Jonathan Kozol has been around for quite some time writing

Jonathan Kozol has been around for quite some time writing hard-hitting journalism about flaws in this country. His book Savage Inequities is more of the same with the focus on education. Kozol's strength as a writer is being able to put a face on his topic, anywhere from education to homelessness, etc. He makes the issue real and attaches human faces and real people that the reader can relate to.  In order to write this book, Kozol spent a lot of time traveling around visiting schools. To name a few, he visited schools in New York City, Chicago, St. Louis, Washington D.C. and many others. During his visits, he spent time observing in the classroom as well as interviewing teachers, students, parents, and administrators. What Kozol found out was that schools today are as separate and unequal as they were before the landmark decision of Brown vs. the Board of Education in 1954. he determines that the reason for these inequities lies in the way that American schools are funded. America funds its schools with property taxes. The problem with this is that rich suburban areas pay much more property taxes, which makes their schools unrivaled. While in inner city schools, the property tax base is much lower. Therefore, mostly minority kids attend schools without much money. Kozol takes the reader into these schools to make his point. In Chicago, there is a school with no library. They are overcrowded, understaffed, and lack even the basics of resources and equipments. He takes us to a high school in the Bronx where the rain pours in. For example, Kozol states, â€Å"The science labs at East St. Louis High are 30 to 50 years outdated†¦The six lab stations in the room have empty holes where pipes were once attached. ‘It would be great if we had water,' says a physics teacher (Kozol 27). He later hits the reader hard questioning why our country allows this to happen.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Almost anyone who visits in the schools of East St. Louis†¦comes away profoundly shaken. These are innocent children, after all†¦One searches   fro some way to understand why a society as rich and, frequently, as      generous as ours would leave these children in their penury and squalor   for so long-and with so little public indignation. Is this just a strange    mistake of history?†¦why is it that we can't at least pour vast amounts of      money, ingenuity, and talent into public education for these children? (140).  He literally bombards the reader with real horror stories of his visits and travels in order to put a face on the poor state of education.   It isn’t just about education and schools and teachers; there are real kids involved here who are not getting what they need. Of Patterson, New Jersey, he states, â€Å"The city is so short of space that four elementary schools now occupy   abandoned factories. Children at one wood-frame elementary school,   which has no cafeteria or indoor space for recreation, eat lunch in a section of the boiler room. A bathroom houses reading classes (Kozol 106).  He compares these schools to suburban ones where conditions are much better. Teachers are paid much more, libraries are stocked, and technology abounds. He does a fantastic job at showing the contrasts between the wealthy schools and the poor schools. With the pictures he paints for the reader, the reader cannot argue with him. He also makes a plea for America to value equality and fix its schools. â€Å"And yet we stop to tell ourselves: These are Americans. Why do we       reduce them to this beggary – and why, particularly, in public education?      Why not spend on children here at least what we would be investing in   their education if they lived within a wealthy district like Winnetka, Illinois, or Cherry Hill, New Jersey, or Manhasset, Rye, or Great Neck in   New York? Wouldn't this be natural behavior in an affluent society that      seems to value fairness in so many other areas of life? Is fairness less    important to Americans today than in some earlier times? Is it viewed as    slightly tiresome and incompatible with hardnosed values? What do   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Americans believe about equality? (Kozol 41) Kozol ends the book with a vivid picture of an elementary school in a neighborhood of Cincinnati. He tells the reader that atmosphere was polluted with factories, prostitutes were near, and â€Å"Bleakness was the order of the day.† Kozol said he â€Å"rarely saw a child with a good big smile (Kozol 230-31). He leaves the reader with a bad taste in his/her mouth at the state of schools. This he does in hopes of spurring his readers to action. His research methods would be described as informal because his analysis comes from observations and interviews. There is no standard form that he uses, but he gets the material nonetheless. He devotes a chapter to teach area he discusses and gives the reader a description of the city as to understand why the schools are the way they are.  His findings are extremely significant to America as he clearly delineates the problems of American schools. With the images he creates, no one can argue with him. The pictures of these inner city schools are bleak. A criticism for Kozol is that he does not concentrate on any other problems in education besides inequality. Not that the inequality of schools is not a huge problem, but there are other problems that lead to poor achievement as well. No Child Left Behind plays a role. If those kids don't do well on the tests, more funding can be cut. Inner city schools do not tend to keep their teachers, With high teacher turnover, it is even harder for students to learn, and there may be large gaps in curriculum. There are also many forces at play outside the school, such as the home lives and parental involvement of these students. Probably the biggest criticism of Kozol is that he offers no solutions; he only identifies problems. He would probably say that solutions aren't his job, and he would leave that to the educational theorists. But after reading his condemnations, it would be nice to hear some of his ideas for solutions. Kozol doesn't tell the reader this, but The relationship between funding and academic achievement is unclear. However, it does not take a genius to figure this out. Will more money alone solve the problems in schools? Of course, it won't. However, more money will help. Money will help schools fix dilapidated buildings, buy equipment and resources, hire more teachers and aides to promote lower class sizes, attract better teachers who are more qualified, and a myriad of other things. But throwing money at the problem is only a start. These schools need help. They need more community and parental involvement. They need after school programs and tutoring programs and teachers with the knowledge and compassion to continue in the profession. Kozol doesn't mention other solutions except to give the schools more money, but there are many other things needed. Even money will not solve the problems of segregation. Inner city schools are made up mostly of minority students. How is that problem solved? Yes, more whites who fled to the suburbs are finding their way back to the inner city, but this is not always a good thing either. They are uprooting established communities in the process of gentrification and displacing people who may have nowhere else to go. This is why Kozol focuses on the money, because as difficult as it will be to change the way we fund schools, it will be harder to desegregate communities. Kozol makes good sense when he speaks of getting rid of the property tax funding for schools and finding a new way to fund them. If education is supposed to be democratic, and it is, America cannot continue to fund schools this way. The system America has virtually guarantees that parents who can afford to buy big houses in the suburbs will send their children to better schools. For school administrators and all personnel in schools, there are many things to be learned from this book. the most important one is that as educators, we should be fighting for democratic schools. Administrators should be out there fighting the property tax system and leading the charge to find other, more equitable ways to fund schools. Administrators also ought to be required to take a look around at the world. They should be required to visit inner city schools to truly understand what other educators go through on a daily basis. Administrators should value quality teachers all the more after reading this book, and go out of their way to keep their quality teachers. Truly, everyone even thinking about becoming an educator should read a book like this, and visit these schools.   Most of us do not even know what a crisis we are in, right now in America.   And hopefully, future educators will be the ones to fix this crisis. Work Cited Kozol, Jonathan, Savage Inequities, Harper Perennial, 1992.

Taxation in the United Kingdom

Criteria of differentiate employment and self-employment Laid down some factors and tests by the courts, over the years, which are relevant may be useful to determine the nature of a contract. Right of Control The engaged has a right to control the employee but it is not necessarily must be used in practice. This kind of control usually used by engaged to control when and/or were the employee perform his/her services, how it is perform, and what tasks has to be performed but in some kind of work (where employee is an expert) this control will not be important.Under the self- employment the person who perform the work is usually free to choose when and where to do so. Financial Risk The main distinction in financial risk between employee and self-employment person is that the second one is ready to risk own money by buying a materials needed to perform the work, and also paying for overheads and bearing the running costs. The employed person not bear any expenses related to the conduc t of economic activity. If any of additional cost in case of job overruns will be required the self-employed person must bear them on win risk.Equipment In this situation self-employed person might have to buy assets and equipment to perform particular job which has to be done. The employee is getting everything under the contract. Work performance and correction Also the engaged will be expected from the employee certain hours of work performed daily or weekly, and at the engaged premises, but it is possible to make an agreement between them to work flexible hour at the places accepted by both sides.If any correction will be required for the work done, self-employed person has to make that correction with no additional payment ND in own time, but employed person is still able to make that correction within the work time. Holidays and sickness The employee has a right to go for a holiday or take a sickness with no threat that that time won't be paid (paid leave), the same situation for self-employed means that these days will be unpaid. Exclusivity That means the employee is hired by one only employer, and he/she is an integral part of the business.In self employment the person has usually more than one client and the person is not integral part of client business. 3. Concussions According to above tests and factors, which were applied to the case study, inclusions arises that Kathy should be treated by HOME as an employee rather than self employed. UK income TAX In I. J tax system we can define certain kind taxes into groups: direct taxes and indirect taxes. A. Direct taxes are charged on income, profits and we can to enumerate most important: income tax, capital gains tax, inheritance and corporation tax. B. Indirect taxes, e. G.VAT are charged Of spending and it is added to the price of the product or service bought. 1 Taxable person Individuals who are resident in the UK for a tax year are generally charged to income tax on all their income for the year. T here are two exceptions to this general rule: A. Some forms of income are exempt from income tax B. UK residents whose home is not permanently in the UK to the extent that the income is remitted to the ASK. 4. Tax year Tax year for individuals also might be referred to as fiscal years or years of assessments and it runs from 6 April to the following 5 April.Any changes to the tax system are usually take a n effect from the start of next tax year. They are proposed in the annual Budget speech. 5. Self assessment Self assessment effects those who get sent a tax return or request a tax turn and particular it applies to the following groups of people: self employed, business partners, company directors, employee or pensioner with complied tax affairs, trustees. Individual's liability for a tax year must be assessed if there is not possible to collect full liability for a tax year deducted at source or PAYEE system.In this situation that person at first must complete ‘self assessme nt tax return'. Taxpayer has to complete tax return and the amount of tax due and may be calculated by him/her and then check by HOME, or this calculation might be made by HOME if taxpayer prefer to do so. Self assessment tax return has a 6 pages basic document and might be added supplementary pages if needed for purposes of tax payer. There is a available shorter tax return documents which have got 4 pages and it contains simpler tax affairs.There is also a possibility to file tax return electronically by the HOME website. Tax return filling and summation dates are as follows: A. For paper returns – 31 October following the end of the tax year B. For electronically returns – 31 January following the end of the tax year It has to complete in full and taxpayer cannot omit any figures. 6. Payment dates First payment on accounts (POP) must be made by 31 January of the tax year. Second payment On accounts has to be made by 31 July next following tax year and final balancin g payment or refund is made by 31 January.This is also first payment on accounts of the following tax year. 7. Procedures involved in application of surcharges, interests and penalties PENALTIES – TAX RETURN A. Penalties for late submission of tax return depends from length of being late and they are as follows: 1 day late El 00 and applies even when the tax own has been pair or there is no tax to pay 3 months late or each of the following day is E 10, up to 90 days Max IEEE 6 months late whichever will be higher IEEE or 5% of the amount due 12 months late whichever will be higher DEED or 5% of the amount due.When it is serious case the tax payer might rise up to 100% of amount due instead If any of documents submitted to HOME by a taxpayer leads to understatement of the amount tax due and it is because of careless or deliberate then single penalty applies. This is expressed as a percentage of potential lost revenue as follows: A. 100% if inaccuracy is ‘concealed and de liberate' B. 70% in case that inaccuracy was ‘deliberate but not concealed ‘ C. In all other cases the percentage is 30%, also 30% if person liable to notify HOME Of under-assessment has failed to do so.

