What means does Alan Bennett use to help us to understand the truth about Lesley in Her Big Chance Essay Example

What means does Alan Bennett use to help us to understand the truth about Lesley in Her Big Chance Essay Talking heads was a BBC drama television series produced in the late 1980s. The first six monologues were screened in 1987 and a further six were broadcasted in 1998. The monologues give us access to peoples most private thoughts. The individual tells their side of the story. Sometimes they reveal a lot more than they mean to, leaving the audience to investigate their lives further and piece together clues from what they say to create a character in their mind. Each monologue shows us a varied life. They are all melancholy and dramatic. These monologues also give us an insight of everyday British lives in the 80s. Her Big Chance is about young imprudent women named Lesley. Her obsessive career as a professional actress takes over her whole life so it becomes not just a job, but her world. She ends up being seduced by many men and manipulated into things she doesnt really want to do, leading to her acting in an abominable manner. The most tragic element being her acceptance of this treatment, believing it is part of her much admired career. These twelve monologues were written by Alan Bennett, born in 1934. He went to Oxford University and by 1960 he was at his prime. Aspects of Bennetts life can be found in his monologues. During the 30s Britain had a strong sense of community. The nation was hard working but was also male dominated. There were strict morals such as girls having to be married before sexual intercourse. We can see some opinions from the 30s reflected in Her Big Chance. For example, Lesley sees it as normal for men to push her around and abuse her. Bennetts early years were spent during World War Two. This harsh upbringing means he would have encountered shortages, caution, great fear and perhaps at times boredom. The audience will notice that young Lesleys life in the beginning is merriment and over exaggerated. This could represent what Bennetts childhood lacked, and the things he desperately wanted in his younger years. Bennett says at the begging of talking heads he has met many Lesleys, evoking the idea that the monologues are semi-auto biographies. The monologues were cheap to produce. During the 80s the BBC was cutting back their drama budget; therefore Talking Heads was the perfect series to put on air. The series was produced using just two cameras and each monologue took only six hours studio time to create. We will write a custom essay sample on What means does Alan Bennett use to help us to understand the truth about Lesley in Her Big Chance specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on What means does Alan Bennett use to help us to understand the truth about Lesley in Her Big Chance specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on What means does Alan Bennett use to help us to understand the truth about Lesley in Her Big Chance specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Compared to earlier high quality dramas, Talking Heads was a successful drama on a tight budget. Thatcherism played an immense influential role in peoples lives in the 80s. When Margaret Thatcher became the first women prime minister in 1979, the idea of community was beginning to break down. People became more independent. We see the feeling of independence in Lesleys character at times. The feeling of freedom spread and with it raised the divorce rate. Society became hard working but selfish. It was now believed that you could do anything if you tried hard enough. The idea of fame became exceedingly popular. Lesleys opinions and morals are linked to this reforming society and culture. She believes that if you give a lot you get a lot. She also thinks she is famous. Although the equal rights act being introduced a few years before Thatchers rise to power, Britain still held many aspects of a male dominated nation. We can see this when the men in Her Big Chance manipulate Lesley into doing things she is reluctant to do. However, she still obeys them. This drama is called Her Big Chance, but why did Bennett choose this title? I believe the purpose of this title is to mislead the audience. Bennett has used irony here to get our brains thinking about various meanings within the title. It holds many meanings and represents both Bennetts and Lesleys view of the situation in the monologue. When the audience first read the title, they presume this drama will be about a person, who has come across an opportunity that could change their life forever in a positive way. Once we have read the monologue thoroughly and understood Lesleys character, the titles hidden meanings are revealed. As we see in the monologue, due to her lack of understanding, Lesley always considers her role in the pornographic movie as a useful experience and never regrets coming across the job ( as we see when Lesley tells us shes glad she went to the party because thats how she got the part). So the title, if taken literally, represents Lesleys interpretation of the monologue. She really did see this as Her Big Chance and still does. However, Bennett could have written the title with the intention of a sarcastic meaning. This would be supporting both Bennetts and the audiences personal view of the situation. This wasnt really Her (Lesleys) Big Chance, his just making fun of her. This title gets the audience thinking like Lesley, in the beginning. By the end of the drama, we see the true Lesley, and think like Bennett. This is what happens in reality when we build a relationship with someone. Firstly we go by the persons opinion of them self. We then begin to find out their true personality and our view of them as they reveal more about their past and we watch their behaviour and interaction with others in general. Bennett begins this monologue with a dramatic and highly shocking opening. This rather bizarre comment by Lesley helps the audience understand more about her ludicrously stupid character. The first line she says is, I shot a man last week. In the back. I miss it now, it was really interesting. Its only the first line, and the audience has already been drawn in. I think Bennett wrote this cold and peculiar opening line to get the audience interested in this mysterious character encouraging us to read on and find more about this situation and this persons psychotic and sadistic personality. The word interesting evokes this image. The frequent use of fall stops and comers in this sentence builds up the tension even more so. However, the audience still have more unemotional and evil comments in store. This stone- hearted person then says Still, Im not going to get depressed about. Bennett seems to be turning the audience against Lesley by infuriating us and inflicting hatred towards her character. The idea that someone could be so heartless about a murder they just committed is almost unbelievable. She continues with the story, telling is more unwelcoming comments. Suddenly she talks about crossroads and her acting career, this disappoints the audience a little but without this opening, we would miss out on many aspects of Lesleys character. The