Information Systems - Risk Management wk3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Information Systems - Risk Management wk3 - Essay Example the challenge it can provide for securing an environment, The User Domain, one of seven domains in an IT infrastructure, is considered to be the domain most at risk for attack and compromise, primarily due to the inherent weakness of the human interaction element. There are several types of attacks on the User Domain that are prevalent, as they can be quite successful against an uninformed or untrained employee. Unnecessary access to User Domains can allow segmentation of various groups peeking into confidential data. Imagine a scenario in which the sales department can look up salaries in HR. This is an unsafe practice and can be mitigated by giving each department its own VLAN. Tipton (2005) Before studying User Doman, it is crucial to understand the essence of user domain. The whole focal point of User Domain is to ensure that segregation of duties is conducted in computer’s main frame. Before attempting to observe the issue, it is essential to understand the focal point of user domain itself. In essence, user domain is defined  as set of objects that allow a user to have controls and permissions. In essence, user domains can overlap. Tipton (2005) Another element of user domains is the fact that is allows users to possess segregation of duties. Segregation of duties allows users to have separate domains and grant permissions. User domains can range from simple user access accounts or it can be a specific domain such as sales, marketing, and managers. In the computing world, the weakest link in user domain is a user that has the least privilege. In essence, the weakest link is based on a hierarchy model in security policies and implementation issues. The weakest link can also be a possible vulnerability that can be exploited. A huge flaw in providing securities even with one’s own organization is outside threats. It is clear that many organizations are in this danger as they constantly battle outside risks on daily basis. For instance, denial of service and

The News Media Characteristics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The News Media Characteristics - Research Paper Example The aim of this investment is to furnish free, dependable, faultless, boundless and important data that a vote based system requires. Participatory news coverage is a notch up, with eminent wonder in which there is next to zero publication oversight or formal journalistic workflow managing the choices of a staff. Rather, it is the consequence of numerous concurrent, disseminated discussions that either bloom or rapidly decay in the Web's informal organization. While the eruption of weblogs is a later wonder, the thought of taking advantage of your group of onlookers for new views or transforming book lovers into correspondents or reporters is definitely not. Weblogs or writes as they are generally known, are the most dynamic and amazing type of this support reporting. These individually distributed frameworks have offered ascent to a sensation that shows the markings of unrest by giving anybody with the right ability and vigour the capability to be heard far and wide on the Web. They are redesigned online diaries, with converse sequential entrances and various joins that give up-to-the-moment undertakes the journalist's existence, the news, or on a particular subject of investment. Regularly riddled with obstinate or clear and reasonably objective (Romenesko, 2008) Development of weblogs has been to a great extent powered by more terrific access to transmission capacity and ease, frequently free programming. These basic simple to-utilize apparatuses have empowered new sorts of coordinated effort unlimited by time or geology. The effect is a development of new social examples and means for self-statement. Write like groups like have permitted an incalculable number of voices to take an interest while supervising a social request and furnishing a suitable channel on talk. The exceptional thing about them is that they bring new voices into the national talk on different points, and help construct neighbourhoods of investment through their accumulations of connecti ons. (Sen. Trent Lott, 2002). This raises some imperative inquiries: If participatory reporting has climbed without the immediate help of prepared authors or news industry activities, what part will standard media play? Also are standard media ready to surrender some control and energetically work together with their gatherings of people? Additionally will an educated and engaged purchaser start to edge the news driving force from the grassroots? Furthermore, will reporting's ethics persist? My opinion on the new trend toward participatory journalism is that citizen journalism has turned into a sensation of between participatory news coverage between the normal person and the native media is turning into another rising pattern in gathering and disseminating of news. It is not dependably conceivable for the media to be available all over the place so they search out native columnist with the guarantee of free attention. This association prepares between the media and the normal subje ct gains both ways. ii. Next, after reading the required bibliography, give your opinion of the new trend toward "participatory journalism" which was discussed in this week's bibliography reading. Do you believe that cell phone photography and citizen reporting will catch on in America, and do you see any relationship between such trends and the possibility for real political reform?     

Putative S-Adenosyl Methionine Dependent Ironâ€Sulfur

Putative S-Adenosyl Methionine Dependent Iron–Sulfur Identification and Characterization of a Putative S-Adenosyl Methionine dependent Iron–Sulfur containing protein from  Methanococcus Jannaschii Qi Liu Research Proposal Dr. MishtuDey Dr. M. Lei Geng Dr. Leonard R. MacGillivray Dr. Amnon Kohen Dr. Daniel Quinn Introduction Biological methane formation is a microbial process that is catalyzed by microbes called methanogens, which belong to the third kingdom of life, the Archaea. Methane is formed at the final catalytic step by methyl-coenzyme M reductase (MCR), in which coenzyme B (CoBSH, N-7-mercaptoheptanoylthreonine) donates two electrons to reduce methyl-coenzyme M. MCR is a 300kDa enzyme, which is composed of three different subunits in an ÃŽ ±2ÃŽ ²2ÃŽ ³2 arrangement and contains 2 mol of the nickel tetrapyrrole coenzyme F430, which are buried deeply within the protein complex[1]. There are five modified amino acids were found out on the ÃŽ ±-subunit and near the active site of MCR from methanothermobacter marburgensis based on the X-ray crystallographic studies. They are 1-N-methylhistitine (HisÃŽ ±400), 5-(S)-methylarginine (ArgÃŽ ±271), 2-(S)-methylglutamine (GluÃŽ ±400), S-methylcysteine (CysÃŽ ±452), where the side chains are methylated and one thioglycine (GlyÃŽ ±445) forming a thiopeptide bo nd (Figure 1). Since the DNA sequence of the encoding MCR gene shows no unsusal condons or unusual codon usages at the positions in which the five modified amino acids were found, the modifications are introduced after translation [1]. According to vivo labeling experiments with L-(methyl-D3)-methionine, people found that the methyl groups from the modified amino acids are introduced biosynthetically from the methyl group of methionine by specific S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) dependent Figure1. Post Translational Modifications in MCR  enzymes. These methyl translational modifications are catalyzed by protein methylases that specifically recognize the amino acid sequences up and downstream of amino acid to be methylated. The genome of methanogens has many open reading frame predicted to be putative methyltransferases, which also agrees with the proposal that there are four different SAM-dependent protein methylases are involved in the post translation modification. A search of six kn own methanogenic genomes led to the identification of conserved open reading frame around the MCR gene cluster. Some methangenic archaea contain two MCR isoenzymes, designated MCR1 and MCR2. This conserved hypothetical protein is found around MCR1 in Methanococcus jannaschii and Methanobacterium thermobacter. The open reading frame from Methanococcus jannaschii, MJ0841 is annotated as a conserved hypothetical protein, which is found to be related to the radical SAM enzyme superfamily. The signature motif of SAM radical enzymes is three cysteine motif â€Å"CX3CX2C† (Figure 2), multiple sequence alignment of the putative gene from methanogens show the conserved CXGFCXXC, which is known to coordinate to [4Fe-4S] cluster. (Figure 3) Figure 2. Multiple Sequence Alignment of MJ0841 Homologues from Different Methanogens Figure 3. [4Fe–4S] cluster coordinated by three-cysteine motif CxxxCxxC. The fourth iron of the cluster interacts with a bound SAM. Specific Aims It is interesting and important to determine the function of this hypothetical protein. We speculate that this hypothetical protein, MJ0841, could be a possible candidate responsible for the post-translation modification of the methylated amino acids, or, is involved in the formation of the thioglycine in MCR. Research Plan, Results and Discussion Expression and Purification of MJ0841 MJ0841, a 1248bp gene, was cloned into pET28a vector. The resulting plasmid was transformed in E.coli BL21(DE3) cells for gene expression. In order to increase the iron content, MJ0841 was also co-expressed with PDB1282. Overnight cell culture grown at 37oC in Luria-Bertani (LB) medium containing both kanamycin (50ug/ml) and ampicillin (100ug/ml) was inoculated, in a 100-fold dilution, into Terrific Broth (TB) media aerobically at 37oC. FeCl3 was also added to a final concentration of 100uM to be as the iron content for iron-sulfur cluster during the growth when OD600 was around 0.3. Protein expression was then induced at OD600 of 0.6 to 0.7 with addition of Isopropyl ÃŽ ²-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) to final concentration of 0.5mM. After overnight incubation at 37oC around 18hours, the cells were harvested by centrifugation at 5000rpm for 30mins at 4oC, and stored at -80oC. The following procedures were all carried out in oxygen free environment at 20oC. Purification was conducted anaerobically at oxygen level always below 2.0ppm in anaerobic chamber. 23g Cell were moved into anaerobic chamber and resuspended in 120mL lysis buffer (50mM tris-HCl, 300mM NaCl, 5% glycerol pH 7.5), and Phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) 1mM final concentration, 3 tablets of protease inhibitor, 2-mercaptomethanol 10mM) for 15mins. The cells were lysed by sonication for 15mins followed by centrifugation at 30,000 rpm for 40mins at 4oC to remove the cell debris. The supernatant was applied to a packed 15mL Ni-NTA resin column equilibrated with lysis buffer. The column was then washed with 5 column volume of wash buffer (50mM tris-HCl, 300mM NaCl, 10mM IMD, 5% glycerol, pH 7.5). The brownish protein was eluted by gradient elution with 5 column volume of wash buffer and 5 column volume elution buffer (50mM tris-HCl, 300mM NaCl, 200mM IMD, 5% glycerol, pH 7.5). SDS-PAGE was applied to analyze the desired clean protein fractions, which were then combined an d set for overnight dialysis with dialysis buffer (50mM tris-HCl, pH 7.5, 5% glycerol) with slow stirring. The pooled fractions were concentrated using an Amicon centrifugal filter with a 30kDa molecular weight cut off (MWCO). The collected protein was further purified with 20mL packed Q-sepharose column equilibrated with lysis buffer (50mM tris-HCl, 5% glycerol, pH 7.5). The column was then washed with 5 column volume of wash buffer (50mM tris-HCl, 200mM NaCl, 5% glycerol, pH 7.5). The brownish protein was eluted by gradient elution with 5 column volume of wash buffer and 5 column volume elution buffer (50mM tris-HCl, 700mM NaCl, 5% glycerol, pH 7.5). SDS-PAGE was applied to analyze the desired clean protein fractions, which were then combined for reconstitution (Figure 4). Figure 4. SDS-PAGE gel electrophoresis analysis of MJ0841 purification fractions Reconstitution of the [4Fe-4S] Cluster of MJ0841 in Vitro The above apo-protein (16uM, 40ml) was incubated with final concentration of 5mM DTT for 1h with slow stirring at room temperature. Then, cystein was added into the above solution by dropwise to reach 10 molar folds excess of protein. After 30mins incubation, 10 molar excess of Fe(NH4)2(SO4)2 was added slowly to provide enough iron content for iron sulfur cluster and incubated for 30mins. The resulting solution was incubated with 10 molar excess of Na2S finally, and the brownish protein solution changed to dark brown after adding Na2S. The above final protein solution was kept in 4oC overnight around 14 hours for building up enough [4Fe-4S] clusters. In order to remove the unbounded iron and sulfur, the overnight reconstituted protein was concentrated to 2.5 – 3ml of final volume and loaded onto a 5mL PT10 column equilibrated with lysis buffer (50mM tris-HCl, 5% glycerol, pH 7.5), and the final pure protein was combined. Reduction of [4Fe-4S] Cluster UV-vis spectroscopy was applied here for detecting the reduction of [4Fe-4S] cluster. A characteristic peak for [4Fe-4S] cluster was shown up near 412nm before reducing. Sodium Dithionite was used as the reducing agent and the stock solution was prepared freshly right before adding into the protein. 100 equivalents of sodium dithionite were mixed with concentrated protein, and the peak at 412nm was reduced (Figure 5). According to the results from UV-vis, the 4Fe-4S cluster was built up by reconstitution, also the [4Fe-4S]2+ was reduced to [4Fe-4S]+ by the reduction of sodium dithionite. Figure 5. UV-vis spectra of purified reconsituted MJ0841 Figure 6. EPR spectrum of as-isolated MJ0841 (blue trace) and purified reconstituted MJ0841 originating from a [3Fe-4S]+ cluster. reduced with 100 equiv sodium dithionite (red trace) EPR samples preparation and spectral collection EPR spectrums of as-isolated, oxidized and reduced form of MJ0841 are detected at 10K. All samples are prepared anaerobically. As-isolated protein was prepared with the protein without reconstitution, and exhibits a strong isotropic EPR signal, which is centered at g=2.01 same as the g=2.01 signal of the [3Fe-4S]+ cluster form (Figure 6). The oxidized form protein containing [4Fe-4S]2+ was prepared by injecting 200ul concentrated protein purified through PD10 column into EPR tube, and it normally shows silent EPR signal (Figure 7). Reduced form of as-isolated protein was performed by mixing with 100 equivalents of sodium dithionite with 200ul concentrated protein, which gives the reduction form of [4Fe-4S]+ cluster and shows the characteristic EPR signal with g factors of g=2.03 and g=1.92 (Figure 8). Figure 7. EPR spectrum of oxidized form of MJ0841. Figure 8. EPR spectrum of reduced form of MJ0841. SAM cleavage activity of MJ0841 The characteristic reaction for detecting radical SAM enzymes is reductive cleavage of SAM into S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) and 5’-deoxyadenosyl radical (5’dAdo). Assays were conducted under strict anaerobic conditions. The reaction assay contains the following: 50mM Tris-HCl, 5mM DTT, 5Mm sodium dithionite, 0.5mM SAM. Reactions were initiated by addition of SAM and carried out at 20oC for 20 hours. The control reaction was run under the same conditions as the above assay, but without presence of protein. Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) (final concentration 5% v/v) was added to quench the reactions, which then were identified by HPLC analysis. HPLC analysis of SAM cleavage assay products After quenching by TFA, the reaction mixture was centrifuged and the supernatant was applied into HPLC analysis. 10ul of assay mixture was injected into C18 column, which had been pre-equilibrated with equilibrium buffer (40mM ammonium acetate, pH=6.2). Then the column was washed with a linear gradient from 0-50% acetonitrile for 30mins at room temperature to detect SAH and 5’dAdo. The UV-detector was set at wavelength 258nm, and the standard samples, SAM, SAH, and 5’dAdo, were run with the same condition as SAM cleavage reaction products. According to the retention time comparison between standard samples and products, formation of SAH and 5’dAdo were all detected via HPLC analysis when enzyme was present. In the absence of enzyme MJ0841, SAM was not consumed at all and there were no any products peak formed, which confirmed the SAM was cleaved by enzyme. The dark blue, red, light blue traces show the relative intensities of 5’dAdo, SAH, and SAM standards. The green trace shows the assay with the use of reconstituted MJ0841, and the SAH and 5’dAdo were both observed. The purple trace shows the control assay without MJ0841, and there was not any of 5’dAdo formed (Figure 9). Figure 9. HPLC analysis of the SAM cleavage assays Conclusions Future Work Initial results seem to show the [4Fe-4S] cluster and the enzyme activity. Since SAM was cleaved enzymatically, the products will be detected by mass spectroscopy to confirm the formation SAH and 5’dAdo. Furthermore, probable substrates of MJ0841 will be prepared, which should contain the amino acids that would be modified. The activity assays with substrates will be examined to detect the desired methylation reaction on substrates.

