Film review communication 240 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Film review communication 240 - Essay Example This makes the 112 minute film a must watch for everyone as it teaches about mobs, loan sharks, crime and above all the value of friendship. The main actors are Charlie (Harvey Keitel) and Johnny boy (Robert De Niro). A review of this film will reveal the integration of mafia in the society and their influence on individuals, the value of friendship and love and how the three can get intertwined even in the simplest of society members. The story surrounds the lives of Johnny boy who is a gambler and owes a lot of money to the loan sharks all of which has been used in his small time gambling problem and Charlie who is involved with the New York Mafia and also collects debts for his uncle Giovanni (Cesare Danova) who is in the mafia. The friendship between the two prevents Charlie from moving to join the New York Mafia because he feels responsible over the reckless Johnny boy and also because he is secretly having an affair with Johnny’s cousin Teresa. Charlie and Johnny are sho t at by Michael (Richard Romanus) who is a local loan shark who Johnny owes money to while trying to get out of town but they survive though Charlie’s shot hand causes them to have a crash. ... Teresa, for example, looks and acts like a weakling and there is no doubt that she is epileptic. The same can be said of Charlie who is composed, businesslike and suits the role of a debt collector and also friend. Johnny boy just seems lost and out of touch and it therefore does not come as a surprise to the viewer when he insults the loan arks instead of humbling himself. The cinematography of the film cannot be any better. When it comes to the lighting for example it is a bit dark in the gambling houses where Johnny boy visits and full of noise. When Charlie and Johnny are shot at and crash, the same cinematography effects displayed make it appear real, the movement during the crash and the mood when the ambulance arrives together with the lighting all makes it perfect. Compared to the other films and works of the director Martin Scorsese, mean streets is just the best and most enjoyed and positively rated film. This may be attributed to the fact that it is based on real life expe riences and the settings of the film are from the vivid memories of the director. The fact is that in this film, Scorsese wrote the script while on the streets of Little Italy and even acted in it himself may also be a cause of such a captivating movie. Conclusion Based on the above positive review of this film, it is evident that it paved way for the modern dramas involving crime. The viewer cannot regret the decision to sit for over an hour deeply engrossed in this exemplary literary work and hence can be recommended to all. All these positive reviews are in addition to the fact that with a budget of $500,000, the movie was not expensive to

No topic Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

No topic - Assignment Example This was a great idea especially because it ensured that the participants of the initiative had minimal interaction with the locals. To an extent, this idea would be helpful in maintaining the focus of the participants. However, when looked at as a long term effect, this scheme does more harm than good. I am for the idea that at least a couple of locals should be involved in the construction process of the church (Lane 78). It is noteworthy that the essence of building the church is promoting Christianity in the region. As a matter of fact, a church is meant to welcome all, both Christians and non-Christians. Owing to the fact that this church was being built for the locals of MÃ ©xico, it was important to incorporate them in both the planning and the building processes. It is only through this that the locals would feel like their efforts were needed towards the building of the church. Actually, this would make the locals accept and attend the church more as compared to when they are left out in the building process. For this reason, from my expertise, I would suggest that some locals be involved in not just the planning but also the building of the church. Another pertinent issue in this project is the purchase of the deliverables needed to complete the project. It is a really great idea for the planning board to arrange for the purchase of construction materials back in the United States of America before the team sets off to MÃ ©xico. This is important in ensuring that project quality is maintained. In addition, this is also aimed at avoiding the complications that might be involved in cross-cultural business transactions. However, I am of the idea that at least some materials should be purchased locally in MÃ ©xico. It is important to note that would feel much more attached to church and involved in its construction if some components and materials are purchased locally. That notwithstanding, this

Introduction To Psychology Essay Example for Free

Introduction To Psychology Essay Sylvia is 28 years old, stay-at-home mother raising two small children with her husband, who travels frequently for his work. Sylvia finds herself feeling bored and isolated a lot of the time. She finds herself overeating and then feeling bad about her weight gain. She has trouble sleeping at night and takes frequent naps during the day. She has persistent thoughts that she is an unlikable person and cannot manage to do anything right. She feels guilty that she is not a good enough mother to her children. When her husband is home, she questions if he loves her and secretly wonders if he does not. She feels hopeless that her life will get better and no longer enjoys doing things that she once did. It appears that Sylvia is struggling with Major Depression. In regard to case study 2, Sylvia’s husband is traveling a lot and not home very much. She is raising two children and doesn’t work. Sylvia questions if her husband still loves her and she feels hopeless, and no longer enjoys things she once did. Sylvia finds herself over eating and feeling bad about her weight. In addressing these issue Sylva is having, I’d like to address Charles Darwin’s evolutionary theory. The need to belong, having social bonds with family, friends, co-workers, our spouse creates a sense of happiness and joy in people. Humans are social beings by nature and when something good is happening in their lives and they share it with others, it makes them even feel better about the good news. People spend a great deal of time thinking about relationships, the joy and happiness these relationships bring them. When our need for social bonding is satisfied in balance with two other basic psychological needs, autonomy (a sense of personal control) and competence, we experience a deep sense of well being, and our self-esteem rides high (Myers, 2014). Therefor, ones self-esteem is gauged by how valued, loved  and accepted they feel. In the case with Sylvia she is suffering