Nmap Lab Exercise Essay

2. Is Nmap able to identify the operating system running on each system? Is there any Nmap feature that can be used to guess the OS of a host? Explain your answer. Using the ports that are open and the probable services running on those ports, determine what operating systems are running on the devices. Explain your answer. Nmap was not able to classify the operating system (OS) running on all â€Å"3† hosts provided during the exercise. However, Nmap  was able to identify and determine the OS running on â€Å"Host 1† as presented in Figure 1: Host 1 (192.168.100.103). Located in Nmap there is an attribute which is used to conjecture the OS of a target host. If an individual decides to limit the OS detection to the targets, one can use one open and one closed port by using the (osscan-limit) feature command. With this scan Nmap will attempt a (TCP-SYN) connection to 1000 of the most common ports as well as an ICMP echo request to determine if a host if up. On the other hand if Nmap cannot make a perfect match for an OS it will guess something that is close, but not 100% exact (Orebaugh & Pinkard, pp. 111, 2008). This approach is more aggressive and is called (osscan-guess). The initial scan determined that â€Å"Host 1† was running (Microsoft XP SP2 or SP3) validated by the fact that port 445 is open providing Microsoft -ds services. By using the feature attribute (osscan-guess) as described above Nmap determined that â€Å"Host 3† is running (Linuz 2.6X-2.4X â€Å"96%†) as shown in â€Å"Figure 4† below. When running (osscan-limit & osscan-guess) in Nmap I was unable to determine the OS of â€Å"Host 2† due to the fact that all ports were closed. Figure 4 3. Which host appears most secure? Least secure? When running the scans in Nmap, â€Å"Host 1† appears to present the least amount of security of all three hosts in the exercise. This host had the most open ports and by running a rudimentary scan Nmap was able to disclose the operating system of the host. Host 2 was reasonably secure, due to that not even an â€Å"OS Fingerprinting† scan could disclose much about the system. This scan required the use of more advanced attributes to reveal what OS â€Å"Host 2† was running, inevitably the results were ball park answers. In this exercise â€Å"Host 3† has been determined to be the most secure, based on that not even advanced scanning features of Nmap were able to unveil what OS is running on the host. Of the three hosts delivered in the exercise, â€Å"Host 1† had nine open ports, â€Å"Host 2† had two open ports, and the most secure â€Å"Host 3† only publicized one open port. 4. Describe several uses of Nmap. Nmap (Network Mapper) is an open source tool that is used by network administrators and IT security professionals to scan enterprise networks, looking for live hosts, specific services, or specific operating systems (Orebaugh & Pinkard, p. 34, 2008). Nmap has a variety of features, and  territories the aptitude to perform basic scans, while incorporating the capability to command advanced scans containing a mass of options scanning across a huge continuum of IP address universes while logging specific file types or systems. Nmap has the ability to perform packet fragmentation, TCP scan flags customization, and IP and MAC address spoofing to name a few advanced features of many offered in this scanning tool. Nmap can also discover host, and do proper port scanning. Host discovery is a great way to create and maintain an asset database and to discover rogue devices on the network. The real power attribute of Nmap is port scanning, and its efficiency in security auditing, asset manage ment, and especially compliance. Port scanning gives the ability to locate systems with file sharing ports or unauthorized FTP servers and printers. Open ports disclose potential and probable security weaknesses, provide application and services inventory, and validate compliance with approved software guidelines (Orebaugh & Pinkard, p.99, 2008). 5. Which feature(s) of Nmap did you find the most useful and why? The most useful and most operable feature of Nmap is â€Å"OS Fingerprinting†. This feature offers the most depth of results when running a scan of a host. OS Fingerprinting yields information regarding open ports, types of services, as well as the operating system running on the host. OS Fingerprinting is both passive and active, meaning, in the passive it involves sniffing network traffic at any given connection point and matching known patterns that match pre-existing OS identities. In the active this feature requires the use of a set of specialized probes that are sent to the system in question; the responses from the active give insight to what type of OS has been installed. With the availability of these different attributes to one feature gives the IT professional a full scope and clear picture of the host that is being targeted in the scan. 6. Which feature(s) of Nmap did you find the most difficult to use and why? This was my first time using a system like this and struggled with all the features at first. Thus, after performing significant research I have come to the conclusion that using (osscan-guess) can arise significant problems and red flags and this command as described is giving a guess that near-matches aggressively. This command relays back possibilities, and the match has to be very close for Nmap to do this by default. The only positive to this command is that Nmap will tell you when an imperfect match is printed and will display is confidence level by percentage for each guess. 7. Research a command or feature that you consider important but not covered in the lab. Describe its usage and report your findings when running the command against the host in the lab. The one command of interest is the â€Å"sV† command which enables version detection, with attributes of (intensity, light, all, and trace). When performing a version scan, Nmap sends a series of probes each of which is assigned a rarity value between one and nine. The lower-numbered probes are effective against a wide variety of common services, as the higher numbered probes are rarely useful. The intensity level specifies which probes should be applied, and the default is (7). Version light is a convenience for (version-intensity 2) which makes the scanning much faster, but less likely to identify services. Command (all) in â€Å"sV† is an alias for (version-intensity 9) ensures that every single probe is attempted against each port. The last attribute to the feature is (version-trace) which causes Nmap to print out extensive debugging information about what version scanning is doing. As shown in Figure 5 below the (sV) flag tells Nmap to try to determine service version information, this command of version feature is dependent upon the OS Fingerprint scan finding an open TCP or UDP port. Therefore, after the port discovery, version detection takes over and starts its process of probing for information regarding what is open and running on the target (Orebaugh & Pinkard, p.167, 2008). Figure 5: ASSINGMENT PART B NESSUS SCANNER B. Lab Questions: Part B 1. What operating systems are running on different hosts? The operating systems running on each host are the following: Host 1: Microsoft Windows XP SP2 or SP3 Host 2: Linux Kernal Host 3: Linux 2.6X or Linux 2.4X 2. What web server (if any) is running on each computer? According to the screenshots displayed in (Figures 1-3), â€Å"Host 2† appears to running a multicast domain name service (MDNS) server on port 5353 using the UDP protocol. The third host is running a domain name service (DNS) server  on port 53 using TCP protocol and MDNS server on port 5353 using the UDP protocol. It could not be distinguished if â€Å"Host 1† is running any web servers, but ports (80-HTTP) and (443-HTTPS) are both open when running the scan. 3. What are the several services running on each computer? Below will be snap shots of each host providing the services provided by each host. Figure 6: Host 1: 192.168.100.103 Figure 7: Host 2: 192.168.100.105 Figure 8: Host 3: 192.168.100.106 4. Which host had the highest number of vulnerabilities? And which had the least number of vulnerabilities? Based off the scan run on each host, host 1 (192.168.100.103) had the highest number of vulnerabilities, while host 2 (192.168.100.105) provided the least number of vulnerabilities. Host 3 provided no high risk vulnerabilities, one medium risk with two open ports. The details for each host are provided below. Host 1: 192.168.100.103Vulnerabilities: 71 Host 2: 192.168.100.105Vulnerabilities: 49 Host 3: 192.168.100.106Vulnerabilities: 22 5. Identify one high severity vulnerability for each computer (if there is one). Describe the vulnerability and discuss control(s) to minimize risk from the vulnerability. Default password (user) for â€Å"user† account; Microsoft Windows SMB shares unprivileged access When performing the scans for all three hosts, only host (1 & 2) produced high severity vulnerabilities. The vulnerability that produced the biggest red flag in my analysis was protecting user passwords. My scans produced both in host (1 & 2) that default password (user) for â€Å"user† account was at high risk. This vulnerability can be very dangerous to an organization and the users that operate within the network, cloud databases, and encrypted files. This vulnerability can be attributed to pre-established policies on lockout threshold, lockout duration, and cache size. According to Oracle, protecting user accounts is vital and the usernames are stored in a domain server and  are hashed. This vulnerability can be fixed by setting a threshold on an account after invalid attempts to log-in to an account exceed the desired attempts. The numbers of failed user password entries are set before the account is then locked, and subsequent attempts to access the account the account remains locked until the administrator re-sets the password. The lockout duration is the number of minutes that a user’s account remains inaccessible after being locked. Subsequently, administrators should set a cache lockout size which will specify the intended cache size of unused and invalid login attempts. The standard according to Oracle is set at (5), and this is very relevant when a company is audited for IT security. This cache will help the administrator catch logs of failed and unused login attempts for proper compliance reporting. 6. Describe the various uses of Nessus.  Nessus is a vulnerability scanning tool which provides patching, configuration, and compliance auditing. It also encompasses features for mobile, malware, botnet discovery, and sensitive data identification. This is a remote security tool which scans a computer and raises an alert if it discovers any vulnerability that malicious hackers could use to gain access to a computer system that is connected to a network. This operates by running (1200) checks on a given computer, testing to see if any of these other attacks could be used to break the security of a computer and otherwise compromise it. Nessus has many advantages, unlike other scanner solutions Nessus does not make assumptions about your server configuration, yet it is also very extensible, providing scripting language for the IT administrator to write specific tests to the system once the admin becomes familiar with the tool. This tool also provides a plug-in interface. Nessus is open source, meaning it costs nothing and the IT admin is free to see and modify the source as appropriate. This software also encompasses patching assistance when it detects vulnerabilities and it is the best way to mitigate the potential vulnerability (Tenable Network Security, 2014). 7. Which feature(s) of Nessus did you find the most useful and why? The report function is very cohesive and comprehensive which is extremely beneficial to the IT administrator. The client itself will list each vulnerability found as we gauge its level of severity while making appropriate suggestions to the administrator to how the problem may be fixed. The Nessus report lists  the number of hosts tested providing a summary of the vulnerability and detailed instructions and sources to fix the inherent problem. The IT administrator is able to generate graphical reports in vast formats, and this is very beneficial if the administrator is scanning a larger number of computers and would like to get an overall view of the state of the network. 8. Which feature(s) of Nessus did you find the most difficult to use and why? Comparable to my answer given in question (11), the auditing functionality is mediocre at best. It is up to the IT professional or administrator to determine the scope of the vulnerability and may choose to use a different exploitation tool to verify if the reported vulnerabilities credulous. The tool is free, but what price are you willing to risk with using this tool. It also means little support, and understanding false positives. I am by no means an expert when using this tool and really struggled understanding the reports produced. Analyzing the results and recommending valid solutions is the biggest hurdle when using this feature. These vulnerability reports deemed confusing due to the combinations of software and configurations involved. After doing some research it has been established that when provided the report Nessus delivers false-positives because the plug-in is only testing for a software version, or the results produced are unexpected but still somehow valid. If my main responsibility is to evaluate risk, when risk level determines the attention given to the problem, the auditing report should offer this attribute in the report. I noticed that they’re reported as a note or warning and labeled in the plug-in summary as (none; low; medium; high; serious; and critical) though, regrettably these specific classifications are not clear and have been subjectively applied. 9. What are the differences between using Nessus and Nmap? Nessus and Nmap are two solutions that are used for examining the overall security of a network. However, these two scanning solutions are different at a very basic level, Nessus is a vulnerability open source scanner solution whereas Nmap is used to map networks hosts and what ports are open on those hosts. Nessus is installed on a server and runs as cloud application, and the program uses plug-ins to determine if the vulnerability is present on a specific machine. Although, Nessus scans ports similar to  Nmap, Nessus takes those open ports into reason and notifies the user if these ports have potential security threats. In Nessus, the administrator logs into the interface and sets up their own policies, scans, and output reports. These policies are set to determine what specific vulnerabilities are being scanned for (Tetzlaff, 2010). On the contrary, Nmap is a host detection software and port location tool. In Nessus, the tool uses specific vulnerabilities against the host, Nmap discovers the active IP hosts using a grouping of probes (Tetzlaff, 2010). Nmap uses open ports to gather extra intelligence such as versions of databases running on specific servers. This feature is offered once the scan has been completed for the identified hosts on the network.  The grease that this solution holds is host detection and port scanning. 10. What would you change about this lab? Any suggestion or feedback? This lab overall was very challenging for as has this whole experience in the major. I have absolutely no previous knowledge in the field or took classes in undergrad regarding IT or computer science. This is a booming industry and worked closely with the forensic agent group at Department of Treasury, yet never understood the processes and procedures it took to properly manage this content. Moving forward, I would like to see this University system move to a more interactive classroom. Meaning, the ability to offer in face interaction between student and instructor with an application platform like Skype or Google Hangout, as these applications can provide the technology to administer taped or live interaction in the event something is seriously miss-understood. The ability to teach myself the content is very rewarding yet difficult at times. Overall the lab was very influential to my growth in this major, but it would be very beneficial if some sort of video instruction was provided as well as communication means provided be enhanced between the student and instructor. 11. Research a command or feature that you consider important but not covered in the lab. Describe its usage and report your findings when running the command or feature against the host in the lab. When running the scan’s against the provided host with research provided by Nessus, the sensitive content auditing is very cumbersome. This feature was not discussed in the lab, but with researching how to use this solution, I attempted to use this feature in the exercise. It states that it performs agentless audits of Windows and UNIX-based systems to identify sensitive information (PII; Credit Cards;  SSN’s; and Top Secret data) but configuring this feature requires an administrator in-depth knowledge of this feature provided by the program. Without this vital knowledge, and potential plug-ins to enable or disable I became immediately confused as to how to appropriately administer the advanced features of this program. To me as a former investigator this feature is very important in the event that insiders or intruders are attempting to identify sensitive data. This will allow an organization the ability to prioritize security issues. The system feature will inherently allow me to monitor systems and users that are not authorized to process that specific data (Tenable Network Security, 2014). REFRENCES Northchutt, S., Shenk, J., Shackleford, D., Rosenberg, T., Siles, R., & Mancini, S. (2006). Penetration testing: Assessing your overall security before attackers do. CORE Impact: SANS Analyst Program. 1-17. Retrieved from https://www.sans.org/reading-room/analysts-program/PenetrationTesting-June06 Symantec. (2010). Nessus part 3: Analyzing Reports. Retrieved from http://www.symantec.com/connect/articles/nessus-part-3-analysing-reports Tenable Network Security. (2014). Nessus compliance checks: Auditing system configurations and content. 75, 1-37. Retrieved from https://support.tenable.com/support-center/nessus_compliance_checks.pdf Tetzlaff, R. (2010). Nessus vs. nmap: Comparing two security tools. Retrieved from http://www.brighthub.com/computing/smb-security/articles/67789.aspx#imgn_1 Oracle. (2014). Managing weblogic security: Protecting user accounts. BAE Systems. Retrieved from http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E13222_01/wls/docs81/secmanage/passwords.html Orebaugh, A., & Pinkard, B. (2008). Nmap in the enterprise: Your guide to network scanning. Syngress Publishing Inc. Burlington, MA: Elsevier Inc.