Women’s friend: The Popularity of Shapewear Essay -- Fashion, The Cors

From ancient time through now, people always want to be a fashionable person; especially for women, because they want their bodies have a curve and they also want their bodies more fit and more shape. Each person has their view of fashion, and each country also has their types of fashion. In the western country, people think that wearing a corset is very fashionable. Between the middle of the 16th century to 18th century, women always to wear corset between a rigid quasi-cylindrical torso above their waist and heavy full skirts below to let their bodies look more gorgeous. In the ancient China, Chinese’s women think foot-binding is fashion. From the 10th century to early 20th century, most ancient Chinese women think small feet looks beautiful and fashionable. They used a strip of cloth to tightly tie their ankle when they were four or five years old, and they were kept it for life time. No matter what method people use to express the fashion, people’s primary goal is to make them look beautiful, make their bodies has a curve and become more fashionable. By today, wearing shapewear can modify people’s bodies; can influence people to believe fantasy thinner is normal; can let people have more self-confidence and it also encourage people to pursue high social status. Although shapewear may pose some health risk, it benefits many people physically and psychologically. The corset is one of the most controversial garments in the entire history of fashion. It has been about 400 year history of fashion; it has been creating to fit of clothing and appearance of figure. People choose to wear corset to make their bodies look more beautiful and slim. In fact, the earliest man to wear it is to treat back pain, and then the women found that ... ... invisible and affordable, and some would even feel comfortable. Shapewear is becoming popular. The manufacture kept changing the outlook to make it "fashion". Corset has been about 400 years history of fashion, although it may pose some health risk, but it benefit for many people physically. Wearing shapewear can mould the beautiful curve of breast enhancement, to receive an abdomen, waist, minus, carry buttock, leg effect, and it’s obvious to accentuated women’s sexy. There are many type of shapewear can make people have a great figure, such as waist & tight slimming, back slimming, shaping panties, and body slimming. As the era progress, people’s concept of shapewear change a lot and the shapewear will become more popular in today’s society; people wear shapewear to modify their bodies and many women think the feeling of slim can give them more self-confidence.

Analysis of the Sam Shepard’s Play Buried Child Essay

In my paper I am going to analyze one of the Sam Shepards play. Its name sounds depressive but it completely fulfils the main idea of the play – Buried Child. From the information I read about the author I deduced that he wrote it on the basis of his own personal experience in his childhood. Sam Shepard grew up on the farm in California and was a member of a broken family because his father was an alcoholic. The play was firstly produced in the year 1978. From this and from the story itself implies my presumption that the whole story is set in the 1970’s when the USA was in a hard economic situation caused by the war in Vietnam. To be more concrete it is set in Illinois on the farm where nothing grow anymore. I think that only through the description of the characters you would be able to see the main points of why I titled my work American Nightmare. Dodge is supposed to be the head of the family but he is broken by things that happened in the past. He is an old dying man and he is paranoiac but he has a reason to be. He is considered poor man whom doesn’t like even his family. He failed in building his American Dream because his family is no more working and the farm he built up many years ago is left without any interest. He left everything after the biggest secret of the family happened. He killed his wife’s son but not without reason, as his son Tilden in the play says, â€Å"He said he had his reasons . . . He’s the only one who knows where it’s buried.† (Shepard 104) The reasons I found out in the text were that she, Halie, had the baby with another man. There are some hints which led me to think that the man might have been Tilden, her own son. Then it would have been much worse because the act of incest is totally against the modern society. We don’t know the background, how everything happened, if Halie was raped by her son or he was seduced by his mother. Nevertheless killing the baby was no solution because the family fell apart anyway. Halie, the only women in the family, is the one who tries to have a normal life but it is full of hypocrisy and fear of that other will find out the family secret. Interesting is that even though Dodge killed her son she lives and communicates with him like nothing happened. Even though it is obvious that she is having an affair with a Protestant minister Father Dewis. This is also an irony because he should be a symbol of temperate life. Instead of that he drinks alcohol and seduces women. In the play I feel that the fear  of not being relieved have everyone in the family. They made a deal that they won’t talk about the past and they are hoping that they will simply forget. Halie’s only light in the life was her son Ansel who was murdered in a motel room after m arrying a Catolic Italian girl. Halie hated that girl from the beginning and she argued that she was a â€Å"Devil incarnate† (Shepard 74). Ansel had no time to go bad so he looks like an ideal son in Halies eyes. She is so obsessed with him that she wants to unveil his statue. She remembers him as a son who played basketball and was a soldier, a hero, an All-American. In her monologues then we can find the importance of doing some sport in youth and being a Protestant. The character of Tilden is very interesting and mysterious for me. He is the oldest son and he was supposed to take care of the family, the parents, which is matter of fact in the American Dream (children should take care of their parents). Nevertheless he got into trouble somewhere in New Mexico, maybe he was kept in prison, because he returned back to his parents’ house after 20 years completely broken, especially mentally. His liberty had to be taken away from him because in one of his monologues about driving he described how it was like to have a car, which is also one of the symbols of American independence: I drove all day long sometimes. Across the desert . . . I drove past towns. Anywhere. Past palm trees. Lightning. Anything I would drive through it. I would drive through it and I would stop and I would look around and I would drive on . . . There was nothing I loved more. Nothing I dreamed of was better than driving. (Shepard 102) Freedom is defined in American Ways as â€Å"the desire and the right of all individuals to control their own destiny without outside interference from the government† (Datesman, Crandall, Kearny 33) and exactly this was in Tilden’s life broken. He was in prison and he is under the control of his parents now. Also his brother Bradley is not independent due to the accident where he lost his leg. With the character of Bradley I connected one question: Why he could live and the other baby not? Because from the story it is obvious that Bradley also isn’t Dodges son. The only solution I have is that the murdered baby really had to be a birth from incest. The only light in the story, at least at the beginning, is Shelly. She came to visit his boyfriends grandparents house and she had the typical American,  that means ideal, image of how it would be like: â€Å"I thought it was going to be turkey dinners and apple pie and all that kinda stuff.† (Shepard 91) Obviously she was confused from all these people in the house and she was the one who forced them to talk about things. Nevertheless it was to much for her and she left the house and her boyfriend Vince. To be honest there were some symbols in the play I didn’t understand. For example the act of symbolic Dodges burying on the end of the two acts. The only thing that came up my mind was that his sons blame him from everything and they think that killing the baby was the main reason why the family fall apart. In my opinion that’s not true because each member of that family has his own guilt. Another mystery for me is the character of Vince, Tilden’s son. I didn’t get the message of his character especially at the end of the play where, after Dodge is dead, he puts on Dodges cap and lay down on the couch, totally out of his mind. Maybe he was so shocked and ashamed of the family secret that he just adopted to the fact and started to live the same life as his grandfather lived. The play perfectly describes the opposite of the American Dream which is the life goal of most Americans and it also shows what a big difference is â€Å"between idealism and reality.† (Datesman, Crandall, Kearny 34)

