Strategic Control

STRATEGIC CONTROL- ERIK TREFFTZ Strategic Control refers to the activity of analysis and surveillance of the Strategic Planning. Its main objective is to monitor and implement corrective measures when facing any kind of deviation in the original Strategy, after comparing it with the Strategic Standards, and thus granting the good-riddance of the company? s targets. It works through the establishment of reference points, rules, methods and devices that allow to measure the development efficiency and effectiveness of the Strategy in whatever concerns seizing its goals, and also allows a better comprehension of the periods of crisisIn other words, Strategic Control seeks to provide an answer to the following issues: 1. Whether the Strategy is being implemented as planned. Any possible failure in a company achieving its goals might be due to wrong performance from Operational and/or managerial personnel. The responsibility of regulating and correcting possible deviations in the course of the strategy. 2. If targets continue being valid. It is, Strategic Control is in charge of spotting any alteration in the behavior of external forces, and uncontrollable environment that require a change in the Corporative targets.Since environment is submitted to constant change, Opportunities and risks may arise that weren’t acknowledged when the original Corporative Strategy was conceived, and thus, the pertinent measures weren? t taken. For instance, a certain company provides a country with its products, but, all of a sudden, inner armed conflicts spark in that country, rendering it instable and dangerous. Under that conditions, the company might reconsider if it is still worth trading with this country, or perhaps it may regard abandoning transactions with it, thus, modifying its original targets. . Whether Outcomes of the Strategy are the expected or not. It means that Strategic Control also needs to verify whether the Strategy has been properly raised. Managerial and Operational personnel may have properly fulfilled their tasks to whatever concerns to the Strategy, but it may not have produced the desired outcomes. This might be due to the fact that the Strategy is not properly formulated. Strategic Control is in charge of re-formulating it so as to eventually achieve desired goals.Unlike conventional ways of Organizational Control, Strategic Control operates â€Å"a Posteriori†, which means that it is focused on the events that have already taken place, identifying past mistakes, and distributing responsibilities. Under no circumstances this kind of Control seeks to recover losses, but rather to acknowledge them, note them down, and develop the pertinent mechanisms to avoid them in future operations. This way of operating, nevertheless, may render negative repercussions on the very own internal engine of the enterprise.The tight surveillance exerted by those in charge of applying this Strategic Control, strictly girded to stiff itinerar ies generates a feeling of insecurity and fear within the staff. Another negative â€Å"side-effect† of Strategic Control is that the exhaustive scrutiny to which the company? s operations are subjected leads to a slower pace. The process of Strategic Control is subdivided into 3 steps: 1st: Measuring the performance of the Organization:Before Business managers can take any action concerning the future of the Enterprise, they need to dispose of any measure of its current performance. They perform so via the so-called Strategic Audit. This Audit consists in a series of exams that intend to evaluate the whole range of operations within any organizations which undergo a process of Strategic Planning. Its main target is to promote the development and integration of interrelated functions. It is, to ultimately enhance the enterprise? productivity. Its function is clearly represented in the following graphic, in which â€Å"t† stands for the variable â€Å"Time†. Stra tegic Audit provides managers with the tools necessary to perform their tasks as Strategic Controller, known as â€Å"Strategic Audit Measurement Methods†: Strategic audit is divided into three stages: 1st stage – Diagnosis: It implies reviewing key documents such as the strategic plan, organizational structure, operative plans, resource allocation plans, etc.Afterwards operational, financial and commercial results during a given period are analyzed and compared with the company? s standards so as to identify possible deviations and unnoticed newborn constants. The Diagnosis also provides the manager with vital knowledge about the division of labor, different positions of responsibility, and processes of decision-making, as well as psychic perceptions of the organizations from its members, and their attitudes towards it, (via Interviews, sets of fixed questions, etc. and also from relevant customers, so as to get an accurate picture of the brand image of the organizati on within the environment in which it operates. Posed in other terms, Diagnosis allows decision-makers to become fully aware of the intrinsic functioning processes of their companies, and the perception the rest of the world has of it, thus allowing them to perform an optimum control, and identify the functioning aspects of the strategy, eventually being able to formulate several hypothesis about problems and opportunities, and how to implement changes in their strategy. nd stage – Focus of the Analysis: This stage consists in applying the different hypothesis to the strategic problems and opportunities of improvement that shall arise and challenge the organization, via the analysis of specific issues, and identify interrelations and interdependence among components of the strategic system, and afterwards, reaching conclusions concerning weaknesses and deficiencies in the execution and / or the formulation of the Strategy. rd stage – Recommendations: 3. 1. Develop alte rnative ways of solving eventual problems and also of making profit out the opportunities that might arise, always taking into account potential costs, risks and compensations these measures may bring. 3. 2. Finally, the last step consists on developing concrete recommendations that will help to develop the right plan of action that will improve strategic results. 2nd: Comparing Organizational performance with pre-set standardsOnce pertinent measurement of the organizational performance has been done, top-managers shall compare them with current objectives and standards. Objectives are established in previous stages of the Strategic Planning, whereas standards may differ from one organization to another. Standards imply the desirable position concerning a certain aspect of the organizational strategy that the enterprise seeks to achieve. The most common standards, first adopted by the well-known General Electrics, and then implemented by almost each and every business during the 90? range from standards of profitability, of market-seizure, of productivity, standards of innovation and leadership, of staff development, of optimum staff attitudes, of public responsibility (of increasing importance nowadays), and finally standards of equilibrium between long-term and short-term objectives. 3rd: Implementing the proper corrective measures This implies a major change in the organizational operation that makes sure it will be able to seize its targets as efficiently and profitably as possible.Its complexity may vary from changing a product? s price, to renew the productive chain System, re-locating resources, improving the efficiency of the labor force, etc. The whole process of strategic control can be summed up as follows: Still, Strategic Control needs to take into account the following variables so as to perform its activity correctly: Organization? s structure: Strategic Control needs to take into a high account the composition of the enterprise, to be able to i mplement an accurate overview and regulation over the Organization? strategy. If this structure is unknown, it is not possible to manage to comprehend its inner functioning, and therefore no control will be implemented properly. System of Values /Culture: The main values of the organization and its members, its culture may be a defining factor of the activities it may carry out, and therefore, it is necessary to come to a closer understanding of these cultural nuances, so as to be able to apply control properly. Information system: To perform right control over the company? becoming, it is necessary to dispose of an effective information system that allows managers to gather the sufficient amount of information that enables them to exert their task. Compensation system: As mentioned before, Strategic Control implies a tighter control upon organizational operations, and this directly results in an increase of the pressure to which staff is undergone. Therefore, a system of compensati on shall be established that makes it up to the personnel for the increased pressure. For instance, economic compensation, translated into higher wages.

Scientific Method and Life.in Short Science

Do you know what is science? Generally, science is a body that seeks to organize knowledge systematically and in a way that is testable and that allow the process of prediction. We are always finding new discoveries, and we are using more modern tools that are more accurate. If it is in right hands then it is a blessing to man otherwise it can make life miserable. Science has made our live easy and comfortable but on other hands it has also created some destructive instruments which give much power to man that's why we should teach science technically not formally. first we will consider its merits .Science is man's helpmate. In the field of health modern techniques of science are being introduced. Difficult surgical operation have become routine in the field of medicines. it is the science that has helped the blind to see,deaf to hear and lame to walk. Life has been quick,easy and luxurious with the invention of many types of machines i. e air conditioner,mixture,refrigerator etc. I nvention of car,aeroplane and rockets etc have shortened the distance. Atomic energy is another recent scientific achievement. Atomic reactors are producing cheaper source of power and energy.The computer and internet has brought great change in our life. In short science is the key of success. On the other hand science has some demerits also. science has provided us with fearful weapons of human destruction. Science has given us atom bomb and hydrogen bomb. These inventions have opened up with frightful possibilities of bacteriological warfare,all of which can wipe out entire nation in no time. Computer is the most wonderful invention but the misuse of computer is creating many problems like student waste their time in net cafe's and in playing video games. People are going away from healthy way of life.Children learn from their parents, siblings, other relatives as well as from teachers. They learn from movies, television, radio, magazines as well as from schoolbooks and the schoo l environment. Science teachers should exploit the rich resources of the larger community and involve parents and other concerned adults in useful ways. It is also important for teachers to recognize that some of what their students learn informally is wrong, incomplete, poorly understood, or misunderstood, but that formal education can help students to restructure that knowledge and acquire new knowledge.Looking at the two aspects of modern science,we conclude that science by itself is neither good nor bad. it is the will and intentions of man,which makes him,put it to constructive use or take it to the path of devil. Science is knowledge of observation and analyzing facts. There is nothing good or bad with science. It is like knife, which may be used to cut branches of trees or vegetables and at the same time could be used to cut the throat of a man. It is all to man how he uses it.

