Saturday, August 31, 2019

Mezzo Cammin Analysis Essay

â€Å"Mezzo Cammin† is an insightful poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. It was a poem that was written halfway through Longfellow’s life and titled as such. It follows the life of a middle aged man who is basically whining about all the things he missed out on in the past. This title comes from the first line of Dante’s divine comedy which is translated to â€Å"Midway upon the journey of our life†. Society looks at their past as if â€Å"I could have done this in my past, I missed out on this and that.† Longfellow shows that people felt like that in 1842. He uses different poetic techniques to get this â€Å"opinion† across. When he says â€Å" I have let the years slip from me† it sounds like his past self didn’t care much about the present and focused more on the future. In the next line he actually remembers the aspirations he had, no matter how inconceivable and impossible they are. What holds him from completing these tasks even now, he describes as a â€Å"sorrow and a care that almost killed†. Sorrow usually doesn’t hold people back from things that they wanted to do in their past, we start to see separation of him from society, a slight oddity in him. The next line uses lots of imagery and shows us that he looks at life like a hill. One side has his gloomy city. This city has two different feelings about it, one is a mellow and slight happy feeling, quite dull. The other feeling is that of work, and bustling cities. A waterfall of death is on the other side, descending from the sky. He stands at the exact middle of the two. The speaker behind this poem has a huge ego. He has not cared once about anyone else besides himself and his future. This might contribute to his careless behavior in the past, he has no drive to do anything because none of the big things to do affected him beneficially. He might of also had no drive because of the things he inspired to be were too outrageous and he didn’t want to put himself under the intensive work to become the next â€Å"prime minister† or â€Å"supreme leader†. Again his ego coming into play, all about him. This whining man is very clear about his outlook on life. Longfellow shows how much this man’s ego/procrastination has put him in the emotional gutters. He also gives a pretty blunt approach to life. You work, you regret, you die.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Public Document Analysis

English 1010 Public Document Analysis Frosh Camp 2012 advertisement This document, titled Frosh Camp @ Camp NaCoMe, has multiple different features and lots of information. The title itself is formatted in a certain way for a reason. The words â€Å"Frosh Camp† are very bold and in Memphis blue; whereas the words â€Å"@ Camp NaCoMe† are in grey and much less bold. The author of this document made it this way because Frosh Camp is the main subject and is meant to be more noticed than the location of the camp. Because the background of the main part of the advertisement is white, the blue stands out even more.Besides the title, the first thing you notice is the two large pictures in the foreground at the top of the page. These pictures show Frosh Camp campers in 1994 and 2012. They are inside a green circle to represent a fun atmosphere verses placing the pictures in the standard square. In the background there are a few, big light blue polka dots the author placed just to add a little more fun and color to the page. The 2012 picture shows people of all different types and ethnicities. With an audience of University of Memphis 2012 freshman, this is a very good thing to show because people won’t worry about fitting in.Next, your eyes guide to the text underneath. With the words â€Å"You†, â€Å"hundred years†, and â€Å"never forget† being bolded in the sentence, that alone makes you curious about the camp. After viewing the top of the document, one may notice the vertical, royal blue, rectangular box on the right side of the page. The foreground of this box contains all information about when the three sessions are and a few pictures and quotes of and from previous campers. The background has a few large light blue and green polka dots also to add a more gratifying feel to the advertisement.The pictures, also placed in green bordered circles, show previous campers enjoying camp and having fun. The first picture, top le ft, is of a girl participating in the cardboard box boat race. The author chose this picture because this is one of the activities Frosh Camp is famous for. Each cabin puts together a boat with only cardboard, duct tape, and spray paint. In order to win they must go across the river and back with two people in the boat, and finish first! The picture diagonally to the right of it is of a boy and a girl dressed up for one of the theme nights.This picture not only shows a fun activity but the feel of developed friendship. Many incoming freshman are concerned about making friends in college and this picture is a good example of friendship. Also, authors post very diverse pictures in these types of situations so that they appeal to a wider range of people. The last picture is of multiple campers yelling a chant. Many freshmen that think about signing up are nervous to experience the atmosphere. This was a great picture to represent the care free and fun atmosphere that frosh camp has.Eve ryone participates and no one judges you for it. The quotes, almost considered as in the background, are all positive statements said by former campers. They express all things, from their great experience to the helpful thing they learned while they were there. Quotes from others are always a good source to use when it comes to persuasion. Lastly, at the top of the box, is the session information. This just tells the dates of the different camp sessions. The author chose to use a bold and white text for this information to contrast with the royal blue background in the box.One can always find important information by how the text is written. The rest of the titles, on the main part of the document, are also very noticeable because of how they are formatted. They, on a blank background, are bolded green titles that state frequently asked questions using the what, when, where, and why scheme. The answers, placed underneath the questions, are noticeably answered by a prior camper. Jus t by reading them you can tell how they feel about the camp; which you can’t do without attending it. The frosh camp experience is definitely something that every freshman should experience.The page answers all basic questions one would have about the camp very adequately. The author also successfully presents the purpose. All the titles make it very easy to point it out and understand. On the far left side of the page is a menu bar that has a list of tabs you can click on to find out any information not already shown on the main document. It has things like registration, what to bring, directions, pictures, and videos. The more types of ways to show the camp, the more people will sign up. Some people don’t notice but everyone has different types of things that appeal or interest them.In order to get convinced, some people may just want to read about it and learn the facts; whereas others may feel that just watching a video is enough for them. Underneath the menu bar i s the same standard links that are on every page on the Universities website. Lastly, on the bottom of the page it has all the standard required information for the site and some social networking links to the University of Memphis’ page within them. This is good because people that normally wouldn’t come across the advertisement, have a better chance of seeing it.I personally came across this document during new student orientation. After reading it, I was ready to sign up and be a part of the hundreds of other freshman that already had. It really explains frosh camp without going too far into detail. When information gets too long, especially with upcoming college freshman as the audience, most of it goes unread. Furthermore, it is organized so that information needed to be found by someone is easy to find and access. Looking at this advertisement now that I have attended the camp, I can really appreciate the authors work. http://www. memphis. edu/froshcamp/froshcamp . php

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Problems Of Using Computers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Problems Of Using Computers - Essay Example Further, employees could not adhere to complying with deadlines because the computers are running slow with the lack of memory on these systems. The current computer software is out of date and causes the problem of accessing important documents sent to them from other important clients. The IT department’s evaluation found out that the business is suffering from the lack of updates on current technology. We, as members of the IT department, therefore suggest that computer systems should be updated so employees could perform their job more efficiently and also enable an increase in the productivity of the company. This would result in substantial improvement on the financial status of the business as a whole. Problems The following problems have been noted from the current computers: (1) Lack of memory and therefore lack of storage capacity for data. The effects of this problem are as follows: (a) employees to bring personal hard drives to work to enable them to complete their daily tasks on time; (b) work is completed at a slower pace for the employees because they are spending half there day waiting for data to be uploaded. (c) most of the data on these computers is important information for the company and should not be deleted. (2) The current software on these computers is out of date. ... If new computers were purchased, new software comes installed with the computers and all the current problems would be solve associated with the current computer systems. Proposed Solution The proposed solution is to buy new computers from Dell at a cost of $1400 per computer. The new computers are faster, have greater memory, and the quoted price includes new versions of the software. In addition, the new computers have larger monitors. Dell will send automatic updates yearly to the new software if the new hardware is purchased. In addition, the old computers can be given to Friendly Elementary School in the Long Beach Unified School District. You’ve spoke n to Mr. Robert Gonzales, Principal of Friendly School, and their facilities people will come pick up the old computers. This would mean a tax write-off for Good Day Real Estate, as well as good public relations for Good Day, Inc. The new computers could arrive within 30 working days of being ordered. The Good Day IT personnel know how to install the computers. Packing of the old computers, unpacking the new computers, and installing the new computers would take four days. Methodology Purchasing these computers from Dell ensures the company up to date software every year free. This will allow employees to have plenty of memory to perform their job at more productive levels. There is enough memory on the new computers to solve the defined problems and personal devices will no longer be needed to perform daily tasks within the company.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

MARKETING IN PRACTICE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

MARKETING IN PRACTICE - Essay Example Stern estimates that 1% of UK gross domestic product must be spent on tackling climate change, leading to a 25% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. If measures are not taken before then and temperatures increase by 5Â ºC, Stern warns, rising sea levels could put London underwater. The UK will implement a climate change bill, proposing a 60% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 which was highlighted by the Queen’s Speech during the state opening of parliament in November 2007. If global greenhouse gas emissions have not decreased by the end of 2015, then our chances of restraining climate change to within the two degrees " safety line diminish daily. The scientific data demands: the peaking of emissions within eight years, worldwide cuts of 60 per cent by 2030, and 80 per cent or more by 2050. Above two degrees, the possibility of crossing "tipping points" in the earths system will result in the collapse of the Amazon rainforest and the release of methane from the Siberian permafrost is higher. The prospects for carbon recycling are huge primarily through new generation clean WTE, biomass cultivation (which covers the plantation of many trees and grasses depending on local soil and weather conditions) or by directly coursing flue gases through algae cultures to generate fast growing algae by the ton (with oil, ethanol and protein for animal feed squeezed out). The result is that the carbon efficiency of the economy will continue to increase. If regulators and conservation activists convince people that they need the environmentally friendly economy, it will be a big feast for everybody from bio-tech companies to car industry for years to come. The demand for products as diverse as high efficiency ball-bearings, ‘smart meters’, low energy computer monitors, financial services and household goods is driven by climate change. Sainsbury Chief Executive Justin King stated that the market

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Democratic Republican National Convention 2003 Essay

