Tuesday, August 25, 2020

The Ministers Black Veil Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Ministers Black Veil - Essay Example Milton Stewart’s remark is wonderful in such manner, â€Å"Evil will always rule over great, for the peccable, feeble spirits of todays youth are for more canny than any of us will ever be.† Nathaniel Hawthorne has joined this topic in a portion of his works of extraordinary noteworthiness, for example, ‘The Scarlet Letter’ and ‘Young Goodman Brown’. Hawthorne through his work ‘The Minister’s Black Veil’ will in general recognize singular defect with all inclusive character of humankind utilizing an image, which shrouds the physical yet uncovers the theoretical. The short story of Hawthorne utilizes the dark shroud as an image, which picks up conspicuousness in the very title of the story. The dark cloak prevails the very plot and subject of the story. The story starts before the congregation where the burial service function of a youthful lady is being held and the priest shows up with a dark shroud covering the greater part of his face. Just his mouth and jawline were obvious and the spectators look for the purpose for it. At the point when he twists around the lady the shroud hangs to such an extent that if the corpse’s eyes are open she can see his face. This again brings up an issue about the motivation behind why he is concealing his face and what his â€Å"secret sin† is. He promptly gets the shroud with his hand to keep the face secured. Indeed, even his significant other can't find an unmistakable solution and the pastor proclaims that he is going to wear the shroud for a mind-blowing duration. Numerous pundits have sc rutinized the reason for utilizing the cloak however as per Carnochan, the dark shroud serves more as a â€Å"symbol of symbols† than basically a â€Å"parable of guilt†. The motivation behind the cloak is to mirror an importance on one hand and on the other, shroud it †â€Å"inviting theory and opposing it† (Freedman, 354). When the face is uncovered the centrality of the cloak will be lost. The reason for utilizing the cover in the story is to start feelings of a person. The plot carefully uncovers the interest of the townspeople,

Saturday, August 22, 2020

The Traits of Heathclif in Wuthering Heights Essay -- essays research

In Emily Brontã «'s book, Wuthering Heights, we, the peruser, are acquainted with a gathering of intriguing characters. The antiheroic fundamental character, Heathcliff, is a perplexing character with many distinctive qualities. Heathcliff follows up on his emotions and makes a serious notoriety for himself. Heathcliff is loaded with retaliation, in any case, he is adoring. Heathcliff's retribution is appeared and demonstrated all through the book. Indeed, even as a kid Heathcliff would make statements, for example, I'm attempting to settle how I will repay. I couldn't care less to what extent I pause, on the off chance that I can just do it, finally. I trust he won't pass on before I do?No, God won?t have the fulfillment that I shall?I just wish I knew the most ideal way! Leave me be, and I?ll plan it out: while I?m thinking?? (Brontã « 55-56) This, as we, the peruser, later observe happen. In the wake of being dismissed by the affection for his life, Catherine, Heathcliff must choose the option to discover another accomplice. Heathcliff isn't distraught at Catherine for wedding another person, however rather her thought process why. Catherine discloses to Nelly Dean, the servant, that it is shameful to herself if she somehow managed to wed Heathcliff. Catherine says it would be disgraceful on the grounds that Heathcliff is more destitution stricken a nd denied of numerous this she needs. (Brontã « 75) Heathcliff pursues away hearing this, just to return months after the fact more man of honor like. Catherine?s sister-in-law, Isabella, goes gaga for Heathcliff after his arrival and Heathcliff understands this. Heathcliff is a shark, so he weds Isabella purposefully, realizing Catherine would get envious. This is the one of the primary most prominent case of vengeance. A second case of how Heathcliff looked for vengeance on others, has to do with his stepbrother, Hindley. Heathcliff wan... ...particle of tears. ?Come in! Come ready!? he cried. ?Cathy, do come in. Goodness,- - again! Goodness! my heart?s sweetheart, hear me this time- - Catherine, finally.?? (Brontã « 25) Although, Heathcliff has a child, was hitched, and twenty years have gone after her demise Heathcliff is as yet energetic about his affection for Catherine. This shows Heathcliff is really cherishing in light of the fact that much following twenty years, he is still consistent with Catherine and still needs an opportunity to give her his genuine love for her. Despite the fact that Heathcliff has his negative sides which outwitted him all the time, he was additionally dedicated and mindful. The various parts of Heathcliff make his a genuinely novel, complex, and fascinating character. Heathcliff?s opposing attributes make him an individual who?s merits an opportunity to take a gander at. The two sides of Heathcliff are appeared all through the book, and make him what his identity is.

Friday, August 7, 2020

Rush, rush

Rush, rush One of the coolest things about MIT is Residence Exploration (REX), which you can read about in everybody elses blog. Basically, during the first week of orientation, you get to go around and visit all the dorms, decide which one youd really like to live in based on meeting the people there (not just from a viewbook or description). After that, you get to enter the housing readjustment lottery, giving you the chance to pack up all your stuff and move to a different dorm. The day after REX ends, most dorms do some sort of in-house rush to decide what floor, house, or area of the dorm youd like to live in. After that, certain floors, like mine, make you decide which suite you want to live in. Then you decide which room, which bed, which pillow, and so on until youve decided your housing all the way down to the quantum level. Rest assured that no other university gives you this much housing choice. Ill be busy in Burton-Conner tonight trying to get all the cool freshman to live on Conner 2. Here are the posters we made to put up around the dorm do they make you want to live with Mitra and me? One of our favorite floor pastimes to relieve stress is smashing fresh coconuts with a mace, so we decided to make it our major in-house rush activity. It was pretty successful last year. Our floor is called English House, for reasons explained on the website. It really means nothing, except we decorate with union jacks and Trogdor, and occasionally attract an anglophile like Zach who also happens to be 6 4. I made this poster, except for two things that were Mitras idea. EDIT: THE WHOLE THING WAS APPARENTLY MITRAS IDEA, IM SORRY. We will be playing the entry-titular song during rush. We wont really stalk you, but we are home to the three founding members of the Creepy Stalkers group on thefacebook, so we thought itd be appropriate to advertise our floors favorite extracurricular activities. Mike Short 05 is one of our most vibrant and memorable floor alumni, and were constantly working to keep his memory alive as long as possible. This poster commemorates the time he hooked a working laser up to his glasses, the time he blacksmithed a samurai katana that can split hairs, the time he set something on fire, and the most attractive way in which he can make his eyes go in different directions. Im just glad were not competing against New House 4; they appear to have the best rush posters ever, complete with cut-out yellow letters, glitter pen, and funky-edging scissors. Our floor rush was made in Paint in under 30 minutes. Post Tagged #Burton-Conner House

