Explain the Competitive Edge and Disadvantages of Air Asia and Mas Essays

Explain the Competitive Edge and Disadvantages of Air Asia and Mas Essays Explain the Competitive Edge and Disadvantages of Air Asia and Mas Essay Explain the Competitive Edge and Disadvantages of Air Asia and Mas Essay Abstract. Introduction – Air Asia Berhad Air Asia is a Malaysia Low Cost Carrier Airline Company which was founded in 2001 by Tony Fernandes. It was the first successful and is one of the largest low cost airlines in Southeast Asia. Also, it has become Malaysia first international low cost carrier. Air Asia Company’s simple philosophy ‘Now Everyone Can Fly’ has successfully positioned itself in customers’ mind where majority of the customer would choose Air Asia as their choice of transport. In add, Air Asia succeed through the company’s effective and efficient operational. The company provides a totally different type of service in line with the nation’s goal which is to benefit all people and worldwide travellers. The main service takes the form of no frills. Before 2011, it is a money losing airlines operated by the government which after that became a successful airline company after being taken over by Tony Fernandes. It can be said it is a remarkable transformation of the airline. Kuala Lumpur International Airport serves as the main hub for Low Cost Carrier Terminal in Malaysia. By the year 2005, Air Asia has operates in 6 countries worldwide which serves more than 5millions customer. Until today, the company is currently operating in 25 countries which provide domestic and international flight. In this assignment, we are going to discuss regarding the information system and technology implemented by Air Asia which make the company become so successful, the current and future business alignment strategy and business operation of Air Asia. History – Air Asia Establishment AirAsia was established in 1993 and commenced operations on 18 November 1996. It was originally founded by a government-owned conglomerate DRB-Hicom. On 2 December 2001, the heavily-indebted airline was purchased by former Time Warner executive Tony Fernandess company Tune Air Sdn Bhd for the token sum of one ringgit (about $USD0. 26 at the time) with USD$11 million (RM40 million) worth of debts. Fernandes proceeded to engineer a remarkable turnaround, turning a profit in 2002 and launching new routes from its hub in Kuala Lumpur International Airport at breakneck speed, undercutting former monopoly operator Malaysia Airlines with promotional fares as low as RM1 (US$0. 7). Second hub In 2003, AirAsia opened a second hub at Senai International Airport in Johor Bahru near Singapore and launched its first international flight to Bangkok. AirAsia has since started a Thai subsidiary, added Singapore itself to the destination list, and commenced flights to Indonesia. Flights to Macau started in June 2004, while flights to Mainland China (Xiamen) and the Philippines (Manila) started in April 2005. Flights to Vietnam and Cambodia followed later in 2005 and to Brunei and Myanmar in 2006, the latter by Thai AirAsia. Expansion abroad On August 2006, AirAsia took over Malaysia Airliness Rural Air Service routes in Sabah and Sarawak, operating under the FlyAsianXpress brand, the routes were subsequently returned to MASwings a year later citing commercial reasons. AirAsias CEO Tony Fernandes subsequently unveiled a five-year plan to further enhance its presence in Asia. [9] In the plan, AirAsia will strengthen and enhance its route network by connecting all the existing cities in the region and expanding further into Indochina, Indonesia, Southern China (Kun Ming, Xiamen, Shenzen) and India. The airline will focus on developing its hubs in Bangkok and Jakarta through its sister companies, Thai AirAsia and Indonesia AirAsia. Hence, with increase frequency and addition of new routes, AirAsia expects passenger volume to hit 18 million by end-2007. Route expansion On 27 September 2008, have on its list 106 new routes to be added to its current list of 60 over the next few years. The number of old routes discontinued has not been publicly disclosed.

10 Steps to Becoming a Professional Genealogist

10 Steps to Becoming a Professional Genealogist Do you think that the genealogical profession is one that you will enjoy?  Follow these simple steps to see if you have the necessary skill, experience, and expertise to offer your services to others on a fee basis. Includes tips on becoming a certified or accredited genealogist. Difficulty: N/A Time Required: Varies How to Become a Professional Genealogist Read and follow the code of ethics of the Association of Professional Genealogists and the Board for Certification of Genealogists.  Even if you belong to neither organization, this lets clients know you are serious about work quality and ethicsConsider your experience. A genealogist must be familiar with the various types of genealogical records available and know where to access them, as well as know how to analyze and interpret evidence. If you are unsure about your qualifications, enlist the services of a professional genealogist to critique your work and offer guidance.Consider your writing skills.  You must be knowledgeable of the proper format for source citations and have good grammar and writing skills in order to communicate your findings to clients. Practice your writing constantly. Once you have it polished, submit an article or case study for possible publication in a local genealogical society newsletter/journal or other genealogical publication.Join the Association of Professional Genealogists.  This society exists not only for practicing genealogists, but also for people who desire to further their skills.  They offer ongoing professional development in the skills needed to run a successful genealogy business. Educate yourself by taking genealogy classes, attending seminars and workshops, and reading genealogical magazines,  journals, and books.  No matter how much you know, there is always more to learn.Volunteer with a local genealogical society, library or group.  This will keep you in touch with a network of fellow genealogists, and help to further develop your skills. If you have the time, start or join a transcribing or indexing project for additional practice at reading genealogical documents.Make a list of your goals as a professional genealogist.  Think about what types of research interests you, the access you have to necessary resources and the profitability of doing research as a business. What do you want to do? Professional genealogists dont all do client research - some are authors, editors, teachers, heir searchers, bookstore owners, adoption specialists and other related fields.Develop your business skills.  You cannot run a successful business without knowing ab out accounting, taxes, advertising, licenses, billing and time management. Get a copy of Professional Genealogy: A Manual for Researchers, Writers, Editors, Lecturers, and Librarians. This book is the bible for genealogy professionals and those who want to become professional. It offers advice and instruction on everything from abstracting to setting up a business.Consider applying for certification or accreditation. The Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG) grants certification in research, as well as in two teaching categories, and the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists (ICAPGen) offers accreditation in specific geographical areas. Even if you decide not to become certified or accredited, the guidelines offered by these testing programs will help you to objectively evaluate your genealogical skills. Tips: Practice your research skills every chance you get.  Visit courthouses, libraries, archives, etc. and explore the records. Get as much experience as you can before working for others.Dont stop researching your own family history.  It is most likely the reason you fell in love with genealogy in the first place and will continue to provide inspiration and enjoyment.

