Cyber Terrorism and Information Warfare

As the use of computer technology becomes wide, people have tended to use them both for beneficial and destructive purposes. As the use of computer technology becomes more, they continue to be used for more complex and inter-reliant threats to humanity. The use of computer technology for destructive purposes takes place in the form of cyber crime, cyber terrorism and information warfare. The focus of this paper is on cyber crime and information warfare. The two have a number of similarities as well as differences.They are both applications of computer and information technology that are in use in the society in the information era. Information has been relied upon in different sectors in different countries and around the world. This has made information a very powerful tool for the economy of many countries. Information has also become a target for criminal activities like terrorism and a target to wage war (Lewis, 2002). This paper discusses the similarities and differences between cyber terrorism and information warfare. The paper begins with the description of the two concepts. Cyber terrorismCyber terrorism is the use of computing resources to engage in terrorist activities. It can also be defined as the calculated use of computers or computing networks aimed at harming, or to further social, economical, political or ideological, or such goals. People have tended to use the secrecy afforded by cyberspace to wage terrorism activities towards communities or an entire country. This has tended to cause threat and panic to people without physical presence of the attacker. The terrorists using cyberspace target computers and information to cause harm and damage to the targeted group or nation.There have been claims by some factions of scholars that cyber terrorism does not exist and that what is referred to by the use of this term is information warfare. They feel that it is not possible to use computer technology to wage serious harm or damage in a population d ue to the availability of protective technology. However, it is a fact is that cyber terrorism is a concept that is applicable in the current world of technology (Brenner, 2006). Information warfare Information warfare on the other hand is defined as the use of computer technology to wage war.It can also be defined as the use and management of information and technology in order to gain a competitive advantage over one’s adversaries. Information can be manipulated in various ways to ensure that one country gains an edge over its opponents. Information has become a very crucial tool for use in different aspects of human life. Information has come to be used as a powerful weapon in times of clashes or conflicts. This warfare is closely associated with psychological warfare. The attacking country targets the information sector of the country that it is up against (Lewis, 2002).Similarities Both cyber terrorism and cyber warfare make use of information technology and/ or networks to carry out their objectives. Regardless of their difference in objectives, information is a critical tool for both cyber terrorism and information warfare. Information warfare can be carried out in different ways: jamming or hijacking of TV and radio transmissions; disabling logistic networks; disabling or spoofing communication networks of the enemies; and sabotaging stock exchange dealings (Lewis, 2002). These are all means of use of information in warfare.Cyber terrorism can also take various forms like attacks against networks of the target group or country; threats against a community or country that are made electronically; hacking into systems; defacing networks; and denying service to the target group. It is clear that both are destructive applications of computer and information technology. The users of both cyber terrorism and information warfare use and go after the information sector of the target group or country with the aim of causing havoc (Brenner, 2006).Both cyb er terrorism and information warfare are destructive, but have not been developed to the level of destruction like the other weapons, such as the bomb. The kind of damage caused by cyber terrorism and information warfare is not large-scale, although the technologies are still being developed. It would not be possible to carry out such a destructive act like the one that happened in the United States, commonly known as the September 11 attacks (Che, Deng, Chao & Huang, 2009).Despite the fact that there are some remote examples of cyber terrorism and information warfare in the world today, they are not as pronounced as those that use the conventional weapons like bombs. All the examples and instances that are provided on the use of information for warfare and terrorism cannot compare with the use of methods like bombing, air planes and other convectional methods. However, the possible destruction that is likely to happen due to the development in technology cannot be ignored. The two concepts, cyber terrorism and information warfare are based on computer and information technology.It is a known fact that technology is developing at a very speedy rate. As a result, the technology applied in both cyber terrorism and information is not the same way it was when the two concepts were developed. It is also a fact that they are likely to be more complicated and destructive. While most countries there are development of cyber warfare capabilities, there are individual factions and groups that are developing cyber terrorism capabilities (Che, Deng, Chao and Huang, 2009). Both cyber terrorism and information warfare are destructive processes that can cause terror and damage in a place or country where they are applied.Despite the fact that cyber terrorism is not likely to cause the kind of destruction like what took place during the September 11 attacks, they are likely to cause a security scare to the public. For example, it is possible for hackers to wage terrorism atta cks by hacking into hospital systems (Brenner, 2006). Another way that this can be carried out is by launching sequenced, coordinated attacks shutting down Automatic Teller Machine systems and other financial systems in selected towns or cities.When this is carried out in a large-scale, it can be realized that this is not a random act, but an organized terrorist attack. This can lead to panic about the security and economic damage to a country. Same case with information warfare; despite the fact that unlike cyber terrorism information warfare is not aimed at harming civilians and properties, it leads to both direct and indirect effects to countries they are aimed at and their citizens. Just like cyber terrorism, information warfare causes panic on the public as well as other economic effects on the country (Collin, 1996).For example, where transmissions are hijacked to pass on hate information or other destructive information, it is possible for people to be very scared for their s ecurity. Attacking economic sectors using information technology during war or as a weapon endangers the economic status of a country. In fact, paralyzing the information sector of a country leads to massive economic costs to that country. This means that these two applications of computer and information technology are very destructive and costly to the affected country (Lewis, 2002).Both cyber terrorism and information warfare are complex problems that need to be addressed very first in national security policies. They are becoming more sophisticated and require sophisticated means to counter. They are both attacks that can paralyze the infrastructure of a country completely. The use of information for terrorism and warfare is based on the premise that information has become a very crucial resource in development and has been relied upon by countries and organizations in their daily operations (Collin, 1996).The attackers have come to realize that the best part to hit and raise ha voc is the information technology sector. The information technology sector has become the most vulnerable point that can be hit to feel the greatest effect. Studies have found out that susceptibility of information networks and the critical infrastructure have put national security in dire risk. This can be supported by the fast growth in technology and its spreading to the economic sector of many countries. This is usually the target of cyber terrorism and information warfare.The users of these two applications of computer technology targets where a country will feel the most effect when hit. This is no better than the information sector of their target (Brenner, 2006). It is easy to spot real-world terrorism just as it is to spot real-world warfare. When dealing with real-world acts, terrorism or warfare is easier to identify, thus making it easier to counter. Where a real-life attack is carried out it is possible to know that the government is either dealing with terrorism or wa rfare. Simply put, it is easy to identify terrorism or warfare in the real-world.This is not the case with cyber terrorism or cyber warfare. Where these takes place, it is not possible to immediately identify what one is dealing with. There are no people who are physically available to carry out the acts. When a real-world terrorist attack is carried out, there will be a suicide bomber who hijacks a plane or bombs a building. In real-world warfare, there are military personnel with characteristic attire and characteristic badge. This way, it will be possible to tell that it was a terrorist attack or war against a particular group or country.This is not the case with cyber terrorism and information warfare (Lewis, 2002). The activities are carried in secrecy and most of the times unless someone claims to be involved, it might be difficult to identify the perpetrators. In case of information warfare, it might be hard to identify the country involved in the attacks. It is then possible that a country could be a target of cyber terrorism or information warfare and not even be aware of it. The two applications are complex and cannot be easily identified and dealt with (Che, Deng, Chao & Huang, 2009). DifferencesThe primary focus of information warfare is not to inflict injuries or death to civilians and property. Information warfare is not aimed at demoralizing or intimidating civilians. Cyber terrorism is aimed at the achievement of a particular objective. This is done mostly through intimidation and any other means as long as the message is communicated. Injuring people, causing death, and damaging property is one of the ways used to communicate the message. They achieve their objectives by destroying as much life and property as possible. Cyber terrorists do not mind the lives that will be lost or the damage that will be caused in the process.For instant, the terrorist attacks in Romania. This happened at an Antarctic research center where terrorists accessed th e computer resources that controlled life support systems. In the process, the lives of 58 scientists were put in danger (Kalathil & Boas, 2003). However, the perpetrators were stopped before a serious harm was caused. Terrorism generally is a destructive act that is carried out for selfish purposes, while information warfare is an act that is aimed at protecting a country from destruction by its enemies (Lewis, 2002).Information warfare is legal and mostly designed by the ministry of defense as a weapon of defense to a nation in time of war. As already mentioned, it is the use of technology to gain competitive advantage over the opponents. This means that it is not an illegal means of attack, like cyber terrorism. Most of the time, information warfare is carried out by the conventional military force. There are for example some nations that have trained or are training people who are referred to as hacker warriors. These hacker warriors are used in time of war to wage attacks again st enemy nation-states.Cyber terrorism on the other hand is dangerous and unlawful attacks towards a target group to further some selfish objectives. Cyber terrorism is carried out by people who are part of a faction that is united by an obligation to a particular political philosophy. The distinguishing factor from cyber terrorism is that war is a struggle between countries or nations states (Che, Deng, Chao & Huang, 2009). Information warfare is meant to be a collateral event. This means that the information attacks are aimed at protecting one’s country and its citizen.During war, the aim of the fighters is to protect one’s country and its people from adversaries. This means that the objective of information warfare is very different from that of cyber terrorism. In most cases, cyber terrorism is not a collateral event. It is used for selfish objectives of the attacking groups. It is also important to note that most of the times cyber terrorism is not initiated by la wful combatants. This means that the perpetrators do not operate legally as is the case during war (Brenner, 2006).Cyber terrorism is aimed at causing damage and harm to a target group for a particular objective of the attacking groups. Some of the objectives of cyber terrorism include ideological, political, religious, and in some cases economical. Unlike in cyber terrorism, war is restricted to attacks between groups (armies) who act on behalf of their countries in the war. The use of technology in this case is aimed at the army or armies of the enemy nations. In warfare, the use of information is rational and justifiable, unlike the use of terrorism attacks where the acts are irrational and cannot be justified (Lewis, 2002).Cyber terrorism is basically one-sided. This means that in most cases cyber terrorism cannot be reciprocated. In most cases, its anonymity characteristic makes it hard to find out the perpetrator(s). Cyber terrorism is aimed at a specific population to further the objectives of the attacker. On the other hand, information warfare is aimed at attacking adversaries. This means that unlike cyber terrorism, it is aimed at triumphing against one’s enemies. It is used against opponents during war and is just limited to that purpose (Che, Deng, Chao & Huang, 2009).Conclusion This aim of this paper was to make a comparison and contraction of the two concepts that apply information computer technology, cyber terrorism and information warfare. The two concepts differ in definition because while cyber terrorism is the use of computing resources to engage in terrorist activities, information warfare is defined as the use of computer technology to wage war. These concepts have a lot in common, from being based on computer technology, to the kind of effects they are likely to cause to a country and its people.They are both destructive effects of information and computer technology. They are however different from their motive, to the kinds of p eople who carry out the attacks. While cyber terrorism is an unlawful act aimed at causing intimidation in achievement of different objectives, information warfare is a lawful activity carried out by military personnel aimed at coming out victorious over opponents. These two activities have led to a security scare around the world due to the effects that they lead to. They are concepts that are supposed to be address in national security policies as a matter of urgency.Despite the fact that they have not become so open in the society today, with a few remote cases being reported, with the development in technology and over reliance on technology in different sectors, it is possible that they will increase. There is need to develop more sophisticated technologies to counter this. References: Brenner, S. (2006). C3: Cyber crime, cyber terrorism and cyber warfare. Retrieved on May 11, 2010 from http://cyb3rcrim3. blogspot. com/2006/06/c3-cybercrime-cyberterrorism and. html Che, H. , De ng, D. , Chao, H. & Huang, Y. (2009).â€Å"Next Generation of Terrorism: Ubiquitous Cyber Terrorism with the Accumulation of all Intangible Fears,† Journal of Universal Computer Science, vol. 15, no. 12. Collin, B. (1996). The future of cyber terrorism. Paper presented at the 11th Annual International Symposium on Criminal Justice Issues, University of Illinois at Chicago. Kalathil, S. & Boas, T. (2003). Open networks, closed regimes. Washington DC: Brookings. Lewis, J. (2002). Assessing the Risks of Cyber Terrorism, Cyber War and Other Cyber Threats, Washington DC: Center for Strategic and International Studies.