Brokenness Into Beauty

Convergys is one of the world's leading providers of customer care, human resources and billing outsourcing services. The company's business is divided into several units, Customer Care, Business Support Systems (BSS) and HR Services. Customer Care, the largest of the subdivisions, offers customer service care services for businesses through 77 contact centers as of June 2008. In fact, Convergys is the No. 1 provider of outsourced customer service in the world and the clear market leader in the United States, with 8 percent of the outsourced customer care market (or more han twice as much as its closest competitor).HR Services provides employee care services to some 1. 2 million employees in 40 countries in areas such as benefits and payroll operations, staffing and training. With BSS, Convergys manages telecommunications billing and business support system software for large communications companies around the world. As a leader in customer management for over 30 years, Convergys is uniquely focused on helping companies find new ways to enhance the value of their customer relationships and deliver consistent customer experiences across all channels and geographies.Every day their 75,000 employees help their clients balance the demands of increasing revenue, improving customer satisfaction, and reducing overall cost using an optimal mix of agents, technology, and analytics. Their actionable insight stems from handling billions of customer interactions annually for our clients. Among Fortune 500 companies, over half of the top 50 are clients that trust their most important relationships to Convergys. Convergys has approximately 89,000 employees in 68 customer contact centers and other facilities in India, Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, United States, Canada, CostaRica, South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. In the western United States, Convergys uses a business model that offers entry-level customer-service work at pay not much above minimu m wage, geared toward students and other beginning-level workers. It pays generous tuition reimbursement for enrolled students, and seems prepared to manage the turnover rates that such a comparatively mobile†one could say ‘restless'†workforce tends to cause. Large numbers of especially first- and second-year employees leave its ranks.As a result, Convergys is virtually always hiring and training phone center workers. Convergys as recently been phasing out the staff of their call centers in the United States, and increasing staffing in their Pune/Bangalore/Manila call centers. This reduces the salary and benefits cost, which should prove to increase revenue. Unfortunately this has not helped the stock prices. Convergys develops detailed training programs for these new employees, and offers good supervisor support for front-line call center workers dealing with customer problems.Convergys recruits a significant portion of its call center, chat & email support staff from India and the Philippines. The business of this company is centered around labor cost arbitrage. Not possessing any other significant strength may work against this company in the long term. As tar as short-term prospects go this company seems well positioned to profit. Convergys claims to be highly flexible when it comes to client relationships. They offer to come up with the best possible solution in every possible situation.Convergys Mission: Provide Customer Relationship Management software and services that create valuable relationships between our clients and their customers. Convergys Vision: Convergys will be the recognized global leader in innovative Customer Relationship Management solutions, and: Provide for our clients: Leading-edge products and services that offer a compelling value and create a competitive edge. Create for our employees: An environm

Controlling Nestle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Controlling Nestle - Essay Example Most of the attention is paid to the raw material prices easing in order to ensure that the major product categories will meet the financial targets this year. CEO Mr. Brabeck has noted that Nestle has a plan on how to deal with the higher input costs and this plan is working better than some other big food companies have. CEO predicted the increase of costs associated with the raw materials and had started raising the prices earlier and advanced the price increase in the beginning of the year. Such move has made it possible for Nestle to meet the financial targets. The increased prices have never been assumed as a competitive advantages, however, when the raw materials costs increase is predictable and inevitable, then the timely reaction can help to avoid the loss of customers and assure the sales level. Nestle did not only predict the potential cost increase, but has also timely reacted and gained the desired sales volume. One of the concerns CEO focused on was high division of financial operations - every country had its own financial system with managers making decision with freedom and choice of the most appropriate methods. Brabeck has centralized the financial activities and the whole structure became more controllable. The special attention is currently being paid to the creation of additional value for nutrition and wellness products. CEO has a clear vision of what products are desired by customers. The issue of extra weight is no longer the American problem and many people in Europe are struggling to become healthier and lose the weight. For this reason the wellness products are getting more and more popular. Nestle has managed to save enormous amount of money through acquisitions of the well-known brands. In addition, less money is invested into research and development of new products because the company has bought not only the brand name but the all operations with all specialists working for that particular acquired company. As it will be discussed further, acquisitions are the best cost saving investment opportunity that helps to control the spending and reduce the costs on research. What are some of the operating standards the CEO is implementing at Nestle Why are these standards effective or why not One of the key challenges of Nestle was to gain control over the decentralized structure - the country managers has freedom in everything starting with the purchasing and up to capital investments. From one side, it was very helpful from the marketing standpoint because local managers were more knowledgeable about the customer's preferences. From the other side, such system was highly inefficient - headquarters could not track the costs. First of all, the five global centers were established to control coffee and cocoa purchasing (Matlack 56). The information technology system was introduced to give managers data about the performance of other units. These standards are more effective because can be easier controlled and tracked. Matlack (56) provides the number Nestle recipe for Richer Margins: Streamlining operations (intensive costs savings through improvements in info tech and centralizing of activities), Strengthening key

Contemporary Issues for Business and Society Assignment - 1

Contemporary Issues for Business and Society - Assignment Example In the current era organisations are making charities, voluntary actions, they are also using energy in a sustainable manner (International, 2006). Global organisations are promoting healthy work atmosphere, compensation and reimbursement policy as per the social and environmental factors. Globalised operational structures are demanding flexible strategic development. Global organisations are making social audit to produce the report to meet the demands of the stakeholders. In the current study, ‘Responsible Management audit’ of Nike is done in terms of meeting the above mentioned challenges. Various UN Global Compact Principles are contrasted on behalf of the Nike and annual ‘Communication on Progress’ report is stated to evaluate the topic (About.nike.com, 2015). UN Global Compact can be defined as a set of strategic guidelines scheme that are aligned to the operations and strategies of global firms. Guidelines are developed as per various factors like the human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. These factors are helping organisations to develop sound CSR strategies and maintain the benefits of their stakeholders. These guidelines are developed as per affects of the globalisation (AhÃŒ £mad and Crowther, 2013). Firms are able to maintain increased benefits for their market segment, and business associates. UN Global Compact scheme will increase the use of emerging technologies and feasible investment option in the global market. Henceforth, firms can increase their contribution on the national and international economies and societies. Global organisations like Nike, is facing intense challenge from the diversified social, political and economic factors of the market. Such challenges are restricting profitability and growth in international market (Berliner and Prakash, 2012). In the international footwear and sportswear industry Nike is holding the leading position. The American based multinational manufactures and designs athletic

Micro Regionalism and Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Micro Regionalism and Globalization - Essay Example The various lobbies like South-South cooperation, Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries or OPEC, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation or APEC, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation or SAARC etc. are important economic and political motivated organizations that give impetus to micro regionalism. The new scale of economy and the leverage gained through regional cooperation goes a long way in establishing the global presence of small states while ensuring their unique identity (Breslin & Hook, 2002). Globalization, on the other hand, is primarily motivated by the political ideology and economic interests to exploit opportunities across the wider geographical area. It is backed by technology and migration of people across the globe. It has opened new job opportunities across the globe and facilitated the greater inflow of capital to the poor countries. But it has also brought into sharp focus of the hegemony of the rich and the powerful nations like America who exploit sm all regional states for their vested interests. Hence, one can state that socio-economic forces of micro regionalism are stronger than that of globalization mainly because micro-regional dynamics provide the states with greater leverage to exploit their resources and promote regional development for higher bargaining power, especially with the West. OPEC is the prime example of micro regionalism that has established its global entity with the strong influence on the price and trading of petroleum products.

Advertising analysis (Nokia and Apple) Research Paper

Advertising analysis (Nokia and Apple) - Research Paper Example Nokia and Apple-two famous household names which have established their craft and credibility in manufacturing gadgets.However,these two brands have crossed their way as they compete for man's hunt for the most appealing mobile phone this generation can offer with the launch of Apple iPhone.As the competition for man's attention arises, advertisement of mobile phones has propagated rapidly. Hence, as a mobile phone user myself, my attention was drawn to two of the latest commercials of mobile phones, each from the above-mentioned mobile phone manufacturers.The Nokia N93 and Apple iPhone both launched their commercials on television. The Nokia N93 commercial whose sophistication has been branded by its plain black background, starts with the introduction of this Nokia model. As the commercial progresses, espoused by a background song from the classic band Moby, the features and its specifications are enumerated in print whilst the mobile phone shows off how these features are executed . The commercial closes with the logo of Nokia with their slogan "Connecting people".Apparently, Nokia has remained to patronize the bandwagon propaganda for this advertisement, which tries to convince consumers that since everyone else is doing it, they will be left out if they do not (Pollio, 1990). As majority of mobile phone users focus on the specifications of a mobile phone and indulge in knowing how to utilize this information, Nokia dwells on specifically identifying the details of the Nokia N93, such as the resolution, screen size and camera attributes. However, considering that Nokia has used the music of Moby to be the background music of this commercial, the commercial obviously appeals to all ages of mobile phone users who can afford to buy the phone. This is because the music supplied by Moby appeals to the older generation in which Moby has started as a band, and to the younger generation as well who nowadays settle to classic rock music. However, as the phone is a high-end model, it generally targets the upper society who can afford to purchase the Nokia N93. This is evident on the font of the features enumerated and the plain black background, which usually symbolizes wealth and refinement. Furthermore, the detailed enumeration of the features of the phone implies that the Nokia N93 is inclined to be marketed to the type of consumers who are feature-conscious. On the other hand, the commercial of the Apple iPhone begins with minimal background music, as a man's voice starts expressing how amazing things can fit in your pockets, thus referring to the Apple iPhone. Then, it proceeds with the voice naming the "amazing things" which can fit in this mobile phone. Contrary to the Nokia commercial, the features of iPhone are not detailed and specific. However, the delivery of the features of the phone is enough for its viewers to understand its attributes. As Apple has already established a brand marketed to the upper society-classy, sophisticated yet simple, which is being tried by Nokia to emulate, the black background and classic background music appeals to the elite. Additionally, the advertisement of Apple iPhone tends to appeal to the type of consumers who are design-oriented. Hence, this type of consumers is represented by those who care less about the functionality of the phone but dwell more on the design of the gadget. Nonetheless, the advertisement also tries to break the stereotype that the iPhone, being an Apple product, is less feature-enhanced. This is manifested as the narrator of the commercial tends to specify the "amazing things" packaged in iPhone. Furthermore, one of the most noticeable aspects of this commercial is Apple's attempts to use the "plain folks" propaganda on which Apple is trying to convince the public that the narrator's views reflect those of the common person (Berger, 1991). This is evident as the voice of the narrator tends to be casual, not too