Mockingbirds and Flies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mockingbirds and Flies - Essay Example The Lord of the Flies name comes from the sow's head and the countless flies buzzing about it, which soon move from the sow's head to swarm around the head of Simon as the Lord of the Flies tells him, "I'm a part of you" (Golding 164). In fact, it is a part of all the boys, who are losing their links with civilization and are all turning savage and evil together and forgetting about civilization. Lee's regional novel deals with universal themes of tolerance, courage, compassion, and justice. In it, the songs of innocents - nave and pure as mockingbirds - are forever silenced by the bitter knowledge of corrupt human nature. The title of To Kill a Mockingbird has very little literal connection to the plot, but it carries a great deal of symbolic weight in the book. In this story of innocents destroyed by evil, the mockingbird represents innocence.Like hunters who kill mockingbirds for sport, people kill innocence, or other people who are innocent, without thinking about what they are doing. Atticus stands firm in his defense of innocence and urges his

Should Prisoners get Free College Education Essay

Should Prisoners get Free College Education - Essay Example However, many prisoners are enjoying free college education, along with other social amenities. This is considered as giving the inmates too many privileges. Prisoners should not be made so comfortable that they forget the core reason of them being in prison. They should work to earn a living just like everyone else (Salsbury 1). A free college education is a privilege they should not be entitled to because many other people who are not in prison are not entitled to free college education. This essay will argue about the negative side of offering college education to prisoners (Chaneles 1). Tax payers’ money is used to finance the convict education and other services they receive. This is unfair to the innocent citizen because the money paid as tax should be used to improve the tax payers’ life. The value of college education is the achievement of skills that position the student to an appropriate work force. This implies that a criminal who gets free college education in prison, once released, is highly likely to find a good job. This will be unfair to the thousands of good citizens who are out there and cannot get jobs (Salsbury 1). Free college education should not be offered to criminals as a remedy of committing crime. By choosing to commit a crime, they forfeited their opportunities and freedom. The criminals should pay for their choices to violate the rights of citizens and breaking the law (Harlow 1). Free college education is a privilege to most inmates which they do not take seriously. This is because they are not aware of the costs involved. This is not fair to citizens who work hard to get it. Another point to note is that one cannot simply go to college because they want to. They must earn their admission unlike inmates who only make a choice (Chaneles 14). The professors and instructors employed at prisons find time out of their schedule to lecture the inmates at an additional cost. The criminals may use the knowledge they get to cau se more harm than good. Giving them an education and more skills will make them professional criminals if they choose not to change their ways of life. Giving criminals serving a life sentence and death sentence free education is a waste of resources. They will not be able to use the knowledge they gain since they are confined in jail for the rest of their life time. These resources could have been used to educate other deserving citizens (Salsbury 1). Giving second time criminals a chance to free college education is over-leniency, having been given a second opportunity to better their lives and make things right but they fail to do so. This is being unfair to good citizens who have to finance their own college education. The inmates should be molded and prepared to fit in the real outside world. They should learn to work hard to earn their own recognition. Even though prisons are rehabilitation centers, punishment should not be comprised. Educational backgrounds of the prisoners v ary a lot (Salsbury 1). They differ in age, religion, and culture, hence standard classroom teaching will prove difficult. This is an additional stress to the lecturers as they will have to give special attention and time to some students. Educating prisoners serving long time sentences does not guarantee productivity and a more prosperous life. Mostly their productive years end up being wasted in jail. Many victim rights groups view educating criminals as