Mikhalkov’s Burnt by the Sun Essay

In the tradition of passions plays of a century ago that illustrated the age-old inequalities of unchallenged intrinsic power wielded by a single entity. This is the story of absolute authority and how well earned past loyalties have elapsed and betrayed by fear and replaced with paranoia.   Burnt by the Sun, a 1994 film by Russian director and actor Nikita Mikhalkov, the long film even with a tendency to meander,   carries the distinction of being the first noteworthy anti-Stalin film produce in post-Communist Russia. While the subject of matter of post revolution in Russia is not a new platform for addressing the thesis of Stalin’s dictatorial regime, what is interesting and original is the ability and opportunity for Mikhalkov to openly criticize the past without apparent fear of reprisal. The antagonistic and customary undiscriminating maltreatment launched at the history of the Soviet era has served to strengthen the political movement in late 19th-century Russia that sought to bring about a just new society by destroying the existing one through acts of terrorism and assassination. The obvious resentment of modern Russian film-makers toward the concept of socialism has not prevented them from producing a considerable number of films about Russia’s past during the past decade. For the most part, the directors of these films have sought to outdo one another in depicting the agonies of Soviet history. The tale of the films begins in 1936 Russia, slightly less than two decades following the Communist Revolution.   This point in time is seated in the midst of General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union’s Central Committee Joseph Stalin’s era murderous dictatorship.   The main characters; a well heeled and socially content Colonel Sergueiv Kotov, a military hero of the Bolshevik revolution,   his young beautiful wife Maroussia and their six-year old daughter Nadia are established in peaceful yet sheltered existence from the rest of post revolutionary Russia.   Their surroundings are idyllic and rustic, all expected from yearly sabbatical. However, the untroubled setting is soon disrupted by the untimely entrance of Dimitri; an old love of Kotov’s wife Maroussia, a young entertainer of a man, grew up with Kotov’s wife’s family.   Ironically, 10 years ago, Dimitri served under Kotov and hence was ordered away on duty.   The motives of such decision was suspect to say the least, but now Dimitri, of unknown means and purpose, has returned with a tacit mission.   Even while pleasantries were exchanged, adolescent amusements offer and lover’s memories revisited, Dimitri had assumed the task of arresting Kotov for espionage under order from Stalin.   Rather paradoxical since Kotov was openly very patriotic, dedicated to the State of the Soviet Union to the extent of carrying a photograph with him of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. The tale ends as it presents Kotov slowly and tactfully being removed from his relaxed and filled with humor semi-retirement. Obviously, this story being about Stalinist Russia, the closing stages will not reach a cheerful finish. The film has effectively taught us just how brutal those murderous years were and the insanity on which it was all based. The audience is presented with the beauty of happy, content lives crushed by the demands of Joseph Stalin.   Directly, in the conclusion, we are shown Kotov, a heroic courageous, dedicated and loyal soldier of Russia who, having devoted a lifetime to serving his motherland, is ultimately destroyed by a fellow soldier. Despite Kotov’s threats to contact Stalin directly, witnesses are shot, he is badly beaten and eventually executed.   Whether a deeper plot envisioned by Stalin existed or not, the plan took the lives two loyalist, from grief, Dimitri commits suicide. Unlike most depictions of this time period that display the horrors in surfeit, Burnt by the Sun has clearly focused on presenting a genuine sharp critique of Stalinism.   Much of the command of this film is due to the restrained manner in which Mikhalkov integrates a forbidding significance into the script.   His clear offering of allowing all the humanity of the characters develop first, in complete humor and visual beauty, before letting them fall prey to their fate. Symbolism plays a key part in Burnt by the Sun. Some of it, while images are subtle and obscure, imagery is left up to the viewer to determine how literally to take several instances of magic realism. Mikhalkov ensure that his central thesis is so strong and conveyed in such a manner that it’s impossible to overlook or be misunderstood for another point. Director Nikita Mikhalkov is candid about the definitive meaning of his film by dedicating it to â€Å"everyone who was burnt by the sun of the Revolution.† (Bulavka, 1997, p139) This movie is very much an attack on the policies and paranoia of Stalin. The chilling final scenes emphasize the theme as we come to realize just how far-reaching the dictator’s grasp was, and how insecure even the most loyal patriots were. One result, however it was intended, has been that both Russian audiences and the film-makers communities have tended to grow weary of the traditional national cinema preoccupation with its themes and obsessions. All the reason more Burnt by the Sun., was met with an enthusiastic reception not only in Russia but also in the West, (eventually receiving an Oscar.) Burnt by the Sun uses the medium of film to pose social questions and explore social relationships with some attempts to combine opposing segments of radically different style and presentation. In many ways, Burnt by the Sun is presented by Mikhalkov as an intense pathos that rivals any cinematic present day effort. The film presents a challenge to the main trends in post-Soviet Russian cinema. Traditionally, film-making in Russia is dominated by the realism in the democratic classification therefore advancing tired themes.   Clearly, the Russian audiences have suffered for a realistic candid character that deals with the important dilemma of the moral duality of man.   If not with the times in which he is currently living but all times that follow. However, the only criticism of the production is the over-emphasized methodical process of reaching the main point of the story. The overall finale primarily impacts the audience due to the beginning of the film is subdued, therefore setting up a climatic end. The crux is essential yet distant for it takes an extremely long time for it to be enjoyed by the audience.

