System Analysis and Design Terms - 2700 Words

Close this window | Chapter 1 Glossary | | | Key Term | Definition | Page | adaptive | An adaptive method typically uses a spiral development model, which builds on a series of iterations. | 20 | application development group | Group within a traditional IT department that is composed of systems analysts and programmers who handle information system design, development, and implementation. | 26 | application software | Software such as e-mail, word processors, spreadsheets, and graphics packages used by employees. | 6 | B2B (business-to-business ) | A commercial exchange (e.g. products or services) between businesses, typically enabled by the internet or electronic means. | 9 | B2C (business-to-consumer) | A commercial†¦show more content†¦| 10 | empowerment | A trend that places more responsibility and accountability throughout all levels of an organization. | 16 | end product | A polished, deliverable product, suitable for its intended use. End products or deliverables often coincide with the completion of each SDLC phase. | 21 | end users | Employees, customers, vendors, and others who interact with an information system. | 7 | enterprise applications | Examples of company-wide applications, called enterprise applications, include order processing systems, payroll systems, and company communications networks. | 6 | enterprise computing | Information systems that support company-wide data management requirements, such as airline reservation, or credit card billing systems. | 12 | enterprise resource planning (ERP) | Enterprise applications that provide cost-effective data access for users and managers throughout the company. | 12 | expert systems | Systems that simulate human reasoning by combining a knowledge base and inference rules that determine how the knowledge is applied. Is sometimes used interchangeably with Knowledge management systems. | 14 | extensible markup language (XML) | XML is a flexible data description language that allows Web- based communication between different hardware and software environments. | 10 | extreme programming (XP) | Another adaptive method is called Extreme Programming (XP), which focuses on anShow MoreRelatedThe Systems Development Life Cycle1391 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"The systems development life cycle (SDLC) is the process of determining how an information system (IS) can support business needs, designing the system, building it, and delivering it to users†[1]. There are several approaches (models) to the SDLC but purpose of the each approach is the same. Each and every process comprises of phases: Planning phase, Analysis phase, Design phase, Implementation phase, and Maintenance phase. The Planning phase is phase related to the planning of the system suchRead MoreA Study On Korean University Curriculum1724 Words   |  7 Pagesalso researched in order to find out whether their engineering programs have any cooperation courses for BIM education. In engineering program, BI M is able to apply on administration of construction process, integrated design delivery project, construction management, structural analysis, and costing construction, and it has many other related subjects which is able to applied indirectly. However, only 2 universities have BIM course, and 1 university is planning to apply into the engineering programRead MoreInvestigating The Correlation Between The Primary Variable Of Fep Cost Performance1094 Words   |  5 Pagesstudy. The correlation analysis was performed between the primary variable of FEP Cost % and the Cost Performance, Schedule Performance, Change Cost % and Schedule Change %. The results show that there was a positive correlation between the effort allocated to Front-End Planning and the cost performance of the project in DB system, Complex projects and Renovation projects. The schedule performance was affected positively by the FEP effort only in projects delivered using CMR system. In general, thereRead MoreSample And Contrast Phase, Steps, Technique And Deliverables1394 Words   |  6 Pagesgathering and analysis,Design,Implementation,Testing and each phase consist of series of steps that are executed using a technique. A technique is a method that can be applied on a steps to create deliverables. and a deliverables is a specific documents or files that provides information and understanding about the project 3.Describe the principal steps in the Planning Phase?What are the major deliverables? A.Planning phase is the fundamental process of understanding why does this system need to beRead MoreAnalysis Of Mechanical Air Conditioning974 Words   |  4 PagesClient has decided to investigate the potential to improve efficiency of the current mechanical air conditioning and ventilation system to an office tower project being developed and planned. Assessment will be reviewing three (3) design options as noted in section 4.1 and results presented in section 6 of this report. The client has noted some parameters and requirements he would like to ascertain through the assessment which is as follows: Client Requirements ï  ¶ Electricity cost is $0.15/kWh ï  ¶Read MoreOutline The Principles Of System Analysis1619 Words   |  7 PagesOutline the principles of system analysis Need for Growth The drivers are need for advance and many businesses need to expand into new markets they develop new products and also increase their turnover and profits for them to do this they have` to plan effectively and they often will have to incorporates system analysis. Need to increase productivity The sales may have improved but there is also a need to improve capacity, also the activity of the competitors may require that the company their abilityRead MoreSample System Analysis And Design Essay940 Words   |  4 Pages KARTHIK JAVVAJI – 1370192 HOMEWORK 2 ISAM 5635.01 SYSTEMS ANALYSIS AND DESIGN 1. The current as-in business process used for registering for classes at UHCL is Easy Access System for Enrollment (EASE). The EASE system requires to login to the website through student ID. Three types of registration periods are available for registration of classes per semester, they are 1. Early registration which is by only appointment, here students are assigned with certain time of theRead MoreOperation Managenent1504 Words   |  7 PagesChapter 1 – Introduction to Operations Management After completing this chapter, you should be able to: 1. Define the term operations management. 2. Identify the three major functional areas of organizations and describe how they interrelate. 3. Identify similarities and differences between production and service operations. 4. Describe the operations function and the nature of the operations managers job. 5. Summarize the two major aspects of process management. 6. Explain the key aspects of operationsRead MoreImportance Of Cae1101 Words   |  5 Pagescomprehensive term used by many industries for the use of computers to design, analyze, and manufacture products and processes. CAE includes CAD and CAM CAD is used for computer modeling and drafting designs while CAM is used for computers for managing manufacturing processes. Advantages of CAE †¢ CAE reduces the error in design and drawing process. †¢ Robustness and performance of components/assemblies can be analyzed. †¢ CAE allows for easy visualization and improves designs. †¢ CAE aidsRead MoreCh. 4 Product and Service Design Essay1734 Words   |  7 PagesSTUDY OUTLINE FOR CHAPTER 4 PRODUCT and SERVICE DESIGN 1. Why is product or service design strategically important? For the success and prosperity of an organization. It has an impact on future activities. Consequently decisions in this area of the most fundamental that managers must make. 2. List some of the things that product and service design does. 1) Translates customer wants and needs into product and service requirements. (marketing, operations) 2) Develop

