sayings of jesus :: essays research papers

THE HARD SAYINGS OF JESUS  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   CHAPTERS 1-20   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As a Christian and a bible student there is on greater subject than Jesus. No other person has effected history more than Jesus; some say he was a prophet, some say he was a great teacher, and others just think he was crazy. But, to those of us who know him to be the Son of God it is very important to understand his teachings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout Jesus ministry on earth he made a number of statements that went misunderstood both then and now. However it is important as followers of Christ to understand the teachings of his ministry. The author of this book starts off with one of Jesus’ toughest sayings. The saying is found in John 6:53 were he says that, â€Å"unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.† To an orthodox Jew this comes off as pure heresy. The Law of Moses forbids cannibalism and drinking blood. However the writer explains this statement as a gradual revelation of who He was. The writer, F.F. Bruce started with the feeding of the 5,000 on (pg 21) and the walking on the water, then in a teaching in the synagogue about manna (Exodus 16:13-36 or Numbers11: 4-9). The story of the woman at the well, also pointed to the fact that Jesus was the Bread of Life and the Living water.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another saying of Jesus that proved his power and authority on earth to forgive sins found in Mark 2:10, â€Å"The Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins.† This saying of Jesus occurred before the healing of the paralytic. He was lowered in to the house were Jesus was at by his four friends. The reason the author gave for this being a hard saying is that only a spokesmen of God could say that god has forgiven their sins and they did not see Jesus as such authority.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I have noticed in Jesus ministry that he was often more strict than the Law; for example in Matthew chapter five Jesus makes a series of statements that start with, â€Å"For you have heard it was said ______ but I say______.† Jesus addresses the subjects of murder, adultery, divorce, oaths, and retaliation or vengeance. It is in these dialogs that it is painfully obvious that the Sadducees did not understand the law.

Communications & Crisis Essay

The Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) has begun to receive official reports stating that the public water supplies of several towns in the South East Texas (SET) area have become contaminated with life-threatening biological agents. As director of this office, it is my responsibility to address contingency plans within the organization and the public; without creating panic. Areas of focus will include external and internal communication channels, communication advantages and challenges, communication strategies, applicable technology, technology utilization, and media opportunities. Successful management of the situation requires the establishment of teams and communication channels. Organization teams include a state relations team, district relations, media relations, and a crisis communications team (CCT). State, district, and media relations will communicate with CCT acting as coordinator. As the director of TDEM, I will be in charge of the CCT and oversee all organization operations. The state relations team till will be in charge of communications with the Texas Department of Health, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Texas Emergency Management Council (TEMC), and other government officials. According to Texas law, mayors and county judges serve as emergency management directors, bearing the responsibility for maintaining an emergency management program within their respective jurisdictions (TDEM, 2014). This will help with local emergency coordination’s. The district relations team will engage with local authorities to organize emergency response operations. The media relations team will communicate with local and online media sources and keep them informed of the issue. Our organizations communication channels can instantly connect with multiple organizations at once. This gives our organization a major advantage. We have the ability to spread and collect information quickly and on a grand scale. Information needs to be disseminated as fast and efficiently as  possible. The challenges associated with communications is the coordination of all efforts. According to Athena du Pre, lack of communication can lead to duplicated efforts, costly (and sometimes life-threatening) delays, frustration, and wasted time (Du Pre, A., 2003). During crisis events delays and wasted time can cost lives. This means that our team must keep in constant communication with other organizations to prevent overlapping efforts. Crisis communication is an ongoing process. Having a crisis communication plan is important so that more time can be spent acting and less time be spent making decisions. Examining the communication process of other crisis events can be a useful way to identify successful strategies. In 1979, the Three Mile Island reactor malfunctioned. The major form of communication used to report the event at the time were televisions and radios. Access to information was limited and local television and radio station bore the bulk of public inquiries. Organization communications had to be accomplished via telephones or face-to-face. Public communications were also limited to telephones and face-to-face. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina ravaged the city of New Orleans and left a large portion of it underwater. The major forms of communication during this event included television, radio, and the internet. With this event the internet provided quick connection and communication with multiple entities. Information could also be transferred on faste r and larger scale. However, with this particular event a large portion of the public had to go without electricity for an extended period of time. Without electricity television, radios, and the internet cannot be operated. Smartphones existed at the time, but were not as abundant. Those with smartphones and cell phones had a small window for communications after the loss of electricity. Unfortunately, these devices require recharging and are useless after so many hours. Examination of these scenarios provide proof of the importance of information access during times of crisis. In 1979, their limited resources increased the levels of public concern. In 2005, their lack of resources reduced the number of communication channels. Many people were left clueless and helpless. I believe that a good way of utilizing this knowledge is to prepare for similar situations. Publishing emergency information to the public on a wide variety of channels means more access to information, less confusion, and