Monday, September 30, 2019

The Definition of Family in the Constitution

Article 41 of the Constitution recognises the Family â€Å"as the natural primary and fundamental unit group of Society†, and as a â€Å"moral institution possessing certain inalienable and imprescriptible rights† which are â€Å"antecedent and superior to all positive law†. The State guarantees to protect the Family in its constitution and authority â€Å"as the necessary basis of social order and as indispensable to the welfare of the Nation and the State†[1]. Article 41 of Bunreacht na hEireann contains the main provisions relating to the family. It is generally considered that Articles 41 and 42 were heavily influenced by Roman Catholic teaching. They were clearly drafted with one family in mind, namely the family based on marriage. †[2]. Since 1937 when the constitution was drafted there has been major social changes such as, changing attitudes to sexual behaviour, contraceptive use, social acceptance of pre marital relations, cohabitation and single parenthood, social acceptance of divorce, just to name a few. These social changes which would not have readily existed in 1937 have not been adapted to in the Constitution in Article 41/42 concerning the †family†. Simply put the definition of family in the constitution is old fashioned. I am of the opinion that an amendment to â€Å"The Family†- namely Article 41 is required. I base my argument on 3 main reasons 1) More types of family should be recognised, not just that of a marital family. 2) The definition of family should be changed to include expressed rights of a child incorporated into Article 41 and the rights of a child not just fall under that of †the family† 3) The wording of the rights of the family to change to allow for more state intervention. Though the â€Å"family† is not defined in the constitution the Supreme Court held that the family is based on marriage – State(Nicolaou) v An Bord Uchtala[3] : Walsh J – â€Å"the family referred to on [Article 41. 3. 1] is the family which founded on the institution of marriage, on which the family is founded on the institution of marriage and, in the context of the Article, marriage means valid marriage under the laws for the time being in force in the state†. Article 41. 3. [4] states â€Å"The State pledges itself to guard with special care the institution of marriage, on which the family is founded, and to protect against attack† . From this definition it appears that a non-marital family would not be protected by the State against attack. In my opinion this provision should be amended to conform to the social change that I have previously mentioned as a family in current times is no longer just a marital family. â€Å" The law must, as far p ossible mirror contemporary civilization and as that changes so must the law. If the law becomes too rigid and inflexible, then there is always the danger that it will conflict with the needs of the people, with all the unfortunate consequences to which conflict may arise†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. during the dynamic periods of History †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. for it becomes essential for the legal system to adjust itself to the novel conditions of social life†[5] As a general rule most rights and obligations flowing from family law legislation are confined to families based on marriage. There are few contexts where non marital relationships are recognised such as domestic violence[6] and wrongful death[7]. The European Court of Human Rights have taken broader approach then Ireland and has been deemed to protect inter alia the family life of non-marital parents and their children. â€Å"It is likely that the failure to recognise the rights, and indeed the duties, of the members of non-marital families may constitute a breach of Art. 8 of the European Convention of Human rights, which requires that the State respect the family life of all persons†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. iven that the convention is now part of domestic law it is only a matter of time before Irish Law is found to be in breach†[8] The European Court of Human Rights(ECHR) broader approach to the definition of a †family† can be seen in Mouta v Portugal[9]. In this case the ECHR recognised a homosexual man and his child as a family which wouldn't be recognised under the Irish Constitution. Da Silva was previously married and had a daughter in this relationship and divorced 3 years later. .The applicant (Da Silva) sought an order giving him parental responsibility for the child. The Lisbon Family Affairs Court awarded Da Silva parental responsibility. His ex-wife appealed against the Family Affairs Court's judgment to the Lisbon Court of Appeal, which reversed the lower court's judgment and awarding parental responsibility to the ex-wife, with contact to the applicant. It was held by the ECHR that the judgment of the Court of Appeal, in so far as it set aside the judgment of the lower court, constituted an interference with the father's right to respect for family life and attracted the application of Art 8 of the Convention. Were this case to appear in an Irish Court De Souza would not have been awarded custody due to the the rigidness of the courts to move from strictly interpreting †family† in the constitution . Secondly I will explore how 1)Article 41 acts as a shield against state intervention against matters concerning †the family† and also 2)why I think †the child† should be given expressed rights in the constitution contained in the definition of family. In my opinion I think that Article 41 acts as a shield against state intervention. I think â€Å"a shield† is an effective way of describing the Article as a shield protects against attack but does not block all danger/damage, just like Article 41protects the †family† but does not provide complete immunity. This article emphasises the rights of the family as a whole while not exploring individual rights such as the rights of the child. I think the words †inalienable and imprescriptible†/rights superior to positive law† are too strong as it gives the State limited opportunity to intervene with matters concerning †the family†. When can the state intervene?. Murphy J gave his view on this question â€Å"where conduct of parents are such to constitute a virtual abdication of their responsibility or alternatively, the disastrous consequences of a particular parental decision are so immediate and inevitable as to demand intervention and perhaps call into question either the basic competence or devotion of the parents† A State intervention must be proportionate -breach of Article 41 must have justifiable circumstances. As I previously mentioned Article 41 does not provide complete protection. This can be seen in People v T[10] where a father had been convicted of sexual offenses against his daughter. Casey made the point that while Article 41 â€Å"established that the family as a unit had it's own special rights, other provisions make it clear that each member of that unit had his/her own constitutionally-guaranteed personal rights†¦.. It follows from this that the common law rule can have no application in cases where one member of a family is alleged to have committed an offense against another†[11]. I have already given my opinion that i think the words ‘inalienable and imprescriptible† and †above positive law† are too strong and limit the courts powers in intervening. One case where I think this is prevalent is is N v Health Service Executives[12] aka †the baby Ann case†. At the time of A's birth in July 2004 the applicants were unmarried and they decided to place A for adoption. The applicants married in Northern Ireland in January 2006, strengthening their legal position as they now formed a family under the constitution. The High Court held that the child was in the lawful custody of Mr and Mrs D(the Adoptive parents) and that, accordingly, a conditional order for the inquiry under art 40 had to be discharged. The decision of the High Court was based on his conclusion that the applicants had failed in their duty towards their daughter and abandoned her and that there were compelling reasons why the child should not be returned to their custody. The decision was overturned by the Supreme Court. I feel that the decision by the Supreme Court was inappropriate, it did not take into account the welfare of the child, Article 41 restricted the courts ability to award custody of the child to the adoptive parents, as the maternal parents and Baby Ann has formed a †family† under the constitution. If the State had more powers to intervene and supersede Article 41 then the custody would probably have been given to the adoptive parents (which would have been the right decision from my point of view). John Walters gave his view on the Supreme Courts decision â€Å"its hands tied by outmoded provisions of the Constitution, was prevented from doing the â€Å"decent† thing: leaving baby Ann with her prospective adoptive parents†[13]. Judge Catherine McGuiness, closing remarks in the case were interesting. She voiced criticism regarding the rights of the child in the constitution and also how she was reluctant to come to the decision to support the maternal parents claims. â€Å" It would be disingenuous not to admit that I am one of the ‘quarters' who have voiced criticism of the position of the child in the Constitution. I did so publicly in the report on the Kilkenny Incest Inquiry in 1993. The present case must, however, be decided under the Constitution and the law as it now stands. With the reluctance and some regret I would allow this appeal. †[14]. I think that the argument to give the child expressed rights under the constitution is intertwined with giving the State more scope on intervening in family cases. As it stands children's rights are thought as secondary to the parents and this can be see in Crowley. [15] I think that there should be a change from the paternalistic approach, whereby the adults know best. Were there to be an express provision outlining the right of the child there would gave been an alternative decision in the PKU test case[16]. The court acknowledged the right of the parents to refuse a both standard and important test for a new born child while ignoring the best interests of the child. The Council of Europe Recommendation 1289 (1996) point 8(i) on a European Strategy for children advised that there should be guarantees that children's rights should be explicitly incorporated into constitutional text. [17] To summarise I think Article 41 concerning the definition of family should be changed. It is outdated basing a family on marriage as in current times there are more then just marriage based families, there are a variety of situations which the normal person would regard as a ‘family'. The Constitutional Review Group stated that there is a â€Å"multiplicity of differing units which may be capable of being considered family†. [18] I think there should be an exhaustive list including the instances above where a member of the public would regard the situation as being a family. Alternatively you could leave the definition of family open and state that â€Å"family† is not confined to that of just a family based on marriage. This would leave the judiciary to determine a family on a case by case basis which is similar to the ECHR approach. This would result in a large amount of uncertainty. I would favor the first option even though it would arise it's own problems such as would being forced to become a legal family under the constitution infringe on personal rights? And also how would you determine the length of time a family is together to qualify as co-habitant?. Either way I think the implied definition of family needs to be changed. To highlight the constant increase of different types of families and the need for reform, I have taken statistics from the last 3 census' of the number of units formed by cohabiting couples (which are one †family I think should be recognised) and formed a table, this furthermore indicates the need to incorporate the change in society into the constitution.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Elvis Presley Coursework Assignment