Pros and cons of horse racing Essay

Horse racing is an adrenaline filled sport for all the participants. It is a short lived, action packed, joy ride. The sport has increased in popularity over the past several years, due to the need for a rush, and is continuing to rise. Due to this massive influx in size the amount of money the business is contributing to the government is large. The business has also had to hire a multitude of people to help carry out the job of keeping the business as orderly as possible. The enlargement of the horse racing industry has also made the stakes for money in the winning a much bigger deal for owners which means they will do most anything to win. This includes the use of illegal drugs on the horses and many other forms of cheating. When the prize money raises so does the need for as many winning horses as possible for horse owners in the industry. The need for horses has led to an intense amount of over breeding of thoroughbreds. The amount of money contributed to the United States gover nment by the horse racing industry is an incredible amount. On average the sport produces 38.8 billion dollars, of which a whopping $1.88 billion is paid in annual taxes. That amount of money just goes to the United States. Around the world, countries make on average 40.2 billion. For instance, in Europe, horse racing is a widely known event and is tradition to participate in. they make on average about 45.3 billion United States dollars in the horse racing industry. Then, when talking into account supplies and employees, they produce around 101.6 billion us dollars. Governments around the globe benefit highly from the industry and horse racing being banned could have a drastic effect on entire populations from lack of money. Horse racing being banned could also cost millions of people around the globe their jobs and businesses. According to a recent labor poll over 4.6 million people are involved in the horse industry in some way, either as owners, employees, service providers or v olunteers. This includes 2 million horse owners, of which 238,000 are involved in breeding. When it comes to competing such as the jockeys and handlers, 481,000 people are involved. When looking at the amount of people involved in other activities such as grooms, veterinarians, and care takers, 1.1 million involved. 119,000 service providers and 702,000 employees, full- and part-time and 2 million family members and volunteers. That means that 1 out of every 63 Americans is involved with horses. Many of these jobs are held by lower-income families. This could be disastrous when taking into account  all the people who depend on the money they make from this business. Banning the horse racing industry could affect the local areas around them badly. The results of the one study done by students at the University of Louisville show that the horse business is a highly diverse industry that supports a wide variety of activities in all regions of the country. It combines the primarily rural activities of breeding, training, maintaining and riding horses with the more urban activities of operating racetracks, off-track betting parlors, horse shows and public sales. Usually when people go to watch a race they want to get dinner or spend their newly eared money in the expertly placed, over priced restaurants and shops. These strip mall shops gain money and business from these enthused shoppers. If there is no race track, these shops and small businesses could have a plummet in sales and be shut down for lack of ability to pay. Additionally, the volume of consumers that are driven to the racetracks each year create a need for additional medical care, education for children and families of track staff, as well as the local universities. Having the race tracks removed could lower business income for hospitals and schools as well as universities. The United States alone produces 3 billion from horse racing and tourism. Over 67 percent of activity as well as gambling money come from tourists going and paying at the race track. As a source of entertainment as well as having food venues and shopping areas round the premises of the track, it is an ideal hot spot for tourists to spend their money; whether it be on food, gambling, or shopping. The revenues made my gamblers who are not local to the area is 785 million dollars. Gambling is exciting as well as engaging for the participants. For those who enjoy taking risks, the propensity for risk associated with gambling may be both simulating and challenging. Also, gambling on horse racing allows the participant to challenge themselves with predicting the potential wins and losses. Gamblers from out of the country are obviously a large part of the income on the race track. Banning racing could make the area of choice loose business all around from not having the interest of tourists any longer. When it comes to betting on horses in horse racing, bettors rely on the accuracy of the statistics on the horses. The statistics allow the bettors to know which horses to bet and wager on. Cheating, such as the latest scandal called ‘doping’, can affect the reliability if those statistics. Doping and other forms of cheating using  drugs can harm the jockeys and horses in the long run. A few of the top drugs used in horse racing are cocaine, blcarbs, anabolic steroids, blue magic and heroine. Drugs such as heroine and anabolic steroids are typically injected into the lungs of the horse or the heart as to keep them from feeling pain and to slow down the rapid rate at which they would usually work to keep them from tiring. This can cause break downs on the track because of the lack of oxygen entering the blood stream at such a high rate of physical activity. Drugs such as cocaine blcarbs, and blue magic are usually pumped into the blood stream on added into the grain. Wha t the purpose of these are is to give the horses an energy boost that is un natural and these can also cause break downs on the track because of the amount of stress the horse is putting its body under without being aware until it is too late. The form of cheating of which is in drugs is considered cruel to the horse. Another form of cheating in the racing industry is toe grabs. A toe grab is a raised rim on the toe area of a horseshoe; its purpose is to help the horse â€Å"dig in† to the track and reduce sliding much like football cleats. However, there are increased stresses on the limbs from this stronger grip on the ground and quicker â€Å"stops† of the feet when they land while normally the foot slides forward just a bit on the ground before stopping, but toe grabs arrest this slide. It’s also been suggested that toe grabs add stress to the limb by raising the toe relative to the heel. Toe grabs on front feet have been associated with increased incidence of catastrophic injury in horse racing. Horses involved in racing are being over bred and this is causing weakening in the breed and mass slaughter of those horses that do not make the cuts. While over-breeding in the racing industry is the derivation of availability, inbreeding, and drugs are inescapably interconnected with the callous and brutal practice of slaughter as is the insatiable demand for horse meat for human consumption principally in European and Asian cultures. Inbreeding and drugs have weakened the modern Thoroughbred while the horse meat industry remains a lucrative multi-million dollar enterprise. More than 100,000 unwanted horses are born in the U.S. per year. Roughly 83,000 of those horses are slaughtered every year just in the United States because of improper breeding. A recent study was done and it showed that if 1,000 horses are bred for racing, only 300 will make it to training. Of that 300, only  roughly 75 horses will make it to racing. Only about 4 horses will make it to live their second race . Most horses that are not used for racing are sold to meat and glue factories. Only 12% of horses are properly retired and either sold to a family for other riding uses it retired to the pasture. This unnecessary breeding has caused weak bones in the thoroughbreds and diseases passed down in blood lines. The weakening of the breed has aroused a lot of controversy over whether or not horse racing should continue due to this issue. In the end there are both pros and cons to whether or not horse racing should be banned. Horse racing contributes an incredible amount of money worldwide and produces multiple job opportunities as well as business in local shops. It also brings in tourism to the track and surrounding areas which can help great deal of money also. Horse racing also has a large issue with cheating that can harm both the jockey and the horse against their will. The use of illegal drugs and product on the race horses’ pre race can significantly alter the horses performance whether for the good or the bad and in the long run, harm the horse terribly. Also over breeding has become a widely known issue across the globe and is causing a mass amount of horses to be sent to slaughter. Over breeding has also caused a decline in the stability of the breed. Horse racing both helps and harms.

Marks & Spencer and performance analysis Assignment

Marks & Spencer and performance analysis - Assignment Example The business operates in a highly competitive business environment, taking competitive market share losses from other stores such as NEXT, the Gap, House of Fraser, and BHS. Well-known domestic brand names continue to adjust their competitive strategies, thus forcing Marks & Spencer to continuously consider whether its current core philosophy should continue to be promoted in the pursuit of competitive edge or whether new branding/advertising/marketing strategies are required to achieve top performance. This report identifies the processes, strategies and systems that drive alignment toward meeting performance targets and analyses the environment in which Marks & Spencer operates today. The business environment Marks & Spencer continuously attempts to diverse its product offerings, launching new business opportunities in key test markets in order to create a business profile that is secure for a new generation of customers. The company has worked consistently to combat negative perce ptions about the core brand philosophy, attempting to emerge from a staunchy and proud brand that has been a trademark of traditionalist buyers in the UK for decades. Because of this, the company has shifted its focus away from its traditional home and personal fashion philosophy to extend into foods services in an effort to compete with major grocers and also in terms of how the company promotes itself to a new class of buyers. This new focus changes the internal dynamics of management and also the supply chain in an effort to support new business function and principles. For example, M&S has realised that there is a growing trend in a new generation of buyers to secure the interests of the natural environment and reduce the carbon footprint left by operations. The business identifies that 80 percent of its buyers are concerned with sustainability issues, thus the company has developed over 100 different eco-targets to eliminate landfill waste and become carbon neutral (Palmer, 201 0). Much of this is accomplished by establishing a new supply chain that consists of suppliers with sustainable raw materials (Palmer). In order to develop and maintain a sustainability programme, certain operational components must be altered and a new management focus developed. As part of this eco-focus, Marks & Spencer developed what it referred to as Plan A, a sustainability programme that involves waste reduction, the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions, and using renewable power to supply 23 percent of the firm’s total electricity inputs (Nagappan, 2009). Why is this important for aligning the business when other competitors continue to develop similar sustainability programmes? M&S has recently been forced to lower prices on merchandise, especially in the clothing sales division (Bokaie, 2008). This has been in response to lowering sales as older customers who were once loyal to the business in the mid 20th Century have been replaced with younger buyers who have a h igher disposable income and a new preference for fashion and home merchandise. The difference between Marks & Spencer and other competition is that the business is using advertising and other marketing-based activities to sell eco-friendly sales in order to rebuild a damaged brand reputation. If 80 percent of customers have been identified through qualitative or quantitative research to have a significant concern over the environment when choosing a brand, M&S aligns the operational function of the company to meet this concern using a new positioning