“A Child Called It” by Dave Pelzer

The book â€Å"A Child Called It† by author Dave Pelzer quickly became my favorite book for many reasons but the most important was because it taught me that sometimes people don’t appreciate the wonderful things they have in life, until it’s too late.Reading is a huge part of my everyday life and has given me many hours of enjoyment. I read to gain information, for relaxation and entertainment, like reading the daily newspaper allows me to find out what is happening around the world, in other countries and in our local area, allows me to relax and offers a few laughs.I love finding new and interesting books to read, so one day when I asked my sister for suggestions in finding a book to read, she told me to read â€Å"A Child Called ‘It’† by author, David Pelzer.I read in this book, about one of the worst cases of child abuse, ever reported in the state of California, which has been documented by the child, in this book.David Pelzer provides a very detailed outline of his terrible life after growing up as a son of an alcoholic mother and a father, who stood by and watched the abuse.The story takes a circular trip around the many years of abuse of the boy. He begins by telling us what ended the torment and pain, and continues through the pages, telling us about the haunting years that followed.In one section of the book, Pelzer speaks of the unthinkable horror his mother put him through by explaining that when he was younger, Dave and his family were considered the â€Å"perfect† family but one day his mother and father began drinking and developed problems in their relationship.Dave began experiencing the worst treatment, imaginable. His mother quickly began   treating him as a nobody or an â€Å"It†. His dad wouldn’t address the problems that reeked havoc in his life, which caused Dave to hate him.Dave’s mother did many horrible things to him that he will never forget. He was singled out fo r abuse by his mother, since he had two brothers that never received their mother’s harsh beatings and cruelty.David’s mother would starve him for weeks at a time, without giving him even a morsel of food, so he had to steal food from stores and the school, in order to survive.    One day he stole hot dogs from the school cafeteria and someone caught him. When he got home his mother made him puke it up and then eat it, again. She was so cruel that she almost went to the extent of making David eat his baby brother’s feces.Another incident occurred   when David was cleaning the kitchen floor for his mother. She suddenly stormed into the kitchen and started yelling at him, â€Å"You’ve made my life a living hell! Now it’s time I show you what hell is like!†She took him by the arm, turned on the gas stove, and burned the flesh right off his arm. She proceeded to make him take off his clothes and lay on top of the flames.She tortured him for no other reason, other than her own sick pleasure. She also made him drink ammonia, wear tattered clothes and sleep in the garage. She even had the nerve to stab David and never took him in for medical help.Not only was David banned from the family, but from the public, as well. Pelzer was granted only one change of clothing a year, which he wore daily, to school.He was unable to bathe and was often viewed   as a disgrace, by neighbors and school officials. This touching story ended with David reciting the â€Å"Lord’s Prayer† and praying for God to save him from his life of abuse.Finally, a caring policeman shows up and frees David from the prison he has endured for too many years.The sequel to this book is called â€Å"The Lost Boy.† This story offers detailed claims of the horrible abuse that David’s mother had inflicted upon him but nothing can help you to understand why someone could cause such terrible pain for their own child, especially when the other two brothers are treated with respect.We learn in this book about the struggle for survival, after David’s mother tries to turn everyone against him. She became successful at convincing everyone around David and since they believe that she is a good mother, no one believes him when he cries for help and each attempt at receiving help, he fails.It’s really sad to know that David’s dad never tried to help him and to watch as his dad is terribly controlled by the woman, who abuses him.This intense child abuse seems unbearable, especially for a young child. David’s story about survival, brings a queasy feeling to one’s stomach and stabs at the heart. Pelzer dedicated his life to pleasing his mother, fearing death that come to him, at any moment. His never ending hope kept gave him just enough strength to recover from the last painful fight.Pelzer had lived in, what looked like from the outside world, an average American family, who took vacation s, ate dinner as a family and spent the holidays together, with the one exception of `The Boy` that was continually beaten down, both mentally and physically.

A mom before the Prom Essay Example for Free

A mom before the Prom Essay ? Teen pregnancy has been gravelly increased in the last few years. Bad media influences (Many programs at TV programs or sexual content movies as well as other mediums) can be the factors that teen girls nowadays are getting a wrong advice that teen motherhood can a common way to live. Partners and friends’s bad influence is making them think that is right to have sex at a young age and will make them feel more popular. In that regards, this essay by Cristina page is restating the issue that more forms of bad media and wrong people’s influences are available today than ever before and consequently teens girls are much more exposed to a lot of information and these sometimes switch teen girl’s mind to do something wrong when they think is totally normal and it also has made teen girls to believe that having children at a young age might be beneficial because they think giving a child for adoption might improve their fortune giving them away for millions of dollars , so it can’t ruin her adolescence too but in reality it can really affect them. – Personally I can share the view of the author in this essay: Teen pregnancy is in reality one of the most difficult experiences a teen girl might ever face when that can interrupt her education or other plans such as getting a better career or maintain fathers with them, but most of the time it doesn’t work and that’s when the situation gets worse. Children usually grow without a father figure when their parents have them at a very young age or sometimes they don’t even live with both parents because they can’t take care of them or support them economically. So when this children start to live without a parental guide , they grow adopting a bad behavior and getting the wrong advices from other bad people and turned into criminals , stealers, or other people of bad reputation because they live in a poor ambient without having a parent who can guide and help them to raise their levels of education. – Most of the time, when teen moms decide to have a baby, teen girls don’t really take care of their babies when they are still formatting inside their body as old mothers and because of their immaturity, sometimes they don’t realize the huge damage they cause to their babies if they start smoking and drinking or working so hard because now they need to support themselves economically carrying heavy stuff when they have to rest the most during their pregnancy. Children are tending to born prematurely, with a disease, a mental retardation or even born death. – Usually we think that there’s not any difference of acquiring the same standards of education or a good life when a kid’s parents are so young and the other’s parent are more mature. The children of teen parents can suffer more of abuse at home and at school or disregard from their parents and grow more with farness or adopt a bad behavior, so that implies that they could not do so well at school, they could get lower grades and repeat their classes or drop out from High School without completing their education. This might increase the raise of poverty in families with young parents too and this leads society into decreasing its economy too. I really enjoyed reading this essay because it deals with a controversial issue and restates the causes of why teen pregnancy is becoming a worldwide problem, it must be thought in class so we can share our own viewpoints about it. 10-) – I encourage people to consider more this issue because if we want a better life for our A mom before the Prom. (2016, Apr 27).