Democratic Republican National Convention 2003 - Essay Example Miami-Dade has had a extensive record of hosting large scale exceptional events such as Super Bowls (1999, 2007, and 2011), Presidential Debates (2004), the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) Conference in 2003, and the Summit of the Americas in 1994. In addition to that, Miami-Dade had the essential infrastructure in position (including lodge accommodation, international airport and seaport amenities, sports grounds with large space capacities), and a verified expertise in the setting up and implementation of large-scale special events that would meet the DRNC expectations. Additionally, the area’s temperate climate makes it a favored site for conventioneers from various different organizations. Getting the DRNC Convention is well thought-out to be a major coop for local officials owing to the expected positive impact that it will have on the area economy. Precedent political conventions such as this one are anticipated to have brought anywhere from $150 - $160 million to the home economies of the host city. In comparison, the 2007 Super Bowl is likely to have brought over $463 million to the local economy of the tri-county area consisting of Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties (Kan, 2006). Regardless of the economic payback, there is a negative aspect connected with these large-scale particular events. For instance, the expenditure for security arrangement and planning for the FTAA Conference in Miami in 2003 was anticipated to scale up to $23.9 million. The 2000 World Trade Organization (WTO) Conference in Seattle, Washington is approximated to have incurred cost of around $9.3 million indirect security expenditure. Further affected areas like King County and Washington State Patrol, accounted for an additional $6 million in security costs for that occasion. The figure above does not put into consideration for â€Å"indirect† costs connected with break

Monday, August 26, 2019

Terrorist Techniques - Ideology Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Terrorist Techniques - Ideology - Assignment Example The new and prospective recruits will have to undergo a number of tests during the recruitment process in order to a certain their conviction to join our group. Since the recruitment process normally takes one to two weeks, we will engage ourselves in robust recruitment process before we make plans on any attack. The new recruit must be ready to conduct suicide bombings and massacres, as these are one of the ways through which we spread our ideology (Hoffman, 2006). Since our diehard members will be conducting the recruitment process, they will inform all the recruits of what lies ahead, especially using Tamil nationalism, Socialism, Separatism, Left-wing nationalism as the primary ideologies of recruitment. All the recruits must understand that we are a legitimate and genuine group out to fight for our rights and the rights of the greater Tamil people. With this in mind, the recruits will register in our offices that are distributed all over the Eastern and Northern Provinces of Sri Lanka (Gill, Sahni, & Institute for Conflict Management, 2002).   We plan to spread secessionist propaganda to Europe, Canada, USA, Australia, India, and Malaysia in order to receive funding and military equipment. Presently, we have heavy military artillery that we recently acquired from our affiliates in Malaysia. In addition, we are currently actively involved in mass recruitment in the Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka where we have absolute control (Narayan, 2010). Since we run our own media, police, judiciary, and other amenities in such areas, we have achieved significant success as far as the spread of our propaganda is concerned. Besides, we have also used fear to intimidate suspicious or stubborn recruits. Since we murder those who refuse to join our group, our recruitment department had had the busiest season. Besides, LTTE is the most deadly and most respected fighter group not only in Asia, but

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Holographic Design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Holographic Design - Essay Example This is where the people are in the process of learning to see the organization as a whole (Senge, 1990). Organizational reality is linked to the understanding of uncertainty of the organizational environment by the key executives and their ability to drive the organization in a particular direction (Stacey, 2010). The concept of a learning organization is taken to the next level by a particularly organic approach to systems thinking (Hà ¤mà ¤là ¤inen & Saarinen, 2008). This emergent approach is called the Holographic design of an organization. The principles of the Holographic design (Morgan, 2006) are used hereunder to conceptualize the organization from a holographic perspective: The first principle of the holographic design represents the incorporation of the vision and values of the whole organization in to the individual parts. The principle directs organizations to integrate the above values into a corporate DNA and achieve a networked intelligence structure. The structure so achieved is has an inherent ability to duplicate itself. Wherein teams with holistic visions of the organization are created. The x organization can achieve a collective sensory perception of the vision and values and enable its employees to see things in individual and collective gaze as one. The second principle of Holographic design underlines the importance of redundancy in processing of organizational information and design of skill set and the work of the team members. The X organization can enable and encourage its employees to help discard old thinking systems and bring in fresh approach and thought processes. The third holographic principle emphasizes the requisite variety in the sense that internal complexity of an organization should be in consonance with the external variety. The X organization shall foster the inherent variety of ideas and capabilities of the members of the organization to match that of the external

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Empirical Evidence-Financial Systems and Economic Activity Essay

Empirical Evidence-Financial Systems and Economic Activity - Essay Example er, it was found that the expenditures over research and development, and not fixed capital formation, serve are the medium through which this impact takes place. It was also observed that the interaction amongst the structures and the industrial activity of the country greatly depends upon the levels of its economic growth. The concluding chapter of this paper explains the implications for the economic policy of the consideration that the institutional structure might be inter-related with the type of activity. 2. Review of Economic Performance and Financial Systems Joseph Schumpeter explained in 1912 that how the provision of loan was essential for the development and for the entrepreneurship. According to him, despite giving loan is not central to the normal circular flow, it is true that there exists a gap to overcome in the execution of new combinations. He further affirmed that the obligation of the lender is to bridge this gap, which he very well does by placing the power-to-p urchase developed ad hoc at the disposal of the businessman. Thorstein Veblen observed that the mechanism of assessing firms subject to â€Å"standardized bureaucratic routine† adopted by the entrepreneurs whom he referred to as the â€Å"lieutenants of finance† where as he dubbed the â€Å"syndicated bankers† as the â€Å"captain of finance† (Veblen, 1919). Nevertheless, Robert Lucas, among various others, debates that the economists poorly exaggerated the importance of financial attributes in economic performance (Lucas, 1988). While the significance of financial systems is doubtful, the efficacy of various sorts of financial systems has been found to be even more controversial. Clapham (1936) in his work agreed with the views of a principal officer of one of the Great Banks of Germany that... The paper includes the theoretical literature on the interaction among the financial and corporate mechanisms and the types of economic activities. Link of high risk R & D type activities has been established with the dispersed ownership financial systems and the market based financial systems, in case of the significant imposition of strict budget constraints. On the other hand, the financial systems with concentrated ownership and the bank oriented financial systems should be linked to long term investment with stimulated nature, in case of financial structures that require commitments to other stakeholders. This paper makes a conclusion that the empirical analyses of the relationship between the types of economic activity and financial and corporate systems are currently at its initial stage, they have significant policy implications if they are promoted through the provision of further evidence in this regard. Specifically, they indicate that there is not essentially a commanding financial system that is suitable for all economies or for all industries inside an economy. The financial systems or considerations that are deemed appropriate for a developed economy might turn inappropriate for a developing economy. Similarly what is appropriate for a highly innovative R & D economy might be inappropriate for a more imitative economy. There might be essential adjustments in making financial systems to comply with the countries’ stages of economic development, industrial bases, regulatory and legal policies.

Practices or managerial competencies that you think all health care Essay

Practices or managerial competencies that you think all health care administrators should develop - Essay Example This is where conceptual skills come in. They provide an administrator with the perfect launching pad for conducting good research or making the right decisions. The preparation of financial reports requires an able and competent administrator who is technically proficient in using computers to create and manipulate spreadsheets among other documents associated with budgeting Budgeting/reimbursement may require one to interact with other people by asking questions in order to get the right information when in doubt of anything. This requires good interpersonal skills otherwise an administrator may not obtain accurate data/information Understanding whatever one is computing or preparing also requires good conceptual skills (Antony, 1981). An administrator should know which figures are supposed to be entered where, what they represent and how to interpret them in order to explain an organization’s financial position Planning cannot be carried out alone; it is a team effort that is better executed when different opinions and ideas are heard (Lytras, 2008). As a result, working well with different people calls for good human/interpersonal

Friday, August 23, 2019

Ethics and Law Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethics and Law - Coursework Example According to Williams, law includes the codes of conducts that are developed and made obligatory by the authority for every member of the society or a particular group, state or community (p 51). The state sets punishments that are meted on individuals who contravene the codes of conduct. Laws are supposed to be adhered to regardless of their ethical connotation. A law abiding citizen enjoys his/her freedom regardless of whether the laws are suppressive. In other words, development of state laws is independent of the ethics. Ethics on the other hand is concerned with human behavior. It is about how people conduct themselves in the presence or absence of others. Tingle and Cribb view ethics as the moral values against which humans evaluate behavior (p 66). Generally, humans evaluate ethical behavior on the basis of doing to others what they would like to be done to them. This means that if a person hurts another, that is unethical because he/she would not like the same to occur to him /her. In contrast, the law seeks to protect the rights of individuals and the general public based on a common understanding of what is good for them. For example, a government sets laws to protect the rights and freedoms of its citizens, which may not be granted in another state. An officer in the public service is a servant of the state and hence the government. He/she is required to demonstrate professional ethics while undertaking his/her duties. On the other hand, he is obligated to the statutory duties that surpass his/her moral background. He/she is supposed to perform his/her duties according to the laws that govern the particular field. For example in some states, a parent who is convicted of dealing or using illegal drugs is denied parenting rights. The child or children are adopted as the parent serves the prison sentence. The judge who takes away parenting rights is guided by the

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Auditing Essay Example for Free