audience see this being about a woman whose life is life is action filled and exciting. When we encounter Lesley getting a part in a pornographic, we are just bewildered; this was not what we were expecting after reading this opening about a cold-blooded murder. As we read further on we find out the truth, and the opening reveals some of Lesleys hidden characteristics. Lesley revels the truth about this opening. The audience see that this murder was acted out by Lesleys character, Travis, He spins round. Travis fires the harpoon and you see the spear come out of his back. This over exaggerated opening shows us Lesleys incapability of drawing a line between home life and work. She appears to be trying to intimidate the audience giving her the feeling she has authority over us, and all the characters in the monologue, reassuring herself. She is abused so much in the monologue, that maybe she doesnt want to risk being mistreated in this way again. She believes this threatening opening is the way to stop this. Bennett could also be trying to tell us that Lesley is ashamed; shes covering up and manipulating the immoral truth so it doesnt look as negative. Throughout the monologue, the audience will notice Lesley insulting other characters. Lesley rarely sees when she is being mistreated, but when she does recognise this foul treatment she snipes back with a harsh insult. Not only does she snipe when she feels bullied, but also when she feels her authority has been overruled by someone else. This can be seen when Lesleys water skiing role is given to another women. She tells us she is Pleasant enough, but doesnt look a bit like me (her), clearly bettering herself. She then makes comparisons between the new girl and herself. Im quite petite, only she is on the large side and whereas my hair is auburn, hers is defiantly ginger. Lesley emphasised the fact the new girl is ginger, which is clearly an insult. Its obvious Lesley is jealous of this woman for getting her much wanted role, because she is bettering herself by insulting her. If Lesley was really a professional like she says she is, she wouldnt be sulking about a small part like this. Bennett is showing us here her immaturity. Maybe Lesley has glimpsed the truth that she is not really a great actress and so makes nasty comments about the womens appearance, reassuring herself that although she may be the better actress, she has the better appearance. Lesley never, even at the end of the monologue understands her role in this movie. Bennett is showing us here her stupidity. At the beginning of the monologue when she is talking about the party, she tells us that shes glad I (she) did (went) because thats how I (she) got the audition This just sums- up Lesleys ridiculously stupid personality. She has had a week to think this over and still, she doesnt understand that she was used and manipulated into acting in a pornographic film. The director Simon asked to see her in her bra and panties They forced her to apply sun-tan lotion while topless, and yet has failed to see the film for what it is. But why? I believe that Bennett is not just showing her stupidity here, but her almost identical personality with Travis. Travis goes around topless and draws male attention, Lesley sleeps with three men during the monologue. This is just one similarity. Travis is abused by men in the monologue, Lesley tells us that Travis was hit my her boyfriend at an earlier junction Lesley is always mistreated by men, by saying you knew he was my boyfriend because at an earlier junction youd see him hit me across the face she is really telling us that in her eyes thats how men treat woman, and that its a fact of life. Could Bennett be highlighting the problem of sexist men in the 80s and how Britain was male dominated? Being so like Travis means that all of this seems normal to Lesley. There was nothing suspicious about having to act someone sleeping around and filming sexual intercourse scenes. Lesley does this in real life, sleeps around. As the audience sees, Lesley is constantly manipulated and abused such as the comment from Scot Lets face it, dear. Youre not used to working. Why dont you bring you knitting? and many other insults throughout the monologue. Lesley also tells us that Travis is a good-time girl, although you never see me having a good time. This is just like Lesley, she tells us about this part and how she shot a man in the beginning, but we never see her having any fun. This is why Lesley fails to see anything wrong with this film, she doesnt draw a line between acting and real life as Scot says to Lesley when she says it back to real life he replies some of us never left it. Showing, characters in the monologue also see this. This conversation also shows us that Lesley, although she constantly tells us she is, is not a professional. Professional actresses do not live their part. They dont go around sleeping with their directors like Lesley. However we can see why Lesley fails to see the film for what it is. If we was to get an acting job, and our character we played was like us, we wouldnt see anything wrong in it because we would be insulting our self if we said anything negative about the character. Lesley agrees with Gi nter that the film is very moral She wouldnt want to say it isnt because that would be calling herself immoral. Although that is exactly what she is, she wants to hide away form the truth, she only likes to hear what she wants to hear. Lesley manipulates information to help us understand more about her character. The audience can see Lesley manipulating information when she goes to a distant friends party. She tells us that she surprise(s) her friends by not being much of a party goer. She uses the excuse that she would rather curl up in a book The audience never see these friends and she gives no names, and it is clear that Lesley is extremely lonely and has no one. Lying in this way shows us she is ashamed and embarrassed of who she is and desperate to make new friends. She goes up to Spud as soon as she sees him. Why isnt she talking to her friends? If she had any she wouldnt have been on her own in the first place. She uses the excuse would rather curl up in a book, because she probably never been to a party. Lesley goes into so much detail about it that its obvious she is excited about it proving she has probably never been to one before in her life. Lesley being manipulated by so many men proves she is too trusting, but still thinks shes better than them. We can see this when she sleeps with Spud after the party. Spud and Lesley get talking about a film project Spud is working on. He asks Lesley if she is an actress, Lesley replies Interesting you should ask because as a matter of fact I am. The audience have just herd about her past experience on crossroads. She seemed interested in anything except acting out her part as an extra. Even this small role witch did not involve any speech, was too difficult it seems for Lesley to manage. All she spoke about was the layout and the props. This just proves to the audience she is not a Professional actress like she says she is. She is just an extra and she cant even sit and eat a meal. If Lesley was a professional she would have gone into detail with Spud