How I can help University of San Francisco to carry out its mission Essay

How I can help University of San Francisco to carry out its mission - Essay Example Being a Muslim, I hope not to bring in religion in my work as this will tend to influence me negatively and thus stop me from doing what is good for the entire University Fraternity. To begin with, I would like to encourage the University to open more scholarship opportunities for the less fortunate students; this will encourage students to study hard in order to qualify to gain the scholarship. The Jesuits Catholic Tradition encourages and welcomes persons of all faith and culture. This is a very positive approach from the University. I would encourage that students are offered the freedom and responsibility to be able to make their own judgments’ regarding all matters (Higheredjobs par 3). To promote learning in the University of San Francisco, I will encourage them to recruit staff globally. Aside from the staff, I will also encourage them to recruit and retain students from other countries; this will ensure that every student gets global exposure and thus a wide wealth of experience. This will encourage students to act and think in a globally way. I will also encourage the University of San Francisco to encourage the students to engage in variety of activities, which will encourage togetherness among the students and in turn get opportunities to develop important life skills. I will also encourage the University of San Francisco to encourage the culture of service that is respectful and promotes dignity for every student. The University should also ensure that there is equal and rightful distribution of resources. This will help ensure that some departments do not prosper at the expense of others. This encourages individuality among students improving their individual performances. I believe that, attending the University of San Francisco would help me learn more about the Jesuit Catholic Tradition and in turn teach it to others. This will help me assist the university achieve

Devise an online lesson Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Devise an online lesson - Assignment Example This will greatly assist them in understanding and sharing of newly introduced concepts The plan will try to satisfy all the course objectives by helping students to expand their knowledge and grasp such key terminologies as pronunciation, nouns, verbs, tenses adverbs, vocabularies and many more others. The plan will also help the students appreciate English as a language and demystify any stereotypic beliefs surrounding it. The quote will depend on the topic of the day. Most quotes will be drawn from great thinkers like Aristotle, Hobbes and Rousseau. The quotes will help the students focus on the topic of the day and motivate them to complete their assignments within the provided time frame. Students will be instructed on which online methods to use during teaching. Some classes like pronunciation will require computer conferencing while others like tackling assignments will require World Wide Web. The three media above have been chosen because they will increase the speed at which students will converse with their instructor. They will also give them an opportunity to interact among themselves thus creating room form lively forums. Online communication is good because it helps the students open up and tell the instructor what they would have otherwise never said in an open classroom (Anderson, 2008). It also saves time and resources as students will not be required to appear physically in class. By so doing, they will be able to engage in other activities like spending time with their families and attending their jobs without any worry. The methods have also been chosen because of their ability to help students from different cultures interact and appreciate one another’s

Effective Administration Essay Example for Free

Effective Administration Essay Outline the ways in which the Director of Administration and Corporate services and her team can ensure they provides an effective administration service to achieve Accent’s ‘commitment to excellence.’ For the existence and survival of any business it is pertinent to have visions, set objectives and create strategies to achieve these objectives. Because business objectives are long term and in continuum, a machinery is required to design and implement these plans, this is known as administration. Mullins (2007:414 ) defines administration as† a key part of management process that is responsible for the design and implementation of systems and procedures instigated by management to help meet stated objectives†. Structure of the Business (ACCENT HOTEL GROUP) The business runs a chain of seven hotels in major cities and airports. These hotels include 3 and 4 star hotels. It has 8 directors on its board and Daniel Rycaart the founder also as the CEO. Each hotel runs a semi-autonomous strategic business unit and is headed by a General Manager. All the SBUs report directly to CEO. The units headed by the directors: -Administration and corporate service (includes IT) -Finance -Hospitality and hotel services -Human Resources -Legal Service (company Secretary) -Operations and conferences -Risk Management -Sales and Marketing The hotels together offer accommodation to about 800 guests and employ about 800 staff. As part of its commitment to excellence and the provision of a quality experience for all guests, the hotels offers service which include: -Conference suites for day delegates and function rooms for wedding receptions and parties -Evening entertainment in the bar -Indoor heated swimming pool -Leisure centre (gym, sauna, spas, etc for residents and members) -Outdoor terrace -Two bars (one of which offer 24 hour bar meals) -Two restaurants with top chefs (a la carte and self service buffet style) Due to the CEO Vision and business strategy, aiming to achieve ‘100% occupancy all year round was achieved by 40% increase in gross profits in the last four years, due to the group’s ‘commitment to excellence, ‘which has been underpinned by a number of strategic initiatives, stated below; Culture The Group’s culture has ‘changed’ with the introduction of a new management philosophy which sees everyone’s contribution (not just those managing the hotels) as key to its success. This more ‘inclusive’ culture gave all staff an opportunity to input into the Group’s critical success factors and key performance indicators (KPIs). These include: Commitment to excellence via quality, standards of performance and customer service Terms and conditions of employment Outsourcing and in-house services Health, safety and hygiene Occupancy Sales and marketing Ensuring that KPI were written into their business and operational plans and objectives were set and met accordingly would ensure that the organizations visions and strategies were communicated and understood from top to bottom through the organization. Learning and Development The Group’s commitment to being a ‘learning organisation’ and maintaining the status of an ‘Investor in People’ included the setting up of a new Learning  and Development Unit. A learning organisation as defined by Peter Senge (1990) are organisations where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning to see the whole together. The organisation’s commitment to being a learning organisation will ensure that the learning and development needs of the employees were in line with the business objectives of the organization. Performance Management A report, commissioned by Daniel, identified a number of inconsistencies with the outdated performance appraisal system, including the fact that reviews weren’t taking place at regular intervals, individual objectives weren’t linked to strategic, business and operational plans and some employees (including waiters, porters, chamber personnel and seasonal and casual staff) were not as adept at identifying their own learning and development needs. Performance management entails planning. Organizational overall performance depends on achieving outcomes identified by the planning process. Commitment to Excellence Daniel’s vision ‘commitment to excellence’ is the flagship behind the group’s success. However, with the new culture of ‘team work’ and ‘openness’, Daniel is striving to improve on the already successful ‘quality culture’. Daniels has asked for suggestions and ideas from both managers and staff on how service quality and performance could be improved. By linking the results of the internal feedback to performance management and identification of learning needs will further improve the successful quality culture through continuous improvement. Standard Operating Procedures In January 2005, a new set of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) were introduced to support the new culture, specific operational activities and good planning and control within the Group. The SOPs developed included: _ administrative management _ corporate governance _ customer satisfaction _ knowledge management _ outsourcing Daniel’s vision of ‘a commitment to excellence and the provision of a quality experience for all guests’ could be achieved through effective administration, this could be provided through the provision of systems, procedures, services and resources to support the business. This effectively will be determined on how effective the administrative management system in place is. â€Å"Administrative management can be defined as the effective and efficient management of the administration function and associated processes that support the organization in the achievement of its day-to-day business activities, objectives and strategies†. (Study Guide, p.49) Fayol’s theory on five function of management can also be used by the group in its strive to achieve its visions: 1. Forecasting and planning: This is analysing the future and drawing a course of action to achieve set goals and objectives. Developing administrative objectives and goals, keeping abreast with new development in external environment, determine human resource requirement for the functions and developing administrative budget. 2. Organising: It is the management function of ensuring that all roles and responsibilities are clearly defined. All skill level and training requirements are adequately in place. 3. Directing: This as an administrative function entails commanding to ensure that organizations’ tasks are carried out efficiently and effectively. 4. Coordinating: This is a very important part of management, it entails that all the resources of the organization are aligned to ensure that input, processing and output functions are supported. It is very important to ensure effectiveness and efficiency. 5. Controlling: Control is an integral part of planning process and involve measuring and correcting the performance of organizational objectives and plans, to ensure that they are implemented efficiently and effectively, within set timescales and  allocated resources (Fayol (1916) cited in study, p151). In conclusion, the onus is on the director of administration and corporate services to ensure achievement of the group’s success in its commitment to excellence through cohesiveness, planning, control and coordination of organization activities through effective management skills and administrative management. PART B In order to achieve ‘commitment to excellence’ and continually improve their business practices and services, organizations must put in place sound business strategies that must be flexible in nature so as to be compatible with the challenges and dictates of the business environment. This forces within the environment in which businesses operate have created the need for organisations to be effective and efficient in their resource allocation and administrative measures, thus; the quest for business excellence. Continuous improvement is an ongoing effort to improve products, services or processes. These efforts can seek â€Å"incremental† improvement over time or â€Å"breakthrough† improvement all at once. Continuous Improvement is a strategic approach to driving a cost competitive method for meeting or exceeding customer expectations. Regardless of customer needs, competition, or business challenges, a well executed continuous improvement program can ensure the success of any organization Different models can be used to illustrate and evaluate how organizations can achieve commitment to excellence and continually improve their business practices and services. Some of the widely used tools are identified below: Peters’ and Waterman’s Eight Attributes of Excellence Peters and Waterman in their submission in 1982 looked at some of the best-managed companies in the United States and found that they had a lot of things in common. They compiled a list of eight qualities that they believed to be present in the companies. Although not all eight were present in every company, these qualities regularly stood out. †¢A Bias for Action: Company gets things done; increases knowledge, interest, and commitments. †¢Close to the Customer: Customer satisfaction is very important throughout all the roles that the business plays. †¢Autonomy and Entrepreneurship: Encourage risk taking and innovation. †¢Productivity Through People: Everyone is respectful and enthusiastic towards each other. This creates an atmosphere that enables good work. †¢Hands-on, Value-Driven: Company philosophy and values are discussed openly. Leaders in the organization are also positive role models. †¢Stick to the Knitting: Company focuses on doing what it does best. †¢Simple Form, Lean Staff: Authority is shared as much as possible between the employees. †¢Simultaneous Loose-Tight Properties: Good planning and controlling that still allows for worker autonomy and a less rigid atmosphere. Source: Kreitner (1992) However, organisations should be weary to consider these principles during strategy formulation as against the view that they are solutions to business problems EFQM Business Excellence Model This model was developed in 1992 by the European Foundation for Quality Management. . According to this body; Organisations can proactively identify areas of strengths and weakness which is allowed through a process of self development and in order to sustain this improvement planning and evaluation has to be continuous. The model focuses on the key elements that sustain business excellence, five of which are enablers (what the organisation does) and four of which are results (what an organisation achieves). The model gives equal emphasis to enablers and result. The five enablers are: Leadership People Policy and strategy Partnership and resources Processes. The four areas focusing on results are: People Customers Society Key performance Source:http://www.ims-productivity.com/page.cfm/content/EFQM-Business-Excellence-Model/ Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle Another tools for continuous improvement is the PDCA cycle. This cycle is a four-step quality mode which aims at achieving continuous improvement by identifying opportunities for change and planning for them, followed by actual implementation, monitoring and re-evaluation. This model is also known as Deming Cycle: †¢Plan: This entails identifying an opportunity and planning for change. †¢Do: This involves implementing the change on a small scale. †¢Check: This requires the use data to analyze the results of the change and determine the impact and effect it has had and whether it made a difference. †¢Act: This entails determining if the change was successful, and if yes, it is implemented on a wider scale and continuously assessment of results. However, if the change did not work, the cycle will begin. Six Sigma Another model that can be used in the evaluation of how businesses can achieve continuous improvement is the Six Sigma Model. This model or technique sees tasks as processes that can be defined, measured, analyzed, improved and controlled. All tasks will have inputs and produce outputs. By controlling the inputs, the outputs would have been effectively controlled. This process or model of continuous improvement emphasizes prevention of errors or variation in quality and standards over detection of them. It drives customer satisfaction and achievement of objectives by minimizing variation in quality and waste, with a view of earning competitive advantage. In conclusion, a review of the models above shows that they are all focused on the efforts to improve products, services and or processes with the aim reducing variations and waste. There is an emphasis on inputs, processes and outputs as well as continuous planning and re-evaluation. The Continuous Improvement Model allows organizations to make incremental change to existing processes, adopt new ways to improve and measure productivity and control, discontinue activity that adds no value and increase emphasis and  focus on the organization’s mission and objectives. Getting a continuous improvement environment institutionalized takes Executive Level support. A collaborative team approach inspires workers to make the extra effort and strive to do what is beneficial for the company and in line with management objectives. Management and administrators work with employees to implement change and ensure standards are in place and controls are functioning to optimize productivity while managing cost. REFERENCES David, B. and John, D. (1999) Understanding Learning At work. Routledge. Kreitner, R. (1992). Management. 5th Edition. Geneva: Houghton Mifflin. McLean, J.E. (2005). Contemporary issues In Administration And Management, International Study Guide. MDP (UK) Ltd. http://asq.org/learn-about-quality/continuous-improvement/overview/overview.html http://www.ims-productivity.com/page.cfm/content/EFQM-Business-Excellence-Model/ Senge, P (1992). The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization. Century Business

