Sociology – Nature Versus Nurture

The roles of nature (what we genetically inherit) and or nurture (what we learn) in making us what we are have long been argued. The idea that humans are determined by these two influences dates back to the ancient Greek philosopher Protagorus who in the fifth century BC compared physics (nature) and nomos (tradition). It is however difficult to unravel the separate influences of nature and nurture. If the children of musically talented parents are themselves musically talent, is it because of genetic inheritance (nature) or because of a musical environment at home where they grow up(nurture)? The nature versus nurture debate concentrates on the question of how far our behavior is determined by nature at birth or by nurture after birth. In seventeenth century philosopher John Locke claimed that the mind of a child was like a Tabula Rasa (blank slate). People became what they were taught to be. By the second half of nineteenth century many social scientists started to argue that human behavior is determined by nature. Charles Darwin’s theory came up with the idea that humans and other animals have descended ultimately from the same ancestors.  Read also  Sociology and Social Integration. Animals are governed by instincts (fixed traits that are inherited and shared by all members of a species). These inherited mechanisms enable members of the species to perform complex tasks. For example twice a year the New Zealand cuckoo travel 4000 miles between New Zealand and Islands off the coast of New Guinea. The adults’ leave New Zealand before their eggs are hatched. The young cuckoos later on travel 4000 miles and join their par4ents-without ever having made the journey and with no one to guide them. Experiments have indicated that other birds also seem to have some inborn sense that guides their migration. Because animals are governed by instincts and human are also animals, some scholars reasoned that human behavior must also be governed by instincts. As a result many social scientists searched for the supposed instants that would explain all kinds of human behavior when they saw a mother feeding her baby they attributed it to the maternal instinct, when they were asked to explain war, they explained it was the aggressive instinct. They eventually discovered more that 14000 instincts, ranging from laughing instinct to a religious instinct. But these ideas of instinct have many short comings. Firstly the concept of instinct was tautological. (i. e. the explanation was true by definition. The instinct that was discovered was just another name for what was to be explained. For example the aggressive instinct was just another way of saying that they engage in warfare, in the same way that high temperature is another way of saying hot weather. Secondary the same instinct was used to explain contradictory actions for example the acquisitive instinct was used to explain both hard honest work and bank robbery. Thirdly, instincts are supposed to be in all human but human behavior around the world varies greatly. For example Arapesh of New Guinea or the Tasaday of Philippines do not have aggressive, nature in their behavior, if human have self preservative instinct then they would not have committed suicides. In 1969, An American psychologist Jensen claimed that only to percent of the variation between peoples intelligence is due to their social environment while 80 percent is fixed from birth by genetic inheritance. Another American psychologist, Professor Thomas Bouchard of Minnesota University carried out an experiment on Jim Twins which also help to argue that human behavior is determined more bye nature than by nurture. For example, James Lewis and James Springer were identical twins who were separated in the first year of life and brought up separately. He discovered an amazing number of coincidences about Jim Twins: †¢ Both had married women called Linda. †¢ Both had been divorced and had then married women called Betty. †¢ One of them had named his son James Allan and the other as James Alan. †¢ Both had had a dog called Toy †¢ Both had spent these holidays on the same beach in Florida. †¢ Both drove a blue Chevrolet. †¢ Both built white benches round the trunk of a tree in their gardens. †¢ Both had a habit of biting their fingernails. Both were chain smokers of same brand of cigarettes †¢ Their temperaments, voice patterns and nervous habits were also similar. Thus the case of Jim Twins might lead us towards the idea that nature determines our human behavior. Sociobiology (the systematic study of the biological basis of all social behavior) was devel oped by E. O. Wilson in 1980 s. According to sociobiology’s human behavior is determined naturally just like animal behavior. According to sociobiologist Steven Gavlin and Alice Schlegel (1980) individuals act in order to maximize their genes in future generations. Thus the tendency of man to have sexual relationship with beautiful women is to maximize his genes. Similarly behavior of both men and women is thus guided by genetic factors. These above mentioned evidences shows that human behavior is determined by nature or genetic influences. Our race (color of the skin and other bodily features (sex, certain diseases, flood groups, are no doubt inherited. Human beings are directly influenced by nature. For example, hunger, thirst, physical fatigue, gradual but in exorable degeneration human body all constrain our human life, shaping what we can do and can be. For example vigorous physical exercise is beyond the capacities of virtually all 70 year olds. Similarly we are still subject to and contained by ecological or climatic conditions. Human communities, no matter how advanced or developed are powerless in the face of elemental forces of earthquakes hurricanes or snowfall. On the other hand, as the twentieth century began, the concept of instinct lost its strength. The idea that human behavior is determined by nurture or learning began to gain favor. For example Russian Psychologist Ivan Pavlov had shown that human beings like dogs can be trained or conditioned. American psychologist John Watson extended Pavlov’s experiment on dogs to human infants. For example Watson could make a little boy called Albert afraid of a white rat that had previously delighted him. He concluded that all emotions, and behaviors are learned through such associations and social environment make us who we are. He further added that learning by itself determines human personality. Although social scientists accepted the influence of biological factors they considered nurture to be more influence than heredity. Even the habits that seem very basic and essential to human nature also appear to depend on nurture i. . socialization. Evidence of the far reaching significance of socialization comes both from case studies of children who are deprived from socialization and those rose in the mild. Since the fourteenth century there have been mor4e than 50 recorded cases of feral children (children supposedly raised by animals) one of the most famous is mild boy of Avey ron-Victor. In 1979 he was captured in the woods by hunter in Southern France. He was about 11, completely naked, ran on all fours, could not speak, speechless, preferred uncooked food, could not do most of the simple things done by young children. Jean Itard a physician ried to train the boy. After 3 months he seemed little more human. He more clothes learned to sit at a table, and eat wit6h utensils. He started to show human emotions such as joy, gratitude and remorse. He lived for about 40 years but he never learned to speak nor ever become a normal person. Similarly in one orphanage Spit found that infants who were about 18 months old were left lying on their backs in small cubical most of the day without any human contact. Within a year all had become physically mentally, emotionally and socially retarded. Two years later more than a third of the children had died. Those who survived could not speak, they could not walk, they could not dress up and they could not use spoon. This shows that children who received little attention/socialization suffered very noticeable effects. Various cases of unsocialized children also indicate that human behavior is something that has to be learned. Humans do not simply become able to do all things instinctually. For example Anna, from Pennsylvania, USA was an illegitimate child. Anna was kept hidden from the public in the attic. She was just fed enough to keep her alive, she was neither touched nor bathed, and she simply lay still in her own filth. She was discovered in 1938 at the age of six. She looked like a skeleton. She was couldn’t talk nor walk. She did nothing but lay quietly in the ground her eyes vacant and expressionless. She was attempted to socialize. Eventually she could walk, feed herself. Brush her teeth and follow simple directions. But she never learned to speak and was far from normal. Isabella was also an illegitimate child. She was founding Ohio, USA in 1938 at the age 6. Her grandfather had kept her and her deaf-mute mother secluded in a dark room. She could however interact with mother. When discovered however she showed great fear and hostility towards people and made a strange croaking sound, when examined she was found to be feebleminded and uneducable, she was put on a systematic skillful training, after a slow start she began to talk. In nine months she could read and write within two years she was attending school, she had become a very bright cheerful and energetic girl. All these examples clearly show that human behavior is not some thing which is fixed at birth and which unfolds step by step naturally. Human behavior has to be learned therefore social environment actually determines human behavior. Sociologists use the following evidence to support the claim that human behavior is socially determined. Jack Yufe and Oscar Stohr are identical twins born in 1932. They were separated as babies after their parents divorced. Oscar was reared in Czechoslovakia by his mothers and Jack was reared in Trinidad by his father, social scientists at the University of Minnesota Observed them but this time they found many differences between the two twins:-