What can you learn from source A about Elvis Presley's impact on popular music in the USA in 1955? From source A we can learn that Elvis was a popular, whether people liked his music or just him still sold his records, ‘six hit singles in the companies hit list of top 25 best sellers'. It also shows that the magazine liked him and had confidence in him and that he would succeed at the highest level. This is shown by the title ‘Presley Hot as $1 Pistol' meaning he will shoot to stardom quickly. The article also mentions that he is also ‘the number two best seller' after a well respected, clean cut singer. This shows he has already almost made the big time. Question 2. Study Sources A and B. Source B gives different impressions of Elvis Presley to that given in Source A. i) In what ways do the sources differ? Source A is different to Source B in many ways. Source A is a factual article which is encouraging towards Elvis, promoting the fact that he is popular. This source is aimed at any age group or race that had an interest in modern music and read the magazine. Source B is peoples personal opinions, condemning and objected, ‘Presley has no singing ability', and ‘primitive physical movement', are examples of the personal criticism and abuse Source B implies. Source B is aimed at middle aged, middle class white people. ii) Use Sources C and D, and your own knowledge to explain why Sources A and B differ. Source A is written earlier than Source B and is about record sales. Whereas Source B is commenting on a TV appearance made by Elvis later on. Source C also refers to his TV appearance. Source C agrees with Source B in that Elvis never should have gone on TV. Source A is written in March 1956 before anybody had seen Elvis on TV so there was no reason to criticise him. Source B is written in the same year but is after his first TV appearance. B is supported by both C and D in criticising Elvis about his appearance and his dancing technique. This is shown in Source B stating his ‘primitive physical movement' and is supported by C and D quoting, ‘unfortunately Presley makes personal appearances', and ‘how shocking he looked'. Source A is aimed at any age group or race that had an interest in reading the magazine and in modern music. Source B is aimed at the middle or upper class that would read national newspapers. Source C is aimed at Catholics, and Source D is aimed at anybody. Sources B, C, and D all criticise him so therefore support each other. This is another reason why Sources A and B are different. Source A is reaction to his records and is a factual Source ‘six hit singles in the company's hit list of top-25 best sellers'. Whereas Sources B, C, and D, are all opinions of him and his appearance. Source C supports Source B in that it was criticism of him early in his career when he first made his appearance on TV. Source D supports Source B in criticising Elvis. It shows that even other singers were being shocked by his performances ‘told some real bad, crude jokes, which weren't even funny'. Whereas normally you would expect another person in the same trade to be more accepting of a young up and coming star, who is new to the business. Question 3. Study Sources B, E and F. Do Sources E and F support the evidence of Source B about the impact of Elvis Presley? Use your own knowledge to explain your answer. Sources E and F do not support Source B. Source B was written as newspaper articles about Elvis' appearance on the Milton Berle show. The three articles in source B are all critical about Elvis eg. ‘Presley has no singing ability', ‘unintelligible lyrics' and ‘grunt and groan antics'. Whereas Sources E and F are positive about his appearances. ‘The Milton Berle show topped Sergeant Berle in the ratings'. This shows that people were watching the show to see him perform, ‘it was a relaxed and therefore more effective Milton Berle show'. Source F shows screaming and shouting girls and how popular he is. This Source could also be negative as it shows him and his roughneck appearance. All of these sources show that Elvis did make an impact whether he was liked or disliked. The age group he had the biggest impact on were the teenagers. This was because they liked his music and his rebellious style. Question 4. Study Source G. Use your own knowledge to explain why these different views were expressed. In Source G the three different people speaking all have the same view but for different reasons. The congressman Emmanuel Celler dislikes Elvis because he thought that he overdid his actions. The congressman did not have a problem with rock'n'roll but ‘Presley and his animal gyrations violate all that I know to be in good taste'. He thought that Elvis was over the top. The next part of Source G was a statement by a member of the Ku Klux Klan. The KKK were a big racist group in south America at the time of Elvis' rise to fame. At this time segregation and the Jim Crow laws were still being used. The KKK spokesman dislikes Elvis because he used black peoples style, for example Little Richard style songs. He also describes Elvis as a ‘cannibalistic, negro-loving rock and roller', which shows he has a vision of a stereotypical American red Indian who would eat white men that entered their territory. At this time 56% of Blacks were under the poverty line. The Preacher is agai nst Elvis because he sees Elvis as a bad influence on the young, stating that he ‘would not let my daughter cross the road to see Elvis'. He might also dislike Elvis because as a member of the church he might be against his sexual movement such as the hip thrusts. Question 5. Study Source I. Source I suggests that attitudes to Elvis Presley were beginning to change by 1958. Use the source, and your own knowledge to explain why this was happening. Source I shows that people were starting to like Elvis. Source I suggests that he had achieved US democracy doing what all American citizens were expected to do ‘This is US democracy at its best', because he did not use ‘influence to buy his way out'. This changed his image from a rebel to a squeaky clean pop star. He changed his style of music and started making films. Recording sessions were made shorter so he could move on to his next film, in contrast to the 30 takes of Hound Dog. After he had returned from the army he stopped doing live concerts and started wearing suits. He sung a duet with a well respected star, Frank Sinatra, on Frank's TV show, which was edited so that the audiences screams were taken out. Elvis' films joining the army and business manner made him more acceptable for all age groups and classes. Question 6. Study all the sources. ‘The impact of Elvis Presley on US society during the 1950's was more the result of television coverage of performance than his music.' Use the sources, and your own knowledge ,to explain whether you agree with this view of the career of Elvis Presley. The impact of Elvis Presley in the 1950's is said to have been more to do with his TV appearances than his music. A lot of people did not have TV's in the 1950's but most people had radios so the statement is debatable. Newspapers and magazines also highlighted and mostly exaggerated Elvis' appearances. Personally I disagree with the statement. Sources B and C are Magazine and newspaper articles with other peoples opinions about his TV appearances. Both of these articles are one sided against Elvis, only giving a conservative reaction. These reactions are all picking out bad things about his appearance and movements eg. ‘Presley has no singing ability', ‘Unintelligible lyrics', ‘primitive physical movement', and ‘grunt and groan antics'. Source F which shows Elvis dancing and singing could be positive in that there are so many screaming fans, or negative showing roughneck appearance with sideburns and controversial dress sense. Sources A, E, and H are all positive Sources towards him and his records. Source A shows that his music was popular and that he was already the ‘number two best seller' before he even appeared on TV. Source E shows that his appearance on the Milton Berle TV show had topped the ratings. This shows that people were tuning in to see him again showing he was popular before his first TV appearance. Source H is more facts about his record sales and how well they were selling compared to other artists at the same time. These statistics tell us that his music was extremely popular. These three Sources are factual rather than opinion like Sources B, and C. The middle aged group of people at the time were always looking to criticise Elvis.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Cebu Pacific Paper