4th amendment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

4th amendment - Essay Example Scaros (2011) describes the Katz case where such a violation did occur. In the case, Katz, who was the petitioner, did not know that the FBI had fixed an eavesdropping device on the telephone booth he used that documented his conversations. He was found guilty, but on appealing, the majority of seven judges on the jury judged that his 4th amendment rights had been violated by the FBI. In the same way, the gathering of my phone records and emails without my consent and knowledge is a violation of the amendment. In the case, the court noted that as long as an individual would logically know that their conversation is and remains private, then such a conversation is protected by the 4th amendment (Scaros 2011). In support of the view that it is a violation, and it amounts to unreasonable search, Hess and Orthmann (2011) argue that warrantless search is validated when approval for the search is given or if no right to privacy exists. Hence, as gathering phone records and emails is not undertaken with a search warrant or my approval, then it violates the 4th amendment and is unreasonable (Hess and Orthmann

Anthopology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Anthopology - Essay Example According to the researches of Chavez, Pedraza and Rimbaut; there are clear distinctions between a migrant and a settler. Migrants could be regarded as people that temporary residents of an area; thus migrants are people that leave their permanent place of residence and live in other areas temporarily in search of greener pastures. On the other hand, settlers are people that have the privileges of a citizen of a particular country or region after living there for a particular number of years. Thus, Chavez believes that undocumented immigrants are people that start out as illegal immigrants and they could actually attain the status of a settler after staying there for a particular number of years. The notion about undocumented immigrants is what actually affects the way that undocumented immigrants carry out their duties as workers in the United States of America. These undocumented immigrants do not see themselves as permanent residents, but as temporary workers that have a short sti nt in the United States of America. The undocumented workers are faced with the challenge that they would have to go back to their native countries someday (Chavez, 1998). ... The three phases are separation, transition and incorporation. The separation phase is the stage that the undocumented immigrants are separated from their friends and families and this represents an emotional period in the lives of the undocumented immigrants. The transition phase is the stage that the undocumented immigrants are presented with the opportunity of moving to a higher level in their lives as they try to become a member of a society that is actually alien to them. The incorporation phase is the stage that the undocumented immigrants try to in integrate themselves into their new home and society and they identify with the values and norms of this society during the incorporation phase. And this is just like the rite of passage as it takes place when someone makes a reasonable progress by changing from one status to another (Chavez, 1998). Chavez carried out his fieldwork by conducting interviews among undocumented immigrants living in different places. He organized struct ured interviews and informal interviews for these undocumented immigrants. The difficulties he faced in the course of his field work are that most of the interviews were usually time-consuming (Chavez, 1998). Chavez chose to refer to them as undocumented immigrants due to the fact that he felt that was the most polite and neutral term to use to classify these groups of individuals as other terms that were used were too harsh on these people. Chavez characterizes the social diversity of northern San Diego based in the different backgrounds of the people that reside there. He also characterizes them by the number of years they have stayed in the United States and the factors that affect the way they live. The undocumented immigrants fit into the larger society in areas that

Journalism and Communication - Screen cultures Essay

Journalism and Communication - Screen cultures - Essay Example Does video gaming portend any detrimental implications on those persons who are fanatics of constantly playing an assortment of diverse video games? Most researchers and writers typically address this concern with regard to reference to violent themed games (Melisa 2002). Moreover, it is overtly a pertinent prospect for the upcoming field of persuasive video games. These games encompass a diverse assortment of games that their authors design for educational, political and advocacy among other critical areas in the daily life. These video games seek to purposely influence and alter behavioural and notional perspectives of individuals who take an interest to play them (Ruth 2011). Moreover, it is critically consummate to determine the effective aspect of these games as potential vectors of persuasion on the persons who take an active role in gaming. With regard to various pertinent interrelationships of aspects such as intent, messages conveyed, player predisposition and quality of gam e among others, it is complicated to generalize regarding their implications and relative effectiveness. With use of a persuasive video game that I have designed, I intend to prospect and gauge its effectiveness as a social backing applet while isolating the various issues that put in to that (Gilles 1992). Introduction In the fresh past, in the year 2006, Gill, a 25 year old person murdered a woman and critically wounded nineteen other persons in a grave shoot out spree at a college affiliation in Montreal and eventually committed suicide. In his specific outline journal entries, he scribbled about his unconditional love and fanaticism for certain films, television shows among other constituents of popular, contemporary media and entertainment culture. However, he mentioned various video games, especially Super Columbine Massacre, that captured most of the entire media nerves to attention and raised the subject of how much mental and character influence various computer games can i mplicate on their players (Film Philosophy 2010). Moreover, this was nevertheless the initial time the matter was raised to publicity. The truth that the masterminds of the massacre game played doom and additionally modelled their own doom rankings was immensely criticised, as was the intelligence that a driver associated with a fatal motor accident had a copy of the violent street racing game, NFS, on the frontage seat of his carriage. These happenings among others resulted into various media critics and political figures arguing that by merit of their fascination, violent and realistic images and graphics with the aptitude to allow the players to practice diverse tasks and scenarios, video computer games could implicate on behaviours and attitudes. This would be for good or worse, though in the viewpoint of critics, it is typically for ill (Patrick 2011). The row that Calgary Sun correspondent Mike presented is archetypal. He questions the readers why they have to wait and witness assorted video games being evidence in several crime occurrences. He pickles the people to wake up and take an initiative to have control over such a situation which would be detrimental in society owing to the ill bizarre situations that arise when gamers take too much dose of typically murderously themed video games. Purportedly, Gill’s obvious signoff in blogs would state that life is a video game and that

The Legislative Power of the US Congress Case Study

The Legislative Power of the US Congress - Case Study Example On the other hand, the Missouri statute regarding the transport of radioactive materials is also not valid because the transport of radioactive materials concerns US security issues which the federal government (and therefore Congress) has jurisdiction over with. As a matter of fact, it is the Department of Transportation which is delegated with the power to establish the guidelines for the packaging, limits of radioactivity and exposure limits of radioactive materials (Saha 293). Finally, the Missouri statute which imposes a pre-requisite of two-week counseling for marriage licenses issuance is valid because it is not in conflict with congressional legislative powers, current federal laws or is prohibited under s 10 of the US Constitution. Since the said statutes are assailed for their unconstitutionality, the federal courts should have proper jurisdiction over the first case because of it federal enactment, while the second case should be brought before the Missouri Supreme Court s ubject to review by the federal courts (Article 3, US Constitution). However, cases are not yet ripe for court determination because there is no actual legal dispute yet which concerns them (The Jurisdiction of Federal Courts). Ralph may file his case either in a Colorado federal district court or in a Colorado state court since both have concurrent jurisdiction over diversity cases or cases in which the litigants are citizens of different states.

TECHNICAL REPORT & LOG BOOK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

TECHNICAL REPORT & LOG BOOK - Essay Example To understanding the working of a major part of the industry a small contractor company is selected as a study sample. 2. Alpha Construction Ltd There are mainly two reasons for selecting Alpha Construction, which makes it’s an important representative example of an organization which fits into construction industry. Firstly alpha construction is an ideal example for a SME, Civil Engineering and Building Contractor whose range of contracts value from ?250k to ?5m. Secondly it is a company which is in Hilton Derbyshire which would help us understand the working of contractors in the midlands. The Alpha construction deals in a wide range of works that include building and civil engineering aspects of electricity generation and distribution, food processing, water, quarrying, chemical processing, infrastructure works, manufacturing and coal production projects. The company’s management includes Rob Smith as Managing Director, and Mark Clarke, Melanie Cartlidge, Ken Durham as Commercial Director, Business development Manager and Contracts Director respectively. It is observed that management have very less experience in Environment and related issues and that’s where the issue exists in the small construction enterprises. As we are very well aware that now the environmental aspect of each project is critically scrutinized at every stage of the project (Design, construction and operations) and if the project does not conform to the standards and regulations heavy penalty or even the closure of the project can occur. So now with the changing time we have to make a slight change in the structure of the company. After an analysis I have come to a conclusion that the existence of Environmental Management Unit is the need of the hour. 3. Environmental Management Unit The structure of this unit would be a small, so as to match the size of the company, it would include an expert in Environmental sciences/engineering and must have experience in analysis and management of environmental issues related to diverse construction projects. The experts will work under the Business development Manager and Contracts Director collectively. In the status quo it is very important that there must be no issues raised related to environment in contracts, because it would harm the companies profile making it difficult to get new projects in the current recession. Secondly a certain level of leverage can be acquired from the introduction of Environmental Management Unit, this is because increased awareness of the client for protection and safeguard of environment and can be at times detrimental in the selection of contractors for civil engineering project that Alpha construction normally does. The main purpose and technical areas of expertise of this unit would be introduce the usage of new green materials of construction and then provide sustainable construction processes and pathways. Bringing in new green construction material is important due t o two reasons, firstly an immense amount of construction material is used, it is estimated that about 420 million tones of material is used in construction industry in UK every year (Lazarus, Construction Materials Report 2003). Then secondly it is an area in which very

Jazz concert review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Jazz concert review - Essay Example A highlight of the piece was the mini-duet between the bass and drums. They also made creative use of the trombones, saxophones, and trumpets with each instrument playing over the other but still somehow playing as one. It was very exciting to see a fellow student share such creativity. When the song â€Å"you are making me crazy† was performed by focal jazz II, the audience hooked because they entered the stage in a frenzied style. Their song started with a paced which was supported by percussion base and the piano. Then, the trumpets and trombones chirped, mimicking the sounds of animals. Throughout the entire piece, the listener almost feels as if they are in an actual caravan, seeing the landscape around them and feeling the rhythm of the travel. Continuing with the theme of transformations, â€Å"Caravan† was followed by its rearrangement â€Å"unknown, I missed it.† Although it kept the percussion of â€Å"Caravan,† the rhythm was peppier than its pr edecessor. The vocal jazz I and II would tease the audience in concert by quickly changing the tempo and rhythm, and repeatedly speeding up and then slowing to a standstill only to pick up the pace again. The concert was great, but that should be expected from the Festival Jazz Ensemble. On November 16, 2011, the voice area recital at Colorado State University, featured art songs as well as opera songs presented by scholars from the studios of Dr. Blake, the professor in charge Gregory Brookes, Dr. Todd Queen in addition to Susan Hochmiller.