unit 522 facilitate coaching and mentoring - 1457 Words

Unit 522 Facilitate coaching and mentoring in health and social care or children and young people’s settings. When working in a care a setting it is important that I carry out professional supervision. During the induction process as part of them management team I will talked to the team about the purpose of supervision and why it takes place. During the first six months of employment at Genus care, carer’s are on probation and will be supervised twice during each month. I do this as part of the company policy and in order to fully support the individual needs and development of the new team member. After this period has passed supervisions go to once a month and continue throughout the rest of their employment. During supervision as†¦show more content†¦The employee owns the process so coaching can only occur when the employee is willing to participate. Mentoring involves a manager passing on his/her knowledge and expertise to an employee. Typically, the employee has a mentor who is at management level but not directly involved in his or her work area, so that issue s can be discussed in an impartial and confidential manner. Employee Appraisals All the activities mentioned above should take place on an ongoing basis. The formal appraisal interview, normally held on an annually, is a great forum to discuss progress in each of these areas. The main difference between a Coach and a Mentor is that, the mentor has a deep personal interest, personally involved for example a friend who cares about the person and the long term development. Whereas a coach develops specific skills for the task, like challenges and performance expectations at work. As a coach I will often focus on an individual’s performance and will have a specific agenda i.e. time management. I will select a goal and tell the individual how they can achieve it in order to get the best results. When in the house as a senior care worker I am always viewed as a coach and will guide new team members through their probation by showing them how to deal with situations and tasks on a day to day basis within the home. As a mentor I focus on the individual, often there is not a set agenda, tasks are self selected and there isShow MoreRelated522 mentoring3582 Words   |  15 Pagesï » ¿Alisha Wall Unit 522 - Facilitate coaching and mentoring of practitioners in health and social care or children and young peoples settings 2.4 - Explain the different types of information advice and guidance that can support learning in the work setting 4.3 - Explain the support needs of those who are working with peers as coaches or mentors There are 8 key communication skills for effective coaching that would also apply to mentoring: listening, questioning, constructively challenging, seeingRead MoreLeadership for Health and Social Care and Children65584 Words   |  263 Pages600/0573/7 2 City Guilds Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for Health and Social Care and Children and Young People’s Services (England) (3978-51/52/53/54/55/56) Contents 1 2 3 4 5 Unit 501 Unit 502 Unit 503 Unit 504 Introduction Centre requirements Delivering the qualification Assessment Units Use and develop systems that promote communication (SHC51) Promote professional development (SHC52) 6 44 48 49 54 55 58 Champion equality, diversity and inclusion (SHC53) 60 Develop healthRead MoreFundamentals of Hrm263904 Words   |  1056 PagesQuestions 205 Developing Diagnostic and Analytical Skills 205 Case Application 8-A: The Underrated Checklist: Five Steps to Save Lives 205 Case Application 8-B: Delivering at UPS 205 Working with a Team: Orienting Employees 206 Learning an HRM Skill: Coaching Employees 206 Enhancing Your Communication Skills 207 The Socialization Process 185 The Purpose of New-Employee Orientation 186 Learning the Organization’s Culture 187 The CEO’s Role in Orientation 187 HRM’s Role in Orientation 188 It’s All inRead MoreStrategic Human Resource Management View.Pdf Uploaded Successfully133347 Words   |  534 Pagesrelationship values. This will be followed by discussions of effective selection procedures, compensation and benefits, job enrichment and job satisfaction, practices providing work life balance, organizational direction, and other practices that facilitate retention. Next, there will be a discussion of the costs of downsizing and layoffs. This will be followed by a discussion of how to avoid business cycle–based layoffs, alternatives to layoffs, and employment guarantees. There will also be a discussionRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 PagesCommunicating Supportively 234 Communication Styles 235 SKILL LEARNING 238 Building Positive Interpersonal Relationships 238 The Importance of Effective Communication 239 The Focus on Accuracy 240 What Is Supportive Communication? 242 Coaching and Counseling 244 Coaching and Counseling Problems 245 Defensiveness and Disconfirmation 246 Principles of Supportive Communication 247 Supportive Communication Is Based on Congruence, Not Incongruence 247 Supportive Communication Is Descriptive, Not EvaluativeRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 Pages386 What Is Authentic Leadership? 386 †¢ Ethics and Leadership 386 †¢ Servant Leadership 387 †¢ Trust and Leadership 387 †¢ How Is Trust Developed? 389 †¢ Trust as a Process 390 †¢ What Are the Consequences of Trust? 390 Leading for the Future: Mentoring 391 Mentoring 391 Challenges to the Leadership Construct 393 Leadership as an Attribution 393 †¢ Substitutes fo r and Neutralizers of Leadership 394 †¢ Online Leadership 395 Finding and Creating Effective Leaders 396 Selecting Leaders 396 †¢ Training LeadersRead MoreExploring Corporate Strategy - Case164366 Words   |  658 Pagesas team working, knowledge management and close relationships with external opinion leaders. Others emphasised ‘lean and ï ¬â€šexible’ operations and outsourcing of all but core competences. Some reorganised their RD to create smaller and more nimble units – like internal biotechs. Others sought external innovation. Biotechs were contributing an increasing share of the industry’s new products via licensing deals. Procter and Gamble actually closed internal Discovery efforts in 2006, with the declaredRead MoreProject Mgmt296381 Words   |  1186 PagesFirst Edition Project Management The Managerial Process Fifth Edition Erik W. Larson Oregon State University Clifford F. Gray Oregon State University PROJECT MANAGEMENT: THE MANAGERIAL PROCESS Published by McGraw-Hill/Irwin, a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 1221 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY, 10020. Copyright  © 2011 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any meansRead MoreProject Managment Case Studies214937 Words   |  860 PagesCONTINENTAL COMPUTER CORPORATION According to Ed White: Our major problems first began to surface during the early nineties. 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Monetary and Economic Integration Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Monetary and Economic Integration. Answer: Pros and cons of monetary integration Monetary integration refers to the incidence of two or more countries adopting the same or single currency without having any further integration (Hefeker, 2018). This is also known as monetary union or currency union. According to Tsoukalis (2017), monetary integrations can also lead to the existence of a fixed mutual rate of exchange for different currencies, which would be controlled by a single central bank. There are two necessary components of monetary integration. First is the exchange rate union, in which a certain section of the exchange rates bear a fixed relationship with each other while the rates vary with non-union currencies. Second is the scope of convertibility, which refers to the non-existence of all types of the exchange rate controls irrespective of the capital or current transactions within the exchange rate zone (Kruse, 2014). The most prominent example of monetary integration is the creation of EMU and Euro zone, where many independent nations of Europe have adopted a single currency Euro. The pros of monetary integration are: It reduces the transaction cost incurred by the traders and the travelers. Conversion of currencies leads to some amount of losses in terms of real value of the currencies (Hefeker, 2018). It helps in reducing the interest rates in the participating countries, and that attracts more investment. Lower transaction costs help in bringing more cross border investments. Monetary integration brings exchange rate stability and thereby reducing differences in the price across the region. Price comparison becomes more efficient and steps can be taken accordingly to reduce disparities (Nieboer, 2014). It leads to free movement of labor by ensuring a free mobility area. Common currency helps the workers to move between the countries without any regulation, which helps in reducing the unemployment. Countries get access to larger markets and thus get the scope for increasing income. The cons are: The countries lose monetary independence as they cannot take independent decision on monetary policies even during any crisis. Costs of adopting a new currency are huge, especially for a less developed country. There are negative effects of cross border fiscal policies. When the neighboring countries impose strict fiscal policies of reducing expenditure and investment, it affects the other country due to common currency (Masciandaro Romelli, 2017). Pros and cons of economic integration Economic integration is the process of elimination of reduction of the trade barriers among the economically independent nations (Moon, 2017). This type of integration aims to reduce or eliminate the barriers regarding the flow of trade in goods and services, labor and capital. It also establishes certain factors of coordination and cooperation among the participating countries. Economic integration is a dynamic procedure, which encourages the member countries to become one entity over time (Baier, Bergstrand Feng, 2014). Pros of economic integration: Facilitation of international trade by encouraging competition, comparative advantages, capital liberalization, macroeconomic stability Market liberalization through introduction of common market and common currency (Sannwald Stohler, 2015) Political liberalism through democracy and political stability Short term growth due to increased competition, optimum and efficient allocation of resources and higher real income Long term growth due to higher capital, increasing economies of scale, technological progress The cons are: Trade Blocs are often created, leading to increased trade barriers against non-member countries Trade diversion occurs where trade is diverted from a cost-efficient non-member country to cost-inefficient member country Countries lose sovereign power to a certain degree in issues like monetary, fiscal policies and trade. Higher the degree of economic integration, greater is the degree of economic control that needs to be given up to attain a stability in the political and economic system (Baier, Bergstrand Feng, 2014). Effect and stages in monetary integration leading to economic integration Monetary integration is one of the six stages of economic integration. Monetary union occurs through three stages, as in the case of EMU. In the first stage, creation of a single market is the agenda of the economic authorities. A single market ensures liberalization of capital movements across the member countries and prohibition of monetary financing of the public authorities by the central banks (Masciandaro Romelli, 2017). In the stage two, efforts are taken to achieve the convergence among the member economies in terms of public finances, exchange rates, inflation and long run rate of interests. Stage three is the final step, which introduces the common currency, that is, monetary union gets completed in stage three. In the case of EMU, 19 countries of Europe adopted Euro as their single currency with effect from January 1, 1999 (Sannwald Stohler, 2015). There are six stages in economic integration, namely, preferential trading area, free trade area, custom union, common market, economic union and political union (Schad, 2011). Monetary integration is a part of the bigger economic integration as it results in common market and economic union for the member countries. The effect of the three stages of monetary union is wide spread. Firstly, the establishment of a single market is hugely beneficial for the member countries, as that ensures reduction in trade barriers and increase in trade for the member countries. This boosts the production and trade of the countries leading to economic growth. The convergence of the policies regarding the exchange rate, inflation, public finances and long run interest rates leads to political stability of the country (Tomann, 2017). Application of monetary integration on a global scale The degree of economic integration depends heavily on the degree of monetary integration. There are many free trade areas and preferential trade areas in the world with certain terms and conditions, beneficial for the member countries, but they do not necessarily have the single currency or a fixed exchange rate among them. Lane (2006) highlights that the monetary integration results in increased amount of cross border trade in goods and services, finance and resources, increased comparative efficiency and advantage of the member countries, and helps to achieve economic as well as political stability across the region, which are the major components of economic integration. On a global scale, the biggest example of monetary integration is the establishment of EMU of Europe. It was established on 1991 with the introduction of single market, fixed exchange rate and Euro, the single currency of 19 countries of Europe. This has benefitted the economic integration of European Union in ter ms of economic and political stability, increased production and trade, increased employment and overall economic growth. References Baier, S. L., Bergstrand, J. H., Feng, M. (2014). Economic integration agreements and the margins of international trade.Journal of International Economics,93(2), 339-350. Hefeker, C. (2018).Interest groups and monetary integration: The political economy of exchange regime choice. Routledge. Kruse, D. C. (2014).Monetary integration in Western Europe: EMU, EMS and beyond. Butterworth-Heinemann. Lane, P. (2006). The Real Effects of European Monetary Union.Journal Of Economic Perspectives,20(4), 47-66. https://dx.doi.org/10.1257/jep.20.4.47 Masciandaro, D., Romelli, D. (2017). Optimal Currency Area and European Monetary Membership:Economics and Political Economy. Moon, W. (2017).Regional IntegrationEurope and Asia Compared. Taylor Francis. Nieboer, J. (2014).The Pros and Cons of Economic and Monetary Union. [online] Brugesgroup.com. Available at: https://www.brugesgroup.com/euro-and-economy/49-issues/euro-and-economy/465-the-pros-and-cons-of-economic-and-monetary-union [Accessed 23 Mar. 2018]. Sannwald, R., Stohler, J. (2015).Economic integration. Princeton University Press. Schad, M. (2011).Economic and Monetary Integration. [online] Uni-ulm.de. Available at: https://www.uni-ulm.de/fileadmin/website_uni_ulm/mawi.inst.150/lehre/ss11/isp/Economic_and_Monetary_Integration.pdf [Accessed 23 Mar. 2018]. Tomann, H. (2017).Monetary Integration in Europe: The European Monetary Union after the Financial Crisis. Springer. Tsoukalis, L. (2017).The politics andeconomics of European monetary integration. Routledge.

