Social Engineering Attacks and Counterintelligence Essay

Social Engineering Attacks and Counterintelligence - Essay Example This essay looks at the concept from the security viewpoint. â€Å"Social Engineering is defined as the process of deceiving people into giving away access or confidential information† (Social Engineering Defined). Hackers, identity thieves, information brokers, disgruntled employees etc. are examples of social engineers. Dr. Max Kilger, co-author of the  Honeynet Project identifies the motivators for non-ethical computer activity which can also be applied to social engineering; these are money, entertainment, ego, cause, entrance into a social group and status within that social group (Typical Goals of a Social Engineer). Counter Intelligence To a layman, counterintelligence would mean the opposite of intelligence seen from the security angle. â€Å"Counterintelligence (CI) can be defined as information gathered and activities conducted to identify, deceive, exploit, disrupt, or protect against espionage, other intelligence activities, sabotage, or assassinations conducted for or on behalf of foreign powers, organizations or persons, or their agents, or international terrorist organizations or activities† (Office Of Counterintelligence, 2011). Implications to National Security New age threats of different kinds according to Car and Musladin (2013) pose a challenge to national security. These are explained below. A few such challenges like terrorism, organized crime, and activism with a negative face are considered here. Terrorism is one of the dreaded scourges that affect national security. As Car and Musladin explain, terrorists actively use the internet to network and carry out physical attacks on nations, who even own up to terror acts on the internet. Organized Crime cannot be far behind. The use of the internet ensures that people at the higher echelons of a terror network go unapprehended and remain free to plan further terror strikes. All sorts of fraud take place by cheating unsuspecting victims. The defrauding of banks and other financ ial institutions can lead to the destabilization of the economy. According to Car and Musladin, activism with a negative face also finds voice on the internet. This can shape and build public opinion. Unfortunately, it can provoke the masses as they can be manipulated by touching raw nerves. On the other end of the spectrum, the internet is also the stage of revolutions and protests. The Arab Spring is an instance of a revolution that took the help of digital media. When mainstream media is muffled or does not offer any succor, it is such media which become the voice of the public and leads to revolutions. Importance of Sound Information Workforce It is of utmost importance that a sound information workforce is maintained. The workforce should be aware of and alert about their work environment at all times. They should be sensitized to the value of the data being handled by them. Only an aware workforce can secure its data. Social engineering also poses a grave threat to security. T he key to preventing this would be a transparent communication system at all times. Impersonation and identity thefts can be reduced to a large extent with a structured communication system. At times, the workforce can sense patterns and peculiarities in routine activities. Hence, corrective action can be taken before further damage occurs. Finally, it is always best to strike at the roots. Any fool proof system to be designed for security is best

Tesco Logistic Operations Analysis

Tesco Logistic Operations Analysis The logistic operations Executive Summary The objective of this report is to critically analyse the logistic operations in the newly opened food outlets of TESCO, UKs largest multiple retailer in Central Europe, Thailand and the more recent Fresh and Easy store in United States of America as against the well established logistic operations in the UK. For the purpose of coming up with a critical analysis, we have first studied the operations of TESCO in United Kingdom starting with the initial supply chain operations and then a gradual evolution of an effective and efficient supply chain. Next we evaluated the operation strategies adopted to maintain and manage the international operations and the challenges faced by Tesco to maintain a consistent global brand image. It was found that in order to maintain a consistent service delivery system across the globe; Tesco has been making necessary changes in the service operations like international warehouse management, continuous replenishment policy, and international logistics. The changes made have been in accordance to the legal and cultural sensitivity of the overseas country. The maintenance of international logistics has been critical for Tesco and with the geographical expansion it is imperative for Tesco to adapt to intermodal intercontinental mode of transportation. It is suggested that Tesco develop expertise in sea freight transport by developing dock outs near to sea shore in overseas countries and then transporting goods from docks to the respective central warehouse units. This will help in achieving economical and efficient freight cost considering the scenario that Tesco sources both locally and globally. Highly advanced Information Technology and IT systems have given Tesco a competitive advantage over the competitors on an international platform and has helped Tesco in maximizing the overall supply chain profitability. With the expansion happening across the continents it is important for Tesco to maintain consistent service operations across the globe. This can be done by developing remote station controlling and tracking of movement of goods by latest RFID and satellite sensing technology. Tesco need to develop dual monitoring system both on national and international level. With the usage of upscale Warehouse management system, international fleet management systems and the ERP systems coupled with remote sensing technology, Tesco can monitor and control international operations. 