Public School Essay Example for Free

Public School Essay The Perfect Public School will be established with the vision to provide the quality education to the students of the Fateh Muhammad Jatoi and to enable them to compete at the national and international level. To achieve this vision the school will have the very well experienced and well groomed faculty that will provide the education on modern lines that will inculcate the students as well as their parents for the betterment of their children career development. The quality education that provide in our school is at low price as compared to our major competitors Beacon house, Frobels, roots and City school etc. The Perfect school is developed in order to facilitate the Pakistanis to get education as good and excellent as the students in Perfect school Pakistan. The Perfect school is located in Pakistan and is well renowned in all over the world for its Excellency in education field. Students from far flung countries go there with the aim to study and to get benefit from their quality education system. The Perfect school of Pakistan is also ranked among the top ten schools of the world. Moreover the Sindhi students also go abroad to study in this school and they score quite well as compared to other fellow students. The only difficulty that the Pakistani students face while going abroad is that they have to pay a huge sum of money for visa and passport requirements. The Perfect public school is going to be established to provide quality education as did other schools of Pakistan. The Perfect public school will be affiliated with the B. I. S. E Sukkur. The educational industry that provide these types of services includes the competitors like beacon house, Frobels, Roots and City school. These institutions are established with the purpose of providing the quality education but initially they have done their job quite well in providing excellent education, and with the passage of time they start diverting from their core mission of providing quality education. Now their focus shifts to provide the luxurious environments to the students and not to provide the quality education. The students living in the luxurious environments are used to enjoy the beauties or luxuries of life and are not willing to hard work, normally student involves in other activities which lead them to depression and illegal works. The Perfect staff is well trained to guide the student about their career development. The Perfect school is one of the prestigious students and established in the capital of Pakistan in F-10 Islamabad. The reason behind choosing this location that is capital of Pakistan is that we can get attention to the people. Secondly the people living in that part are very well aware of the educational needs and they fully know the importance of good education. Thirdly there are a reasonable number of foreigners living and they want to get their children to get a quality education. Fourthly there are mostly living the elite class of people in Islamabad and our business is mostly targeted to the elite class. The Perfect public school comprises of an elegant building, three grounds for outdoor sports activities of the students and one sports complex for indoor activities like table tennis, badminton, squash etc. The school will consist of almost 5-7 class rooms, 1 staff room and one principal office. The class rooms will be very well decorated and well furnished. The male and female staff will be hired for better education. As principal, I will regularly visit the classes, our progress towards implementing the strategies within the Business Plan, as well as the achievement of milestones and targets. Our values Success for every student. Diversity Ideal Customer The ideal customer for the Perfect Public Schools foreign language programs falls into one of two categories. The first is a middle class working person who feels the need to learn a foreign language either for a pressing work-related need, a desire to have more options in career, or a wish to travel to a foreign country and enjoy the experience more. These individuals, however, feel they cannot afford one-on-one tutoring, but are too social to be able to be content with a book, online program, or software to learn the language. They desire a classroom experience both as a structured approach to force them to make a commitment to the language learning and as a means to have extensive social interaction through the process. Market Description Perfect Public School targets customers with the following characteristics: 05 to 15 years of age Locals Male and Female Situation Analysis The Perfect Public School will be in the first year of business as a start-up operation. The School believes that the market demand for their services will be great and are convinced that a cohesive marketing strategy is required for The School. Market Summary The Perfect Public School possesses good information regarding their market and the target segments that they wish to serve. The School will leverage this information to better understand who is served, their specific needs, and how The School can better serve them. Market Needs The Perfect Public School will provide the education with a source of knowledge. This market need is important as many parents’ are faced with the dilemma of using their limited income on education. Pricing: The Perfect Public Schools fees will be noticeably better than local schools. Market Trends The market trend for schools reinforces consolidation. Market Growth In 2012, the global educational system/industry as a whole was 897 Million industry. The education system is forecasted to continue its record growth. Pakistani society in particular has become increasingly reliant on education. This conclusion seems to be fairly intuitive as many individuals have a vested interest in living longer and more educated. SWOT Analysis The following SWOT analysis captures the key strength and weaknesses within  the area, and describes the opportunities and threats facing The Perfect Public School. Strengths †¢A unique, current business-environment-appropriate business model. †¢Excellent staff who are highly trained and very competent. †¢Games. Weaknesses †¢The lack of visibility and brand equity of a start-up business. †¢Lack of true experience. †¢Government intervention/regulation into education is possible. Opportunities †¢Outside pressure on students. †¢The constant growth of the number of students taking education. †¢Newly formed alliances of school systems. Threats. †¢The entry into the market by an established school. †¢Some event that cripples education. Competition Competition takes many different forms in the education industry. †¢Chain of schools: These are private national chains such as City School. Keys to Success The keys to success are: Male and female students. Low overhead and operating costs. Normal prices and services. Financial Objectives A double digit growth rate for the first three years. Reduce the variable costs associated with servicing each student order by 4% a year. Profitability by the end of year. Sales Forecast. Sales Forecast 2013 2014 2015 Sales Walk-in customers (students) 83,056 243,778 343,540 New Old customers 76,994 976,543 1,234,654 Total Sales 360,050 1,720,321 2,078,194 Direct Cost of Sales 2001 2002 2003 Walk-in customers 111,664 453,705 514,559 New Old customers 79,647 439,444 555,594 Subtotal Direct Cost of Sales 191,311 893,149 1,070,154 Expense Forecast Marketing expenses are to be budgeted so they ramp up quarterly. These intervals are chosen because they are the common intervals that students who are getting several types of courses in same school. Controls. The purpose of the marketing plan is to serve as a guide to the organization. The following areas will be monitored to gauge performance: Revenue: monthly and annual. Expenses: monthly and annual. Repeat business. Students’ satisfaction. Contingency Planning Difficulties and risks: Problems generating visibility. Difficulty developing sufficient talent. An entry into the education market from an already established, larger schools like City and Grammar School. Worst case risks include: Determining that the business cannot support itself. Having to lab equipment to cover liabilities. Competition.

