get promoted and some get demoted.

Rutherfurds Estates Essay -- Character Analysis, Lady St. James, Mere

In Edward Rutherfurd’s London, characters from all three estates are introduced and throughout each chapter their ideals and personality traits are developed. Some characters tend to be better off than others economically, but each of these more unfortunate characters uses his intellect to get ahead. The powerful characters are divided into two categories, because some are politically powerful and others are powerful in their community by making tough decisions and having important leadership qualities. Whatever the circumstance may be, throughout the book each estate has an extensive collection of characters with very different traits. Characters in each estate have characteristics such as wealth, power, and intellect that widely vary from one another and can range from poor, simpleminded people with no power to cunning, powerful people that have more money than they need. The 1st estate, the nobility, is comprised of people who tend to be more powerful and a great deal wealthier than those of the other estates. However, in London, a few characters from the 1st estate possess quite a bit of intelligence, and use it to their advantage. Lady St. James from the chapter â€Å"Gin Lane† uses her intellect to get revenge on her abusive husband. After she is humiliated by Lord St. James, she devises a plan that she intends to carry out with the help of Jack Meredith. Her plan is very carefully thought out, and in the end is foolproof. The plan is to have Meredith claim that he is her lover so Lord St. James will challenge him to a duel. Then, when St. James comes home to prepare for the duel, she will â€Å"make amends† with him and convince him not to kill Meredith. She writes to Meredith and tells him that St. James is going to try to kill hi... ...e puts stress on characters in the 3rd estate. However, some characters like Gilbert Bull, are very wealthy. As Rutherfurd writes, â€Å"With money and family connections he soon prospered† (432). Family connections were very important to the 3rd estate, because otherwise they were simply commoners. Some became merchants, doctors, lawyers, and other occupations that paid a fairly decent salary. London does a great job of illustrating the different social and moral situations of people in assorted estates. Many of the characters got over their low social and economical standing by using their intellect. Some characters lost their respect and their power by making mistakes and terrible decisions. Every estate has characters that are poor or wealthy, intellectual or ignorant, and powerful or weak. Every character is different, just like every estate is different.

International Adoption Essay -- Social Issues, Adoption

The necessity of adoption in the world is astounding. Currently, there is an estimated 143 million orphans worldwide (Wingert, vol.151). As of 2007, there were 513,000 children living in foster care within the United States alone (Rousseau 21:14). International adoption in the United States was jumpstarted post World War II as a way of helping those children who were left homeless, after war had taken their parents. Although there are thousands of healthy children awaiting adoption in the United States, several American couples still turn to foreign adoption when seeking potential children. Americans often fail to realize the need for intervention within their own country and their duty to take care of domestic affairs before venturing to other countries to attempt to rescue foreigners in need. International adoption in the United States must be abolished, since it is detrimental to prospective parents and their potential children. Injustices surrounding international adoption often results in a harmful impact on the children involved. Hollingsworth examines the harmful implications that are associated with international adoption: The adoption of children from other countries by U.S. families presents the risk that these children will be deprived of an opportunity to know and have access to their birth families- an infringement on the basic rights of these children compared with more advantaged children in their country of origin or in the United States. (48:209) International adoption can result in a lost connection to a child’s culture. This loss of culture confuses the child who is now forced to grow up in an American society that is so different than what they are used to. Children, who can be domest... ...at is only seeking to profit, instead of to unite children with families who care. For young children â€Å"to be removed from one’s family of origin or be killed or forever ostracized is not a choice that should be imposed on the world’s children† (Hollingsworth 48:209). Just because the faces of the neglected youth of America are not flashed across the television screen or plastered on posters, does not mean they do not exist. The ignored youth of America need people to care for them as if they were born into their family. Hollingsworth expresses his realization that â€Å"children’s rights to be raised in a safe healthy environment by their biological families and in their cultures of origin are primary and should be equally available to all children†(48:209) especially those in the United States, where the protection of the youth is crucial.