The Philippines During 1946 1986 History Essay

The Philippines During 1946 1986 History Essay This essay uses the Dependency theory on how the economy of the Philippines fared out during the 1946-1986 period. This will also discuss facts on how the Marcos regime made the country surge into large international debts and why even though our country has a lot of natural resources cannot join the league of developed nations. The reason maybe that the post-colonial culture that our colonizers left us. There are so many assumptions on why our country is still behind. This essay will view the economy during the post colonial to martial law era to post martial law era. That particular period of time may have given the people the power to say what they wanted to (but there are some articles that indicates the the so called people power was not really a people power but of the Imperial Manila. As what Amando Doronila said in his feature article in the Philippine Daily Inquirer People power movements have been an Imperial Manila phenomenon. Their playing field is EDSA. They have exclude d the provincianos from their movement with their insufferable arrogance and snobbery   ignoring the existence of the toiling masses and peasants in agrarian Philippines.) With that observation that has been taken to account, the essay will include some insights on why do we seen stuck to this. Why do the country that has so much potential has been left behind even though we are thought to be one of the countries that will boom after the decolonization? Officially classed as developing country, the Philippines was once the second largest economy in Asia. In 1970 however, a path of loans and heavy borrowing was taken. This swelled the debt from of the country to much larger sums. The decline of Philippines exports, the corruption and economic mismanagement of the Marcos regime followed by the assassination of Ninoy Aquino in 1983 all contributed to the breakdown of the economy. In September 1972, Marcos declared martial law, claiming that the country was faced with revolutions from both the left and the right. He gathered around him a group of businessmen, used presidential decrees and letters of instruction to provide them with monopoly positions within the economy, and began channeling resources to himself and his associates, instituting what came to be called crony capitalism. By the time Marcos fled the Philippines in February 1986, monopolization and corruption had severely crippled the economy. In the beginning, this tendency was not so obvious. Marcoss efforts to create a New Society were supported widely by the business community, both Filipino and foreign, by Washington, and, de facto, by the multilateral institutions. Foreign investment was encouraged: an export-processing zone was opened; a range of additional investment incentives was created, and the Philippines projected itself onto the world economy as a country of low wages and industrial peace. The inflow of international capital increased dramatically. The Philippines defaulted on its debt 1983 1984 with the economy undergoing significantly negative growth in 1984 and 1985. Since the downfall of Marcos in 1986, administrations have opened up the economy to foreign investment but the privatization of the economy has been too slow. A trade deficit is the result of heavily importing goods while exporting very little. To make matters worse, government expenditures exceed government revenues. The Philippines found itself in an economic crisis in early 1970, in large part the consequence of the profligate spending of government funds by President Marcos in his reelection bid. The government, unable to meet payments on its international debt, worked out a standby credit arrangement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that involved renegotiating the countrys external debt and devaluing the Philippine currency to the United States dollar. The government, unwilling and unable to take the necessary steps to deal with economic difficulties on its own, submitted to the external dictates of the IMF. It was a pattern that would be repeated with increasing frequency in the next years. Despite once being the second largest economy in Asia (after Japan), the country is now relatively poor. The economy is agricultural, lightly industrial and service orientated. Economic growth is much weaker due to enormous debt. Much government money goes towards payments of the debt leaving very little money remaining for improving infrastructure. Since 1986, efforts have been made to open up the economy to foreign investment but the privatization of the economy has been just too slow    After WWII, the Philippine economy was in bad shape. During the term of President Quirino, the economy began a phase of rapid growth. The economic growth slowed over time but by 1965, the Philippine economy was the second largest in Asia. This was largely due to the enormous spending of government funds by President Marcos. Arrangements were made with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and so began the period in which the Philippine economy would be propped up with loans from the World Bank and IMF and heavy borrowing from banks and organizations. The economy of the Marcos regime can be described as debt driven. However, the economy continued to grow during the Marcos regime, even throughout martial law. In the 1980s, the economy started to falter due to a number of reasons. World demand for Philippine exports went into decline, corruption and economic mismanagement from the Marcos regime and the assassination of Ninoy Aquino in 1983 shattered investment confidence in the country. Economic growth was significantly negative in 1984 and 1985. As a result of a shrinking economy and enormous debt, the Philippines defaulted on its foreign debt payments 1983 1984. In the following Aquino years, the economic issues remained. It wasnt until the Ramos administration that the economy began to significantly grow. The Philippine economy was also hit by the 1998 Asian financial although not as much as some of the neighboring Asian states, partly due to remittances from overseas Filipino workers.    Large debt is a major factor in the hindrance of the Philippine economy. During the Marcos years, loans and heavy borrowing were used keep the economy propped up. The decline in demand for Philippine exports, the uncontrolled and unrestrained corruption of the Marcos administration and the assassination of Ninoy Aquino took its toll. The government defaulted on debt payments 1983 1984 and the economy underwent a period of significant contraction in 1984 and 1985. In 1986, after the downfall of Ferdinand Marcos, the debt was at US$28 billion with the country in a bankrupt state. In more recent times, the public debt is just over three-quarters of the Gross Domestic Produce (GDP) and a large trade deficit has grown from the heavy importing of goods combined with a weak export growth. Given this situation, much of government funds is being used to pay off the debt (or probably more accurately, the interest on the debt) this leaves little money for the government to develop infrastructu re. The lack of infrastructure in turn has resulted in much lower growth in various economic sectors. Since 1986, administrations have gradually opened up more of the economy to foreign investment. However, the privatization of the economy is currently just too slow. The corruption of the government and tax evasion tactics by big businessmen has also robbed the government of funds. The situation has been described as a fiscal crisis and on the current course, it is expected the Philippines will default on its debt in the next few years.    The Philippines is essentially an agricultural area but in more recent years other sectors have developed. Although greatly potential in the agricultural sector, the lack of infrastructure and finance combined with government policy have limited the success of this sector. The rural economy is largely based on agriculture, forestry and fishing. Years of uncontrolled logging are having an impact on forestry and fishing may have its days numbered due to the expense of equipments. The country has numerous natural resources including deposits of copper, chrome, nickel, gold, silver, coal, sulphur, gypsum, limestone, marble, phosphate, silica, clay and natural gas. Problems from the energy sector also contribute to economic woes. Electricity is relatively expensive and is subject to government red tape, preventing unprofitable public sector electricity companies from raising rates to raise money to develop and improve services.   A general rise in world raw material prices in the early 1970s helped boost the performance of the economy; real GNP grew at an average of almost 7 percent per year in the five years after the declaration of martial law, as compared with approximately 5 percent annually in the five preceding years. Agriculture performed better that it did in the 1960s. New rice technologies introduced in the late 1960s were widely adopted. Manufacturing was able to maintain the 6 percent growth rate it achieved in the late 1960s, a rate, however, that was below that of the economy as a whole. Manufactured exports, on the other hand, did quite well, growing at a rate twice that of the countrys traditional agricultural exports. The public sector played a much larger role in the 1970s, with the extent of government expenditures in GNP rising by 40 percent in the decade after 1972. To finance the boom, the government extensively resorted to international debt, hence the characterization of the economy of the Marcos era as debt driven. In the latter half of the 1970s, heavy borrowing from transnational commercial banks, multilateral organizations, and the United States and other countries masked problems that had begun to appear on the economic horizon with the slowdown of the world economy. By 1976 the Philippines was among the top 100 recipients of loans from the World Bank and was considered a country of concentration. Its balance of payments problem was solved and growth facilitated, at least temporarily, but at the cost of having to service an external debt that rose from US$2.3 billion in 1970 to more than US$17.2 billion in 1980. It was in this environment in August 1983 that President Marcoss foremost critic, former Senator Benigno Aquino, returned from exile and was assassinated. The country was thrown into an economic and political crisis that resulted eventually, in February 1986, in the ending of Marcoss twenty-one-year rule and his flight from the Philippines. In the meantime, debt repayment had ceased . Real GNP fell more than 11 percent before turning back up in 1986, and real GNP per capita fell 17 percent from its high point in 1981. In 1990 per capita real GNP was still 7 percent below the 1981 level. Industry has grown over the past few years but only in the urban areas. The industrial sector includes textiles, food and beverage processing, pharmaceuticals and chemical products, such as paints and fertilizers, and also electronics. In 2005, the Philippines began exporting cars in significant quantities. Electronic based companies such as Intel have been in the Philippines for many years too. The services sector is a big player in the economy and one of the more recent booms is the establishment or transferring of call centers in the Philippines for many large and in some cases multinational and international companies. Setting up call centers in the Philippines is ideal because of much lower costs than in the developed countries of origin and cheaper labor. A major advantage the Philippines have over other countries is the significance and usage of the English language within the country. The continuous growth of the outsourcing companies has led us to our current situation right now. Because of the limited availability of the jobs for the newly graduates, they resort to taking call center jobs wherein they could earn a decent income but doesnt level to their core competence. The decent income that they are receiving covers up to the companys main motive which is to exploit us. Our country may have benefited well to the boom of this sector but it exploits us in a sense that they are taking advantage of our resources but for the less cost. We are one of the countries that the other advance country exploits. Another example of the countries that were being exploit are India and China but to be fair with them, they are taking it as a challenge to grow more in terms of economic, and self improvement. Some may argue that they were racing to the bottom but they were not because they were racing to be on top. The Philippines does it the other way. We have the resources, the vast number of educated people but we are not improving. It may be blamed to the culture that we grew up in and the decision making of the leader. The loans that the country had during the time of Martial Law hit to its lowest and brought us to much more inescapable debt to which led us to borrow more to the predatory shark, the IMF. We have been dependent to them expecting that we would be out of this huge foreign debt but we only led to more debt that makes the Filipino people responsible for paying those huge sums of money. Only an irresponsible leader could only lead us to this state. The economy reached its lowest point and now the people are paying for this. The country may have achieved its democratic status but are we really free? Or are still heavily influenced by our former colonizers? The answer could be is that it depends on how we take it all in. We are still heavily influenced by our former colonizers from the music that we listen, to the clothes that we wear and to the culture that we are trying to fit in. But it seems that it boils down to how we respond to it. The state wherein our country is in right now may have been better than to what it has experienced before with the colonizers and the Martial law. The economy seems to be stable but its still not enough to sustain the growing economy of our country. A lot of people die out of hunger, the population has been multiplying every year and the education system in our country has not helped us to bail out from this system. The Philippines is a beautiful country with lots of things to offer. Sadly, the country today seem to be in lost on how to go on after to what had happened after the pos-colonial and martial law era. The country has been lost and still looking for the way out for this misery. Sure former President Fidel V. Ramos made the economy slightly back on track but we are now down again. Our country has been waiting for the promises of the politicians to come true to save us from this misery but again, it boils down to how we handle things and how we adapt from it. We could have been doing well if only we had retain the positive things that our colonizers left us. They may have invaded our country but it lead to some transition but we took it and applied it on the wrong way. We are still dependent to our past may it be the post colonial era or it may be the post Martial Law era. We cannot run from it. 2,540 words