Poetic Terminology

1. Alliteration- repetition of a particular sound or syllable two or more times in a group [EX: Elderly elephants egress elegantly] 2. Allusion- casual reference or implication of something [EX: Titles of books often allude to what the contents will hold, subtly or not. A book titled Little House on the Prairie implies that there will be a small house on a plain of grass. ] 3. Analogy-two things that have something in common making them comparable [EX: ‘His resolve was that of a rock. Meaning his determination was hard, in similarity to the hardness of a rock. ] 4. Anapest- two short syllables, or two unstressed syllables followed by one long, or stressed syllable [EX: A classic example is from the poem A Visit from Saint Nicholas â€Å"Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house (short syllables bold, long syllables underlined)] 5. Assonance-repetition of vowel sounds to create a rhythm in a line (sentence or phrase) using consonance and alliteration [EX: Ã¢â‚¬Ë œTry to light the fire’ is a good example] 6. Ballad-a song of sorts with two or more stanzas, sung to a melody, generally of romantic character [EX: There are a number of examples ranging from rock ballads like Wanted Dead or Alive by Bon-Jovi or November Rain by Guns N’ Roses to classics like Angel of Music from Phantom of the Opera or the mournful ballad I Dreamed a Dream from Les Miserables] 7. Blank verse- unrhyming verse, generally put in iambic pentameter [EX: The Ball Poem By John Berryman â€Å"What is the boy now, who has lost his ball/What, what is he to do? I saw it go/Merrily bouncing, down the street, and then/Merrily over-there it is in the water! ] 8. Concrete poetry- the typographical arrangement of the poem is as important as the content of the poem itself [EX: The author Ellen Hopkins writes concrete poetry in all 6 of her books—Crank, Burned, Impulse, Glass, Identical, and Tricks. ] 9. Connotation- implied meaning associated with certain words [EX: Cheap has a negative connotation, implying that someone is too tight with money. Economical has a positive connotation, implying that someone spends their money wisely. ] 10. Denotation- literal definition of words [EX: Cheap and economical are both defined as spending little money] 11. Dactyl- In essence, the opposite of anapest. One long or stressed syllable, followed by two short or unstressed syllables. [EX: Basketball is an example of a dactyl. Ba-sket-ball (short syllables bold, long syllables underlined)] 12. Diction-a way of speaking, where the specific choice of words makes one sound better, more intelligent. [EX: A speaker may sound more distinguished, and his audience may admire his diction more, by certain choice of words. Using a word like â€Å"morose† instead of simply â€Å"sad†, or â€Å"elated† instead of merely â€Å"happy†. ] 13. Dramatic monologue- One person performs a speech that defines a certain theatrical moment. [EX: Monologues are common place in plays, musicals, movies TV shows, the whole theatric industry. It is how certain moments are defined. Some very famous monologues, that many have been m odeled after is in Shakespeare’s Othello when the character Iago frequently talks to seemingly to himself, so as to let the audience in on his sinister plots. ] 14. English sonnet (Shakespearean sonnet) (what is rhyme scheme and how are the 14 lines split)- An English sonnet is a song following strict guidelines: rhyme scheme and only 14 lines. Every line is in iambic pentameter. Shakespeare’s sonnets generally have a rhyming scheme of a-b-a-b, c-d-c-d, e-f-e-f, g-g. The last two lines are a couplet. [EX: Shakespeare’s Sonnet Number 18 â€Å"Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?†¦ and this gives life to thee. †] 15. Italian sonnet- (Petrarchan sonnet) (what is rhyme scheme and how are the 14 lines split)- The structure is based in parts of an argument: proposition describing the problem then proposes the solution. The ninth line is generally known for being the turn from problem to resolution. It is also traditionally in iambic pentameter as well as English sonnets. The pattern in Italian sonnets starts with a-b-b-a, a-b-b-a, has two options for the middle: c-d-e-c-d-e or c-d-c-c-d-c. [EX: Francesco Petrarch’s Visions is an example of an Italian sonnet â€Å"Being one day at my window all alone†¦oft makes me wayle so hard a desire†] 16. Elegy-a melancholy, or plaintive poem generally mourning someone who is dead. [EX: Walt Whitman’s O Captain! My Captain! â€Å"Here Captain! Dear father! /This arm is beneath your head;/It is some dream that on deck,/You’ve fallen cold and dead†] 17. Metaphor- figure of speech that describes something through comparison to something entirely unrelated otherwise. [EX: â€Å"feeling blue†, â€Å"broken heart† or â€Å"early bird† are all metaphors. You can’t feel a color, it just refers to a feeling of sadness. â€Å"Broken heart† doesn’t mean that a heart is physically broken, it just refers to a feeling of hurt feelings. â€Å"Early bird† doesn’t mean that someone is actually a bird, it just means they are an early riser. ] 18. Epic- Traditionally long, it narrates the adventures or lives of heroes fighting their adversaries. EX: The Illiad and the Odyssey by Homer are both examples of epics. ] 19. Epigram- Satirical and memorable statement, that is brief and interesting. [EX: Oscar Wilde once said â€Å"I can resist everything but temptation. † This is an example of an epigram not found in poetry. Shakespeare wrote â€Å"So all my best is dressing old words new,/Spe nding again what is already spent;/For as the sun is daily new and old,/So is my love still telling what is told. † 20. Free verse- poem without rhyme or regular meter. EX: â€Å"After the Sea-Ship—after the whistling winds;/After the white-gray sails, taut to their spars and ropes,/Below, a myriad, myriad waves, hastening, lifting up their necks,/Tending in ceaseless flow toward the track of the ship. † After the Sea-Ship By Walt Whitman] 21. Imagery- descriptive language, written to â€Å"paint† a picture. [EX: Imagery and metaphors are very similar, i. e. â€Å"Her eyes twinkled like starlight† is a metaphor and creates imagery at the same time. ] 22. Iamb-metrical foot in poetry. [EX: Some words that are an iamb would be: behold, amuse, depict, destroy, or insist. The title Of Mice and Men uses iamb. Iambic pentameter is a common form of metrical line using iamb. â€Å"But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks? / It is the east and Juliet is the sun† from Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare is an example of the use of iambic pentameter. ] 23. Lyric poem-Traditionally has rhyming schemes, expressing emotions. [EX: The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe is a lyrical poem. â€Å"Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary†¦Shall be lifted—nevermore! †] 24. Limerick-Humorous verse with a rhyming scheme of a-a-b-b-a, three long lines then two short lines. EX: Hickory Dickory Dock is a famous example of a limerick. â€Å"Hickory, dickory, dock,/The mouse ran up the clock,/The clock struck one,/And down he run,/Hickory, dickory, dock. †] 25. Meter-basic rhythmic structure of a verse. 26. Myth-story from history, generally explaining some natural phenomenon. [In Greek Mythology, Zeus is the explanation for lightning, he throws it from the heavens when he is angry. ] 27. Personification-adding a human trait or characteristic to something nonhuman or inanimate, generally in abstract form. [EX: The Cat and the Fiddle is a classic example of personification. The line â€Å"the little dog laughed,† adds a human quality to a dog. ] 28. Occasional poem- specific poems composed for an occasion. [EX: A Visit From St. Nicholas is an example of occasional poetry. It the night before Christmas, and was written specifically for Christmas. ] 29. Onomatopoeia-a sound made into a word. [EX: Comics are known for onomatopoeias. â€Å"Bam†, â€Å"pow†, or â€Å"boom† are all onomatopoeias and are used commonly to describe the sounds of a fight or explosion. ] 30. Protest poem-designed to challenge or undermine common ideals (or uncommon, doesn’t matter really), often directed to authority figures or establishments. Frequently, a taboo subject is used to create this challenge, using vulgar language, and demeaning popular beliefs. [EX: Ding Dong! The Witch is Dead from the timeless The Wizard of Oz is a clear example of protest poetry, as it makes fun of an authority figure post-mortem. ] 31. Symbolic poem- extended metaphor, essentially. [EX: The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost is an example of symbolic poetry. He talks about two roads and which he should take: the well traveled, or the one no one else has taken. The roads symbolize two major life choices, and what the reasons are for taking either one. 32. Syllabic verse- poems that have a constrained number of syllables per line. If anything like anapest or dactyl is included, it is secondary to the syllabic pattern. [EX: Haikus are an example of syllabic poetry, always in the order of five, seven, five by line. Basho Matsuo wrote: â€Å"An old silent pond†¦/A frog jumps into the pond,/splash! Silence again† which follows the patter n of the haiku. ] 33. Tone- attitude or style created by the poem. [EX: The tone in To Kill a Mockingbird is a coming of age.

Explain how specific male and female traits are correlated to Essay

Explain how specific male and female traits are correlated to reproductive success, and how this has affected human mating preferences - Essay Example The reproductive value of males is not determined by physical appearance but reproductive investment (Ellison 14). Genetics and behavior reveal that males are aggressive and competitive though certain traits strengthen the capacity of other individuals. Behavioral traits such as boldness, assertiveness and activeness make the dominant male more attractive to the females. A high status male is quite preferable as a mating partner. The male guarding trait is significant in the reproductive success because a male who protects his offspring has the potential of achieving reproductive success. The age and maturity of a dominant male affects reproduction. Younger males are viewed as fit for copulation and breeding in comparison to older males. Fertility in males is also important in reproductive success because sperm competition is linked with length. The longer the sperm tail, the faster it can swim and the higher the chances of fertilization. Human males with longer sperms are more viable and vice versa. Human male height is quite preferable because it is associated with strength and protection by the female counter parts. The male body size is significant in selecting a mate. It is a fact that women prefer men with broad chests and muscles as compared to thin short men (Cartwright 87). Females choose their breeding mates after considering certain factors. An example is good genes because they look for males with certain phenotypes with the hope that these characteristics will pass on to their offspring. Hormone regulation and age is a major determinant of reproductive success in females. Estrogen is an important hormone in human females during breeding and pre breeding. Its concentration is associated with reproduction success. Older women who have attained menopause are incapable of conceiving while younger women are highly prolific (Ellison 124). Fertility limits females’ reproductive success in humans. In addition,

Performance Pay at Safelite Auto Glass Case Study - 1

Performance Pay at Safelite Auto Glass - Case Study Example The installer’s problem as identified in the PPP was related to the turnover rates. It has been found that the turnover rate of the company has been quite high because the glass installation was a seasonal business. The busy periods were spring and summer and it was found that at this time, the competition for new hires was mounting. However, the demand for the windshield replacement troughed and as a result, the repair shops found it necessary to lay off many of their workers and hire them back during spring and summer. In addition to this, another biggest problem was associated with technicians who were lured by other companies’ offer, which promised to pay them a fraction more than what they were currently receiving. Therefore, as a result, it was evident that the installers were changing their jobs since they were paid a Dollar more an hour and were allowed to take the company’s truck home at night. In order to reduce the turnover rate, Safelite also offered truck privileges for a time being, but then stopped it later. It was a matter of concern for the recruiters in HR with regards to getting technicians from other companies to come to Safelite. After going through the case study, it can be revealed that the Performance Pay Plan was revised for both the managers as well as the technicians. It was decided to pay the technicians according to the piece rate system rather than the wage rate system which was previously being practised. The plan was implemented for the technicians to receive the piece rate for every windshield that they installed. According to this plan, the number of windshields that the technician would install in a week would be accumulated. As a result, the technicians’ pay for the week was decided to be based upon the number of installations. The new plan brought both advantages and disadvantages to the technicians. Previously, the technicians received $10-$12 an hour. However, it was analyzed that according to the new PPP, the technicians would receive $15.22 per hour.  

Financial analysis Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Financial analysis - Case Study Example There are various as to why a firm can be profitable and experience cash flow problems at the same time. This case study will discuss the reasons as to why the firm is experiencing cash problems and provide recommendations on how it can improve its cash flow. Cash flow is the ability of a company to meet its financial obligations. A negative cash flow prevents a company from meeting its debt payments like in the case of Cape Chemicals. It is important for Cape Chemicals to analyze the reasons leading to the negative cash flow while still reporting an increase in the profits. By doing this, it will be able to lower its debt ratio to enable it acquire long term borrowing. The analysis will also be aimed at acquiring a positive cash flow and positive profits. Reasons for the negative cash flows at Cape Chemicals The profit for the company has increased significantly over the last three years due to the increase in the revenue obtained from the increase in sales of chemicals. The new pro duct lines have led to increased production and hence increased sales and revenues. However, despite of the increase in profit, the company has negative cash flow due to increase dependence of loans for its capital expenditure. This means that the cash obtained from the profits and other business income is used in capital expenditure. That is, the company uses all of its liquid cash to pay for loans used in capital expenditure leaving it with a negative cash flow. Cape Chemical is a company which deals with the distribution of dry and liquid chemicals. The main reason as to why the company is profitable but broke is because the company has been servicing loans or purchasing capital equipments. Cape Chemicals has intensely used its cash flows to purchase capital equipments in its bid to add new product lines for the company. The need to increase the capacity of the company has seen the company use most of its cash to purchase new equipments a situation which has drained its cash flow s. An additional chemical product line for the company requires a large sum of money which has drained the firm’s cash supplies. The company has also been serving loans (long term loans) which have been borrowed for the capital requirement reasons. Cape Chemicals used to borrow for its capital requirement until 2006 when the company had reached its bank borrowing limit. The increased borrowing has led to an increase in the debt ratio of the company as shown below Debt ratio 2005 2006 2007 45.45% 58.4% 71.5% The increase in the debt ratio over the three year period is an indication of increase borrowing. The close the ratio is to 100%, the higher is the company depended on borrowings and loans making leading to increase in the total debts and a reduction in the total assets. Capital expenditures are subject to depreciation which reduces the net income and subsequently the profitability of the company. The depreciation expenses associated with the capital expenditure of Cape Ch emical therefore leads to the negative cash flow experienced in the company. Poor collections practice in the company is also responsible for the negative cash flow. For example, according to Stewart, the liberal credit policy in the company had led to increased accounts receivables which then led to the reduction in the

