The Government Is A Democracy - 1374 Words

Our own government has become too corrupt to be called a democracy. A Princeton study claims our government is more like an oligarchy than it is a democracy at this point. An oligarchy is a form of government in which a small amount of people have more control than the population. â€Å"The opinions of the bottom 90% of income earners in America has essentially no impact at all (Princeton).† The main contributor of this is money in politics. For decades our elected officials have been increasingly more influenced by big money. Politicians now create legislation that favors the rich and ignores the will of the majority. Money has also become a driving force for congressmen to stay in office. Not necessarily because they are greedy individuals but because if they do not raise enough money someone else will. We cannot sit idly by. If we do we are letting those with power know we do not care and that we have become automatons. In order to make the government dependent on the peopl e again Citizens vs. United must be repealed, the mainstream media must be changed to report facts instead of operating like a business, and people must be more engaged in governance. It is incredibly easy for those with money to purchase political power. â€Å"It s perfectly legal for our bank to hire a team of lobbyists whose entire job is to make sure the government gives the bank what it wants. Then, those lobbyists can track down members of Congress who regulate banks and help raise a ton of money for theirShow MoreRelatedDemocracy and Government853 Words   |  3 PagesDemocracy is defined as â€Å"the belief in freedom and equality between people, or a system of government based on this belief, in which power is either held by elected representatives or directly by the people themselves.† So by the very definition, these governments are enlisted to advocate for the interest of its citizens regardless of gender, race or age. All democracies are government by a specific document which outline the method in which they are run and what rights they protect. A common facetRead MoreGovernment, Democracy, Or Authoritarianism?1552 Words   |  7 Pagesa c ommunity. It accomplishes this through setting laws or policies and there are several different types of government. However, the most powerful and prevalent world powers have all had one of the major types of government, democracy, communism or authoritarianism. All are very different in how they try to achieve the same goal of ruling over a group of people. A democracy is â€Å"a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a systemRead MoreGovernment And Leadership Of Democracy835 Words   |  4 Pagesbrowsing newspapers there are many forms of government. This paper will present the authority and leadership of democracy, dictatorships, and socialism as well as the advantages and disadvantages. Democracy is described as a form of government in which the supreme power is retained by the people, but which is usually exercised indirectly through a system of representation and delegated authority periodically renewed (Melina, 2011). People who take place in a democracy feel they can be part of the solutionRead MoreDemocracy And Government Repression Essay. Democracy Is1620 Words   |  7 PagesDemocracy and government repression essay Democracy is a difficult concept to define, with almost every nation state in the world self-defining themselves as such, when in fact not all are. The complexity of the definition of democracy poses challenges when one is trying to analyse the causes and effects that democracy can have. Democracy occurs by degree, not in absolutes, further complicating analysis. The traditional definition of democracy prior to the revolutions of the 18th and 19th centuriesRead MoreIs Democracy The Besy For Of Government?1298 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"IS DEMOCRACY THE BESY FOR OF GOVERNMENT?† What is democratic government? Democratic form of government is a sort in which all the societies of a state, have the equal power to elect their leader i.e. to select members by determining and voting through free and fair elections. Also the people have a say in any verdict. Principally ‘government of the people, by the people, for the people.’ The most key elements of democracy primarily are free and fair election and public liberty of opinion manifestationRead MoreGovernment, Democracy, Monarchy, Dictatorship, And Democracy1526 Words   |  7 PagesGOVERNMENT A Government consists of multiple people ruling and running a community. They make public policies and decisions that will benefit the community which they are governing. It’s the government’s job to protect the country by securing the boarders, making sure that the military and police are competent and providing them with tools so they could reach their highest standards, protecting their citizens against internal threats like violence, murder etc. by creating laws against them, creatingRead MoreThe Democracy Of A Democratic Government849 Words   |  4 PagesA democratic government is one in which the â€Å"supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation† (Merriam-Webster). In theory, a true democracy is one that is governed by the people in the form of â€Å"the rule of the majority†. This is a process that seems to have been naturally embedded in the human mind. In many circumstanc e, whether it is world leaders deciding on new international policy, or kids choosing what to watch for â€Å"movieRead MoreDemocracy : A System Of Government849 Words   |  4 PagesMora Elizabeth Olmos English 101 Unit 2 Rough Draft Democracy Democracy is â€Å"a system of government in which power is vested in the people, who rule either directly or through freely elected representatives†. It is the way that the people have a say on how they want the government to be ran. It gives citizen the voice and the right to speak up for change and wants. Democracy is a governmental system to help those who are in greater need. Democracy is ran by checks and balances because people are empoweredRead MoreDemocracy Is A Form Of Government1555 Words   |  7 Pagesof the United States decided they wanted a democratic form of government. A democracy is â€Å"a form of government in which the people rule themselves either directly or through freely elected representatives† (American Government Politics, pg. 5). Furthermore, a democracy is broken down into two more forms: a direct democracy and a representative democracy (also can be considered a republic). A direct democracy is a form of government, originally found ed in ancient Greece, in which the people directlyRead MoreDemocracy As A Form Of Government1885 Words   |  8 Pageshealthcare, democracy, social norms, and political authority. The chains can symbolize anything that makes man more obedient to the state rather than himself. Rousseau opens his book with the question if there is such thing as a legitimate political authority that will work for everyone in the society or if there really is no such thing. Democracy as a form of government has many different definitions for the philosophers but I found that the common theme of the definition of democracy is the people;

The Image of Women in the Eighteenth Century Essay

The image of women in the Eightieth The environment is having a very big effect to people surrounded by it. The way parents treated their child will have a direct influent on whom and what they want to become in the future. The relations of people to a person might lead that person to their ruin. From A Rose For Emily and The Yellow Wallpaper, we can see very clearly the evident that lead these women to their tragic ending. In A Rose For Emily by William Faulkner, a noble woman being isolated from people in her town and because of loneliness she end up insane and have a tragic life. Also in The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, the narrator is being restricted to all her favorite things and that leads her to†¦show more content†¦Her first appearance of insanity when her father died, since he was the only one that closed to her so she refused to accept that hes dead: She told them that her father was not dead. She did that for three days, with the ministers calling on her, and the doctors, trying to persuade her to let them dispose of the body. (page 486) Later when Emily met Homer Barron, a Yankee - a big, dark, ready man, with a big voice and eyes lighter than his face. (page 487), she fell in love with him. However, people thought that it is a disgrace to the town and a bad example to the young people because they Emily was a Southerner while Homer was a Northerner and also a laborer: Of course a Grierson would not think seriously of a Northerner, a day laborer. (page 487) Because of all the rejecting from the people in town and her relatives that pushed her to the edge and into insanity, Emily did what she could to stay with her lover even kill him. After the dead of her lover, Emily closed up her door and isolated herself from people in town and the people didnt care about that because they knew it will happen to her soon or later: Then we knew that this was to be expected too, (page 489) The only thing that made the whole town remember and knew if she alive was the payment of her taxes. Other than that noone in town really knew that Emily was sick untilShow MoreRelatedEssay on Comparison of Pope and Swift1712 Words   |  7 PagesAlexander Pope and Jonathan Swift in their respective poems, The Rape of the Lock and The Progress of Beauty, offer opposite representations of the nature and function of cosmetics in eighteenth century society. In The Rape of the Lock, Pope gives a positive representation of cosmetics nature and function in eighteenth century society. On the other hand, Swifts representation takes a very negative tone. 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This meant what was published had a greater impact on society, as poetry became increasingly â€Å"[†¦] a more public form of expression† (Goring, P. p.64) for writer’s opinions on political andRead MoreWomen Writers: Restoration and 18th Century1392 Words   |  6 PagesWomen Writers: Restoration and 18th Century Ballaster, Ros, Seductive Forms: Women’s Amatory Fiction from 1684–1740, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1992,; New York: Oxford University Press, 1992, Landry, Donna, The Muses of Resistance: Laboring-Class Women’s Poetry in Britain 1739–1796, Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press, 1990 Myers, Sylvia Harcstark, The Bluestocking Circle: Friendship and the Life of the Mind in Eighteenth-Century England, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1990; New York: OxfordRead More Comparison of Pope and Swift Essay1676 Words   |  7 PagesAlexander Pope and Jonathan Swift in their respective poems, The Rape of the Lock and The Progress of Beauty, offer opposite representations of the nature and function of cosmetics in eighteenth century society. In The Rape of the Lock, Pope gives a positive representation of cosmetic’s nature and function in eighteenth century society. On the other hand, Swift’s representation takes a very negative tone. Both poets clearly appreciate and admire the natural beauty of a woman and their opposite opinionsRead MoreEssay Feminism and Jane Austens Emma1151 Words   |  5 PagesIn eighteenth century which feminist in social status was not popular by that time, author can only through literature to express her thought and discontented about socie ty. Jane Austen’s Emma advocates a concept about the equality of men and women. Also satirizes women would depend on marriage in exchange to make a living or money in that era. By the effect of society bourgeois, Emma has little self-arrogant. She is a middle class that everyone could admire, â€Å"Young, pretty, rich and clever†, sheRead MoreSince Its Beginning, Women’S Reproduction Has Been A Controversial1393 Words   |  6 Pagestheir blood humor. 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Kashmir Issue Free Essays

