Moving to America

MOVING TO AMERICA Do you know moving could be a very traumatic and scary experience for a child? When my mom decided to leave Trinidad and Tobago to pursue her Master degree, I don’t think she realized the impact it would have on me, knowing that you are moving to a whole different country is a big pill to swallow at the age of 14 years old. Me and my mom was having dinner when she broke the news that we were moving to America I remembered that day like it was yesterday I felt like my heart had hit the floor I had mix emotions I was just numb I didn’t know if to be happy, sad or angry.After the news was broken to me everything that I loved flashed before my eyes my friends and my family. I was in high school at the time of our planning to move so I knew I would have to make new friends which is very hard for me because am very shy and soft spoken. But I knew in my heart my mom was making the move for us to better herself and to provide a better life for me and my brothe r. Leaving my country where I grew up and where all my family and friends were really saddened me.Trinidad and Tobago is two islands that makes up one country I lived in Trinidad is the place I call home. It’s a beautiful island in the Caribbean its hot all year round and it only has two seasons the rainy season and the dry season. I absolutely enjoy the weather but at times the heat can be very scorching and unbearable, the beaches are amazing white sands blue waters I remember when my best friend and I would go to the beach on Sundays and spend the whole day. So the day before I left which was a Thursday, which meant I had school.My teacher gave a farewell speech telling the class I was leaving and today would be my last day my Best friend Adanna broke into to tears so did I was an emotional wreck because we have been friends since age 5 we did everything together. So when class was over we walk to the bus hugging each other and cherishing our last moments together and then she told me she have a present for me. When I opened it was a letter that consist 10 pages and a framed picture of me and her at age 8, I was so grateful that she gave that to me I told I would keep it close to my heart. At 14 years we jetted to Colorado the flight took about 8 hours to arrive.I arrived in Colorado my body was in shocked of how cold it was coming from a country that is warm it was snowing heavily. I was so excited because I have always dreamt of wanting to see snow and on the first day of my arrival to America I saw snow I just thought to myself how lucky am I, I just smiled to myself. So a taxi cab came to pick us up at the Denver International Airport my new home was located in Colorado Springs it was an hour and a half away. On our way to Colorado Springs I couldn’t see the landscape or anything because everywhere was covered in snow so I just laid back and enjoyed the ride.When we arrived at our new home I fell in love with our new townhouse home it was new, hardwood floors, a tall ceiling it was just marvelous. My first night in my new home, a new country and a new neighborhood felt pretty weird I felt so out of place like I didn’t belong. I woke up the next morning feeling pretty lonely the house was quiet it was just not what am use to because back home in Trinidad we were living in a house with my grandparents and my other family members like my cousins and aunts so the house was always noisy.My mom came in to my room to tell me to get ready we are going grocery shopping I was a little excited I must say just to be out. So we went to the grocery I was so amaze on how big it was and all the different selections of foods items there was to choose from. After grocery shopping, my mom stopped at her school Colorado Technical University to do some finishing for her registration to start to attend school for the Spring Semester. The following day I had to register for school because it was nearing close for the spring school t erm to start so we went to the North Middle School to sign me up.I so nervous when I enter the doors of North Middle School I was so overwhelmed and I hadn’t even started school as yet it was just to register me. So January 9th rolled around that was the beginning of school it was the most traumatic and scary experience ever so many thoughts were running through my mind would I make friends, would any of the students laugh at my accent when I speak. The diversity of the students at the school with all different culture backgrounds was a lot to take in but I was eager to learn about them.I went to my first class it was my Algebra class my teacher was Mr. Brice, seeing as it was the first day of school he suggested that we stand up and introduce ourselves to the class. Everyone stood up and introduce there selves and then it was my turn I started sweating bullets I was so nervous so I stand and these was my exact words â€Å"Hi am Ariane and am from Trinidad† one the cla ssmate laughed at me I felt so hurt I wanted to cry right then and there but I had to hold my composer.When the bell rang for the class to be over there was this one girl her name was Desiree came up to me and told me my accent was cool and she liked it. We became great friends from then so my school experience wasn’t as bad as I thought. When I got home from my first day of school, I laid on my bed thought to myself today wasn’t a bad day at all I can get use to this. But then I started to think about back home and I felt so empty and lonely and I missed everything my family and best friend.After spending 7 years in Colorado, my mom completed her degree and got an incredible job opportunity she was ecstatic I was to, then she told me we had to talk every time she said we have to talk I knew there was some bad or disappointing news she was going to tell me so I took a deep breath and asked â€Å"What is it mom? † she replied and said â€Å"We will be moving to New Jersey† I screamed out in excitement my mom was shocked at my reaction and she had a puzzling look on her face. She asked me â€Å"Aren’t you sad you are leaving Colorado† because she knew how sad I was when we left Trinidad I quickly responded â€Å"No†.I was excited to leave Colorado although I did develop a friendship with Desiree, I wanted to be close to family and New Jersey was the place for me because I have lots and cousins and aunts there. Moving to a whole different country has made me into a stronger person and has broadened my horizon to different cultures, atmosphere and opportunities. It also allows me to see and experience life in a new and different way. My mom has taught me that once I put my mind to anything I can do it. Because she went to Colorado without knowing anybody there and we conquered it together. Test: â€Å"Study Guide Algebra†

Abolish Columbus Day

Columbus Day has regarded Christopher Columbus as a hero for his â€Å"discovery† of America. In parts of America there are big Columbus Day celebrations and parades; even the schools are closed so the children may experience the festivities. The fact of the matter is that Columbus Day does not celebrate the actual â€Å"accomplishments† of Columbus, but celebrates the PG story of Columbus that school teachers would tell elementary school children in the form of a rhyme or song.The celebration of Columbus Day glorifies the colonial conquest, enslavement, and murder of indigenous people by Europeans and should be wiped off the books of American national holidays because Christopher Columbus is not a great Italian explorer who discovered America and Columbus’ exploration led the massive genocide of the indigenous people. All throughout America, Italian-American people celebrate Christopher Columbus as one of the great Italian heroes.In reality, Columbus was not eve n Italian but Genoese, which is a person born in Genoa. Italy did not become a country until 1861 which is 355 years after Columbus died. While Columbus was alive he did not go on his famous trip across the Atlantic Ocean sponsored by Genoa but instead sponsored by Spain. Christopher Columbus set out on his exploration to find a faster trade route to Asia and so traveled East thinking that would have been a faster way; obviously this is not true.In Howard Zinn’s essay, Columbus, The Indians, and Human Progress, the writer states that Columbus would have never made it to Asia and, â€Å"One-fourth of the way there he came upon an unknown, uncharted land†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Zinn). If Columbus was the great explorer that Columbus Day portrays him as, then he would have at least realized that the land he discovered was not Asia but instead America. When Columbus died, he thought that he went to Asia even though an acquaintance of his, Amerigo Vespucci, had already realized that the l and Columbus went to was not Asia but the New World.Besides the fact that Columbus was not even close to getting to Asia, he did not â€Å"discover† America, but instead he informed Europe of the existence of the landmass. The land was already inhabited by millions of Amerindian that had been living in America for thousands of years. The Order of the Sons of Italy in America argue in their article, Columbus: Fact or Fiction, that Columbus did discover America by saying, â€Å"Even if others visited the continent sporadically before he did, their voyages had no historical ignificance. † The OSIA meant that even if anyone visited the New Land before Columbus; since their discovery did not have any grand importance or documentation that the other explorer’s discoveries do not matter. Even though Columbus never took credit for discovering America because he thought he was in Asia the whole time, Americans of today blindly give him the grand title of the â€Å"disco verer of America† when he actually just brought the land into the minds of the people of Europe.When Columbus first arrived in the New World, there were more than eight million American Indian (Taino) living in the area where Columbus landed which was the Bahamas. Columbus did not see the Taino as a civilization of people but as stated in Zinn’s article Columbus wrote in his journal that, â€Å"†¦They would make fine servants†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Columbus quoted in Zinn). With that Columbus began his subjugation of the Taino because he wanted gold that no one else was sure existed in the abundance that Columbus believed.The Admiral’s presence and interference with the Taino’s daily lives caused disputes and separation of the Taino tribes as well as the destruction their lands which helped lead to their downfall. Juliet Ucelli argued in her article, Italian-Americans: Say Basta to Columbus, about how she did not want the Italian people to be like Columbus in the way that he would, â€Å"†¦go into other people’s lands, take them over, and exploit labor and resources. † This exploitation leads Columbus to build mines in which he forced the Taino to arduous physical labor, which killed millions.If a native man did not bring in enough gold at the end of the month, Columbus would have the laborer’s hands cut off which caused massive blood loss and ultimately death. Mothers would drown their children because they had no way of feeding them and did not want their child to grow up in such conditions. In the essay â€Å"Thief, Slave Trader, Murderer: Christopher Columbus and Caribbean Population Decline† Mark Freeland and Tink Tinker, the authors, indicate that, â€Å"†¦Colon presided over the deaths of some seven and a half million people. † By the end of Columbus’ voyage he killed almost all of the indigenous people.By the time Columbus was carried away in chains, only 500,000 of the origina l 8 million Taino’s were left, and those were wiped out by the rest of the European explorers who were inspired by Columbus. A lot of Americans celebrate Columbus Day without ever knowing the true facts of what actually went on during his exploration. Nowadays more people have learned the truth about Christopher Columbus and started to protest the day dedicated to his wrongdoings. Columbus Day should be abolished and replaced because of the acts of genocide and the overall sense that Columbus was not a great explorer.Works Cited Freeland, Mark, and Tink Tinker. â€Å"Thief, slave trader, murderer: Christopher Columbus and Caribbean population decline. † Wicazo Sa Review 23. 1 (2008): 25+. General OneFile. Web. 28 Oct. 2012. Order of the Sons of in America, Columbus: Fact vs. Fiction. (2005): n. page. Web. 28 Oct. 2012. Ucelli, Juliet. â€Å"Italian-Americans: Say Basta to Columbus. † (2012): n. page. Web. 28 Oct. 2012. Zinn, Howard. â€Å"Columbus, The Indians, and Human Progress† People’s History of the United States. (2012): n. page. Web. 28 Oct. 2012.