According to Raymond Vernon theory Essay

According to Raymond Vernon theory (Product life theory) and the examples of the developing countries performance in the international market that where shown. These nations permit the increase of foreign firms in their market who take a huge portion of the national firms market, as a result, of their poor competitive skills to preserve their customers.  Moreover, national firms tend to participate in international markets at a moment where they are all ready saturated, for that reason it is difficult to profit from it. Under these circumstances, it is relevant to developing countries to be able to innovate (product and service) and to recognize new potential markets where they can profit. In that order, developing nations should consider what they have, in order to determine what they should produce. The theory of comparative advantage states that â€Å"a country should produce and export those goods and service for which is relatively more productive than are other countries, and import those goods and service for which other countries are relatively more productive than it is†. (Mahoney, Trigg, Griffin & Putstay, 2001, p. 102) Under this theory, a country should produce those goods and services that it is able to produce relatively well, and buy other goods and services from those countries that can produce them relatively well. According to these facts, the country may specialize in specific goods and services taking into account international standards of productivity and quality.  However, this is not the only issue that developing countries governments should take into account if they want to solve the economic (devaluation, current account deficit, foreign debt), social (unemployment, income equality), political and environmental problems that the economic growth process may cause. In addition, they have to add value to the resources they have, creating a competitive advantage (Doryan, 1993, p.451), that help them in sustainable growth.  As previously stated, the export expansion would help economic growth, and if a country is able to create a competitive advantage that would help them to get an important position in the global market. Under these conditions, they can avoid problems such as devaluation, foreign debt, unemployment, income and equality, political instability and environmental problems. According to Porter’s theory, governments must ensure the development of four elements in order to get the nations continued competitiveness, they are:  Ã‚  Productivity: Governments should veal for the industry efficiency creating a macroeconomic and financial dynamism, adequate infrastructure and a competitive domestic market with the participation of international firms. Socio-political Stability: It is necessary to build an environment that allow freedom of expression, human rights and were exist a confidence toward the judiciary system and the government, and good living standards. (Doryan, 1993, p.453)  Human resources: â€Å"The human factor may ultimately come to represent the new competitive edge for the global corporation, more than physical and other resources† (Kedia & Mukherji, 1999, p.235). Government should be conscious of the important of human resources, for that reason it is important to create accessible educational and training opportunities. Environmental Conditions: In order to obtain Environmental sustainability governments should control the adequate management of natural resources, establish rules and procedures to control waste and pollution, and create a social consciousness of the importance of environmental conservation at firms and citizens levels.  Furthermore, Porter states that in order to obtain economic growth through great international trade, the government should be able to promote the creation of international clusters. For example, this is what Mexico is doing by linking with the United States. This is a situation, where Mexico can obtain many benefits in the growth of import and export. In addition, this country can gain access to their technology and human resources and incorporate them into their own country in order to maintain its economic growth and development and internationally competitive strength. (mirar bibliografia mexico) Reference List Aybar & Milman, (1999), † Globalization, emerging market economies and the currency crisis in Asia: Implications on Economic Reform and Development. Multinational Business Review. Vol.7, No. 2. pp. 37-44.  Balassa, B. (1998), â€Å"The Lesson of East Asian Development: An Overview†, The University of Chicago, pp.273-289  Doryan, Eduardo. (1993), † An Institutional Perspective of Competitiveness and Industrial Restructuring Policies in Developing Countries†, Journal of Economics Issues, Vol.28, No. 2. pp. 451-457.  El Pais (2001), Dossier Documental,  www.elpais.es

Free Essays on Supermax Prisons

From the beginning of the prison system to today’s modern times there has been many changes and advancements in how criminals are housed. The only thing that hasn’t changed is the types of offenders that exist inside. It has been said that there are two types of offenders. The first type is the lesser violent and non-aggressive inmates that cooperate with the Correctional Officers and other personnel in charge. They are usually housed together at night and work together during the day. Typically, the inmates are able to remain civil with each other and are able to be mixed together. The other types are the more seriously violent criminals. They are usually confined in separate areas of the prison away from the other less violent criminals or are taken to a more secured prison called the â€Å"Supermax† prison. â€Å"Supermax† prisons, also known as Super-maximum security prisons, are places intended to house offenders that terrorize the safety of the public, prison personnel, and other less violent inmates. They can be located in separated units in regular federal prisons or isolated by themselves away from communities. There are approximately 32 to 42 states that currently have supermax prisons in operation and for the other states the do not they transfer their inmates to these prisons (Briggs). The theory behind super-max prisons is that total separation from the world will bring about behavioral change. â€Å"Control units subject inmates to extremes of isolation and control on the premise that they are too dangerous to be housed in â€Å"general population†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (BSOS). The characteristics of the typical inmate include severe mental illness, disruptiveness, abusiveness, extreme violence, uncooperativeness, prone to escaping or attempt to escape often, and those who have serious behavior problems (Anderson). The prisoners themselves live in individual cells and remain there for ... Free Essays on Supermax Prisons Free Essays on Supermax Prisons From the beginning of the prison system to today’s modern times there has been many changes and advancements in how criminals are housed. The only thing that hasn’t changed is the types of offenders that exist inside. It has been said that there are two types of offenders. The first type is the lesser violent and non-aggressive inmates that cooperate with the Correctional Officers and other personnel in charge. They are usually housed together at night and work together during the day. Typically, the inmates are able to remain civil with each other and are able to be mixed together. The other types are the more seriously violent criminals. They are usually confined in separate areas of the prison away from the other less violent criminals or are taken to a more secured prison called the â€Å"Supermax† prison. â€Å"Supermax† prisons, also known as Super-maximum security prisons, are places intended to house offenders that terrorize the safety of the public, prison personnel, and other less violent inmates. They can be located in separated units in regular federal prisons or isolated by themselves away from communities. There are approximately 32 to 42 states that currently have supermax prisons in operation and for the other states the do not they transfer their inmates to these prisons (Briggs). The theory behind super-max prisons is that total separation from the world will bring about behavioral change. â€Å"Control units subject inmates to extremes of isolation and control on the premise that they are too dangerous to be housed in â€Å"general population†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (BSOS). The characteristics of the typical inmate include severe mental illness, disruptiveness, abusiveness, extreme violence, uncooperativeness, prone to escaping or attempt to escape often, and those who have serious behavior problems (Anderson). The prisoners themselves live in individual cells and remain there for ...

Kisses From Katie Essays

Kisses From Katie Essays Kisses From Katie Paper Kisses From Katie Paper Kisses From Katie by: Katie Davis Author, Katie Davis, started her missionary and writing career at the astonishing age of 18. Katie was no ordinary teen-aged high school graduate, she graduated as class president with other accomplishments throughout her high school years such as Homecoming Queen. She could have carved out a career and established a solid social-life, until God radically stepped in. l have absolutely no desire to write a book about myself. This is a book about a Christ who is alive today and not only knows but cares about the hairs on my head. Im writing this book to emind you of this living, loving Christ and what it means to serve Him And if He can use me, He can use you. , said Katie when an anonymous blogger inquired about her reasoning on composing Kisses From Katie. In this quote, Katie talks about God using her to serve Himself and others and that is exactly what she does. In December of 2006, Katie travels to Uganda for the first time. The love and compassion she felt for this impoverished African-American society was instantaneous. After her mission trip in the winter of 2006, Katie could not wait any longer as she had become more and more anxious to be back where she proclaimed Home. Following her first trip to Uganda, Katie returned as a Kindergarten teacher where she taught classrooms full of poverty-stricken kids. After observing these innocent childrens daily lives, she soon realized that something needed to change for them; God laid it on Katies heart to start a child sponsorship program. Later that year, she established a non-profit organization called Amazima Ministries International. The native Luganda word Amazima means truth, a word Katie took from her favorite Bible verse John 8:32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. Not only did Katie ecome a founder of her own organization in 2008, she also became a mother of 3 which later became a prodigious number of 13. Adoption is a beautiful picture of redemption. It is the Gospel in my living room. ( a quote from Kisses From Katie on adoption). This book doesnt portray Katies life as perfect, or herself as perfect for that matter, she is also transparent about her own struggles, The first month, I loved living there; you have all this love from these children, the next month, I feel that Im tired of washing my hair in a bucket. Spiritually, I had to rely so much on God as He stripped away all things I was dependent on. (-Katie Davis). Ultimately this book, as previously stated, was to remind the privileged of a living and loving God. Personally, Katie achieved this greatly. After reading this very inspirational and respected book, I decided to further my walk with God by applying for an internship in Nicaragua with my best friend Abbey, who is a summer missionary. One of my favorite quotes from Kisses From Katie is on page 119 where Katie says, l dont always know where this life is going. I cannot see the end of the road, but here is the great part: Courage is not about knowing the path. It is about taking the first step. It is about Peter getting ut of the boat, stepping out onto the water with complete faith that Jesus will not let him drown. That is why this book was so inspirational to me, it showed me to get out chances. Like always, theres a great ending to the book Kisses From Katie. Katie decides to officially make Uganda her home even though her parents did not want her to do this, yet still fully support her. She organized and continues to organize numerous charities for the people in Uganda. The heart of young mother and permanent missionary, Katie J. Davis is truly inspiring. This book has influenced my life and the life of many others.