Stop This Train by John Mayer

Connecticut, John Mayer charmed his listeners with his poignant lyrics, sweet melodies, and mellow grooves. Since the release of his successful debut album, Room for Squares, his clever songwriting has grown Into breathtaking poetry. He demonstrated his ever evolving progress with the release of his fourth studio album, Continuum, in 2006. The album takes maturity as a theme throughout, with songs ranging from the politically charged â€Å"Waiting for the World to Change† to the heartbreaking and sultry sound of â€Å"Slow Dancing in a Burning Room. Stop This Train,† also a song from John Mayor's Continuum, speaks of the unpredictable ground between adolescence and adulthood. It was written during a time which Mayer referred to as â€Å"solitary refinement;† He lied In bed suffering from double kidney stones and living in a hotel while finding a new residence. In a state of uncertainty and seemingly hopeless venture, John Mayer wrote the song for those of us stra ddling the new world, trying to figure out not necessarily who we are, but how to be who we are.He knew that, despite their lack of familiarity with his personal tuition, any person who listened to the lyric of the song could relate to life's daunting train ride. In the song, the train ride acts as an extended metaphor for the onward rush of life, which carries us forward and takes us past people and things we wish to linger with. Meyers lyrics echo the feelings of so many young adults who are contemplating their future-?starting to build a new life, leaving old ones behind, losing loved ones, and becoming their own person. In the first stanza, Mayer introduces his perplexed state of mind with his struggle to face truth.He begins his Eng with Irony, â€Å"No I'm not coloration / I know the world Is black and white† (1-2), claiming that he possesses the ability to see the true colors of the world. The colors black and white represent the speaker's belief that the world is simp ly one way or another. The word ‘blind' and the speaker's ability to see create an oxymoron because of their contradicting natures. In lines 3-4, â€Å"Try to keep an open mind but†¦ I Just can't sleep on this tonight,† Mayer expresses his troubles that make him restless. The song also symbolizes a reminder of life's Inevitability.It streams forward like a train, ND never can you go back to a certain point In time because there's no getting off, no changing direction, no stopping. Mayer creates a mental picture of the careening train ride in lines 5-8, â€Å"Stop this train / I want to get off and go home again / I can't take the speed that it's moving in. † The use of imagery demonstrates Meyers understanding of what his audience experiences. In attempt to fully transport the listener to the scene, the song begins with a catchy up and down melody that simulates a feeling of a trait's wheels turning over and over again.The snares played wrought â€Å"Stop T his Train† match the rhythmic sound of a train so as to allow the audience to picture themselves also on this never ending journey. The high and low notes of the guitar may also signify life's ups and downs. By using the train as a metaphor, Mayer mirrored the rush of nostalgia as people live their lives day by day and suddenly decide to take a look back at how far they've come. Just like a train ride, one doesn't realize how far and fast their Journey has taken them until they stop to take a look around. In life, everyone fears death or loss.As adulthood looms, so does ten mortar y AT our parents Mayer vocalizes tans Tear, â€Å"Don't want to see my parents go' (9). And while no one ever does, the time we become adults ourselves is when we begin to see the age in those that have shaped our lives. We see the death of our grandparents and realize we are a â€Å"generation away from fighting life out on my own† (10-11). And we panic because our parents, for so many of us , have been the safety net into which we fall. We begin to realize that safety net will not always be there. In truth, we are afraid of what we don't know, which is why Mayer claims â€Å"I'm only good at being young† (17).The thought of adulthood can be overwhelming as we realize that there's no stop button, that no one can stop this train. In the stanza about the conversation with his father, Mayer learns the best way to experience life is by not changing it. His father advises, â€Å"Don't for a minute change the place you're in / Don't think I couldn't ever understand†¦ John, honestly we'll never stop this train† (23-26) The only thing we can really do is appreciate life's train ride; because wherever it may take us, we're all in it together. The lyric in â€Å"Stop This Train† somewhat reflects life's timeline.At a younger, more naive age we take for granted our family until we start aging and realizing that our time with them is, in fact, limited. In the song, Mayer goes from begging for someone to stop this train to accepting that he can't so he might as well enjoy the ride. The song is about being forced to let go of things, and accepting these losses. It's about the angst and unfamiliarity that comes with moving into unknown parts of life. The fact that no matter what, we can't stop a day from turning into a week or a year from into turning into a decade, and the thought of this can seem a little intimidating and disheartening.As humans we only know what we've experienced, and the idea of having to readjust and move forward without any regard for personal desire can be downright terrifying. Growing up, children aren't inclined to to miss a thing because they haven't experienced the state of apprehension when they're asked the inevitable question: What do you want to do with your life? â€Å"Once in a while when it's good / It'll feel lie it should / And they're all still around / And you're still safe and sound† (27-31 ). But as time progresses, the days when we were lulled into a false calm are gone and we realize we don't miss what we have till it's gone.And you don't miss a thing / till you cry when you're driving away in the dark† (32-33). Mayor's style of songwriting mirrors a sort of conversation he is having with himself, his family and friends, and also with his own time. Just as the songs of the slave represent the sorrows of his heart, Mayor's songs are Just as full of importance as the music and beats to which they are set. Many people listen to songs for their uplifting melodies and dance-inspiring beats, but the deeper words in the lyrics prove that what's in a song is equally important to what's not there.In â€Å"Stop This Train,† Mayer oratory himself as Just another person coping with the apprehension and fear of loved ones dying, growing old, and facing life and all its difficulties. His fame and talent may veil the sorrows he faces on a daily basis from being away f rom his loved ones. The hidden message behind â€Å"Stop This Train† could embody a more personal than empathetic message. The harsh truth remains that, no matter how memorable or eventful our lives are, no one can escape time. Whether or not we'll grow to be 68, we will all be forced to brave more responsibility, expectations, and independence as we mature.