Saturday, May 23, 2020

Renewable And Non Renewable Energy Sources - 1966 Words

Renewable and non-renewable energy sources are used daily in our lives. According to Conserve Energy Future (n.d.), â€Å"Renewable energy is the energy from natural sources i.e. sun, wind, rain, tides and can be generated again and again as and when required [...] Non-Renewable energy is the energy which is taken from the sources that are available on the earth in limited quantity and will vanish fifty-sixty years from now.† Finding ways to use renewable energy sources rather than non-renewable source would help stop the negative environmental impacts created by a growing human population and would be very beneficial to our society. Today, I will assess my own energy use; determine which renewable sources of energy would be the most and least appropriate for where I live; discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the energy sources I currently rely on; describe how technological advancements have facilitated the implementation of renewable energy; and discuss ways in which I could reduce energy used at home, work or in other areas of my daily life. Energy Self-Assessment I live in Lincoln, NE and energy plays a key role throughout my daily process. A few examples of energy use for me are: using gasoline to drive to work; the lights that surround my house and garden beds; my gas fire place that always stays lit; electricity to make my coffee machine run; and the use of golf balls during my leisure time. While I can discuss how I use energy, it is also important to knowShow MoreRelatedNon Renewable Energy Sources2309 Words   |  10 Pagesm16730 1 NON-RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES âˆâ€" University of California College Prep University of California This work is produced by The Connexions Project and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License †  Abstract Sucient, reliable sources of energy are a necessity for industrialized nations. Energy is used for heating, cooking, transportation and manufacturing. Energy can be generally classied as non-renewable and renewable..... 1 NON-RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES 1.1 INTRODUCTION Read MoreEnergy Sources And Non Renewable Energy Source Essay2240 Words   |  9 Pagessomewhat skeptical of this renewable energy source. The second group that I wish to address are those who are deemed to be environmentalists, who have a very strong faith in wind energy and other forms of renewables. Since these two audiences can be quite different the way in which I address concerns are going to have to be comprehensive to both. With focusing first on locals, I wish to include the basic information on wind turbines so that all aspects of this renewable energy source can be fully understoodRead MoreEssay The Various Renewable and Non- Renewable Energy Sources1951 Words   |  8 PagesThankfully, however, not all sources of energy are non-renewable (although the renewable sources do have their downsides). Some sources are more prevalent in certain areas, while they may be extremely scarce in others; on the contrary, some sources are found all over the world, but only in trace amounts. The world around us uses many different types of electrical energy and a variety of sources from which that energy may be extracted. Solar power, biomass, wind, oil, gas and coal energy all have their positiveRead MorePetroleum Is A Non Renewable Source Of Energy1526 Words   |  7 Pagesnatural gases; petrol occurs naturally in the ground and was formed millions of years ago. (National Geographic Society, 1996) The crude oils and natural gases are extracted by giant drilling machines. Petrol, like coal is a non-renewable source of energy. Non-renewable energy can’t be re-generated within a short span of time and isn’t environmentally friendly as when it is burnt it emits greenhouse gases. The crude oils and natural gases have taken millions of years to form and when it is extractedRead MoreFossil Fuels Are A Non Renewable Source Of Energy1635 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"86% of the energy the USA uses comes from fossil fuels like petroleum and coal that provide electricity and gas to power our growing energy needs.† Fossil fuels are a non-renewable source of energy, meaning that we will eventually run out one day in the near future. When we drive our cars to work, taking long showers, and leaving the lights on, we usually don’t realize how much of our resources we are using. Fossil Fuels, Power Plants and Fracking cause many of our environmental problems that theRead MoreNuclea r Energy : Nuclear And Non Renewable Sources Of Energy2249 Words   |  9 PagesNuclear Energy Nuclear energy has always been considered as one of the best options to replace petroleum and other non-renewable sources of energy since the scientific research begin on it more than half a century ago. With the passage of time, scientists came up with ideas and systems to utilize this energy practically for the benefit of the mankind so that it can be an alternate to the non-renewable sources of energy adding to that some other uses as well (eg. Nuclear medicine). This off courseRead MoreShould The Usage Of Non Renewable Source Of Energy Decrease?1241 Words   |  5 PagesShould the Usage of Non-Renewable Source of Energy Decrease? Energy is defined as the ability to do work that can neither be created nor be destroyed, can only be transfer from one form of energy to other. There are many kind of energy such as mechanical energy, potential energy etc. In our daily life we need different types of energy resource in each and every time to do our work such as we need electricity to run our electrical devices, gasoline to drive our vehicle and so on. Energy are produced fromRead MoreOil Spills Is An Insoluble And Non Renewable Sources Of Energy1782 Words   |  8 PagesOil, also known as petroleum, is an insoluble and non-renewable sources of energy used by a significant amount of people all around the world. According to the Energy Information Administration, U.S. Petroleum Consumption in 2001 mostly consist of gasoline (used to fuel cars), heating oil (used to heat buildings), diesel fuel, propane, residual fuel oil (powering factories, fueling large ships, and making electricity), and items that we come across every day (such as clothing, furnitures, kitchenRead MoreRenewable And Non Renewable Sources Essay1604 Words   |  7 PagesSimply put, energy is â€Å"a driving force behind all socio-economic activities† (Wesseh, Lin, 2016). Therefore energy is highly demanded and various sources must be used in order to meet the market’s needs. Within energy, there are two categories of sources: renewable and non-renewable. Renewable sources being naturally replenishable in the short term and non-renewable sources being exhaustible (Wesseh, Lin, 2016). Non-renewable energy sources include mainly fossil fuels and renewable energy resourcesRead MoreNew And Alternative Sources Of Energy1311 Words   |  6 Pages Today s society uses enormous amounts of energy. *The shadow of our presence on this planet is a result of generations upon generations of production and utilization of energy*. New and alternative sources of energy are being developed to replace the declining accessibility of coal and fossil fuels. Use of renewable energy is a key component in combatting the climate change that has become a major issue in the 21st century. Reducing our impact on the climate as a result of greenhouse gas emissions

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Early Encounters Between the American Indians and European...

The Native American s encounters with European colonists led to different interactions between the two, as well as a development of varied relationships. America had been home to Native Americans since around 13,000 B.C. The Europeans arrived in America around 1492 to find that the land was already inhabited. Before the Europeans arrived, the Native Americans had lived in harmony with nature and with each other in communities, having strong family ties. When the Europeans arrived, they held different values than the Native Americans. As the Europeans settled in New England, Chesapeake and New York/New France, these differences shaped the relationships between the Native Americans and the European colonists. In New England the first†¦show more content†¦Some frontier Indians maintained friendly relations with Lord Baltimore and Governor Berkeley, who monopolized fur trade. Settlers resented this trade and this caused hatred towards the Native Americans. Violence erupted when Maryland and Virginia militia accidentally killed the Susquehannocks leaders and fourteen tribe members. Small farmers were stressed with taxes and low prices on tobacco began a war against NativeShow MoreRelatedAmerican Colonies : The Settling Of North America902 Words   |  4 PagesSH â€Å"American Colonies: The Settling of North America† Introduction 1. Between 1492-1776, although many people moved to the â€Å"New World†, North America lost population due to the amount of Indians dying from war and diseases and the inability of colonists to replace them. John Murrin states, â€Å"losers far outnumbered winners† in â€Å" a tragedy of such huge proportions that no one’s imagination can easily encompass it all.† This thought of a decreasing population broadens one’s perspective of history fromRead MoreColonization Of The United States1074 Words   |  5 PagesColonization in America has demonstrated all of the US history themes of exploration, encounter and exchange in the Americas. From the beginning of colonization, in 1492 by Christopher Columbus, to the establishment of the first American colony, Jamestown in 1607, and to the creation of the thirteen colonies, there have been countless examples of exploration, encounter and exchange. The exploration of vast waters and unchartered territory l ed to new and undiscovered land and America being colonizedRead More European Settlements and the Decline of Indian Power in America1606 Words   |  7 PagesEuropean Settlements and the Decline of Indian Power in America What today is the state of Virginia used to be Native American lands. The Indians claim that God had given them the right to own and settle those lands. The problem as we have seen in class is the Europeans such as the Spanish and English came and took over the Native American land in the name of the King and /or Queen. They invaded their territory, and destroyed their culture, all in the name of conquest. What I intend to showRead MoreExploring The New World Essay1420 Words   |  6 Pagescenturies, the movements to explore the new world increased rapidly. Among them was the arrival of the early Europeans on Americas. Only in a few decades this arrival has changed the land and the people of the Americas both on the physical the non-physical outcomes. On the physical outcomes, within a few decades after the arrival of European Ships on October 12, 1492, successive waves of explorers and colonists slaughtered, raped, and exploited indigenous populations who were poorly equipped to resist theRead MoreCause Of The Pequot War830 Words   |  4 PagesThe Pequot War The Pequot War was a very bloody war during the early colonial period of the Americas and had a great effect on the Americas. However, it is what happened before the Pequot War that truly gives light to why it happened. Before the war, the New England colonies were expanding greatly, and this thusly caused the colonists to come into conflict with the indigenous people of the Americas (Meuwese, 2011). Preparing for a battle with the indigenous peoples, John Winthrop had prepared theRead MoreEssay Colonization of America607 Words   |  3 Pagescultures of the Europeans and Native Americans would prove to be fatal to the way of life that existed before European colonization. It appears that the majority of the actions of the Native Americans towards the new European colonists were in peace and acceptance. Unfortunately the colonists dreams conflicted with the views of the Native Americans. The ‘free living’ philosophy of the Native American’s left them open to an unexpected overtaking by the colonists. The Europeans believed in makingRead MoreIndians And Colonists Relations1234 Words   |  5 Pagesfor most Americans. The thought of war between the Indians and the early settlers creates an image of clashing cultures between the well-armed Europeans and the hand-crafted weaponry of the native Indians. We tend to have the perception that the early colonists came and quickly took away the land from the Indians but, in reality, the Europeans did not have this power. Though French explorers and English settlers had a different perception of land ownership than that of the Native Americans, the fateRead MoreWar Between Europeans A nd Indians1745 Words   |  7 Pagesfeelings of being superior, have infused relations between Native Americans and non-Natives in North America. Intertribal conflicts among the Indians, and nationalistic rivalries, lacking faith, and expansion desires on the part of non-natives worsened these tensions. The resulting white and native conflicts often took a particularly bad turn and resulted in the near destruction of the native people(Native American). War between Europeans and Indians was common back in the 1600s. In 1622, the PowhatansRead MoreThe Colonization Of America, Australia And Antarctica1054 Words   |  5 PagesDuring the 1400s, Europeans knew little of the world surrounding them. Outside of Europe and the Mediterranean, little was known, with rumors and imagination filling the gaps. They had no real concept of the size or shape of Africa and Asia and had no clue of America, Australia and Antarctica. Europeans began their explorations of the world starting in the late 1400s, with Columbus’ discovery of the Americas. Here, he discovered that this land was already inhabited and had been civilized for centuriesRead MoreChristopher Columbus Discovered The New World851 Words   |  4 PagesGolson, 2006, p.233). This was the first time European settlers came into contact with American indigenous people. Europeans were shocked and confused when observing the Native Americans. In Europe at this time, women were only t hought of as mothers who spent their days cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the children. Native American women however were builders, craftswomen, healers, warriors, farmers, as well as mothers. Intermarriage between Native American women and male settlers, traders, and explorers