from attention and isolation not only from her husband, but other people. She is lacking a social bond with her husband because he is not around much and she has little social interaction with people because she is a stay at home mom. Sylvia is also lacking a career and that would challenge her and give her a feeling of accomplishment and being needed. Although Sylvia has children that need her love and attention, Sylvia is feeling isolated and lonely because of her need to interact with her husband who is not paying enough attention to her. Her husband is not acknowledging and praising her enough for how hard she works to raise the children and keep the home up. Which is making her feel ignored and unneeded, causing her to question herself worth and her husbands love for her. Sylvia is becoming depressed and using food for comfort and out of boredom. Because Sylvia is gaining weight, she feels unattractive, and her self-esteem is low do to her appearance and the lack of social interaction from her husband. Sylvia doesn’t feel loved by her husband, and most likely feels its do to her gaining weight and she thinks he does find her attractive anymore. Sylvia may feel her husband is ignoring her even when he is home because she is gaining weight. Sylvia’s husband ignoring her it’s causing her to feel rejected, which is causing her extreme pain and leading to her overeating and depression. There seems to be a lack of communication between Sylvia and her husband. The lack of communication, possibly even a silent treatment is causing Sylvia to feel hopeless because she doesn’t know what is wrong and she is longing, and in need of a relationship and attachment with her husband. The lack of outside interaction with other friends, family, and social events is causing Sylvia to feel isolated and lonely too. All of these environment stimulants taking place in Sylvia’s life maybe a direct cause to Sylvia’s depression. Sylvia is lacking the ability to pass on to the next level of the need for self-esteem, achievement, competence, and independence (Myers, 2014). Which could be contributing and triggering her major depression episode. A major depressive episode is not a disorder in itself, but rather more of a description or symptoms of part of a disorder most often depressive disorder or bipolar. A person suffering from a major depressive episode must have a depressed mood or a loss of interest in daily activities consistently for a minimum of a two-week time  span (Psych Central, 2013). In diagnosing the mood must reflect a change from the person’s normal mood. A person’s daily activities and functions, such as work, social routines and friends, education, family, and relationships must also have been negatively impacted by the change in their mood. A major depressive episode is also identified by presence of five or more of the following symptoms. The patient can show signs of significant weight loss or weight gain even not dieting or trying to lose or gain weight. The patient will also display a change in appetite almost everyday, either with an increase or a decrease in their normal eating habits. The weight change is typically set at an increase or decrease in weight of more than 5% per month. The patient will display a depressed mood almost the entire day and this sadness, emptiness, loneliness, crying, and distant is observed by others or indicted by the patient, is typically consistent every day for at least two weeks or more. Children may report the patient as being irritable or sad all the time. The patient can exhibit noticeable decrease in things, and pleasures they normally enjoy and love to do. These decreases in pleasures and activities that they normally enjoy will progressive decrease more and more everyday. The patient can have either insomnia or hypersomnia and is present everyday. Insomnia and hypersomnia can even alter from not being able to sleep at all, to sleeping all day. The patient will express feeling of worthlessness or even excessive inappropriate guilt almost everyday. The patient can have decreased ability to think and concentrate, even maybe very indecisive almost everyday. The patient may have repetitive thoughts of suicide without a plan or any idea of how they would kill themselves (Psych Central, 2013). As a general rule major depressive episode is not diagnosed when the patient has experience the loss of a loved one. Generally speaking, the above listed symptoms are common when morning the death of a loved one (Psych Central, 2013). Most practicing clinicians believe that depression is caused by equal combination biological, social, and psychological factors (Grohol, 2006). First off and most important is to get Sylvia’s major depression under control and she should be put on medication, an antidepressant, such as Zoloft to help treat her symptoms and stabilize her imbalance. I would recommend that Sylvia and her husband start psychotherapy together, such as marriage counseling to help repair their marital bond and help make her  husband more aware of how Sylvia is feeling. By making her husband more aware of how his wife is feeling and correcting the issues of lack of attention, lack of communication, lack of feeling needed, wanted and loved by her husband. Sylvia could also benefit from other forms of psychotherapy, such as group therapy. With Sylvia feelings of loneliness, isolation and worthlessness, it my opinion that putting Sylvia in a social environment, with other people experiencing similar problems, it will help her engage with others and identify with other people (Grohol, 2006). Psychotherapy can range from a wide variety of effective therapeutic treatments such as, cognitive behavioral therapy, behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, rational emotive therapy, to family therapy and psychodynamic approaches. Both independent and group sessions are commonly used, but it does depend on the severity of the depressive episode (Grohol, 2006). In this case study with Sylvia, my opinion would be to recommend her to get on an antidepressant and attend a group therapy, one on one cognitive behavioral therapy, and finally that her and her husband start family therapy. In my opinion it’s important to get both Sylvia and her husband working as a team together and making them both aware of how each is causing the other to feel and react. Sylvia’s doctor and psychiatrist should observe her for a period of time for the possibility of bipolar disorder. In many cases, mental disorders can be misdiagnosis, and really need observation from the doctor and therapy sessions to really pin point what is really going on with a patient. Many of these illnesses and disorders have symptoms and characteristics that are the same, so it’s important to work closely with your doctor and follow the treatment plans, including medication and therapeutic treatments, to accurately diagnosis and effectively treat the disorder correctly. References: 1. Grohol, J. (2006). Depression Treatment. Psych Central. Retrieved on August 12, 2014, from http://psychcentral.com/lib/depression-treatment/000646 2. Myers, David G. Exploring Psychology with Updates on DSM-5, 9th Edition. Worth Publishers, 06/2014. VitalBook file. 3. Psych Central. (2013). Major Depressive Episode Symptoms. Psych Central. Retrieved on August 11, 2014, from http://psychcentral.com/disorders/major-depressive-episode-symptoms/