What are the factors which affect the propensity of firms to innovate Essay

What are the factors which affect the propensity of firms to innovate through collaboration with other firms and which affect the outcomes of such interaction - Essay Example Various factors that are perceived to be beneficial to partnering firms cause them to come together and innovate together. Some of the factors that cause firms to collaborate in innovation include reducing the cost of development of the technology, reducing the potential risks that are involved in technological development or entering the market, to achieve the economies of scale, which reduce the cost of production, promoting shared learning between the firms involved, and reducing the time taken to produce and market new products (Tidd, Bessant and Pavitt, 2005, p25-78). The results of the collaborative invention vary significantly according to different companies, and these factors may be beyond or within the abilities of the partnering firms. Some factors that influence the results of a collaborative interaction between firms include: the competitiveness of the partners, the transparency issues, receptivity of ideas, the rate of learning and bargaining power of partners, the intention of the firms when they accepted to enter into collaboration, and sustainability of the deal (Hamel, 1991, p.83-101). These factors determine whether or not the collaboration will continue in order to develop technologies together. If the factors are favourable to the collaborating firms, they continue to develop technologies together. Different companies collaborate in innovation according to different interaction policies. These interactions are determined by conditions that are set by those partners, when joining together as well as those that are related to sustai nability. In order to understand the issues that are related to the collaborative innovation, there is need to explore the factors that influence firms to come together as well as those that influence the sustainability of collaborative innovation interactions. In events where firms collaborate to innovate, they need to put into consideration all the issues that can arise

Strategic management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Strategic management - Assignment Example anagement since its emergence in the 1950s, strategic management has been appreciated in the modern organizations as a critical strategy to attaining sustainable competitive advantage. Similarly, research in the field has been abundant though a majority of these research studies focus on the Western context. In this paper, Elbanna (2013) seeks to explore strategic management in the context of Arab Middle East economy. This researcher chooses to focus on public organizations in UAE to evaluate the characteristics, development, planning and evaluation of strategic planning, including the success factors. Abu Dhabi and Dubai are the selected samples because these two host most of the federal organizations; local organizations in the emirates are required to have strategic plans; and over 66% of the UAE population live in these two emirates. The results which consistently exhibited minimal disparity between the federal and local organizations give evidence of widespread strategic managem ent practices in UAE public sector, including the planning, development, implementation and evaluation. Even with this success, the researcher observes gaps in the approach in UAE. Thus, the article concludes by giving the author’s recommendations on how to fill the gaps so that the public sector in UAE would realize the full benefits from strategic management. It would be deduced from this article that strategic management has been widely adopted among UAE public organizations despite little research on the same in the given context. This being among the few articles on the UAE context, Elbanna (2013) indicates that UAE public organizations appreciate the importance of strategic management even with the policy directive requiring public organizations to update their strategic plans. With both federal and local governments exhibiting positive attitude towards strategic management, it would be useful for this to be fostered as it would ensure effective implementation of strategic

Cold War and Today Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cold War and Today - Essay Example In the current scenario, Italy’s parliamentary form of democractic control is dominated by the Christian Democrats in order to attain financial aid from the US because after the war it had urged the Italians not to support the Communist party. Today, Italy falls under the purview of American leadership as it also signed the NATO treaty at the time. Economic growth in Italy boosted as well after the government in Italy stabilized itself. During the war, women were bound to their homes, taking care of their families and the war work was left to the men folk. However with time, as more and more people began to get engaged in the army, women were required in factories in order to carry on the process of production. The aftermath of the war suggested that both genders take on various means of livelihoods in order to support the growing eocnomy of the country. Women began taking to fashion and the Italian country soon became the hub of clothing, garments and designing. Italy became the centre of food with more and more bistros and cafes catering to the needs of the people. Since the country was influenced a great deal by the US, it soon took to reaching out of its comfort zone and moving into a dveeloped form of living with more and more people leading a substantial lifestyle. Italian society has undergone major change as well due to the persuasion of the West and today, the social structure in the country is to lead a comfortable and lavish but simple lifestyle with a desire to engage oneself in entrepreneurial activities.

Women's Work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Women's Work - Essay Example For an example how cultured a Romanian woman is depends on her personality and her attitude. She does not want to stagnate in the boredom of daily life, but is always trying out new things, learning about new ideas and acquiring new information to augment her knowledge. (Halsall, 1998) A cultural woman will never forget who she really is. The three main roles a women plays in her whole life time is of a daughter, wife and a mother. But a cultured daughter, wife and mother show different duties to society. (UNESCO) The initial stage of a women hood is where she is some one's daughter. Its there a women develops the strength of character, tolerance unconditional love and culture. But as time passes she moves on, her out look changes but the inner qualities of a cultured women remains the same. That is why she can be called cultural in contrast of men whose images of super power, some one who not bend but will be willing to guide. (About, 2008) According to almost every culture a woman leaves her family and goes to her husband's place once she is married. A cultured woman follows this tradition. She will maintain a balance between the culture she came from and the culture she went into and will follow it. She will respect the values and norms of her in laws and will prove herself to be the best for adjusting in that family. (About, 2008) A woman'

Discuss the main features of Austrian government, politics and Essay

Discuss the main features of Austrian government, politics and parliamentary democracy today - Essay Example Shortly thereafter, Austria passed a law "declaring perpetual neutrality and a ban on entering any military alliances or allowing foreign military bases on Austrian territory." In its role as a neutral state, Austria viewed itself as a bridge between the East and West during the Cold War and hosted a number of United Nations agencies and international organizations in Vienna. Despite its political neutrality, however, Austria remained closely aligned with western democracies both culturally and ideologically. In a June, 1994 referendum, 66% of Austrians demonstrated their favor for EU membership, which led to the signing of the Treaty of Accession of Austria to the EU on June 24, 1994. This Treaty subsequently entered into force, and Austria became a member of the EU on January 1, 1995. Presently, Austria is one of the wealthiest EU Members. Over 60% of the nation's imports and exports come from or go to other EU countries, rendering the nation's economy largely dependent on the EU. Currently, Austria is one of eleven EU Member States that has adopted the Euro and, consequently, it has implemented an economic plan in accordance with European Monetary Union requirements. Traditionally, Austria's economy operated as "a corporatist system of 'social partnership' between government, industry, labor, and agriculture." In the 1980s, however, the government's role began to wane as a result of the privatization of many enterprises formerly under state ownership. The services sector dominates the economy, and tourism generates approximately 15% of the nation's capital. Over 9% of Austria's population is considered "foreign," with communities of ethnic Magyars and Croats living in the province of Burgenland and Slovenes in Carinthia. Nevertheless, 98% percent of Austrians speak German.30 In 1996, more than 700,000 immigrant workers were registered in Austria, and an unknown number of illegal immigrants and refugees presently reside there. AUSTRIA'S POLITICAL SYSTEM has been a model of stability since democracy was restored in 1945. In contrast to the interwar period, when domestic political rivalries and foreign intervention brought the system of government set out by the constitution of 1920 to a standstill, after World War II this reestablished parliamentary democracy functioned smoothly in what came to be termed the Second Republic. At times, Austria's political system seemed impervious to change, but by the middle of the 1980s, it had become clear that far-reaching social and economic trends were beginning to affect the country's politics. Austria is a parliamentary represented democracy comprising nine federal states and is one of six European countries that have declared permanent neutrality (A neutral country takes no side in a war between other parties, and in return hopes to avoid being attacked by either of them. A neutralist policy aims at neutrality in case of an armed conflict that could involve the party in question. A neutralist is an advocate of neutrality in international affairs) and one of the few countries that includes the concept of everlasting neutrality in its constitution. Austria has been a member of the United Nations since 1955 and joined the European Union in 1995. When Austria joined the EU in 1995 a referendum had to be held because the accession was qualified as a fundamental change

Do the Pros of Monetary Policy Outweigh the Cons Essay

Do the Pros of Monetary Policy Outweigh the Cons - Essay Example However, as a stabilization policy monetary policy effectiveness as a tool of economic stabilization among other instruments of economic policy varies from one economy to another. This is as a result, of differences in the economic structures, divergence in the degrees of development in money and capital markets that result in varying degrees of economic progress, and the differences in the prevailing economic conditions. Monetary policy use over time has however, brought about controversy based on whether its applicability during periods of economic recession is beneficial or not. The protagonists among the policy makers uphold the use of monetary policy as a means of adjusting the economy to the high levels of inflation. On the contrary, the antagonists do not support the use of monetary policy as a stabilization tool since they believe that the cons due to its use outweigh the pros gained when the government through the central bank applies monetary policy measures in the economy. It is therefore, worthwhile to see the impact of monetary policy on the economy in order to determine whether the use of monetary policy is beneficial or not. Monetary policy effects during economic recession period when the markets are covered with inflation with the rapid increase in price and interest rates could be beneficial has it has a positive impact as a control measure. According to Keith Kuester’s article the recession period that recently unfolded prompted monetary and fiscal stabilization tools use by the policymakers in the United States and abroad as a means of mitigating the drastic economic downturn. Kuester (2011) further on describes how the economists largely depended on the use of monetary policy as a way of stabilizing the economy. This is because monetary policy can be applied in order to reduce the interest rate in periods of economic recession by stimulating private demand. As a result, the contractionary monetary policy lowers the interest rate and subsequently influences government expenditure by lowering it through the decrease of the interest rate to up to close to zero percent as it cannot move to negative percent. On the other hand, the Economist Intelligence Unit (2010) also support the drastic measures by the government to reduce the interest rates of federal funds through the Federal reserve central bank in order to control the upsurge of economic recession from increasing further to extreme levels. Jenkins & Eckert (2000) also asserts that the government through the central bank regulated the interest rate in order to control the money supply thus, reduce the rate of inflation. In addition, the use of monetary policy brings about stabilization of prices in the long run this is because it can control the slowing down of the inflation rate. Kuester (2011) affirms that at lower interest rate due to the monetary policy enforcement in place the private consumption and investment increases as they gain confidence in the sta bility of the economy. This is because the household tend to presume the presence of a stable inflation and as a result, the households tend to save less and increase their demand for consumption goods. In addition, the Economist Intelligence Unit (2010) also affirms that after applying monetary policy on the economy oversees a recovery that continues to gain momentum as the spending of consumers increase significantly from an annualized rate of 1.6% up to 3.6% after a quarter. This is accompanied considerably by an increase in the gross domestic product.

