Corporate Governance Post-Economic Collapse - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 10 Words: 3115 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Management Essay Type Analytical essay Did you like this example? Corporate Governance Business Imposition of strict corporate governance and disclosure requirements is an unnecessary burden on business, they reduce competitive advantage of business, and they add extra cost to the society.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Critically evaluate this statement in light of the recent spectacular corporate collapses around the globe. Your answer should provide arguments for and against this statement, and a judgement at the end. Introduction Recent corporate collapses, such as Enron and WorldCom in United States and HIH Insurance in Australia, raised an alarm for accounting standard setting bodies in all over the world and have brought the issue of corporate governance to the forefront. The regulators and other standard setting bodies took this issue seriously and promptly responded to the situation with number of new and important rules, regulations, codes of conduct and suggested best practices. The basic purpose of these initiatives was to ensure that those responsible for governance of an organization must comply as per the expectations of stakeholders and they must act in a way to provide credibility and transparency in corporate financial reporting. According to Gillan and Martin (2007) the worldwide failure of giant corporations arose within a system of corporate governance, both internal and external to the firm and they found that the basic cause of failure was corporationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s incapability of controlling its management. Australia also adopted a number of initiatives which include corporate code of ethics, CLERP 9 Act and ASX principles and guidelines on the issue of corporate governance and other disclosure requirements as implemented by ASIC and ASX. More recently, an important report published by the professional accountants in business committee (PAIB) of International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) explores the corporate governance in wide perspective and propose that an entire accountability framework is required for keeping a good balance between corporate governance measures and initiatives for sustainable firm value. The assignment is divided into three parts. First part describes the importance of corporate governance in the global business and investigates the need of corporate governance so that ethics of business should not be ignored because it can have long lasting impacts. The argument is given to prove that after the major scandals in the corpora te world, why there is a need to establish ethical standards and regulations. For any multi-national corporation it is very crucial to consider the impact of its business on individuals as well as on society. Second part of the assignment discusses the costly behavior of corporate governance and disclosure in which is a burden on the business and effects competitive advantage at large. Third part is the conclusion which summarizes the whole essay according to the required topic. Now if we go into deep in this issue we see that corporations control and manage a large part of the resources and raw materials of this planet and are dominating the economic world. But simultaneously these companies have abused their positions in some way or the other Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Corporate Governance Post-Economic Collapse" essay for you Create order What is Corporate Governance? The concept of corporate governance came into circulation from last thirty years and now the term is truly international. Now there is a growing realization that good corporate governance can not only help in avoiding problems but also provide many other advantages such as facilitating capital investment and minimizing risk. Corporate governance in very simple terms is the system by which business corporations are directed and controlled (Cowan, 2004). A good corporate governance system ensures that the corporation sets appropriate objectives and then arranges systems and structure in place to ensure that these objectives are met, and also provides the means for others, both within and outside of the corporation, to control and monitor the activities of the corporation and its managers. Enron was unable to demonstrate and practice good corporate governance practices therefore it paid its price. Enron provided misleading information to avoid consequences and failed to inform s hareholders and investors o the true level of debt With the increasing globalization of business and competition for capital, it can be said that companies which can provide assurance of being appropriately managed can gain competitive edge. Reducing perceived risks to investors can minimize the cost of capital. On the other hand poor corporate governance also risks a loss of confidence in the position of the accounting profession itself. Developing countries are paying more importance in strengthening transparent corporate governance and accounting system because investors and consumers demand fair business and return. And if they donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t follow these criteria they will not gain competitive advantage. World class organizations such as Cadbury and Vienot have issued new guidelines which highlights the need of sound corporate governance such as audit committees, internal structure and management control.(antidote to corruption) Role of accounting in an integral p art of any corporate governance structure because accounting provides the means for audience to analyses and monitor the organization and to asses how well the management has performed. A strong disclosure regime that promotes real transparency and ethical corporate governance is a key feature of successful multinational organizations (OCED 2004 ). Good corporate governance is a global business necessity Therefore it can be said that corporate governance involves ensuring that the decisions made by those managing the corporation are appropriate and providing a means to monitor corporate activities and the decision making itself. Drever et al says that solution is for firms or corporations to be formed to produce and provide goods and services efficiently. The healthy corporate governance framework ensures that timely and accurate disclosure of financial situation and performance is the outcome of the company. The challenge for corporate governance is to balance the interest of investors and the firm at the same time because corporate governance has to set priorities, delegate power and control and maintaining accountability and disclosure. The organizations which focus reports issues such as how the firm is integrating sustainability into business will develop new ways for integrating stakeholders. According to OCED 1999, good corporate governance helps to ensure that corp orations take into account the interests of a wide range of constituencies, as well as of the communities in which they operate, and that their boards are accountable to the company and to the shareholders. This is turn, helps to assure that organizations operate for the benefit of society as a whole. It helps to maintain the confidence of investors- both domestic and foreign- and to attract more patient long term capital. The need for corporate governance: Transparency vaccine Now the point is why companies adopt corporate governance in their regulations? Corporate world history has a long list of frauds and scandals. In the beginning the term corporate governance was used as a mechanism for reducing errors but now the potential strength of corporate governance has widen its area. Some instances of corporate crime: Book Robert monk Alleco: Mr. Morton M. Lapides was convicted and jailed of a price fixing scheme which caused record- braking penalties. The judge said that Alleco is tied with maximum illegal activity and needs a proper systematic corporate governance regime. General Electric: In 1992, was charged with false billing with federal government for military sales to Israel during 1980à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s. Companyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s employees did conspiracy with an Israeli air division to divert money into their pocket. Later, GE paid $ 69 million fines and lost its reputation and trust in the market. Gitano Group: In December 1993, company was pleaded guilty to the charges that they had sought to circumvent customs duties on imported clothes. Wal-Mart then the largest customer of Gitano ceased to do business with it unless the company follows strict ethical standards and regulation. A.H Robins: The Company marketed an intra-uterine contraceptive device called Dalkon shield, despite the fact that it had more than 500 unfavorable reports from doctors and physicians. In 1985, the device was ultimately recalled after the death of 17 wo men and was found guilty and paid $2.4 billion trust fund to compensate for the act. Few most extremes examples of the negligence of corporate governance were of De Lorean Car Plant in North Ireland- which involved defrauding the government. Blue Arrow scandal UK was the outcome of manipulating and twisting the DTI (department of trade industry) rules and regulations. The recent fraud by Cendant was the result of disclosing and misleading excessive profit and assets. Therefore, corporate governance rules, regulations, disclosures and prescriptions are needed by the corporations because of the structure of the company. Investors who have provided the resources to the firm in some way or the other do not directly run the company business. These contributors need to rely on managers and organization. This division between capital contributor and management is the root cause of many issues and crisis relating to corporate governance. Hayek argues that companies cannot afford to i gnore the needs of stakeholders. It is always permissible, even required for management to consider the interest of all stakeholders. Gibson (2000) insists that corporations use codes and conduct to help create a competitive advantage for the corporation. This increases their already existing reputation within the global market. Lenox and Nash, (2003) says that rules and regulations are invented to provide information about the organization with the hope these promises will be rewarded by consumers in some way or the other and ultimately improve the bond between the two. Findings of Chang et al (2000) say that the Asian Financial crisis in 1997 had global implications and raised the need of reform issues including corporate governance. The sudden collapse of South Asian tiger like Thailand, South Korea, Taiwan, and Indonesia highlighted the fact that there is no efficient corporate governance which looks after the financial sector. Companies not only compete with each other fi rms within their country, but with firms from around the world. The need for corporate governance arises when financial capital moves across internationally and it becomes necessary to ensure that the organization is not only managed according to rules and regulations but also has a good corporate management. Considerable Evidence against Harris Scarf and One.Tel depicts that government rules and practices in those firms where poor and also they lacked accountability (Bosch 2002). Altogether it can be said that there is a need for corporate governance because it enriches the wealth and performance of a firm. Keeping in mind the future success, giant firms such as Starbucks and The Body Shop have includes in-store flyers to summarize important sections of the sustainability report, HP has made effort and also included flyers in its printer cartridges to educate and inform customers. Similarly BP has also experimented with advertising on television to educate consumers as to the real energy competition. Organizations must balance many competing equations- long and short term notions of gain, cash and accounting concepts. As a result of corporate governance failures in the global market of USA and UK which resulted mainly due to lack of leadership and mismanagement gave birth to the need of forward thinking. The foundation of these codes and conduct is disclosure. Transparency is the one and only criterion a firm should rely upon. Disclosure and accountability are the two watch words of the corporate governance on which long term systems are built. Therefore, the need arises as how the corporations are governed- their ownership and control, the objectives they pursue, the rights they respect, the responsibilities they recognize, and how they distribute the value they create à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" has become a matter of greater significance, not simply or their directors and share holders, but also for the wider communities that serve. Moore et al gi ves the example of three firms, Dofasco, Novo Nordisk and Roche who have integrated their sustainability report into their annual report. By this, they are focusing financial analysts and shareholders as their main audience. This major alignment will help the firm more effectively and efficiently to create value for their investors. Disclosing transparently allows companies to be more easily scrutinized and to engage in more straight forward and robust discussion on the challenges they are facing with their critics. Disclosure brings many competitive advantages such as leadership, a positive boost to its image, a potential growth in sector collaboration and an opportunity to build faith with key shareholders. An Unnecessary burden- whose interest should corporations serves? There is an ongoing debate that implementing corporative governance rules and regulations is necessary for an organizations success or not? Corporate governance has a varying meaning and ever changing rules. T herefore corporate governance must not have the privilege to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"one size fits allà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ approach. Rather, good governance automatically develops with in a corporation by setting down voluntary rules and standards which best fits according to their circumstances and demand. Justice owen reported that the key to success and growth of corporate governance lies in substance not form. It depends on how the directors and managers of a firm create a structure to fit the situation of the firm and then test it periodically for its practical efficiency. Report of HIH Royal Commission argues that it is not always necessary that those who have good governance structure will perform better than other or be immune from failure. Risks are always present in business and it should be taken a stepping stone for the organization as risks are taken for new market capture or reward. There is no single set of rules which can prevent mistakes or cover companies and their inve stors from the consequences of failure. There is also an argument which says that companies should not be burdened with compliance costs. This causes in losing competitive edge of an organization. It becomes a very costly process for the management of a firm to combine legal, financial and economic logic There is an ongoing debate that there is no universal formula for good corporate governance. Companies vary in their size, complexity, ownership etc that what is ideal for one in some circumstances may be inappropriate in others. Moreover, as companies change and increase their market size, they need to adapt their changed strategies. Tried and proven corporate governance structure can help to improve their ability to attract capital and trust but at the same time it is not necessary every time when the company grows. As accounting information is a crucial element of any corporate governance, it has two key roles: to guide and control actions along with decisions, and to infor m shareholders and other stakeholders. It is very important that information should be correct, unbiased, and appropriate. Despite prescribed nature, it can only be achieved through the ethical behavior of management. The problem is that, whether using ethical principles and standards, disclosures can still result in be incomplete and misleading due to many reasons. Cornford 2004, argues that common assumption is that if individuals are rational, they will do their best to maximize their interest, rather than principles. Ethical principles are also rational; they will expect the management not always to act in the benefit of shareholders and investors. Hideki says that it is true that corporate governance and disclosure enhances transparency but at the same time it has its own cost which management has to pay. The burden of this cost is on the organization which is required to make disclosure and thus on the national economic sector. At the same time, it becomes very hard to t ake the full advantage of disclosure without making a comprehensive disclosure regime inside the firm which includes all the auditing and accounting staff to be faithful and loyal. Findings of Porata et al say that Disclosure has its own inevitable problems. He says that disclosure is done on the quarterly basis in U.S and twice in one year in Japan. According to him, this periodic disclosure has two drawbacks. First, there is a time difference between the date when disclosure and financial statements are prepared and when they are actually disclosed. There is an unnecessary burden on the company to update the information before coming into public. Therefore the value of any disclosure should be compared with its enforcement cost. From- (https://www.orac.gov.au/run_close_corporation/good_corp/default.aspx) Size of the organization has a huge impact on the practices of corporate governance. In small firm with less investment and few liquid assets, informal way of practices can perform well. Medium to large size organizations need to formalize their ethical standards for their survival and competitive advantage. Also, small firm should not be overburdened with unnecessary standards and red tape. The most tedious issue in any corporate governance system is how to make corporate world accountable to the other contributors and shareholders of the firm whose investment are utmost risk and danger. Unquestionably, the biggest challenge a firm faces is not failure but a success. If we look at the giant firms of 1960à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s such as Xerox, Kodak, General Motors, Sears, and meltdowns in last thirty years, it can be concluded that when company is is failing, it is ready to try anything to save its position. At this stage, it really becomes a hard job to decide what to disclose and what not to disclose. Globalization has raised an important issue in corporate governance and disclosing that whether there is any particular universal model of ethical st andard and regulation which can assure success and competitive advantage. Conclusion It can be concluded from the above discussion that high ethical standard and regulations of corporate governance and disclosure by any organization can bring wonders in the business world. Nevertheless, transparency and fairness are the tools to efficient corporate governance today in any country. For any company to be transparent it is necessary to pay attention to disclosure, accounting and audit. All these functional conditions are inter-dependent on each other. The essay highlights many examples of the companies which prove that it is cheaper to disclose negative information than to suppress it and face long term penalty. References 1.Lenox, M. and Nash, J. (2003) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Industry Self-Regulation and Adverse Selection: A Comparison Across Four Trade Association Programsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢, Business Strategy and the Environment, 12: 343-356. 2.Gibson, R. (2000) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Encouraging Voluntary Initiatives for Corporate Greening: Some Considerations for More Systematic Design of Supporting Frameworks at the National and Global Levelsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢, Voluntary Initiatives Workshop, United Nations Environment Programme, [www document] www.uneptie.org/outreach/vi/reports/encouraging_voluntary_initiati ves.pdf. (accessed November 7, 2003). 3.OCED (2004) Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, Paris : OCED 4. Chang,J.,Khanna,T., and Palepu K.G. (2000) Analysts activity around the world. Harward business school, working paper. 5. Henry Bosch 2002, the changing face of corporate governance 2002, 25 university nof new south wales law jaournal. 6. Owen report, above n 3 para 6.6 7. Kanda, Hideki. 2000. Legal and Regulatory Reforms for Effective Corporate Governance. draft. 8. La Porta, Rafael, Florencio Lopez-de-Silanes, Andrei Shleifer, and Robert W Vishny. 2000. Investor Protection and Corporate Governance. draft. 9. The next stage for corporate disclosure Philippa Moore. Corporate Responsibility Management. London: Feb/Mar 2006. Vol. 2, Iss. 4; pg. 30, 4 pgs