International Federation of Accountants Code of Ethics

International Federation of Accountants Code of Ethics Code of Ethics is essential for both accountants and auditors as they hold positions of expectation that the community rely on them and the capability. The Code of Ethics is regulated by International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) at international level. Due to the company failures such as Enron and Equitable life, ethical behavior and independence has become more important. The Enron case clearly demonstrates the value work of IFAC. (ACCA, 2002) Therefore, IFACs Code of Ethic is broadly defined as code of conduct based on a set of moral principles or values that indicates how an individual should behave. (Velayutham, 2003) Through this, if an auditor is incompetent, the parties to the contract will place little or no value on the service provided. (Messier et al., 2007).Furthermore, auditors are required to be independence to apply unbiased judgment and objective consideration to establish facts in giving an opinion. It is essential because the users expect the auditor to have an unbiased viewpoint when forming opinion on the true and fairness of the financial statement. If the auditors are not independence, then the value of audit is lost. (Gomes, 2010) [Online].It is vital to provide assurance services as it can increase confidence of users of the information and to avoid conflicts of interests that may occur towards the auditor. 2.0 Main report 2.1 Critically evaluate of the role of IFACs Code of Ethics for professional accountants in strengthening independence of auditors. Over these years, IFAC has been revising a newer Code of Ethics to clarify requirements for all professional accountants and to enhance the independence of auditor. (IFAC, 2009) [Online].This Code of Ethics are follow up and practiced by its members until it becomes a system in the organization.(Ravendran,2006) [Online]. Principles-based approach is remained in the revised Code of Ethic and it establishes a conceptual framework for professional accountants and external auditor to follow. This is to make sure they are compliance with fundamental principles of professional ethics. It is important for fundamental of principle to remain the same, as it would be more flexible for all professional accountants and the external auditors. (Ward, 2006) [Online] The IFAC Code of Ethic has constantly revised to meet the changing needs of the profession and the expectations of stakeholders in Malaysia. (MIA, 2006) [Online].Therefore IFAC Code of Ethic is set as a good example to follow because of its holistic approach that considers many aspects of the issue. (Gomes, 2009) [Online].External auditors to find out possible threats and evaluate how it could affect the audit are using conceptual framework. They have to apple safeguards on the identified threats to reduce them to an acceptable level. (MIA, 2006) [Online] Furthermore, auditors play an important role to provide a high-quality financial statement because any loss in carrying out their work will give a bad impact on investor protection and confidence. For example, many auditors failed to give their opinion leading to compromising the shareholders of public listed companies. (Izma, 2009) [Online] .As a result, independence of auditors is affected. In solving this kind of situation, auditors will need to follow the fundamental of principles to reduce this threat. (MIA, 2005) [Online] By applying a principle-based approach, it can also help to standardize the IFACs Code of Ethic globally. Through standardizing the international standards, the auditors will have high quality standards in auditing the financial statement. (Ward, 2006) [Online].If each country standardized the preparation of financial statements, making it flexible for cross-border securities listing globally. This will enable the company for a better flow of resources, using it systematically. (Kumar, Porwal, 2003) [Online] .Therefore opinion form by auditors will be more credible and reliable in ensuring auditors to be more independence. On the other hand, the behavior of a human cannot be justified by just following the IFACs Code of Ethic. This is because personal behavior cannot be control and it depends on how they want to behave. (MIA, 2006) [Online].For example lack of ethical code, especially one client may jeopardized another clients business due to the financial difficultly they faced.(Gomes, 2009) [Online] The reasons why auditors cannot control themselves, probably due to the characteristic of the auditors are self-centered, greedy and unprincipled, thus this will create a self- interest threat for the auditors.( Jackling et al., 2007) As such, it is not good to understand the principle only, the knowledge of ethical code need to be apply. (Gomes, 2010) [Online].If not independence of auditor will be influence and then nobody would be able to trust them just like Arthur Anderson. Due to the cases like Enron or WorldCom, which ended up as a fraud, IFACs has revised stronger ethical code and stringent rules that a company must follow. However, the revised IFACs Code of Ethic cannot be perfect all the time. Somehow, loopholes can be found, as it may not fully capture the culture, belief and practice the code and it will make auditors to be unable to enhance independence. (ACCA, 2009) and external auditors may not adapt to this standards as there are changes to the ethical code. It can also make mistakes as the environment is changing, so does the culture and the personality of the auditor as well. Therefore, without a proper guidance, certain parts of the organization may interpret the code differently and IFACs Code of Ethic cannot promise that very country or auditor may process the ethical code. For example as the culture in the world is changing so as the behavior of an auditor and for that auditor may do what they want, as the Code of Ethic is not included in the law system. In general, by maintaining the same code is not possible, as it has to change consistently. (Pflugrath et al., 2007) 2.2 Evaluate the important of maintaining principle-based approach in the Code of Ethics. Many corporation failures has shows the need of principle- based approach is essential. The suggested ways for IFACs Code of Ethic to strengthen the independence of auditors are by having a principle-based approach, as it is flexible and easy for the auditors and accountants to adapt. With a strong principle-based, this will enhance the auditor to perform a high quality standards of auditing in making decisions and the public