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

The standard of living is the measure of the material well being of the given population Free Essays

The standard of living is the measure of the material well being of the given population. This would include things such as your properties, motors, incomes etc†¦. it covers anything that can be given a monetary values and excludes those that cannot e. We will write a custom essay sample on The standard of living is the measure of the material well being of the given population or any similar topic only for you Order Now g. happiness or luck. The standard of living is measured mainly by the GDP per capita and focuses on incomes this provides a general guide to the well -being – materialistically of the population in question. If the GDP were increasing this would suggest that the population is better off, there is more wealth within the economy, one may assume there is fuller employment and people are spending more as more is produced. If people are thought to be better off one assume this to signify that people are happier but this is not necessarily true but as this cannot be measured it has to be sidelined. Health is another important factor which is difficult to identify within monetary terms however there are different statistics which can be produced e.g. number of doctors per hospital etc†¦ when the standard f living is measure if comparing over time it will be adjusted for inflation and dealt with in real terms. There is the issue of the PPP adjustment, which must be taken to account when comparing internationally as goods and service cost more and less in other nations depending on their own resources, labour markets, and performance. In Helsinki the spending on heating is likely to be much higher than in Andalusia but this does not indicate a difference in the standard of living it is simply misguiding. National GDP figures hide significant regional variations in output, employment and incomes per head of population. Within each region there are also areas of relative prosperity contrasting with unemployment black-spots and deep-rooted social and economic deprivation. We need to analyse the balance between consumption and investment. If an economy devotes too many resources to satisfying the short run needs wants of consumers, there may be insufficient resources for investment needed for long-term economic development. Faster economic growth might improve living standards today but lead to an over-exploitation of scarce finite economic resources thereby limiting future growth prospects. The principal problems with the GDP method are that it ignored the values of goods and services which are traded but left undeclared e.g. diy jobs and the black economy in some countries e.g. Italy the black economy is estimated to be near 35% and poses a great difficulty to governments trying to estimate the net income flow. It also fails to take into account the distribution of wealth e/g/ in Saudi Arabia the GDP is not particularly low but it is all concentrated among the hands of the wealthy sheiks and in parts there is extreme poverty because there is no ‘trickle effect’ of the capital throughout the society as it is maintained. Furthermore it doesn’t always take into account the improvements in technology for example 15 years ago a PC for $1000 will now be 10 times worse than one valued at $500 this is not because if increased living standard but change sin technology. Economic ‘bads’ can increase the figure of the standard of living, even thoug h the ‘quality of life’ has decreased. For example traffic jams cause more petrol to be consumed but increase the income and output of a county. Also the environment can be damaged in this case, but one person may hold a higher value for the environment than another. These valuation problems apply to health and defense the output of these does not have a market price but the value is determined by the cost of producing them. The quality of life can also be over o under valued because say we take longer holidays output and income may fall but happiness will increase, similarly a crackdown on pollution by rise the prices of supply and therefore consumption but make our lives intrinsically more happy. Another method of measuring the living standard of an economy could be to examine the consumer durables. Thee can be anything from cars to washing machines to nice houses to computers. It is theorized that the more of these items you own the higher your standard of living would be. E.g. a man with 2 Bentleys and a Rolls Royce compared to a man with two skodas and a ford fiesta will be assumed to have higher standard of living. However sometimes it is difficult to compare some durables for instance TV’s just because one is valued at more does it necessarily imply a better quality therefore even those who can afford it may not opt for the most costly. Also if I have seven flats in Norwich or one house in Kensington, which would make me, better off? Consumer durables also exclude savings and services, some people choose to accumulate their wealth as opposed to purchase consumer durables therefore it is not at all a clear indicator of the real standard of living. Compared to the GDP method it is extremely vague and inaccurate, the previous method is much more thorough and examines wealth in terms of cash and not goods for this latter method one needs to heavily account for consumer spending trends which can be extremely unpredictable. The third and final method is a non-monetary system of using the human development index. A measure of economic development The Human Development Report has been published by the United Nations each year since 1990. The report contains detailed statistical information on economic and social development indicators for virtually every country in the world. Among the hundreds of tables and charts we find the annual data on the Human Development Index and the Human Poverty Index. Both are simple measures of the extent to which living standards vary across countries. The HDI is constructed as an aggregate index of three components: education, income, and life expectancy at birth. The focus of the HDI is on the escape from poverty – defined as an HDI below 0.5. Here is a list of some of the social aspects that need to be considered o The number of patients per doctor – a measure of health provision in a country o Hospital waiting lists for important operations o The number of children per thousand of the population who die each year (infant mortality rates) o The average food intake per person (measured by average calorific intake) o The proportion of the population that can read or write – literacy rates o Average educational attainment at different age levels o Crime rates o Divorce rates These statistics should indicate what proportion of the population is enjoying a minimum standard of living although perceptions of what is needed for a basic quality of life vary. The figures could be misleading as in developing nations increases would imply better standards of living and more westernized countries would appear to be worse than they are. In conclusion I think the HDI is the best method to provide an overall picture of the economy and covers very many social aspects which are key to determining somebody’s quality of life. The GDP method is the most reliable statistically and most through but the problems outlined are particularly heard to overcome in particular that of the black economy. The consumer durable methods is extremely inefficient ad indicates of nothing expect consumer spending patterns. How to cite The standard of living is the measure of the material well being of the given population, Papers