7 Tips to Making the Most of Your 30sÂÂ

7 Tips to Making the Most of Your 30s   Your 20s were about playing hard- finding yourself and taking risks and discovering your path. Your 30s are about hard work and laying down foundations. But it’s easy to get swept up with work, relationships, and family life and forget the most important things. Here are a few tips to help you fend off a case of the regrets.1. Stay on MessageSuccess isn’t just measured in money and accumulated stuff. And choosing a career that seems safe and lucrative now can lead to feelings of meaninglessness later. You’ve spent your 20s figuring out who you are. Now spend your 30s developing your purpose, and make following that purpose your number one obsession. It will get you out of the rat race and onto your own course, with your own personal finish line to sprint towards.2. Set Yourself UpBig spender? The bad habits you picked up in your 20s are carrying over- maybe even getting worse now that you’re making a bit more money. Rather than spending all of your surplus income on luxuries and treats, remember that every dollar you save now can grow and actually earn you more security later on.3. Make MemoriesJust because these are your primo working years doesn’t mean you should be working all the time. Make sure you carve out space in your schedule for maintaining important relationships with your family and friends. Keeping loved ones close can be very fulfilling and can even make you more productive.4. Pay Back Your ParentsDon’t take your biggest fans for granted. In building a life for yourself, it’s easy to lose track of time. Don’t forget, however, that your parents aren’t getting any younger, and they won’t be around forever. Make sure you carve out a bit of time to spend with them.5. Stay HealthyYou can’t get away with the bad habits or the junk food of your 20s anymore. Exercise, eat right, limit stress, and keep control of your vices. Set yourself up for success- and have the energy to enj oy it!6. Don’t Wait Until You’re ReadyThere’s never a perfect time to start a family, and no one is ever totally prepared. Don’t wait until you feel perfectly ready to have a child, or you’ll be waiting forever and one day it will be too late.7. Have FunDon’t spend the early part of your adulthood working too much and chasing money. Life is meant to be shared and enjoyed. Go on dates with your partner, start a family, go on trips, spend time with your friends. You might have all the money in the world, but it won’t be worth a thing if you are too miserable to enjoy it.The 7 Biggest Career and Life Mistakes You Can Make in Your 30s

Business Plan for the coffee shop Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Plan for the coffee shop - Coursework Example Direct competitors include Starbucks, Pref A Manger, Costa, and other coffee shops in the London region. Indirect competitors include bars and restaurants who sell milkshakes and coffee. Saturation in London has prompted key coffee chains to expand regionally. Despite retaining their outlet growth, this has resulted to downward pressure on sales and increased competition. The year 2004 witnessed key coffee shop brands picking off major high traffic sites thus leveraging their powerful brands to compete with other independents and formats. Caffe Nero, Costa, and Starbucks remain to be the dominant players in the United Kingdom coffee shop markets. In 2004, the main competitor was Starbucks and it has more than 400 outlets.2 However, in 2010, Costa Coffee became the market leader and it is the current UK’s preferred coffee shop.3 The coffee shop has competitive advantage over the competitor’s coffee shops. This is because of its good customer service, good location, and g ood product quality and various choices in terms of the interior. Industry Analysis After oil, coffee is the second most traded product in the world. The milkshake and coffee market is highly competitive. The coffee and milkshake market is dominated by international brands such as Starbucks and Costa. Project Cafe10 UK research has revealed that the UK coffee shop market sales have grown by 12 percent in 2010 and branded coffee shop segments such as Pret, Caffe Nero, Costa, and Starbucks recording 1.94 billion Sterling pounds in revenue. Venue choice among the consumers has increased and these venues include non-specialist operators, independents, and branded chains; in 2010, the venues comprised over 14,022 outlets. The market,... The report intends to examine short term and long term aims and objectives such as to make the coffee shop known in the area and gain competitive advantage; to increase customer awareness by 30 percent within a period of three months; to achieve sales worth  £85,000 within a period of one year; to open over 10 shops around the united kingdom within five years; to gain at least 3 percent share of the market within a period of seven years. In order to analyze the business environments, various business analysis tools such as SWOT, competitor analysis, industry analysis etc will be included in the paper. The focus of the coffee shop is on quality and price of the product. The main forms of advertising to be used include online advertising and brand advertising. Online advertising makes use of the internet to advertise the product. Mass media has not proved to be an effective method of advertising. Online advertising is used by most corporations because of its efficiency and cost effec tiveness. On the other hand, brand advertising entails gaining the confidence of the market about a particular product. Its aim is to manipulate demand for a particular product. Unique selling proposition will also be used to advertise the product. Unique selling proposition makes use of a unique ‘slogan’ for a particular product in order to differentiate it from the competitor’s product. The unique selling proposition for the coffee shop is â€Å"Quality and Service to Suit Your Tastes.†

Sex Education in Schools and Home Research Paper

Sex Education in Schools and Home - Research Paper Example On the other hand, teachers too fail to touch on sex related issues when educating teenagers believing it is the responsibility of their parents and guardians to educate these growing youth about sex education. At the end of the day, teenagers remain in darkness, without knowledge about sex, or even the slightest clue to what pertains to sexual education. Their curiosity to try out new things without a guiding hand ends up in even more dreadful results, such as early pregnancies and school dropouts. As such, this research paper seeks to explore various peer-reviewed journals discussing issues related to sex education, as well as, evaluate how various institutions approach this issue about sex among the youth (Brown, Dunn, Newby & Wallace, 2012). What are Parents really saying then they talk with Their Children about Sexuality? American Journal of Sexuality Education This article explores the communication that exists between parents and their children about sex and sexuality. A resea rch carried out on a number of parents within the United States revealed that parents took an authoritarian tone whenever speaking to their children about sexuality. ... Some of the reasons given by these parents on their indecision to discuss sexuality with their children were religious influences and cultural backgrounds, alongside distinct patterns of communication. Some religions forbid open discussion of sexuality, as they consider it as a sacred matter only for the married couples. On the other hand, a qualitative analysis on these parents revealed that these parents sometimes focused on specific issues when discussing sexuality with their children, such as early pregnancies, STDs/STIs, HIV/AIDS virus, and other adversities related to premature sexuality. As such, the lack of sexual orientation, as well as the lack of parental knowledge and support of sexuality, leads these children to exploring murky waters, hence coming out scotched and bruised from their actions (Cox, Gagnon, McDonalds, Meglio, Mitchelle & Rennick, 2011). Asking to Listen: Towards a Youth Perspective on Sexual Health Education and Needs, Sex Education This article explores t he perspectives of the youth in relation to sexual health education and needs within a Canadian province. This article seeks to impart some sense of responsibility among the youth by giving them power to take control of their sexual health behavior. As such, participating youths to this program learnt measures of how to take control of their sexuality, as well as develop a number of preventive skills towards the sexual risks involved in premature sexuality. This control and prevention skills over sexuality were particularly important in areas suffering from socioeconomic disparities. Statistics show that the rate of active sexuality is very high in areas with low socioeconomic standings as compared to the areas that live in affluence. For example, girl growing up in the

Abu Dhabi Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Abu Dhabi - Essay Example Its economic strength supersedes the world-wide financial crisis that had unfavourable effects in other regions. Its demography is characterized by almost 8-10 million inhabitants and a portentously ethnologically diverse populace. Its populace consists of Americans, Arabians, and Asian nationals. In terms of governance, the emirate has maintained a hereditary form of governance since its inception. Its executive council that largely constitutes of the ruling family members is the main decision-making organ in Abu Dhabi. In the last 10 years, Abu Dhabi has had noteworthy infrastructure and erection of major attractions. This has had substantial changes in the performance of the economy in the last decade. For instance, the occupancy rate in Dubai and Abu Dhabi has increased noticeably and the tourism rate has steadily intensified (Algethami, 2013). Abu Dhabi demonstrates a spot-on characterisation of distinction bearing in mind its enthralling past. The past ten years have been characterized by a massive influx of expatriates because it is considered a tax-haven. All its recent projects are more awesome than the one previously built. Previously, the labour force was based on the oil-based segment and was relatively underdeveloped. The nature of professions available was not diversified and were limited to a specific sector. However, the recent developments by subsidiaries means that more jobs are obtainable and the economy is open (ADCED, 2012). Lesser taxes and attractive infrastructure encourage investments in other sectors that are not oil-related. Abu Dhabi has strict laws that guide the importation of specific goods. Importers should familiarize themselves with these laws. In 2013, the value of imports into Abu Dhabi increased by 42.5 percent (Pantin, 2009, p. 1). This increase was supported by increased shipments of building materials, industrial equipment and machinery (Oxford Business Group, 2010, p. 21). Abu Dhabi’s non-oil exports were worth AED