about her possible role but she doesnt, evoking the idea she is far too trusting and an easy target. When Spud comes back, he tells Lesley that the director is seeing possible replacements at an address in west London. He tells Lesley that he is based in Ealing which is also west London. Although he has just pointed out, Lesleys stupidity has got the better of her and still hasnt worked out why Spud is telling her this. The audience by now are beginning to see what he is after. Lesley tells him that her stamping ground is Bromley for her sins. He replies with thats a fairish cry. Why not bed down at my place The audience automatically knows what he wants and now, so does Lesley. The audience are thankful and relived when she says Thank you kind sir, but I didnt fall of a Christmas tree yesterday, meaning I am not stupid. This quote can also represent Lesleys humorous language. These over exaggerated terms clearly show that Lesley is trying to appear well-educated and sophisticated. Maybe to gain authority over Spud? It seems that its a constant battle with Lesley too be better and higher than everyone, she does this through her language and snipes. But we and Spud see right through this. He covers this accusation up by telling her he has a son in hotel management and a daughter with one kidney and he has his sister-in-law staying. Most women by now would have walked away. Most people wouldnt even sleep at a strangers house. But this is Lesley, and she does. Then we are then told His vest had electrician all over it. She dont see the sister-in-law, and she comes up with the conclusion that she is still tracing around Olympia Why, didnt Lesley walk out when she noticed that these were all lies being told? This shows us both her stupidity and her trustworthy attitude are negative characteristics. Saying his vest had electrician all over it is heightening her status. She is associating him as a person from the lower class. Showing she feels guilty and needs to make herself appear better than him, even though she has just been tricked into having sexual intercourse with a complete stranger. This lack of understanding makes the audience cringe with embarrassment. Gi nter soon learns how to manipulate Lesley. Throughout the monologue he pressures her into doing many things she is reluctant to do. At the end of the monologue, Lesley asks Gi nter if she was Travis? And whether he was pleased with (her) my performance? Its the next line that revels and basically sums up Lesleys exceedingly foolish and immoral personality. Gi nter reassures Lesley that if someone is a bad actress (he) I cant sleep with them. The audience find this quotation exasperating. We have given so many chances to Lesley, forgiving her. However, she continues acting in this disgraceful manner. Here, Gi nter is manipulating Lesley with complements; once Lesley feels part of a group she will do anything. This shows the audience that what Lesley is really lacking, is the feeling she wanted. After this, she tells us Gi nter is a real artist even though she has just been manipulated for the third time into sleeping with a man. She usually insults men after they have tricked her. Gi nter is an exception, now she feels wanted by someone, she is nice to them. Lesley is so unintelligent that she fails to see what Gi nter is doing to her. Bennett has shown us here that Lesley will do anything if complemented. Bennett manages to get a serious message across, and still make this a comedy at the same time. He does this by Lesleys use of film parlance and pretentious use of language. Not only does it add humour into the monologue, it also helps us understand yet more about Lesleys complicated character. An example of unintentional humorous language is when Nigel says were cooking on gas. He says this as a metaphor. Lesley takes this literally and replies oh. I prefer electricity. By doing this Bennett is entertaining the audience and stopping us from feeling tedious. It shows us Lesleys persistent failure to understand everyday terms. Lesleys ability to slip in a few specialist film words in her everyday speech such as we slated for the part and we wrapped about six show audience that acting is part of Lesleys everyday life and is her only real interest. She explains what each term means. When she says (thats film parlance for packed up) she is patronising and insulting the audiences intelligence. Her ability to be able to slip in these technical terms s also tells us she is very dedicated her career. Bennett then makes the audience see this is not the case. When Lesley is talking about her experience on crossroads, we can see that acting is not her main priority. She discusses toilet and food preparations. She then wonders why people dont give her serious parts. The truth is she is not a great actress people just say it to win her over. The audience find Lesleys over exaggerated terms such as Thank you kind sir also quite amusing. This use of language clearly shows that Lesley does not get out much. This monologue has helped me understand more about the abuse everyday British women suffered in 1980s. By using these techniques, Bennett has revealed Lesleys darkest secrets and taught us her true personality. The dramatic opening shows the audience that women wanted to escape this treatment. They acted as if everything was fine and that they werent being mistreated by men. Lesleys character is representing many British women at this time. We feel sorry for Lesley at first, but her stupidity turns us against her. The monologue is quite upsetting; the audience laugh at Lesley because of her pretentious use of language and over exaggerated terms as well as all the characters. Sometimes we cant help but feel sorry for her. Its when she shows little sign of regret we start loosing sympathy. Even a week later she still doesnt regret being part of this film. Bennett defiantly succeeded at showing us this. He does in a clever way; he doesnt quote these ideas in directly but adds a few hints in throughout the monologue.

Definition of a Reaction Intermediate

Definition of a Reaction Intermediate An intermediate or reaction intermediate is a substance formed during a middle step of a chemical reaction between reactants and the desired product. Intermediates tend to be extremely reactive and short-lived, so they represent a low concentration in a chemical reaction compared with the amount of reactants or products. Many intermediates are unstable ions or free radicals. Example in a chemical equation: A 2B → C E The steps could be A B → C DB D → E The D chemical would be an intermediate chemical. A real-world example of chemical intermediates are oxidizing radicals OOH and OH found in combustion reactions. Chemical Processing Definition The term intermediate means something different in the chemical industry, referring to a stable product of a chemical reaction that is then used as a starting material for another reaction. For example, benzene and propylene may be used to make the intermediate cumene. Cumene is then used to make phenol and acetone. Intermediate vs Transition State An intermediate is different from a transition state in part because an intermediate has a longer lifetime than a vibrational or transition state.