would have more trust towards them (IFAC, 2009) [Online]. By having a principles- based approach, problems it maintaining will be reducibly and there are ways of resolving it. (MIA, 2008) [Online] Furthermore, the IFACs body has agreed that principle-based are better compared to rules-based approach as threats and safeguards better serves the public interest, which cannot provide for all circumstances. (Bagshaw, 2006) [Online].As such, the Code of Ethic has been revised in principles- based approach primarily to encourage auditors to make a high quality judgment(MIA, 2006) [Online]. Therefore, assurance is critical in making sure that their judgments are ethical enough as the auditors and accountants holds these responsibilities. (Haron.H et al., 2010) Other than that, a principles- based approach can adapt to the changes of the environment. This is because every country has a different culture and this culture will generally affect the behavior of that person. Therefore, with principle-based, it can minimize standards behavior for each auditor and accountant globally. (ACCA, 2009) and therefore it is important to maintain a principles-based in the IFACs Code of Ethic. Moreover, with the high quality of ethical code, auditors can make a good judgment and this will avoid them from having a financial scandal. (Ismail et al., 2010) Somehow, some aspects that may considered as a threat towards a principle-based approach. External auditors and professional accountants that are use to comply with rules- based in Code of Ethics find themselves in a difficulty to switch to principles- based. The most important concern is whether a purely principle-based approach is strong enough to deal with a complicated transactions.(Yong, 2004) [Online].Due to the different culture in every country International codes such as the IFACs Code cannot fully comply with basic principles and practice. (ACCA, 2009) The fact is that auditors and accountants will need to apply judgments according to the principles, which is impossible because Code of Ethic cannot include all situation and dilemmas and by applying judgments blindly, auditors independence are affected. (Gomes, 2009) [Online] Despite that, every now and then judgment are use to manipulate financial outcomes so a strong ethical behavior and commitment is required for the auditors to avoid temptations from resist client pressuring. (Yong, 2004)[Online] Besides that, the lack of clarity in principle-based approach as ethical code can perceive to be to technical jargon. As such auditors will have a difficult time to understand certain parts especially when the ethical code is translated, auditors finds themselves that the meaning become weaker thus auditors will find it hard to revise the Code of Ethics and because of this ethical code may not be widely used all over the world. (MIA, 2005) [Online] (ICAEW, 2006) [Online].Therefore every country needs to adjust to have a simpler Code of Ethics. 2.3 Recommendation In general, all companies differs from one and another in terms of functional operations, its legal systems, institutional base works and cultures, therefore it is critical that every organization must have good corporate governance for survival. Hence corporate governance is another way to enhance the independence of auditors besides having Code of Ethics. The objectives are to make sure that companys management is organized care and certain requirements that auditors and accountants must comply. Other than that, corporate governance systems are to make sure that threats to independence do not happen. (ICAEW, 2001) [Online] As audit committee are parts of the corporate governance, it is important for them to monitor the external auditors work by checking the financial report. By doing so, external auditors assurance will be improved. Besides this, audit committee can give some opinions to external auditor especially when problems occur. (ACCA, 2009).Therefore, with the help of audit committee, financial report would be more reliable. Moreover, audit committee can also review the timing and nature of reports as well as the findings of the external auditors. (ACCA, 2009) Hence, this will be able to enhance the independence of auditors Besides this, Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is another good substitute besides Code of Ethics. This program is great to ensure auditors and accountants are updated with the market developments and changes affecting the accountancy profession and the auditors. Further, it helps the auditors to maintain and raise standards to professional judgments thus this will give auditors to be more up to date in the Guide of Professional Ethics. Through CPD, auditors will have the advantage to improve the capacity to exercise the highest standards of professional judgement. (ICAEW, 2010) [Online] CPD also provides information, support and guidance towards the auditor thus auditors are more confident in making a good decision without affecting the financial report. (ICAEW, 2010) [Online] By adopting this new approach, auditors will be able to follow up with current issue, which can affect their professional works, and to be committed in the job as they are responsible to the clients, stakeholders and the employers. (MIA, 2006) [Online].Finally, CPD will help them to be more knowledgeable and will enhance them to develop higher level of quality standards (MIA, 2007) [Online] 3.0 Conclusion Overall, it is important that IFACs Code of Ethics is revised every few years to make auditors and accountants are able to adapt with the changes made in the Code of Ethic. Ethical code is needed for the auditors and accountants as the public rely on them to perform the audit work efficient and effectively. Due to this, maintaining a principle-based is in need for every auditors and accountants as it is more flexible and thus it is globally used. However, there are still some negative aspects of ethical code, which auditor finds it difficult to comply with but somehow they manage to resolve it. As such, it is important that auditor and accountants knows when to apply the ethical code and not just understanding the principle only. Nevertheless, by having a good judgment, auditors will be able to make a good decision without getting influence. Therefore, with a strong ethical behaviour, auditors will be able to give a reliable and credible financial report and as a result, independence of auditors can be enhanced.Apart from this, it is essential, that every country will be able to adopt the IFACs Code of Ethics, as it will give high quality standards in the financial statement. Ethical Code cannot guarantee ethical behavior or resolve all dispute ethical behavior should result from a personal commitment to engage in ethical practice. Audit committee and CPD can also help to enhance the independence of auditors. Lastly, Ethical Code is an essential element of the surroundings in which auditors work and it is important that proper guidance to be given to them.