CyberCrime Law Essay

The Cybercrime Law of the Philippines (also known as the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 or Republic Act 10175) is a newly-signed act that gives us a true legal tool to combat cybercrime. A better definition is given by a press release from the Senate, a part of which says, â€Å"The Cybercrime Prevention Act lays down a comprehensive legal framework for the detection, investigation, and suppression of cybercrimes†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The Republic Act No. 10175, also known as the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, is an act that defines and punishes cybercrime to prevent and suppress its proliferation. It aims to effectively prevent and combat misuse, abuse and illegal access of the Internet by facilitating their detection, investigation, arrest and prosecution at both the domestic and international levels, and by providing arrangements for fast and reliable international cooperation. To formulate and implement a national cyber security plan, a Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating C enter (CICC) will be created under the administrative supervision of the Office of the President. This Act is authored by Reps. Susan Yap (2nd District, Tarlac), Eric Owen Singson, Jr. (2nd District, Ilocos Sur), Marcelino Teodoro (1st District, Marikina City) and Juan Edgardo Angara (Lone District, Aurora). Other authors of the bill are Reps. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (2nd District, Pampanga), Diosdado Arroyo (2nd District, Camarines Sur), Carmelo Lazatin (1st District, Pampanga), Rufus Rodriguez (2nd District,Cagayan de Oro City), Maximo Rodriguez, Jr. (Party-list, Abante Mindanao), Mariano Michael Velarde and Irwin Tieng (Party-list, BUHAY), Romeo Acop (2nd District, Antipolo City), Bernadette Herrera-Dy (Party-list, Bagong Henerasyon), Anthony Rolando Golez (Lone District,Bacolod City), Juan Miguel Macapagal-Arroyo (Party-list, Ang Galing Pinoy), Ma. Amelita Calimbas-Villarosa (Lone District, Occidental Mindoro), Antonio Del Rosario (1st District, Capiz), Winston Castelo (2nd District, Quezon City), Eulogio Magsaysay (Party-list, AVE), Sigfrido Tinga (2nd District, Taguig City) , Roilo Golez (2nd District, Paraà ±aque City), Romero Federico Quimbo (2nd District, Marikina City), Mel Senen Sarmiento (1st District, Western Samar), Cesar Sarmiento (Lone District, Catanduanes), Daryl Grace Abayon (Party-list, Aangat Tayo); Tomas Apacible (1st District, Batangas), Jerry Treà ±as (Lone District, Iloilo City), Joseph Gilbert Violago (2nd District, Nueva Ecija), Hermilando Mandanas (2nd District, Batangas), Ma. Rachel Arenas (3rd District,Pangasinan) and Ma. Victoria Sy-Alvarado (1st District, Bulacan) The newly approved law aimed at combating cybercrimes has been met with mixed reactions from the public and private sectors. This Prevention Act is a boon for local firms, particularly in the information technology sector, business groups said. Other groups meanwhile warned that the new law threatens Filipinos’ freedom of expression as well as freedom of information. But what does the anti-cybercrime law mean for the ordinary Filipino citizen? Most if not all of the offenses in the law are already crimes punishable under the Revised Penal Code. Commenting on the new law, Information and Communications Technology Association of the Philippines (ITAP) President Dondi Mapa said: â€Å"It’s not a matter of identifying new crimes but only recognizing that existing crimes now happen in a new environment.† The anti-cybercrime act itself notes under its declaration of policy that it is the state’s mechanism to adopt â€Å"sufficient powers to effectively prevent and combat such offenses by facilitating their detection, investigation, and prosecution.† The law categorizes cybercrimes into three: (1) offenses against the confidentiality, integrity and availability of computer data and systems; (2) computer-related; or (3) content-related offenses. Illegal access to computer systems, illegal interception of data, data or system interference, as well as misuse or computer systems or data belong in the first category. Also in the same group is â€Å"cyber-squatting,† which involves the acquisition of a domain name â€Å"in bad faith to profit, mislead, destroy reputation, and deprive others from registering the same.† In case of businesses, these may include the use of a domain name â€Å"similar, identical, or confusingly similar† to registered trademarks. But businesses are not the only targets of â€Å"cyber-squatters,† as the law also covers the use of personal names â€Å"identical or in any way similar with the name of a person other than the registrant.† Computer-related offenses, meanwhile, include the input, alteration or deletion of any computer data with the intent of forgery, fraud or identity theft. On the other hand, cybersex, defined under the law as the willful engagement in online sexual activities, is included in content-related offenses. Child pornography is another content-related offense in the law. The anti-cybercrime act notes that punishment to child pornography committed through a computer system will be one degree higher than the sanctions in the Anti-Child Pornography Act. Also named a content-related offense is the sending of unsolicited communication which advertise or sell products or services. Punishable acts Offenses punishable under Cybercrime Prevention Act are: * Offenses against the confidentiality, integrity and availability of computer data and systems 1. Illegal access to the whole or any part of a computer system without rights 2. Illegal interception of any non-public transmission of computer data to, from, or within a computer system 3. Data interference such as alteration, damaging, deletion or deterioration of data without rights, including the introduction or transmission of viruses 4. System (computer or computer network) interference 5. Cyber-squatting or the acquisition of a domain name over the Internet in bad faith to profit, mislead, destroy reputation, and deprive others from registering the same 6. Misuse of devices * Computer-related offenses 1. Computer-related forgery (input, alteration, or deletion of data) without rights resulting in inauthentic data, with the intent that it be considered or acted upon for legal purposes as if it were authentic 2. Computer-related fraud (input, alteration, or deletion of data or interference in the functioning of a computer system) causing damage 3. Computer-related identity theft or the acquisition, use, misuse, transfer, possession, alteration or deletion of the identifying information of another person * Content-related offenses 1. Cybersex or the engagement, maintenance, control, or operation of any lascivious exhibition of sexual organs or sexual activity, with the aid of a computer system 2. Child pornography or the unlawful acts as defined and punishable by Republic Act No. 9775 or the Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009 committed through a computer system 3. Unsolicited commercial communications which seek to advertise, sell, or offer for sale products and services 4. Libel or unlawful acts as defined in Article 355 of the Revised Penal Code * Others 1. Aiding or abetting in the commission of cybercrime 2. Attempt in the commission of cybercrime Penalties * Any person found guilty of committing cybercrime acts enumerated in the first two groups shall be punished with prisons mayor, or serving of six years and one day to twelve12 years in prison, or a fine of at least PHP 200,000 up to PHP 500,000. * A person found guilty of committing punishable acts enumerated in the first group shall be punished with reclusion temporal, or serving of 12 years and one day to 20 years in prison, or a fine of at least PHP 500,000 up to the maximum amount in proportion to the damage incurred, or both. * A person found guilty of committing cybersex shall be punished with prisons mayor, or serving of six years and one day to 12 years in prison, or a fine of at least PHP 200,000 but not exceeding PHP 1,000,000, or both. * A person found guilty of committing child pornography shall be punished with the penalties enumerated in the Republic Act No. 9775 or the Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009. * A person found guilty of committing unsolicited commercial communications shall be punished with arrest mayor, or serving of one month and one day to six months, or a fine of at least PHP 50,000 but not exceeding PHP 250,000, or both. * A person found guilty of committing other offenses enumerated in the last group shall be punished with imprisonment one degree lower than that of the prescribed penalty for the offense, or a fine of at least PHP 100,000 but not exceeding PHP 500,000, or both. Unfortunately, questions remain over the constitutionality of the law. It doesn’t help that there are people who still think they can use the law, especially a judge in Nueva Vizcaya who had an anti-mining protestor jailed over the basis of cyber libel, one of the crimes made punishable by the controversial act. But what â€Å"crimes† specifically does the suspended law target? Someone asked me for a breakdown of what is (or isn’t allowed) by the Cybercrime Law. Hereâ€℠¢s a layman’s version of what the law entails, which I call: The 10 Commandments of the Cybercrime Law of the Philippines. 1. You shall only say nice things on the Internet–This is the main fault attributed to the law: It’s a violation of the Freedom of Expression with its cyber libel provision. Thanks to this provision inserted â€Å"without knowledge† by most of the lawmakers, if you say something bad against certain people on the Internet, you can be charged in court. What’s more, according to Bayan Muna Representative Teddy Casià ±o, this not only applies to statements you make on the Internet but also on smartphones or with any device you use to access the Internet. So yes, this covers texting. 2. You cannot tell the Truth, whether joking or seriously, if it hurts someone–In relation to the 1st Commandment, regardless if you state a fact or you use satire or sarcasm or even say something in a joking tone on the ‘net, you can still be held liable for cyber libel for impugning against another person’s supposed dignity as per the anti-libel law of the Re vised Penal Code. 3. What you say can be held against you forever–According to online legal expert Atty. JJ Disini, because of the nature of your online posts, anything you posted years ago that are still live today can be still held against you in a court of law. 4. What you like can also be held against you–In relation to the 3rd Commandment, liking a FB post can be considered as abetting libel. Retweeting a probably libelous tweet might be covered here as well so be warned. 5. The government now has the power to take down your Internet–Thanks to the power given by the law, the Department of Justice, together with its arms in the National Bureau of Investigation and the Philippine National Police have the power to order the shutdown of Web sites if there is prima facie evidence of violation of the law–even without a court warrant. 6. Your Internet is required to compile evidence against you–In relation to the 5th Commandment, Internet service providers are now requ ired to keep their data for six months after which they can be forced to keep it for six more months if authorities request it. 7. You can be punished more harshly for online crimes than for real life crimes–Thanks to the wording of the law, punishment for those charged with this law is â€Å"one degree higher† than that provided for in the Revised Penal Code. Because of this, if you’re charged with online libel, you can be fined a million bucks or spend 12 months in jail. 8. You must trust the government to do the right thing in implementing the law–The government refuses to budge on this law, saying the public should trust them to come up with the proper Implementing Rules and Regulation to ensure that there won’t be abuses of the law despite the vague wording. This after the some of the lawmakers who signed the law admitted they had no idea what had gone into the law. 9. The law shall apply to all Filipinos wherever they are–Just because you think you’re not in the Philippines, you can escape jurisdiction from this Philippine law. Think again: this law has universal jurisdiction. Even your electronic devices that are situated (or even partly) in the Philippines are under jurisdiction under this law. 10. The law doesn’t really protect you–Supposedly it goes after identity-theft. However, because of the heavy provisions against online libel, a hacker can take over your account and post libelous stuff, and then pull out. From the safety of distance, he can watch the fireworks fly as the government screws you over. So yes, it can protect industries and the rich and powerful, just not you. Of course there are other issues over this law. One is that the basis for its cyber libel provision is the antiquated anti-libel law in the Philippines (which the United Nations pointedly reiterates as violating respect for freedom of expression). And there lies the irony of this law: In trying to implement tighter data security and prevent cybercrime laws like cybersex and child pornography in the country, the Philippines are using vague language like a sledgehammer to go after cybercriminals. Unfortunately, the government doesn’t seem to have any idea of the power of words–whether specific or vague–and how dangerous they can become when implemented as laws.

Workplace violence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Workplace violence - Essay Example   In the US, Federal and state work safety laws compel employers to take rational and reasonable efforts to make sure that workplace is safe including the duty of reducing violence. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and few other state agencies have in recent years issued guidelines for night retail establishments, health care operations and employees in a normal work setting. OSHA General Duty Clause compels that employers in a worksite provide a healthful and safe workplace for all employees covered by the Act. In accordance with laws, by effectively controlling and preventing workplace violence hazards and related threats; employers are better placed to protect employee and avoid worksite incidents. In addition, both state and Federal job discrimination laws require employers to implement various harassment policies and guidelines including taking speedy action this harassment happens. Sexual, racial, and other kinds of harassment at worksite may l ead to liability for compensatory as well as punitive damages. To start with, one of the preeminent protections the boss can offer to employees is to institute a zero-tolerance policy and attitude toward workplace violence. Such a policy should cover all workers and anybody else who may come in contact with organization personnel. Closely related to this the fact that the employer can provide various safety education for workers related to workplace violence such as informing victims their legal right to prosecute perpetrators.   

