Extended Service Encounter Reflective Journal Essay

Extended Service Encounter Reflective Journal - Essay Example The term ‘service encounter’ refers to ‘the contact situation between service customer and service firm when the service is being created’ (Se? Ler, 2009, p. 4), and as such is ‘one of the most central and controversial concepts in the service marketing literature’ (Grillmair, 2008, p. 4). The service encounter is important because customer perception is created by their most vivid impression of the service that takes place during the service encounter. There are three types of service encounters: episodic, consisting of a single occurrence producing a single revenue stream for the business, and a defined service duration; extended, which consists of an episodic service encounter but allowing for multiple service types; and continuous, which consists of multiple occurrences with multiple revenue streams, with an undefined service duration, multiple episodic or extended service encounters, and a relational exchange focus (Hume & McColl-Kennedy, 1 998). In this discussion, the aim is to create a diary of service encounters in the course of an extended service encounter. ... ement product requiring intimate participation of the customer in the process); (2) the pleasantness or unpleasantness which the customer felt for the duration of the service encounter; and (3) the lasting impression derived by the customer from the encounter. While it is true that all of us react to service encounters, not all of us react in the same way because of differences in cultural backgrounds, psychological make-up, and personal circumstances that make each of us unique (Grillmair, 2008). Therefore for the purpose of this study, there will be no better subject than this writer, to describe the feelings and impressions garnered during the exercise. I shall provide a service encounter journal of an experience I myself had undertaken, describing actions, thoughts and feelings that shaped the service encounter. Thereafter, the journal entries shall be analysed on a per-event basis, to break down the service encounter experience and later integrate them into a holistic account of what it takes for a customer to be satisfied. 2. The Service Provider Days Hotel is a popular chain of hotels that has established a global presence. Noted for its ‘affordable luxury’ and ‘ambience of carefully cultured elegance,’ the hotel is pleasantly appointed, unpretentiously four-star, and makes one feel at home with a modest kind of comfort. This local subsidiary is a take-off from its parent company, Days Inn of America, but it has evolved into an establishment that embodies both the warm hospitality of the locality and the service quality for which the brand is known. The company slogan is: â€Å"We make your day.† This is apparently a witty use of the word ‘day’ which comprises the hotel’s brand, while at the same time conveying in a simple and straightforward manner

Pricing Strategy Essay Example for Free

Pricing Strategy Essay To set a pricing strategy, there are number of steps taken into consideration as follows: Step 1: Our pricing objectives are to maximize market share and increase sales volume. This strategy will be used when TrackR is being launched into the market. We charge a reasonable price in order for TrackR to be accessible in the market as quickly as possible and also to encourage the interest and excitement of a product. Because of the low price, we are able to raise the sales volume easily, maximize the market share and reach the economic of scale as soon as possible. In order to boost the sales even more, we will offer promotion followed by the product launch, which will later be discussed in the later section. Eventually, we can penetrate the market and create brand awareness. Step 2: Being a monopoly of TrackR, we have a sole power of controlling price and quantity, but before we set a final price, we must observe the demand. TrackRcan be classified as normal goods for specific groups of people. While the price remains unchanged, people tend to buy more normal goods when their income increases and they less likely to buy normal goods when their income falls. TrackR is price elastic meaning consumers are responsive/ sensitive to a change in price. If we decide to elevate the price of TrackR, the quantity demand will be declined. Step 3: We also need to estimate the costs associated with TrackR. All costs can be broken down into 2 categories; fixed costs and variable costs. Fixed costs include salary, rent, PR and promotion and sales promotion, which come down to 3 million baht per month while the variable costs comprise of unit cost, shipping fee and exchange rate which are 375 baht per unit. Step 4: Analyzing competitors’ costs, prices, and offerings. Our competitors can potentially be online retailers, for example, eBay or Find my iPhone. TrackR eBay Find my iPhone Price ? $25 ~ 800 baht Free Cost No additional cost Shipping fee + duty Offering Warranty, Service No after sales service Apple products only Step 5: We divide our consumers into 2 segments; B2B and B2C so we will use different strategies to different potential buyers. For B2B buyers, we will sign a contract and sell them over a large volume at a reasonable price range regarding the numbers of unit purchased. By having cost advantages over competitors as you can see on the previous slide, we are able to build up a barrier protecting us from new entrants entering the market. On the other hand, as we aim to achieve our objective of increasing the sales volume, we set an affordable price making it accessible to B2C consumers so we can increase the sales volume and eventually achieve economic of scale. We begin using value based pricing approach for both buyers, which sets prices primarily upon the value perceived/estimated by the consumers rather than the costs of the product. In other words, value based pricing is a valuation of good or service according to how much consumers are willing to pay. We have done a market survey to see at what price consumers would like to spend. It could be somewhat arbitrary but it greatly assistances in an effective marketing of product in understanding impact of good or service has on consumers. We then use break-even analysis, which represents a point at which total cost and total revenue are equal: there is no loss or gain at this point. It purposely uses to determine the minimum output that must be reached in order to make a profit. It is a rough indicator of a marketing activity and also provides a dynamic view of relationships between costs, sales and profits. We also use quantity discount for B2B purchaser, which is an incentive offered to our potential purchasers resulting in a reduced cost per unit of goods when acquired in a greater volume. A quantity discount will be proposed to tempt our buyers to purchase in larger quantities. Step 6: Now, we have come down to a conclusion of TrackR’s final price. Here are the base prices for both B2B and B2C buyers.

Erin :: essays research papers

She brought a small town to its feet and a huge company to its knees. In a world where heroes are often in short supply, the story of Erin Brockovich is an inspirational reminder of the power of the human spirit. Her passion, tenacity and steadfast desire to fight for the rights of the underdog defied the odds ... her victory made even more sweet by the fact that while helping others, she in turn helped herself. Erin Brockovich is a stirring, funny and unconventional drama based on true events, starring two-time Academy Award nominee Julia Roberts as the twice-divorced mother of three young children who sees an injustice, takes on the bad guy and wins. With no money, no job and no prospects on the horizon, Erin Brockovich (Roberts) is a woman in a tight spot. Following a car accident in which Erin is not at fault, she finds herself even worse off when her attorney fails to land her any kind of settlement. With nowhere else to turn, Erin pleads with her attorney Ed Masry (Albert Finney) to hire her at his law firm. It is there, while working, that Erin stumbles upon some medical records placed in real estate files. Confused, she begins to question the connection. She convinces Ed to allow her to investigate, where she discovers a cover-up involving contaminated water in a local community which is causing devastating illnesses among its residents. Although the local citizens are initially leery of becoming involved, Erin's persistence and the personal interest she takes in their lives makes them listen. A kindred spirit, Erin is one of them, and her ability to connect with them on their level makes them comfortable, ultimately earning their trust. Helping her out is her next door neighbor George (Aaron Eckhart), a Harley Davidson biker whose friendship and support allows her the time to pursue the case.