Donner Party Jonathan E

Their plan was to move to California, acquire cheap land where e they could reap he benefits of rich soil and good climate that Springfield Illinois did not Provo De them. The journey to California was the beginning of a new life for The Donned party and for many others. The move westward worried many people because of the possible encounter with aggressive Indians, however the Indians should not have been their main worry. Uniform neatly the decision to follow a faulty guide westward to California led these travelers into challenge gees that they could not overcome.The Donned Party's emigration west was marked as one of the most catastrophic journeys in the history of westward expansion. The Donned Party story began with a plan to move to California along the Oregon trail (the safest route) until reaching Hast inns cutoff where they began the dangerous trek towards California resulting in death and suffer ring until the rescue approximately one year later. Espanola 2 James Reed and the Donned Brothers decided that they were going to leave S predefined Illinois and travel to California with their families leaving behind a prosperous life (Lavender 3).Their plan was to follow a guide called â€Å"The Emigrants' Guide to Oregon and C laboring† by Langford W. Hastings that will lead them to California using the shortcut know as the Hastings Cutoff, this would shorten the trip by three hundred miles (V. Murphy 19). In order to make this trip possible they needed to prepare themselves with food, supplies, suits blew clothing and method for transportation. James Reed created a luxurious wagon that was known as the â€Å"Pioneer palace car† due to his experience in furniture making.The wagon was equipped with a stove, beds and had ample space to bring supplies in order to make the trip comfortable and homelike (Clamor 21 They also brought with them oxen's, steers and horses to facilitate trans rotation and cows to provide milk. Enough supplies were gathe red to get them through the first WI enter in California which they thought would take them six months (V. Murphy peg 2). Young men who wanted to go to California but could not afford it, known as Teamsters, were hired to do the hard work of walking beside the oxen's for the entire trek.Their job was to care for oxen an d in return they were given food and space in the wagon to sleep (Lavender 13). Everybody ha ad role on this journey. Women were to cook, look after children and do laundry. The men h united, steered and maintained the wagons and cared for the animals. Ready to go, the three fame ices set out for the west on April 16, 1846 not knowing the challenges that they would face. The Donned Party arrived at their first destination on May 1 1, 1846, at Indeed emended Missouri, where they, along with everybody else moving west, would find the Oregon and California Trails.This was the beginning point for travelers going west, even b jack in 1843 when the first wave of emigrants went west (B. Brooke). There they met up with anon there family Espanola 3 traveling to California, the Breed family, and together they hurried to catch up to the other travelers ahead of them destined for California. After forty fives days of travel through changing climate that was troublesome for the emigrants they arrived at Fort Laramie, a famous Indian trading post.They realized that the further west they traveled they encounter De more climate changes such as: infrequent rains, electric storms, dry sand dust and hot suns whine, that would make travel more difficult for the emigrants. The travelers, despite small prop elms along the way, seemed excited to reach new territory. At Fort Laramie they were please .NET greeted by Indians from the Sioux tribe and were able to finally take a rest from the journo eye and even elaborate Independence Day, then â€Å"America was turning seventy years old†.H ere James Reed came across an old friend, James Clammy, who had crossed the shortcut Hast nag's mentioned in the guide, but said that it was dangerous and that travelers should avoid cross sing that terrain. He recommended that people follow the know terrain of Fort Hall road that went northwest to California (Lavender 1824). Reed stayed focused on taking the shortcut because SE he felt the group could do so just as they had done making it to Fort Laramie from Index endurance, MO with its obstacles.The wagon party voted to take the shorter route and elected Ego GE Donned the leader, the group from here on out was known as the Donned Party. Fort Bride gear was the final stop, before Hastings Cutoff, for the party to stock up on supplies, repair wag ones and purchase more livestock. They had reached the point of no return. On July 31 SST the part y set out on the dangerous unknown trek southwest following the guide book's shortcut that not even the author himself had crossed. From here on The Donned Party would find most of their troubles that events ally le d them to tragedy.The first challenge they came across, in what was to be a see ounce Of several Espanola 4 starters, was at the base of Weber Canyon. That day, August 6th 1846, the D owner party found a letter from Hastings telling them that the trail was very dangerous and to w tit for him to return in order to guide them through another route (Clamor 53). Hastings did not d o as he promised on the note, so James Reed decided to travel ahead and find him for a solution. When James Reed spoke with Hastings he told him to avoid the canyon trail, recommended in hi s guide book, due to the narrow walls that would not allow wagons to pass .Hastings pointed oh t to the distance a route that the Donned party should take. Once again, the decision to follow H castings directions failed them. They went off into new terrain, uphill's that were practically impose Siebel to ascend. What was supposed to take a week, took them one month (V. Murphy 20). The e Donned Party and their oxen, exhauste d from the trip, arrived at the Great Salt Lakes on August 22, 1846. There they found another letter from Hastings stating that the trek across the salt d assert was forty miles and it would take them two days and TV nights to cross.Proving Hastings in correct again, the trip actually took them five days to cross resulting in a shortage of supplies, d hydrated men and oxen, and wagons left behind. The extreme climate Of the desert also took an impact on the party (Clamor). On September 26th, knowing they did not have enough supplies to r each California, they arrived at the Humboldt River where Hastings cutoff met with the old trait l. In fact, the shorter route was 1 25 miles longer than the old route. Video Having fallen be hind they were desperate to reach the Sierra Nevada mountains in order to get to California before the winter.October 1 6th they arrived in Truckee at the base of the mountains where they soon realized they came too late because a harsh winter had come. The Don ned Party had travel De 2500 miles over a seven month period with only 1 50 more miles to Setters Fort, their final deist nation (R. Burns DVD). The winter snow forced them to set up camp at Truckee Lake, now know win as Donned Espanola 5 Lake, where they would spend the entire winter. Some members of the group tried to cross the mountains a few times but were unable due to the weather conditions.The WI enter brought heavy snowstorms trapping the members at Don newer Camp. After killing the last of t heir animals for food they began to eat materials that did not provide them with the nutrition added to survive the winter. It was noted that they ate twigs, bark, leaves, bones, and even boil De the leather from shoes to eat (Clamor 96). Many began to die from malnutrition and extreme c old conditions as the winter went on. In this time of extreme desperation the people had to rest rot to cannibalism for survival.They marked the flesh so that no one had to eat the meat of their own kin . The people were in a dire situation of starvation and delirium. December 26th ma irked the first day that they ate a human, the dead body of Patrick Dolled was cut apart and coo ked on a the fire (Clamor 108). By January 1847 California had become territory of the United states after the defeat of the Mexicans. James Reed, who had separated from the group months back, was able to gather men and form a rescue party to relieve those at Donned Camp.January 31 SST t he first rescue team set out for Donned Camp arriving on February 7th. They were shocked at the s eight of death and famine people. The completed rescue of those at Donned Camp required a t total of four rescue teams, the camp was evacuated by April 17th 1847. Of the original Donned pa arty that consisted of 87 members, 46 of them had survived. The entire Reed and Breed family s arrived however the Donned family was not as fortunate. Both Donned brothers had perished at Donned Camp during the dreadful winter, the only ones that survived were two of the Don ere children.This tragic story of the Donned party was said to be a part of the American Dry am. â€Å"An American dream that has nightmares attached to them, and for many results d in disaster† video. Espanola 6 Like many others the Donned Party followed a movement where people were encouraged to go west and settle in foreign land. Many thought this travel to be a new adventure but for the Donned Party it turned out to be the last trip of their lives, never reaching thee r dreams of a new life in California.