Auditing Essay Course Texts: Prentice Hall – Auditing and Assurance Services – An Integrated Approach 15th edition. Arens/Elder/Beasley (Required) Please bring your textbook to each class session Class Hours: Monday / Wednesday 8:30 9:50 a.m. 119 Eppley Center Monday / Wednesday 10:20 11:40 a.m. 119 Eppley Center Monday / Wednesday 12:40 2:00 p.m. 119 Eppley Center Office Hours: Monday 2:30 – 4:00 p.m., N227 BCC Wednesday 2:30 – 4:00 p.m., N227 BCC Other hours available by appointment (please contact me to arrange an appointment.) During the week I check email constantly and am highly responsive. This is often times the best way to get a quick response. I can make individual appointments to meet with you during times when I am on campus if you want a one-on-one appointment to discuss grades and other more confidential matters. Our course consultant will be available on a regular basis for detailed material/grading questions. Course Consultant: John Kure ([emailprotected]) In addition to my office hours, John will be accessible to meet with you during the course. He will be available to answer your questions about grading as well as to provide advising and consultation regarding other  course-related matters at the following times: TBD Course Web Page: The course has a web page in Desire2Learn, and you should check it often. The course consultant and I will use this site to communicate with the class periodically during the semester. The page will also include a number of assignments and other relevant and important course materials. We plan to track your grades using the Gradebook feature on this site. POLICIES FOR CONDUCT OF THE COURSE 1. BROAD OBJECTIVES OF THE COURSE The overall objective of this course is to help each student obtain the skills, knowledge, and attitude to maximize the likelihood of practicing successfully after graduation. This overall objective is to: Aid in preparing you for the auditing section of the CPA exam. Develop technical and application auditing skills, including evidence accumulation and workpaper documentation. Practice communication skills in the context of auditing practice. Learn about a business approach to auditing which emphasizes relevance of general business and environmental knowledge awareness. Develop professional judgment in materiality and risk assessment, in ethical conduct, in the application of generally accepted auditing standards, and in the determination of sufficient competent evidential matter. 2.SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES This course is intended to be an introduction to the audit process and the role of auditing in organizations and in financial markets. It will not make you an auditor – that comes only with extensive experience – and it will not specifically prepare you for the auditing section of professional exams (e.g., CPA, CIA, etc.). However, the course should provide you with the basic knowledge so that, with additional self-study or by taking a review course, you will pass the auditing components of those exams. We will be studying the following topics, with the objective of gaining a sufficient understanding of each to enable you to apply, evaluate, and use them throughout your career: Demand for audits and attestations. Audit risk model. Concept of materiality. Assessing inherent risk. Assessing control risk. Audit evidence: a) planning. b) the role of sample evidence. c) evidence collection. d) evidence evaluation. Reporting requirements. Quality assurance of the audit process. Auditing environment: a) professionalism and self regulation. b) external regulation. 3.CLASS FORMAT Auditing is a challenging and demanding profession. To provide coverage of a significant amount of material and to allow for active learning, the class meetings will be held assuming you have read the assigned material prior to class and are prepared to contribute to class discussions every session. The textbook and readings should give you a fundamental understanding of the topic before we discuss it in class. Please feel free to raise any questions you have about the material before, during, or after class. Class meetings will consist of a combination of lecture, open discussion, and a number of active learning opportunities. Meeting time will allow for discussion of current topics and student questions and concerns. Additionally, time will be spent on active learning opportunities that  include, but are not limited to, homework problems, in-class group assignments, case studies, quizzes, and exams. 4.REQUIRED COURSE MATERIALS You will need to purchase the textbook as described above under Course Text. Previously used packages may not contain the required problems and/or worksheets. Case work will be provided in your book or by instructor. No purchase is necessary for case work. 5. GRADING Final grades will be based upon your points earned in relation to the total points available. Some of these points will be awarded based on your individual performance on exams. However, since auditing is a team effort in the real world, you will be organized into teams of 3 or 4 for some group assignments. Group members are expected to be conscientious and fully committed to sharing group work. Upon agreement of the other group members, and after meeting with me, a group member who is not adequately participating may be removed from the group. That person will then be required to complete the group assignments individually, and I will reserve the right to penalize project points equal to one letter grade. Total points will be distributed as follows: Grading Scale: The final grade for this course will be based upon a curve. (No particular accumulation of points constitutes a 4.0 or a 2.0 for example.) This is a competitive grading scale based course. QUIZZES You will be given 5 in-class quizzes during the semester. Each quiz is worth 10 points. The quizzes may consist of true/false questions, multiple-choice questions, and/or matching. Quizzes will begin promptly at the beginning of class. Latecomers will NOT be given extra time. Absentees will NOT be given make-ups, except in certain PRE-APPROVED, school-related instances. Quizzes cannot be made up after the fact for any circumstance. Your lowest quiz grade will be dropped at the end of the semester. WRITING ASSIGNMENTS You will be asked to complete 5 in-class writing assignments throughout the semester. Each writing assignment is worth 10 points. The writing assignments will be graded based on effort. These in-class writing assignments may be done at the beginning of class to lead us into discussion of a certain topic, or they may be done at the end of class to help me assess your understanding of material/case study that we have covered in class or they may take place during the class in groups to stimulate discussion. Your lowest in-class writing assignment grade will be dropped at the end of the semester. GROUP PROJECT You will work in groups of 4-5 to complete a group project. Details about the project assignment will be given mid-semester, and work on the project should be on-going throughout the remainder of the semester. The project will be worth a total of 40 points. EXAMS Three exams will be given during regular class time. Makeup exams will not be given unless extraordinary circumstances are involved. To the extent it is possible, you will be expected to notify me before the scheduled exam if an extraordinary circumstance exists. Exams will be composed of some combination of multiple-choice questions and short answer non-multiple-choice questions, patterned after the auditing portion of the CPA examination. The exams are designed and graded to evaluate your understanding of the auditing concepts and your ability to communicate the results of your analysis of the textbook, class projects, homework assignments, and any class discussion. Homework Although not assigned graded points, the suggested homework problems can be helpful to ensure your understanding of the material. You may visit the course consultant’s office hours to see solutions to these problems if you would like to tackle this extra work. 6.POINTS OF EMPHASIS Academic Honesty and Integrity You are responsible for adhering to the University guidelines on Academic Honesty and Integrity and to The Eli Broad College of Business Undergraduate Honor Code, available in its entirety at http://www.bus.msu.edu/information/news.cfm?newsid=767. According to the Code, it â€Å"applies to all undergraduate students enrolled in the College or  in any course sponsored by the College.† Thus, as a student in ACC 411, you are required to review, comprehend, and abide by the Code. The penalties for a violation of the University guidelines and/or the Code can be quite severe. Unless explicitly indicated otherwise, all graded assignments are expected to be the result of your original work. Academic dishonesty will be dealt with in the harshest manner available within the University or College guidelines. Should you have any questions about this policy, please see me immediately. Quality and Neatness of Work All work submitted in this class is subject to a penalty for sloppy presentation, poor writing, and other characteristics which detract from the professionalism expected from auditors. ACC 411 is an upper level course for accounting majors, and it is possible that it will be the only course you take related to auditing prior to starting your professional career. As such, I expect your work to reflect your preparation for professional careers. Participation and Other Classroom Considerations Participation and attendance are considered highly important in this class. I will not take attendance each day; however your attendance and participation will be noted and taken into account. I do expect that if you attend class you will be present for the entire class. I will consider tardiness, early departures and use of electronic devices when calculating your attendance, participation and professionalism score. If you will be late to the start of class or need to depart early, please let me know ahead of time as a courtesy. Religious Holidays I respect religious observances and have made allowances in the syllabus to  ensure that students are not penalized for missing some class days (i.e., I count the top 4 of 5 quizzes/writing assignments). However, please notify me at the beginning of the semester if you expect a conflict on exam days. Final Exam Per the University’s Final Exam Policy: A student absent from a final examination without a satisfactory explanation will receive a grade of 0.0 on the numerical system, NC on the CR-NC system, or N in the case of a course authorized for grading on the P-N system. Students unable to take a final examination because of illness or other reason over which they have no control should notify the associate deans of their colleges immediately. Social Media As members of a learning community, students are expected to respect the intellectual property of course instructors. All course materials presented to students are the copyrighted property of the course instructor and are subject to the following conditions of use: 1. Students may record lectures or any other classroom activities and use the recordings only for their own course-related purposes. 2. Students may not share the recordings with other students enrolled in the class. Sharing is limited to using the recordings only for their own course-related purposes. 3. Students may not post the recordings or other course materials online or distribute them to anyone not enrolled in the class without the advance written permission of the course instructor and, if applicable, any students whose voice or image is included in the recordings. 4. Any student violating the conditions described above may face academic disciplinary sanctions.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