Private schools vs public schools Essay

Introduction: The controversy related to private schools vs public schools has developed over the years. Several arguments have been forwarded from the proponents of both view points and have eulogized the one stream of schools over the other. Private schools are generally regarded a better option for educating the children if one has the resources.   Private schools are able to execute more effective and efficient educational policies and programs and can take on better teachers owing to strong financial backup that itself is generated through heavy students tuitions. In contrast to private schools, public schools are funded by government treasury and have little sources to finance the more modern and effective education policies and methodologies. This paper will analyze the pros and cons of both streams of schools systems. Private Schools: Less-population-More Concentration: The most important aspects of private school as compared with public schools is the strength of the students at class and school level. Private schools have smaller number of students as mainstream students attend the local public schools. National Center for Education Statistics says in this regards; â€Å"As reported by teachers in 1999-2000, average class size for self-contained classes tended to be somewhat larger in traditional public and public charter elementary schools than in private elementary schools.† (NCES) According to a web site called Public School Review, â€Å"Private schools average 13 students per teacher, compared with an average of 16 students per teacher in public schools† (publicschoolreview). So public schools are more crowded as compared with private schools. This strength ratio clearly manifests that in private schools more attentions and concentration can be given to individual students. This one to one attention remains a hallmark of the private schools. Higher education Focused Courses and Programs: The second most important strength of the private schools is that it offers supplementary enhanced and higher education focused lessons and courses and their objective remains to polish their students to join an institute of higher education. NCES’ study shows in this regard; At least 40 percent of elementary schools in all sectors reported offering students extended, before-school, or after-school daycare programs. Private and public charter elementary schools were the most likely to offer such programs. An estimated 65.1 percent of private schools and 62.9 percent of public charter schools offered such programs, compared with 46.5 percent of traditional public elementary schools. (NCES) In comparison with private schools, public schools seem working on the conventional philosophy that each student is unique and college education does not suit everyone and hence no one should be forced to go ahead with higher education and they should be allowed and encouraged to choose and carve their own future paths.   Courses: Public schools offer general programs whereas private schools offer specialized programs for students that can enable them to take specialized courses at college and university level. In public schools the education of the students is pre-decided by the state what they have to learn and parents and/or students have no say in this regard. Private schools provides flexible programs and students and their parents can opt from variety of options. Great school staff website highlight and analyze the impotence of these flexible courses and says; Private schools have the flexibility to create a specialized program for students. For example, private schools may use art or science in all classes, or take children on extended outdoor trips that blend lessons across the curriculum. Private schools can create their own curriculum and assessment systems, although many also choose to use standardized tests. (Great School Staff, 2008). Less Bureaucracy: Another indirect advantage that contributes toward the overall efficiency of the private schools is the minimum role of state bureaucracy. Less time is spent on formalities including following unnecessary state policies and paperwork and thus more time is available to concentrate the quality of education, syllabus and methodologies. Teachers are more independent in their classrooms and they work out certain creative strategies to teach their students in an innovative way. The efficiency and usefulness of public schools is marred because they have to go after all national, state and local policies pertaining to education as well as finances. Higher Academic Excellence: Quality of education is the most important tool to measure the excellence of either a private school or a public school. The study â€Å"The 2003 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)† conducted by National Center for Education Statistics reveals that private schools produce more excellence academically than public schools. This comparison in academic excellence was conducted at various levels and in various subjects. The results of a grade 4 â€Å"Reading† discloses that; â€Å"In the first set of analyses, all private schools were compared to all public schools. The average private school mean reading score was 14.7 points higher than the average public school mean reading score†¦.† (NCES) Same was the case with Grade 4Mathamirtics where private school’s students scored 7.8 higher than the public schools’ students. Same results were shown for Grade 8. This study is a clear manifestation of higher academic superiority and quality of education they offer. Safety at Campus: General school environment related to safety and conflict among students is another factor that parents keep in mind while opting for a schools. This is an important factor as Schools are not only a home to impart quality education but they are also concerned with the personal grooming of the children. Safe and sound environment reflects itself in the development of a good and healthy personality whereas conflict-ridden environment does not produce high-quality characters. Studies show that Private schools’ campuses are less prone to conflict as compared with Public schools. NCES reports manifests; Private school teachers were also less likely than teachers in other sectors to report physical conflicts among students as a serious problem in their school. Just 1.0 percent of private school teachers reported that physical conflicts among students were a serious problem in their school, compared with 4.8 percent of both traditional public school and public charter school teachers. (NCES) Public Schools Proponents of the public schools forward certain arguments and supported evidence in favor of academic excellence at public schools. They further quote various studies in favor of their prepositions. The most important arguments forwarded by advocates of Public schools are as under; Enhanced Extra and co-curricular activities: This does not suggest that public schools have no advantages over private schools. Public schools can offer more on co-curricular activities and can fund more activities in this realm than private schools. Maureen Boland says in this regard; Most public schools are simply bigger than private schools, and have enough students to pull off a science fair or power a chorus or computer club. What’s more, federal and state laws require public schools to provide diagnostic and disability services. Public schools are more likely to offer gifted and talented and remedial programs, too. (Boland) Higher Teacher Qualification: NCES study reveals that Public schools teacher are more qualified as compared with their private school counterparts. Furthermore, teachers form public schools attend the professional development courses more often. The study says; â€Å"Among full-time traditional public school teachers, 59.3 percent participated in such professional development activities, compared with 55.2 percent of full-time public charter school teachers and 43.1 percent of full-time private school teachers.† (NCES) Adherents of public schools are of the view that â€Å"Private school innovations do not in every case stimulate improved practices at the public schools with which they compete.† (Rothstein et al) They further illustrate that â€Å"Private elementary school personnel are not necessarily more accountable to parents than are public elementary school personnel.† (Rothstein et al) Conclusion: The above-mentioned arguments of the proponents of the public schools can easily be refuted as the primary objective of the schools remains imparting academic excellence and quality education whereas co-curricular activities and higher teacher professional development are secondary or subservient to the stated primary objective. Public schools are cost effective as compared with private school because they are hugely funded from the state treasury. But the abovementioned arguments and supported evidence clearly manifest that this cost effective sacrifices the quality of education. Although private schools charge huge amounts as fees but there are two valid reasons for this. Firstly they are self-sponsored. Secondly they need huge amounts to spend on the quality of education they produce or wish to produce. On the whole, private schools are more focused and thoroughly committed to the development of education with excellence. They do not believe in the mere transfer of knowledge but take into account the aptitude and mental inclination of the children and believe in charging their creative batteries. The faculty member of the private schools earn more and thus are dedicated toward their work and hanker after more excellence. References Boland, Maureen. Public vs. private: Which is right for your child? Parent Center. Center on education Policy. Are private High Schools Better Academically Than Public High School? October 2007. Great Schools Staff. (2007). Private vs. Public: What’s the Difference?. National Center for Education Statistics. Schools and Staffing Survey, 1999-2000: Overview of the Data for Public, Private, Public Charter, and Bureau of Indian Affairs Elementary and Secondary Schools. Fast Facts. Public School Review. Public Versus Private Schools. Retrieved March 23, 2008 at Web Rothstein. Richard, Carnoy, Martin & Benveniste, Luis. Can Public Schools Learn From Private Schools? Case Studies in the Public & Private Nonprofit Sectors. Economic Policy Institute.    U.S. Department of Education. Comparing Private Schools and Public Schools. Retrieved March 23, 2008 at Web Site:nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pdf/studies/2006461.pdf   

Cyber Hacking

Cyber Hacking Cyber hacking is an act of modifying computer hardware and software, in order to cause damage to other computer system. People who engage in computer activities are known as hackers. What are their purposes to do so? For some hackers, it is just a hobby and the way to determine their level of computerization. They enjoy learning more about how computer works and consider it is an â€Å"art† form. Besides, hackers apply their skill to break passwords, send viruses, and damage computer network security system for their deceitful purpose.Some hacking activities are directed towards individuals, families and organizations as an actual attack. There are many effects caused by cyber hacking. For example financial losses, hackers steal financial information to withdraw funds from an organization. Other than that, some of them received ransom from an organization to bombard other organization’s servers to become overloaded and crash. Furthermore, hackers also pret end to be someone determines to gain unauthorized access to information property. Similar essay: The Other Side of Email Robert KuttnerThey get to use the information to steal funds from banks or credit cards. Apart from that, hackers may hijack politician identity to circulate propaganda that panics the population. As an internet user, we actually are at risk for becoming a victim of cyber hacking. So, how can we avoid from getting hacked? The ways to protect ourselves are do not engage in conversation with strangers, keep passwords protected, do not keep any sensitive materials on computer and make sure the antivirus software is always updated.

Project Management in Team Dynamics Essays

Project Management in Team Dynamics Essays Project Management in Team Dynamics Paper Project Management in Team Dynamics Paper Project Management in Team Dynamics Project Management has been a major aspect in Team Dynamics, throughout the years in project planning. Project Management has prepared a way to plan, arrange and supervise resources, so that team projects will be more consistent in production and quality. Project Management has many features that make a team more reliable and dependable. For example, defining the goal and objectives; participates in a team; checkpoints to identify the project progress; standard and guidelines; and a communication plan. If the dynamics of project management are mplemented accurately, it will be beneficial in saving money, time, be more reliable and you will have job satisfaction. Project Management is an excellent tool to utilize in any business. It will bring success to any project or task. Defining objectives and goals help teams to identify what they are striving for. Every team member must be familiar with the objectives and goals or the cause for being call a t eam. Without an objective or a goal, project management does not have a position. Objectives and goals are the main reason for Team Dynamics, to have something to achieve. Many team members may have different assignments, but they will all have similar goals in a team project. â€Å" Goal are the glue that hold a team together† (Temme Katzel, 1995, p. 1). Team members is the structure of Team Dynamics. Each member must have a role and responsibilities to make everyone feel like a part of the team. A team leader/ team manager is required to assist and support the team, to make certain that all the team demands are met. â€Å" A team is not a team unless the members have a common purpose† (Temme Katzel, 1995, p. 1). A goal is needed to have intention for the team. An excellent way to set team goals is to composition a charter, so that each member will have a contribution on each individuals goals. A Charter will help set team guidelines and ground rules, so members will know what is expected. A checkpoint is present to see where everyone stands and the progress of the project. The Project Management Methodology (1997) stated, The checkpoints will also act as an opportunity for you to compare your plan against what you have completed and verify that your are still on track with the original project plan. At this point, you might need to dd or subtract items in affect resetting the expectations you have previously set. It is very important to measure your not just blow through each of the checkpoint. (para. 1) Checkpoint keeps everyone focus on the goal and objectives that were set. Another key factor in Project Management is standards. What are the standards or qualifications that is needed to have a successful project or task? Standards add gu idance or guidelines to know what is required of the finish project. If there are no standards to pursue, the project will not have a purpose or goal. Standards are like a goal to accomplish. Every project has standards or guidelines to follow to assure that the major goal is achieve. There are several techniques to measure standards in a project, for instant, there is a measurement in time, quantity, size, shape and color etc. There is no specific measurement; it is according to the final project goal. A successful team is required to have a communication plan so that each member in the team will be inform of the project status, changes, and issues. The Method 123 (2003) stated, â€Å"To ensure that communication within your project is clear, concise, relevant and timely- you will need to create a â€Å"Communication Plan†(para 1). In a team meeting, the team will address their ideas and issues. Team meetings will help you and your team members collaborate on each other’s ideas and views. Team meeting and good communication will also keep your team on the right track. Project Management has many benefits that make a project successful and profitable. The PSA Project (2005) stated, . Project Management was developed to save time on a project by planning it out and considering all relevant factors which may affect its outcome. The benefits are proven it saves time and money, and generates a more successful (para. ). Project Management also adds consistency and value to Team Dynamics. With project management, organizations has gain enormous success in profits. It is the solution to a successful project or task. In conclusion, managing projects takes planning and organizing. Project Management has a lot of key elements to make planning a project easier, faster and consistent. A good preparation to a task wi ll bring countless of benefit and profit to a project, which is the most important target in any project. References Project Management Methodology (1997). Methodology in a Box. Retrieved November 24, 2007, from dabcc. com/miab/miab30/Project-Management-2. -Project-Management-Met hodology-MIAB- 3. aspx PSA Project . (2005). Benefits of Successful Project Management . Retrieved November 25, 2007, from psaproject. com. au/default. asp Method123. (2003). CommunicationsPlanning. Retrieved January 29, 2007, from method123. com/articles/2007/01/29/Communications-Plan/ Temme, Jim. , Katzel, Jeanine. (1995). Calling a team a team doesnt mean that it is: successful teamwork must be a way of life. Plant Engineering , 49(1), 112.