Methods in IR Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Methods in IR - Assignment Example minist methodology in international relations research have had low progress, in the past, its inclusion in international relations research was of plausible significance. Power relations are dependent on diverse perspectives including feminist research methods. Feminist methodologies are significant in determining the ontology and epistemology of critical social thinking. This research seeks to address the extent to which Selimovic et al (2012) applie the question of feminist methodology in their research. How does Selimovic et al (2012) use feminist methodology to depict the skills of critical social scientific reasoning in their research? Social research plays a vital and central role in improving the academic field of political science. Research is an academic investigation in a field of knowledge of a researcher’s interest. A research aims at creating a solution to the identified hypothesis. The validity of a hypothesis formulated in the field of international relations is verifiable using qualitative research. It involves a through, comprehensive and structured inquiry using qualitative research methods. The integration of the diverse research methods is of valuable importance in conducting social research. International relations topics are among the diverse social research topics in political research. A well-conducted research in international relations applies impartial reasoning skills, based on premises use research methods. Selimovic et al (2012) use valid qualitative research methods to address the role of women in instilling peace in countries and regions experiencing war and violence. The development of the academic discipline in international relations started notably after the Second World War. Most countries adopted initiatives to enhance the development of research  in international relations. America was among the countries that contributed highly in the development of research in international relations after the end of the war (Jackson

Compare and Contrast the traditional music of India with the Research Paper

Compare and Contrast the traditional music of India with the traditional music of Korea - Research Paper Example In 12th century, influences from the Middle East made Indian music split in to two main paths. Carnatic music was not altered by Arabian culture unlike Hindustani music, which embraced evident Persian and Arab influences from the ruling Muslim kings in the Northern states of India (â€Å"Carnatic music†). In 13th century Carnatic music localized in the Southern part of India and developed there a significant music culture (Randel, ed.). Carnatic music was quite diverse, but it utilized the main elements of Indian music which were sruti, swara, tala and raga. Out of these elements, sruti was defined as a musical pitch, and swara was the repetition of the same note; raga was a specific interchange of ascending and descending parts of the melody, and tala was a fixed rhythmic scale (Randel, ed.). Carnatic music was usually composed; though, improvisation was possible as well. Instrumentation of Carnatic music included the main performer (vocalist), melodic and rhythm accompanimen t and a drone (Randel, ed.). Usually, the vocalists sat in the middle of the stage because they were main figures in the performance, other musicians circled them behind. Goryeo dynasty, which ruled in 938-1392, contributed a lot to the development of Korean traditional music. Goryeo dynasty music was represented by aak, court ceremonial music (So). Aak was derived from Chinese model and it was translated as elegant music; it was presented to Goreyo dynasty in Korea by Song Dynasty in China. However, Koreans retuned Chinese music gifted to them and developed unique tone and style, which was radically different from Chinese music. All instruments for aak were shipped from China; they were divided into two orchestras – tungga (veranda orchestra) and hon’ga (ground orchestra) (So). According to Randel ed., akk orchestras included extremely diverse instruments grouped as idiophones (wooden and stone chimes, boxes, scrappers and clappers), aerophones (octarina, various flutes,

Creation of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence Essay

Creation of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence - Essay Example In the 20th century intelligence agencies of United States of America were named among the best in the business. The performance of United States secret agencies was commendable throughout the Cold War era. After the fall of Soviet Union the world became Uni-polar and there was no significant threat that the country faced, at least from another country. But this illusion of total control and dominance over the world was shattered with the attacks of 9/11. It was something no one in the world was expecting and it forced United States to rethink its overall intelligence capability. The 9/11 attacks were a blow to the confidence of United States and it led to major restructuring of intelligence agencies. After 9/11 United States decided to make a new intelligence institution called the Office of Director of National Intelligence. In this essay the details of this agency will be discussed alongside with the details of its creation. A general overview of the intelligence agencies of the c ountry will also be given. The need for this separate institution will be discussed and future threats this office may be able to counter will be explained. History and General Overview of Intelligence Agencies of USA Intelligence agencies of United States of America have a long history. Since the creation of United States of America secretive agencies have a large role in the government operations. Founding fathers of America knew the importance of a secret agency that will protect the country from foreign and domestic threats. George Washington in his first Presidential State of the Union address requested Congress to establish a secret service fund for different secret activities (Central Intelligence Agency 2007). Since then secret agencies have conducted activities in foreign countries for the short and long term interest of United States. For a major part of 19th century Britain was a great danger for United States therefore most activities of secret agencies of United States were targeted against Britain. Agents were also sent in different colonial regions in order to extend the influence of United States and protect the interest of the country. In the early and middle of 19th century the aim of United States was to protect itself and gain power. The Civil War was the first big hurdle United States had to face after the war of 1812. The war endangered the sovereignty of the country. Secret spies also played a great role in the civil war on both sides (Central Intelligence Agency 2007). Propaganda schemes were followed by both the side and secret agents were used. After the Civil War United States of America realized that the country needed a formal intelligence organization that could protect the interest of the state domestically and internationally. Before this informal intelligence missions were carried out but as the country developed there was a need of a formal intelligence structure. In 1880s the first two formal intelligence agencies were made. The first was the Military Intelligence Division and the second was Office of Naval Intelligence (Central Intelligence Agency 2007). Over the period of time intelligence agencies became more organized and acquired superior skills. More divisions were made and covert operations continued in the first half of 20th century. In the First World War the efforts of US intelligence agencies were not very successful mainly due to the lack of funding. But before the Second World War, United States had developed a great system of intelligence gathering and many agencies were working in order to collect intelligence. The intelligence failure of Pearl Harbor was the greatest intelligence fail

Discuss the effectiveness of the approach to recruitment and selection Assignment

Discuss the effectiveness of the approach to recruitment and selection at Jinnikins Jeans - Assignment Example A weak organizational culture can negatively affect an organization’s financial performance through lowering its turnover. An organization with weak structures and unclear processes incurs high operational costs. Furthermore, this can present negative future implications if the situation is not handled well. This paper explores the human resource situation at Jinnikins jeans and suggests possible courses of action. Introduction Jinnikinns jeans was founded in the late 90s by two brothers, namely Trevor and George who were both born and raised in East London. Their business model specialized in fashionable girl’s items, which were sourced from India. Local and value for money concept drove the business model. In their township, they established numerous cloth stalls from in London and Birmingham, and by the end of the 1190s, their business was held as a model of youthful entrepreneurship. Amos (2008, p. 180) categorically states that the business model of Jinnikinns was more informal as this was in line with their business style. It was equipped with a combination of their value of entrepreneurship, determination, creativity, and design. The two brothers accelerated their expansion in the mid 2000 through buying existing textile firms and conforming them to their own business design. Despite the vigor and psyche associated with this business model, the organization has continued to experience a low turnover in the recent past. The heavy investment in high-tech, state-of-the art building in Moseley has made its turnover to the tune of multi-millions (Kidner, 2012, p. 54). The new secretariat houses the Chairman of the Board, Managing Director, marketing, Finance Department, Information Technology, Human Resource Management, Design, Distribution and Fleet, and recently Production Department. The brand continues to generate volume sales basically through departmental stores in major cities. Others include leisure and outlets for children's clothing. T he board is considering using their own identity chain stores with the aim of expanding the firm’s market share from the current 9.75% (Kidner, 2012, p. 189). According to the latest financial reports, the firm’s gross turnover decreased by 31% and there is no clear explanation of the fall (Kidner, 2008, p. 190). This incidence; however, has caused no panic, as the brand â€Å"denim/jeans† is a universal brand, but its relative performance is high compared to its main competitors (Amos, 2008, p. 54). People Management The human resource department (HRM) is crucial in the implementation of policies regarding the workforce. The department is vital as it acts as a mediator between the employees and the employer, thereby bridging the gap between the two. One of the important roles that the department undertakes is to communicate the needs of the employees to the employer. On the other hand, the needs of the employer are communicated to the employees through the huma n resource department. An effective h resource human resource department can eliminate the need for trade unions as is represents the interests of both sides without bias. A human resource department that is not representative of employees’ interests can result to riots, strikes, go-slows wich can directly affect the productivity of the organization. Upon completion of their new building, Jinnikin’s top brass is housed in a single unit. George is the Chair of the board and

Jim Crow Laws Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Jim Crow Laws - Research Paper Example This paper will be a discussion of the Jim Crow Laws and the impact that they had in the society. Jim Crow represented the legitimization of Anti-Black racism. This were state and local laws in the United States, it was as a result of various prominent people in the society then, advocating for the fact that black people were not equal to the whites. In their congregations, Christian ministers and theologians preached the fact that whites were the chosen people. They further emphasized the fact that blacks were cursed to be servants (Pilgrim 1). Intellectual bodies such as craniologists, eugenicists, phrenologists and social Darwinists taught their audiences to believe that Blacks were intellectually and culturally inferior to the whites. Sensitization towards segregation was harnessed by politicians who gave eloquent speeches about the dangers of integration between the whites and the blacks. Newspapers and magazine writers frequently referred to African Americans as niggers, coons and darkies. Almost all major societal institutions supported the idea of black’s segregation (Pilgrim 1). ... termarriage between whites and blacks stated that, â€Å"All marriages between a white person and a negro, or between a white person and a person of negro descent to the fourth generation inclusive, are hereby forever prohibited.† (1). this is the extent to which the Jim Crow Laws dictated actions of individuals. Institutions such as hospitals also practiced segregation. In the state of Georgia, there were strict directions that, â€Å"The Board of Control shall see that proper and distinct apartments are arranged for said patients, so that in no case shall Negroes and white persons be together,† (Randall 1). This was the same case in educational institutions since schools for white and black children were supposed to be conducted separately. The justice system was one area that was keenly watched with regard to racial segregation. This is due to the fact that it was the body braced with the responsibility of enacting some rules and legislation. According to the text, F rom Jim Crow to Civil Rights: The Supreme Court and the Struggle for Racial Equity: When the justice system finally invalidated segregation in 1954, their decisions reflected the views that were held by roughly the whole country. Court rulings were seen to make little difference with regard to Jim Crow Laws; on the other hand, some people believed that courts made a vast difference (Klarman 6). Although courts would enforce legislation barring segregation in railroad transport, it was the responsibility of the concerned company or custom to decide on how they were going to run their institutions. Thus segregation laws on railroad transport were not necessary for the practice to take effect; segregation took place without any enforcing statute. Even though some railroad companies did not want to practice