Factors that Affect the Demand and Supply of Cars Essay

Factors that Affect the Demand and Supply of Cars - Essay Example This paper will look at factors that change the supply and demand of cars, possible substitutes that could be used in place of a car, goods that complement cars, and also how cars affect price elasticity. These days, cars are produced in the cheapest places possible. This could be anywhere on earth, but is usually in a country where the labor is cheap and the technological knowhow is in place. The production of cars can change due to a number of factors. One of these is natural disasters. In flood-prone countries that produce cars, such as Thailand, any environmental catastrophe can cause car factories to shut down for an extended period. Apart from affecting the local workers, the price of car can also increase in a country such as America. Because production ceases, the supply of cars also decreases. This inevitably forces the prices of cars up because car companies need to reach a certain level of profit to function as a business. Another factor that could alter the supply of cars is technology. If new technology was discovered that allowed the production of more cars for less, the supply of cars would increase dramatically. This would have the opposite effect of an environmental disaster; the price of a car would fall due to there being an oversupply of cars on the market. In terms of factors that could cause changes in demand, an economic recession would be the most obvious one. The current recession that is affecting the world has reduced demand for cars, although not by much. This is because cars are an essential item for most people, so they have to choice but to continue to purchase cars. Conversely, a rise in people’s incomes would cause the demand for cars to increase. This is because the average consumer would have extra money in their pockets, resulting in more cars being purchased. Because cars are an essential part of our society, there is a very limited supply of substitutes available. The substitution effect states that demand is not rel ated to any shift in income (Krugman and Obstfeld 89). This is unlike the income effect, which states that there is only a shift in demand when there is an increase or decrease in income. Because of the competitive market, there will always be substitute products available. For cars, one substitute may be a form of public transport such as a train or bus. This is more likely to occur during hard economic times because people would not be able to afford to drive a car. Because of this, the most likely option to turn to is the public transport system because it is cheaper than running a car. Thus, there would be increased demand for public transport. This makes sense because whenever there is a decrease in the demand for a product, there is generally an increase in demand for a substitute product. Another substitute that is comparable to public transport is a motorcycle. This is cheaper to run than a car, but can be less expensive than a train or bus. One of the downsides to a motorbi ke is that there is no cover when it rains. However, for those people who cannot afford a car, a motorbike is a realistic option. Just as in public transport, whenever there is a decrease in demand for cars, there will be an increase in demand for motorbikes. Whenever there is a change in the demand or supply for cars, there is a corresponding in the prices of compliments. One product that is a compliment of cars is tires. Because tires are an essential part of any car, their importance is linked with the performance of cars. When there