These claims are often reinforced with partisan interpretation of history and selective evidence. The real attitude and concrete policies towards the dispute, however, are often governed by perception of short term â€Å"national interests† as defined by dominant political elite of the two countries the interests that apparently are irreconcilable and non-negotiable. While each side sticks to its claims over Kashmir, the Kashmiri Muslims continue to pay a heavy price for their defiant struggle against overwhelming odds in order to exercise their right of self determination. We will write a custom essay sample on Kashmir Issue or any similar topic only for you Order Now For more than half a century the Kashmiris are oscillating between uncertainty and destitution. They continue to suffer misery and repression under illegal Indian occupation, and despite a stream of strong words and resolutions passed by the Security Council the Kashmir issue is still a bone o f contention between Pakistan and India. Rather the situation has taken a quantum leap for the worse. Indian has conceded the Security Council resolutions vindicating the right of self determination for the Kashmiris but has since reneged on its solemn commitment to the international community and the people of Kashmir. The brutal and blatant Indian repression and state sponsored terrorism against innocent Kashmiri men, women and children had few parallels in the annals of history. The valley has become a festering sore and the miseries of the oppressed people of this valley and the â€Å"terror let loose† by Indian forces is not less cataclysmic in nature than that of Jaliawala massacre ordered by infamous General Rex Dyer. In spite of facing all these hazards, the freedom fighters are exuberant. They have not only caused the military and political debacle to India but they have also done irreparable damage to Indian’s much touted and trumpeted secularism. Would it be too much to assume that Kashmir might well be the graveyard of Indian secularism. Unless sanity prevails to make the B.. P leadership realize the sheer folly o f their politico military aggression against the Kashmiris. In the name of freedom and self determination, the Kashmiris are being inured, mutilated and killed, their women raped, and their children robbed of hope for a better future. The dispute has shattered their economy polarized their society and festered a culture of violence among the people known for their non violent character. But the Kashmiris are not only the one’s who suffer from the adverse consequences of the dispute. Millions in Pakistan and India re paying a high cost form direct or indirect effects of this issue. Both counties spend huge and unaffordable resources on defence which could be spent more productively on improving the lot of their people. The Kashmir issue has also led both counties to use their limited scientific knowledge and skills to develop weapons of mass destruction exposing them the an unimaginable holocaust. The dispute and military activities related to it have strengthened the pre-existing culture of violence, promoted glorification of material values and intensified the desire to take revenge from the enemy for the past humiliations. The culture will be a breeding ground for future conflicts between the two countries. Even if the Kashmir problem itself is somehow solved. The Kashmiris have long history of sufferings and oppression, the worst chapter of which was written by the Dogra rule, particularly from 1931 onwards. Contrary to their hopes the partition of the sub-continent and the emergence of two new states, instead of ending the woes of Kashmiris, multiplied them. Since then they have suffered the consequences of three wars, well documented atrocities by the Indian army since 1989 and often violent activities of the militants, a umber of them religiously motivated non Kashmiris. Since the days of Muslim Mughal Empire, Kashmir has got a prominent Muslim majority population. There are more than eighty percent Muslims and the Hindu population is less than twenty percent. Unfortunately, on the fall of Mughal Empire, the State fell to the British East Company in 1840, which sold it to the Sikh traitor â€Å"Raja Gulab Singh† in 1846, as reward for his betrayal of the Sikhs at a very negligible price of Rs. 75 lac. Hence onward the Muslim population of Kashmir came under continuous torment of the cruel Sikh rulers. They tried to strengthened their hold on the State with the singular aim of shattering the will of their Muslim subjects, crushing their religious zeal. They cowed them down into accepting the slavery of the Hindu minority. The genesis of the Kashmir issue is that in August 1947, when partition of the sub-continent took place, Lord Mountbatten, the viceroy of undivided India, influenced Radcliff into awarding the predominantly Muslim district of Gurdaspur, situated in the East Punjab, to India. By this treacherous act, admitted by Lord Mountbatten himself on nation wide British television, the cruel Viceroy not only subjected a Muslim majority area to the cursed Hindu domination, it also sowed the seed from which could crop up the domination of India on another predominantly Muslim State Kashmir, because it is only through a narrow strap in the Gurdaspur district that India was linked with Kashmir. The canker in no time cropped up into the â€Å"Kashmir Problem† that has ever since proved to be a serious threat to the security of the South Asian region. Pakistan has made a lot of efforts to break the strangled hold of India on Kashmir, including third party’s mediations but the fate of Kashmiris is still trembling in the balance. The first effort was made when immediate after partition India airlifted its forces to Srinagar. When Quaid-e-Azam was informed he ordered Incharge of Pak Army General Gracy, to send forces to Srinagar but the General refused to do so. Mujahideen tried their level best to capture the valley but they were defeated by Indian army as they were not well equipped and trained. Then India took this dispute to the Security Council. The Security Council decided that a plebiscite must be held in Kashmir. At that time India agreed but after sometime she backed out of her promise. In 1962 Pakistan lost a golden opportunity to conquer Kashmir during Indo-china war. As India requested President Kennedy of America to influence Pakistan for not taking any step regarding Kashmir during Indo-China war. Kennedy pressurized Ayub Khan and he accepted the America influence on these conditions that after Indo-China war America would help in resolving the Kashmir issue through discussion. In this regard after the Indo-China war Sheikh Abdullah came to Pakistan to initiate some discussion on Kashmir. During his tour of Pakistan Jawahar Lal Nehru died and he had to rush back. Ayub Khan tried to atone for his mistake and he prepared five thousand gorillas form army to capture Kashmir. This operation was given the name of â€Å"operation Gibraltar† and it was done in 1965. All these gorillas caused a lot of destruction in the valley but at least they all were captured or killed by the Indian forces due to lack of planning. In revenge, India made heavy shelling on Awan Sharif, a village near border. In response to this incident Pakistani forces along with Azad Kashmir forces crossed the ceasefire line by making official announcement. During this war of 1965, at one stage the Pakistani forces advanced upto Akhnoor and they were in a position to capture Srinagar as well but under Soviet Union’s influence Ayub Khan declared ceasefire. In this way Pakistan also lost this opportunity to get Kashmir. The Indian areas occupied by the Pakistani forces were also given bank to India according to â€Å"Tashkent Accord†. After this war, tension mounted between the two countries upto this extent that they had another war in 1971. This war resulted in separation of East Pakistan as an independent State now known as Bangladesh. The Kashmiri freedom fighters took inspiration from brave freedom fighting display of Afghanis and an upgrade uprising began in the valley. But due to lack of planning and poor diplomatic approach, this brilliant tactical move ended in a terrible strategic blunder. Before Kargil episode, international opinion was focused on Indian army repression in Kashmir. What a pity that Kargil changed this focus completely. India achieved the world’s sympathies through its excellent diplomatic policies and quickly made propaganda against Pakistan mainly through its electronic media. On the other hand Pakistan became isolated in international politics and even China the most reliable friend of Pakistan gave a cold shoulder in these circumstances. The ex-Prime Minister of Pakistan had to call off the whole operation due to huge international pressure. The most unfortunate aspect of the whole Kargil operation was tht although jawans, officers and Mujahideen won the war at Kargil hills, yet they had to descend as Pakistani government lost this war on the diplomatic front. The great uprising is still going on in the valley. Pakistan tried to internationalize the Kashmiri freedom fighting and inhuman behavior of Indian forces through Kargil operation in 1999. Under this scenario of events, it is clear that a change in policy direction is necessary. New objectives have to be formed. Almost certainly the wings of our hawks have to clipped. For this purpose the following steps can be taken: One, the line of control can be transformed into the international border between Pakistan and India . India itself has been moving in this direction for a while now- in the event of its inability to stamp out the freedom struggle in Kashmir. This option is, from the Indian perspective, the least disturbing and the most aligned to its prevailing Kashmir stance. However, despite this option having support amongst some Western analysts, it is unworkable. This is because the line of control has never been accepted by the Kashmiris. Rather, it is simply a temporary cease fire line which marks a cessation of military hostilities between two antagonists and is expected to remain in place until the dispute is resolved. Two, the valley of Kashmir along with some Northern areas, must be given independence. This option although sounds very well, yet from India’s point of view it is not beneficial because an independent Kashmir bordering China will become a permanent thereat to India. Three, Northern areas in control of Pakistan whereas Jammu and Laddakh should be given under trusteeship of United Nations for twenty years in order to eliminate the Pakistan and Indian influence and than after twenty years it should be asked from the people of Kashmir whether they want to become independent or they want to become a part of Pakistan or India. In the light of above mentioned options for the solution of Kashmir issue, the third option is very much applicable as it looks neutral in all respects. So, conceived in this way, it is a reality that Kashmir continues to define parameters of the Pak-India relationship. And unless it is resolved there is a detente between these two states, there con not be meaningful stability in South Asia, which would allow India the power status is seeks. But as a matter of fact, India has ignored the realities of history its own leaders commitments to a plebiscite in Kashmir, India has denied itself a role commensurate with its power indicators. This is the time now that India must act with the confidence of a great power and more beyond its unacceptable status quo stance in Kashmir. It is clear that India can not maintain status quo in Kashmir indefinitely that is untenable. Even if Kargil had not happen in 1999, India would have had to accept that it has failed to make Kashmir an integral part of Indian Union through a bizarre mix of the use of military force and elections. Despite the horrible facts of Indian repression in the valley and the failure of lot of efforts mentioned above one may hope that according to the concrete stance taken by Pakistan the things will be changed for Kashmiris and that day is not far away when the Kashmiris will get the reward of their sacrifices and hey would also be able to get the palm. How to cite Kashmir Issue, Essay examples

Erp Failure free essay sample

I Hershey Foods Corporation: Failure and Success with Information Technology Point of View Managerial Point of View Objective To examine the reasons behind the SAP AG’S R/3 ERP implementation failure at Hershey’s Food Corporation Problem What could have done otherwise to avoid the SAP AG’S R/3 ERP implementation failure at Hershey’s Food Corporation? Areas of Consideration In late 1996, Hershey Foods Corporation the leading manufacturer of chocolates, confectionaries and beverages in United States of America began modernizing hardware and software systems in the company. In an attempt to manage Y2K issues, it chose to replace those systems and shift to client/server environment, which suggest that the company had pressing needs which forced the implementation. It was to switch over to the new ERP system by April 1999 as per original plan. It chose three software vendors SAP, Manugistics, and Siebel for implementing different software modules. The company spent $112 million and 30 months on their ERP project. The project was running as per schedule till January 1999, and when it came to the final phase of the implementation, the company faltered. Time pressed, they went live in July 1999 which led the company experienced several problems pushing orders through the system, resulting in shipping delays and deliveries of incomplete orders. The retailers who ordered for Hersheys products could not get them on time, even though the company had ample supplies stocked at its warehouses. However, it was too late for Hershey to respond to this problem. As a result, Hersheys revenues dropped. Many reasons have been cited for the Hershey ERP failure. One, the project was originally scheduled to take four years, but the company forced the implementation to go live in just 30 months. Two, the company simultaneously implemented a customer-relations package and a logistics package, largely increasing the overall complexity and employee learning curve. Three, the company went live at their busiest time of the year, just before Halloween, and the resulting delays caused profits to fall. Though SAP was blamed for Hersheys disaster, the companys management viewed it differently. Hence, the top management of the company as well as industry analysts began looking at other reasons for the problems at Hershey. Alternative Courses of Action 1. Before opting to deploy a new ERP system, try to consider upgrading your old version of system rather than instantly launching for a new one. Before trying to replace those systems and shifting to new ones, try to know the factors affecting or contributing to success and failures that you might encounter along the implementation. Evaluate the needs first before making a decision. Also before opting to deploy a new system, try to stabilize first the phases of its implementation before going on live. Make sure that the old version of system is running standstill during the first phase of implementation of the new system. Lest the new system suddenly fall short, you still have the old version of system to back you up during mid-operations. 2. Never have multiple vendors within one project. ERP systems must be installed in a more staged manner, especially when applications from multiple vendors are involved. Roll out the modules in stages and don’t attempt to implement other applications simultaneously. 3. Choose the right time for implementation. Implementing it in a wrong time is a messed up. The company would have very well avoided this trouble if only they thought of going ahead with ERP during those occasions when the business process in the whole market experiences a slow movement. And never went to the extent of spending the whole time and efforts on implementing ERP. This will disrupt the normal functioning of the business and creates confusion in the company. Since attention was wholly diverted to ERP it was not possible to rectify the uncertainties that emerged in the business as a result of ERP. . Effective testing and scheduling. Effective testing in an ERP implementation can lessen exposure to failure risks and damages. Never opt to quicken the implementation process, where several modules are implemented simultaneously. The company must ensure that the system is fully tested and ready for implementation. If possible, plan the ERP project to go-live date during the company’s slow periods. Effective scheduli ng is important in ERP implementations because the process is lengthy, complicated and delays can increase large costs. However, management must review closely the need for extending the timeline to ensure success of the project. TOWS Threats ERP Implementation in Hershey Foods Corporation can be a difficult, time-consuming, and expensive project for the company. The technology is tightly integrated and requires a commitment from all division. It can take years to complete and cost risks. Moreover, there is no guarantee of the outcome. If not properly planned for, the investment may drive Hershey out of business. Opportunities Hershey made efforts to stabilize SAP and other systems. Hershey’s recent upgrade of its ERP system to R/3 version 4. was completed 20 percent under budget and without any of the order processing and product-shipment disruptions that marred the initial $112 million rollout in 1999. It was able to make more than 30 improvements to its core business processes within 60 days of going live. The company cited enhancements such as the automation of pick-list processing and mate rials management invoice verification, plus credit processing for distributors to military customers. These improvements have helped reduce costs and speed up processing times. It has also â€Å"achieved a near-zero-defect production environment† with R/3 4. and is using SAP’S business analysis tools to measure the impact of sales and marketing programs as they happen. Weakness Hershey wouldn’t specify whether the problems stemmed from its configuration of the system or the software itself. The top management of the company as well as industry analysts began looking at the reasons for the problems at Hershey. Though SAP was blamed for Hersheys disaster, the companys management viewed it differently: Hershey decided to take shortcuts since the project was originally scheduled to take four years, but the company forced the implementation to go live in just 30 months. Thus, Hershey’s experiences illustrate the fact that most troubled ERP rollouts are caused by project management issues, not faulty software. Strengths By experiencing this kind of failures Hershey Foods Corporation’s IT Staff was able to exceed its delivery commitments for the project because of strong program management and executive leadership, diligent planning and an extensive testing and training plan. This time the implementation underwent extensive testing. Hershey made sure to take the time and resources to thoroughly test the computer systems. Conclusion Consider alternative course of action no. 1 Failures in major business/IT projects continue to occur to large companies like Hershey Foods Corporation with so much IT expertise and financial resources. These mistakes cost the price in the long run. Hershey has learned valuable lessons from their SAP implementation and these lessons are to move slower and be more methodical. The lessons learnt can as well serve as indication for failure or bankruptcy by driving you out of the business path. Hershey’s failure should caution any company that chooses to implement such broad application and make sure that system will function smoothly before entering peak sales period. There is one final aspect to be considered in any degree of project failure. All success is rooted in either luck or failure. If you begin with luck, you learn nothing but arrogance. However, if you begin with failure and learn to evaluate it, you also learn to succeed. Failure begets knowledge. Out of knowledge you gain wisdom, and it is with wisdom that you can become truly successful. Recommendation Before committing to a specific ERP software package, companies like Hershey Foods Corporation need to take the time to evaluate their ERP needs. They need to define in advance: 1. How they want to run their business? 2. What problems need to be resolved? 3. What are their priorities? 4. What are the current processes – what works and what doesn’t in the implementation plan? 5. What software will best resolve their problems, meet their goals and priorities?