Our Time Essay

In Mary Louise Pratt’s essay, â€Å"Arts of the Contact Zone,† we are introduced to the idea of contact zones, autoethnography, and new ways of looking at common ideas. I wanted to see some examples of what she was really talking about. After reading John Edgar Wideman’s â€Å"Our Time† we can see that Pratt’s ideas and terms are accurate because they can be applied to this reading as well as others. â€Å"Our Time† is an autoethnography because it uses diffeerent points of view, not just oneself, to give information about someone’s upbringing and cultural growth. In Pratt’s essay, she often referred to the term autoethnography. These emerge from contact zones. Autoethnographies are used as a method to oppose the views of oneself that everyone else sees. For example, if there are people in your neighborhood that have a label on your home and family, you might go back and tell them how your life actually is. Mary Louise Pratt goes on to tell us that a contact zone is a place where people from different cultures and communities come together. Here, these different people share ideas and interact with each other. It is almost a type of hybridization. Multiple cultures or societies come together, and mash. They can join together, or exchange some values, or be overrun by one another. Within these contact zones, people are able to see the way others see them and interpret them. From there, they would be able to see themselves through different eyes, and from a different perspective. In relation, autoethnographic texts are â€Å"texts in which people undertake to describe themselves in ways that engage with repre sentations others have made of them† (Pratt 487). They are not texts written to Bolduc 2 explain how the writer sees themselves, but how they are seen by others. This is to maximize the credibility, and that there isn’t too much bias. Writers put together these texts from others’ understandings and viewpoints of them, as well as interpretation of others. Similarly, Pratt also refers to the term transculturation frequently in her essay. The definition of transculturation is when values or ways of life and habits from the dominant culture are passed down to smaller subordinate cultures. From there, those cultures choose what materials they would like to use as well as trying to  persuade the dominant culture to use some of their ideas. In Pratt’s essay, she uses Guaman Poma’s New Chronicle to back up her claims. She refers to the reading as an autoethnographic text. This text â€Å"involve[s] a selective collaboration with appropriation of idioms of the metropolis or the conqueror† (Pratt 488). In the New Chronicle, Poma’s story is written in two languages, Spanish and Quechua which is an Incan language. Spanish is considered the dominant language, or culture, whereas the Incan language is considered to be the subordinate language and culture. Poma writes his story from the Incan point of view where he attempts to rewrite history through their eyes rather than the Spanish. Transculturation is represented because he uses the main ideas from the dominant culture, such as Adam and Eve, and then in turn incorporates the Incan culture while pushing some of their ideas back on the dominant culture. This is where you see two cultures interact, and form very different cultures from their origina l state, but more similar to each other. On the same note, Poma writes the story based on representation others’ have made of them, and by incorporating both cultures, the story can be considered an autoethnographic text. Similarly, Wideman’s text can also be considered an autoethnographic text. We see both of these terms represented in Wideman’s â€Å"Our Time,† as well as the ideas from Poma’s story. Wideman does a great job of incorporating different idioms to represent Bolduc 3 himself, as well as his brother Robby, in order to paint an accurate picture of the community and culture in which they are each a part of. For example, in the preface, the terms â€Å"ghetto† and â€Å"gangster† are used to describe their black community of Homewood— which can be referred to as indigenous idioms. Indigenous idioms are the common way of speaking within ones’ own community. A quick example of this would be how some stated refer to soda as soda, or pop, or coke, while they are all referring to the same thing. In the text, the community of Homewood is considered to be the subordinate culture. This culture stems from the dominant culture of Pittsburgh showing how the story can be considered an autoethnographic text. This is because Wideman is using the autoethnography to sort of push back against the typical Pittsburgh  culture, and show people how it actually is. John and Robby’s family moved from the dominant culture to Homewood. Wi th them they brought ideas from both communities together creating a contact zone. Due to them growing up in a white community, Robby became intrigued with the black community from a very young age. This is because he grew up surrounded by whites who would never tell him about it. As he says in the text, â€Å"I decided I’d find out what it was all about. Didn’t care if it killed me, I was going