BIOLOGY GENETICS PROBLEMS AND ANTIBIOTICS Essay - 1

BIOLOGY GENETICS PROBLEMS AND ANTIBIOTICS - Essay Example All combinations are represented and would therefore occur. After pollination a plant with rough stems and yellow flowers with pollen from another plant of the same species having rough stems and white flowers, adequate precautions being taken to prevent pollination occurring in any other way, 80 seeds were obtained. The F1 phenotypic ratio is 3:1:3:1, rough yellow, smooth yellow, rough white, smooth white. The genotypic ratio is 1:1:2:2:1:1. All combinations have occurred, but two showed elevated results according to genotypic and phenotypic ratios. In the fruit fly Drosophila the wild type (normal) is grey in colour with wings that extend beyond the tip of abdomen. Among the mutants of Drosophila are two which are respectively distinguished by dark body colour (ebony) and a vestigial condition of the wings (vestigial) In guinea pigs, black coat colour is dominant to brown and short hair is dominant to long hair. These characters are not linked. A breeder has only stocks of pure breeding, long-haired brown and pure breeding, short-haired black guinea pigs. Since the breeder only has stocks of pure breeding long haired brown which would be homozygous recessive (bbss) and pure breeding short haired black which would be homozygous dominant (BBSS), F1 would yield 100% black short haired guinea pigs, with heterozygous genotype BbSs. (a) Self-pollination of one of the F, plants – self pollination of genotype TtGgRr would yield 64 genotypes total, 27 possible genotype combinations, and 8 phenotype combinations. The most notably going to the heterozygous genotype TtGgRr with 8 times. Phenotypes were tall green round, short green round, tall green wrinkled, short green wrinkled. There were no yellow plants. There were 8 possible genotypes yielding only genotypes leading to green and no yellow plants. Normal (wild-type) strains of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster have greyish brown bodies if developed on food media free of silver salts, but

The World is Flat Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

The World is Flat - Essay Example However as we analyze the economic competitions, we come to know that there are other different variables to the overall economic competition in the globalized world also. Since information technology provide just one aspect of growth, the availability of skilled labor force, the availability of indigenous sources of raw materials etc are some of the core issues which define the competition within any industry whether at the local and regional level or at the globalized level. The arguments put forward in this should also be analyzed in terms of the arguments put forward by Joseph Stieglitz in his book â€Å"Globalization and its discontents†. The supposed exploitative power of globalization has not in fact flattened the world however it has allowed few more countries to come into its folds to exploit those who lack that capability. It is also further be noted that the writer has quoted the examples of China and India while citing the reasons for flattened world however as of now the Indian economy is sliding back. The brief period of Euphoria seems to be ending as the external events such as surge in oil prices, food inflation as well as shortages of essential commodities have forced to kneel down. This suggest that the flattened world have not allowed to grow in economic terms rather allowed it to grow for brief period of time through speculative activities through stock exchange and real estate boom. Author has largely relied on the development into information technology as well as tele-communication technologies as the main events which have connected the world and created an opportunity for the flattened world. The author has however defined ten most important events which have flattened the world. The fall of the Berlin wall is the first major event which has allowed the start of the flattening of the world

About Hp company Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

About Hp company - Research Proposal Example any’s major product lines comprise personal computing devices, enterprise servers, related storage devices, printers, and imaging products (HP 2008). The company has been declared by market research firms Gardner and IDC as the largest global seller of personal computers surpassing its closest rival Dell Inc. After having long commanded the industry, the latter has been taken over by 3.9% gap in market share. During 2006, HP generated annual sales of $91.7 billion then jumped to $104 billion the following year making it as the first information technology company to exceed the $100 billion sales mark (HP reaches 100 billion 2008). As opposed to other competing firms in the information technology industry like Apple, HP consumers are the middle and lower income consumers who opt for more affordable products. Even in its establishment, the company has long been committed in serving these consumers who are more price-sensitive and prefers more affordable products with lesser features. The company serves households and small and medium enterprises worldwide, always tailoring its products in order to suit the evolving needs and demand of the buyers. The success of HP can be traced to its ability to price its product more competitively in the market. It should be noted that the company’s sales have been generated by ensuring that consumers’ have an affordable choice in order to suit all their computing needs. The mere size of the company is also an advantage. It should be noted that since the business organization caters to a lot of markets worldwide, it is able to distribute it cost more efficiently through economies of scale. The large number of output that it produces in its plants allows it to distribute fixed cost thereby making its unit production cost relatively lower. This makes it possible for the company to charge prices which are more competitive than its other rivals in the industry. The company’s reach and exposure to both industrialized and

Australia Water shortage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Australia Water shortage - Essay Example Australian water system is running low gradually. The water decline is due to human activities such as mining of ground water at a faster rate than the ecosystem of Australia can restore it. There has been massive land clearance, and water intensive production of food for Australian exportation since 2013. The rampant pollution has led to land degradation and consequent destruction of rivers and their sources (Philosophy Matters, 2013). Australians have been forced to restrict on how they utilize water on daily basis Nwc.gov.au (2014). The restriction effort has been boosted by the desalination systems put in place to use ocean water for human consumption. Water price has skyrocketed in urban centers. Australian government has been tasked with a transparent water management process. The government through Australian National Water Initiative program has a responsibility to implement mechanisms of combating water shortage. The mechanisms should be implemented without affecting subsistence and commercial production that depend on water. Nwc.gov.au,. (2014). National Water Commission - Water 2013 and beyond - sustaining the momentum. Retrieved 15 May 2014, from

Comparison of the foreign policy decision making by the United States Essay

Comparison of the foreign policy decision making by the United States and Germany on the example of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF - Essay Example 1. Foreign Policy Decision Making of the US 1.1 Constitutional Conditions By virtue of his constitutional prerogatives, as set up in Article II, Section 1 and 2 of the US Constitution, the President of the United States is the nation’s chief executive and Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy, as well as is granted the power to make treaties with foreign nations, â€Å"by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate†¦ provided two thirds of the Senators concur† (Clause 2). This postulate not only outlines the presidential powers in regard to foreign policy decision making, but also gives the Senate quite a passable share in that process by requiring Senate approval and confirmation of any treaty before it comes into effect. However, the President is allowed to enter into â€Å"presidential or sole executive agreements† concluded on the basis of his constitutional authority in regard to Article II, Section 1, Section 2, Clause 1 and Clause 2, as well as Se ction 3 of the Constitution (Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress 4). In addition to his control over the military forces, the President has the authority to deploy them at his discretion – in other words to wage war – while the Congress is empowered to declare war, and to raise and support armies, as well as to provide and maintain navy, which alongside the control of funding the military provides another way of keeping the executive branch in check (Constitution of the United States, Article I, Section 8, Clauses 11, 12, 13). Under Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution, the Congress is additionally empowered to â€Å"make all Laws which shell be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers† (Clause 18), which clause enables the legislature to use any reasonable means to put the powers in question into action, and authorizes the Congress to enact legislation necessary to carry out the powers of the other branches as we ll (Constitution of the US, Article I, Section 8, Explanation). This division of the war powers had repeatedly been put to the test in Korea, Vietnam and other places, where the US were involved in a number of intense conflicts without any declaration of war. That had provoked congressmen’s concern and a national argument over the meaning of these powers and the erosion of congressional authority to decide whether and when the United States should be involved in a war. As a consequence, both the House of Representatives and Senate passed the War Powers Resolution (Public Law 93-148) which, although being vetoed by the President Nixon, was enacted in 1973. The resolution has been intended to guarantee â€Å"that the collective judgment of both the Congress and the President will apply to the introduction of United States Armed Forces into hostilities† (War Powers Resolution, Sec. 2a), as well as to stipulate the procedures of consultation, reporting, congressional actio n, etc. in regard to the US involvement into such situations. 1.2. Participating Institutions As seen from above, the institutions all-important in the process of creation (decision making) and implementation of U.S. foreign