better coord ination of efforts. Fortunate for us, the current  scenario is not a threat to public electrical systems. However, we should be prepared for interruptions or breakdowns amongst communication channels. Each team should have contingencies in place, in case one or more resources is lost. These contingencies should include backup agencies, officials, and media sources. Teams should also have contingencies in place incase internal communications are interrupted or broken-down. Organization teams should allocate responsibilities between different members. If something happens to a team member, their responsibilities should either be divide up amongst all other team members or given to a single member. This largely depends on the size of responsibility and number of available team members. If an entire team becomes unavailable, then that teams responsibilities will be divided by the CCT and distributed amongst the remaining teams. Public contingency plans must also be addressed. In this scenario there are effectively two distinct immediate dangers. Lack of public knowledge leading to exposure, and difficulties decontaminating the public water supplies. In regards to public knowledge, it’s important that information be disseminated not only through technological communication channels, but through ground communication channels as well. Public and municipal service employees of all types should be called upon to spread the word throughout the public. The more entities that can be informed via employer to employee, the better. In regards to decontamination, the public should be fully aware that government agencies are working around the clock to solve the issue. Government entities should also offer access to alternative water supplies. During times of hurricanes, many agencies and charitable services hand out bottled water from multiple locations in their respective cities. This strategy should be utilized with the current scenario. If necessary, these services should be offered for as long as they are needed. As indicated in the previous scenarios, technology and the spread of the information go hand in hand. With the addition of the internet and digital communications, the communication process has become much more versatile. Social media often provides as a communications network for the public. Social media users can connect with other users and members of the public to share information and coordinate efforts. In today’s world many people have smartphones that are capable of internet access. These devices provide people with the ability to  access information no matter where they are. The downside to this technology is the requirement of data access. Times of crisis can overwhelm internet infrastructure, making communications slow or impossible. Short messaging services (SMS)’s are a good way of combating this effect. The benefit of SMS’s is that they operates on the mobile carrier signal rather than the connection used for mobile voice and data, allowing messages to be delivered and received on mobile devices even when the networks are too congested to make voice calls (Anonymous, 2014). Emergency alerts are also able to be broadcasted this way. Those with smartphones can be sent instant notifications; keeping them updated with current information. These systems can be used to inform a large number of people all at the same time. Compared to previous crisis scenarios, it’s possible that some technologies could be used differently. With the expansion of available communication channels, reliance on some technologies may not be as abundant as it once was. Television and radios no longer bare the sole burden of emergency broadcast communications. This can free up the efforts of local news and radio stations. Fewer public inquires to contend with, increases the overall resources of the stations. People will still call the stations for information, but the number will be significantly lower than it was in previous scenarios. In some cases television and radio may not even be utilized. Advancement in technologies has allowed the home computer to become the central h ub for information in some homes, and amongst many college students. Computers can be used for watching television and listening to radio programming. This technology increases the need for broadcasting emergency information over internet channels. Media opportunities of this management crisis include redundancy broadcast. According to a study from the University of Texas, redundancy is often necessary to overcome the noise in people’s lives because it reveals that people’s urgency perception increased after receiving three messages (Stephens, K., Barrett, A., & Mahometa, M., 2013). Having the media broadcast continual information will help increase the urgency perception of the public. The more people that are made aware, the less potential there is for casualties. Social media could also be used as a way to broadcast emergency information to different groups. Sites like Facebook and Twitter, can be used to spread information. Users connected or â€Å"subscribed† to  different groups receive notifications from those groups. This allows for information to be spread quickly across a major network. Often groups will be connected to other groups. When one group learns of the emergency they can then share the information with another group, and so on. Crisis management is an urgent matter that must be handled swiftly and efficiently. Planning and communications are vital for coordinating efforts. To protect the public, organization and communication strategies and contingencies must be in place. Communication channels must be established and their advantages and challenges should be known. Applicable technologies and their utilizations should be identified. Media opportunities should also be known so that appropriate communication channels can be utilized as a means of keeping the public informed. References Anonymous. (2014). Dynmark International: SMS is most effective communication channel during emergency. (2010). Wireless News, Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/750383013?accountid=458 Du Pre, A. (2003). Communicating About Health (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw Hill HIPAA compliance. Corrections Forum, 12(1), 15-16. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/214412170?accountid=458 Seeger, M. W. (2006). Best Practices in Crisis Communication: An Expert Panel Process. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 34(3), 232-244. doi:10.1080/00909880600769944 Stephens, K., Barrett, A., & Mahometa, M. (2013). Organizational Communication in Emergencies: Using Multiple Channels and Sources to Combat Noise and Capture Attention. Human Communication Research, 39(2), 230-251. doi:10.1111/hcre.12002 Texas Department of Emergency Management (TDEM). (2014). Retrieved from http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem/ he Fiscal Year of 214.

The Light-dark Metaphor in Heart of Darkness, by Joseph...