E-business models Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

E-business models - Essay Example HTML code is the underpinning of every button that one clicks, every link one sees, how every link works, how every link leads to other pages, and how graphics and text are displayed on a page. Using a complex structure based upon how a page is organized and read, HTML code basically has several different elements which make it a valuable and widely-read and widely-accessible computer language, even for people who are not advanced coders by any means. HTML helps one distinguish where the header of a page is, where the footer of a page is, and other elements such as where paragraphs, graphics, and any buttons should be put on the page. Any kind of features that would be displayed on a website’s pages must be written into the HTML code, otherwise they won’t show up on the pages themselves. HTML code, therefore, is the bread and butter with which the Internet is composed. For, if we didn’t have HTML, there would be no ways to code in and allow for certain new elemen ts to be present on the web pages. Now, what if certain things had to be added onto the web page that had never been added before? In this case, we would have to build in some type of elements into the code that would allow for new features to be added onto the web pages. ... E-Payment ? -Online Credit Card Hosts Online credit card hosts basically take credit card numbers for clients or customers that are utilizing their services. â€Å"In general there is no obligation on hosts to take formal identification of their subscribers. Where the host charges for Internet access, it is probable that credit card details will have been taken and checked† (Reed, 2004, pp. 142). Basically, online credit card hosts have to have a number of detailed security checks that ensure that the people who are accessing these hosts are legitimate individuals and not people who have some type of skullduggery up their sleeves. Identity thieves will stop at nothing in order to fleece people of their hard-earned money, and, in short—separate them from it, ultimately. So, what online credit card hosts have to do is ensure that there are multiple security checks and code words entered—in some cases—in order to verify the identity of the person who is tryi ng to access the account. Of course, it only makes sense that online credit card hosts with more prestige probably have access to more online resources in order to make their systems safer. Therefore, the highest-quality card will probably offer the best protection, without a doubt. - Debit Card Consumer Protection ? Debit card consumer protection—in the past—has not been very good, but it is slowly improving. â€Å"In spite of the fact that there are difficulties involved in the use of debit cards, it is heartening to note that two big institutions in the USA have voluntarily extended some amount of credit card protection to [debit card owners]† (Gurusamy, 2009, pp. 58). In fact, debit card fraud is prosecuted more harshly even than credit card debt that is accrued fraudulently. This

Greenpeace Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Greenpeace - Research Paper Example It seeks to expose global environmental problems and their causes†. Greenpeace conducts research and studies regarding environment issues and convey it to public and carry out protest to promote environmental peace. Greenpeace also boycotts companies which pollute environment and cause damage to it. â€Å"Greenpeace believes we need a thorough and radical overhaul of present international and national agricultural policies.   You can help urging your Representatives to pass laws that protect our health and eliminate genetic engineering† The key issue of Greenpeace is the protection of environment and preservation of wild life in order to maintain the balance of ecosystem. In the website (Lovelady) mentions that, â€Å"Greenhouse has a presence within 40 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific. Greenpeace focuses on the most critical global threats to biodiversity and environment†. Green peace also has focus prominently on global warming, fossil depletion and deforestation. It has influenced the industries worldwide to take action against the carbon emission which leads to â€Å"green house effect†. In order to act against green house emission Greenpeace have been continuously advocating the use of environmental friendly energy sources. Another key interest of Green peace is the campaign against the testing of nuclear weapons. It insists on U.S, Britain and Soviet Union to sign a nuclear ban treaty to promote global peace. As per (Vedder,85) â€Å"Green peace is committed to the principles of non – violence, political independence and internationalism†. Greenpeace is working towards the ending of environmental degradation with help of voluntary donation from individual supporters. Greenpeace does not accept any monetary assistance from government nor does it accepts donations which compromise on its integrity, objective or independence. Greenpeace is extremely transparent in its working system and provides information to the

Leibniz's Conception of Substance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Leibniz's Conception of Substance - Essay Example Such full understand is beyond the grasp of our finite minds, but is not beyond the grasp of God Any object in the universe is connected in some way or another. Every substance is like an entire world and like a mirror of God, or indeed of the whole world which it portrays, each one in its own fashion. Each substance reflects all the others. No substance can really cause any change in any other. What happens to be causal interaction among substances is really a "pre-established harmony" among them, reflecting the fact that God created each one with an eye to all the rest. The identity of indiscernibles - of all the harmoniously evolving substances in the universe, no two are alike in every respect. If any two were completely alike, they would be one substance rather than two. The mere possibility of these other worlds defeats the implication that whatever happens in our world is necessary. Leibniz's view rule out human freedom. God has decreed that "the will shall always seek the apparent good in certain particular respects. He, without at all necessitating our choice, determines it by that which appears most desirable". Whatever we do stems from our own will, and is done in pursuit of our vision of the good. Hence, anything we do is our own responsibility. God inclines our soul without necessitating them. Leibniz was dissatisfied with the way Descartes and Spin... To say, as Descartes did, that there are two independent substances - thought and extension - was to produce the impossible dilemma of trying to explain how those two substances interact as body and mind either in human beings or in God. Spinoza had tried to solve the dilemma by saying that there is only one substance with two knowable attributes, though and extension. But to reduce all reality to a single substance was to lose the distinction between the various elements in nature. To be sure, Spinoza spoke of the world as consisting of many modes in which the attributes of thought and expression appear. Still, Spinoza's monism was a pantheism in which God was everything and everything was [art of everything else. To Leibniz, this conception of substance was inadequate because it blurred the distinctions among God, humans, and nature each of which Leibniz wanted to keep separate. Paradoxically, Leibniz accepted Spinoza's single-substance theory and his mechanical model of the universe. However, he presented such a unique theory of this one substance that he was able to speak of the individuality of persons, the transcendence of God, and the reality of purpose and freedom in the universe. Extension versus Force. Leibniz challenged the fundamental assumption upon which both Descartes and Spinoza had built their theory of substance, namely, extension implies three-dimensional size and shape. Descartes assumed that extension refers to material substance that is extended in space and is not divisible into something more primary. Spinoza, too, considered extension as an irreducible material attribute of God and Nature. Leibniz disagreed. Observing that the bodies or things we see with our senses are divisible into

Greenpeace Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Greenpeace - Research Paper Example It seeks to expose global environmental problems and their causes†. Greenpeace conducts research and studies regarding environment issues and convey it to public and carry out protest to promote environmental peace. Greenpeace also boycotts companies which pollute environment and cause damage to it. â€Å"Greenpeace believes we need a thorough and radical overhaul of present international and national agricultural policies.   You can help urging your Representatives to pass laws that protect our health and eliminate genetic engineering† The key issue of Greenpeace is the protection of environment and preservation of wild life in order to maintain the balance of ecosystem. In the website (Lovelady) mentions that, â€Å"Greenhouse has a presence within 40 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific. Greenpeace focuses on the most critical global threats to biodiversity and environment†. Green peace also has focus prominently on global warming, fossil depletion and deforestation. It has influenced the industries worldwide to take action against the carbon emission which leads to â€Å"green house effect†. In order to act against green house emission Greenpeace have been continuously advocating the use of environmental friendly energy sources. Another key interest of Green peace is the campaign against the testing of nuclear weapons. It insists on U.S, Britain and Soviet Union to sign a nuclear ban treaty to promote global peace. As per (Vedder,85) â€Å"Green peace is committed to the principles of non – violence, political independence and internationalism†. Greenpeace is working towards the ending of environmental degradation with help of voluntary donation from individual supporters. Greenpeace does not accept any monetary assistance from government nor does it accepts donations which compromise on its integrity, objective or independence. Greenpeace is extremely transparent in its working system and provides information to the