Wordsworth and Coleridge Essay Example for Free

Wordsworth and Coleridge Essay Wordsworth and Coleridge saw themselves as worshippers of nature. How is this demonstrated in Lyrical Ballads? (an exam-style essay) Themes relating to nature are instrumental in the poetry collection Lyrical Ballads by William Wordworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. As part of the Romantic movement, both poets strongly believed in a power and supreme beauty of nature and the education it can impart onto man, and their works in Lyrical Ballads demonstrate this. In The Dungeon, Coleridge demonstrates his view that nature has healing properties and that it would be a more effective method of rehabilitating criminals than the usual method of locking them away in prison would be an elevated view of nature and its power. He justifies this opinion using glorious imagery describing nature as he sees it, with the intent of portraying its complete beauty. Thy sunny hues, fair forms, and breathing sweets, Thy melodies of woods, and winds, and waters, Coleridge also uses a direct contrast and juxtaposition with this and the dark imagery used in the first stanza to emphasise the beauty of nature. He also does this to demonstrate that the dark and horrible dungeon and the free and beautiful nature are polar opposites, and ultimately to come to the conclusion that they have similar effects on criminals. Circled with evil, till his very soul Unmoulds its essence, hopelessly deformed By sights of ever more deformity! Using this juxtaposition, Coleridge explains that the total beauty of nature will overcome the criminal and their dark ways. He expresses how nature will appear a jarring and dissonant thing as it is as far-removed from their dark and deceitful ways as is possible. Finally, he concludes that this will immediately have the effect of healing him and removing all bad intent that he possesses (His angry spirit healed and harmonized / By the benignant touch of love and beauty) This conclusion is very much in keeping with the Romantic idea of the supreme power and beauty of nature and the profound impact it can have on man. This is a theme also explored in The Tables Turned, in which Wordsworth argues that there is more to be learnt from nature than there is from books and conventional education. To this end, he uses a affable and conversational style (Up! Up! My friend, and quit your books) to mimic the emotive encouraging of one man to another to leave their studying aside and go out into nature. In this conversational style he abandons the pretence and subtlety that are commonplace in classical poetry, and tries to persuade the reader of the much greater value of experiencing nature, in contrast to the irrelevance of books, through such passages as Let Nature be your teacher. The personification of nature throughout serves to further emphasise the fact that it can be a superior substitute for conventional education, and has a far greater knowledge to impart than its perceived inanimateness would suggest. In the last two stanzas, a different tone is adopted as Wordsworth ceases his direct plea and talks of, using emotive language such as murder, how humanitys meddling intellect and study of, amongst other things, nature, has distorted and lessened its beauty. To conclude the poem, he uses the metaphor of books being barren leaves (dead and of little value), in contrast with the previous personification of nature and its rich portrayal of being beautiful and very much alive. This human distortion of nature is also a theme prominent in The Nightingale. In this, Coleridge argues that the classical poets of old who commented on nature did not have a full understanding of it, but instead wrote at length about it, projecting their own feelings and opinions onto their depiction of it. He manifests this through the Nightingale, which the speaker cannot believe is portrayed as most melancholy, whilst, he argues in nature there is nothing melancholy. Showing disdain for the poets who wrote like this, he takes a similar approach to Wordsworth in The Tables Turned and argues that they had far better stretchd [their] limbs / Beside a brook in mossy forest-dell / By sun or moonlight, or in other words experience nature and come to understand it fully before writing about it. He further concludes that nature is essentially joyous and should inspire joy; it must not be made to serve simply as a screen upon which our human feelings are indiscriminately projected. Throughout Lyrical Ballads, unsophisticated form and structures are used, such as in The Dungeon, which is written in simple blank verse, a style of writing very similar to normal everyday speech and in The Nightingale, which is subtitled a conversational poem. This form is used to help convey that their poetry can be ordinary and be understood by ordinary people, and that its themes are relevant to all. In the case of The Dungeon, this idea is then emphasise by the use of a prisoner as the main character; elevated and unrealistic characters are not used; the likes of whom were prominent in classical poetry, which Wordsworth and Coleridge undoubtedly viewed as out of the reach of the normal person. This shows that the poets wanted their message to reach as many people as possible, and it not bypass some who would be put off by more formal poetry. It is also in keeping with the Romantic belief that wisdom is not to be found in books, sciences and the arts, but in nature itself.

Aristotle and Meteorology Essay Example for Free

Aristotle and Meteorology Essay Introduction: Aristotle wrote about many subjects that can be grouped into five general divisions: logic, physical works, psychological works, natural history works, and philosophical works. One of the little known physical works concerned meteorology. Aristotles views on meteorology are fascinating, but many of the views were not accurate. This paper compares only a few of his views to actual meteorological facts. I. Biography A. Birth and growth B. Influence on writings II. Basis of Aristotles meteorology A. Elements and theory B. Science and facts III. Water vapor and precipitation A. Aristotles view B. Science and fact. IV. Winds A. Aristotles view B. Science and fact Conclusion: Aristotle explained the various meteorological phenomenon in simplistic terms. The explanations match his theory of how matter and shape were interrelated. Aristotles ideas on water vapor and precipitation were somewhat accurate, considering that there were no tools to measure the atmosphere in his time. His views on wind, however, were not accurate at all. He wrote extensively on winds, but never fully comprehended how wind occurred. September 5, 2000 Aristotle on Meteorology Aristotle was born in 384 BC, at Stagirus, a Greek colony on the Aegean Sea near Macedonia. In 367 BC, Aristotle entered the Academy at Athens and studied under Plato, attending his lectures for a period of twenty years. In the later years of his association with Plato and the Academy, he began to lecture on his own account, especially on the subject of rhetoric. When Plato died in 347, Aristotle and another of Platos students, Xenocrates, left Athens for Assus, and set up an academy (Encyclopedia 2). In 342, Aristotle returned to Macedonia and became the tutor to a very young Alexander the Great. He did this for the next five to seven years. Both Philip and Alexander appear to have paid Aristotle high honor. There are stories that indicate the Macedonian court supplied Aristotle with funds for teaching, and with slaves to collect specimens for his studies in natural science (Encyclopedia 4). Aristotle returned to Athens when Alexander the Great began his conquests. He found the Platonic school flourishing under Xenocrates, and Platonism the dominant philosophy of Athens (Encyclopedia 5). Aristotle thus set up his own school at a place called the Lyceum. When teaching at the Lyceum, Aristotle had a habit of walking about as he discoursed. It was because of this that his followers became known in later years as the peripatetics, meaning, to walk about (Shakian 126). For the next thirteen years, he devoted his energies to his teaching and composing his philosophical treatises. His institution integrated extensive equipment, including maps and the largest library collection in Europe. He is said to have given two kinds of lectures: the more detailed discussions in the morning for an inner circle of advanced students, and the popular discourses in the evening for the general body of lovers of knowledge. At the sudden death of Alexander in 323 BC, the pro-Macedonian government in Athens was overthrown, and a general reaction occurred against anything Macedonian. A charge of impiety was trumped up against Aristotle. To escape prosecution he fled to Chalcis in Euboea so that (Aristotle says) The Athenians might not have another opportunity of sinning against philosophy as they had already done in the person of Socrates (Encyclopedia 5). In the first year of his residence at Chalcis he complained of a stomach illness and died in 322 BC (Encyclopedia 7). One of Aristotles writings is about meteorology. His theories are based on his belief that all objects in the world are composed of form and matter and the world is arranged according to the relative standing each object occupies in the universe (Shakian 127). This basis led to his theory that any motion was from the center or to the center (Encyclopedia 28). Aristotle saw the universe as a scale lying between the two extremes: form without matter on one end, and matter without form on the other end. Additionally, he believed all matter is made of four bodies: fire, air, water, and earth (Encyclopedia 29). With this information as a basis, it is no wonder that any remaining theories would probably be incorrect. Scientific fact cannot disprove that all objects are of form and matter. Any one can agree or disagree with that philosophy. However, scientific fact does show that movement can occur in directions away from the center or toward the center. For example, solar radiation from the sun does not travel in direct lines to or from a center. Some of the radiation scatters into space. Some is reflects from the earths surface and is lost into space (Lutgens 37-43). Air molecules do not move toward or away from a center. Air particles move in an infinite number of directions due to molecule size, shape, weight and composition. Finally, Aristotles theory that matter is made of four bodies is dramatically short sighted. Air is a mixture of at least nine different components and is constantly changing in composition. Nitrogen and oxygen make up nearly 99% of the volume of dry air. Of all the components of air, carbon dioxide is the most interest to meteorologists (Lutgens 5). In all fairness, Aristotle had no way to measure or determine the exact components of the atmosphere. In book 1, part 3 of Aristotles meteorology, Aristotle describes his explanation of water vapor. His explanation describes the area between the surface of the earth and the visible portion of the Milky Way. It is important to note that he views the Milky Way as a plane or upper level surface (Aristotle, Meteorology 253). Aristotle is very close to a scientific answer when he deduced that what immediately surrounds the earth is not mere air, but a sort of vapour, and that its vaporous nature is the reason why it condenses back to water again (Aristotle, Meteorology 253). His logic is interesting when he indicates that this expanse of a body cannot be fire for then all the rest would have dried up (Aristotle Meteorology 254). In part 9, Aristotle addressed the issue of precipitation. He explained that air condensing into water becomes a cloud. Mist is what remains when a cloud condenses into water. He further explained that when water falls in small drops, it is drizzle, and when the drops are larger, it is called rain (Aristotle Meteorology 267). This is one area where Aristotle was close to accurate. One flaw is his view of the Milky Way as a flat plane. Science has shown that the Milky Way is just one of an infinite number of star galaxies. Aristotle realized water vapor existed. He also realized that the area between the earth and the heavens was not fire. What Aristotle deduced as water vapor is scientifically referred to as a parcel of air. As the air parcel rises, it cools and may condense to form a cloud (Lutgens 81). Aristotle believed the remains of water vapor that did not form a cloud was mist. Actually, what remains is just other air parcels. The energy used to condense the air molecule is released as latent heat creating a cycle of rising and sinking air molecules (Lutgens 82-83). Aristotle provided names for the size of water droplets. It is possible that Aristotle coined the names drizzle and rain. Scientifically, drizzle is defined as small droplets of less than . 5 mm. Rain is defined as droplets of . 5 mm to 5 mm (Lutgens 131). Aristotle dedicated several chapters to the theory of winds. Without scientific measurements, the cause or theory of wind was difficult to determine or explain. Aristotle compared wind to a flowing river in book 1 (Aristotle Meteorology 348). Unfortunately, Aristotle could not discern why the river of wind never dried up. Therefore, he abandoned that theory and analogy of wind and simply tried to explain rivers instead. In book two, he dedicated three more chapters to wind. Aristotle used his theory of water vapor and direct observation of something he called smoke to describe the occurrence of wind. He related the rising water vapor and the heat of the sun. This combination created wind. Rain contributed to wind development by causing calm winds after a rain (Encyclopedia 191). Wind must have been a difficult subject for Aristotle to explain, considering how much was written about the subject. The facts indicate he was close to an answer but never fully understood the concept of wind. The definition of wind is the result of horizontal differences in air pressure. Air flows from areas of high pressure to areas of lower pressure. It is natures method to balance inequalities of pressure. Unequal heating of the earths surface generates the pressure differences. Therefore, solar radiation is the ultimate driving force of wind (Lutgens 149). The effects Aristotle explained were often the results of the pressure changes. He realized the sun had some influence. The clam wind after a rain is an occurrence with strong thunderstorms that leave a micro scale high-pressure dome in their wake (Lutgens 153). Aristotle explained the various meteorological phenomenon in simplistic terms. The explanations match his theory of how matter and shape were interrelated. Aristotles ideas on water vapor and precipitation were somewhat accurate, considering there were no tools to measure the atmosphere in his time. His views on wind, however, were not accurate at all. He wrote extensively on winds but never fully comprehended how wind occurred Works Cited Aristotle. Great Books of the Western World. Volume 1. Chicago: Robert P. Gwinn, 1990. Aristotle. Meteorology 113 438. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Internet Address: http://classics. mit. edu/Aristotle/meteorology. 1. i. html. Translated by E. W. Webster. 27 Aug. 2000. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy 1-321. University of Tennessee at Martin. Internet Address: http://www. utm. edu/research/iep/a/aristotl. htm. 24 Aug. 2000. Lutgens, Frederick K. and Edward J. Tarbuck. The Atmosphere. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1992. Sahakian, William S. and Mabel Lewis Sahakian. Ideas of the Great Philosophers. New York: Barnes Noble Inc. , 1970.