Throughout his narrative in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness, Charlie Marlow characterizes events, ideas, and locations that he encounters in terms of light or darkness. Embedded in Marlows parlance is an ongoing metaphor equating light with knowledge and civility and darkness with mystery and savagery. When he begins his narrative, Marlow equates light and, therefore, civility, with reality, believing it to be a tangible expression of mans natural state. Similarly, Marlow uses darkness to depict savagery as a vice having absconded with nature. But as he proceeds deeper into the heart of the African jungle and begins to understand savagery as a primitive form of civilization and, therefore, a reflection on his own reality,†¦show more content†¦In a word, Marlows delineation of the British imperialists implies that he understands civilization to be logical and rational, while he understands primitive social organizations to be backward and crude. As Marlow proceeds deeper into the heart of the African jungle and begins to understand savagery as a primitive form of civilization and, therefore, a reflection on his own reality, the light-dark metaphor shifts. For example, when Marlow goes wandering in the jungle, he has contrasting experiences in the sunshine and in the shade that are ironic in light of the established metaphor. Contemplating the colonialists in the jungle, he remarks: Ive seen the devil of violence, and the devil of greed, and the devil of hot desire; but, by all the stars! These were strong, lusty, red-eyed devils, that swayed and drove men - men, I tell you. But as I stood on the hillside, I foresaw that in the blinding sunshine of that land I would become acquainted with a flabby, pretending, weak-eyed devil of a rapacious and pitiless folly. How insidious he could be, too, I was only to find out several months later. That the blazing sunlight would proffer to Marlow the realization that the civilized colonialists were littleShow MoreRelated The Metaphors of Conrads Heart of Darkness Essay1417 Words   |  6 PagesThe Metaphors of Heart of Darkness      Ã‚  Ã‚   Within the text of Heart of Darkness, the reader is presented with many metaphors. Those that recur, and are most arresting and notable, are light and dark, nature and Kurtz and Marlow. The repeated use of light and dark imagery represents civilization and primitiveness, and of course the eternal meaning of good and evil. However, the more in depth the reader goes the more complex it becomes. Complex also are the meanings behind the metaphors of natureRead MoreThe Heart Of Darkness By Joseph Conrad1166 Words   |  5 Pages 1 Dr. Olumide Ogundipe ENGL 103-X04 7 Dec 2016in The Use of Darkness in Heart of Darkness Everyone claims to be equal, and nowadays people are working hard to create equality regardless gender and race. Meanwhile, race and ethnicity become one of the most popular topics of modern literature. The Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad depicts a story of colonization took place in the Belgian Congo through Marlow’s perspective. In this book, the authorRead MoreAnalysis Of Joseph Conrad s Heart Of Darkness 1795 Words   |  8 PagesHeart of Darkness: A Contradictory Metaphorical and Symbolistic Novella by Joseph Conrad Figurative language is the use of words or expressions in a piece of literature that are not mean to be taken literally by the reader. This tool in literature is used to convey a message in an obscure way, many times leaving the true meaning up to interpretation. Examples of figurative language are symbolism and metaphor. However, there are many more methods an author can use to convey a non-literal meaningRead More The Role of Women in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness Essay969 Words   |  4 PagesThe Role of Women in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness Women have taken an increasingly important role in literature. Only recently have authors portrayed women in a dominant, protagonistic light. Sophocles and other classical writers portrayed women more as reactors than heroines. Since the ancient Greeks, however, a trend has been established that gives women characters much more substance and purpose. A definite shift from the antediluvian ways can be seen, and the overall complexityRead MoreImagery, Symbolism and Motif in Heart of Darkness1053 Words   |  5 PagesIn this extract taken from the Novella, Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad explores many elements. Conrad uses a framing narrative; Marlow’s narrative is framed by another narrative, in which the reader listens to Marlow’s story told through one of those listening. The narrator remains unnamed as do the other listeners. The narration is told in the first-person plural, letting the reader know what each of the four listeners are thinking and feeling. It cou ld be interpreted that the anonymity of theRead MoreSymbolism In Joseph Conrads Heart Of Darkness805 Words   |  4 PagesJoseph Conrad’s novella, Heart of Darkness, contains many symbols that connect to themes within it. Heart of Darkness incorporates the symbols of light and dark to develop the idea that society and characters, like Kurtz, contribute to the darkness of their society. Conrad’s different observations of the effect that nature can have on the characters and society within the novel, primarily focus on how something light and desirable can prove to bring out the ugliest aspects of humanity or cause significantRead MoreThe Journey In â€Å"Heart Of Darkness† Spans Not Only The Capricious1222 Words   |  5 PagesThe journey in â€Å"Heart of Darkness† spans not only the capricious waters extending our physical world, but also the perplexing ocean which exists in the heart of man. Through Marlow s somewhat overenthusiastic eyes, we perceive the mystery that is humanity, and the blurred line between darkness and light. It is an expedition into the deepest crevices of the human heart and mind bringing on an awareness, and finally descending into the abyss of hell abiding in each of us. Conrad’s use of wordplayRead MoreEssay on Heart of Darkness1208 Words   |  5 PagesJoseph Conrads The Heart of Darkness is a dark and haunting tale about the search for a substantial and mysteriously powerful man named Mr. Kurtz. Heart of Darkness centers around Marlow, a sailor and also narrator of the novella. Throughout the work, Conrad uses an array of literary devices to suggest his style of writing. The title of the work itself, The Heart of Darkness, is an example of the use of metaphor. Darkness is a significant part of the books title conceptually. However, it isRead More lighthod Light and Dark in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness2308 Words   |  10 PagesLight and Dark in Heart of Darkness      Ã‚  Ã‚     Joseph Conrads repeated use of darkness in his novel Heart of Darkness has been widely interpreted. Readers have arrived at many different conclusions about the use of darkness throughout the novel. The critics themselves cannot agree what the darkness means.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The critics draw different conclusions about the use of darkness. For some critics, the use of darkness is seen as an intentional literary device. For example, Gary Adelman and MichaelRead More Transformation in Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now Essay1685 Words   |  7 PagesTransformation in Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Since Francis Ford Coppola’s   Apocalypse Now was based on Joseph Conrads novel, Heart of Darkness, it is possible to draw many parallels between the two works. Both can be interpreted as metaphors for a journey through the inner self, and each has its own particular message to convey. In many ways they also appear to have similarities to Arthurian Legend, in particular the quest for the holy grail, and other allegorical journey