Topics as Photographs :: Writing

â€Å"Writers are like photographers,† Donald Murray reminds us.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The photographer doesn’t snap a picture while scanning an   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  entire scene. Instead he selects a single focus (239-240).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This analogy was exceptionally powerful to me. The idea of looking through a camera lens out at an event or a topic just has wonderful possibilities. You could do a panoramic photo, including the wide picture, seeing how many pieces fit together. On the other hand, you could use the high-powered zoom lens to get up close and magnify a single element of the photo. Even the photographer’s decision to use black and white or color film to make a particular statement can translate into a writer’s decision to use sparse exposition or flowery prose to create a desired effect. A question that occurs to me that I might ask my students is this: â€Å"If your topic was a photograph, what would it look like?† Would it have lots of characters in it, or just one? Is the physical setting the most important element, or rather the expression on the subject’s face? And on and on.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Maybe this speaks to me because I am the yearbook editor, and one of the biggest jobs of the publications staff is to find the right picture to tell the story. From an entire role of film, we might get just one or two usable photos; or none. Or we might have so many to choose from that we have to select the best angle and/or composition. Those words, â€Å"angle† and â€Å"composition† are writing words as well as visual arts terms. Out of a notebook full of drafts, I might find the same dilemmas -- not enough or too much usable raw material for a piece of writing.

Hauroun and the Sea of Stories Compared to Lord of the Rings

Hauroon and lord of rings Frodo Baggins and Haroun Khalifa are both heroes, both from different stories but have a very similar journey. Frodo Baggins from J. R. R Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings is a hobbit of middle earth who keeps to himself and likes to be alone, he goes on an adventure that changes his life. Haroun Khalifa from Salman Rushdie’s Haroun and the sea of stories is a 10 year old boy living with his father in an imaginary sad city. Both characters go on a journey that changes there life forever, the characters quests have many similar stages to the journey.Both begin there quest with a call to adventure, neither characters are expecting it but both seem eager to go. Both characters battle between good and evil and both characters become masters of two worlds, and achieve apotheosis or god like status and then have the freedom to live. Both heroes are called to the adventure in many different ways, Frodo Baggins is called to adventure during his uncles 111th birthday party when his uncle Bilbo disappears. Bilbo left a gold ring for Frodo so Frodo speaks to the wizard Gandalf who says to keep it safe and not to put it on.Years later the wise wizard Gandalf returns to tell Frodo the ring is extremely dangerous and was forged by the dark lord, Sauron and must be destroyed, that is when his journey began and Frodo begins his journey heading towards Rivendell to talk to the elves about how to destroy it. Haroun is called to his journey when he returns home one day to find out his mother has run away with the upstairs neighbor who has always been critical towards Rashid Khalifas story telling which effects Haroun greatly.Haroun argues with his father about the usefulness of stories and why they are important, this crushes Rashid. Haroun struggles with school due to his mothers absence so his father takes him on a story telling trip for some fancy politics, they travel to the Valley of G and when Rashid goes up to tell a story and nothing come s out, this is Haroun's call to adventure, to help his father. Good VS evil. Thats what fairy-tails and stories revolve around, both Frodo's and Haroun's adventure revolves around it.In Lord of the Rings the evil that Frodo is fighting is the darkness of the ring and the evil that dwells within Mordor. Saruman, the evil wizard tries to make Frodo change from good to evil but did not succeed. In Haroun's story the evil that he fights is someone named Khattam-Shud, Khattam-Shud is polluting or poisoning the stories so they can not be told. Rashid and Haroun travel to the Land of Gup to try and figure out what is going on. They get there and the entire land is preparing for war, the guppies Vs the Chupwalas.The war ends with the victory of the Guppies and they reward Haroun with granting his wish that his father can tell stories again. At the end of each story the heroes reach the stage of apotheosis, Frodo reaches apotheosis when he destroys the ring by throwing it in the lava, all th e evil goes away and the good takes over. Frodo is the master of two worlds the world of the non existent Mordor and the Shire, he is looked at as a king and everyone will forever be grateful for his victory over darkness.Haroun reaches apotheosis after the war ends, he is overwhelmed with joy that his father can tell stories, Haroun returns to the sad city with his father to find that the city is no longer sad, the once forgotten city name has been remembered and when Haroun returns home he finds the last person to be there waiting for him, his mother. Haroun's story ends happily ever after as does Frodo's. Both of the heroes were from a classic fairytale , the stories had a call to adventure, both very different calls to adventure but they both fulfill there goals and reach apotheosis, i guess you can say Haroun and Frodo both lived happily ever after. Hauroun and the Sea of Stories Compared to Lord of the Rings Hauroon and lord of rings Frodo Baggins and Haroun Khalifa are both heroes, both from different stories but have a very similar journey. Frodo Baggins from J. R. R Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings is a hobbit of middle earth who keeps to himself and likes to be alone, he goes on an adventure that changes his life. Haroun Khalifa from Salman Rushdie’s Haroun and the sea of stories is a 10 year old boy living with his father in an imaginary sad city. Both characters go on a journey that changes there life forever, the characters quests have many similar stages to the journey.Both begin there quest with a call to adventure, neither characters are expecting it but both seem eager to go. Both characters battle between good and evil and both characters become masters of two worlds, and achieve apotheosis or god like status and then have the freedom to live. Both heroes are called to the adventure in many different ways, Frodo Baggins is called to adventure during his uncles 111th birthday party when his uncle Bilbo disappears. Bilbo left a gold ring for Frodo so Frodo speaks to the wizard Gandalf who says to keep it safe and not to put it on.Years later the wise wizard Gandalf returns to tell Frodo the ring is extremely dangerous and was forged by the dark lord, Sauron and must be destroyed, that is when his journey began and Frodo begins his journey heading towards Rivendell to talk to the elves about how to destroy it. Haroun is called to his journey when he returns home one day to find out his mother has run away with the upstairs neighbor who has always been critical towards Rashid Khalifas story telling which effects Haroun greatly.Haroun argues with his father about the usefulness of stories and why they are important, this crushes Rashid. Haroun struggles with school due to his mothers absence so his father takes him on a story telling trip for some fancy politics, they travel to the Valley of G and when Rashid goes up to tell a story and nothing come s out, this is Haroun's call to adventure, to help his father. Good VS evil. Thats what fairy-tails and stories revolve around, both Frodo's and Haroun's adventure revolves around it.In Lord of the Rings the evil that Frodo is fighting is the darkness of the ring and the evil that dwells within Mordor. Saruman, the evil wizard tries to make Frodo change from good to evil but did not succeed. In Haroun's story the evil that he fights is someone named Khattam-Shud, Khattam-Shud is polluting or poisoning the stories so they can not be told. Rashid and Haroun travel to the Land of Gup to try and figure out what is going on. They get there and the entire land is preparing for war, the guppies Vs the Chupwalas.The war ends with the victory of the Guppies and they reward Haroun with granting his wish that his father can tell stories again. At the end of each story the heroes reach the stage of apotheosis, Frodo reaches apotheosis when he destroys the ring by throwing it in the lava, all th e evil goes away and the good takes over. Frodo is the master of two worlds the world of the non existent Mordor and the Shire, he is looked at as a king and everyone will forever be grateful for his victory over darkness.Haroun reaches apotheosis after the war ends, he is overwhelmed with joy that his father can tell stories, Haroun returns to the sad city with his father to find that the city is no longer sad, the once forgotten city name has been remembered and when Haroun returns home he finds the last person to be there waiting for him, his mother. Haroun's story ends happily ever after as does Frodo's. Both of the heroes were from a classic fairytale , the stories had a call to adventure, both very different calls to adventure but they both fulfill there goals and reach apotheosis, i guess you can say Haroun and Frodo both lived happily ever after.