Tranformation of Emma Into Clueless Essay Example

Tranformation of Emma Into Clueless Essay Transformations of texts into new texts usually reinforce the same values, even though their context may be vastly different. The concept of transformation refers to any kind of change of a text. The change between the two texts is usually conducted in order for the text to be adapted into new text’s context. Transformation between two texts can be seen through character changes and social theme changes. The novel â€Å"Emma† is formed around Emma Wodehouse’s constricted social group and her journey of transformation from being an impulsive matchmaker who does not oblige to her social role, to an insightful lady with the correct social role and etiquette according to the novels context. â€Å"Clueless† is a modernized interpretation of â€Å"Emma†. The film was based in the opulent and superficial Beverly Hills. The film highlights Cher Horowitz change from an obnoxious, naive girl with a materialistic aim for popularity, into a mature lady with a greater sense of self and less materialistic needs. Both texts maintain the same themes that supports their respective societies and audience, even though there were changes in context and form between the two texts. Social structure is seen in both â€Å"Emma† and â€Å"Clueless† and the concept is maintained throughout both of the texts. Social structure is able to influence Emma’s perception of her surroundings and matchmaking skills. Cher’s amount of knowledge and actions towards the school cliques is also influenced by the concept of social structure. Emma† and â€Å"Clueless† both explore female gender roles in their appropriate context, highlighting the limited power and control of women in patriarchal societies. The theme of roles of women is demonstrated through the numerous women figures that help structure both â€Å"Emma† and â€Å"clueless† and the impact they have on both their perceptions and their self-awareness. Heckerling’s upholding of the themes that wer e originally depicted in ‘Emma’ that were transformed into ‘Clueless’ demonstrates the existence and acceptance of these notions in both contexts. We will write a custom essay sample on Tranformation of Emma Into Clueless specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Tranformation of Emma Into Clueless specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Tranformation of Emma Into Clueless specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Ultimately, ‘Emma’ is transformed into ‘Clueless’ by using examples and techniques in order to display these comparative notions. Through comparison of the ways in which wealth and social structure (hierarchy) are examined in both texts, greater insight can be gained of these contexts, and the values and ideas they portray. Firstly, the theme of social structure is depicted in both ‘Emma’ and ‘Clueless’ through the direct comparison of the car scene in â€Å"Clueless† and the carriage scene in â€Å"Emma†. In â€Å"clueless†, Social structure can be highlighted in the scene after the Valley party when Elton gives Cher a lift home and attempts to kiss her. Cher abruptly backs away and questions Elton on the math she made between Elton and Tai to which he replies ‘Do you know who my father is? This rhetorical question portrays the idea that Elton’s father has a high social ranking and is in a high position in the social order. By Elton’s rhetorical question, he is suggesting that Cher would be a more suitable math for Elton and Cher is seen to be on a closer social level to Elton rather than Tai. Emma is left to share a carriage home with Mr Elton, because Harriet was not able to attend the ball. In the carriage, Mr Elton violently professes his love for her. Through Emma’s dialogue that was shifted from Emma’s narrated feelings, Austen highlights Emma’s surprise. Emma then exclaims ‘This to me! You forget yourself, you take me for my friend. ’ When Mr Elton professes his love for her as Emma had always thought that Harriet was the fittest match for him. Emma ends up feeling offended by his assumption that she would have similar feelings towards him as she believes she is of a higher class than Mr Elton. Emma’s bewilderment comes from the fact that he believes she would ‘lower’ herself to his standards. This is similar to Cher’s disgust for high-school boys. When Cher is asked if she has a high school boyfriend, she replies with ‘Oh, as if! ’ when Cher replies with this, it exaggerates her superficial views on relationships in the concept of social hierarchy. These references highlight both Cher and Emma’s materialistic and fake views on social status and reflects their poor amount of awareness, which ultimately contrasts with their prosperous social positions. Although the context and language has changed in both scenes, the theme ultimately remains the same. Using rhetorical questions and changing the narrative style to depict the theme of social structure, it is seen that both ‘Clueless’ and ‘Emma’ render the same themes and transfer them into their different contexts. Similarly, social structure is highlighted through the parallel between the actions of Cher’s and Emma’s matchmaking projects. When Emma accepts Harriet in the society which Emma is included in, her plans were to improve her social status by finding someone oh a higher social class than her. When the novel â€Å"Emma† is coming to an end, Harriet admits her feelings towards Mr Knightley. In the novels context, it was not seen fit for Harriet, someone with a much lower social class than Mr Knightley to be having feelings or associating on a close level with him. The theme of social structure is greatly evident in this chapter of the book, it is shown through Emma’s dialogue after Harriet confesses her love for Mr Knightley to Emma. When Emma states, in an exasperated manner ‘Mr Knightly and Harriet Smith! †¦ Could it be? No, it was impossible’, it can be seen that having Harriet and Mr Knightly together is a disturbance in the social hierarchy and class level. Austen’s satirical fixation with the social structure within the 19th century in England was somewhat reinforced by the statement in the novel that personas from lower or middle class could not marry or have close relation with personas within the high class or the high social group. This statement is portrayed in many ways, including Emma’s astonishment by the idea of Harriet and Mr Knightly, this was quite heretical in the novels context. Furthermore, Emma’s interests in Harriet are almost paralleled with Cher’s motivation to give Tai a makeover as Cher saw her as a ‘personal project’. Emma’s intentions are transformed into a modernized goal to relate with ‘Clueless’ audience. Tai’s make over from Cher involves changing Tai’s style and pronunciation to simply ‘improve’ her character and make her popular. Although this change will make Tai more accustomed to Cher’s social level, these changes are mostly beneficial to Cher, this notion is very similar to the Harriet’s welcoming into Highbury as it was mainly beneficial to Emma. When Tai meets Cher and Dionne and is immediately recommended a makeover, Dionne says, ‘it gives her a sense of control in a world full of chaos’ regarding to Cher’s need to improve Tai’s status and outlook. Cher’s need to adjust Tai’s lifestyle is almost symmetrical to Emma’s need of having to influence and make couples through her act of match making. In the film ‘Clueless’, a makeover is compared to a saviour from a ‘chaotic world’, this not only highlights the superficial and materialistic views of the 1990’s Beverly Hills, but also shows how much trouble Cher would go to, to improve Tai’s social level, trying to bring her to higher class and ‘popularity’. The transformations of social structure from ‘Emma’ to ‘Clueless’ has been disguised and depicted throughout the film as popularity. The notion of social structure was reinforced through hyperbolic references ultimately displaying very similar themes of social hierarchy =, structure and ‘popularity’ in both ‘Clueless’ and ‘Emma’. Greater understanding can be gained of the two text’s context by the comparison of the role of women between both ‘Emma’ and ‘Clueless’. The notion of the necessity of romantic love, marriage and the expectation of woman are all equally important themes in both texts. Although, these themes are evident throughout both ‘Emma’ and ‘Clueless’, they have been transformed from Emma’s context to suit the audience and the context of ‘Clueless’. The themes that are evident in both texts are constantly defined by gender. Austen’s narrative characteristic for the novel ‘Emma’ is an ironic and amused commentary conducted by the narrator when describing the character’s actions. In Austen’s novel, an early description of Emma’s character, narrated from Mrs Weston’s perspective, in fact is an ironic publicity of Emma’s faults. She could not think, without pain, of Emma’s losing a single pleasure, or suffering an hour’s ennui, from the want of her companionableness: but dear Emma was of no feeble character; she was more equal to her situation than most girls would have been† The irony of this part of text is that while Emma ultimately does not have any trouble finding new companions in her social group, her idea of companionship is to manipulate others into advantageous marriages. Furthermore, shown with this example is Emma’s obsession with marriage which subtlety makes socially related comments on the unequal status of women. This originally descended from the cultural status of women at the time; if they were unmarried they were of a lower rank in society and potentially financially destitute. Conversely, the depiction of Cher’s character in Clueless is much more definite about exposing her faults. While she, like Emma, is popular amongst her peers, she also has ditzy and ignorant characteristics which are not present in Emma’s character. This change in characterization can be linked to the changes in social values and perceptions on the abilities of women; in the context of ‘Clueless’ it was no longer considered desirable for women to be culturally and academically ignorant. This change in cultural values follows from the stereotypical gender role of the typical popular teenager in the context of clueless. This stereotype of girls are characterized as a beautiful and wealthy but book-dumb teenager. There is no narrator present to comment on Cher’s character or to make ironic statements exposing her flaws like in Austen’s novel, so Cher’s characterization is presented as directly as possible. Film narration as a medium is objective, so Cher’s flaws are immediately visible to the movie’s audience and are not hidden by irony. Although Emma’s characterization was seen through the narrator’s comments, Cher’s characteristics were shown through her actions and her dialogue throughout the movie. Throughout the film, Cher’s expensive branded clothes are used as a symbolisation throughout the movie in order for the audience to perceive her a beautiful and wealthy girl. Her patriarchal values towards her fashion statements and shopping is seen through the opening scene of Cher becoming frustrated while picking through various expensive items in her closet to find an outfit. The notion of Cher being stereotyped into the classical 1990’s women also occurs in the scenes of when she goes to the mall and has a makeover to get ready when Christian arrives at her house. Cher’s book-dumb characteristic is shown through the symbolisation of the comparison of the TV shows both Cher and Josh watch. In the middle of the film, Cher is scene to change the channel from the news to her favourite cartoon which ultimately shows her lack of realisation of the non-materialistic events occurring around her. This symbolisation of the news channel later reoccurs when Cher states that she thought ‘they declared peace in the middle east’ when Josh had asked her why she looked confused watching the bombing and shooting attacks on television. The transformations of women stereotypes between ‘Emma’ and ‘Clueless’ shows a change in method to convey the gender roles and also alterations in concept in order to adapt to the modern cultural context.

buy custom Vulnerability of Information Infrastructure and Trends of Cyber Terrorism essay