The Impact of Globalisation in the UAE

The Impact of Globalisation in the UAE UAE is the most globalised country in the Middle East because Abu Dhabi, emirates with huge oil wealth and Dubai with entrepreneurial skills was opened as commercial hub soon after gaining independence from British. Long before UAE had started opening up to free trade, free movement of labour and joint business ventures then the other countries in Middle East. So, when the trend of globalisation becomes clear in mid 1990s most of the Middle East countries are unprepared for the economic and political impact of globalization while UAE was all set for becoming globalised at least economically. It had never taken gobalisation as challenge but as opportunity from which they can have benefit. UAE was always prepared to do this without making any compromises with his values and tradition. (THE UAE The Challenge Of Globalisation Part 19., 2002) UAE has set an example for the world on handling challenges by maintaining political stability and social security. By adopting open economy policies, activating private sectors and attracting foreign investors helps him in globalization. UAE has worked hard to make its way for healthy business and investment environment. (Paulo, 2004) Introduction Today globalisation is a need of every country in the world, whether it is small or big, developed or developing country. Globalisation was started in 1980, but has taken pace with the technological advancement in the sectors of transport and communication and by investing through big developing countries and opening them for international trade and investment. Even the poor countries are also trying hard to utilize the opportunity of globalisation. They are making to world markets of manufactured products and services with their huge labour. (Viswanathan, 2008) With 32,278 square miles of area, consisting of 7 small emirates of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ras Al-Khaimah, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al-Qaiwain, and Fujairah, which together makes United Arab Emirates. These emirates were united as one federal state on 2 December, 1971. Abu Dhabi is the wealthiest member in the union because of its huge oil wealth and Dubai is second largest emirates being a commercial port. Being allied to the emirates like Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the remaining five small emirates are enjoying political and economic benefits. UAE is considered to have autocratic government, in which one person possesses the power. There are less political reforms in the country than the economic ones because of existence of sheikhs dilemma in the country. UAE has foreign policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries. They believe in peaceful resolution of disputes. UAE always supports for international institution like United Nation and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). (Stone) Globalisation and UAE In terms of population and its territory Middle East may not be a good region for investment, but having good natural resources of gas and oil make these countries to actively participate in globalisation. UAE was poor desert country but the discovery of oil changed its economy markedly. The effect of globalisation had made the resources of oil so important that investors rather consider the small territory and population of the UAE. Globalization is interdependence of world economy; it requires cooperation among economies of the countries. Some techniques like outsourcing and insourcing proves to be the best method for international collaboration. Today UAE, especially Dubai is attracting many foreign investors because it provides all the facilities for business development. UAE recognized the importance of being an open country that can offer something new to the investors. Thus, offshoring, which consist of shifting of production processes and services from one country to another also plays an important role in globalization and made direct impact on the countries. Dubai is offering considerable economic conditions and opportunities to foreign investors for doing business there. The vision of UAE is to create an open country for international business investment and to give their best for building better infrastructure. At first the economy of UAE was mostly dependent on natural resources, but now it is also concentrating on other sectors for developing profit. It has begun to search other sources of income such as tourism, real estate and international finances. Globalization also permits UAE to expand its market. Its economy is not only depending on foreign trade but also on import and export market. Its top most export partners are Japan, South Korea, Thailand and India; and main export goods are natural gas, crude petroleum and dried fish. The main importers countries are Germany, UK, Italy, France, United States, China, Japan and India; and main imported goods are equipment and chemicals for inner enterprises. Another success of UAE is the application of latest technologies. The market is cooperating with modern trends and applying new knowledge to production function. Compliance advance ideas in market helps in getting efficient work in sectors like production, management and entrepreneurship. (Effect of Globalization on United Arab Emirates Market) Challenges and Opportunities Present day situation does not give any other option then to join the globalization process along with other developing nations. However it may not be same for some developing countries. Globalization interrupts the culture and mentality of UAE people. If the country wants to attract tourist and foreign investors then it have to make compromises with its deep-rooted Islamic traditions, but the strong following of rules for both locals and foreigners results in losing most of the visitors and tourists. Therefore to enter the globalization UAE become a free country with broad views. This resulted in change not only culturally but also economically. Dubai can be best example as it is surrounded by conservative countries like Iran and Saudi Arabia but it is able to attract foreign investors by allowing company to work in tax free environment. Globalization is acculturation of many countries. So it is very difficult to preserves ones culture and traditions, therefore for the sake of globalization people in UAE have to abandon some rules and values of their customs. Another Challenge of globalization is financial instability; absence of financial control can also lead to economic instability. It is true that large countries are making profits from globalization but it is not confirmed in the case of small countries. Foreign investment helps in development of the country so it is important to have correct policy and logical use of the received money. Government should check whether the countries financial sector is getting full benefit from the investments or not. (Effect of Globalization on United Arab Emirates Market) The challenges of globalization can be met through the joint effort of both public and private sector. The public sector is actively participating in development of open economy process and adapting economic and social circumstances in compliance with the requirements. On other hand private sector is getting support by establishment of industrial area and free trade zone. Enhancement in the process of privatization is letting the market forces to remedy twists and turns timely by controlling economic life. Government should not only be responsible for the growth and development, private sector should also participate. Private sector can help by improving performance and productivity. They can merge small private enterprises to make large productive unit and can increase competition. Meanwhile, Government should work with social and business organization to achieve different goals. (Paulo, 2004) On the security end, UAE has signed many defense treaties with western powers like US, Britain, France and have strong defense relations with closer nations and number of other nations. With the time there is change in thinking of people in UAE, because of positive changes brought by Dubai in field of business development. Even it has become an example for other emirates. Younger generations of UAE are leading him and are the decision makers. Their inputs are making remarkable changes in the commercial and infrastructural sectors. The younger generation is directly related to ruling families. (THE UAE The Challenge Of Globalisation Part 19., 2002) Conclusion United Arab Emirates is greatly influenced by Globalization. It has actively participated in the process by providing favorable environment for business and foreign investment. They also have broaden their imports and export market with increase in the number of countries. This also helped UAE in development of infrastructure of the country. Some economic techniques like outsourcing, insourcing and offshoring helped him to develop good business relations with other countries which indirectly are influenced by the globalization. Globalization also leads to openness of country which can make negative impact as in terms of culture and tradition. Government need to manage the flow of foreign investment in order to have economic stability. (Effect of Globalization on United Arab Emirates Market) From 1990 to 2003 volume of trade has been increased and high and middle income countries had made their share in world trade, this became possible only because of globalization. Globalization cannot be taken as a solution to everything. It hardly provides any opportunities, countries who have taken advantage are flourishing who donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t are sinking. Countries with right mindset can produce equality of outcome with globalization. The low income countries need international assistance and support to participate in Globalization It demands the collective action of all the countries in the world. (Viswanathan, 2008)

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Analyzing Loneliness In Of Mice And Men English Literature Essay

Analyzing Loneliness In Of Mice And Men English Literature Essay John Steinbeck portrays in his novella Of Mice and Men the theme of loneliness. In the novelette Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck writes about the Great Depression and how two friends, Lennie and George, stay together through this tough time. They go from town to town and work on ranches, always staying together. This new haven in California they stumble upon seems like a good fit, however Lennie creates problems and terminates their chances of survival there. George and Lennie have an interesting and strong relationship for the time period in which they live. Lennie and George have a parent to child type of relationship. Lennie, being the childlike of the two, does not have the mental capacity to make decisions for himself. George shows the parental attitude and creates the most safe conditions for the both of them to live and work. While this makes their friendship stronger, it also creates tension when big decisions come into play. George constantly sticks his neck out for Lennie and makes life easier on him by taking the blame for problems well as figuring out the tough situations they are put in. When Lennie crushes Curleys hand, they risk being fired. Slim negotiates with Curley after this accident to not tell anyone about what happened or else well tell everbody , an then will you get the laugh. (64). The people working alongside George and Lennie recognize this and end up sticking up for them when trouble comes along. The compassio n that George and Lennie express towards each other rubs off on the people that surround them and kept them out of trouble. George create a stable living environment for Lennie while he could not do so for himself. While George could have abandoned Lennie, gone on his way and become successful and not had many more problems, however he chooses to stay beside Lennie for the reason that Lennie needs George to survive. The love between the two creates a strong bond and a loyalty that does not end when George makes the ultimate sacrifice for his friend and saves him from the torture of lynching. Not everyone has a companion like Lennie throughout this story. In Steinbecks novel, Candy, an old, frail, crippled man who had worked on the ranch for years has only one companion, his dog. Candy and his dog share similar characteristics. They are both elderly, and neither of them very useful on the farm anymore due to age and deformity. Candy and his dogs relationship parallels that of George and Lennie; both have a dominant leader, and both have the compassion and love for each other. Candy finds himself emotionally broken once his only friend, and only real purpose in life dies. He cannot bring himself to shoot his dog since to him, it is his best friend. Carlson however, has no problem with killing the dog, Carlson shows a fierce attitude when he says If you want me to, Ill put the old devil out of his misery. Right now and get it over with. Aint nothing left for him. Cant eat, cant see, cant even walk without hurtin. (47). Carlson shows that he doesnt have a care in the world, and doesnt know what its like to care about someone enough to want them around. This scene is where the friendship of Lennie and George differs from Candy and his dog. Candy shows a more selfish look at friendship, where George sacrifices his best friend for the betterment of Lennie, Candy cannot bring himself to shoot his dog because he cannot bear to be alone. After his dog is gone however, he attaches himself to George and Lennies plan in order to gain some other companionship and meaning in his life. This part of the story ties into the theme of the American Dream and striving for something though it may seem out of said persons each. Having a friend along the way creates an easier path to go than going by themselves. Steinbeck stresses the need of meaningful friendship through this hardship we call life. Especially in the setting the novella is placed, where on ranches people have no one but themselves, its necessary to have a friend to not go crazy with loneliness. Crooks, an African American who works on the ranch, is essentially an outcast, proving this statement when he says, A guys goes nuts if he aint got nobody. Dont make no difference who the guy is, longs he with you (73). People, like Crooks says, need someone to talk to or else insanity sets in. Other men depicted in Of Mice and Men show a selfishness that comes with loneliness, as well as a lack of sensitivity. Steinbeck based the title off of a poem, which says The best-laid plans of mice and men/Gang aft agley (often go wrong)/And leave us naught but grief and pain/For promised joy. This statement is proved over and over again in the text, shown when George makes the hard decision to terminate Lennies life for the better, thought it was not part of their great American Dream and how Crooks has a strong desire for a friend, however has isolated himself because of common belief. Life altering decisions effect the future and peoples desires, leaving the people in this novella lonely, depressed, and in need of friendship, the small flicker of hope that George and Lennie bring when they come to the ranch discontinues the loneliness momentarily. Steinbeck demonstrates in his novel Of Mice and Men the struggle of maintaining a close friendship and how unusual companionships ultimately makes life easier. He proves that George and Lennies unusual friendship helped both Lennie and George maintain the idealistic thought of best friends. He shows that even the smallest of companions, such as a dog, can give a needed lapse in loneliness. But most of all, Steinbeck demonstrates how friendship gives hope in the future and optimism for what real friendship is. This idea relates not only to the Great Depression, but the need in every human being for some type of connection and companionship. It also shows the struggle that comes with friendship, and the sacrifices needed to be made for a true friend.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Domestic Violence: Most Underreported Crime In America :: Violence Against Women Essays