Social Media And Its Effect On Society - 1711 Words

Addiction, profit and influence usually are not the first words you would expect to come to mind when thinking about the term â€Å"social media,† yet with a little digging you will soon realize it could be the perfect description. Social media can be defined as forms of electronic communication through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages and other content. Most often social media is understood as a positive concept because of the ways it has allowed us to attain cheap and easily accessible knowledge at the end of our fingertips. For example, take the average college student who would rather spend their last $20 at the bar you can conclude that there are superior consequences to abusing too much of a good thing; using social media has its own set of superior consequences. It is a very ironic but true fact that the number one use of social media and the problems it has caused are both driven by the same basic factors of supply and demand. Although social media only increased in popularity in the last few decades, it has been around for quite some time. The negative effects of social media on society can be revealed through understanding the origins of social media and how it has developed overtime into the ways its used today. The practice of social media in today’s society has exposed major concerns about the increased usage of pornography and acts as a major catalyst for other problems occurring within the U.S. Quick History ofShow MoreRelatedSocial Media And Its Effects On Society1597 Words   |  7 PagesSociety Crumbles into Smithereens One Post at a Time You are walking out of the new Star Wars movie, posting about how superb it was, when suddenly you are swooped up and thrown in the back of a vehicle. No one would have thought posting about how you were there earlier would provoke such a situation. After all, social networking is â€Å"safe† and â€Å"friendly.† Now, social media is defined as â€Å"A form of electric communication through which users create online communities to share information,† accordingRead MoreThe Effects Of Social Media On Society1359 Words   |  6 PagesIn a broad sense, Social media refers to elements such as websites, television, blogs, IM, and other applications that enable users to create and share various forms of content such as messages, pictures, and information, or to be able to participate in social networking. Social media depends on web-based applications, which allow a high level of virtual interaction on various levels such as social, professional, and educational level s. Social media has had various contributions to the developmentRead MoreSocial Media And Its Effects On Society1592 Words   |  7 Pagesdevelopment of vast social media networks has improved our communications and interactions. These networks, such as Facebook and Twitter, are essential to how information is shared and criticized. The Social Media Handbook defines social media as â€Å"networked information services designed to support in-depth interaction, community formation, collaborative opportunities and collaborative work† (Hunsinger, 2014 p.1). Having an account or profile on these sites is more than a social norm; it is a requirementRead MoreSocial Media And Its Effects On Society1359 Words   |  6 PagesPeople may say social media is good for you but is it really? Everyday, everywhere I always see people on social media calling people bad names, not being able to communicate face to face with each other. Social media, social media, social media†¦ oh what is has done to the world, so many students grades have dropped, criminals PROMOTE crimes. Ultimately, what is at stake here is social media will one day take over the world. People’s safety will be in danger, crimes will increase, people will getRead MoreSocial Media And Its Effect On Society1601 Words   |  7 Pagesrecent editorial titled â€Å"Hazards of Social Media† on your LinkedIn page on February 10th, 2016. It was very interesting to read your perspective on social media and its effect on society. Having an undergraduate major in Psychology at the University of Southern California and currently conducting research on social media usage at the Brain and Creativity Institute of USC, I have spent significant time researching the issue of social media.Though I agree that social media can be hazardous if not used effectivelyRead MoreSocial Media And Its Effect On Society998 Words   |  4 Pagesis bound to be a shift in social norms. As the times change, so does societ al views on acceptable values. One such possibility is the standard value accepted by mainstream society in which the way a female body is sexually portrayed in the media. It appears that society has not only accepted this standard, but has increasingly encouraged a more sexualized representation of the female body. Social media is an informational highway about what is accepted by the larger society and inferred by the individualsRead MoreThe Effects Of Social Media On Society Essay1644 Words   |  7 PagesSocial media has become prominent parts of life for many young people today. Most people engage with social media without stopping to think what the effects are on our lives, whether positive or negative. Are we as a society becoming more concerned with Facebook friends than we are with the people we interact with face-to-face in our daily lives? What will the longterm effects of today s social media use be? There are many positive aspects, but there are equally as many dangers that come withRead MoreSocial Media And Its Effect On Society1151 Words   |  5 PagesSocial Media The Workplaces’ Largest Enemy Being employed means that an individual will in most cases have coworkers and bosses; the environment shared between the employees is known as the workplace. In the time before technology, people being fired from their jobs was not an unheard of situation. The difference now is people are being terminated from their jobs because of something they posted on social media. If this was not the case, it would set a precedent that posting inappropriate or hurtfulRead MoreSocial Media And Its Effects On Society Essay1396 Words   |  6 PagesIn our modern world, the use of social media is overwhelming and second nature due to the availability. Several people all around the world possess some form of an electronic device that is capable of accessing social media, rather it be Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, and many more. â€Å"Technology’s rampant popularization over the past decade in terms of social media has meant that texting, Facebook, and Twitter have inevitable take n over as the most efficient ways of communicating with eachRead MoreSocial Media And Its Effects On Society1703 Words   |  7 PagesStrangely, being on social media for several hours daily is regarded as normal. Although social media use would be classified as a mainstream activity, that does not make common behavior the correct behavior. â€Å"Behaviors[sic] such as attempting to attract more followers about your life.† (Fishwick, 2016). Users today are more willing to participate in activities such as cyberbullying, or activities that could potentially harm others or themselves mentally or physically. Getting praise and compliments

Environmental Problems Caused By Overpopulation And...