Implementation of Reliable and Cost Effective Smart Home

Implementation of Reliable and Cost Effective Smart Home Automation is the trend that will define the way we will live and work over the next decade. Current home automation systems have limitations in terms of wireless connectivity, speed, interference, bandwidth and cost of implementation. The proposed smart home system provides wireless control of appliances such as lights, fans, and alarms by using sensors and Bluetooth. Bluetooth provides higher transmission speed, greater bandwidth, and consumes less power than existing wireless protocols. Further, the cost of implementation is minimized with the use of sensors and Bluetooth. This design incorporates an ARM7 processor that continuously collects light intensity, temperature, and carbon-monoxide levels from sensors and compares it with threshold levels, to determine the control operation to be performed on home appliances. The ARM7 processor access appliances using Bluetooth. Further, this smart home system also allows individuals to directly control their appliances through a smartpho ne-based android application. This smart home system is implemented and tested under varying conditions to represent its efficiency. LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ADC Analog to Digital Converter ARM Advanced RISC Machines BLE Bluetooth Low Energy CPSR Current Program Status Register DTE Data Terminal Equipment FEC Forward Error Correction FH-CDMA Frequency Hopping Code Division Multiple Access FIQ Fast Interrupt Request HVAC High Voltage Alternating Current LCD Liquid Crystal Display PPM RISC Parts Per Million Reduced Instruction Set Computer RSSI Received Signal Strength Indicator UART Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter UPB Universal Powerline Bus USB Universal Serial Bus CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Home Automation Worlds Fair of 1934 in Chicago marked the birth of home automation. Initially, the industry could not make an enormous impact on society. The reason for the slow start was high price and complexity making it hard to install. However as smartphones and tablets came into existence, the implementation of this technology became much easier. The automation technology helps in achieving greater efficiency and provides higher security. Expectations from a Smart Home The major parameters to look for in the implementation of a smart home can be as follows: Compatibility of the protocol. The system should communicate with the major protocols in home automation like ZigBee, Z-Wave, and Bluetooth. Wireless access. The system should be capable of wireless connection such as Wi-Fi Connectivity thereby eliminating all physical complexities. Scope for expansion. The system should support a higher number of products. Scope for scheduling. The design of the system should be able to support scheduling of different tasks at home like turning off lights when nobody at home. Remote access. Having an Android support is imperative these days. If the system is compatible with a smartphone, it makes this process very smooth as almost every individual today has a smartphone. Emergency notification. The system should send messages indicating emergency or threat to the house. Smart Home Community Response Various studies have been conducted to find out if consumers are ready to take up smart home technology. A study from Coldwell Banker Real Estate and CNET carried out in June 2015, said that 28% of internet users in The United States have smart homes and 90% of them would recommend smart home technology. The report also suggests that 25% of Americans use smart home products which save them around 30 minutes a day on average which are equivalent to $1,000 per year. As per a survey, 75% of the smart homeowners believe that this technology brings peace of mind regarding security. CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE Existing Protocols in Home Automation Industry The increase in the use of smart home systems leads to the development of different protocols. The protocols are selected based on the type of communication among various connected devices. Let us see the major protocols in home automation industry: X10 Technology X10 is the oldest home automation protocol developed in 1970. Initially, the technology was a powerline-based system which slowly went wireless. X10 technology uses the power lines in the home to allow communication between various appliances. X10 is reliable as it makes use of power lines. However, it is subject to interference from other devices in the circuit. It does not provide a speed communication between devices. It can only perform 16 commands sent one at a time. INSTEON Technology INSTEON was introduced in the year 2005. It was designed to bridge the gap between powerline systems and wireless protocols. INSTEON is compatible with X10 technology making it easy for those who have an existing X10 network. It supports automation novices which make setting up or adding devices easy for the non-technical users. INSTEON can support more than 65,000 commands. It is capable of transmitting commands with little interference. One need not have to enroll INSTEON into home automation network. INSTEON network can have more than 400 devices connected in a single installation. The dual-band mesh network can convert all powerline-operated devices into repeaters ZigBee Technology ZigBee is a wireless communication standard built by IEEE. It runs on 802.15.4 wireless communication standard. ZigBee is growing significantly in recent times. However, ZigBees full acceptance as a home automation protocol is still in question. The reason being its interoperability. In most cases, ZigBee devices have difficulty in communicating with devices from other manufacturers. Each device uses different methods to accomplish the same task which causes the difficulty in communication. Perhaps, for the same reason, manufacturers use ZigBee to limit third-party devices. Wi-Fi Technology Wi-Fi stands for Wireless Fidelity. Wi-Fi makes use of radio frequency transmission of data through the air. Speed in a Wi-Fi connection may vary from 1mbps to 2mbps. Wi-Fi works in the frequency band of 2.4 GHz. The range for Wi-Fi is 40-300 feet. Wi-Fi runs on an inbuilt technology known as frequency division multiplexing technology. However, the major drawback with Wi-Fi is the interference and bandwidth issues. With too many Wi-Fi compatible devices, each device must fight for bandwidth resulting in more time to respond thereby making it work slowly. Also, Wi-Fi consumes much power. CHAPTER 3 BLUETOOTH TECHNOLOGY In 1994, Ericsson Mobile Communications was the first to initiate research on the possibility of wireless links. Their aim was to develop a cost-effective solution to replace cables as a mode of communication between computers and peripherals. Ericsson along with Nokia, Intel, IBM, and Toshiba, formed a group known as Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) with a common motive of developing the unique technology. The first Bluetooth technical specification released in 1999. Bluetooth Specification Bluetooth specification for Classic Bluetooth/Bluetooth Basic Rate/Enhanced Data Rate (BR/EDR) is below in Table 1. TABLE 1. Specifications of Classic Bluetooth Technical Specification Classic Bluetooth Modulation Technique Frequency Hopping Modulation Scheme GFSK Modulation Index 0.35 Number of Channels 79 Channel Bandwidth 1 MHz Nominal Data Rate 1-3 Mbps Application Throughput 0.7 2.1 Mbps Nodes/Active Slaves 7 Security 56 128 bit Voice Capable Bluetooth Technology A Good Choice for Smart Home Bluetooth is a solution to some different issues which existed earlier, like: Speed.Bluetooth provides a transmission speed of 1 Mbps. It can handle up to three voice channels simultaneously. Power.Bluetooth technology has a special feature of limiting the transmitters power as per the demand. With the help of a Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI), a Bluetooth receiver can determine the transmission power required by the transmitter. Security.Bluetooth has three built-in features which aim at providing secure data or voice transmission Prevents access to transmitted data by providing proper authentication. Data is encrypted over-the-air (OTA) which eliminated eaves-droppings. Also, an appropriate key is required to decrypt such data It makes use of Frequency Hopped Spread Spectrum (FHSS) which further eliminates eavesdropping Reliability.Bluetooth Technology uses three techniques to ensure protocol reliability. They are Frequency Hopping Code Division Multiple Access (FH-CDMA), Error Correction and Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI). Therefore, with the help of these techniques, the performance degradation is minimized. CHAPTER 4 SYSTEM COMPONENTS Hardware Components TABLE 2. Components Required for the Design Power Supply 12V DC Battery Processor Advanced RISC Machine (ARM7) Serial Communication Universal Asynchronous Receiver and Transmitter (UART) Wireless Communication Bluetooth Module Sensors Light Dependent Resistor (LDR), Temperature Sensor (LM35), and Gas Sensor (MQ-2) Display Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)Smart Phone Display Loads/Appliances/Devices LED, Computer Fan, and Alarm/Buzzer Software Applications TABLE 3. Software Required for the Design MATLAB To capture the sensor outputs KEIL To write the code for the functioning of processor Flash Magic To deploy the code into the processor SYSTEM ARRANGEMENT Power Supply The prototype