You choose Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

You choose - Essay Example The term leadership simply means the method of influencing a group of people and guiding them towards the accomplishment of a common objective. Our present topic of discussion is the effect of leadership within an organization and its application within the management of an organization. Generally the organizations get highly benefitted by the implementation of proper leadership approaches as it results in improved quality of goods and services produced by the organization. Leadership refers to the way by which an individual organizes a group of people so as to achieve a common goal. Leadership is a process of social influence in which an individual attempts to gain the support and help of a group of people to accomplish a common goal. Transformational Style- in this style the leader guides and transforms the staff. The leader makes continuous efforts to address the grievances of the employees and motivate them for improved performance. Here open communication between the staff and the leader is always encouraged and the leader follows participative style of management. The staff gets highly influenced by the leader in Transformational Leadership Style (Ingleton 2013). Transactional Style- Here the main focus of the leader is on management’s objectives. In this style the leader constantly motivate his followers by offering rewards for completed tasks. These leaders are mostly work oriented; they usually follow a particular structure and practice directive style of management. In this style of management, innovativeness and creativity are ignored and people are often motivated by the use of extrinsic motivational factors like incentive and holiday trip (RUGGIERI and ABBATE 2013). Laissez-faire Style- This is also termed as Passive Leadership which exercises least control on the staff. The managers avoid the responsibility of setting objectives and making important decisions. It allows the scope for macro management and self

American Idolatry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

American Idolatry - Essay Example These things tend to greatly influence the life many Americans lead. Fame is one of the things that are greatly yearned for in America. One group of people that enjoy this attention is celebrities. This paper will be a discussion of how Americans idolize some celebrities and the influence that these celebrities have on them. Idolizing entails loving something excessively and unquestioningly thus without criticizing it (Lipps, 1). This is the extent to which most Americans love various celebrities. There have been many cases where teenagers have escaped from their homes in a bid to attend shows that are staged by celebrities. During such shows, the people in attendance will be screaming at the top of their voices for the celebrities. This translates to dressing, immediately a celebrity shows up with a particular way of dressing. People will flock various shops to look for the same designs. With this pursuit, the people who get clothes that match those of a certain celebrity tend to be the envy of their peers and they are considered to be fashionable. Popular celebrities such as Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, Usher, Paris Hilton and Madonna are considered to be small ‘gods’ by most Americans. This may be attributed to the richness, success, glory, high regard, respect and power that they possess. These are things that most people in the world would wish to have hence the idolizing that Americans have for celebrities. When most children are young, they tend to cherish their parents, believing that all that they do is right. However, immediately they get to their teenage years and begin socializing with people outside the family circle, the situation changes. At this point, they begin idolizing younger and hotter crowds which include celebrities. From generation to generation, celebrities such as Paris Hilton have influenced the brand of clothes that people wear, the hairstyles that they get and sometimes even the type of hobbies that people take (Lipps, 1). Despite the fact that people may be aware of the fact that some of the ways of life that some celebrities lead is not proper, they still adore this people to the latter. However, as many young people in America idolize celebrities, the big question is whether the moral influence that they ape from these personalities is proper. For instance, Paris Hilton is one celebrity greatly idolized and one thing that most teenagers try to copy from her is her petite frame. To ensure that they achieve such a frame, most teenagers get anorexic as they try to gain and maintain petite frames. Most of them tend to go for long periods without food just to get the desired celebrity look. This way, they tend to get unhealthy and may be susceptible diseases since extremely low weight lowers ones immunity. This is one of the negative influences that celebrities have on many people in America. The National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA), in America keeps statistics on the diet habits of women and th e results are a showcase of the craze that most Americans have, obviously motivated by celebrity looks. Data from NEDA shows that 42 percent of first to third grade girls want to be thinner, it is the same case with children as low as 10 years old who said that they did not want to get fat. With the same regard, most young people who are fat tend to be considered ugly by their peers and most of them end up getting depressed due to the stigma

Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Term Paper Example As such, women, people with disabilities, people of color as well as people who are older face a many impediments to their full and active participation in the labor force of this country (see Heilman et al, 2002). The following research paper aims to explore discrimination with an eye to how this form of discrimination affects certain types of people, both within the wider society as well as within the labor market. What influences discrimination in the twenty-first century? How has society attempted to protect people from discrimination? These questions and many more will be discussed with reference to discrimination today. This is a timely and topical issue which warrants more extensive scrutiny. We now begin with an overview of the key integral for this research paper, including discrimination, prejudice and social bias. The United States has undergone quite substantial changes within the past century the country is much more diverse than it ever was. Immigration and the growth of globalization have altered the social composition of the United States of America. Today, there is a much larger percentage of people of color and visible minorities within key social institutions including government office – President Barack Obama is perhaps the most obvious example today. There is also increased the representation of visible minorities across the country in all aspects of public life – including in the police services and the education sectors, just to name a few. Changing worldwide immigration patterns have led to an increased flow of people from around the world to the United States, facilitating intercultural communication. American society has quickly become far less homogenous and cultural institutions are beginning to reflect this. Unfortunately with the changing social landscape of the United States and the changing nature of this country, the multicultural setting may lead to a rise

LOGIC Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

LOGIC Assignment - Essay Example As pointed out by King in his speech, the United States gave ample support to France when the Vietnamese led by Ho Chi Minh struggled for liberty from the French. The United States’ support suggests that the liberty of the Vietnam people was not in the interest of the United States government. Indeed, this fact was further buttressed when the United States government declined to recognize the independence of Vietnam even after the French has been defected. Given the support given by the United States government to the French and the role the former play after the defect of the later by the Ho Chi Minh led revolution, it is, indeed, hypocritical for Americans to play the role of liberator of the Vietnam people. This argument by Martin Luther King was reliable. King was, however, guilty of hasty generalization when he mentioned that those who question his opposition to war â€Å"do not know the world in which they live† (American Rhetoric: Online Speech Bank). In this fal lacious argument, King claimed that by questioning his opposition to war, these individuals were ignorant of who he, King, is and therefore they are ignorant of the world in which they live.

Assignment Number Two Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Number Two Research Proposal - Assignment Example This has not only psychological and social but also economic dimensions as these issues also refer to an economic burden on an often already-strained health care system. In order to answer these issues that involve many psychological questions the suggestion is to answer these, i.e. the value of community support groups, by organising these around core questions into the perception of the care received by the elderly (â€Å"therapeutic efficacy†), their satisfaction with care given by health care personnel, feelings of being respected as real human beings, the role of family, friends and the community in fulfilling one’s needs for respect and improve one’s wellbeing, and to describe possible grievances regarding the encounter with the medical profession. Answers to these questions are assumed to shed light on the emotional wellbeing of older adults and their use of drugs, hospitals and home visits by nurses. To begin with, the aim is to give brief background info rmation on age in general and contextualize the research questions and their relevance in the literature and best practices regarding geriatric nursing. Reviewing the relevant literature we emphasize that age and needs as well as satisfaction with treatment is socially constructed and perceived in many different ways according to the values and assumptions that people (residents and their families, friends, networks) have about the nature of age, functioning and goals. Next, the research-team will be introduced, and a setting, a population-sample (purposive, cross-sectional and inclusive) and study design (longitudinal) are defined. Ethical considerations surrounding this research will also be noted (required consent and approval by research ethics committee). This also connects to the qualitative approach of this proposal and its choice of methodology, in particular semi-structured interviewing. Subsequently, the data to answer the questions are collected for later analysis and dis cussion in terms of themes surrounding perceptions and behaviour. The data analysis phase will again refer to relevant literature that may back or shed further light on the results. The findings will also be presented in tables and diagrams and limitations of the results will be noted. The eventual conclusion will summarize the findings and make recommendations that are both relevant to practice and policy (Rees, 2003). Background First, a little background regarding age, set in the context of the â€Å"developmental cycle† of families (Goody 1958). Goody has suggested that the family goes through various stages or phases of development, a so-called â€Å"developmental cycle†, where families are young and grow (with the addition of children) and â€Å"contract† and grow old as the offspring grows up, moves out and leaves the original family which now only consists of the parents or a single parent when the partner dies in old age. Literature Review Having descri bed the contents of the proposal, a focused analysis of relevant literary sources and notions in order to answer the research question is now given. The review reflects â€Å"

Eyvonne's Theory's Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Eyvonne's Theory's - Essay Example This theory attempts to explain different masculinities by questioning what was taken for granted in existing understandings of nature and society, they revealed such knowledge as male knowledge which gave a spurious legitimacy to women's inferiority. This theory could help to change the role of men as national leaders and sport stars. By redefining the most intimate of human relations as political, rather than as private, radical feminists politicized sexuality and exposed men's normal, everyday behavior as a widespread social problem. The approach is to revise the status of women in the society and gives them more freedom and independence in political and social spheres (Reinharz and Davidman 23). Social constructivism allows a researcher to explain and examine how social processes develop in social environments. Applied to masculinity, this theory helps to examine gender differences as social constructed phenomena and social interaction. This theory attempts to explain different masculinities to explain how people make sense of experience in everyday interaction or in problem-solving activities. Social constructivism ought to be useful in predicting how any given set of circumstances might be changed to improve the opportunities of persons who wish to learn in such situations. Masculinities can be thought of as a social process of making sense of experience in terms of what is known. To improve social relations, therefore, a n individual might consider how to improve the quality of each of the four components (i.e., social process, making sense, experience, extant knowledge). Social constructivism might offer a solution to such problems as socialized gender roles and health related problems. This theory can help men to think in terms of improving the quality of their health, providing a range of meaningful experiences to each learner, and making it possible for each one to become aware of their relevant prior knowledge and apply it to the process of healthy life style. The solution is to change traditional gender roles based on real life experience and knowledge (Reinharz and Davidman 38). Part 2 "Fear of Falling" vividly portrays social and personal problem s faced by middle class women in modern society. Liberal feminism could help to analyze and examine problems and roots of social identity and professional development. Many women have followed a long tradition of campaigning for improved rights and opportunities for women without seriously questioning the existing organization of society (Orenstein 53). Gender socialization of adolescents is influenced by modern social relations which are concerned primarily with concepts of justice and equality. Women suffer injustices because of their sex and are organized around campaigns for equality and redistribution: equal pay, equal civil rights, equal access to education, health and welfare, equal access to the democratic political process (Reinharz and Davidman 102). A research plan would aim to test the main concepts and notions which influence professional life of women and their social relations. The hypothesis would be based on the idea that women are widely discriminated against because of their gender, but does not identify the relations between the sexes as specific power relations. The hy