Political Philosophy and Machiavelli Essay Example for Free

Political Philosophy and Machiavelli Essay And if all men were good, this teaching would not be good; but because they are wicked and do not observe faith with you, you also do not have to observe it with them (69). Niccolo Machiavellis The Prince is arguably the most famous and controversial political science book of all time. Many think of Machiavelli as synonymous with evil. The father of the idea that the ends will always justify the means, the term Machiavellian has become connected with selfish, brutal, or immoral actions. Machiavelli has long been associated with totalitarianism, conquest, and tyranny. But is this label deserved? Is The Prince a book that expresses evil? Many argue that Machiavelli is not a teacher of evil, but bases his teachings on a pragmatic realism that has long been a part of politics. He would certainly not be the first to have such a view, and he is certainly not the last. In promoting his realistic view of power and politics, Machiavelli does not teach evil, instead, he uses necessity and practicality as the criteria in which his thought is based on. In this way we see that he does not put the matter of good or evil as a priority in his actions, but uses practical methods to make his choice in each instance as to what is necessary and beneficial. Through the exploration of the basis for Machiavellis treatment of ethics and his agenda for writing The Prince we see that his teachings are not evil, but based on political pragmatism and necessity. He himself makes it clear as he advises the Prince on how to be able to do what is necessary whether it is good or evil. And so he needs to have a spirit to change as the winds of fortune and variations of things commanded him, and as I said above, not depart from good, when possible, but know how to enter into evil, when forced by necessity (70). Machiavelli treats morality and prudence not as guides for a Prince, but as tools to use for political gain. In this way we see that Machiavelli is not preaching evil, which would be to encourage the opposite of virtue and morality, but to use them in different ways depending on the situation. Virtue is a key concept when discussing moral living and actions, and vice is the opposite of virtue. The concepts of virtue and vice are age-old ideas ingrained within human society. But the traditional view of virtue and vice, laid out by such thinkers as Aristotle and Plato, is changed to fit the pursuit of power in Machiavellians The Prince. Classic virtue comes from a criterion based on just and beneficial interaction, while pursuing an end, within a civil society. This interaction can involve the impact of an individual on another individual, a citizen and a state, or even an impact an individual has upon himself. Thus a man who sacrifices his life to save his friend, city, or beliefs is thought of as virtuous. On the other hand the reciprocal of this action would be vice, a man who sacrifices his friend, city or beliefs to preserve his life may be viewed as possessing a vice. Virtue finds its anchor in morality and ethics, and upholds that, it is focused on preserving qualities like justice and harmony. The change in the Machiavellian code of morality comes as a result as result of an entire shift in what the foundation of this morality is built on, namely the ends being pursued. The Machiavellian concept of virtue not only divorces virtue completely from its ethical foundation, but places it on a foundation of ability to execute what is necessary in order to achieve what is desired. In this case what is desired is power, which is to be strictly maintained and used to achieve glorious ends, whatever they may be. From this foundation of the pursuit and maintenance of power comes the Machiavellian outlook on everything else, and is the reason in which he is able to separate ethics from politics. Morality in its classical sense would only serve to get in the way of power and prudence; it creates unnecessary dilemmas between what is politically necessary and morally correct, interfering with being a wise ruler. Therefore the Prince must take the necessary actions regardless of their moral ramifications. ? [If] one considers everything well, one will find something that appears to be virtue, which if pursued would be ones ruin, and something else appears to be vice, which if pursued results in ones security and well-being (62). Machiavelli removes the foundation of prudence and virtue from morality, and reinterprets them in regards to necessity and power. Correct policy within The Prince is based on the Machiavellian conception of virtue and prudence. Stemming from this, Machiavelli at times refers to virtue and prudence in their classical definitions, pertaining to high morality, and just actions. But at other times in The Prince, he refers to them as directly pertaining to the proper execution of power. For example he often compares a rulers success, not morality, with virtue. No matter how brutal the ruler, if he is able to hold power well then he is virtuous. Prudence is thought of as being careful, observant and logical in the classical sense. But Machiavelli uses it to describe a ruler who is very sharp, decisive, and makes the correct choices. A prudent lord, therefore, cannot observe faith, nor should he, when such observance turns against him, and causes that made him promise have been eliminated (69). It therefore would be prudent for a ruler to massacre a rebellion, if it meant the ultimate preservation of power. In this case necessity calls for action, even if those actions go against classical morality. A ruler, who has correct judgment and knows what is the best course of action, would take the proper measures to stop the rebellion and pay no attention to the morality of his actions. The ends in this case change the conception of the codes in which the means are to be judged by; no longer is the end such universally beneficial ideas of peace and justice, but power and conquest. Virtue and prudence to Machiavelli hold meaning only in the sense of ability and accomplishment. To Machiavelli cunning would be a virtue, as would decisiveness while wielding power. A vice for a ruler would be stupidity, or ignorance of ones own subjects. Something that is virtuous in the classical sense would only be followed if it were deemed compatible with the situation, and did not in anyway undermine the ends being pursued. The Machiavellian view is based on and around a realism seen in politics and history, and is amoral. The entire intent of the book was to write a pragmatic and realistic approach to dealing with power, not a lesson in high virtue and morality. He states, But since my intent is to write something useful to whoever understands it, it has appeared to me more fitting to go directly to the effectual truth of the thing than to the imagination of it (61). He finds that necessity is what guides most actions. ? [Because] men will always turn out bad for you unless they have been made good by a necessity(95). A military training manual written on the best way to execute killing would not go into a debate on whether or not killing is right or wrong. The manual would be almost amoral and not go into the debate, those who have already settled that debate in their minds would read it, and the same follows for The Prince. One should not associate the teachings of The Prince as something that Machiavelli himself feels is moral, just and proper, but rather what history has shown to be the ideal and efficient way to handle power. Survivor in the political world creates certain necessities, and forces individuals to undertake certain actions in order to ensure success. ? [for] it is so far from how one lives to how one should live that he who lets go of what is done for what should be done learns his ruin rather than his preservation (61). The purpose of The Prince is not a guide to being a moral Prince, but how to abide by necessity and pragmatism. Just as a purpose of the war manual would not be the ethics of killing. The manual would not debate war as a just or unjust means to an end, but instead would accept it as reality, and try to approach it with the same harsh reality. In fact the entire purpose of The Prince was to serve as a guide to restore Italy to greatness, a path that can only be achieved by power. He uses examples from throughout history of rulers who acted successfully when faced with a situation, drawing from these examples he shows the correct actions that a Prince should follow. There is no room for being a virtuous and honest ruler, as it will be at odds with the reality of political life. Because he uses realistic examples from history, we see his true pragmatic nature; his ultimate goal is the achievement of his ends, not the correct actions. Machiavelli uses the actions of past rulers whether or not they are just, as long as they prove successful for the ends being pursued. Machiavelli himself states that he has taken a realist approach, and outlines the reason as to why he has taken this approach, as being necessary and efficient. If one were to examine the way in which Machiavelli looks towards allowing freedom towards his subjects, or the treatment of honesty toward his subjects, one would conclude that Machiavelli himself was not in favor of these things. It would be a mistake to reach this conclusion, it is not so much that he is against freedom or truth, but he realizes that these things will damage and undermine ones power the goal and focus of The Prince. For a man who wants to make a profession of good in all regards must come to ruin among so many who are not good (61). Machiavelli is not favoring things that we would view as brutality, deception and in many cases evil; instead he is using them as tools in an act to obtain what he desires. Machiavelli spends much time on the behavior that a Prince should follow in order to be successful. Although Machiavelli goes through many different traits and practices a ruler should follow, the two that he deems very necessary are to be loved and to be feared. Machiavelli stresses that a ruler should seek to be loved, but above all make sure that he is not hated, because if he is hated it will ultimately be his undoing. This follows the Machiavellian line of pragmatism and necessity; it is not motivated by a lust for evil or deceit, but is something that many people who are appalled by his amorality would agree with. If Machiavelli were a teacher of evil he would never make such a statement. A leader who is feared will ultimately deter any action against him by his ability to control the actions of the people with his fear. . Morality will only serve to hamper a princes abilities. This has to be understood: that a prince, especially a new prince, cannot observe all those things for which a men are held good, since he is often under a necessity, to maintain his state, of acting against faith, against charity, against humanity, against religion. And so he needs to have a spirit disposed to change as the winds of fortune an variations of things command him? (70). The most efficient way to deal with a problem is usually not the moral way, and Machiavelli time and time again points to this as the reason in which he chooses the path he does. His book is not for idealists, and as he states idealists rarely accomplish what they want. His book is for the guidance of a Prince towards power, and the ability to maintain that power. All of these things follow the strict Machiavellian criteria of necessity for power. Whether these things are good or evil in our eyes is not the topic of discussion for Machiavelli, therefore it does not concern him, what he seeks is the necessary actions to gain and maintain power. Hence it is necessary to a prince, if he wants to maintain himself, to learn to be able not to be good, and to use this and not use it according to necessity (61). This doctrine of pragmatism within The Prince was not invented by Machiavelli, one can look at it as merely an expression of the practical political ideas of his time, and perhaps forever. We see that Machiavelli puts forth an ethics of political convenience. It does not hold to or allow itself to be hampered by morality, virtue, or Christian values, but allows them only when opportune and beneficial. The Princes doctrine supports actions including murder, deceit, and betrayal given that the Prince will benefit from it. The ethics found within Machiavelli is entirely based upon a realistic outlook upon the political world and caters to political convenience. To Machiavelli this moral code of convenience and pragmatism is a political necessity. He states that when it is politically necessary to act in accordance with a vice then one must do so in the interest of power. And furthermore one should not care about incurring the fame of those vices without which it is difficult to save ones state? (62). He holds that the world will swallow up idealists, and that it is unrealistic to expect someone to exercise morality when dealing with a political situation, or their enemies. Through the exploration of the basis for Machiavellis treatment of ethics and his agenda for writing The Prince we see that his teachings are not evil, but based on political pragmatism and necessity. Machiavelli treats morality and prudence not as guides for a Prince, but as tools to use for political gain. By removing the foundation of prudence and virtue from morality, he reinterprets them in regards to necessity and power. The amoral Machiavellian view centers on a realism seen in politics and history. The entire purpose of The Prince is not a guide to being a morally, but a guide to necessity and pragmatism. This doctrine of pragmatism within The Prince was not invented by Machiavelli, but used masterfully by him to craft a powerful instructional book on power. The concept of morality is not attacked or thrown away, but put aside and only referred to or used when necessary. In the real world few will be honest, or moral, so it becomes necessary for one to also set these things aside as it will conflict with ones ends. This is the reality of politics and Machiavelli recognizes this and refers to it many times in the book as the reason to why he chooses the path he does and not out of evil or some wish for deceitful actions. Political reality deems his method necessary, thus it is a realistic and pragmatic way to approach the subject.