1.0 Introduction TESCO was founded in the year 1924 by John Edward Cohen. The name TESCO comes from the initials of Cohens tea supplier T.E. Stockwell combined with the first 2 letters of Cohen. Cohen is considered to be the biggest retail revolutionary responsible for several small revolutions which has led to the current retail industry. Tesco:OurHistory TESCO is one of the biggest retailers in the world operating around 2491 stores and employing over 350,000 people worldwide with profits exceeding  £3billion. The UK is the companys largest market while it has recently expanded their operations in Central Europe, Thailand and recently in US under the name of Fresh Easy. In United Kingdom, TESCO operates under four banners of Extra, Superstore, Metro, Express, One Stop and Homeplus. TESCO is listed on London Stock Exchange under the symbol TSCO and has a secondary listing on Irish Stock Exchange with the name TESCO PLC. Tesco international operation was in line with the vision of Tesco to become a global retail house. It entered into joint ventures with local partners, like SAMSUNG group in Korea and Charoen Pokphand in Thailand; also it started its US operations under the name of Fresh and Easy. The US operations were intended to be a direct competition to the Walmart. Tesco now operated in Ireland, Czech Republic and Poland as Central Europe operations, Thailand, South Korea, China, and Japan as Asian Operations and recently entered into US. 2.0 TESCO Logistic Strategy Initially under Cohen, TESCO sailed on the principle of Pile it High, Sell it Cheap[ Corina, M (1971)]. The idea was inspired from the USA retail format where bulk procurement was done resulting in low cost and thus better profit realization. However, with the changes in macro environment and increasing competition from other retail stores, there was decrease in profit margins and the company was left with tarnished brand image. Hence under leadership of MacLaurin, who succeeded Cohen, TESCO decided to bring in fundamental, radical and dramatic changes in the business operations and a business re-engineering was done with a focus to build an effective and efficient supply chain aided with the innovative usage of technology.(Tescocorporate.com, History) Currently, Tesco operates both local and global sourcing. There has been continuous evolution in the distribution and operation strategy of Tesco which can be split majorly into four phases. First was the time when there was direct delivery from the suppliers to the stores, this transformed into centralized regional distribution system as the second move in the late 1970s. The third move was a composite distribution strategy in the late 1980s and in the 1990s it was the vertical collaboration in the supply chain as the fourth move. Under its vertical collaboration strategy, the focus has been to streamline the supply chain processes with the usage of technology and sharing of information across the supply chain to build an effective and efficient supply chain. Sharing of information with the suppliers started in 1997 with the establishment of commercially secure data exchange system based on the internet to facilitate the suppliers with the information on the current inventory holdings. This was followed with analysis on the primary distribution (manufacturer to distribution centre) to implement changes that added net value over the entire supply chain. Once the primary distribution was stabilised, there was business motivation to make the logistics and flow of material streamline to generate further cost-benefit competence. This led to negotiation of more competitive distribution rates. This process of continuous change and improvement has led to radical decrease in the lead time to stores and from suppliers. 2.1 Value chain Analysis 2.1.1 Inbound Logistics This is the first step in the value chain, thus posses the first value creating opportunity. Tesco calls this as the primary distribution and the activities include receipt of goods at the warehouse from the suppliers, internal handling and distribution to the stores and finally placing the goods on display at the shelves. Quality control measures are taken at every point to ensure that the customers get true value for money and the unnecessary costs are not transferred to the customers. 2.1.2 Operations Operations form a very important and critical area for the smooth functioning of Tesco. The tasks involve daily inventory management, shelf display and stock management to ensure competitive advantage. 2.1.3 Outbound Logistics This involves delivery to the customer. Tesco offers convenience to the customers by giving them home delivery. Also efforts are made to improve trolley space, parking facilities and other tangibles to maximise feel good for the customers. 2.1.4 Marketing and Sales Through the clubcard initiative, Tesco has successfully engaged loyal customer base and attract more customers by heavy advertising through radio, local newspapers and TV. Tesco has also started their green initiative as a corporate social responsibility and branding itself as a green and responsible company in the eyes of the customer. 