Case Context Cebu Pacific Air owned by the Gokongwei family and established in 1988, is the provider of most domestic flights in the Philippines. In 2000, Cebu Pacific Air was able to go international and expanded operations to Asia-Pacific countries. It owns 45% of the market share, and is among the top 5 in growth in terms of passengers carried and served. The airline company is known for its promo fares, where one can save around 40% to 50%, if flights are booked early. For the longest time, Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific Air's competitor, dominated the local airline industry. Through the liberalization program, the latter was able to enter the market and gain its share of customers and passengers. In response, PAL adjusted its prices to compete with the others, and focused its strategies on cheaper last-minute bookings. Cebu Pacific Air gives importance to customer value, and addresses it by providing hassle-free online reservations, on-time flights, comfortable flying experience, etc. Named as the â€Å"World's Number One Airline† by an e-newsletter, the airline has been growing and has continued to make its mark in the Philippine airline industry. Its emphasis on the importance of the customers has helped Cebu Pacific Air to be successful in proving that it is indeed one of the top airlines in the country. Macro Environment Prior to the Philippine aviation industry liberalization in 1995 under Executive Order 219, state-owned Philippine Airlines enjoyed virtual monopoly with the country's adopted policy of ‘one country, one airline' imposed during President Marcos’ administration. The industry remained uncontested between 1973 and 1994 compelling the government to regulate fares to prevent PAL from engaging in monopoly pricing. In the years following liberalization, the domestic airline industry has attracted as many as five entrants but this has dwindled to three. Currently, the Philippine aviation market is mainly served by Cebu Pacific Air (CEB), Philippine Airlines (PAL), Airphil Express (APX) and ZestAir. As of August 2011, CEB is the market leader and holds 45 % domestic market share, followed by PAL with 22%,   APX with 19% and ZestAir with 12%. Seair also takes a small part of this market such as by serving flights to Batanes. The impact of liberalization on the domestic industry is mixed. Departure frequency increased in the most profitable markets, while smaller communities either lost service altogether or experienced sizeable declines in departure frequency and capacity. Furthermore, some markets served by a single airline have relatively higher fares. In the recent economic crisis, many foreign countries and the rest of the world were affected. The Philippines, however, was not greatly hit by this recession. Even though we fared better than the others, it cannot be denied that we were still affected. Many multinational companies shut down their operations in the country, such as Intel and Goodyear. Also, many overseas Filipino workers from the United States, United Kingdom and the Middle East were forced to leave these countries with no promise of return. It also affected the Philippine Stock Exchange since it closely followed other stock exchanges from around the world, particularly NYSE. All of these resulted in great fears among the citizens. Filipinos are now more frugal and conservative in their spending habits. The economy experienced dwindling demands of different products, which resulted to more production cuts, succeeding layoffs, and more layoffs. Filipinos started looking for products and services that would provide more value to their hard-earned money. As people are now starting to go back to the basics, leaving the extravagant lifestyle behind, companies now face the problem of losing their customers, even their loyal ones. Thus, many of them started offering products that would exemplify true value for money. More so, discounts and promos have boomed. Cebu Pacific was no exception to this scheme. As many people considered air travel as something they could live without, the industry faced a bigger problem of attracting customers. The â€Å"Piso Fare† that they launched in 2005 was already a big help to company. More and more people are choosing Cebu Pacific over other airlines, such as Philippine Airlines. What is important now is for travelers to get to their destinations in the most affordable way possible, and the company was able to offer them a low-cost yet high-quality service that perfectly catered to the needs of their clients. SWOT Analysis Strengths The key strengths of Cebu Pacific are on its strong market positioning, lean cost structure, ability to reap scale efficiencies, healthy brand equity, and balance sheet strength. The heights of Cebu Pacific’s victory over its competitors cannot be attributed to the aggressive low-pricing strategy that it blazed per se. The ability of CEB to identify the objects that are of value to their customers, and extend those perquisites at low cost is of tantamount importance in the airline’s success. Cebu Pacific customers also get their value through the airline’s very convenient online reservation and payment system. This, equipped with the company’s partnership with banking firms as well as servicing companies such as LBC and Rustan’s, as well as its rigorous promotion in social networking sites, allows the customers to access information regarding CEB’s prices and low promo fares and easy payment. Equally valuable is also the management’s employee training which reflects the company’s strong customer-centered, team-based orientation. Weaknesses To allow for its promotional activities such as low-fares in domestic and international travels, Cebu Pacific must also cut some costs on some segments of its operations. Either by cutting some operational costs or personnel costs, this would have an immediate impact to the image that the company is trying to project. With the entry of relatively smaller airline companies in the industry that can afford to compete CEB in low-pricing makes the airline company vulnerable to price wars, and this pressure increases the vulnerability of the airline to maintain its image. Like all airline companies, and especially because of its big operations, Cebu Pacific heavily relies on forecasts of volatile fuel prices to produce sound business decisions and pricing. Lastly, industry commentators are disappointed that the strong brand and marketing platform of Cebu Pacific lacked scale in terms of fleet size. Opportunities The 21% year-on-year international passenger growth on the year 2011 opens a wider door for Cebu Pacific to increase its market share. Offering foreign travels exclusively on selected destinations allows Cebu Pacific a wider market and a more flexible marketing mix. The company’s financial stability, sustained growth, and good brand image allow the financing for more expansion in the products and services they offer which is tantamount to put down competitive pressures from its competitors, both via cost leadership and product differentiation. Cebu Pacific is strategically positioned for this as it has a strong domestic network that is able to offset headwinds to the international network. Reaping the benefits of scale efficiencies may be realized through this expansion. Finally, with its biggest competitor facing internal labor concerns as well as concerns on solvency and liquidity, the airline can choose to increase market share profitably at the expense of this competitors—instead of only positioning to stimulate and grow the market. Threats That low-pricing schemes such as the PisoFares became a trademark for Cebu Pacific is threatening the airline’s brand of acquiring an inferior image against its more expensively priced competitor products. Its customer segment that caters for businessmen and other high-profile class are at the expense of its extensive marketing promotion on cheap fares. Also, the company’s profit margin has been slowly declining as it engages in price competition with relatively smaller airlines such as Air Philippines and Zest Air. While both competitors have been investing for expansion, CEB must stand prepared while pursuing for a higher market share and leadership. Finally Cebu Pacific must strategically position it’s cost-cutting strategies such as outsourcing, as recent moves to outsource some noncore operations of other airlines that has been encouraging from a cost-saving perspective has ensued labor disputes and strikes which showed the insensitivity of such a move. Problem Through tedious research and careful analysis, we have proven that Cebu Pacific exhibits cost leadership as it was able to cut prices to deter the entry of new entrants and at the same time able to offer low prices to powerful buyers. (See Porter’s Generic) Competitors are always on the look as to how they can catch up and perhaps Cebu Pacific may be threatened by competitors copying their low cost strategy. With this, how can Cebu Pacific maintain to be the market leader when time comes that competitors have already adopted their low-cost strategy? Marketing Mix Product Cebu Pacific Air provides its customer both domestic and international flights to fifty two destinations. Company with its slogan it's time everyone flies tries to keep what they have been promised to its customers by offering a wide array of products and high quality of services aside from air fare to keep their customers loyal and to attract new ones. Cebu Pacific Air does not only provide travel through air but it provides tours for both land and water by building tie ups with travel agencies and hotels. This tie ups provides its customer travel packages with hotel rooms at a discounted price, which make all the fun. Furthermore, the flight does not include a meal but they offer a fun shop where the company sells hearty meal, cold sandwiches, savory snacks, quick snacks, cold drinks, and hot drinks which are changed monthly for variety. Branded souvenirs such as stuff toys, watches, bags, etc. can also be purchased via online or inside the plane. Moreover, other services include seat-selector, sport equipment fee, TravelSure insurance, prepaid baggage, rent a car, and buy event tickets. Cebu Pacific Air always keeps on improving its existing products while introducing new products to tailor fit its products to its customers for more satisfaction and to gain customer loyalty. Price As the barriers to entry were lifted, new players can now easily enter the market to serve the domestic routes. Many benefits were gained by these actions, particularly in the reduction of air fare. Cebu Pacific used its pricing systems to gain a competitive advantage in the industry. It continuously strives to offer low prices, yet also continuously maintain the level of service it promises to deliver to its customers. One of the main strategies of Cebu Pacific to attract customers was its low fares offered on a year-round basis, such as its â€Å"Piso Fare† and LiteFares. This made air travel more affordable to Filipino passengers. This move is considered to be a lethal one for its competitors for it captured a big portion of the market. And although competitors soon followed suit, it was already too late and Cebu Pacific had already gotten a strong position in the market. To compensate for such big discounts, flights that are booked closer to the actual date are fully priced, but they are still comparably lower than those of its competitors. For Cebu Pacific, they value the things that matter most to their customers, such as training of their pilots and crews, aircraft maintenance, and on-time reliability, such that passengers will not pay for trivial things, such as paper tickets and free meals. They focus more on the practical and essential matters to be able to offer their services at low prices yet still earn returns on them. Place Cebu Pacific Air has strategically placed most outlets where passengers can book their flights in business centers, near or inside malls, hotels, and airports. These locations are usually where travellers go to, making it easier and more convenient for them instead of going to a place which might be out of their itinerary just to avail of the company’s services. Aside from this, Cebu Pacific Air has been able to ensure access to customers through online booking. With the growth and development of technology, the airline company has been able to capitalize on the convenience and availability of the Internet to easily reach customers. Promotion Low promo fares are the best known strategy that Cebu Pacific uses to gain ompetitive advantage over competitors. Specifically, they offer 1 peso flights not just for destinations in the Philippines, but also in some areas in East Asia such as Singapore and Malaysia. This promotions strategy is the most popular and most common thing that comes to mind when thinking Cebu Pacific Air. Aside from the traditional forms of promotions and above the line advertising, this airline also makes use of new social media platforms through below the line advertising. Cebu Pacific Airlines is the first airline industry in the Philippines to make use of these new technologies. These types of advertising make use of social networks and give more focus to certain niche markets. An example of this type advertising is Cebu Pacific Airlines’ use of Twitter for announcements, ticket promos, and games for chances to win free tickets. Another form of this promotion strategy can be seen through a viral video posted in YouTube of Cebu Pacific’s flight attendants dancing to the beat of the song â€Å"Just Dance† by Lady Gaga. The special dance number was presented to the passengers after the standard safety instructions had been performed and aimed to give passengers a more enjoyable flight experience. Having assessed Cebu Pacific Air’s marketing mix; we can truly say that its success can be attributed to its low price strategy and loyal customers. CEB has employed strategies to make flying accessible to everyone. They have lowered their prices and yet did not forego the quality of their services. CEB has been loyal to its value proposition of providing more for less. CEB knows very well that customers will try out low-priced products but will be turned off if it does not deliver the value/benefit it promises. And no amount of advertisement will change their perception of a product after a bad experience, even if you have the lowest price in the market. And so, CEB has never been lax in maintaining the other component of their marketing mix besides price as competitive as possible to always satisfy customers. Recommendation Competition from other low cost carrier airlines continues to saturate the market and poses a threat to Cebu Pacific. To fly higher and up and above this hurdle, we now give you our counterstrategy: Cebu Pacific Air: Juan time, Big time! Juan time, Big time is a full blast strategy that banks on Cebu Pacific Air’s Cost leadership and Filipino oriented service to retain its market leadership in the domestic market and eclipse PAL in the international market. In this full blast move, Cebu Pacific will continue to leverage on its constant seat sales and low pricing while making sure that it delivers true value to its customers. Cebu Pacific always wants to provide exceptional, unrivalled service at notches higher than its competitors. To achieve this, Cebu Pacific needs to fuel this four-fold ‘Juan time, Big time’ strategy to continue to fly high and long in delivering its promise in letting every Juan fly. Fuel 1: Juan with You With Juan with You, we strengthen the customer flying experience to encourage more future flights. We will filipinize the customer flying experience and do this by always being hospitable in our service. Cebu Pacific will not only offer air transport, it will also offer a satisfying, fun, and hospitable flying experience. Doing so will increase the perceived value of the Cebu Pacific Air flying experience. Juan with you will be implemented along with these tactics: 1. First, it will strengthen its customer service arm, and assign an actual active CEB officer in operating its Facebook and twitter pages to more instantaneously answer and attend to customer questions and concerns. This will communicate how Cebu pacific values its every customer. 2. Second, it should make its flight attendants wear Filipiniana attire, especially in international flights. 3. Third, it should structure a hip, dance number around the performance of its in-flight safety guidelines. The last two will easily solve the problem of tedium that may set in after long hours for waiting for the flight’s end. Fuel 2: The Juan Time Cebu pacific will lead in debunking the old Filipino time concept, where late is acceptable, even expected. We will put an emphasis on sticking to only one time, the Juan time, and provide incentives to making its passengers arrive early to allow early boarding. Also, Cebu pacific should train its ersonnel to always be fast and efficient in their execution of their tasks to further expedite checking in. Cebu Pacific should strive to increase its on time performance level and again to improve the value offered to passengers, give customer points for every late flight arrival that customers may use when they also avail of Cebu Pacific’s loyalty card program. Fuel 3: Juan with the World Cebu Pacific has already achieved to become the leading low cost airline in providing domestic flights. Its competitors, however, offer more international destinations. With this, we recommend that Cebu Pacific tap on more international destinations as their consumers would be delighted to know a variety of international destinations to choose from. This way, consumers would choose them among its competitors. Fuel 4: My only Juan Since Cebu Pacific has already managed to become the leading airline. It should now focus on keeping its customers loyal. This they can achieve through mileage programs to acquire points that customers can use in availing other flight add-ons. With this mileage rewards program, customers will be attracted to more to avail of the other services of Cebu Pacific. Thus, this strategy will make Cebu Pacific the top choice and the only choice of every Juan. With this four-fold full blast strategy, Cebu Pacific Air will indeed be able to increase customer perceived value through the perks it offers at the same time retaining its low cost pricing. Thus, despite the threat of competitors adopting their low cost strategy, customers will still choose them over others for they are fully satisfied and truly delighted with CEB’s loyalty of providing more for less to its customers. APPENDIX Bibliography