Secure Barcode Authentication using Genetic Algorithm

Secure Barcode Authentication using Genetic Algorithm Dr. Poornima G. Naik Mr. Girish R. Naik Abstract— Genetic Algorithm (GA) is an invaluable tool for solving optimization problems due to its robustness. It does not break even if the inputs are changed slightly or in the presence of a reasonable noise. GA offers significant benefits over other optimization techniques in searching a large state space or n-dimensional surface. In todays information age information sharing and transfer has increased exponentially. With the popularization of Internet and exponential increase in e-commerce transactions security has become an inevitable and an integral part of any e-commerce application. Data integrity, confidentiality, authenticity, non-repudiation have gained tremendous importance and have become important components of information security. In this paper we have made an attempt to exploit the randomness involved in crossover and mutation processes of GA for generating a barcode for authentication process. The number of crossover points and number of mutation points is f ixed and cannot be altered by the user. In the current work we have employed a single crossover point and two mutation points. We have used Code-39 and Code-128 encoding techniques for generating a barcode. The barcode data comprises of 12 randomly generated decimal digits. Each decimal digit is represented using 4 bits. Hence the length of the barcode data is 36 bits. The randomly generated data is transformed into encoded form by applying crossover, mutation and XOR operations before generating a bar code. The randomness together with encoding makes the password robust and hard to track. Finally, the algorithm is implemented in Java and applied for authentication of employee data in a hypothetical organization. The methodology is general and can be applied to any task where authentication is required. Index Terms— Genetic Algorithm, Cross-over, Mutation, Barcode, Encoding. The paper is organized as follows. The first section gives an introduction to Genetic Algorithm under the heading of Introduction. Section II covers the literature survey and the current scenario of application of soft computing in implementing security. Section III focuses on the proposed method of barcode generation using Genetic Algorithm. Section IV covers implementation of the algorithm in Java. Finally, Section V is devoted for conclusion and scope for future enhancements. I. Introduction Genetic algorithms (GA) are adaptive heuristic search algorithms based on the evolutionary ideas of natural selection and genetics [1]. They are based on the principle of Darwinian idea of survival of the fittest and natural genetics. Genetic Algorithm Generally, a Genetic Algorithm consists of three basic operations. Selection Crossover Mutation The first step consists of searching individuals for reproduction. In our problem, we have selected two vectors of 16 bytes each as parents for reproduction. Since the problem is of encryption, there is no special preference given to any particular selection method. All the vectors are selected sequentially based on their order of appearance in a text file. Cross-over is the process of taking two parents and producing from them a child. In an optimization problem, crossover operator is applied to the mating pool with the hope that it creates a better offspring. For the problem under consideration, crossover is taken as one of the steps in producing a decrypted vector. We have employed four-point crossover method. In the case of optimization problem, selecting more than four crossover points will result in the disruption of building blocks whereas in the case of encryption larger the disruption better is the algorithm which makes it robust and difficult to break. After crossover, the vectors are subject to mutation. In optimization problem, mutation prevents the algorithm from being trapped in a local minimum. Mutation plays the role of recovering the lost genetic matter as well for randomly distributed genetic information. In encryption problem, mutation is employed for inducing disorder into the vector. It introduces a new genetic structure in the population by randomly modifying some of the building blocks and maintains diversity into the population. We have employed flipping method, in which for a character 1 in mutation chromosome, the corresponding character b in the parent chromosome is flipped from b to (9-b) and corresponding child chromosome is produced. In the following example 1 occurs at two random places of mutation chromosome, the corresponding characters in parent chromosomes are flipped and the child chromosomes are generated. Structure of Code128 Bar Code Barcodes are made up of a series of lines that vary in width and correspond to various numeric, alphanumeric, or multicode configurations which can then be read in by a laser barcode scanner.Code 128 is a very effective, high-density symbology which permits the encoding of alphanumeric data. It includes verification protection both via a checksum digit and byte parity checking. This symbology has been widely implemented in many applications where a relatively large amount of data must be encoded in a relatively small amount of space. Itsspecific structure also allows numeric data to be encoded at, effectively, double-density. A Code 128 barcode consists of a leading quiet zone, one of three start codes, the data itself, a check character, a stop character, and a trailing quiet zone as shown in Fig. 1. The Code 128 data is encoded in strips of bars and spaces. The sequences of zeros or ones simply appear as thicker bars or spaces. The checksum is included in the barcode, and is a digi t that verifies that the data just read in was correct. The checksum digit is based on a modulo 103 calculation based on the weighted sum of the values of each of the digits in the message that is being encoded, including the start character. Fig. 1. Code-128 Barcode Similar structure exists for Code-39 Barcode. ii Literature survey In literature to date, many GA based encryption algorithms have been proposed. A. Tragha et.al [2] have describe a new symmetric block cipher system namely, ICIGA (Improved Cryptographic Inspired by Genetic Algorithm) which generates a session key in a random process. The block size and key length are variables and can be fixed by the end user in the beginning of the cipher process. ICIGA is an enhancement of the system GIC (Genetic Algorithm inspired Cryptography) [3]. There are various proposed methods for image encryption such as quad tree approach, cellular automata [4, 5]. There are wide applications of GA in solving non-linear optimization problems in various domains [6,7]. But very few papers exist which exploit the randomness in the algorithm for implementation of security. Chaos theory and entropy have large application in secure data communication and the desired disorder is provided by inherent nature of genetic algorithm [8, 10]. Mohammad SazzadulHoque et.al [11] have pre sented an intrusion detection system by applying GA to efficiently detect various types of network intrusions. They have used evolutionary theory to filter the traffic data and thus reduce the complexity [12]. There are several papers related to IDS all of which use GA in deriving classification rules [13, 15]. But to the best of our knowledge very few papers exist which exploit randomness in generating barcode for authentication purpose. III Proposed Method Fig. 2. Application Architecture We have used Code-39 and Code-128 encoding techniques for generating a barcode. The barcode data comprises of 12 randomly generated decimal digits. Each decimal digit is represented using 4 bits. Hence the length of the barcode data is 36 bits.The randomly generated data is transformed into encoded form by applying crossover, mutation and XOR operations before generating a bar code. The application architecture is shown in Fig. 2. Pseudocode The pseudo code for barcode generation process using GA is depicted in Fig 3. Step 1 : Generate a 12 digit random number and store it in a vector. Step 2 : Each decimal digit in step 1 can be represented using 4 binary digits. Hence the total number of binary digits required to represent the data is 4 x 12 = 48 bits. Generate a hash H, by repeating digits 0 and 1 (if the digit is > 8) and 0 and 0, otherwise, required number of times. Step 3 : Perform the XOR operation between the data and a 48-bit hash computed above. Step 4 : Split the vector into two vectors of size six each. Step 5 : Compute 10’s complement of each digit. Step 6 : Perform the crossover operation at the midpoint. Step 7 : Perform the mutation at the extreme positions of the vector. The mutation operation consists of flipping the digit from its original value to its complement. Step 8 : Combine the vectors to reconstruct a 12-digit vector. Step 9 : Perform the XOR operation between the data and a 48-bit hash computed above. Step 10 : Use the 12-digit number generated above to generate a barcode in code-128 fromat. Step 11 : End Fig 3 Pseudo code for barcode generation using GA Mathematical Formulation. Let the original vector be represented by VOriginal. Let H be the hash constructed as follows. H= ∑’ Hi where 1 Hi = 0000, for i = 8 or 9 = 0101, otherwise. H is the generated hash of length 48 bits. Compute the hash of VOriginal as shown below: VOriginal ÃŽ ¸ H = VHash Split the hash into two vectors of size six each. Let the two parts be represented by, V1Hash and V2Hash, respectively. VHash = V1Hash + V2Hash Compute 10’s complement of each digit. Let the two parts be represented by ( V1Hash)ÃÅ'  and (V2Hash )ÃÅ' , respectively. Perform the crossover operation at the midpoint. Let the two new parts now be represented by C( V1Hash )ÃÅ'  and C(V2Hash ), respectively, where C is the crossover operator. Perform the mutation at the extreme positions of the vector. Let the two parts now be represented by MC( V1Hash )ÃÅ'  and MC(V2Hash ) ÃÅ' , respectively, where M is the crossover operator. Combine the vectors to reconstruct a 12-digit vector. Perform the XOR operation between the data and a 48-bit hash, H computed above to generate a final vector. Let it be VTransformed. We get, VTransformed = [ MC( V1Hash )ÃÅ'  + MC(V2Hash ) ÃÅ' ] ÃŽ ¸ H (1) Decoding Vector into original Vector Perform XOR operation between H and VTransformed given by equ(1) to get, [ MC( V1Hash )ÃÅ'  + MC(V2Hash ) ÃÅ' ]. Split the hash into two vectors of size six each. Let the two parts be represented by, MC( V1Hash )ÃÅ'  and MC(V2Hash ) ÃÅ'  respectively. Perform reverse mutation operation and then reverse cross0ver operation on two individual parts to get, ( V1Hash)ÃÅ'  and (V2Hash ) ÃÅ' , respectively. Take 10’s complement of each digit in the two vectors to get, ( V1Hash) and (V2Hash ), respectively. Combine the two vectors to get VHash, where VHash =VOriginal ÃŽ ¸ H Perform XOR operation between H and VHashto get the original vector. The entire process of generating the barcode is illustrated below with the help of an example. Step 1: Generate a 12 digit random number and store it in a vector. Let the number be represented by Step 2 : Generate Hash H as shown below. Step 3 : Perform the XOR operation between the data and a 48-bit hash computed above. Step 4 : Split the vector into two vectors of size six each. and Step 5 : Compute 10’s complement of each digit. and Step 6 : Perform the crossover operation at the midpoint. and Step 7 : Perform the mutation at the extreme positions of the vector. Step 8 : Combine the vectors to reconstruct a 12-digit vector. Step 9 :Generate Hash H as shown below.. Step 10 : Perform the XOR operation between the data and a 48-bit hash computed above Step 11 : Use the 12-digit number generated above to generate a barcode in code-128 fromat. CODE128- 996108946439. Decoding the barcode Step 1: Extract the rightmost 12 digits from the barcode. Step 2 : Generate a hash as shown below: Step 3 : Perform the XOR operation between the data and a 48-bit hash computed above Step 4 : Split the vector into two vectors of size six each. Step 5 : Perform reverse mutation at the extreme positions of the vector. and Step 6 : Perform the crossover operation at the midpoint. and Step 7 : Compute 10’s complement of each digit. and Step 8 : Combine the vectors to reconstruct a 12-digit vector. Step 9 : Generate a hash as shown below: Step 10 : Perform the XOR operation between the data and a 48-bit hash computed above which represents the original vector iv implementation in JAVA The model proposed above is implemented in Java using MS Access as backend and Swing for GUI development. JDBC Type-I driver is used. The structure of the Barcode table used in the implementation is as follows : The following figures 4.1 to 4.4 show the output windows generated by Barcode tool developed in Java. Fig. 4.1 Java Barcode Generation Tool Fig. 4.2 Generation of Barcode Fig. 4.3 Barcode generated in Code-39 Format Fig. 4.4 Barcode Authentication Process. V.CONCLUSION AND SCOPE FOR FUTURE WORK In this paper we have proposed a model for barcode generation based on genetic algorithm and is implemented in Java for authentication of employees in a hypothetical organization. The password is encrypted by applying crossover, mutation and XOR operations and is difficult to track. This model provides a unique security layer on top of existing barcode security layer which makes the password more robust and difficult to break. Even if the database is hacked, the password cannot be stolen because the relationship between barcode and ID is not known. The model can be employed in situations where authentication is of prime significance and can be used for secure transmission of limited data such as credit card number. It provides a cheaper solution to RFID for authentication. Due to the symmetry in the operations involved and symmetry of XOR operation, the coding and encoding processes are reversible. Our future work consists of interfacing the software with barcode scanner and study of various coding techniques with reference to their applicability. References David. E. Goldberg, â€Å"Genetic Algorithms in Search, Optimization, and Machine Learning†, Pearson Education, 1989, ISBN-13: 978-020115767. X. F. Liao, S. Y.Lai and Q. Zhou. Signal Processing. 90 (2010) 2714–2722. H. Cheng and X. Li. IEEE Transactions on Signal Processive. 48 (8) (2000) 2439–2451. O. Lafe. Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence. 10 (6) (1998) 581–591. R. J. Chen and J. L. Lai. Pattern Recognition. 40 (2007) 1621–1631 Dr.Poornima G. Naik, Girish R. Naik, Application of Genetic Algorithm to Mass Production Line for Productivity Improvement, International Journal of Latest Trends in Engineering and Technology (IJLTET) Special Issue – IDEAS-2013 ISSN:2278-621X. S. Li, G. Chen and X. Zheng. Multimedia security handbook. LLC, Boca Raton, FL, USA: CRC Press; (2004) [chapter 4]. Y. Mao and G. Chen. Handbook of computational geometry for pattern recognition, computer vision, neural computing and robotics. Springer; (2003). H. S. Kwok, W. K. S. Tang, Chaos Solitons and Fractals, (2007) 1518–1529. Mohammad SazzadulHoque, Md. Abdul Mukit and Md. Abu NaserBikas,An Implementation of Intrusion Detection System Using Genetic Algorithm, International Journal of Network Security Its Applications (IJNSA), Vol.4, No.2, March 2012 L.M.R.J Lobo, Suhas B. Chavan, Use of Genetic Algorithm in Network Security, International Journal of Computer Applications (0975 – 8887)Volume 53– No.8, September 2012 W. Lu, I. Traore, â€Å"Detecting New Forms of Network Intrusion Using Genetic Programming†. Computational Intelligence, vol. 20, pp. 3, Blackwell Publishing, Malden, pp. 475-494, 2004. M. M. Pillai, J. H. P. Eloff, H. S. Venter, â€Å"An Approach to Implement a Network Intrusion Detection System using Genetic Algorithms†, Proceedings of SAICSIT, pp:221-228, 2004. S. M. Bridges, R. B. Vaughn, â€Å"Fuzzy Data Mining And Genetic Algorithms Applied To Intrusion Detection†, Proceedings of 12th Annual Canadian Information Technology Security Symposium, pp. 109-122, 2000. M. Middlemiss, G. Dick, â€Å"Feature selection of intrusion detection data using a hybrid geneticalgorithm/KNN approach†, Design and application of hybrid intelligent systems, IOS Press Amsterdam, pp.519-527, 2003.