The Battle Of The Civil War - 1233 Words

It is evident that the Civil War helped shape America into the country it is today. The strong factional division -based on slavery- between the Union and the Confederacy guaranteed certain achievements of both sides. Much of what we consider history today remains a part of the outcome from these multiple bloody battles. Activist John Muir of the Civil War-era stated, â€Å"the traces of war are not only apparent on the broken fields, burnt fences, mills, and woods ruthlessly slaughtered, but also on the countenances of the people† (page 535). Changes were noticeable throughout the nation. Due to the Civil War, the United States advanced its technology, showed true power from a federal, and how sympathetic political understanding helped the nation. Technology today has made huge bounds since the Civil War era, but nevertheless, that does not dampen how important technological advancements were during that time. Canned food gained popularity in the Navy during the late 1850s, but quickly became yearned for during the Civil War. Frontline soldiers needed nourishment that would not be a nuisance to carry, or to worry over spoiling. Efficiency remained key during long trips far from home. Condensed coffee, cider, and evaporated milk soon took the place of spoiled bread and/or fruit. The desire to keep memories of loved ones gained prominence with the boom of pocket watches. Time keeping before, during, and after battles was deemed needed as well. Without doubt, new militaryShow MoreRelatedThe Battle Of The Civil War1127 Words   |  5 Pagesshaken by the Civil War because some states wanted to separate themselves from this unity that had lasted for approximately 100 years. The American Civil War is a historic affair and one of the bloodiest battles in history of the US (Engle, Krick, 2003). 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In James McPherson’s Crossroads of Freedom: Antietam he points out the pivotal moments in American history that led up to and changed the Civil War, so that the reader can get a better insightRead MoreThe Battle Of The Civil War1666 Words   |  7 PagesThe Civil war was one of the biggest turning points in United States history. The nation’s failure to compromise on the subject of slavery led to an outbreak of war. Battles such a s Gettysburg, Vicksburg, and Shiloh led to what we know of today as a free nation. Great technological advancements in weaponry led to mass casualties among both north and south, often making death inevitable. Those who bravely served and those who were forced to serve lived a life of fear, starvation, and commitment toRead MoreThe Battle Of The Civil War1191 Words   |  5 PagesWhen the Civil War started both sides thought the war would be over by Christmas. But little did they know this small war would turn into the deadliest war in American history. 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Sumter only a few monthsRead MoreThe Battle Of The Civil War1133 Words   |  5 Pagesfierce battles were fought to secure the rights and freedom of both men and women, irrespective of their religion, gender, and race. Of all of the battles, the American Civil War stands out. Divided into the Union and the Confederacy, the American civil war broke out after the southern states seceded due to slavery that spread in many parts of the country. The Civil War began in the year 1861 and ended four years later. The end result was the Union becoming victorious in 1865. The Civil War was a