The legalization of Hemp has significant medicinal and industrial value. :: essays research papers fc

The legalization of Hemp has significant medicinal and industrial value. From high schools to college campuses, marijuana can be seen just about everywhere. It is quite easy for a parent to jump to horrid conclusions upon hearing the word â€Å"marijuana.† What is unfortunate is that the majority lack true knowledge of marijuana for its practical purposes and the relevance it has had in ancient history. There are far more constructive and legal uses for marijuana other than for experiencing euphoria. For the past forty decades, many have protested for marijuana to be legalized as a drug for its medicinal uses and strength as an industrial product. Marijuana is formulated from a seed known as Hemp (cannabis sativa) which is a widely cultivated Asian herb of the mulberry family (Merriam-Webster). Hemp was an integral part of earlier lifestyles treating such ailments as gout, malaria, gas pains and nausea. Page 2 Hemp fibers and oils were used to make different kinds of fabric including clothing, rope and sails. There is no disputing that hemp is extremely versatile in its uses and it’s hard not to question why society cannot "milk it for what it's worth." With our country’s economy and natural resources suffering, it is imperative that alternate industrial solutions be found. Politicians and society love to keep the petty discussions of getting "high† floating around to keep hemp from being legalized. The argument being if it were legalized there would be a highly significant increase in use, especially among the younger generations. However, alcohol, another horribly misused substance, is perfectly legal (to those of appropriate age), has no significant industrial value and showed a decrease in use upon legalization. It has also been proven to cause more damage than hemp giving the conclusion that there are far more benefits from hemp than alcohol. The only legal use of hemp found today is medicinal. Hemp is used in cases of terminally ill cancer and glaucoma patients who suffer from chronic pain. Although far from being a cure, it helps relieve eye pressure caused by glaucoma. Research also indicates that hemp eases the nausea and vomiting cancer patients experience during chemotherapy.

Wired and Wireless Network

Wireless Vs Wired Networks| There are two kinds of network technologies: * Wireless  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ communicates through radio waves * Wired  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ communicates through data cables (most commonly Ethernet-based)| Why choose a wireless network? | Wireless networks don't use cables for connections, but rather they use radio waves, like cordless phones. The advantage of a wireless network is the mobility and freedom from the restriction of wires or a fixed connection.The benefits of having a wireless network include: * Mobility and freedom – work anywhere * No restriction of wires or a fixed connection * Quick, effortless installation * No cables to buy * Save cabling time and hassle * Easy to expandAlso known as Wi-Fi, or Wireless Fidelity, wireless networks allow you to use your network devices anywhere in an office or home, even out on the patio. You can check your e-mail or surf the Internet on your laptop anywhere in your house. There is no need to drill holes in the wall a nd install Ethernet cables.You can network anywhere – without wires. Outside your home, wireless networking is available in public â€Å"hotspots,† such as coffee shops, businesses, hotel rooms, and airports. This is perfect for those of you who do a lot of traveling. Learn more about hotspots†¦ Linksys wireless routers are also equipped for wired connections – giving you the best of both worlds – connect wirelessly when you'd like to roam around your house, and connect wired when the utmost speed is important to you. For convenience and ease of use, wireless networking is the answer. Learn more about how wireless works†¦ Why choose a wired network? | Wired networks have been around for decades. Wired networking technology found today is known as Ethernet. The data cables, known as Ethernet network cables or wired (CAT5) cables, connect computers and other devices that make up the networks. Wired networks are best when you need to move large amo unts of data at high speeds, such as professional-quality multimedia. The benefits of having a wired network include: * Relatively low cost * Offers the highest performance possible * Fast speed – standard Ethernet cable up to 100Mbps. Faster speed – Gigabit Ethernet cable up to 1000Mbps. | omputer networks for the home and small business can be built using either wired or wireless technology. Wired  Ethernet  has been the traditional choice in homes, but  Wi-Fiwireless technologies are gaining ground fast. Both wired and wireless can claim advantages over the other; both represent viable options for home and other  local area networks (LANs). Below we compare wired and wireless networking in five key areas: * ease of installation * total cost * reliability * performance * security About Wired LANsWired LANs use Ethernet cables and networkadapters. Although two computers can be directly wired to each other using an  Ethernet crossover cable, wired LANs genera lly also require central devices like  hubs,  switches, or  routers  to accommodate more computers. For dial-up connections to the Internet, the computer hosting the  modem  must run  Internet Connection Sharing  or similar software to share the connection with all other computers on the LAN. Broadband routers  allow easier sharing of cable modem or DSL Internet connections, plus they often include built-in  firewall  support.Installation Ethernet cables must be run from each computer to another computer or to the central device. It can be time-consuming and difficult to run cables under the floor or through walls, especially when computers sit in different rooms. Some newer homes are pre-wired with  CAT5  cable, greatly simplifying the cabling process and minimizing unsightly cable runs. The correct cabling configuration for a wired LAN varies depending on the mix of devices, the type of Internet connection, and whether internal or external  modems  ar e used.However, none of these options pose any more difficulty than, for example, wiring a home theater system. After hardware installation, the remaining steps in configuring either wired or wireless LANs do not differ much. Both rely on standard  Internet Protocol  and  network operating systemconfiguration options. Laptops and other portable devices often enjoy greater  mobility  