Adelphia Scandal and Worldcom Scandal Essay Example for Free

Adelphia Scandal and Worldcom Scandal Essay Basic Questions 1. Rigas Entities were entities that shared a common cash management system with Adelphia and Adelphia subsidiaries, which Adelphia controlled and operated. Since the scandal broke, it is commonly referred as off-the-book entities. 2. EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization) is essentially net income with interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization added back to it, and can be used to analyze and compare profitability between companies and industries because it eliminates the effects of financing and accounting decisions.-from Investopedia 3. Self-dealing basically refers to when directors of a company improperly uses company finances or resource for personal gain. This can include directors taking company loans that the directors do not intend to repay, using company money for extraordinary personal use, or using company property for personal gain. See more: Is the Importance of being earnest a satirical play essay Advanced Questions 1. Both Adelphia scandal and WorldCom scandal were not prevented by company’s external auditor, though Deloitte and Touche and Arthur Andersen both rated their client as high risk. As for the differences, Adelphia did not have an independent internal auditor. However, WorldCom had an independent internal auditor and blows the whistle. 2. I will say Deloitte and Touche is most responsible for not detecting and stopping. As an external auditor, they should pay attention to organizations financial records and examine on any mistakes or fraud. At least, Deloitte and Touche should have stopped Timothy Rigas from serving as CFO and Director of Adelphia’s Accounting Committee. After all, it was obviously against the rules. 3. Timothy Rigas received a reasonable prison sentence as we can see from the WorldCom case; Bernard Ebbers was sentenced to 25 years. As for John Rigas, a former CEO who was guilty of more than 15 counts of fraud. Rationally speaking, it seems to be a fair judgment. However, it sounds too rough to keep an old man who has been suffered from cancer in jail.

Importance Of Reflection In Personal And Professional Development Nursing Essay

Importance Of Reflection In Personal And Professional Development Nursing Essay Reflection is an act of training that is adaptable or a method which encourages independent knowledge that points to progress learners mind and analytical thinking abilities. It aims to link the space amongst model and exercise, express the interaction of services, information and the context of health care ( Mamede, et al., 2012). As a student, it is good to have a bright reflection to balance whats actually going on around; at times it might require lots of recollecting and time. Some many aims are called for reflecting on procedure, like improving practice healthy, making others understand that their thoughts or doing are not effective as it ought to be given satisfaction. The reflection could also be an experience where one can recall knowledge and think how to assess it to solve a solution. The importance of reflection in many professions such as nursing, doctors and teaching has helped the profession services to improve their level of skills for future functioning by assessing the state, level of errors that has occurred previously and find a better solution to it against the future. It has given stronger thoughts around the caring of a lifetime and work they desire, better assurance in the selections they desire. It has created better self-confidence in the services, potentials and qualities they produce for the profession of their choice. It has also made professional life remaining in a progress side to contest for occupations as well as giving the sense and abilities to examine their skills, private abilities and capabilities with managers. Finally it has help in good problem-solving and design services. Reflection is the heart of effective learning to the development of all professionals simply because it allows everyone to learn from practice. Reflective practice has different methods of dealing with issues such as self and peer assessment, problem-based knowledge; personal development planning and assembly work can altogether be expanded to back a reflective methodology. In discussing how reflective practice can be used in professional body to ensure continuing professional development. When the concept of reflective practice was initiated by Donald Schà ¶n (1983) schools, colleges and every education area started planning educator teaching and professional development plans centered on this idea. The significance of reflective in educational module is to ensure more planning and it will expose a choice of styles. It will identify different way in which team partners select to reflect on specific actions. Action study is an instrument of program training containing of continuous response that aims particular problems in a specific group setting (Hopkins Antes, 1990). By means of this, it develops a standard idea in teacher learning curriculums. The trainer mentor as academic and role example inspires students to place philosophies theyve studied into practice in their schoolrooms. Involving myself in a professional development institutions is a way to combine reflection into practice. The reflective medical health method has been introduced in some occupation area and it has developed into the work series in one way to the other, all the way through appraisals or assessment. Normally, its a ways of accepting personal accountability for issues like: Their continuous practiced development (CPD). Creating a reasonable and sensible assessment of their personal work. Distinguishing their personal powers and anywhere they want to make a values influence to a team or workforce. Knowing their personal limits and recognizing the education they want to advance my working. Be aware of their own performance with others and accepting accountability for their activities. The ability to know when they should make a valuable impacts to a group dialogs and when not and seeing ways of educating individual also team functioning. The question about reflective practice is how does it delivery and improve quality care when change is introduced with a service or management or how can one understand if these changes benefit the service users. Everyday group and monitoring of client information can be a good practice for this. The procedure of measuring and evaluating the benefit can be signified to as the performance pointers subject to what is about to be measured. Some of the tools used to measure the results of therapy can support organization to see the importance of incoming information if this data are exercised to recover client care. This information needs to be interpreted into significant evidence that could notify choice creation at home and organization level if they are going to implement good practice. Performance pointers are goals set by a team, sector or service, at time it may be detailed to success of standards, lessening the time of waiting or client release. The performance pointers can be amended over time and reflect the development of correction in a team and this has been witnessed in the change of models used in different sectors. Being reflective in a team, it will help to prove that health worker, professionals are vigorously worried around the goals and penalties of the labour they are responsible for, allows all individuals to screen, assess and study their own training constantly. It makes them to be observed sensibly at training, instruction to acquire new competencies and empathetic and the needs for unbiased approach. It also improves professional knowledge and individual satisfaction throughout teamwork and conversation between practitioners. In a precise case of the nursing professions in a care home setting (Appendices 1.), it is advised that the professional to recognize, respect and perform actions that will protect the persons right to make a decision about their health, cure, and well-being, turning them excused from any kind of unfairness (Gardiner, 2003). It also compels them to execute or contribute to health care without the approval of the patient, apart from in cases of looming risk of death (Volbrecht, 2002). Hence, any nursing intervention is required to be voted on the bioethics principles of malfeasance, non-malfeasance, beneficence, and autonomy and it can only be conducted with the permission of involving person, based on sufficient information (American Nurses Association, 2001). Conclusion The need for bathing in this case certainly has created an ethical dilemma to the care giver, because this procedure involves the collision of two fundamental rights: the basic right to health and the right of denial due to personal values or past experience. Caregivers know that force bathing is basically acting against the patients rights according to nursing guidelines and realization of the fact is also imperative that experience of force bathing will create even more complexities in the future care management of Mr. James. Although, bathing him very important for his health yet this situation requires health care giver professional to make a decision in favor of the pervasiveness of the dignity as the boundary and bottom for her other rights these dilemmas in the case of Mr. James can be solved by means of alternative counseling. Caregivers in such a situation require to make deepening understanding of Mr. James mental block and difficult behavior. As a caregiver first task was to collect complete information about this difficult behavior of Mr. James from him and his family members, Mr. James was encouraged to speak of his previous bad experience; it requires patients to bear harshness and indecent language. After gathering the fact related to his behavior next step was to evaluate the situation which required the identification of problem, solution and alternative option. The caregiver decides to convince Mr. James to have a bath continuously. The strategy adopted was instead of making him bath care givers started to ask him on routine would he like to have a bath, the advantages of having a bath and disadvantages of not having were lightly and repeatedly presented to him. Being a care givers professional I decided that an ongoing attempt to persuade Mr. James to have a bath will keep going till he himself agree to have a bath but he will not be forced bath and his personal dignity will be kept supreme. Appendices 1 MR. James was admitted in the care care Home where I am doing my placement suffering from memory loss. He was accompanied by family and was skeptical about my ability to give him bed bath as a result of some abuses he had received in the past and competency. However , after much talk and the senior carer appeal to him to allow me to give him bed bath that he will okay yet Mr. James was just behaving funny using swearing words and turns deaf ear. Some family of Mr. James member also joins to talk to him but he refuses.