Friday, May 1, 2020

Social Reflection free essay sample

We were not coincidentally placed on this planet we know as earth to Just be. There is a greater, more profound reason we are here, Interacting with others, making friends we can identify as family, and impacting the lives of those we come in contact with. Although many may not realize It, we all have something unique to give. It may take someone their whole life to find their purpose, and some sadly manage to float through life without discovering theirs. Thankfully, I eave found mine early. . NET to my first yoga class. This Is a feeling I will never forget. Long story short, I enrolled In a 200-hour Instructor certification course the next summer, and my life was forever changed. I gained Insight no one acquires until his or her later life, and I recognized I had been extremely selfish and so wrapped up In my own stuff that I had no energy to serve others. We will write a custom essay sample on Social Reflection or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page One cannot give what they do not have, and if I did not possess love and happiness towards myself, how could I expect to exude these ululates, yet receive them in return?I believe through my instructor training, I found the purpose of my incredible, valuable life; to heal those who need healing, to comfort those who lack security, to provide compassion to those who are in need, to listen to those who have no one, and to strengthen everyone I come in contact with. In order to achieve my purpose, I began instructing more and more classes, and observing the participants. The affects the yoga practice provoked on them were extraordinary, enveloping myself with linings of incredible Joy and warmth. To provide others with insight and fortitude is one of the most moving experiences. I believe I will establish my own yoga studio in the near future, and I will do everything in my power to make it the best it can be. Once I obtain a goal, I will push myself to surpass even my high expectations, and work until I feel there Is nothing else to be done. Thankfully, I know my purpose, and I will never fall short of the responsibilities I feel come with it.

Sunday, March 22, 2020

Timeless Tales of The Blond e Indian Essays - Tlingit People

Timeless Tales of The "Blond e Indian" Thomas McCormack University of Alaska Anchorage Author's note For this essay I examined how Hayes' experiences, views, and culture helped shape the way that she would share her world through scholarly concepts and definitions from her story: Blonde Indian . I believe that I have succeeded in interpreting the story's meaning and why it is important to the audience. I do, however need work on the fluidity of my writing; perhaps that comes with lots and lots of practice. The caucus of Western-inspired genres initially confronts and is currently faced by traditional literary works. Blonde Indian: An Alaskan Native Memoir integrates, nature, history, culture, fiction, and clan tales into a n infused whole. Hayes influences alter the level of lyricism a nd separate narrative view. She uses the elements in the memoir ' s literary voice to ind icate changes to the audience, n arrated using articulate layers which i nfuse metaphor and native tales: spiritual journeys and social journey, the memoir traces Hayes' roots from a challenging childhood living among the Tlingit community, all through her adult life, and her return home (Brian, 2013) . Neither fully Euro-American or Native ; the author experiences a distinct sense of separation from both the prevailing culture and her Native people. Readers come across the author's challenges outside her native village together with clan's men scores who have never been alienated f r om the motherland however , they still struggle with personal problems. The challenges included : discriminati on, poverty, alcoholism, and unemployment. The "Blonde Indian" offers much more than an account of Hayes ' life because it delves into a symbo lic narrative of modern Natives' personal journey. These tales as told by the author have been passed down through generations of the Tlingit people for years. The story is filled histories, explanation, and tales which are distinct to the Tlingit people. The book is a documentation of the rich yet intricate cultural heritage. The author also offers a dedication to the Alaskan landscape, and a personal demonstration to how retreating in life and nature permits forward movement (Miller, et al. 2007) . With the opening statement, the author notifies the readers that she will narrate the tale in a manner that pays tribute to Tlingit oral tradition and ancestors. Hayes starts the narration in her native language. The original printed words of our ancestors " haa shagoon " further offering her native name Saankalaxt , before her "white man name." th e author moves to relive her ancestry, where she sets up both her precision in speak as a Tlingit native and her personal connection to the ancestral land. She recounts that they belong to Lingit Aani " It is a customary opening to what has become, sorrowfully, a customary tale: Native Alaskan communities destroyed by alcohol abuse and assimilations ideolo gies. Nonetheless, the writer presents hopeful story of going back to her ancestral roots that will forever embrace its natives (Ernestine, 2006) . Born of a white man and a Lingit woman, Hayes grew up in Juneau, Alaska, a native Indian village , before relocating to California. According to (Fuller-Thomson Minkler , 2005) N ative Indian communities as whole played an important role in raising a child. In Hayes ' case, she spent her childhood life being catered for by a grandmother while her mom is undergoing a tuberculosis treatment. The author, who began drinking alcohol during her teen life, narrates a life of filled with challenges such as prolonged periods of being homeless and abusive relations w i th men. The author also had an estranged relationship with her children. Through all these challenges, the thought of reconnecting with her native land gives her hope. Alaska is consistently portrayed not just as the only shaping factor of Hayes culture however as a component of the family, shows emancipation for Hayes. The author separates the memoir into four elements. She introduces each section by traditional tale, containing not only intricate details of her life but origin tales of family, Indian and clan histories. Hayes shifts from personal tales to Raven tales to her native land with minimal transition. She reminds her audience

Thursday, March 5, 2020

Dental Admins 5 Interview Questions You Need to Master

Dental Admins 5 Interview Questions You Need to Master There’s no denying it: a great dental office needs a great admin. Do you want to cut through the job-hunting crowd and become the administrative assistant that dentists dream about? The first step is to ace your next interview. Charles Crawford at Dentistry IQ has targeted five key questions that you better be prepared for when it’s your turn to dazzle potential employers. 1. Are you approachable?Great admins work well with every other member of the dental office team, and are great with clients, so employers are going to want to know that you’re the sort of person others feel comfortable with, or avoid like the plague. If you want the job, be sure the person in charge of hiring thinks you’d be great to work with.2. Are you a good talker?Dental admins are often the faces of the practices they work for- as an admin you may even be the first person patients interact with- so of course potential employers are going to want to know if you’re charismatic , a great talker, someone people feel good communicating with.3. Do you know how to listen?Listening is an absolutely essential skill when you’re an admin in a dental practice- from communicating effectively with other members of the team to helping patients on a daily basis and making them feel like they’re being heard. Your job during the interview is to convince potential employers that you’re a born listener.4. Do you have attention to detail?Ask any great admin at any dental practice- large, small, or in between- what the must-have skills are for job success. There’s no doubt that an unflinching attention to detail will show up on every list. From those minor office logistics that help a practice run smoothly to important patient factors, your eye for detail better be razor sharp! If you want to leave your next interview confident that you just landed your next great job, you better have convinced the employer that your attention to detail is undenia ble.5. Do you have a good work ethic?Employers aren’t going to be thrilled to hire admins who stare blankly at the clock until 5pm hits, just waiting to bolt out the front door and head home. Let’s face it, if you want the job you’ll have to show that you have the extra drive and initiative to solve problems, offer solutions, and do what it takes to get the job done well. Sell potential employers that you have a great work ethic or they’ll quickly show you the door.Are you ready? Master these 5 questions and you’ll have potential employers lining up to hire you!

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Criminal Law Cases Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Criminal Law Cases - Essay Example In the case of Johnson v. Texas, the appellant shot dead his accomplice Lean Freeman after an argument in which the offender was demanding his illegitimate money. The trial court had sentenced the offender to seventy-seven years for a crime of murder, but in his appeal, the defendant pointed out three mistakes committed by the trial court. He requested the appellate court to reverse the ruling of the trial court against overruling defendants request for lesser included offense charges, ineffective assistance of counsel and prosecutorial misconducts. The appellant requested the lesser included charge of involuntary manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide by adding that his acts were in self-defense. The appellate court examined the issues under Royster test and decided that the appellant acted voluntarily and consciously with intent to cause harm to the victim. The appellate claim of self-defense was irresponsible because he took time to load the gun and shoot the victim. The c laim that defendant acted in self-defense cannot be substantiated because there was no evidence of any assault caused by the victim or any confirmation that he carried a gun with him (Pearson Education Inc., 2012). Furthermore, involuntary manslaughter would require a person to act involuntarily and recklessly. However, the appellant was not reckless considering the time he took to load the gun and point it at the victim after they had an argument. His actions were planned carefully after the argument.