Born in East LA

At the end of Cheech Marin's Born in East L. A. (1987), a pair of undocumented Chinese immigrants who have been trained by Rudy (Marin) in the art of walking, talking, and gesturing like Mexican-Americans successfully act Mexican-American in front of a police officer to convince and assure him that they indeed are â€Å"natives. † Of concern to both Lowe and Oboler is the unequal status of minorities as members of the United States national community and citizenry. Basically, the U. S. citizen has been defined as a white male. This subsequently has meant that especially persons of color have been â€Å"conceived in the popular mind as outside of the ‘boundaries' of the ‘American' community† (Oboler 19). Thus, persons of color are denied â€Å"the extension of full citizenship rights† (Oboler 28); they are denied protection of their â€Å"privileges and. . . local body† (Berlant 113). Fregoso indicates that with Born in East L. A. Cheech Marin parodies the second level of meaning at which â€Å"‘Born in the USA' had been disarticulated from its signifying elements of working-class discourse and rearticulated as an expression of racist and patriotic discourse† (56). Marin basically uses to his advantage the nativist logic which results in â€Å"Born in the USA† being taken to signify â€Å"foreigners (or non-whites) go home† (Fregoso 56). His objective is to intervene into the definition of â€Å"Americans† as whites. Underpinning white nativists' appropriation of â€Å"Born in the USA† is the extremely narrow reasoning that America belongs to whites because whites are born here. Marin intervenes by indicating that Mexican-Americans also are born in the USA. Thus, â€Å"brown people are natives too† (Fregoso 56) . When caught up in an Immigration raid, Rudy declares, â€Å"I was born in East L. A. ,† to the INS officer to announce his right to be in the United States unharassed. Rudy is also implicitly telling the officer that by birthright he (Rudy) is an equal citizen to the officer and entitled to the same freedoms that the officer and any other (white) citizen enjoy. Of course, despite the fact that Rudy declares that he was born in East L. A. , and thus a citizen by his nativeness, he is deported. In fact, when he attempts to align himself with INS officers as their fellow American citizen, Rudy is soundly rejected. To the officer at the toy factory, Rudy is merely another â€Å"bean in a bean bag. † As he is escorted to the INS van, Rudy's appeals to the officers that â€Å"I am an American citizen† are for naught, for he is briskly ushered into the van with the â€Å"rest† of the non-citizen Mexicans. In the INS office in Tijuana, Rudy tells the white officer, â€Å"It's good to talk to a American† but the officer does not accept Rudy as his equal, and ultimately condemns him to â€Å"Mexico– where you belong. Highly symbolic of the repudiation of Mexican-Americans' claims to citizenship equal to that of white Americans is the scene in the INS van when Rudy, banging on the door which separates the deportees from the INS driver, screams, â€Å"I'm an American. I went to Belmont High, you idiot. † Although Rudy is creating quite an up roar, he is not heard by the driver simply because the driver has on a set of headphones. Literally his assertions (shouts) of his membership in the U. S. national community are tuned out. This non-reception of Rudy's shouts reflects the refusal of white America to heed persons' of color justified demands for equal status as citizens. â€Å"Rudy [just] cannot convince U. S. border officials that he is an American and therefore has the right to return to the United States† (Cortes 47); they simply will not hear his claims. All of Rudy's encounters with INS officers thus dramatize the exclusion of persons of color from the national community which Lowe and Oboler discuss. Moreover, the negation of Rudy's citizenship makes visible the contradictions inherent in white-American nativist logic. With his wallet at home, Rudy finds himself without identification. Thus, he is without any documentation which can substantiate his claims to citizenship. Without such documentation, his body is all that can be read by the INS officers, whose job it is to regulate who is inside the nation and who should be kept out. Ultimately, Rudy is deported because he is deemed not-American by virtue of his brown body. His English, Dodgers hat, and knowledge of U. S. popular culture (as demonstrated by his knowledge of Death Valley Days and John Wayne) are completely ignored as signifiers of his Americanness. Instead, his brown body is taken as a more important signifier. Rudy, on the other hand, is literally excluded from the U. S. citizenry because of of his brown body. Once in Mexico Rudy feels himself to be in â€Å"a foreign land. † The foreignness of Mexico and Mexicans to Rudy is played out to represent Rudy's Americanness. For instance, in the INS van headed to Tijuana, Rudy is an outsider amongst the Mexicans. Unable to speak Spanish, he is ultimately called by one of the Mexicans a â€Å"pocho pendejo,† a pejorative reference usually intended to refer to Mexican-Americans who cannot speak Spanish and who, subsequently, are deemed less Mexican. In fact, as he is captured by Border Patrol officers on one of his attempts to cross the border, Rudy proclaims, â€Å"I'm an