The Definition of Bivalve

The Definition of Bivalve A bivalve is an animal that has two hinged shells, which are called valves. All bivalves are mollusks.  Examples of bivalves are clams, mussels, oysters, and scallops. Bivalves are found in both freshwater and marine environments.   Characteristics of Bivalves There are about 10,000 species of bivalves.Bivalves range in size from less than a millimeter to close to 5 feet (e.g., the giant clam). A bivalves shell is formed of calcium carbonate that is secreted from the bivalves  mantle, which is the soft wall of the animals body. The shell grows as the organism inside gets bigger. Not all bivalves have externally visible shells - some are small, some are not even visible. Shipworms are a bivalve that doesnt have a very visible shell - their shell is made up of two valves at the worms anterior (back) end. Bivalves have a foot, but not an obvious head. They also dont have a radula or jaws. Some bivalves move around (e.g., scallops), some burrow  into the sediment (e.g., clams)  or even rocks, and some attach to hard substrates (e.g, mussels). Smallest and Largest Bivalves The smallest bivalve is thought to be the saltwater clam  Condylonucula maya. This species has a shell that is less than a millimeter in size. The largest bivalve is the giant clam. The valves of the clam may be over 4 feet long, and the clam itself may weigh over 500 pounds.    Bivalve Classification Bivalves are found in the  Phylum Mollusca, Class Bivalvia. Where Are Bivalves Found? Marine bivalves are found around the world, from polar regions to tropical waters and from shallow tide pools to deep-sea hydrothermal vents.   Feeding - Them and You Many bivalves feed by filter feeding, in which they draw water over their gills, and tiny organisms collect in the organisms gill mucus. The also breathe by drawing fresh oxygen from the water as it passes over their gills. When you eat a shelled bivalve, youre eating the body or a muscle inside.  When youre eating a scallop, for example, youre eating the adductor muscle. The adductor muscle is a round, meaty muscle that the scallop uses to open and close its shell. Reproduction Some bivalves have separate sexes, some are hermaphroditic (have male and female sex organs). In most cases, reproduction is sexual with external fertilization. The embryos develop in the water column and go through a larval stage before eventually developing their shell.   Human Uses Bivalves are some of the most important seafood species. Oysters, scallops, mussels, and clams are popular selections at just about every seafood restaurant. According to NOAA, the commercial value of bivalve harvests in 2011 was over $1 billion, just in the U.S.   This harvest weighed over 153 million pounds.   Bivalves are organisms particularly vulnerable to climate change and ocean acidification. Increasing acidity in the ocean is affecting the ability for bivalves to effectively build their calcium carbonate shells.   Bivalve Used in a Sentence The blue mussel is a bivalve - it has two equally-sized, hinged shells that fit together and enclose the animals soft body. References and Further Information Geller, J. B. 2007. Bivalves.  In  Encyclopedia of Tidepools and Rocky Shores. University of California Press, p. 95-102.Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Condylonucula maya D.R. Moore, 1977. Accessed December 30, 2015.Lindberg, D.R. 2007. Molluscs, Overview.  In  Encyclopedia of Tidepools and Rocky Shores. University of California Press, p. 374-376.Martinez, Andrew J. 2003.  Marine Life of the North Atlantic. Aqua Quest Publications, Inc.: New York.NOAA, National Ocean Service. What Is a Bivalve Mollusk?  Accessed December 30, 2015.

An Introduction to the Interquartile Range

An Introduction to the Interquartile Range The interquartile range (IQR) is the difference between the first quartile and third quartile. The formula for this is: IQR Q3 - Q1 There are many measurements of the variability of a set of data. Both the range and standard deviation tell us how spread out our data is. The problem with these descriptive statistics is that they are quite sensitive to outliers. A measurement of the spread of a dataset that is more resistant to the presence of outliers is the interquartile range. Definition of Interquartile Range As seen above, the interquartile range is built upon the calculation of other statistics. Before determining the interquartile range, we first need to know the values of the first quartile and third quartile. (Of course, the first and third quartiles depend upon the value of the median). Once we have determined the values of the first and third quartiles, the interquartile range is very easy to calculate. All that we have to do is to subtract the first quartile from the third quartile. This explains the use of the term interquartile range for this statistic. Example To see an example of the calculation of an interquartile range, we will consider the set of data: 2, 3, 3, 4, 5, 6, 6, 7, 8, 8, 8, 9. The five number summary for this set of data is: Minimum of 2First quartile of 3.5Median of 6Third quartile of 8Maximum of 9 Thus we see that the interquartile range is 8 – 3.5 4.5. The Significance of the Interquartile Range The range gives us a measurement of how spread out the entirety of our data set is. The interquartile range, which tells us how far apart the first and third quartile are, indicates how spread out the middle 50% of our set of data is. Resistance to Outliers The primary advantage of using the interquartile range rather than the range for the measurement of the spread of a data set is that the interquartile range is not sensitive to outliers. To see this, we will look at an example. From the set of data above we have an interquartile range of 3.5, a range of 9 – 2 7 and a standard deviation of 2.34. If we replace the highest value of 9 with an extreme outlier of 100, then the standard deviation becomes 27.37 and the range is 98. Even though we have quite drastic shifts of these values, the first and third quartiles are unaffected and thus the interquartile range does not change. Use of the Interquartile Range Besides being a less sensitive measure of the spread of a data set, the interquartile range has another important use. Due to its resistance to outliers, the interquartile range is useful in identifying when a value is an outlier. The interquartile range rule is what informs us whether we have a mild or strong outlier.  To look for an outlier, we must look below the first quartile or above the third quartile.  How far we should go depends upon the value of the interquartile range.

Project Plan for an Online Music Store Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Project Plan for an Online Music Store - Essay Example After the site is done, the clients will be able to purchase music gear like headphones and ipods, music magazines like Billboard magazine and Rolling stones magazine, as well as music compact discs and digital music. The site will also provide the facilitation of cart system of purchase, where the client can purchase the products directly, add them to the purchase cart, and then pay fro them online via credit cards and other arrangements. 2. Project Overview 2.1 Scope This online store will enable clients and other users to purchase digital music of their choice from a wide catalogue. It will also make them able to purchase compact discs, vintage vinyl, music instruments, music players, musical headgear, music and music related magazines and other music paraphernalia that may be related to these products like long life power batteries for music players. The online store will also feature a jam room where the sites clients will be offered music at dates, which are pre-decided. The on line site will thus have a jam room booking option where the clients and other users can hand in their details, for processing and thus book the jam room beforehand. Via adding products to cart, the clients can also purchase products online and then pay for them later online. 2.2 Details and Requirements Ear Lickers online music store aims to be a leading band in the buying of music and music related paraphernalia on the internet. To do this, the site, will have to be user friendly, efficient, and reliable (Reid, 2009 p56). For this to be values to be instituted, the online site will have these features: A log in section, which is aimed at enabling users to create accounts n the website and... This paper seeks to provide an outline of a project plan aimed at starting an online store for the sale of music. This project plans main purpose is to define tentatively the different iterations and phases for the lifecycle of the project. This plan could act as a guide for software development processes too. For software development, the professionals who could use this project plan include team leaders who would utilize it for planning sharing of resources and management of time. This project’s main objective is for the development of an online store, which is mainly aimed at live clients, and will be called Ear lickers music store. After the site is done, the clients will be able to purchase music gear like headphones and ipods, music magazines like Billboard magazine and Rolling stones magazine, as well as music compact discs and digital music. The site will also provide the facilitation of cart system of purchase, where the client can purchase the products directly, add them to the purchase cart, and then pay fro them online via credit cards and other arrangements. Since online music stores are a relatively new venture, it was important to come up first with a project plan before the actual setting up of the project. This helps in the systematic implementation of the project and its completion on schedule and within budget. The various members of the team are required to be aware of their specific tasks in order for them to be efficient and conclude their duties on time.

