Jet Blue Melt Down Essay Example for Free

Jet Blue Melt Down Essay The technology department at Jet Blue airlines let down the company during the melt down. There were many areas where if the technology department had been on top of its game this melt down would not have been nearly as bad as it was. These range from simple communications problems to issues with lost bags. The first area where technology let down those at Jet Blue was that of not being able to rebook flights on the internet. This was a major problem as because the website did not allow for passengers whose flights had been cancelled to reschedule they had to call agents. The problem here is many of these agents work from home and the system was only capable of handling 650 calls at a time. If the website had been able to allow customers to rebook it would have taken a lot of the load off of these agents. The second issue we have here is the system only allowed for 650 agents to be on the phones at a time. When you consider they have the normal everyday business along with many flights being cancelled causing angry passengers to call in to rebook this problem became magnified. Customer grew angry with the amount of time that they had to remain on hold to rebook flights. The next issue that lingered was that of being able to identify who owned the lost luggage. This system was a simple one as it only took the technology department 24 hours to design a system to locate these passengers and reunite them with their luggage. However, when you are already upset and angry 24 hours is quite a long time. This was an issue that never should have been as it should have been in place prior to this event. Finally we come to the issue of being able to communicate with off duty crews and know their location when rebooking flights. This issue was one that could have been fixed in a simple manner with a system similar to that  which Nextel offers to customer’s walkie talkie options with a gps locator on the phone. To conclude my findings if the technology department had been doing its job prior to these events the problem would not have been nearly as magnified. Through some simple fixes and forward thinking there could have been several areas that would have helped to make managing this event easier from enhanced phone systems to a website with more capabilities for customers to simple gps enable cell phones this problem would not have cost the company upwards of 30 million dollars.

Lasers :: essays research papers

The laser is one of the most advanced tools we have in our civilization. Lasers are powerful enough to cut through a thick piece of steel, yet can be used in medical surgery. Lasers are used in the army, for guns, for range finding and a whole lot more. Most people don't know where the idea of the laser came from. The idea for the laser came from a machine called a maser. The maser was a tool that was able to strengthen, or amplify radio and light waves. The first laser was made in California in 1960. It was built by Theodore Maiman along with a group of American scientists. The material they used for a concentrator was a man- made ruby. This was done by, coiling a simple flash tube around a rod, and beaming powerful flashes of light at it. The result was pulses of red laser light. Once they made the device they had to name it. They had think of some word or words to described it. They came up with Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Using the first letter of each main word they named it laser. The laser had everyone excited. The laser was put through many tests and experiments to see what it could do to help modern civilization. At first there weren't many uses for the laser. Then in the 1970's it became very important. It was finally being used in everyday life. As years went on the uses grew in number. Today lasers were being used in a variety of ways. This includes entertainment, military, communication, businesses, measurement, cutting, and more. Measurement: Lasers have become an important part of measurement. A laser is the fastest way to measure long distances. This use can be applied in construction work and astronomy. Cutting: A laser is also great for cutting objects. It can get to those hard to reach places by the use of mirrors to bend the beam of light. It also is strong enough to cut through solid steel. A laser never damages the surface of the object because it never touches it. Lasers have been used in both large and small surgical procedures. It is used by jewelers to cut diamonds, gold, silver, platinum, etc....It is also used in corporations in which cutting metal or fine cutting is involved. Communication: The way the laser is used in the field of communication is through fiber optics.

Human Senses and Perception: Accuracy and Weaknesses Essay

Can you really trust your senses and the interpretation of sensory data to give you an accurate view of the world? Describe and discuss the accuracy and the weaknesses of the human senses as they pertain to think in general and to your own thinking in particular. What perception means and how is relate to our senses? According to Joe Stratton (1999) on his book Critical Thinking for college students stated that â€Å"perception is the process of selection, organization, and interpretation of the sense-data into mental representation that can be use by the brain and the nerve system to provide content for thought† (p. 17). We can understand as Perception the process by which we receive and interpret information coming from the environment or ourselves. This information is received through the five senses: Sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell. Sensory perception is not sufficient to identify the outside world, it is necessary also the intervention of other processes such as attention, memory, and imagination. In other words, perception is how we understand and interpret the world. We perceive the world in certain ways depending on our beliefs is like a filter between us and the reality, the memories and experiences that we have stored in our subconscious mind and our capacity of imaginatio n is responsible for how we can perceive the reality. The perception varies from person to person; different people perceive different things in the same situation. â€Å"This sensing-thinking connection is so closely interrelated that our thinking often begins in our senses, progresses through additional sensory input, and shapes itself to our sensing habits; conversely, thinking can shape the way we sense† (Goodpaster & Kirby, 1999, p.44). There are some reasons that help us to believe in the accuracy of the sensory information, this mean that we are aware, dependent of our mind and perceptually seem to us. For example if we approach our arm to the fire we can feel the heat, meaning that the information passes through the touch receptors feeling the heat and sensory information reaches the brain, so next time we experience fire close to our body we will perceive that is hot.