Monday, February 3, 2020

Ree speech on the Internet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ree speech on the Internet - Essay Example This is why terror groups use the internet to upload images of inhuman executions and issue terror threats with intent of causing panic and disruption of normal day to day operations. When such information is posted on the internet, it is quickly distributed to countless individuals through social media and other platforms such as email. This makes it impossible to extract such information from the public domain. With restrictions, such information cannot be uploaded to the internet since the source will be afraid that the information will be easily traced to him if control mechanisms are installed. This enhances the security situation of a country and the world at large. Secondly, the internet has been changed into an immoral world where materials such as hate speech, pornography and other lewd materials can be carelessly made available to the general public including underage children. Hate speech is capable of causing public unrest to the extent of causing riots and civil unrest. Unrestricted postage of pornography leads to moral decay since children who frequent the internet are bound to land onto this content. With restricted free speech on the internet, individuals issuing hate speech can be easily be traced for prosecution. Pornographic material made available to the general public including under age children can be controlled and minimized for the benefit of the society. Last but not least, the internet’s purpose is diluted when unrestricted free speech is allowed. Unrestricted speech means that information can be made available to a target audience without confirmation of how legit it is. The internet is an important tool for passing out information. With unrestricted free speech, the internet’s credibility and purpose of sharing information is jeopardized. Establishment of some level of restriction ensures that information

Sunday, January 26, 2020

The Cradle Will Rock Review Theatre Essay

The Cradle Will Rock Review Theatre Essay The show The Cradle Will Rock written my Marc Blitzstein is a piece of work that reflects the struggles and politics of its time. In researching this show and it original production, one has to also know about the events in history surrounding and affecting the lives of every-day Americans. Then one must realize how these experiences influenced and inspired the creativity and brilliance behind Blitzsteins vision and the creation of The Cradle Will Rock. It is in specific events of the nineteen thirties that sparked, what was for its time, a controversial incident in the history of theatre had never before transpired. When the Depression began Herbert Hoover was the President and then in 1932 Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected President. Roosevelt, seeing his country in a state of decline, lunched what is referred to as The New Deal, a series of economic programs to get American back on its feet. One of these programs was The Works Progress Administration or the WPA which aimed to find jobs for the unemployed. The WPA consisted of five Federal One projects and the Federal Theatre Project or FTP was one designed for employment of out-of-work artists, writers, and directors, with the secondary aim of entertaining poor families and creating relevant art. Other event s that lead to important plot points of Blitzsteins The Cradle Will Rock where the forming of unions and labor strikes. In Scott Millers An Analysis of The Cradle Will Rock he writes: The political atmosphere in America in 1937 was ripe for a show like The Cradle Will Rock. In 1936 not a single employee at U.S. Steel belonged to a union, but by February 1937, just five months before Cradles premiere, the steel workers had unionized and forced U.S. Steel to sign a collective bargaining agreement. In response to this new movement, anti-labor organizations were springing up all over America. With all this going on Blitzstein felt the need to express the frustrations of the union workers, but the creation of The Cradle Will Rock first began with a single song call Nickel under the foot. It was performed for Bertolt Brecht a German poet, playwright, and theatre director. It was Brechts idea to take the song further into a full length show. Brecht said, Why dont you write a piece about all kinds of prostitution the press, the church, the courts, the arts, the whole system? (John Jansson) While he did not get to work on it right away the idea never left his mind. It was not until the death of his wife that he dove headfirst into the writing of the musical. It took him all of five weeks to complete his work of art, that of which he dedicated to Brecht. Troubles for Blitzstein came when it was time for him to find a company that would accept his piece. Many companies though it to be too sensitive a subject with the recent troubles in America and its large political statement, all in all for many it seemed too risky. But that would not stop Blitzstein in finding a way to get his play to the people; he would not give up his quest to make his message heard. A message many Americans needed to hear. The plot of The Cradle Will Rock as explained on Musical Heaven is as follows: Moll, a streetwalker in Steeltown USA is arrested and finds herself in Night Court witnessing the arraignment of The Liberty Committee, a handful of distinguished citizens who are opposed to organizing activities by the Steelworkers Union. In an ironic twist of fate, they have been mistaken for union organizers and arrested. A drunken vagrant, once a prospering pharmacist, explains to Moll how this minister, newspaper editor, doctor, college president, professor and artist have all sold their principles for money and power. The wealth and authority of Mister Mister, a leading industrial boss, has corrupted the city, and the process is also revealed in the committee members furtive dialogues and strained efforts for release. Ultimately the chief union organizer, Larry Foreman, is brought into court. An uncompromising and charismatic man, he exemplifies how one person can make a difference and gives hope to the bitter prostitute and druggist. When Steeltowns boss, Mister Mister, arrives at the courthouse to rescue his lackeys, he attempts to buy Foremans loyalties but is rebuked. At the conclusion, word arrives that other unions have joined with the Steelworkers struggle. Even the Liberty Committee, sensing the drift of things, abandons its rich patron. Mister Mister, cowardly and alone, realizes that working people have finally developed a backbone and that he has met his match. It was not until Orson Welles, an actor and theatre director who was working for the WPA at the time, had Blitzstein play it for producer John Houseman. This finally gave Blitzstein his big break. Houseman loved the concept and put it into production straightaway. With Orson Welles as the director the vision of the show started taking shape, perhaps it was a vision that Blitzstein was not expecting. Blitzstein believed in his characters two-dimensionality. He viewed them more as cartoon characters, larger than life. But with the direction of Welles he wanted a spectacle. As read in the article The Cradle that Rocked America Joseph Gustaitis writes: As director, Welles launched himself into The Cradle Will Rock with characteristic Wellesian style, promising Houseman a grandiose production that would be extremely elaborate and expensive. It was. Welles vision would expand to include a 44-member chorus, a 28-piece orchestra, and a set design that used large glass carts to shift scenes. (20) At this time The FTP, and its director, Hallie Flanagan began experiencing pressure from conservative congressmen. Although not directly some congressman had even enquired as to whether there was Communist Ideals in the FTP. It seemed that there would soon be budget cuts made in the WPA Federal theater program. On June 12 word from Washington came through that budget cut were indeed a reality. It read, any new production scheduled to open before July 1, 1937, must be postponed(Gustaitis). This news fell hard upon Welles and Housemen. They then hear news Actors Equity would not permit any of their members to appear on stage, and that the Musicians Union had imposed conditions making it impossible to have an orchestra in the pit (Jansson). They believed that they show would now never open. When they arrived at the Maxine Elliott Theater they found armed guards surrounding the entrance and a pad lock on the door. People in the streets gathered to see what all the commotion was all about. Seeing the crowd wells and housemen realized that, as the saying goes, the show must go on. All they needed was a venue and a piano, and since Blitzstein was not part of any union he could play, sing and act out all the parts. With the Venice theatre willing to open house to them for a small fee and the piano found and on its way, Welles song out to the crowd that The Cradle Will Rock will open as planned in the new location featuring Marc Blitzstein himself. The people gathered and begin to follow them some twenty blocks to the Venice Theater. Onlookers joined the parade, and the crowd grew larger. By nine oclock every one of the Venice theatres 1742 seats were filled (Jansson).