to find out† (Wideman 678). This helps us see why Robby immersed himself in the culture of Homewood, while also getting in touch with Robby’s voice in the text. Because of Robby’s fascination, he gets sucked down a path of crime, which eventually leads to jail. On the other hand, Wideman finds himself more immersed in the dominant culture. He goes through a series of very fortunate events, leading him to becoming a successful, established writer. Both brothers grow up in similar communities but found themselves going down very separate paths, showing the diversity within the contact zone. Wideman’s goal in this story is to try and figure out why Robby and himself turned out so differently. Therefore, he wants to go through specific events in order to figure this out. He Bolduc 4 writes â€Å"Our Time† in a way that most readers are not used to. Instead of writing a basic story of his brother’s life, he instead incorporates himself into it, as well as his thought processes throughout. Because he writes his story based on his brother, parts of this reading can be considered ethnography. Ethnography can be defined as a text that is based on someone other than the writer, just as Wideman writes about Robby. Wideman’s goal is persuade us to find value is his project. Readers also mix his ideas with theirs, in which they develop their own ideas based on Widman’s story, as well as give feedback. This gives a sense of transculturation, because just listening to Wideman’s points allow us to adopt some of his culture. Wideman explains to us the different ways he thought about starting the story as well as certain habits he must overcome in order to make his project successful. He ends up starting off with a story explaining the death of his brothers’ friend, Garth who died of a disease because he did not receive proper treatment, due to being black. This can be considered a contact zone  because the dominant culture represents themselves as the superiors in this situation, showing the diversity of the contact zone. Not only does this paint a picture of the world they live in, but also gives us some back round on reasons why Robby ended up living a life of crime that eventually lead him to jail. Garth’s death shook Robby and his community. They knew he had been treated unfairly and because of that they had hatred towards the dominant culture. This could be a reason why Robby chose to rebel against it, and dive into the Homewood community and culture— which showed him the life of crime. Garth’s death is one of the many instances in which we see the community that the brothers lived and grew up in. Wideman writes this section using Robby’s point of view as a way to try and understand why Robby ended up like he did, which is an example of ethnography. For instance, Wideman shows Robby’s point of view when he describes Garth. Explaining that he â€Å"looked bad. Real Bad. Inchabod Crane anyway, but now he Bolduc 5 was a skeleton† (Wideman 658). Here, Robby is providing us with a description of what Garth looks like, but Wideman is writing it, making it ethnography since it is not from Garth’s person. Along with that, Wideman shares with us another moment in time which he considered starting the story from. His other way was with the day Robby was born. Robby’s birthday was surrounded by times of death and sadness. It was almost as if it was completely overshadowed by it, almost as if there was a low gloomy storm cloud above it. Wideman shows us the effect it had on his brother by saying that â€Å"Robby cried a lot on his birthdays† (Wideman 684). This instance could have a lot to do with the way Robby ended up in jail. He was never truly celebrated on his special day; instead it contained tears and depression. Wideman uses this as an example of the factors that lead to his life of crime. He uses his own view of Robby to portray autoethnography. He writes it so that we see the way others view Robby in this situation, as well as they way Robby feels viewed, and then puts it into his words. I wondered why he switches points of view mid story. But then I realized that the whole reason he included Robby in his story was to counter ideas about Robby, whether they be his own, or other people in town. By switching to Robby’s voice, it gives a different insight. One that Is from Robby, and this helps strengthen the  autoethnographic element by opposing whatever claims and judgments that Wideman or even the reader may have, and shows us how things actually are. Throughout the story we see examples of what we can call Indigenous texts, where Wideman is trying to connect to what Robby is saying. In order to connect with Robby in the way that he wants, Wideman realizes that he has to overcome some of his habits. The biggest habit he had to overcome was â€Å"listening to [himself] listen to him† (Wideman 672). He had the tendency to hear Robby in his words rather than really listen to Robby’s point of view, which is important in order to create and autoethnographic text. Therefore, when putting material together Bolduc 6 he had to focus on breaking this habit. He had to see Robby through Robby’s eyes in order to make his project