2.2 Tesco Logistics: UK Tesco holds a commanding 13% share in UK retail market. The focus has been to grow share in food while increasing the space contribution in hypermarkets. Tesco, at this point of time reached the optimum level of supply chain efficiency and the logistic operations are now benchmarked by the competitors. Currently stock is checked every day on a real time basis and based on the inventory, orders are processed centrally. Production schedule plans are prepared and the same is then transported from deport to the store after approval of depot in charge. Jones and Clarke (2002) 2.3 Continuous Replenishment: UK CR introduced in 1999, replaced the batch data processing with a continuous flow system and then multiple orders are sent to the suppliers thus reducing stock holding and better inventory control. Through this, the risk of high inventory passed to the suppliers. The suppliers got the orders as per the requirements more than once a day through the central batch processing unit. The same were then processed by the suppliers and then assembled as per the batch orders at the Tesco depot. Multiple deliveries are then made to ensure efficient fleet utilization and faster replenishment. Image from book The movement of goods happens through mostly road and railways in the UK. In 1997, Tesco started using canal mode of transportation to ship goods between Manchester distribution facility and Liverpool. The movement happens between a central warehouse and the local depots based on the batch orders generated through the central processing unit on a daily basis. The inventory is maintained by sharing the inventory status data with the suppliers on a real time basis. The control of stock levels is ensured so that no one runs out of any goods. By sharing the information, chances of bullwhip effect are minimized and actual forecasting and schedule planning is done. [Gustafsson K, Jà ¶nson G, Smith DandSparks L (2006)] 2.4 Overseas Operations By 2003, Tesco has started functioning successfully in Ireland, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Thailand and South Korea. It is evident from the 2003 annual report of Tesco Plc that overseas operation now accounts for almost half the Tesco retail space and nearly 20% of sales (Tesco Plc Annual report, 2003). Managing international operations has been a challenge for Tesco. With the experience of managing an efficient supply chain in the UK, Tesco has been able to replicate the operation overseas in a similar manner. However there has been change in procurement strategy. Tesco has adapted to local and global sourcing strategy. Tesco has been able to utilize the local talent and resources and also managed to maintain a consistent global brand image. Local Operation and distribution is done through rail and road between a central distribution facility and the stores. It also uses sea transport to source products from global suppliers, thus maintaining a consistency. The prima ry distribution is kept similar as the UK operations and the use of information technology has enabled Tesco to optimize the supply chain activities and maximize the supply chain value internationally as well. Tesco unlike its UK operations has deviated from the just in time inventory management. To streamline the overseas operation they have identified local manufacturers to develop a cost effective competence over the competitors. The globally sourced products are ordered in bulk as per the fright management system and thus delivery of such products happens as per the stocks levels of the central processing units. Moreover, there have been legal bindings under the food and beverage laws of the various overseas countries and thus Tesco has to effectively manage as per the varying trade and labour laws. Due to global sourcing there has been change in the Continuous Replenishment policy as adopted by Tesco in the UK. The replenishments of globally sourced goods do not happen on a daily basis. The future demand of such goods is anticipated in advance and thus they are procured in bulk and transported through intermodal operations to maximize the overall supply chain profitability. With the onset of international operations, Tesco has realized the need of technology advancement and the high scale information systems to maintain and manage the global operations. The recent use of RFID technology has enabled Tesco to track and find the shipments and the local transportation in real time. Also, the ERP systems have been in place to maximize the supply chain value globally as well. However, to maintain the international standards and global brand image, there has been high cost occurrence on the transportation of goods procured from the international suppliers, thus leading to low margins in some cases. But with efficient supplier management program and real time sharing of information with the suppliers high transportation cost has been offset with the overall increase in supply chain profitability. Strategic Changes made to incorporate international operations Heavy investment is involved to expand geographically and there is need to provide cross cultural training to the employees. International sourcing from standard suppliers is shipped to the new locations through sea transport. RFID technology implemented to track and find the shipments. Utilization of local human and natural resources to achieve better margins. Hub and spoke model implemented to build central warehouses and docks near to sea and then transporting the same to the distant locations. Forecasting and demand estimation done centrally and the inventory details shared with the suppliers on a real time basis to ensure low inventory holding cost. Multiple deliveries from the suppliers ensured fast replenishment and zero stock out situations. 