I will attach the article i choiced from the five articles i have Essay

I will attach the article i choiced from the five articles i have online. follow the instruction in the details and write a discussion - Essay Example The article also relates to the article I chose by Mark Joslin which rules out the effectiveness of the treatment provided in rehabilitation centers. The article I chose is based on logic arguments on the effectiveness on a brain focused treatment of addiction. The article provides concrete evidence on the effectiveness of the treatment by Dr. Sponaugle. The author of the article first recognizes the fact that rehabs do not provide addicts with full treatment. This is presented in real cases where patients’ experience relapses shortly after coming out from rehabs. From the article I increased my knowledge on the most effective approach to cure drug addiction. Prior to the information provided in the article, one believed in the effectiveness of the treatment provided in rehabilitation centers. From the information provided by Joslin, it is interesting to understand the fact that the brain provides the most appropriate centers for addiction treatment. By analyzing different areas of the brain Dr. Sponaugle could be able to cure the deficiency in brain stimulation. By understanding the parts of the brain he was able to come up with mechanisms of correction which were long term. In an argument by Cosgrove (2010) the number of addicts in the United States are increasing rapidly with more youths are increasingly abusing drugs. Additionally, the situation is made worse by the fact that most people believe in the treatment provided in rehabilitation centers. Addicts subjected to this treatment only have short term addiction free status (Cosgrove, 2010). Most of them have relapses after few weeks of treatment. From this argument it is an obvious assumption that the treatment provided in rehabs is not effective enough to lead an addict to full recovery. Additionally, full recovery from addiction requires a neurological approach as

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Intellectual Property Issue - Essay Example This approach is non-accusatory but will enable the students understand that what they do is unethical and can cause them their profession as well as personal reputation (Reiser and Dempsey, 2012). After the ethical discussion and in order to make the students understand the seriousness of plagiarism, Joel should introduce to them the copyright and property rights. He should especially emphasize on the consequences and penalties that people who are found infringing these rights is subjected to. This information should be the deal breaker of the bad habits the students have acquired. Joel should cancel the work of the students who have this behavior and provide them a chance to redo their assignment again. If the same thing happens again, then the student should not receive any grade at all. This will act as a warning to the rest of the students who like engaging in similar unethical

Neglecting the Complexities Essay Example for Free

Neglecting the Complexities Essay Global warming is the heating up of the earth’s surface which causes such an increase in the average temperature that sums up to the change in the earth’s climate. This can be attributed to the man-made greenhouse gas concentrations as in the greenhouse effect. The Earths climate changes in response to external forcing, including variations in its orbit around the Sun (orbital forcing), changes in solar luminosity, volcanic eruptions, and atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations. The detailed causes of the recent warming remain an active field of research, but the scientific consensus is that the increase in atmospheric greenhouse gases due to human activity caused most of the warming observed since the start of the industrial era. This attribution is clearest for the most recent 50 years, for which the most detailed data are available. Some other hypotheses departing from the consensus view have been suggested to explain most of the temperature increase. One such hypothesis proposes that warming may be the result of variations in solar activity. We can just imagine how much of this heat would come from the environmental pollution as the toxic wastes emitted by factory chimneys, production of plastics, chemicals from hairsprays and the like. These innovations that are both detrimental to human health and environment, especially in times where we have denuded green fields and lack of the maintaining and sustaining of the forestry. The current times would show much indifference from the human population who as learned to embrace the short term aesthetic beauty and comfort that this modernism offers to the industry. This apathy should then be addressed immediately especially at these times when the grave effects and destructions of the global warming are so imminent not only in the human health but most especially with the dwindling of natural resources. Despite the notable efforts of some groups and organizations, one cannot help the passive undertaking of such a serious matter by the higher percentage of the human population. One should realize the horrendous effects that could follow with further negligence to such an alarming state of nature. The anticipated shift of climate because of global warming has the biggest possibility of having irreversible effects at both the continental and global scales which prove to be truly devastating. Though the actual materialization of such projected effects remain controversial, the foreseen outcomes include the impeded ocean circulation which is responsible for the transportation of the warm water to the North Atlantic, The wiping out of Greenland and West Antarctic Ice Sheets, intensification of droughts, the wildfires out of heatwaves, severing storms, the speeding up of global warming brought about by the carbon cycle feedbacks in the terrestrial biosphere, and the exhaust of the terrestrial carbon from permafrost regions and methane from hydrates in coastal sediments. The United States National Academy of Sciences has warned, Greenhouse warming and other human alterations of the earth system may increase the possibility of large, abrupt, and unwelcome regional or global climatic events. . . . Future abrupt changes cannot be predicted with confidence, and climate surprises are to be expected. It was stated that most of the consequences of global warming would result from one of three physical changes: sea level rise, higher local temperatures, and changes in rainfall patterns. Sea level is generally expected to rise 18 to 59 cm (7. 1 to 23. 2 inches) by the end of the century. The extreme weather caused by global warming could lead to effects as that of Extratropical storms which is partly dependent on the temperature gradient that is predicted to weaken in the northern hemisphere as the polar region warms more than the rest of the hemisphere. Because of the warm climate there would be an increase in the evaporation which will then cause heavier rainfall as our world is a closed system, which further leads to erosion. This is very detrimental to tropical areas which may lead to desertification due to deforestation. It was then predicted to have an average of 2. 