Level of Awareness on Domestic Violence free essay sample

In the Republic Act 9262, the term domestic violence refers to violence between adult intimate partners. However, in this study, domestic violence may mean violence towards a child. It is the maltreatment, whether habitual or not, of the child (Republic Act 7610). It includes psychological, emotional, sexual and economic maltreatment. Accounts of domestic violence have increased in recent years. It can have different forms including physical abuse, physical neglect, sexual abuse, emotional abuse and neglect (Kozier, 2004). Today, the cost to children and to society of children’s exposure to domestic violence is enormous (Carter, 1999). Every child is exposed to a various degree of violence depending on its kind. Such children coming from the poor families are more likely to be affected. In fact, many families in which domestic violence are present suffer from lack of financial support to support to sustain them every day, thus provoking them to be stressed and cause trouble. We will write a custom essay sample on Level of Awareness on Domestic Violence or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Furthermore, it was postulated on Bowen’s concept of family emotional system that describes four basic relationship patterns that govern where problems develop in a family and the level of tension depends on the stress a family encounters, how a family adapts to the stress, and on a familys connection with extended family and social networks. Tension increases the activity of one or more of the four relationship patterns which are the marital conflict, dysfunction in one spouse, impairment of one or more children and lastly the motional distance. Our study was afflicted with the impairment of one or more children that when a mother or father gives more emphasis to the child then the child become more anxious to them thus aggravating the fair to communicate and the parents become vulnerable the do some negative actions towards the helpless child. The basic relationship patterns result in family tensions coming to rest in certain parts of the family. The more anxiety one person or one relationship absorbs, the less other people must absorb. This means that some family members maintain their functioning at the expense of others. People do not want to hurt each other, but when anxiety chronically dictates behavior, someone usually suffers for it. Moreover, children are survival-oriented and they model their surrounding behavior to learn the lessons of survival (Capello, 2005). Although some children who witness and experience community violence may be able to recover from the incident, many others are deeply scarred. Such chronically traumatized children often appear deadened to feelings and pain, and show guarded emotional development over time (Osofsky, 1999). They may feel helpless and see the world as fickle, unfriendly, and frightening whenever they witness and experience domestic violence. In addition, a child is faced with a crushing task of finding a sense of trust in an untrustworthy environment, safety in an unsafe situation and control in a terrifying and unpredictable environment. Overall, children’s responses to their experiences with domestic violence vary. Children may come back with any of an array of modification problems and psychopathology, or may take on from their experiences reasonably safe. Factors that appear to affect these responses include the child’s proximity to the violence, (That is what the child actually experienced, saw or heard), the child’s temperament, the age of the child at the time(s) of exposure, the severity and duration of the violence, and the availability of adults who can emotionally protect or sustain the child (Culross,1999). In addition, the existence of adult figures in children’s lives can mitigate the child’s experience of trauma and promote effective coping. Related Studies One of the problems that social scientists, researchers, doctors, and advocates have in documenting the numbers of victims of domestic violence is the shame attached to an act of violence between family members and intimate partners. Ones home is believed to be a place of safety and refuge, so when violence occurs in that refuge, the doers and victims are often unwilling and even fearful to report the incident to outside persons or agencies (Educational Encyclopedia, 2004). Berkovitz (1998), in his review noted that poverty, or a more complex variable of economic deprivation, was a good predicator of aggressive behavior. Anderson and Anderson’s (1998) model testing founded that socio-economic status was positively related to violent crime, independent of other factors. Furthermore, Jewkes’ (2002) postulated that there is a strong positive correlation between poverty and rates of violence. Moreover, this relationship may be reconciled through stress or a crisis in male role identity. Consequently, sociologists were able to postulate social-organization theories in trying to explain the greater amounts of domestic violence existing in our society. These theories claim causes of domestic violence which can be found in the structure of the society. Hence, its effect on how the family members relate to each other is also presented in the theories (Glass, Laughon, and Campbell, 2004). In addition, Levinson (1989) in his study, found more severe physical punishment of children in more complex societies and in societies with more single-parent families. Incidentally, researches have documented that age and gender are linked with domestic violence. Young children are at risk for domestic violence. Thus, with increasing age and increasing independence, the risk for domestic violence decreases (Gary, Campbell, Humphreys, 2004). The gender of the abused child is essential in establishing the degree of abuse. Male and female cope in a different way, depending on the societal culture and norms. Conversely, female are more vulnerable from the beginning. The burden of adversity falls heavily upon them: malnutrition, infection and illiteracy are more prevalent among them than among males, influencing how they perceive their experiences and life chances. On the other hand, a child’s age must be gathered upon the time of maltreatment and of disclosure. Their age at the time when the violence occurred measures the children’s ability to grasp the experience and therefore also determines the impact of abuse on them. The child’s age is vital in evaluating their ability to comprehend their situation and extract a meaning out of the experience. In addition, the child’s age is also important in measuring their ability to relate their experience. (Marcelino, et. al, 2000) Finally, efforts in trying to understand the fundamentals of domestic violence have been made through postulating theories. These theories serve as guide-lines that could aid the researchers in assessing the perception and level of awareness of the children towards domestic violence. One theory stated that children learn through modeling. Therefore, a child exposed in a violent community is subjected to acquiring violent behaviors. Hence, children who observe and participate in aggressive acts may continue to participate in them in their adult lives (Gary, Campbell, Humphreys, 2004) Synthesis Domestic Violence (sometimes refers to as domestic abuse or spousal abuse) occurs when a family member attempts to physically or psychologically dominate another. It is perpetrated by both men and women, occurring in both same-sex and opposite-sex relationships (Wikepedia, 2007). However, in this study, domestic violence may mean the kind of violence or abuse inflicted on children. Furthermore, it seriously threatens the health and emotional well-being of children (Fantuzzo Mohr, 1999). In the past decade, a growing body of empirical research has demonstrated that children who live in households affected by domestic violence experience a deleterious effect on their development. In addition, they may be unable to elicit or respond to disclosures about their situation. Data suggests that such exposure has long-term consequences for a child’s well being, ultimately affecting their adult functioning (Culross, 1999). Furthermore, exposure to domestic violence can now have serious effects on children. These effects may include behavioral problems such as aggressions, phobias, insomnia, low-self esteem, and depression (Groves, 1999). The study gives emphasis on the different forms of domestic violence that may define the level of awareness of the public high school students. In this study, the researchers include the variables such as age, sex, estimated monthly family income, and the children’s parent’s marital status. This is to find out if the level of awareness of the public highschool students toward domestic violence may be related to their profile.

Lenin and the Revolution essays

Lenin and the Revolution essays Lenin said that it's possible to talk about creation of a Soviet Union (i.e. import of socialism) only when we are absolutely sure of socialism in our own country. Those who talk about restoration of the Soviet Union without having yet Soviet power in Russia itself, are not only being stupid, but criminal, because such a notion justified the colonial politics of Russian imperialism. We are fifty or a hundred years behind the advanced countries. We must make good this distance in ten years. Either we do it, or we shall be crushed. "You are poor and abundant, mighty and impotent, Mother Russia." The Bolsheviks policy concentration more on the Russian people, whereas Stalin cared more about Russias economy and agriculture The Bolsheviks were also against autocracy and hierarchy, and Stalin was an autocratic leader Note that nationalization and collectivization was not only Stalins idea, but the party altogether ... Stalin's "revolution from above" sought to build socialism by means of forced collectivization and industrialization, programs that entailed tremendous human suffering and loss of life. Bolsheviks wanted world socialism whereas Stalin focus socialism in one country Trotsky communist international Russias agriculture was at the same level in 1939 as in 1928 with a 40 million increased population. Stalin had man himself god like a personality cult witch was against the Bolshevik system seeing as they were against autocracy The state and media controlled everything the Russian watch heard of or read! This practice was going against Marxist ideology, Marx had written that slavery was uneconomic, because slaves had to be fed whether they worked or not and had no incentive to work. In this case how ever the cost of acquiring slaves was low and the supply was limitless and little money was spent on keeping them alive. The use of slave labor was extensive, because no ...