What is our future going to be like if we continue Free Essays

As technology advances to enhance our lives, we begin to take no heed of the environment surrounding us. There are approximately 7 billion people In the world, and due to the vast population, our resources are dramatically being depleted. Another reason why resources are being wasted Is that people don’t know how to be echo-efficient due to lack of exposure to Information/awareness. We will write a custom essay sample on What is our future going to be like if we continue or any similar topic only for you Order Now It Is also cheaper to perform activities without the concern of harming the environment. For example, most petrol cars are cheaper than electric cars. Lastly, some things work better and are efficient (despite harming [depleting the environment) than echo-friendly reduces. If we ruthlessly persist to waste resources, we will face a tremendous number of problems In the future. When resources begin to run out, prices get higher as the demand increase. This eventually leads to the ultimate annihilation of the resources, thus making the human survival to gradually decrease. We then must have to look for another source to depend until we totally wipe out its presence. This cycle will continue until we have n resources left, thus leaving us vulnerable and a possibility of experiencing slow extinction, as a human race. We should first look onto ourselves and start individually by adjusting our lifestyles to as much â€Å"environmental-efficiency as we can. Simple ways include recycling, turning off lights when not in use, buying echo-friendly products, and much more. Once you’ve felt that you’ve done enough to be â€Å"green†, begin to spread your concerns and knowledge with other to show your efforts of conserving the Earth’s resources. Begin a club or join an organization and help your community (planting gardens or simply picking up garbage). If everyone can make a small act of kindness, everyone’s efforts can make a huge difference! How to cite What is our future going to be like if we continue, Papers

Summarization of Energy-Efficient Communication Protocols for Smart Gr

Question: Describe about the Summarization of Energy-Efficient Communication Protocols for Smart Grid. Answer: Introduction Industry Control System refers to the various control procedure and system followed majorly in industries like nuclear, chemical and treatment plants for controlling and monitoring the industrial processes. The Industrial Control System (ICS) mainly deals with the instrumentation of the procedures followed in industry, acquiring data and controlling processes, performing data transfer and installation of the HMI (Human Machine Interface) (Weiss, 2014). One of the major threats to the ICS is the computer attacks. The significant challenges to the ICS that make the system much vulnerable are that this control system is linked to the physical processes related to gas, power, water, and transport. Thus, cyber security needs to be enhanced by the control system. In this particular report, the case study of PureLand Wastewater Treatment is taken as a case study for improving and developing a cyber security plan for the existing ICS. PureLand Wastewater Treatment Plant specializes in waste water treatment of Biological Fermentation and Chemical Manufacturing Industries. Current State Description PureLand Wastewater has been contacted by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regarding the use of Chlorine Dioxide, a toxic chemical prone to terrorist attacks. The PureLand Wastewater was asked to regulate their both physical and cyber security used in their industry. The network diagram of the ICS followed in PureLand is provided below: Figure 1: Pureland WasteWater Network Diagram (Source: Wang, Gao Qiu, 2015, pp-87) The entire facility of Pureland wastewater is working on the campus area network or corporate area network (CAN) interconnecting four LANs. In PureLand, the four LANs are Supervisory Network, Control System, Business LAN and Field System. Supervisory Network: The Supervisory Network LAN controls the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) that remotely controls, monitors and sends coded signal through the TCP/IP protocol. Control System: Human machines Interface (HMI) is implemented in this LAN. Control System communicates with other facilities and the Field system with the ICCP (Inter-Control Center Communication Protocol). Business LAN: The Business LAN is directly connected to the internet and utilizes firewall protection for communication over the internet. Business LAN utilized TCPIP protocol for interacting with the Supervisory Network. Field System: The Field System where the wastewater treatment work is done is also directly connected to the internet. The Filed system communicated with the Control System and another facility through ICCP protocol. The Process control vendor support can directly communicate with both Business LAN and Field System over The Internet. Overview of Network Weaknesses After the detailed analysis of the network system of the PureLand, the following issues were identified: Lack of Firewall and anti-virus: All the LANs within the CAN are connected to each other and allow communication. The Business LAN is directly connected to the Internet and has firewall protection whereas the lack of firewall and anti-virus system in other LAN makes the system vulnerable to threats and attacks. ICCP Protocol: Encryption or authentication is not provided by the ICCP (Inter-Control Center Communication Protocol) (Subramani, Vijayalakhsmi, 2016). The communication between the Control systems, Filed system with the other facility is done through the ICCP protocol. Thus, it makes the communication at risks from various attacks and modifications. Direct access to Field System LAN: The most vital task of the PureLand that is the wastewater treatment is done in the Field System along with the Sanitizer Feed Tank. The direct access to the internet with the Field system without any firewall makes it an easy target for attacks. Supervisory Network: One of the main functions of ISC that is the SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) is done in this section. SCADA monitors the whole system by sending coded signal through the communication channel (Shalangwa, 2014). The lack of security and communication through ICCP protocol in control and filed system makes the supervisory network vulnerable. Threats and Vulnerabilities Facing ICS The most common threats and vulnerabilities related to the Industrial Control System are Malware attacks, software errors, operator error, failure of the SCADA components and others. Figure 2: Cause of Failures and Issues in ISC (Source: Afzaal, Nazir, 2012, pp-2) In ICS, the IT facilities are controlled from a remote area and connected to each other with LAN connection. The lack of security in the LAN makes the network vulnerable to malware attacks and even Stuxnet that have the potential to infect the PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers). The firewall protection is not capable of securing all the issues. Studies have found that most of the attacks are made through remote access. Furthermore, unauthorized access and communication through corporate network make the ICS vulnerable to threats and attacks. Figure 3: Threats to ICS (Source: Reniers, Herdewel, Wybo, 2013, pp-1668) Understanding of Applicable Regulations For achieving compliance with CFATS (Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards) the PureLand WasteWater should follow these regulations: Appendix [A] to the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standard, Final Rule (Published November 20, 2007) This regulation defines and comprises of about 300 COI (Chemical of Interest) along with their STQ (Screening Threshold Quantities) (Chemical Security Laws and Regulations | Homeland Security 2016). Any industry or organization possessing any one of the listed COI comes under the law and is required to present a Top Screen within sixty calendar days. Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards, Interim Final Rule (Published April 9, 2007) Interim Final Rule has published CFATS (Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards) after incorporating and gathering various information from companies, trade associations, individuals and various entities. According to the Appendix A, that comprises of the COI (Chemical of Interest) (Chemical Security Laws and Regulations | Homeland Security 2016). Any industry or organization having possession to any of the COI will require providing Top Screen to the DHS (Department of Homeland Security) utilizing the CSAT (Chemical Security Assessment Tool). Desired Future State The desired future ICS system for the effective and efficient security for the information will include various measures like risk assessment, identify and remove vulnerabilities, training, digital asset ID, strong firewall and virus protection along with reliable communication channel between the LANs. Figure 4: Elements of the Future Network System (Source: Rusakov, Shiryaev, 2012, pp-65) Following secure policies will help in having complete control over the individual element in the ICS network. Blocking several addresses with the help of firewalls and access control software will help in securing the network (Molsberry, Winter, 2014). The future system will be able to provide various security procedure and elements ensuring the communication and network security of PureLand. Apart from that, these measures will allow minimizing the cyber risks to an acceptable level. In spite of that, these measures will help in achieving compliance with the various CFATS regulations while minimizing the negative impacts of safety and production (Balmer et al., 2014). Five areas of Cyber-Security Improvements After the analysis of the current network architecture of PureLand; the following areas for improving the cybersecurity has been found. Figure 5: Subject Areas to Improve Security (Source: Unnimadhavan et al., 2016, pp-700) The five major improvement areas for enhancing the security are: Malware protection: All the computer and information system connected to the Corporate Area Network of PureLand need to be protected via robust and updated anti-virus and anti-malware system. Encryption: The communication code for controlling and monitoring through the Supervisory Network should be encrypted while sending. Encryption helps in securing the data in the communication channel (Von Solms, Van Niekerk, 2013). Encrypted data can only be accessible to the one who has the correct encryption key. Firewall: The PureLands network is divided into four sub-divisions, among which Business LAN and Field System is directly connected to the Internet. Installing robust firewall protection in between every LAN will help in improving the network security and prevent online threats and attacks. Training: Thee employees of the PureLand are not well trained to work with any issues related t security. The employees of PureLand need to train about the various cyber threats and attacks that can occur in the system. Apart from that, the trained employees will be well equipped to monitor and control the system. Communication Protection: The different LANs within the system communicate with each other while being directly connected to the internet. Introducing a Virtual Private Network (VPN) between the LANs will help in securing the communication channel between different units of PureLand (Kang et al., 2013). Furthermore, installing updated and strong antivirus system will provide security from external attacks like fishing, DDoS and others. Conclusion In this particular assignment, the existing network architecture of PureLand WasteWater has been evaluated and assessed. Examining the network various flaws and issues are identified that are prone to risks and cyber-attacks. To mitigate the risks and issues, mitigation plan is provided to minimize the attacks on the waste water management plant. Furthermore, the use of Chlorine Dioxide in their plant has opened more reasons for terrorist attacks and sabotage with the chemical. Thus to prevent those and proceed the operations with DHS and CFATS regulations, PureLand must follow the improvement security methods identified in the report. References Afzaal, A., Nazir, M. (2012). Summarization of Energy-Efficient Communication Protocols for Smart Grid.Science,3(2). Balmer, M. L., Slack, E., de Gottardi, A., Lawson, M. A., Hapfelmeier, S., Miele, L., ... Bernsmeier, C. (2014). The liver may act as a firewall mediating mutualism between the host and its gut commensal microbiota.Science translational medicine,6(237), 237ra66-237ra66. Chemical Security Laws and Regulations | Homeland Security. (2016).Dhs.gov. Retrieved 19 March 2016, from https://www.dhs.gov/chemical-security-laws-and-regulations Kang, D. J., Lee, J. J., Lee, Y., Lee, I. S., Kim, H. K. (2013). Quantitative methodology to assess cyber security risks of SCADA system in electric power industry.Journal of the Korea Institute of Information Security and Cryptology,23(3), 445-457. Molsberry, F. H., Winter, R. L. (2014).U.S. Patent No. 8,745,373. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Reniers, G., Herdewel, D., Wybo, J. L. (2013). A Threat Assessment Review Planning (TARP) decision flowchart for complex industrial areas.Journal of Loss Prevention in the Process Industries,26(6), 1662-1669. Rusakov, V. E., Shiryaev, A. V. (2012).U.S. Patent No. 8,099,596. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Shalangwa, D. A. (2014). Evaluation of bandwidth Performance in a corporate network by using simulation model.Journal of engineering and technology research,6(1), 1-5. Subramani, R., Vijayalakhsmi, C. (2016). Design of Lagrangian Decomposition Model for Energy Management Using SCADA System. InProceedings of the 3rd International Symposium on Big Data and Cloud Computing Challenges (ISBCC16)(pp. 353-361). Springer International Publishing. Unnimadhavan, S., Bandlamudi, V. K., Adhya, T. K., Vadivelu, J., Viswanathan, A. (2016).U.S. Patent No. 20,160,036,700. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Von Solms, R., Van Niekerk, J. (2013). From information security to cyber security.computers security,38, 97-102. Walters, D. B., Ho, P., Hardesty, J. (2015). Safety, security and dual-use chemicals.Journal of Chemical Health and Safety,22(5), 3-16. Wang, T., Gao, H., Qiu, J. (2015). A combined adaptive neural network and nonlinear model predictive control for multirate networked industrial process control. Weiss, J. (2014). Industrial Control System (ICS) cyber security for water and wastewater systems. InSecuring Water and Wastewater Systems(pp. 87-105). Springer International Publishing.