successful, which he did. Another habit Wideman had to overcome was to avoid having his story sound poetic and fictional. He wanted us to truly hear Robby’s voice and get an accurate idea of his community, and to do that; he had to drop some of the fancy words and phases so it didn’t overshadow the true point of his project. A third habit he had to overcome was the feeling of guilt about success and luck he has received throughout his life. He questions multiple times in the text why they turned out so differently. He feels guilty that his brother ended up in jail and he turned into such a successful writer. In conclusion, Wideman shows his side of the story along with his brothers, creating a piece of writing that differs from what we may consider to be usual, or conventional writing. Wideman steps out of the norm by describing his process of writing thr oughout the story. By doing this, along with providing different perspectives, he was able to create an autoethnographic text while also incorporating ethnography. Also, by giving us a glimpse of different cultures and communities that they grew up in, Wideman was able to create transculturation as well as show us the contact zones that come up within the story. All of these ideas lead back to Pratt’s ideas of contact zones, as well as Guaman Poma’s New Chronicle, providing us with instances to portray Pratt’s significance as well as Wideman’s. Wideman’s goal was to show us the ways in which he and his brother turned out so differently, and I think he succeeded. He was able to verify Pratt’s idea of contact zones  and show us his personal experience of the diversity within them. Also, he was able to help us understand the background behind Robby’s life of crime and accurately show why they ended up on different paths. This is what made Wideman’s project successful. Bolduc 7 Works Cited Wideman, John. â€Å"Our Time.† Ways of reading. 9th ed. Editor David Bartholomae & Anthony Petrosky. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin, 2011. 655-694. Print Pratt, Mary. â€Å"Arts of the Contact Zone.† Ways of reading. 9th ed. Editor David Bartholomae & Anthony Petrosky. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin, 2011. 655-694. Print

Case Study – Jetblue Airlines

February 20, 2013 JetBlue Airways Corporation Case Study Report Situation Analysis History JetBlue Airways Corporation was created my David Neeleman. His vision was to create an inexpensive, easy way to travel by airplane. He was quoted saying he wants to â€Å"bring humanity back to air travel. † David Neeleman was already a seasoned entrepreneur. Two years after dropping out of the University of Utah he established his own business by renting out condominiums in Hawaii. Soon after he established his own travel agency and began chartering flights from Salt Lake City to the islands to bring in more prospective clients to rent his condo’s.In 1984 Neeleman joined forces with June Morris, who owned a large corporate travel agency in Utah, to bring to the world a company known as â€Å"Morris Air†. (JetBlue Airways Corporation, 2011) Success followed and the company was bought by Southwest Airlines for $129 Million. Soon after the sale of â€Å"Morris Air† Nee leman pioneered the use of â€Å"at home reservation agents†. By using their homes as offices the reservation agents were saving money by lowering overhead expenses. He also developed the first electronic ticketing system in the airline industry. JetBlue Airways Corporation, 2011) Neeleman became the executive vice president for Southwest but realized it wasn’t a good fit. He signed a five year noncompete agreement and was on his way. During his five year agreement he developed the electronic ticketing system he had initiated at Morris Air into one of the worlds easiest airline reservation systems. He called it Open Skies. He then sold this innovation to Hewlett-Packard in 1999. Finally in 1999 the noncompete agreement had reached its expiration and Neeleman launched his own airline.He raised the needed capital with ease and JetBlue became the highest-funded start up airline in aviation history. JetBlue commenced operations in August 2000. For a start up base JetBlue c hose John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). (JetBlue Airways Corporation, 2011)The company relied on electronic reservation and ticketing to keep costs down. JetBlue was of the first airline companies to issue laptop computers instead of manuals to their pilots. One of their highest selling points aside from price was the in-flight entertainment. The airbus A320’s ere complete with 24 live satellite broadcasts (including A&E, Animal Planet, CNBC, ESPN, the Food Network, Home & Garden, and the Weather Channel) at every seat. This kind of entertainment was of the first among airlines. Airlines typically aired taped shows or movies. To help keep costs down the airline provided no meals but did offer gourmet blue potato chips and soda. The seats were equipped with more leg room and were all leather with larger overhead storage compartments. Business grew rapidly in JetBlue’s first year of operations.Reservation agents were receiving calls of up to 12,000 