8% catastrophic storms in every 1% increase in annual precipitation. RESOLUTION Because of this awareness on the projected negative effects of global warming it has brought much concern to the human population which brought certain political advocacies into the proposition of ways to eradicate and alleviate the status of our ecosystem as greatly affected by the global warming. They are now promoting extensive means and way into advocating the social awareness of such horrendous effects to our world. The effects and consequences of present acts my not be super visible or flatly exposed to the human eye, but the projected image of how bad things can turn out to be is now shown through studies such as that of one as reported to UN by Stephen Mwakifwamba, national coordinator of the Centre for Energy, Environment, Science and Technology with regard to the Tanzanian government’s climate change. In the past, we had a drought about every 10 years, he says. Now we just dont know when they will come. They are more frequent, but then so are floods. The climate is far less predictable. We might have floods in May or droughts every three years. Upland areas, which were never affected by mosquitoes, now are. Water levels are decreasing every day. The rains come at the wrong time for farmers and it is leading to many problems. Greg Holland, director of the Mesoscale and Microscale Meteorology Division at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, said on April 24, 2006, The hurricanes we are seeing are indeed a direct result of climate change, and that the wind and warmer water conditions that fuel storms when they form in the Caribbean are, increasingly due to greenhouse gases. There seems to be no other conclusion you can logically draw. Holland said, The large bulk of the scientific community say what we are seeing now is linked directly to greenhouse gases. The Association of British Insurers has stated that limiting carbon emissions would avoid 80% of the projected additional annual cost of tropical cyclones by the 2080s. The cost is also increasing partly because of building in exposed areas such as coasts and floodplains. The ABI claims that reduction of the vulnerability to some inevitable effects of climate change, for example through more resilient buildings and improved flood defenses, could also result in considerable cost-savings in the long term. Most national governments have signed and ratified the Kyoto Protocol aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but there is ongoing political and public debate worldwide regarding what, if any, action should be taken to reduce or reverse future warming or to adapt to its expected consequences. All of these warnings and plans can only be fully realized once each and every individual take a serious look at this alarming earth condition; then personally taking the initiative to involve them selves and act in ways to the promotion of lessening all these harmful sources of global heat. We can take a start from the use of earth-friendly materials such as the recycling method or even the use of healthy vehicular fuels. There are numerous ways to make use of the available alternatives or probably to explore new and better ways of catering materials for human services left to be seen. References Association of British Insurers. (2005). Financial risks of climate change. Brian S. and Gabriel V. (2007). IPCC Projections and Hurricanes. Geophysical Fluids Dynamic Global Warming blog. Global warming behind record 2005 storms: experts. Retrieved on Decmeber 12, 2006, from Reuters. Hoyos, Carlos D. ; Paula A. Agudelo, Peter J.Webster, Judith A. Curry (2006). Deconvolution of the Factors Contributing to the Increase in Global Hurricane Intensity. Science Express. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2007, February 05). Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Retrieved February 02, 2007, from http://www. ipcc. ch/ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Retrieved December 12, 2007. Houghton, J. T. ,Y. Ding, D. J.

Essay --

Science project: Creating a cell Cell membrane The cell membrane in the plant controls what comes into the cell. If something is needed the membrane lets the cell get past. In a plant, the membrane is surrounding the cytoplasm and the cell itself. The main function: The cell membrane has the important job to support the cell membrane and cytoskeleton inside of it. The membrane does the same job to the cytoplasm as it does to the cell. It lets some proteins in and keeps others out. In a plant, the membrane also serves an attachment to the cytoplasm. This means the membrane supports the cell and keeps it in shape. The membrane is made up of two parts, the internal and outer membrane. The outer membrane controls what comes in of the cell and how much of it is needed. The inner membrane supports the cell and controls the exchange of organelles from its cell to another. However, membranes are semi-permeable. This means that they allow very small molecules in even if not needed. Like oxygen and carbon molecules. The cell transport proteins to other cells that keeps the cell healthier. Other parts that help the membrane transport organelles are transmembrane proteins. These proteins are spread around the whole membrane. There are four types of transme mbrane proteins transporters, receptors, anchor and enzyme. Transporters carry one molecule to another. The enzyme transforms a molecule to a different form. An anchor protein can connect an outer molecule with an inner molecule. What are they made of; Cell membranes are made up of a phospholipids bilayer. The bilayer is made of many phospholipids side by side. The phospholipids has one glycerol two fatty acids and one phosphate heads. This compares to a †¦ Laser alarm: ... ...reate a chemical reaction to make NADPH and ATP. Now the dark reaction. The ATP from the light reaction is used to make carbohydrates from hydrogen. The carbohydrates posses and energy that are given by the ATP and NADPH. This carbohydrate has the chemical energy to make glucose (sugar) that is the main source of their food. The chloroplast’s ability to do the process photosynthesis is not only helpful to plant but to animals that eat plants. This because a plant cannot live without food and an animal’s food is a plant. What is it made of: A chloroplast is made up of lipids and protein membranes that are folded in a complex way. This compares to a: Solar panel: Similarities: †¢ Converts sun light to energy †¢ Just like the chloroplast, the solar panel stores the energy from the day so they can use it for the night too. †¢

Air Asia: Asia’s Leading Airline Essay