â€Å"The power of population is indefinitely greater than the power in the earth to produce subsistence for man† (Malthus). Environmental problems are a huge problem in today’s world. Why are these problem’s happening and what are we facing? Like any other animal, the human population plays a big role in the environment’s sustainability. Due to the alarming increase in population every year, we our in the beginning of what many call the sixth extinction. Human population is the root to many environmental problems and as these problems continue to get worse, our species and planet are in danger of extinction. As things like pollution, deforestation, beef production, and resource depletion increases, the world is in danger of being destroyed due to overpopulation and climate change. With the human population growing, the demand for fossil fuels goes up. These fossil fuels trap warm air in the atmosphere and increase the global surface temperature. As the ab ility to use fossil fuels grow, the population in these areas grow, which in return causes for a bigger increase in the amount of fossil fuels used and continues to cycle back and forth. When researching how the population affects global warming, a study from 2009 revealed that â€Å"the carbon legacy of just one child can produce 20 times more greenhouse gas than a person will save by driving a high-mileage car, recycling, using energy-efficient appliances and light bulbs, etc. Each child born in the United States will add aboutShow MoreRelatedCauses And Effects Of Overpopulation1073 Words   |  5 PagesWhat are the effects of overpopulation? Overpopulation is an undesirable condition where the number of existing people on earth exceeds the carrying capacity of the earth. However, overpopulation has not always been a problem. At the dawn of agriculture, 8000 B.C., the population was approximately 5 million. 8000 years later, 1 A.D., the number of people existing on earth was between 200-300 million. That’s a growth rate under 0,05% per year. A tremendous change occurred with the industrial revolutionRead MoreOverpopulation Pressures Our Natural Resources and Environment743 Words   |  3 Pagesconcerns of population are not limited to environmental degradation such as losses of biodiversity, soil depletion, and toxic rivers and oceans. It goes further through the risks it imposes of â€Å"epidemics, resource war, terrorism, and deaths from violent climatic events† (Ehrlich and Ehrlich 2012). Malthus argued that, people growth respond to wage or income that correlate negatively with the size of population (L ee 2011). On the other hand, climate change correlates positively with increase populationRead MoreOverpopulation Is a Growing Problem Essay1424 Words   |  6 PagesOverpopulation is a growing problem all over the world. This is a very important environmental issue and needs to be dealt with. This environmental problem is affecting many countries in the world, but mostly the poor and impoverished countries that don’t have the resources to help deal with these issues. It also affects the environment like plants animal life and air quality. When the population of people expands we need more natural resources from the environment, so we consume more then we canRead MoreThe Effects Of Overpopulation On The Environment1400 Words   |  6 Pagespopulations are multiplying globally. Overpopulation is a major issue, affecting both the earth and it’s inhabitants. The exponential rise of the human race directly affects the exponential downfall of the environment it rises over . Water is becoming polluted and scarce, land is shrinking, and extensive use of fuel is contaminating the atmosphere. Deforestation and global climate change are causing a downfall in biodiversity around the world. One can argue that overpopulation is the cause of all these phenomenaRead MoreThe Problem Of Human Overpopulation1122 Words   |  5 PagesHuman overpopulation is mostly the most urgent environmental issues, the forces behind global warming , environmental pollution, habitat loss, the sixth mass extinction, intensive farming practices and the consumption of finite natural resources, such as fresh water, land and fossil fuels, at speeds faster than their rate of regeneration. however, ecological issues are just the beginning . Overpopulation is the state where the human population rises to an extent completing the carrying size of theRead MoreOverpopulation And Its Effects On The Environment1428 Words   |  6 PagesOverpopulation is often Times argued as one of the most severe, if not the most severe, environmental problem. This past year world population exceeded 7.3 billion and continues to grow at an alarming rate. By the year 2050 it is projected that world population will exceed over nine billion. Overpopulation puts a serious strain on the world and its resources and is a root cause of many environmental issues. Issues such as, climate change, diminishing biodiversity, and pollution, are all just someRead More The Damaging Impact of Overpopulation on the Environment Essay904 Words   |  4 PagesThe Damaging Impact of Overpopulation on the Environment 6.5 billion†¦This is not a whole lot of bacteria, but when it comes to humans, it is a very formidable number. The human population has been increasing at an extremely high rate in the last century and unfortunately, not much has been done to slow down this process. Undoubtedly, overpopulation is a global issue. It is global because it pertains to all of humanity, but global also means that it affects the whole world, i.e. the environmentRead MoreThe Effects Of Our Lack Of Sustainability Of Earth On Children1251 Words   |  6 PagesThe sustainability of the current environment is something that is important to the future generations of the world. The Earth is in a constant state of change and the inhabitants of Earth are called to make decisions on how to maintain a stable and healthy environment for future generations. The biggest contributor to the negative effect on the Earth is pollution. Pollution has not only put a physical burden on the environment, but it has altered t he way that we think about living here. ThousandsRead MoreWhy Overpopulation Is The Problem1586 Words   |  7 Pagesarticle â€Å"Mega Crisis? Overpopulation is the Problem† describes the possibility of a global mega-crisis, a â€Å"perfect storm† of political, economic, and environmental instability resulting from overpopulation and leading to the extinction of mankind (Kuo, 23). The purpose of Kuo’s article is to stress the fact that overpopulation has been over looked as the source of many of the problems afflicting the world today, including climate change, food and water scarcity, environmental degradation, as wellRead MoreOverpopulation And The Problem Of Overpopulation1747 Words   |  7 PagesOverpopulation Programs There are many organizations that deal with the problem of overpopulation or problems related to the effects of overpopulation such as environmental effects. Some of the organizations that I found related to this topic are the United Nations Population Fund, a group called Population Matters, another group called the World Population Balance and the Center for Biological Diversity. All of these groups deal with the issue of overpopulation and the effects that overpopulation

Security and Risk Management

Questions: 1.Introduction to the Case? 2.What kind of Problems Bank was facing before Information/Cyber Security? 3.Discuss the likelihood of the threats; the bank may face due to the Old System? 4.What are the Risk Imposed to the bank and what are the reasons? 5.What are the Steps taken by the bank to Implement Information/Cyber Security? 6.How the bank decided to Maintain the Information/Cyber Security in the coming years? 7.What are Information/Cyber Security Policies/Technologies the bank Implemented? 8.What are the Risk Factors Identified by the Bank? 9.What Risk Model is suitable to the bank management to avoid any Data Breach? 