a day and st ill the company was booking 40% online. In 2001 JetBlue opened a second base in California at Long Beach Airport. JetBlue grew over the years to serve more than 52 destinations in 21 states, Puerto Rico, Columbia, Mexico and the Caribbean. In 2008 they added services to Puerto Plata and St. Marteen. In 2009 they started serving Bogota, Columbia, San Jose, Costa Rica, Montego Bay and Jamaica. In 2007 JetBlue announced that they were entering into an agreement with Aer Lingus, and Irish flag carrier, to facilitate easy transfers for both airlines’ customers.Unlike traditional code-share alliances, customers could not make one reservation for both airlines if need be. They would have to make two reservations instead. Then only 8 days later, JetBlue announced a code-share agreement with Cape Air. Customers would be able to purchase seats on both airlines under one reservation. A much better fit for convenience. JetBlue’s growth was becoming harder to fund due to competitiv e pricing and high fuel prices amongst other growing costs. On February 14, 2007 an event took place that would shake the solid, well funded company to its knees.Not only costing Neeleman his position in a company that he created, it destroyed the companies reputation for good customer relations. There was a terrible storm headed towards the East coast and while all other airlines took the proper precautions and canceled their flights JetBlue in all their stubbornness did not. When the storm hit it was worse than expected and JetBlue’s customers were left stranded planes for 7 hours or more. David Neeleman when interviewed about this horrible turn of events said â€Å"Things spiraled out of control. We did a horrible job; we got ourselves into a ituation where we were doing rolling cancellations instead of a massive cancellation. Communications broke down, we weren’t able to reach out to passengers and they continued to arrive at the airports†¦ it had a cascading effect. † It took the organization more than a week to get the situation under control. This is where The Customer Bill of Rights came in. It basically outlined self-imposed penalties for JetBlue and major rewards for its passengers if the airline experienced operational problems and could not adjust to weather-related conditions within a â€Å"reasonable† amount of time.In 2007 the company reported a $76 Million loss with a primary reason being rising fuel costs. JetBlue remains profitable, posting a net income of $128 Million for 2012. JetBlue’s CEO and President, Dave Barger said â€Å"2012 was a very good year†. (Corporation, 2013) Mission JetBlue Airways does not operate under a traditional mission statement. Instead they use a set of core values. Those core values are as follows: * SAFETY * CARING * INTEGRITY * FUN * PASSION These five things are best described as â€Å"the JetBlue experience†. (John W.Kelly for KR Consulting, 2008) (JetBlue Airways Corporation, 2012) Corporate Strategy There are two new strategies that have been developed for JetBlue Airways; a growth strategy and an efficiency strategy. Both strategies have been created out of internal and external analysis. The growth strategy’s primary goal is to take advantage of recent mergers and failures within the airline industry. When companies merge it takes away some of the competition. Failures in other companies create opportunities for JetBlue to step in and create new business. (John W.Kelly for KR Consulting, 2008) (Corporation, 2013) The efficiency strategy is developed based on the organizations position within the low-cost segment of the airline industry. To reach this goal an extensive internal analysis is performed with a careful look at the labor force as well as an analysis of the jet fuel prices/purchasing. (John W. Kelly for KR Consulting, 2008) Strengths and Weaknesses of JetBlue Airways Strengths Strong brand recognition and their ser vices are competitive. If you consider revenue passenger miles JetBlue is the sixth largest passenger carrier in the United States and is a widely recognized global brand.The company has received several awards such as â€Å"Top Low Cost Airline for Consumer Satisfaction† seven years in a row and also â€Å"Best Coach Class Experience†, â€Å"Most Customer Friendly Airline† and â€Å"Best Value Airline Domestic† for 2011. JetBlue is also known for their spacious seating and live satellite TV. The Customer Bill of Rights is also a key player in the companies strengths. It was created with meaning and specific compensation for customer inconvenienced by service disruptions within JetBlue’s control.Another service offered only by JetBlue is an expedited security experience in over 30 cities and they call it â€Å"Even More Speed†. JetBlue utilizes their aircraft most efficiently to have the ability to spread its fixed costs over a greater numbe r of flights and available seat miles and they do this by using Airbus A320 planes for the majority of their business. (JetBlue Airways Corporation, 2012) Weaknesses JetBlue has an extreme amount of high fixed obligations. In 2011 JetBlue had a debt of $3. 