buy custom Vulnerability of Information Infrastructure and Trends of Cyber Terrorism essay The term terrorism describes a situation, where an individual or a group of individuals employ violence or threaten the use of violence to bring about a certain desired result. As the world evolves and develops, particularly in the field of technology, new and modified modes of cyber crime have been witnessed. Cyber terrorism is among the modifications that have been made, in both cyber crime and terrorism (Wilson, 2008a). Cybercrime is gradually becoming better at organization and establishment. Online skills that utilize high levels of technology are available for use by individuals, including those, who would want to rent such skills for malicious intent. Criminals, who use the cyber space, as their environment, are switching to using automated tools subsequently frustrating efforts to successfully track and measure cyber attack trends (Adams, 2001). The methodologies, that people have used over the years to track web vulnerabilities and cyber attacks, have been overwhelmed by the changing trends that are witnessed in cyber attacks. Cybercriminals are increasingly forming alliances and renting their services to drug traffickers and other criminals, who have taken advantage of the vast number of opportunities that have brought about, by an increase in the use of the internet. The architectures of some of the botnets that are used in cyber crime have become more sophisticated, and future prospects include a transformation that will make them resistant to countermeasures taken in cyber security (Army, 2005). The fact remains that more sensitive information is being stored and transferred in the web medium highlighting the level of severity, if information infrastructure is to be as vulnerable. In addition, the technology of computer networking has led to the boundaries that exist between cybercrime, cyber ware fare and cyber terror ism, being blurred. This owes to the availability of cyber attack services for hire. Background The fear of vulnerability of information infrastructure has long been part of peoples lives, since the conception of the internet. The internet was centralized in 1970, during its conception; this means that there was a single control point for the information that was available over the internet. However, it was later decentralized for fear of its capability of becoming a weapon during the cold war. Come the late 1980s, the internet was open to both public and private users. This opening up meant that anyone could access the internet and gain information from it, as long as they had an internet connection (Arquilla Ronfeldt, 2001). There are several features that make the internet susceptible for use in cyber terrorism. These features include factors, such as, the fact that the internet has easy access. In addition, there is often little regulation or none at all in the content, in terms of government control or censorship. The internet, also, has a potential and opportunity of ha ving a huge audience that is diverse, in that there are people from all over the world. People have more ease of use, because of the anonymity that is offered by the internet. Information that is in the internet flows faster than in other mediums giving people the feedback that they need to make further plans (Austin Darby, 2003). Other than that, the cost of transferring information and maintaining the web is relatively lower, as well, as the multimedia environment providing a context for making use of audio, video and texting forms of communication (Rollins, 2007). Also, the internet has given people the capability of shaping the slant of the coverage of the traditional media, since most use the internet, as a major source of information. As a result, people find it easier to communicate their views to traditional media through the internet. These features that are present in the internet make it easier for people to carry out criminal activity, including cyber activity. The distinctions that exist between terrorism, war and crime, often blur, when they are considered in a computer network attack context. This blur in boundaries makes measuring cyber attack trends a challenge that is complex (Wilson, 2008b). One of the things that can help in developing an appropriate measure for trends is having exact knowledge of what the end result is defined as. Cyber terrorism is described in two frameworks: one of them, being effect-based, and the other, being intent-based. Within the context of effects, cyber terrorism is said to exist, when the attack that has been launched on the computer results in effects that are disruptive, such that they generate fear that is similar or comparable to what is often witnessed with traditional terrorism (Wilson, 2008a). The intent-based context describes cyber terrorism, as an act of cyber attack that is perpetrated, is done so, with the intent of coercing some form of political view or leading to a severe economic injury to a nation or nations. It is important to note, that information is the constant in cyber terrorism and the internet is the major medium through which people deliver cyber terrorism. For an attack that has been staged to be successful, it is required that the network being used, remains intact, unless the effectiveness of the attack results from the shutting down of the network. When a cyber attack is committed, it is usually so that one side meets certain objectives. Some of the objectives of cyber attack include inducing or enhancing the loss of integrity in that information that is contained in a network is modified improperly. In addition, loss of availability is induced, where information systems that are critical to missions are made unavailable to the authorized users of the network (Bagchi Udo, 2003). Also, the loss of confidentiality is engendered, such that information, that is critical, is disclosed to users, who are unauthorized. Other than that, some of the information systems that are affected result in the creation of actual and real physical destruction, especially through commands created to result in deliberate malfunction. Currently, there is no evidence that is significant enough to determine whether terrorists have undertaken a considerable cyber attack. A cyber attack involves making use of some kind of malicious code, as a weapon to cause a particular infection on the targeted computer system, or to exploit a weakness that exists within the systems configuration or in the software (Bagchi Udo, 2003). In addition, an individual may use information that has been stolen to gain access to a certain network, or attain clearance to make changes to the information that is contained in the networks remotely. Cyber attacks need for the network to have a preexisting flaw that makes it susceptible to the attack, such as lack of antivirus software, a software error or a faulty system configuration that can then be exploited (Army, 2005). However, technology is evolving and there may come a time, when this distinguishing requirement may fade in importance. Purpose of the Study There is no consensus, as to what entails cyber terrorism or what its definition is. Terrorism, like other organizations, is taking advantage of the opportunities and enhancements that have been brought about by availability of the internet. The purpose of this proposal, therefore, is to provide an academic framework, stemming from a discourse of issues that are relevant to cyberterrosrism, which will help identify vulnerability of information infrastructure and trends of cyber terrorism with the aim of knowing how to best approach measuring of cyber attacks. This information will be helpful to people with various interests in cyber security, especially those, who have been charged with ensuring that the information in the internet remains protected. Importance of the Study The information that will be attained from this study, will give experts in the area of cyber security a better idea of what to expect from cyber terrorism, thus, arming them with information that will be useful in developing counter measures and preventive mechanisms to protect the internet from cyber terrorism. Security companies dealing in internet security and software security will be in a better position to develop encryptions that are most effective in protecting information in cyberspace. In addition, understanding and acquiring knowledge of the most appropriate and effective way of measuring cyber attack trends will be a major stride in detecting and tracking cybercrime that may be indicative of cyber terrorism. Statement of the Problem The number of random cyber attacks in cyber space has been gradually increasing, and more so, over the last decade and a half (Bagchi Udo, 2003). However, the data that has been collected in attempts to measure the trends in the use of cyber-attacks still cannot be utilized to accurately determine, if the attacker was a terrorist group, or if they were initiated or sponsored by a terrorist group. The critical nature of this situation is highlighted by the fact that company industrys that are critical to the infrastructure of the society are increasingly becoming targets of cyber terrorism. Experts have reached a consensus, as to the fact, that coordinated cyber-attacks, could be used to amplify the effect of physical attacks, but, disagree, as to the damaging effects that such attacks will have on the information infrastructure of certain systems of critical sectors. This underlines the fact that information infrastructure should be understood with particular emphasis on cyber terr orism trends, and how they can be measured. Determinant factors, such as, the level of dependence that a particular society has on technology, will also lead to the effects of cyber attacks being different in different systems. How then can one come up with an effective way of measuring the trends of cyber attacks, in the face of the diverse information that is available, in terms of cyber terrorism? Conceptual Model It has been reported that terrorist organizations have been conducting some forms of information warfare. Additionally, there have been increased reports of terrorists, using the internet to carry out their operations, such as, those that involve giving issuing instructions or conducting defacement of an individual or a group of them, over the internet (Bagchi Udo, 2003). Files are encrypted then sent through e-mail or, steganography can be employed in the sending of malicious e-mail. Even though some of the encryptions that have been used are relatively weak, it still shows that cyber terrorism is becoming a more appealing avenue for terrorist groups and it is only a matter of time, before they acquire an effective expertise or rent it from other people in the internet. Cyber terrorism has been increasingly taking the shape of steganography. This refers to a practice, where information that is meant to be secret or unknown to some indiiduals is hidden or contained within other data that is not meant to be hidden. This information is rarely detected, unless someone is looking for it. The information that is meant to be encrypted and hidden is encoded in secret and lower-order bit positions that are within an image file, video file or a sound file. It should, however, be noted that an email that has been encrypted appears in a form that is different from a normal e-mail when it is viewed through an analyzer. Thus, if someone is sniffing, they may identify the encrypted message (Austin Darby, 2003). Terrorism is also about imposing and spreading ideologies that other people may not necessarily agree with and the internet is the largest and most accessible source and storage location of information in the world. As a result, it is the most effective w ay that terrorists can use to exploit information infrastructures available and communicate their ideologies and views in an effort to win a war of ideas. The fact that technology makes the dissemination of information faster and simpler has made it appealing and made information on the internet unsafe. Research Questions The study that is proposed, will aim to answer the following research questions: What is the relationship between vulnerability of information infrastructure and the trends of cyber terrorism? Does perceived vulnerability of information infrastructure and perceived usefulness of the internet have any effect on the trends of cyber terrorism? To what does the relatively higher level of cyber terrorism and cyber attack being witnessed today owe its nature to? What is the relationship between vulnerability of information infrastructure in countries with critical industries and cyber terrorism trends? What is the relevance of information infrastructure vulnerability and cyber terrorism trends to the development of ways to best measure cyber attacks? Method of Inquiry The methodology that will be employed in the study will be a non-experimental approach. The nature of the non-experimental approach will be ex post facto and it will involve looking at information from events that have already occurred. The major methods of gathering data will be through reviewing various relevant literatures, with specific emphasis on reports from the Congressional Research Service (CRS) reports to congress, over the last fifteen years. In addition, security reports from certain companies will be viewed to see the types of cyber terrorism that they have dealt with and how they handled the situation from both a reactive and proactive point of view. Assumptions The assumptions of this study are that the workers in the critical industries will be knowledgeable on the issue of cyber terrorism, and will have been affected by some form of cyber attack. Another assumption is that the damages that may have been caused by the cyber attack will have a relationship to the vulnerability of the information infrastructure within the industry; a vulnerability that those, within the industry are aware of. In addition, it will also be assumed that there is a relationship between cyber terrorism trends and the methods of measuring trends in cyber attacks. Limitations One of the limitations is that the companies that are involved in critical industries that have been chosen for the research may refuse to give up the reports that pertain to their security threats or give little information. On addition, some of the companies that we hope to use as a source of information may be faced with some legal action as a consequence of giving information to parties like us. Delimitations The limitations of the study will be that the geographical location will be restricted to the United States, owing to its relatively vast development and use of the internet. The reports and literature that will be reviewed, will give one side of the story, meaning that the results obtained and subsequently the methods of measuring cyber attacks will be based in the context of American users of the internet. Another limitation is that the reports from individual companies will not be representative in terms of presenting the overall picture of all companies that deal with cyber terrorism. Paper Organization This proposal will have three chapters, chapter one will contain information that will introduce the study and offer a contextual background, before stating the purpose and importance of carrying out the study. Following this, there will be a problem statement and a description of the conceptual model, the assumptions, limitations and delimitations of the project. Chapter two includes a detailed discussion of the relevant literature addressing the problem. Each section discusses the evidence available that provides insight into the problem and sub-problems. Chapter three is a detailed description of the research methodology, employed in the study. It includes a discussion of the method of inquiry, population and sample, instrument, used to gather the data, and the hypotheses and associated analysis techniques, to be employed in the data analysis. CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Purpose of the Chapter Reviewing literature about the vulnerability of information and trends of cyber terrorism in addition to reviewing available literature on how to best measure trends in cyber attacks is important, because cyber terrorism trends is a topic that requires a historical perspective, as well, as the perspective of other writers. In addition, a trend can only be recognized, if there is a body of evidence and information that is related to the research topic. Reviewing literature is, also, important, as it will help answer part of some of the research questions that have been posed majorly the questions that need for the nature of relationships, to be established. Chapter Organization The chapter will begin by looking at literature that is available on different trends of cyber terrorism and analyzing them. A case study will be included to further elaborate the trends in cyber terrorism. In addition, the connection between terrorist groups and hackers will be explored and botnets to be expounded on. Persistent vulnerabilities will be mentioned followed by a summary, to conclude the chapter. Trends Cyber attacks are coming into the internet world rapidly, and, in most cases, without warning. This trend is quite disconcerting for organizations that have been affected and those that may be affected (Arquilla Ronfeldt, 2001). The situation is made worse by the lack of timely and transparent disclosure that most organizations are affected. Cyber attacks were often considered a nuisance, but the reality of cyber terrorism has become a problem for organizations and to general public with critical industries, standing to experience the most damaging effects (Cashell, Jackson, Jickling Webel, 2004). The trends of cyberterrorism have been gradually moving towards causing serious financial consequences for government and business institutions. According to a study carried out by Ponemon (2010), over $3.8 million is lost to cyber crime every year. Out of the 45 organizations that were studies, the average was having 50 successful attacks in a week. Wilson (2008a), reports that attacks, that have been directed to at computer systems have three ends that result from their means. One is that, the equipment that steers a computer system could be disrupted faulting the reliability of the hardware available (Cronin, 2002a). In addition, the processing logic that is, usually, followed in a system can be altered and, finally, the data that is contained within a computer system can be stolen or corrupted. Another trend that is becoming common in cyber terrorism is collaboration in that the perpetrators of cyber terrorism are collaborating to reduce the chances, of either being pinpointed and to make tracking of the origin of a message, or malicious code harder (Austin Darby, 2003). A case in point of cyber terrorism that ended in dire results, was in Estonia when, in the spring of 2007, the government system experienced a cyber attack that has often been labeled, as cyber terror. On April 27th of the same year, certain officials in Estonia moved a memorial that was meant to celebrate unknown Russians, who had died in combat during the naziNazi regime (Wilson, 2008a). Ethnic Russians rioted at this and a series of distributed denial of service attacks were, also, launched. Servers and computers were flooded, while legitimate users were blocked from accessing websites. This crippled Estonia owing to the fact that the country relied heavily on information technology, and there were limited on the part of managing resources. The problem that persisted in the aftermath of the attack was identifying the perpetrators. The system was already vulnerable, because of the inadequate management and, thus, the denial of service attacks were more effective (Wilson, 2008a). Cyber crime is often conducted through an internet connection. Before, hacking as a cybercrime was done for the main purpose of gaining a reputation among peers, but this trend is changing to one that involves getting profits and monetary gain from these hackings (Cronin, 2002a). As a result of this situation, there are more people with the ability to carry out cyber terrorism for hire. The motives that drive cybercriminals are often different from that of their customers, though, the result is similar (Army, 2005). New forms of technologies are gradually and more often out spacing policy for those, involved in law enforcement. In addition, agencies involved with cyber security and conflicting policies in different countries that govern cyberspace policies, also hinder efforts that are made towards identifying and developing ways to measure cyber attacks (Bagchi Udo, 2003). Thus, another trend of cyber terrorism is that some of those, who have initiated it, have chosen to work in c ountries, where the laws and policies that govern cybercrime do not restrict them from carrying out their activities. In addition that the internet is not restricted by geographical boundaries, contributes to the trend of taking cyber terrorism to countries that do not yet have penalties for cybercrime (Cronin, 2002b). Other than that, some of the high end cybercrime organizations and groups that are available for hire are using techniques that are similar to those of business development, to keep their features up to date with the latest and, most often, the best anti security features (Friman, 2001). The designs of cyber attacks have channged too, to include those that secretly and gradually steal information without leaving any traces behind. Most of the critical industries around the world have a security system that would notice, if information is taken and electronic fingerprints are left behind (British North American committee, n.d.) As a result of this, most cyber terrorists are choosing and modifying their attacks to be undetected. Widespread and fast dissemination of scripts that are assistive in new exploits, have made it possible for programmers, who are unsophisticated to take advantage and use complex techniques that they would normally be incapable of developing (Garg, Curtis Halper, 2003). DDoS (distributed denial of service) attacks have been evolving over the years and they are especially popular in high profile attacks that have gained significant publicity (Bolt Brenner, 2004). Perpetrators of DDoS attacks are taking advantage of the lax security that is often in home computers to plant programs that are malicious that the individual may then take to work with them. Unauthorized intrusions are becoming a great nuisance for governments and businesses. The loss or sharing of sensitive or proprietary information can have very devastating effects (Knapp Boulton, 2006). In the beginning, intrusions were limited to curious and experimental hackers. However, organized crime and terrorist organizations have recognized and acknowledged the benefits of having access to this information (Lawson, 2002). Connection Between Terrorist Groups and Hackers It is difficult to tell the number or nature of terrorist organizations that are directly linked to cybercrime. However, there are connections that exist between criminals and terrorist organizations in that the criminals allow terror networks to expand to other areas of the world through leveraging them transit routes, computer resources and money laundering activities that the criminals operate or are connected to (Lewis, 2002). Major narcotics market regions, like North America, have in their possession optimal technological infrastructure that can open up newer markets and serve transnational needs of terrorist groups (Pladna, 2008). The connection between hackers and terrorism groups is a difficult one to determine, identify and evaluate. Most of the high end hacker groups and very exclusive and only for very high skilled individuals, who are ready to maintain the confidentiality of the group since it enhances their functioning (Rollins, 2005). As a result, they rarely seek publicity or attention making it harder to identify them. It is most likely that terrorist groups will seek the assistance of hackers, who are exclusive and meticulous about confidentiality and secrecy (Rodriguez, 2006). In addition, hackers being available for sale and rent, vulnerabilities that are in different computer systems are, also, available for sale over the internet from special black markets that have been developed by hackers and are supplied and updated on a regular basis (Rollins, 2007). The characteristic mode of operation of hackers, where they take time to meticulously plan for an attack, has also been witnessed in terrorist attacks, especially bombings that have been planned and launched by groups such as Al Qaeda. Botnets Botnets are increasingly gaining popularity in cybercrime becoming a major tool in the field. This is partly because the botnets, can be customized or configured for particular attacks on certain targets, in that they can be utilized in the effective disruption of computer systems that have been targeted, and this happens in different ways (Wilson, 2008a). This means that the attack can be directed to the most vulnerable areas of information infrastructure of different systems. In addition, it is also preferred, because it can be initiated by a malicious user, who does not have adequate skills to go through another avenue, like hacking a complex system (Devost, 2001). The makeup of a botnet or a bot network consists of a number of computers that are infected that have been infected by malicious code, and these codes can be controlled remotely over the internet and directed to certain other networks. The controls that are given remotely are transmitted through commands that have been issued over the internet (Wilson, 2003). Hundreds of the computers that are part of the botnet can work together to distribute a malicious code, harvest information, and disrupt or block internet traffic for the targeted systems. They are among the most versatile trends of cyber terrorism within the underground economy. According to Wilson (2008a), in the 2008 CRS report to the congress, designers of botnets make money by marketing their skills and technical services to those interested. As a result, even terrorist cells that may not have someone with the skills they need can rent her services at a fee. Cyber terrorism is possible following other forms of transactions over the internet, like trading services for a fee. The original mode of sending botnet codes was through sending them in e-mails, but users have grown more weary and cautious, and the designs have, also, changed. Clicking on a spam message or an advertisement banner can secretly install a botnet code on your PC (Erbschloe, 2001). Un-patched vulnerabilities that may be in a browser may permit the installation of a botnet code into a website or a PC (Vatis- M, 2001). There are newer ways being developed to distribute bot software that will make it harder for law enforcement, to identify and track botnet designers. Persistent information infrastructure vulnerabilities Routers are charged with the function of forwarding information to desired destinations. The vulnerability of routers has been persistent, allowing attackers to disrupt certain selected portions of the internet and target particular power stations (Rollins, 2007). Other than that, router vulnerability is a major vulnerability that can allow an attacker to steal an individuals identity (DeMarrais, 2003). This identity could be used to authorize actions that will benefit terrorism. Industries that are critical provide economic targets that are ample and the damages that follow could cause major and crippling effects (Giacomell, 2004). Some of the critical industries that are often attacked deal with power, finance, manufacturing and government (Adams, 2001). Summary There have been various trends witnessed in cyber terrorism, and they include the increase of using hired assistance from experts and causing financial damages. Also, perpetrators of cyber terrorism are working together and moving to regions, where the laws and policies that govern cybercrime will not punish or restrict them. In addition, most cyber terrorists are choosing and modifying their attacks, to be undetected and establishing connections criminal organizations that can allow them to expand faster and wider. The vulnerabilities that are in different computer systems are also available for sale and botnets are increasingly becoming a major tool in the field of cyber terrorism. CHAPTER THREE METHODOLOGY Purpose of the Chapter This chapter will describe the methodology that will be used in gathering data and information that is relevant to the study. It is important, that the methodology should be described, because it will guide the study that has been proposed. The chapter contains, step by step, specific and detailed information about the processes that the study will employ and the instrumentation that will be employed in gathering data. Chapter organization The chapter will contain the method of Inquiry, a detailed description of the population and Sample, the instrumentation that will be used and the procedures. Method of Inquiry Learning about trends requires that information about the past be acquired. Therefore, a literature survey will be carried, and specific attention will be given to reports by CRS and reports from critical industry companies that have experiences cyber attack or cyber terrorism, over the last fifteen years. It is not enough to get information from reports, but also from those, who deal with the problems from a more tangible perspective. Thus, the reports from different critical industries will help in the provision of this information. Population and Sample The United States has been reported as being the hottest target for cyber terrorism with cyber attacks taking place ten times more than those of the nation that follows in number, China. As a result, the United States will be chosen, as the preferable population for its vast number of users and susceptibility to cyber attacks. In addition, it will be easier to establish a trend from a population that has experienced the problem numerous times. Within the US, three companies will be chosen, each to represent the critical industries, which are the finance industry, the government and communications, which will represent a power industry. The department of defense will be the government industry, Wall Street will be the financial one, and Microsoft will represent communications. Instrumentation The reports that are contained in the CRS spanning over the past fifteen years and similar ones, within the companies, will be analyzed. Literature surveys have often been used in carrying out studies that require information that is affected, altered or modified by a situation. Trends are an example of such information. The reports will provide information about the organizations, as a whole, while the literature surveys will provide information about the individuals within different companies. The key words that will be looked for in the literature surveys and reports include cyber terrorism, cyber attacks, hacking, computer security and cyber threats. This is because these words are often used in reports to describe a situation where there has been a breach or a threat to cyber security; including situations of cyber terrorism. Procedures The CRS reports will be obtained from the internet and the company reports on internet security, and vulnerability of infrastructure will be gathered from companies. Specific reports with information about cyber attacks that have been experiences and the inquiries that followed will be given priority. This is, because follow up reports will have information on vulnerability issues. The first step will be to get a research team together and inform them about the details of the research including what they need to look for. After this, the researchers will be divided into groups of three and offered and work station with a computer. Working in groups is known to produce better results, especially in literature surveys. Summary The purpose of this chapter was to explain the details of the methodology that will be used to collect information about the methods that will be used to inquire and attain information for this study, which includes literature survey and vignette results. The population that will be used for the study is the United States, and the sample will be workers and managers from finance, the government and power industries summing up to 45 people. Buy custom Vulnerability of Information Infrastructure and Trends of Cyber Terrorism essay