Horror and Suspense in Bierces Work Essay -- Ambrose Bierce Short Sto

Horror and Suspense in Bierce's Work A novel is divided into different chapters and usually has different plots to focus on. In a novel there are lots of characters and the time scale is constantly changing throughout. Because there is more than one theme and there are different messages coming across of combined themes, makes the novel denser and more complicated to understand and to take in all the description. Ambrose Bierce wrote a lot of short stories and some we have studied and analysed. In a short story there is usually only one plot and the event usually carries on in the same setting. There are usually a couple of characters and one hidden message which makes the short stories more to the point and very direct. As I was analysing the short stories by Bierce, I realised that most of the characters in them were male and most of the stories contained physicians. Looking over Bierce’s background I was able to see that Bierce was brought up in a male dominated area where women were secondary characters. I assume this is why Bierce’s main characters are male and the female characters only play a secondary part in the setting. He had a son who committed suicide and a son who drank himself to death. I think this is why Bierce put physicians in most of his stories. The physicians don’t know when the victims of the stories are about to die, so maybe Bierce could relate to these because no physician could warn him about his sons dying. Throughout Bierce’s stories he has a good use of horror and suspense. He does this by being very concise and to the point. He also makes more impact on us as he uses pathetic thalacy. He does this by describing the weather in such a way that reflects on the mood o... ...he misery of others.’ This ties in with us laughing at the misery of Henry Armstrong. Others find it horrifying as they would be terrified of being buried alive and in those days it was quite common for medical students to dig up the corpses. This also ties in with Bierce’s definition of a grave, which I also found in ‘The Devil’s Dictionary.’ A grave is a place in which the dead are laid to await the coming of the medical student.’ Reading these stories of Bierce’s I found to be very interesting and thoroughly enjoyed. I think it is clear that Bierce was trying to scare a lot of people and effectively did as the description, the language used, the mixed feelings it sends out and the context of his writing creates a lot of horror and suspense. Some may say that Bierce is sick others say that he is very intelligent. Bierce- brilliant or disturbed?

Sophies World By Jostein Gaarder :: essays research papers

Sophie's World is about the life of a 14 year-old girl called Sophie Amundsen. It takes you on a journey though 3000 years of Western philosophy, presenting important and in most cases annoying questions.This is the explanation of philosophy and philosophers given in the book:"A white rabbit is pulled out of a top hat. Because it is an extremely large rabbit, the trick takes many billions of years. All mortals are born at the very tip of the rabbit's fine hairs, where they are in a position to wonder at the impossibility of the trick. But as they grow older they work themselves ever deeper into the fur. And there they stay. They become so comfortable they never risk crawling up the fragile hairs again. Only philosophers embark on this perilous expedition to the outermost reaches of language and existence. Some of them fall off, but others cling on desperately and yell at the people nestling deep in the snug softness, stuffing themselves with delicious food and drink.'Ladies and gentlemen,' they yell, 'we are floating in space!' But none of the people down there care.'What a bunch of troublemakers!' they say. And keep on chatting: Would you pass the butter please? How much have our stocks risen today? What is the price of tomatoes?"Some of the questions raised include:Why are we here? Is there a God? Where does the world come from?This book attempts to tell you what people in the past have thought, fusing the historical side with the story itself.Sophie is taking a course in philosophy from Alberto Knox. Together they are trying to find their own answers to the questions so important to mankind. Then Sophie begins to receive postcards addressed to Hilde. But who is Hilde? And why are the postcards being sent care of Sophie? Coupled with the course in philosophy, Sophie and Alberto begin to question their very existence. Sophie finds a book about herself in a book about herself, and things seem to fall into place. Does the world Sophie and all her friends live in exist at all, or is it just in someone's imagination or even in a book?

Brave New World :: essays research papers

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley is a novel that takes place in Utopia. Yet in this ideal place everyone is conditioned to be happy, it is a place where various things such as the arts are restricted so all people will be synchronized in thinking. Love and commitment does not exist but rather everyone belongs to everyone else. This place is also a place where soma holidays help people escape from their realities and never have its society feel any kind of distress or illness. This place was not Utopia to John â€Å"the Savage,† it was rather a place of hell and torment which none of the things he enjoyed and loved existed. In the novel, freedom of the individual will is one of the fundamental beliefs at the root of human ideals. While the environment or the public world (society) plays some part in forming the psyche of an individual, it is in the end, the choice of the individual (John) to be who they become The whole concept of Brave New World contradicts to everything John ever believed in. John came from a world where art and expression of variation from the society existed. People must face their problems and overcome them, and love requires commitment and is greatly appreciated. John was rather a Renaissance man trapped in a world where none of his necessities in life existed. He was disgusted at their orgy-porgies, their belief of take, take, take not give, give, give. Total happiness did not exist to John in a world which lacked expression of the arts. It was rather total torment. Throughout the novel John continues to fight and believe for what he believes in while the surrounding environment continues to pressure him and submerge him into Utopian ways of life. The conflicts which were faced upon his arrival were of devastation. His life grew lonelier and lonelier each day with his dissatisfaction with the crude nature and refined society of the Utopians. He was trapped in a tedious world where there was nothing to do. John symbolizes the artist or the believer striving for ecstasy. Yet in a world of synchronized life, lack of arts, unrequited love, and â€Å"runaways† it is impossible to find ecstasy. He finds nothing worth living for in the ordinary world and strongly regrets his leave of the reservation in coming to this â€Å"boring† world. Clearly he is the image of a man trying to liberate himself from his own egotism.

On philosophy

Virginia Held, in her article Feminist Transformations of Moral Theory, claims that the historical groundings of the precepts of philosophy, including the sets of ethical theories and positions, and philosophy in general have been erected from the viewpoints of men and that the ideas involved are not entirely â€Å"gender-neutral† as they appear to claim themselves (Held). One can observe that throughout the stretch of the time that encompassed the early stages of philosophy up to the time of the industrial revolution and the onset of the age of globalization, men have dominated the field of philosophy. Women in the past societies in particular were given very minimal role in social activities and endeavors inasmuch as most of these women were simply confined to their homes and their tasks were greatly deprived of social participation (Claassen and Joyce). This observation leads us to the assumption that, because of these deterring factors on the very presence of women in the society, women have also played very little part in the development of philosophy in general and the number of philosophical discussions all-over the world. The rise of feminism alongside and the shift in the patriarchal patterns that loomed over societies, however, have appeared to dissolve one by one the barriers that isolate women from having a part in the philosophical plane. One can further analyze that Virginia appears to argue that what the philosophy we know of today is the product of the past philosophizing done in large part by men. Richard Brandt, for this matter, has principally endorsed in some of his works the idea of overcoming bias and prejudice in the very precepts of morality (Stevenson). This observation appears to relieve Brandt of the accusations hurled by Virginia towards the evolution of philosophy throughout the decades that humanity has dwelled on its rough, intricate, and oftentimes bewildering edges. Brandt argues that passion should not be allowed to intervene whenever we are to delve into matters that concern morality for it blurs the capacity of our reason and thinking on equally significant moral issues (Brandt). If this is the case, indeed Brandt may have already swung himself off the reaches of Virginia’s accusations with regards to traditional philosophy for the reason that traditional philosophy has been seen to be relished with all sorts of manly traces. The suggestion being offered by Brandt is one that relieves philosophy of any bias towards a specific gender in any working context, one that seeks to salvage the philosophy we know today from the dregs of traditional philosophy. However, there remains the contention that even if Brandt is arguing for an objective quest, at least in terms of the moral precepts and moral traditions that humanity has strongly held through time, the very fact that Brandt sees his world from a man’s point of view can be a point of contention. This taunts one to pose questions of uncertainty and credibility with regards to his claim of a rationalizing empty of passion and bias. If Virginia Held is aptly precise and right with her argument, it appears, then, that Brandt’s perception on philosophy and that of morality is not thoroughly empty of bias for the reason that the latter sees the world from the understanding and vision of man whereas women might have a differing view with regards to what they know of about the world they both live in. This leads us to the assumption that, granted Virginia’s arguments are strongly founded, Brandt’s ideas and the rest of his arguments cannot entirely be empty of bias given the fact that he is a man and that a woman thinks rather differently to those of males. And there has indeed been numerous interpretations that separates from traditional philosophy, especially from a feminist approach where women are treated as individuals who also share roles in the society in general. Capital punishment and killings in war Capital punishment is typically utilized in order to put unlawful people before the justice system of societies and put an end to their unlawful means—and to their lives—thereby removing further instances of committing heinous crimes by the same criminal. War killings, on the other hand, are primarily taken to be understood as killings in the battlefield, especially in times of war wherein combatants or armies from the opposing sides are granted by their authorities to obtain their mission through every possible means—such as gunning down the enemy—in order to not only deter the enemy from advancing further but also to finally put an end to the enemy’s existence. From a Kantian perspective, both capital punishment and killings in war are immoral acts in the sense that both of these essentially take away the lives of men which is, on the other hand, strictly against the moral imperatives. Basically, Kant suggests that taking away the life of another individual cannot be justified because it is not the right thing to do at whatever given situation. Utilitarianism, on the other hand, provides us with another view that implies that both capital punishment and war killings can be morally justified given that both of these promote the general good or the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. That is, taking away the life of another individual can be justified in the ethical issues given that the basis for the action is justifiable. And this moral theory asserts that actions can indeed be justified, specifically in the context of the measurement of happiness and its consequent effects on the welfare and happiness of the greatest number of individuals. However, the strand of rule utilitarianism splits from this claim because it argues that rules should not be bent just for the attainment of general happiness which, in this case, is taken to mean that moral precepts and legal rules concerning life should never be flexed in order to fit the situation. Quite on the contrary, the very situations of capital punishment and killings in war should be critically analyzed based on these precepts and rules in order to arrive at the greatest happiness for the greatest number. William Godwin William Godwin is not inclined towards prejudice and thought it as the source of much that is wrong in the world as he also stressed the significant role of impartiality. The value of human life should be taken as a central part of the analysis of Godwin’s claim primarily because in order for the individual to be able to arrive at a sound judgment the individual should nevertheless take a look into the course of the years that have molded the life that he or she possesses (Monro). Prejudice, on the contrary, creates the notion of selectivity wherein the individual may be inclined to prefer this from that or, in another context, this person from another person for a number of reasons pegged on the selective attitude of the person. Without a concern for the value of human life, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to arrive at an impartial attitude towards others primarily because without having a universal sense of benevolence towards mankind in general impartiality can hardly be attained. Hence, in order for one to be able to embrace the idea that prejudice is the source of much that is wrong in the world, one ought to be impartial both in deeds and in thoughts. With a firm consideration on the value of human life among all of humanity, one cannot easily stray away from the holds of an impartial treatment towards other people and that one cannot straightforwardly resort to prejudice. Without having a sense of attachment towards the primacy and value of human life, it would be quite difficult as well, if not more, to act truthfully as a benevolent individual empty of prejudice in thought and deed or to at least pretend to be like an impartial individual. Kant and Singer’s animal rights Kant says that duty is the inevitability or necessity of functioning out of a strict observation for laws that are universal. Consequently, the worth or value of the action done by the individual in terms of moral contexts is essentially drawn from the intention of the action. Moreover, Kant’s treatment of a maxim can be briefly summarized as a given principle upon which one acts such that its nature is based on the manner in the expression of the intention. Thus, the content of the actions in terms of intent have an important role in Kantian ethics. This content can be further expressed in two manners. The first states that there are maxims or imperatives which stipulate that there are acts based on the desires of the individual. This is what Kant calls the hypothetical imperative. On the other hand, those which are based on reason and not merely dependent on one’s desires belong to the categorical imperative. The latter type deals with what ought to be done. All these can be roughly transposed and summarized into Kant’s conception of the practical imperative which claims that one ought to act to treat human beings as ends in themselves and never merely as a means to any given end, whether the individual is the self or another person. Peter Singer argues that ethical precepts should be extended so that it will encompass animals as well. If this is the case, and if we are to place this in the context of Kant’s proposition, then we are to arrive at the idea that, after ethical precepts have been made to be understood to encompass animals, no one is to treat any animal as means in order to arrive at certain ends but rather as the very ends themselves. Kant would disagree with Singer in the sense that the former’s theory is anchored on the rationality of human beings whereas animals are empty of rational capacity. Singer, on the other hand, would disagree with Kant in this notion primarily because animals also have rights and that these rights should be also recognized within the ethical sphere. References Arthur, John. Morality and Moral Controversies: Readings in Moral, Social and Political Philosophy. 7th ed: Prentice Hall, 2004. Brandt, Richard B. â€Å"A Motivational Theory of Excuses in the Criminal Law.†Ã‚   Morality, Utilitarianism, and Rights. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1992. 252. Claassen, Cheryl, and Rosemary A. Joyce. â€Å"Women in Prehistory.† American Antiquity 63.1 (1998): 175. Held, Virginia. â€Å"Feminist Transformations of Moral Theory.† Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 50.Supplement (1990): 321. Monro, D. H. â€Å"Godwin's Moral Philosophy: An Interpretation of William Godwin.† Ethics 64.2 (1954): 134. Stevenson, Charles L. â€Å"Brandt's Questions About Emotive Ethics.† The Philosophical Review 59.4 (1950): 529.   