Analysis Paper 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analysis Paper 1 - Essay Example THESIS STATEMENT The lines of the poem, ‘Eating Poetry’ by Mark Strand, do not fall into conventional schemes of logical thought process; it is bizarre, yet there are layers of interpretations and intercepts that can be formed from striking metaphors, paradoxical lines and conflicting concepts inherent within the poem. With this concern, this essay intends to analyze the poem, ‘Eating Poetry’ at length and confront the idea of the poet, operating behind the poem at a comprehensive level. EATING POETRY: ANALYSIS The poem, ‘Eating Poetry’ indicates immense love of the poet, for poetry. It is expressed in a bizarre way, but there is a strong sense of desperation inherent within the tone of the poet. Poet wants to express that poetry is not always about the ability to express the meaning inherent within it; far beyond the expression and understanding of meaning of a poem, lays its real essence, the language, choice of words, its symphony and its met er. All these elements get lost and subverted in understanding the real meaning of poetry at times. A poet is able to find extraordinary ideas through looking or gazing at ordinary things. A dog or a piece of log, a bizarre and not so attractive librarian who is very much confused, can also become the subject of his poetry, being the pivot or the central thought of the poem like one in ‘Eating Poetry’ (Slaughter, â€Å"Eating Poetry†). At the outset, the poetry begins with a stark indication that it is consuming the poet entirely or it can indicate that the poet is gobbling poetry like a hungry man and ‘Ink runs from the corners of my mouth’. Next in the poem, comes the bizarre and clumsy portrait of the librarian who has nothing logical to follow through the first paragraph of the poem. It is evident that the librarian is sad and under the hue of dim light with all the oddities around the queue for poetry gets lost and cannot, anymore find a concret e expression (Slaughter, â€Å"Eating Poetry†). The presence of dogs and their coming up from the basement might irritate or make the librarian feel awkward, but then the dogs are also viewed to be the integral part of the poem. Very few poets, like the poet of ‘Eating Poetry’, would be able to include even a dog into the scheme of thought process inherent in the poetry. The description of the dogs and the metaphors used to express them are also remarkable. The blond feet of the dogs seem burning that makes the librarian feel more distressed, stamping her feet and sobbing in depression (Slaughter, â€Å"Eating Poetry†). Next, the poem reaches the height of awkwardness, when the poet starts behaving like a dog, gets down on his knees and starts licking the hands of the librarian who scream in awe and fear. And the poem ends with self evaluation of the poet as a new man who engages himself behind the librarian snarling and licking her hands, which gives him an inner joy and makes him lost himself in the darkness of the books. The transition of the poet into a dog seems quite symbolic. The loyalty and faithfulness, which can be expected from a dog often misses in a man. Therefore, there might be a clear indication from the poet’

Teaching Prejudice Reduction in High School Students, School and the Research Paper

Teaching Prejudice Reduction in High School Students, School and the Community - Research Paper Example Gordon Allport identified prejudice as a feeling, positive or harsh, towards an individual or thing, prior to, or not derived from, real experience (Allport 2). This paper will research on ways one would go about teaching prejudice reduction in high school students, school and community. Prejudicial beliefs and attitudes challenge values of social justice in a moderate democracy. Prejudice in learning institutions is troubling because they are public areas in which learners study to construct and negotiate knowledge of disparities. When prejudicial attitudes go uninspected in learning institutions, students are not granted the chance to disassemble prejudicial knowledge (Bandura 34). The effect of prejudicial actions on students is broad, extending from lower school performance to deprived mental and physical health. For instance, recent research illustrated that the Asian Pacific American learners encounter prejudicial attitudes regarding expectations of high academic achievement. A single Asian Pacific American student is anticipated to shine in academics based upon combined group data in spite of his or her individual abilities or needs (Cohen 56). These prejudices coalesce with family prospects bring out high levels of stress among learners. As a result, some Asian Pacific American scholars report serious misery and suicidal feelings than their European and American counterparts. The lessening of prejudice is essential for vigorous and equitable learning surroundings that promote a student’s physical, academic and mental health (Cohen 56). Creating awareness of the effects of prejudice to high schools students, schools and the community at large is a vital key of reducing prejudice. This is because as students observe alternate stories of different groups, they start the deconstruction of hegemonic typical stories that effect social disparity. For instance, rather than having monolingual voice in subjects like history, learners are capable of listeni ng to several voices that explain the history from a variety of views. Learners develop the skill to evaluate discrepancies that exist to effect inequalities by studying several views of history. Transformative information becomes a possible source for exceptional change by enlightening and communicating the variations between the democratic principles in a society plus its practices. The transformation of information entails raising diverse queries and reexamining what is the official information. The official information explains the attitude of typical stories to the status of being natural, normal or truth. Because official information is often effected by a school’s program, a critical assessment of the curriculum is a vital aspect of multicultural education. This assessment is essential for students to deconstruct prejudicial information and establish an appreciation of diverse cultures. The mass media play a pivotal responsibility in enlightening the reduction of preju dice in the society. The mass media assists in enlightening the society about the effects of prejudice. Educators can also assist students to study the way in which diverse social groups are exposed in mass media. Recent research has found that, though, the media often promotes the growth of prejudicial attitudes because it occasionally gives a wider understanding of different perspectives. Finally, prejudiced actions like tracking should be expelled as a means of reducing prejudice (Cortes 125). Researchers have called for awareness

Language and Literacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Language and Literacy - Essay Example There seems to be no agreement as to when language was first used by humans. Some estimates date as far back as two million years ago, during the time of Homo habilis, while others date as recent as forty thousand (40,000) years ago, during the time of Cro-Magnon man. What is unarguably clear, however, is that language development is a continuous process affected by several social factors and that most contemporary human languages are a blend of several primitive ones. One main feature of human language is arbitrariness of symbols and sounds. A symbol or sound only needs to be attached to a particular concept or meaning, or even applied to the rules of grammar and becomes a part of the language. For instance, while the word 'nada' is conceptualised to mean nothing in the Spanish language, for Croatian speakers, it means 'hope' (Hudson, 2000). Through the course of this essay, I shall attempt a discourse of the various social factors that come into play in language, within the context of literacy development. In this regard, three students currently undertaking a basic skills "Brush Up Your English" course at Halton College will be used as case studies. After a brief analysis of what has been said and researched on the impact of social factors on language development, I will give a brief account of the backgrounds of the three students in this group, before examining how the duo of region/geography and gender (two main social factors) have affected language development and literacy in these students. Language and Social Factors Sociolinguistics are social sciences that consider the interactions between languages and society as a whole. It is an established body of knowledge that studies language on a social basis. Thus, it involves an interest in interaction, variability and diversity in language (Deumert, 2005). Or as described by Trask (1999), it is "the study of variation in language, or more precisely, the variation within speech communities." (Trask, 1999, p.283). This field of interest only dates back to the 1950s, this perhaps explain why most of the social influences on language development are still not fully comprehended. Within the Sociolinguistics school, there are two broad approaches to language variation; prescriptivism and descriptivism. Prescriptivists tend to be found among the ranks of language educators and journalists, and not in the actual academic discipline of linguistics. They hold clear notions of what is right and wrong and tend to advocate what they consider as 'correct' use of language according to set rules (Hudson, 2000). Describing this school of thought, Thorne (1997) states that "it is associated with formal written and spoken language and is used in dictionaries, grammar books and language handbooks." (p.92). To further buttress this point, Thorne (1997) cited the example of the original version of the National Curriculum for schools' emphasis on Standard English (SE) being taught as "the language of wide social communication and was generally required in formal contexts" (p.138). Descriptivists, on the other hand, do not accept the prescriptivists' notion of "incorrect usage." They prefer to describe such variance as 'non-standard'. Thus, they see Standard English as "only one variety among manylinguistically speaking it can not legitimately be

Economic, Health, and Demographic data of United States and China Research Paper

Economic, Health, and Demographic data of United States and China - Research Paper Example These include pollution, particularly in some of the most densely populated areas, particularly as a reliance on automobiles (as seen in the Western world) and other technologies continues to grow alongside the economy (Yueh, 2010). Additionally, there is a high level of income poverty in China, which could pose a challenge as nationals may not have the spending power to continue to increase the strength of the internal markets (Yueh, 2010). It has also been noted that recent years have seen a decrease in the speed of Chinese economic growth, which may make it difficult to overtake the U.S. in terms of GDP (Yueh, 2010), which may be linked to the global economic downturn or one of the factors outlined above. United States Currently, the U.S. has the world’s largest economy for a nation. There are several reasons for the strength of the U.S. economy. One of these is that it has a high level of natural resources, which can therefore be exported for profit (Wallace, 2010). Additi onally, there is a strong infrastructure in place which allows high productivity, good services and general well-being (Wallace, 2010). The U.S. is also highly involved in international trading, particularly with the EU, China and Japan (Wallace, 2010). There are weaknesses, however, which may continue to cause problems for the U.S. economy. One of these is the current unemployment rate, which is far exceeding historic rates and may continue to grow (Wallace, 2010). Additionally, as the largest economic force, the U.S. was hit particularly hard by the 2007-2008 economic downturn, causing a drop in GDP and having an additional effect on productivity and employment within the country (Wallace, 2010). Additionally, a high reliance on natural resources like oil and gas may cause problems in the future, as these are evidently limited in their capacity to provide financial stability due to their finiteness (Wallace, 2010). Health China China has a fairly strong health profile, with an ave rage age at mortality at 74 years old, and infant mortality at an all-time low. There are still a number of health problems in mainland China, however. One of these is smoking-related illnesses, with about 350 million people currently smoking and no major government interest in preventing smoking uptake (WHO, 2010). Additionally, there are a number of women’s health and sexual health problems which are associated with a lower level of acceptance of sex education and contraception advice in China (WHO, 2010). Additionally, there is a high level of malnutrition still present in China, mostly affecting those who live in rural areas (WHO, 2010). This brings the mortality rate up, and can lead to further health problems. However, this issue of malnutrition is being tackled by the Chinese government and aims to be eradicated at some point in the near future (Bloom et al, 2004), which may improve the overall health profile of the People’s Democratic Republic of China further and bring it more in line with that of Western countries. Additionally, China has an extremely affordable healthcare system, whereby the annual cost is around $7 and only a small proportion of this is paid by the patient, which means that there may be significant increases in China’s health after the system has been in place a few years longer (Bloom et al, 2004). United States The average life expectancy in the U.S. is 78.5, which is higher than China but is much lower than that of other industrialized