Friday, September 27, 2019

My strengths and personality based approach to help children w Essay

My strengths and personality based approach to help children w behavioral problem - Essay Example It is important therefore to help children socialize and behave adequately in the society. So one of my main duties is to develop child's integrity into the society. I try to be as helpful as I can, so I always try to apply the most efficient methods, e.g. family work, as it is essential to help each member of the family establish healthy and harmonious contacts inside the family and promote integrity. The main points of my work are assessment, consultation, counselling and crisis intervention. I am also encouraged to bring new approaches to the assessment and intervention process and support the development of programs that creatively deal with the issues of children with emotional and behavioral problems. It is possible to receive proper working skills after finishing higher education, but there are also personal qualities, which are impossible to study. So it is necessary to examine one's own personality in order to find his strengths, which are useful directly on the working place, or in broader meaning - to identify if the occupation suits him (her). Adaptable, restorative, applying intellection, deliberative and harmonious. Adaptability is the ability of an individual to survive and maintain its coherence under unfixed internal and external factors. The word 'adaptation' implies a result at a certain point in time, an adjustment that is a state of relatedness. Adaptability helps me first of all, establish strong contact with child or his parents, to receive feedback. My patients and me get quickly accustomed to each other, which is important for fertile work. At our first meeting, seeing new person often causes strange feelings in child or even in his parents, so adaptability is essential as I have consulting duties.'Restorative' implies ability to help others to restore themselves (whatever - their health or mood). As for me those who help children with behavioural problems are required to be restorative, as it is possible to get positive results only possessing such a quality. Medical therapy is important - beyond any doubt - , but it is even more important to restore child's psychics, give him a charge of energy, which will help him cope with his crisis.Intellection in practical meaning is some kind of sensibility. In other words, I always meet all the troubles examining them with my reason, trying to consider them carefully, but not to dive and not to be lost sink in my patient's problems. My common sense is conditional to scrutinizing exceptionally complicated cases.Intellection is way to detailed case examination, which is necessary for me in long-lasting case management. In addition, excessive emotionality is harmful or even hazardous during the work with children who have behavioral problems, thus, I never forget that I am first of all, a specialist and have to act within the frames of my duties.Also I never rush making decision, since I believe it is possible to solve a problem only after extended working with information and gaining some experience concerning particular case.If I say I am deliber ative, it means that I am always ready to

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Pervasive Computing Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Pervasive Computing Case Study - Essay Example Furthermore, it also allows telecommuters to combine their work from home with other forms of teleworking. It is the result of a better access to high speed internet connections, an improved ability to concentrate and a better balance between work and family according to The International Telework Association & Council (ITAC)3. As seen on the extract of Anne Fisher's article, there is a real debate on the advantages and drawbacks of teleworking. We will try to define these two sides of that type of work from two points of views: the teleworker himself and the managers of a teleworking team. In the first question of our essay we have seen some of the benefits of telecommuting. Teleworkers can define their own schedule which can include working before or after regular office hours, they achieve to balance their personal life with their work better than they used to and they show an increased concentration and therefore a higher productivity. The Midwest Institute for Telecommuting Education announces that home workers present an increase of 3 to 25% in productivity4. Nevertheless Paul Dickerson's story is a perfect example of the drawbacks of teleworking. As he was working from home, people started to believe that he was unemployed and avoided him. Even if the share of teleworkers in the total volume of workers is increasing, it has not completely reached a social recognition and people that are working from home could be considered as unemployed or lazy. However it appears, in Dickerson's case that he has now a different problem. As his friends are now aware of how he organizes a day of work, they believe that he has a lot of free time. Working from home requires an important organization. On one hand it is much more flexible and you can combine several activities at the same time, but on the other hand you have to show a strong discipline in order to accomplish your tasks and reach your objectives. The managers and the businesses can also face some difficulties when dealing with teleworking. Joseph Cothrel first describes us the lack of non-verbal communication in teleworking. He explains that when you receive an email from a teleworkers you don't have any tone of voice or meaningful pauses which according to him can convey crucial information. One of the main issues of teleworking is presented here. The communication can be difficult because you are not directly in contact with the worker. All the elements of body language are missing and ultimately this can delay the work. Instead of a direct explanation, you will need several emails to correctly define the work which has to be done and the managers will not have any awareness of the worker's feelings regarding their request. Christina Parr raises another danger. The in-office workers can wrongly consider the teleworkers, they may believe they are not working at all. We are again faced with the social notion of work which is attending work in an office from 9a.m. to 5p.m. However Parr and J. Scott Calhoun present their teleworkers as accountable and reachable and the speech that Calhoun gives to his in-office workers is more than

Contract Law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Contract Law - Case Study Example The Director General of Fair Trading v. First National Bank [2001] 1 AC 481, was a test case, which has garnered a considerable amount of attention and controversy on the issues of fairness (equality) and reasonableness. Albeit the case is a local one, before the test is completed it will have far reaching implications and impact throughout the entire European Union. The issue of fairness is one which we are all compelled to deal with on a daily basis. Consequently, we are all familiar with its challenges, even for the most reasonable of men, we are perplexed by the paradigm of how does one be fair to one, and without being unfair to the other. The issues in this case gives it a special flavor, as it is spiced with social dimensions, economic ramifications as well as psychological overtones. It is not to be taken lightly, that there are elements present in this legal montage, which will take quite sometime (if ever) to untangle. Because it involves reasonableness, it is my contention that the initial remedy which will be presented by the court on these legal principles will be remedial, and the absolute relief will evolve over time. Given the fact that large financial institutions and the human element are at the forefront of these issues, the battle will be waged on the economic necessity battlefield of persuasion and influence. Nonetheless, I am convinced that the judiciary is prepared to serve the public good and preserve the human element.... similar substantive facts or circumstances and align them with the existing statutes which are applicable to the surrounding facts of the case. These facts are aligned with the pertinent statutes in an attempt to determine whether the defendant has committed a breach or to determine the level or severity of the alleged breach. In that the determination of a breach is referenced against the existing statute and aligned with the cases which are similar within this continuum, it is not often that a standing opinion is overturned. This is particularly true in a judicial climate where the bench is dominated by a number of strict constructionist judges; these persons interpret the constitution and statutes exactly as they are written and allow little or no room for expanding interpretations. Nonetheless, the expansion of interpretations or a broad reading of the statute can and does result, albeit rarely; there has to be at least two critical variables present to bring about the change of existing law; (1) The plaintiff must be able to show convincing and corrabarated proof to the court, documented history of a particular breach or number of breaches by a particular or specific group of defendants against a specific person or class of persons, and (2) reasonableness; the most intangible and transitional3 variable attached to the court or judges decisions. There is no question that this variable. Is intangible and the transitional state of reasonableness on an issue can be one thing today, yet another tomorrow; there are any number of situations or reasons which could

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Visual Analysis Project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Visual Analysis Project - Research Paper Example The Caribbean Chili advert features the image of a glossy man pensively seated in a relaxed posture. The text of the ad says â€Å"Alluring, Let the alluring charm of CARIBEAN CHILL take you on a cruise to the islands†. This is followed by ‘KOOL SMOOTH FUSIONS from the House of Menthol†, and appears to be targeting young smokers who want to appear ‘cool’. The image of the pensive man is intertwined in a vast network of lines, depicting the smooth appeal of the product. The background behind the man is a shadow of trees depicting beautiful sceneries common in the Caribbean island, especially at dusk or early mornings. It is the image of delightful twilight sceneries. The advert targets young consumers, and specifically men. A picture of cigarette packet is visibly shown with the words ‘CARIBBEAN CHILL’ plainly written across it in bold. The use of the words ‘Available for a limited time only’ under the cigarette packet clearly communicates the message to the audience. This appears to be a marketing offer. At the bottom a Surgeon General’s warning is clearly printed â€Å"Cigarette Smoke Contains Carbon Monoxide†. ... From the picture, it appears that the Kool smokers are out for a good time with the girls. Further, it appear young male Kool smokers are irresistible. The name of the product is clearly printed on the packets. However, the words on the bottom of the ad are not clear. It could either be a warning for smokers and or information about the advertiser. A critical analysis of the Caribbean Chili ad suggests that the author was trying to promote the product. The use of the words ‘Available for a limited time only’ in the ad communicates an important message to the audience. It informs viewers that the advertisement is a promotion or offer with limited time. The product being promoted and the advertiser are clearly shown. The ad clearly highlights the need for tobacco control policies as illustrated in the Surgeon General’s warning. A critical analysis suggests that the author exemplifies the promotional allowance type of tobacco advertising and promotion. This appears t o target both retail and wholesale promotional allowances. Although packaging is an important method for branding and maintaining product appeal, the visibility of the package shows that the author was keen to advertising on the package. The ad is particularly appealing to the youth segment as reflected in the unique packaging. This is especially important given that cigarette packages are not discarded after a single use rather; they are opened each time a cigarette is removed from the packet. Further analysis of the ad shows that the author was trying to send a message beyond the promotion of the Caribbean Chili. The artist demonstrates the beauty of the Caribbean island is illustrated in the background. The beautiful scene of the island is shown in a twilight giving the ad

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Critique of any Psy article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Critique of any Psy article - Essay Example The first hypothesis examined the improvements in children’s drawing performance with increase in age. The second hypothesis tested the following pattern of metacognitive experiences with drawing performance. Further, children’s feelings before and after the drawing was also hypothesized. Finally, the fourth hypothesis tested metacognitive experiences development with respect to type and complexity of drawing tasks. A total of 222 preschool and primary school children between the ages of 4-12 years participated in conduction of the research. Out of the 222 selected children, 40 were preschool and 69 were second grade, 65 were fourth grade and 48 were sixth grade children with equal gender representation. Testing involved completion of four drawing tasks conducted individually in their respective schools. Children were provided with white sheets and a pencil, and asked to draw two simple topics of choice and two scenes in which one object was occluded by the other. Metac ognitive experiences were measured by rating of a four point scale before and after each task. Around 90 to 96 percent of agreement existed between the two judges marking the scores. ANOVAs were applied to compare the differences among the hypothesized subject groups. The research results concluded that age has significant effects on overall drawing performance of children.