Prevention of Financial Frauds Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Prevention of Financial Frauds - Research Paper Example The paper also discusses about the types of financial frauds according to their nature; inclusive frauds and exclusive frauds. There are two types of frauds according to the people involved in the fraud and these two types are internal frauds and external frauds. Besides defining these frauds, the paper explains how such frauds can be prevented. The paper also focuses on one of the biggest financial scandals; Enron and it explains how the management of Enron was successful in their fraudulent activities. It also highlights the impact of Enron’s case on the overall economy. INTRODUCTION Financial frauds are widely perceived to be deliberately made criminal acts that seriously violate civil law while based on financial transactions and meant to attain myriad personal benefits. For the last so many years, auditors and financial analysts have been emphasizing to eliminate the financial frauds and for this purpose there have been many research conducted on this given topic. With the passage of time and as more and more financial frauds have emerged, the need to fight against these financial frauds have increased enormously and people of all ages have to face consequences of such financial frauds.In criminal law, the word fraud is defined as a planned and calculated deception which is made for some kind of personal gain or to damage another individual. On the other hand, financial frauds mean frauds that occur particularly in the financial statements or financial documents of the company like balance sheet, income statement etc in order to manipulate the financial streng th of the company. Financial Frauds can be planned on a large scale which might have an impact on the overall industry or economy of the country and there might be financial frauds which might not be as large but these frauds would weaken the financial stability of an organization. Both these types of frauds have become a serious issue for everyone who is involved with the organization either directly or indirectly. Since financial frauds could affect the economy and organizations and everyone who is involved with the organization therefore it is critical to stop such financial crimes and to prevent such financial frauds there have been several techniques, tools, applications and methods developed by auditors and financial analysts from all over the world and still more research is being done on the topic (Singleton, & Singleton, 2010). LITERATURE REVIEW It is important for the organization and employees of the organization who are responsible for handling and managing of important and sensitive documents to keep these documents in safe and do not let anyone to have access to such documents as one of the ways through which financial frauds can occur is to have access to such sensitive information. A layered security approach and effective tools are required to handle this dramatic emergency of felonious financial frauds and by controlling who first receives sensitive documents like bank statements, small organizations can prevent financial fraud occurrence (CBIA News, 2007). Financial information of a corporation is used by investors in order to evaluate the company’s progress and growth and its profitability as well as in order to predict the future profitability of the organization. Thus, these financial statements are used by investors to make decision whether they should invest in the company or not. Therefore, one of the greatest risks faced by investors is that the financial sta

Diversity and Curriculum Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Diversity and Curriculum Development - Essay Example This case happens due to the different ethnic groups that the students come from. Since the students can easily communicate well with the friends, this results in the students who share a common language to form different groups in the school basing on these language groups. To bring this case into control, I will introduce a common language that every student is well conversant with. I make it mandatory that every student communicates using this language. For example, English is an international language and no any high school student who will understand the language. The other issue is to introduce a course that interpolates the different cultures and which teach students of the importance of being together in a mixed diverse cultures. The benefits of the diverse culture curriculum is that the students will be able to learn others cultures and beliefs. It will enhance unity among the different ethnic communities since they will get to understand each other while in school, and upon getting home, they will tell their colleagues. For example, a particular community may be having a negative perception against another, where these colleagues will tell them that what they think is not the case. Another benefit is that accrues a community practicing in diverse cultural practices, is the issue of efficiency and effectiveness in performing tax. This is because different people from different parts of the world have different talents. For example, people from Brazil are magnificent in football, those from Chicago, perfect in basketball. In the context involving the diversity of male and female students, of late this issue is overshadowed by time,... In the context involving the diversity of male and female students, of late this issue is overshadowed by time, and bringing the cases of male-female students’ interaction will not be much hectic. However, there are still other communities which are still being held in the cocoon of male chauvinism. The main challenge will be to make these individuals to value the female students as same as they value the male ones. In order to deal with issue fully, I will argue my fellow committee members to pass the issue that any student caught discriminating his/her colleague just because of gender differences to be dealt with appropriately. This will be a lesson to him/her and to his/her friends with the same mentality. Another challenge is the issue of how the male and female students will have different resources. These resources will include the toilets, bathrooms and other activities like the queuing. Some of these issues will add on more expenses to the school. There are benefits, w hich accrue from the male, female interaction. These will include the enhanced cooperation among the two genders. With regard that the curriculum is based on cultural diversity, this may lead to students from different communities to mingle which will lead to intermarriages in the future date. It also makes the students learn with efficiency the differences between the genders since they can do it practically. For example, the differences between the physical characteristics of male and female can be demonstrated practically.

The Death Penalty Distinct Ruling's Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Death Penalty Distinct Ruling's - Assignment Example Death penalty could also be said to be ethical since it ensures equality. It would be an act of favor to the offender when the judge gives a lenient judgment to an offender as compared to the crime done (Andre, 2010). For example, if a person commits murder and is given a jail term of several years, then that would be unfair to the victim’s family that would be unethical. Even, though, some may argue that an adult is aware of the crime he has committed, there are some facts that people would tend to assume. The reason why the person did what he did could be out of defense. People also assume the mental stability of the person who committed the crime. Dignity is another crucial point that one should consider, and lastly the right to life. An adult criminal has rights, just like another person, and should not be treated differently. Thus, death penalty can be both adequate and inadequate when it comes to an adult criminal depending on the facts (Gary, 2001). The right to life is a freedom that everyone is supposed to enjoy. No person is allowed to take another person’s life. Thus, death penalty violates this right (Dieter). When the court orders for a person to be hanged or shot to death, then they are depriving the person the right to life. Instead of killing a person, it would be okay to lock them forever until they die naturally. Even, though, it has been argued that the only people who should be given this penalty are juveniles, since they are still young and pregnant women, it is still not justified. All are equal and should be treated equally. Thus, no one should be allowed to go through this since this is violation of human rights. Death penalty to criminals of a violent act would result into violating all the factors that have been mentioned above. It would lead to violation of human rights, but, at the same time, it would be a sound, ethical decision. However, sometimes a court might have ruled against the offender,