Language and Literacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Language and Literacy - Essay Example There seems to be no agreement as to when language was first used by humans. Some estimates date as far back as two million years ago, during the time of Homo habilis, while others date as recent as forty thousand (40,000) years ago, during the time of Cro-Magnon man. What is unarguably clear, however, is that language development is a continuous process affected by several social factors and that most contemporary human languages are a blend of several primitive ones. One main feature of human language is arbitrariness of symbols and sounds. A symbol or sound only needs to be attached to a particular concept or meaning, or even applied to the rules of grammar and becomes a part of the language. For instance, while the word 'nada' is conceptualised to mean nothing in the Spanish language, for Croatian speakers, it means 'hope' (Hudson, 2000). Through the course of this essay, I shall attempt a discourse of the various social factors that come into play in language, within the context of literacy development. In this regard, three students currently undertaking a basic skills "Brush Up Your English" course at Halton College will be used as case studies. After a brief analysis of what has been said and researched on the impact of social factors on language development, I will give a brief account of the backgrounds of the three students in this group, before examining how the duo of region/geography and gender (two main social factors) have affected language development and literacy in these students. Language and Social Factors Sociolinguistics are social sciences that consider the interactions between languages and society as a whole. It is an established body of knowledge that studies language on a social basis. Thus, it involves an interest in interaction, variability and diversity in language (Deumert, 2005). Or as described by Trask (1999), it is "the study of variation in language, or more precisely, the variation within speech communities." (Trask, 1999, p.283). This field of interest only dates back to the 1950s, this perhaps explain why most of the social influences on language development are still not fully comprehended. Within the Sociolinguistics school, there are two broad approaches to language variation; prescriptivism and descriptivism. Prescriptivists tend to be found among the ranks of language educators and journalists, and not in the actual academic discipline of linguistics. They hold clear notions of what is right and wrong and tend to advocate what they consider as 'correct' use of language according to set rules (Hudson, 2000). Describing this school of thought, Thorne (1997) states that "it is associated with formal written and spoken language and is used in dictionaries, grammar books and language handbooks." (p.92). To further buttress this point, Thorne (1997) cited the example of the original version of the National Curriculum for schools' emphasis on Standard English (SE) being taught as "the language of wide social communication and was generally required in formal contexts" (p.138). Descriptivists, on the other hand, do not accept the prescriptivists' notion of "incorrect usage." They prefer to describe such variance as 'non-standard'. Thus, they see Standard English as "only one variety among manylinguistically speaking it can not legitimately be

Homework 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Homework 2 - Essay Example It can as well be noticed in the records that Saudi Arabia had the highest percentage of contribution while Comoros had the lowest percentage of contribution to the sum total of the Gross Domestic Product of the 22 Arab League members (Vijay 2012). The GDP was as well compared with that of the various countries. The first country that was compared with that of the 22 Arab League members was United Kingdom. From the records, it was clearly seen that in the year 2012, the GDP of the country was 2440 billion US dollars. This was slightly higher than that of the 22 countries in question. It was later followed by Germany that had a GDP of 3600.8 billion US dollars in the same financial year, 2012 (Vijay 2012). The GDP of France and U.S were the highest compared to all the computed GDP of the other countries. In the year 2012, the GDP of France was found to be 2.613 trillion US dollars. This was many times the GDP of the 22 Arab countries in hand. The leading country in terms of the GDP was US that had a GDP amounting to 15.68 trillion US dollars (Vijay

Definition of Groupthink. Retrieved from Essay Example for Free

Definition of Groupthink. Retrieved from Essay I have always had a different idea of what groupthink really means, to me I thought of it as a bad idea from someone amongst a group of people that had not been voiced seemingly because the person having this thought lacks confidence or backing. More like trying to proof to your business partners that an idea of using an outdated tactic to target a young crowd is not the best idea In its own definition Wikipedia(2013) describes groupthink as a psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people, in which the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in an incorrect or deviant decision- making outcome, whereas it can also be viewed as the practice of thinking or making decisions as a group in a way that discourages creativity or individual responsibility. All different versions of what it is but also giving a detailed well round idea and description. Good examples of groupthink situations as studied by Janis in the book â€Å"fiascoes† are such as the United States government failure to anticipate the Pearl Harbor attacks, the Bay of Pigs invasion, the escalation of Vietnam War, and the ill-fated hostage rescue in Iran (Janis,1972) Some recent past examples of groupthink would be in the hastened decision making of the Bush administration and Congress to pursue an invasion of Iraq based on a policy of â€Å"preemptive use of military force against terrorists and rogue nations.† It is definitely an undeniable fact that groupthink has been a large part of decision making in the United States government for a long time. As we speak, arguably the best current example of groupthink that the American government is facing is the Obama Care. This is so because some might see it as a majority of democrat leaders refusing to see or identify with different ideas that are outside theirs, thus leading to what psychologist consider as a mental deficiency commonly known as groupthink. â€Å"Groups affected by groupthink ignore alternatives and tend to take irrational actions that dehumanize other groups† (Janis, 1972). I found it rather interesting reading the article by the net advisor to bring out reasons as to why the Obama care was created under the influence of groupthink. The net advisor article reads â€Å"the patient protection and affordable care act or â€Å"Obama Care† was passed by majority of the then Democratic House. The house leadership under Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) refused to allow the US senate of any party to even consider debating, let alone voting on Obama care. The house by passed the entire U.S. senate by using a controversial self-executing rule or â€Å"deem and pass† procedure then quickly sent it to president Obama to sign†(Net advisor). This brings out the question, what if the Democratic Party had not made such an irrational decision to pass the Obama Care, would it have made any difference in the case of the government shutdown. Since the main reason that led to most of the republican members to oppose raising the debt ceiling that would have prevented the government from shutting down was primarily a disagreement in the Obama care. This is arguable in both sides since the republican party might also have made a groupthink decision to prevent the Obama care under any circumstances, leading to a government shutdown that has dented the government debt even more, ironically an issue that they (republican party) are trying to avoid with the Obama care. The united states is established in two well defined parties and many are the times that the conflicting views from each party, makes it harder to make any decisions or view the others opinion. Hopefully in the future the decisions from our leaders can be viewed in a more universal dimension, thus the administrators of our president can challenge each other to eliminate groupthink. References Janis, I (1972, Victims of groupthink (1st edition ed) retrieved from http:// leadership theory 3450.blogspot.com Obama care is an example of Groupthink gone wrong. Retrieved from http://netadvisor.org/2013/09/26. Definition of Groupthink. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groupthink