History of Social Networking Websites Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

History of Social Networking Websites - Essay Example Users who join Social networking websites are required to make a profile of themselves by filling up a form. After performing this task, users are supposed to give out information about their personality attributes and personal appearances. Some social networking websites require photos but almost all of them will give details about one's age, preference, likes and dislikes. Some social networking websites like Facebook allow users to customize their profiles by adding multimedia content. (Geroimenko & Chen, 2007) The first hint of social networking websites was witnessed in the year 1997 through formation of a company called Sixdegrees.com. This company was the first of its kind; it allowed users to list their profiles, provide a list of friends and then contact them. However, the Company did not do very well as it eventually closed three years later. The reason for this was that many people using the internet at that time had not formed many social networks hence there was little room for maneuver. It should be noted that there were also other elements that hinted at Social network websites prior to 1997. For instance, dating sites required users to give their profiles but they could not share other people's websites. Additionally, there were some websites that would link former school mates but the lists could not be shared with others. (Cassidy, 2006) Thereafter, there was... They included things like diaries and friends' lists. Additionally, Ryze.com also established itself in the market. It was created with the purpose of linking business men within San Francisco. The Company was under the management of Friendster, there were also LinkedIn, Tribe.net and Ryze. The latter company was the least successful among all others. Tribe.net specialized in the business world and Friendster initially did well; this did not last for long. (Story, 2008) The most significant companies in the history of social networking websites are as follows Facebook MySpace Friendster The rest of the essay shall examine how these particular companies were formed. Friendster Friendster began its operations in the year 2002. It was a brother company to Ryze but was designed to deal with the social aspect of their market. The company was like a dating service, although match making was not done in the typical way where strangers are introduced to one another. Instead, friends would propose other friends they felt were most compatible with one another. At first, the Company grew exponentially. This was especially after introduction of a network for gay men and an increase in the number of bloggers. The latter would usually tell their friends about the advantages of social networking through Friendster and this led to further expansion. However, Friendster had established a market base in one small community. After their subscribers reached overwhelming numbers, the company could no longer cope with the demand. There were numerous complaints about the way their servers were handled because subscribers would experience communication breakdowns. As if this was not enough, social networks in the real world were not

Implementating magnet environment in Riyadh Military Hospital ICU unit Essay

Implementating magnet environment in Riyadh Military Hospital ICU unit - Essay Example The process of magnet environment in magnet hospitals begins from the process of recruitment and continues with the process of retention. In the process of recruitment, a considerable number of measures are put in place and taken into account in order to ensure the attainment of recruitment objectives. In which candidates current and future expectations are taken into account. After recruiting, many efforts are consumed to retain the hired nurses. Needless to say, it is the ultimate objective of the recruitment of nurses to ensure their continual nursing services with a quite foreseeable future with the management of hospital. More significantly, numerous factors are taken into that require their attainment at recruitment and retention of nurses. However, Shortell & Kaluzny (2006) provide some fundamental elements essential to magnet environment within hospitals; they include, quality of nursing and leadership, organisational performance, motivation and worker autonomy, work design, effective groups and teams, coordination and communication, participative or decentralized management, and organizational change and organizational innovation. The nursing profession consists of three types of workers: registered nurses, nurse aides, and licensed practical nurses (General Accounting Office, 2001). Registered nurses, who are state-licensed and possess associate degrees (two-year community colleges), diplomas (three-year hospital programs), or baccalaureate degrees (four-year colleges), provide direct patient care besides managing nursing care (Keenan, & Kennedy, 2003). Nurse aides may provide their health care services in hospitals and home care settings as well, but... This paper talks also about a few things. One of them is attrition, which is not only a problem for hospitals but also for the managers, health policy makers, and managers relevant to the field of nursing. Besides increasing cost burden over the hospital management to renew the hiring process in order to fill the gap created by attrition of nurses. Interestingly, not only in the developed countries, where the health industry is considerably advanced and stable than health industry operating in the developing countries. Throughout the essay, we can see profound infromation on magnet environment and types of nurses, where it's discussed how important quality of nursing and leadership, organisational performance, motivation and worker autonomy, work design, effective groups and teams, coordination and communication, participative or decentralized management, and organizational change and organizational innovation are. Then the essay begins discussing the causes of nurse attrition, where the general perception of nurse is less positive. Afterwards, the paper talks about the effective strategies to increase nurse retention. This essay has a conclusion, which states that magnet environment holds a key to retain nurses. And, the magnet environment occurs when all the elements inside an organisation work in the required way; In which, organisational commitment, nurse leadership, recruitment policies and procedures, and enablement of nurses in the required level of decision making.

ECommerce Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

ECommerce - Dissertation Example The second part will develop e-marketing strategies for the organization illustrating the best fit and marketing mix for the organization. The third part would find solution projected at the problems faced and thereby design and develop the strategies highlighted. The next part of the report would consider the budget for the projects and subsequent allocations. Lastly, legal and ethical issues related to the projected are also required to be given importance. Identification of Problems and Prioritization This part of the report discussed the problems that are currently being faced by the company and that would be faced in the setup and implementation of the new center in Birmingham. The IT Academy in its new center intends to open systems wherein they could offer on-line course enrolment and the prospective students could pay the fees online. They need to develop and highly efficient enquiry and student query system that addresses the queries if the student and that had an in-build F AQ section to address frequently asked questions by the students. An uploading and downloading system needs to be developed online at the company website wherein teachers and staff could upload their notes and assignment and students could upload their papers and download notes uploaded. IT Academy for promoting its newly set campus also needs appropriate e-Marketing strategies to continuously promote the academy and the courses offered by it. The e-Marketing techniques when implemented should reflect the strong brand name of the academy and its fundamental power of delivering student courses. The company, at some point of time in future also intends to use advanced technology for delivering its courses to the students. It intends to deliver live lectures with the help of wireless networks so that it could deliver lectures globally at any point of time. This will help the academy to build its brand presence globally and irrespective of the location of the student. But as discussed e arlier, for all this to happen IT academy needs to revamp its network with the help of e-commerce technologies and advertise with the help of e-marketing strategies. For solving the problems and meeting the requirements intended by the academy a proper prioritization plan is required by the company. The prioritizations plan describes how the problem solving approach would be determined and which problem is primary and would be solved first. Prioritization of activities is done primarily on the basis of priority of requirements and linking of activities. In my report developing a proper ecommerce model which is linked to the business model of the IT academy is the prior activity. This is because every other activity is basically linked to the success of this activity. This would act as a base of offering on-line courses and also payment of feed online. This will also build an online system that could handle online queries of the student. Also, based on the effectiveness of ecommerce of IT Academy successful e-marketing strategies could be implemented. So revamping of the e-commerce technology in IT Academic will be priority in my report. E-marketing Strategies After

The Consequential Or Teleological Theories Philosophy Essay

The Consequential Or Teleological Theories Philosophy Essay Introduction This chapter presents an overview of the literature on the concept of ethics. First, we present the different definitions of ethics in the existing literature. An overview of the ethics current theoretical developments is then presented. Section 1: Concept of ethics Contrary to what one might think, ethics is not a new pheromone (Gà ©nard, 1992). It was originally identified by Greek and Roman philosophers. Inspired by the works of his predecessors Socrates and Plato, Aristotle is considered as the father of the ethics concept (Lavorata, 2004) which had been widely discussed over several decades by many philosophers who proposed several definitions to this concept. I. Ethics definitions The word Ethics is derived from the ancient Greek word Ethikos, which mean character (Reese, 1990). According to the Universal Philosophical Encyclopedia, ethics is the science of moral and human conduct. Nonetheless, many definitions of this concept had been suggested in the literature. For example, Taylor (1975, p.1) defined ethics as an: inquiry into the nature and grounds of morality, where morality means moral judgments, standards, and rules of conduct. Gove (1976, p.210) defines ethics as the study of what constitutes good and bad human conduct, including related actions and values. For Beauchamp and Bowie (1983, p.3), ethics is the inquiry into theories of what is good and evil and into what is right and wrong, and thus is inquiry into what we ought and ought not to do. As it could be noticed, in all the above definitions the term ethics refers to the study of moral conduct (Tsalikis and Fritzsche, 1989). However, the boundaries between morality and ethics are sometimes blurred and they should be differentiated in order to clarify the concept of ethics (Shaw and Barry, 2001). 1. Ethics and morality The terms ethics and morality are derived from the same root which often causes confusion. Some authors consider that the distinction between the two concepts is unnecessary (Ricoeur, 1990; Even-Granboulan, 1998). However, others academicians make a distinction between them (Iannone, 1989; Boatright, 2000; Ferrell et al.; 2000; and Petrick and Quinn, 2001). For example, Grace and Cohen (1998, p.4) claim that there is no reason to make a distinction in meaning between ethical and moral. There is no difference in meaning which could be attributed to their etymological roots, while, Beauchamp and Bowie (2001) argued that morality is the principles of moral as defined by society, while ethics refers to individual rules. In fact, ethics concept had been also closely related to deontology. In the following, this relation is presented in more details. 2. Ethics and deontology Ricoeur (1990) identifies three components of ethics: a subjective component (life good for itself according to Aristotle), an interpersonal one (or the concern for others in reference to Kant) and a societal component (or the concern for the institution). The societal component refers to the concept of deontology. Thus, the definition of deontology is literally a set of codes of conduct specific to a profession. The following diagram summarizes the different concepts and relationships between ethics, morality and deontology. Figure 1: Definitions and relationships between Ethics, morality and deontology, (Lavorata, 2004, p.20) II. Ethics school of thoughts There are three approaches in the study of ethics: normative ethics, descriptive ethics, and meta-ethics (De George, 1982). Normative ethics Normative ethics is the study of how we should behave (Pascal, 1670; Spinoza, 1677; Kant, 1781). It attempts to justify the principles or the values of a moral system (Tsalikis and Fritzsche, 1989). The normative ethical theories are classified into three groups: 1-Consequential or teleological theories; 2- Single rule non-consequential or deontological theories; and 3-Multiple rule non-consequential theories. Consequential or teleological theories These theories argue that the evaluation of the rightness of an action is determined by considering its consequences (Ferrell and Gresham, 1985). Researchers have demonstrated that teleological theories involve several constructs such as: (1) the individuals behavior and its effect on various stakeholder groups particularly customers and employers; (2) the estimate probability that the consequences will occur to the stakeholders;  (3) the evaluation of desirability or undesirability of each consequence; (4) the analysis of the importance of the stakeholder groups (Tsalikis and Fritzsche, 1989). Moreover, according to these authors, when using teleological evaluation, the individual acts in a manner that produces at least as great a ratio of good to evil as any other course (Tsalikis and Fritzsche, 1989, p.697). The two major consequential theories are egoism and utilitarianism. Egoism holds that individuals act in a way that creates the greatest gain for their self-interest (Hunt and Vitell, 1986). Contrary to ethical egoism, utilitarianism holds that the individual behaves in a manner that produces the greatest good for everyone (DeConinck and Lewis, 1997; Loo, 2004). These theories only look at the consequences of actions, not at its foundations (the end justifies the means) (Bougerra et al., 2011). Single rule non-consequential or deontological theories Some researchers contend that to determine the morality of an action, many other factors should be taken into account other than its consequences. These theories appeal to a single rule. The two main single rules non-consequential theories are: the golden rule: Do unto others as youd have them unto you. In other words, we have to treat individuals the way we want to be treated (Tsalikis and Fritzsche, 1989). The other single-rule non-consequential theory is Kants categorical imperative (Act in such a way that you always treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other, never simply as a means, but always at the same time as an end.). Multiple rule non-consequential theories These theories claim that the moral rightness or  wrongness is determined by moral rules that cant be reduced to a single moral rule. These theories are a mixture of teleological and deontological theories. 2. Descriptive ethics The second approach is descriptive ethics and it deals with the human behavior. This approach aims to study and describe what is moral and immoral, as well as the factors affecting the evolution of moral principles and values (Rich, 1994). According to Pera and Van Tonder (2005, p.7), descriptive ethics does not pass moral judgments on conduct or beliefs; it merely describes what certain people believe to be right or wrong without judging these beliefs. Desjardins and McCall (2000, p.5) noted that the distinction between descriptive and normative ethics is related to the difference between what is and what ought to be. In the same vein, Beauchamp and Bowie (2001, p.6-7) claimed that normative moral philosophy aims at determining what ought to be done, which needs to be distinguished from what is, in fact, practiced. 3. Meta-ethics The third approach was defined as the study of moral reasoning (Tsalikis and Fritzsche, 1989). It analyzes ethical concepts, which explains why it is also called analytical ethics (Rich, 1994). Meta-ethics analyses questions about the meaning of right and wrong or good and bad (Pera and Van Tonder, 2005). According to Creasia and Parker (1991), meta-ethics is the linking between ethical beliefs and the real world. Section 2: Business ethics As we stated before, research on business ethics, and most importantly on marketing ethics has begun to expand since the publication of Bogarts article (1962) The Researchers Dilemma (Jones and Kavanagh, 1996; Rao and Singhapakdi, 1997; Tsalikis and Fritzsche, 1989). It has gained growing interest among marketing scholars in the 1980s (Hunt and Vitell, 1983; Chonko and Burnett, 1983; Gresham, 1985). Studies in this domain had taken two main orientations: normative one or positive one. Normative studies aimed to develop guidelines and rules for marketers. Positive studies, in particular, in the last three decades focus on the description and the development of models and theories (Chonko and Hunt, 2000). But, what are the reasons behind this interest to study ethics in marketing? I. Reasons of the growing interest in business ethics According to Lavorata (2004), this growing interest in business ethics can be explained by several reasons: 1- external reasons and 2- internal reasons. 1. External reasons The integration of ethics by organizations can be explained by external reasons such as consumers pressure (Mercier, 1999). According to a survey conducted by the Foundation of France in 1997, 63% of consumers claimed to be sensitive to firms supporting a humanitarian cause. Thus, Ethics becomes a way to retain consumers. In fact, competitive pressure incited firms to look for new positioning and for means of differentiation from their competitors. Implementing strategies based on social responsibility and ethical practices is considered as a means to achieve this objective. Indeed; this may boost one firms public image and contribute in building long-term relationships with clients (Schwepker and Hartline 2005; Thomas et al., 2004). Moreover, the awareness about ethics importance and consequences seems to be boosted by top managers as a result of many scandals that had shaken the business world: WorldCom, a huge accounting scandal estimated at $11 billion. Enron, fraud and conspiracy in January 2006. Merck and GlaxoSmithKline, pharmaceutical companies, have had to retire drugs that have been considered unsafe for public use. Each new disgrace seemed to create a buzz for organizational change (Barnes, 2006). As a matter of fact, in 1920, Henry Ford wrote: A company must make profits otherwise it will die. But if we want the company to only run for profit, it will also die since it will have no reason for being. In 2001, the CEO of Lafarge B. Colomb has echoed these ethical concerns: Far from being expensive, ethics is a critical success factor. 2. Internal reasons The internationalization of organizations has led to a weakening of the corporate culture and in particular a loss of collective benchmarks (Lavorata, 2004). Moreover, individual ethics is the subject of an ongoing dilemma (Seidel, 1995). In fact, the organization must ensure its profitability and profit: its objective is then to reduce costs while boosting employee productivity (Mercier, 1999). Conclusion Despite its historical origins, ethics remains a subject matter of a special concern for contemporary academicians. In fact, it has been shown that ethics domain has undergone major changes in its foundations. This current widespread preoccupation among researchers about ethics led to an increased awareness about business ethics. The marketing is seemingly even more concerned. Indeed, the activities in this domain are often considered to be unethical (Baumhart, 1961; Brenner and Molander, 1977; Murphy and Lazcniak, 1981). According to Chonko et al. (1996), ethical abuse may take place as marketing professionals and particularly salespersons often face bothersome ethical problems in business. In fact, sales representatives are under great pressure and they are constant targets of ethical criticism (Mantel, 2005; Abratt and Penman, 2002). In this context, according to a survey of 1,324 workers including salespersons, managers, and executives conducted by USA Today, 48% of workers admit to do unethical or illegal acts (Jones 1997, p.1). In the same line, Jolson (1997) argued that for a long time, the sales representative was a person who put pressure on his customer by questionable techniques and whose only philosophy was increasing sales regardless the means used. The following chapter deals more in details with the (un)ethical behavior of sales representatives in marketing literature.