10.Write a Summary of the Case in your own words explaining the advantages of Implementing Information/cyber Security in the Bank. Answers: 1.Introduction to the case The financial institutions are the major target of the criminals affecting the cyber security of the organization. The cyber or internet security is an integral part of all types of business and the complexities arise with the small staff capacity and the resources, which are limited. The public has a belief that the small businesses do not have the necessary infrastructure and labor to put a cyber security like the larger business groups. Thus, the perceptions of the public have created an urgent situation for the community banks to become competitive and find solutions for maintaining the standards of the cyber landscape. There must be wisdom of convention, which would give the larger organizations, a capability to create a team of specialists in the security and updating of the information. There must be traps, which can help the decline of the cyber attacks and increasing the safety and security of the data of the organizations, whether small or large. The major drawback for the community banks are that they lack the possession of the experience and expertise needed for the efficient decision making process. They are not capable of safeguarding their data and information, which is a major problem for the achievement of the required results. The case study is related to the Smalltown Community Bank, which had come to an existence in the late 1800s. The bank had been successful in achieving their desired goals and aims with the consistency in the growth and profits for the past 22 years. The bank had an environment which contained a conservative and risk averse culture. There was a lack of understanding between the vendors and also the technologies and equipments used by the organization. Hence, the steps are taken by the community bank to manage the risks present in the organization and improve the decision making process. 2.The bank had no true strategy or knowledge about the IT or technologies for both hardware and software. Up until the implementation of the information or cyber security, there was no specific system or process i.e. there was an ad-hoc processing system for the security. The above system leads to a creation of an environment, which consisted of poor technologies and processes in the organization. The manual inputs and labor process was full of risks, errors and inconsistent behaviors. The community bank has multiple systems, which require inputs and processes majorly prone to errors and frauds. The bank had been relying on its own software and their vendors and contractors for the implementation and maintenance of their technology for their day-to-day operations. Earlier the approach of the bank was not updated and useful. There were ad-hoc changes or manipulation of the data and information, which was the result of the open accessibility to the vendors or the contractors. The access was made available for the ease of the present situations and symptoms occurring in the environment of the organization. The mindset of the bank was to cover up the work before giving up any time, thus the organization was too reactive in nature. The major drawback of the approach was that there was no one having a sole responsibility for the evaluation of the risks occurring in the environment of the organization. The vendors of the software were not an expert of the cyber security as they were limited to the understanding of their own systems and processes. They even lacked the basic of the risk management procedures, including the secure coding or the assessments of vulnerability. Even the contractors who were hired for the implementation and maintenance of the network and server equipments were not able to get an expertise in the operations of the bank. They just had the ability of understanding the required and used technologies in the organization. 3.The old systems had ad-hoc policies and procedures, which were not useful for the effective management of the organization. The old systems consisted of no major control power i.e. the control was done by the contractors or the vendors of the software who were not capable of meeting the needs of the customers. The organization lacked the requirements and the basic analysis knowledge of the cyber security and coding of the systems processes. The threats faced by the old system are huge in nature, the major ones being: The fraud and errors will be huge as the organization lacks the internal controls required for the efficient continuity of the business policies. The passwords are weak and there are no experts to manage and explain the importance of the security provided by such passwords. The cyber attacks can be easy and someone can do the same within the organization or the vendors or the contractors. As the accessibility is not restricted, it will be impossible to detect the person behind the malicious activity performed within the organization. The network control and security is not updated and safe for the effective and efficient management of the organization. The workstations and the software used are not updated and efficient which would require the revision of the structure, as the same would lead to heavy risks and frauds to be present in the environment. There is no safety and security management and cameras are required from the entrance to all the vaults of the banks, as every wall has to be protected and secured to save the organization. The customers are not convinced about the safety and security from the end of the organization. Hence, there may be a threat of the shifting of the customers to some other banks or institutions. 4.There are various risks occurring in the environment and the same requires identification and solution to save the organization from losing its goodwill and fame. The risks imposed on the community bank and the reasons for the same, are as follows: There is no new software or hardware implemented with latest or updated technologies, which can prove to be a risk in the efficient management of the organization. The workforce is not efficient enough for taking the steps to manage and reduce the risks and threats occurring in the environment of the organization. The vendors and contractors are in hold of the software and have an access to all the functions and the symptoms or scenarios of the organization, which may lead to the destruction of the systems and policies of the community bank. There are no virtual computers or tools used in the management were not secure or beneficial in nature, which constituted a lot of errors and frauds in the near future. The inventories and other controls lack proper management and efficiency, which can lead to problems in the near future. The implementation procedure is not easy and instant and carries a good effort and process, which requires efficient workforce and updated technologies. The building of consensus and support is not an easy task and requires great effort, which can create frustration and errors. Thus, the benefits of implementation have to be planned and understood well to reach an agreement with the organization and management on a whole. There is a major risk of the technical controls and other checklists being implemented in the organization, which is a major requirement of any organization. There must be an efficient workforce, which would look after the major criteria and scenarios affecting the organization. The same will require the technical and non-technical factors to be analyzed in making informed decisions. 5.The community bank has undertaken major steps in the implementation of a better and effective environment for the efficiency in the management. The bank was lacking in a strategy for the IT and other securities, which would decrease the fear of cyber insecurity. The community bank had no procedures or policies, which would control the risks and other inconsistent behaviors like frauds and errors within the organization. The bank decided to implement the security related to the information and the security structure of the organization. The steps towards the implementation included the following: In 2012, Smalltown Community Bank had hired the first employee who had professional expertise in the information software and technology. The reason being there was an ad-hoc system of accessing and changing the data by the vendors or contractors without any checks or controls, with a sole responsibility. The second step constituted the investment in the training and the technical certifications for the updated information about the changes in the threats and risks present in the cyber environment. Lastly, the step for the identification and communication of the risk were important which would remove the difficulties of the inventory management, sharing of accounts and license of the passwords. There was an implementation of the virtual desktop infrastructure in 2011, the bank started with the process of the virtualization by the conversion of a few aging servers of physical nature to machines of virtual nature. The environment of the virtual machines was designed with the spare capacity of the visualization in the future and for creation of the opportunity of utilization of the existing environment also. The virtual desktop implementation was done in order to mitigate and resolve the problems and risks related to the environment of the organization. The virtual approach created an opportunity for the several security changes by locking down all the access on the part of the administrator or others. 