Found at the scene of the crime two dead bodies stabbed brutally, and left to die at their house. This was the story that shocked the country in 1991. This was the start of the O.J. Simpson domestic abuse case. Unfortunately events like this happen many times over everyday in many setting all over the United states; however the victims of the other cases don't get nearly as much publicity. Some facts about domestic abuse: An average of nine out of 10 women have to be turned away from shelters on. The reason so few cases get assigned initially is the police usually don't have enough officers to meet the demand At the Portland Women's Crisis Line, where calls have doubled since the killings of Nicole Simpson and Ronald Goldman, they welcome the increased attention. From July 19,through March 31, 1993 a total of 3,665 domestic violence cases were reviewed in Portland Oregon. Of those, only 281 cases resulted in some action taken against the accused abuser. Some of this is because there is not enough police, but it is mostly because the abused person is scared. For the last six months of 1993 and the first three months of 1994 Portland averaged about 1,000 calls each month or 12,000 calls a year. In January 1992, 30 criminal domestic violence complaints were issued. For January 1994, the number was more than 100. Nationally, estimates range from 2 to 4 million women assaults each year. Some studies show that 20 to 30 percent of all women who seek help at hospital emergency rooms are there because of domestic violence. Kyra Woods never made it to the emergency room. Whoever killed her saw to that. She suffered 13 stab wounds to the back five of them so violent the knife came out the other side of her body. Wood's mother, Mable, and two aunts wept quietly in a back row of the courtroom as the prosecution argued against bail for Woods' former boyfriend Jackson. Rod Underhill, the prosecutor, painted a picture of domestic violence. He told of a dramatic moment after the killing, when Woods' 4-year-old son, holding a teddy bear, re- enacted the attack. "He put his hands around the neck of the bear and shook it," Underhill said. "He began to pound it with a closed fist and slug it." Mable Woods said that her daughter never told her much about any abuse. Neighbors, however, told police of hearing the couple fight violently. According to police reports, one neighbor said, "They fought so hard the pictures on the wall shook back and forth.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Media Portrayal of Environmental Risk Essay -- essays research papers

Media Portrayal of Environmental Risk: Dissemination or Delusion? Transmission of ideas and information through media avenues like television and the press are the predominant means by which much of contemporary culture and the developed world obtain vital information. The media has an enormous impact on the public’s conceptualization of ideals: societal perceptions are shaped by the information made available to us through the different venues of media. Examining how the transmittal of information regarding environmental risk is disseminated by the media and accepted by society exposes an evident quandary. The media repeatedly broadcasts data that instead of informing people with beneficial news adversely invokes situations of tumult and unnecessary fear. Ramifications of the fictitious diffusion of information about environmental risks, or non-risks, to society include more than just the proliferation of misinformation. Circulation of wrongful environmental risk data has detrimental effects on businesses, industry and economy. Misinforming people about environmental risk undermines policies and government actions that are based on media hype or contentious scientific information. Abating the problematic and detrimental tendency of media misconstruing information about environmental risks will require a multifaceted collaboration between the media, the public, government and the scientific community. A problem complicating environmental policy and risk reporting is largely attributable to media players, politicians and scientists overstepping their boundaries into realms they are not qualified to operate in. Scientists must avoid getting involved in the environmental policy debate. Conversely, politicians must not attempt to reason on scientifically sensitive issues as if they are scientists. Risk is defined as the severity of the consequences of an accident or a hazard like a toxin multiplied by the probability of its occurrence. Risks will exist indefinitely however we attempt to reduce risk by either reducing the probability or severity of the hazard. (Bahr, 1997) People must learn, including the media, to â€Å"balance the risks and thus steer a safe course through the potential minefield known as life†. The process by which people perceive risk is dependent on what knowledge they attain and what information is made available. (Neely, 1994) Thus th... ...sic Science of Poisons (pp. 75-88). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Friedman, S. (1996). The Media, Risk Assessment and Numbers: They don’t Add Up. RISK: Health, Safety & Environment, Franklin Pierce Law Center. Retrieved March 20, 2005 from http://www.piercelaw.edu/risk/vol5/summer/friedman.htm Gough, M. â€Å"Which Environmental Risks Are Worth Addressing?† Resource Development Council for Alaska, Inc. [Speech]. Cato Institute. 22 November, (1996). Retrieved April 18, 2005 from http://www.cato.org/speeches/sp-mg112296.html Neely, W. B., (1994). Introduction to Chemical Exposure and Risk Assessment. Boca Raton: CRC Press LLC Rosenbaum, W. (2005). Environmental Politics and Policy. Washington DC: CQ Press Salvato, J. A., (1992). Environmental Engineering and Sanitation (Environmental   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Science and Technology). Canada: John Wiley & Sons Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics. (1996) Retrieved April 12, 2005, from http://www.spj.org/ethics_code.asp Time’s Schneider Resigns; Will Be Michigan Land Use Advocate. (1995, May) Environment Writer, 7 (2) Retrieved on April 19, 2005, from http://www.nsc.org/ehc/ew/issues/ew95may.htm#schneider

The Magna Carta :: essays research papers

â€Å"Magna Carta† In this edition of â€Å"politics† we will take a look at one of the most influential documents in history, this document is known as the â€Å"Magna Carta†. We shall look at its importance and what exactly it means.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This past decade we have had many changes some good, some bad our nation has been desecrated by the black death, crusades have struck our country, and our king has unlawfully ruling our country for some time now. The magna Carta was written to limit the of the king and to obtain our natural rights. The Magna Carta became known as one of the first documents to ever reduce the power of a king. Without boundaries, a ruler will abuse his power over the people. So in order for a ruler to govern a nation correctly he must have laws and boundaries to follow. The Magna Carta was the first document to start a lawful monarchy in England. The need for this document was because King John had taxed, mis-governed and neglected the peoples rights until the barons, particularly Stephan hangton, forced him to sign the Magna Carta on June 15,1215. The Magna Carta contained sixty-three articles covering many topics such as the rights and liberties of the church, financial concerns, royal courts and the treasury, the sharing of power between the king and barons, and the kings relationship with his subjects. The Magna Carta stated â€Å"We have also granted to all free men of our realm, on the part of ourselves and our heirs forever; all the subjoined liberties, to have and to hold, to them and to the heirs, from us and from our heirs.† This article said that people have the right to liberty at all times and the king nor any other person could take that right away. The Magna Carta :: essays research papers â€Å"Magna Carta† In this edition of â€Å"politics† we will take a look at one of the most influential documents in history, this document is known as the â€Å"Magna Carta†. We shall look at its importance and what exactly it means.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This past decade we have had many changes some good, some bad our nation has been desecrated by the black death, crusades have struck our country, and our king has unlawfully ruling our country for some time now. The magna Carta was written to limit the of the king and to obtain our natural rights. The Magna Carta became known as one of the first documents to ever reduce the power of a king. Without boundaries, a ruler will abuse his power over the people. So in order for a ruler to govern a nation correctly he must have laws and boundaries to follow. The Magna Carta was the first document to start a lawful monarchy in England. The need for this document was because King John had taxed, mis-governed and neglected the peoples rights until the barons, particularly Stephan hangton, forced him to sign the Magna Carta on June 15,1215. The Magna Carta contained sixty-three articles covering many topics such as the rights and liberties of the church, financial concerns, royal courts and the treasury, the sharing of power between the king and barons, and the kings relationship with his subjects. The Magna Carta stated â€Å"We have also granted to all free men of our realm, on the part of ourselves and our heirs forever; all the subjoined liberties, to have and to hold, to them and to the heirs, from us and from our heirs.† This article said that people have the right to liberty at all times and the king nor any other person could take that right away.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Case Study Nissin Essay

I. Synopsis (summary of the case including theoretical context of the problem) II. 2nd part A. Time Context (the time when the problem was noted) B. Case Viewpoint (indentification of the real owner of the problem) C. Statement of the Problem (in a gap or difficulty that deter or prevents the company from achieving its objectives D. Statement of the Objectives (ends or results that you would like to accomplish) E. Statement of the Areas of Consideration (Facts of the case in outline form) F. Statement of the Alternative Courses of Action (A choice between two or more possible solution to solve the problem.) (minimum acad requirements should be two with advantages and disadvantages for each alternative). G. Statement of Conclusion (the Final decision) H. Statement of Recommendation (Plans of action presented in Tabular form indicating activities, assigned person or department and target date of completion) Case Study I. Synopsis The Study is about the company, Monde Nissin where all of the heads of the department comprising the said company were gathered to reiview and discuss the year’s performance for its instant noodle line. The said meeting was initiated by the demand analyst of the said company. He/She reported that their sales growth over that past year has been a single digit from years 2006 to 2008, with respect to the previous years which was year 2003 to year 2005. They discussed the problem as to how did their sales growth decline, some of the department heads reported that the decline was due to increase in price of their product. The increase in product price was due to the increase of imported wheat, the price of dollar is still unstable, and the addition of the brand new warehouse. They also said the population in the Philippines  decreased consumption of instant noodles and other staples due to increase in prices of goods. Some also said that the population in the country today is more concerned with their health and wellness, some people are also environmentally conscious and some people also want products that has variability. With these constraints, the department heads concluded that they should produce a new product which features health and wellness but the introduction of a new product in the market will require high cost, because they will recalibrate their facilities because their facilities are not flexible therefore incurring high cost. II. A. Time Context The problem was noted in year 2008. B. Case Viewpoint The main problem of the Case Study is why the sales growth of the Company declined and how to make their sales growth rise again. C. Statement of the Problem The company is faced with many problems or challenges, these are: a. The imported wheat price is rising b. The dollar remains to be unstable c. The costs they are incurring because of the new warehouse d. The decreasing consumption of the public with their product due to increase of the prices of goods e. The increasing demand for products that has Health and Wellness benefits, products that are good for the environment and products that has variability D. Statement of the Objectives f. To help the company increase its sales growth E. Statement of the Areas of Consideration g. The company has to consider the increase in price of imported wheat h. The dollar that is still unstable i. The decrease of the public in buying their product due to increase of price of goods j. The increasing demand for products that has Health and Wellness benefits, products that are good for the environment and products that has variability.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Frostbite Chapter 18