uses an AJC D1.3S battery with 12 Volt/1.3Ah configuration. Liquid Crystal Display The prototype uses an 1602A LCD module with following features 16 Character x 2 Line Single power supply of 5V Input data 4-bits or 8-bits interface 1/16Duty, 1/5Bias Relay The prototype uses NRP07-C12DS relay to control the loads. Rating 10A/28VDC Maximum Switching Voltage 30VDC Operate Time 8msec. Max Release Time 5msec. Max Bluetooth Module BT24 Bluetooth module is a low cost series from Amped RF Technology. Configuration Cortex-M3 microprocessor up to 72MHz UART, up to 921K baud 13 general purpose I/O 4 x 12-bit A/D inputs AmpedUP Bluetooth stack (SPP, IAP, A2DP) Support Apple IOS/MFI Bluetooth devices. BT24 Features Bluetooth v3.0 Range up to 60m LOS 400 Kbps data through-put 128-bit encryption security. Advanced RISC Machine (ARM) Processor In 1985, Acorn computers developed the first prototype of ARM in England. ARM stands for Advanced RISC Machine. Currently, ARM is designed and marketed by ARM Holdings. As the name suggests, ARM uses RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer) architecture. The design, instruction set and decode mechanism of the RISC is much simpler than Complex Instruction Set Computer (CISC) design. ARM Features ARM7 has the following features: 32-bit RISC processor Low power consumption: 0.6mA/MHz at 3V fabricated Fast interrupt response for real-time applications Fully static operation ideal for power sensitive applications High-performance RISC: 17 MIPS sustained at 25 MHz at 3V In-System Programming/In-Application Programming (ISP/IAP) via on-chip boot- loader software. Single flash sector or full chip erase in 400 ms and programming of 256 bytes in 1ms. Universal Asynchronous Receiver and Transmitter (UART) UART is a chip designed to control all serial devices connected to a processor. The name asynchronous means that UART does not need a predefined clock for synchronization. UART comes with an RS232 Data Terminal Equipment (DTE) which helps to communicate with serial devices. It has a Start bit, seven data bits, a parity bit and a stop bit. UART provides a full duplex transmission which means that data transfer is possible in two ways, simultaneously. Therefore, both the ends have to come to an agreement with the parameters like word length, a parity bit, and some stop bits. Features UART has the following features, Burst rates up to 6 M-bits/second High level of transmission and reception of data UART converts the received bytes into single serial bit stream for transmission Provides buffering of data to maintain the coordination of serial devices with the computer Parity, overrun and framing error detection. Light Dependent Resistor (LDR) Sensor An LDR has a resistance which changes as per the amount of light falling upon it. It is often used to detect the presence of light in a circuit. An LDR has a high resistance of about 1000000 ohms. However, the resistance falls drastically once the bright light falls on it. Characteristics TABLE 4. LDR Characteristics Parameter Conditions Min Type Max Unit Cell Resistance 1000 LUX10 LUX 4009 OhmK Ohm Dark Resistance 1 M Ohm Dark Capacitance 3.5 pF Rise Time 1000 LUX10 LUX 2.818 msms Fall Time 1000 LUX10 LUX 48120 msms Voltage AC/DC Peak 320 V max Current 75 mA max Power Dissipation 100 mW max Operating Temperature -60 +75 Deg. C Temperature Sensor LM35 is a national semiconductor precision temperature sensor. It is a temperature sensitive voltage source. For every 1oC rise in temperature, the voltage increases by 10mV. In other words, the output voltage is linearly proportional to the temperature. Specification Linear +10-mV/oC scale factor Rated for full -55 oC to 150 oC range Suitable for remote applications Operates from 4 V to 30 V Low self-heating, 0.08 oC in still air 0.5 oC ensured accuracy (at 25 oC). Smoke Sensor MQ-2 gas sensor consists of a sensitive material called SnO2. SnO2 has lower conductivity which helps in the working of MQ-2 in clean air. Characteristics High sensitivity to LPG, Propane and Hydrogen Sensitivity to Combustible gas in wide range Long Life and Low Cost Specifications TABLE 5. Specifications of Gas Sensor Concentration 300 10000ppm Loop Voltage 5 Slope

Government Surveillance of Internet Activity Essay -- Internet Web Com

Government Surveillance of Internet Activity 1. Background Back to late 1980s in China, some young people in college or research institute had a chance to surf the Internet through a fairly low speed, roughly routed World Wide Web connection. But a big surprise for them was that the Internet was a real freeway, a freeway escaping from strict government control, a freeway for people who wanted to see but couldn’t see and who wanted to say but couldn’t say. Stepping into the 21st century after more than a decade, the Internet service in China has already been almost the latest generation in the world. However, a new surprise for those â€Å"old† surfers and new comers is that the traffic on the Internet freeway is jammed or totally blocked. Some internet writers, even anonymous ones, have been monitored and arrested. Chinese people realized that what could be seen and reached through the Internet becomes less and less, and what could be spoken on the web now leads to a huge threaten to individuals as the consequence. Why is that? Someone blames the advanced software technology which is now available to the Chinese government. It is argued that new technologies enabled the government to turn on red lights in the Internet freeway and use â€Å"web polices† to intercept violators who were chasing the freedom. Indeed, not only in China, such an observation becomes globally prominent. At a recent internet technology conference sponsored by the Internet Society in Montreal Canada (INET '96), a new discussion emerged which is focused on the increasing number of governments intent on erecting barriers to free speech on the Internet [1]. 1.1 Government surveillance exists in many countries and in a variety of forms. Normally, peo... ... Law and Technology, vol. 6, 2001. Anya Schiffrin, â€Å"Analysis: China, the Net and free speech†, CNN.com/SCI-TECH, Feb 16, 2001. William Yurcik, Zixiang Tan, â€Å"The Great (Fire) Wall of China: Internet Security and Information Policy Issues in the People's Republic of China†, Proceedings of the 1996 Telecommunications Policy Research Conference, 1996. Leonard R. Sussman, â€Å"The Internet in Flux†, Press Freedom Survey 2001, Freedom House, 2001. Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, â€Å"Calculating Consequences: The Utilitarian Approach to Ethics†, http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/decision/calculating.html, 2004. Manuel Velasquez, Claire Andre, Thomas Shanks, S.J., Michael J. Meyer, â€Å"Thinking Ethically: A Framework for Moral Decision Making†, Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, 2004. http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/decision/thinking.html#utilitarian

Reader-Response on Soldiers Home Essay -- American Literature

Reader-Response on Soldier's Home The initial reaction I received from reading Soldier's Home, and my feelings about Soldier's Home now are not the same. Initially, I thought Harold Krebs is this soldier who fought for two years, returns home, and is disconnected from society because he is in a childlike state of mind, while everyone else has grown up. I felt that Krebs lost his immature years, late teens to early 20's, because he went from college to the military. I still see him as disconnected from society, because there isn't anyone or anything that can connect him to the simple life that his once before close friends and family are living. He has been through a traumatic experience for the past two years, and he does not have anyone genuinely interested in him enough to take the time to find out what's going on in his mind and heart. Krebs is in a battle after the battle. Imagine your hometown, a small, affluent community where everyone knows each other. This small community is where many of your childhood friends and some of your family also reside. If you left your hometown for a two-year period to go into the military, to go to college, to travel the world, or just to experience life somewhere else, how would you expect your friends and family to treat you when you arrived home after a two-year period? Would you expect a warm welcome from your love ones, would you expect to be able to share your experiences, or major events that took place in your life? Would you expect that everyone has changed at least a little bit, and you have changed somewhat as well? I definitely would not expect or would not want my friends and family to reject me, because I had changed due to my life experiences outside our sma... ...has failed to help him deal with his inner emotions from his military experience. He has been through a traumatic experience for the past two years, and he does not have anyone genuinely interested in him enough to take the time to find out what's going on in his mind and heart. Kreb's is disconnected from the life he had before the war, and without genuine help and care from these people he lived with, and around all his childhood life, it's difficult to return to the routines that everyone is accustomed to. Works Cited Hemingway, Ernest. "Soldier's Home." The Bedford Introduction to Literature, 6th Edition. Ed. Michael Meyer. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's. 2002. 152-57. "Reader Responses to Soldier's Home." Literature and Composition. 10 Feb.,2003. David Toth. 14 Feb., 2003. .