The Hundred Secret Senses Essay Example For Students

The Hundred Secret Senses Essay In ?the hundred secret senses? by Amy Tan, it slowly shows how Olivia?s character portrays the sister she was cut out to be. Amy Tan makes the readers recognize how Olivia treated her half-sister, Kwan and also how she progressed with her relationship towards Kwan. Olivia somewhat treated Kwan with disrespect, for example, she would tell her stupid meanings of things that did not make sense because she felt irritated or annoyed by her company. Olivia basically only thought of her own needs and was deeply frustrated with Kwan living with the family but there would be times when Olivia would feel for her and treat her with respect. In the beginning of the story, Olivia was very young and confused. She had lost her father at such a young age and did not understand why he had died. Her father?s last wish to the mother was to look for his daughter, Kwan, whom he has not seen and bring her to live in America. Kwan was not that excited about having a new sister living in the house. She thou ght that her mother would have less time for her. Kwan?s relationship with Olivia was thought to be wonderful for her. On the other hand, Olivia was practically annoyed and irritated by Kwan and her stories. Their relationship grew in ways that were unexplainable because of Olivia?s actions towards Kwan. But I thought those actions of hers was her way of saying that she loved Kwan very much!Kwan was more like a mother for Olivia since her mom was hardly around. Kwan took care of Olivia through out the whole story. Olivia tried to be distant with Kwan as they grew older but Kwan always insisted on getting together or just making surprise visits. The tremendous outcome where Kwan and Olivia?s relationship with each other even more or it deepened was when they had gone to China (Simon, Kwan, and Olivia) together. A terrible thing had happened when they had arrived in China and were on their way to Changmain to visit ?Big Ma? and the rest of Kwan?s family or close friends. Big Ma had go tten into an accident along with others who were also on the same bus with her. Big Ma had answers for Kwan and Olivia that they wanted to know. Having this happen, Kwan became quiet but yet still calm. Another tragedy also happened that shut down Olivia and made her become a little on the crazy side was when she thought Simon was lost or dead. Kwan and Olivia?s relationship grew even closer than you can imagine. They camped out together hoping and waiting for Simon to appear and in that time being they were bonding with each other. Olivia recognized the love for her sister. We will write a custom essay on The Hundred Secret Senses specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Bibliography:book

Market for eco

Market for eco The hospitality industry is increasingly adopting green strategies as part of its corporate strategy. This need stems from the realization, among hotel owners, that they have a part to play in making the world more sustainable. Perhaps another key driver that is primarily responsible for this move is response to customer needs. Buyers, now more than ever before, are aware of man’s impact on the planet.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Market for ecos of the firms that have achieved this certification include Hotel Alantico in Portugal and Sunwing Resort in Greece. Several global brands are using the green strategy in huge proportions. One such organization is Marriot, which has a conglomerate of about 300 hotels worldwide. The hotel has established LEED certification for some of its hotel buildings. Here the hotels abide by strict sustainability standards. It plans on doing the same for the rest of its branches by 2015. Other relatively smalle r hotel chains have also embraced the strategy and are located in different parts of the world. For instance, Six senses is a hotel in Con Dao Vietnam. It is committed to environmental sustainability by purchasing building materials from sustainable sources. The hotel also changes its ventilation system in order to accommodate them. Hotel Tierra in Chile is yet another hotel that relies on local labor for all its furnishings. The building’s walls are made of wood so as to control internal temperature without using artificial heaters. In Puerto Rico, the country has a hotel called Hix island, which uses solar to power the facility.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Additionally, it collects rain waters and also tackles grey water. Kenya has a hotel known as Campi ya Kanzi. It is solar-powered, and all the parts of the building came from naturally-fallen trees (Petronzio 26). Options vary on how a hotel can choose to execute its eco strategy. Some competitors prefer to focus mostly on operational aspects while others take a more holistic approach. The building as well as the materials used to furnish the hotel may become the preferred option. Even interactions with locals can become part of one’s strategy. The more holistic a hotel is, the more marketable it becomes to eco-travelers. Statistics indicate that although several ecohotels exist, it is mostly the large hotel chains that appear to dominate this industry (Grigoras 3). Scientists explain that their propensity to go for eco-strategies stems from their economies of scale. Many large hotels buy supplies in bulk. Furthermore, some of the cost savings that stem from energy preservati on or water conservation are better-felt by large hotel chains. This advantage means that they are more likely to stick to the strategy, and this will lead to better marketing of the same. When an organization can boast of greater use of eco friendly products, it is likely that it will impress more eco-conscious travelers than those that only use green strategies to a smaller degree. Large hotel chains may be the dominating party in the eco-hotel industry. However, not all consumers are interested in large chains. Environmental travelers want family-friendly and cozy atmospheres that do not replicate images of large-scale hotel chains. They prize facilities that are as close to the environment as possible. Therefore, if an independent hotel can commit to environmental principles, but still stay small and comfortable, then it will provide added advantages to buyers. This combination of qualities will make an impact in the eco-hotel industry. The marketing plan will fulfill the gap in the competitive landscape. It will be a refreshing alternative to the modern hotel designs that have crowded the hotel industry. Travelers want intimate locations that are as close to nature as possible. Therefore, these qualities will make the proposal a tangible solution to the current environment. Grigoras, Oana. Chain hotels go green easier than independent competitors. 2013. Web. Orams, Mark. Types of Ecotourism. Wallingford: CABI Publishing, 2001. Print. Petronzio, Matt. 30 gorgeous eco-friendly hotels. 2013. Web. Wall, Geofrey. â€Å"Ecotourism: Change, impacts and opportunities.† Bulletin 5(2007): 108 -118. Print. Weaver, David and Laura Lawton. â€Å"Twenty years on: the state of contemporary ecotourism research.† Tourism Management 28(2007): 1168–1179. Print.