Graduation Speech: A Poem for Graduation :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

As freshmen, life was overwhelmingly, exhaustingly demanding, Eat, sleep, and school. Don’t trip and fall in front of seniors, And don’t act like a fool. "Each floor is like a baseball field," The teachers all would tell. So why can’t I find room 222? Oh great, there goes the bell. No pressure from the sports team tryouts ‘Cause all we made was JV. While upperclassmen said, "thaz aight" We would yell, "yippee!" I know, how cool were we? But what amazing concepts to grasp Who knew bands could play real notes? And lunch could consist of nothing, but HoHo’s, And we could wear hats, and coats. Notes to make, tests to take, work to fake, There’s just not time enough. Can you believe papers have to be typed? Our lives were really tough.... OR NOT! Now we look at the freshies and think "We couldn’t’ve have been so annoyingly immature. I can’t be seen standing next to this beastie, Come on, let’s sneak out the door." As sophomores, slumped over with attitude and rights We were still a wee bit too callow. "What is she wearing... oh man, how grotesque!" How we wallowed in being so shallow. What an awkward year it was to endure, Not freshie, but still no respect. Some attracting significant others, While some had the opposite effect. We could be found playing or attending The football games, soccer, and track. Praying our moms’ wouldn’t be forced to drive us, Begging rides to and from, forth and back. As juniors, 9-11 united the school, Age does more than our years on earth. Concerned for loved ones, with more on our minds, Those that mattered, things that had greater worth. All too soon, junioritis infected one and all In not 2, not 5, but 7 classes. Who needed food, we saved homework for lunch, And more signatures on bathroom passes. With warm weather, like eggs, we were starting to crack, SATs, college visits, straight A‘s, Spring prom, spring break, and spring in our steps, Those minutes dragged on like days. As seniors, we’re awesome, there are none who compare, We have wit, humor, charm, looks, and class. Four years of work, winning, whining, and wrath, Are part of our glorious past! The snowball attacks, the Iraq war

Crash as the Prejudice and Misjudging Essay

The movie, Crash, teaches us that many of us are prejudiced which may influence people on a daily basis. We are born into this world as good people, but just because we are good people; does not mean that we have not hurt someone using discrimination– prejudice and racism can lead to misjudge others. For example, a Hispanic man, with a shaved head and tattoos, is misjudged as a gang member. However, in reality, he is a loving father who works as a locksmith to support and devote his family. Or, a good cop who murders a young black man in self defense, against his good judgment, discards all evidence that links him to the crime. These are just some examples of the unpredictable events that take place. At the beginning of the movie, Jean Cabot’s (Sandra Bullock) car gets hijacked from two black men with guns. After her car is stolen, she feels both angry and afraid. Because of her fear, she tells her husband that the locksmith will come back and steal from them even though the locksmith is not going to steal anything. Furthermore, due to Jean Cabot’s fear, she finds out, herself, that she is irrationally misjudging the Hispanic locksmith in front of her husband and his co-workers. She has a similar sense of fear when she falls down the stairs in her home. While she is alone in her house, Jean asks her friends to pick up some medication for her because of a headache from anxiety. However, her friend refuses to do it because she is busy. After she hangs up the phone, she tumbles down the stairs. At this point, she is unable to find her friends or husband to take her to the hospital. Nevertheless, her Hispanic housemaid finds out that Jean has fallen down the stairs and takes her to the hospital (and end the takes, takes care of her). After that predicament, Jean is aware that the only person who really cares about her is her housemaid (whom Jean had prejudice feelings towards). This prejudice and misjudging depicted in Crash represents a pessimistic message about the realistics of racism. Crash is a movie that really gets us to look at our own behaviors by showing the hidden acts of racism and prejudice, which are present in our society (and even in ourselves today). But, some prejudice, such as stereotyping, is easily changeable. In the movie, an arrogant, racist cop, Officer Ryan (Matt Dillon), who was on the look out for some carjackers, physically molests an African American woman after pulling her and her husband over. However, the next day, he finds out that he has to save the same black woman (who was in the car accident), in which he has convinced himself that he has done nothing wrong. From these scenes, Crash is a great film that presents the soul of humanity. It says to us that we are only humans and that all people have a good and a bad side. It is a movie about first impressions and how they are not always correct. Although the problem with racial stereotypes shown in Crash have false or partly true ideals about certain groups (causing discrimination), language obstacles, and the abuse of power between them defeats it. Stereotyping races in this film causes discrimination among the characters which are represented in the different cultures of our society. For instance, in the movie Ferhad, an owner of a Persian store is afraid of his safety and has difficulty understanding English. His Arab appearance makes the owner of a gun shop think that he is a terrorist, so he refuges to sell a gun to him and tells him that â€Å"Osama, plan the jihad on your own time. † This example can also represent people’s misjudgment by only looking at one’s appearance and/or language. The movie, Crash, is both thought provoking and intense to us. Crash is the perfect example of how we, as a human race, deal with our lives, people and our own experiences. Physical characteristics and racial differences may be interpreted as two distinguishing traits that tell apart us. Throughout the movie, it made us think more about our behaviors toward different races and it allowed us to unite as one (and to not think about separation of the diversity of humans). The film represents both pessimistic messages about the reality of racism by demonstrating the separator, which exists between these groups and misjudgment of diversity groups. Yet, we learn that misjudging people will be vanished when we are turned to face desperate situations, which convince us that misjudging is not good idea and that we have to overcome it.

Free Essays on The Great Britian

United Kingdom, constitutional monarchy in northwestern Europe, officially the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Great Britain is the largest island in the cluster of islands, or archipelago, known as the British Isles. England is the largest and most populous division of the island of Great Britain, making up the south and east. Wales is on the west and Scotland is to the north. Northern Ireland is located in the northeast corner of Ireland, the second largest island in the British Isles. The capital of the United Kingdom is the city of London, situated near the southeastern tip of England. People often confuse the names for this country, and frequently make mistakes in using them. United Kingdom, UK, and Britain are all proper terms for the entire nation, although the term Britain is also often used when talking about the island of Great Britain. The use of the term Great Britain to refer to the entire nation is now outdated; the term Great Britain, properly used, refers only to the island of Great Britain, which does not include Northern Ireland. The term England should never be used to describe Britain, because England is only one part of the island. It is always correct to call people from England, Scotland, or Wales British, although people from England may also properly be called English, people from Scotland Scottish, and people from Wales Welsh. The United Kingdom is a small nation in physical size. At 244,110 sq km (94,251 sq mi), the United Kingdom is roughly the size of Oregon or Colorado, or twice the size of New York State. It is located as far north in latitude as Labrador in North America, but, like the rest of northern Europe, it is warmed by the Gulf Stream flowing out of the North Atlantic Ocean. The climate, in general, is mild, chilly, and often wet. Rain or overcast skies can be expected for up to 300 days per year. These conditions make Britain lush and green, with rolling plains in the s... Free Essays on The Great Britian Free Essays on The Great Britian United Kingdom, constitutional monarchy in northwestern Europe, officially the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Great Britain is the largest island in the cluster of islands, or archipelago, known as the British Isles. England is the largest and most populous division of the island of Great Britain, making up the south and east. Wales is on the west and Scotland is to the north. Northern Ireland is located in the northeast corner of Ireland, the second largest island in the British Isles. The capital of the United Kingdom is the city of London, situated near the southeastern tip of England. People often confuse the names for this country, and frequently make mistakes in using them. United Kingdom, UK, and Britain are all proper terms for the entire nation, although the term Britain is also often used when talking about the island of Great Britain. The use of the term Great Britain to refer to the entire nation is now outdated; the term Great Britain, properly used, refers only to the island of Great Britain, which does not include Northern Ireland. The term England should never be used to describe Britain, because England is only one part of the island. It is always correct to call people from England, Scotland, or Wales British, although people from England may also properly be called English, people from Scotland Scottish, and people from Wales Welsh. The United Kingdom is a small nation in physical size. At 244,110 sq km (94,251 sq mi), the United Kingdom is roughly the size of Oregon or Colorado, or twice the size of New York State. It is located as far north in latitude as Labrador in North America, but, like the rest of northern Europe, it is warmed by the Gulf Stream flowing out of the North Atlantic Ocean. The climate, in general, is mild, chilly, and often wet. Rain or overcast skies can be expected for up to 300 days per year. These conditions make Britain lush and green, with rolling plains in the s...