The Issues Concerning Identity Theft Essay Example for Free

The Issues Concerning Identity Theft Essay Abstract â€Å"Identity theft has been around since the Internet became more than just the stuff of science fiction. The benefits of being in the Network has been undisputed but it has its drawbacks especially recently†. The increasing sophistication of hacking technology and the ever-widening use of web-based communication have made the danger of identity theft loom even larger in the horizon. Recent statistics illustrate just how serious the situation is with cyber criminals increasingly focusing on small companies and individuals, who are considered soft targets. Countermeasures are fighting a losing battle and experts state that individual vigilance is the only really effective way of stemming the flood. Introduction There was a movie in 1992 starring Robert Redford and Ben Kingsley, called â€Å"Sneakers.† They played the parts of college computer geeks who managed to hack into a government computer system as a sort of teenage prank and got caught. Later in the movie, the character of Ben Kingsley becomes a high-powered high-tech executive determined to rule the world with the use of information technology that could hack into any system in the world. At the time of the movie, such scenarios were the stuff of science fiction, but that is precisely the situation today. The dependence on cyber infrastructure has become so ingrained into everyday life that vulnerability to attacks takes on new dimensions. The consequences of this vulnerability are far-reaching, as indeed information has become the new currency in this fast-paced, Web-based world. But ensuring the security of digital information is fraught with difficulty, as hackers and programmers are coming up with smarter and more destructive ways to wreak havoc with both public and private networks. One type of malware that illustrates the increasing sophistication of malicious code uses a JavaScript tool called NeoSploit. It can attack a system using seven distinct exploits that could be customized depending on the specific weakness of the system it is currently attacking. It is double obfuscated so that it easily evades most automated detection. It is a â€Å"smart† bug and adaptable as well. [33] The concept of identity theft is not new. Anybody with a computer and access to the Internet have been warned never to reveal personal information to unverified sources and to keep avoid financial transactions online unless the site is vouched for a by a reliable verification site. But identity theft is so much more, and recently, there has been a disturbing rise in incidents of identity theft beginning in 2004. The threat to networks has become more complex, as illustrated by the distributed denial-of-service attacks in 2000 and the 2001 CodeRed worm. [30] The cost to consumers and businesses of identity theft is significant. According to the Federal Trade Commission, it has been maintained at more than $50 billion in the US alone. [18] Such occurrences are not only occurring in the US, however. In South Africa, Standard Bank local and foreign clients were choused out of thousands of rands by a Trojan installed in public internet cafà ©s which captured bank information. In France, a 2005 report described how terrorists routinely used stolen identities forged onto false identity documents. [26] The effect of such security breakdowns on e-commerce is particularly horrendous. Such enterprises rely on the trust and confidence of their clients that their confidence will be secure during online transactions. It only takes one instance of invasion for clients to shy away from doing further business. This paper investigates the issues pertaining to the technology behind identity theft, the countermeasures being enacted to prevent it and the current unresolved problems. Requirement Analysis To more fully appreciate the problem, a definition of identity theft may be in order. Identity theft was first coined as part of the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act of 1998, better known as ID Theft Act. It is defined as a criminal act to: â€Å" †¦knowingly transfer or use, without lawful authority, a means of identification of another person with the intent to commit, or to aid or abet, any unlawful activity that constitutes a violation of Federal law, or that constitutes a felony under any applicable State or local law.†[1] Because of the increasing sophistication of ID theft techniques, the US Federal Trade Commission felt it incumbent to provide more specific definitions of what constitutes an â€Å"identity† or â€Å"identifying information†, to wit: â€Å"(a) The term ‘identity theft’ means a fraud committed or attempted using the identifying information of another person without lawful authority. (b) The term ‘identifying information’ means any name or number that may be used, alone or in conjunction with any other information, to identify a specific individual, including any (1) Name, Social Security number, date of birth, official state- or government-issued driver’s license or identification number, alien registration number, government passport number, employer or taxpayer identification number. (2) Unique biometric data, such as fingerprint, voice print, retina or iris image, or other unique physical representation. (3) Unique electronic identification number, address, or routing code. (4) Telecommunication identifying information or access device.†[1] Looking at what comprises identity, it seems highly possible that at one point any one using the Internet or a private network will disclose one or more of the data above on a daily basis because it is almost impossible to go through a typical day without at least once using a network application such as an ATM machine or logging on to an e-mail service. Going to a hospital or school and it is highly likely an RFID is required in some form, whether as a school ID or a medical card. Schools are especially vulnerable to attack because security is not particularly high on the list of priorities for school districts working with a budget. The benefits that accrue from digital technology in the school setting is massive, but there has been no corresponding enthusiasm for establishing even the most basic of security measures. The fact is, cases such as the schools in California and Florida in which students themselves hack into the unsecured database for a prank or for profit, or the Ohio student who accidentally deleted student records which had not been backed up, are not unusual. Some of the most iconic movies are about tech savvy students who pull a fast one on uptight school administrators or against terrorists. However, in real life, security breaches for academic and medical records of students are carry consequences just as serious as those for government and corporate information. [43] It is not surprising that with the rapid digitization of information databases in all sectors, there are more and more incidents reported of some type of invasion. In 200 Techniques used in Identity Theft Physical methods computer and backup theft direct access to information dumpster diving, or searching trash theft of a purse or wallet mail theft and interception shoulder surfing skimming dishonest or mistreated employees telemarketing and fake telephone calls Internet-based methods hacking and unauthorized access phishing, or the use of spam and mirror sites pharming, or interception between an IP address and the target server. redirectors advance-fee fraud or 419 fraud fake IRS form keylogging and password stealing There has been such emphasis on Internet-related security breaches that the fact escapes most people that identity theft can happen physically as well as over the Ethernet. According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, there were more than 300 breaches in security in companies involving the loss of data storage tapes that contained the information of more than 20 million people in 2006. However, cyber-crimes is much harder to prevent because it can be done off-site and insiduously. It is also harder to detect because often the theft is done in small batches. Source: http://www.eset.eu/press_release_threats_march McAfee Avert Labs recently released a report called â€Å"Identity Theft† that identified keylogging, malware that keeps track of keystrokes to capture passwords and other sensitive information, as the tool being increasingly used to perpetrate identity theft. The report also tracked the occurrence of phishing attacks which increased 250% from January 2004 to May 2006. [26] In March 2007, ESET reported that the top malware threat was the Trojan keylogging malware called   Win32/PSW.Agent.NCC, followed by Win32/Netsky.Q or simply Netsky P, which has the power to replicate and to spread itself as an attachment through e-mail. In third place is Trojan Win32/TrojanDowloader.Agent.AWF which is used to download malware that creates botnets that in turn creates spam and disruption-of-service attacks. [4] The use of Internet Relay Chat (IRC) bots, a string of codes or independent program that attaches to the IRC channel of a system and appears to be just another user, by hackers has been developed to be transmitted through IM, mass mailing and peer-to-peer communication. While useful for managing channels, maintaining access lists, and providing access to databases, it has become dangerous in the hands of malicious users, who activate the bots to infect and reside in systems with a view of passing on confidential and sensitive information. It is difficult to detect and to clean because the bot is configured to disable anti-virus software and firewalls. Moreover, bots can edit registry entries to hide its presence. [44] Avenues used for Identity Theft Credit Card Fraud Individuals find themselves victims of credit card fraud when they transact with smaller merchants online merchants that utilize generic shopping cart software and failing to keep up with the latest software security patches. Web-based vulnerabilities, which provide cyber-criminals the soft patches in which to invade and infiltrate, is found in many different Web-based applications because of the failure to be vigilant. One example is that of Cellhut.com which uses third party Website security provider Hackersafe which is supposed to have passedthe FBI/SANS Internet Security Test. But experts are circumspect regarding the effectiveness of these tests as evidenced by the number of reports of fraud, which is actually only a part of the actual number of cases that actually occur. Small online companies are not required to report all incidents, making statistical data difficult to gather. [17] E-mail as a gateway In 2003, the number of spam or jank mail outstripped the number of legitimate e-mail in corporate America, indicating an unrelenting onslaught on computer defenses. Malicious code such as SoBig, Mimail, and Yaha, which wreaked havoc on personal computers and servers alike,   was disseminated through e-mail. As a reaction, companies allocated 8.2% of corporate budgets were earmarked for cyber-security but the economic lure for hackers have made them more inventive and devious as well. Phishing, the art of deceiving unwary users with cleverly disguised e-mail, has become the fastest-growing non-violent crimes against banks. One sneaky example was that of Swen, an e-mail virus that masquerades as a Microsoft security fix, complete to the last detail so that it looks authentic. The unwary unleashes the virus in the system when the message is opened or previewed. It then breaks down firewalls and antivirus, leaving the system open to infiltration. Instant Messaging, Instant Invasion Instant Messaging or IM has also become popular of late because it is, well, instant. Many companies believe they have increased productivity significantly with the use of Yahoo Messenger, Skype, MSN Messenger and AOL Messenger. However, these may bring more than messages into the picture. IM allows users not only to exchange messages but to transfer files as well, which may have malware or a virus riding on it. It also provides backdoor access to hackers because IM bypasses firewalls and gateway perimeter scans. The peer-to-peer network is especially open to exploitation because of this bypass, and the worms spread rapidly, testing at 10 to 20 seconds in some tests. Some antivirus software that work on the desktop level have some success in catching these worms, but only in restricted cases. Another way for hackers to open a portal is to hijack the connection using a man-in-the-middle attack and impersonate the hijacked user. The hacker is then in a position of trust and may solicit information from the unsuspecting person on the other end. The use of a network sniffer could also steal information from an open portal during an instant messaging session, and a trojan is not even needed. This is especially dangerous in a corporate network. [37] Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) The use of VoIP has the potential security risk as that of most data streams. While it may seem to be much like a telephone service, the architecture for VoIP is not the same as the conventional telephone line, where security is more established and any interception will require a physical presence on the specific telephone wire or PBX. VoIP transmits the voice as a data stream, similar to that of any other web-based application, and is vulnerable to the same kind of invasion or interception. The defense against such invasion is through the same combination of firewalls, antivirus and   encryption. [23] Because VoIP is comparatively new, it is still in its early stages of development, and has not excited the same attention for identity thieves as other forms of data exchange, although there are some spyware the specifically targets VoIP. Cookies Cookies are normally written by a website into the computer’s harddisk to store personal data about the user relevant to the application which stores the text-only code. Flaws in the generation of the cookie identity has been identified by Security researcher Michal Zalewski as potentially vulnerable to hacker attack because the overwrite protection feature can easily be bypassed and allow malware to remotely plant user information on another persons computer that can be accessed remotely when the user visits specific websites. [35] Malware is more than just malicious in that it is motivated by economic gain rather than any kind of grudge or misdirected sense of humor. A more appropriate term for these economic-driven malicous software is spyware. Spyware is much more focused and quite destructive because it can reside in a system for weeks or even months before it is discovered. Aside from the fact that transmits confidential information to its creator, it also slows down computers if enough of them reside in the system, even disbling some applications from working at all. There is loss of productivity as well as information. Sometimes it is simply annoying, popping up as adware or altering the home page to redirect the browser to specific websites. It sometimes masquerades as an end-user license agreement and most users just click on it as a matter of course, inadvertently allowing the spyware to be embedded in   the system. Whichever form it takes, it cuts down on productivity, uses up RAM and CPU resources. [27] Many IT professionals consider spyware the top security threat as revealed by a WatchGuard Technologies survey in 2005. Consequently, anti-spyware software is also on the rise, making it the top security technology for 2005. Since people make money from it, it is most likely that hackers would bring it up to the level of a serious enterprise. Particularly vulnerable are banks and financial institutions, such as PayPal, which was targeted by a variation of the Mimail worm. The pathogen redirected the user to a false PayPal verification window which then asked for sensitive financial information. PayPal had hitherto enjoyed a reputation for reliability, so the potential to victimize a large number of people makes the strategy particularly effective. The tendency to use a few core applications is another reason hackers are so effective: they only need to focus on circumventing the security of a few systems to ensure a good haul. [25]One of these core applications is Microsoft’s Windows. The vulnerabilities of these products are more numerous than ever, mostly because its widespread use has made it the target of concentration for   many hackers. And though improvements in the security features in the products have managed to deflect more than 100,000 variants of the malware circulating, it requires more vigilance on the part of the caretaker to maintain the system to the leading edge of the available updates and security patches.   [36] There has even been evidence that cyber-criminals have become loosely organized, expert hackers working together with spammers and fraudsters to extend the sophistication and reach of the attacks on peer-to-peer networks. The focus is now on compromising integrity rather than the random destruction of files and networks. The treasure in this hunt is for information, and since there is no immediate, discernible damage, it is only when the credit card bills come in or the security system springs an alarm that the invasion becomes apparent. In the instances that a pathogen succeeds in infiltrating a good system, more damage is done than its predecessor, and true to the nature of its name, the virus appears never to completely die, but rather to go into stasis, just waiting for the next improved bug to re-activate it in an evolved state, such as the Phatbot in 2004 which exploit known and newly-discovered vulnerabilities in multi-frontal attacks. [36] Profile of a Cyber Criminal [26] Organized crime groups The involvement of organized crime groups has served to coalesce otherwise individual hackers. The motive for the involvement is not only profit but to establish a supply of readily available identities to be used in the course of their criminal activities. Terrorists It has been established that terrorists use various identities to avoid detection by government agencies that are on the alert for their appearance in under their true identities. They acquire employment and obtain financing for their activities. One instance was reported in Spain where a terrorist cell made purchases with the use of stolen credit cards and used fake passports and travel documents to open legitimate bank accounts to finance their operations. Petty criminals These are the freelancers, out to make easy money and with no other motive but money. [26] Literature Survey of Solutions Research grants In 2002, $877 million in government grants were earmarked to fund the Cyber Security Research and Development Act and H.R. 3400, the Networking and Information Technology Advancement Act that would beef up the network security of vital infrastructure. The ATT Foundation has also made contribution by providing grants in 2004 to the University of Texas at Dallas and Syracuse University to support cybersecurity research. Similarly, National Institute of Standards and Technology gave a grant to George Mason University School of Laws National Center for Technology Law and James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va. to collaborate on what is know as the Critical Infrastructure Protection Project. â€Å"The project is aimed at providing outreach and education, serve as a pool of knowledge, and development of special programs for small businesses and information sharing†.   [41] However, the grants are part of a reaction to 9/11, which seeks to promote research in counterterrorirsm and national security. The problem of identity theft is much closer to home, or at least need not be on the scale of national security. Generally, identity theft can occur to as small as the scale of a home computer. A report by Internet security solutions provider Preventon has shown that in the UK, approximately 67% of   the surveyed consumers manage their own security software, mostly anti-virus, firewalls or anti-spyware software. However, only 22% considered â€Å"phishing† a serious threat to their security. New Products For financial call centers, a product has been developed by EMC’s Security Division called the RSA[R] Adaptive Authentication for Phone, which seeks to provide a reliable authentication protocol for telephone banking as required by the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Councils Authentication in the Internet Banking Environment guidance. It is an offshoot of the RSA Adaptive Authentication for Web in use by 35 of the largest financial institutions and banks in the world. The system makes use of the voice biometric solution based on Vocent technology and Nuance’s voiceprint engine. It is designed to conduct a risk-based assessment by analyzing voiceprint and user behavior based on predetermined parameters during retail and commercial banking transactions. Aside from the technology, users of the product will also have access to the database of the RSA eFraudNetwork community which has fraudster profiles. [10] There has been some opinion that an overlap approach may be more effective, where a combination of firewalls, intruder protection and detection and vulnerability testing be used in concert instead of isolation. [25] A software that goes one step further is PCImmunity, which is designed to combine the security features of Norton, McAfee, SpyBot, SpySweeper, Ad-Aware, ZoneAlarm, Avast, and AVG while supplementing them with a restart feature in cases where one or more of the active applications is deactivated by a hacker or virus. One of its maintenance features is the automatic update of these software and the daily scans of anti-spyware software. [14] Two projects that are geared towards anticipating industrial-grade security measures for VoIP has been initiated by the VoIP Security Alliance, or VOIPSA, which aims to establish a â€Å"threat taxonomy† and and a list of VoIP security requirements These protocols will be of particular use for session border controllers, or SBCs, which serves as an intermediary between the unique architecture of VoIP and web-based protocol that would otherwise be incompatible with VoIP. VoIP with SBC    Source: http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/cc/general/bulletin/software/general/3001_pp/3001_p24.jpg Other functions of the SBC is to enable network address translation, VoIP peering and compliance with   the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act.   Security-wise, SBCs as the â€Å"man-in-the-middle,† is theoretically in a good position as the front-liner for any unauthorized access or interception. SBCs also serve to mask the presence of VoIP systems and softswitches and other devices. However, the integrity of its security features has yet to be rigorously tested. [40] The JavaScript malware that confounds most automated detection needs special treatment, using decoding tools such as NJS, SpiderMonkey or Rhino which separates the malware from the browser tool at the command-line level after cleaning up the HTML. It decodes in layers until the malware is completely stripped of its code. The tools are based on JavaScript and designed to be a re-entrant. It is not guaranteed, however, because such tools have limitations and it is only a matter of time before hackers find a way around it as well. [33] Another breakthrough that is a double-edged sword is a framework being developed by security expert Roelof Temmingh called Evolution. Though still in its infancy, the framework can be used as both a hacker’s tool as well as a security application. What it does is to use any identity information and extract other hidden data. For example, it can transform a domain into e-mail addresses and telephone numbers with the use of the Whois domain name lookup service, so hackers need only one type of information to get a whole slew of information. It can also identify targets for client-side attacks and war-dialing ranges. In the interest of security, however, Evolution can be invaluable in various ways. It can be used as a footprinting to identify phishing sites and identify alliances with weak security postures. In the long run, however, Evolution can be used to illustrate the future capabilities of hackers and research to pro-actively counteract such developments would be of immense benefit. [33] The important development from a security standpoint is that many companies are finally coming to terms with the magnitude of the battle before them. In a conference in Phoenix, the focus was on new products that were designed to renew the onslaught on incidents of phishing, adware and spyware spurred on by Web 2.0. Products such as NewsGator Hosted Solution allows companies to put an RSS aggregator in their websites, eliminating the need to get feed directly from the original content originator. For security compliance, LogLogic produced the appliance-based solution LogLogic 3 r2 that allows tracking of Microsoft Exchange log activity to identify security risks. [16] One product with added features was announced recently by Barracuda Networks which helps identify spam messages even if it is being sent by an apparently innocuous e-mail address. The Spam Firewall e-mail security appliance is now able to analyze sender behavior, facilitating reputation analysis. When a previously normal nehaving e-mail address suddenly stars unloading massive amounts of email, it is presumed that it has been infected by a botnet and turned into a spam server. [20] DIY Security Protocols With the rise of DIY security came the development of self-help websites that provide security tips and information as well as recommended freeware for downloads. One such website is the Gibson Research Corp. website (www.grc.com) headed by Steve Gibson. He provides three suggestions: Stealth or hide seldom-used ports, of which a typical system has 65,000 for an internet scanner to exploit. Disconnect services not in use, which Windows provides and connects by default but which only represents a vulnerability. Bind only the modem to the TCP/IP. Windows binds all network resources to the Internet by default as well, such as a shared printer, which is unnecessary and potentially dangerous. Among Gibson’s offerings that have provided some security is Shields Up! and LeakTest scans, and Gibsons DCOMbobulator, Shoot the Messenger, Socket-Lock, UnPlug n Pray and Xpdite make security a little tighter.   Another website that may bear investigation is The Human Firewall (www.humanfirewall.org) which focuses more on companies. [36] In IM, the best way to prevent identity and other information theft is to use an IM service that allow encryption. Unnecessary file tranfers via IM should also be restricted. Another suggestion is the use of Really Simple Syndication (RSS) as an alternative to joining an e-mailing list. The RSS feed is secure because here is no need for an e-mail address, it merely gets the desired material from the feed’s server. It makes the inbox and spam mail easier to manage as well as reducing the risk of spyware infiltration. [31] To confound IRC bots, McAfee experts suggests the use of IRC servers in constructing and IRC honeypot and a network sniffer. The sniffer identifies the IRC channel used by the malicious bot and the IRC honeypot routes all IRC channels to pass through it and an outbound query is allowed. A rogue bot will try to home into the attacker’s IRC server and the honeypot then issues commands to unistall the bot. [44] Enterpise Security Governance On the executive level, the Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute (SEI) reports in â€Å"Governing for Enterprise Security† that the need to address information security as an enterprise-level governance concern is paramount. It identified several characteristics that define a company that employes governance in enterprice security: Security is given the same importance as other aspects of business; Security is part of the organization’s strategic planning cycle; Security is considered an integral part of all enterprise functions; Key executives and network staff alike have an appreciation of the responsibilities and issues involved in network security. Because of the prevalence of confidentiality breaches in the corporate world and the high costs involved in such breaches, an enterprise with a strong, healthy respect and care for the security of the information in their care but still with the ability to communicate efficiently and effectively with their clients will come across as a company that can be relied on and trusted. [29] ATT’s Research Labs president Hossein Eslambolchi agrees that security cannot be an afterthought, and states that the state of network security is so pathetic that hackers can bring down a whole network with very little effort. [13] Government Initiatives The US government has come to realize the real threat of security and information breach, especially when it involves government agencies. Several intitiatives deal with ensuring vigilance in both public and private enterprises that deal with network security. E-Government Act 2002, a privacy assessment mandate that is designed to protect the personal information of citizens who volunteer their data on government sites, is touted as one of the most significant privacy guidelines. The aim of the mandate is to ease the government into e-government, overcome resistance to change and to emphasize the need for cyber-security and privacy as well as coordination concerns. [21] Another government mandate is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) which came into effect in April 2005 which regulates the use of e-mail and other Internet-based communications by health professionals in efforts to secure sensitive medical information. The guidelines are particularly focused on some key points that may arise in a clinician-patient communication. The rule of thumb is that the e-mail is mos probably not secure, and ealth professionals should not solicit confidential patient information via email, nor should patients supply such information. If it is absolutely imperative, the guidelines require tat such e-mail be encoded and encrypted. In cases of sharing benchmarking information and statistical data, it would be advisable to take out pertinent patient information as much as possible. There are 18 HIPAA Patient Identifiers that should be taken out, a list available on the HIPAA website (www.hipaa.org). [3] With regard to schools, some efforts at the district levels are being made to establish some security guidelines to protect the integrity of school records. The Consortium for School Networking, together with the Mass Networks Education Partnership in Allston, Mass., has produced the Cyber Security for a Digital District program (www. securedistrict.cosn.org) which provides administrators with an outline of what constitutes a secure database. [43] However, cost is still a major consideration for many school districts, one that has no immediate solution unless