3.0 Transportation Policy Tesco sources both locally and globally. With the geographical expansion of Tesco to Central Europe, Asia and recently in US, it has been a challenge to manage the transportation and distribution of goods at the new locations keeping the quality consistent to that of the global image of Tesco. [Anderson, D. L., Britt. F. E., and Favre. D. J. (1997)] Risks associated with international logistics and transportation (Zhihui Song, Apr 2005) * Easy to lose control of operation and movements * Increase in paper work and documentation binding to the different legal and taxation in overseas countries. * Risk of delays in receiving and arrival of goods internationally. * Difficult to trade and trace as the point of action is remote. * There can be conflict in the customs and culture of the overseas country, * Lack of infrastructure capabilities in the hose country which may hamper the easy movement of goods 3.1 Rail Freight With the extensive rail reach in some of the overseas countries rail freight proves to be an economical on bulk ordering and low value goods. This mode of transport is low on speed and thus need to be used in slow moving goods and in instances where demand forecasting is accurate for a longer period of time. However there is a limitation in this mode because of the slow speed and inflexible service. But rail cannot be solely be relied as a transportation mode as the last mile has to be road. 3.2 Sea Freight With the geographical expansions, sea freight offers a cost effective mode of operation. The service however is slow but there is easy and quick availability of service due to the regular routes and service offered. There is a delay caused in this mode of transportation as it involved additional investment in developing port infrastructure for loading and uploading of goods. 3.3 Road Freight Road freight has to be put in place as a result of the strategic decision to ensure a balance between speed and responsiveness of the inventory management. Road Transport offers a fast and regular service but this can be a relatively expensive mode of transportation. This can be used in combination with roll on and roll off ferry services to cover intercontinental journeys. 3.4 Transportation Model for International and National Operations For the national distribution of goods, Tesco has been following intermodal transportation policy using rail, road and canal as means of transportation. It follows a hub and scope model where in central warehouses are maintained and through them the goods are sent to the local stores. Inventory at both the warehouse and local stores is tracked by a central processing unit. Inventory reports are generated on a real time basis in the local stores and in case of inventory falling under safety limits, warehouse is informed and the stock is dispatched. Freight management system is put in place which makes sure that the least cost incurring transportation is selected. [Bearnon, B.M (1998)] For the international operations, Tesco should look for standardizing their suppliers on an international level. A similar hub and spoke model can be implemented. The warehouses can be suitably located near the sea shore as dock units to ensure that the international supplies can be maintained on a relatively cheaper mode of sea transport. The choice of the dock units need to be made depending on the commercial and labour laws to ensure maximum profitability of the entire supply chain. Central warehouses can be maintained depending upon the location of the final local stores. An extended hub and spoke model can be realized with the goods being transferred from the dock units to the central warehouse and then finally to the end stores. 4.0 Information Technology: Critical Factor Information Technology now finds itself as an indispensable activity for any world class organization operating in any field, technology or sector. IT is now used as a means of competence over the competitors. IT has been used by organizations to restructure and re-engineer the distribution set up to achieve higher service standard, accurate production planning and demand forecasting thereby achieving low supply chain cost and high supply chain profitability. The recent advancements in the Information Technology enable the organizations to have a real time track and management of stock inventory at each level of the supply chain thereby elimination of any chance of information mismanagement and bullwhip effect. IT infrastructure now provides competitive position to a company through reduction of cycle time, implementation and free flow of cross functional information. [Smith, W B (2000)] Companies have now gone into maximum vertical and horizontal integration of supply chain stages by engaging into strategic tie ups with the suppliers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers. This inter organizational development of supply chain has been enabled by strong IT infrastructure, thus providing three distinct advantages of [Mishra R K (2004)] Cost Reduction Higher Productivity New product/ Market Strategies Typical supply chain as in case of Tesco can be split into 2 subchains. The first can be called as movement supply chain. This involves movement of raw material from suppliers to the company shop floor, cross functional movement of work in progress goods and the final movement of finished goods from warehouse to the retail stores. The other part of the supply chain is forward and backward information flow. The later subchain of information flow is rather more complex than the forward movement of the product from assembly line to the final retailing stage because of the integration of the multiple parties involved in the entire supply chain. Critical issue is of providing the right information at the right time at each stage of the supply chain, failure of which leads to passage of erroneous information across the supply chain which gets cascaded at each level. [King, J. (2000)] Also the use of strong IT infrastructure and advanced software services have helped Tesco in identifying the usage patterns of the end