Celebrate Thanksgiving in Spanish

Celebrate Thanksgiving in Spanish Prepare to speak Spanish on Thanksgiving by learning these words. Many of these words dont have much of a cultural context outside the U.S. and Canada (which celebrates its Thanksgiving in October), as no Spanish-speaking countries have a version of Thanksgiving. The phrase  for Thanksgiving, by the way, is Dà ­a de Accià ³n de Gracias. Thats a mouthful that could be translated literally as the day of the act of thanks. The French form is similar  -   the Canadian Thanksgiving is known as lAction de Grà ¢ce. Holiday-Related Words agradecido (por) - thankful (for)ciberlunes  - Cyber Mondayla colonia - colonycompartir, repartir - to shareel cuerno de la abundancia, la cornucopia - cornucopiael desfile - paradeDios - Godla familia - familyla festividad de la cosecha - harvest festivalel fà ºtbol americano - football (not soccer)gluglà º gluglà º - gobble gobble (turkey sound)las gracias - thanksel indio, la india, el indà ­gena americano, la indà ­gena americana  - American Indian, native Americanel noviembre - Novemberel otoà ±o - autumn, falllos parientes  - relativesel peregrino - pilgrimel viernes negro, el viernes de descuentos  - Black Friday Food-Related Words Keep in mind that names of foods dont necessarily translate well, or might not be understood in Spanish-speaking countries, due to cultural differences. For example, the various words that can be translated as pie include pastel, tarta, empanada, and even pay (pronounced similarly to the English word). All of those words except the last also refer to other types of desserts.Also, it is common with fruits and vegetables for a popular name to be applied to multiple botanical classifications. For example, there are at least eight species of tuberous plants called  Ãƒ ±ames (yams), and a few are unlike what you might find in the U.S.   el arndano rojo - cranberryel banquete - feastel budà ­n, el pudà ­n - puddingla cazuela - casserolela cena - dinnercomer - to eatla cucurbitcea,  la calabaza - squash (the same Spanish terms also are used for other related plants)el maà ­z - cornla mazorca de maà ­z - corn on the cobel à ±ame, la batata, el boniato - yamel panecillo - dinner rollel pastel (o la tarta) de calabaza  - pumpkin pieel pavo  - turkeyel pavo asado  - roast turkeyel purà © de patatas - mashed potatoesel relleno - stuffing, turkey dressingla salsa para carne - gravylas sobras, los restos - leftoverslas verduras - vegetables Vocabulary Notes Ñame, the word for yam is one of the few Spanish words to start with  Ãƒ ±. Among the more common ones are à ±oà ±o (insipid or dull) and words derived from it, à ±ora (red pepper), and à ±u (gnu). Panecillo shows how diminutive suffixes are used. Pan is the word for bread, so even if you didnt know what panecillo means, you might guess that it is a small type of bread. In Spanish, it is sometimes possible to distinguish between  male and female animals by using the masculine and feminine forms of the word. Thus a female turkey is una pava. Some other animal names follow a similar pattern: Una mona is a female monkey, una polla is a young hen (and also an off-color word with a different meaning), and una puerca is a sow. But dont assume that any feminine animal name refers to the feminine of the species. For example, una jirafa is a giraffe regardless of its sex. While  relleno would normally be used to refer to turkey stuffing, the same word can be used for just about any type of food filling. A stuffed chili, for example, is known as a chile relleno. While verduras is the word to use when talking about vegetables as a food, vegetales is used more often when talking about vegetables as a type of plant. Sample Sentences Los indios de la tribu de los Wampanoag enseà ±aron a los peregrinos cà ³mo sembrar maà ­z. (The Indians of the Wampanoag tribe taught the pilgrims how to plant corn.) No es difà ­cil prepara un pavo exquisito para celebrar el dà ­a con tus amigos y familiares. (It isnt difficult to prepare a delicious turkey for celebrating the day with your friends and family members.) Despuà ©s de la cena, vamos a ver un juego de fà ºtbol americano. (After dinner, well watch a football game.) Tenemos mucha gratitud por todo lo que tenemos. (Were grateful for everything we have.) Key Takeaways No Spanish-speaking country has a version of Thanksgiving, so native Spanish speakers in those countries may have little cultural context when dealing with Thanksgiving-related words.When translating holiday-related words to Spanish, keep in mind that there may be only a partial correlation between meanings. For example, while a gravy is salsa in Spanish, salsa can refer to many other types of sauce as well.The Spanish phrase for the holiday itself is a long one: Dia de Accià ³n de Gracias.

Marketing Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Marketing Plan - Essay Example Competition from Blackpool Beach will decrease income from both inbound international tourism and local tourism by a considerable margin (between 8-10%). iii. With the tourism in Scotland on the rise (VisitScotland 2012), our competitors will institute new facilities and recreational activities for the summer season before March 2014. Marketing Objectives Aberdeen Beach offers a serene, beautiful and relaxing environment for tourists, both local and international. Apart from coming up with a mission statement that is both marketing oriented and consumer-focused, Aberdeen City Council should create an objective to attain cumulative growth in tourism volume of at least 60% over the next three years. At least 30% of this tourism growth should result from local tourist and from new facilities that offer activities that are non-seasonal or are generally undertaken during the off-peak period. Aberdeen beach should also institute efforts to capture over 25% of the tourism market share in th e area within the next 3 years. This will make sure that it is the biggest tourist destination in the area. Better facilities and activities that take advantage of off-peak tourism will ensure that it offers valid competition to Blackpool beach. To accomplish the various marketing objectives laid down, the Aberdeen City Council should put benchmarks in place to assess progress. Frequent evaluation of these objectives will offer feedback and potential remedial actions on a timely basis. The chief marketing objective is to improve the perceptions tourists as well as the locals have about the Aberdeen Beach. Since Aberdeen beach has been slowly losing both the local and the international tourists, it must not be satisfying its current consumers. The city council should review the problems that hinder success and use it to not only keep its current tourism base but encourage new international and local tourists to the area. To improve success, benchmarks should be developed to understan d how the city council can improve the experience of tourists to the beach through knowledge of tourist’s needs and specific opportunities for instituting new recreational facilities. The benchmarks should be developed through market research as well as the City Council’s marketing information system. Another objective should be the institution of an education program that will serve to educate the local residents about the issue of climate change and the rising flood risk in the area. The City Council should collaborate with the local residents in efforts to conserve and restore the beach (Robert Gordon 2013). The City Council should also create a new office that deals with beach security and cleanliness. It should interact with local residents and set up an institution that deals with cleaning up the beach and ensuring that companies and other individuals do not use the beach as a dumping point. According to Chan, Leung, and Wong (2006) collaborative environment rest oration efforts can be utilized as a means of advertisement both for local consumers and international. It should also collaborate with local law enforcement to ensure that visitors to the beach are safe. Marketing Strategies A. Target Markets Target Market 1: The first target market is the local tourists. Posters and customized calendars showing the beauty of Aberdeen beach could help reconnect with the local population. The Beach has also received bad