Free Essays on Conneticut

Connecticut Connecticut’s original pre-Columbian inhabitants included the western Niantic, Nipmuc, and wappinger Indians. The Connecticut River gave the area its name, a Mohican word meaning â€Å"the long river†. European settlement began in 1633 when Dutch fur merchants from hew Netherlands placed a trading post at modern Hartford. English Puritans founded towns at Windsor and wethersfeild in of that year. In 1637, rev. Thomas Hooker brought his Puritan congregation form Cambridge, Massachusetts, to settle at Hartford, which the Dutch had abandoned. Therefore founding the colony of Connecticut. Tensions with the Pequot escalated following the death of nine English mariners in 1634. these tensions resulted in Massachusetts sending a punitive expedition to punish that tribe in August 1636 two Indian villages were burned. Connecticut militia joined with the Piquot’s Indian enemies in a war that killed probably 40% of the 2,000 Pequot in 1637, compared to only 50 out of the 800 militia. Hartford, Windsor, and wethersfeild agreed on January 24, 1639, to govern themselves by the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut. This frame of government established a legislature and court system . By 1662 fifteen other towns founded in the Connecticut valley had adopted the Fundamental Orders, which were never confirmed by a royal charter. Congregationalism receive legal protection as the colony’s established church. meanwhile Connecticut organized itself to the colony of New Haven in 1643. After the Stuart dynasty resumed the English throne in 1660, Charles II gave Connecticut the right of self-government by a charter dated May 3 1662. the charter also gave the new government jurisdiction over New Haven’s towns. Which were then done away with. Connecticut briefly lost its rights to self-government when it was placed under the authority of the autocratic domain of New England in 1687, but it resumed ... Free Essays on Conneticut Free Essays on Conneticut Connecticut Connecticut’s original pre-Columbian inhabitants included the western Niantic, Nipmuc, and wappinger Indians. The Connecticut River gave the area its name, a Mohican word meaning â€Å"the long river†. European settlement began in 1633 when Dutch fur merchants from hew Netherlands placed a trading post at modern Hartford. English Puritans founded towns at Windsor and wethersfeild in of that year. In 1637, rev. Thomas Hooker brought his Puritan congregation form Cambridge, Massachusetts, to settle at Hartford, which the Dutch had abandoned. Therefore founding the colony of Connecticut. Tensions with the Pequot escalated following the death of nine English mariners in 1634. these tensions resulted in Massachusetts sending a punitive expedition to punish that tribe in August 1636 two Indian villages were burned. Connecticut militia joined with the Piquot’s Indian enemies in a war that killed probably 40% of the 2,000 Pequot in 1637, compared to only 50 out of the 800 militia. Hartford, Windsor, and wethersfeild agreed on January 24, 1639, to govern themselves by the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut. This frame of government established a legislature and court system . By 1662 fifteen other towns founded in the Connecticut valley had adopted the Fundamental Orders, which were never confirmed by a royal charter. Congregationalism receive legal protection as the colony’s established church. meanwhile Connecticut organized itself to the colony of New Haven in 1643. After the Stuart dynasty resumed the English throne in 1660, Charles II gave Connecticut the right of self-government by a charter dated May 3 1662. the charter also gave the new government jurisdiction over New Haven’s towns. Which were then done away with. Connecticut briefly lost its rights to self-government when it was placed under the authority of the autocratic domain of New England in 1687, but it resumed ...

Write a paragraph for each questions using your own word Essay - 5

Write a paragraph for each questions using your own word - Essay Example This implies that the existence of nature is proof enough of the existence of God. And since every human on this planet is exposed to nature it can only be the mind’s irrationality that can deny such an existence. The answer to why God does not protect us from evil lies in the concept of the purpose of this universe’s creation. Surely, evil exists. But this universe and this life as we know it is a test. If God were to use us as puppets making us do whatever He wants us to do, there would have been no reason behind the universe’s creation, again referring to the teleological argument; even human artifacts have a purpose (Palley 325). And there is no point of testing your own puppet. And we should protect our children from evil because we are not ‘perfect’. A ‘perfect’ being will do the job completely leaving no room for any evil to enter. But, we in all our imperfection can only try. We can’t turn our children into puppets even if we intend to. Not everything is black and white. And so in this question too we see shades of grey. Their views can be considered atheistic because of the insignificance with which they consider this phenomenon. But, it is the way of expression that they are talking about and not the existence of God. So it can be concluded that these thinkers are merely atheistic in their concept of expression. Palley, William. Natural Theology; or, Evidences of the Existence and Attributes of the Deity. 12th. Philadelphia: Philadelphia : Printed for John Morgan, No. 51, South Second-Street by H. Maxwell, no. 25, North Second-Street,

Leading and motvating the team Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Leading and motvating the team - Essay Example One of the key aspects of a strategy is that it aims at achieving advantages within the changing environment with an aim of fulfilling the expectations of the shareholders. In Peytons General Supplies, our vision is to â€Å"be the leader in provision of maximum security in working places†. While our vision is â€Å"improving safety in the work place in order to make our economy grow by providing quality safety equipments†. In order for a team to be productive, it is vital for leaders to advocate for spirit of cooperation which entails a united team that works together towards achieving its goals. Three major aspects that indicate a harmonious and a team in good relationship are a sense of shared purpose, a belief in shared objectives and being committed to a group (Baumeister and Vohs, 2004). One of the major implications of a common sense of purpose in a group is that it enables the team members to be united. Additionally, it enables the members of the team to have a knowhow on the operations of their teams including the effects of their own contributions to the team. Through the unity that is brought about by a common purpose, the team members in Peytons General Supplies work towards attaining the mission and the vision of the organization. Failure to having a common purpose would lead to each employee working towards his or her own goal. Role of communication in establishing a common sense of purpose Within an organization, clear communication between the leaders and other members of the team is a major aspect that cannot be overlooked. Good leaders must be good communicators. One of the major merits of communication is that it leads to the development of a well-committed workforce that is aware of the goals and values of its organisation. A key aspect that characterizes a communication system is the source. As a team leader, one should be clear about what he or she is communicating and what they want to communicate. The second aspect that sho uld be adopted during communication is encoding. This means that in order to have a good communication, it is imperative to ensure that the information being transferred is in the correct form and the receivers are able to decode it and understand it in an easy way. Similarly, leaders who are focused at creating a sense of purpose among their followers should adopt effective channels of communication. Some of the notable channels that organizations use include face-to-face meetings, emails, memos, telephone and videoconferencing among others. Decoding is equally important to encoding. Decoding entails properly reading of the messages sent by the sender. Thus it is imperative for the receivers to have good communication skills in order to avoid making an error while decoding the message. It is also crucial for leaders to consider the receiver of their messages. During the communication process, each individual reacts in a different way that affects his or her understanding of the mes sages from the leaders. Thus, a good leader must consider the reactions or actions of his team members and act in an appropriate manner. Effectiveness of my communication skills On the basis of initiating a good communication in a team work, I am able to oversee a communication system that is all inclusive. First, I usually plan my communication. This entails understanding the objectives of my communication, understanding my audience and providing an opportunity through which

Denial of the Right to Rescind a Contract Based on he Finding of Essay - 1

Denial of the Right to Rescind a Contract Based on he Finding of Misrepresented Facts - Essay Example A misled party is normally allowed to rescind for justifiable reasons, for example, a misrepresentation. Misrepresentation here refers to a false statement of fact made by one of the contract partners to the other and in effect, it induced the second party to enter into the contact. It, therefore, stands that the representee was cheated into it (Collins, 2004). The remedy to misrepresentations normally comes in terms of payment for damages or refund of money offered by the represented, the person who has been cheated. However, under some circumstances, a court cannot allow a party to rescind on the realization of misrepresented facts which induced them to enter into the contract. An example of business-law matter which can lead to denial of rescission is the realization of misrepresentation involving the sale of goods, after the lapse of reasonable time. Atiyah (1994) states that in business, a buyer accepts and receives goods in the performance of a contract. According to the contract law, a represented cannot be given a chance to rescind from a contract if they discover a misrepresentation yet they do not take the necessary steps to avoid such a contract within a reasonable time (Cartwright, 2007). The time limit is given to represent to make such steps normally varies from one type of misrepresentation to another. For example, if it is a fraudulent misrepresentation, the representee has until when the misrepresentation should have been discovered. International galleries also claimed that the item (a painting) was truly a Constable (Leaf v International Galleries [1950] 2 KB 86). In this case, the term of the contract was the painter’s name, that is, John Constable and a breach of this allowed the rejection of the painting.   Leaf paid  £85 for the item and after five years he wanted to auction it. To his surprise, he was told the item was not a constable as earlier stated by International Galleries. Leaf claimed a rescission of the contract so as to get a refund of his money but was denied.

Developmental Psychology and Expressive Arts Essay Example for Free

Developmental Psychology and Expressive Arts Essay An explanation of each of the areas of learning and development and how these are interdependent. There are 7 areas of development in the learning and development for children as described in development matters in the early years foundation stage 2012 DFE Cheshire. There are 3 prime areas of development and 4 specific areas of development. The prime areas area personal, social and emotional development, physical development and communication and language development. The specific areas are literacy, mathematics, understanding the world and expressive arts and design. Personal, social and emotional development: The areas of personal, social and emotional development is about how a child makes relationships, has self-confidence and self-awareness and manages behaviour. For example, a child of 26 months will demonstrate to their parents that they can be independent and they could show this by saying ‘no’ if they don’t want to do anything. Physical development: Physical development is about how children can move around and handle things by themselves and health and self-care. For example, a child who is 10 months will pull themselves up to help them stand and they will hold onto someone they know or a piece of furniture for support. Communication and language: Communication and language is about how a child can listen and pay attention, to understand others and be able to speak. For example, a child who is 5 months will make their own sounds in response when someone who is familiar is talking to them. Literacy: Literacy is about a child who is learning to read and learning to write. For example, a child who is 16 months will be interested in books and rhymes and could also have a favourite. Also the could draw/write with their finger in the sand. Mathematics: Mathematics is about children learning about numbers, shapes, space and measures. For example, a child who is 40 months could be able to separate a group of 3 or 4 objects indifferent ways, and begins to recognise that the total is still the same. Understanding the world: Understanding the world is about how children see people and communities, how they see the world and technology. For example, a child who is 30 months could ask a question or comment on the aspects of the world, such as where they live or where a different family member lives. They might ask why they live in different places then them. Expressive arts and design: Expressive arts and design is about exploring and using media and materials, and being imaginative. For example, a child who is 60 months will be able to understand different media and combine them to make a new effect. These 7 areas of learning and development are all interdependent. An activity that shows this is playing play dough and basing this activity on the book postman pat. Personal, social and emotional links into this activity because they are all talking to you and each other about what they are doing with the play dough. This is interdependent with communication and language because they are speaking to each other while they are doing the activity. Communication and language is interdependent with physical because when they are making play dough people to do with postman pat they are using their fine motor skills to hold the cutter and rollers properly. Physical is interdependent with maths because when the children make the people, they can count how many people of objects they have made. Also they can be making different shapes which will help them learn. Maths is interdependent with literacy because they could make their names out of the play dough with the cutters and there could be some alphabetical letters they can also use. Literacy is interdependent with understanding the world because they will be using their senses and their knowledge to understand the book and be able to complete the play dough. Understanding the world is interdependent with expressive arts and design because using play dough is a type of media so they will gain skills. This is also helping the children learn more effectively and to be more creative. Early learning goals: Each aspect of the areas of learning and development have early learning goals. Most children will achieve most of these by 60 months. The outcomes have been reduced in the EYFS 2012. ‘Children play co-operatively, taking turns with others. They take account of one another’s ideas about how to organise their activity. They show sensitivity to others needs and feelings; and form positive relationships with adults and other children. This is from the personal, social and emotional: making relationships ELG 40-60+ months. For example, if a child was playing with lots of toys and another child was sitting alone with nothing to do, the child would share their toys with them so they become happy. This will help for them to build a relationship and become better friends.