United Parcel Service - UPS Essay -- essays research papers

United Parcel Service Executive Summary UPS has announced that after more than 90 years as a private company, it was planning an initial public offering to become a publicly traded company. In response to this, we will first analyze UPS ¡Ã‚ ¦s business strategy and it ¡Ã‚ ¦s sustainability of its current performance. Then we will look at key factors to estimate the UPS ¡Ã‚ ¦s market capitalization value using FedEx ¡Ã‚ ¦s multiples as well as  ¡Ã‚ §best in breed ¡Ã‚ ¨ company premiums. From this, we concluded that UPS ¡Ã‚ ¦s IPO should create a market capitalization for UPS between $17,520 million and $30,415 million. Evaluation UPS is the largest parcel delivery service in the world. They also help their customers its customers with supply chain management, logistics, and financial services. UPS used to be a trucking company with technology, now it ¡Ã‚ ¦s a technology company with trucks. One of the UPS ¡Ã‚ ¦s key success factors is the way they manage their operations. Their carefully designed network of vehicles, sorting facilities, and hubs combined with their IT system, allows them to pick up 13 million packages each day from 2 million addresses for delivery to over 6 million commercial and residential addresses worldwide with highest levels of reliability, efficiency, and speed. Also the integration of its air and ground operations gave UPS the ability to optimize utilization of its assets while still meeting customer service requirements. Other key success factor is UPS ¡Ã‚ ¦s human resource management. UPS has lowest turnover rates in the industry and succeeds in developing a portion of its wor kforce for management positions each year. The company ¡Ã‚ ¦s unique culture emphasized accountability and efficient execution at every level of the organization. UPS is performing better than FedEx in financial performances. From 1997-1999, UPS reported average net profit margins of 6.5% while FedEx ¡Ã‚ ¦s was 2.8% and ROE of 25.2% for UPS and 10.6% for FedEx. Although UPS ¡Ã‚ ¦s net income in 1999 dropped significantly, it was result of a tax dispute, which should not affect the sustainability of the UPS financial performance. One of the factors driving this performance is the growth in the international delivery business. International operations in 1999 has accounted for 13% of the UPS ¡Ã‚ ¦s revenues and 5% of the operating profits. International package revenue grew 50% since 1994 and international... ...OB premium for the trailing price to earnings multiple, we come up with UPS market capitalization of $21,985 million. If we use the 103% average BOB premium for the market to book multiple, then we come with UPS market capitalization of $38,845 million. UPS doesn ¡Ã‚ ¦t seem like it deserves a BOB premium because its only has 15% higher net income than FedEx where the BOB premium companies average over 200% higher net income than the industrial comparable. But, since the last year ¡Ã‚ ¦s net income was negatively affected by the tax court ruling we believe their net income in 1999 should be looked at without this one time write off against their net income which would bring their net income more closer to what the BOB premium companies average. Conclusion We believe the UPS ¡Ã‚ ¦s actual market capitalization and stock value lies somewhere between $17,520 million and $30,415 million. Although we believe that UPS shouldn ¡Ã‚ ¦t be fully valued using the BOB premium because of the uncertain future business and financial prospects, we also don ¡Ã‚ ¦t think just using FedEx ¡Ã‚ ¦s multiples as benchmark for the UPS ¡Ã‚ ¦s value captures the true market capitalization value for UPS. United Parcel Service - UPS Essay -- essays research papers United Parcel Service Executive Summary UPS has announced that after more than 90 years as a private company, it was planning an initial public offering to become a publicly traded company. In response to this, we will first analyze UPS ¡Ã‚ ¦s business strategy and it ¡Ã‚ ¦s sustainability of its current performance. Then we will look at key factors to estimate the UPS ¡Ã‚ ¦s market capitalization value using FedEx ¡Ã‚ ¦s multiples as well as  ¡Ã‚ §best in breed ¡Ã‚ ¨ company premiums. From this, we concluded that UPS ¡Ã‚ ¦s IPO should create a market capitalization for UPS between $17,520 million and $30,415 million. Evaluation UPS is the largest parcel delivery service in the world. They also help their customers its customers with supply chain management, logistics, and financial services. UPS used to be a trucking company with technology, now it ¡Ã‚ ¦s a technology company with trucks. One of the UPS ¡Ã‚ ¦s key success factors is the way they manage their operations. Their carefully designed network of vehicles, sorting facilities, and hubs combined with their IT system, allows them to pick up 13 million packages each day from 2 million addresses for delivery to over 6 million commercial and residential addresses worldwide with highest levels of reliability, efficiency, and speed. Also the integration of its air and ground operations gave UPS the ability to optimize utilization of its assets while still meeting customer service requirements. Other key success factor is UPS ¡Ã‚ ¦s human resource management. UPS has lowest turnover rates in the industry and succeeds in developing a portion of its wor kforce for management positions each year. The company ¡Ã‚ ¦s unique culture emphasized accountability and efficient execution at every level of the organization. UPS is performing better than FedEx in financial performances. From 1997-1999, UPS reported average net profit margins of 6.5% while FedEx ¡Ã‚ ¦s was 2.8% and ROE of 25.2% for UPS and 10.6% for FedEx. Although UPS ¡Ã‚ ¦s net income in 1999 dropped significantly, it was result of a tax dispute, which should not affect the sustainability of the UPS financial performance. One of the factors driving this performance is the growth in the international delivery business. International operations in 1999 has accounted for 13% of the UPS ¡Ã‚ ¦s revenues and 5% of the operating profits. International package revenue grew 50% since 1994 and international... ...OB premium for the trailing price to earnings multiple, we come up with UPS market capitalization of $21,985 million. If we use the 103% average BOB premium for the market to book multiple, then we come with UPS market capitalization of $38,845 million. UPS doesn ¡Ã‚ ¦t seem like it deserves a BOB premium because its only has 15% higher net income than FedEx where the BOB premium companies average over 200% higher net income than the industrial comparable. But, since the last year ¡Ã‚ ¦s net income was negatively affected by the tax court ruling we believe their net income in 1999 should be looked at without this one time write off against their net income which would bring their net income more closer to what the BOB premium companies average. Conclusion We believe the UPS ¡Ã‚ ¦s actual market capitalization and stock value lies somewhere between $17,520 million and $30,415 million. Although we believe that UPS shouldn ¡Ã‚ ¦t be fully valued using the BOB premium because of the uncertain future business and financial prospects, we also don ¡Ã‚ ¦t think just using FedEx ¡Ã‚ ¦s multiples as benchmark for the UPS ¡Ã‚ ¦s value captures the true market capitalization value for UPS.