Saturday, January 18, 2020

Cosi Shows Us That ‘Fairytale Endings’ Do Not Reflect Real Life Essay

Cosi is a play set in the 1970s, when Australia and the world were facing political complexities, such as the conflict against the communist government and the happenning of the Vietnam War. It was a time when people had to choose their loyalties, causing great frustration and tearing the community apart. We are able to see this in Cosi in the lives of two best mates Nick and Lewis, as their priorities and commitments during that period of time, as well as conflicting social views with the rise of different social conventions such as ‘free love’ during the 1970s. It is a play within a play with parallel runnings with Mozart’s opera ‘Cosi Fan Tutte’, both plays explore the meanings of love and fidelity and how Lucy parallels the infidelity of the women in ‘Cosi Fan Tutte’. Nowra also allows us to see how the theatre works its magic, as a therapy not only for the insane but as well as the sane. As we slowly see the cast blossoming towards the end of the play, Lewis ends it by announcing some fateful happenings of the cast such as the deaths of Julie and Henry, giving an unfairytale like ending to the play. However not all had the same fate, we see how Ruth’s obsessive compulsive disorder allowed her to become a â€Å"time and motion expert† and Zac’s eccentricity making him a â€Å"rock and roll† player. ‘Cosi fan Tutte’ main theme is about a woman’s infidelity towards man. Despite the opera being set in the 1700s and facing problems with love and fidelity, it proves that society still hasn’t changed in that perspective with the characters in Cosi mirroring some of it’s values. The ‘free love’ movement during the 1970s also shows how society is becoming much more liberal in character and less conservative. The influence also caused a seperation between the community as some still stick to their conservative views such as Lewis, Nick and Lucy. Lucy redefined the modern meaning of fidelity by claiming she â€Å"only had sex with Nick, but slept with Lewis. † Lewis himself also holds his very bias view on fidelity, despite his obvious attraction towards Julie, he still claims his fidelity by â€Å"not having sex† with Julie even though he kissed her. This shows the society’s gradual evolvement by beginning to define it’s meaning of fidelity with the references to sex only. Nowra allows us to observe the discrimination and social defining ways of the people by beginning the play in a â€Å"burnt out theatre†, displaying the neglect shown towards the mental patients and the seperation it had formed between the sane and insane people. â€Å"They are just people who have done extraordinary things, thought extraordinary thoughts. † Nowra shows the fine line drawn between the sane and insane, and that those in the institution are not always as what the society defines them. The act of isolating mental patients shows the people’s way of dealing with kinks in the society, an easy solution. Julie for instance, is completely sane however has an addiction to drugs, â€Å"They don’t know how to deal with drug users† shows how the people had either the lack of knowledge or wasn’t eager enough to dwell into and solve the problem. Instead, Julie was prescribed more drugs for her habit, which did not break and caused her death in the future with an overdose. Zac also displays the extremities of drug consumption, causing him to have no control over himself and later not being able to appear in the opera. Such as ‘Cosi Fan Tutte’s’ use of Mesmer magnets and Cosi’s use of shock treatment for magnets showed the society’s inefficient way of dealing with problems. Through Cosi, whether insane of sane, the cast blossomed as they progressed on into the play and just like Justin’s main aim â€Å"to bring them out of their shells†, Lewis suceeded. Not only with them but from a shy and confused young man, Lewis came out with a stronger sense of leadership and confidence. He was more certain on what he wanted compared to earlier where he allowed Roy to grab his glory. Lewis broke up with Lucy and learned to console Roy before the opera showing a huge improvement from his character before, he â€Å"proved Roy wrong†. The cast showed lots of gratitude towards him in the end of the play even with Henry stuttering a â€Å"Tttthank you†, who before this could only communicate with the form of â€Å"shaking his head†. Despite his improvement in speech and confidence, Nowra made his fate a sad one showing the unrealistic ‘fairytale endings’, along with Julie’s overdose despite being discharged. Roy had showed no improvement with his continuous enthusiasm over the wards where â€Å"his fellow patients took petitions to get rid of him†. But with Ruth and Zac’s improved careers, Nowra shows that there are still hopes in ‘fairytale endings’.