Company Background Asia’s leading airline was established with the dream of making flying possible for everyone. Since 2001, AirAsia has swiftly broken travel norms around the globe and has risen to become the world’s best. With a route network that spans through to over 20 countries, AirAsia continues to pave the way for low-cost aviation through our innovative solutions, efficient processes and a passionate approach to business. Together with our associate companies, AirAsia X, Thai AirAsia, Indonesia AirAsia, Philippines’ AirAsia Inc and AirAsia Japan , AirAsia is set to take low-cost flying to an all new high with our belief, â€Å"Now Everyone Can Fly†. (2005, AirAsia) Establishment AirAsia was established in 1993 and began operations on 18 November 1996. It was originally founded by a government-owned conglomerate, DRB-Hicom. On 2 December 2001 the heavily-indebted airline was bought by former Time Warner executive Tony Fernandes’s company Tune Air Sdn Bhd for the token sum of one ringgit (about USD 0.26 at the time) with USD 11 million (MYR 40 million) worth of debts. Fernandes the CEO, turned the company around, producing a profit in 2002 and launching new routes from its hub in Kuala Lumpur, undercutting former monopoly operator Malaysia Airlines with promotional fares as low as MYR 1 (USD 0.27). International flights In 2003, AirAsia opened a second hub at Senai International Airport in Johor Bahru near Singapore and launched its first international flight toBangkok. AirAsia has since started a Thai subsidiary, added Singapore itself to the destination list, and started flights to Indonesia. Flights to Macaubegan in June 2004, and flights to mainland China (Xiamen) and the Philippines (Manila) in April 2025. Flights to Vietnam and Cambodia followed later in 2005 and to Brunei and Myanmar in 2006, the latter by Thai AirAsia. On August 2006, AirAsia took over Malaysia Airlines’s Rural Air Service routes in Sabah and Sarawak, operating under the FlyAsianXpress brand. The routes were subsequently returned to MASwings a year later, citing commercial reasons. AirAsia’s CEO Tony Fernandes subsequently unveiled a five-year plan to further enhance its presence in Asia. Under the plan, AirAsia proposes to strengthen and enhance its route network by connecting all the existing cities in the region and expanding further into Vietnam, Indonesia, Southern China (Kun Ming, Xiamen, Shenzen) and India. The airline will focus on developing its hubs in Bangkok and Jakarta through its sister companies, Thai AirAsia and Indonesia AirAsia. With increase frequency and the addition of new routes, AirAsia expects passenger volume to reach 18 million by the end of 2007. Route expansion On 27 September 2008, the company had on its list 106 new routes to be added to its then-current list of 60. The number of old routes discontinued has not been publicly disclosed. On 2nd of April 2012 Air Asia had their first flight from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur. Sebastian Tegan-Anderson was one of the lucky few to be on this historical flight. AirAsia-Malaysian Airlines Alliance In August 2011, AirAsia agreed to forge an alliance with Malaysian Airlines by means of a share swap. The alliance was struck down by the Malaysian government, in effect voiding the agreement of both airlines. AirAsia’s vision To be the largest low cost airline in Asia and serving the 3 billion people who are currently underserved with poor connectivity and high fares. Information Technology Management (Maintenance & Operation) Information Technology management is the discipline whereby all of the technology resources of a firm are managed in accordance with its needs and priorities. These resources may include tangible investments like computer hardware, software, data, networks and data centre facilities, as well as the staffs who are hired to maintain them. Managing this responsibility within a company entails many of the basic management functions, like budgeting, staffing, and organizing and controlling, along with other aspects that are unique to technology, like change management, software design, network planning, tech support etc. (2009, McNurlin) According to Bird, a primary focus of IT management is the value creation made possible by technology. This requires the alignment of technology and business strategies. While the value creation for an organization involves a network of relationships between internal and external environments, technology plays an important role in improving the overall value chain of an organization. However, this increase requires business and technology management to work as a creative, synergistic, and collaborative team instead of a purely mechanistic span of control. Technology Management is just the same as any other management disciplines that are out there. It is basically employing the following traits. †¢Planning †¢Organizing †¢Staffing †¢Implementing †¢Monitoring †¢Evaluation However, for Technology Management to be effectively implemented, the Technology Factor has to be added to all the traits mentioned above. We all know that technology makes life much easier or more complicated based on how it is used or implemented, but technology will form into everyone’s life. But technology was made and developed primarily because there is a need to be fulfilled and you want to make things much easier. Technology thereby becomes an imperative factor that you need to incorporate in the daily carrying on of your professional lives. It is a very important tool, together with the values that go along with it; innovation, creativity, efficiency; in the conduct of your business. Technology applies to all, from the marketing to communications, product development to process innovations and so on. Throughout information technology management, it will be able to show one the way to harness the technology developed and innovated in order to create value for the company, giving AirAsia the edge to compete, providing the company with the competitive advantage. A person who would be in charge of this department in an organization would be the Chief Information Officer or CIO. Chief information Officer (CIO) is a position commonly given to the person in an enterprise who supports the enterprise goals which are responsible for the computer systems and information technology (IT) applications. The importance of information technology has created a trend whereby the position of the CIO has come to be viewed in many organizations as a key contributor in formulating strategic goals (Qais International, n.d). According to a cited Meta Group study, leading CIOs are playing dramatically more influential business roles than they have at any time in past (Bernard.A, 2005). Besides that, Graham Waller, senior vice president with Meta’s Executive Directions advisory service is quoted as saying, â€Å"Savvy CIOs have demonstrated their transformational value to senior management during the past three years, even while operating during a down economy.