in wireless home network installations (at least for as long as their batteries allow). Cost Ethernet cables, hubs and switches are very inexpensive.Some connection sharing software packages, like ICS, are free; some cost a nominal fee. Broadband routers cost more, but these are optional components of a wired LAN, and their higher cost is offset by the benefit of easier installation and built-in security features. Reliability Ethernet cables, hubs and switches are extremely reliable, mainly because manufacturers have been continually improving Ethernet technology over several decades. Loose cab les likely remain the single most common and annoying source of failure in a wired network.When installing a wired LAN or moving any of the components later, be sure to carefully check the cable connections. Broadband routers have also suffered from some reliability problems in the past. Unlike other Ethernet gear, these products are relatively new, multi-function devices. Broadband routers have matured over the past several years and their reliability has improved greatly. Performance Wired LANs offer superior performance. Traditional Ethernet connections offer only 10  Mbpsbandwidth, but 100 Mbps Fast Ethernet technology costs little more and is readily available.Although 100 Mbps represents a theoretical maximum performance never really achieved in practice, Fast Ethernet should be sufficient for home file sharing, gaming, and high-speed Internet access for many years into the future. Wired LANs utilizing hubs can suffer performance slowdown if computers heavily utilize the net work simultaneously. Use Ethernet switches instead of hubs to avoid this problem; a switch costs little more than a hub. Security For any wired LAN connected to the Internet, firewalls are the primary security consideration.Wired Ethernet hubs and switches do not support firewalls. However, firewall software products like  ZoneAlarm  can be installed on the computers themselves. Broadband routers offer equivalent firewall capability built into the device, configurable through its own software. About Wireless LANs Popular WLAN technologies all follow one of the three main  Wi-Fi  communication standards. The benefits of wireless networking depend on the standard employed: * 802. 11b  was the first standard to be widely used in WLANs. * The  802. 1a  standard is faster but more expensive than 802. 11b; 802. 11a is more commonly found in business networks. * The newest standard,  802. 11g, attempts to combine the best of both 802. 11a and 802. 11b, though it too is more a more expensive home networking option. Installation Wi-Fi networks can be configured in two different ways: * â€Å"Ad hoc† mode allows wireless devices to communicate in peer-to-peer mode with each other. * â€Å"Infrastructure† mode allows wireless devices to communicate with a central node that in turn can communicate with wired nodes on that LAN.Most LANs require infrastructure mode to access the Internet, a local printer, or other wired services, whereas ad hoc mode supports only basic file sharing between wireless devices. Both Wi-Fi modes require wireless network adapters, sometimes called WLAN cards. Infrastructure mode WLANs additionally require a central device called the  access point. The access point must be installed in a central location where wireless radio signals can reach it with minimal interference. Although Wi-Fi signals typically reach 100 feet (30 m) or more, obstructions like walls can greatly reduce their range.Cost Wireless gear costs so mewhat more than the equivalent wired Ethernet products. At full retail prices, wireless adapters and access points may cost three or four times as much as Ethernet cable adapters and hubs/switches, respectively. 802. 11b products have dropped in price considerably with the release of 802. 11g, and obviously, bargain sales can be found if shoppers are persistent. Reliability Wireless LANs suffer a few more reliability problems than wired LANs, though perhaps not enough to be a significant concern. 802. 11b and 802. 1g wireless signals are subject to interference from other home applicances including microwave ovens, cordless telephones, and garage door openers. With careful installation, the likelihood of interference can be minimized. Wireless networking products, particularly those that implement 802. 11g, are comparatively new. As with any new technology, expect it will take time for these products to mature. Performance Wireless LANs using 802. 11b support a maximum theoretical bandwidth of 11 Mbps, roughly the same as that of old, traditional Ethernet. 02. 11a and 802. 11g WLANs support 54 Mbps, that is approximately one-half the bandwidth of Fast Ethernet. Furthermore, Wi-Fi performance is distance sensitive, meaning that maximum performance will degrade on computers farther away from the access point or other communication endpoint. As more wireless devices utilize the WLAN more heavily, performance degrades even further. Overall, the performance of 802. 11a and 802. 11g is sufficient for home Internet connection sharing and file sharing, but generally not sufficient for home LAN gaming.The greater mobility of wireless LANs helps offset the performance disadvantage. Mobile computers do not need to be tied to an Ethernet cable and can roam freely within the WLAN range. However, many home computers are larger desktop models, and even mobile computers must sometimes be tied to an electrical cord and outlet for power. This undermines the mobility advantage of WLANs in many homes. Security In theory, wireless LANs are less secure than wired LANs, because wireless communication signals travel through the air and can easily be intercepted.To prove their point, some engineers have promoted the practice of  wardriving, that involves traveling through a residential area with Wi-Fi equipment scanning the airwaves for unprotected WLANs. On balance, though, the weaknesses of wireless security are more theoretical than practical. WLANs protect their data through the  Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP)  encryption standard, that makes wireless communications reasonably as safe as wired ones in homes. No computer network is completely secure and homeowners should research this topic to ensure they are aware of and comfortable with the risks.Important security considerations for homeowners tend to not be related to whether the network is wired or wireless but rather ensuring: * the home's Internet firewall is properly configured * the family is familiar with the danger of Internet â€Å"spoof emails† and how to recognize them * the family is familiar with the concept of â€Å"spyware† and how to avoid it * babysitters, housekeepers and other visitors do not have unwanted access to the network Wired vs Wireless | Wired| Wireless|Installation| moderate difficulty| easier, but beware interference| Cost| less| more| Reliability| high| reasonably high| Performance| very good| good| Security| reasonably good| reasonably good| Mobility| limited| outstanding| ad]There are two ways to connect a computer to a network: wired or wireless. Sometimes this will determine the kind of router you purchase, but fortunately today most offer both options. A wired connection requires an Ethernet cable be run between the router and your computer.In a wireless connection, you use hardware in your computer to communicate with the router without that cable. Both have advantages and disadvantages so to help you pick the right one for y ou, here are 5 things to consider when deciding on a network connection. 