Friday, January 10, 2020

Identity Theft: Exaggerated Risk or Real Threat? Essay

Introduction â€Å"You have $92.13c left in your Chase bank account, contact us today with your details to switch from telephone banking to online banking† – I was in the country barely 72 hours and I was already subject to someone attempting to steal my Identity! I am referring to the past summer that I spent in America working under a student visa. After registering my mobile phone and opening my first American bank account, I started getting texts like the one above. This my was my first personal exposure to the problem of Identity theft, and after a quick Google search to enquire what I was dealing with, I found that it was a very common occurrence in America; More than 57 million American adults receive â€Å"phishing† attack emails & texts every year – from hackers or cyber thieves who pretend to be trusted service providers to steal consumer account information, and more than half of those who responded become victims of Identity Theft (Gartner Research, Phishin g Attack Victims Likely Victims for Identity Theft). Lucky I didn’t respond to that text then, aren’t I? That was just my small run in with what has become a global problem over the last decade. And, the more I delved into the reading for this topic, the more I became aware of the vast amounts of literature available to me. I felt none of the other topics for this assignment had such in depth reading, which was mostly available online to me. There was online e-books, some of which I purchased; â€Å"Identity Theft Secrets: Exposing The Tricks of The Trade† – By Dale Penn, and â€Å"Double Trouble† – by Neal O’Farrell. Research websites were also helpful, like the Gartner Research website. I found some very interesting websites online, one of which I’ll give a mention; â€Å"Publications USA† – an American government run website, it had a section to provide American consumers with information on Identity Theft. Sites like these helped me understand the impact of Identity Theft on the consumer, how the consumer battles it – and ultimately this showed me how business must deal with it, in their every day transaction s with consumers. There was a vast amount of Scholar articles I found online, through Google scholar of course, they took very interesting views on the problem, and posed some very good questions. These articles included; â€Å"Did Privacy issues cause identity theft?† to articles such as â€Å"Identity theft: Myths, Methods and the New Law†. Also, simply with a quick look at the papers every Sunday for the past few weeks, I found plenty of material in them – Papers such as the Sunday Business Post, The Financial Times, The Guardian & The Irish Times. They always provided me with something to read that was related to identity theft. After reading all this material, I saw both sides of the argument. Most do believe Identity theft is a Real Threat to business and consumers alike. I will quickly look at how much of a problem this has become, and I will then point to some of the major cases, and the impact of these cases on business. However, there are the those that believe Identity theft is over exaggerated, I will look closely at how researchers collect their data for research, and I will also look at the impact of this over-exaggeration within business, how it has sparked some companies within the protection business to come under scrutiny for over-exaggerating the risk of Identity Theft. Why and how do Identity Thieves do it? â€Å"Cybercrime has surpassed illegal drug trafficking as a crime enterprise† – [Symantec Corporation, 2009] Identity thieves use the Internet as a weapon against individual consumers by taking personal and financial information, such as credit card numbers and social security numbers, and then using that information to, purchase products or launder money (Identity thieves have been known to purchase cars and homes or even create criminal records under another individual’s identity) [Overseas Digest, When Bad Things Happen To your Good Name]. Such a scheme can be devastating for an identity theft victim and can create financial costs for credit card companies and other commercial entities. According to Columbus state university research, computer fraud in general, within the U.S. alone, exceeds $3 billion each year, and in the U.K. exceeds  £2.5 billion each year [Columbus State University, 2011]. These statistics alone show the huge impact of computer fraud and identity theft on the economy and businesses in the world we live in today. It shows what a lucrative business Identity Theft has become today. Cases of Identity Theft Causing a â€Å"Real Threat† in Business Arguably the most famous case of Identity Theft is that of Frank Abagnale, who was depicted in the 2002 Hollywood blockbuster movie â€Å"Catch Me if You Can† [DreamWorks (film), 2002]. In the 1960’s, Abagnale eluded authorities by posing as characters such as an airline pilot, doctor, assistant Attorney General, and history professor, all the while racking up $4 million in bad cheques [Posing Facts, 10 bizarre cases of Identity Theft]. This bizarre case of Identity theft is portrayed in a comical sense in the film, with Tom Hanks left chasing shadows. But for businesses in today’s society it is far from comical, as the protection of consumers’ information poses major issues within business today. The best way to see the affects of Identity Theft on business is to actually take a look at some of the major cases within the last few years. This will show the business issues and the impli cations it is having on business on a daily basis. The headlines within the last few years have highlighted the threat that Identity Theft poses. In what was dubbed at the time the largest ever case of identity theft to be prosecuted by the American Department of Justice [CBS News, 23rd Feb 2010], the â€Å"Miami Hack Pack† (dubbed that by [Miami New Times, May 20th 2010]) stole over 100 million credit Card details over the course of 4 years. The credit card details, which they hacked, were stored by a number of companies; one of which was T.J. Maxx, a British retailer (they would be known here in Ireland for their chain of stores called â€Å"T.K. Maxx†). The hackers gained access to the company systems of T.J. Maxx and stole personal information of over 45 million credit card and debit cards in July 2005. These cards belonged to the company’s customers who purchased items from January 2003 to November 23, 2003, however the company did not discover the theft until much later in 2007 [Identity Theft Awareness, 2011]. Deepak Taneja, chief executive of Aveska, a firm that advised the company on information security commented at the time; â€Å"It’s not clear when information was deleted, it’s not clear who had access to what, and it’s not clear whether the data kept in all these files was encrypted, so it’s very hard to know how big this was,† [St. Petersberg Times, 30th March 2007] – This quote shows the issues TJ Maxx faced at the time. They simply didn’t know how large this was, added to this was the fact that it took nearly 2 years to find the breach. A combination of the above led to huge consumer outrage at the way T.J. Maxx handled their customers’ information, and left consumers baffled as to why T.J. Maxx held onto the details for 2 years after the transactions had taken place. Many experts speculated that TJ Maxx would pay dearly for the incident. Customers would abandon the brand for fear their personal information would be exposed, and investors would avoid the brand because of crippling fines and costs faced by the company. However, in the 12 months that followed the announcement of the breach, TJ Maxx never looked better. Revenues increased Profits increased, and share price increased [Neal O’Farrell, Double Trouble; 12 Reasons why we’re Losing the Battle against Identity Theft]. But what does this mean? Could this have been contrived as a clear message to TJ Maxx and other businesses that not only is a data breach no big deal any more, but it may just be another acceptable cost of doing business? Perhaps. But there is still no doubting the potential impact of a company’s consumer information being breached. And, in the case of TJ Maxx, if the right procedures were followed, this kind of occurrence may have been preventable. Despite the fact their Brand and profits didn’t suffer, TJ Maxx realised this was a major wake up call. And it was still a learning curve for any business looking in. Lessons must be learnt: 1) Collect only the minimum personal customer information needed to complete a business transaction. 2) Retain the collected personal information for only as long as needed per business and legal requirements. 3) Monitor systems to detect unauthorized software and suspicious network traffic such as unusual data download in terms of size and time. [Identity Theft Awareness, 2011]. Businesses must constantly consider their risks and assess their internal controls to prevent costly incidents and their unintended consequences. As far as TJ Maxx, the company spent over $130 million to deal with the consequences of this international identity theft case. Even though their Brand didn’t seem to suffer, and profits rose and investment wasn’t hindered, TJ Maxx couldn’t afford to take this risk again. [Neal O’Farrell, Double trouble] The second case I’ll look at is that of Sony’s PlayStation Network hack earlier this year. The details of 77 million of Sony’s online PlayStation Network customers were breached. This most recent major intrusion has shown that Identity Theft is still a major issue for large corporations. This case again raised major questions about online transactions [The Guardian, April 2011]. Confidence in E-Commerce has always been a major problem for business [OECD; Reinforcing consumer confidence- Key to Boosting e-commerce], it has been for years, after all, it’s the reason that most think twice before making an online purchase, it’s that lingering feeling that overshadows an online purchase. It is an obstacle that is being slowly removed, but set backs like this do not help, as Steve Curran, creative director at the Brighton-based studio Zoe Mode, told Develop Magazine; â€Å"From my perspective, the bigger issue is not about the PlayStation Network, but confidence in digital distribution generally. For every story like this that breaks in the mainstream press, consumer confidence about their details being safe is eroded. Confidence [in online transactions] has been building up, and I think will continue to, but this is a blip. It could be a little step back† [Develop Magazine, †Digital distrust could follow†, 2011]. This hack was a major set back for the company’s on going battle for control of the gaming market with Microsoft’s Xbox. And it was up to Sony to rebuild confidence in their brand after the major breach [The Guardian, April, 2011]. Is it an â€Å"Exaggerated Risk†? One thing I did notice when I was doing my research was that, most of the information we have on cyber crime losses is derived from surveys. But can one form an accurate estimate by survey alone? J. Ryan & T. Jefferson claim in their book â€Å"The Use, Misuse, and Abuse of Statistics in Information Technology†, that losses are extremely concentrated, so that representative sampling of the population does not give representative sampling of the losses as a whole. They also argue that losses are based on unverified self-reported numbers. Not only is it possible for a single outlier to distort the result, we find evidence that most surveys are dominated by a minority of responses in the upper tail [J. Ryan and T. I. Jefferson; The Use, Misuse, and Abuse of Statistics in Information Security Research]. In the 1983 Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances an incorrectly recorded answer from a single individual erroneously in inflated the estimate of US household wealth by $1 tr illion. This single error added 10% to the total estimate of US household wealth [Dinei Florencio & Cormac Herley, Microsoft research; Sex, Lies and Cyber-Crime Surveys]. In the 2006 Federal Trade Commission (FTC) survey of Identity Theft the answers of two respondents were discarded as â€Å"not being identity theft† and â€Å"inconsistent with the record†. Inclusion of both answers would have increased the estimate by $37.3 billion, in other words it would have changed the estimate 3 fold [Federal Trade Commission, 2007]. In surveys of sexual behaviour men consistently report having had more female sex partners than women report having had male sex partners (which is impossible). The difference ranges from a factor of 3 to 9. It is pointed out that a tiny portion of men who claim, e.g., 100 or 200 lifetime partners account for most of the difference. Removing the outliers all but eliminates the discrepancy [Florencio & Herley, Microsoft Research]. These seem like simple mistakes, which could be avoided, however safeguards against producing these erroneous results seem largely ignored when it comes to Cyber-Crime surveys [Florencio & Herley]. So, what does this potential over exaggeration mean for business? This over exaggeration and bad estimates can have huge consequences on both resource allocation and in policy issues within business and government alike. Imagine this, in a simple scenario; a research company comes out with staggering new figures about the rise in Identity theft, online fraud, and the number of companies being sued by customers who were affected by their bad data protection protocols. This type of scenario has happened before; take for example the research conducted by the ITRC (Identity Theft Resource Center) in 2008. They reported that Data Breaches soared by 47% over 2007 [ITRC, 2008 Data Breach Totals Soars]. These kind of estimates can cause alarm bells to ring for some businesses, they in turn may pump more funds into the data protection systems in their own firm to prevent what they believed were â€Å"Real Threats†. Yet, as highlighted above there could be major issues with these statistics, and Florencio & Herley even mention the discrepancies of the ITRC yearly surveys in their book. Again, imagine the implications of such research on policy issues, especially government policy issues. If the government take the results of a certain survey on Identity Theft as a perceived â€Å"Real Threat†, and adopt major measures to tackle it, it could have major implications on business. For starters, it could damage consumer confidence in E-Commerce. Like I mentioned before, it’s the reason we all think twice before making a purchase online and isn’t it the reason for the introduction of Prepaid Credit Cards? People who have never experienced Identity Theft take measures to avoid it. And this could be all down to policy measures. Exaggerated Risk on business in the industry On 29th March 2011, CPP Group PLC, a British based company selling life assistance products, announced that the Financial Services Authority (FSA) would be launching an investigation into the sale of one of its products to U.K. customers. The product included services such as credit-score monitoring, an Internet search facility alerting the user of inappropriate use of their data and a caseworker to help the person reinstate their identity [The York Press, 30th March 2011]. The financial services Authority’s investigation centres around allegations that CPP overstated the risk of identity theft when selling insurance for that purpose. As a result in the investigation, CPP had to suspend all sales of its identity theft protection product with immediate effect. The product includes services such as credit-score monitoring, an Internet search facility alerting the user of inappropriate use of their data and a caseworker to help the person reinstate their identity. And, after announcing the news to the London stock exchange, shares in CPP fell a staggering 46% from  £2.35 to  £1.50, within one day of trading [Financial Times, March 2011]. The reason for this dramatic fall was, as Chief Executive Eric Woolley stated, â€Å"Card and identity protection products in the U.K. accounted for more than 60 per cent of CPP’s business† [Eric Woolley, March 2011]. This shows how exaggerating the risk of Identity theft within this type of organisation can cause massive losses for a business. In one fowl swoop CPP Croup PLC lost almost half its market capitalisation, just because they were â€Å"under investigation† for over stating (A.K.A Exaggerating) the risk of Identity theft through calls to potential customers. This example shows that some can, and do, overstate the risk of Identity theft, and they reap the rewards as a result, as they can sell the technology to tackle it. Conclusion In the introduction I provided an overview of some of the literature and then within the assignment I took a look at both sides of the argument. Through the major cases above I have shown how Identity Theft is a Real Threat to business. However it is also a threat to small businesses, small businesses must follow the same guidelines as highlighted in the TJ Maxx instance. Failure to could possibly lead to the damaging effects of major fines, lawsuits and the damaging of the brand image of a company, as well as deterring investors. Don’t forget the wider implications for business, with the growing trend towards e-commerce, many companies want to take advantage of this, however major data breaches as seen above can hamper the consumer confidence and set back this industry. Again this is a threat to business in this area. Is Identity theft over-exaggerated? You may think I strayed from the point a little here, but I felt it was important to look at this side of the argument, and what drives it. What mainly drives it is that backing of the argument that the surveys conducted are unreliable. I am personally not over awed by this argument, however the people who make the argument point to some interesting evidence of the inaccuracy of surveys from some top researchers in Identity Theft. A look into the CPP Group case gives another side to the exaggerated risk argument. Do people/corporations over-exaggerate the risk for their own benefit? Perhaps. But that is where regulation steps in, and in the case of CPP they had to change their marketing strategy within a few weeks once the FSA began an investigation. Overall, this was a very interesting topic to research, and it opened my eyes to some new areas of IT within business and some of the problems it must tackle. Bibliography 1.Gartner Research, Phishing Attack Victims Likely Targets for Identity Theft, 4th May 2004; (http://www.social-engineer.org/wiki/archives/IdTheif/IdTheif-phishing_attack.pdf) 2.Symantec Corporation; â€Å"Cyber Crime has Surpassed Illegal Drug Trafficking as a Criminal Money-maker; 1 in 5 will become a Victim† – Sept 10th 2009; (http://www.symantec.com/about/news/release/article.jsp?prid=20090910_01) 3.Overseas Digest; â€Å"Identity Theft: When Bad things Happen to your Good Name†. – February 2001; (http://www.overseasdigest.com/odarticles/idtheives.htm) 4.Columbus State University;â€Å"Is There a Security Problem in Computing?† -17 February 2011; (http://csc.columbusstate.edu/summers/notes/security.htm) 5.DreamWorks (film); â€Å"Catch me if you Can† – December 25th 2002; (http://www.angelfire.com/biz7/netmeeting/catchme.html) 6.Stefan Nagtegaal; â€Å"Data Theft: 100 million Records stolen† – 13th August 2008; (http://whereismydata.wordpress.com/tag/tjx/) 7.CBS News; â€Å"11 Indicted in Largest ID Theft Case Ever† – Feb 23rd 2010; (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/08/05/tech/main4323211.shtml) 8.Miami New Times; â€Å"The Biggest Identity case ever. Right here in Miami† – May 20th 2010; (http://www.miaminewtimes.com/content/printVersion/2270696/) 9.Identity Theft Awareness; â€Å"TJ Maxx Identity Theft† – 2011; (http://www.identity-theft-awareness.com/tj-maxx.html) 10.St. Petersberg Times; â€Å"TJX Hacker Theft May be Largest Security Breach. Data from 45.7-million Cards illegally Obtained† – March 30th 2007; (http://www.sptimes.com/2007/03/30/Business/TJX_hacker_theft_may_.shtml) 11.Neal O’Farrell; E-BOOK: â€Å"Double Trouble; 12 Reasons why we’re Losing the Battle against Identity Theft† – 2011; (http://www.identityguard.com/downloads/ebook-double-trouble.pdf) 12.The Guardian; â€Å"PlayStation Network Hack: Industry Reactions and Theories† – 29th April 2011; (http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gamesblog/2011/apr/29/psn-hack-industry-reactions?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487) 13.OECD; â€Å"Reinforcing consumer confidence- Key to Boosting e-commerce† – 16TH November 2009; (http://www.oecd.org/document/20/0,3746,en_21571361_43348316_44078356_1_1_1_1,00.html) 14.Develop Magazine; â€Å"Dvs on PSN hack; digital distrust could follow† – 27th April 2011; (http://www.develop-online.net/news/37568/Devs-on-PSN-hack-Digital-distrust-could-follow) 15.J. Ryan and T. I. Jefferson; â€Å"The Use, Misuse, and Abuse of Statistics in Information Security Research† – 2003. (http://www.belt.es/expertos/HOME2_experto.asp?id=5752) 16.Dinei Florencio & Cormac Herley, (Microsoft Research) â€Å"Sex, Lies and Cyber-Crime Surveys†. (http://www.belt.es/expertos/HOME2_experto.asp?id=5752) 17.Federal Trade Commission; â€Å"2006 Identity Theft Survey Report† – November 2007. [http://www.ftc.gov/os/2007/11/SynovateFinalReportIDTheft2006.pdf] 18.ITRC; â€Å"2008 Data Breach Total Soars† – June 15th 2009; (http://www.idtheftcenter.org/artman2/publish/m_press/2008_Data_Breach_Totals_Soar.shtml) 19.The Financial Times; â€Å"CPP in free fall amid FSA worries† – March 29th 2011; (http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/89a516dc-5a38-11e0-86d3-00144feab49a.html#axzz1eB8FvcKU) 20.The York Press; â€Å"FSA’s concerns contested as CPP Claims ‘highest level of integrity’ â€Å"- March 30th 2011; (http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/business/news/8941469.Watchdog___s_concerns_contested_as_CPP_claims____highest_levels_of_integrity___/)