The Diary of A Young Girl by Anne Frank (1947) Essay Example for Free

The Diary of A Young Girl by Anne Frank (1947) Essay Keeping diaries and journals have always been considered as peoples typical form of documenting the significant events and experiences that go through their lives. Over the years, a lot of people have already been renowned due to the significant contributions of their diaries to different fields such as history, science and anthropology. Journals, unlike periodicals, books and other published materials may reveal information that are only limited about their personal lives, but these nevertheless reflect significant information about the generation they belong, the government that ruled during their time, the current state of the society during their time, as well as how the people were during that particular generation. Considering this, it can be assumed that journals also hold a particular relevance in exploring history. It may not reveal extensive details as what history books and publications may offer, but these nonetheless reveal a different kind of revelation about a certain generation with a specific relevance to history. In this light, this discussion shall explore on the personal journal of a one person who was became known in history due to her revealing and eye-opening revelation about her time during the Nazi’s invasion during the World War. The succeeding discussions shall scrutinize and analyse the personal journal of Anne Frank, which has become very popular in 1947 due to the very revealing information it disclosed about the Nazi generation during the World War. Journal Evaluation and Analysis Anne Frank’s Journal was written during 1947. Her journal was basically like a compilation of diary entries written on colored sheets of paper. Anne Frank’s diary was entitled The Diary of a Young Girl. From this title, a lot of ideals can already be presumed about the life of a young girl who went through the life amidst the war. This alone makes the journal very interesting as the imagination, thoughts and perspectives of a young girl could be the freshest as well as the most adventurous thoughts. A person can never measure and limit a young girl’s imagination and thinking. It’s vulnerability as well as its innocence make it so transparent and honest, that it tends to express in perfect accuracy everything that goes on around it. One of the most interesting features in Anne Frank’s diary’s title is that it is bare and simple. It simply displaces itself as a mere diary of a young girl, and not like any kind of comprehensive and technical account on historical events by a history enthusiast. Basically, the diary was Anne’s way of retelling her generation. Every word that was written on each colored sheet presented a reality about the Nazy invasion in Amsterdam during the World War. This diary was done when Anne was hiding in a safe house with her family and friends in 1942. As what can be expected from a town amidst the war, Annes environment has been very dim and uncertain. All the violence, the pain and misery of her time was put into the pages of Annes journal, and this was made available to the public and to the later generations after several years. Jan Romein, a historical literature critique and a historical journals enthusiast was able to take a look at the original sheets of Annes diary and this is what he had to say about it: â€Å"this apparently inconsequential diary by a child, this de profundis stamered out in a childs voice, embodies all the hideousness of fascism, more so than all the evidence at Nuremberg put together† (Jan Romein, qtd. in Cole 25) This was basically how the critics tyoically saw Anne Franks diary. Apparently it appeared as an honest revelation of pain and grief from a young girl who has been trapped in a fascist war. In looking back at the historical context of the story, it can be recalled that this diary was completed within a small, hidden annex from where Anne found her own safetly from all the turbulence of the war. However, before this point of her life at war, it is important to note that some of the most significant factors in her urge to write a diary are the deaths of some of her closest friends and relatives who were left unsafe in the roads of Amsterdam that also served as battlefields. It was very stirring to feel from her words the pain of losing loved ones and seeing them be taken away by the dark smoke of revolution and the injustice of relentless violence. The book has not been available to the public right after the war or even right after Annes death. It was first kept by her father, Otto Frank who was placed into a moment of tears when he read about all the things her daughter had to say about their unforgettable experiences during the war. It was also through Otto Franks review of his daughters diary that Annes objective in writing it was realized. Basically, Anne was a passionate writer. She was always into scribbling on her note pads and writing poems and short stories. When the war came and they had to be hidden in a secret annex, all the sources of Annes fun as a teen ager was taken away as well. And instead, it was suddenly replaced by huge blows of fear, uncertainty and misery. As a child who carries a soft and vulnerable heart, Anne prefered to be strong for her family and for herself. And since she was never really able to speak out about her fears and uncertainties, Anne was pushed by her ownself into writing journal enties so as to reveal her hearts thoughts and revelations. Basically, the authors objectives were very clear as the presentation of it has been very honest and innocent knowing it all came from a young girls perspective. But aside from this interesting fact, it is significant to note also that Anne Frank was able to develop herself as a good poet and a very creative short story writer because of this venture. Research and Comparison Anne Franks diary was never a kind of its own. As what has been mentioned earlier, there have been a lot of individuals who have already been renowned all over the world due to the significant contributions their personal journals gave for the study of history and anthropology. Just like Anne Frank, Samuel Pepys is another individual who has became known due to the contributions his personal journal to the study of history, especially during the holocaust era. Juts like Annes diary, Samuels revelation about his generation during the war has been very revealing and enlightening. Samuels diary were filled with the typical day-to-day diary entries of a married man, who us being trapped in a political chaos during the halocaust era. This made his entried rather politically inclined instead of being mere presentations of what went on throughout his day. Samuel Pepys work has been known in Great Britain due to the revelations it was able to displace about the political state of the the country during his generation. And Just like Annes diary, Samuels journal was also seen as a â€Å"recorder of political events† during his generation (Gyford). Furthermore, his work, just like Annes journal has helped researchers and the students of history in their scruitiny and quest for understanding about the life during the holocaust era. The different reviews on Anne Franks diary basically directed on a single realization, that iss, Annes revelations really helped a lot in understanding history since it came from a more real experience. However, over the years, a lot of uncertainties about the authenticity of Annes diary floated. The New York Times explains why this uncertainty can be considered quite predictable: â€Å"One of the main reasons why we used scientific evidence to unravel all the facts about the diary was to expose the falsehood of neo-Nazi and rightist groups in Europe and the United States† (Barnouw, qtd. in Mitgang) And although a lot of people during the past decades have fallen in doubt on the genuinity of Annes diary, these uncertainties were nevertheless proven false as Annes diary was finally proven authentic on 1989 (Mitgang). Final Reflections Typically, a person will easily feel as if he or she is violating someones privacy upon reading someone elses diary. Being able to read Anne Franks diary did not feel anything like that. It was like Anne Frank was destined to write her diary entries for the future generations. Her diary provided the modern students of history a more realistic reference material about what the times during the world war and the holocaust era was like based from the juvenile and innocent perspective of a young girl. Considering that Anne was still young when her diary was created, most of his journal entries were really captivating and emotionally stirring as the reality of pain, fear and misery during the war came straight from the vulnerable and seemingly helpless thoughts of a young girl who has been trapped in the chaos she never wanted to be in. This can also be considered as one of the most significant factors that made this journal very interesting. A young girls revelation about life and about the state of the world can be the most interesting in the sense that the innocence and honesty is still preserved. Furthermore, Annes experiences and revelations also bring people to a realization that indeed, some of the most important things at war are faith, hope and personal strength. Indeed, aside from historical facts about the state of Amsterdam during the war, Anne Franks diary became a source of inspiration and values about how to preserve faith and hope despite the turbulence and atrocity of war. Wotks Cited Cole, Tim. Selling the Holocaust: From Auschwitz to Schindler. Routledge, 2000 Frank, Anne. Het Achterhuis (The Diary of Anne Frank). Contact Publishing,1952 Gyford, Phil. â€Å"Legends of British History: Samuel Pepys†. Website. PepysDiary. com. 12 May 2010. http://www. pepysdiary. com/indepth/archive/2008/12/12/legends_of_british. php. Mitgang, Herbert. â€Å"An Authenticated Edition of Anne Franks Diary†. The New York Times. Website. 08 June 1989. 12 May 2010. http://www. nytimes. com/1989/06/08/books/an-authenticated-edition-of-anne-frank-s-diary. html.

It is not possible to be a disciple of Jesus in the modern world Essay Example for Free

It is not possible to be a disciple of Jesus in the modern world Essay It is not possible to be a disciple of Jesus in the modern world I disagree with this statement, although I recognise that it is not always easy to be a disciple I believe it is possible for those who have faith. We are first called to discipleship at Baptism where the father of the child lights a candle from the Pascal candle as a sign of his responsibility to enable his son/daughter to grow in full faith. I believe that faith makes everything possible, if we have faith in God and his teaching we can achieve our hopes and dreams. If we have faith then living, as a true disciple is part of our way of life, we as Christians in todays world should try to live our lives as Jesus lived his. Without faith what meaning would life itself have for us, what would be the use in perusing life if it had no meaning to us. If we believe then we can reach goals and discipleship can bring joy and purpose to our lives we can achieve goals and targets we set for ourselves. Nothing is impossible to he who believes Faith in God is not always easy to maintain; if we pick up a newspaper what headings do we usually see? Usually something related to drugs, alcohol, kidnapping, and murder. What example is this setting to children? While there parents are teaching them about how caring we should be, and how we should love our neighbour as ourselves, these children look at the newspapers or even the news and see people who have lost arms or legs as someone has shot them. What kind of example is this of loving your neighbour? What affect is this going to have on these children in the long term? They will grow up with the opinion that this is acceptable and everybody does it why should they be different to the rest? To be a true disciple we must have immense faith in God, if we have faith nothing is impossible. But there are many difficulties which disciples of Jesus have to face when trying to carry out the work of God, one of the most difficult to deal with is peer pressure. Many people, particularly the young people, feel unable to resist the pressures put upon them by their peers and therefore behave in a way which goes against the teaching of the gospel. There are many pressures maybe to smoke, drink, vandalise others property, tell lies, use foul language, and have a sexual relationship before marriage. If enough pressure is put on these people it is very difficult to say no! And therefore they are going against the teaching of Jesus not because they want to it is because they are not strong enough to resist temptation, and they are afraid others will treat them differently. Other pressures come from the media we usually get a picture from the media of very anti-Christian values and standards. Take magazines for example they tell stories of unmarried people having a sexual relationship or young people smoking and drinking, and this is all classed as Normal and acceptable in our world. They do not present the Christian way of life as being worthwhile and Cool or up to date. We also get a lot of anti-Christian standards from the television, films, and videos. These can have a very powerful influence on the lives of many people; most soap operas and films present a non-Christian way of life. How often do you see a Christian family in a soap opera, and if there is Christian families do you ever notice that they always seem to be laughed at by the rest of the families as they are seen to be out of date and definetly not trendy. Television I believe influences many people, who is going to get up early on a Sunday morning to watch the Christian services carried out in different chapels, while they could be watching Eastenders or a popular music show! There are many ways television influences us they give us pictures of what is normal in our society such as sex before marriage, abortions are acceptable, divorce is a fact of life, the only purpose in life is to search for pleasure, and violence is acceptable and part of everyday life. Media can make Christians feel confused and unsure of their own beliefs The way of life presented by the media is often made to seem more attractive, more enjoyable, easier, and more glamorous. However we as Christians should always remember that Jesus never promised that being a disciple would be easy, in fact we must deny ourselves take up our cross and follow him. We should make up our minds whether we want to be a disciple; many people are unable or incapable to make such decisions in life because of addictions to alcohol, drugs, gambling, and solvent abuse. Becoming addicted to any of these can make people lose all sense of reality of right and wrong, of what being a Christian really means. If a person is not in total control of their life then being a Christian is almost an impossible task. The family is an extremely important unit and source of Christian discipleship in our society, it is within the family that children first learn about the love of God, right and wrong and acceptable and unacceptable modes of behaviour. Parents are the first teachers of their children and the church relies on these parents to pass on the faith to their children by what they say and through their actions. There are many broken families in todays society and many children do not receive the Christian teaching and example, which they need, such as love and understanding and therefore grow up not using the example in their life. So to be a good disciple is extremely difficult but not impossible. In todays world there are many distractions and other Gods, which can lure us away from love of the one true God. Things such as money, possessions, wealth, search for pleasure, and success, laziness, indifference, friends, and Greed. These things all tempt us in many different ways, it is as if they are trying to make us forget our first priority which is God. The easier route in life is often to give into these temptations, to become distracted by worldly and materialistic values and to become neglectful to our Christian duties. If we consider all the pressures people today face we see that it is not always an easy task to follow Jesus through thick and thin, but it is not an impossible one. When Jesus chose his first disciples he knew that it would not be easy for them, nor is it easy for us in the twentieth century. The world as we know it is becoming less and less accommodating to the Christian way of life and it is not going to get any easier, this is why we should never give up and our faith should see us through even the worse times in life. We should not become what society wants to become and is encouraging us to become we should not be lured away from God so we can fit in and act like people want us to. This is the challenge of Christian discipleship.