Ebook Security With Adobe Adapt DRM

Ebook Security With Adobe Adapt DRM Abstract EBooks can be secured in various ways dependant on device or format. The report focuses on the encryption method used by Adobe in their Adept DRM used to secure EPUB and PDF formats. The report describes what a DRM is and its uses and purposes within the industry, how Adobe have adapted this for their purpose, the RSA and AES encryptions used, along with any advancements and vulnerabilities with the process. Recommendations are then given on how the process could be improved and conclusions drawn on the overall effectiveness of the system. Table of Contents 2. Literature review 2.1 What is DRM 2.2 RSA with PKCS#1 v1.5 padding 2.2.1 PKCS #1 2.2.2 RSA 2.2.2.1 GENERATE A PUBLIC KEY AND PRIVATE KEY 2.2.3 Padding 2.3 AES in CBC mode with a random generated IV 4. Vulnerabilities Security Known attacks Side-channel attacks NIST/CSEC validation Test vectors 5. Recommendations 6. Conclusion 7. References 2. Literature review 2.1 What is DRM? Digital Rights Management or DRMs restrict the ability to print, modify, lend or use the extended features of purchased digital media specifically EBooks. Restriction levels are dependent on publishers, distributors, device and even time. These restrictions are also used to limit the number of E-Readers a book can be viewed on and time restrictions on features can be added. DRMs come in different forms, at present there are eight main types, excluding obscure formats or those used in non-English countries, and a large proportion of these are incompatible with each other. While there is no de-facto standard, Adobe DRM is the most prolific, although Amazon Kindle and Apple iBooks use proprietary DRMs. The Adobe ADEPT DRM system has five key parts: Adobe Content server is responsible for the storage and management of EBooks. Adobe Activation Server is responsible for storing and tracking Adobe IDs and authorised devices. Adobe Content Server Message (ACSM) file carries the details of the book including name, synopsis and location. Adobe ID is the unique identification that is associated with the user. This is required to unlock the ACSM. Adobe Reader Software Development Kit (SDK) is used for distributers to create their own mobile reading apps. (Jenny Ellis and Kyle Cook (2013)) The following process is used when a purchased EBook with an Adobe Adept DRM is opened with Adobe Digital Editions. 1. A unique user key is created for the user account encrypted with RSA with PKCS#1 v1.5 padding by the E-Reader software. The account information not the device is used to create the key therefore allowing an EBook with DRM to be read on various devices. This is required to open the ACSM file. 2. Once an EBook is purchased a key for decryption known as the book key or ACSM is sent to the user. This book key is encrypted by the distributor using the unique user key created in step one. The book encryption is AES with Cipher Block Chaining with an Initialization vector that is randomly generated. 3.T he E-Reader software uses the user key to decrypt the book key and subsequently the book key is used to decrypt the EBook and allow access to the device or software. Copying is prevented by requiring the user key to decrypt the book key as it is not stored in a decrypted form on the device or software. To enable reading on another device it requires authorisation, once complete the user key is sent and the device is registered allowing EBook to be read on the newly enabled device. (Xiao Zhang 201) Image 01: The DRM Process 2.2 RSA with PKCS#1 v1.5 padding RSA with Public Key Cryptography Standards (PKCS) #1 and padding is used to encrypt the unique user account key, below is a description of how each part works to protect the user identification and eBook. 2.2.1 PKCS #1 PKCS #1 is the first standard of mathematical recommendations and properties for the correct implementation of RSA public and private keys. The key pairs are based on a modulus of two distinct large prime numbers. (Weisstein 2015) 2.2.2 RSA Image 02: How RSA Encryption Works (Page Don 2010) In 1977 Ron Rivest, Adi Shamir and Leonard Adleman first described RSA public key or asymmetric cryptography. RSA uses two keys, one public one private that are mathematically linked. As the name suggests public keys can be shared with anyone whereas the private key must be kept secure. Either key can be used to encrypt the data and the opposite key is used to decrypt. RSA if implemented correctly can provide confidentiality, integrity and non-reputability of electronic communications and data storage. (Rouse 2014) 2.2.2.1 Generating Public and Private Keys The first step to generating the public and private keys is two prime numbers. A prime number is a number greater 1 and is only divisible by 1 or itself. Examples of prime numbers are: 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29, 31, 37, 41. These two prime numbers p and q are multiplied together to give n and multiplied together minus one to give t. For Example: p = 29q= 31 n = p * q = 29 * 31 ∠´ n = 899 t = ( p -1 ) * ( q 1) = ( 29 1 ) * ( 31 1 ) ∠´ t = 840 Another prime number e is required, although e needs to be a relative prime to t, therefore t cannot be divisible by e. Since t = 840, e cannot be 2, 3, 5 or 7 ∠´ e can be 11, 13, 17 etc. 11 was selected as it was the first relative prime to t. ∠´ e = 11. The last figure required for the calculations is d. The formula used to ascertain d is: d * e = 1 mod t ∠´ (d * 11) / 840 will result in the remainder of 1. To find d the inverse of e mod t is required and is often computed using the Extended Euclidean Algorithm. ∠´ ( 611* 11) / 840 = 8 r 1 ∠´ d = 611. The public key is n and e ∠´ 899 and 11. The private key is n and d ∠´ 899 and 611. (Page Don 2010) 2.3 AES in CBC mode with a random generated IV AES with Cipher Block Chaining with an Initialization vector that is randomly generated is used to encrypt the book key or ACSM, below is a description of how each part works to protect the eBook to prevent unauthorised use. 3. Vulnerabilities On paper, this encryption scheme ensures a strong DRM mechanism. However, it was soon observed that the software used to read ePubs and PDFs, Adobe Digital Editions, uses a very weak obfuscation to hide the per-user key. An attack that uses reverse-engineering on the software reveals a rather easy method of retrieving the per-user key from the software and use it to decrypt other Adept encrypted PDF or ePub file. Newer versions of the Adobe Digital Editions use more cryptic ways of hiding the per-user key, but attacks still exist to retrieve it from the registry 4. Recommendations Adobe Digital Editions, uses a very weak obfuscation to hide the per-user key. An attack that uses reverse-engineering on the software reveals a rather easy method of retrieving the per-user key from the software and use it to decrypt other Adept encrypted PDF or ePub file. Newer versions of the Adobe Digital Editions use more cryptic ways of hiding the per-user key, but attacks still exist to retrieve it from the registry  for better useable security and privacy Write with  the  knowledge  you have gained during  the  lectures  and  also  sensible  intuition  about improvements that can be made to ensure better security and privacy of all involved state holders. à ¯Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ §Ã‚  You are  not  asked to  provide  workable solutions there should be no limit  to your imagination; however with  sensible intuition. You can discuss systems, frameworks, protocols, tools, best practices, government  regulations etc. 5. Conclusion highlight important facts and findings. 6. References http://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2013/building-a-community-of-readers-social-reading-and-an-aggregated-ebook-reading-app-for-libraries/ http://www.cse.wustl.edu/~jain/cse571-11/ftp/drm/#sec2.3.1 E-Book Security and Preventing Theft and Unauthorised Editing http://inkwelleditorial.com/prevent-ebook-theft http://ebookforum.info/how-can-i-stop-theft-of-my-ebook/ http://www.star-force.com/press/articles/?news=2562 DRM http://ebookarchitects.com/learn-about-ebooks/drm/ https://www.editionguard.com/

The Day That Changed My Life Forever :: Personal Narrative Essays

Throughout life we come across many people, some who influence us in negative ways, and those who influence in good ways, often changing our complete outlook on life. For me, it took the struggle of one of my best friends to open my eyes. I only wish it wasn't too late to thank her.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I grew up having more than the average kid. My parents bought me nice clothes, stereos, Nintendo games, mostly everything I needed and wanted. They supported me in everything I did. At that point in my life I was very involved with figure skating. I never cared how much of our money it took, or how much of my parents' time it occupied, all I thought about was the shiny new ice skates and frilly outfits I wanted. Along with my involvement in soccer, the two sports took most of my parents' time, and a good portion of their money. Growing up with such luxuries I began to take things for granted. I expected things, rather than being thankful for what I had and disregarded my parent's wishes, thinking only of myself. Apparently my parents recognized my behavior and began limiting my privileges. When I didn't get what I wanted I got upset and mad at my parents somehow blaming them for all my problems. Now don't get me wrong, I wasn't a bad kid, I just didn't know how el se to act. I had never been exposed to anything less than what I had and didn't realize how good I had it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Regina Maywack lived just down the road from me. Before 5th grade I never knew who she was. As the year progressed we got closer and closer. Regina was extremely talented. She was, in my mind, a genius; she loved school and always did well. She was also blessed with athletic ability. Something I respected since most other kids we knew weren't involved in sports. No matter what day it was I always went to school knowing that Regina would be there with a smile on her face. It seemed as though she didn't have a care in the world. There were days I would show up mad at something my parents had done, or at something that hadn't gone my way, and she would just look at me with those honest eyes and tell me to be thankful for the good things.

Fracking: Carbon Dioxide and Natural Gas

April 8, 2012 Dear Senator Greg Ball, The current practice of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) began in America in the late 1990‘s and has been wreaking havoc on the land and the lives of the American people since. In case you are unaware, fracking is the process well diggers use to extract natural gas and oil from the earth. They use pressurized mixture of water, sand, and chemicals to form veins (or fractures) in the rock in order for the natural gas or oil to escape.Although this process is an affective way to produce the natural resources from the earth, there are repercussions that are being ignored by the well companies. For instance, there were several private wells in Dimock, Pennsylvania contaminated with methane caused by the fracking done by Cabot Oil and Gas. The people living off these wells were not able to use their water. Although the gas company denied any kind of fault, they compensated the residents financially and built a new pipeline to bring clean water in. In December, 2011 the EPA sent out letters to the residents telling them their water was safe to drink. But in January of 2012 the EPA retracted its position and told the gas company to immediately take care of the problem. Another problem that has developed due to fracking is pollution around the dig sites. Emissions associated with combustion include nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxide, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. Another emission problem is the emission produced from the natural gas.Gasses such as methane, ethane and liquid condensate and volatile organic compounds (VOC). VOC’s have been proven to cause birth defects, neurological problems, and cancer. Most recently, in March of 2012, officials in Ohio are blaming the wastewater produced from fracking for a series of recent earthquakes. What my goal would be from you Mr. Ball, is that you would introduce a bill to the senate that would encourage regulation on fracking from the federal level.If the federal government woul d regulate the way fracking is done in America, it could save many lives and help save the environment. Bad drilling techniques, design and execution are some of the reasons the drilling wreaks so much havoc. This is something that could very easily be regulated by inspections of the wells. I also believe that the number of wells being drilled needs to be regulated. In Pennsylvania alone, there are 3,500 wells. This number is too high. Having that number of wells in such s small area, is inviting problems.If the federal government would make some regulations on how many wells per square mile are aloud, it would cut down of a lot of the damage being done. It may also be possible to regulate how far from civilian dwellings a well should be drilled. If the wells were drilled several miles from any home, the chances of it endangering people and animals would decrease. Mr. Ball I appreciate you taking time to read this letter and listening to my concerns. I am confident that you love thi s country as much as I do and will try to put an end to hydraulic fracturing as we know it today. Sincerely,