customers and has aided in developing a strong loyal customer base. This has helped in accurate demand forecasting, low inventory levels and an efficient production scheduling. Some of the advanced technological developments happening across different industries can be listed below Electronic Commerce: With the increase in internet savvy customers and continuous focus on providing convenience to the customers, organizations have resorted to conduction of business in a paperless environment. This involves emails, electronic money transfer and buying and selling of goods and services electronically on internet. This also involves quick and paperless cross functional movement of documents. Bar coding and Scanner: This is one of the most common technological advancement in the retail industry and can be seen at the checkout counter of the retail outlets. The bar codes carry full information of the products, details of suppliers and the entire product life cycle details. Data Warehouse: Data Warehouse refer to the consolidated database management of the companys entire production system database. This is used in making analytical and strategic decisions like demand estimation, production planning and forecasting by the top management of the companies. Enterprise Resource Planning tools: The SAP, Oracle ERP system forms backbone of the IT infrastructure of almost all the fortune 500 companies. These systems provide complete end to end highly optimised supply chain process flows that reduce the manual activities and help in achieving automated flow of information across the entire chain. With well equipped IT infrastructure, Tesco has developed a competitive advantage against the competitors. Sharing of information with the suppliers at Tesco started in 1997 with the establishment of commercially secure data exchange system based on the internet to facilitate the suppliers with the information on the current inventory holdings. This aided the suppliers to have a real time tracking of the required inventory at the production facility and the warehouse of Tesco, thus low inventory holding cost for Tesco and better demand estimation for both Tesco and the suppliers. With the use of IT, Tesco has become a market leader in United Kingdom, but with the globalization and geographic expansion, Tesco faces a challenge to monitor and manage the supply chain activities in the overseas location as well. For efficient monitoring and effective control it is imperative for Tesco to develop remote monitoring systems that can be used to track and locate the movement of goods locally and internationally. These remote monitoring applications have to be in consistent with the existing policies and the supply chain activities of Tesco, UK. The real time monitoring can be done by using satellite monitoring and tracking of movement of goods by implementing RFID technology, ERP systems to monitor the procurement, order processing and overseas supplier management, warehouse management and fleet management systems. International Warehouse Management System will help in providing buffer between supply and demand considering the fact that Tesco sources products and goods both internationally and globally. It can develop international stock holding facilities through which the goods can be transported efficiently and economically to the remotely located retail outlets. This will also help Tesco to maintain good dispatch facilities and warehouse operational activities. Developing an international Fleet Management System is needed for long term reliability of vehicles. It will help in maintaining scheduling, vehicle maintenance and tracking. This will help in international movement of goods across borders efficiently and economically, Electronic data systems need to be deployed to capture essential data of customers like customer details, usage patterns, order sizes and order details like product and quantity. This can be done by using a database system to select customers delivery, past shopping details across the different countries where the customer has shopped and thus producing a digital report of the special requirements if any of the customer. 5.0 Conclusion The report thus highlights on the critical evaluation on the changes in the supply chain operations especially international logistics and Information Technology up gradations in order to maintain consistent service delivery. Tesco need to adapt as per the legal and culture of the overseas countries, hence need to maintain global monitoring and controlling mechanisms to track the cross continent movement of goods and thus achieving maximum supply chain profitability. With the adaptation to international logistics and high scale information technology systems, Tesco can replicate the success in the UK on a global platform as well. 6.0 References Clarke, P (2002) Distribution in Tesco. Presentation for Tesco UK Operations Day 2002 [online] available from www.tesco.com/corporateinfo/ (12 Jan 2010) Corina, M (1971) Pile It High, Sell It Cheap, London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson Jones, D T and Clarke, P (2002) Creating a customer-driven supply chain, ECR Journal, 2 (2), pp 28-37 Tesco PLC (2009), Preliminary Results 2008/09 Additional Information [online] available from http://www.tescoplc.com/plc/ir/pres_results/analyst_packs/ap2009/prelim09/prelim09.pdf [14 Jan 2010] Fernie J and Sparks L (2004) Logistics and Retail Management: Insights into Current Practice and Trends from Leading Experts, Second Edition, London: Kogan Page Gustafsson K, Jà ¶nson G, Smith DandSparks L (2006) Retailing Logistics Fresh Food Packaging: Managing Change in the Supply Chain, London: Kogan Page Smith, W B (2000) Outsourcing supply chain information technology, Logistics Spectrum Jan-Mar