Alliance Design analysis of alternatives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Alliance Design analysis of alternatives - Essay Example The industry Alliance Design Concepts is involved in is quite lucrative, and the company seems to be doing well, but it can do better. The challenges faced by the company are not new. In fact, they are common in all companies that conduct any form of purchases and that deal in different currencies as part of their operations. The crux of the matter lies in the strategy used to manage these issues, and not the fact that they exist. From the information provided, it is clear that the company is struggling to stay abreast of fluctuations in exchange rates and avoid the risk created by fluctuations in exchange rates. Looking at the processes and mechanisms the company uses in price quotation, equipment acquisition, and exchange rate management is not as effective as it should be. If they were effective, the company would not be experiencing the challenges it currently faces. It is safe to say that poor management is at the heart of Alliance Design Concept’s struggles. Better financial and management, together with efficient and effective operations management, is sufficient to get the company out of the rut. The company’s profit margins are good enough to give it a clean bill of health financially, but this will not be sustained for long if it keeps losing money through exchange rate fluctuations. In fact, since it has been stated that the company’s profit margins are affected by monies lost to the unpredictability of exchange rates, the profit margins may start reducing gradually until they reach worryingly low levels. Effective management, in any business, involves blocking all avenues through which funds are lost, and reducing expenditure as much as possible. Alliance Design Concepts’ failure to apply this fundamental business principle has significantly contributed towards the dwindling of its fortunes. The best way for Alliance Design Concepts to manage its issues is to streamline its processes and reduce any

Uniformity of a Leader Essay Example for Free

Uniformity of a Leader Essay a. The Continental Army was created 14JUNE1776 and was primarily made up of civilians. They endured hardships but they had little organization. General Washington enlisted the help of the Prussian officer Baron Friedrich Von Steuben through Benjamin Franklin to teach the men drill. Discipline became a part of military life for these selected individuals as they learned to respond to command without hesitation. As the Americans mastered the art of drill, they began to work as a team and to develop a sense of pride in themselves and in their unit. b. Regulations published in 1779 establish the Army uniform as blue with colored facings based on region: white for New England; red for the Mid-Atlantic; and blue for the South. Musicians wore uniform coats in reverse colors. In 1782, blue coats faced red became standard for everyone except generals and staff officers. c. The Advanced Combat Uniform (ACU) started replacing the Battle Dress Uniform(BDU) and the Desert Camouflage Uniform (DCU) as the combat and garrison uniform in early 2005. d. In 2010, the MultiCam ACU was approved to wear for soldiers deploying to Afghanistan. 3. Importance of Uniformity as a Leader- a. The Army is a uniformed service where discipline is judged, in part, by the manner in which a soldier wears a prescribed uniform, as well as by the individual’s personal NGOK-RTI-GSO SUBJECT: History and Importance of Uniformity as a Leader appearance. Therefore, a neat and well-groomed appearance by all soldiers is fundamental to the Army and contributes to building the pride and esprit essential to an effective military force. A vital ingredient of the Army’s strength and military effectiveness is the pride and self discipline that American soldiers bring to their Service through a conservative military image. It is the responsibility of commanders to ensure that military personnel under their command present a neat and soldierly appearance. Therefore, in the absence of specific procedures or guidelines, commanders must determine a soldier’s compliance with standards in this regulation. Soldiers must take pride in their appearance at all times, in or out of uniform, on and off duty. Pride in appearance includes soldiers’ physical fitness and adherence to acceptable weight standards, in accordance with AR 600–9.(AR 670-1 Paragraph 1-7a, Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia 03 February 2005) b. Every soldier has certain duties, responsibilities, and most have some level of authority. You should know what these are and how they apply to you. One of your obligations as a soldier is to carry out your duties to standard and the best of your ability. Bear your responsibilities knowing that you are part of a great team that only works well when each of its members do their best. If you are in a leadership position, exert authority to build the team and develop your soldiers. Your fellow soldiers are depending on you each and every day to make tough decisions based on your rank and duty position. (FM 7-21.13, Chapter 3-1, 15 October 2003) c. Uniformity helps keep soldiers safe. By creating a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), soldiers will know where to find important items to help their comrades when injured during battle. e. Keeping a soldier on track is the key element in solving performance problems. Motivated soldiers keep the group functioning and training productive. Ultimately soldiers accomplish the training objectives, and most importantly, the mission. Some leaders believe that soldiers work as expected simply because that is their job. That may be true, but soldiers and leaders also need a simple pat-on-the-back once in a while, for a job well done. Good leaders praise their soldiers and care about the job they are doing. Soldiers not performing to standard need correction. (FM 7-21.13, Chapter 3-45, 15 October 2003) f. Pride in self starts with pride in appearance. Army leaders are expected to look and act like professionals. They must know how to wear the appropriate uniform or civilian attire and do so with pride. Soldiers seen in public with their jackets unbuttoned and ties undone do not send a message of pride and professionalism. Instead, they let down their unit and fellow Soldiers in the eyes of the American people. Meeting prescribed height and weight standards is another integral part of the professional role. How leaders carry themselves when displaying military courtesy and appearance sends a clear signal: I am NGOK-RTI-GSO SUBJECT: History and Importance of Uniformity as a Leader proud of my uniform, my unit, and my country.

A History of the Overture and its Use in the Wind Band: An Annotated Gu

A History of the Overture and its Use in the Wind Band The term overture is be defined as "a piece of music of moderate length, either introducing a dramatic work or intended for concert performance" (Sadie, 1980). It may be a single or multi-movement composition preceding an opera, ballet or oratorio; a single movement prelude to a non-musical dramatic work; or a single movement concert piece detached from its original context intended to be performed alone (Peyser, 1986). The overture grew out of 17th century baroque dramatic works which began with either a French ouverture, the word from which the term is derived, or an Italian overture (Sadie, 1980). Composers such as Lully, Purcell and Handel used the French overture which is in two sections, each marked with a repeat. The French overture begins with a slow homophonic section frequently using dotted rhythms often ending on a half cadence and then moves to a faster fugal or "quasi-fugal" section which usually makes a return to the slow tempo and rhythms of the first section (Stolba, 1998). The Italian overture, or sinfonia as it was sometimes called, was written in three movements which are fast-slow-fast in order, the finale often written in a dance like character (Peyser, 1986). By the eighteenth century, this type of overture prevailed for operas even in France with the first movement becoming longer and more elaborate. Sonata form was generally used and a slow introduction would often begin the work (Sadie, 1980). Due to the loose terminology of the eighteenth century, symphonies and suites were sometimes called overtures (Peyser, 1986). The slow-fast-slow alternation of tempos foreshadowed the order of movements in the Classical symphony, lacking only the menue... ..., Volume 2. Chicago, IL: GIA Publications, Inc. National Band Association (1997) Selective Music List for Bands 4th Edition. Nashville, TN: National Band Association. Peyser, J. (1986) The Orchestra: Origins and Transformations. New York: Charles Scribner’s and Sons. Sadie, S. (1980) New Grove Dictionary for Music and Musicians. London: MacMillian. Smith, N & Stoutamire, A. (1989) Band Music Notes. Lake Charles, LA: Program Note Press. Stolba, M. K. (1998) The Development of Western Music, A History, Third Edition. Boston, MA: McGraw Hill Stone, S. (1999) Charles Carter’s Symphonic Overture. The Instrumentalist, 54, 36, 38, 40, 42. Turner, D. L. (1990) Conductor’s Choice: Annotated Selective Music List for Band Greenville, SC: Bob Jones University Press. http://www.grovemusic.com/grovemusic//article/section/4/407/40774.3.5.html