Monday, September 23, 2019

To what extent are organisations socially constructed phenomena Essay - 2

To what extent are organisations socially constructed phenomena - Essay Example In any case, the understanding of the relationship between organizations and society requires the following practice: each aspect of organizations has to be analyzed as of its potential interaction with social norms. In this context, change, culture and symbolism, as important elements of modern organizations, are analyzed and interpreted using appropriate theoretical frameworks. The relationship between organization and society is close but it can be periodically alternated under the influence of the local political and economic environment. 2. Organizations as socially constructed phenomena 2.1 Organization and society In order to understand the level at which society influences organizational practices, it would be necessary to refer to certain of the frameworks used for explaining the organizational ethics and structure, as parts of the organizational strategy for achieving the organizational mission. ... Organizations, as business units operating within a particular society, cannot avoid the influences from the society. This fact is reflected in various parts/ characteristics of organizations. For example, each organization is based on its workforce, a group of people having to perform specific tasks in various organizational departments. Society is constructed by groups of people, i.e. ‘families, peer groups and work groups’ (Tischler 2010, p.127) that cooperate for developing specific social or economic activities. In the study of Carroll et al. (2008) reference is made to another common element of society and organization: the technology. Technology, in various forms, is critical for the success of business operations. However, technology is also involved in the interests of the public. The most common example of this type is the technology used in healthcare organizations. The technology used in communications is another example where the intervention of technology i n social activities is made clear. In the context of its mission each organization is expected to invest on technology, which is expected to support the organizational growth. However, this practice may come in opposition to exiting social ethics. An indicative example of this case is included in the study of Carroll et al. (2008, p.352): biotechnology is a sector highly developed the last decades as it can help to the development of effective treatment for a series of diseases; however, this technology is also used for promoting activities which are not accepted by the society, as, for example, the research on cloning. Organizations that operate in the specific industry often have to face the strong opposition of the public, a fact indicating that the

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Importance of nutrition during the Infancy and Toddler-hood period Essay Example for Free

Importance of nutrition during the Infancy and Toddler-hood period Essay Children are a blessing from God and it is therefore important that we ensure that those bundles of joy are well taken care of. Infants are generally taken to be children from birth to around one year, and it becomes therefore important to give them utmost care since they are at their most vulnerable stage in life. This care should not only be confined to attention and love but most importantly should be the focus of what and how best to feed the infant. Scientists have expressed their belief that what we feed our infants might have drastic consequences later in life. These consequences include such conditions as diabetes and obesity and the rampant rate of obesity in developed countries might just be a reflection of the inability of parents to feed their children’s appropriately (Fallows Kingham, 2005). Doctors have stated categorically that child4ren should be fed milk only during the first six months of their lives and it should be noted that faulting this wise counsel could risk the health of these infants in the future. Breast milk contains all the vital nutrients that an infant need in order to grow and appropriate vitamins to boost his/her immune system top fend off diseases. It is important to note that while it is advisable to feed the infant using breast milk, infants could also be fed with formula as a supplement of breast milk. There are many reasons why many mothers choose to use formula to feed their babies. Some simply find out that breastfeeding does not work for them either for psychological or practical reasons. The demands of life that leads to very busy lifestyles work against the need for mothers to be with their children full time and formula simply happens to be a better alternative. However, there are still those who express their breast milk in feeding bottles and the milk is fed to the infant by someone else who is available to care for the toddler (Ward, 2009). Infants usually need to feed eight to twelve times in a day since they are growing rapidly and the proteins inside the milk are a vital component for this growth. For those with infants who sleep a lot, it is advisable to wake them regularly in order to feed the since failure to do so might hamper their growth. It is also recommended that parents take their babies to the clinic to have them weighed and observed to ensure that they are growing in a healthy manner and acquire vital information about how best to take care of their babies. There are signs to observe during the sixth month to signify that the infant is ready to start being weaned. This include such period when the baby can sit up, baby does not reject the food put in its mouth, can pick up food stuffs and stuff it into the mouth and an increased appetite for milk. Babies should be weaned slowly with a meal per day and it is important to continue breast feeding at least till one year. Some of the food which one can feed and infant include cereals, soft fruits, rice and vegetables that can be crushed. However, around 10 months infants are ready to be introduced to adult foods but such a transition should be handled with utmost care. As the baby becomes a toddler a period which lasts from between 12 months to 24 months, his food needs increases. During this period the toddler starts to walk and he requires increased proteins for growth and energy foods to sustain his activities. At this period toddlers may change their eating habits due to changes in growth patterns. Moreover, toddlers become choosy when it comes to certain foods and it is nothing to do with illness. Again, parents needs top be careful about the food they feed the infants and toddlers since some of them might be allergic and impair the health of this babies. They should therefore make a point of seeking information diligently about how best to feed their children (Papalia, Wendkos Duskin, 2007). References Fallows,C. Karen Kingham, K. (2005). Baby Toddler Food. Murdoch books. Papalia, D. , Wendkos S. Duskin, R. (2007). A Child’s World: Infancy through Adolescence:11th Ed. McGraw-Hill Ward, E. (2009). What to Feed Your Baby and Toddler. Retrieved May 17, 2009 from http://children. webmd. com/guide/what-to-feed-your-baby-toddler.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