6.The bank took several steps for the maintenance and reduction in the information or cyber insecurities in the organization. The major considerations were introduction of professionals, technical and training certifications and the virtual desktop infrastructures. The bank also decided to maintain the same in the coming and future years, which include the following: The senior management of the bank and the board of directors must have an engagement for an efficient decision making process. The bank decided that to benefit from the decision making process, there must be investment and attainment of sufficient expertise. The necessary ways are the contracting with consultants or in-house employees with the necessary skills and capability in IT and InfoSec. There must be establishment of effective communication channels for the better decision-making process in the organization. Therefore, the gap must be reduced and the confidence of the organization must be increased by effective motivation by the managers and the Board. The decisions include the implementation of checklists of controls, which are technical in nature. The management has decided to have an approach of continuous improvement, which is critical in nature. The transition is a complicated and slow process, which requires an efficient manager and team who can understand the same. Continuous improvement will lead to a future, which would consist of policies and procedures for saving and nurturing the organization. The decision-making also consisted of contractual commitments from the selected vendors or contractors to help in the resolving of the security vulnerabilities, which would occur in the near future. The old program did not consider the risks to be resolved from the end of the vendors or the contractors. Hence, the new program or decision wanted an inclusion of an agreement of negotiation of risks with the vendors in resolving the risks and vulnerabilities with full responsibility and liability. 7.The community bank included many policies and procedures to get rid of the old and updated system, which was hampering the system and management of the bank currently. The technologies implemented by the bank for the security of the information and cyber security include the follows: The bank insisted the change or rest of the passwords to 15 character passwords to get an effective coding structure within the organization. The eight characters was changed to fifteen characters password so that there must be efficient decline in the risk and threat of the accessibility of important documents or information of the organization. There was implementation of the Virtual Desktops Infrastructure, which included the conversion of few aging physical servers to the virtual machines. There were tests conducted to check and experiment the controls and performance by the users. The same was referred to the management for knowing the solution to the problems, which might have crept in or might creep in the near future. Core banking approach was implemented to merge the functions and recognizing that the old procedures were not updated and there was a strong requirement of finding a new solution or answer. The new system was complied in a request for proposal and sent to all the vendors for bidding on the new system of core banking system. The implementation included the negotiations from the vendors in cases of security risks and vulnerabilities, which might creep in future. Earlier, the old system did not contain any responsibilities from the end of the vendors or the contractors. But, the latest technological and technical system comprised of a contract of negotiation related to the security of risks and vulnerabilities which might get present in the environment of the organization. 8.The changes in the process of decision-making process gave rise to many factors in the assessments of the risk, which included the following: The bank even after the recognition of the outdated nature of the old system had a reluctant approach towards finding a new and better solution. There was a survey conducted which included a comment of employee, saying that he would retire early as the new system was hard. Other employees were against the new system and the system of core banking in the organization. The other major factor was the cost effectiveness of the core banking system, which was in existence within the organization. The risk was not just limited to the core banking system cost but also the complexities and cost of the management of the separate contracts, which were related to the products ancillary in nature and a major requirement for the operation of the banking systems. The factors also considered the fees related to the termination and conversion of the data and information of the organization. The old system did not consider the automated integration of the inputs or applications, which was to be considered by the management. The other major factors of risks existing in the organization are the outdated features and tools present in the system. Few of the outdated process in the system were flat file data structures, Cobol backend, visual basic user interface and communication protocols which included telnet and FTP. Security concerns similar to the accessibility of the vendors and contractors to the system, was also a major issue and concern of risk. The concerns like the lack of user authentication for data retrieval functions were also a major concern of risk by the organization. The other risks comprised the conversion of data from the multiple system of legacy to the new system. 9.The bank must go with the model of continual improvement, which would include the management of the system to avoid any breach of data and information from the organization. The bank requires following the subsequent requirements to gain and achieve the goals of continuous improvement: There must be effective implementation of strong and convenient passwords or codes to restrict the malicious acts or manipulation of the necessary information or the data, which would lead to the loss of cyber security. There must be consequent check and control of the provided passwords in intervals to achieve better results and productivity. The networks must be protected with firewalls and the management at higher levels cannot accept necessary controls as the loss of data and errors. There must be effective software and controls implemented which would change as per the requirement. There are changes required on a day-to-day basis by any organization, thus the same should be checked and implemented as per the requirement. The security controls must be strong and effective related to the accessibility other than implementing passwords. The access, which is unnecessary in nature, must be denied in any circumstances as the same may lead to manipulation of data and information risking the continuity of the organization. The data and information must be updated in intervals along with the backup of the same. The technology used should be changed as per the requirement, from time to time for a safe and secure future of the organization. The employees and the professionals under the team must be checked and they must be provided with the required changes and updating knowledge if any. They must be trained and communicated in a specific interval of time as the reviews and feedbacks can lead to a more efficient organization. 10.The case represents the problems, which was being faced by the renowned community bank i.e. the Smalltown Community Bank. The organization realized the need of the changes within the bank and carried on the implementation of the desired policies and procedures. Earlier, the old version of the system did not contain the right and effective policies required to run an organization without any threat or risks towards the data and information. There were errors and frauds occurring within the environment of the organization, which resulted in loss of important data and information. Therefore, there were steps taken by the bank to control and attain an effective environment within the organization. There are many advantages attached to the implementation of the data and information security policies, which are as follows: There was an introduction of professional employee who would manage the IT and other securities of the organization. The introduction helped in the decline of the unnecessary and unauthorized access of the data and information of the organization, which would lead to heavy loss by manipulation and errors encrypted in the system. The other process like the implementation of the virtual desktops and passwords of length of 15 characters also increased the effectiveness of the organization policies and procedures. Core banking system has been the major and most efficient process added up by the organization as the same lead to an integration and mutual agreement within the whole branches of a bank. Hence, the above leads to an agreement that there must be implementation of certain cyber securities related to the data and information security.