The Twilight Saga 2: New Moon Chapter 23 THE TRUTH

I HAD THE SENSE THAT I'D BEEN ASLEEP FOR A VERY long timemy body was stiff, like I hadn't moved once through all that time, either. My mind was dazed and slow; strange, colorful dreamsdreams and nightmaresswirled dizzily around the inside of my head. They were so vivid. The horrible and the heavenly, all mixed together into a bizarre jumble. There was sharp impatience and fear, both part of that frustrating dream where your feet can't move fast enough And there were plenty of monsters, red-eyed fiends that were all the more ghastly for their genteel civility. The dream was still strongI could even remember the names. But the strongest, clearest part of the dream was not the horror. It was the angel that was most clear. It was hard to let him go and wake up. This dream did not want to be shoved away into the vault of dreams I refused to revisit. I struggled with it as my mind became more alert, focusing on reality. I couldn't remember what day of the week it was, but I was sure Jacob or school or work or something was waiting for me. I inhaled deeply, wondering how to face another day. Something cold touched my forehead with the softest pressure. I squeezed my eyes more tightly shut. I was still dreaming, it seemed, and it felt abnormally real. I was so close to waking any second now, and it would be gone. But I realized that it felt too real, too real to be good for me. The stone arms I imagined wrapped around me were far too substantial. If I let this go any further, I'd be sorry for it later. With a resigned sigh, I wrenched back my eyelids to dispel the illusion. â€Å"Oh!† I gasped, and threw my fists over my eyes. Well, clearly, I'd gone too far; it must have been a mistake to let my imagination get so out of hand. Okay, so â€Å"let† was the wrong word. I'd forced it to get out of handpretty much stalked my hallucinationsand now my mind had snapped. It took less than half a second for me to realize that, as long as I was truly insane now, I might as well enjoy the delusions while they were pleasant. I opened my eyes againand Edward was still there, his perfect face just inches away from mine. â€Å"Did I frighten you?† His low voice was anxious. This was very good, as delusions went. The face, the voice, the scent, everythingit was so much better than drowning. The beautiful figment of my imagination watched my changing expressions, with alarm. His irises were pitch-black, with bruise-like shadows under them. This surprised me; my hallucinatory Edwards were usually better fed. I blinked twice, desperately trying to remember the last thing that I was sure was real. Alice was part of my dream, and I wondered if she had really come back at all, or if that was just the preamble. I thought she'd returned the day I'd nearly drowned â€Å"Oh, crap† I croaked. My throat was thick with sleeping. â€Å"What's wrong, Bella?† I frowned at him unhappily. His face was even more anxious than before. â€Å"I'm dead, right?† I moaned. â€Å"I did drown. Crap, crap, crap! This is gonna kill Charlie.† Edward frowned, too. â€Å"You're not dead.† â€Å"Then why am I not waking up?† I challenged, raising my eyebrows. â€Å"You are awake, Bella.† I shook my head. â€Å"Sure, sure. That's what you want me to think. And then it will be worse when I do wake up. If I wake up, which I won't, because I'm dead. This is awful. Poor Charlie. And Renee and Jake† I trailed off in horror at what I had done. â€Å"I can see where you might confuse me with a nightmare.† His short-lived smile was grim. â€Å"But I can't imagine what you could have done to wind up in hell. Did you commit many murders while I was away?† I grimaced. â€Å"Obviously not. If I was in hell, you wouldn't be with me.† He sighed. My head was getting clearer. My eyes flickered away from his faceunwillinglyfor one second, to the dark, open window, and then back to him. I started to remember details and I felt a faint, unfamiliar blush warm the skin over my cheekbones as I slowly realized that Edward was really, truly here with me, and I was wasting time being an idiot. â€Å"Did all of that really happen, then?† It was almost impossible to reassign my dream as reality. I couldn't wrap my head around the concept. â€Å"That depends.† Edward's smile was still hard. â€Å"If you're referring to us nearly being massacred in Italy, then, yes.† â€Å"How strange,† I mused. â€Å"I really went to Italy. Did you know I'd never been farther east than Albuquerque?† He rolled his eyes. â€Å"Maybe you should go back to sleep. You're not coherent.† â€Å"I'm not tired anymore.† It was all coming clear now. â€Å"What time is it? How long have I been sleeping?† â€Å"It's just after one in the morning. So, about fourteen hours.† I stretched as he spoke. I was so stiff. â€Å"Charlie?† I asked. Edward frowned. â€Å"Sleeping. You should probably know that I'm breaking the rules right now. Well, not technically, since he said I was never to walk through his door again, and I came in the window But, still, the intent was clear.† â€Å"Charlie banned you from the house?† I asked, disbelief quickly melting into fury. His eyes were sad. â€Å"Did you expect anything else?† My eyes were mad. I was going to have a few words with my fatherperhaps it would be a good time to remind him that I was over the legal age of adulthood. It didn't matter so much, of course, except in principle. All too soon there would be no reason for the prohibition. I turned my thoughts to less painful avenues. â€Å"What's the story?† I asked, genuinely curious, but also trying desperately to keep the conversation casual, to keep a firm grip on myself, so I wouldn't scare him away with the frantic, gnawing craving that was raging inside me. â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"What am I telling Charlie? What's my excuse for disappearing for how long was I gone, anyway?† I tried to count the hours in my head. â€Å"Just three days.† His eyes tightened, but he smiled more naturally this time. â€Å"Actually, I was hoping you might have a good explanation. I've got nothing.† I groaned. â€Å"Fabulous.† â€Å"Well, maybe Alice will come up with something,† he offered, trying to comfort me. And I was comforted. Who cared what I had to deal with later? Every second that he was hereso close, his flawless face glowing in the dim light from the numbers on my alarm clockwas precious and not to be wasted. â€Å"So,† I began, picking the least importantthough still vitally interestingquestion to start with. I was safely delivered home, and he might decide to leave at any moment. I had to keep him talking. Besides, this temporary heaven wasn't entirely complete without the sound of his voice. â€Å"What have you been doing, up until three days ago?† His face turned wary in an instant. â€Å"Nothing terribly exciting.† â€Å"Of course not,† I mumbled. â€Å"Why are you making that face?† â€Å"Well† I pursed my lips, considering. â€Å"If you were, after all, just a dream, that's exactly the kind of thing you would say. My imagination must be used up.† He sighed. â€Å"If I tell you, will you finally believe that you're not having a nightmare?† â€Å"Nightmare!† I repeated scornfully. He waited for my answer. â€Å"Maybe,† I said after a second of thought. â€Å"If you tell me.† â€Å"I was hunting.† â€Å"Is that the best you can do?† I criticized. â€Å"That definitely doesn't prove I'm awake.† He hesitated, and then spoke slowly, choosing his words with care. â€Å"I wasn't hunting fot food I was actually trying my hand at tracking. I'm not very good at it.† â€Å"What were you tracking?† I asked, intrigued. â€Å"Nothing of consequence.† His words didn't match his expression; he looked upset, uncomfortable. â€Å"I don't understand.† He hesitated; his face, shining with an odd green cast from the light of the clock, was torn. â€Å"I† He took a deep breath. â€Å"I owe you an apology. No, of course I owe you much, much more than that. But you have to know,†the words began to flow so fast, the way I remembered he spoke sometimes when he was agitated, that I really had to concentrate to catch them all†that I had no idea. I didn't realize the mess I was leaving behind. I thought it was safe for you here. So safe. I had no idea that Victoria,†his lips curled back when he said the name†would come back. I'll admit, when I saw her that one time, I was paying much more attention to James's thoughts. But I just didn't see that she had this kind of response in her. That she even had such a tie to him. I think I realize why nowshe was so sure of him, the thought of him failing never occurred to her. It was her overconfidence that clouded her feelings about himthat kept me from seeing the depth of them, the bond there. â€Å"Not that there's any excuse for what I left you to face. When I heard what you told Alicewhat she saw herselfwhen I realized that you had to put your life in the hands of werewolves, immature, volatile, the worst thing out there besides Victoria herselfhe shuddered and the gush of words halted for a short second. â€Å"Please know that I had no idea of any of this. I feel sick, sick to my core, even now, when I can see and feel you safe in my arms. I am the most miserable excuse for† â€Å"Stop,† I interrupted him. He stared at me with agonized eyes, and I tried to find the right wordsthe words that would free him from this imagined obligation that caused him so much pain. They were very hard words to say. I didn't know if I could get them out without breaking down. But I had to try to do it right. I didn't want to be a source of guilt and anguish in his life. He should be happy, no matter what it cost me. I'd really been hoping to put off this part of our last conversation. It was going to bring things to an end so much sooner. Drawing on all my months of practice with trying to be normal for Charlie, I kept my face smooth. â€Å"Edward,† I said. His name burned my throat a little on the way out. I could feel the ghost of the hole, waiting to rip itself wide again as soon as he disappeared. I didn't quite see how I was going to survive it this time. â€Å"This has to stop now. You can't think about things that way. You can't let this this guilt rule your life. You can't take responsibility for the things that happen to me here. None of it is your fault, it's just part of how life is for me. So, if I trip in front of a bus or whatever it is next time, you have to realize that it's not your job to take the blame. You can't just go running off to Italy because you feel bad that you didn't save me. Even if I had jumped off that cliff to die, that would have been my choice, and not your fault. I know it's your your nature to shoulder the blame for everything, but you really can't let that make you go to such extremes! It's very irresponsiblethink of Esme and Carlisle and† I was on the edge of losing it. I stopped to take a deep breath, hoping to calm myself. I had to set him free. I had to make sure this never happened again. â€Å"Isabella Marie Swan,† he whispered, the strangest expression crossing his face. He almost looked mad. â€Å"Do you believe that I asked the Volturi to kill me because I felt guilty?† I could feel the blank incomprehension on my face. â€Å"Didn't you?† â€Å"Feel guilty? Intensely so. More than you can comprehend.† â€Å"Then what are you saying? I don't understand.† â€Å"Bella, I went to the Volturi because I thought you were dead,† he said, voice soft, eyes fierce. â€Å"Even if I'd had no hand in your death†he shuddered as he whispered the last word†even if it wasn't my fault, I would have gone to Italy. Obviously, I should have been more carefulI should have spoken to Alice directly, rather than accepting it secondhand from Rosalie. But, really, what was I supposed to think when the boy said Charlie was at the funeral? What are the odds? â€Å"The odds† he muttered then, distracted. His voice was so low I wasn't sure I beard it right. â€Å"The odds are always stacked against us. Mistake after mistake. I'll never criticize Romeo again.† â€Å"But I still don't understand,† I said. â€Å"That's my whole point. So what?† â€Å"Excuse me?† â€Å"So what if I was dead?† He stared at me dubiously for a long moment before answering. â€Å"Don't you remember anything I told you before?† â€Å"I remember everything that you told me.† Including the words that had negated all the rest. He brushed the tip of his cool finger against my lower lip. â€Å"Bella, you seem to be under a misapprehension.† He closed his eyes, shaking his head back and forth with half a smile on his beautiful face. It wasn't a happy smile. â€Å"I thought I'd explained it clearly before. Bella, I can't live in a world where you don't exist.† â€Å"I am† My head swam as I looked for the appropriate word. â€Å"Confused.† That worked. I couldn't make sense of what he was saying. He stared deep into my eyes with his sincere, earnest gaze. â€Å"I'm a good liar, Bella, I have to be.† I froze, my muscles locking down as if for impact. The fault line in my chest rippled; the pain of it took my breath away. He shook my shoulder, trying to loosen my rigid pose. â€Å"Let me finish! I'm a good liar, but still, for you to believe me so quickly.† He winced. â€Å"That was excruciating.† I waited, still frozen. â€Å"When we were in the forest, when I was telling you goodbye† I didn't allow myself to remember. I fought to keep myself in the present second only. â€Å"You weren't going to let go,† he whispered. â€Å"I could see that. I didn't want to do itit felt like it would kill me to do itbut I knew that if I couldn't convince you that I didn't love you anymore, it would just take you that much longer to get on with your life. I hoped that, if you thought I'd moved on, so would you.† â€Å"A clean break,† I whispered through unmoving lips. â€Å"Exactly. But I never imagined it would be so easy to do! I thought it would be next to impossiblethat you would be so sure of the truth that I would have to lie through my teeth for hours to even plant the seed of doubt in your head. I lied, and I'm so sorrysorry because I hurt you, sorry because it was a worthless effort. Sorry that I couldn't protect you from what I an. I lied to save you, and it didn't work. I'm sorry. â€Å"But how could you believe me? After all the thousand times I've told you I love you, how could you let one word break your faith in me?† I didn't answer. I was too shocked to form a rational response. â€Å"I could see it in your eyes, that you honestly believed that I didn't want you anymore. The most absurd, ridiculous conceptas if there were anu way that I could exist without needing you!† I was still frozen. His words were incomprehensible, because they were impossible. He shook my shoulder again, not hard, but enough that my teeth rattled a little. â€Å"Bella,† he sighed. â€Å"Really, what were you thinking!† And so I started to cry. The tears welled up and then gushed miserably down my cheeks. â€Å"I knew it,† I sobbed. â€Å"I knew I was dreaming.† â€Å"You're impossible,† he said, and he laughed oncea hard laugh, frustrated. â€Å"How can I put this so that you'll believe me? You're not asleep, and you're not dead. I'm here, and I love you. I have always loved you, and I will always love you. I was thinking of you, seeing your face in my mind, every second that I was away. When I told you that I didn't want you, it was the very blackest kind of blasphemy.