Mythic and Fairy

The feeling of impending danger as the story progresses is created for the reader in Joyce Carol Oates’ short story, Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?, through employing mythical elements to describe what is happening in the plot. Throughout the story, she uses several descriptions associated with the devil to serve as metaphors for the male character and what happens to Connie as also symbolic of the power of evil to tempt, conquer, and destroy the individual. Connie is the symbol of innocence. A young girl of fifteen, she is at the time of adolescence when young women begin to explore beyond their childhood lives and have a taste of how it is like to be a grown-up. She is also pretty, obsessed with mirrors and fussing with her looks. She is very unlike her plain older sister. Like most pretty girls her age who want excitement and not be â€Å"plain and steady† like the sister, Connie is giggly and eager for new things, unaware that danger lurks ready to exploit the fantasies of girls like her. She is like innocent Red Riding Hood who thinks the woods are nice, cozy places to travel through unaware of the wolf that lives within. After describing Connie and her family, the author introduces the technique of incorporating mythic element in the story by describing the drive-in restaurant as a â€Å"sacred building that loomed up out of the night to give them what haven and blessings they yearned for†¦the music was†¦like music at a church service†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚   The restaurant is a wholesome place for young people to meet and enjoy each other’s company. However, once Connie gets out of the restaurant towards the parking lot, she is not safe anymore. The devil lurks just outside sacred places, ready to tempt anyone who gets out of the temple and who is willing to do something naughty and fun. It is outside where Connie sees Arnold Friend for the first time although they would not be introduced to each other then as Connie is with Eddie, a wholesome boy her age whom she meets in the â€Å"sacred† restaurant. Right after that first meeting, the story begins its creepy quality as the author focuses on Arnold Friend and uses mythological and cultural associations with the devil to describe him.   One association is how Arnold Friend comes into the picture and how he looks like. His approach is announced by the â€Å"glow of slow-pulsed joy that seemed to rise mysteriously out of the music† which Connie was listening to at the time her parents and sister went to a barbecue party at her aunt’s one weekend, leaving her alone in the house. Rock and roll music, songs that are fast and hard, is associated with rebellious teenagers. Arnold Friend appears to her with a rock song in the background and looking like a rock star himself, just like the men in Connie’s fantasy. He had â€Å"fair brown hair†¦sideburns (that) gave him a fierce, embarrassed look†¦wore sunglasses†¦tight faded jeans stuffed into black, scuffed boots, a belt that pulled his waist in and showed how lean he was†¦the jaw and chin and cheeks slightly darkened because he hadn’t shaved†¦and the nose long and hawklike.† His features are sharp, his attire scruffy, and his bearing is very manly. He appeals to her fantasy to look appealing to her, thus making it easier to achieve his purpose. However, the skin around his eyes, which she notices when he takes off his glasses, was â€Å"like holes that were not in shadow but instead in light.† The eyes themselves were â€Å"like chips of broken glass that light in an amiable way.† They were devilish eyes, bright and unlike normal human eyes. When he speaks, it is in â€Å"a simple lilting voice, exactly as if he were reciting the words to a song.† He constantly smiles, too. His name is Arnold Friend, an obvious pun on â€Å"fiend†. He is obviously a bad guy with bad intentions but one who disguises them well. No other name is more trustworthy than one who has â€Å"Friend† for a family name. Arnold rides a golden jalopy. The shiny car symbolizes how the temptations of evil always come in a dazzling and attractive package. Connie herself is amused and fascinated with the car. He uses signals and secret codes. When the car comes to a stop by the front door, â€Å"the horn sounded four taps.† Beside Arnold Friend’s car are more codes: the numbers 33, 19, and 17. He also tells Connie at one point during their conversation that he has a sign, the letter X. Superstition, with its preoccupation with codes, signs and numbers, is connected with the dark side. Another association is the suggestion that Arnold Friend knows everything about Connie and is even telepathic. When he calls Connie by name, she is surprised since she never introduced herself at any time before he drives into their doorstep. He knows the names of her family members, all her friends from school, and tells her that he can see what is happening at Aunt Tillie’s barbecue party at the very moment that he is talking to her. Connie, of course, realizes the danger she is in although it takes some time to sink in because at first she thinks she can just waive Arnold off and he would simply leave her alone. She knows the clues to the kind of brewing trouble she is facing with Arnold when she recognizes â€Å"that sleepy dreamy smile that all the boys used to get across ideas they didn’t want to put into words†¦and the singsong way he talked, slightly mocking, kidding, but serious†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She knows the game of temptation and she tries to resist as hard as she could. Later on in the conversation, however, when Connie continues to resist and especially when she threatens him with calling the police, Arnold slowly takes off the mask he has put on to seduce her with sweetness and becomes forceful. Evil cannot keep on its sweet face when it realizes how it is on the verge of defeat. When it cannot get its way through sweet talk and wheedling, it would resort to the use of force and violence. Connie also recognizes the shift and she feels real panic and fear. Arnold makes it clear to her when he says, â€Å"the place where you came from ain’t there any more, and where you had in mind to go is cancelled out.† Of course, Connie could have called her parents or the police and it could have frightened Arnold off and leave her. After all, she is inside the house while he is locked outside. He cannot go in and it would have taken him some time to break the door, long enough for Connie to make the call. But like the devil, he plays with her weakness, confusion and fear at the moment. Arnold controls himself, knowing that it would work better if Connie comes out of her own will. He continues to seduce her with promises of a pleasurable experience. He promises to bring her â€Å"to a nice field, out in the country here† where Arnold will â€Å"have (his) arms tight around (her).† He tries to convince her that she is better than any of her family members and only he can understand her and her needs best. Towards the end of the story, Arnold keeps coaxing until Connie feels she is not herself anymore. The author describes it as an incantation. She is lured and hypnotized by his words. She has become an observer watching herself â€Å"put out her hand against the screen†¦push the door slowly open†¦moving out into the sunlight where Arnold Fiend waited.† She has given up herself to the devil. She has fallen from grace. She will never be the same again. Using descriptive elements associated with the mythical creature called the devil proves to be an effective technique in developing the story because it adds that extra element of scariness in the reading. The reader associate what is happening in the story with the extra imageries and it intensifies the suspense and anticipation of the obviously tragic ending of the female character. The ending is not only about Connie giving herself up to Arnold. It is also about how evil has tempted innocence, wins over her, and leads her to a terrible end. Work Cited Oates, Joyce Carol. Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?