To which extent do host country effects influence HRM

To which extent do host country effects influence HRM In the past century, globalisation became a buzzword. The economy growth entailed workplaces and standards of living. National based companies became multinational companies, which included a change in the old fashioned way of doing business. Nowadays, companies have to face the local needs of different countries while focusing on the companys global goals. Finding the right mix of these two forces is one of the main challenges for the Human Resource (HR) management department of a multinational company. Discussion Facts about cultural differences There are different ways of responding to the local needs of different countries. Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) are companies which have mostly autonomic subsidiaries in their operating countries. These subsidiaries work independent and are so called stand-alone businesses. They want to satisfy local needs and address the customers directly. However, MNEs are still influenced by the parent company, but, vice versa, the subsidiary also affects its parent company (institutional effects). Multinational companies have a high responsiveness and a low global efficiency (Snell Bohlander, 2007). The high responsiveness affects the Human Resource department of a company. The main challenge for the HR department in a multinational enterprise is to find the balance of global standardization and localization. Global standardization mainly focuses on the companys culture and its strategy and structure, which finally leads to its goals. Localization is more concerned on the host country itself including cultural and institutional environment. Both modes deal with the firm size and maturity (Zagelmeyer, 2010). The cultural environment of a country consists of the education, social structure, values and ideologies, communication, and religion (Snell Bohlander, 2007). These factors are very important for company decisions. Therefore, it is the task of the Human Resource departments to face the five factors, which are defined by Geert Hofstede: 1 Power distance, which deals with how power is distributed in a country and how the inhabitants accept this distribution. 2 Uncertainty avoidance, which is about how uncertainty is tolerated in a country. 3 Masculinity describes the role of genders in a country. 4 Individualism examines to which extent people are integrated into a group. 5 Long-term orientation is about the degree to which people plan and consider the future and how important values and traditions are for them (Nevins, Bearden Money, 2006). Other factors which influence cultural differences are: 6 Human orientation which refers to the degree to which inhabitants of a country are fair, altruistic, generous, caring and kind to others (Zagelmeyer, 2010). 7 Assertiveness is about the degree to which inhabitants are assertive, confrontational and aggressive in the relation with others. 8 Future orientation, to which degree people behave future oriented. 9 Performance orientation discusses to which degree people are able to receive and give performance outcomes analyses (Zagelmeyer 2010). Impact of cultural and institutional differences on HRM All these nine factors define the culture of a country and the company operating in this country and therefore Human Resource management should adapt when needed. To get a closer understanding of how these factors influence Human Resource management, we have to analyze its different practices. It starts with recruitment and selection. In countries like the United States, the Human Resource departments look for employees who are able to work in a collectivistic work environment. Team players are highly wanted. Here, collectivism plays a major role whilst it is the opposite in countries like China as these societies are low in group-collectivism (Zagelmeyer, 2010). The Human Resource department would look for someone who is able to accept decisions and rules from above without questioning them. Past individual achievements are very important for job selections in individualistic countries. The different education systems (public and private) also influence the recruitment and selection process. This also affects the training and development practice, which is another Human Resource management task. The challenge is to find the right mix of masculinity in a country. In some countries like the United Kingdom it is normal that women are in high positions, whilst other countries like Japan do not accept females in such an extent. The compensation of employees also differs from country to country. The main task for HR is to find the balance between a fixed- or a performance-based salary depending on the uncertainty levels of the host country. High on uncertainty avoidance implies that employees tend to prefer a fixed salary and in societies with low on uncertainty avoidance, employees are more risk tolerated and therefore accept performance-based salary like bonus payments (Zagelmeyer, 2010). Countries with high uncertainty avoidance are for example Russia and Japan, which stand in contrast to countries like Sweden and Great Britain. The institutional effects are influenced by state regulations such as minimum wages, which HR has to take into consideration, too. The last Human Resource management assignment is about task completion. In this tool, collectivism versus individualism plays a major role. In a country like the United States, tasks are often completed in groups where teamwork is very important. In China, this is rather unusual as individual performance is much more important. In terms of the institutional context, this means that tasks are gender divided according to the host country. These are just some examples how host countries effects influence Human Resource management. These examples show that there is a high effect on Human Resource management, especially if countries differ in their dimensions. Generally, it is easier for a parent company to open a subsidiary in a country with similar cultures, traditions and regulations. Conclusion Nowadays, companies have to go abroad to stay competitive, and therefore a country analysis like the one made by Geert Hofstede can help to identify potential conflicts and define different approaches to individual tasks. However, one has to say that the effect of a host country towards Human Resource management is huge and comprises a high degree of potential conflicts but nevertheless there are many ways to balance these issues. As mentioned above, finding the right mix between companys interests and cultural awareness is crucial to survive in a globalized world.

The Impact of Stalin on Russia and the Russian People Essay -- Papers

The Impact of Stalin on Russia and the Russian People Joseph Stalin was born to a poor family in the province of Georgia in 1879. Stalin's real surname was Djugasvili; he adopted the name 'Stalin' whilst in prison as he felt the translation 'Man of Steel' would help his image. Stalin joined the Bolshevik party as a young man and soon became an active member organizing bank raids to gain money for party funds; this led to Stalin's imprisonment a number of times. Stalin first met Lenin in December 1905 in Finland and was quite surprised to see him as an ordinary man unlike the person he had imagined. In 1918 Stalin was made Commissar for Nationalities of the Bolshevik party, then in 1922 he became General Secretary. This made Stalin very powerful, particularly when soon after his appointment Lenin was hospitalised to have 'Dora Kaplan's bullet' removed. The operation was unsuccessful and left Lenin paralysed down his right side. Joseph Stalin then became Lenin's mouthpiece. The initial effects of this was the rise of Stalin to become the leader of the Communist party in Russia, this then resulted in Stalin going down in History as a brutal dictator and mass murderer. In 1924 Lenin died and most people presumed Trotsky who had formed the Red Army and who had been Lenin's right hand man would become Lenin's successor. If Stalin had not been around Trotsky probably would have become the leader of the Communist party. Stalin was seen as dull by the intellectual elite of the Communist party and probably not very intelligent or well educated, however, they all made a fatal mistake in assuming that he was stupid. Stalin outmanoeuvred Trot... ... modernised Russia. The workers who did not offend the state were better off than under the reign of the tsar. Russia's military forces were benefiting from her industrial growth and whilst Stalin retained power there was a stable government. People gained better access to education and medical care. However millions had died in the famine after the failed experiment of Collectivisation. Stalin did make Russia into a great power but there was an enormous price to pay for it. Millions of people were starved or murdered under Stalin's brutal rule. Stalin led Russia with an iron fist. The long-term effects of this were the only reason people idolised Stalin was because they were too frightened to do anything else and Stalin's influence lived on through Krushtov and Brezhnev, they too would not allow any senior opposition.

Objectivism in The Fountainhead Essays -- Fountainhead

Objectivism in The Fountainhead Philosophy demands literature that can abet the understanding of social views. Without reflective literature, man cannot begin to comprehend the essential messages behind philosophy. One such philosophy, objectivism, is represented exceptionally by the novel, The Fountainhead. Through the use of compelling dialogue, Ayn Rand reveals her own feelings towards objectivism, and her thoughts towards conformity and independence. The interpretations and the implications of several of the quotes within The Fountainhead accurately depict the essence of objectivism and encourages the opposition of conventional standards through the embodiment of the uncompromising innovator "standing against the world." Society dictates that there will be those that follow and those that will lead the followers. Peter Keating is one that adheres to conformity; a man of little independent thought, a follower. Howard Roark, on the other hand, is a man aspiring to achieve a level of complete and utter independence from traditional principles. One telling passage occurs in a scene where Keating and Roark are discussing architecture. Keating: "How do you always manage to decide?" Roark: "How can you let others decide for you?" As two men on the extreme sides of conformity and independence, it is hard for Keating to understand how someone could be so sure of himself, whereas it is incomprehensible for Roark to believe that Keating could have so little self-assurance and such a lack of resolve regarding the decisions he chooses to make. In this r... ... is most definately correct in saying that independence is the only gauge of human virtue and value. A conformist has low value because of his refusal to jump the bounds of submission; the conformist would never experiment for the sake of self- improvement. This would not be looked upon well by other. Conformity is governed by the laws of compromise, egotism, productivity, and value. A conformist must be willing to sacrifice his philosophies simply because it does not correspond with the attitude of the clique. Independence, on the other hand relies on only one thing: the performance of the individual. A conformist must be satisfied with the performance of the group. The independent individual has himself to blame when events turn for the worse, and he solely reeps the benifit of his own performance.

CArloos Santana :: essays research papers

Carlos Santana Ryan Conroy All the world knows the special magic of Carlos Santana. Since 1966, he has led the group that bears his name, selling over 30 million albums and performing before an estimated 13 million people. In every performance, Carlos shares with his audience a personal communication that crosses all boundaries and differences. Carlos was introduced to traditional music by his father, Jose. An accomplished mariachi violinist and experienced musician, he taught Carlos the basics of music theory and gave him an understanding of the value of a note. Although Carlos' excitement for music would be sparked by his first experience, he quickly discovered the limits of its traditional form and wanted more. Carlos wanted to play the kind of music that was filling the radio waves and making people dance. Tijuana, 1955 the drastic change of moving from the small, quiet town of Autlan to the humming, thriving boom town of Tijuana brought a renewed hope and opportunity for a new life. Both for Carlos and his family. The eight-year old Carlos quickly left the violin for the guitar, studying and emulating the sounds of B.B. King, T-Bone Walker and John Lee Hooker. Soon he was being asked to join local bands like the T.J.'s, where he added a unique touch and feel to his own renditions of all the great songs of the 1950's. As he continued to play with different bands along the busy Tijuana Strip, he not Page Two only started to perfect his style and sound, but actually started bringing home enough money to really help his family. His future looked promising. In 1960, Carlos' family moved to San Francisco while Carlos stayed in Tijuana for another year to make extra money until his family was settled. However, he soon found himself amid the multicultural atmosphere of San Francisco, with all of its diverse musical styles. It was here that Carlos would find what he had been searching for, as if destiny had brought him to the right place at the right time. For the next five years, Carlos continued to evolve his own unique style of music that would later identify him as one of the most distinctive, innovative musicians of our time. In 1966, the music of Carlos Santana exploded on the streets of San Francisco with the debut performance of the Santana Blues Band. For the next two years, the Santana Blues Band was overwelmed by a wave of popularity that would take them from San Francisco's Fillmore West, to that historical performance in 1969 before 500,000 at the Woodstock Festival in New York.