Contemporary approaches to marketing

Contemporary approaches to marketing Introduction Addressing the above topic, this essay aims to bring out the main points regarding the applicability of the marketing mix in the contemporary marketing world. To start with the evolution of marketing and marketing management concept is spoken about, moving on to explaining the marketing mix theory, its drawbacks and the evolution of services marketing leading to a new marketing approach i.e. relationship marketing. Then an evaluation between the two approaches has been undertaken to conclude by emphasizing the importance of the prevailing approach as well as the new approach. The very initial study of marketing emphasized on the allocation and trading of commodities and manufactured goods and found its basics in economics (Marshall 1927 as cited in Vargo, Lusch 2004). Attention was focussed on commodities exchange, the establishment which made goods available and arranged for handing over control of the goods, and the basic functions that were required to help in the exchange transactions (Vargo and Lusch 2004). The study of managerial marketing developed in the early 1950s. During this time managerial theorists defined marketing management as a process of decision making or problem-solving. This approach emerged out of the traditional sales approach and became a broadly accepted function of business stressing on the basics like product planning and developing, pricing, promoting and distributing (Webster, Jr. 1992). These fundamental functions, to supply goods to final consumers and satisfy their needs formed the marketing mix. Evolution and concept of marketing mix The concept of marketing mix was set up in 1960 by McCarthy and the mix of factors was labelled as the four Ps. As defined by Kotler in his book Marketing Management, Marketing mix is the set of marketing tools that the firm uses to pursue its marketing objectives in the target market. McCarthy classified these tools into four broad groups: Product, price, place, promotion (Kotler 2000 p.15). The four Ps symbolise the outlook of the sellers. Robert Lauterborn (1990) recommended four Cs, customer solution, customer cost, convenience, communication, from the customers view to which each P would convey a specific benefit. The theoretical value of the Mix is also underlined by the widely held view that the framework constitutes one of the pillars of the influential Managerial School of Marketing (Kotler 1967; Sheth et al. 1988 as cited in Constantinides 2006). The importance of this tool can be understood by the above statement. The concept of the marketing mix being easy to understand, practice and teach, positioned itself to become the unchallenged universal marketing model and much of further marketing studies evolved with this concept as their basis, making a tremendous impact on the practical world. Drawbacks of the Four Ps Theory On the flip side, the marketing mix approach is based on typical situations which do not fit well in other markets. It was basically formulated for the North American milieu, with packaged goods, aggressive distribution, strong media presence and huge markets, consumers just becoming numbers for marketers, and not presenting an actual situation (Gronroos 1994). Van Waterschoot and Bulte (1992 p.85) also brought out three defects in the Four P model; The properties or characteristics that are the basis for classification have not been identified. The categories are not mutually exclusive. There is a catch-all subcategory that is continually growing. Another disadvantage is that the marketing mix is production oriented, i.e., it focuses on the product and not on the consumer who is the actual end user (Gronroos 1994). For example if Nokia makes a mobile which is very heavy, slow, and does not have the latest features that consumers require, all marketing strategies based on the four Ps , product, price, place, promotion would fail to sell the product, since it is not what the customers want. Here comes in the need for newer marketing approaches, focussing on the needs and wants of customers. A major disadvantage of this approach is that there is no interrelation between the 4 variables of the mix. Every variable or P has a separate working department and plan with no coordination (Yudelson 1999). Not just that, this approach alienates the rest of the organisation from the marketing aspect, and thus distances them from the voice of the customer (Gronroos 1994). Goods to Service dominant logic Over these years there has been a shift from a goods dominated economy to a services, skills, knowledge and processes economy (Vargo and Lusch). As a consequence, the ways in which businesses are carried on and maintained have changed drastically and gradually alongside, various other marketing theories have evolved. From the functional view of marketing mix management our focus has extended to the strategic role of marketing, aspects of service marketing, political dimensions of channel management, interactions in industrial networks; to mention just a few evolving trends (Moller 1992 as cited in Gronroos 1994 p. 7; Constantinides). Service Marketing These changes have also led to a growth in competition. To deal with this, it is essential to recognize the importance of services which can be offered with the core product to add extra value to it and result in competitive advantage (Gronroos 2007). Service marketing grew out of this need. As defined by Gronroos in his book, service marketing is to make customers use the service processes and implement these processes in a way that makes customers perceive that value is created in their processes (p.55). Firms with a service orientation have to centre their attention to the relation with their consumers and other stakeholders. For example, United Airlines throws parties for their privileged customers, where they are informed about the airlines forthcoming services (Holbrook and Hulbert 2002). With growth in service, three supplementary Ps, people, physical evidence and process have also been put forward (Booms and Bitner 1982 as cited in Gronroos 2002) to address customer needs bet ter. Relationship Marketing Therefore, relationship marketing has grown to become a requirement for achieving success in a service market, and a concentration on customer relationship and customer retention has become a crucial need (Gronroos 2007). Marketing is to establish, maintain, and enhance relationships with customers and other partners, at a profit, so that the objectives of the parties involved are met. This is achieved by a mutual exchange and fulfilment of promises. This is the definition of relationship marketing (Gronroos 1994 p.9). Though relationship marketing is in its early years as a conventional marketing paradigm, its significance can be identified to great degree. On the basis of marketing dimensions, relationship marketing encompasses Database marketing, Interaction marketing and Network marketing. Coviello in his journal says, that relationship marketing does not conform only to industrial and service marketing, it relates to all firms including packaged good firms, since it is imperativ e to maintain customer relations in other firms as well (Coviello et al. 1997). The consequence of relationship marketing is that by creating a long-term relationship, two individuals or companies with time discover, understand and conform to the others need better and this eventually benefits both. Marketing Mix vs Relationship Marketing To understand the changing business environment as well as the probable marketing strategies, Gronroos created a continuum, where transaction marketing is positioned on one end and relational marketing on the other end. The main point of difference between the two approaches is that where relationship marketing spotlights on maintaining relations with customers, over a long time period, transaction marketing deals with a single exchange covering a shorter time frame (Gronroos 1994). Therefore it can be said that not in all situations but, generally packaged good businesses will gain from a transaction approach since it is a one-time effort and revolves around a single transaction. On the other hand service based businesses will gain maximum from a relationship approach, since their business revolves around providing services which are continually needed. Examples of relationship marketing based companies are Dell and Apple, who manufacture customised computers and laptops. Changed meaning of the Marketing Mix variables As spoken about above, there has been a dominant shift from goods to a service economy. Earlier the main aim of an organisation was to sell a product to satisfy the needs of the consumers and to make profit. But now, it is not about the product that is provided, rather it is about the total value or utility that it provides to the consumer (Vargo and Lusch). As it is correctly said, the true essence of the customer-centricity paradigm lies not in how to sell products but rather on creating value for the customer and, in the process, creating value for the firm (Boulding et al. 2005 as cited in Shah et al. 2006 p.115). For example, a mobile phone with the latest features would not be of much use to a person who does not know how to use those feature and would provide the same utility as that of an older version. Thus, augmenting the product is not enough, further service such as tutorials in order to help understand the features are required. When the traditional theory was formed, the marketing mix focussed on just the core product and thus price-sensitivity was a major issue. Now with services marketing evolving the value of the product/service is perceived based on the overall value created. Thus for consumers now price is not as sensitive an issue as it used to be (Gronroos 1994). In earlier times place was an important deciding factor for the sale of a product, since transport and communication were difficult. But in the present, with development of such networks, we are globally connected, through mediums such as internet, mobile phones, etc. Even business transactions are now carried on the internet, thus the place factor which forms a part of the marketing mix has now become less relevant. For, example to shop for a Gucci bag earlier we had to go to the store, and it location mattered but now we can purchase and pay for it on the internet, regardless of where the store is situated. Thus, Process is a better label for this essential component of the marketing mix (Yudelson 1999). A relationship marketing approach helps firms to setup a real-time database system which would provide updated information about its clients and their levels of contentment for the products or services provided (Gronroos 1994). To get such extensive information in the marketing mix approach is not possible since the marketers of such organisations dont directly connect with the customers; instead they rely on heavy promotion to sell the products. But in the present times promotion comes second to serving the needs and wants of the customers. Conclusion Practically 40 years later, since the time the Marketing Mix concept emerged in 1960, marketing scholars are pondering over the sufficiency of this marketing approach. There have been rapid changes in business operations due to change in technology and globalisation and it can be said that transactional marketing alone cannot keep up with this transformation. Nevertheless it is evident that no adequate replacement has been known for the marketing mix approach. With the developments in marketing, McCarthys Four P theory must be reviewed to help build on the previous theory and leap to the future. Flexibility, not insurrection or revolt is the best way to come to terms with the changes. The benefit of making changes in the existing thought rather than creating a completely new notion is the fact that the Marketing mix paradigm concentrates on the basics of marketing. Thus any new evolving marketing theory must take into account these basics. Relationship Marketing although is a new eme rging paradigm but it cannot function without the basics of the 4 Ps or the marketing mix, since only maintaining relations is enough for a business to flourish. Once the product and its pricing, placing and promotion strategies are developed, maintaining relations to retain the customer is the spot on approach. Therefore, keeping marketing mix approach as the base, relationship marketing or any other contemporary approach must be applied for achieving the best results. References Constantinides, E. (2006), The Marketing Mix Revisited: Towards the 21st Century Marketing, Journal of Marketing, Vol.22, pp. 407-438. Coviello, E. N., Brodie, J. R., Munro, J. H. (1997), Understanding Contemporary Marketing: Development of a Classification Scheme, Journal of Marketing Management, Vol.13, pp. 501-522. Gronroos, C. (1994), From Marketing Mix to Relationship Marketing: Towards a Paradigm Shift in Marketing, Management Decision, MCB University Press Limited, Vol.32 (2), pp. 4-20. Gronroos, C., Service Management and Marketing, Third Edition, John Wiley and Sons, Ltd. pp.1-22, 51-70. Gronroos, C. (2002), Marketing? Toward a Relationship Marketing Paradigm, The Marketing Review, Swedish School of Economics and Business Administration, Vol. 3, pp.129-146. Holbrook, B. M., Hulbert, M. J. (2002), Elegy on the Death of Marketing, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 36 (5/6), pp.706-744. Kotler, P., Marketing Management, Millenium Edition, Prentice Hall International, Inc. pp.1-32. Lauterborn, R. (1990), New Marketing Litany: 4 Ps Passe; C Words Take Over, Advertising Age, Crain Communications, Inc. pp.26. Shah, D., Rust, T. R., Parasuraman, A., Staelin, R., and Day, S. G., (2006), Path to Customer Centricity, Journal of Service Research, Vol. 9, pp 113-124. Van Waterschoot, W., Van den Bulte, C. (1992), The 4P Classification of the Marketing Mix Revisited, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 56, pp.83-93. Vargo, L. S., Lusch, F. R. (2004), Evolving to a New Dominant Logic for Marketing, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 68, pp.1-17. Webster, F. E., Jr. (1992), The Changing Role of Marketing in the Corporation, Journal of Marketing, American Marketing Association, Vol. 56 (4), pp.1-17. Yudelson, J. (1999), Adapting Mccarthys Four Ps for the Twenty-First Century, Journal of Marketing Education, Sage Publishers, Vol.21 (60), pp. 60-67.

Linear Feedback Shift Registers Essay -- Computers, Cryptography

Abstract: Linear Feedback Shift Registers (LFSRs) are considered powerful methods for generating pseudo-random bits in cryptography algorithm applications. In this paper it is shown that the linear dependencies in the generated random bit sequences can be controlled by adding a chaotic logistic map to the LFSR’s systems. The structure of the LFSR’s output sequence in combination with a chaotic map is analyzed and proved to have at least as much uniformity than the corresponding set for the linear components individually. In order to understand that using the proposed PRBG is reliable in secure algorithms, the NIST suite test have been taken on the proposed method, finally to compare the proposed PRNG output sequence features with the two types of LFSRs (Fibonacci and Galois). Keywords: Linear Feedback Shift Register, Random Number, Chaotic Map, NIST. 1. Introduction In the modern world of computers, network security is the main concern which relies on the use of cryptography algorithms. high quality random number generation is a basic subject of cryptography algorithms and the importance of a secure random number generator design cannot be underestimated. Most common generation techniques about RNGs involve truly random and pseudorandom number generators. For a brief introduction in various types of RNGs: Truly Random Number Generators (RNGs) is a computer algorithm, which generates a sequence of statistically independent random numbers. Actually these generators require a naturally occurring source of randomness phenomena (i.e. as a non-deterministic system). Most practical implementations design a hardware device or a software program based on RNGs to produce a bit sequence which is statistically independent. Pseud... ...3245, 0.9966745]; so the p-values of our purposed method is in this interval and then the 15 tests of the NIST suite have been passed as shown In Fig. 6. Fig. 6. NIST test result (Red is the Proposed PRNG, Blue represents Galois and Green is Fibonacci) 6. Conclusion In this paper we presented a novel method to generate random bit sequence by combination of LFSR’s system and chaotic logistic map and it has been proved in a reliable theorem. At the end, we compared it with the same other methods such as Fibonacci LFSR and Galois LFSR, and the result was shown in table 1. Acknowledgments The author wish to thank the editor Professor G.Najafpour, Dr. H.Hassanpour and my teacher Mr. H.Rahimov for their valuable comments. In the end should be appreciated the efforts of Shahrood University of Technology’s ITC research center.