pp. 14-22. Mishra R K (2004) Role of Information Technology in Supply Chain Management, Sambhalpur University [online] available from http://www.indianmba.com/Faculty_Column/FC461/fc461.html [16 Jan 2010] Anderson, D. L., Britt. F. E., and Favre. D. J. (1997), The seven principle of Supply Chain Management, Logistics Management. [online] available from http://www.manufacturing.net/magazine/logistic/archives/1997/scmr/11princ.htm [14 Jan 2010]. Bearnon, B.M (1998), Supply Chain design analysis: Models Methods, International Journal of Production Economics, Vol. 55 pp. 281-294. King, J. (2000), B2B exchanges Tighten Buyer seller Data Links, Computer world, Vol. 34 (10), pp. 42 March 2000. Zhihui S, (2005) Shijiahunag Railway Institute Risk and Uncertainty Analysis, International Logistics, April 2005, Volume 4, No 4 Rowley J and Williamson J, (2009) Logistics Operations, Coventry University

The Cloning of Human Beings :: Science Papers

The Cloning of Human Beings I examine five concerns held by the general population regarding human cloning and argue that they show either a misunderstanding about the process and/or result of cloning, or else ignorance about what we already do. Put differently, I argue that human cloning is not in principle more questionable than other current practices. However, I do have serious concerns about the uses to which the new technology will be put. I argue that the reasons currently proposed for human cloning are not persuasive. My position is that human cloning is not objectionable in principle, but practical application of the technology raises serious concerns. In my opinion, present circumstances do not seem to warrant it. As soon as Scottish scientists announced that they had successfully cloned a sheep from cells of another sheep, people began to be alarmed at the prospect of cloning human beings. Editorial after editorial warned that we'd be "playing God", that we'd be creating Frankenstein-like soul-less creatures, and that we'd be encouraging people's tendency towards egoism to reach its ultimate expression by enabling human beings to clone themselves. President Clinton banned all federal funding for research leading to the cloning of human beings and called for a voluntary moratorium on private research. Pope John Paul II denounced "dangerous experiments" that harm human dignity. I, too, have some concerns about cloning human beings; but I think that most of the fears people have are misplaced. As a philosopher who has worked on issues concerning personal identity and, more recently, medical ethics, I have a different perspective on the issue of human cloning from most commentators. Perhaps I can make a useful contribution to the discussion of this topic. I would, first, like to examine five concerns the general population seems to have about cloning human beings and argue that they show either a misunderstanding about the process and/or result of cloning, or else an ignorance of what it is that we already do. I shall argue that there is nothing in principle more questionable about the cloning of human beings than practices we currently engage in. However, I do have two serious concerns about how the new technology is likely to be used; and, since I am not convinced that that there are any really good reasons at the present time for cloning human beings, I too would vote against permitting it. I 1. It has been claimed that if we cloned human beings that we'd be "playing God.

Manipulations of Memory Used by Orwell and Williams

The steady development of â€Å"Big Brother† as the all-controlling entity in George Orwell’s 1984 is the premise for the role truth plays throughout the novel. Truth is functioned against society for the benefit of the government. Similarly, Tennessee Williams creates a uniquely different environment for his characters in The Glass Menagerie while maintaining the same function of truth as a source of distortion and control. Collectively, the themes of dehumanization in 1984 and distortion of memory in The Glass Menagerie relate to one another regarding the function of truth in each work to substantiate a sense of authority and deception. Oppression in 1984 as a direct instrument of dehumanization is made quite evident within the text. The inner-party uses several brainwashing and torture tactics to rid society of past memories and experiences. The effects these tactics have upon truth are substantial in their regard. The intent of â€Å"Big Brother† is to reduce human beings understanding to a more basic, easily manipulated and empty slate where the agendas of the inner-party can be executed with ease. We see the extent to which understanding of the past affects one’s attitude about the present when Winston states, â€Å"And when memory failed and written records were falsified—when that happened, the claim of the Party to have improved the conditions of human life had got to be accepted, because there did not exist, and never again could exist, any standard against which it could be tested† (Orwell 93). This quote is said following Winston’s frustrating conversation with the old man about life prior to the Revolution. Winston is coming to terms that the party has deliberately set out to weaken people’s memories in order to render them unable to challenge what the Party claims about the present. If no one remembers life before the Revolution, then no one can say that the Party has failed humanity by forcing people to live in conditions of scarcity, filth, ignorance, and famine. Rather, the party uses rewritten history books and falsified records to prove its good deeds. This proves the theory that truth is dependent of memory and without memory truth is subject to manipulation and in this case dehumanization. Orwell not only suggests this theory through the