Ict Policy and Server Room Proposal for a Small Firm

INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY POLICY DOCUMENT INTRODUCTION Information and Communications Technology Policy addresses security issues and how to effectively apply and maintain information systems, thereby facilitating protection of critical, valuable and confidential information together with its associated systems. Most people are likely to recognise the impact and severity of the loss or theft of confidential designs for a new product. However they do not always recognise the potential risk, and consequential result, of seemingly ‘innocent' activities, such as copying software or copying the corporate database onto their laptop computer or not documenting changes made to their systems. The purchase and installation of hardware and software requires those involved to consider carefully the Information Security issues involved in this process. Careful consideration of the company's business needs is paramount, as it is usually expensive to make subsequent changes. Analysis of user requirements versus the various benchmarks test results will establish the best choice of server/software to be purchased. Installation of new equipment must be properly considered and planned to avoid unnecessary disruption and to ensure that the IT & T Policy issues are adequately covered. The issue of IT consumables is looked into. These are expensive and should be properly controlled both from an expense perspective as well as an Information Security perspective. Valuable items should always be kept in a secure environment to avoid damage or loss. OBJECTIVES To develop an Information Communication Technology policy for KPLC Retirement Benefits Scheme that introduces efficient and effective use of IT systems and in turn facilitate the smooth running of the secretariat. MISSION STATEMENT To strive to provide nothing but the best means of data and telecommunications services to the secretariat as a whole. DEFINITION OF ICT POLICY A set of rules, regulations, procedures and plans of action for administration of equipment, resources, and services in the ICT section. TERMS OF REFERENCE The aim of this document is to; ) Analyse procedures and practices that are in use currently and identify those that can be reinforced or changed. ii) Work out a time plan for the smooth transition from the use of KPLC systems and resources. iii) Review implemented policies elsewhere to facilitate broad knowledge and adapt ideas suitable to our environment. TABLE OF CONTENTS INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY POLICY DOCUMENT1 INTRODUCTION1 TABLE OF CONTENTS2 PREAMBLE4 IT & T SYSTEM DESCRIPTIONS4 1. 0 PROCUREMENT OF HARDWARE, PERIPHERALS & OTHER EQUIPMENT8 1. 1 Purchasing and Installing Hardware8 1. 2Cabling, UPS, Printers and Modems15 1. 3Consumables16 . 4Working off premises or using out-sourced processing18 1. 5Using Secure Storage20 1. 6Documenting Hardware23 1. 7 Telecommunications equipment25 1. 8Other Hardware Issues28 1. 9 Disaster Recovery Plans30 2. 0 CONTROLLING ACCESS TO INFORMATION & SYSTEMS IN THE SECRETARAIT32 2. 1Controlling Access to Information and Systems32 2. 1. 5 Controlling Access to Operating System Software38 Managing Passwords39 3. 0 PROCESSING INFORMATION AND DOCUMENTS46 3. 1Networks46 3. 2System Operations and Administration49 3. 3E-mail and the World Wide Web57 3. 4Telephones & Fax69 3. 5Data Management73 3. 6Backup, Recovery and Archiving75 . 7Document Handling78 3. 7. 3 Countersigning Documents79 3. 7. 5 Approving Documents before dispatch80 3. 7. 6 Signature Verification80 3. 8Securing Data83 3. 8 . 4 Maintaining Customer Information Confidentiality86 4. 0 PURCHASING AND MAINTAINING COMMERCIAL SOFTWARE90 4. 1Purchasing and Installing Software90 4. 2Software Maintenance & Upgrade92 4. 3Other Software Issues94 5 COMBATING CYBER CRIME95 5. 1Combating Cyber Crime95 5. 1. 1 Defending Against Premeditated Third Party Cyber Crime Attacks95 5. 1. 2 Minimising the Impact of Cyber Attacks97 5. 1. 3 Collecting Evidence for Cyber Crime Prosecution98 5. 1. Defending Against Premeditated Internal Attacks99 5. 1. 5 Defending Against Opportunistic Cyber Crime Attacks100 6. 0 COMPLYING WITH LEGAL AND POLICY REQUIREMENT101 6. 1Complying with Legal Obligations101 6. 1. 2 Complying with General Copyright Legislation101 6. 1. 3 Complying with Copyright and Software Licensing Legislation102 6. 1. 4 Legal Safeguards against Computer Misuse103 6. 2Complying with Policies103 6. 3Avoiding Litigation106 6. 3. 3 Sending Copyrighted Information Electronically107 7. 1 E- Commerce Issues108 7. 2 Structurin g E-Commerce Systems Including Web Sites108 7. 3 Securing E-Commerce Networks109 . 4 Configuring E-Commerce Web Sites110 7. 5 Using External Service Providers for E-Commerce Delivery Channel111 8. 7Cost Considerations116 9. 0 DEALING WITH PREMISES RELATED CONSIDERATIONS118 9. 1 Physical Security of Equipment and Assets118 10. 0 NETWORK SECURITY MEASURES122 10. 1 Data Network devices122 10. 2 System administration123 10. 3 System Auditing129 10. 4 Email Policies130 10. 5 The Internet131 10. 6Computer desktop equipment133 10. 7Human Resource Aspects Policies141 10. 8Security Policy Auditing142 10. 9Incidence Management and Responses146 Reporting an Incident146 What is Cybercrime? 151 10. 0Movement of Telecommunications Equipment155 11. 1Setting Classification Standards157 12. 0 RETIREMENT OF OBSOLESCENCE OR OBSOLETE EQUIPMENT158 12. 1 Setting New Hardware Standards158 12. 2Methods of assessing old and inapt Software/hardware158 12. 3Hardware and software obsolescence160 12. 4RBS Depre ciation Factors for Defining Old Or Inapt Equipment161 13. 0 APPENDIX 1162 13. 1 LIST OF SPARES & ACCESSORIES162 14. 1 GLOSSARY & REFERENCES163 PREAMBLE It is necessary for one to be familiar with the various Information Technology and Telecommunications Systems that the company has acquired and installed over the years. This document provides the description of the systems as well as the policies formulated in regard to these IT & Telecommunications systems. IT & T SYSTEM DESCRIPTIONS 1. Telephony The telephone network for RBS consists of the public interconnected network using automatic branch exchanges (PABX) which connects us to the public network using telecommunication service providers and private branch network (PBX) which is housed in our commercial office premises which help us communicate in the premises through extension numbers. 2. Computer Data systems These are composed of data network hubs and switches which make the Local Area Networks (LAN) and the routers which interconnect the LANs. Each LAN is composed of passive data networks, servers and PCs that use the network thus realised to exchange information and data throughout the enterprise. 3. System Software and Data System software is the general term used to describe the many software programs, drivers and utilities that together enable a computer system to operate. One of the main components of system software is the operating system of the computer e. g. Microsoft Windows ® XP Professional. 4. Data Data in the language of information technology means the individual elements that comprise the information and can be processed, formatted and re-presented, so that it gains meaning and thereby becomes information. Here we are concerned with the protection and safeguard of that data/information which, in its various forms can be identified as Business Assets or Information Assets. The term data and information can be used somewhat interchangeably; but, as a general rule, information always comprises data, but data is not always information. ICT SYSTEMS DESCRIPTIONS DESCRIPTIONS THE OF SYSTEM RBS – Open Retirement Benefits Scheme System The system is used for the administration of employee and employer contributions into the RBS Fund. It has a database for member details together with their dependants. This is used when benefits are to be calculated for deceased persons and withdrawing members. The system also has a pensioners payroll used to pay all pensioners whether retirees or widows and orphans. Group Life for all employees and the issue of Last Expense is also maintained and administered in the system. Database Management Systems The secretariat database is managed using ORACLE database management systems(DBMS). Oracle databases are relational, thus data is stored in them in row-column (table) format. All the company data is stored and managed using ORACLE. WINDOWS NT ENVIRONMENT The Window NT environment operates in domains. A domain is a collection of computers and users defined by the administrator of a Windows NT Server network that share a common directory database. A domain provides access to the centralised user accounts and group accounts maintained by the domain administrator. Each domain has a unique name. Window NT Environment In the current WAN model of KPLC there is a single master domain called KPLCSTIMA. The KPLCSTIMA is also the main account domain and KPLCNET as Internet resource domain. A child domain known as RBS. KPLCSTIMA will be created from the master domain and will have trust relationship with it. This is will give us more control of our systems and semi-autonomy from the KPLC systems. It will be installed with Windows Server 2003 standard edition operating system which will provide the following services at RBS: 1. File and Print sharing. 2. Microsoft Exchange Services – host the resident Staff member’s mailboxes and enable efficient sending and receiving of internal/Internet mail and if need be provide also storage of the mailboxes. 3. Anti-virus Software. 4. Systems Management Server for Network management. 5. Internet Browsing. 6. To allow for faster downloads of the application updates. 7. To enable the efficient installation and periodic updates of the PC anti-virus in the local area network. 8. For faster and seamless primary logon of client PC’s to the network. Our application i. e. RBS system is already running in a stand alone server and will continue that way to ensure system stability and integrity. The new system will also run on its own stand alone server for the same reason. †¢The primary domain controller (PDC) tracks changes made to domain accounts. Whenever an administrator makes a change to a domain account, the change is recorded in the directory database on the PDC. The PDC is the only domain server that receives these changes directly. A domain has one PDC. A backup domain controller (BDC) maintains a copy of the directory database. This copy is synchronised periodically and automatically with the PDC. BDC’s also authenticate user logons, and a BDC can be promoted to function as the PDC. Multiple BDC’s can exist in a domain. Client PCs Currently there are four PCs and two laptops in the secretariat all running Windows XP as the desktop operating system and networked using Windows NT operating system of the K PLC master domain. All PCs have MS Office 2003 – 2007 as an office desktop application. The PCs have between 256 and 512 MB RAM. All the PCs are running on Microsoft TCP/IP protocol and use USER LEVEL access on the network. Microsoft Exchange Server Microsoft Exchange Server is used for electronic messaging in and out of the organisation. Exchange is organised into entities called sites each consisting of one or more servers containing mailboxes and public folders. Mailboxes are where a user’s messages are kept, each user having a single mailbox whereas public folders are like notice – boards, containing information that is shared between multiple users. Intra-site communication has to occur at high speed and with high reliability. Inter-site communication can occur at lower speeds. In addition to local messaging, there is Internet messaging, implemented via the Proxy Server. Anti-Virus Software McAfee’s Total Virus Defence Software is the current company guard against viruses. The software is loaded on all the Exchange server protects against viruses distributed. A group of computers and the server that manages them is called an Anti-virus Domain. The anti – virus server downloads new version automatically from McAfee Website on the Internet. Once the new software version is downloaded, the system administrator configures it for distribution. It also alerts the system administrator to ‘pull’ the latest versions to the Anti-virus Server. Internet Microsoft Proxy Server provides an easy, secure way to bring Internet access to every desktop in an organisation. The proxy server is a gateway between the company’s network and the Internet. A gateway is special software, or a computer running special software, that enables two different networks to communicate. The gateway acts as a barrier that allows you to make requests to the Internet and receive information, but does not allow access to your network by unauthorised users. [pic] 1. 0 PROCUREMENT OF HARDWARE, PERIPHERALS & OTHER EQUIPMENT 1. 1 Purchasing and Installing Hardware This Chapter deals with the Information Technology and Security issues relating to the purchase, use or maintenance of equipment through which information is processed and stored. 1. 1. 0 Procurement of Hardware, Peripherals and Other Equipment Policy Statement All purchases of new systems hardware or new components for existing systems must be made in accordance with Information Security and other organisation Policies, as well as technical standards. Such requests to purchase must be based upon a User Requirements Specification document and take account of longer-term organisational business needs. The purchase and installation of hardware requires those involved to consider carefully the Information Security issues involved in this process. This section covers the key areas to be considered. . 1. 1 Specifying Information Security Requirements for New Hardware The purchase of new computers and peripherals requires careful consideration of the business needs because it is usually expensive to make subsequent changes. |ICT Issues to consider |Action Required | |The system must have adequate capacity or else it may not be |Estimate the current and potential load on the system. | |able to process your data. For critical applications ensure t hat the system is reliable and of | | |high quality. | | |Select a supplier with a proven ‘track record', who is likely to be | | |in business for the life of the hardware. | |Data must be adequately protected; otherwise there is a risk |Determine the type of safeguards necessary for the information | |of loss or accidental / malicious damage. concerned and ensure that the hardware is capable of supporting the | | |required features, e. g. the type of operating system and attached | | |devices. See classifying information and data | |Where hardware maintenance is poor or unreliable, you greatly|Choose a supplier with a proven ‘track record', who is likely to be | |increase the risk to the organisation, because, in the event |in business for the life of the hardware. |of failure, processing could simply STOP. |Enter into a maintenance contract at the time of purchase with a | | |suitable response time in the event of a failure. See service level | | |agreement | |T he system must be sufficiently ‘resilient' to avoid |Determine your organisation’s tolerance to system non-availability | |unplanned down-time, which can have an immediate negative |(seconds, minutes, hours or days? , and approach the design of your | |impact on your organisation |hardware configuration accordingly. | | |Consider the use of mirrored disks to guard against disk failures; | | |duplicate processors in case of processor failure; duplicate | | |configurations; and the use of an Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) | | |and standby generators. 1. 1. 