Intro to Philosophy Essay Example for Free

Intro to Philosophy Essay The word philosophy itself means â€Å"the love of wisdom. † Philosophy stands for doing the right thing or being a â€Å"just† person. Philosophy also means to see things for what they truly are and not what they may seem to be. A philosopher’s life is a lifelong quest to find the meaning of things beyond their physical appearance. The Ring of Gyges is a ring that a man puts on and becomes invisible. When he does wrong he is not blamed, he gets away with it. Once a man puts this ring on he can be unjust without punishment. In the second book of The Republic Adimantus argued that the unjust life is happier than the unjust. His argument was that a just man can go without now and enjoy heaven in the afterlife while an unjust man will go without nothing and still enjoy the benefits of the after life. Through the eyes of a philosopher there are two worlds, the visible world and the intelligible world. In the visible you can see things and judge them from what you actually see. If a person sees a flower one could judge that it is a beautiful flower. However, the person is judging this flowers beauty on its physical appearance and their claim is merely an opinion rather than true knowledge. In â€Å"The Allegory of the Cave† men are chained inside of a cave. All they can see is the shadows that are formed on the wall in front of them. The people inside of the cave believe that the shadows that are being cast on the wall is reality. When one of the men is unchained and brought to the outside world at first he is blinded by the sun and cannot see clearly. The man can only see the shadows of the objects in front of him, this can be perceived as the images of physical objects. When his eyes adjust he can see more than the shadows, he can see the physical objects themselves. When the man goes back inside of the cave to tell the others what he has seen he again cannot see clearly because his eyes have not adjusted. The others in the cave laugh claiming that the sun has ruined his eyes. For a period of time he cannot decipher what the shadows on the wall are imitating. They don’t believe what the man is telling them. In Plato’s Analogy of the Divided Line the four stages of cognition, which represent the levels of existence, are explained. The first two stages, the good and the sun, represent the visible world. The third and fourth stages, knowledge and opinion, represent the intelligible world. These stages are represented in â€Å"The Allegory of the Cave. † Without the sun’s light we would not be able to see anything at all. The sun allows us to see the flower that we perceived as beautiful. Without the suns light we would not be able to see or perceive any of the physical objects that exist. The sun is perceived as the things that we see. The sun also allows for all living life on earth. Without the sun all life on Earth would diminish. Without the sun we could not perceive anything at all. 1. A person can only understand something once they have reached the highest level of cognitive activity. One must acquire the Form of Good before they can truly understand something. Images and assumptions are not enough support to truly understand the meaning of something. The images the prisoners in the cave saw and the assumptions they made about what they thought they could be are only their opinions. Although they were able to identify the shadows on the wall as what they thought they were it is not enough to truly know what they are, the identities given to the shadows by the prisoners is merely their opinion. In â€Å"Phaedo† Socrates claims that our soul is attached to our body. Our body acts as a vessel only operating because of the soul inside. According to Socrates our body holds us back from perceiving things for what they truly are and therefore a philosopher should desire death because it enables them to continue their quest of reality. 2. Socrates viewed death as a purification of the body that allows us find pure wisdom. Socrates explained how our souls are glued to our bodies and only when they are unfastened by death is a person able to experience wisdom in its purest state. The body distracts us from finding the truth because it requires maintenance. The body allows us to feel pain and emotions like love, fear and hunger. Socrates admits that philosophers are more or less practicing for death and should embrace it when it comes for them. â€Å"And will he who is a true lover of wisdom, and is persuaded in like manner that only in the world below he can worthily enjoy her, still repine death? Will he not depart with joy? Surely, he will, my friend, if he be a true philosopher. For he will have a firm conviction that there only, and nowhere else, he can find wisdom in her purity. † (Phaedo pg. 65) Socrates believes that philosophy is good because it enlightens us to what things actually are rather than what they’re perceived to be. Philosophy is what brings the unchained man outside of the cave. It pushes us to go into the unknown, which we at one point we thought we knew. Once we realize what things actually are we also realize that we had no idea what they really were before. The man in the cave that once thought that the only reality was the shadows on the wall now realizes that the shadows weren’t reality at all. Socrates was formally charged because he didn’t worship the gods recognized by the states and for corrupting the youth of Athens. The informal charges against Socrates was asking questions that were unusual, or outside of the box. â€Å"Socrates is an evil-doer, and a curious person, who searches into things under the earth and in heaven, and he makes the worse appear the better cause; and he teaches the aforesaid doctrines to others† p. 21 Apology The oracle of Delphi told Socrates that he was the wisest man. Socrates refused to accept this statement and went searching for a wiser man than himself. In search of a wiser man than himself, Socrates talked with many people including politicians, poets and craftsmen who claimed to be wise. Socrates found them to not be wise because they thought they knew things that they did not. Socrates proclaimed himself as wise because he knew that he did not know. Socrates exposed the false wisdom of the men who were thought to be wise. Naturally these men held much resistance and hostility towards Socrates. These negative feelings contributed to Socrates’ trial. Socrates refutes Meletus’ statement that he doesn’t believe in any god, that he is an atheist. Socrates does this by confirming that he does in fact believe in supernatural activities, such as his inner voice that told him he was the wisest man, and therefore is not an atheist. Socrates states that wealthy young men, enjoy following him around and listening to him question people. It’s entertaining for them. These men, who think they are wise but aren’t, then go out and try to do this on their own. When the people they question get angry instead of being angry with themselves, become angry with Socrates. They accuse Socrates of filling the young men’s head with nonsense. When asked about what Socrates teaches they don’t know and then use claims already made against philosophers against Socrates. Socrates then asks Meletus who he thinks an improver of the youth is. Meletus claims that the law is an improver of the youth, such as judges and senators. Socrates then proclaims that everyone in the state is an improver of the youth except himself. Meletus agrees to this statement. Socrates states that he must either not corrupt the youth or unintentionally corrupt the youth because good do their neighbors good, and evil do them evil. If he had corrupted someone, in theory, they should have harmed him by now. In Socrates’ last defense he says, â€Å"For if you kill me you will not easily find another like me, who, if I may use such a ludicrous figure of speech, am a sort of gadfly, given to the state by God; and the state is like a great and noble steed who is tardy in his motions owing to his very size, and requires to be stirred into life. I am that gadfly which God has given the state, and all day long and in all places am always fastening upon you, arousing and persuading and reproaching you. † (31-32) Socrates is attempting to demonstrate to the people of the city that there is more to their life than what meets the eye. Without philosophers such as himself they will continue to live the life they’re living with no desire to search for more. They will continue to accept the shadows on the wall as their reality. There are three parts to the soul. These three parts consist of the rational, high spirit and the appetitive. The rational portion of the soul is the part of us that seeks knowledge of wisdom. According to Plato the rational should rule the soul. The high spirit consists of the angry and prideful part of the soul that defends and aids the rational. The high spirit avoids shame. The final part of the soul, the appetitive, is the part of the soul that desires. While some desires are necessary, others are not. If not restrained by the rational, the appetitive portion of the soul can over rule all other parts. In addition to the three parts of the soul there are also three parts of the city. These three parts are the gold, silver and the bronze. The golds are the guardians, the silvers are the enforcers of the laws (helpers), and the bronzes are the merchants and tradesmen. The city virtue of wisdom resides within the gold’s, the guardians. In order to posses civic wisdom one must know how the city operates and how all parts of the city are connected. The knowledge of how the city runs and operates allows the city to operate at the highest level. The city virtue of bravery and justice resides with the silvers, the enforcers of laws. Civic bravery is the defined as the Silvers upholding their education about what things are and are not to be feared and in what order as ordered to them by the Golds. Civic justice refers to sticking to your own work whether you are a moneymaker, helper, or guardian. It’s considered unjust to work outside of your boundaries. The city virtue of temperance exists within the bronze citizens, the merchants and tradesmen, of the city. The civic temperance is the agreement (harmony) between the three sections (gold, silver and bronze) as to who should rule and who should obey. The personal virtue of wisdom is housed by ones rational portion of the soul. Personal wisdom consists of knowing all parts of the soul and how they are connected to one another. The ultimate goal of personal wisdom is keeping the soul as healthy and as balanced as possible. Personal bravery and justice is contained within the high-spirit part of the soul. The High-Spirit of the soul is to preserve the education of what is and is not to be feared. The Rational tells the High-Spirit in which order things are to be feared or not feared. The personal virtue of justice minds it’s own within each part of the soul. The appetitive portion of the soul houses the personal temperance virtue. The personal temperance works in agreement between the three portions of the soul as to who should rule and who should obey. The advantage of philosophy with respect to the state is the efficiency. Everyone has jobs that relate well to their attributes. You cannot be a gold (guardian) without first experiencing being a bronze and then a silver. In order to be a gold one must possess knowledge of all three parts of the city. This ultimately leaves the best most knowledgeable citizens in charge of the city. The advantage of philosophy in regards to the individual is the balance between all parts of the soul. All parts of the soul are important to understand and the rational helps us inherit the wisdom needed to understand these aspects of the soul. One who constantly indulges in the appetitive portion of the soul will be overcome by it. When a person posses wisdom they know when a desire is necessary rather than unnecessary. Students and states that pursue philosophy are better off than the ones who don’t because of the level of intelligence they hold. When a student or state has the knowledge of all the levels of either the civic or individual level they’re more likely to excel in their job. Without philosophy there would be no need to extend one’s boundaries and explore the unkown. Socrates was the man in the cave who managed to break free from his chains and see the world beyond the cave. His accusers, the men still chained inside of the cave, refused to accept what Socrates was trying to show them. If they accepted what Socrates was trying to prove it would be a harsh reality for all they ever knew would diminish. Life outside of the cave is unknown. It’s far less scary to continue their life believing that the shadows on the wall are all that there is. Works Cited Plato, and Benjamin Jowett. The Trial and Death of Socrates: Four Dialogues. New York: Dover Publications, 1992. Print. Plato, H. D. P. Lee, and M. S. Lane. The Republic. London: Penguin, 2007. Print.