A Survey Of Student Attitudes To Alien Life Essay

A Survey Of Student Attitudes To Alien Life - Essay Example According to a research conducted by the an organization called The Third Millennium, almost forty six percent of students believe that aliens or UFOs actually exist as compared to only twenty eight percent of them who believe the provision of social security will exist by the time they retire. This study simply goes on to show how strongly students believe on the existence of a thing they haven’t ever even seen in their life! Goes on to show what an impact media has created on the minds of young people through its depictions about aliens in shows and magazines. A survey from college going students about aliens and other like creatures resulted in somewhat a very expected outcome. When asked if they believe in the true existence of aliens or extra-terrestrials, forty nine percent of students replied in the affirmative, twelve percent of them said they did not whereas the remaining thirty nine percent â€Å"weren’t sure†. However one thing that to which almost all of them agreed to was the fact that aliens are unable to abduct human beings. Interestingly enough, many students believe that aliens can survive without any form of food and water. They believe they gain energy from sun rays and the light given out by the stars and meteors. This factor pretty much seems to make sense as a recent American movie, a massive international hit on the box office, â€Å"ET – Extra Terrestrial† showed a human friendly alien on earth. Apparently, he was left behind on earth as he failed to reach on his UFO on time. The movie showed how ET gained his energy from the rays of the sun and used his magical powers to help people who spotted and took care of him on earth. That movie created a very sharp image of aliens by showing them as friendly creatures who love being with nice people and are against evil of all kinds. When the students were asked if they think the US government had a hidden hand behind the UFO matters, the bulk of the students, almost fifty three percent said they believed the government did possess knowledge relating to UFOs and their sightings and that such information was kept away from the public. Twelve percent of them disagreed to any such idea while the rest, as usual, came under the â€Å"no idea† category. The survey also came up with some very interesting answers. Some students held aliens responsible for the Stonehenge while other believed that they are responsible for crop circles. Another discovery which was much unexpected was that thirty eight percent of the students surveyed believed that aliens were involved in the construction / designing of the pyramids! There were differing views when students were asked since when have aliens existed. Almost thirty three percent of the lot was of the view that they have existed ever since there has been life on earth. Seventeen percent said they didn’t agree to the former’s view, thirty percent were of different views including the fact that aliens exited even before there was any sign of life on earth whereas the final forty percent of the sample believe that aliens developed with the â€Å"science age† and are relatively new on earth compared to various other forms of life. A great split was noticed in student’s views when they were asked if aliens have been monitoring or are in any case aware of human activities. Twenty one percent replied in the affirmative and were

Accelerating Virtual Team Performance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Accelerating Virtual Team Performance - Essay Example fact, as virtual teams become more and more prevalent, businesses edge ever closer to a culture where "job" means logging in to companys online project management site from ones home or collaborating with individuals who each work for various teams or roles at their local co-working setting. "Company headquarters" is becoming more and more of a concept than an actual premise (Duarte & Snyder, 2013). . And as physical establishment becomes less essential, companies today can hire the best talent regardless of their geographical setting. In addition, firms can enhance efficiency in their operations by handing off work across different time zones, enabling the companies to be productive around the clock. Therefore, there is a link that exists between performance boosters and virtual team. Through appropriate performance, boosters perfect virtual team leaders can be selected to enhance growth of the company. Virtual team leaders are required to be very diligent about how they coach, infl uence, recognize and hold team members for meeting commitments as the skills are essential in long-run efficiency of virtual teams (Duarte & Snyder, 2013). Physical Observation Limitations in the past caused lack of trust. Building trust was the greatest challenge in the past in creating successful virtual teams in the organization. Trust has always been referred to as the real glue of the global workplace. Most of leaders of the team in the past tends to be arranged on the assumption that workers cannot be relied upon or trusted, even in tiny matters of management. For instance, in the past the organization believed that it is unwise to trust workers whom they do not know well, employees who the company felt they have not observed in action over period of time, and who are not committed to the same goals. When trust lacks, it can undermine every other safety measure taken to ensure successful virtual work channel. What could have been done to combat the problem was by recognizing

Critical Thinking Blog Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Critical Thinking Blog - Essay Example However, they do not indicate the start number of the cancer patients. The high percentage indicating the increase to some extent inflicts fears on people wondering if they are next. Health statistics can sometimes be misleading. So the question bugging everyone at the end of the day is what is the true meaning of the numbers presented in the research? Yes, it may be true that the number of cancer patients is likely to have increased since it was first discovered as would be expected. However, it would be effective if people actually knew how much this 30 percent increase actually is. The minute one hears about cancer, they are bound to associate it with death simply because of the thousands of lives lost over the years to the disease (Blastland, 2008). In conclusion, at the end of the day, as much as the numbers presented in the media and news may be misleading, it should however not be a reason for one to ignore them. The exaggeration may be a way for the media to gain some effect in the public and get people to reconsider their way of living. It is not bound to work on everyone, but the little impact it has is enough difference (Blastland,

Aspect of acting

Aspect of acting The Technical Aspect of Acting Acting was developed in ancient Greek Theatre. The Greeks were the ones who introduced theatre and bought out an individuals talent known as acting. However in those days the technology had not advanced and there werent any films, the only source of entertainment the people had was through theatre. Theatre acting and acting in films differ vastly from each other. According to actress Kim Stanley â€Å" No matter what you do in film, it is, after all, bits and pieces for the director, and thats marvelous for the director but it doesnt allow the actor to learn to mold a part. In films, its the director who is the artist. An actor has much more chance to create on stage.† (Giannetti, 2008) Film acting is a basic tool of the director to make his film successful. Indeed it requires talent and learning for the individual in the field of acting. He needs to understand the role and connect himself emotionally to the character and then enact it for the audience in a way that it may see m real. A film actor gets several chances for displaying the emotions in front of the camera and a director may take several takes till the time the right emotions are bought out to his satisfaction. Unfortunately this is not the case for stage actors; they do not get several chances to bring out the reality in their acting, they only go on stage once and thats it, it is then in their hands to grab the audiences attention and do their best. Film has different categories of actors; extras, nonprofessional performers, trained professionals and the stars. Extras are the actors who are merely used to fill the camera frame, they are the unnecessary people needed to surround the main actors or just to be a part of the set. For instance if a film shows a market scene; to make it real the director puts in several people in the frame just to show the crowd in a market place. Nonprofessional actors are those that are not really good in acting; they dont master the art but; their physical appearance and presence on screen suits the characters personality on the basis of outlook. Trained professionals is that particular category in which majority of the actors are. They are those actors who have the ability to fit into any character and play any role according to the directors will. The last kind of an actor is the star. The stars are the actors who are successful in the film industry and their talent is admired and appreciated by the audience and the critiques. They often grab the audiences attention through their acting as well as their physical appearance. In the history of cinema the first kind of motion pictures that came out were silent films that did not have many dialogues. In those times acting was much more challenging then it is today. The emotional display of character was done through the facial expressions and the movement of the actor. The actor had to work hard to make the audience cry or laugh merely through his actions and expressions. Slowly and gradually as the technology advanced, there was advancement in cinema as well. There was more dialogue added to the film and now it was a challenge to the actor to develop a style of acting which would help him convey his message through dialogue delivery alongside, with the expressions and body language. Now the actor did not only have to make sure that his facial expressions were good but; he had â€Å"to know what words to stress and how to stress them, how to phrase properly for different types of lines, when to pause and for how long, and how quickly or slowly a line or sp eech ought to be delivered.† (Giannetti, 2008) The talent bought out in an actor is basically the art every director has. The actor works the way his director wants him to. If the director is successful in explaining what he wants and the way he wants it, and the actor is a master in his profession, the film ends up being a hit. The director also brings out the acting in a scene through the kinds of camera shots he takes. If he wants his audience to closely relate to the actor he would take a medium or a close up shot of the actor. The audience feels the intensity in the emotion the actor displays. For instance if the director is capturing an emotional scene and wants his audience to feel the sorrow the character is going through, he would want to take a close up shot; where he might zoom in from a medium shot moving his camera towards the actors eyes and showing the drop of tear that falls from his eye. The way the camera zooms towards the actor that is the time when the dire ctor grabs the audiences attention and they feel the intensity of emotion that the director is trying to bring out and many a times the actor is so good and the directors shot is so perfect that the whole scene seems real and makes the audience cry as well. There are several different techniques that make a film successful and all of them are very closely related to each other. Acting is closely related to the technique of mise en sense and editing. Mise en scene is everything shown within the screen frame; such as, the entire background, the set, the objects and the actors in a particular scene. It is the technique where the director places everything in the screen frame of his shot. Mise en sense would be incomplete without acting and acting would be incomplete without the technique of mise en sense. The technique of acting can be brought out with a perfect frame the director would set up. If the frame is empty or in other words there isnt any frame then the actor alone would not be able to do well on his own. Acting and editing are also very closely connected. A director takes several shots of an actor and then in the end its the editing that puts it altogether. The connection of shots appropriately is all in the hands of the editor. If edited correctly the acting seems perfect, an editor may edit a single shot in several different ways and chooses one p articular shot that brings out the best acting that the actor has shown. Director Akira Kurosawas Rashomon was one of the foreign films which proved brilliance in the acting technique. The first impression that the viewer forms in this film is confusion because there are different stories going on at the same time or rather one story with the same characters being told by different people with different angles. The major star cast of the film includes; Toshiro Mifune (the bandit), Masayuki Mori (the husband) and Machiko Kyo (the wife).C:UsersAfifaDesktopR1.bmp The film revolves around a crime committed by Mifune; he raped the wife and murdered the husband. The main plot of the film is how this story is interpreted and told to the jury from different point of views and how each character gives a different outlook to the entire situation. The actors have done quite an amazing job with their acting, according to a review â€Å"Direction is excellent. Shot completely outdoors, the camerawork is flawless. Toshiro Mifune gives a sterling performance as the ver min-ridden bandit. Machiko Kyo supplies a role of dramatic intensity as the wife. Masayuki Mori lends an impassive, glowering presence to the part of the husband.† (Rashomon Review) The actors of the film are certainly talented actors. As said earlier that the film has one basic story which is told from different point of views through different characters. Whenever a character tells the story, it includes the main actors of the film; the bandit, the husband and the wife. However the role each one plays in the different stories told by the witnesses and the victims changes the personality of the character completely. Each individual tells a story in the way he or she wishes. We see the story through the way the director wants us to. It certainly is a very challenging task to bring out the actors talent, where the character changes time and again. There is one story in the film where the director wants his audience to feel sympathetic towards the wife. Kurosawa very smartly has been successful in changing the audience view. There is a scene in one of the stories where the wife is being attacked by the bandit and she denies to him and tries to save her life. In that scene we see Machiko Kyo extremely hurt and asking for help and pleads the bandit to release her husband and let go off them. In that scene the director successfully portrays that the wife is weak and in pain and makes the audience feel very sympathetic towards her. The same story when told by another eye witness proves the wife to be very smart and cunning. In that scene the wife is flirting around with the bandit and asking him to mar ry her and kill her husband. In that scene the viewers dont really like the wifes character and get a bad impression about her character. She proves to be a woman who is selfish; doesnt care whether her husband lives or dies as long as she survives and is in safe hands. C:UsersAfifaDesktopR2.bmp Two different stories being told in the same film by two different people but the story has the same characters with different characteristics. Each time the story has been told the characteristics of the actor changes, in one scene he is shown weak and in the other scene very sharp and cunning. Kurosawa has been successful in bringing out the acting skills of his actors in this film, in the scenes where he wants us to feel sympathetic, he has taken long shots, in which we see the wife being mistreated by the bandit and the husband tied up in the other corner. The frame covers all three characters in the story. However in places where he portrays the wife to be very cunning, he takes medium to medium close up shots and captures the sharpness in the facial expressions of the wife, and shows her flirting with the bandit and motivating him to kill her husband. In that scene the focus is on the bandit and the wife and lesser on the husband. Its the camera shots that the director takes an d the way he shoots the scene which brings out the acting skills of the actors in a perfect manner. There are several scenes in the film that are magnificent in their structure and in the setting as well, which as a result brings out the simplest scene acted in the most simplest manner to look extraordinary. The director wants the bandit to look as wild as possible, even when he is seducing the wife is one of the scenes and expressing his liking for her, there is a constant vicious look on his face. He is perfect in presenting the role of a wild bandit roaming around in the woods; just the sight of the bandit would scare its viewersC:UsersAfifaDesktopR3.bmp. Mifunes performance as the bandit was greatly admired by the film critiques; he was successful in bringing out the intense vulgarity in his acting that ideally represented evil. Mifunes acting style has been applauded by critiques from Japan itself and even the American Cinema (Smith). The American critiques drew a conclusion that his acting was so wild and closely related to an animal from the wild. Kurosawa was looking for the animal in that character and he even told Mifune to connect himself to the lion and show the ferociousness of a lion. No doubts the actor was a perfect choice and representation of the bandit. For the acting to have a stronger impact on the audience and make them feel the character the director takes his medium close ups quite often so that the anger and frustration is bought out through the actors eyes and facial expression. Kurosawas Rashomon is a foreign film liked by many critiques all over the world; for its acting techniques and camera techniques were over powering. Many reviews and critique state that the film was one of its kind and the actors had done a marvelous job since it was very challenging to show different characteristics at one time in the same film. References: Giannetti, L. (2008). Understanding Movies. New Jersey : Pearson Prentice Hall. Japanese Film Greats . (n.d.). Retrieved decemebr 11, 2009, from http://asian-films.suite101.com/article.cfm/japanese_film_greats_akira_kurosawas_rashomon kleph.com Rashomon . (n.d.). Retrieved december 11, 2009, from http://www.kleph.com/blog.php?b=1e=1175pg=Rashomon Rashomon Review. (n.d.). Retrieved december 11, 2009, from http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117794327.html?categoryid=31cs=1 Smith, G. M. (n.d.). Greg Smith, Greg M Smith: Critical Reception of Rashomon in the West. Retrieved decemeber 11, 2009, from http://www2.gsu.edu/~jougms/Rashomon.htm#Schemata