American citizen. I don't even speak Spanish. Whereas â€Å"the Spanish language is commonly used as an identifier of Hispanics† (Oboler 12), Marin presents a pocho Rudy to make more obvious Rudy's â€Å"American† identity. Basically, to present Mexican-Americans as brown Americans, Born on East L. A. plays on Rudy's/Mexican-Americans' cultural â€Å"distance† from Mexico and Mexicans. Edward Simmen posits that Mexicans-Americans' physical and cultural distance from Mexico accounts for the uniqueness, if not unrelatablity, of Mexican-Americans when compared to Mexicans in Mexico. He states: After all, it is difficult to deny the fact that the contemporary Mexican-American, while he may have firm cultural roots in Mexico, is actually only a distant cousin to the Mexicano living in present-day Mexico– a distance that is rapidly increasing with each new generation, with each new educational opportunity offered to and taken by the Mexican-American, and certainly with each mile the Mexican-American moves north from the border. (17) â€Å"I don't belong here in downtown TJ 'cause I was born in East L. A. † Although of Mexican descent, Rudy is not exactly â€Å"Mexican. Within Mexico and amongst Mexicans, Rudy is an outsider, rendered so by his different socio-cultural experiences and subsequent sense of self. Rudy does not, however, come across as a whited Mexican. When he aligns himself with white Americans, it is as a fellow American citizen, and not as a fellow white. This distinction is crucial for understanding the cultural identity politics of the film. R udy's forced journey to Mexico, however, does not facilitate some personal reconciliation with a lost or repressed dimension to his identity. Instead, he wants to go home, This type of nationalism is effective in its contestation of white-American nativism as well in its depiction of a securely distinct identity. Fregoso says, though, that by the end of the film, when Rudy crosses back with a mass of immigrants, he â€Å"crosses back as a collective subject† instead of as an individual (68). She says: [Rudy's] forced residence in Tijuana effects a transformation in [his] subject position. By living like an immigrant, experiencing the difficulties of trying to make it across, Rudy gains a new awareness. His transformation has a symbolic resonance at the level of political consciousness. 68) Carlos Cortes says that when Rudy and the immigrants rush the border, â€Å"At least for the moment, ‘the people' have caused the border to disappear† (47). One can take Cortes's reading to refer to the dissipation of the borders/differences between Rudy, the Mexican immigrants, the Salvadorena Dolores, the Chinese/In dians, and whatever other groups might be present. Thus, under duress, differences give way (at least for the moment) to group consciousness. But the final sequence of the film turns on the differences between Rudy and the noncitizen others and reinscribes these differences. First of all, in the abovementioned scene in which the undocumented Chinese immigrants â€Å"pass† as native Mexican-Americans, the fact of their non-citizenship contributes to Rudy's perceived citizenship. And, as they are performing for the officer, Rudy is marrying the Salvadorena Dolores so she does not get arrested by the INS officers, who are in hot pursuit of her. These two scenes really sum up the way in which the film asserts Mexican-American citizenship, for Rudy's citizenship consistently emerges in relation to others' noncitizenship. The â€Å"narrative truth† which the spectator is always let in on (Fregoso 60) is that Rudy is an American citizen, albeit one whose privileges are denied, and various others are not. It thus seems that Rudy's American citizenship comes into focus through the same process by which white Americans' Americanness and citizenship become apparent: both depend on others' lack of citizenship. Oboler indicates that â€Å"the nation's [white] identity was forged in the nineteenth century partially through the creation of racialized perceptions that homogenized Latin America's population† (18). Likewise, Rudy's identity as an American citizen is foregrounded in contrast to Mexican, Salvadorena, and Chinese others. Christine List says that â€Å"Chicano features provide a public forum for Chicano cultural expression and articulate issues of Chicano identity on a national and international scale† (13). Born in East L. A. â€Å"sets up as its central conflict Rudy's dilemma of proving his identity† (List 151), specifically as an American citizen. As the film asserts his/Mexican-Americans' American citizenship, it effectively intervenes into the construction of the American citizen as white. However, Mexican-American citizenship is established through others' noncitizenship. Such a method for the recuperation of Mexican-American citizenship is troubling because it still others noncitizens. With regard to definitions of nation, Cortes states, â€Å"As context or character, as goal or protection, borders have served a key role in Hollywood's exploration of the formation and reformation of our nation† (42). Born in East L. A. ‘s reformation of the nation ultimately asserts Mexican-Americans' citizenship by foregrounding others' noncitizenship, which is to say, others' fundamental outsiderness in relation to the U. S. national community.