Eighteen THE HIGH HEELS WERE STARTING to hurt me, so I took them off when I went back inside, walking barefoot through the lodge. I hadn't been to Mason's room, but I remembered him mentioning the number once and found it without difficulty. Shane, Mason's roommate, opened the door a few moments after I knocked. â€Å"Hey, Rose.† He stepped aside for me, and I walked in, peering around. Some infomercial was playing on the TV- one downside of a nocturnal life was a shortage of good programming- and empty soda cans covered nearly every flat surface. There was no sign of Mason anywhere. â€Å"Where is he?† I asked. Shane stifled a yawn. â€Å"I thought he was with you.† â€Å"I haven't seen him all day.† He yawned again, then frowned in thought. â€Å"He was throwing some stuff in a bag earlier. I figured you guys were running off for some crazy romantic getaway. Picnic or something. Hey, nice dress.† â€Å"Thanks,† I murmured, feeling a frown of my own coming on. Packing a bag? That didn't make any sense. There was nowhere to go. There was no way to go, either. This resort was as tightly guarded as the Academy. Lissa and I had only managed to break out of that place with compulsion, and it had still been a pain in the ass. Yet, why on earth would Mason pack a bag if he wasn't leaving? I asked Shane a few more questions and decided to follow up on the possibility, crazy as it seemed. I found the guardian in charge of security and scheduling. He gave me the names of those guardians who'd been on duty around the resort's borders when Mason had last been seen. Most of the names I knew, and most were off duty now, making them easy to find. Unfortunately, the first couple hadn't seen Mason around today. When they asked why I wanted to know, I gave vague answers and hurried off. The third person on my list was a guy named Alan, a guardian who usually worked the Academy's lower campus. He was just coming in after skiing, taking his equipment off near the door. Recognizing me, he smiled as I approached. â€Å"Sure, I saw him,† he said, bending down to his boots. Relief flooded over me. Until then, I hadn't realized how worried I'd been. â€Å"Do you know where he is?† â€Å"Nope. Let him and Eddie Castile†¦and, what's her name, the Rinaldi girl, out through the north gate and didn't see them after that.† I stared. Alan continued unhooking his skis as though we were discussing slope conditions. â€Å"You let Mason and Eddie †¦ and Mia out?† â€Å"Yup.† â€Å"Um †¦ why?† He finished and looked back up at me, a kind of happy and bemused look on his face. â€Å"Because they asked me.† An icy feeling started creeping through me. I found out which guardian had watched the north gate with Alan and immediately sought him out. That guardian gave me the same response. He'd let Mason, Eddie, and Mia out, no questions asked. And, like Alan, he didn't seem to think there was anything wrong with that. He appeared almost dazed. It was a look I'd seen before †¦ a look that came over people when Lissa used compulsion. In particular, I'd seen it happen when Lissa didn't want people to remember something very well. She could bury the memory in them, either erasing it all together or planting it for later. She was so good at compulsion, though, that she could just make people forget completely. For them to still have some memories meant someone who wasn't as good at compulsion had worked on them. Someone, say, like Mia. I wasn't the fainting type, but for just a moment, I felt like I could keel over. The world spun, and I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. When I could see again, my surroundings stayed stable. Okay. No problem. I would reason this out. Mason, Eddie, and Mia had left the resort earlier today. Not only that, they had done it by using compulsion- which was utterly forbidden. They hadn't told anyone. They'd left through the north gate. I'd seen a map of the resort. The north gate guarded a driveway that connected to the only semi-major road in the area, a small highway that led to a little town about twelve miles away. The town Mason had mentioned that had buses. To Spokane. Spokane- where this traveling pack of Strigoi and their humans might be living. Spokane- where Mason could fulfill all his crazy dreams of slaying Strigoi. Spokane- which he only knew about because of me. â€Å"No, no, no,† I murmured to myself, almost running toward my room. There, I stripped off the dress and changed into heavy winter clothes: boots, jeans, and a sweater. Grabbing my coat and gloves, I hurried back toward the door and then paused. I was acting without thinking. What was I actually going to do? I needed to tell someone, obviously†¦but that would get the trio in a lot of trouble. It would also tip Dimitri off that I'd gone and gossiped about the Spokane Strigoi information he'd told me in confidence as a sign of respecting my maturity. I studied the time. It would take a while for anyone around the resort to know we were missing. If I could actually get out of the resort. A few minutes later, I found myself knocking on Christian's door. He answered, looking sleepy and cynical as usual. â€Å"If you've come to apologize for her,† he told me loftily, â€Å"you can just go ahead and- â€Å" â€Å"Oh, shut up,† I snapped. â€Å"This isn't about you.† Hastily, I relayed the details of what was going on. Even Christian didn't have a witty response for that one. â€Å"So†¦Mason, Eddie, and Mia went to Spokane to hunt Strigoi?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Holy shit. Why didn't you go with them? Seems like something you'd do.† I resisted the urge to smack him. â€Å"Because I'm not insane! But I'm going to go get them before they do something even stupider.† That was when Christian caught on. â€Å"And what do you need from me?† â€Å"I need to get off the resort's property. They got Mia to use compulsion on the guards. I need you to do the same thing. I know you've practiced it.† â€Å"I have,† he agreed. â€Å"But†¦well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  For the first time ever, he looked embarrassed. â€Å"I'm not very good at it. And doing it on dhampirs is nearly impossible. Liss is a hundred times better than me. Or probably any Moroi.† â€Å"I know. But I don't want her to get in trouble.† He snorted. â€Å"But you don't mind if I do?† I shrugged. â€Å"Not really.† â€Å"You're a piece of work, you know that?† â€Å"Yeah. I do, actually.† So, five minutes later, he and I found ourselves trekking out to the north gate. The sun was coming up, so most everyone was inside. This was a good thing, and I hoped it'd make our escape that much easier. Stupid, stupid, I kept thinking. This was going to blow up in our faces. Why had Mason done this? I knew he'd had this whole crazy vigilante attitude†¦and he'd certainly seemed upset that the guardians hadn't done anything about the recent attack. But still. Was he really that unhinged? He had to know how dangerous this was. Was it possible†¦was it possible I'd upset him so much with the making-out disaster that he'd gone off the deep end? Enough to go do this and get Mia and Eddie to join him? Not that those two would be hard to convince. Eddie would follow Mason anywhere, and Mia was almost as gung ho as Mason to kill every Strigoi in the world. Yet, out of all the questions I had about this, one thing was definitely clear. I'd told Mason about the Strigoi in Spokane. Hands down, this was my fault, and without me, none of this would have happened. â€Å"Lissa always makes eye contact,† I coached Christian as we approached the exit. â€Å"And speaks in a really, like, calm voice. I don't know what else. I mean, she concentrates a lot too, so try that. Focus on forcing your will on them.† â€Å"I know,† he snapped. â€Å"I've seen her do it.† â€Å"Fine,† I snapped back. â€Å"Just trying to help.† Squinting, I saw that only one guardian stood at the gate, a total stroke of luck. They were in between shifts. With the sun out, the risk of Strigoi had disappeared. The guardians would still continue in their duties, but they could relax just a bit. The guy on duty didn't seem particularly alarmed by our appearance. â€Å"What are you kids doing out here?† Christian swallowed. I could see the lines of tension on his face. â€Å"You're going to let us out of the gate,† he said. A note of nervousness made his voice tremble, but otherwise, he did a fair approximation of Lissa's soothing tones. Unfortunately, it had no effect on the guardian. As Christian had pointed out, using compulsion on a guardian was nearly impossible. Mia had gotten lucky. The guardian grinned at us. â€Å"What?† he asked, clearly amused. Christian tried again. â€Å"You're going to let us out.† The guy's smile faltered just a little, and I saw him blink in surprise. His eyes didn't glaze over in the same way Lissa's victims did, but Christian had done enough to briefly enthrall him. Unfortunately, I could tell right then and there that it wouldn't be enough to make him let us out and forget. Fortunately, I'd been trained to compel people without the use of magic. Sitting near his post was an enormous Maglite, two feet long and easily seven pounds. I grabbed the Maglite and clocked him on the back of the head. He grunted and crumpled to the ground. He'd barely seen me coming, and despite the horribleness of what I'd just done, I kind of wished one of my instructors had been there to grade me on such an awesome performance. â€Å"Jesus Christ,† exclaimed Christian. â€Å"You just assaulted a guardian.† â€Å"Yeah.† So much for getting the guys back without getting anyone in trouble. â€Å"I didn't know just how much you sucked at compulsion. I'll deal with the fallout later. Thanks for your help. You should head back before the next shift comes on.† He shook his head and grimaced. â€Å"No, I'm going with you on this.† â€Å"No,† I argued. â€Å"I only needed you to get through the gate. You don't have to get in trouble over this.† â€Å"I'm already in trouble!† He pointed at the guardian. â€Å"He saw my face. I'm screwed either way, so I might as well help you save the day. Stop being a bitch for a change.† We hurried off, and I cast one last, guilty glance at the guardian. I was pretty sure I hadn't hit him hard enough to cause real damage, and with the sun coming out, he wouldn't freeze or anything. After about five minutes of walking down the highway, I knew we had a problem. Despite being covered and wearing sunglasses, the sun was taking its toll on Christian. It was slowing us down, and it wouldn't take that long for someone to find the guardian I'd taken out and come after us. A car- not one of the Academy's- appeared behind us, and I made a decision. I didn't approve of hitchhiking in the least. Even someone like me knew how dangerous it was. But we needed to get to town fast, and I prayed Christian and I could take down any creepy stalker guy who tried to mess with us. Fortunately, when the car pulled over, it was just a middle-aged couple who looked more concerned than anything else. â€Å"You kids okay?† I jerked my thumb behind me. â€Å"Our car slid off the road. Can you take us to town so I can call my dad?† It worked. Fifteen minutes later, they dropped us off at a gas station. I actually had trouble getting rid of them because they wanted to help us so much. Finally, we convinced them we'd be fine, and we walked the few blocks over to the bus station. As I'd suspected, this town wasn't much of a hub for real travel. Three lines serviced the town: two that went to other ski resorts and one that went to Lowston, Idaho. From Lowston, you could go on to other places. I'd half-hoped that we might beat Mason and the others before their bus came. Then we could have hauled them back without any trouble. Unfortunately, there was no sign of them. The cheery woman at the counter knew exactly who we were talking about, too. She confirmed that all three of them had bought tickets to Spokane by way of Lowston. â€Å"Damn it,† I said. The woman raised her eyebrows at my language. I turned to Christian. â€Å"You got money for the bus?† Christian and I didn't talk much along the way, except for me to tell him he'd been an idiot about Lissa and Adrian. By the time we reached Lowston, I finally had him convinced, which was a minor miracle. He slept the rest of the way to Spokane, but I couldn't. I just kept thinking over and over that this was my fault. It was late afternoon by the time we reached Spokane. It took a few people, but we finally found someone who knew the shopping center Dimitri had mentioned. It was a long ways from the bus station, but it was walkable. My legs were stiff after almost five hours of riding a bus, and I wanted the movement. The sun was a while from setting, but it was lower and less detrimental to vampires, so Christian didn't mind the walk either. And, as often happened when I was in calm settings, I felt a tug into Lissa's head. I let myself fall into her because I wanted to know what was happening back at the resort. â€Å"I know you want to protect them, but we need to know where they are.† Lissa sat on the bed in our room while Dimitri and my mom stared her down. It was Dimitri who had spoken. Seeing him through her eyes was interesting. She had a fond respect for him, very different from the intense roller coaster of emotions I always experienced. â€Å"I told you,† said Lissa, â€Å"I don't know. I don't know what happened.† Frustration and fear for us burned through her. It saddened me to see her so anxious, but at the same time, I was glad I hadn't gotten her involved. She couldn't report what she didn't know. â€Å"I can't believe they wouldn't have told you where they were going,† said my mother. Her words sounded flat, but there were lines of worry on her face. â€Å"Especially with your†¦bond.