David Cronenbergs A History Of Violence Film Studies Essay

David Cronenbergs A History Of Violence Film Studies Essay In my presentation about Cronenbergs A History of Violence I discussed the human relationships, the importance of recurring scenes and the question of genetics, parental example and conscious choice. Cronenbergs movie is extremely complex and there are still plenty of topics which can be further analysed, so this time I would like to examine topics like the question of identity or the nature of violence. Furthermore, as A History of Violence is said to be no typical Cronenbergian movie, I would like to compare it with one of his earlier, more characteristic movies, eXistenZ, and demonstrate with it the above statement. When we first meet the Stall family, we have no idea that violence will have something to do with one of the members. Cronenberg uses very professionally a kind of diverting action by introducing first the two mob guys whose appearance will have such vital consequences. The Stall family seems to be a model family with a happy life in a small town. Tom Stall is running a successful, little diner, has two model children and a beautiful, clever wife, with whom their relationship is just as content and intimate as it was 20 years ago in the beginning of their marriage. His wife is certainly satisfied with their life together and thinks that her husband is the best man in the world. Their life changes significantly as the plot develops. One evening the two mob figures, which can be seen in the first scene arrive in Millbrook and go into Toms diner. When they attack the staff, Tom Stall transforms in no time into a local hero and killing the two assaulters saves the lives of those present. Of course, these events put Tom immediately into the limelight; his picture appears in the newspaper and reporters arrive in Millbrook to make an interview with him. The family hopes that this curiosity will soon wane, however it rather leads to the turning point in their life. In a few days time some more mob guys appear in the diner under the leadership of a certain Carl Fogarty, claiming that they know Tom, who is indeed not Tom but Joey and is from Philadelphia. Although Tom denies everything they are not willing to take notice of it and get off the family even after the warning of the local sheriff. There is a turning point in Toms attitude when Fogarty and his man catch Jack after a quarrel between him and his father. They offer to let Jack go if Tom is willing to go with them to Philadelphia for a trip down Memory Lane. Although with Jacks help Tom manages to kill all the three mob guys, this is the point in the movie when it becomes clear both for Toms family and for the viewers that he must have been Joey once. Later we learn that most probably he was born into a gangster family and naturally he also became a violent figure, however when he grew older he decided to give up the way he lived before and spent three years becoming Tom. He decided to take on the name Stall, simply because it was available. It was his meeting with his future wife Edie that helped him to take leave from Joey and adopt a normal lifestyle. Tom seems to be able to draw a distinct line between the two periods of his life when he says that it was Joey who did those violent actions and never Tom. When we watch the events Tom has already spent almost as many years being Tom as being Joey. But is it possible to leave behind everything and become a completely new person from one day to another? Watching the film, it is, however i n Toms case it had an influence not only on his life but also on his familys. It is especially interesting to examine this question from Edies and the childrens point of view: What do you do when you discover that your husband or father has concealed everything about his early life? Was he lying to you, or protecting you? Did you love someone who didnt really exist? (Roger Ebert, 2005). Looking at these question the confusion and shock of the family is easily understandable, but on the other hand, we have to mention that on the evening when the two criminals showed up in the diner it was Joey who saved Tom. If Tom hadnt been Joey earlier, most probably he would have been killed in that incident. It is also interesting to observe how Tom transforms back to Joey when he returns to Philadelphia. The two characters are absolutely different: Tom is a classical, stoic American patriarch while Joey is an active, strong, effective anti-hero (Beaty, 2008.). Going back to Philadelphia and transform once again into Joey is necessary und unavoidable for Tom as he wants to protect his family from the fatal consequences of his brothers visit into Millbrook. This way, he has no other choice than to go but it is also important to mention that his only motif is to get back safely and repair his life with his broken family. It is well-known that A History of violence is not a typical Cronenbergian film, it is difficult to establish even its genre. It can easily be a thriller, action-movie, or a family drama containing horror elements. According to Beaty (2008), the movie is about disguises and a network of lies. Its core story is about a man masking his true identity. Tom Stall isnt what he first appears to be and the film isnt what it first appears to be.(p.12). This leads us to ask two main question during and after the film: 1. Who is Tom Stall? 2. What really is this film? For the second question David Cronenberg gave the following answer: A History of Violence is a kind of inside-out version of what I normally do (Beaty, 2008, p.15). Last but not least, it is also important to mention that playing such a double character is no easy task. Viggo Mortensen made a very good job and it was not by accident that Cronenberg fixed his choice on him: I need a kind of eccentricity that is more typical of a character actor than a leading man and yet still has a leading man presence and charisma. (Beaty, 2008, p.21). David Cronenberg had to find an actor who could play with equal skill both a small-town man and a violent criminal and as Beaty mentions it was Mortensen who combined both traits of the leading man and the character actor (p.21). Violence Already the title of Cronenbergs movie contains the keywords of its story. The title A History of Violence lets the viewers to suspect a number of things about the film. This title can mean at least three things. It can refer to the historical custom of settling disputes by using violence (e.g. war, duals), but it can also refer to a person having a history of violence, that is, a past full of violent actions. In addition, it can refer to the fact that throughout the evolution violence was carried on from father to son, from generation to generation (Ebert, 2005). I think at least two of these topics can be found in the movie. Throughout the history of humanity, violence was always present. We are all naturally partial to violence even if in our day committing violence is no more acceptable except for some good reasons. Such reasons are, for example, when we want to defend ourselves, someone else or our property. In the US, for example, you are allowed to defend your property with a gun. Another acceptable however still controversial reason for committing violence is war and wartime situations and a third one is when we use violence as a punishment, although this is not everywhere an acceptable form of punishment (for example, death penalty is in practice only in some countries of the world). Even if acting violently is not acceptable in a number of situations, we cannot break away from it and more or less we all have a propensity for it. We watch it in the cinema, in television, there is a whole movie industry built on it with innumerable action, thriller and horror films (at this point I have to mention that A History of Violence is also one of them). Throughout the history before the emergence of the movie industry such events as bloody executions and torturing of convicts served as public entertainment. Warfare and duals were another examples. As Desson Thomson (2005) writes, A History of Violence forces us to confront this Pavlovian conditioning to violence. According to scientist, this attachment of ours to violence comes from our animal past, our need to find food and defend ourselves by killing the enemy if we want to survive. Genetically this propensity for violence is still in us and it is carried over from generation to generation (Baumgarten, 2005). However, even if violence is in connection with our animal past and animal instincts we have something else that makes us different from animals and this is the ability to make conscious choices and say no to our instincts. This ability together with a good family example can lead to the right path. As David Cronenberg put it: Genetically, I have to say yes, it is obvious that people have a propensity for violence. It comes from our animal past, our need to survive. But we also have that other thing, that imagination to abstract and say: well we can imagine a world in which we dont do these things that we find abhorrent by negotiation, by diplomacy, by compassion, by empathy. (OHehir, 2005) Toms/Joeys and Jacks example illustrates very well the above idea. From the movie it becomes clear that most probably Joey was born into a gangster family where violence was an everyday thing. On the one hand, this served as an example for him; while on the other hand, violence was also in his genes. This way, it was almost unavoidable for him to become just the same as his family. However, as he grew older he became able to make a conscious choice and decided to leave behind his previous lifestyle. As opposed to this, Jack, his son was born into a normal family and had a normal parental example. As a consequence, he could avoid becoming violent even if it was also in his genes via his father. But the importance of example is very well demonstrated by the events in the film if take a closer look on them. Jack is still very young and therefore easy to influence. So when he sees what a hero his father becomes after he kills those two criminals his attitude towards violence changes radically, although until then he tried to avoid confrontation and violent situations. This is what Cronenberg said about him and about the question of our propensity for violence in an interview: You have the story of the son who avenges himself against a bully () When we first meet him, the boy seems to be a pretty good politician. he can talk his way out of a violent confrontation. He uses his wits, he uses his humour and () therefore he avoids violence. () Then he sees the celebrity his father attains after his acts of violence and hes intrigued by that. () Are we talking about a genetic propensity to violence or is it a cultural one? He feels that he wouldnt mind some of that celebrity on his own level. Therefore, the next opportunity he has, he ends up committing violence. Hes unrepentant afterwards and does connect it to his father (OHehir, 2005). According to Beaty, Cronenberg used the violent scenes in a conscious way. It is not by accident that we see mutilated bodies and faces but rather because the director wanted the viewers to see the brutal consequences of violence. This is not characteristic of every action film. Cronenberg wanted us to realize what we see in those films is only half the truth, that action films build on our desire to see violence in an attractive way. As opposed to those films, Cronenberg wanted to show us what real violence looks like and what the real consequences of it are. As Renà ©e Rodrigues put it: he forces you to consider what it means exactly, to shoot someone in the face and how once that line is crossed, it becomes much easier to do it again (Beaty, 2008, p.7). As violence is a crucial point in the movie, mob figures have a very important role in it. The two such figures are Carl Fogarty, played by Ed Harris and Richi Cusack, played by William Hurt, both of them famous and highly acclaimed actors. Although they spend only very short time on screen, both of them have a critical role. According to Beaty, for the role of Richi Cusack Cronenberg did not need a typical gangster or a clichà © mob figure but a character that can be taken seriously. He had to be compelling, convincing, charismatic, scary, profound and ironic at the same time (2008, p.24). William Hurt was a perfect choice. A History of Violence versus eXistenZ, a typical Cronenberg movie If we take a closer look on the list of Cronenbergs previous films, it is clear that A History of Violence is not a typical one. Before 2005 Cronenberg made mainly abstract, weird films, the topics of which dealt with scientific, psychological, medical or virtual issues. Although a slight minority of the viewers praised loudly these films, most of them were no box-offices. In a way, this is understandable as these films were not the typical Hollywood movies. They were difficult to apprehend, had multiple layers and needed the viewer to think hard if he wanted to understand the message. Of course, this is also characteristic of A History of Violence, in which we can find a number of topics relevant for discussion, for example the nature and the consequences of violence, genetic heritage, the changing nature of personal relationships, the question of identity or the importance of parental example, just to mention a few. Cronenbergs 1999 movie eXistenZ is a very good example for his earlier and more characteristic style. There are huge differences between eXistenZ and A History of Violence. eXistenZ is taking place in a dark future where people are no more contented with their real life, instead they are obsessed with playing virtual games. These virtual games are not the nowadays fashionable mechanical computer games, but instead organic virtual reality games. According to Howe (1999), In this society, people get bioported, so they can plug in to the largest game system of ecstatic hyper-reality. They tap directly into their nervous systems, by connecting their bioports to flesh-textured pods (containing the game software, as it were) by means of an umbilical-like Umby-Cord'. In this near future there are two big video game companies competing with each other and Allegra Geller (Jennifer Jason Leigh) became a kind of superstar by inventing the latest world famous game, called eXistenZ. The opening s cene of the movie takes place in a church where a small group of people is testing her game, when Allegra is attacked and has to flee with the help of security guard Ted Pikul (Jude Law). The movie becomes weirder and weirder when they find out that Allegra was shot with an organic pistol made of bones and teeth and this is why it wasnt detected by Ted. A bit later Allegra discovers that most probably her pod containing the only copy of her game was damaged. She wants to test it by playing the game with Ted when he admits that he has no bioport saying: I have this phobia about having my body penetrated surgically. After Allegra convinces him that getting bioported will change his life they head to a gas station where a service station operator performs the bizarre procedure (Howe, 1999). After overcoming some more difficulties there is nothing to prevent them from playing. From this point it becomes more and more difficult to decide what is reality and what is game and in the virtua l world Ted and Allegra discover new characteristics of their personality. At the end of the film it becomes clear that the viewer was intentionally mislead when we find out that we have seen the world of the virtual game right from the beginning. The world of eXistenZ is altogether different from the world of A History of Violence. Not knowing it as a fact, the unsuspecting viewer would never presume that both of these films were directed by one person. While A History of violence mainly concentrates on issues like violence, identity and the family in a moment of crisis, eXistenZ examines the individual in transformation and the question What is reality?. (Beaty, 2008) As opposed to eXistenZ, A History of Violence is taking place in these days, the events follow each other in strict chronological order, it shows the real world and we do not have to suspect what is reality and what is not. Compared to eXistenZ, the plot is easy to follow and understand. There are major differences in visual and sound effects, too. On the one hand, while in A History of Violence music plays an important role in many decisive scenes (like the closing one), it is not characteristic of eXistenZ. On the other hand, while the first is characterised by colourful, clear images, the second one has mainly dark and dim pictures as a lot of events happen at night. But why is A History of Violence so different from the characteristic movies of Cronenberg? As I have already written above, even if some people praised his earlier works, these became almost never box-offices. By 2005 already two decades passed since his last big success and according to Beaty (2008, p. 19), Although critics and film festival audiences were more and more fond of his work the commercial cinema audience turned away from him. By this time Cronenberg was very short of money and he knew that he was desperately in need of a hit to raise funds. Basically, that is why he decided to direct A History of Violence. I needed the money- he said. (Beaty, 2008, p. 19). A History of Violence is a radical break from the past (Beaty, 2008, p. 11). Compared to eXistenZ, it was made in Cronenbergs most realist style and according to Beaty, it is not only Tom Stall/Joey Cusack in the film who is playing a role but also David Cronenberg who is playing the role of a Hollywood filmmaker: In the end we are left with a film in which a maker of some of the most grotesque films in history suppresses the grotesqueries of the plot in order to tell the story of a man who is suppressing his true (and rather grotesque) nature. It is striking that, in playing to Middle America, Cronenberg hided his true self in a film about a man hiding his true self in the middle of America. (Beaty, 2008, p. 12). Conclusion In my essay I wanted to demonstrate that Cronenbergs A History of Violence is a very complex film, having many topics fit for discussion and debate, of which I wrote now extensively only about three: the nature of violence, identity and the differences between A History of Violence and other films of Cronenberg. I hope that with my presentation and my essay together I could illustrate that although David Cronenberg is not a common film director, he deserves to be called one of the most important Canadian film directors, whose aim is not only to entertain but also to raise significant topics and make his audience think about them.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Relationship Between Lifestyle And Health Health And Social Care Essay