Counselor Ethical Boundaries and Practices Essay

Part of being a counselor requires an understanding of dual relationships and the boundaries that are in place between a client and their counselor. Being a good counselor requires an understanding of the role that ethics plays in the professional relationship. Ethics are not simply a way of protecting the client but offer protection to the counselor as well. Counselor Decision-Making and Counseling Examples In the counseling profession dual relationships also known as multiple relationships can be defined as a situation in which multiples roles exists between the counselor and the client. Callanan et al discuss the fact that when a counselor and a client â€Å"blend their professional relationship with a non-professional relationship, then ethical concerns must be considered (2014).† The boundaries that are set in place between a counselor and a client are done so to protect both parties. A counselor is in a position of power in the life of their client and if the boundaries are not in place, the counselor could take advantage of their client and cause difficulties for them. To determine if a boundary crossing or a dual relationship is ethical and appropriate with a client that I am treating I would look first to the ACA code of ethics to determine what is viewed as unethical dual relationships. The ACA code of ethics goes into some detail in regards to what is considered to be a n unethical dual relationship. ACA Code A.5.a states that a â€Å"sexual and/or romantic counselor– client interactions or relationships with current clients, their romantic partners, or their family members are prohibited (2014).† The code of ethics also explains that counselors are prohibited from providing counseling services to someone that they have previously had a sexual/romantic relationship with. If the  situation that I am involved in is not covered within the ethical guidelines, then I would seek the advise of my supervisor or trusted colleague to determine what their thoughts are in regards to the situation that I have found myself in. In making my decision, I would look to determine that the decisions being made would not adversely affect my client or myself. I would also look to determine if the change in relationship would be therapeutic to my client. If I was dealing with a situation where I was sexually attracted to my client or my client was sexually attracted to me; I would look to the ACA code of ethics and determine that a sexual relationship with a client is considered unethical. Geyer believes â€Å"there seems to be considerable agreement within both secular and Christian circles that romantic or sexual relationships are always unethical concurrent with or during counseling and virtually always unethical afterwards (Dual Role Relationships and Christian Counseling, 1994).† If during a counseling session with a client, they felt that I was not hearing them, it might be appropriate to do some self-disclosure. This is a boundary crossing but as long as the self-disclosure does not cause the client to feel negative effects then it is acceptable as a way to make sure the client understands the counseling is listening and understands what the client is feeling. If I was working in a small town that did not have other counseling options, then I might be placed in a position to have a dual relationship with a client. A friend could come to me needing assistance in dealing with an issue and due to the area that we live in, there might not be another counselor that they could go and see. In this situation, I believe a dual relationship would be allowed as long as the boundaries between friendship and counseling are fully laid out before beginning. The friend would have to come into the sessions not as a friend but as a client, someone that I am there to assist without passing judgment. If I had been treating a client who had been involved in car crash where their actions caused the death of the passenger in the car, would it be ethical for me to cross the boundary of leaving the office and going to the site of the accident. I believe in this case that it would be acceptable for me to cross that boundary and go with my client as a support system as they are trying to come to terms with their actions that caused the death of another. By going with them to the site of the accident, they are able to have a sense of being protected as they process what  transpired and led them to that point in their life. Ethical Issues and Dimensions The ACA Code of Ethics defines an appropriate amount of time of 5 years following the termination of therapy to be acceptable for a counselor to pursue a sexual/romantic relationship with a past client. I believe that in some instances 5 years would be a good amount of time to pass before looking for that type of relationship but in some cases longer might be better. I will have been in a very powerful position with my client and therefore depending on what they were receiving counseling for, it might not have been enough time for that power dynamic to have equaled out. If I were seeing a client and they invited me to their birthday party, this would be considered unethical because I would be seeing them outside of the counseling sessions. If services have been terminated and we are the five years out of the counseling relationship, I would be able to attend the party without fear of my actions being unethical. How the relationship with the client ended also plays a part in being able to interact with them after termination of therapy. Lebaw (2014) states that there are different types of termination of counseling services; the termination of services can be carefully planned or be totally unplanned and based on cases that were either successful or unsuccessful. If the termination of services was a negative experience for the client, it might be more ethical to not interact with them after the ending of the counseling sessions. Professional Collaboration Counseling It is important for counselors and other stakeholders to work together in regards to the care of a client. There are different situations in which multiple areas of help will be needed for the clients’ safety and well-being and it is important that each member of the team is able to communicate effectively with one another. Multidisciplinary Team It is important for a counselor in certain situations to be able to work with  other professionals to ensure the best care is being given to a client. If I have not been trained in handling addictions and have a client that is dealing with severe depression but is also an alcoholic then it would be beneficial for me to work in conjunction with their addiction counselor. Then as I am treating the client for their depression, the addiction counselor is working with them in regards to their alcohol addiction. In this case the addictions counselor and I would need to be able to communicate back and forth with one another to ensure that our client was receiving the best possible care for their co-occurring disorders. Also, with having another person involved in the care of the client it helps to keep the firm boundaries in place that maintains the safety of the client and myself. The addictions counselor and I would meet regularly to discuss our plans to achieve a detailed care plan tha t gives our client the best possible outcome. Staton and Gilligan (2003) define the objective of collaboration as â€Å"developing mutual agreement on ways to work together to provide the most effective services.† Fiddler et al (2010) said that â€Å"meaningful engagement and decisions should be made in collaboration with the patient about his/her treatment and future management.† The client should be a part of the process of the care plan and not just being told what is going to be taking place, it allows the client to have a voice in their treatment. If my client did not wish for me to collaborate with their addictions counselor, wanting to keep the two areas separate then I would need to treat the client solely within the scope of the depression. I would not be able to provide my client with any advice as to why they are drinking or even why they find it difficult to stop drinking. As an individual counselor working alone with the client, I need to be sure that I do nothing unethical with the client. By knowing what I have been trained in and informing my client that because I do not have the experience or training to treat them in regards to their addiction, I am not only taking car e of myself ethically but the client as well. Part of the job of a supervisor-counselor relationship is for them to not only train the student in what it is to be a counselor, but to be a support system for the student. This puts the supervisor in a position of extreme importance to the student. Not only is the supervisor putting forth a grade on the students’ performance, but they are also being confided in by the student with the  struggles the student is having. The supervisor could use this position to influence the student in an unethical way if they are not careful. It would be simple for the supervisor to manipulate the student’s feelings towards them. These are very similar to the things that a counselor could do to a client if they did not monitor themselves. AS a counselor, you have the trust of your client that everything you are doing is being done to help them and not harm them. A criteria that could be used to determine if something a fellow counselor is being done is ethical or not is by knowing and being familiar with the ACA code of ethics as well as the laws of the state that I am practicing in. If I found a fellow counselor acting in an unethical way it would be my duty to report them to the licensing board. The board is the only one who has the right to pass judgment and sentence on a counselor who has behaved unethically. Development of Ethics Ponton stated â€Å"In whatever specialty counselors practice, they are asked to provide expertise to the problem of balancing an individual’s needs, strengths, and identity with the group or society within which that individual functions (2009).† Since taking this course I have become more familiar with the roles that ethics needs to play in the relationship between not only counselor and client; but counselor and counselor, and counselor and supervisor. That each of these relationships forms a chain that needs to be strong and well defined. The role that ethics plays in the life of a counselor is something that is very important. Ethics are not just there to protect the client, they protect the counselor as well. From this course I have learned that there will be times when the lines between ethical and unethical are not going to be clearly defined; yet there is a support system available to me. I learned that there is nothing wrong with going to my community of counselors for support or direction when I am unsure of a step. This is a profession where not only do we help clients but we help each other. Conclusion Someone who is beginning in the counseling profession needs to be fully aware of the ethical guidelines set in place by not only the ACA but the state in which they are practicing. The code of ethics are not in place simply to  protect the client; but to also provide protection to the counselor. The role of ethics and boundaries is important and something that a counselor will need to continuously watch and learn about as the work with clients. Though boundaries can fluctuate they should never be crossed in a way that could harm a client. As a counselor, I need to know what cases that I can treat and those that I can’t and be willing to work with others to give my clients the best possible care. There are ethical guidelines for not only the interaction with clients but for the interactions with other counseling professionals. Without ethics to guide a counselor in their practice, they are in a position to do major harm to their clients. This course has shown me that ethics a re an integral part of the counseling profession and need to be respected. Refeences American Counseling Association (2014). 2014 ACA Code of Ethics. Alexandria, VA: Author Callanan, P., Corey, C., Corey, G., & Corey, M. (2014). Issues and Ethics in the Helping Professions. Stamford:CT Fiddler, M., Borglin, G., Galloway, A., Jackson, C., McGowan, L., & Lovell, K. (2010). Once-a-week psychiatric ward round or daily inpatient team meeting? A multidisciplinary mental health team’s experience of new ways of working. International Journal Of Mental Health Nursing, 19(2), 119-127. doi:10.1111/j.1447-0349.2009.00652.x Geyer, M. C. (1994). Dual Role Relationships and Christian Counseling. Journal Of Psychology & Theology, 22(3), 187-195. Lebow, J. (2014). Stages of therapy: Engagement, assessment, and termination. In , Couple and family therapy: An integrative map of the territory (pp. 151-170). Washington, DC, US: American Psychological Association. doi:10.1037/14255-007 Ponton, R. F., & Duba, J. D. (2009). The â€Å"ACA Code of Ethics†: Articulating Counselin g’s Professional Covenant. Journal Of Counseling & Development, 87(1), 117-121. Staton, A. R., & Gilligan, T. D. (2003). Teaching School Counselors and School Psychologists to Work Collaboratively. Counselor Education & Supervision, 42(3), 162.