administrators and school boards alike are convinced of the importance of cyber-security in the schools. There have been some suggestions that law enforcement agencies take a more offensive take on cyber criminals and ISPs that host such activities, but this move is fraught with legal and ethical issues. Cyber crime is difficult to pin down because it is nealy amorphous in character. Unless it is proven without doubt that such a person or ISP is knowingly involved in the commission of cyber crimes such as identity theft, any law enforcement actions against what may prove to be an innocent party who may in turn be victims themselves would be ineffective. A recent development has been an unprecedented move by the US District Court in Alexandria, Va. On behalf of Project Honey Pot of anti-spam company Unspam Technologies, a $1 billion lawsuit was filed against spammers as well as those who harvest e-mail addresses for spammers. The lawsuit is the first and largest of its kind made possible by the efforts of members of Project Honey Pot who have been able to gather enough data to prosecute the alleged perpetrators with the use of the honey pot software, which identifies spam mail and IP addresses of the e-mail harvesters. The gathered data will enable prosecutors to subpoena ISP records for the involved IP addresses and its owners. The results of this litigation could well provide cyber criminals at least a pause in their activities. [28] Outstanding Issues One of main problems with countering unauthorized invasions is the lack of government spending on network security. Moreover, universities are churning out an inadequate supply of graduates with enough knowledge in network security to come up with practical and effective counters to what hackers can come up with. According to National Academy of Engineering (NAE) president William Wulf, there are perhaps about 200 serious computer security researchers in the US. Academic research is also notoriously slow in coming out with publications, much too slow to be of practical use in the rapid development of cyber-crime. Much of the brain drain is due to the demand of private enterprises, which pays a lot better than academic research, for talent to staff short-term projects that has nothing to do with security research. Purdue University Professor Eugene Spafford characterizes the attitude to security issues as most people view insurance. Software Engineering Institute’s Timothy J. Shimeall agrees as senior technical staff member of its Networked Systems Survivability Program. Not enough attention and resources is being devoted to security issues until it becomes a problem. For those who are involved in academic research in security, most are theoretical, with little or no practical basis, according to Columbia University computer science professor Salvatore J. Stolfo. [30] Another issue that has yet to be addressed is the management of the distributed-computing environment, in which the traditional, centralized concept of a security perimeter, known as the Orange Book architecture of the US Department of Defense’s Trusted Computer System Evaluation Criteria, is of little use. What is needed is long-term, systemic, non-theoretical view of the problem, rather than disaster management and short-term product cycle thinking. A survey, called the Risk of Sharing, of 300 companies in the US, UK and Australia revealed gaps in the business communications process due mainly to lack of process auditability, inadvertent exposure of confidential data, review cycle inaccuracies and resource loss through dealing with spam, amendments and approvals. [5] It has also been observed that many companies fail to make full use of the security softwar they already possess, and the reason for this appears to be data overload. When security software provides audit information for instances of attempts at invasion, it spews out a lot of information, much of it extraneous. Systems analysts must figure out which are the significant entries out of thousands of entries, and some companies resourt to outsourcing the work. [25] Conclusion The story of infected networks and compromised information has become all too familiar, a state of affairs that has begun to make itself felt with a vengeance. Of particular concern is the increasing number of incidents of identity theft. It is of concern to the individuals and corporations that are directly affected by it, but it is also a matter of national security, especially since the onslaught of terrorist attacks on the US. One side of the hackers economics is selling of legitimate identities to identified individuals who are persona non grata in the US. Identity theft is should thus be a priority for individuals, business entities and government agencies alike. Efforts by researchers to come up with defensive foils to stem the malware tide have met with mixed success as each step to successfully battling existing threats is countered by newer, more sophisticated and more dangerous threats. The economics behind the hacking industry has become huge as the world becomes more and more enmeshed in the cyber world, and the opportunities for profit is increasing as more and more industries are hooking up. However, the benefits of being connected still outweighs the drawbacks and the key to maintaining equilibrium is vigilance. On the far end of the security spectrum is government agencies that exact compliance for security regulations to deter cyber crime. Businesses follow suit as required because it is also to their benefit to do so, although many small companies have resistance because they have yet to feel the squeeze of an all-out hack attack. Big enterprises are more in the picture because they are bigger targets, although hackers are migrating more and more to softer targets whose resistance to regulations make them more vulnerable to attack. On the other end of the spectrum is the individual user, whether in the office or home setting. It is the responsibility of each user to be aware of the dangers, whether they are hooked up to local area network with the potential to infect from two to 50 other terminals because of a security suite that lacks maintenance, or the home user with an address book full of friends and family which has the potential of spreading malware with the ease of a click of a mouse. The tools to combat malicious cyber crime is available but users need to be educated about their responsibilities. Users need to be vigilant about their computer use, with their e-mails, with their IM sessions, even with their browsing behavior. As Uncle Ben said to Peter Parker, â€Å"with great power comes great responsibility.† Being interconnected has unleashed great power, and the responsibility to harness this power for the common good is very much in the hands of each user. Acknowledgment References â€Å"Bill authorizes $877 million for cyber security research.† Communications Today. December 7, 2001. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BMD/is_228_7/ai_80639935 â€Å"CinTel develops a network security solution that enables content filtering proxy.† EDP Weekly IT Monitor. August 8, 2005. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0GZQ/is_30_46/ai_n14939952 â€Å"Do your e-mails comply with new security regs? HIPAA regs cover security and confidentiality.† HealthCare Benchmarks and Quality Improvement. May 2005. Retrieved April 26, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NUZ/is_5_12/ai_n13759944 â€Å"Global threat trends in March 2007.† com. April 3, 2007. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://www.eset.eu/press_release_threats_march â€Å"New research uncovers security and audit risks.† International Journal of Micrographics Optical Technology. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa4077/is_200501/ai_n1363351 â€Å"Organisations fear network security threats from Instant Messaging.† Internet Business News. October 3, 2005. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from   http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BNG/is_2005_Oct_3/ai_n15658965 â€Å"Research by prevention reveals UK home PC user are turning to DIY security.† Internet Business News. July 6, 2005. Retrieved April 26, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BNG/is_2005_July_6/ai_n14724817 â€Å"RSA survey reveals online security concerns.† Internet Business News. August 22, 2005. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BNG/is_2005_August_22/ai_n14924483 â€Å"Security appliance protects consumer data with encryption.† ThomasNet, Incorporated. February 27, 2007. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0PIL/is_2007_March_19/ai_n18727208 â€Å"Security system strengthens phone authentication processes.† Product News Network. November 13, 2006. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0PIL/is_2006_Nov_13/ai_n16836088 â€Å"Security.† Telecom Asia. August 2003. Retrieved April 26, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FGI/is_8_14/ai_108312261 â€Å"Security.† Telecom Asia. December 2004. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FGI/is_12_15/ai_n9481318 â€Å"Security.† Telecom Asia. June 2005. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FGI/is_6_16/ai_n16879846 â€Å"Software automates and maintains PC security programs.† Product News Network. September 28, 2005. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0PIL/is_2005_Sept_28/ai_n15636236 A paper that is focused on a current security research issue of your own choosing. â€Å"RSS network optimization, fraud prevention tools take demo stage.† eWEEK.com. February 6, 2006. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1920117,00.asp?kc=EWNKT0209KTX1K0100440 â€Å"ID thieves turn sights on smaller e-businesses: for online shoppers, security seals no guarantee that hackerts aren’t watching.† Washingtonpost.com. September 28, 2006. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NTQ/is_2006_Sept_28/ai_n16753298 â€Å"Can ID theft be solved with more regulation?† eWEEK.com. February 8, 2007. Retrieved April 26, 2007 from http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2092459,00.asp Prince. â€Å"Report shows spike in online identity theft.† eWEEK.com. January 16, 2007. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2084453,00.asp [20]  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   C. Garretson. â€Å"Barracuda Networks enhances reputation analysis technology with behavior data.† Network World. April 17, 2007. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://www.networkworld.com/news/2007/041707-barracuda-e-mail-security-appliance-profiling.html Webb. â€Å"Government IT Review.† Washingtonpost.com. October 2, 2003. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NTQ/is_2003_Oct_2/ai_108454056 Chandler. â€Å"Storage services for data security: big business byte for enlightened operators.† Telecommunications Americas. August 2005. Retrieved April 26, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NUH/is_9_39/ai_n15631277 Khun, T. Walsh and S. Fries. â€Å"Security considerations for Voice over IP systems.† January 2005. National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8930. Sweeney. â€Å"Focus turns to network security: while many consider the telecoms infrastructure a vulnerable target for terrorists, the more immediate threats are attacks by individual hackers and authors of malicious code, which are presenting new security challenges for service providers.† Telecom Asia. January 2005. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FGI/is_1_16/ai_n9772934 Shein. â€Å"Spy vs. spy: companies are spending billions on network security, but staying ahead of hackers may be a pipe dream.† CFO: Magazine for Senior Financial Executives. February 2004. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3870/is_2_20/ai_113051525 Paget. â€Å"Identity theft.† McAfee Avert Labs. December 15, 2006. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from www.mcafee.com McPartlin. â€Å"Somebodys watching you: spyware has come in from the cold to become corporate Americas top security threat.† CFO: Magazine for Senior Financial Executives. Summer 2005. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3870/is_9_21/ai_n15787661 Vijayan. â€Å"E-mail harvesters hit with $1 billion antispam lawsuit.† Computerworld. April 26, 2007. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://www.networkworld.com/news/2007/042607-e-mail-harvesters-hit-with-1b.html Whitley. â€Å"Report stresses security governance.† Internal Auditor. October 2005. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m4153/is_5_62/ai_n15763501 [30]  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   L. Paulson. â€Å"Wanted: More Network-Security Graduates and Research.† Computer Science at the University of Virginia. February 1, 2002. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://www.cs.virginia.edu/csnews/show.php?artID=79 Seltzer. â€Å"Security watch: Windows wireless threat†¦not.† PC Magazine. January 2006. Retrieved April 26, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_zdpcm/is_200601/ai_n16015170 Seltzer. â€Å"Security Watch: Windows, Firefox, Winamp, all report flaws.† PC Magazine. February 2006. Retrieved April 26, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_zdpcm/is_200602/ai_n16043071 Vaas. â€Å"Tools will help personalize ID theft by 2010.† eWEEK.com. April 19, 2007. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2115879,00.asp Vaas. †JavaScript attacks get slicker.† eWEEK.com. April 18, 2007. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2115638,00.asp Hines. â€Å"Cookie holes expose browsers.† eWEEK.com. January 31, 2006. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1917283,00.asp Hogan. â€Å"Not-so-good fellas: keep the bad guys at bay with these steps to improve your companys computer security.† Entrepreneur. June 2004. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0DTI/is_6_32/ai_n6055133 Hindocha. â€Å"Instant insecurity: security issues of instant messaging.† Security Focus. January 13, 2003. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://www.securityfocus.com/infocus/1657 Roberts. â€Å"FBI computer crime survey finds widespread attacks.† eWEEK.com. January 20, 2006. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1913633,00.asp Roberts. â€Å"IBM predicts 2006 security threat trends.† eWEEK.com. January 23, 2006. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1913864,00.asp Poe. â€Å"VoIP industry moves to bolster network security: new group to define requirements.† America’s Network. May 2005. Retrieved April 26, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0DUJ/is_5_109/ai_n15622587 Roach. â€Å"Cybersecurity research at two schools gets boost from ATT Foundation.† Black Issues in Higher Education. July 1, 2004. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0DXK/is_10_21/ai_n6145384 Roach. â€Å"Virginia universities team up on nations cyber security; focus on public policy and law gives research effort unique focus.† Black Issues in Higher Education. June 20, 2002. Retrieved April 26, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0DXK/is_9_19/ai_89077199 Lafee. â€Å"Cyber security at the distriCt level: are you ready to prevent unlawful, unauthorized or simply misguided use of your technology?† School Administrator. April 2005. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0JSD/is_4_62/ai_n13667747 Thomas and N. Jyoti. â€Å"Defeating IRC bots on the internal network.† McAfee Avert Labs. February 6, 2007. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from www.virusbtn.com