events observed in Winston but also through Winston’s own surrender to â€Å"Big Brother† and its definition of truth at the end of the novel. After the inner-party’s relentless attempt to purge Winston of any prohibited thoughts, they achieve their goal of dehumanizing him. The narrator brings closure to the novel as he describes Winston’s â€Å"new† character. â€Å"He gazed up at the enormous face. Forty years it had taken him to learn what kind of smile was hidden beneath the dark moustache. O cruel, needless misunderstanding! O stubborn, self-willed exile from the loving breast! Two gin-scented tears trickled down the sides of his nose. But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother†, said the narrator (Orwell 297). Winston’s curiosity towards â€Å"Big Brother† was prevailing during the earlier parts of the novel. This curiosity soon transforms into animosity urging him to join a rebel group to overthrow â€Å"Big Brother†. Despite these negative feelings, the power of dehumanization works against what years of curiosity have said to Winston to be true. His memory of â€Å"Big Brother† as being counterproductive to society is no longer existent because his present situation says that â€Å"Big Brother† should be loved unconditionally. The fact that Winston’s conversion was successful should focus the reader on truth and memory and how they are comparable. The dehumanization of memory stands as a principle theme in 1984 and it is through this theme that Orwell functions truth to reveal the desire of deception. Tennessee Williams takes a corresponding approach to truth and its function in his play, The Glass Menagerie. The characters, Amanda, Tom, and Laura all face the similar dilemma of a falsified perception of reality. The mother, Amanda, is the most blatant character in denial. Her situation as a single mother raising two children has subliminally deceived what she sees as factual. In a conversation with Laura Amanda is quoted â€Å"Why you're not crippled, you just have a little defect — hardly noticeable, even! When people have some slight disadvantage like that, they cultivate other things to make up for it — develop charm — and vivacity — and — charm† (Orwell 18)! Seemingly everyone is quite aware that Laura is crippled however, Amanda will not come to terms with this occurrence. She deals with this unfortunate fact by lying to herself that her daughter is not crippled thus proving there to be little veracity to any memories she has. Throughout the play Amanda is full of deceptions. Amanda changes her style of speech to a southern accent when Laura’s gentleman caller arrives. Amanda states â€Å"â€Å"light food an’ light clothes are what warm weather calls fo†Ã¢â‚¬  (Orwell 63). The reader is told that Amanda was born in the south. In spite of that, this is the first time she speaks with a southern accent. Amanda explains her newly discovered accent as her â€Å"rejuvenated† personality but the reader can assume this is her attempt to mislead the people around her to believe she is something that she is not further revealing her deceitful memory. Consequently, Tom and Laura are trapped by this illusion Amanda creates. Laura is highly dependent upon her mother therefore she is influenced by Amanda’s views. Tom carries the burden of providing for his family and cannot leave from this world of lies and untruths. Amanda’s present state has distorted her memory and essentially distorted her sense of self and reality. Her ability to do this has given her control of what she can feel and therefore how she can live her life despite not being able to escape from the poverty stricken life. Despite having contrasting influences behind their respected themes, 1984 and The Glass Menagerie share a common purpose to gain control over reality through the manipulation of truth. In 1984 Winston observed and experienced the tactics that â€Å"Big Brother† used to give the public a misleading view of truth. Through dehumanization, â€Å"Big Brother† achieved full authority over its citizens by erasing all memories of life before the revolution. With no memories to go by society was at the mercy of â€Å"Big Brother† and what the inner-party considered acceptable. People could not judge right from wrong because â€Å"Big Brother† was all they ever knew. The Glass Menagerie is comparable is the sense that Amanda needed to gain control over her life which seemed to be spinning into the ground. She was helpless and this feeling led her to shape her own reality in order to regain this sense of control. People are typically fearful of things they cannot conquer. Amanda could not achieve freedom from her environment therefore she created her own path through a deceptive memory. Her children were trapped in this life of lies just as Winston was in 1984. In both works we see a desire of power to control their respected situations. 1984 sought for the control of society whereas The Glass Menagerie sought for the control of the Wingfield future. The power of memory is existential to the human ability of perceiving the present. George Orwell’s 1984 and Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie manipulate memory in such a similar fashion that their functions of truth are nearly identical concerning their purpose. In 1984 truth is functioned against society for the sake of â€Å"Big Brother† and the inner-parties agenda through dehumanization. Similarly, Orwell uses Amanda’s character in The Glass Menagerie to demonstrate the importance of memory and how one’s own deception of truth can distort their reality dramatically. Both pieces of work complement one another and solidify the case that memory or a deceitful memory for that matter is vulnerable to exploitation and the effects can be substantial in regard to one’s sense of actuality.