Creative Writing Monologue – How did I end up like this?

How did I end up like this? Slashed up and left to die in a part of Bristol that Tourist Information is in denial as to its existence. Why would I even consider agreeing to such ludicrous terms? How many times has my mother said one of those embarrassing Irish sayings that no-one says or told you: â€Å"Don't talk to stranger,† or â€Å"Don't let your father be your role model or you'll end up dead just like him.† Well I bet my Mum never envisaged me sharing my father's grave before her. It's looking more bloody likely with every minute that goes by. â€Å"Pause† I'm eighteen! I should be with friends on the town, drinking and trying cigarettes, not slowly bleeding to death. In its time this is the kind of road that would be full of tourists who can't afford to go abroad and want a cheap seaside holiday; well Bristol seems to have fallen to bits, now it's nothing more than a grimy alleyway. I'm not even sure if I brought this situation upon myself; just another one of those innocent victims of inner city youth gangs. I can already picture my mother on GMTV, asking pointless question which were unlikely to be answered, but when they are they draw an inevitable dead-end. â€Å"Pause, Splutters† When you're approached by twelve or so older boys you keep your head down, make no eye contact and walk on by. Except on this occasion they closed in on me. I felt trapped like a helpless animal, my legs disacknowledged my brain which was urging them to run. They said they wanted me to perform some sort of task. As the group distributed my duty I remained silent and still, although my brain had commenced a battle I didn't argue. But somehow, without being told, I knew there was extensive danger with the task in hand. They spat threats at me though I had not even considered disobeying my assignment for one moment. â€Å"Pause, Chokes† I gathered I was to be a courier and deliver goods and not under any circumstances was I to be prevented from completing my task, regardless of what crossed my path: be it another gang or the police. I asked no questions as I expected to hear no answers (or if there were any – only deceitful ones). They all implied that the consequence for getting caught would most likely be death. At that I began to panic, taking deeper and deeper breathes, having this premonition of being brutally killed. I should have known at that very moment that this situation that I'm in now was unavoidable. â€Å"Pause, Chokes again† I just wish life was like one of those lame TV shows where the hero is on the brink of death but summons up the strength to save him as well as the good looking girl that invariably accompanies them. I want just a few more minutes with my mother to make up for all that I have done. When I was young, my father gave me an option; he said â€Å"Wayne, are you going to be a Mummy's boy or a Dad's boy?† From that very moment I made a decision that would be my burden for the rest of my life. I was always a Dad's boy and followed a similar youth to that of my older brother Ashley; I would look up to Ashley – he was who I wanted to be. Dad was always showing off his first born, until he walked out at the age of 15 that is. â€Å"Pause, Single Tear† Shortly after his departure my dad committed suicide. My life went downhill and every day seem to be a new low. I blamed my mum for my father's death and taunted and accused her of pushing before he jumped. Although it was not true it gave me great satisfaction hearing my mother's muffled tear and sobs from her room. My mother always loved and cared for me and was very compassionate towards me, both before and after my father's death which is more than I can say for my father. My dad would often abuse me and as I cried he would tell me to man up and do him proud and it was my mother only who questioned the large bruises scattered all over my body. Yet my mum was always there to feed me and put a roof over my head. But my eyes were only for my father so my world seemed to crumble as he made his long ominous decent to the pits of hell. â€Å"Unsteady Raspy Breathing † So as these boys told me my task in hand, ringing in my ears was the sound of my Dad saying, â€Å"so Wayne are you going to be a Mummy's boy or a Daddy's boy. â€Å"So not only did I accept that I had no choice, I agreed, I saw it as a gifted opportunity to do my beloved Dad proud and make up for the fact I could never live up to Ashley. I had my goal in mind and it never occurred to me the magnitude of the danger and I never assumed I would get caught. So I was dismayed to walk into a group of men the gleam in their eyes told me they knew everything. â€Å"Pause† They were smug, the kind of people when dad was alive he was obsessed with surrounding himself with. Those crocked smiles and worn bashed up faces told me they had fought many wars before. But what shocked me the most was the lack of fear and concern in their eyes. They did what they this not because they were forced to like myself, but because they found it them adrenaline and they enjoyed it! As they redrew there knives from their pockets and slashed me I didn't resist or cry; I couldn't stand hearing my dad's voice again, â€Å"Man up Wayne, man up.† I had had enough. â€Å"Pause, Voice fades as he is dying† But as this happened I couldn't help but smile to myself. I had seen who was stabbing me, I smiled at him and he smirked back, mocking me. Ashley, who I had looked up to as a child, had come back; maybe not the way I had hoped, but none the less for the past eight years since he left all I have ever wanted was for him to return. I don't hate him for doing it; he was living my father's dream and had done him proud more than I had ever done. â€Å"Pause† If I shift my weight I could probably see the name of this god forsaken alley. â€Å"Terminal Lane,† it probably refers to the nearly airport but I think it fits. The end of my journey, a short journey, but never the less an eventful one. â€Å"Terminal Lane†. Chuckles â€Å"Closes Eyes, Dies†.

Innovation (Apple Ipod) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Innovation (Apple Ipod) - Essay Example (Albury, 2005) From the singers to the composers, from the lyricists to the manufacturers of the devices which are used for playing music – they all are the key players in the music industry. The player that has been chosen for this report is the manufacturer of the music playing device. Apple introduced the revolutionary portable media player, called iPod on 23rd October 2001. (Breen, 2003) And this has been a major contribution to the world of innovation, since it radically altered the way music was being listened to. Innovation is to produce something new, whether it is an idea, a method or a device. Innovation opens the horizon for new dimensions to be explored and also fulfill some market niche which was unexplored and touched upon before the innovation. (Tushman, 2004) Moreover, the definition of innovation does not end there. Its scope is pretty vast. Innovation is not just about introducing a new thing; it is also about improving something old by adding an element of freshness and newness to it. Innovation is all about creativity. (Tidd, 2006) Innovation can happen in any field but mostly it is important in the field of business because that is where competition is intense and companies are fighting to gain the attention of the firm and they need to get a competitive edge somehow to come to notice. Innovation gives them that. Innovation requires creativity, and for a product to be successful ultimately, we need to make sure that it is functioning properly and is fitting the purpose for which it was created. (Tumi, 2002) Therefore, doing trial and error and continuously experimenting with your imagination is the preparation for an innovative product. For this purpose, companies open Research and Development Departments where they can experiment all they want to before finally giving a product to the end user.   Innovation is a concept which has been studied by managers and analysts time and

Contemporary Leadership Theory Literature review

Contemporary Leadership Theory - Literature review Example According to the paper findings there is a wide range of leadership theories which have been developed through the years. The theories are classified into seven. The first is the known as the Great Man theories, which are founded on the idea that leaders are extraordinary individuals whose leadership qualities are inborn. The use of the term â€Å"Man† was intentional since it was generally held throughout the early half of the twentieth century that leadership is a male attribute; in fact, William James wrote that the course of history is determined by great men, without whom the masses could not progress. The next group is the trait theories, referring to the focus on traits or qualities that a good leader is thought to possess (though which are not necessarily inborn). The study of â€Å"great men† that preceded this yielded very few commonalities among them, giving rise to the idea that what defines a leader would be the set of admirable characteristics he possessed , such as intelligence, self-confidence, determination and integrity . Behaviourist theories are anchored on the actions of leaders rather than their attributes. Behaviour patterns are studied and categorised to comprise â€Å"leadership styles†. The next school of leadership theories is known as situational leadership. This set of theories views effective leadership not in terms of traits or actions, but the match between these and the situation being addressed. The situational leadership model holds that â€Å"the style of leadership should be mathed ot the level of readiness of the followers†. ... 66). Behaviourist theories, which came next, are anchored on the actions of leaders rather than their attributes. Behaviour patterns are studied and categorised to comprise â€Å"leadership styles†. Behaviourist theorists conceive of leadership in terms of the roles they fulfil, and the manner in which they are expected to fulfil them (Crainer & Dearlove, 2003, p.1). The next school of leadership theories is known as situational leadership. This set of theories views effective leadership not in terms of traits or actions, but the match between these and the situation being addressed. The situational leadership model holds that â€Å"the style of leadership should be mathed ot the level of readiness of the followers† (Hellreigel & Slocum, 2007, p. 221). The model (also known as contingency model) is comprised of three basic components – a set of possible leadership styles, a taxonomy of alternative situations which leaders are likely to encounter, and a stipulatio n of which style constitutes appropriate response to which situation. More recently, the transactional theory of leadership has emerged, focusing on task orientedness and ability to direct groups in a particular way so as to accomplish specific goals. Compliance is ensured through different approaches, such as offering incentives, threatening sanctions, appealing to the group’s sense of duty or selflessness, or prevailing upon their followers’ rational judgment, with the leader having little personal involvement with the group other than driving them to achieve an objective (Martin, et al., 2006, p. 47). Finally, the transformational leadership theory is based on the belief that leadership is not just the sole prerogative of people at the