The Determinants Of Diabetes Health And Social Care Essay

Diabetess affects over 3 million grownups in Australia alone-of which 90 % is type 2 ( Baricevic, 2007 ) non-insulin dependant diabetes mellitus ( NIDDM-for the interest of this essay diabetes is mentioning to type 2 NIDDM ) . There are legion biological and socioeconomic determiners of the disease which has developed into Australia ‘s fastest turning chronic disease. Whilst it is â€Å" frequently considered a lifestyle disease ( Scobie & A ; Samaras, 2009 ) † this is a common misinterpretation with many other lending factors such as genetic sciences, the environment and economic fortunes. Whilst much research has gone into the management/treatment of diabetes, work on turn toing the ‘upstream ‘ determiners has begun. Physical therapists play a critical function in the bar and intervention of the status with them frequently ordering exercising plans for diabetic patients. Diabetess consequences from a sum or partial insulin lack, ensuing in hypoglycemia. This lack prevents glucose motion between the blood and cells, making a build-up of glucose in the blood stream. As a consequence of the hypoglycemia, several key symptoms are present including bleary vision ; increased mending times ; unexplained weight addition ; increased passing of piss ; aridity ; fatigue and giddiness. In 2010 diabetes accounted for 6.6 % of Australia ‘s entire loads of disease and has been identified as one of the eight national wellness precedences ( AIHW, 2010 ) .Section 1Hamdy, Goodyear, & A ; Horton ( 2004 ) contend that there are three cardinal lending factors to the oncoming of diabetes. These include familial sensitivity, decreased insulin action and a defect in the pancreatic I? cell. However the most well-known biological and behavioral determiners of the status relate to fleshiness with the comparative hazard being 1.8 for an fleshy individual and a astonishing 3.2 for corpulent people ( Marks, Coyne, & A ; Pang, 2001 ) . Weight related determiners include fleshiness ( morbid and centrist ) , sedentary life style, hapless diet and low degrees of physical activity ( Ramlo-Halsted & A ; Edelman, 1999 ) . Hamdy, Goodyear & A ; Horton ( 2004 ) suggest the primary ground for such social alterations taking to the dramatic rises in the rates of both fleshiness and more so diabetes is urbanisation. They suggest that the recent global urbanization and increase in engineering has created a society where traditional incidental signifiers of exercising have been alleviated in favor of engineering and the progresss that it has facilitated. Cultural groups have peculiarly been affected by these alterations with their traditional signifiers of life transformed as they excessiv ely are impacted by globalization. An illustration of such a group in Australia is the Autochthonal Australians. As with about all countries of wellness, they are badly over represented in the per centum enduring from diabetes. __________ Other factors lending to the oncoming of the disease include older age,Section 2Despite these factors being good documented as some of the primary causes of diabetes, Scobie & A ; Samaras ( 2009 ) argue that these factors accelerate the oncoming instead than being the primary cause. -biological/behavioural determiners of wellness Age Familial background-parental history -groups at peculiar hazard: Aged Peoples with a household history Certain cultural groups ( eg Aboriginal Australians ) Low SESSection 2 ( associate back in with single determiners )– † Factors such as poorness, hapless instruction, societal exclusion, unemployment and deficiency of or hapless quality lodging all contribute to wellness inequalities. † -socioeconomic determiners of wellness Policyi? PA degrees in schools, NPAG, instruction Communityi? entree to parks/paths Environmentali? safety, entree to fresh nutrient Societali? urbanization and increase in engineering = down incidental exercising Economici? employment/occupation, income, wealthSection 3Traditionally intervention of diabetes has focused on the ‘downstream ‘ factors, with the focal point being at an single degree. Exercise and weight loss are cardinal facets of the intervention, given that ________ . Exercise entirely leads to a important betterment in insulin sensitiveness ( Misra, et al. , 2008 ) . In line with the National Physical Activity Guidelines ( Department of Health and Ageing, 2010 ) , it is recommended that persons take part in at least 30 min of walking 5 yearss per hebdomad. The guidelines highlight four key points for all grownups sing physical activity, with these being peculiarly of import for people with diabetes. They are: Think of motion as an chance, non an incommodiousness Be active every twenty-four hours in every bit many ways as you can Put together at least 30 proceedingss of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, sooner all, yearss If you can, besides bask some regular, vigorous activity for excess wellness and fittingness ( Department of Health and Ageing, 2010 ) In concurrence with exercising, a healthy diet is indispensable for the effectual intervention of diabetes ( DA Victoria, 2002 ) . This has been proven to hold the individual greatest natural impact on blood glucose degrees ; every bit good as helping weight loss and diminishing insulin opposition. Foods should non be limited to low GI, with a diet focussed on high protein ( such as fish and low fat dairy ) ; high saccharides ( such as pasta, staff of life and fruit ) and low saturated fat/sugar ( Baricevic, 2007 ) . The AIHW ( 2010 ) suggests that the most appropriate method of intervention is ab initio through diet and exercising, come oning merely subsequently to medicine. Diabetes medicine chiefly acts to assist modulate the blood glucose degrees. Given that with this status insulin is unable to efficaciously map, it becomes of import to hold a manner to modulate blood sugar. The normal scope is 3.5-6 mmol/L prior to repasts and 3.5-8mmol/L straight afterwards ( DA Victoria, 2002 ) . Glucose direction is really of import to maintain the hazard of cardiovascular disease down, and without ordinance the individual may endure from hypo/hyperglycemia. That said, Ramlo-Halsted & A ; Edelman ( 1999 ) point out that the â€Å" optimum regimen peculiarly for medicine will alter for each person as the status progresses. † There are two different options for medication-tablets or insulin injections. The tablets are taken orally and diminish the release of stored glucose in the liver, maintaining blood sugar degrees down. In contrast, insulin injections come in the signifier of a needle ( syringe ) or a pen and are used when the pancreas is unable to bring forth the needed sums of insulin ( Baricevic, 2007 ) . Diabetess, as with many wellness conditions, requires a multi-disciplinary squad for successful intervention and direction. Diabetes Management in General Practise ( 2009 ) describes the functions of at least eight different squad members in the intervention of diabetes. These include: General practician Exercise specializer ( normally a physical therapist ) Chiropodist Optometrist Oral wellness professional Diabetess educator ( nurses etc ) Dietician Endocrinologist/diabetologist Whilst non all of these wellness professionals will needfully be involved in every person ‘s intervention, the squad ‘s cooperation is critical for long-run intervention. To assist with single intervention of diabetes, the Australian Government has established the National Diabetes Services Scheme ( NDSS ) . The plan has in surplus of 900 000 registered people with diabetes and is go oning to turn. There are several cardinal elements of the strategy with subsidized merchandises and information every bit good as instruction. Through this plan, there are 2200 mercantile establishments which supply discounted merchandises for intervention to the registrants. Whilst intervention is really common, alongside it is an extended direction program. DA Victoria ( 2002 ) describes several facets to proper direction. Aside from being physically active and eating good as antecedently mentioned, it is preferred for a diabetic to associate up with a local support squad for aid, support and to keep a positive attitude. Additionally proving blood glucose on a regular basis and medicating suitably as prescribed is besides of import. Diabetes Management in General Practise ( 2009 ) besides emphasises the demand to discontinue smoke ( if applicable ) , have less than two standard drinks per twenty-four hours and guarantee BMI ( organic structure mass index ) in less than 25 to accomplish general well-being. Hawley & A ; Zierath ( 2008 ) besides outline the importance of understating the hazards and effects of complications. They province that this can be achieved through commanding glycaemia, blood force per unit area and lipid degrees ; in concurrence with regular wellness cheques ( concentrating on oculus, kidney and pes jobs ) .Section 4Prevention of diabetes is an absolute precedence particularly when over 60 % of type 2 instances are preventable. With diabetes being the 7th prima cause of decease in Australia ( AIHW, 2010 ) , there is no inquiry why the Australian Government has made the status a national wellness precedence. Harmonizing to Weeson ( 2000 ) , â€Å" upstream † intervention by primary wellness professionals should be the focal point of all attacks. These upstream factors include______________ . Simple stairss can easy assist prevent or detain the oncoming of diabetes ( Type 2 Diabetes, 2011 ) through implementing a healthy life style. Diabetes Australia encourages persons to keep a healthy weight, take part in regular physical activity, eat healthy nutrient, manage blood pressure/cholesterol and non smoke, to diminish the oncoming of the status ( Type 2 Diabetes, 2011 ) . There is a really strong nexus between physical activity and diabetes every bit antecedently mentioned, nevertheless it should benoted that engagement in a moderate or sooner alert walking regimen can diminish the incidence of diabetes by 30 % ( Jeon, Lokken, & A ; van Dam, 2007 ) . Furthermore Jeon, Lokken & A ; van Dam ( 2007 ) describe this strong relationship stating that there is besides a nexus between the sum of physical activity and the decrease of risk-an astonishing 58 % lessening in the incidence of prediabetes can be achieved through exercising antecedently stated. Zimmet ( 2000 ) emphasises that diabetes can non be stooped by traditional medical attacks. Given the graduated table and outrageousness of the issue, he contends that drastic socioeconomic and cultural position alterations are required to do advancement. Zimmet ( 2000 ) says that international diabetes and public wellness administration need to buttonhole and call up politicians and non-government bureaus. Through this, the issues doing the pandemic ( socioeconomic, behavioral, nutritionary and public wellness ) can be addressed. A multi-disciplinary undertaking force is suggested to help in the reversal of the socioeconomic issues, as Zimmet feels that persons entirely moving to alter will non do a large adequate difference ( Zimmet, 2000 ) . The National Evidence Based Guidelines for the Primary Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes ( Colagiuri, Girgis, Gomez, Walker, Colagiuri, & A ; O'Dea, 2009 ) depict four cardinal countries to making effectual preventive action for diabetes. These include: â€Å" Having a strong theoretic base for the plan † â€Å" Planing the plan with clear messages, integrating a many-sided attack to present these messages † â€Å" Encouraging household engagement † â€Å" Intensive and sustained run over a long continuance † The guidelines besides discuss the aspects within the broader community that should be targeted for bar of the status. One of the cardinal elements to efficaciously aiming the population is instruction ( Colagiuri, Girgis, Gomez, Walker, Colagiuri, & A ; O'Dea, 2009 ) . Through media, the guidelines propose that the instruction can alter attitudes every bit good as degrees of cognition. This can hold a peculiarly profound impact on the short term addition in physical activity. This was seen in the ‘Life be in it'___________ In footings of bar for persons, the guidelines besides provided several points specifically aiming those in the hazard groups. The guidelines ( Colagiuri, Girgis, Gomez, Walker, Colagiuri, & A ; O'Dea, 2009 ) specify persons at peculiar hazard as holding a mark greater than or equal to 15 on the AUSDRISK hazard appraisal tool. There are three degrees of action to forestall the oncoming of diabetes. Initially lifestyle alterations such as weight direction, come oning to pharmacological intercessions where necessary and in instances with terrible hazard bariatric surgery may be considered. Fostering the intervention dietetic considerations antecedently mentioned, in order to forestall diabetes sugar-sweetened drinks have been identified with fast nutrient as points that pose the largest menace of bring oning diabetes ( Hu, new wave Dam, & A ; Liu, 2001 ) . Fish oil and polyunsaturated fats have besides been proven to assist with the bar of the status. Other -conversion from high hazard to low hazard life style = moderate manner Physical therapists play a big function peculiarly in the intervention, but besides the bar of diabetes. Ozdirenc, Kocak & A ; Gutekin ( 2004 ) highlighted the importance of physical therapy in the accurate prescription of exercising. They suggested that any exercising prescribed in the involvement of diminishing complication with diabetes or forestalling it should be undertaken at 65-75 % of a individual ‘s VOa‚‚ soap and emphasised the necessity of a professional in such prescription. Harmonizing to their survey, physical exercising can take to a important lessening in physical damage and supply betterments to functional restrictions that the individual had suffered. In contrast, they determined that low degrees of activity caused a reduced cardio respiratory capacity and hence lessened ability to walk longer distances. These effects of inaction excessively have the possible to be improved through the execution of a physical activity government ( Ozdirenc, Kocak, & A ; Gutekin, 2004 ) . Physical therapists besides play an of import function in the bar of diabetes through instruction and public wellness publicity. At an single degree such professionals can assist their clients who are identified as being at hazard ( of diabetes ) to do behavioral alterations to decrease their personal hazards. In add-on to this, physiotherapists can assist their patients with diabetes develop an exercising plan to assistance in weight loss and bettering their future forecast. At a broader degree physical therapists can be involved in policy development and other consciousness runs. For illustration the National Physical Activity Guidelines require experts and other professional ‘s inputs to develop plans with the cardinal elements antecedently mentioned such as strong theoretical bases. Decision -prevention must be a cardinal focal point given that – † a status that is extremely conformable to primary intercession †