Hating crime and inhumanity

Hating Crime and InhumanityHave you of all time lost person that you love and care really much? A friend, schoolmate, neighbour or your kid who returned to God due to an accident or bad luck? Worst, killed because of his or her differences! Matthew Shepard, a victim of hatred offense, was one of them! He was merely an ordinary 21 old ages old male child when he was viciously anguished and murdered, all because he was homosexual! Harmonizing to Tiby, E. ( 2007 ) , hate offenses or biased-based discourtesies are flagitious Acts of the Apostless that occur when a culprit marks a mark due to his or her apparent rank in a certain societal group. Since 1990, the Numberss of hatred offense rates have been steadily increasing despite the fact that we are so called educated, unfastened minded and civilized. Its continued happening has caused President George W. Bush to subscribe into jurisprudence the Hate Crime Statistics Act in 1990 which was later amended by the Violent Crime and Law Enfor cement Act of 1994 as reported by Anderson, J. , Dyson, L. , & A ; Brooks Jr. , W. ( 2002 ) . The bar of hate offenses should get down with a better information aggregation, carry oning monolithic educational runs in cultural diverseness consciousness and racial tolerance, and in conclusion deprogramming hatred offense wrongdoers. First, the existent Numberss of hatred offense must be known to forestall hate offenses! Every twelvemonth, tonss of such instances remained in the dark because some illegal immigrants were unable to talk local linguistic communications and may be needed to be deported. Other than that, officers are non good trained or equipped with the cognition to manage hate offenses. Hence, some offenses are non recognized and reported as hatred offenses. Furthermore, rather a figure of people are really unwilling to describe such instances due to fear that such blasphemous promotion could do farther strain on race dealingss. Such jobs have created an inaccuracy in informations certification of hate offenses. For illustration, if existent figure of instances should be 100 but the reported instances is merely 50 which will indirectly forestall the affair from acquiring any attending from the populace! The deficiency of an accurate informations, reduces the effectivity of hate offenses bar attempts . ( Anderson, J. , Dyson, L. , & A ; Brooks Jr. , W. ,2002 ) In add-on to that, monolithic educational runs should be conducted in the sense of cultural diverseness consciousness and racial tolerance. Education must promote differences and tolerance. Everyone needs to be taught about multiculturalism and the parts by different ethnics and races. In the diary article â€Å" Preventing Hate Crime and Profiling Hate Crime Offenders † ( 2002 ) , Anderson, J. , Dyson, L. , & A ; Brooks Jr. , W. had claimed that such educational attempts should get down every bit early as the pre-adolescent phase. Besides, the coevals of diverseness consciousness and racial tolerance besides need to be promoted by spiritual groups and church folds and non merely sole for schoolrooms and jurisprudence enforcement scenes. Next, an exchange plan with other states should besides assist to increase the openness of the multicultural thought which provides pupils a deeper apprehension. All these should be done to guarantee the endurance of true humanity, love for on e another. Last, hatred offense wrongdoers are ought to undergo deprogramming. An extended guidance is considered necessary for them to get the better of and free off the â€Å" toxicants † of long-run indoctrination of hatred and segregation. Additionally, ex-offenders should assist to run such plans as they have priceless penetration into the heads of those who enduring from hatred and its associates. Traveling on, the absolute engagement of local section of instruction is indispensable in making a course of study to educate wrongdoers to unlearn hatred and advance self growing. Such course of study demands to be conducted from the frame of mention that force is either single or institutional. Ultimately, this would most likely transfuse love and kindness into their Black Marias while fring off the hate caused by misconstruing. In decision, people have their differences and defects as we are all lone worlds. Therefore, we should non know apart or transfuse hatred to others simply because of the differences that we all have! There is no inquiry that it will take a community broad attempts to cut down and forestall hate offenses from go oning. That is precisely why the jurisprudence enforcement community will and must play its function in this venture! Both the people and authorities should fall in custodies in eliminating hate offenses to forestall it from go oning to our future coevalss. As what people normally say, â€Å" Prevention is better than remedy † . Let us halt this inhumaneness from distributing by taking actions now.

Mark Walsh the protagonist in the novel “Triage” Essay

Scott Anderson’s novel â€Å"Triage deals† with war and the reminiscence of war. Mark Walsh, the protagonist in Triage is a New York based photojournalist who specialises in war photography. During the nine years Mark is in the industry, he believes that â€Å"you have to keep it separate, keep it separate, and you don’t feel a thing.† Even though within the first nine years Mark believes that he is following his own advice and â€Å"keeping it separate†, in the novel there is much evidence of when he is unable to keep it separate and ultimately every war he goes to affects him. Mark thinks that he is able to â€Å"keep it separate† but the novel demonstrates how Mark tries, but inevitably his subconscious is unable to â€Å"keep it separate†. Mark’s father is a former Marine who has also been scarred by war. He understands that war â€Å"affects you, it never stops affecting you.† At the time Mark believes that he is fine, he had looked his father in the eye and said â€Å"it doesn’t affect me.† While trying to â€Å"keep it separate†, Mark resorts to a range of protective behaviours. Joaquin refers to the camera as â€Å"a very convenient device for placing distance between oneself and one’s surroundings.† For Mark the camera acts as a shield between reality and him, he even admits â€Å"you kind of forget that what’s happening in front of you is real.† When Mark is in Harir Cave he is directly involved, â€Å"without your camera, it’s not so easy.† Talzani is referring to the fact that when you are apart of the war, when you are not just standing behind the camera shooting, when you are not separated by the camera, it is very different, and hard to deal with. When Mark has parties and get-togethers with his fellow war photographers they never talk about their experiences at war, they only talk about how the photos turn out and technical things. In some ways, not talking about it is a way for Mark to â€Å"keep it separate.† Throughout the novel, Anderson often brings up the photographers drinking. When Elena asks David at the funeral to tell her the truth about Stewart’s death, all the photographers â€Å"nervously raised the bottles to their lips and drank.†No matter how hard Mark tries to â€Å"keep it separate†, ultimately he is unable to keep his life separate from his experiences of war. Most obviously this is proved after Colin’s death in Kurdistan. Mark cannot consciously deal with the crisis, so his mind blanks out and he shows the classic symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. After each photo shoot of a war  ends, Mark goes to a â€Å"neutral place† for a few days until the â€Å"fear or tension or anger dissipated.† In needing to go to a neutral place, subconsciously Mark understands that he is unable to completely keep the war experiences separate from his life. â€Å"This time of all times he should have waited.† Mark realises that his need for minimalism serves as a means of regaining a connection with life outside the war zones; it acts as a form of personal debriefing. This time he did not go to a neutral place and he can not keeping it separate anymore. The war story from Beirut of the little boy running towards Mark makes him feel guilt. He thinks that if he wasn’t so cowardly and ducked, or if he wasn’t there, the young boy would not have been killed. This shows that Mark is unable to keep it separate, he even admits, â€Å"wouldn’t it affect anyone?† Mark reveals â€Å"the pain only when he thought he was alone.† In the novel when Mark allows â€Å"a single sob to escape from his throat†, he is unable to keep it separate anymore. In trying to â€Å"keep it separate†, Mark suffers many consequences. Colin’s death was too big a shock for Mark to deal with alone and so he turns back to how he always used to deal with war, Mark tries to keep it separate but ends up keeping everything separate, including his emotions and ultimately losing track of himself, resulting towards Mark never being able to be â€Å"the easy, confident man he had been.† After returning from Kurdistan Mark’s â€Å"heart has stayed with the dead†. Every time he sees himself in the mirror he pretends to introduce himself, â€Å"Hello, Mark Walsh†, as if he was a total stranger. At one of the dinner parties, Mark did not know how to react to things so he copied others emotions â€Å"because he wasn’t having any of his own.† Even Mark himself thinks maybe â€Å"that he had vanished back there on the hilltop.† Ironically Mark tells Elena that â€Å"people don’t just vanish†, but Elena feels that Mark â€Å"seemed to be deteriorating right before her eyes.† Even Marks father believes that â€Å"Mark died a long time ago.† Mark has been keeping it separate for too long. He didn’t know how to tell anybody about his experiences because â€Å"one story, one pain bled into the next, and they spilled out until there was nothing left to hold.† So instead Mark keeps everything bottled up inside, it went on for so long that he had â€Å"eyes of the dead†.

Critical Thinking Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Critical Thinking Questions - Essay Example When a person starts to socialize with a select group of people, there is a greater chance that he starts understanding the viewpoint of the group and also second the opinion in a way as well. This indeed is brainwashing since he does not know that he is falling for a thinking mindset which was unknown to him in the past but as soon as he started to socialize with these people; his ideology began to change for more reasons than one. Management’s socialization program would also have an outlook of innovation and autonomy since management is being derived by its cultural objectives in entirety. The socialization program would be out-of-the-box and classy as it will entail more and more usage of technological regimes and thus look to cater the upper echelon of the society. Management would indeed be ready for such a magnanimous change and shift in the attitude of its stakeholders since the socialization program would be considered as useless if it lacks people and that too hailing from the required target clans. Thus the cultural undertakings would leave a clear mark on the manner in which the socialization program would be devised and this has a very essential meaning on the way the management carries out its cultural domains on a consistent basis. Thus the socialization program would be a likely cousin of the management regime which has been manifested in different mannerisms up till now and the socializa tion program has to wear the same attitude culturally and socially that the management has been preaching within its philosophy ever since it was instituted. I believe Webster University offers educational services in much the same manner as a top university in any part of the world would do. This means that the education and training for the students (locals and foreign) is state-of-the-art and top class, matching none other within the related