The Mind and Body Connection in Psychology :: essays research papers

When we think of the mind and the body psychologist and historians have provided theories that correlate these two ideas and their functions that make us humans. Without the mind our body cannot fulfill its purposes and without the body our mind is left useless. These two branches influence each other and can cause different chains of reaction to erupt in our mental world [mind] and our physical world [body]. There are relationships between what we experience, (such as thoughts and feelings) and what our biological processes are (such as activity in the nervous system), (Morris, 2005). The link between the mind-body is that they are not separate entities, rather they are intricately connected, interacting with each other to function properly. The five basic issues that psychologist have associated the mind-body with are biological psych (dealing with the nervous system and its function), sensation/perception, consciousness, motivation/emotion, and clinical psych (dealing with disor ders/therapy). These five issues are an uprising principle that relates how the mind-body interacts. In biological psychology we discuss the scientific study of mental processes and behavior, coinciding with the performance of some cognitive activity. In sensation and perception, ?sensation refers to the process of sensing our environment through touch, taste, sight, sound, and smell. This information is sent to our brains in raw form where perception comes into play. Perception is the way we interpret these sensations and therefore make sense of everything around us.? In terms of consciousness we associate that with the state of being awake and aware of what?s going on around you. This is also a quality of the mind which attributes to our attentiveness. When dealing with motivation and emotion, psychologist has defined motivation as the initiation, direction, intensity and persistence of behavior, which has a temporal and dynamic state non-related to one?s personality or behavior. Emotion is w hat is described as ?an intense mental state that arises autonomically in the nervous system rather than through conscious effort.? It can evoke a negative or positive response which will correlate in the way we behave. Clinical psychology deals with researching and treating psychological distress, dysfunction or disorder. Psychologists who are focused in this field treat more severe disorders, such as phobias, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. (Rishel, 2000) The nervous system is our ?body's information gatherer, storage center and control system.? It collects information about the external conditions in relation to the body's internal state, to analyze this information, and to initiate appropriate responses to satisfy certain needs (Maintain Homeostasis).

Effects of Tv

Effects of TV Television is one of the effective media used to promote all kinds of products. Unsupervised television watching in children can lead to early exposure to things they may not understand or may misinterpret. Television advertisements may influence the children to resort to improper measures. Commercials about fast foods, cold drinks or other such products that are not good for health, are bound to leave an impact on children watching them. Attractively presented advertisements and film stories deeply impact young minds, thus influencing the thoughts and behavior of children.It has a severely negative impact on the minds of the watchers Spending too much time watching television, consumes the precious time that can rather be spent in fruitful and healthy activities like exercise or reading. It also uses up the time that you can rather spend with your family and friends. Chatting with your near ones, spending time with your close ones is a better expenditure of time than i n watching TV Children today watch television for long hours. Many a time, they spend their evenings watching their favorite programs on TV.At times they stay up late to watch films. This activity adds to their sedentary hours. The addiction to television deprives them of their time to play. Children should rather engage in physical activities during the evenings. They should go to the open spaces to play with friends or spend time reading some good books. Moreover, watching television is detrimental to one's eyesight. These activities can help them live a healthier living. Studies in psychology have shown that watching intense emotions on television leaves a long-lasting impact on one's mind.Horror scenes, ghosts, frightful scenes that are featured on television have a negative impact on the minds of people watching them. Violence, murder, bloodshed and physical abuse that is shown on television impacts the thoughts and emotions of the spectators. In today’s society, televis ion is the largest part of the public media; it has also become a major industry all over the world. Because of its technical developments, television has come to dominate our lives. Television is used in many industries such as the health and education industries.Nowadays, people can find at least one television in almost every home. That machine has control over people and their lives. The effects of television have been researched many times over the years. There are positive and negative effects of watching television, but overall, its effect is negative. The biggest negative implication of television is on health, the second most important effect is on families, especially children and young people, the final negative implication of television is on leisure activities.Negative effects of television on health: In today’s society people become addicted to television. They believe they have to watch certain television series and television shows such as continuous series, s oap operas. This    dependence could cause serious health problems such as obesity and diabetes. These health problems can be seen especially in children. Firstly, obesity has been rising since the early 1960s. Obesity could be caused by behavioral, environmental and social aspects (Arnas, 2006). Television is related with all these three points.Television, with advertisements, could change people’s behavior then change the eating habits. As a, social factor, television series and shows could change people’s eating customs as well. Researcher’s found that, most of the food advertisements in television, are not about healthy foods with high nutrition levels, but they are all about unhealthy food with high levels of fat and sugar (Arnas, 2006). Television advertisements directly affect the eating habits of a person. So these unhealthy foods could cause obesity