† In recent years, an increasingly significant business role has developed from being a purely technical support functions toward a more commercially-focused part of the business. Currently CIOs are expected to create innovative solutions which could affect the success of the organization such as increase profits, reduce costs, and to contribute in important managerial decisions (Hooshmand.A, 2008). In the past, CIOs were only responsible for the computer systems and information technology applications that supported enterprise objectives. In this case the Regional Head for Innovation Commercial & Technology for AirAsia would be Mr. Lau Kin Choy. In order to transform the vision into reality for an organization such as AirAsia, requires more than a great strategy. It is essential that the organization make the strategy an integral part of its operation (Bradford, 2002). This statement, although made with reference to the business strategy and operations, also holds true for business strategy and IT initiative. When the business strategy and IT are aligned, the IT infrastructure can continuously sense the changing business needs and respond by provisioning or redeploying resources to match the demands of the business. (Pultorak, 2004). AirAsia being a Lower Cost Carrier or ,LCC, business strategy is that of focused leadership that requires continuous cost reductions in order to stay ahead of its competition all along the value chain. The various Information Technology implementations that have been made by AirAsia and its benefit are as follows. The few system implementations that AirAsia have done in its marketing and sales activities (Yield Management System and Computer Reservation System) as well as operation activity (Enterprise Resource Planning System), The Computer Reservation System (CRS), a Wireless Delivery System (WDS), and the Enterprise Resource Planning System (ERP) AirAsia has realized then increased revenue from up to 3 to 4 percent for the same number of aircrafts by taking advantage of the forecast of the high/low demand patterns, and effectively shifting the demand from low period to high period and by charging a premium for late bookings. Over the past couple of years, AirAsia have actually lowered prices (essential for LCC) as the YMS has given them the window to increase their revenue by offering higher discounts, more frequently during off-peak times while raising prices only marginally for peak times. (Voneche, n.d). Computer Reservation System (CRS) AirAsia’s CRS (Open Skies by Navitaire) has helped it to grow at a dramatic pace in the past couple of years â€Å"Navitaire’s Open Skies technology has truly enabled Airasia’s growth from 2 million passengers to 7.7 million passengers in less than two years. Open Skies scaled easily to accommodate our growth.† – Tony Fernandes – Source: Navitaire (http://www.navitaire.com/res_and_dist/openskies.asp) It is an integrated web-based reservation and inventory system. It includes Internet, call center, airport departure control and more. It is a direct sales engine that effectively eliminates the middleman (travel agents) and the sales commissions that need to be paid to them. Centralized customer data is also maintained by Open Skies and this helps AirAsia to track booking and schedule flight activities with real-time, on-demand reporting feature. The vast booking information that is provided online to the customers acts as a force that brings more customers to use the website thus reducing the customer support costs. An important feature is that Open Skies seamlessly integrates with the already implemented YMS so that the systems can be used in unison for pricing and revenue maximization (by providing information on bookings, schedules and driving down the costs of operation at the same time. This CRS enabled AirAsia to introduce the first ticket less travel option and also provides features such as advanced boarding passes in addition to online booking that enabled the growth of AirAsia as these features attracted customers that did not have the time for purchasing tickets from counters and coming in 1 hour early for securing a seat on the aircraft. AirAsia have proposed to implement a Wireless Delivery System (WDS) to expand it reach via mobile phones. With this, potential customers will be able to book tickets via their mobile phones. This is a strategic move for growth as the Asia-Pacific region has a larger population of mobile phone users rather than internet users. Enterprise Resource Planning System (ERP) AirAsia has, as in of May 2005, opted for a full fledged ERP system implemented by Avanade consultants. By implementing this package AirAsia is looking to successfully maintain process integrity, reduce financial month-end closing processing times, and speed up reporting and data retrieval processes. (Microsoft Malaysia) APS (Advanced planning and scheduling system) AirAsia has now implemented the Aps system, where it works as a decision support software application. This Advances Planning and Scheduling system aare usually implemented as an add-on software that complements a company’s transaction software system by providing advances analyticl andd optimization functionality focusid on improving supply chain planning. There are different modules that come into play with the APS such as Demand Planning, Network Optimization, Supply Planning, and Factory Schedule software that all work together to provide the APS’s core functionality. IT Implementations and Strategic Alignment With the above implementations, it is clear that the business strategy and the IT strategy are aligned to for AirAsia to operate on a low-cost model. There are four models to Strategic Alignment Perspective (Henderson and Venkatraman, 1993). Namely: Strategic Execution, Technology Transformation, Competitive Potential and Service Level. All the systems implemented act as enablers in achieving the business strategy of AirAsia by reducing the costs of operation (CRS, ERP) and maximizing revenue (YMS). These cost savings are directly transferred to the customer with reduced prices of traveling, discounts etc. The business strategy acts as the driver in this perspective (Technology Transformation). Figure 2 – Technology Transformation Source: Henderson and Venkatraman, IBM Systems Journal 1993 With expansion as one of the main future direction as well as increased competition, APS system is recommended as a new way to improve processes and therefore achieving cost reductions along the value chain. The main difference of APS system compared to the previous system implementations is that APS system focuses on internal operational processes perspective while the other systems such as YMS and CRS more focus on customer perspective. All systems provide cost advantages in different domains in the value chain. In relation to strategic alignment, APS system like other previous systems fits smoothly in Technology Transformation perspective. Reduced costs in inbound logistics and operation activities will be the direct result of implementing APS enabling AirAsia in achieving its low cost business strategy. The operational environment of an airline industry is complex. Large network in the supply chain, continuous daily operation, and several external uncontrollable variables such as weather condition and government regulations become factors affecting airlines’ performance. Given