Relationship Between Lifestyle And Health Health And Social Care Essay Lifestyle is the way that a person lives. Therefore, lifestyle reflects our behaviour, attitude, culture and personality. In addition, lifestyle might affect peoples thoughts, work, social activity and health. It may be true that the quality of the medical service has improved in the last decade in developed countries and some developing countries; however, lifestyle patterns are a key role in improving our quality of life. This essay explains the concept of healthy lifestyle and the factors that affect our health in our environment; then, discuses some important effects of lifestyle on specific diseases on the disease preventions and progression. Lifestyle factors have a greater impact than genetic factors. Lifestyle factors might improve the genetics but not the opposite. For example, obesity caused by genetic defect gets better by changing the lifestyle patterns that include following a special diet and doing regular exercise. Healthy lifestyle achievements depend on individuals needs and the environment around them. Therefore, studies and research were done in order to recognize the optimum lifestyle for genders in all age groups. This study revealed that lifestyle modifications are important measures in both diseases preventions and treatment. Achievements of optimum lifestyles required group working. They are not only doctors responsibilities; however, parents, teachers, doctors and politicians play a role in achieving this goal. The media also have an essential role in lifestyles modifications by highlight the issues and encourage people to act properly in their lives. Foods companies have greater responsibility toward the public by producing healthy foods to build good environment for people. There are many reasons for the disparity in lifestyle patterns between the people from the same country and even in the same city. These reasons have been noted by researchers in the public health field. These differences have been discovered to be as a result of social variation, geographical area and education level. So, people who live in poverty or in low social class category have a poor chance of survival. In other words, individuals who behave healthily are more likely to be found in higher social classes. Poor people do not care about life quality rather than how they live that due to lack of resources and deficiency in services. For instance, a less nutritious diet may be chosen because of restrictions on income or in adequate food distribution in their area. Less physical activity may be undertaken because of lack of leisure facilities in low class areas or the poor salary they get to make use of them. On the other hand, some situations are the result of a much greater degree of choice. Geographical differences also have an effect on lifestyle pattern. For example, people who live in hot areas cannot maintain a healthy lifestyle especially a good range of physical activity as result of the hot climate. On the other hand, those living in very cold area have the same problems as well. Educational level variations in the whole population may cause some difficulties in following healthy lifestyle. Much research focusing on the quality of life among qualified individuals and unqualified individuals revealed that better life and living patterns are found in people with degrees and the worse living patterns with those of a low educational level. Scientists believe that there are seven essential factors in lifestyle which have huge impact or well known effect. These factors are diet, physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption, stress, weight gain and social interaction. Moreover, scientists found a close correlation between specific diseases and these lifestyle factors such as heart disease especially ischemic heart disease, stroke and diabetes. There are many diseases that have strong relationships between the pathogenesis and the lifestyle factors either in etiological factors or preventive measures or as non pharmacological treatments. For examples, diabetes may be caused by obesity or weight gain; ischemic heart disease may be caused by smoking and foods contain high fat as well as stress. In other words, different types of diseases are caused by variable lifestyle factors. Thus, eating healthy foods can prevent the occurrence of some illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, stroke and ischemic heart disease. Moreover, quitting smoking may decrease the chance of developing cancer. Lifestyle modifications are used as non-pharmacological treatments for example, salt reduction in diet is one of the measures used in treating hypertension. A study shows relation between lifestyle factors and mortality rate in individuals has cardiovascular diseases. Obesity with body mass index over 30 is three times more likely to die of cardiovascular causes than those with Body mass index less (18.5à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬24.9). One quarter of cancer deaths and one third of heart diseases deaths were attributable to smoking. Individuals who exercised more than 5.5 hour per week are approximately half as likely to die of heart disease as those who are less active. On the whole, 72 percent of cardiovascular mortality, 44 percent of cancer mortality, and 55 percent of all-cause mortality were attributable to having any of four risk factors: being overweight, smoking cigarettes, not engaging in physical activity, and having a low healthy diet intake. Lifestyles modifications have greater influences on the overall health statues of the communities. These changes may improve the diseases outcome, reduces the chance of diseases progression and control its complication. For instance, decrease dietary intakes of foods containing unsaturated fat improve already exciting heart disease. These changes also have noticeable effects on ageing related problems such as Alzheimer disease. There is a huge gap at the level of health promotions in dealing with different lifestyle factors. Tobacco control policy has been facilitated by hundreds of epidemiologic and corroborative laboratory studies over more than four decades has made a clear connection between smoking and many cancers, heart diseases and many other health problems. Unlike nutrition and physical activity, those are necessary parts of our daily life. Therefore, public health specialists act to fill the gap and promote the health of the human being by doing research and through a deep study of these issues. In conclusion, lifestyle is a manner of living that reflects individuals behaviour, attitude, thought and believes. Regardless the improvement in health services maintains healthy lifestyle is mandatory to live healthy wonderful life. Healthy lifestyles are not what we think healthy but what research addressed healthy. Many factors affect lifestyles optimizes such as people needs and cultures. Lifestyles factors have greater influence than genetic factors on the health status of the individuals. In order to achieve a healthy community the multidisciplinary approach is essential. Differences in lifestyles between people are due to their socioeconomic classes, living area and the education level. There are overwhelming evidences that show a strong relationship between the lifestyles factors and diseases risk factors and diseases treatment. Underestimations of some lifestyles factors overcome by doing deep investigation by health care providers. In fact, healthy lifestyle is the aim to get healthy life. Abdullah ALMilibary

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Cleo 5 to 7 as a New Wave Film Essay -- Movie Film Essays

Cleo 5 to 7 as a New Wave Film Agnes Varda is not only one of the few female directors of new wave cinema; she is also credited as having helped create the genre. Her short film La Point–Courte is considered by some as the first new wave film. Her first full length movie, Cleo 5 to 7 falls within this genre as well. It is the story of a young woman dying of cancer and how she sees the world in the context of time. We follow the singer Cleo as she changes into the woman Flora and as she does so she begins to look at time in a different manner. It is the way time is represented through the camera shots which really make this film part of its new wave genre. The movie begins with a five minute prologue that occurs during the credits in which we receive all the important aspects of the following 90 minute film. We see a fortune teller, or rather a shot of her hands while she turns over the tarot cards that are Cleo’s fortune. This scene uses a multitude of hand shots, contrasting the old woman’s and the young woman’s hands. During the scene there is a jump cut between from the old...

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

An Analysis of Robert Frosts Mending Wall :: Mending Wall Essays

An Analysis of Robert Frost's Mending Wall Mending Wall, by Robert Frost portrays the routines of two neighbors who are constantly mending the fence, or wall, that separates their properties. If a stone is missing form the fence, you can bet that the two men are out there putting it back together piece by piece. Frost's description of every detail in this poem is quite interesting, very pleasant to read, and extremely imaginable. He leaves the reader to decide for himself what deductions he is to make from the reading. On one hand, Frost makes literal implications about what the two men are doing. For instance, they are physically putting the stones back, one by one. Their dedication, commitment, and constant drive shines through when reading how persistence these men seem about keeping the wall intact. Quite the contrary however, is the inferences that something even deeper is going on. There is a sharing experience taking place here. Indeed, by laboring so hard, each man is experiencing physical repercussions, but they are also using this time as a "meet and greet" period. We can gather from the beginning of the poem that the wall has many forces that keep's it in shambles. For instance, Frost writes; "...that sends the frozen ground swell under it and spills the upper boulders in the sun...", and "I have come after them(hunters) and made repair where they have left not one stone on a stone..." The man and his neighbor don't seem to have time for anything else, for it sounds as if they are constantly making repairs. Is there a reason for this? It is important to note that not only are these men completing a manly task, but they are also "building" some type of relationship. If this were not an issue, the neighbor would not repeat; "Good fences make good neighbors." As the man tells his story, we find that even though the two men may be conversing and interacting, there is some distance between them at all times. The man says; "...on a day we meet to walk the line and set the wall between us once again." It seems to show that even though there is a need for friendship in each of us, it is equally as necessary for us to have our own space.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Medical Assistant Ethics