Canadian Law Enforcement Essay -- Technology, Tasers

â€Å"Taser Changes go Ahead†, an article published in the Alberta News in February, indicates that the RCMP is moving forward and will be instituting some previously described changes into its 2011 Police Manual framework. The framework is currently being reviewed and will later be reviewed and approved by the Albertan Solicitor General. The 16 recommendations made by the Braidwood inquiry, including yearly re-trainings, monthly quality and adherence audits, as well as updated procedures based on the minimization of any potentially adverse health effects to the subject, should be reflected in the final version of the manual for 2011. This establishment of the project by the Alberta Solicitor General demonstrates a significant attempt towards improvement over previous perspectives on the dangers of Conductive Energy Weapons, commonly known as Tasers. As a result, it is clear that improvements to the issues of adverse health effects, design flaws within the device itself and po lice policies must be instituted within the Canadian society. The issue of Conductive Energy Devices (CED), synonymously known as Conductive Energy Weapons (CEW), has been at the forefront since the introduction of the devices to the Canadian Market in 2001. The device most popularly known as a Taser has been allegedly responsible for numerous deaths caused by excessive use, flaws in the design, and lack of police training. Moreover, since the increased media coverage of the issue by non profit organizations such as Amnesty International, which began in late 2007, and the Canadian Civil Liberities Association in 2010 the use of such weapons has undergone significant change within the implementation of the device by police, codes of conduct governing CED equipp... ... number of Taser reported issues in the past decade. In conclusion, it is clear that albeit the Taser technology in its infant stage encountered many problems the fact that such a technology has not been taken off the market stands as a testament to its utility to law enforcement agencies worldwide. Furthermore, albeit the problem is complicated, time sensitive and requires significant mobilization of state resources and public participation as well as deaths of innocent civilians the issue is resolvable. As occurred in the past history of Taser failures the technology can and will be revamped whilst the society must catch up to fully optimize its utilization of the technology to achieve its goal. In the case of Tasers it is to provide a non lethal alternative to apprehend suspects, saving lives every step of the way, suspect and innocent alike.

Divergent Book Review

From the edge of apocalypse, humanity has reorganized itself into five factions, each of which preserve and live by a single value. People who believe society fell apart because of greed formed the faction of Abnegation (the Selfless), sworn off of practices considered self-indulgent and pledged to act selflessly. Those who believe the collapse was due to ignorance pledged themselves to the Erudite (the Intelligent), sworn to a never-ending path of complete knowledge acquisition. Those who feel that human duplicity wreaked havoc in the world took the banner of Candor (the Honest), pledging to always speak their minds and the truth.Those who feel that aggression was the root of society’s collapse became the members of Amity (the Peaceful), taking the mantle of peace at all costs. And finally, those who feel that the root of all their problems stemmed from cowardliness formed the tribe of the Dauntless (the Brave), the faction of the courageous and strong. Born into a Abnegation family, Beatrice (the main character) has lived her life trying to preserve the values of her parents. Wearing grey clothing, the required style of her faction, Beatrice wants to be as selfless as the rest of her family, but faction beliefs, do not come naturally to her.Torn between her love of her family and following her heart, Beatrice struggles in her Abnegation faction. Observing the chaos of the Dauntless children as they jump from running trains on the way to school, Beatrice feels conflicted. Society orders that each year, all sixteen-year-olds must take an aptitude test, which determines the faction they are most suited for. The test is followed by a â€Å"Choosing Ceremony†, where each person must decide which faction they would stay in for the rest of their lives, living under the guideline of â€Å"Faction Before Blood. † Beatrice's aptitude results are undecided.It is revealed to her, in secret, that she is one of a very rare branch of the population: a D ivergent. Her tests show that she does not fall into one of the five factions, but displays traits from three factions: Erudite, Abnegation, and Dauntless. Having been taught at an early age, by her father, of the ruthless ways of the Erudite faction, she immediately rules out that faction. When her time to choose arrives, she follows her heart and chooses to be selfish but brave, abandoning her family and choosing Dauntless. Initiation soon begins, leading to major changes for her, including renaming herself â€Å"Tris†.With only ten spots available in the faction and more than double that number of hopefuls, Tris get through a difficult initiation trial and discovers what she is truly made of, and what it means to be Divergent, including the dangers of the name. She confronts her fears and uncovers her own wants with the help of her instructor, Tobias, also called Four. She is also befriended by Christina, Will, and Al, her fellow faction transfers. What follows is a physic al and emotional trial for Tris as she manages her secret and finds the evils of one of the other factions.

Overworked and Underpaid: The Life of a Servant Essay

$2. 85 cannot even buy one gallon of regular gas, who could imagine that that is my hourly wage. Waitresses and housekeepers are stereotypically female roles, however, people are unaware of what’s behind the smile. My jobs as a housekeeper and waitress are both tough because of the lack of pay, customer service, and dirtiness. Some jobs really don’t get the amount of pay they deserve; both housekeeping and serving would fall into this category. In Wisconsin, minimum wage of a server is less than half of standard minimum wage. Not all people are bad tippers, but it’s hard not to get discouraged when you’re making mediocre money and receiving, at best, a forty to sixty dollar paycheck every two weeks. After a slow night, a party of ten walked in just minutes before the kitchen closed. Needing money for school, I took the group, not knowing how demanding they would be. After waiting on them hand and foot, bending over backwards to give them great service, their bill amounted to over two hundred thirty dollars. As I collected their bill, they informed me of how great of an experience they had and how well of a job I had done. Upon counting the money, I found that they had left me a measly twenty five dollars for all of the effort I put in. When you go out with a bigger group to a restaurant, naturally you tip twenty percent because of the extra work it takes to wait on you. I don’t find this a problem considering the minimum amount to tip a waitress is fifteen percent, according to sources. Housekeepers, however, work at a higher pay, but not much above the minimum wage, which isn’t nearly enough compensation, considering what they have to deal with. Unlike waitressing, housekeeping requires longer hours, and more strenuous work. On average, I had ten to fifteen rooms a shift, and on top of that, at least two large loads of linens to fold. Upon receiving my paychecks, I was always disappointed at the small amount left over after taxes and other deductions. There was one instance, however, that I found twenty dollars in an empty room. Underneath it was a note saying, â€Å"Thank you! † Even though this was a rare occurrence, it was always nice knowing the recognition some of the tenants gave us for our hard work. But how much is enough? This leads me to customer service, which is a privilege, not a right. Smile and bring the customers whatever they need† the general advice given from many business owners in the service industry. This is much easier said than done. Ninety-nine percent of the people I wait on are pleasant, but there have been a handful of incidents where I had to bite my tongue in order to refrain from yelling, or even worse, quitting. A common misconception from unsatisfied restaurant customers is that the server prepares the food—our sole job is to submit a ticket to the kitchen staff what food you need so it can be served in a timely manner. I waitress at a bar and grill right on Main Street in my hometown. It receives more business from local and non-local patrons than other restaurants in the area. In reality, our kitchen is not nearly big enough to keep up with our outside patio and inside tables in the summer. There was an instance this summer during Friday night fish fry where we were completely slammed. Upon greeting my customers, I informed them there would be a wait on pizzas—seeing as that was a hot commodity for the evening. That table decided that they would wait, ordered a pizza, and wait they did. They continuously asked when their food was out during the course of their visit and grew more and more mad the more they asked. I was able to get out the food right before they almost left without even eating, they were rude to me the whole time, only because of how long the food took. Not recognizing that this was not at all my fault, they decided that it would be appropriate to not even leave me a dime on their seventy-five dollar bill. I was astonished at how inconsiderate and rude some people could be when the time of the service of the food had nothing to do with me. On the other hand, customer service can be very rewarding as well. When I house kept, I had the pleasure of making someone’s whole day by giving them a clean space to reside in. One time a toddler requested a toothbrush because he forgot his. Upon returning with his toothbrush he was so polite and just made my whole day. More times than not, customer service can be rewarding, but there’s always a little dirtiness in every job. If you thought dirty described your household or the dishes in your kitchen sink, you have no idea unless you’ve worked in a restaurant or in housekeeping. As a server, you handle hundreds of peoples’ dishes, and even more disgusting silverware, but that’s not even the tip of the iceberg; there are many other dirty situations you encounter while on the job. Over this past Labor Day weekend, in the midst of a dinner rush, a patron of the restaurant, had a little too much to drink and couldn’t get his dinner of brandy manhattans to the garbage or nearby bathroom, but instead all over my shoes. This is not the first or last time I will clean up vomit, I’m sure of it. As a housekeeper, you get a glimpse of how people live. Unfortunately, it’s the side behind closed doors that’s not such a privilege to see. I could write a book about all of the disgusting things I saw in these absolutely disastrous rooms. One weekend there was a wedding party in town, and man did they like to party. I walked into the room and the linens were the least of my worries, I had to pick used condoms off the bed and vomit from the floor. Disgusted beyond belief I was, and that feeling doesn’t include the numerous amounts of clogged toilets I had to clean†¦I don’t tend to do well with feces. This demonstrates a few different examples of why workers in these lines are underpaid, underappreciated, and unsanitary (at times). Sometimes, I really wonder if the small amount of pay, tears and stress from undeserving customers, and risk of disease (need I remind you of the condoms) is all worth it. However, then I remember that I could be unemployed and realize that I would definitely rather work. So if you’ve learned anything after reading this paper, remember to tip your service workers well, they usually always deserve it.