† I shook my head while the tears continued to ooze from the corners of my eyes. â€Å"You don't believe me, do you?† he whispered, his face paler than his usual paleI could see that even in the dim light. â€Å"Why can you believe the lie, but not the truth?† â€Å"It never made sense for you to love me,† I explained, my voice breaking twice. â€Å"I always knew that.† His eyes narrowed, his jaw tightened. â€Å"I'll prove you're awake,† he promised. He caught my face securely between his iron hands, ignoring my struggles when I tried to turn my head away. â€Å"Please don't,† I whispered. He stopped, his lips just half an inch from mine. â€Å"Why not?† he demanded. His breath blew into my face, making my head whirl. â€Å"When I wake up†He opened his mouth to protest, so I revised†okay, forget that onewhen you leave again, it's going to be hard enough without this, too.† He pulled back an inch, to stare at my face. â€Å"Yesterday, when I would touch you, you were so hesitant, so careful, and yet still the same. I need to know why. Is it because I'm too late? Because I've hurt you too much? Because you have moved on, as I meant for you to? That would be quite fair. I won't contest your decision. So don't try to spare my feelings, pleasejust tell me now whether or not you can still love me, after everything I've done to you. Can you?† he whispered. â€Å"What kind of an idiotic question is that?† â€Å"Just answer it. Please.† I stared at him darkly for a long moment. â€Å"The way I feel about you will never change. Of course I love youand there's nothing you can do about it!† â€Å"That's all I needed to hear.† His mouth was on mine then, and I couldn't fight him. Not because he was so many thousand times stronger than me, but because my will crumbled into dust the second our lips met. This kiss was not quite as careful as others I remembered, which suited me just fine. If I was going to rip myself up further, I might as well get as much in trade as possible. So I kissed him back, my heart pounding out a jagged, disjointed rhythm while my breathing turned to panting and my fingers moved greedily to his face. I could feel his marble body against every line of mine, and I was so glad he hadn't listened to methere was no pain in the world that would have justified missing this. His hands memorized my face, the same way mine were tracing his, and, in the brief seconds when his lips were free, he whispered my name. When I was starting to get dizzy, he pulled away, only to lay his ear against my heart. I lay there, dazed, waiting for my gasping to slow and quiet. â€Å"By the way,† he said in a casual tone. â€Å"I'm not leaving you.† I didn't say anything, and he seemed to hear skepticism in my silence. He lifted his face to lock my gaze in his. â€Å"I'm not going anywhere. Not without you,† he added more seriously. â€Å"I only left you in the first place because I wanted you to have a chance at a normal, happy, human life. I could see what I was doing to youkeeping you constantly on the edge of danger, taking you away from the world you belonged in, risking your life every moment I was with you. So I had to try. I had to do something, and it seemed like leaving was the only way. If I hadn't thought you would be better off, I could have never made myself leave. I'm much too selfish. Only you could be more important than what I wanted what I needed. What I want and need is to be with you, and I know I'll never be strong enough to leave again. I have too many excuses to staythank heaven for that! It seems you can't be safe, no matter how many miles I put between us.† â€Å"Don't promise me anything,† I whispered. If I let myself hope, and it came to nothing that would kill me. Where all those merciless vampires had not been able to finish me off, hope would do the job. Anger glinted metallic in his black eyes. â€Å"You think I'm lying to you now?† â€Å"Nonot lying.† I shook my head, trying to think it through coherently. To examine the hypothesis that he did love me, while staying objective, clinical, so I wouldn't fall into the trap of hoping. â€Å"You could mean it now. But what about tomorrow, when you think about all the reasons you left in the first place? Or next month, when Jasper takes a snap at me?† He flinched. I thought back over those last days of my life before he left me, tried to see them through the filter of what he was telling me now. From that perspective, imagining that he'd left me while loving me, left me for me, his brooding and cold silences took on a different meaning. â€Å"It isn't as if you hadn't thought the first decision through, is it?† I guessed. â€Å"You'll end up doing what you think is right.† â€Å"I'm not as strong as you give me credit for,† he said. â€Å"Right and wrong have ceased to mean much to me; I was coming back anyway. Before Rosalie told me the news, I was already past trying to live through one week at a time, or even one day. I was fighting to make it through a single hour. It was only a matter of timeand not much of itbefore I showed up at your window and begged you to take me back. I'd be happy to beg now, if you'd like that.† I grimaced. â€Å"Be serious, please.† â€Å"Oh, I am,† he insisted, glaring now. â€Å"Will you please try to hear what I'm telling you? Will you let me attempt to explain what you mean to me?† He waited, studying my face as he spoke to make sure I was really listening. â€Å"Before you, Bella, my life was like a moonless night. Very dark, but there were starspoints of light and reason And then you shot across my sky like a meteor. Suddenly everything was on fire; there was brilliancy, there was beauty. When you were gone, when the meteor had fallen over the horizon, everything went black. Nothing had changed, but my eyes were blinded by the light. I couldn't see the stars anymore. And there was no more reason for anything.† I wanted to believe him. But this was my life without him that he was describing, not the other way around. â€Å"Your eyes will adjust,† I mumbled. â€Å"That's just the problemthey can't.† â€Å"What about your distractions?† He laughed without a trace of humor. â€Å"Just part of the lie, love. There was no distraction from the the agony. My heart hasn't beat in almost ninety years, but this was different. It was like my heart was gonelike I was hollow. Like I'd left everything that was inside me here with you.† â€Å"That's funny,† I muttered. He arched one perfect eyebrow. â€Å"Funny? â€Å" â€Å"I meant strangeI thought it was just me. Lots of pieces of me went missing, too. I haven't been able to really breathe in so long.† I filled my lungs, luxuriating in the sensation. â€Å"And my heart. That was definitely lost.† He closed his eyes and laid his ear over my heart again. I let my cheek press against his hair, felt the texture of it on my skin, smelled the delicious scent of him. â€Å"Tracking wasn't a distraction then?† I asked, curious, and also needing to distract myself. I was very much in danger of hoping. I wouldn't be able to stop myself for long. My heart throbbed, singing in my chest. â€Å"No.† He sighed. â€Å"That was never a distraction. It was an obligation.† â€Å"What does that mean?† â€Å"It means that, even though I never expected any danger from Victoria, I wasn't going to let her get away with Well, like I said, I was horrible at it. I traced her as far as Texas, but then I followed a false lead down to Braziland really she came here.† He groaned. â€Å"I wasn't even on the right continent! And all the while, worse than my worst fears† â€Å"You were hunting Victoria?† I half-shrieked as soon as I could find my voice, shooting through two octaves. Charlie's distant snores stuttered, and then picked up a regular rhythm again. â€Å"Not well,† Edward answered, studying my outraged expression with a confused look. â€Å"But I'll do better this time. She won't be tainting perfectly good air by breathing in and out for much longer.† â€Å"That is out of the question,† I managed to choke out. Insanity. Even if he had Emmett or Jasper help him. Even if he had Emmett and Jasper help. It was worse than my other imaginings: Jacob Black standing across a small space from Victoria's vicious and feline figure. I couldn't bear to picture Edward there, even though he was so much more durable than my half-human best friend. â€Å"It's too late for her. I might have let the other time slide, but not now, not after† I interrupted him again, trying to sound calm. â€Å"Didn't you just promise that you weren't going to leave?† I asked, fighting the words as I said them, nor letting them plant themselves in my heart. â€Å"That isn't exactly compatible with an extended tracking expedition, is it?† He frowned. A snarl began to build low in his chest. â€Å"I will keep my promise, Bella. But Victoria†the snarl became more pronounced†is going to die. Soon.† â€Å"Let's not be hasty,† I said, trying to hide my panic. â€Å"Maybe she's not coming back. Jake's pack probably scared her off. There's really no reason to go looking for her. Besides, I've got bigger problems than Victoria.† Edward's eyes narrowed, but he nodded. â€Å"It's true. The werewolves are a problem.† I snorted. â€Å"I wasn't talking about Jacob. My problems are a lot worse that a handful of adolescent wolves getting themselves into trouble.† Edward looked as if he were about to say something, and then thought better of it. His teeth clicked together, and he spoke through them. â€Å"Really?† he asked. â€Å"Then what would be your greatest problem? That would make Victoria's returning for you seem like such an inconsequential matter in comparison?† â€Å"How about the second greatest?† I hedged. â€Å"All right,† he agreed, suspicious. I paused. I wasn't sure I could say the name. â€Å"There are others who are coming to look for me,† I reminded him in a subdued whisper. He sighed, but the reaction was not as strong as I would have imagined after his response to Victoria. â€Å"The Volturi are only the second greatest?† â€Å"You don't seem that upset about it,† I noted. â€Å"Well, we have plenty of time to think it through. Time means something very different to them than it does to you, or even me. They count years the way you count days. I wouldn't be surprised if you were thirty before you crossed their minds again,† he added lightly. Horror washed through me. Thirty. So his promises meant nothing, in the end. If I were going to turn thirty someday, then he couldn't be planning on staying long. The harsh pain of this knowledge made me realize that I'd already begun to hope, without giving myself permission to do 5.0. â€Å"You don't have to be afraid,† he said, anxious as he watched the tears dew up again on the rims of my eyes. â€Å"I won't let them hurt you.† â€Å"While you're here.† Not that I cared what happened to me when he left. He took my face between his two stone hands, holding it tightly while his midnight eyes glared into mine with the gravitational force of a black hole. â€Å"I will never leave you again.† â€Å"But you said thirty,† I whispered. The tears leaked over the edge. â€Å"What? You're going to stay, but let me get all old anyway? Right.† His eyes softened, while his mouth went hard. â€Å"That's exactly what I'm going to do. What choice have I? I cannot be without you, but I will not destroy your soul.† â€Å"Is this really† I tried to keep my voice even, but this question was too hard. I remembered his face when Aro had almost begged him to consider making me immortal. The sick look there. Was this fixation with keeping me human really about my soul, or was it because he wasn't sure that he wanted me around that long? â€Å"Yes?† he asked, waiting for my question. I asked a different one. Almostbut not quiteas hard. â€Å"But what about when I get so old that people think I'm your mother? Your grandmother?† My voice was pale with revulsionI could see Gran's face again in the dream mirror. His whole face was soft now. He brushed the tears from my cheek with his lips. â€Å"That doesn't mean anything to me,† he breathed against my skin. â€Å"You will always be the most beautiful thing in my world. Of course† He hesitated, flinching slightly. â€Å"If you outgrew meif you wanted something moreI would understand that, Bella. I promise I wouldn't stand in your way if you wanted to leave me.† His eyes were liquid onyx and utterly sincere. He spoke as if he'd put endless amounts of thought into this asinine plan. â€Å"You do realize that I'll die eventually, right?† I demanded. He'd thought about this part, too. â€Å"I'll follow after as soon as I can.† â€Å"That is seriously†I looked for the right word. â€Å"Sick.† â€Å"Bella, it's the only right way left† â€Å"Let's just back up for a minute,† I said; feeling angry made it so much easier to be clear, decisive. â€Å"You do remember the Volturi, right? I can't stay human forever. They'll kill me. Even if they don't think of me tillI'm thirty†I hissed the word†do you really think they'll forget?† â€Å"No,† he answered slowly, shaking his head. â€Å"They won't forget. But† â€Å"But?† He grinned while I stared at him warily. Maybe I wasn't the only crazy one. â€Å"I have a few plans.† â€Å"And these plans,† I said, my voice getting more acidic with each word. â€Å"These plans all center around me staying human.† My attitude hardened his expression. â€Å"Naturally.† His tone was brusque, his divine face arrogant. We glowered at each other for a long minute. Then I took a deep breath, squared my shoulders, I pushed his arms away so that I could sit up. â€Å"Do you want me to leave?† he asked, and it made my heart flutter to see that this idea hurt him, though he tried not to show it. â€Å"No,† I told him. â€Å"I'm leaving.† He watched me suspiciously as I climbed out of the bed and fumbled around in the dark room, looking for my shoes. â€Å"May I ask where you are going.'† he asked. â€Å"I'm going to your house,† I told him, still feeling around blindly. He got up and came to my side. â€Å"Here are your shoes. How did you plan to get there?† â€Å"My truck.† â€Å"That will probably wake Charlie,† he offered as a deterrent. I sighed. â€Å"I know. But honestly, I'll be grounded for weeks as it is. How much more trouble can I really getin?† â€Å"None. He'll blame me, not you.† â€Å"If you have a better idea, I'm all ears.† â€Å"Stay here,† he suggested, but his expression wasn't hopeful. â€Å"No dice. But you go ahead and make yourself at home,† I encouraged, surprised at how natural my teasing sounded, and headed for the door. He was there before me, blocking my way. I frowned, and turned for the window. It wasn't really that far to the ground, and it was mostly grass beneath â€Å"Okay,† he sighed. â€Å"I'll give you a ride.† I shrugged. â€Å"Either way. But you probably should be there, too.† â€Å"And why is that?† â€Å"Because you're extraordinarily opinionated, and I'm sure you'll want a chance to air your views.† â€Å"My views on which subject?† He asked through his teeth. â€Å"This isn't just about you anymore. You're not the center of the universe, you know.† My own personal universe was, of course, a different story. â€Å"If you're going to bring the Volturi down on us over something as stupid as leaving me human, then your family ought to have a say.† â€Å"A say in what?† he asked, each word distinct. â€Å"My mortality. I'm putting it to a vote.†