14 billion and it accounted for 64% of its total capitalization.As the years go on and the company grows its debt will only grow as well. Eventually their high level of debt could make it difficult to grow the business further because of lack of funding. That in turn would put the company below their competitors who could find it easier to acquire necessary funding. (JetBlue Airways Corporation, 2012) Opportunities An obvious opportunity for JetBlue is expansion in the travel industry. This specific industry has always fluctuated in the past but, it is expected to grow aggressively in the years to come.According to The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), airline travel is said to double over the next 20 years. In 2011 about 815 billion people or seats sold is expected to increase of the next two decades to numbers close to 1. 57 trillion. That is an average growth rate of approximately 3. 2% per year. Being the sixth largest passenger carrier in the US, JetBlue is in a good position to expect a growth like that as well. JetBlue has also put effort in to making business relationships with Asia. The pace of the economy as a whole is slowing but Asian economies have remained strong domestically.Cathay Pacific is the home carrier of Hong Kong. In 2012 JetBlue announced an interline agreement with this company. This agreement will link each other’s network between Asia Pacific and the America’s. JetBlue also announced a codeshare agreement with Japan Airlines to offer nonstop service to Tokyo’s Narita International Airport. For this reason JetBlue’s expanded partnerships with major Asain airlines will help further strengthen its network and expand their services. (JetBlue Airways Co rporation, 2012) (Corporation, 2013) Threats The absolute biggest threat to JetBlue is the rising costs of aircraft fuel.Throughout history fuel costs have fluctuated out of the control of companies such as JetBlue. The costs vary widely and are unpredictable at best. In 2011 fuel costs represented nearly 40% of JetBlue’s total operating costs. Another threat is stringent governmental regulation. In the airline industry companies are subject to extensive regulatory and legal compliance requirements that result in significant costs. It is also very expensive for the company to keep their current certificates. Lastly there will always be intense competition in this industry.As a tradition the industry is typically dominated by the giants such as: United Air Lines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines and US Airways. Because of their size and power, some of these companies may be better suited for necessary funding. They may also receive more favorable fuel pri ces due to volume of sales. Intense competition could lead to price wars which could negatively affect the company. (JetBlue Airways Corporation, 2012) Identification of Problem(s) and Their Core Elements The first problem with JetBlue is that the company grew too big too fast.The organization was incapable of sustaining this growth both financially and physically with staff, equipment and services. The second problem was/is bad publicity. The airline was well known for exceptional customer service and relations but lately they are ranked among the lowest in customer satisfaction. JetBlue grew too quickly. In the 1990’s there were many small start-up airlines. Most failed when faced with competition from the major airlines because they were not able to withstand the wage wars. The smaller companies were also at a disadvantage when it came to start up capital and management talent.Because of David Neelemans talent and charisma he was able to acquire an abundance of start up ca pital which carried the airline through the toughest part of a business, the beginning. Once JetBlue took off the company had a difficult time keeping up with its popularity and growth. Technology for one was lacking and it all caught up with the company on Valentines Day in 2007. The company made a few bad decisions and it escalated quickly and their reservation system could not handle the capacity of the situation. Their technology also failed them when trying to remedy the problem.They were not prepared or ready for something of this magnitude. (Damaraju, 2009) With the growth divergence from the company’s original plan was starting to take place. They started off operation only one type of aircraft, an Airbus A320. The strategy behind this was to lower training cost and provides a very knowledgeable staff with flexibility in manpower. The airline then included a second type of plane, the Embraer 190 which the staff was not prepared for. Furthermore the company was embarki ng on even more paths where it did not have the needed experience. (Damaraju, 2009) JetBlue started as an airline for the New York leisure traveler.The concern with their expansion is that they don’t have the route structure to compete with the majors for the business class travelers. (Farzad & Bachman, 2012) The second problem is bad publicity. The first unfortunate event was the Valentines Day ice storm that left passengers stranded and the company without the proper tools to fix the problem in a timely manner. Customers were outraged as they should have been. The