The Beheading of Precious Doe

The Beheading of Precious Doe On April 28, 2001, the nude, decapitated body of a 3-year-old girl was found near an intersection in Kansas City, Missouri. Two days later her head was found nearby in a plastic garbage bag. It would be more than four years before the girl, given the name Precious Doe by police, would be identified as Erica Green. Sketches, computer drawings and busts of the child were distributed nationwide and on several television crime programs before a relative came forward and identified the victim on May 5, 2005. Mother, Stepfather Charged in Case The Precious Doe case had frustrated police for four years and had been featured on several television crime shows, including Americas Most Wanted.   In the end, police say, it was a tip from a family member that finally helped authorities identify the child and also those responsible for her death. Press reports said a grandfather of one of the principles involved came forward and provided police with photographs of Erica as well as hair samples from the child and the mother. On May 5, 2005, Michelle M. Johnson, the 30-year-old mother of Erica, and Harrell Johnson, 25, her stepfather, were arrested and charged with murder. Police said Johnson told them he was under the influence of alcohol and PCP when he became angry with Erica when she refused to go to bed. He kicked her, threw her on the floor, and left her there unconscious. Erica remained on the floor unconscious for two days, because the couple refused to seek medical help because they both had warrants out for their arrest, police said. After Erica died the Johnsons carried her to a church parking lot, then into a wooded area where the stepfather cut her head off with hedge clippers. Ericas body was found near an intersection and two days later her head was found nearby in a plastic trash bag. On December 3, 2005, prosecutors announced that they would seek the death penalty in the case against Harrell Johnson. Authorities believed that the child died while Johnson was decapitating her with hedge clippers. Cousin Sheds Light on the Abuse Suffered by Erica According to Harrell Johnsons cousin, Lawanda Driskell, The Johnsons moved in with Driskell in April 2001. Michelle Johnson helped her husband dispose of Erica by placing the dead child in a stroller as if she was asleep. Later, she told Driskell that she had given Erica to another woman to raise. She described Harrells treatment of Erica as abusive, stating that he beat her for small infractions such as crying or not wanting to eat. One day she heard a loud bang coming from childs room and for the next two days, Erica was kept in the room. The couple told Driskell that the child was sick. Michelle Johnson then told Driskell that she took Erica to live with the woman who first raised the child. Michelle Johnson Pleads Guilty   On September 13, 2007, Michelle Johnson pleaded guilty to second-degree murder of her 3-year-old daughter. In a plea deal, she agreed to testify against her husband, Harrell Johnson, who was charged with first-degree murder. In return, prosecutors agreed to recommend a 25-year-sentence for the mother of the murdered child. Precious Does Mom Testifies Against Husband Michelle Johnson told the jury that Harrell Johnson was on drugs when he kicked her daughter in the head and the child dropped to the floor unconscious. He just picked up his feet and kicked her on the side of the face. I said, What the (expletive) did you do? It shook him out of his high, Johnson said. She said she put the child in a tub of cold water, but she failed to come around. She then put her on the bedroom floor where she stayed for two days before she died. Fearing that she might be arrested on outstanding warrants, Johnson made the decision to not call for medical help. Guilty Verdict A Kansas City jury deliberated for about three hours before returning a guilty verdict. Harrell Johnson, 29, was charged with the death and the decapitation of three-year-old Erica Green, the daughter of his then-girlfriend who he married a year later.   Johnson was also convicted of endangering the welfare of a child and abuse of a child. During closing arguments, prosecutors told the jury that a guilty verdict would finally bring justice for Erica. This selfish coward made the decision to put himself before this 3-year-old childs life, said prosecutor Jim Kanatzar. Sentenced On November 21, 2008, Harrell Johnson was sentenced to life without parole.