Thursday, January 2, 2020

E Commerce A Popular Activity On The Internet - 1388 Words

E-Commerce has been a popular activity on the Internet, for it facilitates commercial acts between online service providers and individuals. The popularity of E-commerce could be reflected by the turnover of the industry. The turnover of e-commerce in Europe grew by 14.3% to reach 423.8 billion euros (about GBP 360.5 billion) in 2014, and that of the United Kingdom (UK) increased by 14.7% and reached 127.1 billion euros (about GBP 108.1 billion) in the same year (Ham, 2015). Important private information (e.g., bank information, gift card numbers) would be recorded while consumers doing online shopping and doing other E-Commerce activities. This recorded information would be stored on the servers of online dealers or be saved in consumers’†¦show more content†¦In order to prevent personal data such as bank information from being intercepted, Data Protection Act 1998 (‘the Act’) has been issued by the UK Parliament. According to the Act, doing Cyber-theft for the commission of a relevant offence (e.g. bank theft) are considered as a criminal offence and could be sentenced for five years imprisonment (Mobbs, 2003, pp.5–6). Cyber-thefts, however, are not being extinguished under the force from the Act. According to the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW), there are 2.5 million incidents of computer misuse (including unauthorised access to personal information and computer virus) reported in England and Wales during the 12 months before 14th August 2015 (TNS BMRB, 2015, p.21), and 3.1 billion pounds per year was estimated to be cost by UK citizens on Cyber-crime (Cabinet Office and National security and intelligence, 2011, p.18). In order to keep the pressure on the Cyber-crime, the British government issued a policy paper of National Security Strategy in which they defined cyber-attacks as a ‘Tier One threat’ to the national security, alongside international terrorism (Cabinet Office, et al., 2015, no paginat ion). Security of E-Commerce is at the cutting edge of future commercial activity. Internet service providers and personal users are both waiting for the implementation of anti-cybercrime policies in order to protect their information from being trespassed. Apart from the public force from