Politics Essays Charismatic Politics Leader

Politics Essays Charismatic Politics Leader Charismatic Politics Leader Charismatic Leadership and its Effect on Politics in History The role of charismatic leadership in modern political history can be considered a controversial topic. The subject has most recently come about in regards to Democratic Senator Barack Obama, and his campaign for the American Presidency, but can also been seen in smaller contexts globally. In some respects, charisma seems difficult to define or explain. In theory, it would seem that if one should implement the appropriate policy and make difficult decisions at the right time, they should succeed in politics. It appears that this is not always the case, and that charisma does play a vital role in politics. Robert A. Caro said in his biography of Lyndon Johnson, â€Å"You only have to look at the crucial moments in the history of our time to see how crucial it was to have a leader who could inspire, who could rally a nation to a standard, who could infuse a country with confidence†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . (Caro) It seems that charisma is an important aspect of being a political leader, yet defining and explaining exactly what makes the person so appealing, inspiring and trustworthy is not easily delineated. Early sociologist Max Weber defined charisma as one of the three â€Å"ideal types† of authority, and rested upon a kind of magical power and hero worship. This definition was considered unsuitable for modern times, and its use became metaphorical – ultimately becoming a synonym for heroic or popular (Zernike). This leads us to the questions examined in this paper; to what extent is charisma necessary in politics and what are the positive and negative effects of a leader holding charisma as a political figurehead? It is the belief of some that there is a high risk of charismatic leaders to be all talk and no real answers of substance. The charismatic leader seems to thrive in times of crisis or national hardship. Arthur M. Schlesinger referred to a â€Å"new mood in politics† in the 1960’s, in which there was dissatisfaction with official priorities and concerns with the character and objectives of the nation. It appears that this is the very same climate that supporters of Barack Obama feel now. It is here that the proposed negative effects of a charismatic leader come into play. Some feel that Obama’s messages of hope and change are only talk, and lack serious substance and real answers on policy changes that would be required to make said transformations. â€Å"He speaks loudly and clearly and crowds flock to him like bees to honey. Many blindly follow a man who will lead them to dangerous waters. They fall for his words and not the policies he is going to use to run the nation† (Woerner). Since charismatic leadership typically results in strong, unchallenged levels of obedience, there is also the risk of weak minded individual followers that do not employ their individual thought processes and are blindly agreeable (12-Manage). This can manifest into a more serious problem and can result in â€Å"group think†, especially in politics, where there is the need for constant re-evaluation and challenging of ideas. In politics, it is imperative to examine all angles constantly, as major decisions made for a country can be life or death and have an impact on the citizen’s lives directly. On a smaller scale, the recent provincial election in Alberta exhibited some key issues pertaining to charismatic leadership. Alberta has been a strong Progressive Conservative province, in which the party has held power uninterrupted since 1971. The most recent reign of leadership has been under Ralph Klein, who was Premier of Alberta from 1992 through 2006. The retirement of this long standing leader has brought about some issues pertaining to charisma and their place in politics. Ralph Klein was an outspoken leader, who eventually developed an overwhelming rapport with Albertans, his approval rating being 77% at the end of his run as Premier (Markusoff). The eventual devotion and loyalty of Albertans to Klein brings forth the issue of emotions and feelings of the voters towards the candidate superseding the importance of being informed about current issues and platforms being addressed by the candidate. Thomas Lukaszuk, Conservative MLA commented on this issue You know, strong feelings in politics are dangerous, You want rational voters to vote on policies and on merit, not whether they hate or love an individual in a party or a leader (Markusoff). This leads us to the question of whether the majority of voters are actually informed on current issues, or if they tend to cast their ballot based on their personal feelings of the candidate. The Progressive Conservative party, currently headed by Ed Stelmach, won by an impressively substantial amount in the recent election that occurred in Alberta on March 3, 2008. Many felt that the new candidate held little charisma or ground-breaking ideas compared to his predecessor, Klein. Dave Khalon said of Stelmach Everythings just formatted. I see him on TV, and he just reads off the script. But nobody else seems to stick out, either. Khalon admitted that he planned to vote Conservative in the election because of family tradition and his fondness of the party’s prior leader, Klein (Markusoff). This leads us to consider that it is a very real possibility that Ed Stelmach’s win had little to do with his abilities and ideas as a candidate, but the charisma of the prior leader and the lack of other inspirational candidates as alternatives. A major problem in current politics is voter apathy, which could be partly attributed to a lack of inspirational candidates. This said, too much emphasis on the charisma of candidates can be viewed as a downfall in politics, leading to uninformed voters. Some voters seem to be placing a great deal of weight on the personality of the candidate rather than the campaign platforms and plans, which, in theory, should be the backbone of the campaign. The largest risk is posed by what is sometimes referred to â€Å"the black hat of charisma†. What this essentially encompasses is the use of charismatic power for self-serving purposes. The more charisma a potentially dangerous leader possesses, the greater the risk to society. This is emphasized because the base for charisma is emotional rather than logical or rational (Daft). Jerry Wofford says of this risk â€Å"If a person’s values are destructive, insane, then the more charismatic the leader, the worse off you are† (Tenenbaum). Unfortunately, these types of leaders have existed throughout the history of politics and continue to exist in present day. Adolf Hitler’s reign as fuhrer of the German Reich is a prime example of what can happen when power is in the wrong hands, and the accelerated negative effects that can occur if that person exhibits any sort of charisma that has the potential to be used for the wrong purpose. As mentioned, charismatic leaders seem to come about in times of crisis, as was the case with Hitler. Germany’s economy was in a precarious position after World War I and Hitler â€Å"wooed† the German people with his charisma, promising to fix the problems and make everything better. Meanwhile, he had his own agenda, which was elimination of all people he didn’t think met the criteria of â€Å"ideal† (Shay). This turn of events ended up being one of the greatest tragedies in modern history. More recently, charismatic leadership was exhibited in Osama bin Laden and his terrorist group al-Qaeda. In this case, the group was considered more of a cult, where brainwashing tactics were used. Charismatic power was used at the forefront, during recruitment of members to the group. The recruits were usually young idealists, recruited under the facade of â€Å"liberation† and â€Å"Islamic beliefs†, initially unaware of the real commitments of the group. The underlying concept that is common of those falling under the category of cults, or alternately â€Å"the black hat of charisma† is when a charismatic leader increasingly becomes an object of worship as the general principles that may have originally sustained the group lose their power (Ross). This leaves the dangerous charismatic leader to their own agenda. The values that the people originally stood for become irrelevant and the situation becomes personality driven. Ultimately, it is a risk that will always be prevalent pertaining to charismatic individuals. This risk is driven even higher with an uninformed, easily influenced society of voters. The only possibility of mitigating this risk is for each individual to stay as informed as possible and look for the warning signs of a leader that possesses ulterior motives. Charisma can be seen as an ingredient in a recipe for disaster, based on the charismatic leaders that have been prevalent in recent history. The other side of this story starts with uninformed, uninspired citizens. It is the view of some that these individuals need a charismatic leader to light a fire under them and get them believing that the political process is not just a big waste of time. This is especially prevalent in America’s youth, in which approximately a quarter of the eligible population actually makes it out to vote (Dashek). Even if a candidate has a strong position and ideas, they may be viewed as the typical uninspiring politician if they do not have the charisma to bring their campaign and ideas to life and get the general public excited about the proposed changes. Barack Obama and rival democratic candidate Hillary Clinton have the similar stands on a large portion of their policies. Gabe Pressman says â€Å"She claims experience. He promises change. As the race for the Democratic nomination for president intensifies, the differences in policy between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama seem less than the images they project and their shortcut slogans.† (Pressman) It seems then that it comes down to charisma as a deciding factor in what will set them apart, and the ability to reach and inspire those that most need inspiration. It is the belief of some that Barack Obama will be able to provide a balance of substance and inspiration to the American people. Tom Butcher, a sophomore at the University of St. Louis says â€Å"In contemporary politics, it is not enough to have merely style or substance alone. Mere substance will have no one caring about your policy (think Al Gore). Style alone leaves the vacuous impression of an incandescent bubble. Obama is in the unique position of offering the combination† (Butcher). From the views examined above, the conclusion can be reached that charisma is a necessary element in politics, but can be extremely dangerous in the hands of the wrong leader. It has been noted that the general public needs to be aware of the substance behind the charisma in order to cast an informed ballot. It is also crucial that voters separate their personal feelings of the candidate from the facts behind the policies in order to make an informed decision. Skepticism is actually an important quality for voters to bring into play to ensure the initial issues are being focused on, and that the leader is not shifting the focus to ulterior motives. Finally, it was noted that although charisma brings about many risks, it is necessary in a political figurehead in order to inspire the people. Encouraging the people to get involved and believe in something is the only way to avoid voter apathy in a political environment where democracy is undeniably underutilized. Works Cited 12-Manage. Charismatic Leadership (Weber). 3 March 2008 . Butcher, Tom. Charisma in Politics: Not an Empty Promise. Student Life 27 February 2008: 1. Caro, Robert A. The Path to Power. New York: Alfred A. Knopf Inc., 1982. Daft, Richard L. The Leadership Experience. Mason, OH: Thomson South-Western, 2005. Dashek, Ryan. Apathy is Unacceptable for American youth vote. The Daily Cardinal 18 February 2008: 1. Markusoff, Jason. Charisma Gap mires parties. Edmonton Journal 20 February 2008: 2. Pressman, Gabe. Gabes View: Will Charisma Carry the Day? WNBC 18 February 2008: 1. Ross, Rick. Cult Education and Recovery. November 2001. 9 March 2008 . Shay, Virginia. The Virtual Voice. 6 March 2008 . Tenenbaum, David. The Character of Charisma. 15 July 2004. 20 February 2008 . Woerner, Tom. Helium.com. 3 March 2008 . Zernike, Kate. The Charisma Mandate. The New York Times 17 February 2008: 2.