Medieval Sumptuary Laws

The medieval world wasnt all drab clothing, flavorless food, and dark, drafty castles. Medieval folk knew how to enjoy themselves, and those who could afford it indulged in dazzling displays of wealth — sometimes to excess. Sumptuary laws originated to address this excess. The Lavish Life of the Nobility The upper classes took particular pleasure and pride in garbing themselves in luxurious finery. The exclusivity of their status symbols was assured by the excessive cost of their garments. Not only were the fabrics expensive, but tailors charged hefty fees to design attractive outfits and fit them specifically to their clients to make them look good. Even the colors used indicated status: bolder, brighter dyes that didnt fade easily were more costly, too. It was expected of the lord of the manor or castle to throw great feasts on special occasions, and nobles vied with each other to see who could offer the most exotic and abundant foodstuffs. Swans werent particularly good eating, but no knight or lady wanting to impress would pass up the chance to serve one in all its feathers at their banquet, often with its beak gilded. And anyone who could afford to build or hold a castle could also afford to make it warm and welcoming, with opulent tapestries, colorful draperies, and plush furnishings. These ostentatious displays of riches concerned the clergy and the more pious secular rulers. They believed that lavish spending wasnt good for the soul, especially keeping in mind Christs warning, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And those less well-off were known to follow the fashions of the rich on items they couldnt really afford. In times of economic upheaval (such as the years during and following the Black Death), it sometimes became possible for the lower classes to acquire what was usually more costly clothing and fabrics. When this happened, the upper classes found it offensive, and everyone else found it unsettling; how was anyone to know if the lady in the velvet gown was a countess, a wealthy merchants wife, an upstart peasant or a prostitute? So, in some countries and at various times, sumptuary laws were passed to limit conspicuous consumption. These laws addressed the excessive cost and reckless display of clothing, food, drink, and household furnishings. The idea was to limit wild spending by the richest of the rich, but sumptuary laws were also designed to keep the lower classes from blurring the lines of social distinction. To this end, specific garments, fabrics and even certain colors became illegal for anyone but the nobility to wear. The History of Sumptuary Laws in Europe Sumptuary laws go back to ancient times. In Greece, such laws helped establish the reputation of the Spartans by forbidding them to attend drinking entertainments, own homes or furniture of elaborate construction, and possess silver or gold. The Romans, whose Latin language gave us the term sumptus for excessive expenditure, were concerned with extravagant dining habits and lavish banquets. They also passed laws addressing luxury in womens adornment, the fabric, and style of mens clothing, furniture, gladiatorial displays, the exchange of gifts and even funeral arrangements. And certain colors of clothing, such as purple, were restricted to the upper classes. Although some of these laws were not specifically called sumptuary, they nevertheless formed precedents for future sumptuary legislation. Early Christians had concerns over excessive expenditures, as well. Both men and women were admonished to dress plainly, in keeping with the humble ways of Jesus, carpenter and itinerant preacher. God would be far more pleased if they garbed themselves in virtue and good works rather than silks and brightly-colored clothing. When the western Roman Empire began to falter, economic hardship reduced the impetus for passing sumptuary laws, and for quite some time the only regulations in effect in Europe were those established within the Christian Church for clergy and monastics. Charlemagne and his son Louis the Pious proved to be notable exceptions. In 808, Charlemagne passed laws limiting the price of certain garments in the hopes of reigning in the extravagance of his court. When Louis succeeded him, he passed legislation forbidding the wearing of silk, silver, and gold. But these were only the exceptions. No other government concerned themselves with sumptuary laws until the 1100s. With the strengthening of the European economy that developed in the High Middle Ages came the return of those excessive expenditures that concerned authorities. The twelfth century, in which some scholars have seen a cultural renaissance, saw the passage of the first secular sumptuary law in over 300 years: a limitation on the price of sable furs used to trim garments. This short-lived legislation, passed in Genoa in 1157 and dropped in 1161, may seem insignificant, but it heralded a future trend that grew throughout 13th- and 14th-century Italy, France, and Spain. Most of the rest of Europe passed little to no sumptuary legislation until well into the 14th century, when the Black Death upset the status quo. Of those countries that concerned themselves with their subjects excesses, Italy was the most prolific in passing sumptuary laws. In cities such as Bologna, Lucca, Perugia, Siena, and most especially Florence and Venice, legislation was passed concerning virtually every aspect of daily life. The foremost motive of these laws appears to be the restraint of excess. Parents could not dress