Independent Study Essays

Independent Study Essays Independent Study Essay Independent Study Essay Film stars are complex signs whose significance is created partly by themselves acting out their personas, by taking on particular fictional roles, but also by their studios and publicists who promote their real non screen persona, by the popular press and by the audiences who buy into and use them for their own entertainment. [1]A star is said to build up a persona through the different roles that they play in films and have become brands in their own right. Film companies have been quick to notice this and exploit the brand for a maximum profit. Stars are therefore used as a marketing tool in order to publicise the film. The idea of using stars as a marketing tool to engage audiences for their film began in the early years of the Hollywood film industry. This led to the classification of A-List stars, and to them being capable of opening a film simply because of the presence of their name above the title.'[2] This is due to audiences forming a fan base for a particular star and therefore being interested in this constructed image that is being presented of them. A stars image is built up from several different types of media; personal appearances, film and television performances, fan magazines etc. and is prone to change over time for some actors due to a change or development in their constructed image. An example of this includes actors such as Will Smith whom appeared as a comical character in television shows such as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990) and evolved into an iconic hero in later films such as I Am Legend (2007). His image has been constructed in a way that sells the idea of his family values and ideologies to a mass audience. A prime example of this is the film The Pursuit of Happyness (2006), where Smith works with his son, Jaden Smith, to present the true story of a salesman who has financial difficulties resulting in the break-up of his marriage. Smiths character, Chris Gardner, applies to a stockbroker internship in the hope that it will lead to a stable income for him and his son, Chris struggles to pay the rent whilst undertaking this internship and results in a period of homelessness, reinforcing the idea of family life with its difficulties, that eventually pay off. Theorists such as Dyer argued that for the star to attract an audience there must be some representativeness, some apparently recognisable element which an audience can relate to.'[3] This relates to the persona of the star, instead of being interpreted as the constructed image that they are, stars are compared with audiences and to particular elements that is liked about them. This could be seen with actors such as marilyn monroe, who came to be the sex symbol, probably for all time,'[4] inspiring a complete change in the way society reacted. Monroe had created such a powerful persona that she was able to create a single particular meaning as a star, becoming known for her roles as the innocently sexy dumb blonde.'[5] This role is particularly shown in films such as Were Not Married (1952) where Monroe plays the role of a beauty pageant contestant, young, beautiful and happy, being featured in revealing costumes such as a bathing suit and short dresses throughout the competition. When her and her husband find out they are not married, they both begin to question their relationship due to her dream of becoming a model, in which she puts before her husband and young baby. Following this, Monroe starred in Gentlemen prefer blondes (1953) and How to Marry a Millionaire (1953), both films contribute to her dumb blonde persona that she has built up over time and adhere to the audience expectations of her. These images are all clearly used to exploit this representation of her which links in with Laura Mulveys male gaze theory in which states that women are merely represented to provide visual pleasure for men'[6]. This reinforces the ideology that males are more dominant than females, and therefore plac ed in a position of lower authority. It is argued that the study of stars cannot be limited to the analysis of specific films of star performances. Star images are the product of intertextuality in which the non-filmic texts of promotion, publicity and criticism interact with the film text.'[6] This refers to her off set persona and the other promotional work she is involved with, such as Monroes work with Playboy in the 1950s and her red velvet photograph that was featured in the first edition of the magazine which became hugely popular as it brought sex out of the closet into the glaring light of day and emphasised that it was not something to hide or be embarrassed about,'[7] From this it can be seen that Monroes provocative nature was apparent in all aspects of her career and personal life and she did not attempt to act converse to this. Later, stars such as Madonna produced the music video for Material Girl which was taken from the clip of Monroes film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, as she performed Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend. This is an example of post modernism where Madonna is said to have used this image in order to become associated with the connotation of Monroes image as a star, the sexy dumb blonde persona. Marilyn has maintained such a dominant position in history that more recent stars of today are aware of her and manipulate her stereotype in order to publicise and create this stereotype for themselves. Another example of an As of his work include; Liar Liar (1997), Me, Myself ; Irene (2000), Bruce Almighty (2003) and Fun With Dick and Jane (2005), all of which were huge financial successes. Liar Liar, for example, took $31,423,025 in its opening weekend alone. Therefore, Careys star image was built up through both his filming within this genre and also by his personal appearances. An example of one of his personal appearances is on David Lettermans Late Show (2005), where Carey is promoting his latest film release, Fun With Dick and Jane. Here, Carey is introduced as the always entertaining, therefore representing his character as a constructed star image, not himself as a person. This is continually reinforced throughout the interview with Careys comical responses and interaction with the audience. It was not until 2007 with the release of The Number 23 that Jim Carey attempted to move from his typical comedy film and change his image by appearing in a suspense, thriller. This film only managed to make $14,602,867 in its opening weekend and received much negative critical attention stating it used a desperate attempt to prove itself with essentially hollow characters'[9], leading to further criticism of Carey himself and how he is unable to leave his persona behind and develop a more serious role. From watching The Number 23 it became apparent why the film received such negative criticism due to the characters cast. Although Carey was used as a successful marketing tool, by the use of his name above the title, in order to attract audience to watch the film, the role was unsatisfying due to the lack of his character persona and humour presented. Intertextual references were taken from films such as Liar Liar, where the character of Carey used phrases such as I rest my case your honour'[10]. Here, Carey shows little emotion and uses the phrase in a simple, monotone sentence. In Liar Liar, contrastingly, Carey is over enthusiastic about winning his case that he results to leaping onto a table. It is almost as if the audience is waiting to see Carey react in this same manner, leading to disappointment. However, the storyline of the film was intriguing for the audience that partly compensates for Careys acting, however, it is clear that Carey is out of place within this genre. It could be considered that Carey is unsuccessful due to his status. After spending over 20 years in the film industry building up the image of a comedian it was an enormous change to then star in a suspense / thriller and try to play a very serious role. It has been stated that the casting of a particular actor has important on the effect the characterization will have.[11] As we can see from films such as Ace Ventura and Fun With Dick and Jane, Careys role has adapted slightly into a more romantic comedy with successful characterisation, therefore showing that it is possible for a role to be adapted, but it could be argued that there is a limit to how far before the casting becomes out of context. From looking at this, it can be seen that it is not always possible for stars to successfully change their image, depending heavily on the change in which they intend to make. As Metz theory suggests, the star is presented as an object for the spectator who view him or her voyeuristically'[10], although this is not intended as a fetish, stars are generally seen as iconic and audiences often aspire to be more like them. By changing their image it can therefore change the way in which the audience perceives that star, often leading to negative publicity and therefore a lowered star status. The traditional Hollywood saying is your only as good as your last picture'[11], therefore if the actors fan base do not enjoy the most recent persona of the star, their success as a film star and entire career could be in jeopardy. This can be seen in Careys career after The Number 23 where he returned to his original role in comedies and took on the lead role in Yes Man (2008), however, due to his performance in this previous cinema production this film only managed $18,262,471 in its opening weekend. Comparing this to what he has achieved in previous films it can be seen that Carey is no longer as successful as he was. Contrasting this, A-List stars such as Julia Roberts have proven successful in adjusting their persona, without it having a negative impact on their overall success. Roberts first became successful in 1990 with the release of Pretty Woman, which in the opening weekend alone grossed $11,280,591. Here, her persona was developed as a young sex symbol, like that of Marilyn Monroe. This links to the typical representation of women within Hollywood where their success appears to lie primarily on their looks. Without this physical attraction it would be much more difficult for a female star to reach the status of an A-List celebrity. Shortly after this, Roberts appeared in several movies that did not suit her persona such as Mary Reilly (1996), in which the horror genre did not suit her personality and become known as a critical and commercial failure'[12]. Roberts then decided to return to her original persona for films such as Runaway Bride (1999), once again reclaiming her success, possibly due to the fan base she had already acclaimed from her previous roles, and being successful enough to have not lost them. Still elements of her as a sex symbol E.g. seduction of the man in order to get paperwork. Over time, Julia Roberts has appeared to be successful in developing her persona to that of a mature young woman with a high level of social conscience towards the world around her. This can be seen in films such as Erin Brockovich (2000), which is based on a true story. Here, Roberts plays the role of Erin, who fights a lawsuit against a company known as PG;E for bringing a threat of an extensive illness into a small town. Here, Roberts demonstrates her maturity through her battling responsibilities of being a single parent and a dedicated worker, this has enabled her persona to develop into a strong independent woman with a sense of fun and a potentially rebellious streak'[13]. This development in persona can be seen as extremely successful due to the opening weekend box office figure of $28,138,465 and the nomination for 5 Oscar awards. It is also relevant to consider the further success Roberts received in later films such as Oceans Twelve (2004), receiving $39,153,380 in the ope ning weekend alone. It must therefore be considered how one star is able to successfully develop their persona, yet another is not. Both stars have reached enormous success as stars, both gaining the reputation of A-List celebrities, yet Julia Roberts has become more successful with this development as can be seen though her box office figures that more than doubled in the new role she acclaimed. Jim Carey however has become less popular, as can be seen through the box office figures that seemed to half. After this, it can be seen that Carey attempted to return to the comedy genre, however, he remained unable to reclaim his previous position in the industry. Other more successful actors such as Brad Pitt have also managed to adapt their persona. Brad Pitt is most commonly known for his role in action and thriller films such as Se7en (1995), Fight Club (1999), Oceans Eleven (2001) and more recently, Mr ; Mrs Smith (2005). Pitts personal life outside of filming is also widely reported due to his level of fame and the public interest in his life. In 2000 Brad attempted to leave behind all of the previous connotations of his constructed image and star as supporting director, Guy Ritchies Snatch. Here, Brad plays the role of an Irish traveller who gets caught up with a London gang and ends up fighting for serious amounts of money. Pitt is used as a supporting act within this film, given no leading role and his name is not used to market the film with the use of a slogan on the case of the film or being exploited in the trailer, it is as if his identity is almost hidden, taking on a role you would not expect to see him in and a whole new identity. Snatch managed to receive $8,005,163 in its opening weekend. Comparing this with the box office figures of Mr ; Mrs Smith, $50,342,878, it could be considered that his role within the film is not significant enough to have made it successful, had his name have been exploited the film may have had a much wider target audience and could have reached a much higher level of success. Howeve r, it must be considered that for a à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½6,000,000 budget, this film did manage to make a profit and would therefore be considered a success. Therefore, it could be argued that stars cannot cross genres due to their persona being built up within the same area of work. This also links into Dyers argument that one of the key characteristics of the successful star is consistency of image in order to deepen the characters that they play; they stay broadly the same in order to enhance recognition.'[16] This can still be proven true with Julia Roberts as elements of her being portrayed as a sex symbol remain present; she has simply matured and become more sophisticated. Her lowered social status is also present due to her working for a male lawyer that continually dominates the case she is building. It has been suggested that the star can change meaning over time,'[17] however, there is little theories stating that a star is able to change their image entirely. From looking at box office figures of the top ranking star it can be seen that with the 2005 figures, Jim Carey ranked 10th and Julia Roberts 14th, [18] however, by 2009, after the release of The Number 23, Julia Roberts ranked 10th, Jim Carey 14th and Brad Pitt 29th[19] therefore proving that Carey was unable to alter his star persona, yet Roberts overall success increased after her adaption to her persona.