Literature Review On Material Management Construction Essay

Literature Review On Material Management Construction Essay Nowadays, many contractors are doing investment to construction project to earn their profits. Unfortunately, there are not all contractors able to earn the profit of the investment in construction projects. This is because some of the contractor does not proper management the materials. For examples, a contractor over order the material such as cements, bricks and reinforcement, the cost will increase and the profits will become low or deficit of the money. Therefore, a systematic material management is very importance in construction site to avoid over ordering and receive low quality materials at the same time can minimizing the cost and maximum the profits Construction materials can be consisting as a major cost for any construction project. This is because 50% or more of the total cost of the project is for purchasing the materials or even storage the materials costs. Thus, efficiently material management is very importance because it will cost a lot of money. Therefore, the contractor should consider the time to order the material when they needs and the time delivery to the site. This is because if the material does not come at the schedule time will cause delay of the projects. In additions, a proper site plan to put the material is very importance for construction site. For example, if the materials such as concrete batch plant putting too far from the build places, it will cause a lot of time for labours to bring the concrete to sites. This will delay the time to complete. Therefore, difference material should locate at the suitable location. This will help to increase the productivity of the construction projects. Now, Almatad Sdn. Bhd is carrying out a housing project which is semi-detached houses and double storey terrace in Johor. The construction site layout has been prepared which illustrates the layout equipment, building materials and access roads for the erection of the building. As a new site manager of the project, I noticed that many problems are carrying out by the plans and those problems will cause the projects to be delay or increase the cost of the projects. Thus, I need to re-organize the layout of the site and improve the site accordingly. 2.0 Literature review on material management According to Arnold, J. R. and Chapman (2004), materials management can define as an organizing function responsible for planning and controlling the materials flow. This means that the materials management is a planned procedure that involves from the initial purchasing, delivery, handling and minimisation of waste of the material with the purpose to ensuring the quality, quantity and time of the requirement should meet accordingly. Material management are the activities involved to plan, control, purchase, expedite, transport, store, and issue in order to achieve an efficient flow of materials and that the required materials are bought in the required quantities, time, quality and at an acceptable price. (Stukhart ,1995) 2.1 Importance of material for a project. Most of the organization are having the same problem which is related to the managing the flow of the materials. Therefore, the efficient management of materials is the main keys issue to determine the success of a completion of a project. In addition, the control to the materials is subject to the difference company and should be handled effectively to complete the project. Building materials cost is the major cost for the project. The cost represented by materials changed and may include between 20 % and above of the total of the project. According to the Stukhart (1995) and Bernold and Treseler(1991) studies, the materials cost can be around of 50% to 60% of the total of project cost. Materials are very important in the operations of the construction site since unavailability of materials can stop the construction work. In addition, unavailability of materials will affect the productivity and cause to the completion of the project. Other that unavailability of materials, the excessive quantities of materials could also create the serious problems to managers in the construction site. This is because storage of materials can increase the costs of the project. In addition, when there are limited spaces in the construction site, the managers have to find other storage from other people to store the materials until they are needed. So it will require the re-handling of materials and the costs of the project. Some of the requirements must take to handle and store the materials properly when they are received. Thus, special attention should be given to materials after they purchased from the supplier. According to Damodara (1999), there is obvious that materials can provide saving when it obtained at the lowest price to the company. In early construction industry, many construction companies experienced that the increase in costs and a decrease in productivity which due to inflation and economic problems. From the research of Stukhart(1995) we can concluded that early construction industry were not using their resources efficiently and that the decrease in productivity is due to poor management in the construction site and materials.(Stukhart, 1995). Material management has been the main issue of concern in the construction industry. By the research of Baldwin t. al (1994) that is more that 40% of the time lost due to bad management in construction site, poor documentation of materials, lack of materials on site when needed and inadequate storage. Therefore, the need for a proper material management system becomes mandatory. Many companies increased their efficiency of materials management to remain the competitive and protected for their future project. They try to reduced their overheads cost and improved their productivity strategies. The saving cost and improvement can run accordingly by materials management. The material available on site and management system is the main point to success a construction project. Better materials management will help to increase the efficiency in the operation in construction site and reduce the overall cost from the total cost of the project. Top management such as project manager, site manager or architect should pay more effort to materials management. This is because available of the materials will affect the successful from their project. When the material is shortages, the high interest rates should pay, rising prices of the materials and competition with other companies. There is a developing attentiveness in the construction industry that material management needs to be solved as an overall integrated administration activity. 2.2 Benefit of material management An effective material management system can bring many benefits for a company in construction industry. From the study of Construction Industry Institute (CII) we can concluded that labor productivity could be improved more than 6% and can produce 4-6% additional savings from the total cost (Bernold and Treseler, 1991). Among these benefits are: Reducing the overall costs of materials Better handling of materials Reduction in duplicated orders Materials will be on site when needed and in the quantities required Improvements in labor productivity Improvements in project schedule Quality control Better field material control Better relations with suppliers Reduce of materials surplus Reduce storage of materials on site Labor savings Stock reduction Purchase savings Better cash flow management 2.3 On-site Material Management Functions Chandler (1987) stated that, the function of site control of materials is to control their transports to the site in order to control the waste and ensure the material available on site in the right time. He also added that, materials control responsibilities can be separated into two areas of actions which is: Action Prior to Site Delivery This may include the following actions: Continuous check on order pending delivery or call for division dates Managing the change in the rate of work movement and evaluate its impact or materials Deliveries schedule to adjust delivery dates accordingly. Inform the supplier about delivery adjustments Discuss and settle with the supplier to adapt to the agreed schedule. Follow up the quantities and specification changes of the materials Chasing a major project in a reasonable period of time before supply assurance. Action after Site Delivery Concerned for materials receiving, checking and payment. These activities and actions provide an important means for controlling the waste of material, and make the right supplier to eliminating the addition cost paid. However, whatever the actions of materials management is running, they need a cooperative involvement of both parties such as head office and the site functions that are primary controlled under the action of site management: Materials Planning and expediting Materials receiving and inspection. Materials handling and distribution. Inventory and inventory control Materials handling and distribution Quality Assurance and Quality control Material Surplus disposal 2.4 Process of the material management There are few steps which can implement the material management to construction site which is planning, purchasing, logistics, handling, stock and waste control. Each process was state out its characteristic as important role for an effective materials management. Planning Materials planning include measuring, ordering and scheduling. It is emphasized that planning is a very important process to increase the productivity, profit, and assisting the time to complete the construction projects. The productivity of the construction project will be hanged if the material planning process is not implemented properly. Purchasing Purchase the materials and have the services from supplier to get the support of operations as the construction project from production to marketing, sales and logistics. For examples, a detailed material list and co-ordination of the purchasing and order of material are significant to assuring the material will available on construction site. Logistics Logistics is a concept that stresses movement of the materials and it involve planning, implementing, and controlling the movement and storage of all things from raw materials to the finished of the product to meet client requirements. During construction project, routing of the materials will affect the cost and time to complete the construction projects. Handling Handling of materials is the flow of the materials to the component that provides for their movement and location. Due to the rate of handling materials, there are some quality needs to be in considerations when designing a materials handling system. The selection of the materials handling equipment is important to enhance the production process, provide the effective operation of manpower, increase production and advance the system to be more flexible. Stock and Waste Control Stock control can categorize as a technique planned to be the cover and to ensure all materials or equipment are available when needed. Stock control include raw materials, processed materials, assembly components, consumable stores, general stores, maintenance materials and spares, work in progress and finished products. It is very important as the construction materials were delivery as requested and with the progression by the proper management of stock control. At the same time, construction activities will generate big amount of the waste and it will cause difficulty to the construction industry. However, with the planning of the material management which is effective will help to reduce the waste of material and increase the profit of the companies. 2.5 Challenging of Materials Management There are few categories that selected in Materials management: The specification and measurement of the materials; Where to locate and thus procurements progression when the instruction of stock is done dealings by the supplier; Transaction to site and inspection of the order as off-loading, and storing onsite; The executive and monetary process of payment; The usage of materials in production on the job site and waste remove production. Process of purchasing and supply of materials, the challenges often occurs when the materials is not equivalent as the ordering purchase, the skipped list out ordering materials, timing of materials arriving, quantities of materials, lack of training and adequate management, lack of Just In Time strategy, lack of communication and relation between contractor and supply chain companies are the main impediments. In construction site the challenging are obvious which are specifically as: Miscarriage to order stock on time which postponements the projects; Mistaken time delivering which interrupts the work schedule; The amount ordering more than the needs; Wrong materials or fault in track of materials leads double work; Scamp on materials from delivery into production; Double handling of materials because of inadequate material. The key to success of a construction management process is to be effective in construction. The main problems lead to ineffective are fault timing of materials received by the site or inadequate quality, improper information for materials arrival to the site stock, missing materials, unavailability of storage space, and waste of labour for materials searching on site. 3.0 Comment and evaluate the existing site layout relation to the positioning of the material on the construction site Timber Concrete batching plant Access Double Storey Terrace Semi-detached houses Temporary Road Materials Scaffold store Temporary building Waste materials Store Reinforcement Materials Store Figure 1: Existing Site Layout 3.1 Evaluation of Existing Site Layout (Figure 1) From the existing site layout plan, many material or place are located wrongly as below. Concrete batching plant is putting too far with the material which is cement and aggregate. It normally must put near to the build place because concrete batching plant is for mix the cement and aggregate to form the concrete. Therefore, if store it at a distance from site, it will take time to transfer the mix concrete to the building places. Waste material should not located at behind of the temporary building. This is because the temporary building used for project manager and others consultant to have meeting or discussion session and to make decision. If the waste materials located behind of it, the sound or odour will disturb the individual which is inside the temporary building. Store should have a check point to have record through the transferable of the materials and instrument of the store. Without the check point, the instrument will easy to be lost and hard to search for the needed. With the check point, it will be easier for the employee to have checking record of the material or instrument. Therefore, the contractor could save up some portable cost as when the needs to rebuy the new instrument or materials which are lost founded through the record in the statement. Entrance to the site or offices was too long as when the truck originates during working hours it will disturbs the labour performance as in their works. Security of the site does not be consider in the site plan, this mean the stolen easy to be happen without any security at the site Each store does not name it accordingly. So when the worker need find some instrument will take times. 4.0 Identify possible problem that may face by site manager relating the materials management on the site There are many problem faces by site manager relating to the materials management on the site which is: Limited space and cost There are limited spaces allowed on construction site for the location of the materials or store. In addition, budget for build the store and materials places is limited. Therefore, Site manager need to solve the problem according their experiences. Late or early delivery the material on site Materials does not delivery in right time will cause problem to site manager. If the materials delivery early, site manager need to arrange a place for put the materials. In another way, if late delivery materials to site, it will cause delay of the work as plan by site manager. Delivery wrong materials, wrong quality and wrong quantity If the materials delivery on site without any checked by site manager, when the materials is needs to be used only satisfy that the materials in the situation of wrong materials wrong quality and also wrong quantity, it will cause delay of the work and increase the cost of the projects. Theft or spoil when the material is needed. When the materials does not put or keep accordingly, it will cause theft or materials spoils happen. Therefore, the site manager needs to take extra cost to purchase the new materials or instruments. Waste material increase When the materials does not keeping in the safety place, the materials will be spoils then increase the waste materials. As example when the cement just located at site without any cover, when rain the cement will spoils. Poor site layout When the site layout does not plan accordingly, it will cause many trouble to the site manager and workers. For examples, the concrete batching plant located far from the site, it will take time for worker transfer the concrete to the site so it may cause delay of work as time table. 5.0 Proposed new site layout to improve the existing site layout Waste materials Reinforcement Timber Joint shop Temporary Road Aggregate Store Concrete batching plant Double Storey Terrace Semi-detached houses Security Check Access Car Park Temporary building Check Point Materials Materials Scaffold store Instrument Store Safety Equipment Store Figure 2: New Site Layout 5.1 Suggested Improved Layout (Figure 2) As a site manager, I will suggest the new site layout as shows in Figure 2 which is have some changes of the position from existing site layout plan and addition new locations, which is Concrete batching plant moves to the site and will have a temporary aggregate storage to put cement and aggregate. This will help to increase the work daily because the labour no need to move the concrete from far to the site. At the same time, when have the rain, the cement can just located at the aggregate stored without scared the cement will be damage. All storage should name according to the type of thing they put, therefore it wonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t be mixed up with other materials and easy to find out the equipment or instrument when needs. The storage from new site layout all already named accordingly such as aggregate storage, instrument storage and safety equipment storage. Aggregate storage is just for temporary for putting the cement, piles and aggregate. Instrument storage is for putting machine and instrument. Safety equipment storage is for putting some safety equipment such as signboard, helmet, safe boots and others. Reinforcement and timber can be located together besides of the joint shop. Therefore, the labour can easy take out timber and reinforcement to do the joint without carry from far places. It helps to save time and increase the daily work. Addition a car park for parking. Therefore, the labour can park their car in safety places without any extra fee and will perform will when work because no need scare the summons when parking outside. Addition a security check in the main entrance. It is necessary to have a proper guard in the entrance to keep track of all visitors to the project. Therefore, the safety of the internal site and the materials will be protected. Addition a check point as the guard for material, instrument, safety equipment and scaffold. The main duty of the check point is received and checks the materials according to quality and quantity which order by the site managers. In addition, it also helps to record and distribute the materials or instrument according to the needs of the site. 6.0 Suggestion/recommendation that will give strong impact on the material management process in the future based on the case study The suggestion that will give strong impact on the material management process is the top management of contracting companies should encourage their development using materials management systems in their construction project. They can make some reward for their employee to attend training courses of construction materials management. So they can save more effort and time to achieve more exact results. Besides, the site manager should arrange the waste materials accordingly by recycles and without recycles. For examples, some waste materials from reinforcement can recycle. Therefore the site manager should correct it at a place and sell the recycle factory. This method can help site manager to cover back some cost even is less but at the same time will decrease the waste materials from construction. In additions, concept of Just In Time (JIT) should apply in materials management. The JIT idea originates from the manufacturing sector. It helps to smoother the manufacture process through the efficient management of materials such as providing the right materials with right quantities and quality, just in time for production in manufacturing sector. By applying the concept of JIT, it can help to improve the movement of materials from the suppliers to the construction site. With the JIT management system, the materials maybe delivered to site according schedule or just the day before. Health and safety should be provides according to the health and safety handbook. Even it is costly to provide that safety equipment but it is very importance to the worker determined their safety. So that when they are working, the accident can be secured accordingly. In addition a successful construction project is having the zero accident in construction site. So the health and safety is very important in construction site. The temporary facilities should provide accordingly to the project. The project manager should select the temporary facilities some as offices, canteen, and rest room for worker and other. It should estimate the size according to the site space and the needed of the people. In addition, a proper management of temporary facilities will increase the productivity in construction site. 7.0 Conclusion In conclusion, material management is the main key for success a construction project. This is because the cost of materials is represented more than 60% or above cost from the total cost of project. Therefore, with the effective management of the materials, the company can save more than 6% or above of the cost from a project. Therefore, the materials management method must apply in construction site to guide the materials. With the proper arrangement of the materials will help contractor minimum the cost and maximum their profits. Besides, the proper site plan is very important to the construction site. The location of the materials, storage and other temporary facilities should located according the efficient of the construction work. This will help the employee complete their work as schedule by the site manager without any addition of unnecessary work. When the productivity is high, the project cans completion of the time given by the client or early from the completion date. In addition, the top management should give their employee attending the course regarding materials management. This will helps them arrange the materials accordingly to increase their future project and arrange the site layout according to the needs of construction project. Health and safety also is a part of importance in construction site to provide zero accident. It should follow according to hand book of health and safety. This is because the construction site is the risky site, when the health and safety can be determined on site; the worker will feel secured and confident to perform their work as well as possible. Successful management of construction resources has to be based on updated information and processed utilizing a well-designed construction resources management system.