Zero Plural Definition and Examples in English Grammar

Zero Plural Definition and Examples in English Grammar In grammar, the zero plural is a  plural form of a count noun that is identical to the singular form. Also called zero [or null] morpheme. In English,  zero plural marking refers to the absence of the plural markers -s and -es. Several animal names (sheep, deer, cod) and certain nationalities (Japanese, Sioux, Taiwanese) take the zero plural in English. Examples and Observations Here are some examples from famous works: This week the debate is on an idea to let everyone fish a few cod just for food. (Mark Kurlansky, Cod: A Biography Of The Fish That Changed The World. Walker Publishing, 1997)We herd sheep, we drive cattle, we lead people. Lead me, follow me, or get out of my way. -General George S. PattonIn English, plurals of nouns are normally indicated by the ending –s or –es, or in a few cases by –en, as in children and oxen. Some vernacular varieties of English do not use plural endings in measurement phrases such as three mile and ten pound. This zero plural has a long history and was not formerly as socially stigmatized as it is today... In adjectival constructions even Standard English has no –s plural: a five-pound box of candy is acceptable, whereas a five-pounds box is not. These adjective phrases derive from an –a suffix in Old English that marked plural adjectives. This ending has long since fallen away, leaving behind the unmarked root forms. The abse nce of –s in the plural form of animal names (hunting for bear, a herd of buffalo) probably arose by analogy with animals like deer and sheep whose plurals have been unmarked since the earliest beginnings of the English language. (plural, The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 2000 Im horrified of lobsters. And shrimp and lobsters are the cockroaches of the ocean. -Brooke BurkeBluefin tuna contain higher levels of mercury than other species of tuna because they live longer and, like humans, accumulate more mercury in their body tissues. (The New York Times, January 24, 2008) Zero Plurals With Numerals, Quantifiers, and Nouns of Measure [Zero plurals] include the names of some animals, particularly cod, deer, sheep; nouns denoting quantity when they are premodified by a numeral or other quantifier and particularly when they are attached to a noun head: two hundred (people), three dozen (plants), several thousand (dollars). The measure nouns foot (length unit), pound (unit of weight or of British currency), and stone (British weight unit) optionally take zero plurals: six foot two, twenty pound, fifteen stone. (Sidney Greenbaum, Oxford English Grammar. Oxford University Press, 1996)His hat, I reckon, weighed ten poundTo say the least, and Ill say, shore,His overcoat weighed fifty more. (James Whitcomb Riley, Squire Hawkinss Story)I have known when he would have walked ten mile afoot to see a good armour. (Much Ado About Nothing, Act Two, scene 3 )The foggers and cooling fans were going full blast in Jims twin five-hundred-foot-long chicken houses. (Baxter Black, Chicken House Attack. Horseshoes, Cowsocks Duckfeet. C rown Publishers, 2002)

The Edge of Land Law Lies Proprietary Estoppel Essay

The Edge of Land Law Lies Proprietary Estoppel - Essay Example As the paper highlights that the court ultimately determines whether it is conscionable for the owner of the land to go back on their representations. Unlike other estoppels, proprietary estoppel goes further and can be utilised as a tool to enforce or grant a property right de facto. Moreover, proprietary interest in land may be acquired in equity under estoppel without the need for writing and Cooke comments that â€Å"the courts have consistently, with very few exceptions, protected the claimant’s exceptions in interest when responding to estoppel, and protect individuals so far as it is possible and that they should continue to do so†. This study outlines that whilst the equitable justification for the doctrine of proprietary estoppel is clearly meritorious, the ad hoc development of the doctrine has been attacked, with some commentators labelling it as a â€Å"loose cannon†. The focus of this analyse is to critically evaluate the doctrine of proprietary estoppel and consider whether it has as the above statement become nothing more than an â€Å"amalgam of ideas rather than a deliberately constructed doctrine† in contemporary land law. The doctrine of proprietary estoppel was first recognised by the House of Lords in Ramsden v Dyson5, which involved a yearly tenant who had been led to believe that the landlord would grant him a 60 year lease on the property. On this basis, the plaintiff erected a building on the land, however the landlord refused to grant him the lease. The tenant brought a claim to enforce his rights in equity.  

Analyze a Business Case Study. Provide an analysis with an application Essay

Analyze a Business Case Study. Provide an analysis with an application of at least two theories relating to Ethics. They also will recommend what action should be taken - Essay Example The ethical issue is accepting the $50 bill and locating and providing a room for Liz Borden, despite eminent knowledge that no rooms were apparently available for the night. For giving a room to Liz Borden, Paige Lewis violated the duty-based ethics or deontological ethics, which was premised on â€Å"the right motive is â€Å"to do the right thing†, â€Å"to do one’s duty†, â€Å"to respect the moral law† (LaFave, 2006, p. 1). Paige Lewis has full knowledge that it is her responsibility to abide by the reservations made by customers, pursuant to the Code of Conduct and the hotel’s policies and procedures regarding reservations. As it was disclosed that the hotel was completely booked that night and there is clearly stipulated policy that states: â€Å"Honor the reservations at all cost† (Lieberman and Nissen, 2008, p. 121). Clearly, Lewis violated company policies and the hotel’s Code of Conduct under responsibilities with clients, which indicates that â€Å"members will not promise any benefit that is not within their control to deliver† (International Association of Hospitality Advisors: Responsibilites wit Clients, n.d., par. 5). Concurrently, Paige Lewis also violated trust of its employer by accepting the $50 bill, considered as a bribe to locate a potential room for Liz Borden. It itself, this is again a violation of the Deontological theory that stipulates that a bribe is morally wrong (Practical Business Ethics.com). Likewise, under consequentialist theory, the outcome of Paige Lewis’ action, displacing the young woman of a room that was rightfully hers in the first place could potentially jeopardize her position when complaints would be filed against her and the hotel. holding times (meaning, the time needed to wait for the customers who made the reservations to arrive within the stipulated time frame). If there is a hold order of say, within one hour from the time of arrival indicated, and if any guest did not call to confirm