1. Ease of Set-Up Wired connections are easier to set up. With most modern computers you can simply plug in the cable and get on the Net. Wireless requires configuring the router and at least one extra step on the computer’s side: searching for the correct network to connect to.If you live in an apartment building in the city and go to connect to your network, you’ll probably see a dozen or more different possibilities. 2. Reliability and Speed Everybody who has used both wired and cordless home telephones knows how much more likely the cordless varieties are to pick up interference and experience problems of quality. The same can be true for wireless Internet. While hardware has improved over the years, other electrical devices can still potentially interfere with your Internet, in some cases causing disconnections and delays.And like cordless phones, problems increase as you get farther away fro m the router. There are devices to fix such problems, but they can be costly and may require some trial and error. 3. Speed Wired is almost always faster than wireless, and never slower. This is due to the reliability issues mentioned above and to the technology itself, which simply hasn’t caught up to Ethernet-level quality. 4. Convenience Clearly wireless is more convenient on a day-to-day basis. Once it’s been set up, you can access the Internet from any computer in the vicinity of the router.If you can run Ethernet cables throughout your house you can achieve a similar level of convenience while keeping the reliability and speed, but it’s a huge undertaking and may not even be possible if, for example, you rent an apartment. 5. Security This is arguably the most important of these points and the one too few give much thought. A wired network is fully contained. In order to connect to it, you must have physical access to the router. On the other hand, a wirel ess network is not contained. Your neighbors, people on the street, or those in the restaurant next door can all potentially find your network on their computers.There are two reasons this should concern you. [ad#r]First, you don’t want people you don’t know using your Internet connection. It’ll be slower to you and any questionable actions they take online will be traced back to you, not to them. Second, it’s not difficult for a hacker to intercept data sent through an unsecured network. All of the banking, purchasing, and communication you do online could potentially be maliciously saved to a computer. You can imagine the possibilities for identity theft, credit card fraud, and so on.

The Current Marketing Environment of the Airline

This report will evaluate the current marketing environment of the airline industry in Europe. This will involve looking into different area of the airline industry such as deregulation and open skies, current economic conditions, distribution channels, pricing and revenue management. It has been proved that the airline industry is probably one of the most competitive and complex industry in the world. According to Mintel report (2009) in the past decade, air travel has grown by 7% per year. Travel for both business and leisure purposes grew strongly worldwide. Scheduled airlines carried 1.5 billion passengers last year. In the leisure market, the availability of large aircraft such as the Boeing 747 made it convenient and affordable for people to travel further to new and exotic destinations. Distribution channels In all areas of marketing links must be made between the customer and the product. These links are known as distribution channels. Airlines use a variety of these channels. All of them are giving rise to particularly intense debate at the present time, because the different channels result in different costs, and because they vary in the extent to which they allow airline to exercise proper and necessary control of the channel. S, Shaw (Airline Marketing & Management, Fifth Edition, Page 194). Global Distribution Systems (GDSs) It’s impossible to talk about distribution channel in the airline industry without mentioning GDSs. For nearly twenty years, the subject of Global Distribution Systems has been a controversial one in the airline industry, and it remains so today. S, Shaw (Airline Marketing & Management, Fifth Edition, Page 204). Until the early 1970s, contact between airlines and their distribution outlets was mainly by telephone, this was both time consuming and costly and became unsustainable as the industry grew. As the 1970s preceded, the first, pioneering carries set out to automate airline/travel agency contact. In order to do so, direct links were provided from each agency location into the airline’s reservations computer. Instead of phoning, agents could use the keyboard of Visual Display Unit to make bookings direct with the airline concerned. Besides saving a great deal of time, this also gave agent visual confirmation that required reservation had been made. Airline today In the old, regulated environment, European airlines relied on external channels (travel agents, consolidators, tour operators) to distribute up to 90 percent of tickets. Distribution via these channels typically cost an airline 17 to 20 percent of the ticket price, accounted for by travel agency commissions (including bonus â€Å"overrides†), computer reservation company booking fees, credit card fees, and the airline’s own costs (such as its salesforce). Since then, CRS technology and economics have changed a lot: thanks to the development of alternative distribution channels, such as the airlines' Internet websites or their call centres, consumers have nowadays access to a multiplicity of information and booking channels for air transport services. About 40% of all airline tickets in the EU are booked via alternative channels and about 60% via travel agents and CRSs. Bookings made via the major global distribution systems (GDS) accounted for 64% of all airline passenger revenue in the U.S. in 2008 for U.S. point-of-sale transactions, but the figure has dropped below 50% in Europe, according to (Mintel report realised 2008) in the size, role and value of GDSs in travel distribution. The decline in Europe has been sharper, falling from 56% in 2006 and 51% in 2007 to 47% in 2008.The decline is attributable, in large part, to the rapid growth of low-cost carriers, such as Ryanair, that rely exclusively or primarily on direct bookings. 