Individual Scholarly Paper of the Coat of Arms

Individual Scholarly Paper of the Coat of Arms The purpose of this paper is to discuss the qualities chosen in our groups Coat of Arms assignment and why these qualities represent Nursing. Knowledge, communication, critical thinking, caring, advocacy, and leadership are the qualities being chosen in the Coat of Arms assignment. The components and symbols of the Coat of Arms will also be explained at the final part of this paper First of all, knowledge is the essential building block of the art of nursing. Knowledge helps a nurse think critically and make decisions during their practice. There are two types of knowledge: empirical and particular knowledge. A nurse acquires empirical knowledge at school which includes knowledge of anatomy, physiology, path physiology, and epidemiology. Empirical knowledge can be applied directly to patients. Particular knowledge is unique to each patient situation. For example, if a patient has kidney failure, according to empirical knowledge a nurse would suggest the patient have a kidney transplant. On the other side, the nurse understands the patients religion makes the patient reluctant to have any organs transplantation, therefore the nurse would establish different nursing interventions for the patient. Through lifelong learning, a nurse will be able to acquire more nursing knowledge and this will help them excel in their practice (Cooper,2001). Communication is another important quality of nursing. It is important that a nurse use communication skills to establish a therapeutic relationship with his or her patients. Through actively listening and inquiry a nurse can find out clients needs and identify goals. The nurse then must communicate that information back to her patient and begin establishing realistic expectations of recovery. Nurses also work with many other coworkers so effective communication is key to maintaining an effective health care team (Potter Perry, 2009). Critical thinking emphasizes the use of logic and reasoning to make decisions. This is an important quality in nursing because during the care of patients, nurses are constantly making decisions that affect patient well being.(Forneris  1  Ã‚  McAlpine, 2009) For instance, Mrs. Smith, a 50 year old woman comes to see a nurse with a swollen right knee. The nurse has to thinking critically to find the cause of Mrs. Smiths injured knee. The nurse will ask questions related to Mrs. Smiths previous health problems to determine what led to the injured knee, and for her to rank the pain from 0 to 10. After Mrs. Smith responds, the nurse has to analyze the data and might explain to Mrs. Smith that she may apply some ointment to help with the pain along with doing endurance exercises. Two weeks later, Mrs. Smith is asked to come back to see if the exercise and ointment helped. Critical thinking helps nurses identify patients unique problems and assist nurses with planning for a special nu rsing intervention for the patient and evaluate if the treatment given to clients have been effective. Caring is important for nursing because caring behavior shown by a nurse can make patients optimistic and speed up their healing process. Caring behavior also shows that nurses have a connection with the patient and makes the patient feel that he is not alone. By having a nurse using knowledge tailored to care for them, patients can gain a sense of comfort. Moreover, according to Watson, a caring relationship and caring environment can promote human dignity and integrity, empower patients self awareness and self knowledge which will affect healing positively (Watson, 2005). In the health care system, patients are vulnerable because their physical condition is less than optimal and they do not have the knowledge that health care professionals have regarding the treatment they receive. This creates an unequal power between the health care system and the patient. Therefore it is nurses obligation to be an advocate for their patients needs and speak out for the patient for the most ideal intervention, especially where there is a dispute among the health care team (Steefel,2008). Leadership is important to nursing because it is a quality that ensures and promotes the best nursing care to the general public. When a nurse finds an inappropriate situation in the health care system which could cause harm to the public, a nurse with leadership characteristics would step out and actively solve the problem in order to protect the public interest. A nurse with leadership qualities can also demonstrate and educate other new nurses about nursing integrity and professionalism. A nurse leader can work in the health care unit and use her knowledge to direct other health care members to solve conflicts within the health care system, ensuring that the public can enjoy better health care service (CNO,2002). The six symbols in our groups coat of arm are puzzle pieces, a torch, a sheep skin scroll, a heart with hands of different race , a book with key, and a balance. All the symbols are sitting on an aqua coloured shield. There is a pink shell with four pearls at the apex of the shield. In the middle of the shield is a hexagon combined with two triangles connecting all six symbols on the coat of arms. There are also two brown wooden ladders on each side of the shield. Puzzle pieces are a symbol of critical thinking. It is because a person has to think carefully to put all the puzzle pieces together. It is just like how nurses think critically to put all the pieces of patient information together and analyze them in order to provide appropriate care to the patient. The torch symbolizes leadership. The person who holds the torch takes initiative to walk in front of the crowd and uses the light to guide the followers. The scroll is a symbol of communication since in the ancient times, Kings communicated over long distances by writing messages on a scroll and sending it to his officials. A heart with hands of different races symbolizes caring, as nurses care for others including patients and their family members, regardless of their background and race. The book with key symbolizes knowledge. The key helps people open the doors of knowledge. The balance is a symbol of advocacy because nurses have to be an advocate for their clients and to help balance the power between vulnerable patients and health care professionals. The ladders symbolize Benners five stages of skill acquisition a nurse will undergo, from novice to expert. In conclusion, my understanding of nursing has changed by become more rounded since fall. Before I thought nursing simply means to take care of the problem affecting patients, but now I understand that nurses take care of the patients overall well being. Doing so properly requires all of the skills described in this essay.