their children in garments made of particularly costly fabric or adorned with precious gems. Brides were restricted in the number of rings they were allowed to accept as gifts on their wedding day. And mourners were forbidden to engage in excessive displays of grief, wailing and going with their hair uncovered. Sumptuous Women Some of the laws passed seemed to be specifically targeted at women. This had a lot to do with a common view among the clergy of women as the morally weaker sex and even, it was often stated, the ruin of men. When men bought sumptuous clothing for their wives and daughters and then had to pay the fines when the extravagance of their finery surpassed the limits set down in the law, women were often blamed for manipulating their husbands and fathers. Men may have complained, but they didnt stop buying luxurious clothes and jewels for the women in their lives. Jews and Sumptuary Law Throughout their history in Europe, Jews took care to wear fairly sober clothing and never to flaunt any financial success they may have enjoyed in order to avoid provoking jealousy and hostility in their Christian neighbors. Jewish leaders issued sumptuary guidelines out of concern for the safety of their community. Medieval Jews were discouraged from dressing like Christians, in part for fear that assimilation could lead to conversion. Of their own accord, Jews in 13th-century England, France, and Germany wore a pointed hat, known as a  Judenhut,  to distinguish themselves as Jewish in public. As Europe grew more populated and the cities became a little more cosmopolitan, there was increased friendship and fraternization among individuals of different religions. This concerned the authorities of the Christian Church, who feared that Christian values would erode among those exposed to non-Christians. It bothered some of them that there was no way to tell if someone was Christian, Jewish or Muslim just by looking at them and that mistaken identity could lead to scandalous conduct between men and women of different belief systems. At the  Fourth Lateran Council  of November 1215,  Pope Innocent III  and the gathered Church officials made decrees concerning the mode of dress of non-Christians. Two of the canons stated: Jews and Muslims shall wear a special dress to enable them to be distinguished from Christians. Christian princes must take measures to prevent blasphemies against Jesus Christ. The exact nature of this distinctive dress was left up to individual secular leaders. Some governments decreed that a simple badge, usually yellow but sometimes white and occasionally red, be worn by all Jewish subjects. In England, a piece of yellow cloth meant to symbolize the Old Testament was worn. The  Judenhut  became mandatory over time, and in other regions, distinctive hats were compulsory elements of Jewish attire. Some countries went even further, requiring Jews to wear wide, black tunics and cloaks with pointed hoods. These structures could not fail to humiliate the Jews, though mandatory elements of dress were not the worst fate they suffered in the Middle Ages. Whatever else they did, the restrictions made Jews instantly recognizable and clearly different from Christians throughout Europe, and, unfortunately, they continued up to the 20th century. Sumptuary Law and the Economy Most of the sumptuary laws passed in the High Middle Ages came about due to increased economic prosperity and the excessive spending that went with it. Moralists feared such excess would harm society and corrupt Christian souls. But on the other side of the coin, there was a pragmatic reason for passing sumptuary laws: economic health. In some regions where the cloth was manufactured, it became illegal to purchase those fabrics from foreign sources. This may not have been a great hardship in places such as Flanders, where they were famous for the quality of their woolens, but in areas with less stellar reputations, wearing local products could have been tedious, uncomfortable, and even embarrassing. Effects of Sumptuary Laws With the notable exception of legislation regarding non-Christian attire, sumptuary laws seldom worked. It was largely impossible to monitor everyones purchases, and in the chaotic years following the Black Death, there were too many unforeseen changes and too few officials in any position to execute the laws. Prosecutions of lawbreakers were not unknown, but they were uncommon. With the punishment for breaking the law usually limited to a fine, the very rich could still acquire whatever their hearts desired and simply pay the fine as part of the cost of doing business. Still, the existence of sumptuary laws speaks to the concern of medieval authorities for the stability of the social structure. In spite of their general inefficacy, the passage of such laws continued through the Middle Ages and beyond. Sources Killerby, Catherine Kovesi,  Sumptuary Law in Italy 1200-1500.  Oxford University Press, 2002, 208 pp. Piponnier, Francoise, and Perrine Mane,  Dress in the Middle Ages.  Yale University Press, 1997, 167 pp. Howell, Martha C.,  Commerce before Capitalism in Europe, 1300-1600.  Cambridge University Press, 2010. 366 pp. Dean, Trevor, and K. J. P. Lowe, Eds.,  Crime, Society and the Law in Renaissance Italy.  Cambridge University Press, 1994. 296 pp. Castello, Elena Romero, and Uriel Macias Kapon,  The Jews and Europe.  Chartwell Books, 1994, 239 pp. Marcus, Jacob Rader, and Marc Saperstein,  The Jew in the Medieval World: A Source Book, 315-1791.  Hebrew Union College Press. 2000, 570 pp.