69% of the nearly â‚ ¬18 billion in air travel sold by European LCCs in 2008 was booked via their own Web sites. Deregulation and open skies Throughout its history, the airline industry has been constrained by decisions made by politicians and governments. Government have controlled where airlines can fly, and aspects of their product planning and pricing policies.’ They have also had a major involvement in the industry through the ownership of airlines. They have always had a role in regulating airline safety standards, a role that remains important and, principle, relatively non-controversial. For many years, and in almost all aviation markets, government controlled airlines’ route entry and capacity and frequency decisions. In recent years, substantial regulatory reform has taken place, giving carries the challenge and the opportunity of responding to a free economic environment. In describing the system of economic regulation of the airline industry, a fundamental distinction has always been between the regulation of domestic services which are solely under the control of one government, and international services, which require the agreement of at least two. Until relatively recently, almost all domestic travel market were highly regulated. The Agreement replaced and superseded previous open skies agreements between the US and individual European countries. Deregulation is also stimulating competition, such as that from small, low cost carriers. The EU's final stage of deregulation took effect in April 1997, allowing an airline from one member state to fly passengers within another member's domestic market. Beyond Europe too, ‘open skies' agreements are beginning to dismantle some of the regulations governing which carriers can fly on certain routes. Low-Cost Airlines in Europe Budget airlines’ have been one of the main drivers of growth in intra-European travel, over the past decade. However, after a period of rapid expansion, it seems that the sector is now reaching maturity and that the growth is likely to slow down in the coming years. The low-cost business model is geared to short-haul routes, which allow for a quick turnaround of aircraft. As such, LCCs are increasingly in competition with other modes of travel, especially rail, which has undergone a substantial upgrading in recent years. The European Air travel today has many more cheap air travel options than a decade ago. The partial deregulation of air travel in Europe in the 1990s allowed the rise of low-cost airlines, and flying even short distances in Europe is often cheaper than taking the train. The days when national flagship carriers dominated air traffic and were regarded as national symbols are gone, and the fierce competition from low-cost airlines has led to bankruptcies and mergers of several large and reputable airlines. But with so many more airlines operating in Europe, comes the difficult choice for travellers to figure out how to get the best prices and the services they desire. Low-cost airlines have exploded onto the European market in recent years, and routes that were traditionally covered by national airlines now face the stiff competition of low-cost carriers. Current economic conditions The correct down fall of the economy has hit hard in all most every industry, but has hit even harder at the European airline industry. The air transport sector has been hit hard by the ongoing financial and economic crisis. Both demand and supply have been retreating at an almost unprecedented pace since early 2008. According to the IATA, international passenger demand fell by 5.6% in January 2009 compared to the same month in 2008, which was a full percentage point worse than the 4.6% year-on The current economic conditions cause consumers to make cutbacks. France, however, remains on a growth curve after several years of declining popularity. City and short breaks are increasingly popular as holidaymakers head for France for a quick-fix getaway. Even with the current economic conditions people are still using the air transport for quick getaway, †¢ European airlines affected The hardest hit has been the ‘flag carriers' who have suffered hugely due to the slump in premium and business travel, coupled with the sharp rise in fuel prices. British Airways Plc in November posted a larger than expected first-half loss and predicted revenue would slump by one billion pounds by the end of 2009. Germany's Deutsche Lufthansa AG in October provided a gloomy outlook for the airline industry and reported that its third quarter operating profit fell 21 percent. Air France-KLM posted a current operating loss of 543 million Euros for the six months ended in September, compared with a current operating profit of 592 million Euros for the same period a year earlier. Pricing and revenue management Pricing is a crucial activity for the air transport industry as airplane seats a perishable commodity. Before deregulation of the major air travel market, pricing were a relatively a simple matter, as carries generally enjoyed a monopoly, duopoly or at least a cartel situation with other carries on most routes. (Mintel June 2009) Since deregulation, the focus has switched towards filling the aircraft, which has led to greatly increased price discrimination (charging different customer segments different prices). The results has been rising load factors but decreasing real yield, as prices charged to marginal customers can be brought down to very low level (e.g. Ryanair) since the marginal cost of carrying one more passenger approaches zero.( Mintel 2009) Soaring fuel costs and impending EU Emissions measures spell danger for the industry. Load factors are also slipping, as a ‘golden period’ of fleet expansion threatens to cause a state of ‘over-capacity’. To maintain the cheap ticket model, carriers are going to have to drastically raise their ancillary revenues (in-flight sales, charges and add-ons) and increasingly expand into accommodation and transfer services, in order to cope with the economic and legislative storms they are flying towards.