Needed: A License to Drink Essay -- Drinking Alcohol Essays

Needed: A License to Drink Mike Brake is a writer for the communication department at the Oklahoma State Department of Education he wrote an article, â€Å"Needed: A License to Drink,† proposing a national system of licensing on drinking, with appropriate penalties. This means in order to drink one beer a person would have to obtain a license. The article is from Newsweek (March 14, 1994). Underage drinking is everywhere; high school, parties, and at college. How do they get the alcohol? The answer is simple get into the right crowd and alcohol will be as easy to get as juice. There is always going to be someone to buy for underage drinking no matter what the situation. Being twenty-one just means you do not have to hide drinking anymore and that is it. Drinking today is very popular becoming a huge social factor especially in college. With this drinking some people become dependent on the alcohol devoting all their time to drinking. Then drinking does not become a social factor any longer, these people drink because they need it. When this happens the person has a problem and has become an alcoholic maybe for life if they do not get help. About 88% of college students including underage drinkers drink or at least tried alcohol. Of this 88% only a small percentage of people become alcoholics. (Alcohol Alert). Brake’s Proposition What do we do with this alcoholic problem? Mike Brake has proposed a national license for drinking with appropriate penalties. Just like studying to get a permit to drive the same would steps would have to be taken to obtain a beet license. If an alcoholic is arrested on an alcoholic related offense they would loose their license and if they are found attempting to buy alcohol the... ...of alcoholics I think that this will increase the chance that the person will not go back to the bottle. At least more people would know that the person has a problem. This isn’t going to solve the problem but it could help. In conclusion a beer license isn’t going to help the drinking problem at all. Alcoholics are still going to the alcohol that they want. The beer license is only going to cost the 90% of the population who does not have drinking problem who in the first place do not need the license. Works Cited Ask Jeeves. What is Prohibition. 5 Mar. 1999. http://web.ask.com/redir Alcohol Alert. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Oct. 2000. http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa2a.htm Prohibition in the 1920’s Thirteen Years That Damaged America. 6 May 1998. http://www.geocities.com/Anthens/Troy/4399/

The Death of Indian Culture Exposed in The Jewel In the Crown Essay

The Death of Indian Culture Exposed in The Jewel In the Crown      Ã‚   The Jewel in the Crown, by Paul Scott, is a postcolonial novel about the realism of the interracial love affair between Daphne Manners and Hari Kumar, the subsequent rape of Daphne Manners, and the after effects on British and Indian relations. At a time when British and Indian affairs were strained, at best, the rape of Miss Manners is significantly metaphoric of the British rape of Indian land and culture. British colonial sentiment became a primary influence in India, when the revolt of 1857 led to the reorganization of British influence. The British felt that India could not rule itself, that they (the British) would govern India as its benefactor, bringing modernization to an inferior culture. The Indian economy was transformed into a colonial economy, whose nature and structure was determined primarily by the needs of the British economy. Britain's policies, in effect, ruined India's urban and rural industries, which caused a great pressure on the land, as the developm ent of India's industry could not keep up with British needs.    The Jewel in the Crown focuses on how British colonialism affected the relations between native Indians and the British English, and the affects on Indian culture seen through the tragedy of the unique triangle formed by Hari Kumar and Ronald Merrick, at two opposing points (English vs. India), and Daphne Manners (the catalyst) connecting them both. The story is significant in understanding the historical aspects of British colonial rule, and the subsequent destruction and transformation of Indian culture. Through the eyes of the characters, we get several very distinct and personal stories about the values and custo... ...e history unfolds itself, as the personal lives intertwine with social and historical attitudes of British India and its ideology of benevolent governance. In a metaphorical sense, the personal tragedies of Hari Kumar and Daphne Manners represent the inability of two clashing distinctly different cultures to mix in creating an atmosphere of modern unity. The fact that Daphne Manners dies in childbirth, a birth that would have represented such a unity between these two cultures, idealizes the very nature of the problems associated with the rights and wrongs of colonialism, and represents perhaps the very death of native Indian ideology and culture.    Works Cited Agatucci, Cora. "Jewel in the Crown Study Guide Timeline" English 103, Spring 2001. Scott, Paul. The Jewel in the Crown: The Raj Quartet:1. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL. C. 1998.