these complexities, operational planning and scheduling across the supply chain are important factors determining the success of any airline. In order to increase the efficiency of operational performance and manage its supply chain, AirAsia had implemented the ERP system. It is a system focusing on capturing transactions in daily operations and helping AirAsia to save its operational costs as well as to increase the efficiency and integrity in its operation (Microsoft Press Pass, 2005). However, conventional ERP system implemented by AirAsia does not provide flexibility and intelligence required to analyze data for better supply chain management. APS system optimizes AirAsia’s supply chain management. It works as the brain of supply chain activities (Ahmed, 2004) by gearing activities in relation with customers and suppliers requirements. APS system clusters and classifies customer orders, forecasts future fulfilment requirements, checks resources availability and sets order priorities. Moreover, APS system helps AirAsia in gaining competitive advantage as it provides visibility across supply chain. APS system will improve AirAsia’s strategic and operational performances particularly in the inbound and operational activities. Potential Ideas in the Information Technology Aspect In order to gain market share and sustain its competitive advantages to be the low cost carrier in the high demanding environment, AirAsia must develop new ways to manage both customer relationships and suppliers or partners to optimize customer loyalty, supplier relationships, and revenue. The following diagram shows the strategic forces of value proposition of the airline industry, showing that the focus on Supplier and Alliances and customers will drive positive values to AirAsia can achieve. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) application will be one of the area of strategic IT implementation that AirAsia can focus to achieve high values to both shareholders and customers. In long term, customer relationships should be fostered for AirAsia to maintain competitive advantage and profitability. When planning and implementing CRM application, management is recommended the following approaches: Customer segmentation is where mileage-based segmentation is inadequate, rather should focused on value-based and needs-based approaches can guide investment decisions and drive greater insight into the needs of high value customers. Whereas CRM initiative development – to differentiate from other competitors, AirAsia should not adopt the â€Å"fast follower† approach to CRM initiative development, i.e. learning from other competitors’ approach (e.g.installing kiosks for fast check-in). AirAsia should implement CRM program in favor of investing in initiatives with a high return, which respond to the needs and desires of their own customers and Organizational design and management is where AirAsia needs to train the employees, empowering them with a complete view of the customer and clearly articulating the employee’s role in the CRM strategy. Conclusion AirAsia as I thought was just a company that provided a low cost carrying airline company. Well that is true but after studying the information and technological aspect of the company, i have come to realize that there is so much more to the company than I realized. The systems in place are simple and efficient and wouldn’t look that impressive but the key of it was the collaboration of all these systems put together is what makes AirAsia what it is. The position of managing the technology in AirAsia is gaining importance in today’s world where technology is making a larger impact in organizations. Having the right person filling the role of the head of technology management can either make or break the company. In the case of Airasia, it is even more important and more difficult to find the right man. This is because Airasia has a set of policies and a vision that sets itself apart from other large corporations or organizations. At times, this flies in the face of conventional wisdom that is adopted at most other places, exemplified by Google’s strict insistence on maintaining employee’s freedom of choice. An organization like AirAsia which considers itself to be ‘special’ and ‘outstanding’, needs a CIO or CTO who is even more special and outstanding. The researchers have outlined some qualities that are needed, and by using examples of situations that have and are continuing to occur in AirAsia, make suggestions on how using these qualities, a CIO or CTO can address those issues.Service Level Agreements are basically agreements between those offering a service and those who are receiving or using that service. Basically it is a form of protection against the unexpected. In the business world, guarantees are very important, not only from the business and operational sense, but also in the sense of upholding a reputation. AirAsia have a fairly solid SLA in place, however it is not without shortcomings. A close examination reveals that there are a multitude of improvements that can be made. Better drafting of SLAs can help simplify work for the company and also allow it to focus more on the core operational issues. SLAs can also be advantageous in driving down costs and creating beneficial partnerships. With the importance of SLAs well established, the researchers have pointed out some areas that AirAsia would do well to consider to help improve its standing in this regard, and suggested some ways in which it could do so.All in all this has been a learning experience for the researchers, who have been able to link the theories learned in class to real world cases and scenarios which have helped create a better understanding of the issues that have been discussed during class. References: McNurlin, Barbara, et. al. (2009). â€Å"Information Systems Management in Practice (8th ed.)†. Prentice Hall Bird, M. (2010). Modern Management Guide to Information Technology. Create Space Anon, 2004, About Us, AirAsia, http://www.airasia.com/my/en/corporate/corporateprofile.page, Accessed on the 6th of July 2012 B.K. Sidhu, 2012, Tony fernandes speask to Star Biz on Airasia’s future plans, Available from http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/6/15/business/11484860&sec=business, Accessed on the 10th of July 2012. Margaret Rouse, 2009, Advanced planning and scheduling http://searchmanufacturingerp.techtarget.com/definition/advanced-planning-and-scheduling-APS, Accessed on the 5th of July 2012. Charles Kho, 2005, Strategic IT Initiative, Available from, http://sandygarink.tripod.com/papers/AA_SITA.pdf, Accessed on the 7th of July 2012. Anon, 2002, Management in Technology, Available from, http://www.unido.org/fileadmin/user_media/Publications/Pub_free/Management_of_technology_selected_papers_at_Vienna_Global_Forum.pdf Accessed on the 7th of July 2012. WIT, 2011, Technology enhances AirAsia’s product and service delivery http://www.4hoteliers.com/4hots_nshw.php?mwi=9119, Accessed on the 7th of July 2012. Bernard.A, 2005, New Roles, New Responsibilities: Today’s CIO [online],