Surrey Annual Environment Extravaganza Assignment

Surrey Annual Environment Extravaganza - Assignment Example The exposure to environmental crafts, extensive displays to create the awareness, to learn the vital lessons of gardening with the help of Surrey urban farmer's market and also to plant some of the native trees in the park are the prime attractions at the venue. Another major aspect being highlighted is the opportunity for the community groups to become an active participant in this programme with out any financial commitment. The environmental leadership programmes invites the interested community groups, organizations and even volunteers to join together to conduct inspirational and educational events with focus as the nature. Even the school groups have exclusive sessions where certain key programmes like fishing, understanding wildlife habits and habitats, and marine exploration are separately provided. Certainly this event would deliver much beyond the entertainment and enjoyment it ensures to all it visitors. This event would also help to create a small interest on environmenta l protection in the minds of every one especially the young ones who are considered as the drivers of tomorrow. Extensive research has been undertaken to assess the effect of trade fairs and also various trade initiatives to create a consciousness among consumers. The studies have also tried to evaluate the customer satisfaction levels and the utility of becoming more aware during the purchasing process. Though the literature available on the impact of environmental trade fairs might be very limited the experience gained from the research undertaken on the other sectors could be utilized to evaluate the Annual Surrey Environmental Extravaganza. One of the major issues that need to be understood is the consumer satisfaction of such international events. These type of events are arranged as a regular annual event and the proper response from the customers or visits to the trade shows cannot be ignored. Large number of studies have already been undertaken to evaluate the consumer satisfaction or dissatisfaction from such staging of services. It is said that the consumer satisfaction is a relativ e judgment that gives the consideration of quality and benefit through the process of purchase and the cost that customers have to bear in acquiring the benefit (Howard and Sheth, 1969). This could also give vital idea on the level of services being offered , quality and price of product. The consumer satisfaction is said to have different dimensions like common characteristics as well as factors of differences. The differences in the dimensions refers to an affective component in a transaction that the customer experiences only after any product or services have been purchased. The analysis of market scenario in United Kingdom show that significant rise is observed in the sale of fair trade products. The effort is also continuous being taken to understand the prime drivers in this initiative which strongly advocates the concept of ethical consumerism (Nicolls, 2002). Thus it has become necessary to evolve an ethical mix strategy to keep the market growth as well as the ethical component in the consumerist behavior at an

Adaptive Supply Chain Co-Management manual Essay

Adaptive Supply Chain Co-Management manual - Essay Example Collaboration and competition have often been regarded as incompatible concepts especially as evolutionary biology became well-known in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It was presumed that only the fittest can survive if those with the most desirable traits are naturally selected over those that did not possess these ideas. This mentality spilled over into business literature and led to the manifestation of certain laws such as the Sherman and Clayton Anti-trust Acts (Zeiltin, 2007). However, time illustrated that sometimes certain kinds of cooperation and competition did not necessarily have to replace each other as seen through the formation of professional associations, cartels and business groups. Individuals may participate in a cartel in order to enhance the quality of output or their safety; this may also be done for reasons of efficiency. Some forms of collaboration such as the inter-firm network came about due to rising complexities of organisations. However, they took relatively long periods of time before they came to be accepted as cultural norms; a lot of ambiguity exists on the need for collaboration or cooperation; all of it depends in the nature of acceptance in the concerned nation (Zeiltin, 2007). Businesses today have now moved from the anti-trust mindset of yester years; in fact, it is not uncommon to find some form of collaboration between competitors in almost all industries of the economy. New technologies are becoming more complex and require huge capital investment to develop; markets are getting more turbulent, and the time needed to deliver products to the market is also increasing. Additionally, time and geographical boundaries have shrunk thus indicating that operating business internationally is a critical factor. Government policies are not particularly favourable in conducting business and so are other issues within

Owens Precision Machinery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Owens Precision Machinery - Essay Example The company is a machine shop that has felt a recent surge of demand as the trend of insourcing has felt an increase after the recent recession. While the company is keeping up with the increasing demand, the company is also faces issues of dwindling cash reserves. In order to stay ahead of the competition, the company has to keep inventory in stock because of the longer lead time that suppliers require. For this, the company has to rely on outside investment which makes the President and owner consider whether he should sell off his company. The aim of this paper is to analyze the future move of the company. Owen has two options: he could either sell the company or ask his friend and investor for another loan. In order to decide which option to pursue, Owen would have to analyze his company as well as the industry in which he operates. He needs to find out if the issue of capital shortage can be corrected in the near future and what steps should he take in order to solve the problem . If he feels that the company has no future, then the best course of action would be to sell off the company. In order to recommend the best course of action for Owen Precision Machining, the first part studied business models that would help in analyzing the situation at hand. The models that have been used in the paper are: SWOT Analysis, Risk Reward Analysis, Just in Time Strategy, Vendor Managed Inventory, and Business Process Reengineering. SWOT helped in understanding the current standing of the company both internally as well as externally. The Risk Reward Analysis helped in evaluating the potential rewards in comparison with the risks for the options available for Christopher Owen. Since the company was facing the biggest hurdle in managing its inventory, two strategies that were discussed are Just in Time Strategy and Vendor Managed Inventory. Lastly Business Process Reengineering was used to help guide the organization on how to attain the required changes. SWOT Analysis of the company showed that the company is in a favorable position both internally as well as externally. However, the company has to work on its threats in order to bring the company into a more favorable position. The risk reward analysis revealed that the company is in the growing stages where the risks and rewards are both high. In this position, the company has to manage its operations in such a manner that it should be able to minimize the risk and thus entire the mature stage. Also the best option for OPM under the risk reward analysis is to retain the company but at the same time revise its operational strategy. The biggest issue that OPM is facing in this regard is managing its inventory so that cash is available for the company. For this, the analysis suggests using a combination of Just in Time Strategy and Vendor Managed Inventory. In order to bring about the necessary changes, the Business Process Reengineering model will be followed. Once the company was analyzed throug h the above mentioned models, a set of recommendations were developed for the company. It was recommended that Owen not sell the company but rather retain ownership of the company. The company should ask Benson for a bigger loan in order to implement VMI and JIT Strategy. Chapter One Owen’s Precision Machining is a small machine shop that operates with a total of 15 employees and under the leadership of the President and second generation owner, Christopher Owen. The company develops machine parts for robot prototypes and laboratory automation equipment. Before the economic crisis that hit the world in 2007, more and more companies were outsourcing their manufacturing to emerging countries around the world and chief among them was China. This trend of outsourcing had resulted in a decline

Resources for Readers Theater Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Resources for Readers Theater - Term Paper Example My group worked well together I must say. Everyone contributed to the success of the project. We shared out roles amongst ourselves. Some students carried the seats and arranged them in the auditorium for the stage reading. Other students offered to clean the stage for us to have a suitable environment (Aaron 54). We appointed a student to be the leader of the session for that time. His job was to maintain order and see to it that everything ran smoothly. The group worked remarkably well together. Everyone participated actively. People showed up in time for the stage reading. Each student would speak up when it was their turn; no one had to be reminded due to lack of attention. There was a reasonable amount of order which made it easier to work and finish in good time. Form this collaboration with my fellow student I learned a great deal. There is so much talent in my theatre class. Every student has a different kind of talent. There is also a lot of passion for the arts in the class and this is something I truly appreciated as I found people I can genuinely connect with due to similar interests. I would say the collaboration was a definite success on our part. We have never worked better or made so much progress together. A lot of things, I would say, went well during the collaboration. We all managed to master our lines in the script. We found a way to help each other with parts that gave us difficulties (Aaron 54). At the end of it all, we finished our staged reading project. Above all, we actually got time to interact with each other. I would say many friendships have been made. What I think could have gone better is the time we had to do our stage reading. The time given to us was very short for such a long script. We were asked to leave the auditorium after a considerably short amount of time. Despite this minor shortcoming, we still managed to complete the project (Aaron 70).

Alcoholism Feature Article Essay Example for Free

Alcoholism Feature Article Essay Introduction (Opening facts): Alcohol is the most dangerous drug in Australia, beating crack and heroin into second and third place in the ranking, according to recent studies. The current research used data from the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that almost 60% of 18-24 year old current drinkers, who failed to complete high school, began drinking before the age of 16. The survey also revealed that teens are more likely to try alcohol for the first time during the summer months, along with other harmful drugs or cigarettes. Teens are susceptible to alcohol mostly during this time due to more idle time, fewer responsibilities and less adult supervision. Effects and results: With more than 1 in five teens between the ages of 14 and 19 of age, consuming alcohol on a weekly basis, the risk of cancer, digestive diseases and addicted related medical issues are predicted to rise. Those who drink regularly have been proven to have a lower productivity rate than those of unaffected areas. Underage drinking plays a significant role in risky, sexual and often violent behaviour, which can lead to other health issues or injuries. As a result of this, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death in people ages 15 to 20. Deadly crashes involving alcohol are twice as common in teens compared with people 21 and older. Further more, mixing drinking with swimming or boating can be fatal. Four out of 10 teens that drown have consumed alcohol. Underage drinking has also been linked with deaths and injuries from burns, falls, alcohol poisoning and suicide. Consequently, the total cost attribute to underage drinking includes costs of traffic cras hes, violent crime and injuries and treatment, equates to over $15.2 billion per year. Signs and prevention: From the results of underage drinking proving deadly and most harmful, people in today’s modern society need to wake up to the signs towards alcoholism, especially towards younger victims. Mood changes, irritability and defensiveness are physical signs, which can be easily recognised. Another example is further school problems such as poor attendance, low grades and rebellion against family rules. Although many of the symptoms may seem typical towards an ordinary teenager, parents and carers should still be aware of these as they may reflect on how their child may be suffering from alcoholism. ‘It is critically important to take every opportunity we can, throughout the year to talk to our young people about the real risk of substance abuse and effective measures for avoiding it, so they will be informed and capable of making the right responsible decision.’ Common Experiences: A recent victim who has suffered from alcohol as a result to his death, is Liam Davies (16). As reported after New Years, Davies drank the tainted alcohol while celebrating New Year’s in Sydney with friends. He was rushed to a local hospital where he was in an unstable critical condition from alcohol poisoning. The Davies family released a statement asking for Australians to be careful when holidaying abroad or drinking in general. â€Å"We would like to make people aware of the risks associated with consuming alcohol, especially without appropriate supervision†.