† â€Å"It only works one way,† said Lissa sadly. â€Å"You know that.† Dimitri knelt down so he could be at Lissa's height and look her in the eye. He pretty much had to do that to look anyone in the eye. â€Å"Are you sure there's nothing? Nothing at all you can tell us? They're nowhere in town. The man at the bus station didn't see them †¦ though we're pretty sure that's where they must have gone. We need something, anything to go on.† Man at the bus station? That was another stroke of luck. The woman who'd sold us the tickets must have gone home. Her replacement wouldn't know us. Lissa gritted her teeth and glared. â€Å"Don't you think if I knew, I'd tell you? You don't think I'm worried about them too? I have no idea where they are. None. And why'd they even leave†¦ it doesn't make any sense either. Especially why they'd go with Mia, of all people.† A twinge of hurt flickered through the bond, hurt at being left out of whatever we were doing, no matter how wrong. Dimitri sighed and leaned back on his heels. From the look on his face, he obviously believed her. It was also obvious that he was worried- worried in more than a professional way. And seeing that concern- that concern for me- ate up my heart. â€Å"Rose?† Christian's voice brought me back to myself. â€Å"We're here, I think.† The plaza consisted of a wide, open area in front of a shopping center. A caf? ¦ was carved into a corner of the main building, its tables spilling out into the open area. A crowd moved in and out of the complex, busy even at this time of the day. â€Å"So, how do we find them?† asked Christian. I shrugged. â€Å"Maybe if we act like Strigoi, they'll try to stake us.† A small, reluctant smile played over his face. He didn't want to admit it, but he'd thought my joke was funny. He and I went inside. Like any mall, it was filled with familiar chains, and a selfish part of me thought that maybe if we found the group soon enough, we could still get in shopping time. Christian and I walked the length of it twice and saw no signs of our friends or anything resembling tunnels. â€Å"Maybe we're in the wrong place,† I finally said. â€Å"Or maybe they are,† suggested Christian. â€Å"They could have gone to some other- wait.† He pointed, and I followed the gesture. The three renegades sat at a table in the middle of the food court, looking dejected. They looked so miserable, I almost felt sorry for them. â€Å"I'd kill for a camera right now,† said Christian, smirking. â€Å"This isn't funny,† I told him, striding toward the group. Inside, I breathed a sigh of relief. The group clearly hadn't found any Strigoi, were all still alive, and could maybe be taken back before we got in even more trouble. They didn't notice me until I was almost right next to them. Eddie's head jerked up. â€Å"Rose? What are you doing here?† â€Å"Are you out of your mind?† I yelled. A few people nearby gave us surprised looks. â€Å"Do you know how much trouble you're in? How much trouble you've gotten us in?† â€Å"How the hell did you find us?† asked Mason in a low voice, glancing anxiously around. â€Å"You guys aren't exactly criminal masterminds,† I told them. â€Å"Your informant at the bus station gave you away. That, and I figured out that you'd want to go off on your pointless Strigoi-hunting quest.† The look Mason gave me revealed he still wasn't entirely happy with me. It was Mia who replied, however. â€Å"It isn't pointless.† â€Å"Oh?† I demanded. â€Å"Did you kill any Strigoi? Did you even find any?† â€Å"No,† admitted Eddie. â€Å"Good,† I said. â€Å"You got lucky.† â€Å"Why are you so against killing Strigoi?† asked Mia hotly. â€Å"Isn't that what you train for?† â€Å"I train for sane missions, not childish stunts like this.† â€Å"It isn't childish,† she cried. â€Å"They killed my mother. And the guardians weren't doing anything. Even their information is bad. There weren't any Strigoi in the tunnels. Probably none in the whole city.† Christian looked impressed. â€Å"You found the tunnels?† â€Å"Yeah,† said Eddie. â€Å"But like she said, they were useless.† â€Å"We should see them before we go,† Christian told me. â€Å"It'd be kind of cool, and if the data was bad, there's no danger.† â€Å"No,† I snapped. â€Å"We're going home. Now.† Mason looked tired. â€Å"We're going to search the city again. Even you can't make us go back, Rose.† â€Å"No, but the school's guardians can when I call and tell them you're here.† Call it blackmailing or being a tattletale; the effect was the same. The three of them looked at me like I had just simultaneously gut-punched them all. â€Å"You'd really do that?† asked Mason. â€Å"You'd sell us out like that?† I rubbed my eyes, wondering desperately why I was trying to be the voice of reason here. Where was the girl who'd run away from school? Mason had been right. I had changed. â€Å"This isn't about selling anyone out. This is about keeping you guys alive.† â€Å"You think we're that defenseless?† asked Mia. â€Å"You think we'd get killed right away?† â€Å"Yes,† I said. â€Å"Unless you've found some way to use water as a weapon?† She flushed and didn't say anything. â€Å"We brought silver stakes,† said Eddie. Fantastic. They must have stolen them. I looked at Mason pleadingly. â€Å"Mason. Please. Call this off. Let's go back.† He looked at me for a long time. Finally, he sighed. â€Å"Okay.† Eddie and Mia looked aghast, but Mason had assumed a leadership role with them, and they didn't have the initiative to go on without him. Mia seemed to take it the hardest, and I felt bad for her. She'd barely had any real time to grieve for her mother; she'd just jumped right on board with this revenge thing as a way to cope with the pain. She'd have a lot to deal with when we got back. Christian was still excited about the idea of the underground tunnels. Considering he spent all his time in an attic, I shouldn't have been all that surprised. â€Å"I saw the schedule,† he told me. â€Å"We've got a while before the next bus.† â€Å"We can't go walking into some Strigoi lair,† I argued, walking toward the mall's entrance. â€Å"There are no Strigoi there,† said Mason. â€Å"It's seriously all janitorial stuff. There was no sign of anything weird. I really do think the guardians had bad information.† â€Å"Rose,† said Christian, â€Å"let's get something fun out of this.† They all looked at me. I felt like a mom who wouldn't buy her kids candy at the grocery store. â€Å"Okay, fine. Just a peek, though.† The others led Christian and me to the opposite end of the mall, through a door marked staff only. We dodged a couple of janitors, then slipped through another door that led us to a set of stairs going down. I had a brief moment of d? ¦j? ¤ vu, recalling the steps down to Adrian's spa party. Only these stairs were dirtier and smelled pretty nasty. We reached the bottom. It wasn't so much a tunnel as a narrow corridor, lined in grime-caked cement. Ugly fluorescent lights were embedded sporadically along the walls. The passage went off to our left and right. Boxes of ordinary cleaning and electrical supplies sat around. â€Å"See?† said Mason. â€Å"Boring.† I pointed in each direction. â€Å"What's down there?† â€Å"Nothing,† sighed Mia. â€Å"We'll show you.† We walked down to the right and found more of the same. I was starting to agree with the boring assessment when we passed some black writing on one of the walls. I stopped and looked at it. It was a list of letters. D B C O T D V L D Z S I Some had lines and x marks next to them, but for the most part the message was incoherent. Mia noticed my scrutiny. â€Å"It's probably a janitor thing,† she said. â€Å"Or maybe some gang did it.† â€Å"Probably,† I said, still studying it. The others shifted restlessly, not understanding my fascination with the jumble of letters. I didn't understand my fascination either, but something in my head tugged at me to stay. Then I got it. B for Badica, Z for Zeklos, I for Ivashkov †¦ I stared. The first letter of every royal family's name was there. There were three D names, but based on the order, you could actually read the list as a size ranking. It started with the smaller families- Dragomir, Badica, Conta- and went all the way up to the giant Ivashkov clan. I didn't understand the dashes and lines beside the letters, but I quickly noticed which names had an x beside them: Badica and Drozdov. I stepped back from the wall. â€Å"We have to get out of here,† I said. My own voice scared me a little. â€Å"Right now.† The others looked at me in surprise. â€Å"Why?† asked Eddie. â€Å"What's going on?† â€Å"I'll tell you later. We just need to go.† Mason pointed in the direction we'd been heading. â€Å"This lets out a few blocks away. It's closer to the station.† I peered down into the dark unknown. â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"We're going back the way we came.† They all looked at me like I was insane as we retraced our steps, but nobody questioned me yet. When we emerged from the mall's front, I breathed a sigh of relief to see that the sun was still out, though it was steadily sinking into the horizon and casting orange and red light onto the buildings. The remaining light would still be enough for us to get back to the bus station before we were really in any danger of seeing Strigoi. And I knew now that there really were Strigoi in Spokane. Dimitri's information had been correct. I didn't know what the list meant, but it clearly had something to do with the attacks. I needed to report it to the other guardians immediately, and I certainly couldn't tell the others what I'd realized until we were safely at the lodge. Mason was likely to go back into the tunnels if he knew what I did. Most of our walk back to the station proceeded in silence. I think my mood had cowed the others. Even Christian seemed to have run out of snide comments. Inside, my emotions swirled, oscillating between anger and guilt as I kept reexamining my role in everything. Ahead of me, Eddie stopped walking, and I nearly ran into him. He looked around. â€Å"Where are we?† Snapping out of my own thoughts, I surveyed the area too. I didn't remember these buildings. â€Å"Damn it,† I exclaimed. â€Å"Are we lost? Didn't anyone keep track of which way we went?† It was an unfair question since I clearly hadn't paid attention either, but my temper had pushed me past reason. Mason studied me for a few moments, then pointed. â€Å"This way.† We turned and walked down a narrow street between two buildings. I didn't think we were going the right way, but I didn't really have a better idea. I also didn't want to stand around debating. We hadn't gone very far when I heard the sound of an engine and squealing tires. Mia was walking in the middle of the road, and protective conditioning kicked in before I even saw what was coming. Grabbing her, I jerked her out of the street and up against one of the building walls. The boys had done the same. A large, gray van with tinted windows had rounded the corner and was headed in our direction. We pressed flat against the wall, waiting for it to go past. Only it didn't. Screeching to a halt, it stopped right in front of us, and the doors slid open. Three big guys spilled out, and again, my instincts kicked in. I had no clue who they were or what they wanted, but they clearly weren't friendly. That was all I needed to know. One of them moved toward Christian, and I struck out and punched him. The guy barely staggered but was clearly surprised to have felt it at all, I think. He probably hadn't expected someone as small as me to be much of a threat. Ignoring Christian, he moved toward me. In my peripheral vision, I saw Mason and Eddie squaring off with the other two. Mason had actually pulled out his stolen silver stake. Mia and Christian stood there, frozen. Our attackers were relying a lot on bulk. They didn't have the sort of background we had in offensive and defensive techniques. Plus, they were human, and we had dhampir strength. Unfortunately, we also had the disadvantage of being cornered against the wall. We had nowhere to retreat to. Most importantly, we had something to lose. Like Mia. The guy who'd been sparring with Mason seemed to realize this. He backed off from Mason and instead grabbed her. I barely saw the flash of his gun before its barrel was pressed against her neck. Backing off from my own adversary, I yelled at Eddie to stop. We'd all been trained to respond instantly to those kinds of orders, and he halted his attack, glancing at me questioningly When he saw Mia, his face went pale. I wanted nothing more than to keep pummeling these men- whoever they were- but I couldn't risk this guy hurting Mia. He knew it, too. He didn't even have to make the threat. He was human, but he knew enough about us to know that we'd go out of our way to protect the Moroi. Novices had a saying grilled into us from an early age: Only they matter. Everyone stopped and looked between him and me. Apparently we were the acknowledged leaders here. â€Å"What do you want?† I asked harshly. The guy pressed his gun closer to Mia's neck, and she whimpered. For all her talk about fighting, she was smaller than me and not nearly as strong. And she was too terrified to move. The man inclined his head toward the van's open door. â€Å"I want you to get inside. And don't start anything. You do, and she's gone.† I looked at Mia, the van, my other friends, and then back to the guy. Shit.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Polynomial Essay