Aviation Security

Prior to the 9/11 attack, the US Aviation had little concern over the threat of either hijacking or terrorism. Surveys detailing the passengers’ concerns in flights were more directed towards the airlines’ maintenance and safety than the risk of being hijacked or being attacked by terrorists (Rosenzweig and Kochems, 2005). But after the 9/11 attack, especially with terrorists having used planes as the instruments for initiating a global anxiety over terrorism, aviation security has become an utmost priority of the Department of Homeland Security (Decker, 2005).Increased international concern over terrorist-related aviation security heightened after the attack. This is evidenced by several complaints and questions issued immediately after 9/11. According to the Citizens’ Complaint and Petition as filed with NY AG Eliot Spitzer on November 2004, New York citizens were dissatisfied with official investigations done regarding the attack. Some of the implications of t he complaint include the citizens’ suspicion of unsatisfactory intelligence prior to September 11 and that some government officials are responsible for the attack and are directly to blame for the tragedy.In other words, the citizens doubt that the tragedy was a result of mere incompetence on the part of the intelligence committee but more of an act of complicity between the terrorists and some officials. Quoting from the complaint: â€Å"A majority of citizens come to suspect high crimes and treachery within their own government, but cannot find officials with enough courage, power or independence to thoroughly investigate their concerns and restore the public trust (2004). †Moreover, the citizens are concerned that the government is deliberately hiding the real results of the investigation regarding the 9/11 attack keeping their questions from being answered and their peace of mind untended. Representative Cynthia McKinney of Georgia responded to a 9/11 briefing say ing that a number of families of the 9/11 tragedy’s victims share her concerns about the truth on all aspects about the 9/11 attack: â€Å"This calls for another look at the government's account of 9/11, which guides so much of what has happened since.Mistakes of fact, intentional or not, have changed and guided America into costly wars and increased insecurity at home. They need to be addressed and scrutinized, not dismissed and used to attack those who discover or raise those (2005). † Although not stated directly such complaints imply the citizens’ concern for justice and the assurance that their government could be trusted with providing them with their right to a safe environment.Such actions and concerns by the citizens force the government to respond by enhancing security measures especially in aviation, and improving intelligence and investigative capabilities as demanded by the rising anxiety resulting from the tragedy. The complaint also expressed conc erns over the taxing effect of â€Å"exaggerated† security measures on civil liberty but notwithstanding, most are still willing to sacrifice the said liberty in exchange for the safety that they demand to be ensured of.In this era of terrorist threat, the citizens regard their civil liberty as second only to their safety. This proves the growing concern of the public over security with its extent emphasized by the object they are willing to exchange it for (O’Connor, 2006). In ensuring the safety of the people and the state, one very important factor to consider is the efficiency in allocation of resources. Clearly, it would be unwise to try to protect everything from terrorist attacks because of limited resources and the asymmetric aspect of risks and consequences afforded to different assets.Here assets refer to people, structures, places, ideas, or any possible object (or non-object) that terrorists may direct their attack to (Rosenzweig and Kochems, 2005). The Sec retary of the Department of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff, recognizes the state’s limitation in resources and emphasized in one of his speeches, the need for an â€Å"objective measure of risk (Rosenzweig and Kochems, 2005). † Here is where the risk-based approach to counterterrorism comes.In other words, prioritization is very important in ensuring the efficiency in allocation of resources. The efficiency in allocation of resources can be realized by using the risk-based approach. Risk-based Approach to counterterrorism involves the identification and analysis of risks or threats, vulnerability, and criticality. The assessment of these factors is critical in determining how to allocate resources efficiently for maximum prevention of terrorism, which is the main purpose counterterrorism (Decker, 2005).The analysis of threats involves the identification of current assets that are most at risk to terrorist attacks, the capacity of the terrorists to attack the asset , the chance of success of the possible attack and the possible consequences if such attacks were successful (Decker, 2005). If the analysis of threats involves the risks, the analysis of vulnerabilities involves the assessment of the state’s limitations in terms of resources, capabilities and assets.The identification of possible structures which are most at risk to being attacked, the limitations of intelligence, the limitations in terms of funds, are aspects which are important in the analysis of vulnerabilities because these weaknesses, aside from being easily manipulated by terrorists to their advantage, could also cripple our forces if successfully attacked (Decker, 2005). The analysis of criticality involves the possible effect of a successful attack.Here, the differences in consequences afforded by successful attacks are considered. It is important to consider in the analysis of criticality, the assets’ functions and the degree to which a successful attack woul d cause damage not only to the states’ functions but also to the peoples’ psychological status and moral excellence (Decker, 2005). To summarize, risk is the primary consideration in the actions and decisions executed for the prevention of terrorism.Analyzing the processes involved in the risk-based approach to counterterrorism, we can deduce that the factors influencing the â€Å"objective† value attributed to â€Å"risk† are the probability of attack, the probability of a successful attack and the probable degree of damage caused by the successful attack (Rosenzweig and Kochems, 2005). Considering the factors involved in the assessment of risk, aviation deserves to be one of those included in the list of high priority assets. The success of the 9/11 attack exemplifies the degree of risk involved in aviation.The probability of attack is high considering the limitations in security especially when an airline is not on land, which also increases its chance of success. The damage involved includes the lives of civilians, the loss of the airline involved, disruption in economic activity and abstract losses such as psychological and morale discord. In response to the threat associated with aviation, TSA Administrator Kip Hawley announced changes in security procedures. These changes include more intensive screenings and a longer list of prohibited items.Understandably, firearms, ammunition and any other explosive including fireworks are not permitted at the checkpoint and in any checked or carry-on baggage. Lighters, pocketknives, teargas and other weapons of self-defense are now prohibited at checkpoint (â€Å"TSA reminds passengers to:†¦ †, 2006). A more intensive detection procedure for greater threats such as explosives and guns is now implemented. One security tactic implemented in aviation is that of unpredictability. This is called the layered-screening approach. Various random methods are now used to screen passenger s.According to Hawley, it is important that the aviation security is equipped with the â€Å"weapon of uncertainty† so as not to let terrorists gain the advantage of knowledge to easily maneuver situations for the accomplishment of their terrorist plans. Also, according to Hawley, this tactic will help the security team in focusing endeavors to preventing individuals from gaining access to the object of their harmful intent (â€Å"TSA Unveils Enhanced Security Screening Procedures and Changes to the Prohibited Items List†, 2005). Before, aviation security measures include only passing through metal detectors and the screening of baggage.The new security measure now includes additional screenings such as screening of shoes and clothes for explosives, more extensive inspections of baggage and the passenger himself. All these additional measures are done randomly in accordance with the layered screening approach (â€Å"TSA Unveils Enhanced Security Screening Procedures a nd Changes to the Prohibited Items List†, 2005). Secure Flight is a program specially designed for the enhancement of aviation security, specifically targeted to the prevention of terrorist attacks.This program involves the screening of passengers against a terrorist watch list provided by the FBI: an enhanced screening process, identity authentication process, checking of a passenger name against a database and an appeals process for misidentified passengers (Elias, 2005). It is developed to displace the Computer Assisted Prescreening System. The reliability of the program has been questioned because of possible damage to civil liberties, as names are not always unique (Singel, 2004).Although the detection of terrorist-passengers is essential in ensuring safety, the program’s imperviousness to hackers is questionable. Just recently, the Associated Press reported the suspension of the program because of this issue. Still, Hawley recognizes that the program is essential to aviation security (â€Å"Secure Flight†, 2006). In any case, the main problems associated with security checks involve damages to civil liberties and privacy. Programs like Secure Flight, CAPPS and Clear, operated by a private company, Verified Identity Pass, Inc. are continually being suspended due to issues concerning privacy.In a report done by the Department of Homeland Security, the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), EPIC impels the TSA to suspend all private programs including Clear until the concerns over the implications of the programs on privacy are resolved, especially with the use of databases and watch lists. Also, EPIC impels the suspension of the programs until regulations are polished to comply with laws on Privacy (â€Å"Comments on the Electronic Privacy Information Center†, 2005). PDD 39 or the US Counterterrorism Policy formally states the US’ position regarding terrorism.It outlines the country’s purposes and procedures in implementing counterterrorism strategies. It treats all aspects of terrorism whether it is direct or indirect participation both as a crime and a threat to the national security. In this regard, the US Policy on counterterrorism vows to apply all means to fight terrorism (Clinton, 1995). Specifically, the US counterterrorism policy aims to reduce the state’s vulnerabilities against possible threats, deter terrorism, enhance facilities, prevent entrance of weapons of mass destruction and further lead agency responsibilities.The implementation of such tasks is delegated to specific departments. In the case of aviation, it is the TSA, part of the Department of Homeland Security that is tasked in ensuring the safety of flight passengers as well as the transportation of cargo. In the event of increased threats of terrorism, the TSA’s security measures as outlined in the previous paragraphs, have been satisfactory in providing the citizens security (â€Å"Aviation Securi ty: Efforts to measure†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , 2003). For instance, the more intensive screening done to passengers is consistent to the US counterterrorism policies.One, it prevents the entrance of terrorists and thus their inducing terror to the citizens inside national boundaries. Also, the intensive screening and enhanced detection capacities prevent the entrance of weapons of mass destruction, reducing the risks such weapons afford the citizens and other assets of the nation. Specifically, the TSA policy involved in the prevention of weapons of mass destruction is the stricter monitoring of freight, as well as the passengers’ baggage (â€Å"Airport Passenger Screening:†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , 2003).Other TSA policies that are consistent with the US counterterrorism policy is its enhanced list of prohibited items. Now that pocketknives, teargas and even lighters are prohibited at checkpoint, the probability of hijacking is reduced. Efforts like training screeners also deter terrorism by d ecreasing the likelihood of small detection errors that could have caused heavy damage to the nation. Proposals like the implementation of CAPP and Secure flight, although plagued by criticisms (Singel, 2004), are also aimed to comply with the US Counterterrorism policies.Both of which could be placed under the â€Å"enhancing counterterrorism capabilities† aspect of the US counterterrorism policies. Counterterrorism measures, aside from its mission being to combat terrorism, are done to give the citizens a perception of safety with its heightened efforts to ensure their security. This is very evident in the security measures implemented in airports where passengers are doubly screened, to the dismay of those with terrorist purposes and those shouting for their civil liberties.Given the extra efforts by the Department of Homeland Security to grant the citizens their right to safety, the citizens were supposed to feel extra safe. This is not the case. Extra efforts to provide the citizens the safety they deserve only confirms the degree of danger they perceive to be in to. To add to this, the media overly emphasize the risk posed by terrorism fueling with publicity-derived strength.If the government’s efforts are directed towards giving the citizens security or at least a perception of it, the terrorists, being what they are, aim to instill fear and terror, if not physically with bombs, at least psychologically. It appears that the media and the perpetrators of terror are living symbiotically: the media are giving the terrorists its required publicity to instill terror in the minds of the people and the terrorists provide the media with good stories to tell.In addition, it is the media which gives so much coverage to the extra counterterrorist efforts given by the government which reflects not only the strengths but also its weaknesses. The very idea that the efforts of the government to provide the citizens with security are with loopholes has mu ch more effect in the people’s minds even if its strengths outweighs the weaknesses. The result is the realization of terrorist goals which is to instill fear and terror in every possible way as well as influence the media audience with distrust in the government’s security efforts (Bowdish, 2006).The internet seems to provide the terrorists with one of the best means to disseminate fear, taking advantage of the anonymity and its fast-paced nature. Lots of websites in the internet are now being maintained, unbeknownst to the civilians, by terrorists (Glass, 2001). This medium is especially useful in speedy dissemination of visuals and ideas that instill fear. Other methods include: manipulating reports by promoting contrived neutrality, indirectly aimed at making civilians question any actions done by the state, its policies, security measures and its legitimacy.Some civilians, with their good intention of fighting for freedom are unknowingly influenced by propaganda t actically planned by terrorists (Bowdish, 2006). They are unknowing victims of terrorist machinations. With the government’s passing of new policies aimed at securing the people, specifically, the layered screening done in airports, and the new and unpredictable methods strategically imposed to prevent easy entrance of terrorists in the US, the government has satisfactorily defended the state and most importantly its citizens from terrorism.Unfortunately, the government could only do so with the physical aspect of terrorism. Information can easily be manipulated and with very minimal censorship through the media and from this terrorist weapon, the government can do very little to protect the citizens. The government is not in control of the information disseminated in the media, nor do they have the power to choose which information to be withheld and which information to be broadcasted.In addition, it would not be unwise to control the media as this would only add to the psy chological effect that the terrorists, with the help of the media, are producing (Bowdish, 2006). Counterterrorism methods employed today are very much similar to the methods employed in the 1980’s during the Drug War when in 1984; President Ronald Reagan militarized the drug war starting from urine testing and forfeiture of properties towards a decreased threshold of arrest with only hearsay evidence and the use of surveillance systems (â€Å"Drug War†, 2004).Similar to the counterterrorism methods expounded in the revised US Patriot Act, the government officials have expanded powers over gathering information which involves, like that in the Drug War, lower threshold of evidence needed for the arrest of suspected individuals, and forfeiture of properties of those suspected to be working for terrorists. Like in the Drug War, the efforts and procedures employed in combating terrorism are not fully supported by the citizens.Both in the 1980s drug war and today’s counterterrorism involve the citizens’ derision over the loss of their civil liberty and their petition for human rights (â€Å"Drug War†, 2004). In both events, there is an increase in government spending, in 1980’s, to contain drug use and at present, to combat terrorism and increase national security. During the drug war, campaigns for and against the legalization of marijuana had spread in all mediums of communication: radio, newspaper and television. In today’s war against terrorism, the internet has been added to the list of mediums used in campaigns.Like today’s war against terrorism, the efforts in reducing drug use in the 1980s seemed to be futile. Despite the government’s efforts in preventing increase in drug use through the passage of laws and implementation of stricter penalties, the rate of drug abuse had not changed significantly. Today’s war on terrorism involves the same seemingly futile efforts. Terrorists, being as they are, would not be easily deterred by any law or security measure (Bowdish, 2006). They would always try to find means to gain access to whatever vulnerability the nation may have and actuate their terrorist plans.But still, even with this seeming futility, the government is supposed to act towards the betterment of the society and that betterment does not include any hazard and that includes both drugs and terrorism. References â€Å"Airport Passenger Screening: Preliminary Observations on Progress Made and Challenges Remaining†. (Sep 2003). General Accounting Office Report to the Chairman, Subcommittee on Aviation, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of Representatives. Washington DC: US. â€Å"Aviation Security: Efforts to Measure Effectiveness and Strengthen Security Programs†. (20 Nov.2003). General Accounting Office Testimony Before the Committee on Government Reform, House of Representatives. Washington DC: Berrick, C. Bowdish, R. (5 May 20 06). Cerberus to Mind: Media as Sentinel in the Fight against Terrorism. Strategic Insights. 5 (5). â€Å"Citizens' Complaint and Petition as Filed With NY AG Eliot Spitzer† (19 November 2004). The Justice for 9/11 Steering Committee. USA. Clinton, W. (21 Jun. 2005). PDD 39: US Policy on Counterterrorism. The White House. Washington, D. C. â€Å"Comments of the Electronic Privacy Information Center† (08 Dec. 2005). Department of Homeland Security.Washington DC: Rotenberg, M. Decker, R. (2005). Homeland Security: A Risk Management Approach Can Guide Preperedness Efforts. Testimony before the Senate Committee on Government Affairs. USA. â€Å"Drug War 101†. (n. d. ). Human Rights and Drug War Website. Retrieved 10 August 2006 from the World Wide Web: http://www. hr95. org/dw101. htm. Elias, B. et. al. (04 Mar 2005). Homeland Security: Air Passenger Prescreening and Counterterrorism. CRS Report for Congress. US. The Library of Congress. Glass, A. (Dec. 2001). The W ar on Terrorism Goes Online: Media and Government Response to First Post-Internet Crisis.Press, Politics and Public Policy Working Paper Series. The Joan Shorenstein Center, Harvard University. McKinney, C. (10 Aug. 2005). Response to a Coverage of the 9/11 Briefings. Washington, DC. O’Connor, T. (06 Jun 2006). Civic Liberties in Domestic Terrorism. In Megalinks in Criminal Justice. Retrieved August 10, 2006, from http://faculty. ncwc. edu/toconnor/429/429lect19. htm. Rosenzweig P. and Kochems A. (2005). Risk Assessment and Risk Management: Necessary Tools for Homeland Security. Backgrounder. (1889), pp. 1-4. â€Å"Secure Flight† (Feb. 2006).Center for media and Democracy. Retrieved 10 August 2006 from the World Wide Web: http://www. sourcewatch. org/index. php? title=Secure_Flight. Singel, R. (27 Aug. 2004). Secure Flight Gets Wary Welcome. Wired News. Retrieved 10 August 2006 from the World Wide Web: http://www. wired. com/news/privacy/0,1848,64748,00. html â€Å"TS A Reminds Passengers to:† (31 May 2006). Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security. Oklahoma:USA. â€Å"TSA Unveils Enhanced Security Screening Procedures and Changes to the Prohibited Items List† (06 Dec 2005). Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security. Oklahoma: USA.