Penetration Testing Of General Hospital Information Technology Essay

Penetration Testing Of General Hospital Information Technology Essay Penetration testing PeT appendix B has always been an important first-step in any security life cycle. By doing penetration testing, the Hospitals IT team can obtain many invaluable information about the Hospitals newly developed security system. Basically the process of penetration testing will be involved with gathering information. Using these information to identity and then try to exploit the security vulnerabilities. 1/ Why do we need to perform penetration testing: Penetration testing is one of the oldest and effective method to evaluate the security of a computer system. Nowadays many organizations are using penetration testing in order to discover and fix security weakness before the get exposed. And for General Hospital after the process of creating a new security system, it is important that we do penetration testing, not only to find out about any potential vulnerability, but also to demonstrate the effectiveness of the new system, these are just a few points on why General Hospital should do penetration testing: The main purpose still for greater understanding of the current security system and finding any gap in security. This help the Hospitals IT team to have proper action plans to minimize the threat of attack or misuse. The penetration test will be documented carefully (more information on this bellow), and these well documented results will help the managers in making a strong business case to the Hospital board, explaining, justifying all the budget had been use for creating this new security system. Security is not a one-time solution, its actually a long process of maintaining and upgrading along the way, as new threads are being discovered. This pen-test maybe the first that SGH have, but itll definitely not be the last. By doing a proper pen-test, the result will act as a good foundation for future testing. 2/ Quality of the test: Like any big project, before we actually committed to complete the task, we have to have a very clear picture of the final product as well as the strategy, and every steps of the way, committing without planning is one way to ensure to achieve failure (more information on planning in the next part). As we go on later in this document, well see that the Hospital will cooperate with a security partner in order to carry the testing, the more reason for two party to sit down and agreed on the standard quality of this test. So, what makes a good penetration testing? Scope of the test: defying a clear scope, that will be most suitable for the Hospital that will be the first and most important task, for a good scope will help to prevent wasting of resource at the same time able to cover every potential vulnerability (the scope defying will be in the next section, the planning stage). Reliable partner : after the planning, sketch out a good strategy, its the security partner job to implement, launch the test, thats why we have to chose a skilled and experienced partner, the one who know what they are doing, in the fourth section, we will chose a partner that: Legally capable. Technically capable Can abide the non disclosure agreement, and this is especially important, for we a hospital, working with highly sensitive information. Choosing correct and adequate series of test, this depends heavily on the scope that we decide on. Also the executing of the test must follow strict methodology, every test must be planned carefully, followed the plan, and the well documented. This is very important because if we treat the test just like a guessing game, to see where the weaknesses are, its very likely that we are going to miss something, and that alone make the purpose of doing penetration testing completely voided. Result oriented: the only thing we care for its the result of the test, thats why the results should be well documented, the team should pay attention also to make the result understandable, so that the Hospital board can easily understand the problems, the consultant of the security partner company should also be ready to present and explain the results. With that set of quality in mind, we are going to proceed to the planning and further steps accordingly. However, because we are not going to actually perform the test, so we are only going through: planning, defying scope, chose a strategy, choosing the tests, and lastly defying methodology and standard for these series of test, we are going to explain what do we chose and why, as for the definition and how to execute please refer to the appendix. II/ The planning stage: In this part, we will cover the planning, defying scope, that lead to a strategy plant, which will be the back bone guide line for any further tests to follow. The security priorities of different target are different, for a service net work it is important to have a high stability, availability, or in case of an e-business network, it requires high authenticity. However none of that can be apply to SGH, for a hospital the utmost priority are confidentiality, data integrity, we are dealing with patients data here, there is no point in taking the Hippocratic Oath to keep the patients information confidential while on the other hand slacking off In putting effort to protect those information. Not only that we are dealing with much higher stake game here, which involve humans lives. This is no longer just protecting data for data mean money. When I were young, I remember a movie where a patient with a broken jaw put back together by metallic platting, years latter he has cancer, and his doctor without knowing about the platting still send him to the MRI machine (highly magnetic), and lead to his gruesome death. All of which cause by lack of de ntal documentation in his medical history. So in a nut shell, SGH highest priority is data Integrity and confidentiality, but in the mean time we still have to do minimum checking on every other aspect, leave out nothing. The second as part of SGH network system is the personnel, which in this case are doctors and nurses mostly. They are among the most highly trained employees, however not in IT. Nowadays almost every hospital in Singapore has been completely digitalized, dealing with database instead of paper files, also with many medical devices are being monitored by computer programs. The combination of high tech with unexperienced user leads to a very high chance of application misuse, data input wrongly. That put application security testing (appendix B application security testing) priority a bit higher than normal. So as a conclusion for the strategy of this penetration test: we are going to do a penetration test follow Blind Testing strategy (Bind testing strategy Appendix B) to stimulate the action like a real hacking attempt by hacker to obtain confidential data, or to modify, deleteà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦etc. In the same time we will combine with certain Internal testing (Internal testing strategy), mostly focus on application security, misuse..etc, and of course a few basic test again common threat however we are not going to deep in that. After decided on a plan and testing strategy, the next step will be vulnerability assessment III Vulnerability assessment (VA): Why should we do VA (VA appendix B)? In fact there are some confusion between VA and pen-test, sometime people lable them as the same. Pen-test mostly consis of VA, but then take one step futher, find out the weak spot then attack it. So basically before we do pen-test, the first step would be VA. For the detail of how to do VA please refer to VA Appendix A . But basically we are going to series of techniques that can be considered as research before attack. Passive research: learn as much as we can about SGH, from out site point of view. Open source monitoring: utilizes Internet meta-searches focus on specific keywords, or sensitive information to see if there are any leaking. Network mapping and OS fingerprinting: from out side view, figuring out the structure of the network, even able to draw out a network diagram from the information gatherd through different tools Spoofing: trick the targeted computer in side the Hospital, sending out packets pretending that they are from trusted source. Network sniffing: capture data as it travel in and out the network, especially we have the different site between Clinics and Hospital, this can be a good check to see if our VPN is working properly. Trojan attack: and yes the traditional, butter and bread Trojan attack, Even though its basic, but because its so popular, itll be a mistake to think that our fire wall can do all the job, when Trojans combine with social engineering can be devastating. Brute force attack: this can be optional as we mention before the availability of the network may not be our highest priority, however if the resource allow, we can still do it, as a better safe than sorry. Vulnerability scanning: finally we can use automated tools to scan the whole database looking for potential vulnerability (the how, and what tool can be found in VA appendix A) After all those test, its very likely that we may able to discover a few holes in our security system. However in order to make sure that in all those vulnerabilities weve just discover none are false positive we will go to the next step is exploit testing, meaning actually attack to see if any got through. IV penetration testing, different types of test: Exploit testing (exploit testing appendix B) normally is the final stage in the whole process of penetration testing. There are many type of test, each with different level of commitment. We have to chose which test, and how far do we want to push. This decision is based on two aspects. One is the predefined scope that everybody agreed on earlier, we will conduct the test accordingly to that scope, to the strategy. The second is based on the result of VA, attack on every potential vulnerability that weve just found. In this scenario, because we have not actually performed the test, so we are going to chose based on the scope only. 1/ Database Integrity: As we discussed in the previous section, the integrity and confidentiality of SGH database is our highest priority. The fact that in the process of VA, we have done many test and checking, sniffing, mapping, Trojan, brute force, those are not only VA testing but actually a part of testing the confidentiality and integrity level of the data base also. Thats the fine line between VA and penetration testing as many of the assessment can actually be consider as exploitive. In the same manner in this stage of exploitive testing there still are test that could be done that may very well have been a part of VA like: War dialling: (war dialling appendix B): by calling a wide range number of telephone inside SGH, we may catch a modem, remote access devices, and maintenance connection that may leave an open on the hospital network. Why do we even consider this method? The fact that nowadays not only user, but even IT staff have very high ignorance when considering the phone network, while in fact they are the very primate assess point that possible for hacker to exploit, you dont actually need to be ignorance, just careless is enough, like leaving an open modem on a critical node of the network is enough to create an opening. There are many tools we can use for war dialling: ToneLoc from Minor Threat and Mucho Maas, or its alternative ModemScan , they both can be use for Microsoft window platform. TeleSweep for Microsoft also, and its free. For Macintosh use Assault Dialer. Unix try PAWS, THC-SCAN NG, Telescan, IWAR (intelligent war dialler), or ShokDial (from: http://www.tech-faq.com). 2/ Social engineering testing: Social engineering test (appendix B SE) is part of the blind strategy testing. The environment we are working on is SGH, where most of the employee dont have in-depth training in IT, an other point is the helpful nature, answering question is kind of comes with the job description, all in one word: gullible nurses. For any cunning hacker, this is a big fat moving target for social engineering attack. For that reason, basic training in social attack is required, in the same time several test can be conduct, mainly in two forms: Non face-to-face: the test can be done over mail, or phone, pretending to be somebody who have authority, or who needs help to tricks the user to use account, password, or giving out sensitive information. Face-to-face: this is a more advance kind of social engineering, by posting as an employee of authorized personnel , gaining physical access to restricted areas getting information, from intercepting mail to dumpster divingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦etc Social engineering maybe no as technical as other test, but it has equal importance if not more, for the fact that there are actually no fool proof method to prevent social engineering attack other than out smart the attacker, which Is ironically we dont usually put the smartest people of the organization to the reception desk , the only thing we can do is to raise the level of awareness of the employee (there are books on this matter like: the art of deception, the art of intrusion both by Mitnick Simon ) . 