 © ITT Educational Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved. -Change Date: 01/24/2011 Submission Requirements Format: Microsoft Word Font: Arial, Size 12, Double-Space Citation Style: Chicago Manual of Style Length: 1–2 pages Self-Assessment Checklist I have recommended the appropriate kernel that can be used by the organization. I have explained the advantages and disadvantages of using each of the kernel options with a valid rationale. Project Part 3 Task 2: Recommend a Software Management Plan Scenario The original task team at First World Bank Savings and Loan has concerns about the support and software management of the organization’s Linux-based infrastructure. The team wants you to recommend a software m anagement plan keeping in mind the various servers and the cost. Tasks You need to: Make a recommendation for a software management plan. Consider options available from the open source community and from vendors. If you select a  vendor, specify the software it will support and how it will support. Explain the need to install anti-virus software on Linux servers providing a rationale in support of your answer. Summarize a plan for applying patches and security updates to the Linux system. Submission Requirements Format: Microsoft Word IS3440 Linux Security STUDENT COPY: Project  © ITT Educational Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved. -Change Date: 01/24/2011 Font: Arial, Size 12, Double-Space Citation Style: Chicago Manual of Style Length: 1–2 pages Self-Assessment Checklist I have recommended a suitable software management plan.  I have explained the need to install anti-virus software on Linux servers.  I have explained how to manage critical and noncritical security-related updates. Project Part 3 Task 3: Monitor Logs and Baseline Scenario The task team at First World Bank Savings and Loan wants you to research appropriate monitoring tools for the organization’s Linux-based tiered infrastructure. Tasks You need to: Summarize the benefits of remote logging. Recommend tools for: o Alerting administrators when files in the operating system have changed. o Checking for rootkits. o Checking for new open ports, files, and system resources.  Explain how logwatch can be configured to  deliver a daily report from each server  summarizing events found in log files.  Recommend a schedule and a software application or service to periodically scan the servers to satisfy Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard (DSS) compliance requirements. Submission Requirements IS3440 Linux Security STUDENT COPY: Project  © ITT Educational Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved. -Change Date: 01/24/2011 Format: Microsoft Word Font: Arial, Size 12, Double-Space Citation Style: Chicago Manual of Style Length: 1–2 pages for the project task; 2–3 pages for the executive summary Self-Assessment Checklist for Project Part 3 Task 3 I have recommended a file integrity checker and explained the purpose of a rootkit checker. I have explained the use of common GNU’s Not UNIX (GNU) utility tools. I have described the configuration of logwatch and recommended a service or tool for periodic server scans.  Self-Assessment Checklist for Project Part 3: Executive Summary I have recommended appropriate kernel options for the organization and explained the pros and cons of each option.  I have described the importance of a software management plan. I have explained the use of installing anti-virus software on Linux servers. I have summarized monitoring and logging techniques used in a typical Linux infrastructure. I have described the importance of a suitable backup plan, while maintaining data confidentiality using encryption. Project Part 4 Task 1: Design a Backup Plan  For the various servers that are part of First World Bank Savings and Loan’s Linux-based infrastructure, you have to research and design a backup plan using open source and commercial software. You can create the design based on your discussions with peers in Unit 10 Discussion 1 titled â€Å"Creating a Backup Plan.† Tasks You need to: IS3440 Linux Security STUDENT COPY: Project  © ITT Educational Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved. -Change Date: 01/24/2011 Recommend software, both open source and commercial, to use for the backup plan. Explain reasons for your recommendation. Recommend a design of the backup plan. Answer the following questions: Will you use a dedicated server or a service provider for backups?  Will backups be stored on hard disks,  tape media, or any other media? Who will be responsible for verifying backups and restoring data? Summarize the need for encrypting backup data. Submission Requirements Format: Microsoft Word Font: Arial, Size 12, Double-Space Citation Style: Chicago Manual of Style Length: 1–2 pages for the project task; 3–5 pages for the executive summary Self-Assessment Checklist for Project Part 4 Task 1 I have recommended open source and commercial software options for the backup. I have designed a plan for full and incremental backups and explained the need for encrypting backup data.  I have designed a process for backup verification and restoring. Self-Assessment Checklist for Project Part 4: Executive Summary of the Project I have demonstrated how to secure a Linux platform using installed commands and other available open source software. I have explained the use of bastion hosts to secure architecture design. I have examined best practices to mitigate security risks to a Linux server using a suitable software management plan.  I have demonstrated the use of a layered security approach on Linux servers. I have described backup, recovery, and incident response in a Linux architecture. IS3440 Linux Security STUDENT COPY: Project