Effects of John Brown’s Raid On Northern-southern Relations

John Brown’s raid of the federal armory at Harpers Ferry, Virginia involved only a few abolitionists, freed no slaves, and ended after only two short days. Brown’s initial idea was that after raiding the federal armory slaves would rise up and rebel against their owners, not only in the north but eventually in the south. This was a radical idea, and although his raid was primarily condemned in the north, Brown became a hero. Southerners became offended when in the years following Brown’s raid northerners felt compassion and even regarded him as a hero. The southerners however felt that he wanted to cause upheaval in the south. The issue however united the north for the cause of abolishing slavery. †Congress can contribute much to avert [southern withdrawal from the Union] by proposing†¦ an explanatory amendment of the Constitution on the subject of slavery†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Doc G) The Northern view of John Brown had changed drastically in the years leading up to the civil war. Initially John Brown was viewed as an irrational for his actions in Pottawatomie, Kansas. It was in Pottawatomie where Brown and a few colleagues took violent measures of vengeance against five pro-slavery southerners in Response to the Bleeding Kansas crisis. The northern view of Brown changed however after his 1859 raid on Harpers Ferry, Virginia. The northern people did not immediately view him as a hero however. Many northerners viewed his raid as â€Å"utterly mistaken and, in its direct consequences, pernicious†. (Doc A) Southern people viewed Brown’s raid as a commotion and an appeal to rebellion. The previous Bleeding Kansas crisis also pushed the south more towards succession. It was by delegates chosen by the several states†¦ that the Constitution of the United States was framed in 1787 and submitted to the several states for ratification†¦ that of a compact between independent states. † (Doc H) President Lincoln responded â€Å"Having never been States, either in substance, or in name, outside of the Union, whence this magical omnipotence of ‘States Rights’, asserting a claim of power to lawfully destroy the Union itself? † (Doc I). Both of these statements were made in 1861, and clearly represent the division that sent our nation to war. While the years progressed the northern view of John Brown became increasingly more positive, people began to view Brown as a hero, as well as a martyr. Many believed while what he did was irrational and fanatical at the time, he paved the way for many northerners to become decided on the topic of abolition. John Brown’s raid ultimately made the Northern-southern relations even more strained, but caused the north to band together and fight against slavery and succession. In conclusion, the raid on Harpers Ferry, Virginia pushed the North and the south farther apart, but was a small step to becoming the free country that America is today.

Muslim Immigration

The sentiments supporting Muslim immigration into this country misses one important aspect of the Islam faith. Their Quran teaches annihilation of all kafir civilizations (that's us). Deadly anti-Christian attacks are commonplace in the Muslim world; over 2,000 in just the last three years, including church bombings and the slaughter of any who refused to convert to Islam. At a time when we need to be alerted to these dangers, political and religious leaders, as well as the media, are instead joining the Muslim Brotherhood-manufactured battle against â€Å"Islamophobia.† In the face of the Islam-inspired genocide of Christians, this strikes me as a grotesque inversion of priorities. I put â€Å"Islamophobia† in quotes because a phobia is an irrational fear. If you check history, including recent history, people should have reasonable fear of authentic Islam. These true historical facts, were all by Muslims:1968, Robert Kennedy, shot/killed.1972, Munich Olympics, Israeli athletes kidnapped/massacred.1972, Pan Am 747, Cairo. Hijacked/blown up.1973, Pan Am 707, grenade attack. Rome. 33 killed.1979, Iranian US Embassy takeover.1980's, Americans kidnapped. Lebanon.1983, Beirut. US Marine barracks blown up.1985, cruise ship Achille-Lauro hijacked, 70-year-old American passenger thrown overboard in his wheelchair.1985, TWA Flight 847, hijacked. Athens, US Navy Diver, rescuing passengers, murdered1988, Pan Am Flight 103, bombed.1993, World Trade Center, bombed (first time).1998, US Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, bombed.2001, four airliners hijacked/crashed. World Trade Center/Pentagon. Thousands killed.2002, US fought Afghanistan war against Muslims.2002, reporter Daniel Pearl, kidnapped/beheaded.2013, Boston Marathon bombing, four killed, 264 injured.2015 Chattanooga, Tennessee military center, five killed2015 Inland Regional Center, San Bern ardino, California, 14 killed2016 Orlando nightclub shooting, 49 killed, more wounded2017 — New York, eight pedestrians killed/dozen injured near World Trade CenterRegrettably, singular focus on terroristic atrocities are misleading. It feeds into the narrative that the threat of Islam is limited to a handful of extremists. But, there is a much bigger problem: widespread and unrelenting persecution of Christians and Jews is found in every Muslim society and in Europe. The attitude of Muslims toward non-Muslims is not one of hate, fear, or envy, but rather contempt. The pervasive nature of the persecution, including discrimination, intimidation, rapes, abductions, forced conversions and the destruction of homes/churches, suggests that it stems from the core texts and teachings of mainstream Islam itself, not a distortion of Islam. Muslims have not misinterpreted Islam †¦ more likely the misunderstood are those who, though well-intentioned, have no real-life experience of Islam. Islam is presented as a religion of peace and justice, not unlike Christianity. But, Muslims and Christians do not share a common faith. These misguided statements aren't based on teachings nor history of Islam, but ignorance. Read the Quran yourself. This aggressively, anti-Western culture which has a hold on Europe was enabled by immigration policies based on an uncritical view of Islam. Europeans, naively assuming Muslims would assimilate to Western values, are forced to acclimate to Islamic values— polygamy, misogyny, honor violence, female genital mutilation and anti-Semitism. Jews are fleeing Europe in numbers unseen since the Nazi era. With just 4 million Muslims in the 66 million UK population, there are over 3,000 mosques, 130 Sharia courts, 50 Sharia councils, numerous â€Å"no-go† areas, approximately 70 percent of Muslims on free benefits/housing, and Muslim mayors in leading cities. Europeans are losing their civilization, not because they are â€Å"Islamophobic,† but, because of ignorance of Islam. They obediently accepted the â€Å"peaceful† depiction of Islam, presented to them by social and governmental elites, and are paying the price. Hijrah is the takeover of a nation without going to war. Never before has our immigration policy threatened our current way of life, Republican form of government, and our moral base. It's sobering. Yet, our clergy, political leaders and media are guilty of promoting the same pleasant picture of Islam and immigration that has thrown Europe into chaos. We need to correct our course fast.