Drug Use and Abuse in America Historical Analysis

Drug Use and Abuse in America Historical Analysis Introduction Drug abuse has become a major challenge to the United States of America for a very long period of time now. During the 19th century, drugs such as cocaine, morphine, and heroin were discovered and this marked the beginning of incidences of drug abuse and rampant addiction (Abadinsky, 2008). At the beginning of the 20th century, America introduced stringent rules restricting the use of illegal drugs.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Drug Use and Abuse in America: Historical Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This action was taken due to the potential threat posed by uncontrolled drug abuse. Owing to the scope that drug dealing had taken, both domestic and international laws were enforced to regulate the growing of crops such as coca and opium (Crutchfield, 2000). These laws succeeded significantly in minimizing the impact of drug abuse. The paper discusses the history of drug abuse in the US from th e year 1950 to 2000. The Boggs Act of 1951 and the Media By the end of the World War II (WWII), drug abuse in America had decreased significantly until it was no longer a major social issue (Crutchfield, 2000). However, a few years later the problem reemerged and hence the need for immediate action. In 1951, the Boggs Act was introduced as a one of the most important drug law. It reflected the basis for effective drug legislation in America where the media perceived and reported an increase in drug abuse. This would imply that any such information resulted in the introduction of a new law to fight criminals. The new penalties would be harsher than the preceding ones and this was set for every single category of offense. During this period, the perception of increased drug abuse was drawn from the content of the media reports like in movies and television. For instance, it would be noted that there was an increased use of drugs among high school students. Subsequently, the Boggs Act of 1951 would allow the quadrupling of the penalties associated with every single offense category (Shahidullah, 2008). In particular, the application of the Boggs Act was more inclined to justifying and ensuring the prohibition of marijuana (Abadinsky, 2008). Law enforcers, while giving the rationale for the prohibition claimed that, despite being highly addictive, the drug caused insanity, increased criminality, and even death to the user. This claim, however, was quickly refuted by a renowned medical doctor who was a witness in case and he said that marijuana could produce passivity in the users. Another witness added a twist to the whole case when he said that marijuana was the major cause of heroin addiction. This, for the Boggs Act of 1951, was a sufficient rationale for the prohibition of marijuana and other related drugs (Staley, 1992). It was the perceived use of drugs by the ‘foreign enemies’ to subvert the American youth that inspired the tightening of drug l egislations.Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More 1956 and the Daniel Act The second drug law within this period was introduced in 1956 and was known as the Daniel Act which was named for the then Texas senator, Price Daniel (Shahidullah, 2008). The new law was similar to the Boggs Act of 1951 in that it employed the same formula of using perceived increase in drug use in the country. As a result, it provided the rationale for the introduction of a new criminal law. In 1956, there were reports of organized crime in the US. This was through televised Senate hearings presented by the then senator of Tennessee, Estes Kefauver (Crutchfield, 2000). This, at the end of the day, created the perception that there was increased drug use in America. That the organized criminals were in the country and were making a lot of money through drug deals. Consequently, the Daniel Act was enacted and came with harsher penalties than those of the Boggs Act in every of the offense categories. The two acts, the Boggs Act of 1951 and the Daniel Act of 1956 formed the basis upon which states formulated and passed their own versions of acts. Between 1958 and 1969, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and Virginia itself had passed laws with the heavy penalties for crimes involving the possession of marijuana, or any other prohibited drug (Staley, 1992).This was occasioned by the fact that during the 1960s, drugs such as marijuana, psychedelics, and amphetamines were the most abused drugs. In fact, the mandatory least sentence that one would serve was twenty years and the accused was not eligible for parole. This could not be compared with the sentence served by first degree murder in the state of Virginia which had mandatory sentence set at five years less while rape case attracted a mandatory least sentence of ten years. On the other hand, one convicted of selling marijuana would serve a m andatory least sentence of forty years (Crutchfield, 2000). The 1969 Dangerous Substances Act In 1969, another drug law known as the Dangerous Substances Act was introduced and was quite unique in that it did not apply the formula used by the preceding drug legislations. Just like in the previous years, there was perceived increase in drug abuse but the penalties were lowered (Staley, 1992). It was also during this time that the â€Å"taxing† mythology was dismissed. Apart from nicotine and alcohol, the 1969 Dangerous Substances Act targeted the users and sellers of all other drugs. The 1969 act classified all drugs except nicotine and alcohol under the following: the drug’s medical importance and the drug’s potential for misuse (Crutchfield, 2000). The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration The 1970s also continued to witness the explosion of the drug culture and the US government responded by developing new drug laws and specialized agencies to deal with the con tinuing problem. In 1973, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration was established to ensure that the federal laws on drugs were fully enforced (Shahidullah, 2008).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Drug Use and Abuse in America: Historical Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It was during this period that cocaine reentered the market. In the 1980s, there was reemergence in the use of crack which proved very addictive and its users were characterized by excessive violence. This period was also filled with perceptions of increased use of drugs. Consequently, the government declared war not only on the drugs with high potential for abuse but also on the drug users and dealers (Abadinsky, 2008). Any Progress? The fight against drugs and drug users continued to the 1990s albeit with little success. One drug law after another with revised penalties was introduced. By 1990, about a third of the minority population of the City of Baltimore alone who were male aged between 20 and 29 were being supervised by the court for drug cases (National Urban League, 1989). This proportion is significantly high in spite of the strict drug laws which had been in place for sometime then. The Year 2000 Despite the declaration of war against drugs and its users, there has been evidently minimal success in the endeavor. After about half a century, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s toughest challenge is the dynamism exhibited by organized crime (Shahidullah, 2008). In the earlier years, the criminals conducted drug deals on American soil, however, the year 2000 witnessed the emergence of highly networked and powerful drug traffickers with headquarters spread strategically in foreign countries and controlling drug business in the U.S. Therefore, it is evident that the fight against drug abuse in America has a long and complicated history and new approaches of combating the ever growing drug problems need to be identified if the war is to be won in the modern information age. References Abadinsky, H. (2008). Drug use and abuse: a comprehensive introduction (6th ed). Belmont, CA: Cengage, Thomson-Wadsworth Crutchfield, R. D. (2000). Readings in Crime: drug use and abuse (2nd ed). Pine Forge Press National Urban League (1989). The state of Black America by 1989. The State of Black  America, 13. Transaction Plc.Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Shahidullah, S. M. (2008). Crime legislations in America: laws, institutions, and  programs. University Press of America Staley, S. (1992). Understanding drug policy and the decline of America cities. Transaction Plc.