3/ Application security testing: The second point from the scope as we discussed earlier is Application security: there are a series of test for application security (technical detail on appendix A AppT): Code view, Authorization testing, Input validation, cookie security, Lockout testing, there are also some test for the functionality of the application as well like: input validation, Transaction testingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦etc For why we need application testing we have discussed above, but then again, do we really need to do all those test? Yes, we do. The objective of doing so many test on Application alone is to fully evaluate the control we have over our application (medical application, network applicationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦). The focus of those test still focus mainly on protecting the confidentiality and integrity of information, how to authenticate user, and also on the using of cookies (appendix B cookies) 4/ other test: There are some other test like: denial of service testing, resource..etc but as we mention above, these are not compulsory, not that they are not important, but there are higher priority test that need to be done. But since these are common attack and easy to carry out, its recommended that if the resources allow, we should go ahead and perform the tests, even at basic level. (the detail of the test can be found at DoS testing appendix A). V Other detail of a penetration test: 1/ methodology and standards: Methodology actually is a very important factor of a penetration test. A test that acts without a formal methodology has no real meaning, just poking around. But on the other hand, methodology should only acts as a framework, a discipline guideline to follow, we should not restrict the tester rather than let him/her fully explore his/her intuitions, while acting accordingly to the guideline. There are several methodology and standards, as for their technical detail, please refer to appendix A Metho 2/ Security partner: The reason why we needs to pay money for a third party to perform the test for us is : Un unbiased point of view: like a beta tester, sometime the programmer, or in this case the SGH IT team, cannot see ones own mistake clearly, so we need to hire trained professional to look for us. Highly experienced and highly trained: for the member of the IT team, some may have done a penetration test before, some may not. But for a company that specialize in penetration testing. They have done it hundreds of time, even done it for some big organization, thats why with the experience and the training, its more likely that they can discover things that the IT team cannot. Certified result: a Certified penetration testing company will have to satisfies certain level of standards (refer to appendix A Metho). If a test done by a Certified party, it can become a potential strong legal argument for future conflicts (for example: Insurance conflicts). With all those reason weve decided to hire a security partner to perform the test for us. In Singapore there are many company that have the certification and standards to perform such test, most trustworthy must be: Cisco IBM (with the express penetration testing service) Obtechs Certified penetration testing specialist 3/ Risks in doing penetration testing: While doing penetration testing, there are certain risks that we should consider and be careful for: Risk of exposure: there are many sensitive data in the hospital, sometime these data can be expose during a pen-test it can be unintentionally or intentionally, we have to have strong agreement of the conditions and responsibility of the security partner. Time delay: Pen-test take time, and for Hospital environment we cannot simply lock down our data base for testing, thats why a strict time-frame. For the size of our Hospital system, the testing should not take more than a month. VI Conclusion: As we all know security is continuum, no absolute. Through the penetration tests we should be able to not only find out there are flaws in the security system, but we have to go further to understand the process failures that lead to those flaws. Through the test, we can see that even a brand new developed security system can have many vulnerability, its a reminder to us so that we never have a false sense of security!. Appendix A: 1/ VA (Vulnerability assessment): As documented by SANS, Vulnerabilities are the gateways by which threats are manifested. In other words, a system compromise can occur through a weakness found in a system. A vulnerability assessment is a search for these weaknesses/exposures in order to apply a patch or fix to prevent a compromise. How do these weaknesses occur? There are two points to consider:  · This newly developed security system for SGH were born with it, means while underdeveloping by mistake the developing team creat the weakness.  · Many vulnerabilities occur as a result of misconfigurations by system administrators. Misuse by user, all can lead to the result of making a hole in the security system. There are many ways to search for vulnerability, however in our scenario, it is best to do it as a out side hacker would do it, before attacking a system, the hacker also have to perform a vulnerability assessment test on the system, only different would be we are going to do it on full scale, not only from outside looking in but also from the insider view. There are however certain number of technique that could effectively point out the weaknesses if the system have one. Passive research: As the name suggests, a passive research is a method used to gather as much information about an organizations systems configuration from public domain sources such as: o DNS (domain name service) o RIPE (Rà ©seaux IP Europà ©ens) o USENET (newsgroups) o ARIN (American Registry for Internet Numbers) Passive research is generally performed at the beginning of an external penetration test. Open source monitoring: This service is an associated technique that utilizes Internet meta-searches (multiple searches of Web sites, newswires, newsgroups and other sources) targeted on keyword that are important to the organization. The data is collected and discoveries are highlighted to the organization. This helps identify whether organizations confidential information has been leaked or whether an electronic conversation involving them has taken place. This enables an organization to take necessary measures to ensure confidentiality and integrity. Network mapping and OS fingerprinting: Visualization of network configuration is an important part of penetration testing. Network mapping is used to create a picture of the configuration of the network being tested. A network diagram can be created which infers the logical locations and IP addresses of routers, firewalls, Web servers and other border devices. Additionally, this examination can assist in identifying or fingerprinting operating systems. A combination of results from passive research and tools such as ping, traceroute and nmap, can help create a reasonably accurate network map. An extension of network mapping is Port Scanning. This technique is aimed at identifying the type of services available on the target machine. The scan result reveals important information such as function of a computer (whether it is a Web server, mail server etc) as well as revealing ports that may be serious security risks such as telnet. Port scans should include number of individual tests, including: o TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) scan o Connect scan o SYN (or half open) scan o RST (or Xmas-tree) scan o UDP (User Datagram Protocol) and ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) scans. Tools such as nmap can perform this type of scan. o Dynamic ports used by RPC (Remote Procedure Call) should be scanned using tool such as RPCinfo. Spoofing: Spoofing involves creation of TCP/IP packets using somebody elses Internet addresses and then sending the same to the targeted computer making it believe that it came from a trusted source. It is the act of using one machine to impersonate another. Routers use the destination IP address in order to forward packets through the Internet, but ignore the source IP address. The destination machine only uses that source IP address when it responds back to the source. This technique is used in internal and external penetration testing to access computers that have been instructed to only reply to specific computers. This can result in sensitive information be released to unauthorised systems. IP spoofing is also an integral part of many network attacks that do not need to see responses (blind spoofing). Network sniffing: Sniffing is technique used to capture data as it travels across a network. Sniffing is an important information gathering technique that enables capturing of specific information, such as passwords and also an entire conversation between specific computers, if required. To perform sniffing, the network card of computer needs to be put in promiscuous mode, so that it captures all data being sent across the network. Sniffing is extensively used in internal testing where the sniffer or the computer in promiscuous mode is directly attached to the network enabling capturing of a great deal of information. Sniffing can be performed by a number of commercial tools such as Ethereal, Network Associates SnifferPro and Network Instruments Observer. Trojan attack: Trojans are malicious programs that are typically sent into network as e-mail attachments or transferred via IM chat rooms. These programs run in stealth mode and get installed on the client computer without the users knowledge. Once installed, they can open remote control channels to attackers or capture information. A penetration test aims at attempting to send specially prepared Trojans into a network. Brute force attack: A brute force attack involves trying a huge number of alphanumeric combinations and exhaustive trial and error methods in order find legitimate authentication credentials. The objective behind this time consuming exercise is to gain access to the target system. Brute force attacks can overload a system and can possibly stop it from responding to legitimate requests. Additionally, if account lockout is being used, brute force attacks may close the account to legitimate users. Vulnerability scanning/analysis: Vulnerability scanning/analysis is an exhaustive examination of targeted areas of an organizations network infrastructure aimed at determining their current state. The targets range from a single system or only critical systems to scanning the entire network. It is usually performed using automated tools that test for a multitude of potential weaknesses in a system against a database of known vulnerabilities and report potential security holes. And although they dont actively prevent attacks, many scanners provide additional tools to help fix found vulnerabilities. Some of the commonly used vulnerability scanners include: the open-source Nessus Projects Nessus, ISS Internet Scanner, GFI Softwares GFI LANguard Network Security Scanner, eEye Digital Securitys Retina Network Security Scanner, the BindView RMS vulnerability-management solutions and Network Associates CyberCop. 2/ application testing ( AppT ) For the purpose of application testing there are several test that can be done: * Code review: Code reviews involve analysing all the application-based code to ensure that it does not contain any sensitive information that an intruder might use to exploit an application. For example: Publicly available application code may include test comments, names or clear text passwords that will give an intruder a great deal of information about the application. * Authorization testing: Involves testing the systems responsible for the initiation and maintenance of user sessions. This will require testing: o Input validation of login fields bad characters or overlong inputs can produce unpredictable results; o Cookie security cookies can be stolen and legitimate sessions can be used by an unauthorised individual; and o Lockout testing testing the timeout and intrusion lockout parameters set in the application, to ensure legitimate sessions cannot be hijacked. This is performed to discover whether the login system can be forced into permitting unauthorised access. The testing will also reveal whether the system is susceptible to denial of service attacks using the same techniques. * Functionality testing: This involves testing the systems responsible for the applications functionality as presented to a user. This will require testing: o Input validation bad characters, specific URLs or overlong inputs can produce unpredictable results; and o Transaction testing ensuring that the application performs to specification and does not permit the user to abuse the system. 3/ DoS testing: Denial of service testing involves attempting to exploit specific weaknesses on a system by exhausting the targets resources that will cause it to stop responding to legitimate requests. This testing can be performed using automated tools or manually. The different types of DoS can be broadly classified into software exploits and flooding attacks. Decisions regarding the extent of Denial of Service testing to be incorporated into a penetration testing exercise depend on the relative importance of ongoing, continued availability of the information systems and related processing activities. Denial of service can take a number of formats; those that are important to test for are listed below: * Resource overload these attacks intend to overload the resources (i.e. memory) of a target so that it no longer responds. * Flood attacks this involves sending a large amount of network requests with the intention of overloading the target. This can be performed via: ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol), known as smurf attacks UDP (User Datagram Protocol), known as fraggle attacks * Half open SYN attack this involves partially opening numerous TCP connections on the target, so that legitimate connections could not be started. * Out-of-band attacks these attempt to crash targets by breaking IP header standards: o Oversized packets (ping of death) the packet header indicates that there is more data in the packet than there actually is. o Fragmentation (teardrop attack) sends overlapping fragmented packets (pieces of packets) which are under length. o IP source address spoofing (land attack) causes a computer to create a TCP connection to itself. o Malformed UDP packet header (UDP bomb) UDP headers indicate an incorrect length. 4/ Methodology and standards (Metho): The Open Source Security Testing Methodology Manual (OSSTMM) by Pete Herzog has become a de-facto methodology for performing penetration testing and obtaining security metrics. According to Pete Herzog, The primary goal of the OSSTMM is to provide transparency. It provides transparency of those who have inadequate security configurations and policies. It provides transparency of those who perform inadequate security and penetration tests. It provides transparency of the unscrupulous security vendors vying to sponge up every last cent of their preys already meager security budget; those who would side-step business values with over-hyped threats of legal compliancy, cyber-terrorism, and hackers. The OSSTMM covers the whole process of risk assessment involved in a penetration test, from initial requirements analysis to report generation. The six areas of testing methodology covered are: * Information security * Process security * Internet technology security * Communications security * Wireless security * Physical security The OSSTMM focuses on the technical details of exactly which items need to be tested, what to do before, during, and after a security test, and how to measure the results. New tests for international best practices, laws, regulations, and ethical concerns are regularly added and updated. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) discusses penetration testing in Special Publication 800-42, Guideline on Network Security Testing. NISTs methodology is less comprehensive than the OSSTMM however it is more likely to be accepted by regulatory agencies. Standards in penetration testing Lets take a look at some of the standards and guidelines available: Standards for Information Systems Auditing (ISACA): ISACA was established in 1967 and has become a pace-setting global organization for information governance, control, security and audit professionals. Its IS auditing and IS control standards are followed by practitioners worldwide and its research pinpoints professional issues challenging its constituents. CISA, the Certified Information Systems Auditor is ISACAs cornerstone certification. CHECK: The CESG IT Health Check scheme was instigated to ensure that sensitive government networks and those constituting the GSI (Government Secure Intranet) and CNI (Critical National Infrastructure) were secured and tested to a consistent high level. The methodology aims to identify known vulnerabilities in IT systems and networks which may compromise the confidentiality, integrity or availability of information held on that IT system. CHECK consultants are only required when the assessment for HMG or related parties, and meets the requirements above. In the absence of other standards, CHECK became the de-facto standard for penetration tests and penetration testing in the UK. Companies belonging to CHECK must have employees that are security cleared and have passed the CESG Hacking Assault Course. However, open source methodologies such as the following are providing viable and comprehensive alternatives, without UK Government association. OSSTMM: The aim of The Open Source Security Testing Methodology Manual is to se