2 Installing New Hardware Installation of new equipment must be properly considered and planned to avoid unnecessary disruption and to ensure that the ICT Policy issues are adequately covered. (See Premises for further detail. ) Policy Statement All new hardware installations are to be planned formally and notified to all interested parties ahead of the proposed installation date. Information Technology and Securi ty requirements for new installations are to be circulated for comment to all interested parties, well in advance of installation. ICT Issues to consider |Action Required | |The equipment must be located in a suitable environment otherwise|Adhere to the specifications and recommendations of the | |it may fail. |manufacturer or supplier, e. g. for operational temperature, | | |humidity etc. | |Adequate safeguards against fire, water and electrical failure | | |should be in place. See Premises | |Any disclosure of your network diagrams, security features, |Ensure that all persons on site, whether from your own | |locations and configurations etc. exposes potential |organisation or not, have completed a Non-Disclosure Agreement | |vulnerabilities, which could be exploited. Although a Non Disclosure Agreement paves the way for legal | | |redress, it cannot protect you against actual commercial damage. | |Leaving tools, utilities and developer's kits on your new system |All new syste ms should be configured for maximum practical | |endangers the confidentiality and integrity of your data |security by the removal of unnecessary utilities, developers' | | |programs, etc. a technique known as hardening. | |Without an installation plan for the new equipment, disruption to|Ensure that all special pre-installation requirements (e. g. air | |operational systems is more likely. |conditioning) have been met. | | |Identify the precise location for the equipment and ensure that | | |the power and network cables are ready. | | |Agree a detailed installation plan with the vendor. | |Anticipate what might go wrong and consider how to minimise the | | |risks. | |Where the installation plan does not include safeguards against |Agree a detailed installation plan and document it. See Project | |the (inevitable) increased security threat resulting from |Plan | |(relatively) ‘open access' to the systems area, accidental or |Monitor progress against the plan. |malicious damage can result. |Only allow authorised persons access to the systems area. | | |To protect all parties never allow engineers to work unattended. | | | | |Breaches of Health and Safety regulations endanger the well being|Ensure Health and Safety regulations are followed when locating | |of your staff and your organisation’s commercial activities. the equipment, peripherals and cables. | | |A periodic visual inspection is beneficial also. | 1. 1. 3 Testing Newly Installed Systems and Equipment Hardware should be tested when new to verify it is working correctly, and then further tests applied periodically to ensure continued effective functioning. Policy Statement All equipment must be fully and comprehensively tested and formally accepted by users before being transferred to the live environment or user sites. |ICT Issues to consider |Action Required | |Where new equipment is not tested for critical functions before |Ensure that all new installations are thoroughly tested after | |being used, it can lead to failure and hence damage to both data |initial set-up and prior to live use. |and other linked systems. |All such tests should be in accordance with a documented test | | |plan. | |Inadequate testing can threaten the integrity and availability of|Check the test outputs to confirm the results. Ensure that | |your data. |all-key components, e. g. hard disk subsystems are included in the| | |tests. | |Devices that are known to degrade with time, e. g. printers, | | |should be tested periodically | |Where testing is performed in a manner that does not simulate |Ensure that the test plan simulates realistic work patterns | |live conditions, the results of such testing cannot be relied | | |upon. | |Poor security procedures during equipment testing can compromise |Ensure that Non Disclosure Agreement have been obtained from all | |the confidentiality of your data. |third party staff involved in testing the equipment. | |Verify that the required security configuration and safeguards | | |have been implemented for the new hardware. | | |If live data is used in the testing process for the new hardware,| | |ensure that it is closely controlled. See Use of Live Data for | | |Testing | Explanatory notes NT servers The analysis of user requirements (client base and mail sizes expected) versus the various benchmarks test results will establish the best choice of server to be purchased. For file and print server only disk space is a key requirement. IT & T Issues |Key Actions | |CPU Board |Dual CPU, redundant system components in many aspects | |Disk & Disk space |Enough storage to cater for expected growth of mail database for the next| | |fiscal year | | | | | |Redundant and RAID-5 capable | |SPEC INT2000 |Compares CPU speeds for various servers. | | | |SPEC CPU2000 |To establish best processors and server performances. | | | | |(http://www. specbench. org/) |To establish best server as per RBS requirements. | | | | | |Do sample analysis based on databases expected or consult database | | |product vendor on system demands. |TPC-C benchmark |The TPC-C benchmark measures the ability of a server to process | | |transactions in a simulated business environment, calculating both the | |See guidelines at http://www. tpc. org/ for |performance of the System Under Test and real world scenario. | |transactions per server | | | |Mail servers should handle 1500 mail user traffic simultaneously in a | | |normal business environment. | | | | |Mail servers should be capable of storing all mails processed in a normal| | |working day. | Routers |ICT Issues |Key Actions | |Router basics |Dual CPU, all redundant system components installed at time of purchase | | |in many aspects | |IOS, RAM and ROM |Latest Cisco IOS e. g. ver 12. X. , 128 MB RAM and suitable flash memory to | | |store all features of IOS. | | | | |VPN and 3-DES features enabled | |IOS compatibility |New routers should Cisco compatible to integrate seamlessly with existing| | |IOS and equipment. | |Number of WAN ports |Decide by local needs e. g. | | | | | |Hub-routers should be preferred for small LANs | |User Management |Manageable by local o r by remote interface, RMON, SNMP or network user | | |interfaces. | Hubs and Switches Item |Action | |Hardware basics |Dual CPU, all redundant system components installed at time of purchase in many | | |aspects | |IOS, RAM and ROM |Latest Cisco IOS e. g. ver 12. X, VLAN and work grouping, bridging possible. | |IOS compatibility |Cisco compatible to integrate seamlessly with existing IOS and equipment. |Protocols |Ethernet enabled | |L | | |Number of LAN ports |Decide by local needs e. g. | | |Hub-routers should be preferred for small LANs | |User Management |Manageable by local or by remote interface, RMON, SNMP or html enabled network | | |user interface. | Modems Item |Action required | |Software Compatible |Supports HyperTerminal for Windows | | | | | |Should be configurable using AT commands | |V90 |Modems should be V90 standard and downward compatible with existing V54 & V42 | | |types, etc. |2 & 4 wire |Supports two wire dialup and 4 wire leased analogue line use. | Data cabinets Equipment cabinets should be properly chosen. The current 6U cabinet is too small for any future expansion or even good workmanship to be carried out. Vendors should provide cabinet of size equal or larger than 12U cabinet. |Item |Action | |Sufficient space for equipment |The cabinet should house all the equipment and accessories at the installation| |See http://www. datacabinets. om/ |time, leave room for future expansion and provide free space for proper | | |ventilation | |Aesthetically chosen for office environment |The cabinet aesthetically coloured to match with general looks in the vicinity| | |free standing or wall mounted and should be equipped with sufficient power | | |blocks. | |Proper ventilation and humidity |The cabinet must have sufficient cooling fans. The fans in these cabinets | | |shall be designed to give minimum noise level expected in a normal office | | |environment and must be designed to keep the humidity level low. | |Designed for equipment therein |The cabinets will be used to house all the active equipment and connection | | |accessories such patch panels, Light Unit Interfaces (LIU). | | | | | |Be lockable and be equipped with some trays. LIUs, cord organisers, cable | | |straps etc. |Grounding and ESD |All cabinet shall be electrically grounded to ensure electric noise and | | |electrostatic discharge is minimised. | Server Room The following items are useful in a server room construction. |Item |Action | |Backup supply |Installation of a central UPS to back up for at least 30 minutes after an | | |outage. | |Conditioned power supply |Installation of spike protectors is necessary to ensure well regulated supply | | |free of surges and dips. |Neat and extensive cable trays |Construction of a technical (false) floor and technical roof (false ceiling) | | |to house all types of cabling and utilities such as fire hydrants, smoke | | |detectors, etc | |No electrostatic discharge (ESD) in computer centre and |Proper grounding and use of anti-static PVC tiles on floor. Each tile must be| |equipment |grounded well. | |Maintain ambient temperature |Installation of a two way redundant air conditioning system. | | |Maintain 16 ? C via room wall. | |Guard against fires and similar hazards |Installation of an automatic fire-fighting system |Use effective extinguishers that are less hazardous to |Use most inert system e. g. Inergen | |human health. |See www. inergen. com/ | |Classify room usage |Partitioning of the computer room | |Proper lighting |Supply and installation of False Ceiling | |Protection against harmful effects of fire hydrants |Supply of Gas Masks | 1. 2Cabling, UPS, Printers and Modems Cabling For best of cabling the following international standards should be incorporated when carrying voice/data-cabling works. |Item |Action | |Scope |Systems Administrator to access scope of requirements. | |Design of cabling plant and premises consideration |According to ANSI/EIA/TIA 568B & 569 standards | | |See www. ansi. org, www. eia. org & http://www. tiaonline. rg | |Implementation and workmanship of cabling works and testing |According to ANSI/EIA/TIA 606 & 607 standards of installing and | | |maintaining data/voice cabling plant. | |Network Active devices |Different vendors have preferred methods of rolling out active | | |devices try this method: | | | | | |Develop | |high-level process flow diagram for deploying new solutions | | |solution hardware requirements | | |solution management platforms | | |solution validation by pilot project | | |full solution deployment | | |document all related information for management, maintenance and | | |future extensions | UPS The following formulas are useful in determining choice of UPS. The UPS are rated in terms of steady power out put and backup time. Steady power rate is given in watts= W Backup time is given in Hours or Ampere-hour of the batteries. = Ah Backup capacity in terms of Ampere-Hour is Ah = (Watt x time) and or is computed to be Ah =3. 6 Mega joules. Power x Time = Energy (joules) Translates to Time =Ah/power E. g. StimaEIS is 7. 2-kVA load. To backup for half an hour it requires (7200 x 30 x 60 x 60)/3. 6 x106 = 216 Ah Given that each small battery is 12V with 9 Ah each then the UPS will have 24 small batteries. Similarly for rest of the computers same formula can be used. 1. 3Consumables Introduction ICT consumables are expensive and should be properly controlled both from an expense perspective as well as an Information Security perspective. This section deals with the Information Security aspects of IT consumables. 1. 3. 1 Controlling IT Consumables Policy Statement IT Consumables must be purchased in accordance with the organisation’s approved purchasing procedures with usage monitored to discourage theft and improper use. They must be kept in a well-designated store away from working area. Explanatory Notes Examples of consumables are printer forms, stationery, printer paper, toner & ink, ribbons, disks, diskettes, bar-code labels and other accessories. Item |Key Actions | |Pilfering of your consumables results in increased organisational|Safeguard Consumables against petty theft by locking cupboards, | |expense. |maintaining a register, written authorisation prior to removal of| | |items etc. Keys to be kept by the supervisor’s office. | |Consumables may be s tolen with the intent to defraud your |Take special measures to protect potentially valuable pre-printed| |organisation or customers. |forms and account for their usage. Store area should be a | | |restricted area, use gate-passes and authorisation. |Confidential data may be revealed to unauthorised persons from |Ensure that confidential information cannot be identified from | |discarded Consumables e. g. discarded draft printer output and |discarded Consumables, such as printer ribbons and floppy disks, | |test data printer output. |by destroying them. | | |Destroy or shred surplus printout / fiche containing data, | | |whether or not the data appears to be confidential – it may be! | | |See also Classifying Information and Data. | 1. 3. Using removable storage media including Diskettes and CDs Policy Statement Only personnel who are authorised to install or modify software, and staff who are authorised to transfer and update data shall use removable media to transfer dat a to / from the organisation’s network. Any other persons shall require specific authorisation. Explanatory Notes When using removable storage media, there are additional ICT Security risks associated with the portability of the media. Personnel authorised to install & modify software is the system administrator. Personnel authorised to transfer and update data shall be determined by the general manager and systems administrator. ICT Issues |Key Actions | |Loss or ‘disappearance' of disks, tapes, etc. can |Ensure that all media are stored safely and securely. | |compromise the confidentiality of the organisation’s |Make sure that all media are labelled clearly, whether physically and/or | |data. |electronically, and that they can be located easily when needed. | | |Designate key individuals to monitor the storage and use of removable | | |media. | |Damage to media compromises the integrity of your |Follow the manufacturers' recommendations when handling the m edia. | |corporate records. Take protective measures against environmental extremes of temperature, | | |humidity, dust, etc. , appropriate to the importance and sensitivity of the| | |data. | | |Consider carefully the safeguards required for any media being moved or | | |stored off-site; especially backup tapes / disks. | | |In the case of irreplaceable data, you should consider taking security | | |copies, each of which must be properly safeguarded. | |Consider using fire-resistant storage cabinets for such media. | 1. 4Working off premises or using out-sourced processing Working Off-Premises involves a broad range of Information Security risks. In addition to the obvious threat of theft of the equipment there are also significant risks to the information contained on portable equipment. It is necessary to use business centres with great care as confidential information or data can be input onto equipment that is not under your control. 1. 4. 