second very public mishap came in August 2010 when a frustrated flight attendant exited the plane using the emergency slide after becoming irate with passengers.And last but certainly not least, when one of their pilots had to be subdued by passengers and forcibly removed from the plane in March of 2012. (Farzad & Bachman, 2012) Because of these unfortunate events JetBlue now ranks last among 15 airlines in on-tim e performance and ninth in customer complaints to the Department of Transportation. (Farzad & Bachman, 2012) Those numbers are three times Southwest’s complaint ratio. Having started out as an airline that wanted to â€Å"bring humanity back to air travel† they seem to be coming up short in the customer service area.That was their biggest client attraction. Evaluation of Alternative Courses of Action The problem of growing too big too fast can easily be evaluated as a hind sight. The company had great aspirations and fell short only by default. Had the company foreseen the events that were to come with the failure in their choice of technology or the mental breakdown of their staff, I’m sure they would have done things differently. The costs of their technological errors were somewhere close to $30 million. The costs they endured over their lack of customer satisfaction are immeasurable.For these problems, the alternatives courses of action could only be to reva mp their technology and better train staff and let them know the real pressures of their positions. JetBlue already has a comprehensive training program for their employees known as â€Å"JetBlue University†. (JetBlue Airways Corporation, 2012) Recommended Solutions Recommended solutions for JetBlue’s growth from this point moving forward would be first, to monitor and maintain a functional operation-revenue to operating-expense ratio. As with any successful business the operating revenue must be greater than the operating expenses.This ratio will determine the future of JetBlue. (John W. Kelly for KR Consulting, 2008) Internally JetBlue should consider how to reduce expenses. The two key players in this particular situation are labor and fuel expenses. Although JetBlue has remained un-unionized, which is imperative in keeping labor costs down; there may be more room for improvement in the budget regarding this matter. I suggest a closer look at Management and Airport Operations. These two positions are the furthest from the consumer and have the most employees.The reason behind choosing these particular positions is that change in these areas will not directly affect customer service. These positions need to be examined and see where, if any, the process inefficiencies lie. By doing this the company may be able to cut a few unnecessary positions. Recommendations for best efforts for capping fuel costs are an evaluation of the fuel purchasing agent’s performance. (John W. Kelly for KR Consulting, 2008) The second recommendation is to take a more aggressive approach like Southwest has and practice more hedging.Recommended solutions for JetBlue’s failure to provide exceptional customer service would be first to continue to practice and put to use The Customer Bill of Rights and to take a few leads from their competitors. Other airlines do not charge their customers for a pillow and blanket set. At all costs they should continue with t he perks they provide their customers. They may not serve meals but the snacks and sodas are always free. A big selling point for consumers is baggage fees. JetBlue allows their passengers to have two free bags per flight.That is one more than Southwest. The fact that JetBlue is â€Å"low cost† airline the consumers expect less, i. e. meals and things of the such, so their state of the art entertainment is a welcome surprise for passengers. Implementation Plan To take action on the operation revenue to expense ratio is to start immediately reviewing the labor functions and initiate an additional review every two years. Starting immediately with employee performance reviews, having properly trained employees is a must. Success or failure in this area will be measured in dollars saved.Immediate action considering fuel costs are to hire a congressional lobbyist to help neutralize the market by opening up national strategic reserves as well as encouraging increased domestic petro leum exploration and jet fuel production. Success or failure in this area will also be measured in dollars saved. Works Cited Corporation, J. A. (2013). JetBlue Reports Record Fourth Quarter and Full Year Revenues. New York: PR Newswire. Damaraju, N. L. (2009). JetBlue Airlines: Will it Remain Blue? In McGraw-Timmons, Capstone Bus 250s (pp. 13-220). Dallas: University of Texas. Farzad, R. , & Bachman, J. (2012). Once High-Flying, JetBlue Returns to Earth. Bloomberg Businessweek , 27-29. JetBlue Airways Corporation. (2012). Company Profile JetBlue Airways Corporation. marketline. com. JetBlue Airways Corporation. (2011). Reference for Business. New York: referenceforbusiness. com. John W. Kelly for KR Consulting, L. (2008). Shaping Tomorrow's Solutions for JetBlue Airways- A Strategic Analysis. San Fernando Valley: University of La Verne.