Political Leaders on International Scene free essay sample

Even in ancient times, philosophers were delivering speeches and writing works where they comprised their ideas about improvement of politics and everyday life of citizens. One of them was greek philosopher –Aristotle who wrote â€Å"Politics†. In his work, not only he gathered all of the remarkable insights about greek’s political system, but also implied that : â€Å"(†¦)leadership is not just learning a body of theoretical knowledge – episteme – and not merely captured by replicable skills – techne – but rather something including practical wisdom – phronesis. † (Grint2007:4). There is no doubt that leadership is not easy and that a good leader should be characterized with various virtues. His or her actions should be visible all around the world, on international scale. However, there are politicians such as Tony Blair, Barack Obama or Vladimir Putin whose international presence can be clearly seen and cannot be omitted. First of all, one of the most recognizable political figures, not only in Britain is definitely former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom -Tony Blair. We will write a custom essay sample on Political Leaders on International Scene or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Although his term of office ended in 2007, he made a lot of significant decisions and influenced a political life of many people. In 1997, Tony Blair won the biggest Labour victory in history to sweep the party to power and end 18 years of Conservative government. He has been one of the most dynamic leaders of modern times; few British prime ministers have shaped the nations course as profoundly as Tony Blair did, during his ten years in power. His achievements and his legacy will be debated for years to come. †(Blair2010:1). Moreover, Tony Blair had a strong political alliance with George W. Bush – a former president of the United States of America. After the memorable attacks on 11th September, Bush in his speech stated that America has no truer friend than Great Britain† and Tony Blair played a major part in creating this bond. Tony Blair had also a good relation with several conservative European leaders including Silvio Berlusconi of Italy, Angela Merkel of Germany and Nicolas Sarkozy of France. What is more, he constantly emphasized the role of environment in everyone’s life. His international politics focused on the need of changing the climate. He had taken part in lots of conferences and along with his party, he promised a 20% reduction in carbon dioxide. Tony Blair’s leadership in Great Britain is one of the most charismatic and influencial ones. Once he said that â€Å"The art of leadership is saying no, not saying yes. It is very easy to say yes. † and this should be a motto for every politician across the globe. Second of all, nowadays an important political figure is definitely Barack Obama. He is the first African American President of the United States of America, whose leadership started in 2009 and lasts until now. There is a minimum chance that in this world lives a person who haven’t heard about Barack Obama. When it comes to his international achievements, he controlled wars with Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya and was awarded with Nobel Peace Prize. Furthermore, there is even a term that describes a foreign policy of Barack Obama – the Obama Doctrine. Spencer Ackerman in his article decribed it as †(†¦) a doctrine that first ends the politics of fear and then moves beyond a hollow, sloganeering democracy promotion agenda in favor of dignity promotion, to fix the conditions of misery that breed anti-Americanism and prevent liberty, justice, and prosperity from taking root. †(Ackerman,2008). Obama also made a report outlining National Security Strategy of the USA. In this report, he urged other countries to engage in war with Iraq and emphasized that it is not based on religious aspects. Obama is clearly present in the international scene of politics and he has a strong voice in every global leader’s meeting. Finally, mentioning the United States of America and Barack Obama, it would be inappropriate not to mention the second, most influencial president on the globe – Vladimir Putin, of Russia. His leadership lasts from 2000 until now and it is full of controversy. His political relations with Poland and Ukraine , because of the Orange Revolution, are full of discontent. Even though, he made political friendships with France and Germany. Putin was also an author of the Eurasian Union proposal which consists of political and economical union of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan. He claimed that: The establishment of a customs union and common economic space lays the foundation for a future Eurasian economic union, We set ourselves an ambitious task: to reach a higher integration level. (Novosti2011  Although many citizens believe that Vladimir Putin controls Russia far much more than he is expected, he is also deeply involved in international politics. In conclusion, many politicians nowadays want to become known as international political figures but it is a task that not everybody can accomplish. It takes years of experience, multitude of charisma, assertiveness and stubbornness. Tony Blair, Barack Obama and Vladimir Put in are clear examples that the relations with foreign countries are of a paramount importance. They are conscious that their decisions are influencial and they have to take care of their country. As famous American coach, Vince Lombardi, said : â€Å"Leaders aren’t born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that’s the price we’ll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal. † BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Grint, Keith, 2007 : â€Å" Learning to Lead: Can Aristotle Help Us Find the Road to Wisdom? 2. Blair, Tony,2010 :† A journey: My political life†. 3. Ackerman,Spencer,2008 : â€Å" The Obama Doctrine† 4. Ria Novosti,2011: â€Å"Putin calls for Eurasian Union†