1 Contracting or using Out-sour ced Processing The following issues should be considered if the organisation decides to utsource some or all of its computer processing. Policy Statement Persons responsible for commissioning out-sourced computer processing must ensure that the services used are from reputable companies that operate with accredited information security and quality standards which should include an appropriate Service Level Agreement. |ICT Issues to consider |Action Required | |Inadequate performance can threaten your organisation's |Determine the critical success factors for your organisation in terms of| |information processing and business operations. speed, reliability, response and ability to scale rapidly (if | | |necessary). | | |Document these factors in a Service Level Agreement with penalty clauses| | |for breaches. | |Poor reliability threatens the performance of your |Consider your organisation's tolerance to system non-availability in | |business. |seconds, minutes, hours or days? | | |Ensure that the service provider can meet these needs. | |Document these factors in a Service Level Agreement with penalty clauses| | |for breaches. | |Lack of direct control when outsourcing can compromise |Due diligence should be exercised to ensure that the outsourcing company| |data confidentiality. |is reputable and operates with adequate standards. | | |Obtain a Non Disclosure Agreement from the outsourcing company. | | |Insist on secure transmission methods between your organisation and | | |theirs, e. g. authenticated transmission with encrypted data. | 1. 4. 2 Issuing Laptop / Portable Computers to Personnel Laptops, Portables, Palmtops -or even electronic ‘organisers', which connect to and store your organisation’s data – are included within this topic. Throughout this topic we refer to them collectively as ‘laptops' Policy Statement Line management must authorise the issue of portable computers. Usage is restricted to business purposes, and users must be aware of, and accept the terms and conditions of use, especially responsibility for the security of information held on such devices |ICT Issues |Action Required | |Confidential data disclosed to unauthorised persons can |Be certain that the member of staff has a valid business reason for | |damage the organisation. |using a laptop. Maintain and update the Hardware Inventory with the | | |primary user's name and contact details | | |Ensure that you are always able to trace the physical location of the | | |laptop and that the type and sensitivity of any stored data is known and| | |properly secure. | | |Always use any ‘power-on' password feature as a simple deterrent to | | |opportunistic usage. | | |Ensure the confidentiality and security of backup files. |The use of unlicensed software can subject your |All software used on the laptop must be licensed and comply with both | |organisation to legal action |legal and organisational standards. | |Viruses, Worms, Trojans and other Malicious Code can |Scan the laptop for malicious code and viruses regularly. | |corrupt both data and the system files. |Always scan files before accepting them onto the laptop | |Theft of the laptop exposes the organisation to the threat|Ensure that the holder implements adequate safety procedures against | |of disclosure o f sensitive corporate data to competitors. |theft. | |Consider the use of securing wires or other security devices in open | | |offices. | | |Ensure that the Hardware Inventory contains relevant allocation details | | |of all computers. Insure the laptop against loss, theft and damage. | | |Be aware of any exclusion in cover. Prepare guidelines for issuing | | |portable computing equipment. |Inadequate backup and recovery routines can lead to the |Ensure that laptop computers can have their data safeguarded through | |loss of data. |regular backups. | | |Ensure that the primary user of the equipment recognises their | | |responsibilities in this regard. | Guidelines for Issuing Portable Computing Equipment Those responsible for issuing portable computer equipment must ensure that the following is complied with before issuing such equipment to employees. †¢ Ensure that adequate insurance cover is provided for the portable equipment for use in the home country and abroad. Ensure that suitable virus scanning software is present on the equipment. †¢ Supply suitable network connections and ensure that access procedures are applied if the equipment is to be connected to a network. †¢ Ensure that adequate capacity (hard disk and memory size) is available on the equipment to support business processing. †¢ Ensure that adequate backup and restore facilities and procedures are in place. †¢ Ensure that compatible versions of application software are in place. †¢ Ensure that software encryption and/or physical locking devices are in place. †¢ Ensure that adequate records of the equipment are maintained, and that the issue is authorised and receipted. Ensure that authorisation for use of portable computing equipment is received †¢ Ensure that the Terms of Use are issued and signed. 1. 5Using Secure Storage Introduction It is essential that valuable confidential or critical information or equipment is stored in a secure locati on. This section covers secure storage. Policy Statement Sensitive or valuable material and equipment must be stored securely and according to the classification status of the information being stored. Documents are to be stored in a secure manner in accordance with their classification status. 1. 5. 1 Using lockable storage cupboards & filing cabinets A lockable storage cupboard should be considered for storing sensitive or valuable equipment. A lockable filing cabinet should be considered for secure storage of paper-based files and records, or small but movable items. |ICT Issues |Key Actions | |Unsecured organisation sensitive material may be |Ensure that all sensitive material is secured in a lockable storage | |stolen from the department. |cupboard, cabinet or safe when not required. The more sensitive the | | |material, the more care must be taken in selecting the appropriate storage| | |method. | |Ensure you are aware of who is an authorised key holder to any such | | |storage cupboard, cabinet or safe. | | |Ensure that a second key is available with a trusted key holder via a dual| | |control issues process in case the key holder is unavailable or the item | | |is required in an emergency. | |Securely locked organisation sensitive material may be|Ensure that highly sensitive material including computer discs and tapes | |stolen or damaged whilst in store. |are stored in a fire rated storage cupboard, cabinet, or sa fe. Beware that| | |the cabinet itself may survive the fire but the items inside may be | | |damaged irreparably. | | |Ensure that all sensitive material is secured in a lockable storage | | |cupboard, cabinet, or safe when not required. | | |Use a storage unit, which matches the sensitivity of the material. The | | |more sensitive the material, the more care must be taken in selecting the | | |appropriate storage method. | |Ensure you are aware of who is an authorised key holder to any such | | |storage cupboard, cabinet or safe. | | |Ensure that a second key is available with a trusted key holder via a dual| | |control issues process in case the key holder is unavailable or the item | | |is required in an emergency. | 1. 5. 2 Using Fire-Protected Storage Cabinets & Safes A fire protected storage cabinet is a good way to protect sensitive material against the risk of being destroyed by fire and possible water damage from fire fighting activities. The use of safes for storage is to be en couraged. The security of the safe itself is just as critical. Policy Statement Items such as backup-tapes, microfiche, microfilm, archives, recovery diskettes, passwords, CDs for software installation shall be considered sensitive and valuable to the organisation and must be stored in fire-protected storage cabinets & safes. |IT & T Issues |Key Actions | |Sensitive data stored in fire-protected cabinets can |Ensure that all sensitive material is secured in a Fire protected | |nevertheless be damaged beyond use. Due to their possible |cabinets & safe when not required. Yearly & Monthly system & database | |additional weight, siting is a key consideration |backups should be kept away from the building | | |Ensure you are aware of who is an authorised key holder to any such | | |storage cupboard, cabinet or safe. | | |Ensure that a second key is available with a trusted key holder via a | | |data control issues process in case the key holder is unavailable or the | | |item is required in an emergency. | |Sensitive data may be lost if stolen or during transit. |Copies of archives should be kept separate from actual database backups. | |A physical log file to control backup data movement to various safe | | |locations to be kept up-to-date both with signature of security personnel| | |and person moving the backups. | | |Data Library to be up-to-date with details of backup date, type, | | |location, type & expiry date | 1. 6Documenting Hardware Introduction This section deals with hardware documentation and manuals, and also hardware inventory. It is es sential that hardware documentation is kept up to date and made available to all users as appropriate. 1. . 1Managing and Using Hardware Documentation ‘Documentation' refers to both the operator manuals and the technical documentation that should be provided by the supplier / vendor. Policy Statement Hardware documentation must be kept up-to-date and readily available to the all staff that may need it. |ICT Issues |Key Actions | |If equipment is operated incorrectly mistakes and |Ensure you receive all operational and technical manuals for each piece | |damage may result. |of equipment. | | |Store the documentation accessibly but safely. | |Systems users must be trained according to the supplier's manuals | |A failure to follow the recommended schedule of |Ensure all regular maintenance is carried out and monitored. | |maintenance runs the risk of system malfunction, which |Adopt procedures which ensure that your operators complete all | |could possibly jeopardise your busines s operation. |maintenance for which they are responsible according to the | | |manufacturer's recommendation | |Failure to operate equipment in accordance with the |Ensure you receive all operational and technical manuals for each piece | |instructions can invalidate the warranty. |of equipment. | |Ensure that such manuals are readily available and form the basis of all | | |training. | |Failure to complete and return the manufacturer's |Complete the warranty card in time and record the details in your | |warranty card may invalidate the warranty and hence |Hardware Inventory Register. | |limit the manufacturer's liability | | ] 1. 6. 2 Maintaining a Hardware Inventory or Register Introduction A register / database of all computer equipment used within your organisation is to be established and maintained. Policy Statement A formal inventory of all equipment should be maintained and kept up to date at all times. ICT Issues |Key Actions | |Theft of equipment is most likely to result in additional |Establish inventory and implement procedures for updating it. | |cost to the organisation and could compromise data security. |Ensure that you have a procedure to advise the acquisition of new | | |hardware, the disposal of old items and any changes of location. | | |Periodically verify the correctness of the inventory by checking that | | |a sample of hardware is physically present. |Inadequate insurance could render your organisation liable |Establish inventory and implement procedures for keeping it | |to loss in the event of a claimable event. |up-to-date. | | |Ensure that you periodically review the adequacy of your insurance | | |cover. | |Shortcomings in the planning of equipment replacement can |Establish an inventory and, in conformance with your IT Plan, ‘ear | |make it difficult to plan ahead for new technology. |mark' equipment for replacement and plan accordingly. | 1. 7 Telecommunications equipment (Procurement, maintenance, practices and design t elecommunications) Procurement of telecommunications system †¢ Manufacturer maintenance (internal & external) †¢ Design criteria of systems †¢ Commissioning & Decommissioning of systems †¢ Fibre optic systems Introduction This chapter deals with the Information Communication Technology issues relating to the purchase, use, maintenance and the design of equipment through which information is processed and transmitted. The systems covered include, Telephony (PAX and PABX) Data Networks Fibre Network 1. 7. 1 System Design ( Engineering) Policy statement ICT system engineering will be based on tested and proven state of the art technology for a given ICT system. Explanatory notes The systems administrator shall from time to time update her/himself with new international standards for ICT systems. She/he shall be required to come up with flexible systems that will meet the company needs at the best. |ICT Issues |Actions | |Technology |System engineering shall be based on the latest technology in the | | |required field such as Telephony. | |Company's needs (Application) |The design shall address the company needs and applications for at least| | |the next ten years. |Flexibility |The system design shall address the equipment flexibility and upgrade. | |Redundancy |The design will state the expected loading and redundancy of the | | |equipment | 1. 7. 2 Procurement Policy Statement In addition to the public and company procurement procedures, the ICT departments will specify in details the functional and capacity requirements of system before any purchase is done. Explanatory notes Before any system acquisition is done, the system administrator will be requir ed to have evaluated the company's needs. This will include system performance; reliability ultimate capacity and staff abilities included proposed training requirements. This will be in the form of Request for Proposal (RFP) documents. |IC T Issues |Actions | |Tender document |Shall have detailed system/equipment description of the performance, | | |reliability and capacity of hardware. The system life expectancy shall be| | |required | |Spares and Support |The system spares will be stated. The system support and staff training | | |clearly be addressed | |Authorised dealership/partnership |The vendor shall be required to state and prove the partnerships with the | | |manufacturer | |Tendering |The type of bidders to be invited shall be stated | 1. 7. 3 Commissioning/ Decommissioning Policy Statement System commissioning will be carried out as stipulated in the manufacture's testing/commissioning sheets for any new ICT equipment. Tests should nclude all the RFP system requirements. System commissioning is necessary to ascertain system performance all the designed parameters will be tested. After the commissioning the system passwords should be immediately changed as a security measure, to protect any data manipulation or corruption from the vendor. |ICT Issues |Actions | |Performance |All tests as per system design and manufacturer's | | |specification/performance shall be carried out. |Drawings |All system drawings shall be submitted ( at least three copies)and kept | | |in safe custody | |Equipment Cabinet keys |The equipment cabinet keys shall be handed over to the functional head | |Decommissioning |System decommissioning shall be carried out once the equipment is no | | |longer in use. | | |Commissioning sheets and drawings shall be used to determine the current | | |connection (Circuit termination) of the system. | | |The decommissioned equipment shall be removed from the Telecom room and | | |all wires/cables not used shall be removed. | |The drawings for decommissioned systems/equipment shall be retired. | 1. 7. 4 Maintenance Practices Policy Statement All ICT systems shall be maintained regularly as per manufacture's recommendations. Where system are placed in harsh environments, system maintenance will be carried out as deemed by the systems administrator. Explanatory notes All system maintenance should be done in house as much as possible. Outsourcing of maintenance (Annual Maintenance Contracts, AMC’s) contrac