“Yamaha Fiore” 2NE1 †Celebrity Endorsement

Celebrity endorsement is commonly used to market products, it is a strategy which gives a â€Å"face† to a brand, to which the consumers can relate and aspire to. Yamaha has decided to promote its Fiore scooter Thailand with widely popular Korean pop group 2NE1. Their strategy was to reach out to urban Thai’s who follow foreign trends, music and fashion. While many urban Thai’s certainly are fans of the Korean fashion and pop music it remains unclear as to what effect the campaign has had on the purchase decision making and increased market share if any; however the effort did position Yamaha’s scooters as a trendy and youthful. Across European cities scooters are a very popular and low cost means of transportation. In Thailand, and a number of other emerging markets most consumers will aspire to owning their first car and will go to great lands to acquire one such as extending significant loans, whereas motorcycles/scooter are generally used and perceived as necessity for low income market segment. Furthermore, in Bangkok it is apparent that there are very few scooters being driven by the middle to upper market segment consumers, some of the reasons being as mentioned earlier and due to the traffic congestion and pollution which is considered to be dangerous to drive a scooter in. Yamaha is one of Thailand’s largest motorcycle manufacturers with a market share of 26% – expecting to reach 30% in 2011 (Bangkok Post, May 5, 2008) and Honda leading with an impressive 68% (Bangkok Post, May 5, 2008) market share. A large portion of this is assigned to rural areas where people use scooter as common means for transportation whereas in urban areas people will rely on public transportation, own a car or other. The key challenge would remain in changing people’s (middle, upper segment) perception of using scooters as a way to commute, run errands or go to a nearby store rather than solely relying on using car most of the time. This may be achieved by endorsing a local celebrity which would be ideally living in a modern condominium or a housing village also known locally as moo-ban. This would be a more â€Å"practical† approach to promoting a lifestyle people could more easily relate to rather than pop stars. The end result being many of the middle to upper income market segment might acquire a scooter in addition to owning a car to drive around their housing village or condominium and go to a nearby store or a restaurant. In the sportswear industry celebrity endorsement is used probably more often than in others. It is a great way to establish the brand as it is used by professional athletes and draw the consumer’s attention. Nowadays a great deal of sportswear is also worn as casual wear and not only on tennis courts, golf terrains or running track which has significantly widened and expanded the market. A very successful, charismatic athlete can portray a brand with many positive attributes. However, while there are many encouraging factors in using celebrity endorsements across many industries the marketing and advertising campaign could eventually result in negative or less attractive brand perception. Examples include when athletes are found to be using drugs, misbehaving in public or in competition. As mentioned earlier these individuals provide a â€Å"face† to the brand and in this light the public will think of a given brand. Tiger Woods has been one of Nike’s endorsed celebrity which has virtually established the brand in the golf industry. It is one of the prime examples of a success when a brand is tied in with a successful and charismatic athlete who also has the â€Å"star† power. It is also a very direct and relevant persona in the golfing industry which has attracted many first time golfers to purchase Nike equipment and other sportswear. The previously examined case of 2NE1 pop music group would be more fitting and is more commonly used if the endorsement was used to promote fashion, perfume, makeup and other similar products as they are more fitting with feminine attributes of beauty and attractiveness. In this respect Nike has established a firm brand perception with a person who is very relevant in the industry whereas a few years from now most likely very few people will remember the 2NE1 and Yamaha joint campaign. However it is important to note that there are also certain risks when a brand strongly relies on single celebrity as is in the case of Nike/Tiger Woods who has been through a personal scandal which has dramatically affected the golfers perception in public view and who has suffered a loss of a number of endorsements by energy drink makers and telecommunications company, Gatorade and AT&T. And we are yet to see if the company will continue to carry the golfers name in the nearby future.