There are numerous ethical issues that a medical assistant may encounter in a daily office or hospital setting. It is unethical to have a conversation with a fellow coworker regarding a patient. The patient may overhear or worse they may be related to someone in the office. It is no one’s business as to why the patient had an appointment. Another unethical behavior that is unacceptable is foul language in front of the patients. They do not need to hear that kind of language under any circumstances. When a patient comes in to see you and smells of urine or alcohol, be courteous to the patient and do not judge the patient. This patient may not have the means to shower daily or they may be sick and are unaware of the odor. A good thing to remember when dealing with an ethical issue is always do the right thing at the right time and it will never become an issue. Medical Assistants need to put themselves into the shoes of the patient. They need to ask themselves, how would I want to be treated? How would I like to be recognized in the eyes of the health care worker? How would I want my family treated? In doing this little experiment on a daily basis they will come to realize that we all are human and need to be treated equally, no matter what the situation may be. The general skills of a Medical Assistant consist of basic customer service. They must be able to communicate between the doctors and the patients. They need to do this within the legal and ethical boundaries. Document every conversation because if it is not documented then the conversation never happened. Educate the patient within the scope of practice. Let the patient know of community resources for future reference of patients’ needs. Operational functions are also a part of the daily duties of a Medical Assistant. Performing inventory of supplies and equipment so items can be replenished. Doing these functions will always help in maintaining the highest quality of care for the patient. Clinical skills of the CMA of general patient care to make them as comfortable as possible. Many diagnostic procedures are required of the CMA; from collecting specimens to performing radiology tests. Fundamental principles consisting of sterilizing rooms and equipment are skills that a CMA will do daily. Doing these clinical skills while practicing standard precautions must be a high priority for everyone in the health care facility. Administrative skills are essential for a CMA to do the job that is required of them. It is all done via computer so there typing skills must be adequate for them to succeed. From patient schedules to bookkeeping to insurance forms, all is done on a daily basis. Licensure is when a government agency authorizes individuals to work in a job. A CMA does not need a license to work. Professions needing licenses are nurses and therapists. Registration is a professional organization in a specific health care field that administers exams and/or maintains a list of qualified individuals. CMA’s can apply for a registration credential. This would give them a better paying job and more responsibilities at their present facility. Certification involves the issuing of a certificate and credentials by a professional organization to someone who has met the experience and education guidelines of that organization. This basically tells everyone that you have finished your schooling for Medical Assisting. For a Medical Assistant to maintain his/her certification they must recertify either by passing the CMA exam again or by receiving sixty recertification points, thirty of which must be AAMA approved CEU’s. The points must be as follows 10 administrative, 10 clinical, 10 general and 30 from any combination of the above three categories. You must also submit proof (photocopy of the card and length of program) of current, provider level CPR certification. Continuing education units (CEU’s) can be received by reading online books and taking a test when finished. The AAMA sponsors many workshops, seminars, and county, state, and national conferences for MA’s to remain current in their field and earn the CEU’s. For the safety of the patient and employee, an MA should never perform any tasks that are outside the scope of the MA practice. Outside the scope of a Medical Assistant’s practice would be suturing a wound, administering a pap test for a female patient, or possibly giving the patient the diagnosis of the symptoms they are experiencing. A physician should never delegate the full range of physical therapy to anyone other than a physical therapist. Under no circumstances should the Medical Assistant do any duties that are outside their scope of practice. If I were approached by my supervisor to perform outside of my scope of practice, I would calmly and rationally refuse the request. I do not feel that any job is worth losing if you are asked to perform it wrong. I would explain to my supervisor politely that I am not qualified to perform the task asked and I would suggest someone else in the facility that is capable. I would let them know I would be willing to help out with any other task that is within my scope of practice. In order to find the article listed, I went to google. com and found an article from AAMA website on scope of practice act for Wisconsin. You can also go to AAMA website. Click on site map. Go to CMA today and scroll down. Click on Public Affairs Articles. Scroll down until you see the article found on google. If I were approached by a patient or a fellow coworker and referred to as a nurse, I would explain to them that I am a Medical Assistant and explain some of my job functions. I would let them know that there is a big difference and the title does need to be corrected. I would let them know that if I were to acknowledge the comment of being called a nurse, I could lose my job as well as my career. They may not understand that it is a very serious offense. I would explain them that the actual nurses would not be able to be titled as a doctor so the same holds true for me. When a medical assistant misrepresents herself/himself, they are in fact making the entire profession look bad in the eyes of the patient. The disciplinary results that could happen to the medical assistant are far greater than the prestige of stating you are who you are not. State disciplinary actions can result in fines and other criminal penalties. All office personnel should avoid referring to the medical assistant as a nurse also not just the patient. The doctor can also lose his career and/or a fine. I could lose my certification also.

Monday, September 16, 2019

5 Common Issus Encountered in Downloading Electronic

SPECIAL FORCES UNITS 1 Special Forces Units Brian M. Farrell Everest College SPECIAL FORCES UNITS 2 Special Forces are â€Å"military or police units specially trained, equipped, and organized to combat terrorism† (Coombs, 2006, pg. 251).The Canadian Special Operations Regiment (CSOR) â€Å"is a battalion-sized high-readiness special operations unit and is capable of conducting and enabling a broad range of missions, including direct action, defense diplomacy, and military assistance, and special reconnaissance† (Special Forces of Canada, N. D. ) CSOR began its recruitment in 2006, with 175 candidates. Its formal initiation took place in August of 2006 with 250 soldiers. These soldiers were trained in rappelling from â€Å"helicopters as well as static and free fall parachuting† (Special Forces of Canada, N. D. This unit has been in Afghanistan since 2006 supporting Canadian coalition forces. This group also helps with the training of its international relation s. This regiment is highly moveable, expertly trained making them a special operation force that can handle a multitude of conflicts at home and abroad. Special Air Services or SAS, is a corps of the British Army. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces (UKSF). The UK limits its information about its special forces so there is little â€Å"publicly verifiable information† on the SAS (D Squadron 23 SAS (R), Ministry of Defense, N.D. ). What is known is that SAS Regiment is comprised of 4 operational squadrons designated as A, B, C, and D. Each group has 60 men and a leader, these squadrons are further divided into 4 smaller groups consisting of 15 members each. Each of the 4 members of the group has a special skill in addition to the skills acquired during training. These special skills include such things as signals, demolition, medic, and linguist. The areas these groups focus on are boat troop, air troop, mobility troop and mountain troop.SPECIAL FORCES UNITS 3 Members of the UK armed forces can apply for Special Forces, but the recruitment usually targets those with air force background. Recruitments are held twice a year. Training selections takes about 5 weeks and usually start out with around 200 candidates. The training is grueling consisting of such things are personal and combat fitness tests. Next is marching cross country increasing their distance each day, ending with what is known as the hill phase which is completing 40 miles with all equipment in 20 hours.Additionally they must be able to â€Å"run 4 miles in 30 minutes, and swim 2 miles in 90 minutes (D Squadron 23 SAS (R), Ministry of Defense, N. D. ). There is also jungle training where candidates are taught various techniques including survival skills. Once this is achieved candidates go on to â€Å"battle plans and foreign weapons and take part in combat survival, escape and evasion† (D Squadron 23 SAS (R), Ministry of Defense). Probably the most intense of all th e testing is the final test resistance to interrogation which lasts for 36 hours.By the end of all testing of the 200 candidates there are about 30 who successfully finish. Most candidates drop out after the first several days. United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group (NSWDG) DEVGRU for short was formerly known as SEAL Team Six (ST6) â€Å"is one of the United States four secretive counter terrorism and Special Mission Units† (The iron will of Seal Team 6, 2011, May). Like the UK there is very little public information, because DEVGRU is highly classified. The White House and the Department of Defense offers little or no information on its activities.ST6 was formed after the American hostages at the US Embassy in Iran in 1980 were unable to be rescued. The team came into existence in October of 1980 and an intense effort was made to have it operational within 6 months. ST6 was the Navy’s first counter-terrorism unit. Prior to ST6 existing, SEAL Teams were already training to combat terrorism. â€Å"SEAL Team 6 started SPECIAL FORCES UNITS 4 with 75 shooters†.ST6 had unlimited resources and its funding surpassed the â€Å"entire US Marine Corps† (The iron Will of Seal Team 6, 2011, May). In 1987 ST6 was replaced with DEVGRU, the reason is unknown; however ST6 is still used when referring to DEVGRU. During the development of ST6 time was limited so recruits were hand-picked from their existing Navy Record and a personal interview. The main criteria in this recruiting were combat experience, language skills to communicate with the population where they are placed, the ability to â€Å"blend in as a civilian during an operation; and finally SEAL skills† (The iron will of Seal Team 6, 2011, May).The training was intense with emphasis on â€Å"shooting skills, range firing, close quarters battle (CQB) and stress shooting in a variety of conditions† (The iron will of Seal Team 6, 2011, May). Information concerni ng SEAL units is highly classified and little is known about the recruitment and selection process. Among the things that are known is that all applicants come from regular SEAL teams. It would be safe to assume that again like the UK applicants must be in top physical condition, be well respected within the Naval Warfare Community and have completed multiple deployments.Candidates must be interviewed by a review board to determine if they are suitable. Those who pass this process must attend a six to eight month training course. This course usually starts out with approximately 20 candidates per session, but by the end of the course this number is drastically diminished. During the training candidates are carefully observed to ascertain whether they are â€Å"suitable to join individual squadrons, while â€Å"unsuccessful candidates are returned to their previous assignments† with no possibility of applying again (The iron will of Seal Team 6,2011,May).SPECIAL FORCES UNITS 5 References Combs, C. (2011). Terrorism in the twenty-first century (7th ed. ). Boston, MA: Pearson Publishing D Squadron, 23 Special Air Service Regiment (R). Ministry of Defense. Retrieved from: http://www. armyjobs. mod. uk The iron will of Seal Team 6 – CBS News Video, Cbsnews. com. 6 May 2011 Retrieved from: http://www. cbsnews. com